First-year advising guide

As a first-year student, you will be presented with many new challenges and opportunities at the UW. Sometimes, the infinite number of paths you can take can feel overwhelming. Your first year will be spent developing the skills and knowledge that will serve as the foundation for your undergraduate education. This advising guide can help you start to explore your interests, get involved, and set goals for a meaningful first year.

Summer

Summer Activities:

• Meet your adviser at Advising & Orientation (A&O)
• Attend A&O and learn how to register and build a balanced schedule
• Review our list of majors and learn how to identify major prerequisite coursework by visiting department websites
• Learn about General Education requirements and why they are important
• Consider enrolling in the College Edge program
• Practice using course registration and planning tools such as MyUW, MyPlan, Register.UW, and DARS
• Check your unofficial transcript to make sure all AP/IB, and Running Start credits are accurately represented; contact the Office of Admissions if any credits are missing or incorrect

Questions to ask yourself:

• How can I be intentional and flexible about my course choices?
• How can I use my first quarter courses to explore my interests both inside and outside the classroom?
• What are my strategies for getting adjusted to college academic life?
• What new co-curricular experiences am I excited to try in my first quarter of college?
• What did I enjoy in high school that I hope to continue in college?

Questions to ask your adviser:

• Given my interests and academic goals, are there any courses that are important for me to take in my first quarter?

Autumn

Autumn Activities:

• Attend Dawg Daze programs and events
• Attend the Student Activities Fair and learn about Registered Student Organizations (RSOs)
• Sign up for a Handshake account
• Talk to your adviser about your academic interests and major exploration process
• Attend class and learn how to adjust your study habits to the college setting
• Explore identity-based communities such as the Q Center, Intellectual House, Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center, Student Veteran Life, CIRCLE, D Center, Leadership without Borders, and identity based RSOs
• Understand the difference between general and departmental advisers
• Begin to attend major information sessions and explore departmental websites for the majors you are interested in
• Visit the Career & Internship Center to talk with a career coach about general interests, informational interviewing, pre-health or pre-law pathways

Questions to ask yourself:

• What am I learning about myself and my interests during this time of transition?
• How might I use what I have learned this quarter inside and outside the classroom to choose my next quarter classes?
• What is something new that I'm excited to try and that will push me out of my comfort zone?
• Where will I find familiarity in a time of transition?
• How am I planning to form a community at the UW?

Questions to ask your adviser:

• How do I strategically plan my courses even if I don’t know my major?
• How should I begin in the major exploration/preparation process?
• How can I feel comfortable with the ambiguity inherent in the major exploration and preparation process?
• When is it good to see a departmental adviser? What questions do I ask them?
• How do I know where to start when looking for activities to be involved in outside the classroom?
• I'm worried I may not have time to balance my academic and co-curricular responsibilities. Are there resources for managing my time?

Haven't talked to your adviser yet? Schedule an appointment or email

Winter

Winter Activities:

• Use what you learned from autumn quarter to adjust study habits and time management approaches
• Identify two or three potential majors, and sketch out a possible two-year course plan for those options
• Get involved in community-engaged learning
• Talk with an Academic Success Coach to reflect on autumn quarter study habits and prepare for winter
• Find a mentor
• Browse the scholarship database and visit the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships, & Awards
• Learn more about support offered at the Counseling Center and Livewell
• Register for a general education course that explores a new interest or something you have never learned about

Questions to ask yourself:

• What adjustments do I need to make in my study strategies?
• What majors/disciplines am I finding myself curious about? What activities can I participate in to explore those interests more?
• How is my transition to college going? Am I taking care of my mental and physical health? What activities in my life are contributing to my wellness?
• If I wasn't involved in co-curricular activities in the fall, what held me back?
• Am I feeling connected to my peers and others on campus? If not, what would I like to have in common with new friends? How might I meet these people?
• Am I able to balance my academic and co-curricular responsibilities? How would I know if it becomes too much to manage?

Questions to ask your adviser:

• How do I strategically plan for multiple major options?
• What resources are there on campus that can help me reduce my stress and anxiety and contribute positively to my mental health?
• What other offices do I need to be in touch with? What questions do I need to ask those offices?
• I'm not finding community like I thought I would, what are ways to meet people on campus?

Haven't talked to your adviser yet? Schedule an appointment or email

Spring

Spring Activities:

• Begin to solidify plans for summer
• Research activities that you want to get involved in your second year
• Revise your academic plan according to what you have learned about yourself and your academic interests
• Narrow down major choices to two or three and understand the capacity constraints for each
• Attend the Undergraduate Research Symposium and/or meet with an adviser in the Office of Undergraduate Research
• Use Handshake and apply for on campus jobs for the next academic year
• Visit the Career & Internship Center to get your resume and cover letter reviewed for summer internship applications

Questions to ask yourself:

• How do my potential major choices fit with my goals and interests?
• What have I learned this year about myself and my academic interests?
• What have I enjoyed over the last two quarters? What didn't I enjoy? Why?
• Reflect on the general education classes you have taken. What have I learned from taking a variety of courses?
• What are my co-curricular goals for the rest of my first year of college? How will I hold myself accountable?
• What am I hoping to be involved with next academic year? Are there things I need to apply for this quarter?
• What will I do with my time over the summer? What skills or experiences am I hoping to gain?

Questions to ask your adviser:

• Are my major plans feasible, and are they capacity-constrained? What can I do to prepare for backup options?
• What academic activities can I get involved in outside the classroom that will enrich my education?
• Can you help me talk through the factors that might lead me to choose one major over another?
• What factors should I consider when planning my summer activities?
• I'm interested in experience tied to my academic interest area. How would I go about finding these?

Haven't talked to your adviser yet? Schedule an appointment or email