Registering for Fall 2012 Courses

It's time to register for fall 2012 courses! Priority registration began March 26th. Registration is based on number of completed credits (meaning this semester’s credits don’t count). Check the registrar’s website to find out what date you register:

http://www.american.edu/provost/registrar/registration/registrationdates.cfm

As you plan your fall schedule, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Check your DARS and the schedule of classes to determine which courses you need and when/if those classes are being offered next semester

• If you are not sure how to organize your schedule, we are here to help! Make an appointment with your peer advisor and we can help you put together a schedule that balances major requirements, general education courses, and extracurriculars

• Make sure you know all of the changes to academic regulations. The changes affect general education, freshman forgiveness, the waitlist process, and many more aspects relevant to fall registration. Visit this site to learn more:http://www.american.edu/provost/undergrad/undergrad-rules-and-regulations-toc.cfm If you have any questions about the changes or would like to talk about how they apply to you, don’t hesitate to make an appointment with one of us

• Just like last semester, you must be cleared by your academic advisor prior to registration. This means you must make an appointment with your advisor prior to your registration date, and you need to bring a draft of your schedule for next fall so that your advisor can approve your course selection

• Keep an eye out for upcoming peer advising events that can help with registration. On April 5th from 8:30 pm--10 pm we will hold walk-in hours in the Perch. We also have an event on April 4th called “Lights, Camera, Action! Finding Your Perfect Major.” The event is geared towards undecided students or students looking to add a CAS major or minor. The event is also movie-themed, so there will be plenty of popcorn and candy!

Sorry for the marathon email, but it’s important that you keep these things in mind for registration. Once again, feel free to email us at CASPeerAdvisors@american.edu or make an appointment at http://www.american.edu/cas/advising/undergraduate.cfm . Good luck with registration, and hopefully we’ll see you at one of our upcoming events!

Lights, Camera, Action! Finding Your Perfect Major

Hello, everyone! We hope you had a great spring break and had a chance to enjoy the lovely weather. As you start to think about registering for fall courses, many of you may still feel unsure about what you want to major in. This is completely normal! We've planned an event to help you learn more about CAS majors and to take away the stress of searching for your perfect major. Here's what you need to know:

Lights, Camera, Action! Finding your Perfect Major

When: April 4th, 5 pm- 7pm

Where: Letts Formal Lounge

What: The first portion of the event will be a panel-style discussion featuring peer advisors from the Career Center and CAS, as well as upperclassmen representing each area of CAS (arts, sciences, social sciences, humanities). For the second half of the event, we'll break into more informal discussions. You can talk one-on-one with our panelists and other upperclassmen about how they chose their major, what they like about it, and what they plan to do with their degree after college. Since we won't be able to have a representative from every department at the event, we will also have contact information available so you can get in touch with students via email to learn more about their majors.

Why you should come: As you may have guessed from our title, this event is movie-themed! This means lots of popcorn, candy, and even movie-related prizes. More importantly, the event is a great opporunity to meet other students and to hear about their experiences selecting a major.

Please email questions for our panelists to CASPeerAdvisors@american.edu. Spread the word, and we hope to see many of you there!

Being a Peer Advisor Part III

I was a freshman during the Peer Advising Program’s inaugural year. My first semester I met with a peer advisor to try and figure out which gen eds to take, which is a question all of us have to deal with at some point. I was completely undeclared at this point, and was overwhelmed by wanting to try out every subject I hadn’t before (anthropology, sociology, etc.) I liked being able to talk on a comfortable level with another student, and it was helpful to get all my questions answered. The program has grown and developed significantly since that first year, and I’m glad to be a part of it this year.

As a senior, it’s great to be able to share my experiences from the past few years with new students. I’ve also had the opportunity to learn more about AU and explore departments in CAS outside my own areas of study. There’s a fantastic sense of community among the Peer Advisors and with the CAS advising staff that makes it a fun and exciting place to work. Alicia and Andrea, our program coordinators, are always supportive and open to new ideas, which give us opportunities to plan and organize new events or enhance the program in other ways. It’s a great opportunity for leadership development. There are also benefits to working on campus at a job that recognizes that we’re students and works with us to accommodate class schedules and activities. Being a Peer Advisor is an interactive and engaging campus job, and I encourage you to consider applying to join the program next year!

-Emma Morgan

Being a Peer Advisor Part II

When I first applied for this job I was very excited about the prospect of having a job where I could help other students through the process of picking a major and enjoying their academic experience at AU. My freshman year, I probably changed majors every week; by my sophomore year, it was only every other week. It was a tough process, but I enjoyed it; I liked exploring different fields and using the resources on campus to do so, which is why when I learned about the CAS Peer Advisors, I got very excited for the job.

