<p>S was told at orientation advising they could not sign up for chem lab even though they DID sign up for chem. Shouldn't those two things go together? Even the admin at the honors office thought it was odd... anyone else experience this? We thought maybe they were just trying to hold some spots open for later orientations, but the labs are showing open spots right now EXCEPT they are blocked for engineering students to add? Anyone else experience this? Do chem and the chem lab not go hand-in-hand?</p>
<p>If you look at certain CRNs (ex: 91704), there are certain ones reserved for College of Engineering. I actually have never heard of this happening before, so it could be something new with the engineering first year program.</p>
<p>granipc, same happened w our son. He is enrolled in chem but does not yet have chem lab. We attended last orientation. I don’t understand leaving parents out of the course registration process but not making certain the students have their schedules in order. </p>
<p>Our son also needs one more course-a CLE-but he is considering a business minor so some advising about what makes sense for that last slot would be helpful on that account…which of course did not occur. LOL.</p>
<p>I don’t understand why so many of their courses only count for 2 credits. DD takes 4-5 courses at her school. VT engineers are looking at 6-7.</p>
<p>grandscheme… agreed. I get what they are trying to do with having the kids do their own schedules, but if that’s the case, they need a bit more advising before they let them loose. Mine was in there FOREVER… as in, the advisors had walked out and turned off the lights and he was still in there trying to figure it out. He came out with 13 credits, which was fine, except 2 of his classes were online. Ummm… not paying out-of-state tuition for you take half your classes on the computer! But it’s all he could get to work, and no one was helping him figure out anything different. Luckily, he’s in Honors and someone clued me in that the honors staff might could help. He met with someone there and she helped him get it in better order before we left orientation… but he still doesn’t have chem lab!</p>
<p>Chem and Chem Lab certainly should go hand-in-hand. We didn’t experience this last year with Son #1 but perhaps the labs gave priority to engineering students. Son #2 is also in COE but had AP credit for Chem so we didn’t have to face this issue this year.</p>
<p>VT’s advising setup can be particularly frustrating for Honors students coming in with significant AP or other college credits. The COE has general engineering advisors in year 1 and specific major advisors in year 2 (or whenever the student transfers to their desired major). The students meet first with the general engineering advisors who are tasked with dealing with both Honors students and students who want details specific to their desired majors. It’s a lot to ask of the general advisors. Fortunately, during the Honors presentation the Honors head told us not to worry if we had any difficulties in getting courses. Son #2 had only 12 credits including one CLE course that he didn’t really want to take. The Honors advisors were able to get him better classes and fill his course load.</p>
<p>@grandscheme - If I’ve counted correctly an engineering major would need to devote 27 credits (not otherwise required by the engineering major) to obtain a business minor. Of these 27 credits, I think only Econ 2005 and 2006 would count toward CLE Area 3. I believe that the COE is planning on a new entrepeneurship minor (I’m assuming the required credits will be less than the full business minor).</p>
<p>Yes, I was VERY thankful for the honors office at orientation! Apparently they were told they were saving the chem labs for the chem majors? ANY chem lab section we pull up on open classes says it is blocked for engineering majors. Weird! They told them they could take it spring semester, but that makes NO sense to me. Guess that’s why I’m not in charge… ha!</p>
<p>Not taking the two together won’t be a problem from a difficulty standpoint. I have no idea if it’ll cause a problem with pre-reqs. The advisors don’t know either so don’t listen to anything they say. The honors ones might be better, I don’t know.</p>
<p>That’s what I was worried about Chuy… and the Honors person we talked to didn’t think it made any more sense than we did. BUT, those labs are definitely blocked, with no way to add them to his schedule online even though they are showing open seats. I’m going to have him email someone in the COE and see what he can find out.</p>
<p>I found out from some current engineering students that they had to take chem lecture one semester, and lab the following semester in previous years as well. According to these students, chem lab doesn’t conflict with anything as far as pre-reqs go. So they may not have enough room since they’re trying to to accommodate for majors who do need it as a pre-req to graduate on time.</p>
<p>THANK YOU Financiallylost… that makes me feel MUCH better.</p>
<p>It still doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Will have to just wait it out. DS isn’t worried. Ignorance is bliss, I guess.</p>
<p>Thanks, ChrisTKD, for attempting those calculations. With 2 advisors for the 1500 new engr grads, I don’t really see how any advising can go on. I don’t want to helicopter but…</p>
<p>At DS orientation we were told that most of the first year engineering students would not get into the Chem lab 1st semester. Financiallylost nailed it. It was discussed at the parent meeting for engineering students. They did say that ideally one would take the two together but separating them would not cause any problems.</p>
<p>I did not hear anything about it at our orientation meeting for parents. Thanks for that info.</p>
<p>My son was a freshman in engineering last year. He was able to take chem and chem lab together during the fall semester, but about half of his engineering friends were not. Apparently at some point, my son had indicated an interest in chemical engineering so his adviser made sure he got the chem lab fall semester so he could take the second semester chem/chem lab in the spring. General engineering students that express an interest in a field of engineering that requires the entire sequence of general chemistry do get placed by the advisers into chem lab fall semester. Some general engineering freshman were able to get a chem lab slot during the drop/add period which opens August 10th. The other students took the lab in the spring, and there did not seem to be any problems arising from that arrangement. My son went on to choose mechanical engineering so in the long run it did not matter for him. My son and his twin both go to VT and both had to take chem/chem lab last year. They both reported that chem lab is tremendously time consuming and tedious so not having to take it during the “fall semester freshman adjustment to college life” phase might actually be a good thing.</p>
<p>But in order to stay on track/pace don’t most engineering students take Physics +lab in the spring semester? So now, for those that didn’t get the Chem Lab in the fall, they will be taking Physics and Chem lab in the same semester? This seems more of a burden to me.</p>