Add/Drop Deadline | Learning Strategies

Add/Drop Deadline

Tuesday, September 2 is the add/drop deadline; therefore, it’s your last opportunity to drop a class without receiving a “W” on your transcript or add a course without the Department Head’s signature.  As we discussed during the 1787 Group Advising Session, if you change courses on Monday or Tuesday, then you’ve already missed at least one week of class, so there will be a lot of work to make-up. We advise you carefully consider adjusting your schedule at this point.

Drop-In Hours

Check-in at the front desk of Career & Academic Planning (3rd floor of the Student Success Center) during the following drop-in hours if you want to meet with your advisor, especially regarding adjusting your course schedule:

Sarah Orem's Office Hours

Monday (9/1): 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday (9/2): 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Wednesday, September 3, I will begin scheduling appointments. Thank you for all of the very professional emails you have sent listing your availability over the next few business days.

Learning Strategies Instruction

Learning Strategies Instruction (LSI) offers tips, resources, and strategies designed to increase student success through individualized, student-centered academic coaching. They provide FREE individual appointments to develop customized plans, workshops, and online tips about topics including:

• Time Management
• Test Taking
• Note Taking
• Memorization
• Reading Comprehension
• and more...

LSI isn't tutoring; they provide tips and tools to help you adjust and succeed throughout your time at JMU (and beyond)! To set up an appointment, contact lsi@jmu.edu, call 540/568-6705 or visit their office on the 1st floor of the Student Success Center.

Graduation Club

“I learned a lot and my GPA proves it.  I did so well first semester that I was even offered a chance to be in JMU’s honor program.  I know I wouldn’t [have] done nearly as well as I did if I hadn’t attended [your] class.” ~ Graduation Club participant

Graduation Club is an opportunity where course instructors will help you learn how to remain motivated and get the most out of your study time!  The following areas will be discussed:

• Setting Goals and Staying Motivated
• Learning Styles
• Reading those BIG textbooks
• Lecture Note Taking
• Time and Stress Management
• Test-Taking Strategies
• Study Skills
• Interacting with Professors

Talk with your RA to sign up.

Conversation Partners

Are you interested in learning about another culture?  Are you interested in continuing your foreign language skills (second language not required)?  If so, join the Conversation Partner Program.  The program is designed to:

• pair international U.S. individuals
• engage in weekly conversations
• share and learn about each other’s culture
• practice conversation skills in English or a foreign language
• host monthly activities for partners

For more information and to complete an application, checkout the Conversation Partner Program website. You can also attend the kickoff event on Thursday, September 4 at 7:00 p.m. in the Highlands Room in the Festival Conference and Student Center.

Drop-In Hours | Schedule Changes

It was great to see you during the group advising session!  I'm really looking forward to working with you this year. After our time together today:

1. Review the Academic Advising Syllabus and take notes of of your to-do items.

2. Review the Presentation, if you need clarification.

Drop-In Hours

Drop-in hours, also known as office hours, are times when you can drop-by the office without a scheduled appointment. Students are seen on a first-come, first-serve basis. Check-in at the front desk of Career & Academic Planning (3rd floor of the Student Success Center) during the following drop-in hours if you want to meet:

Sarah Orem's Office Hours

8/25: 12:30-2:00p
8/26: 2:00-4:00p
8/27: 3:00-4:45p
8/28: email me
8/29: email me
9/1: 2:00-4:00p
9/2: 9:00-11a

Changing Your Schedule

As you have been doing, you have the power to change your schedule if classes have open seats and you have met the pre- or co-requisites. Remember - With great power comes great responsibility. Review the blog posts from this summer about making changes to your schedule. While you can add and drop classes from your schedule until Tuesday, September 2, the later it is that you make a change, the more class you will have missed and need to play catch-up on. Missing one week of class is a large chunk of time in college.

First Day of Class

Bring a pen or pencil and paper with you on the first day of class.  You will receive a syllabus from each instructor about the class, expectations, contact information, required materials, course schedule, assignments, and grading.  Take notes and ask questions!  You can wait until after the first class to buy books unless you’ve heard otherwise from your instructor.  Waiting to buy books can prevent you from needing to return books if you change your course section or course.  Read more about purchasing textbooks in a previous post.

Double-Check Your Schedule

You are responsible for assuring that you're taking the appropriate classes. The Undergraduate Catalog, Department websites, and your assigned academic advisor help guide your understanding of the appropriate classes you should be taking. The Information for Undeclared Students in the 1st Semester Preparation Modules provides lots of great information that you can refer back to for guidance. I recommend you re-watch the video for Undeclared students:

Double-check your schedule to be sure you are enrolled in:

• 1-2 Cluster One courses. 
• Classes that will double-count in General Education and majors that you are considering. 
• Optional: IS 202: Career & Life Planning, a 1-credit elective that will help you with your decision about a major and career path.
• 14-16 credit hours, total.

If you have questions, contact me!

Upcoming Dates & Deadlines

Monday, August 4: Open Enrollment opens for all JMU students

Upcoming Blog Post Topics

Tuesday, August 5: This post will provide some housing information and roommate advice.
Friday, August 8: This post will introduce you to the JMU Honor Code and a required tutorial and test that all first-year JMU students complete at the beginning of their first semester.

Open Enrollment

Beginning Monday, August 4, you can attempt to change your classes on MyMadison. Make sure you are enrolled in 14-16 credit hours for fall semester.

We strongly recommend you do not use the drop or add features if you are changing one class for another. Think about it... You see a class you want to enroll in has an open seat (GPSYC 160). So, you drop a class (e.g. GPSYC 101) so that you can add GPSYC 160. But, when you go to add GPSYC 160, the class is closed because someone else registered for the last seat. So then you go back to add the GPSYC 101 class you just dropped, but someone took that seat too! So now you cannot take GPSYC 101 or 160. Bummer! You can avoid this by using the swap feature. The swap feature doesn’t drop you out of a class unless you’re guaranteed to get into the other class. Watch this video about how to swap classes:

If you were on a waitlist and have not been given a seat in the class, then you will not be getting a seat. Therefore, make adjustments to your schedule to be in a total of 14-16 credit hours. If you have questions, please contact me (contact information in the right-hand column of this blog).

Remember as you make changes to your schedule, pay attention to the campus map and the Can I Get There On Time? map created by the Madison Advising Peers.

Also, each section of a class may have pre-requisites, restrictions, or requirements that aren't obvious from the search screen. Viewing the class details will show you more information about a specific section of a class.

Upcoming Dates & Deadlines

Monday, August 4: Open Enrollment begins for all JMU students.

Upcoming Blog Post Topics

Tuesday, August 5: This post will provide some housing information and roommate advice.
Friday, August 8: This post will introduce you to the JMU Honor Code and a required tutorial and test that all first-year JMU students complete at the beginning of their first semester.