Coming to the first Honors one in May. How in the world does son choose what classes? Is there a template (I was told to have an A, B and C choice for each time slot). He doesn’t know if he wants to do MechE or Aero…how do kids know what they should be taking? Is it not like in HS where an advisor walks them thru everything? What else should we be prepared to do then (meal plans, etc) or will they send out a schedule beforehand?
He also tried to coordinate with his future roommates as well to see if they can come the same time. I thought that would be helpful.
Use the flowcharts that can be found on the College of Engineering website to chart your curriculum. Then use the “Look Up Classes” in Degreeworks to see class times and professors.
The flow chart for aero is here: http://aem.eng.ua.edu/files/2011/07/BSAE_Flowchart_V5_Eff_Fall_2014.pdf I couldn’t quickly locate the one for mech-e, but freshman year will be very similar. Freshman need to take freshman composition if they don’t have credit for it, they need to take a math course, they probably want to take a required science course, they should consider taking the freshman engineering e103 course. If they are honors students they can also consider some of the honors seminars.
^ Registration is NOT like high school…advisors are there to answer questions, but the student really makes up their own schedule and just gets advisor to look it over and sign off on it. No schedule is ever sent to students - you print it off yourself once classes are registered. One note of caution: rooms do change as late as the day before classes start, so double-check that once you get closer to August 18th, etc. At BamaBound, you could walk your course list, literally going class to class so your student knows how to orient themselves and how much time it takes to walk between buildings, the library, the dining halls, back to the dorm room, etc.
^ There is no need to take care of meal plans at BamaBound - for Freshman, these are automatic and the unlimited plan will show up on your bill/account (unless you have pre-arranged the Greek 50 or whatever they call it now). But you might want to rent a post office box while you’re there and get your combo for that (altho it can also be done online).
^ Here is link to ME flowcharts: http://me.eng.ua.edu/undergraduate/mechanical-engineering/. You can see how they have changed over the years! 
If you have any of the required courses already covered by incoming AP/CLEP credits, cross those off and move into the next ‘square’ on the flowchart!
Also, if you have access to Schedule Builder in mybama yet, that is a huge help in preparing different schedules for yourself. In the ‘old’ days (before Schedule Builder), my son and I used an excel spreadsheet as a template, and blocked off in different colours the various classes, so you can visually see breaks and so forth. It is important to schedule in dining breaks and study breaks.
Just checked the flowchart for 2014. Holy cow I’m more confused and hope son understands better. I’m assuming there is a course book where you can read descriptions and also know what the prerequisites are for each course, especially the math and sciences. My son completed multiple math classes over the summer with guidance from his dept head, then took s test and teacher let him skip a few levels. Being over in Europe at three different high schools in two different countries made it difficult to figure out what concepts he knew and what he didn’t and made it hard to place him last year. Anyway I’m rambling sorry.
And how do you know where to pop in an honors class or not?
Rdtsmith: For the two-day Bama Bounds, there is a big chunk of time on the first afternoon for advising. Most students have done some prep in advance and may be in and out of that session very quickly. Others may need more actual “advising” – and there are several advisors and Avanti’s (who have majors related to that dept/area) there to assist. Some students/parents stayed there for 2 hours or close to that (the parents arrive late in the session and sit in the back). Most students will then work on their preferred schedules more at some point that evening to be totally ready for registration the next morning. As others have advised, the student needs to have 3 or 4 possible schedules ready to go, in case their favorite schedule doesn’t work (i.e. certain section of a class is now closed). But then… your student will really have all summer to tinker with his/her schedule. My son had a decent schedule when he left BB (around June 23-24 last year); by the time he started school in August, he had completely changed his schedule… He had traded one actual class for another, but ended up changing sections in all his others, to make the times all work out together. (Note: What I described above was the experience of an engineering student at BB last summer.) Good luck! It will all be fine! P.S. They generally say to take 1 or 2 honors courses first semester.
Ok don’t feel so overwhelmed then. Thanks!
FYI- Looks like they are being proactive with Honors Engineering BB this year. DS got an email this week asking him to consider coming to one of the Honors sessions and helping with registration. They are hoping to have 6 current students at each session to assist the advisors. They are offering to pay those who agree. I doubt mine will take advantage of it since he is going to study abroad, but I hope others do. Of course the Avanti’s will be there as well. We got some great advice from an engineering Avanti last year.
That would be great. I’ve looked at Degree Works and Schedule Builder…watched the video for Schedule Builder…still very confused but perhaps my son knows more than I do. I’ll have him look at the flow charts too. Thanks all!