Advising Guide

Use all six steps below to complete the Advising Worksheet.

Six Steps to STAR Success:
Step 1: Choose how many classes to take
Step 2: Learn about degree requirements
Step 3: Review/list course options
Step 4: Explore areas of interest
Step 5: Think about how you will plan your schedule
Step 6: Learn about using PAWS

If you have questions or concerns that are not addressed in this Advising Guide and you would like to discuss them prior to attending New Freshman Orientation, please feel free to contact your advisor via phone or email. "Who Is My Advisor?"

Step 1:Choose how many classes to take.
If you are planning to attend UWM full-time, you will need to enroll in a minimum of 12 credits (or the equivalent).

  • Most courses at UWM are 3 credits each.
  • A minimum full-time load is usually about four courses.
  • Most first semester freshmen take 12-16 credits.
  • A part-time student takes anywhere from 1-11 credits.

As you consider how many credits you want to take, think about how many hours you may need to devote to work and family responsibilities in the fall. Keep in mind that you should plan to study at least two hours per week for every credit you take.

Time commitment for 12 credits = at least 36 hours/week
12 hours class time + 24 hours study time = 36 hours

Step 2: Learn about degree requirements.
Most students enter UWM either totally open-minded/undecided, or with a few areas of interest they wish to explore. As a result, we recommend that students focus on their general Degree Requirements while trying to explore areas of interest.

The general Degree Requirements are "safe" bets:
  • all students in L&S must complete these requirements in order to graduate, regardless of major.
  • the university General Education Requirements (GERs) are folded into the L&S Degree Requirements

Don't worry if you find the Degree Requirements confusing at first. We will be going over these requirements in detail at the New Freshman Orientation program. Just try to get familiar with them now so you will have a better understanding of the course options that follow in the next step. Read about L&S Degree Requirements.

Step 3: Review/list course options.
Now look through the course options you have available to meet your general degree requirements.

As you will note on your Advising Worksheet, your advisor will fill in the appropriate courses for your English Writing and Math and Formal Reasoning Requirements when you come to New Freshman Orientation. At this point, concentrate on choosing courses to meet your Distribution Requirements.

Seminar Requirement:

  1. Can be completed at any time, but we recommend that you take your seminar your freshman year.
  2. Students in the Honors Program may use an Honors 200 seminar to satisfy this requirement
  3. Most freshmen will take a Freshman Scholars Seminars to meet this requirement. Freshman Scholars Seminars
    • Are limited to no more than 20 freshmen
    • Focus on very specific, and sometimes unusual, topic
    • Count for a Distribution Requirement in addition to fulfilling the Seminar Requirement
    • Provide students with the opportunity to work closely with an instructor and get to know other freshmen in their first semester at UWM.

For a complete listing of the Freshman Scholars Seminars available for fall as well as detailed course descriptions and instructor biographies, please visit (www.uwm.edu/letsci/edison/classes.html).

Select at least two or three seminars that interest you. Since these classes are small, they do fill quickly and not all seminars may still be available when you attend New Freshman Orientation. Please list your selections on the Advising Worksheet.

Distribution Requirement:
  • Five areas of distribution: Humanities, Social Science, Natural Science, Arts and Cultural Diversity.
  • The university GERs can be completed through these Distributions
  • Some Distribution courses also are designated to meet the International Requirement (Part B).
  • It is a good idea to take courses from at least two Distribution areas in your first year.

View the list of courses (pdf 16k) offered this fall that are open to all freshmen (no prerequisites) for each Distribution.

As you explore these lists, you can consult the Catalog for brief descriptions of these courses and the Timetable/Schedule of Classes for more information on the times these classes are offered, building locations, etc. After exploring the Distribution courses, please list at least five classes that interest you on your Advising Worksheet (pdf 10k).

Step 4: Explore areas of interest.
Beyond courses you can take that fulfill general Degree Requirements, think about what other areas you might wish to explore or other issues that are of concern to you.

  • Browse through all of the academic opportunities that are available to you at UWM. Consider the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Project (UROP).
  • Consider using the on-line resources of the Career Development Center to begin in-depth career and major exploration (the "Match" and "Research" links are usually the most helpful to freshmen).
  • If there are specific areas of interest or needs you would like to discuss further with an advisor, list them on your Advising Worksheet under "Other Courses/Areas of Interest."

Step 5: Think about how you will plan your schedule.
When you choose your courses at New Freshman Orientation, you will also need to decide when you will take your classes. When you log onto PAWS to complete your registration, you will be able to do a search of the courses you have selected to see the days and times they are available. You can then select any of the options you find. Some courses will fit into your schedule better than others, which is part of the reason we want you to have a variety of options to choose from when you get to New Freshman Orientation.

So, start thinking about what you might like your schedule to look like. Most classes meet Monday/Wednesday/Friday (MWF) or Tuesday/Thursday (TR).

  • Do you want your classes scheduled over five days or less?
  • Would you prefer morning or afternoon classes?
  • Do you want your classes grouped together or spread out?
  • How will work or family commitments affect your course scheduling?

Start thinking through these things now and it will make it easier for you to make decisions about your schedule at New Freshman Orientation.

Step 6: Learn about using PAWS.
Try to become a little bit familiar with the PAWS registration process, and make sure you know your PAWS PIN when you come to New Freshman Orientation. The following links provide information on these issues:

PAWS Tutorial. This site provides detailed information about PAWS registration functions and provides tips for troubleshooting.

DES Online. Logging in here allows you to access your PAWS PIN if you do not know it.

Advising Worksheet ( pdf 10k )

L&S Degree Requirements
Freshman Scholars Seminar Descriptions