How do I...

...know what courses my major requires? We have an online overview of Biochemistry major requirements, but the college catalog is the official word. Normally, you use the catalog for the year you started at North Central, but you can choose to use a later one instead.

...find out what courses I need to complete my major? Use Merlin, our online registration and planning tool, to print out your Program Evaluation. You can also use the "what if..." option to see how changing your major would affect you.

...decide which courses would help me achieve my career goals? The Biochemistry major is flexible, and there are many different courses you could choose to meet the requirements. You can find basic recommendations for several "tracks" within the major on the home page, but you should talk to your advisor and/or other faculty to get more detailed advice.

...find out whether a course is taught this year? Use Merlin's Search for Sections tool to see when and where a course is taught and whether it is full. You can also use the printed schedule, available at the Old Main front desk. There is also a link at left to a tentative list of science courses for the next two years.

...know whether a course meets a GenEd requirement? Look in the printed schedule (on the right side, under "Comments") or use the link at left to the Registrar's site.

...figure out my schedule for next year? Start by using the catalog and Merlin's Program Evaluation to see what courses you need for your major. It's a good idea to map out a four-year plan to see how you will get all the major courses done in time. Use Merlin's Search for Sections tool and the printed schedule to see when the courses will be taught and start fitting them into a Fall-Winter-Spring grid. Watch for time conflicts! Then fill in the gaps with General Education courses and electives. Plan backups for any closed courses. Then discuss your schedule with your advisor.

...change my major? You need to fill out a form available from the Registrar, Advising Center or Science office and turn it in to the Registrar.

...change my academic advisor? Get a form from the Registrar, Advising Center or Science office and turn it in to the Registrar. Your new advisor must sign this form.

...get into a course that has a waiting list? Use Merlin to put yourself on the waiting list, then go to class on the first day and let your instructor know you want to get into the course. If anyone registered for the course doesn't attend, the instructor can add students from the waiting list. You will need a form which you can download or pick up from the Registrar, Advising Center or Science office. If you are very far down the wait list, be sure you have a backup!

...add a course after classes have started? Download or pick up an instructor consent form and ask your instructor to sign it.

...drop a course? Download or pick up a drop form. If you drop before the 8th day of the term, the course will not appear on your transcript; after that time, your transcript will show "WD" (withdrawn). The deadline to drop a course is the end of the sixth week of the term. You should talk to your academic advisor before dropping a course and be sure it won't affect your full-time, financial aid or athletic status.

...decide how many courses to take? In order to graduate, you need 120 hours, or about 30 per year. To be full-time, you need at least 8 hours per term (sometimes there are different requirements for financial aid or athletics, too). If you take more than 12 hours in a term, it's considered an "overload," and you'll have to get approval from the registrar and pay an extra fee.

...register for a course if I don't have the prerequisites? The course instructor can waive the prerequisites by signing a form you can download or pick up from the Registrar, Advising Center or Science office. However, those requirements are there for a reason, so be prepared to explain to the instructor how you propose to successfully complete the course without having the expected background.