Pre-Law - Explore Center New Student Enrollment

Rebecca Carr Author

05/01/2020 Added

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New Student Enrollment information for Pre-Law Students in the Explore Center at UNL.

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[00:00:00.990]Hello and welcome new Explore Center students.
[00:00:03.420]Thanks for watching this short video about being a Pre-Law student at UNL.
[00:00:08.280]My name is Rebecca Carr and I'm an Academic Advisor in the Explore Center.
[00:00:12.720]Today I'm going to talk a little bit about the Explore Center, about academics at
[00:00:17.460]UNL, and your next steps toward enrolling in classes at the university.
[00:00:24.100]You're watching this video because you are Pre-Law and the Explore Center is
[00:00:28.390]going to be your academic advising home.
[00:00:31.420]We want you to know that all Pre-Law students have an Explore Center advisor
[00:00:35.620]that's your go to person for all questions related to academics.
[00:00:39.910]We also work with students who are undecided on a major, Pre-Health,
[00:00:44.680]Pre-Engineering, and students who are working toward entrance requirements for other
[00:00:49.150]colleges.
[00:00:50.830]We have eight full time academic advisors and one career advisor here in the
[00:00:55.480]Explore Center, and all of us are here to help you navigate the ins and outs of
[00:00:59.800]academics at UNL and help you find a major and a career that's a good fit for
[00:01:04.060]you.
[00:01:05.170]Whether you're completely unsure on a major or know exactly what your plan
[00:01:09.430]for your future looks like, we're here to really help you succeed.
[00:01:13.450]The Explore Center is located in Love Library South, room 127.
[00:01:21.400]A lot of times students associate academic advising with just picking out your
[00:01:25.600]classes each semester and while this is certainly true,
[00:01:29.380]we also can help with a lot more than just choosing your classes.
[00:01:33.220]Here are some examples of reasons you might chat with an academic advisor:
[00:01:37.570]major and career exploration classes and degree requirements,
[00:01:42.130]preparing for law school, academic success,
[00:01:45.790]navigating college life and really anything and everything else you can think of.
[00:01:50.470]Whether you have questions about requirements for a certain major,
[00:01:54.250]need some tips on succeeding in your classes,
[00:01:57.490]want to talk about your transition to UNL and your new life on campus, or have
[00:02:02.320]any other question,
[00:02:03.460]we are your go-to place and can help guide you in the right direction.
[00:02:10.440]We have required advising in the Explore Center through a program called the
[00:02:15.000]COMPASS advising program. Through COMPASS,
[00:02:18.390]students are required to meet with an academic advisor at least twice each
[00:02:22.650]semester before they enroll in classes for the next semester,
[00:02:26.940]and we encourage you to connect with an advisor within the first five weeks of
[00:02:31.440]the semester for your first advising appointment. Through this process,
[00:02:36.030]advisors will help you identify and work toward your academic, career, and
[00:02:40.320]personal goals.
[00:02:41.580]So an example of an academic goal might be working toward a 3.5 GPA or earning
[00:02:47.430]an A in your chemistry class. Or maybe a career goal might be shadowing a legal
[00:02:52.890]professional or researching careers in psychology.
[00:02:57.240]And a personal goal could be joining a club or a student
[00:03:01.810]organization on campus. So whatever your goals are,
[00:03:05.830]our academic advisors will help you as you work toward your goals through your
[00:03:10.390]own COMPASS advising plan.
[00:03:15.440]So what does it mean to be Pre-Law at UNL?
[00:03:18.740]Being Pre-Law means that you have an interest in applying to law school after
[00:03:22.760]you graduate from the university. Pre-Law is not a major at UNL,
[00:03:27.680]but rather an advising category,
[00:03:29.960]so this means that you can choose any major to pair with your Pre-Law
[00:03:33.950]interest.
