Every year, once each semester, students go through one of the most traumatic and exasperating experiences of college: class registration. Maybe that was an over exaggeration, but most students will complain that this time of year is rough. If it wasn’t hard enough that you have to pick a major and do well in school, you have to get a spot in each of the classes you want. The experience isn’t limited to just McDaniel either, students at all other colleges go through the same stress.
For me, this year’s registration snuck up on me. Earlier this semester I had decided to drop my Spanish major and just stick with an English major in order to open up my future schedule for the exploration of other subjects. Looking at the program requirements for each of the minors I wanted to accomplish, as well as the rest of the classes I needed to complete for my major and the McDaniel Plan the road before me seemed a bit daunting. So who do you turn to for guidance? Your advisor!
Advisors are special academic advice gurus that you select in your major who help you pick classes and stay on course with all major, minor, and McDaniel plan requirements. I’ve been gifted a wonderful advisor, Dr. Mary Bendel-Simso of the English department. This semester, the past three actually, she has helped me completely reconfigure my plan. First, to be a English and Spanish double major with a minor in Education, then just simply an English and Spanish major, and now finally an English major with minors in Political Science, Spanish, and (hopefully!) writing.
Though some students come to McDaniel knowing exactly what they want to do, there are definitely more of us who wing it and see where we end up. I’m in the second semester of my sophomore year and I still might pull of a major with a triple minor so there’s really no rush to choose. The comfort is knowing that even if I don’t end up sticking to this plan, Dr. Mary will be there with me to figure it all out and make it work.
In the meantime, I got all the classes I wanted this semester which is a first (don’t be discouraged freshmen, it gets easier) with the exception of the Yogacore PE class I wanted to take, but I’m waitlisted and those always end up letting you in eventually. Anyway I feel like I’ve finally gotten myself on to the right track in terms of what I’m studying.
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