ASK ADVISOR ALEX
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Advisor Alex’s Apt Advice for the Week of May 7, 2007

• Fall registration opens this week! Have you even looked at the class schedule yet?
• You have until May 22 to register for Summer Session I classes. After that date registration for summer will be closed until June 4, when classes start, and then there will be lots of full classes and a late registration fee so do it now!

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Ask Advisor Alex

Dear Advisor Alex:
After this semester, I will have completed 64 credits. I know I am supposed to declare a major once I get 60 credits, but I am still unsure about what do declare. How can I decide? What happens if I don’t declare a major?

Thanks,
Undeclared Ulee

Dear Undeclared:
You are right. Once you have earned 60 credits you must declare your major or you will become ineligible for some financial aid. If you are not receiving financial aid this may not be an immediate concern for you, but you should start moving toward a major soon so you have time to meet all of the requirements for your degree. Choosing a major can be tough and there are a lot of factors to consider: What do you like? What are you good at? What is important to you? What are your plans after college? Talking to major departments you are considering is a good way to get more information to help with your decision, and staff in Career Development Services (805 East) and Advising Services (1119 East) can also help you think it through. Remember that a major is an important decision, but not a life-altering or irreversible one, so give it the respect and consideration it deserves, but don’t stress yourself by pinning your entire future on it!    

Always,
Advisor Alex

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Dear Advisor Alex:
I am a Political Science major and Women’s Studies minor. I was told that I could not use a class from my major department to fulfill 3A or 3B of the General Education Requirements, but that it was okay to use a class from my minor. I took WOMST 219, Women and the Law, to fulfill GER3B, but when I checked my Degree Audit in DIG, it is telling me I haven’t met that requirement. Why?

Sincerely,
Miffed Mindy

Dear Miffed:
The GER3A and B requirements (Focused Exposure) can be a little tricky because you have to choose a course that is approved to be used there and, as you noted, it cannot be a course that you are using toward your major or from your major department. What’s happening for you is, even though WOMST219 has a Women’s Studies prefix (WOMST,) it is cross-listed with Political Science as POLSC219, and because Political Science is your major, you can’t use this course for GER3B.

A cross-listed course is one that is offered through several departments, so even though the course prefix or numbers may be different, they are the same class.  This  means that cross-listed courses fulfill the same requirements, but it also means they are subject to the same restrictions. Interdisciplinary fields, such as Women’s Studies and Africana & Puerto Rican/Latino Studies, have many classes that are cross-listed with other departments, sometimes several other departments, so check the notes when registering for a class. You can always double check your course selections with an advisor as well to make sure it is fulfilling the requirements you want it to. 

Always,
Advisor Alex

For more advisement information or questions, check out the advisement website: http://studentservices.hunter.cuny.edu/advising.htm
Contact Student Services at: 212-772-4882, Room #1119-East
Contact a Peer Advisor in the Student Center at: 212-650-3282, Room #417 West

For previous editions of Advisor Alex Apt Advice and Ask Advisor Alex letters, please visit: http://studentservices.hunter.cuny.edu/advising/advising_askarchives.htm

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