[00:03:34.880]Whether you want to focus on an area that's very closely related to law, or maybe
[00:03:39.740]you have an interest in something different that's completely unrelated to law,
[00:03:44.120]any major is open as an option. Additionally,
[00:03:47.570]there are no specific classes required for law school,
[00:03:51.320]but there are a variety of ways that you can use classes and other experiences
[00:03:55.700]to help prepare for success in law school.
[00:03:58.850]You'll work with an advisor in the Explore Center even after you've declared a
[00:04:02.960]major, and as long as you're Pre-Law we can help to kind of guide you through that
[00:04:08.960]Pre-Law preparation, even through the application process.
[00:04:14.060]We encourage you to incorporate academic and extracurricular activities into
[00:04:18.620]your time at UNL that will really help prepare you for law school,
[00:04:22.280]things like building certain skill areas,
[00:04:25.190]but also take advantage of opportunities that you enjoy,
[00:04:28.430]whether they're law-related or not.
[00:04:34.980]So there are a few things that we encourage all Pre-Law students to do in order
[00:04:38.970]to be a successful Pre-Law student.
[00:04:42.240]One of these things is using Pre-Paw resources offered by the university and
[00:04:46.980]the community.
[00:04:48.060]Some resources offered by the Explore Center include professional school visits
[00:04:52.830]by admissions representatives from area law schools, full length practice
[00:04:58.200]LSATs, and law school essay workshops, just to name a few. Other opportunities
[00:05:04.650]include Pre-Law Club, Mock Trial Club,
[00:05:08.220]and an Introduction to Law and Legal Professions course
[00:05:11.580]that's a great opportunity to learn more about a career in law.
[00:05:15.450]So take advantage of our great connections and opportunities,
[00:05:19.080]specifically our great connections to Nebraska Law.
[00:05:22.680]This is a great chance to see how a law school functions and
[00:05:27.270]you can see the law school on our East campus and take advantage of the
[00:05:31.560]opportunities they provide. Additionally,
[00:05:34.440]the university's proximity to the downtown area and the state Capitol provides
[00:05:39.570]a really unique opportunity within walking distance for opportunities such as
[00:05:44.850]working at a law firm or gaining experience as a legislative page.
[00:05:50.880]We encourage students to gain exposure to the legal profession in a variety of
[00:05:55.290]ways.
[00:05:55.710]This could include ways such as shadowing, work experience, or informational
[00:06:02.180]interviews with legal professionals for more information
[00:06:05.960]and advice on ways to be a successful Pre-Law student.
[00:06:09.350]Make sure to attend our Pre-Law Orientation during the fall semester.
[00:06:13.670]More information about that event will be available once the semester begins.
[00:06:21.380]This chart outlines a variety of components that make up your degree at UNL.
[00:06:28.310]We'll go through these different components. The first is ACE requirements.
[00:06:33.500]ACE stands for Achievement Centered Education,
[00:06:36.950]and is UNL's general education program.
[00:06:39.860]No matter what college or major you declare,
[00:06:42.590]you need to complete one class in each of the 10 ACE categories before you
[00:06:47.150]graduate.
[00:06:48.800]ACE classes are great ways to explore different areas of interest, and most of
[00:06:54.140]you will take one or more ACE classes even within your first semester.
[00:06:59.810]There are a few things that all degrees have in common at UNL.
[00:07:03.140]Most degrees require 120 credit hours
[00:07:06.470]total. One credit hour is equivalent to about one hour of class time per week.
[00:07:12.140]So the average course is about three credit hours. All degrees at UNL include
[00:07:18.080]ACE requirements, college specific requirements,
[00:07:21.410]major requirements, and electives.
[00:07:25.070]College requirements are based on the requirements for the academic college that
[00:07:29.240]your major falls beneath. There are nine academic colleges at UNL,
[00:07:34.190]so an example would be the College of Business or the College of Arts and
[00:07:38.840]Sciences.
