Hey everyone!
This is officially my first blog post through the College of Professional Studies, and I am super excited about it. My goal with each article is to give you packets of information to help you throughout your time at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. The majority of my expertise comes from advising business administration, accounting and economics majors. Some advice will be major specific, but I will do my best to keep you as informed about the many different policies that surround advising at UW-Stevens Point, regardless of your major. I’m also here to help answer any questions that you might throw my way, too.
Writing has never been my strong suit, so try not to make fun of me if my sentences get too long …
Today I want to talk about the three things that students will need to make sure they do before the UWSP online registration system will allow them to register. The majority of these don’t require much time, but getting these things done early will ensure that you can properly sign up for classes at the assigned time given to you by UW-Stevens Point.
- See your adviser
- Pay your $100 registration fee
- Pay off any outstanding balances from UWSP
See your adviser.
This is probably the most time intensive and the most stressful part of the advising process. Advisers are here to help you stay on track towards the four-year plan, or help you develop what your plan exactly entails. Each time I meet with students, we focus on advising in two parts, a short-term focus and a long-term focus. In the long-term focus we go line by line through a Degree Progress Report and identify all of the classes and check marks that a student still needs at UWSP. Then, by process of elimination, we put those classes to paper and eventually a graduation plan is created. Next, we talk more in detail about the semester ahead. We go over the Timetable and the items needed to create your upcoming semester schedule. Finally, once students leave my office, they are updated in the system and the adviser registration hold is removed.
Pay your $100 registration fee.
This one is rather simple, but requires a little dough. Students need to pay $100 for each semester that they are registering for. Usually students only needs $100 towards the following semester, but if they have plans to take a summer or winter class (students actually register for these classes at the same time as their normal registration time) they will need an extra $100.
Pay off any outstanding balances from UW-Stevens Point
This one doesn’t always apply to everyone, but the rule is simple. UWSP does not allow students to register for classes until their previous semester balance has been paid. Printing too much paper can cause your UWSP account to incur charges. So whether you have a full semester’s tuition on your account because there is an issue with student loans, or your account has a $0.10 printing balance, you will need to get that cleared by the time you can register for next semester.
The ultimate goal of an adviser is not simply to get you into classes, but to help prepare you for success in positions of leadership and responsibility in the working world outside of campus. Preparation and organization during advising are two little things that can help your advising meeting go well. Carry that over into the working world and you are immediately valuable to an organization.
In the end you are the one who is responsible for your major, your experiences, and all of the great things that you can take away from this university. Academically it is even listed in the course catalog:
“Your adviser will inform you of academic requirements, policies, and procedures; assist you in identifying and pursuing your educational and career goals; review and monitor your progress toward those goals; and make appropriate referrals to university programs and services.
Ultimately however, it is your responsibility to meet all university requirements, rules and regulations.
You must meet with your adviser each semester to discuss your course of study. Your adviser must also approve and electronically authorize your course choices for the upcoming semester so that you can register for classes.”
Thanks for reading. If anyone wants any specific questions answered, feel free to email them to me at mtrzebia@uwsp.edu.
– Max T –
Max Trzebiatowski ’13 is the advising director in the UW-Stevens Point School of Business and Economics. He can be contacted at 715-346-2695, mtrzebia@uwsp.edu or in CPS 100.