                Now that I am a Peer Advisor (and have finally chosen a major) I very much enjoy helping others try to make the best of this process. However, as I came to realize, there is more to being a Peer Advisor than just meeting other students in similar situations to yours. There are many things that go into Peer Advising, and many reasons why I love this job. One of my favorite ones, though, is the work environment. From the CAS Advisors to the other peer advisors and the CAS Dean’s office, the ‘Battelle People’ are welcoming and great to be around. While the atmosphere is relaxed, flexible and fun, there is usually a lot going on and interesting things to do. It is a very dynamic job and you are continuously learning new things (#CASAcademicsWonk, sorry I had to say it).

                Being a Peer Advisor is a fun job for many reasons, but I would definitely put the office environment among one of the top. Over the last ¾ of a year, I have really enjoyed being part of the CAS Advising team, our office hours, staff meetings and kind of living in Battelle. So, if you are looking for a great work environment, this is certainly one.

-Triana Tello Gerez

Being a Peer Advisor Part I

As we discussed in our last post, the CAS Peer Advising Program is accepting applications for the 2012-2013 Peer Advising Team! We wanted to tell you about our experience as peer advisors so that you can learn more about what we do and why we love doing it.

______________________________________________________________________

This is my second year as a peer advisor. I decided to apply because I enjoy meeting other students and helping them figure out how to make the most of their time here at AU. At first I was worried that I wouldn't be able to keep track of all the requirements, resources, and programs at AU, but I gradually got the hang of it. The CAS advisors are extremely supportive of the peer advising program, and are always willing to help us with any questions we have. One of the great things about the program is that I get to learn something new every day in an environment where questions are encouraged.

A big part of the peer advising role is meeting with students, specifically CAS freshmen and sophomores. Most often students meet with us to talk about majors, the general education program, and academic resources at AU. Because each student's situation is unique, peer advisors need to be able to think on their feet in order to address that student's specific concerns. One thing we try to keep in mind when meeting with students is that we don't have to know all the answers, just where to find them. It's impossible for one person to know everything about AU, but we strive to aid students in finding the best resource for their question. It's extremely rewarding when you're able to help a student find exactly what he or she needs. Helping students has also helped me in my own academic career, since it has given me the chance to learn about resources that I otherwise may have never realized existed.

Because peer advisors work closely with CAS students, advisors, and professors, being a peer advisor has helped me to feel like a part of the AU community. I've only scratched the surface of what the peer advisor program is about, so please feel free to email me at CASPeerAdvisors@american.edu if you have more questions about what we do. I hope you consider applying for the 2012-2013 Peer Advising Team!

-Lindsay Inge

Now Hiring: 2012-2013 CAS Peer Advising Team!

• Are you involved on campus and knowledgeable about student resources?
• Do you have strong communication and listening skills?
• Are you a highly motivated self-starter with an interest in counseling or advising?

If you answered yes to these questions, then you should apply to be a member of the 2012-2013 CAS Peer Advising Team! The position is open to CAS students who have completed 30 credits with a 3.0 GPA or higher. Applications are available online at www.american.edu/cas/advising/peer-application.cfm. 

 We encourage all interested students to attend our CAS Peer Advisor Information Sessions, where you can ask questions and get to know more about the program and the role of a peer advisor. The information sessions will take place in the History Lounge in Battelle 130 on the following dates:

• Wednesday, 2/15 (12:00-1:00 pm)
• Tuesday, 2/21 (5:30-6:30 pm)
• Friday, 3/2 (12:00-1:00 pm)

You can also email us at CASPeerAdvisors@american.edu with questions, or visit our office to find out what it's like to work on the peer advising team. In the upcoming weeks we'll also be featuring blog posts by each member of the current team to give you insight into why we love this job!

The deadline for application is March 8, 2012, so don't delay! Please don't hesitate to contact us with questions. We hope to hear from you soon!

Clubs at AU

We hope that everyone is enjoying this (surprisingly) warm February so far! Now that your course schedules are settled and you're back in school mode, we hope that you're also finding things on campus to help you relax and socialize outside of class. AU has a ton of great clubs, and we want to hear which ones you're involved with! Send us an email at CASPeerAdvisors@american.edu and tell us about the clubs that you've joined, or what kinds of clubs you want to get involved with or wish AU had. Send us an email by February 8th and we'll post your response on the blog. All submittors will have their names entered into a prize drawing for EagleBucks, so don't forget to submit!  

Here's a link to a list of AU clubs:  http://www.american.edu/ocl/activities/Student-Organization-Network.cfm