Planning Senior Year
Second semester junior year is all about planning. You need to think about which classes are left for you to take to finish your major(s) and maybe a minor and to finish your general AXLE requirements. It is also the time to seriously think about what you want to do after college…Graduate school? Medical/law/business school? Internship? Volunteering? Traveling? Working? Whatever it is, by second semester junior year, you better be thinking about it.
First things first, classes! Major and minor requirements can be easily found online at each department’s webpage, but also the new YES system at Vanderbilt allows students to easily navigate through the various requirements for graduating including something I didn’t know before the system, which is that all students are required to take courses from at least seven different subject areas (don’t worry, this isn’t hard to do at all). What is really important is to make sure you will meet all of your AXLE requirements, which can also be found here. Next semester, I am focusing on finishing my biology major, but second semester senior year, I will take my last AXLE requirement in the form of a social and behavioral science course — I’m planning on taking a psychology class.
Next, plans after college…What?! This means the same frustrating test-taking, application filling-out nightmare that was applying to college. Talking to your academic advisor and people in the field you want to pursue is important ere. The medical and law schools at Vanderbilt have advisors who meet specifically with undergraduates to help them with the process of applying the schools like these at Vanderbilt and elsewhere.
Also, considering things like the Fulbright Fellowship, PeaceCorps, AmeriCorps, and other such programs can help undergraduates transition into the real world or graduate school in a year or two versus directly.
You don’t have to think about these things as a perspective student…just some food for thought! =)