First Year Students

ADVISEMENT CENTER

Welcome to Western!

As you begin your first year, our goal is to provide you with a solid foundation to help you advance on your coursework. All first-time, first year students are advised through the University Advisement Center for their first two semesters. Advisors are assigned to students by their major. All advisors have the knowledge and skills to provide our students with detailed information on each program offered at Western.

During your advisement meetings, your advisor will discuss general education competencies, program-specific criteria, and University requirements for majors you’re interested in.

First Year Student Schedules

Course schedules are created individually and with care based on recommendations from Faculty within each major. Schedules are composed of foundational courses, university and major program requirements, as well as General Education Exploration courses, which are meant to expose students to new disciplines of study.

All First Year students will view their schedule for the Fall semester during New Student Orientation. Please let your advisor know prior to Orientation about any anticipated credits for consideration in creating your schedule (AP credits, college credits, etc.).

Schedule Changes

We encourage students to resist the urge to make any adjustments to their schedules. We will assist the student in making adjustments during first week of classes, also known as the Add/Drop period. Students can schedule an appointment until the end of Add/Drop. Please view the Academic Calendar for deadlines.

Undecided/Exploratory Majors

If you don’t know what you want to major in, that’s okay!

Declaring a major is a big step, and you want to feel confident in your decision.

Students in the Exploratory Studies/ Undecided major work with their advisor to select courses that will expose them to different areas of study while still fulfilling degree requirements so that students stay on track for graduation. Students are encouraged to declare their formal major as soon as they feel comfortable, but ideally before they earn 60 credits.

What's next?

Consider sending your SAT or ACT scores

Your SAT/ACT scores won’t affect your admissions status but they can be used to determine the most appropriate placement for your Writing and Math courses. If you haven’t already done so, send your official scores to admissions@wcsu.educreate new email. Visit the College Board website to request your scores to be sent to Western.

Didn’t take the SAT or ACT…not a problem!

If you did not take the SAT or ACT, we will use other factors to determine the appropriate Writing and Math courses.

If you took AP or college-level classes while in high school, send your scores and/or transcripts

Depending on your AP class scores and possible transfer credits, you might already have credits that apply toward your degree! For AP credits, visit the College Board website to request your score(s) to be sent to Western.

Click here to review Western’s AP credit policy.

If you participated in a dual-enrollment program in high school (you took college classes while in high school), you will need to request a transcript be sent from the institution in which you earned the college credit. The transcript from your high school will not be enough to give you credit for those courses.

Additionally, if you opt to take classes at any college the summer prior to attending Western, you will need to submit the official transcript from that school so we can evaluate for transfer credit/course equivalency.

Submit your official transcript(s) to admissions@wcsu.educreate new email as soon as possible. Please also let your advisor know about anticipated credits for consideration in your schedule creation.

Sign up for Orientation

opens in a new windowOrientation is a great opportunity to start making Western your home away from home! Your Orientation Leaders will not only show you around campus, but they will help you feel more comfortable in our community and answer any questions you might want answered by one of your peers. You’ll also be meeting with University Advisement during orientation to review your schedule and overall degree requirements.

opens in a new windowOrientation Information

First Year Program

All First Time students at Western are enrolled in the First Year Program. This program is designed to help high school students make a smooth transition into college. The program has modules that acclimate all students to the physical, virtual, and procedural climate at Western. All students will need to complete a First Year designated course in their first two semesters.

Learn more about the First Year Program.

Access your WCSU Student Accounts

All incoming & current students should access their BannerWeb, Degree Works, Blackboard, and student email accounts often to ensure you’re getting important information and announcements from your professors, advisors, and other university staff.

After you received your acceptance letter, you received an email from mim@wcsu.educreate new email with instructions on how to activate your WCSU student account. Contact the IT HelpDesk at (203)-837-8467 if you need help with your account information.

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Helpful Links

Academic Calendar