[00:07:40.880]Major requirements include specific classes that are required for the major you
[00:07:45.470]end up choosing, so the major is the main focus of area of your
[00:07:49.970]of your education at UNL.
[00:07:53.030]Some majors require that students also have a minor, or a secondary area of focus,
[00:07:58.940]with fewer classes required than a major,
[00:08:01.850]but not all majors require a minor.
[00:08:04.280]So talk to your academic advisor if you have questions about this.
[00:08:09.110]Additionally,
[00:08:09.680]some degrees have additional requirements outside of majors and minors,
[00:08:13.670]so you can talk with your advisor about this as well.
[00:08:17.820]Requirements taken for a professional school such as law school are called
[00:08:22.260]pre-professional requirements. While
[00:08:24.720]some professional areas such as healthcare require a list of specific courses
[00:08:29.820]to be done at UNL,
[00:08:31.650]there are no specific classes required for law school. However,
[00:08:36.060]as I mentioned before,
[00:08:37.260]there are a variety of ways to use classes and other experiences to prepare for
[00:08:42.570]success in law school.
[00:08:45.800]The final component to your UNL degree is elective classes.
[00:08:49.820]These are courses that allow you to explore areas outside your major and minor,
[00:08:54.350]but also work toward your UNL degree requirements.
[00:08:58.620]So all of these different degree components might sound like a lot to keep track
[00:09:02.820]of right now, but don't worry,
[00:09:04.470]you'll have an opportunity to talk with your academic advisor more about classes
[00:09:08.610]and requirements during your virtual advising meeting,
[00:09:12.000]which I'll talk a little bit more about later.
[00:09:18.540]Here's an example of a schedule for a first semester Pre-Law student.
[00:09:23.340]Based on their conversations with their academic advisor,
[00:09:27.150]this student was able to set up a schedule that allows them to take classes to
[00:09:31.470]explore their interests and majors while also meeting general education
[00:09:36.390]requirements and gaining knowledge that will be helpful for a career in law.
[00:09:41.490]You'll notice that the first course listed is called Explore Center Start Smart.
[00:09:46.350]This is an introductory course for all Explore Center students that I'll talk more
[00:09:50.340]about here on the next slide.
[00:09:55.330]One way that you'll learn more about academic resources at UNL is through your
[00:09:59.470]first course, which is called Explore Center
[00:10:01.990]Start Smart. Start Smart is a free pass
[00:10:05.200]no pass course required for all Explore Center students.
[00:10:09.100]This means that if completed by the deadline, you'll pass this non-graded course
[00:10:13.630]and it does not impact your GPA.
[00:10:16.090]However, it will appear on your transcript, so do take it seriously.
[00:10:21.250]You can complete the course through a portal called Canvas.
[00:10:25.540]Canvas is a website that will house all of your courses at the university and
[00:10:30.730]has a variety of functions including communicating with your classmates and
[00:10:35.110]instructors,
[00:10:36.280]submitting assignments, and keeping track of due dates on the calendar.
[00:10:41.620]You'll be required to complete the Explore center Start Smart course over the
[00:10:45.370]summer before classes begin in the fall semester
[00:10:48.730]in order to pass. The course will open August 1st and will be open through
[00:10:53.620]August 23rd. The course is self-paced, and you'll have a number of units that
[00:10:59.770]you'll complete that will introduce you to important resources at UNL, and it
[00:11:05.080]will also touch on important topics regarding how to explore majors and how to
[00:11:09.820]get involved at UNL.
[00:11:12.270]Explore Center advisors teach the course, and we are available Monday through
[00:11:16.620]Friday between 8 and 5 to help answer any questions you might have.
[00:11:21.270]If you have concerns about being able to complete the course on your
[00:11:25.110]own, please do let your academic advisor know.
[00:11:31.480]We want to stay in touch with you, not just over the summer, but throughout the
[00:11:34.810]academic school year as well.
[00:11:36.730]So here are some ways to stay connected with the Explore Center. First of all,
[00:11:40.900]set up and check your Huskers email.
