NO MATTER if hell freezes over, dogs and cats start talking, and the sun doesn't rise in the morning, there always will be a large group of first years clamoring to get into the McIntire School of Commerce. These students are recognizable instantly by their constant whines directed at certain Comm School requirements, longing gazes each time they pass by the Comm School building, and the slight pause when asked what their proposed majors are; after all, at the University it's not a business school but rather a "commerce" school (most of us got into the groove of just saying we were "pre-Comm"). The road to the Comm School can be a bit bumpy at times, and after having just completed it, I hope I can give a few pointers which will help the future generation of "pre-commers" avoid a few rocks along the path.
First and foremost, it is important to understand that most pre-Comm classes are not easy. Even if you may have taken some in high school and for whatever reason decide to retake the course at the University, the general consensus is that the classes are considerably more difficult at the college level. Be prepared. Another important piece of advice when scheduling classes is to be mindful of which elective classes you take. It's always a good idea to do some research before taking a class (i.e. find out about the professor, materials, amount of reading, projects involved, etc.) by reading reviews of classes and professors online (www.cavalierdaily.com/evals/home.asp), talking with professors, or finding out what the courses are like from students who have already taken them (this can be hard because for the first few months most first years are surrounded mostly by each other). Knowing exactly what you're getting into when you take a class is of the utmost importance for pre-Comm students since some electives that don't sound too bad from the Course Offering Directory actually can turn out to be really tricky. I found this out the hard way my first semester by stubbornly and stupidly staying in Philosophy 100 - which took up more time than the rest of my other classes combined.
Make sure to keep your academic focus on your requirements. Even though the Comm School stresses that applicants engage in challenging schedules every semester, the requirement classes are your highest priority and in all probability, the ones that will weigh the heaviest on that application in two years. If you are in an elective class that is simply too much to handle, try to get out as soon as you can. Another good idea is to space out prerequisite classes along your first two years in such a manner that you take the ones which you believe will be the toughest for you farther down the road. This is something that some of my friends did and I wish I had done. My strategy was to get as many of the prerequisites out of the way as soon as possible. With this strategy, I found myself overwhelmed not only by the volume of prerequisite classes I took in certain semesters, but also because I took some classes that coincided with my academic weaknesses and had to struggle not only with the course material, but with the adjustment to college.
This next piece of advice may not apply to all pre-Comm students, but be sure to get involved in some extracurricular activities. Some first-year students find that there is a propensity to want to stay in the dorms and just hang out with roommates instead of going out and trying to get involved in other endeavors. Unfortunately, as some of my friends that took this route discovered, there is a section of the Comm School application that asks for activities and work experience, and it doesn't look too impressive if that section is left blank.
Perhaps most important about being on the pre-Comm path is to not lose hope. Some of your roommates may take insanely easy classes their first semesters, and you will be the only person slaving away with Comm school prerequisites. Don't worry about first-year slackers, they'll get theirs when they get into the meat of their respective majors. There may be times when you will get frustrated over requirement classes because of low grades (regardless of the amount of study put in). At these points, remember your goal, and don't forget that other requirement classes may play into your academic strengths. And most importantly, always keep in mind that the Comm School is not for everyone. Don't let a bad experience in a prerequisite class scare you off the trail. But if you realize that you really don't want to do business for the rest of your college career, get out so as to avoid taking any more tough prerequisites. I hope that I haven't scared anyone away from pre-Comm with this advice, but these are pointers that I wish I would have known when I was starting out as a first-year student.
(Alex Rosemblat is a Cavalier Daily columnist. He can be reached at arosemblat@cavalierdaily.com.)
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