Baltimore (AP)- In a nationwide unprecedented statement, longstanding
President Freeman A. Hrabowski III of UMBC will sponsor a raffle for undergraduates
to try their chance ultimately for an honorary bachelor’s degree from the
university. This should come as no surprise, as Dr. Hrabowski has a proven track
record of motivating students and achieving results using out of the box ideas.
Students have hit social media hard in an uproar of excitement after learning
about the contest, saying “this is the best thing to happen since Chic-fil-a
opened on campus”, and others calling the President “da real MVP”. One biology student
on Academic Row said she would be the first in line and, “may the odds be ever
in her favor”. Tickets can be purchase at the CIC desk in University Commons
with cash or Flex; the cost of which has yet to be determined.
If you are still reading, then you are probably sitting
there with either an incredulous look or big grin on your face. Yes, yes. Today
is the first of April. And while the chances of H-bow actually giving out an honorary
degree are nearly zero (well, who knows, he is a pretty cool dude), the fate of
your academic career and degree is ENTIRELY in your hands. April also means
registration season for the Fall. Here are some helpful tips to help you get
though it successfully and keep your degree within the cross-hairs:
1. Have a long term goal.
This is not just ‘getting your degree’. Think longer than that. What do you wanna do? Are you going to grad school? Med school? What if you just want to find a job in your field after graduating (we have even more resources for that!)? Have this goal in mind when planning things out. Take classes/electives that best suit your goal. If you’re still unsure, ask your advisor. They were sitting in the same chair as you, once.2. Don’t think about credits, think about workload.
We all have other responsibilities outside of school like family, work, research, internships, student orgs, bae, or playing with a cute little puppy that greets you with a disproportionate amount of excitement for his size every time you come home. It’s not just about going to class and coming home every day. But most classes have work to do outside of class, projects/papers, plus reading and studying. This time varies from person to person. Take this into consideration, but you know you the best.
3. Don’t just show up at your advising appointment and expect your advisor to do everything for you.
Do your homework, son. Know your degree requirements. Look at what’s offered and when they’re offered to build a schedule or two to present to your advisor. Have contingency plans in case the class or section you really need to get into is closed or has a really long wait list. Keep your options open and your mindset flexible.
4. Sometimes you don’t really have much of a choice, but when you do create a schedule that matches yours personality.
If you like to either sleep in late or get up early and nap in the afternoon, schedule accordingly. If you are all about getting things done, a block of non-stop classes might work for you whereas if you are the procrastinator type, you might want to leave room between every class to get those assignments done.
