Final Grades, GPA, Academic Standing

Final Grades

Final grades for your fall semester courses will be available to view in My Madison on Tuesday, December 17. The date that final grades will be available is always published by the Registrar’s Office. To review your grades, login to MyMadison and follow these steps:

1. Enter the Student Center within the Academics or Students tab.

2. Select Grades from the drop-down menu.

3. Move the radius to the term you want to see your grades.

Calculate Your GPA
Your grade point average (GPA) is calculated by dividing the total amount of grade points earned by the total amount of credit hours attempted. Review the Undergraduate Grading System outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog to know how many quality points are assigned to each grade per credit hour.

• Example of calculating the quality points you earned for a course… I earned a B- in GHIST 225. The quality points assigned to a B- are 2.700, and GHIST 225 is a 4 credit hour course. Therefore, I earned 10.800 (2.700 x 4) total quality points for that course.
• You can also use an online GPA calculator.

Academic Standing

Knowing your GPA let’s you know your academic standing at JMU.

• President’s List > 3.90 and carry a course load of at least 12 credit hours
• Dean’s List 3.5000 – 3.899 and carry a course load of at least 12 credit hours
• Academic Good Standing > or = 2.000
• Academic Probation < 2.000

Academic Probation

Students who are on academic probation at the end of fall semester will be restricted to a class load of no more than 12 credit hours each semester until their cumulative GPA has improved to Academic Good Standing. If you’re in this situation, contact me (or your assigned academic advisor in the future) immediately to develop a plan for spring semester. You have until Tuesday, January 13 at 5:00 p.m. to drop your class load to 12 credit hours.

Academic Suspension

Students cannot be placed on Academic Suspension after their first semester at the University, even if their GPA qualifies them for suspension. However, this is still a very serious academic performance indicator. If you’re in this situation, contact me (or your assigned academic advisor in the future) immediately to develop a plan for spring semester.  Academic Suspension GPA indicators are set-forth by the number of credit hours you have attempted. Review the Academic Suspension table in the Undergraduate Catalog to determine where this is for you. You can find the information outlined above in the Undergraduate Catalog – Academic Policies and Procedures.

Decide on Your Action Plan

Building on the previous post about major exploration and reflection on the semester, now is a great time to begin creating an action plan towards choosing and declaring your major. There are a number of resources and services you can utilize while you’re relaxing and reflecting over winter break. 

1. Complete FOCUS from the comfort of your home anytime.
FOCUS provides a self-paced, online format for exploring majors and careers through individualized quizzes to learn more about your own interests and skills. You can save your information and go back as often as you like.  Afterwards, you can schedule an appointment with me to help make meaning of your results.

2. Register for IS 202: Career & Life Planning for spring semester.
This 1-credit, elective course provides a structured, group format for exploring majors and careers during the first 8 weeks of spring semester.

3. Schedule regular meetings with me during spring semester to help you through the exploration process.
Email me your availability if this option sounds best to you!  If you are not comfortable meeting with me or want another professional’s guidance, schedule an appointment with an advisor in Career & Academic Planning.  You can schedule a Career Counseling appointment (a.k.a. meeting to help with making a decision) with any advisor in our office!

End of Semester Reflection

You’re almost to the finish line of your first semester in college!  Can you believe it’s here?!  It seems like yesterday we were going through Summer Springboard Orientation – so much has happened since then!  We hope you finish strong in your final exams/papers/projects, have a wonderful winter break and utilize the time to rejuvenate and reflect upon the last 6 months.

The purpose of this post is to help you think about how to reflect on this semester and move towards clarity about your major and career path.  Reflecting on where you’ve been and where you are now can help you decide where you are going and create a plan for moving towards a decision. If you want to talk with me over break to help develop an action plan, I will be in the office through December 19 and returning on January 5.

1. Reflect on the Semester

• What classes did you like this semester?  What did you like about them?  What did you learn?  What sparked your interests?
• What skills did you develop or enjoy using in your classes, group projects, student organizations, or other activities?  Did anything surprise you?
• What was your plan for picking a major at the beginning of the year?  Maybe exploring a subject by taking a class?  Are you closer to making your decision now then you were?  What do you think you need to do to get closer to making your decision?

2. Write a list of majors you’re considering or you want to learn more about.

What do you know about Integrated Science & Technology? Anthropology?International Affairs? Quantitative Finance? Health Sciences? The possibilities are endless. It’s important to keep your mind open to exploring! Just as we try “not to judge a book by its cover,” don’t judge a major by the name or the General Education or introductory course you may have taken or heard about from your friends. Do your homework. There are so many resources available to help you make your decision.

• Major Snapshots: Learn more about the 50+ majors at JMU, including admission and progression requirements, degree options, and the declaration process. Once you click on a major of interest, there’s also a link to the Career Guide to JMU Majors in the upper-right corner, so that you can learn about careers associated with the major. If you don’t know what a career is, visit the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) to learn about the nature of the work and other good information.
• Minors: JMU offers a wide array of minor programs that allow you to supplement your major with another area of focused study. Students complete minors for a variety of reasons: strong interest in the subject, enjoyment of the discipline, and/or to develop specific skills and knowledge. Most minor programs require 18 to 24 credit hours of coursework.
• Pre-Professional Programs: Pre-professional programs at JMU are not majors, minors or concentrations. They are preparation programs that outline a set of JMU courses that are commonly required for admission to graduate or professional schools, or to obtain licensure or certification.

