Advisers can help students discover the possibilities. Undergraduates are admitted to the University on the basis of their accomplishments in high school and their achievements on college entrance examinations. Once on campus, their success depends on the quality and quantity of work applied to their studies. Many beginning students find themselves surprised by the amount of work they are expected to do outside of class and the speed at which they are expected to master subjects that they studied at a slower pace in high school. Satisfactory adjustment to the more demanding pace of the University is a key to academic success.
Academic workload is based on the number of credits a student is taking.
The University Senate has established a policy, consistent with policies at other universities, that students are expected to average three hours of work per week for each credit taken. Therefore, a student taking 15 credits should expect 45 hours of work per week. Balance is a key to success, and successful students find that much valuable learning occurs outside the classroom in employment, student organizations, teams, clubs, and volunteer opportunities. Undergraduates must complete at least 15 credits per semester to graduate within four years. The number of courses a student will need to take each semester will vary.