Classes, credits and prereqs...oh my!

The best thing about your freshman experience at Hopkins won't be the frat parties, the AMR camaraderie, or the communal dining. It will be the "satisfactory/unsatisfactory" policy, which prevents grad schools, med schools and the like from seeing your first semester letter grades.

But rather than use it as an excuse to slack off and party all semester, you should instead take advantage of this rare opportunity to adjust to life in college, experiment with different classes and, most importantly, learn how to succeed academically at Hopkins. The Office of Academic Advising, located on the third floor of Garland Hall, can be an invaluable resource in the process -- if you know how to use it.

Each incoming freshman is assigned an academic advisor with whom they must meet in order to register for spring semester classes. Your advisor will review your proposed schedule, making sure you're taking the right classes and your workload isn't too severe. He or she will then lift the "hold" on your registration, allowing you to register online. If you don't schedule an appointment with your advisor beforehand, you won't be able to register -- and you'll be forced to struggle through the mess of red tape that is the Registrar's office.

Dr. Ruth Aranow, a senior academic advisor, warns students not to wait until the last minute to make an appointment with their advisor, and to show up at the scheduled time.

"Many [students] don't keep their appointments ... [and] they use up precious time," she said.

Since meeting times fill up rather quickly, you should call for an appointment shortly after you receive your course booklet.

For many students, this is the only contact they make with their advisor. But advisors are available throughout the year to answer questions, make suggestions and offer general assistance. If you are struggling in a class or having problems adjusting, see your advisor right away.

At the beginning of your sophomore year, you will be assigned a faculty advisor in the department of your major. Because faculty advisors are (usually) more knowledgeable about the specifics of their department, they will be able to offer more detailed advice on which classes to take, how to get research or job experience and how to prepare for grad school.

For details on what classes and credits you need to graduate on time, however, the advisors in Academic Advising will be far more helpful. According to Aranow, these advisors are available to all students, not just to freshmen.

If you are considering pre-law or pre-med, stop by the Office of Preprofessional Advising, also located on the third floor of Garland, and ask to get your name on a mailing list. An e-mailed update will keep you informed about meetings and speakers, and will provide you with any other necessary information.

Another service offered by Academic Advising is the Tutoring Program, which provides free drop-in tutoring, small group tutoring and one-on-one tutoring. Drop-in tutoring, offered in Levering from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, is available to any student needing help in math, economics, chemistry, biology or engineering. Small group and one-on-one tutoring is offered to students in need of special assistance.

If you're having trouble in one of your classes, you should first seek help from your professor, according to Aranow.

"Students should avail themselves of help from professors and TAs," she said. "Don't be afraid to speak up -- a student seeking knowledge is always respected."

After seeking help from the professor, try attending a tutoring session or a TA-run study session. If you're still struggling, contact Academic Advising about further assistance.

The staff at Academic Advising is there to assist you, but you need to seek them out. Your grades might be covered, but the skills you learn during this first semester will largely determine how you fare in future semesters. Don't wait until you're failing Intro Chem to stop by the office.

"And enjoy," says Aranow. "If you enjoy your studies, you'll do fine. If you're finding you dread [them], come see us.