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The Exploratory News
For Exploratory/Undeclared Students
October 2015
In the News
I Declared!
The 9 best scientific study sips—via IFLScience!
5 things college career counselors with students
knew—via USNews
How Facebook can help you select a major or career—via USA Today
Do you have these 5 must-have tech skills for college
students?—via USNews
Applying for Financial Aid is about to get easier—via
New York Times
Don’t Forget
Freshmen should check your 5th Week Freshmen Assessment on TopNet (Student Services, Student Records,
View Freshmen Assessment Report). Don’t hesitate to contact your advisor, instructors, or hall director if you have
any questions.
The following Exploratory
students declared their major
over the summer.
Congratulations!
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Emily Benefield
Amber Davis
Valerie Gregory
Aaron Harrell
Marisa Hinkebein
Eva Llamas
Autumn Loy
Deminico Owens
Katie Skeens
Michael Smith
Daniel Stapp
Alexis Wagner
Hadley Walker
Haley White
Fall break is this week. Enjoy your Thursday and Friday
off from classes!
Registration for Winter Term classes begins on October
5. Winter term is from January 4-22.
The last day to withdraw from a class with a grade of
W for a $50 fee is Wednesday, October 14.
Social Media
Instagram: WKUExploratory
Twitter: @WKUExploratory
Our next Exploratory events are coming up! Join us on Thursday, October 15 at 2:30
PM when the Center for Career and Professional Development presents on What Do
Employers Really Want? This session will feature area employers for you to hear
more about what they look for in college graduates. This event will take place in DSU
room 2001 (in the CCPD office) and will be perfect for students who still have no idea
what they want to major in.
Another social event will take place on Wednesday, October 21 at 5 PM in DSU 2141.
We will be making fall crafts, drinking cider, and watching Hocus Pocus on the
big screen. Join us for some fun and a break from school!
Did you know that volunteering looks great on a resume? Did you also know that volunteering can help you find your major? Come to the Lending a Helping Hand Exploratory event on Tuesday, October 27 at 2:30 PM in DSU 2141 to learn more from the
ALIVE Center.
Make an appointment with your academic advisor in order to register for spring
2016. Registration for all students will open in November. Check your email for detailed
instructions on scheduling an appointment through TopNet.
5th Week Freshmen Assessment
Advisors from the AARC will be visiting several buildings around campus in order to help
freshmen understand their 5th Week reports. Sophomores can also stop by for quick questions or to schedule an advising appointment for spring registration. Stop by and see us at
the following days and times:
Location
Day
Time
Bemis Hall
Monday, October 5
1:30-4:30 PM
Barnes Hall
Monday, October 5
1:30-4:30 PM
PFT
Tuesday, October 6
1:30-4:30 PM
and
Monday, October 12
McCormack Hall
Wednesday October 7
1:30-4:30 PM
Rodes Hall
Wednesday, October 7
1:30-4:30 PM
Keen Hall
Tuesday, October 13
1:30-4:30 PM
Poland Hall
Tuesday, October 13
1:30-4:30 PM
Downing Student Union
Wednesday, October 14
1:30-4:30 PM
Guess the major…
Some of you may be familiar with the addicting work of
Shonda Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to
Get Away With Murder, just to name a few), but can you
guess what her major was at college? Shonda Rhimes was a
double major in English and film studies. She also later
earned a Master of Fine Arts.
Major Spotlight
One major from each of WKU’s academic colleges is highlighted.
Middle Level Education—Social Studies/Language Arts | College of Education and Behavioral
Sciences – This Bachelor of Science degree leads to a teaching certificate for middle school social
studies, language arts, or both. All students will complete 37-40 hours of professional education
courses. For social studies certification, students must complete an additional 27-30 hours. For
English or Language Arts, an additional 24 hours is required. For certification in both subjects,
36-39 hours are required.
