If you’re a transfer student attending the Davie campus, you may have some apprehensions about upper-level classes. You may be returning after a long absence or just coming out of BCC. FAU is certainly a big change from community college, but in a positive sense. These last two years will fly by. Afraid of junior and senior level classes? Relax. The classes at this level are geared more towards your major, rather than an assortment of everything under the sun. In this sense, it is actually easier.
The average age of students here is 30; we have job responsibilities and families of our own. Because of this, many classes are held at night. Most instructors understand outside responsibilities and are willing to help students succeed.
Currently, the FAU bookstores are run by Barnes & Noble. While it is certainly convenient, it serves as a damper for financial-aid students. The stores do not accept any type of financial aid. You must pay for your books out of pocket and wait a few weeks for the financial aid check to come in. As with any college bookstore, everything is overpriced. However, if you have a credit or check card, you can order your textbooks online through half.com or Amazon. A few weeks before classes start, I find out which textbooks I need, write down the ISBN numbers and prices, and search online and compare prices. I’ve gotten most of my books half-price that way.
Most students are used to filling out evaluation forms at the end of the semester. These SPOT (Student Perspective on Teaching) reports are also posted online. Not sure which professor to take for a certain class? Go to the FAU website and find SPOT (located under “current students”), and you can easily get an idea from there. You can search by course number or by instructor name. When filling these evaluations out, use your time wisely. The forms are anonymous and the teacher does not see them until after the term is over, so don’t worry. Speak the truth. This is your time to voice your opinions and concerns and it is the only chance you get.
As for advisors, they are good for things like graduation requirements. My advice to all students is to find an instructor with whom you share similar interests. Open up. The reasoning behind this comes from common sense. Advisors only see a sheet of paper with grades on it. They do not see the individual behind those grades. They do not know your abilities and inabilities. However, your instructor does. He knows the field and knows you. Most of the instructors here are more than willing to give the mentoring advice you need. Just ask.
