The following are commonly asked questions by students who will be attending Whitman College for the first time.
As a new Whitman student, you have a computing account on a UNIX server called Students - this server holds your Whitman email account. You must "activate" your account before you can use it. The procedure is simple, but you will need your 7-digit Whitman ID number (WID) which is listed on the personalized "Pre-registration Instructions" in the First Orientation packet.
Reading through this webpage, the Pre-registration booklet and the relevant sections of the Whitman College Catalog is your best preparation for selecting classes. If you have a tentative idea for a major, you could pre-register for an introductory class in that department. Select courses that sound interesting to you! Take classes from a variety of different departments. If you have any questions that are not answered here or just need some advice about selecting classes, you are encouraged to contact the Academic Resource Center. You may reach them at arc@whitman.edu or (509)527-5213.
A typical first-year schedule usually consists of four classes (15-16 credits), but that often varies depending upon ability, difficulty of courses, and the extent of extracurricular activities and outside responsibilities. Full-time students must register for at least 12 credits and need to average 15 & 1/2 credits per semester to graduate in four years. New students are not permitted to register for more than 18 academic credits (graded credits rather than activity credits).
Distribution requirements are designed to ensure a breadth of exposure to the fields of knowledge that make up a liberal arts curriculum. The list of Distribution Requirements can be found in the Catalog on pages 37-38. There are six distribution areas, and you will be required to earn a specified number of credits in each. We recommend that you select courses in two or three different distribution areas and thus begin to satisfy these requirements.
Keep in mind that in order to graduate, you need to have 124 credits. Roughly 1/3 of those are distribution credits, and another 1/3 are major requirement credits. That still leaves 1/3 (roughly 30 credits, depending on major requirements) that still need to be earned.
English 110, Language and Writing, is designed specifically to improve first-year students’ writing skills, and many new students find it very helpful. Other 100-level English courses and General Studies 145/146 also include significant writing components.
Generally, it is not necessary to take a biology class your first semester. If you plan to complete the pre-med requirements or biology major, it is very important for you to take Chemistry 125 or 140 this semester. Although Biology 111 and 112 are available for pre-registration, the Biology Department recommends that 111 be taken before Biology 112. (See page 55 of the Catalog.) Biology 111 has a prerequisite of a semester of chemistry, so you should plan to begin with chemistry and then perhaps add biology the following semester.
It is beneficial to begin planning for study abroad as early as possible, and you should let your adviser know if you are planning to do so. For now, the most important thing you should know is that many study abroad programs (especially in French-, German-, and Spanish-speaking countries) require two years of college-level language study or the equivalent. Students who wish to participate in the Whitman Summer Studies in China Program will need a minimum of one year of college-level Mandarin Chinese. Those who wish to study on the Associated Kyoto Program in Japan will need at least one year of college-level Japanese. Students considering a music, theatre or science major should consult with an adviser in that major, or the Study Abroad staff, to find out if there are courses you need to take your first year if you intend to study abroad your junior year.
If you have previously studied a foreign language in high school, college, or elsewhere, you must take a placement test before enrolling in a course in that same foreign language at Whitman. The following link will take you to information that will help you enroll in Chinese, Japanese, Classics, and specific language exams for French, German, and Spanish. When prompted, you will need to log in as follows:
The math department knows this is a concern for many new students. On page 121 of the Catalog, there is a useful section titled “Choosing a Calculus Course” that will give you some guidelines for deciding which level is appropriate for you. You may want to take the Advisory Calculus Placement exam before you pre-register. For more information, contact Laura Schueller, Associate Professor of Mathematics, by e-mail: schuellm@whitman.edu.
Many 200 level and a few 300 level courses are open to first year students. Courses numbered 200 and higher have been designated as upper division. The reading and writing expectations for this level of course-work are higher than introductory level courses. You should seriously consider whether you want the challenge of an upper division course during your first semester at Whitman. If you are unsure, it would be a good idea to contact the professor to ask if the class is appropriate for you.
If you are a transfer student with more than 58 approved credits, you will not need to take the General Studies course.
Some classes appear to be sequences but they actually are one-semester classes. The way to find out is to check to see if one class is a prerequisite for the other. For foreign languages, take the placement test and then consult with the appropriate faculty.
If you need advice, the staff in the Academic Resource Center is available to provide assistance in getting answers to your questions. You may reach them at arc@whitman.edu or (509)527-5213.
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