Creating a Schedule for Bama Bound

<p>The below questions are common, so </p>

<p>*1)
Regarding schedules, how does our student even know what to schedule. Should they see what their major requires, or what freshman usually take.</p>

<p>2)
What about AP results. </p>

<p>3)
I know S1 met with his honors counselor during orientation and his counselor guided him…will they do that at bamabound? </p>

<p>4)</p>

<h2>Also S cannot make an honors bamabound so we scheduled him for a regular session. I know he will miss some honors information, but will it also mean he wouldn’t meet with an honors counselor? Thanks*</h2>

<p>1) Yes, absolutely. Students need to look to see what their majors require, see what req’ts they’ve already fulfilled via AP/IB/DE and create a Plan A, Plan B, Plan C for Fall semester. Some kids are very pro-active and plan out the whole 8 semesters…or maybe just the next 4 semesters.</p>

<p>They should come to Bama Bound with a Weeklong Grid that has these options listed (including the CRN numbers to plug in).</p>

<p>So, create an Excel file with 6 columns across…Time, Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Friday. and, many rows below marked in half hour increments starting at 8 am. In each time allotment, put 2-3 options. </p>

<p>TAKE CAREFUL note of any classes that are only offered in the Fall or Spring…especially if that’s a pre-req for another class.</p>

<p>2) If they already know what AP credits they have, then they can apply those as needed and plug in other classes in those spots. If they don’t yet have scores, they can either guess that they got the needed score and select the higher class, or retake the class. </p>

<p>3) & 4) Bama doesn’t have “honors advisors” like a smaller honors college might. There are just too many kids and too many majors for a few honors counselors to know all the req’ts. The selection of honors classes is really up to the student. Bama can’t really require that a STEM major take Honors Chem or Honors Bio, since that section might not work with a schedule or the student may have AP credits. </p>

<p>If a student needs a Fine Arts Core Req’t, then he can choose one of the Honors FA offerings. It’s really up to the student to make his selections.</p>

<p>Students get approval from the advisor of their major. If they have a question about a particular honors class, an Honors College administrator can answer the question.</p>

<p>Keep in mind that while an advisor signs off on a schedule, the student has the freedom to later change, add, remove any class he wants. Kids tweak their schedules many times over the summer after Bama Bound. An additional signature isn’t required.</p>

<p>If you haven’t found this page, [Undergraduate</a> Majors - The University of Alabama](<a href=“Page Not Found | The University of Alabama”>Page Not Found | The University of Alabama), it is a nice place to get an idea of a typical four year plan for each major.</p>

<p>Another handy page, classes for the core curriculum: [Core</a> Curriculum – General Studies Course Listing | The Office of the University Registrar - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://registrar.ua.edu/academics/core-curriculum/general-studies/#tab=tab-1]Core”>http://registrar.ua.edu/academics/core-curriculum/general-studies/#tab=tab-1)</p>

<p>Thanks all. This is really helpful. Is there a comprehensive list of courses that carry the W designation? Or do you just need to scroll through the catalogue?</p>

<p>Usually your major dictates which courses you can take for the Writing requirement. I believe they are usually a 300 or 400 level class.</p>

<p>This is a good link to keep handy: [Core</a> Curriculum – General Studies Course Listing | The Office of the University Registrar - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://registrar.ua.edu/academics/core-curriculum/general-studies/#tab=tab-7]Core”>http://registrar.ua.edu/academics/core-curriculum/general-studies/#tab=tab-7)</p>

<p>Use the links at the top to find courses with the specified designations.</p>

<p>seeking: try this link<br>
[Core</a> Curriculum – General Studies Course Listing | The Office of the University Registrar - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://registrar.ua.edu/academics/core-curriculum/general-studies/#tab=tab-7]Core”>http://registrar.ua.edu/academics/core-curriculum/general-studies/#tab=tab-7)</p>

<p>BamaMomof3 is right about the writing designation. My D is in EE and has her Writing designated courses later in her curriculum.</p>

<p>Thanks all. This is really helpful. Is there a comprehensive list of courses that carry the W designation? Or do you just need to scroll through the catalogue?</p>

<p>While some majors require certain 300/400 level classes that carry the W designation, other majors let you choose a W class from a minor or from the Honors College.</p>

<p>When my older son was a math major, his major only had one W class (3 credits), so to fulfill the 6 credit req’t, he took an Honors Class with the W designation.</p>

<p>If you Look Up Classes on MyBama, and look to the far right, it will tell you if a class fulfills a req’d Core. </p>

<p>The links above are also good, but may not list all the Honors classes that will work.</p>

<p>When making tentative schedules, also pay attention to:</p>

<p>1) Where the buildings are located. If you can, try to line up classes so that you’re not criss-crossing the campus. If you have to travel a distance, then that’s often a good time to have a meal break right before. </p>

<p>2) Planning meal breaks…preferably right before or right after popular eating times to avoid some crowding issues. </p>

<p>3) Study breaks…Some kids schedule all their classes back to back and then are too exhausted at the end of the day to even think straight. If you take a couple of classes, then a break, and another class/lab, then another break, and then another class, you’ll have time to review notes, start homework, and eat during those breaks. I know that I got my best grades when I didn’t have a “rush to the next class” schedule and had some scheduled breaks in between. </p>

<p>4) I’ve said this a gazillion times…If you’re not a natural early riser, do not sign up for 8 am classes as a frosh.</p>

<p>Thank you for the link!</p>

<p>Does anyone have experience with the Spanish department? The Spanish 353 classes are filled and have a good number on the WL. Even the ones that do not have profs assigned yet. Do they normally add more sections?</p>

<p>As always…thank you</p>

<p>Don’t forget to plan for scheduled labs also. Although an 8:00 lab may be scheduled for 8:00 to 10:30 for a Chem class and most of the time doesn’t take that long, there WILL be some occasions where it WILL take that long and you still have to make it to your next class. Don’t schedule a class that conflicts with the lab.</p>

<p>^^</p>

<p>Yes, those LABS! They can really cause issues when they take 2-3 hours on one afternoon. </p>

<p>If you have a few classes with labs, it can help if you try to line them up so that a time period isn’t ruined for the week. For instance, schedule one on T from 1-3, and then another on Thurs from 1 - 3. That way that time isn’t ruined for other classes.</p>

<p>BTW…Thursdays are indicated by the letter R only.</p>

<p>On the course listings from the English dept., it reads that those students with AP credit (or IB or transfer) do not take English 104 (the Blount Freshman English), which, from what I can tell, is the highest freshman English course offered, since it substitutes for English 103. Since I am apparently advised not to take it with my AP credit, should I then move on to a 200 level class?</p>

<p>Yes, but only if you need a 200 English class. Are you an English major? or are you looking to take a Lit class?</p>

<p>I don’t <em>need</em> it since I’m a philosophy major, but, also since I’m a philosophy major, I’d like to.</p>

<p>Ahh…</p>

<p>For philosophy, you’ll really like Dr Torin Alter, Dr. Justin Klocksiem, Dr. Richard Richards, Dr. Hestivold, and Dr. Chase Wrenn.</p>