Welcome Back!

Welcome back to AU! We hope you all had a relaxing break and that you're ready to take on a new semester. We're excited to get back to work, and we look forward to acting as another resource for CAS students throughout the semester. As a reminder, you can come to peer advisors with questions about academic resources, major exploration, the general education program, or any other academic issues. If you'd like to make an appointment with us, visit http://www.american.edu/cas/advising/undergraduate.cfm

Here are our office hours for Spring 2012:

Emma Morgan (students with last names starting with A-D, K)
Mondays: 1:15-3:45 pm
Tuesdays: 12-3 pm
Wednesdays: 9-11:30 am
Fridays: 11:45 am-1:45 pm

Lindsay Inge (H-J, L-P)
Mondays: 9 am-12:30 pm
Tuesdays: 9-11 am
Thursdays: 2:30-5 pm
Fridays: 9-11 am

Triana Tello Gerez (E-G, Q-Z)
Tuesdays: 9 am-12:30 pm
Thursdays 9-11 am, 12-12:30 pm
Fridays: 9-11 am

As always, feel free to email us with any questions at CASPeerAdvisors@american.edu Be sure to check our facebook and twitter for updates as well. We look forward to working with you this semester!

-The CAS Peer Advising Team

  Here are my picks for my favorite general education course for each area:

• Area 1: ARTH-210 Modern Art: Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries 

          I'm an art history minor, so it was easy for me to find courses that interested me in Area 1. Even if you've never taken an art history course before, ARTH-210 is a great option for gen ed credit. The art history department is very small, but professors are more than happy to work with students and understand that this may be students' first exposure to art history. If you're good at memorization and don't mind a bit of reading and writing this is a good class for you!

• Area 2: LIT-265 Literature and Society in Victorian England

           I admit that this class is not for the faint of heart: it's reading and writing intensive, and the Victorians aren't exactly known for their clear and concise prose. But if you're willing to put in the work, this class will be one of the best ones you take at AU! Your writing will improve as will your analytical skills, which will serve you well in any other course you take. I especially recommend this course for anyone interested in literature or history.  

• Area 3: LFS-210 Latin America: History, Art, Literature

         LFS stands for "Language and Foreign Studies" and as the title implies, this course is designed to appeal to a wide variety of students. I have a special soft spot for this course because it introduced me to Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who is now one of my favorite authors (even if you don't take this course, check him out! You don't know what you're missing!). The course has sections taught in English and Spanish.

• Area 4: PSYC-215 Abnormal Psychology and Society

          What is a college education without at least one psych course? PSYC-215 is the classic college psych course, covering everything from eating disorders to schizophrenia. It's a really interesting class that you'll enjoy even if you're not a psychology major.

• Area 5: BIO-100 Great Experiments in Biology

          I'm terrible at science. Just awful. So for two years I've been dreading having to complete Area 5. But I took Bio-100 this semester and something miraculous happened- it wasn't that bad! In fact, in many ways it was a lot easier than high school biology. I'm taking Professor Tudge's class and he's great; he understands that most students in the class aren't planning on taking upper-level science courses, so he tailors his lectures to address issues that are relevant to every day life (even the biggest bio-phobe will appreciate the environmental lectures). The lab portion of the class is pretty painless as well. This is a great course for students who know they're not interested in a science major, but for students who think they may want a science-related major or who are considering pre-med, make sure to take BIO-110 General Biology I instead.

If you have any questions about the general education program in general or specific courses, drop us a line at CASpeeradvisors@american.edu. Good luck with registration!

-Lindsay Inge

General Education, Part 2

Gen Eds

Everyone has to take gen eds and, almost inevitably, we all have to deal with the one or two areas with classes we’d rather avoid entirely. For many students, Area 5, the Natural Sciences, is the dreaded area. I never had any problems finishing my sciences, but I had trouble choosing classes in some of the other areas. I came to AU undecided, but have always been a science and math person (and I’m now a math major and music minor). While I didn’t use the gen eds as much to help decide on a major, I wanted seize the opportunity to take classes in subjects that I might otherwise never experience.

Area 1 was especially challenging for me, but I eventually decided I wanted to take Meaning and Purpose in the Arts, PHIL-230. I play the viola and am passionate about music, plus I’d never taken a philosophy class and thought it might be interesting. It’s a choice I’m glad that I made. Meaning andPurpose with Professor Erfani was an absolutely fantastic course. It was conducted mainly as a seminar based on weekly readings. The subject itself was interesting, and I really enjoyed having something different from my math classes. Math courses don’t have many reading assignments, and it was nice to be able to take my readings outside on nice days and sit in the sun, rather than always needing to work at a table. Plus, I got to write one of my papers about Finding Nemo, which was pretty much the most fun assignment ever for me, since I happen to LOVE that movie.

