Advising Question

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
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<p>I’m a freshman and am confused about what to do for signing up for the Spring semester. I am declared as a CS major, but have since decided I only want to minor in CS. I haven’t completed MATH125 so I don’t have an engineering adviser–I just received an email stating that this would be covered in our ENGR131 classes (which it really wasn’t).</p>

<p>However, I’m also interested in med school, but do not have a pre-med adviser because I didn’t declare that coming into the Fall semester. Since I’m no longer in the school of engineering and haven’t declared another major, I’m confused about who I should talk to about my Spring schedule. Should I make an appointment with the pre-health advising office? (And it’s not too late to be pre-med, especially with AP credit, right?)</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

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<p>LD, I would start with the adviser from your previous major. Let them know of you plans, and have them refer you to the correct person based on your specific plans. They are there to “advise” and that includes students that are transitioning from one major to another. Obviously it happens all the time. Good Luck.</p>

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<p>Based on the engineering website [Advising</a> - Undergraduate Students - The College of Engineering - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://eng.ua.edu/undergraduate/advising/]Advising”>http://eng.ua.edu/undergraduate/advising/), I would suggest going to “474 Russell Hall for details on the advising process” and see what they recommend.</p>

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<p>*
However, I’m also interested in med school, but do not have a pre-med adviser because I didn’t declare that coming into the Fall semester. Since I’m no longer in the school of engineering and haven’t declared another major, I’m confused about who I should talk to about my Spring schedule. Should I make an appointment with the pre-health advising office? (And it’s not too late to be pre-med, especially with AP credit, right?)*</p>

<p>it’s not too late for pre-med, but do you realize that you can’t use AP science credits to cover pre-med pre-reqs?</p>

<p>There is a Comp Sci pre-med track, in case you didn’t know.
<a href=“http://coeweb.eng.ua.edu/fep/pdf/ComputerScience_PreMed_PreLaw.pdf[/url]”>http://coeweb.eng.ua.edu/fep/pdf/ComputerScience_PreMed_PreLaw.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Are you losing any scholarship money by leaving engineering?</p>

<p>What major are you considering now? </p>

<p>Yes, contact pre-med advising. However, be aware that at most colleges, including Bama, pre-med advising during the first year is going to be rather light since a gazillion kids say that they’re pre-med, but then change after a semester or two of weeder classes. </p>

<p>So, it’s very likely that a pre-med advisor (at this point) is just going to have you start with the pre-reqs…bio I & II and chem I & II</p>

<p>What classes did you take this semester? Are you taking Cal I?</p>

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<p>I am losing scholarship money by leaving engineering… but I’ve realized that, while I can see how my CS courses are useful, I don’t particularly find them interesting or look forward to taking them, so CS probably isn’t the best field for me to focus in.</p>

<p>I am planning on keeping CS as a minor but I’m not positive about my major, though I’m leaning towards anthropology.</p>

<p>I’m confused about using AP credit… The Alabama pre-health website says “AP credit in any of these four areas needs to be SUPPLEMENTED with upper-level work, generally with lab.” Does that mean I need to retake all of the science courses I have credit for, or take higher-level science courses in those areas?</p>

<p>I’m taking calc I this semester along with ENGR 111 and 131, an honors seminar, ANT102, CS 121, 150, and 160. I was scheduled to take calc II next semester, but noticed that some med schools like statistics, and I would prefer to take that over calc II. I also didn’t want to start a year-long sequence of science courses at mid year (causing bio I and bio II to be separated by a summer, for instance), and so had thought about just continuing next semester with an anthropology course, general reqs, and reqs for a CS minor along with a statistics course instead of calc II. (CS 250 and 260, ANT, UH, FA and a stat course). </p>

<p>I’m not entirely positive about pre-med, though my concern comes more from not being absolutely certain about a career in medicine as opposed to wondering if I can handle the material. I was hoping I would be able to get in some volunteer/shadowing experience before choosing my Fall 2012 schedule next spring, at which point I should have made a decision one way or another. If I choose not to go pre med, I figure I’ll have taken an extra math course I don’t need, but could still graduate on time. If I decide on pre med, I could get in my science courses over the next two years (I realize I would have to take 2 of each in each semester, but I have enough general ed reqs out of the way that I could otherwise lessen my credit hours for those years.) </p>

