For many, the thrill of clicking the highly anticipated OUAC “accept button” invokes a modicum of both excitement and anxiety for what university has in store. Aside from deciding on a major, a frequently asked question is about the decision making process behind choosing the right courses. Now this question is very difficult to answer, as every student has unique career paths, passions and curiosities. There is no cookie-cutter mold that will help you pick the right courses but there are useful strategies. Firstly, a new university student should attend their campus or faculty Summer Academic Orientation (SAO) to learn about Western, their program and courses. This is your time to be asking questions and heeding advice of experienced faculty.
As per Western’s website, SAO allows you to:
Meet individually with a faculty member or academic advisor who will counsel you on the appropriate first-year courses for your intended program (or they will review the courses you have already registered in)
Create a personalized timetable, with assistance, and register for your courses
Learn about Western’s services, the campus and university life
Have the opportunity to participate in an optional campus tour
The SAO is evidently very useful for new students, as it will aid in appeasing any apprehension or fears about the university. I attended my SAO in June 2014 and met with an academic advisor. The advisor helped me pick courses that I enjoyed in my first year of university. While you have the option to pick courses and make a timetable at your SAO, your course registrations are not set in stone and can be changed at any time. In fact, you can still switch courses within the first two weeks of commencement. SAO is the time for you to be asking all of your questions and it will help you plan the start of your university career. SAO will also give you a chance to meet other new students, who will soon be familiar faces during Orientation Week (O-Week). I highly recommend that you signup for SAO as registration quickly fills up.
Another useful strategy for picking courses is to contact older students that have pursued similar programs to you. Often times, friends refer students to courses if they had a good experience or a great professor. Western offers a plethora of courses and the course list is often very overwhelming. Your friends might be able to recommend courses that you otherwise would have missed in the course catalog. However, this advice should be taken with a grain of salt as everyone has his or her own strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, a great course for one student could be the bane of another. A friend’s recommendation should remain a recommendation until you have fully investigated the course and determined that it is right for you.
You should only take courses that you are genuinely interested in; it is exceedingly more difficult to do well in a course that does not interest you. The opposite effect occurs when you are completely engaged and immersed in the subject matter of a course that you find interesting. You might have heard the term “Bird Course” which refers to a course that yields an easy ‘A.’ I would advise to avoid bird courses because students often merely take these courses to get a high mark in lieu of the content and teachings of the course. These courses can prove to be very challenging when you have no interest in the material. Perhaps you can be proactive and begin investigating courses that have piqued your interest. You can create a list of the courses you like most and speak about them with an academic advisor at SAO.
It is also useful to familiarize yourself with course codes and credit amounts, which will help you determine which courses to take. AEO students must take 5.0 credits each year, so make sure you are meeting all of the requirements. The link might seem overwhelming, which is why it is essential to attend SAO and have an experienced advisor help you get started.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to leave a comment and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Cheers,
Matt