{"id":961,"date":"2025-04-28T17:01:40","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T22:01:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/pathway-advising\/?page_id=961"},"modified":"2026-03-26T12:12:33","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T17:12:33","slug":"new-student-orientation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/pathway-advising\/student-resources\/new-student-orientation\/","title":{"rendered":"New Student Orientation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Students entering 51ÁÔÆæ through Pathway Advising as first-time new students will find information on our required New Student Orientation program below, including important steps that we\u2019d like you to complete before you join us at an on-campus or online orientation. \u00a0General information on 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s full orientation programing is available\u00a0on the New Student Orientation website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prior to Orientation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n

  1. Choose your Pathway<\/h2>\n

    Students in Pathway Advising follow one of six metamajor pathways, each of which can lead to a variety of 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s majors, minors and certificates.  These pathways will help undecided students explore 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s curriculum, and help students who have an idea in mind develop a clear plan for progression into their chosen major.  Choosing a pathway now will allow your academic advisor to start preparing class options for your first semester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You can select a metamajor pathway through your Admissions portal<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you\u2019re trying to choose between two pathways, review each pathway\u2019s linked major from our Undecided<\/a> page, and select the one that best fits you for now. You can change your pathway at any time, as your plans for a major take shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you really<\/em> aren\u2019t ready to make a decision at this time, that\u2019s fine too \u2014 we\u2019ll be able to create a general set of course recommendations that won\u2019t align with any particular pathway.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>\n\n\n\n

  2. Sign up for New Student Orientation<\/h2>\n

    Follow the steps here<\/a> to complete your matriculation to 51ÁÔÆæ and receive your invitation to orientation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It is to your benefit, where possible, to attend the earliest possible orientation you can.  Classes can fill up over the summer, and knowing your Fall plans earlier can help you get yourself ready for fall classes.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>\n\n\n\n

  3. Plan for a 15 Credit Schedule<\/h2>\n

    Both nationwide and 51ÁÔÆæ-specific studies have shown that students get better grades and make faster progress towards a degree if they take 15 credits each fall and spring semester, or 30 credits each academic year.  This will typically mean you should plan to take about 5 courses in your first semester, which will work out to require about 15 hours in class and 30 hours of reading\/studying\/out-of-class home work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sample schedule information is available for each of our Pathways from the Our Pathways<\/strong> category in the menu bar on this page.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>\n\n\n\n

  4. Consider Other Demands on Your Schedule<\/h2>\n

    If you will be working, or you will have other demands on your schedule during your first semester of college, be sure to make note of those as you prepare to enroll in classes as a part of your Orientation.  We recommend limiting your work hours (or other responsibilities, where possible) to 20 or fewer hours during the school term if you will be attending school full-time.  A full-time schedule in college will typically require 45 hours of your time and attention each week, as noted above, so dividing your time among other responsibilities can lead to a lessened focus on your academics.  If you have significant responsibilities other than college courses, consider taking fewer courses and plan on a longer path to graduation.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    At New Student Orientation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Orientations will be held in-person, with options for online orientation for adult and transfer students.  As part of orientation, students will work with our advising staff in a 51ÁÔÆæ computer lab to enroll in classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A full schedule for Fall will require that students have established placement criteria for English and Math classes.  You\u2019ll find information about placement procedures either in your student portal or on our Freshman Course Placement page<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Students entering 51ÁÔÆæ through Pathway Advising as first-time new students will find information on our required New Student Orientation program below, including important steps that we\u2019d like you to complete before you join us at an on-campus or online orientation. …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":659,"featured_media":0,"parent":981,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"class_list":["post-961","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nPathway Advising<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn what to expect at 51ÁÔÆæ New Student Orientation: registration, advising sessions, and resources for Pathway students.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/pathway-advising\/student-resources\/new-student-orientation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New Student Orientation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn what to expect at 51ÁÔÆæ New Student Orientation: registration, advising sessions, and resources for Pathway students.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/pathway-advising\/student-resources\/new-student-orientation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Pathway Advising\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-26T17:12:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/pathway-advising\\\/student-resources\\\/new-student-orientation\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/pathway-advising\\\/student-resources\\\/new-student-orientation\\\/\",\"name\":\"New Student Orientation - 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