Being proactive, informed and thoughtful is the best way to approach your undergraduate education. Below is some of the best advice from the College assistant deans to help you think through what your approach will be.
Great Advice from Advisors
When you explore, it’s best to have a map in hand. For example, many majors require that you take preparatory courses in their own and other departments. If you want to study abroad you should think about your language courses. Your academic advisors and faculty stand ready to guide you.
One of Penn’s strengths is the breadth of its academic programs, in both the College of Arts and Sciences and the professional schools. Go beyond the subjects you studied in high school and explore new territory: try a new language, explore an unfamiliar part of the world, or follow new directions in science with researchers who are making ground-breaking discoveries.
Look for courses and programs of study outside of your comfort zone. The College advisors and faculty are there to help you stretch your intellectual muscles. If you get in over your head we can help.
In partnership with your academic advisor, you will work to create an academic plan that explores your interests and satisfies your intellectual goals.
- The College Office (120 Cohen Hall) is the central academic office for the College of Arts and Sciences. All students are welcome.
- Academic Advising provides an overview of the advising system.
- Consult faculty advisors in the departments and programs whose majors interest you. They can give you further insight into their disciplines and what the structure, expectations, and opportunities are in their major.
Make it a priority to get to know at least one of your instructors each semester by going to office hours. Your instructors can help you discover your intellectual passions, give insight into their field, help you to strategize about major selection, and generally enhance your academic experience at Penn.
It’s one thing to learn about discoveries in science, social science or the humanities. It’s quite another thing to make your own discoveries. Graduates report that one of the most valuable aspects of their Penn education was engaging in a research project, whether an experiment in cognitive neuroscience, a study of a rare manuscript, or an analysis of South American trade policies (just to give a few examples). The Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships can help.
Learning at Penn happens everywhere: in the classroom, in the College Houses, at lectures from world-renowned speakers, in concert halls and museums, and in the Philadelphia community. Take advantage of the resources available only at a great university like Penn, set in an extraordinary city. Here are some examples:
Keeping a healthy balance between your academic work and your other obligations and activities can be challenging. There are many resources at Penn that can help you achieve and maintain that balance.
- Weingarten Center offers tutoring, time management workshops, tools and strategies, and one-on-one learning consultations, as well as Disability Services to request accommodations (if applicable).
- The Marks Family Writing Center is available to help you with your papers.
- Communication Within the Curriculum (CWiC) provides Public Speaking advisors to help you become a more effective speaker.
- Penn Libraries offers a vast collection and a wide range of invaluable resources and workshops.
- Penn Campus Recreation and Dining Services provides resources to nourish your mind and your body, whether it's working out in the gym, playing intramurals or eating a balanced meal.
- Wellness at Penn cares for students during their academic journey while creating a campus-wide community of care. Student Health and Counseling is the primary care and psychological care division of Wellness at Penn and provides safe, accessible, cost-effective, culturally-sensitive, and student-focused care for acute and chronic health problems, preventive health services, mental health counseling, crisis management, and consultation.
- College Housing & Academic Services (CHAS) brings the academic life of the classroom into Penn living spaces, resulting in vibrant residential communities. Learn more about the opportunities and resources available.
- Cultural Resource Centers cultivate support systems for students year-round. Each center provides a welcoming forum and a home away from home for students of all backgrounds who are interested in enriching their knowledge, finding encouragement, testing ideas, asking questions, and initiating change.
You are living in one of the most culturally rich, exciting cities in the country! Take time to get to know it.
During your first three semesters at Penn, concentrate on exploring all of your interests. Use the General Education Curriculum to explore, and use your academic advising network to discuss your ideas. Here are some additional ways to explore majors:
- College Majors: Listing of majors available to students in the College with links to department and program websites.
- Undergraduate Chairs of Departments and Programs: The program and undergraduate chairs are your best resources to learn about various disciplines in which you are considering majoring.
- Major Advising Program: Advice from currently declared majors.
- Majors and More: Discussions highlighting majors around a relaxed dinner table.
- College Alumni Mentoring Series: College alumni share their path from College to career.
- Career Services: Career Services offers excellent online information, advise and workshop.