The newness of college is starting to wear off. What was once an exciting opportunity to meet friends and gain new experience has gone the way of an endless cycle of exams, papers, assignments and group projects. Some students do well with planning their time to efficiently accomplish school work, while others flounder with the seemingly constant strain on time and motivation.
As a family member, you can take an active role in encouraging your student to perform at a high level of achievement. Sometimes students do not willingly discuss academic performance with family members. Effective communication is further challenged by FERPA (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act), whereas family members do not have access to their student's records.
Instead of interrogating your student about their academic performance, you can try these strategies to encourage them to excel academically:
All students enter Minnesota State Mankato with the desire to earn a college degree, however a significant number of students have not decided on the field in which they would like to study. This indecision can be difficult to deal with especially if a student feels pressure to choose a major. Here are five strategies undecided students can use to help determine a major:
Knowing what you want to major in is one thing, but being a part of that major is a whole different ball game. Read below and find out the specifics of declaring a major, and being admitted to a program.
Declaring a Major - The first opportunity your student had to declare a major was during summer orientation. If your student indicated an intended area of study, he or she was assigned an academic advisor in that college. If your student specified no particular area of interest, he or she was assigned an advisor for "undecided" students in the Office of First Year Experience.
When your student decides what they want to major in they will need to declare their major. This process entails your student going to the department of which they are planning on enrolling and informing them that they wish to declare their major. At this time the student should also ask for the contact information for both a Faculty Academic Advisor and the Student Relations Coordinator for that department and make an appointment with them to discuss their academic plan. A complete list of majors and minors offered at Minnesota State Mankato can be found on the Undergraduate Bulletins page, click on "General Information" tab, and then click on "Directory of Programs" tab.
Declaring a major allows your student to receive advising from their specific college of interest. The specialized advising will enable the student to choose classes that serve as pre-requisites for major specific courses, increase their awareness of expectations and requirements for admission into the college, and discuss their future academic plans with faculty and staff involved in their chosen field of study.
Declaring a major is significantly different from being admitted to a major.
Being Admitted to a Major - In order to be admitted to a major, your student must apply to the college and department that houses their specific major. Criteria and timelines for admission vary from department to department so it is important that your student contacts the department to determine what course of action they need to take. The general requirements for admittance into most programs or colleges include completion of 32 general education credits and a minimum Grade Point Average of 2.0. However, some colleges and programs could have additional requirements that might include a higher GPA, completion of additional general education courses, and completion of prerequisite courses. Additional information can be gained from the Student Relations Coordinator of your student's college. Information on Minnesota State Mankato colleges may be found the Undergraduate Bulletins page, click on "General Information" tab, and then click on "About the University" tab. More information can also be accessed at the Colleges page.
Admission to a college and major of study allows your student to register for 300 and 400 level courses. It also enables them to continue with major specific advising that ensures them that they are on the road to successful graduation.
It is important to consider that some programs require admittance into multiple colleges. For example, students planning to teach Secondary Education must be admitted into the College of Education as well as the college of the subject matter that they plan to teach. It is always important that your student discuss these questions with their academic advisor.
College is the time for exploration and discovery into the many careers that this world has to offer. The process of declaring a major and being admitted into a major is intended to ensure that your student finds a fit for them. It is our hope that every student finds their academic path with ease. The Office of First Year Experience staff is willing to offer assistance to any student with questions or need for guidance in their time here at Minnesota State Mankato. Please feel free to contact us, and encourage your student to do the same!
Nicole Meyer, Graduate Assistant, Office of First Year Experience nicole.meyer@mnsu.edu
The office of First Year Experience will be sponsoring the Major Fair on October 25th from 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the CSU Ballroom. This event will be a great opportunity for students to see what majors are offered at Minnesota State Mankato. Students with majors are invited to stop by and talk with representatives from their college or department. The Student Relations Coordinators from the 6 different colleges will be present as well as faculty from a variety of departments.
The Career Development Center will be able to talk with students about career options in various majors. First Year Experience will be present to help students understand what it means to be undecided and the process of declaring a major. There will also be academic and departmental student organizations present to inform students about opportunities to get involved in academic clubs. Other offices involved are ROTC, Library Services, International Programs, Honors Program, and McNair Scholars program. Free popcorn will be available for all students as well as drawings for door prizes.
Kelly S. Meier, Director, Student Leadership Development & Service-Learning kelly.meier@mnsu.edu
Each year, we are excited to welcome a new group of students to our University community. Students bring great energy, wonderful experiences, and a vigor for learning new things - in and out of the classroom. National research tells us that students who get connected to an organization or an activity are more successful. This means they stay in school, get better grades, and are more likely to find a job after graduation. What may be a more critical aspect of getting involved is the connection that students have with a supportive group of students and a faculty or staff member. This is likely why involved students are more "successful". The involvement connection means students have a group of people who are actively involved in their daily experiences and will provide support and encouragement along the way.
Two years ago, we called every incoming first year student and talked to them about getting involved on campus. Most students had been involved in high school but said they were waiting to get involved in college life until they knew they could handle their classes. Encourage your daughter or son to get involved in something at Minnesota State University right away. The opportunities are endless: Student Government, over 200 student organizations, community service, intramural sports, sororities and fraternities, theater, music ensembles, campus events committees, and lots more. There is literally something for everyone and each experience helps our students build leadership skills and learn about becoming a more engaged world citizen. Supporting your daughter or son as they take a risk and become involved is just another way you are supporting the successful development of a future leader and successful citizen. We encourage getting involved as soon as possible to create immediate connections for students and increase their opportunities to learn new things and make new friends.
For more information on getting involved, visit the Student Leadership Development & Service-Learning website or call 507-389-6076.
| October 25, 2006 | Major Fair |
| October 27, 2006 | No Classes |
| November 9, 2006 | First Day of Spring Term 2007 Registration |
| November 15, 2006 | Deadline for withdrawal of individual full-term classes |
| November 22, 2006 | No Evening Classes |
| November 23-25, 2006 | No classes for Thanksgiving holiday |
Comments and questions about the Family Connection Newsletter can be directed to Office of First Year Experience via e-mail at familyconnection@mnsu.edu.
