Freshmen Advising Resources
The Office of New Student Programs welcomes you to NC State University, a community of achievers rich in tradition and academic excellence. To assist you in becoming a part of this community, we invite you to attend a First-Year Student Orientation session.
Visit the First-Year Summer Orientation website for a complete overview of your next steps (after paying your Advanced Enrollment Deposit confirming your attendance at NC State).
As a new student, you probably have lots of questions about where to go to find the resources and information you need about living and learning at NC State. The New Student Checklist will help you on your path to becoming the newest member of the Wolfpack family.
Registering for classes as a Freshmen
It is recommended that you register for 15-16 credit hours, unless you anticipate a demanding work schedule or other time-consuming activities. 12 credit hours is considered full-time for financial aid, parking stickers, dorm rooms, health insurance and tax deductions (if your parents are claiming you as a dependant).
All freshmen are required to take ENG 101. For information about placing out of Freshmen English visit the First-Year Writing Program website.
All students at NC State must demonstrate competency at the Elementary II level in a foreign language (FL* 201 for English Majors) as a requirement for graduation. Students who do not meet the proficiency requirement as determined by a review of the student’s high school record by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions – two years of high school study of the same language with a grade of ‘C’ or better in each of the two years – must take a placement test. Visit the Foreign Language Placement Tests website for additional information about completing this requirement.
To start, select courses that will satisfy your general education requirements. You can find these requirements on your degree audit via MyPack. We generally encourage students to put together a balanced schedule including courses from at least four different disciplines which consist of different types of assignments. For example, avoid registering for more numerous literature courses in a single semester, otherwise your work load will consist of a high-volume of reading assignments. If you are uncertain, reach out to your advisor.
It is a good idea to try to take at least one lab science or one elective science lecture in your freshmen year. If you do not have a strong science background, some courses (e.g. BIO 105 and 106) are specifically designed for non-science majors. These are often better choices than CH 101 or 102, or BIO 181. Earth Science courses (MEA) are also popular choices.
Suggested math courses for English majors include MA 103A, 105, and 107. MA 103A is geared especially towards students in the Humanities.
These are small classes restricted for freshmen only. It is highly recommended that you try to get into one of these classes.