Center for Strategic Advising & Career Counseling Blog

We hear this a lot! Summers in college should be used as a way to explore and learn.  Here are some ways you can make the most of this summer.

•  Job or Internship- Every job and internship will teach you skills that will be marketable later.  There are tons of transferable skills you can learn from any job situation.  Did you get an internship, but not in a field you want? Look at the work environment.  What do you like about it? What don’t you like about it? These are important things to know when you are looking for a job in the future.
• Summer school- Do you want to get a few extra courses out of the way? Do you need a certain number of hours for a scholarship? This is a good time to catch up on hours and get some classes out of the way. Please talk with an advisor before doing so! Some classes are best taken here. Do not forget to send a transcript back to UT when you are finished with the classes.
• Travel- When you travel, you learn a lot about the world and about yourself.  You learn to budget, how to plan ahead, and how to either strengthen your language skills or how to get around without knowing the language. It is an invaluable experience.
• Job Shadow- Is there a career you know is just perfect for you? Contact someone in that field and ask if you can job shadow them for a day.  You will get to see the daily operations and see if it is really what you want to do.  Make sure that you do ask someone before hand; do not just show up and expect to be able to job shadow that day. If you want to learn more about job shadowing or interviewing people in professions you are interested in, please contact our office and make an appointment with a career counselor.
• Research different majors- Are you still considering different majors? This is a good time to really think about what major you want to study.  Take a look at Wayfinder. On Wayfinder, you can look at a description of the major, the classes you would need to take, and how to transfer.  Something else that Wayfinder offers is a way to see what skills you will learn, and the personality of those in that major.  Also, under contact information, there is a link for each major called “What Can I do with a ___ major.” Check that out as well.  See if the majors you are exploring would be a good fit.

Whatever you decide to do, have a great summer!

Finals are quickly approaching. Here are some resources to help ensure your success:

• Registrar- The registrar has a list of when exams take place. Make sure you know what time your exam will be. If you are still unsure, please contact your professor.
• Sanger Learning Center- Sanger will be offering a variety of drop-in tutoring sessions next week for certain Math and Science courses. The subjects, times, and instructions on how to RSVP are below.* Also keep in mind that one-on-one appointment tutors will be available until the last day of finals, as will Learning Specialists for help with study tips and test-taking strategies.
• Undergraduate Writing Center- Want someone to read over your final papers? This is a place to have someone make sure that your paper is on topic and has a good argument.
• UT Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC)- Are you overwhelmed by exams? Are you feeling a lot of stress? If so, the CMHC offers a variety of resources. You can meet one on one with a counselor, spend some time in their mind body lab, visit the stress reduction website, or look at some of their common student concerns to find more information.
• See your Advisor- If you are worried about your final exams, or your final grades for the semester, schedule an appointment with your academic advisor. Advisors are a great resource and they can help you strategize for different scenarios.

Best of luck! Let us know how we can support you.

Drop-In Tutoring Sessions

*Monday, May 6

Chemistry: 2-5 p.m.

 Tuesday, May 7

Calculus: 2-4:45 p.m.

Physics: 5-8 p.m.

Wednesday, May 8

Chemistry: 5-8 p.m.

 Thursday, May 9

Physics: 2-5 p.m.

Friday, May 10

Calculus: 5-8 p.m.

For Drop-In Tutoring May 6-May 10, please RSVP in one of the following ways:

·          Call the Drop-In Tutoring office at 512-475-8719

·          Email Grace Pratt at graciela@austin.utexas.edu

·          Stop by the Drop-In Tutoring office in Jester A315

In your RSVP, please provide your name, EID, date, course and preferred time slot.

OTE stands for One Time Exception for a Q-drop or withdrawal after the regular deadline. Every undergraduate student is allowed one OTE, whether it is used to withdraw from all classes or just drop one class. If you are in your first year, you can use the OTE Q-drop for any class; if you are in your second year, you have to have a D or F in the class to use it.  An OTE drop does count as one of your  six Q-drops. Once it is used, you can not use it again, hence the name “one time” exception.

If you have any questions about an OTE drop or how to use your OTE to withdraw from all of your classes, read the detailed description in the General Information Catalog, and then feel free to make an appointment with your advisor, or stop by the CSA&CC during walk-ins.

We will have walk-in hours for OTE drops and withdrawals on May 2nd & 3rd in Jester A115 from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm.

Have you ever wanted your voice to be heard a little louder on campus? Well here is your chance! Every few years, UT administers a survey called Share What You Know with Bevo. The goal is to capture the opinions of UT students to see what UT is doing well, and where improvements should be made.  The cool part is that UT really does use the information to make big changes on campus. Also, it compares how UT is doing in several areas to other large institutions across the country.

The survey looks at several areas of your UT experience.  The four main areas look at academic preparation, quality of your UT education, engagement with student services around campus and your overall satisfaction with being a UT student.  Certainly, you have some opinions you want to share about these topics!

Also, there are some great prizes that you become eligible to win after finishing the survey! You can win weekend passes to ACL, a Longhorn football jersey signed by Mack Brown, a pair of Beats Solo HD On-Ear Headphones, a Co-op gift certificate, Bevo Bucks, an iTunes gift card or dinner for two at the University of Texas Club.

Don’t wait! NOW is the time to schedule your fall/summer registration advising appointment.

These appointments typically last 30 minutes, and during this time we will:

•  plan your fall/summer schedule,

•  clear your advising bar,

•  discuss your major exploration process, and

•  address any concerns or questions you may have.

You MUST meet with YOUR advisor prior to registration. 

If you wait till the last minute to schedule your appointment, it is possible that my schedule will be full, and UGS policy does NOT allow you to meet with another CSA advisor for registration advising.

If you have not spoken with your advisor, you will not be able to get your bar cleared for registration, which means you will register late. I want you to get the best shot at the classes you want, so please call 512.232.8400 as soon as possible to schedule your appointment. Our friendly front desk staff will be available to answer your call Mon.-Fri. from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Important Registration Tidbits:

•  Registration for fall and summer classes begins April 15th and ends April 26th (but, of course, you will have specific access times within that period).

•  You may check your specific registration access times in early April by visiting your Registration Information Sheet (RIS). They are not posted yet.

•  If you have priority registration (e.g., Longhorn Scholars, Longhorn Link, registered with SSD), it’s likely your registration time will start April 15th, so making an appointment with me early is very IMPORTANT.

•  After scheduling your appointment, write it down or put a reminder in your cell phone so you don’t forget.  If you do not show up for your appointment (“no-show”), you may have a difficult time getting another one, as my calendar might be full. If you no-show 3 times, you will not be allowed to schedule another appointment until after registration.

•  See more tips for registration here.

See you soon!