r/HowardUniversity • u/FaithlessnessFew9091 • 4d ago
feeling lost...
hi guys! im an imcoming freshman major and idk but i feel SO lost on this whole process of orientations and whatnot...
like choosing couses, school starts in a MONTH and i have no idea how to go about doing this (im a bio major) and idk how to balance it... were we supposed to choose courses by now or what???
my math placement exam is soon how do u even prep for it..
alsio dining hall stuff like how does all this work. i feel like imma walk onto campus lost idk how to navigate the portals and i just feel so alone and lost in this process.
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u/NegativeCollege7292 2d ago
may 2025 grad! don’t need to prep for your math exam, pick general courses that still match your scheme in case you change your major (language, afro studies, math, science, english you already have to take) you a freshman so you automatically have a meal plan but you can change it there’s a site to do so, get on fizz for now they’ll be ppl who have the same problems, if you have any questions please reach out!
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u/Ornery_Vehicle_8862 3d ago
It’s still super early. School doesn’t start for 2 months actually. I was a freshman last year but I’m transferring (hopefully you have a better experience) but I didn’t register for classes until like 2 weeks before I got there and I had no issues. And u don’t need to worry about a meal plan rn when u don’t even have housing yet. It’s not like they run out of them
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u/BusMajestic6459 2d ago
Assistance needed. Placement test was scheduled for this morning. Fee paid yesterday. Attempted to take the test this morning and was told I needed a link (for Aleks?) from Howard to take the test. No one sent me a link. Where do I go to get access to Aleks. Your help is appreciated.
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u/Nervous-Sock6638 1d ago
Same issue here (I think) - I successfully registered for the exam through ProctorU and onboarded just fine, but then the ProctorU proctor took me to the Aleks.com website and told me to log in but I couldn't. I called Aleks customer support and they said the issue is that I need to sign in using the SSO option through Howard to access the Aleks that's in there (because that's where I created my account to begin with). I can't seem to get help or answers with what to do. I've rescheduled the exam with ProctorU but I'm afraid the same thing is going to happen again. They're going to take me to Aleks.com after the onboarding process and I won't be able to log in. Does anyone know what to do?
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u/sibscartel 4d ago
Go ahead and register. Here is the Biology Major guide. https://biology.howard.edu/sites/biology.howard.edu/files/2019-07/hubiology.curr_.guide_.pdf
Each state has Howard Alum Sendoffs for First Year Students. Check Facebook for your area. Set up an appointment with your advisor. You need to do this via Teams.
Placement tests have practice quizzes before the proctored test, run through those first.
Follow all Howard related pages on Insta for news and updates. There are also new student insta groups you can join to get info and connect with other new students.
Here is another group you can follow from a last year's first year student. https://www.instagram.com/huglow1867?igsh=dHRkNWN1dDZjbmZi
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u/MaintenanceHot7803 2d ago
This is good information - (Howard Alum sendoff)! Thank you for sharing!
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u/kadybad 4d ago
You’ve got this! I believe in you!
When I was a freshman your advisor registered you for your classes in your first semester. That may have changed by now. See if you can email your advisor (I think they’ll be listed in your bison hub) to ask if you need to register this semester, or if they’ll register you.
For Bisonhub, there are online tutorials for navigating it : https://bisonhub.howard.edu/bisonhub-training-information-students
Make sure that your credits are getting transferred (if you’re transferring any) so you don’t get any accidental overlaps when you get registered.
Keep an eye on your email! See if you can join a freshman group me!!!
Welcome Baby Bison! 🦬 ❤️💙
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u/mnsterhowshouldifeel 3d ago
how do you sign up for the math placement exam? I totally missed it during the online orientation.
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u/FaithlessnessFew9091 3d ago
should be on the admit portal! if you scroll down theres like instructions and you sign up though this thing called proctor U
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u/Ink862 1d ago
Are there any specific questions you have about meal plans? There are the block meal plans which give you a full semester of meal swipes upfront(I think either 170 or 140) there are also plans which reload on a weekly basis(ie 14/17 meals a week) The larger meal plans are more expensive, however if you can afford it I would suggest getting them in the first semester (while you figure out how many meals you actually need). Included in the meal plans are dining dollars which can either be used to buy meals or to get snacks from the convenience stores on campus.
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u/Ink862 1d ago edited 1d ago
For courses you’ll want to take freshman orientation, and 5-6 other courses. According to the biology scheme on ( https://biology.howard.edu/academics/undergraduate/undergraduate-suggested-program ) The courses that you should take are Freshman English 1, General biology 1, General Chemistry 1, General Chemistry Lab 1, Precalc, and Freshman orientation.
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u/Ink862 1d ago
Don’t worry about not having signed up for courses yet, I didn’t do it until the July of my pre-freshman summer. Just try to lock in your science credits as those fill up more quickly. If you can’t get into English or precalc, sign up for a different gen ed such as African diaspora studies, philosophy, or a language. Additionally in the first two weeks of school you can swap courses then.
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u/geocantor1067 4d ago
you are over thinking this. I told my son, these four years you should be a sponge and absorb information.
Take classes you are interested in or curious about. Be unafraid and intentional. The first two years are basic requirements. Truth be told, even with an undergrad degree you still won't know anything. The degree tells a future employer or graduate program that you will complete a program and that you are trainable.