[Chad]

Academic Counselling Info

By CHAD FULLERTON, MACINSIDERS

As we had reported earlier, the Easy Summer Orientation Program on the FYEO's website had their schedule posted for events, but were missing the Academic Counselling session times for specific faculties. They provide a link to the Registrar (http://registrar.mcmaster.ca /regis...unselling.html) which had a message saying they would be posting the information by "the week of May 26". It is now the end of the week, and the page is updated... but it appears incoming first year students are dissappointed.

The updated website page simply links to all of the faculty websites (some links are just the general links with no indication of dates) and only a few of the faculty sites indicate the dates of the academic sessions.

We'll look into this for all you first years, and try to find out when these dates are and let you know as soon as we find out. These sessions are very helpful if you're wanting assistance selecting courses, learning how to use SOLAR, etc. Course selection and registration procedures will be explained and printed versions of the Undergraduate Calendar will be made available to those attending the session. At the end of each session, students are able to go online and complete their registrations (via SOLAR) with academic advisors standing by to help.

Update #1: Here are the dates we've been able to gather so far

Art & Science
No dates clearly posted as of May 31st '08. But they do have a page about their Big Sib program and Survival Series for Peer Support.

Business
No dates clearly posted as of May 31st '08. "To make an appointment with an undergraduate student advisor, please contact the Commerce Programs Assistant at ext. 24433 or [email protected]." Other extensions: Lori at x27928, and Carmela at x26478.

Engineering

Session Date	Session Time	Room
Wednesday, June 25	6:00 PM	ITB 137
Friday, June 27	10:00 AM	ITB 137
Wednesday, July 2	10:00 AM	ITB 137
Thursday, July 3	6:00 PM	CNH 104
Friday, July 4	2:00 PM	ITB 137
Wednesday, July 9	2:00 PM	BSB 108

Engineers register here.

Health Sci
"Please call 905-525-9140 ext. 22815 or 26564 for registration advice."
No dates posted. Refer to the First Year Course Guide and some info.

Humanities

Session Date	Session Time	Location	Seats Left
Thursday, July 3	9am-11am	Togo Salmon Hall B/128	66
Thursday, July 3	6pm-8pm	Gilmour Hall 111	70
Friday, July 4	9am-11am	Togo Salmon Hall B/128	67
Monday, July 7	1pm-3pm	Togo Salmon Hall B/128	70
Tuesday, July 8	9am-11am	Togo Salmon Hall B/128	69
Tuesday, July 8	6pm-8pm	Togo Salmon Hall B/128	70
Wednesday, July 9	10am-12pm	Togo Salmon Hall B/128	70

Humanities students register for a date here.
They also have a page with instructions on picking courses. More info about the sessions on this page.

Midwifery
No dates clearly posted as of May 31st '08. Here for info.

Music
See "Humanities"

Nursing @ Mac
IF ENTERING BASIC STREAM DIRECTLY FROM HIGH SCHOOL
MON 7 JULY 2008 AT 2:00 PM - ROOM TBA
IF ENTERING BASIC STREAM WITH PREVIOUS UNIVERSITY BACKGROUND
TUES 8 JULY 2008 AT 2:00 PM - ROOM TBA
IF ENTERING POST-DIPLOMA STREAM AS A REGISTERED NURSE
WED 9 JULY 2008 AT 2:00 PM - ROOM TBA
IF ENTERING POST-RPN STREAM AS A REGISTERED PRACTICAL NURSE
THURS 10 JULY 2008 AT 2:00 PM - ROOM TBA
IF ENTERING ACCELERATED STREAM
FRI 11 JULY 2008 AT 2:00 PM - ROOM TBA

Nursing @ Mohawk/Conestoga

DATE	TIME	LOCATION
Mohawk College Site: Friday, June 27	10:00 am	Institute for Applied Health Sciences Room 143
Conestoga College Site: Monday, June 23	10:00 am	Main Building, Room 3E19

More info here.

Science (including Kin)
The Faculty of Science START sessions are designed for new students entering Environmental & Earth Sciences I, Life Sciences I, Math & Stats I, Physical Sciences I, Honours Kinesiology I, and Medical Radiation Sciences I. During the first half of the session, we will educate you on important academic information, including course selection and registration procedures. To help with this, a printed version of the 2008-2009 Undergraduate Calendar will be given to all incoming students who attend a START session. During the second half, we will relocate to one of our on-campus computer labs where you will be able to go online and complete your 2008-2009 Fall/Winter registration with academic advisors standing by to help.

Registration for students entering a Level I program in the Faculty of Science in September 2008 will open on Monday, June 30, 2008. More info.

Soc Sci
No dates clearly posted as of May 31st '08. The website says the counselling sessions are "Coming Soon!". More.

I'll see on Monday if I'm allowed to post who is doing what and when. Currently I am not.

I didn't think the faculties would be such jerks.

Hey guys, I registered to a START session for Life Sciences and they sent me an email:

This message is to confirm that you are registered in a Faculty of Science Academic Counselling Session at McMaster University.

Your counselling session will be held in on Monday, June 30 at time Academic 1pm-2pm, Lab 2pm-3pm.

Please take the time to read through the 'How to Select Your Courses' web page (http://www.science.mcmaster. ca/newstudents/courses.html) before coming for counselling.

They didn't tell me what building or the location the session will be. Will they post at a later date??

And... what is the difference between an Academic Session and a Lab Session??

The 'How to Select Your Your Courses' Link they gave me doesn't seem to work -______-"

The academic session tells you what courses you need. The lab session lets you go into a lab and actually pick courses.

As for the rest...I have no idea. That all has to do with the faculty of Science...so hopefully yes they will post it and yes the link will be fixed

Forgive me If I ask too many questions, but i would like to clear things up.

So the lab session is where you go on to the computer, the internet, onto SOLAR and there, you will register your courses?

okay so what it the difference between the START program and the easy summer orientation days?
do you think i should go to both?

FlyWithMac, yes you are correct.

woodlawngirl, the START program is only for science students. it is at maximum two or three hours.

and i'm a bad person to ask about the summer orientation program because i'm the one running it for the first year experience office.

Is it true that if you pick the first dates for registration, you would be able to pick times to go to your classes? like..you get to pick 'better' times?

Yes and no. It depends on what the upper years before you picked, and who logs on right at midnite, or before your Academic Advising session starts. But typically the earlier you do it the better.

Originally Posted by Biee

Is it true that if you pick the first dates for registration, you would be able to pick times to go to your classes? like..you get to pick 'better' times?

what do you mean by first dates for registration, do you mean your academic counselling times or...

Academic Advising is different than course registration. AA is not mandatory, while registration is (if you want to take classes, that is...).

I was wondering if we could register into our courses at midnight of the day that it's open to us, then still attend the academic counselling session the day of hours later. Does it close off for a period of time after we choose or can we go back whenever we want?

yea i guess..like the times where you pick ur courses...

Once you sign on to SOLAR and begin picking your classes, you can make changed for up to seven days, then there is a period (I believe a week) where you can no longer get on to SOLAR. However, it is possible that this will change, but when the upper year students pick before you, we can report back to you about whether or not there is a change.

To answer your question Cristina_n13, yes, you can do that if you like.

What actually goes on during the academic counseling? Do they just discuss what courses you should take? Do you actually sign up for courses? Most of my courses are preassigned (engineering), so would the counseling still be helpful?