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Succeeding in the American college environment

As an exchange student you may take any ASU class which you are academically qualified for and which has available space for you. To register for for some upper division courses, you must obtain the permission of the academic unit offering the desired course and/or the course instructor. Please be aware that you are NOT allowed to enroll in courses in the College of Law, College of Nursing, and the Master of Business Administration program. Seats are extremely limited in the College of Engineering, the School of Business, the School of Architecture, and Information Technology.

The ASU course catalog lists all ASU courses offered during the current school year. Not all courses are offered every semester. The catalog also offers information regarding student services, the ASU grading system, and course prerequisites.

To view the most recent ASU Course Catalog visit: www.asu.edu/catalog.

In the online class schedule, you will find the specific course offerings for only the current semester. The new schedule for Spring semester is usually posted at the end of October, and the Fall schedule is posted at the end of March.

To view the most recent ASU Class Schedule visit: http://www.asu.edu/schedule.

ACADEMIC BASICS:

Undergraduate courses are levels 100-400. Levels 100-200 are "Lower Division" and generally described as: general studies, large classes, maximum instructor guidance, likely to have weekly tests or quizzes, comparable to last two years in European high schools; attendance is usually taken and counts toward grade.
Upper Division courses (300-400 level) are described as: specialized studies, some instructor guidance, likely to have two or more term papers, a mid-term exam and a final exam, comparable to first two years in European universities; attendance is often taken and could count toward grade.
Graduate level coursework (500 level) is described as: very specialized, creative work, seminars. You will need specialized background work for these classes, and a high level of English proficiency.
Most upper-division courses will have pre-requisites (mandatory prior coursework). If the course you wish to take has a pre-requisite, you will need to show your transcripts from your home school to prove you have the background knowledge to take the course.
Bring the most recent copy of your transcripts with you so ASU staff can verify the work you've done at home. Those that you submitted with your application may be outdated by the time you arrive.
As an exchange student, you must maintain a full-time courseload. This means 12-18 credits for undergraduate courses (levels 100-400) and 9-12 credits for graduate courses (above 500 level). If you take a combination of graduate and undergraduate courses, you must carry at least 12 credits. Each course in the catalog is assigned a credit value.
Many academic courses are worth 3 credits. Thus, you would need to take 4-6 undergraduate courses to maintain the 12-18 credit enrollment requirement.
Make a list of courses you'd like to take at ASU, but be sure to choose alternatives in case the ones you want are full or unavailable. Try to be as flexible as possible when choosing courses.
You do not actually register for courses until you arrive on campus and complete Orientation. You will get more details regarding the registration process at Orientation.

NOTES ON AMERICAN TEACHING STYLES

Classes are usually very structured, with frequent or weekly assignments, active supervision and verification (you are likely to be told every week which chapters to read and to be tested on the reading).
You are strongly encouraged to identify yourself as an Exchange Student to your instructors at the beginning of the semester. This will help your professor remember to give you more specific instructions on items that may be unclear to non-local students.
Participation/cooperation approach to education: be prepared to discuss in class and to work in groups. Classroom participation is often factored into your grade.
It is not considered improper to discuss ideas with a professor, as long as it is done politely. Of course, you should not take up too much classroom time to discuss one single issue.
ASU instructors are required to hold regular office hours: time during which you can make an appointment with them to discuss concerns or seek assistance. Instructor's office hours will be given during the first class meeting and written on the "syllabus" (course schedule and description).
American professors enjoy a curious and dynamic student who can present a hypothesis and support it. They do not judge the student on a personal level, but only consider the student's ideas.
It is considered very rude to be late to an appointment with an instructor or ASU staff; if unable to be on time please contact them.