Helpful Hints for Early Registration

General Tips:

• DO check for registration blocks well before attempting to register so that you can have these cleared by your registration appointment. 
• DO keep copies of important documents, such as exceptions to policy and supporting documentation. Get a shoebox and throw into it every piece of paper you receive from the university. 
• DO know university deadlines and use them to your advantage. It is better to drop or withdraw from a class that you are doing poorly in than to receive a failing grade. However, doing so may affect your financial aid or scholarship support if it brings you below full-time status (>=12 credits). 
• DO discuss with your financial aid counselor the ramifications of withdrawing from a course if it brings you below 12 credits for a given semester. 

The Higgins Plan

1.
Go to class.
Sit up front in the same seat every day. 
Ask questions. 
Use faculty office hours. 
Provide documentation, not excuses, for missed or late assignments!

2. 
Recopy lecture notes using double column method. 
Highlighting is a waste of time. 
Do not rely on the notes of others. 
In your notes, note the text page page numbers so you know what parts of the text to study.
Pay attention to the professor. She/he will tell you what's important and on the examination, but most students miss these hints.

3.
Obtain and use examinations from previous semesters.

4. 
Group study - esp. for MATH, CHEM, etc.
Teach each other! You know something only when you can explain it! 

5.
Do MATH problems at odd moments, when you have a few minutes of unused time. Put a set of problems on 3" x 5" 
indexcards (one to a card). Bring one out at an odd moment and work it. 

6. 
Writing Center!!! Tutoring!! At the beginning of the semester, not at the end. 

7. 
Time management is a daily task. You must learn how to prioritize your tasks and focus each day on a limited number. 

8. Exam (Game) Day 
- Arise early 
- Shower 
- Dress for winning, not in the smelly clothes you slept in! 
- Eat! and minimize caffeine and sugar intake. 
- Review only 7 items 
- Avoid stress mongers; they'll just make you more unsettled. 
- Take a seat in examination room only a few minutes early.

• Stay informed about improvements in the Biological Sciences curriculum. The undergraduate faculty are working to offer new courses, improvements in the program of study, and other changes to enhance your undergraduate training in Biological Sciences. 

• Fix problems right away. If you are having trouble with a course, get help now. If you are having health problems, or personal problems, problems with a professor, see your advisor now. If you got a low grade (D or F) in a required course, repeat it the next semester. Don't wait. 
• If retaking Biology 105 - DO check with Dr. Lanford to see if you received a "B" or better in lab and can sign up for Biology 105M! 

• DON'T wait until the day you are supposed to register to contact your advisor. 
• DO make an appointment 1-2 weeks prior to your eary-registration date. 
• DO review the Schedule of Classes before you meet with your advisor and have some thoughts about courses you need or plan to take. 

• DON'T take BSCI 421 (or 420) without first taking BSCI 230. 

• DO take all 4 semesters of chemistry (131/132, 231/232, 241/242, 271/272) in consecutive semesters. In addition, if you receive a "D" in any chemistry course, you must retake it before attempting a subsequent chemistry course. 
• Seriously consider taking MATH 241 as an elective prior to taking CHEM 481 (physical chemistry).
• DO take physical chemistry as soon as possible after completing math and physics.

• DO come to your advising appointment with your own up-to-date file. 
• DO have a Four Year Plan in hand. 
• DON'T expect an advisor to select all your courses for you.