I had a good experience overall with my gen ed classes. Some gen eds I chose because the description sounded interesting, while others I signed up for with friends so that we could all have a better experience completing the requirement. While the gen eds you take may not be your favorite classes, going into them with a positive attitude can make the experience worthwhile. Take time to really look at the options, read course descriptions, peruse wildcard courses, and likely you’ll find at least some classes you think you might actually enjoy.

-Emma Morgan

General Education Courses

The General Education Program: love it or hate it, all students at AU have to fulfill the program's requirements. As you register for spring courses, you may have a tough time deciding which gen ed courses will be of most interest to you. This week we'll highlight some of our favorite gen ed courses and how the program has affected our undergraduate experience. Email us some of your favorite gen eds and we'll share your suggestions in an upcoming post!
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Half a semester into my junior year, I have learned to appreciate very much the Gen Ed program. It has allowed me to explore different academic areas (I am now an Econ student thanks to my ECON 100 Gen Ed class) and learn more about fields that I would have otherwise never been interested in. My freshman year I took Understanding Music, a class that at first I was skeptical about (I am quite tone deaf and have never played an instrument), but it has now become my favorite Gen Ed so far(or at least top 2)! My professor was Dr. Anne Kang. She loved teaching about music (it being her doctorate and all) but most importantly, her passion for it was contagious. I remember her playing the piano for us quite often, talking about Beethoven (and music history in general) as if she was BFFs with him and conveying a genuine interest in music that made my Understanding Music semester a surprisingly interesting and awesome one. This class was pretty cool and it certainly changed my perspective about Gen Eds.

(Also, special shout-out to Western Philosophy; great class for my Area 2)

-Triana Tello Gerez

Registration

Hey, everyone! Can you believe it's already November? That means it's time to start thinking about registration for spring 2012 courses!

CAS requires students to take two steps before registering for courses. The first step is to attend a pre-registration workshop. Here a CAS advisor will go over the basics of registration and will bring some new developments to your attention. The second step is to meet with your CAS advisor so that he or she can clear you for registration. When you come to this meeting your advisor will expect you to bring along your proposed schedule for next semester so that he or she can make sure that you are taking appropriate courses. Both the pre-registration workshop and the one-on-one meeting with your advisor for clearance are mandatory-- you will not be able to register until you have completed both steps. 

The peer advisors are a great resource as you develop your spring schedule. If you need help deciding which courses to take, want tips on how to balance your schedule, or have questions about the registration process itself, please don't hesitate to email or visit us! You can make an appointment at http://www.american.edu/cas/advising/undergraduate.cfm, and you can email us at CASPeerAdvisors@american.edu. 

Keep an eye out for more information about upcoming registration workshops hosted by the peer advisors!

Stress, Part 4

Thank you to everyone who emailed us their strategies for managing stress! Take a look at what your fellow students had to say:

"I do yoga to manage my stress from all of my academic work. I always plan out and organize when I'll study for specific classes so that I have a schedule and feel like I can manage all of the work I need to get done. I also make sure to take study breaks after a few hours of working and grab something to eat and go hang out with friends in the lounge, and that's how I manage my stress!"

-Kathleen McLaughlin

"I manage my stress by physical activity, listening to music, and hanging out with my friends. I'm on the bhangra dance team and dancing helps relieve my stress because it's a fun activity and I get to laugh and joke around with my other teammates. AU club volleyball is also fun because I enjoy the sport and it keeps me in shape. I find that when I participate in physical activities, it gets my mind off of what's stressing me out. Listening to my favorite songs also is therapeutic for me because they put me in a certain mood where I allow myself to relax. Hanging out with my friends is always great because I enjoy being around people and so much of my time is spent alone doing homework or studying so it's nice to get together after class or on weekends."
 
-Angelica Posey

"Organizing my sleep schedule and eating healthy helps me deal with stress. I would recommend not multi tasking and taking things one at a time. When doing hw or studying for exam give a subject an interval of 45 minutes and take a break doing some other subject. This also helps me." 

Hope this helps others also,
Oznur Ozturk

Thanks again for all the submissions! We want to hear your thoughts on other issues affecting freshmen and sophomores at AU, so feel free to send us suggestions for another weekly theme!

Stress, Part 3

College is all about getting to know yourself, and a big part of self-awareness is recognizing both your potential and your limitations. When it comes to school I’m somewhat of a perfectionist, but after a few semesters (and a lot of all-nighters), I finally realized that pushing myself so hard was actually decreasing my ability to get the most out of my courses and my time here in DC. Even though it’s possible for me to function on 3 hours of sleep, life is much better when I sleep for a full 7 hours! While I still work hard on my coursework, I’ve also learned to take advantage of other opportunities. For example, I realized that taking an hour to go to the gym makes me feel more energized and productive; it’s a nice break to do something physical after spending hours reading and writing. I love history and art so I’ve also made a point of going to more off-campus lectures and events on the National Mall. Embrace the things you love and remember to treat your body right!

-Lindsay Inge