Question about getting in touch with my advisor

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
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<p>Roll Tide, everybody! I’ve been lurking around these forums for a while and I finally was given a reason to add to the discourse.</p>

<p>I am an OOS incoming freshman that will be majoring in mathematics (and perhaps some secondary scientific/business major). I will be coming in with a ton of credit in math (18/19 out of 36) and credits-wise am technically a junior.</p>

<p>When I went to Bama Bound early in June, I was unable to meet with the advisor for my major. At the time, I wasn’t too bothered because I thought I knew what classes I wanted to take, so I just asked the pre-med majors advisor who they paired me up with (I was called up near last and he was one of a few people left) to sign my classes off so that I could try and catch a flight back home.</p>

<p>Anyway, two things have happened since then that have altered my plans: (1) a research internship that I’ve had has convinced me that a career that heavily involves labwork is not my forte, and (2) a math class that I was very interested in but did not technically meet the requirements for I have been convinced I am more than capable of taking.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, this class has since filled up to 31/31 seats and is no longer open (MATH 451 Math Stats with Applications). I feel much regret that I was unable to meet with my advisor now because I feel I would have been able to do something to be given permission to take the class.</p>

<p>What would be the best way of getting into contact with my advisor? I have tried emailing him (or at least I think who I think is my advisor, Jon Corson) in the past but he has been unresponsive, and I do not have very long lunch breaks at my internship in which I could call him in normal hours. I am hoping that he could give me some advice on what I could do and perhaps his opinion on the classes I am already signed up for.</p>

<p>Alternatively, does anybody have any suggestions on how I could enroll into a closed course? I would email the professor, but the instructor is still “TBA.” My biggest concern is that I would have to wait all the way until next fall to take the class, which is a prerequisite for more classes that I am very interested in.</p>

<p>Sorry for the long-winded post, everybody, and thanks in advance for any suggestions!</p>

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<p>I would first recommend contacting Dr. Zhijian Wu, Chair of the Mathematics Department. He has the ultimate authority as far as the mathematics department goes. Explain your situation and clearly explain what you want. It’s not normally expected for incoming freshmen to take MATH 451, but if you meet the prerequisites and a space opens up or you can get an override, you have every right to be in the course.</p>

<p>During Bama Bound, advising typically focuses on the more common situations (ie not yours) and students are expected to modify their course selections later to fit their specific needs. </p>

<p>Once you get to UA, get on excellent terms with your advisor and their boss. If you can choose advisors, try to choose the one with the most authority as you will likely need them to waive holds and prerequisites to get you in the classes you need. You are a top student and have proved that you can do well in challenging courses. UA should be more than willing to make a few exceptions.</p>

<p>Good Luck and Roll Tide!</p>

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<p>*I am an OOS incoming freshman that will be majoring in mathematics (and perhaps some secondary scientific/business major). I will be coming in with a ton of credit in math (18/19 out of 36) and credits-wise am technically a junior.</p>

<p>*</p>

<p>First…Welcome!!! Where are you from?</p>

<p>Since my son just graduated from Bama with a math major, I know that your advisor is Dr. Jon Corson. I believe that he and his wife travel during the summer. they are very social people. lol They do ballroom dancing and all kinds of stuff.</p>

<p>anyway…</p>

<p>This is what to do…</p>

<p>Email Dr. Wu, tell him your circumstances, and ask to be let into the class.</p>

<p>Of course, if it’s a class that has stationary seating, then the adding enrollment may not be possible.</p>

<p>Also…go to the “buy textbooks” and see if the prof’s name is there for that class. Sometimes it’s there before it’s on the course listing. (edit…I just checked, name not listed)</p>

<p>Lastly, what is Plan B if you can’t get into that class? </p>

<p>What area of math will you be studying? My son was Applied Math - Classical track. He’ll be starting his PhD in August. </p>

<p>What are all the classes that you now have on your schedule?</p>

<p>* My biggest concern is that I would have to wait all the way until next fall to take the class, which is a prerequisite for more classes that I am very interested in.</p>

<p>*</p>

<p>What class is it a pre-req for? Anyway…be sure to mention that to Dr. Wu.</p>

<p>I’m guessing that you’re aiming to do the University Scholars program and get a BS/MS in your 4 years? </p>

<p>Lastly…don’t overwhelm yourself as a Fall Frosh. I know that you have college credits under your belt, but being/living on a college campus is much different. There often is an adjustment period. You’ll want to experience some social aspects as well.</p>

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<p>Hey thefan! I’m actually in MATH 451, so it would be awesome if you were in the class. </p>

<p>Which classes have you taken specifically for the 18 hours? I’m assuming the Calc sequence + 2 of DiffEq, Linear Algebra, Discrete, or Probability. If you’ve taken probability (MATH 355), you’ve met the prereq for MATH 451, but if not, I’d take that and any of the aforementioned classes you’ve yet to take. I wouldn’t overload your first semester, but it seems like you’ll do well no matter which courses you are planning on taking.</p>

