<p>Just wanted to let everyone know I noticed the Orientation Services link is opened to register for Freshman Orientation via SSC. </p>
<p>The cost is $80 for the freshman student and $40 for each guest. I'm assuming at least 1 parent typically attends (?)- especially for those of us coming from out of state?</p>
<p>The housing fb page also noted that freshmen can now go in and edit their housing requests.</p>
<p>coleman, technically a parent doesn’t have to come…you are separate from your student a lot of the day, but I would think most parents would want to come. You can take care of some stuff for them (like parking) and there are information sessions for stuff…housing, greek life, etc.</p>
<p>For best course selection, come as early as possible.</p>
<p>Thanks that’s helpful. I was planning to go but I didn’t want to ‘cramp his style’ if I were one of only a few parents there. When you say early as possible, do you mean in the day or one of the earlier scheduled dates? Unfortunately, most- if not all of them occur on weekdays, starting in May and son is in school until nearly mid-June (June 12th), so we opt for the 2nd overnight session on June 30th. I hope he’ll still be able to get what he needs in terms of courses.</p>
<p>^^Earlier dates. The first few are really even before SC schools get out, but if you are done with APs and don’t have a lot going on in school and haven’t used up all your absences it’s worth it to come early. But for the average freshman with a number of gen eds to fulfill, you will get classes you need. As an advisor told our parent group…it’s just 5 classes. Biggest problem is when you have specific things you want (chinese for ex) where they don’t offer many sections and aren’t likely to add more. Even though they don’t hold spots for later orientations, they will open up sections of some classes later in summer…but it might mean you have to change your schedule around right before classes start. They added seats to a math section D2 wanted 2 weeks before school and she was able to get a daytime honors section instead of reg section in evening. The good news is that, unless you’re honors, once you have been advised, your S can drop and add classes during the summer if he sees that new sections open or people drop.</p>
<p>Again, my disclaimer, they may make changes to orientation from year to year, but as of two years ago the day starts at Koger center with general speakers. Then they divide students by major they listed. Each group of students goes on to their college’s advisement. Parents also divide by major/college and go hear about it in a different section. Parents do not meet with advisors. Everyone eats lunch sort of together…you don’t sit with child but in same place. There is some free time right after lunch when you can do the information booths, pay for parking, pick up ID and even take a tour if you feel the need. I think the students also have something after lunch too…maybe more information/advising. Then meet back up with student at end to do things you didn’t do with him at lunch break…assuming you saw him then. We didn’t need to go see dorms again, but I think you can see inside some of dorms which may interest you since you’ll know by then where you are staying. So basically after the opening session for everyone, you could possibly not see your S until the end of the day:)</p>
<p>SC mom do u know if they make a point to try to make sure students in certain majors get the prerequisite courses they need. I’m really stressing because my daughter is leaning towards USC as a nursing major but has also been accepted to many direct- entry programs. It just makes me nervous that if she doesn’t get her classes she would then not have what she needs to apply for progression to upper level nursing . I have called some of the other schools she got into and they have said that they basically ensure they get the classes they need for nursing. Again these are direct entry programs that don’t require further application. She loves USC but I’m really nervous about her not getting the classes she needs. We can’t attend orientation till later in June.</p>
<p>^^I can only make a guess, so I suggest calling nursing school with specific questions. An advisor might make you are more comfortable with the class offerings. </p>
<p>I’m not familiar with nursing so looked at curriculum…there are lots of general educ requirements to do that D will be able to get into. The specific nursing classes looked liked they made room for all students. I looked (and you can too) at 2012 fall course offerings and looked up a couple of the lower division nursing classes and bio sections and almost all showed availability which means there was room for eveyone who wanted the class. (at USC home page click current students, on right click master sched online and look at fall 2012 and you can look at courses as offered last year)</p>
<p>Chances are you’ll have options and worst will be that the schedule is not convenient or have some late classes…good news is that no more 8am classes for the most part.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for your help SCMom3 . I will check that out and I think I will call an advisor as well to put my nerves to rest! I appreciate your help!</p>
<p>Oops. I meant SCmom12. It’s been a long day!</p>
<p>We did the orientation session on the Tuesday after Memorial Day (IIRC you take the language test the day before your orientation).</p>
<p>That way DD only had to miss one day of school, and since it was an early session she got everything she wanted. By the last two weeks of school, the seniors aren’t really doing anything productive anyway. :D</p>
<p>I went to Orientation by myself. I literally was one of only a handful of students who went without parents. (I don’t remember any other students being by themselves.)</p>
<p>It wasn’t a problem though. They separated us out for most of the day and I got all of the information I needed.</p>
<p>Earlier is better. I went in June and a lot of classes were already filled up.</p>
<p>scmom12 - You mentioned that non-Honors students can change their schedules at will throughout the summer. Are the Honors students prohibited from changing their schedules, or do they initiate schedule changes through their advisor? Is it only the first year students who are unable to modify schedules, or every year for the Honors students?</p>
<p>Do you know if they are required to enroll in a certain number of Honors classes per semester? </p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Riley…things may change some with the new system but in past only honors office could put you in or take you out of honors class (you can change any of your non-honors classes anytime)…we did it once over the phone in the summer when spaces opened up in a section. Honors students meet with honors advisor every semester in addition to major advisor and they release you to sign up for honors. D2 has found honors advisors to be very accessible for talking through courses, majors, etc even outside of registration advisement. For this semester, current students have kind of a funky timeline since they are transitioning everyone to SSC…don’t know what that means for how this works in future. I think basically honors wants to control who signs up for honors sections.Bottom line…don’t worry about this. For freshmen, they will get advised and registered at same time at orientation and will tell you then the procedure for making changes.</p>
<p>You do not have to sign up for certain number of honors courses each semester. You need 45 hours honors to finish program which means 2 classes a semester would get you there easy…D2 (soph) will be done with honors requirements other than senior project after this year. But she likes the honors courses when she can get them, especially for her major because the teachers are often better for those sections.</p>