2018 STUDENT welcome packet

3 YOUR FALL COURSES We know putting together your first course schedule can be scary—and that’s why we’ll take care of the process for you. Fill out your Summer Orientation and Course Information Form to tell us your goals and interests, and we’ll match you with the classes that fit both your passions and BSC’s curriculum so you’ll start off on the right track. We will most likely schedule you for three one-unit courses during your first term to help with your transition to college. Taking three units in the fall is a full load and won’t slow your progress to graduation, but if you’d prefer to take four units, you may add another course during Fall Orientation. After your first term, you should take four units every fall and spring. This year, you should: • Prepare for college level work by taking an Explorations in Scholarship seminar. Courses designated ES are designed for and limited to first-year students. You are required to take one ES in your first year, either in the fall or in the spring. • Develop effective written communication skills by taking a first-year seminar in writing and critical thinking, which will be designated EH 102 or EH 208. • Explore possible majors by taking introductory courses in several disciplines. You won’t need to declare your major until your sophomore spring; trying out different majors now will help you decide what suits you best. • Broaden your knowledge by taking courses in disciplines you haven’t studied or even considered before. Now is a great time to experience something new. Your academic advisor—whom you’ll meet at Orientation—will help guide you through the BSC curriculum and the range of courses you’ll be expected to take to get all the skills you need in communication, creative problem solving, civic engagement, and more. For now, you’ll find out more about your courses and the forms you need at www.bsc.edu/goto/orientation. If you have any questions, please contact Professor Kim Lewis at (205) 226-4769. It is critical that you begin to check your BSC email regularly—we suggest daily— for updates we will send throughout the summer. Your BSC email is the college’s main way of communicating with you. You’ll find information about using your account on the Orientation webpage. You can access your BSC email through the “myBSC” section at the top of every page of the BSC website. By now, you should have received your username and password from Admission. A typical username is your first initial + middle initial + up to the first six letters of your last name, and your email address will be your username + @bsc.edu. For example: Name: Rowdy T. Panther Username: rtpanthe Email: [email protected] Your password is initially set as the initial of your first name + last four digits of your BSC ID + the initial of your last name + an exclamation point. For example: Password: r1234p! BSC EMAIL PLACEMENT EXAMS If you plan to take a Spanish, Chemistry, or Music Theory class during the fall term, you will need to complete the appropriate online placement exam by May 15. The Spanish and Music Theory placement exams take about ten minutes to complete. Chemistry is a 90-minute timed exam. Based on your scores, faculty will assign you to the course that best matches your content mastery. The exams, along with additional instructions, can be found on the Orientation webpage.