[00:11:43.570]This is going to be very important because this is the primary way that we will
[00:11:48.730]communicate with you throughout the year.
[00:11:50.860]You'll receive instructions from the university on how to set up your Huskers
[00:11:54.850]email account.
[00:11:57.040]Text message reminders are another great way to keep you in the loop on
[00:12:00.700]important dates and deadlines. Now
[00:12:02.800]is a great time to sign up for our texting service,
[00:12:05.170]so if you aren't already on your phone,
[00:12:07.600]you can sign up right now by texting @exploreunl
[00:12:12.370]two 81010. Once you do this,
[00:12:16.690]you'll receive important updates from our office.
[00:12:20.050]We try to keep text reminders to a minimum though,
[00:12:22.750]so don't rely solely on this as your main form of communication,
[00:12:27.280]but rather as an extra reminder for important events.
[00:12:32.390]The university will have a variety of events during Big Red Welcome during the
[00:12:36.410]first few weeks of the semester,
[00:12:38.060]so don't forget to participate in these events. More information will be
[00:12:42.110]coming later once the semester starts about these opportunities. Finally,
[00:12:47.210]like I mentioned before,
[00:12:48.470]we encourage you to participate in our Pre-Law Orientation,
[00:12:52.220]which will occur in the first few weeks of the semester as well.
[00:12:55.430]More information on that to come.
[00:13:00.730]The next step toward enrolling in classes is meeting with an academic advisor.
[00:13:04.870]You'll receive an email from an Explore Center advisor in the weeks leading up
[00:13:09.010]to your New Student Enrollment date.
[00:13:11.050]This email will include a link for you to schedule a virtual advising meeting
[00:13:15.850]via Zoom with a specific academic advisor.
[00:13:19.360]Be sure to continue checking your email in the weeks prior to your New Student
[00:13:23.770]Enrollment date to set up this appointment.
[00:13:27.820]If you have questions or concerns,
[00:13:29.620]please contact the Explore Center. You can call us at (402) 472-3605.
[00:13:39.100]Here are a few items to make sure you complete before you meet with an academic
[00:13:43.390]advisor to talk about classes: the Math Placement Exam,
[00:13:47.560]the Advising Inventory, and the Modern Language Placement Exam,
[00:13:51.670]if you plan to take a course in a foreign language.
[00:13:56.200]More information about how to complete these items can be found on the Explore
[00:13:59.890]Center New Student Enrollment webpage.
[00:14:05.160]Before you meet with your academic advisor,
[00:14:07.410]here are a few things to be thinking about to help you prepare. First of all,
[00:14:11.760]let your advisor know
[00:14:12.900]if you are coming in with college credit from high school such as AP credit,
[00:14:17.880]dual enrollment, or IB credit.
[00:14:21.000]Think about your interests and think about majors that you might want to
[00:14:24.180]explore. What are your favorite and least favorite classes?
[00:14:27.840]What careers can you see yourself in?
[00:14:30.420]But don't worry if you don't have it all figured out yet.
[00:14:33.000]That's really what your advisor is here to help you with.
[00:14:36.750]And finally, think about the activities or organizations you might be interested
[00:14:41.070]in joining while at UNL,
[00:14:42.870]especially if these might impact your course scheduling.
[00:14:46.560]Some examples would include ROTC, Greek life,
[00:14:50.850]and music groups such as marching band and show choir.
[00:14:57.120]So that's all the information I have for you today about your next steps at UNL.
[00:15:01.200]We're really excited to have you start your journey, and your advisor is happy to
[00:15:05.340]answer any questions that you might have during your virtual advising meeting.
[00:15:09.330]Again,
[00:15:09.630]they will be sending you a link for you to schedule your virtual meeting before
[00:15:13.320]your New Student Enrollment Day. Thank you and have a great day.

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Pre-Law - Explore Center New Student Enrollment

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