YALLA WILDCATS
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY IN QATAR
ACADEMIC ADVISING ISSUE
NUQWildcats/#NUQWelcome20
Volume 4 | July 17, 2016
CONTENTS
TA B LE O F CONTENTS Introduction 3 Q&A: Academic Advising
4
Timetable and Course Information 5 Hail, Caesar! 6 Meeting your Academic Advisor 7 AP, IB & A-Level Scores
8
You Know You’re an NU-Q Student When... 9
Academic Advising Issue: Introduction
This issue of Yalla Wildcats! is all about academics. The NU-Q academic team has worked very hard to continually strengthen the curriculum and make sure that you are not only gaining a deep foundation in your chosen areas of study, but also developing handson experience applicable beyond the classroom. As a direct result of this ongoing review, the first-year curriculum has adjusted and changed a bit over the past few years. Thus we encourage you to forge your own path at NU-Q, consulting with your academic advisor and faculty members to find what is best for you, not merely listening to upperclassmen. As helpful as our upperclass students are (even the Peer Advisers and NSP team!), each student will experience a singularly unique path at NU-Q. Every student has a different learning style and study style; what might work for you might not work for a peer. Therefore, please do not choose courses or professors merely based on what you hear from someone else. Go seek out what will work best for you! With a strong liberal arts core and a writing intensive-focused first year, NU-Q aims to stimulate intellectual development that will lead to both impactful storytelling and critical thinking abilities. Paired with the
3
| Yalla Wildcats
multitude of experiential learning opportunities available at NU-Q, we hope that you will begin this journey with an open mind towards innovation, active engagement, and global citizenship. If you are a willing participant, we know that your time at NU-Q will teach you the skills to become an even more effective communicator, creative thinker, and critical analyst. And when all is said and done, know that we are always here for you to both support and cheer you on! Best of luck, Team NSP ‘16
Do I want to squeeze all of my classes into 2 days or spread them out over 3 days? This is a personal choice, BUT scheduling class back-to back may impair learning. Allow time in between classes to process and absorb the information you just learned. Take time to edit your notes, meet with your instructor, study with a friend, work on homework, or review the material. This will help move information from short-term to long-term memory. What is a General Education/Distribution course? These courses are often referred to as Liberal Arts courses and consist of Math, English, Social Science and Humanities. What does an elective mean? Any time you see the word elective in your program, this means you have a choice. Some program faculty will limit these choices to certain options, and others will not. If the choices are not restricted, you may use the Fall 2016 Timetable Course Information Sheet to help guide you. http://www.qatar.northwestern.edu/docs/ courses/2016-fall-timetable.pdf What is a prerequisite? Prerequisites are courses that must be taken before another course, usually in order to be better prepared and eligible for said advanced course.
4
| Yalla Wildcats
From the Desk of
ACADEMIC ADVISING What does a typical first-year course plan look like? Fall ’16: • ENGL 103-1 – First-Year Writing • JOURN 202 – Journalism in the Digital World • MIT 220 – Analyzing Media Texts • Distribution or elective Spring ’17: • ENG 103-2 – First-Year Writing • INTERDIS 201 – Media and Society • MIT 190 – Media Construction • Distribution or elective Is it possible to graduate early? Yes, you can graduate early if you take summer classes and/or take 5 courses each fall and spring semester (if you’re a transfer, this question is a game changer). Can I cross-register? In general, NU-Q freshmen are not allowed to cross-register. So transfers or exchange students, this one’s for you! Permission to cross-register is granted by Academic Affairs, which assists in the crossregistration process. Students should meet with their academic advisor to discuss cross-registration policies. Crossregistration courses are not calculated into your NU-Q GPA, and students must earn a C or better in a course.
Reading the
TIMETABLE & COURSE INFORMATION
• CAESAR# = Course Reference Number • Course Prefix, number, & title = Course Abbreviation and Number (numbers >300 are upper level, numbers <300 are lower level) • Section = A division of a course for instruction. A course may be taught in one or more sections or classes, depending on enrollment in the course. • Name of Instructor = Name of the professor who will be teaching the course • Days = Days the course meets U/T = Sunday and Tuesday, M/W = Monday and Wednesday, R= Thursday
5
| Yalla Wildcats
• Times = start and end time of course • CAP = the total number of students permitted to enroll into the course that semester • Open To = the type of students who can take the course based on student’s major (journalism/communication) and class standing (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) • Course Prereq & Consent Required = Prerequisite; a requirement that must be satisfied before enrolling in a particular course
HAIL, CAESAR! The Student Information Online Portal
• The Timetable and Course Information Sheet are both great tools, but are not always up-to-date. This is when using CAESAR is important. CAESAR will tell you everything you can find in the schedule, PLUS … - If there are still seats, and if so, how many - Who is teaching the course (once posted) - What room the course meets in (once posted) - What the course is about and if there are prerequisites (as well as what those prerequisites are)
6
| Yalla Wildcats
• To access CAESAR for the purpose of viewing courses visit: http://www.northwestern.edu/caesar/ • Use your Net ID and Password to login • Click on Search for Classes located under the Class Search and Catalogs heading • Enter the following information in the search criteria: - Term: 2016 Fall - Course Career: Qatar Undergraduate - Then click Search
MEETING YOUR
ACADEMIC ADVISOR
Feel free to prepare a draft schedule prior to your advising appointment. You have each received notice of your scheduled advising appointment during orientation week and you cannot miss this appointment. You will need a blank weekly calendar.
