Although it is a good idea, prior to arriving on campus, to begin making a list of courses in which you might like to enroll your first year, make it a long list and consider it a tentative one. Look for the special symbol in the margin by the courses in each department that are considered especially appropriate for first-year or upperclass students new to that department's curriculum. During the four days of Orientation, you will learn about our academic departments, programs, and courses. You will also have ample opportunities to find out about particular courses, the proper level at which to begin, or your advanced placement test scores and credits. Your faculty advisor and your upperclass counselor will be a big help to you as you choose your schedule of courses during Orientation.
Every student is required to complete a major course of study for graduation.
Normally, students declare their majors in the spring of the sophomore year, although some do so at the end of the first year and others wait until the junior year. I want to emphasize that you should not be concerned if you are unsure of a major at this time. Faculty members do not encourage the declaration of a major until the sophomore year, and no department requires enrollment as a first-year student in order to declare a major in that department. The natural tendency is to enroll in disciplines that are possible majors, and this is quite common. Many upperclass students will tell you that they had no notion of their present major until they discovered it by sampling unfamiliar disciplines.