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<p>Oh…and when you send an email, be sure to always include your full name and CWID!!!</p>

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<p>I’m from Colorado, a short bus ride away from the University of Colorado Boulder (which is where I got my additional math credits). </p>

<p>I actually am not currently planning to do the University Scholars Program because I am not sure if my scholarship (NMF) would cover the graduate classes. My plan (or lack thereof) as of now is to take a bunch of different classes and figure out how I’d like to apply my math to the real world because I’m really interested in a lot of different things.</p>

<p>Pretzeldude92, you guessed right: the one I’m missing is Linear Algebra (which I’m already signed up for). But, I have a good working knowledge of Linear Algebra except for some of the decompositions and complex matrices because what counted for me as a diff eq class had a ton of material in it including a lot of linear algebra, and a research project I did last spring involved a bit of eigenvalue stuff and graph theory.</p>

<p>So, currently I am enrolled in a number of classes which I’m set on, and CH 223 Quantitative Analysis, which is a 4 hour class with a 3 hour lab section each week (it’s also a second chemistry class because I’m also signed up for Organic). I have since realized that I don’t see myself becoming a chemist, and what I was hoping to do was drop CH 223 while picking up MATH 451, actually reducing my course load in terms of credit hours. If I couldn’t get into MATH 451, I would just keep the schedule as it is since CH 223 is a prereq for pchem, which is a class I do want to take at some point.</p>

<p>The class that I really want to take that requires MATH 451 is Stochastic Methods, which I really want to learn a lot more about. I know I’m going to end up getting a concentration in statistics, but I’m definitely taking more classes anyway beyond that.</p>

<p>Depending on whether or not I can switch CH 223 for MATH 451, my schedule will look like:
MATH 237 - Linear Algebra
CH 231 - Elementary Organic Chemistry I
BSC 300 - Cell Biology
PH 301 - Intermediate Mechanics
UH ?? - Arts in Tuscaloosa
MATH 451 Math Stats / CH 223 Quantitative Analysis</p>

<p>which is either 18 or 19 credit hours. Either way, it’s a lot, but I think I can handle it while still enjoying what the campus/people have to offer.</p>

<p>I will do as you all suggested and email Professor Wu about the circumstances and see how it plays out. Thank you for the help, and perhaps I’ll see pretzeldude92 in the class this coming fall.</p>

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<p>The NMF scholarship covers graduate-level courses for those enrolled in the University Scholars program. I’d wager to guess that most University Scholars have a scholarship that pays for all or most of tuition.</p>

<p>19 credit hours is an overload and will require administrative approval. It is certainly doable provided you don’t have other major commitments such as a job or are planning on pledging. I would mention your success at Colorado-Boulder as evidence that you should be permitted to have what is essentially the schedule of a junior. I realize that you have junior standing (as do a number of incoming freshmen; I know that both pretzeldude92 and I entered as juniors), which will really come in handy when it comes time to register for future semesters.</p>

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<p>*I actually am not currently planning to do the University Scholars Program because I am not sure if my scholarship (NMF) would cover the graduate classes. *</p>

<p>Yes…be sure to get enrolled in that when you’re able to. :)</p>

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<p>The NMF scholarship does cover University Scholars. But each graduate class carries an additional charge. I believe it’s $200 per class.</p>

<p>While you say you can handle 18 or 19 hours, remember that you are still moving to the U. of Alabama and full-time college life. There are so many things that you can do from clubs to football games to other athletic things to meeting all sorts of great people. You even have to do laundry (fitting that in can be tough if you are busy). Perhaps you want to take a 15- or 16-hour load the first semester and see how things go. </p>

<p>When my students ask what they should take their first semester, I always tell them to have one “fun” class, something different or out of the norm. One of my students plans to take surfing this fall (she will attend a California school). Others decided to play in their schools’ marching bands. Another got involved in her school’s honors college and spent Christmas in Vietnam. I have another student who is taking a leadership class and living in a specific dorm designed for students in just that class this fall.</p>

<p>Pretzeldude92 has spent the past two years (in May) teaching English and doing community service projects in Costa Rica. </p>

<p>These out of the norm classes provide unique learning experiences, and you will meet some very cool people.</p>

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<p>Thank you for the advice. I’m planning to play ultimate, and maybe club basketball or piano in a combo. I’ll probably end up doing other things too.</p>

<p>Anyway, as of early this morning, MATH 451 is at 32/32 seats! They let me into the class without any problems and I’ll hopefully be able to do well in that class and all the others that I’ll be taking next year. Thank you for all the help, and Roll Tide!</p>

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<p>Great!!!</p>

<p>I’m planning to play ultimate, and maybe club basketball or piano in a combo. I’ll probably end up doing other things too.</p>

<p>Did you get football tix?</p>