<p>Should I just run this idea by a pre-med advisor (since I’m not entirely certain about being pre-med) and ask about what stats course to take?</p>

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<p>*I am losing scholarship money by leaving engineering… but I’ve realized that, while I can see how my CS courses are useful, I don’t particularly find them interesting or look forward to taking them, so CS probably isn’t the best field for me to focus in.</p>

<p>I am planning on keeping CS as a minor but I’m not positive about my major, though I’m leaning towards anthropology.*</p>

<p>Are you sure that there isn’t another area of engineering that might work so you can keep your scholarship? (which scholarship do you have?)
*
I’m confused about using AP credit… The Alabama pre-health website says "AP credit in any of these four areas needs to be SUPPLEMENTED with upper-level work, generally with lab." Does that mean I need to retake all of the science courses I have credit for, or take higher-level science courses in those areas?*</p>

<p>You have to do either one. You either have to retake your Science AP classes, or take the higher levels. If you didn’t have strong teachers for your AP Sciences, then retake the Bio and Chem classes.</p>

<p>What scores did you get in AP Chem and AP Bio? and how strong were your teachers/classes?</p>

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<p>To be honest, I’m not really interested in engineering, and I never have been. The only reason I am getting the engineering scholarship now is because CS is inlcuded in the college of engineering–at a lot of schools, it isn’t. Also, engineering is one of those fields that is difficult, which I’m not averse to, but so truly WANTING to study it becomes important. I don’t think I want it badly enough. Also, I’m getting the NMF scholarship, so while of course I would prefer that extra $2500 per year, it isn’t as important to me (especially once I can get a smaller meal plan).</p>

<p>I got 5’s on both bio and chem. I had very good teachers for both, and would say I feel very confident about biology. Chem I didn’t like as well (not crazy about the math component) and I took it less recently, so I suppose taking introductory chem would be a good idea. It’s actually physics I’m most concerned about–though I managed to pull a 4 on the exam, I had a horrible teacher and I took it my sophomore year, so it’s been a while.</p>

<p>Would it be reasonable to take an upper level bio course and chem at the same time (sophomore year) and then organic chem and physics together my junior year? Or would it be better to take chem and physics at the same time, then bio and organic chem the next year?</p>

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<p>*Would it be reasonable to take an upper level bio course and chem at the same time (sophomore year) and then organic chem and physics together my junior year? Or would it be better to take chem and physics at the same time, then bio and organic chem the next year? *</p>

<p>Why not take the upper level bio course or the Gen Chem I next semester?</p>

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<p>I was thinking it might be awkward to take what is essentially a year-long course (gen chem I then gen chem II) and split it over two academic years. Also, if I take statistics along with the CS courses, ANT, Honors Seminar and FA, like I tentatively planned, I wouldn’t have time.</p>

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<p>It’s not a problem at all to go over 2 “school years”. </p>

<p>But, if you wont’ have time, I understand. :)</p>

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<p>Okay, thank you so much for your help :)</p>

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<p>Are you sure that there isn’t another area of engineering that might work so you can keep your scholarship? (which scholarship do you have?)</p>

<p>I have to admit that every time I hear this I cringe.
Picking a major is about so much more than an extra $2,500. Engineering is difficult and time-consuming at best, even at that the attrition rate is huge. People switch majors for a reason. It’s ridiculous to even suggest anyone consider it over another major just for the money. Sorry to offend but seriously?</p>

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<p>I’m not offended. I just asked for a few reasons…</p>

<p>1) I didn’t know what scholarship he had at the time, so I was concerned that he might have the UA Scholar with the “tuition upgrade” + 2500 that would make Bama unaffordable if he changed. In such a case, the difference would not just be $2500, but nearly $10,000 and such a change may be too much for the family to absorb.</p>

<p>2) He mentioned that he’s considering pre-med. Some kids think you have to major in Biology or Chemistry if you’re a pre-med major.</p>

<p>3) He may have an interest in another area of engineering, but didn’t know that other engineering majors could be pre-med.</p>

<p>However, to avoid causing anyone to cringe, I’ll reserve such questions in PMs.</p>

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<p>I don’t suppose it really matters, but I’m not a “he”.</p>

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<p>Sorry! SHE! :)</p>

<p>I tend to use the generic “he” when I don’t know the gender.</p>