What's Next Academically?
By now your first-year student has settled into a routine and has begun to take advantage of the variety of resources we highlighted in our first newsletter. We wanted to share some of the academic experiences that your students are starting to prepare for as the semester winds down, and provide you with some advice on how to support them.
Mid-Semester Grades
Here at Carnegie Mellon, professors provide mid-semester grades for most of the courses in which a student is enrolled. Mid-semester grades serve as a valuable opportunity for feedback so students can assess their performance and make adjustments as needed. Mid-semester grades are not a part of the permanent record and do not display on a student’s official transcript. Your student should have received their mid-semester grades on October 21 through the Student Information Online (SIO) system.
We encourage you to ask your student how things are going and how they feel about their mid-semester grades. Some students may need to make adjustments to their time management in order to be successful in all of their courses. Others may need to consider visiting office hours or seeking tutoring more regularly for the courses they find difficult.
It is important to note that for some classes, there may be very little information that factors into the mid-semester grades; perhaps only one test or assignment was administered prior to October 21. Regardless, if your student is worried about any of their courses, they should visit their professor’s office hours to discuss their overall performance and gain advice on how to proceed. Additionally, the Office of Academic Development offers advice on preparing for exams and successful exam strategies, and the Global Communications Center offers support in writing, developing and presenting information, and citing sources, among other topics. Students also have access to an array of stress-relief resources, such as CMU’s Mindfulness Room, Sleep & Stress Management Consultations, and Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS) consultations. Even if your student has not yet taken advantage of these resources, it’s not too late to start!
Spring 2020 Registration Week
All students will register for courses for the spring 2020 semester from November 18-22. Prior to that week, your student will develop a planned schedule with their academic advisor so they are best prepared for their registration time slot that they will be assigned to in advance. Registration time slots are assigned by class standing, meaning first-year students will register on the last day – Friday, November 22. This is important to note because it means that our first-year students need to be flexible and ready with options in case their preferred courses are full. We recommend they speak with their academic advisor to determine back-up courses if they are unable to get into any planned courses. Students will also be provided the opportunity to join a wait list for a course in case any seats should open up.
Final Examinations
Final Examinations are scheduled on December 9-10, 12-13 and 15, with makeup final examinations on December 16. The fall 2019 final exam schedule is available online. Due to reading days and scheduling needs, final examinations can be scheduled outside of the typical time a course meets so it’s important that your student refers to the final exam schedule and updates their calendar for their week of examinations.
It is also important to note that students should confirm their final examination schedule with their faculty before making travel arrangements, as it is possible there may be changes that are not reflected on the posted schedule.