Family and Consumer Sciences | College of Health and Human Services – The family and consumer sciences major includes three concentration areas that all lead to a Bachelor of Science
degree: Child Studies, Family Studies, or Family and Consumer Sciences Education. The child
studies concentration requires 51 hours and prepares students who are interested in working in a
child-focused environment but don’t want teacher certification. The graduates will have a broad
knowledge base working with children. This concentration does require a minor or a second major. Family studies requires 51 hours and provides a program of study for those who wish to work
in a family-focused environment, developing a broad knowledge base working with families. A
minor or a second major is required for this concentration. Family and consumer sciences education leads to teacher certification and prepares graduates to assume the positions of family and
consumer sciences educators in middle and secondary schools. The graduate will have a broad
family and consumer sciences knowledge base as well as the ability to teach others how to use
this information to improve personal and family life. It requires 82 hours and no minor is required for this concentration.
Finance | Gordon Ford College of Business – Students pursuing a major in Finance may choose
between the Financial Management track and the Financial Planning track. The financial management track deals with the acquisition and use of funds to maximize the value of the firm. The
financial planning track deals with the process of developing comprehensive financial plans for
individuals that determine financial goals and objectives and the best strategies for obtaining
these goals.
Philosophy | Potter College of Arts & Letters – The Bachelor of Arts in philosophy requires a minimum of 32 hours. A minor or second major is required. Philosophy, Socrates said, begins with
the recognition that the unexamined life is not worth living. Thus, philosophy focuses on our understanding of ourselves and our relationships to other persons and society, to nature, to the universe, and, for some, to God. Philosophy focuses on developing the ability to formulate and to
pose questions critical to knowing and ways of knowing, to analysis or synthesis of ideas and
claims, and to evaluation, be it of ideas, claims, or actions. It examines both traditional and contemporary efforts with a view to cultivating the habits of sober reflection, careful reasoning, and
Meteorology | Ogden College of Science & Engineering – The B.S. in Meteorology degree requires
a minimum of 75.5 hours and does not require a second major or minor. It is the only meteorology program in Kentucky or Tennessee that meets all the Federal Civil Service requirements (GS1340) for employment by the National Weather Service and enables TV broadcast meteorologists
to immediately pursue the "Certified Broadcast Meteorologist" program of the American Meteorological Society upon graduation. In addition to preparing students for immediate employment
as meteorologists, the combination of advanced theoretical and applied coursework as well as
experience with meteorological instrumentation and computer programming will provide a foundation for students who wish to pursue graduate school in the atmospheric sciences. Students
will become more directly involved in faculty-sponsored research, increased co-authorship of
peer-reviewed research articles, and increased presentation of research results at professional
Organizational Leadership | University College — The Bachelor of Science in organizational
leadership is an interdisciplinary degree that requires 48 hours. This major is designed to
provide you with an understanding of leadership roles and responsibilities at various levels within different types of organizations. Whether running your own business or working
with large groups in a multinational company, you can use these principles to help you
understand how your organization can function most effectively. This broad-based degree
provides a framework for understanding how organizations work. You will take courses
introducing leadership, organizational development, and management while broadening
your global and social-cultural perspectives. This variety of coursework matches the diverse experiences and responsibilities you will face in leadership situations.
Calendar
To Do List:
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Enjoy your Fall Break!
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Don’t know your major? Go to an Exploratory Program Event (look for the
events highlighted above in red)
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Check your 5th Week Freshmen Assessment on TopNet
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Talk to an advisor about your 5th
Week Freshmen Assessment
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Schedule your advising appointment
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Visit Jackson’s Orchard
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Follow @WKUExploratory on Twitter
and Instagram
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Study for mid-terms
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Attend an Academic Advantage Series
(AAS) Workshop
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Schedule a tutoring appointment
Academic Advantage Series:
Workshops for Success is a series
of presentations designed to help students succeed academically. The
presentations focus on the skills professors expect students to know, but
that might not have been learned over
the course of a student's academic career. Examples include study skills, test
taking strategies, and stress management.
Each session provides instruction from
WKU peer facilitators dedicated to student success. Students may view the
semester series schedule online at
http://www.wku.edu/tlc/
workshops.php
To make an appointment with your Exploratory academic advisor, login to TopNet, go to Student
Services, Registration, and Schedule an Advising Appointment. You can also call (270) 745-5065 for
more help.