Seven Tips to Kick Off Your Academic Journey at AUBG

by Stanislava Pashkulova

One of the biggest advantages of the liberal arts education system is that it gives students the opportunity to choose from a wide variety of courses. Here at AUBG, you get the chance to major in a specific discipline like Business Administration or Computer Science but also develop your general knowledge and curiosity through arts, music and language classes.

If you are a first-year student and this is your first time registering for courses, here are a few things to keep in mind:

  1. Foundation Courses

These courses are mandatory for all students and must be taken in your first year at the university. English Grammar and Structure, Introductory Mathematics, Exposition, Statistics and Steps for Success are the foundation courses you need to register for in your freshman year. Keep in mind that the first two can be satisfied upon admission by student’s SAT scores or by placement exams.

  1. General Education Courses

The aim of these courses is to give students general knowledge on certain topics and expand their views of the world. During your study at AUBG, you will have to select 12 courses in 7 different areas (Aesthetic Expression, Historical Analysis, Literary Analysis, Moral and Philosophical Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Scientific Investigation, Social and Cultural Analysis). If you are still not sure on what you want to major in, Gen. Ed. courses can help you make that decision.

  1. Courses for Your Major/Minor

Naturally, the vast majority of courses that you take will be part of the major(s) or minor(s) that you choose to study. For all majors and minors there are required courses that give you basic knowledge in the field. Oftentimes, they are also prerequisites for the elective courses that you get to choose from later on.

  1. Credit Hours

Each course you take amounts to a specific number of credits (usually 3 or 4). Keep in mind that you can register for a maximum of 17 and a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester. You should also know that in order to graduate, you will have to have taken at least 120 credits in your four years of study.

  1. Talk to Student Advisors

If you are a first-year student and all of this sounds too confusing, you can always arrange a meeting with a student advisor. They can help you with the course selection, the registration process and much more. “Sometimes we also have to help students that have trouble with organization and planning, so we give advice on how to better take notes in class, start a planner, set reminders, monthly goals, etc.,” said Bojana Petrova, a Student Advisor at AUBG.

  1. The Registration Process

Currently, the registration process happens online. All you have to do is go to reg.aubg.bg at your designated time slot and add the courses that you want. If you are choosing courses for the first time, make sure that you look out for time conflicts, closed courses and prerequisites. Bojana suggest making a draft schedule and closely following the status of the courses you want to register for. When a course is full, you can still add it to your registration but you will be automatically put on the waiting list. If a spot opens up, you will be informed by the Registrars' Office during Add/Drop week (the first week of the semester).

  1. Some Extra Tips
  • Combining difficult subjects with those that are less challenging for you is a great way to enjoy your academic journey.
  • Make sure that the courses you take are distributed equally throughout the week so you do not feel overwhelmed.
  • Pay attention to the difficulty level of the course you are registering for (100-level courses are easier, 400-level courses are more challenging).
  • Do not forget to leave time in your schedule for club activities, sports and campus events.

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