7
| Yalla Wildcats
SUBMITTING
AP/IB/A-Levels EXAM SCORES
Submit your AP/IB/A-Levels exam scores. If you do not have them yet, submit your exam scores and original transcripts to NU-Q as soon as you receive them. You can receive college credit for courses you have mastered in high school.
AP Scores NU-Q Student Records office will need you to provide them with a screen shot of your AP request receipt that shows a code of 1565 on it (see below). After this is provided, Student Records will follow up with the Registrar at NU-E (Northwestern University - Evanston) to confirm that they received the AP scores. Finally, Student Records will then be able to record your AP credit on your transcript. Therefore, you are requesting to have your AP scores mailed to NU-E, and the code is 1565. IB & A-Levels NU-Q Student Records will need you to provide them directly with your official diploma and transcript.
8
| Yalla Wildcats
You can contact the registrar/student records at studentrecords@qatar. northwestern.edu or get additional information at http://www.qatar. northwestern.edu/education/academicservices/student-records/ For more questions about academic advising, contact Michelle Telafici at m-telafici@northwestern.edu or Nadiyah El-amin at nadiyah.el-amin@ northwestern.edu.
YOU KNOW YOU’RE AN
NU-Q STUDENT WHEN…
ALESSANDRA EL CHANTI 9
ABDULLA AL-HOR
“You Know You’re an NU-Q Student When...” You randomly start liking the color purple and it’s literally invading your life. “What do you love about NU-Q?” Throughout my experiences at NU-Q I have learned many things due to the opportunities offered and the friendly people here. It’s really helpful when other people around you are willing to help you and give you advice. “Things I wish I had known as a First Year...” I wish I had known more about the different events and clubs. Not that they weren’t promoted in the right way, but I was not as proactive as I should have been at the start of the year. “What is the most interesting class you’ve taken at NU-Q?” MIT 220 and MIT 190 “What’s your favorite NU-Q memory?” When I dropped Hassan’s karak flask and it broke. It was raining karak.
“You Know You’re an NU-Q Student When...” You can no longer watch films without becoming a commentator on different camera techniques and shot types. Your non NU-Q friends WILL hate watching films with you. “What do you love about NU-Q?” The Studio and all of the equipment we get access to. “Things I wish I had known as a First Year...” If you’re not a morning person then do not take morning classes!! You WILL pull all-nighters! Even if you don’t want to, it’ll most likely happen. “What is the most interesting class you’ve taken at NU-Q?” MIT 220 & MIT 190 “What’s your favorite NU-Q memory?” Too many to be honest, but for now... orientation week!
| Yalla Wildcats
ASMAA BENKERMI
“You Know You’re an NU-Q Student When...” Free food is all you can think about. “What do you love about NU-Q?” The community and ambience. “Things I wish I had known as a First Year...” “Time flies” is really a thing. It’s real people, it’s real. “What is the most interesting class you’ve taken at NU-Q?” Sociology with Hasan Mahmud. “What’s your favorite NU-Q memory?” The day of my birthday when we went to Oxygen Park at night. It was very, very windy, causing almost all of us to fly away. Also, Erzum walked into a waterfall.
YASSINE OUAHRANI 10
OMAR AL-ANSARI
“You Know You’re an NU-Q Student When…” Anything is purple you assume it’s Northwestern. “What do you love about NU-Q?” The people at NU-Q make you want to come to class every day! “Things I wish I had known as a First-Year...” Absences are not taken lightly. “What is the most interesting class you’ve taken at NU-Q?” Sports, Media, and Society with Professor Amy Sanders “What’s your favorite NU-Q memory?” Getting into the semi-final of the Qatar Universities Football League.
“You know You’re an NU-Q Student When…” You find yourself spending far too many hours at the Studio, especially late nights and weekends. “What do you love about NU-Q?” The community and the fact that it shares the same campus as other partner universities. “Things I wish I had known as a First-Year...” Learn to say no when you have too much on your plate. “What is the most interesting class you’ve taken at NU-Q?” MIT 190 with Danielle Beverly “My favorite NU-Q memory…” There’s so many really. But I would say that after classes, my top three are spending free time with friends, production work especially on set (any set), and the big events (graduation, backyard battle, Preview NUQ, etc...)
| Yalla Wildcats
Designed by Shakeeb Asrar