Hello Meteorology-Climatology Majors,
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday regardless of how you used the time off from classes. We are now in the final sprint to the end of the Fall 2024 semester, so now is a great time to start planning for final exams.
To start planning for final exams, you need to figure out three things. First, does your class have a final exam and is that exam cumulative? Second, when and where is your class's final exam if the class has one? Third, what is your overall schedule of final exams? Knowing the answers to these three questions will greatly help with your overall planning for your final exams.
Do you have a final exam and is it a cumulative exam?
The first place to look for this information is your course syllabus, which should outline what the final exam will look like should your class has one. It should also be clear whether the exam is cumulative or not. If the syllabus is unclear or if the instructor has adjusted the course plan, you can and should ask your course instructor for additional information.
When and where is your class's final exam?
Your course syllabus should also have information about the time and location of your final exam if you course has one. The Office of the University Registrar has assigned a date and time for your course to have a final exam based on the regular meeting days and times for the fall semester, and you can find that information at https://registrar.unl.edu/academic-calendar/final-exam/. For example, a course that meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 8:30-9:20 am for the Fall 2024 semester would have a final exam on Monday, December 16th at 7:30-9:30 am reserved in the usually class meeting place if the class chooses to use it. There are also Common Unit Exam times for some classes that have multiple sections and large numbers of students enrolled each semester like CHEM 109A, MATH 106, and PHYS 141 & 211. These Common Unit Exam times are always at 6:00-8:00 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, but the exams been giving each night change each semester. Your course instructor will provide information about the location of the Common Unit Exam if you class is participating. If your class isn't using its assigned final exam time, your syllabus or your instructor will explain how the final exam will work. For example, your final exam might be offered in the Digital Learning Commons Testing Center, and you are required to sign up for your DLC Testing Center exam time.
What is your overall schedule of final exams?
Your overall schedule of final exams is something that you have to create after answering the two questions above for each of your classes. For example, you might have five classes, but only four of those classes will have final exams and only two of those four exams will be cumulative. Then, you find that you will have exams on Tuesday, Wednesday, and two on Thursday. Having a schedule like this will determine how and when you will study since you have want/need to be prepared. Once you have created your final exam schedule, you should start working on your final exam study schedule. Having a preplanned and thought out study schedule will make your final two weeks of the fall semester a much better experience.
If you haven't enrolled in classes yet for the Spring 2025 semester, NOW is the time to do so.
Open Registration
Anyone is able to enroll in classes for the Spring 2025 semester and Spring 2025 Pre-Session. This means that the few remaining seats in popular classes are going to disappear quickly. Thus, you need to enroll in classes NOW if possible. If you are not exactly sure what you need to enroll in, I would encourage you to enroll in something and to schedule a meeting with me to discuss your options. If you cannot enroll in a class and you do not know why, please let me know or schedule a meeting with me to discuss it.
Holds
If you have a hold on your registration for the Spring 2025 semester, you are not going to be able to enroll in classes until you address it. Thus, I would encourage you to check for holds and to work on getting the holds lifted as soon as possible. You can check for holds by clicking on "Holds" within the "Message Center" on the left side of MyRed.
Holds due to unpaid bills for less than $200 won't impact your ability to enroll in classes, but unpaid bills for more than $200 will prevent you from enrolling in classes. Holds due to being on Academic Warning or due to the need for graduation planning will require a meeting with me before the hold can be lifted, and for students on Academic Warning, we might need to meet more than once. Holds from the Office of Admissions can vary in their impact as some will be for the Spring 2025 semester and some will be for the Fall 2025 semester. If you any questions about a hold listed on your MyRed record, please let me know.
Adjust Drop-in Advising Hours for Friday and Monday
On Friday, December 6th, I will not have drop-in advising hours available during my normal 10 am to 12 noon time due to a couple of meetings that I need to attend outside of my office. I apologize for the inconvenience that this will cause.
On Monday, December 9th, I will only have drop-in advising hours from 11 am to 12 noon rather than my normal 10 am to 12 noon due to a couple of meetings that I need to attend outside of my office. Again, I apologize for the inconvenience that this will cause, and I promise to keep you updated if additional disruptions to my advising hours come up.
Newsletter Feedback
If you ever have questions or feedback about anything in the weekly newsletter, please let me know by shooting me an email. Sometimes, it is difficult for me to know if these emails are actually being read and/or found useful.
Best wishes, Doug
Fall 2024 Advising Schedule
I will taking in-person, Zoom, and phone meetings in 45-minute blocks from 8:30 am to 12:15 pm and 1:15 pm to 5:00 pm every weekday when I am not taking Zoom drop-in advising meetings. I will also be taking Zoom drop-in advising meetings on Mondays and Fridays at 10:00 am to 12:00 noon. Zoom drop-in meetings are being coordinated by the College of Arts and Sciences with a schedule and a link to the Zoom room available at https://cas.unl.edu/drop-in-advising-schedule.
You can schedule a meeting with me by using the Student Success Hub via this link, by calling the College of Arts and Sciences Academic and Career Advising Center at 402-472-4190, by calling me at 402-472-4319, or by emailing me at dpellatz@unl.edu. You can find instructions for how to access and schedule meetings in the Student Success Hub system here.
CAS Student Spotlight
Do you want to be featured by the college? Share your story by filling out this quick web form and show others why Meteorology-Climatology is for you. Showcase all the opportunities and experiences you are gaining with your Meteorology-Climatology major.