Get Ready for Finals: Preparing & Studying

Prioritize, Organize, and Manage Your Time and Materials

1. Figure out what your present situation is in each class.
2. Estimate what catch-up work and new work needs to be done between now and the final exams.  Also, estimate how much time will be needed to review for each exam.
3. Learn all you can about what to expect on your final exam.
4. Rank your courses according to importance, and decide on a realistic final-grade goal for each course.
5. Estimate how many study hours are available to you and divide them amount your courses according to your priorities.
6. Adjust your grade-goals, if necessary, to fit the realities of how much study time is available.

Especially if you’ve had trouble organizing yourself in the past, it’s important to create a detailed plan. If you need help creating this, let me know! As you prepare for your exams, it’s important to pull together relevant study materials: quiz/exam study guides you’ve been given in the past, quizzes/exams you’ve taken, and your notes/readings that will be tested on the final exam.

Find a Place to Study

If you haven’t already noticed, study spaces are becoming more and more crowded. It’s important to find a good environment that works with your personality and study preferences. Take a look at the blog post about some of the great study spaces on- and off-campus.

Visit Faculty or the Learning Centers

If you’re confused about your notes, the readings, or your past tests or quizzes, schedule time to meet with your professors during their office hours or visit the Learning Centers! Bring old tests and quizzes to review questions you missed and get tips for studying. If you’re not sure what to ask or say to your professor, read the previous post about tips on how to talk to your professor. Now is also a great time to seek campus resources that can support you, academically. Here are some:

• Communication Center
• English Language Learner Services
• Learning Strategies Instruction
• P.A.S.S. (Peer Assisted Study Sessions)
• Science & Math Learning Center
• University Writing Center

Attend Study Review Sessions

If your professor offers a review session, go! A review session is a time set aside to answer questions about the material that will be on the final exam. These can be held during class or at a special time outside of class. Just be careful not to use these as crutches. They’re not supposed to replace studying. Here’s what you should do at a review session to get the most out of this opportunity:

1. Review the material before the review session.  Some students skip this step, and attend the review session with the approach that attending will be the start of their studying. There are two problems with this approach. First, if you don’t look over the notes and readings first, the information won’t be fresh in your mind during the review session, and you might be confused by the information you hear there. Second, by looking over the material ahead of time, you’ll know if there are concepts you do not understand.
2. Come with prepared with questions. Many students don’t come with questions or concepts they’re confused about, and assume that others will ask helpful questions that will benefit everyone. There’s no guarantee that someone will ask the questions that you need the answers to for preparing.  Unfortunately, if you don’t ask questions, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get the information you need.
3. Ask the right questions. Many students come to the exam session with hopes of receiving some information about what specifically will be on the test. They ask questions like, “Is Chapter 12 going to be on the test?” or “What do we have to know about Chapter 5?” Although it would be nice to know what’s going to be on test, this isn’t the point of a review session. Instead, ask questions like, “I was really confused by Chapter 8. Could you please explain what the author means when she talks about…?”

On the Day of the Final

• If your exam is early in the morning, set multiple alarms to avoid over-sleeping.
• Eat a meal and drink water.
• Don’t overdo it with the caffeine.
• Know what to bring with you to the final. Do you need a blue book? A Scantron? A pencil? A pen? Your laptop? A calculator?
• Are food and drinks allowed in the classroom where your final will be? Sometimes, the rules are different for exam days than other days.
• Even if you don’t usually wear a watch, take one with you to the final. It’s unlikely you will be able to look at your cell phone to check the time during the final.

Get Ready for Finals: Stress Relief

Remember to Take Care of Yourself.

In addition to the Five Tips to Help You Get Through the End of the Semester post a few weeks ago, one of the most important ways to reduce stress during this very busy time is to take care of yourself. Many students end up getting sick this time of year because they have neglected their own wellness.

Try to get enough sleep. 

Some people can function well on three hours of sleep a night. Most cannot. You’ll do much better during exams if your mental state is good, and sleep is essential for this. Don’t overdo it on the caffeine, either! If you feel like you can’t manage your time well enough to be able to get the amount of sleep you’d like, check out the post on time management.

Try your best to eat well. 

Your body needs to be nourished by real food—fruits, vegetables, protein, good carbs, and just plain water. Energy bars and caffeinated drinks are not enough. Try to sit down with friends for at least one real meal a day. Want dinner served to you but don't want to leave campus? Don’t forget about using your 3 punches at Madison Grill. Good conversation and a change of scenery go a long way toward relieving the stress of sitting at a computer, the library, or working in a lab. And with all the awesome dining options on campus, take advantage of a delicious study break!

Get some exercise. 

Vigorous physical activity can help you burn off your stress by giving you something else to focus on and relieving tension in your muscles. Endorphins are real: they make you feel better! Now is not the time to let up on your regular UREC workout. Or, if you’re not a UREC regular, consider heading there for a little stress relief and study break. There are also plenty of fun group fitness classes, opportunities for pick-up basketball games and so much more if the typical treadmill workout isn’t for you.

Build in healthy study breaks. 

De-stress and take a study break at Late Night Breakfast (it's Disney's "Frozen" themed) on Thursday, December 4 from 10p to midnight is another great option for a study break - who doesn't love free food!? Or, if laughter is the best medicine for your stress relief, check out the last Funny Freakin’ Friday on Friday, December 5 at 8p in TDU. Last but not least, Grafton movie this week is "Frozen" if that's more your style.