FS101.30 Chris Hansen

Some of you guys had some questions that did not get answered. I'll try to answer a few---
1. What tips could you give someone who is having trouble deciding on a major?
**I think that happiness is a facet of one's career that many push aside. When you think about your future, try not to think about how much money you will make, think about how happy you would be in that field. If you are happy in what you do, the money will come on its own. So pick a major, based on classes that you truly enjoy.

2. Did you ever have any second thoughts about your chosen major and, if so, how did you overcome them? When is it too late to change a major?
**Yes, I started out by having Chemistry be the major I had in mind--minoring in psychology---but I found Neuroscience to be a good mixture of psychology and chemistry.

3. How important is it for me to be thinking about a minor?
**It is not crucial to make a definite choice about your minor. But again, try to pick something interesting or unusual. Allegheny prides unusual combinations--so be adventurous.

4. Is there enough time to experience enough classes to find out what you would really like to do?
**Yes there is enough time. Many people rush into deciding, which is not good. Take your time and don't stress out. It is my junior year and I am still not 100% what I would like to do. Start out broad and as you progress through Allegheny narrow it down. I always knew I wanted to go into the health field, and I am starting to narrow it down to the administrative side of pharmaceuticals.

5. For our second semester, what kinds of activities would you recommend for us to get involved in?
**Greek Life, IM sports, random clubs, volunteer work

6. Have any of you done research? Was it through ACCEL or with faculty?
**Yes, with Professor Knupsky. I did this over the summer and had a great experience. It is a great way to enhance your researching skills and go into something that you are specifically interested in.

7. What do you plan on pursuing directly after graduation? (grad school, workforce, etc.)
**Either dental school or grad school--I am still not 100%

Posted by Christopher Hansen at 3:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I can't believe this semester is already coming to an end. Remember when I promised that scheduling would be a lot easier the second time around? Well now you will be able to see for yourself. I still do not understand why they did not have you schedule online before...it is so much easier than the paper/arena method.
In case you forgot, all scheduling/researching about scheduling can be done at:
http://webadvisor.allegheny.edu/

Here are 5 useful tips that have helped me over the years:

1. Research ahead of time.
*Again, since you have 7 semesters left, be adventurous--Choose something you would never see yourself doing!! There are a wide variety of classes offered here, so get all that you can from your Allegheny experience!

2. Have back-ups and be put on a waiting list.
*Depending on when you schedule, there is a more than possible chance that the class you want will fill up. Being said, email the professor of the class! Every professor has a waiting list, so it doesn't hurt to ask (even weeks in advance). If there is a class that I know that I want to get into, I always ask to be put on the waiting list in advance, regardless of when I schedule...You never know who is trying to get into the class you want. If you do not get on the waiting list, and/or do not hear from the professor, you can always show up on the first day of class with an add-card. If all else fails--have back ups. Whether it be a different professor/section/subject...make sure that you are not stuck with only 3 classes!!

3. Have all of the classes which you are interested in ready to go on webadvisor.
*This is helpful so that you do not have to search through all the possible classes at your scheduling time. It is much easier if your classes are already there and you only need to press "register". Doing this ahead of time will help tremendously.

4. Register from a campus computer.
*I'm not sure if this is a myth, but I have always heard that it is best/fastest to register your classes from an on campus computer.

5. Register at exactly the time you are scheduled.
*If you are scheduled to register at 7:30, schedule right then! Not 15 minutes later--classes fill up fast...believe me!!

I hope all of this helps, feel free to ask me anything about scheduling. I'd be glad to help.

(hansenc@allegheny.edu)

Posted by Christopher Hansen at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)