Helpful Hints for a Successful Advisement Session

Please complete the following steps to get the most out of formal advisement (if you have any questions, contact Undergraduate Coordinator, Janis Leaphart, at 777-7722 or by  email at leaphartj@sc.edu ):

1. Are you a subscriber to our undergraduate listserv, POLINOTE? Since this is the only means the department uses to communicate directly and individually with students who are majoring in either International Studies (IS) or Political Science (PS), it is very important to be a subscriber, especially during formal advisement. If you are either a IS or a PS major and would like to subscribe to POLINOTE, send an email request to leaphartj@sc.edu . Hard copies of most information sent out on POLINOTE are displayed on the undergraduate bulletin board outside Gambrell 301, Undergraduate Student Services.

2. Review the master schedule on VIP to make a list of the courses you would be interested in taking. The Guidelines for Advising handbook and your major worksheet provide information on course and degree requirements.

3. Make a list of all questions you would like to ask your advisor.

4. Have a realistic idea of your performance to date in all current classes.

5. Keep in mind the following common misunderstandings about degree requirements (see Guidelines for Advising handbook and your major worksheet for more information about these requirements):
* Don't forget your non-American/non-European history requirement.
* You must complete the lab to get credit for a lab science course.
* If you select Option 2 to meet analytical reasoning requirements (i.e., no MATH courses), you must take two courses from one discipline (i.e., two from statistics, two from computer science, or two from logic).
* Only one POLI prerequisite course can count as a social science; the other two social science requirements must come from other social science disciplines or one POLI course that does not meet a prerequisite or major requirement and one course from another social science discipline.
* You may use courses meeting other degree requirements to complete the Cultural Awareness requirements (i.e., "double dip"); however, you must have three separate courses (9 hours) to complete the Cultural Awareness requirements.
* POLI 300 and PHIL 314 are equivalent courses. If you have already taken one of these, you cannot receive credit for the other!
* You have to have 120 hours of approved course work to graduate. If you need electives to reach this number, make sure they are approved electives (see Section VII, Electives, in Guidelines for Advisement to make sure you are taking approved electives and also confirm them with your advisor).

6. You must schedule your advisement appointment at least 24 hours in advance. Be at least five minutes early for your advisement appointment. Also, if you are advised by in Student Services, please make every effort to come to the advisement appointment that you scheduled: remember - you may sign up for only ONE advisement appointment on the schedule on the bulletin board. If you have to reschedule, you must talk to Janis to do so - and your new appointment time may be after your scheduled appointment time to register.

7. After seeing your advisor, come to Room 301, POLI Undergraduate Student Services, and turn in the pink copy of your advisement form so that you can be cleared to register. If Janis is out, you may leave the form under her door. When you get home, make out a schedule of classes. Include class times, schedule codes for both first class choices as well as for alternate choices. You will need to identify alternate choices in case your first choices are unavailable when you register.
You should also check the following:
" Your registration time.
" Check to make sure you don't have any holds on your registration. You want to take care of these before your registration time comes up.

8.  Other helpful resources can be found on the College’s Undergraduate Affairs webpage:
http://www.cas.sc.edu/ugrad/ .   The Minors Bulletin and Guidelines for Advising handbook are found under “Undergraduate Publications.”

 
Note: If you are planning to graduate in the upcoming semester and have not had your senior check, see Janis Leaphart before the end of this semester. Also, do not forget to apply to graduate. The deadline for this will be early in the upcoming semester.