Filling Out Your Schedule

After you have registered for your three courses at SOAR, it's time to start thinking about how you'd like to fill out your schedule. To fill out their schedules, most students need two additional classes:

• A fourth 4-credit course

• A LEAD111: Career and Network navigation section

The Fourth Course

To graduate in four years, students need to take 16 credits on average per semester. At SMCM this equates to four 4-credit classes. Unless you plan to take a lighter load in your first semester (12 credits = full-time), this means you will need to select a fourth course. Selecting your fourth course will look different for different students and takes some navigation. This is why we'll have a Summer Advisor there to help you make this final decision! Here are some of the ways students fill out their fourth courses:

• If you have selected a Major that requires you to take two specific courses in your first semester (Biology, Biochemistry, Marine Science, Neuroscience, or Physics) then you should add that second required course as your fourth course for the semester.

• If you placed into a 200-level language course or higher, you should likely start your language as soon as possible so as not to lose the knowledge.

• If you are interested in a Minor, you could select the first course in the Minor (see this spreadsheet for what courses apply to each Major/Minor).

• If you are Undecided for your Major, you could select a course that aligns with a Major you are potentially interested in.

• You could select a second course in your chosen Breadth method.

LEAD111: Career Network and Navigation

Career development is a life long process that consists of self assessment, exploration, skill development, skill marketing, and performance.  Starting in their first semester, students take a total of 4 credit hours (1 their first semester, 1 their second semester, and 2 in their sophomore year) of career pathway literacy classes. Your first career pathway course will be LEAD111 and will focus on the first steps of your pathway (self assessment and career awareness). 

If you have earned an Associates Degree from a Maryland institution you are exempt from the Professional Pathways requirement. Your Summer Advisor will have information to help you determine if this applies to you.

All other students will sign up for a LEAD111 section that fits in their schedule. Students enrolled in General Chemistry will need to select one of the two "General Chemistry" specific sections offered.