PLANT GROWTH STAGES

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100-level Intro Classes

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Library Resources

Check In With Advisors

Get to Know Your Professors

Politics Happen Outside the Classroom

Blooming As A Political science Major

Politics Happen Outside of the Classroom

Politics is something you do, not just read about. Supplement your education by keeping up on current events and knowing what is happening in the world. Engage in discussion on and off campus with people you don’t necessarily agree with. Learning how to explain academic concepts to people in a way anyone can understand is important – so talking with people outside of college is actually practicing an important skill! Also read the news if you can – it's hard to get into but once you make it a habit it will become second nature.

While a 101 class can certainly give you some insight into the major or minor you are taking, keep in mind that Intro classes tend to be very general and you typically don’t get in-depth with your course material. If you took a 101 class for a department you thought you would love and did not enjoy it, maybe try out a 200 level class before giving up on it all together – you might end up liking the department afterall. That being said, changing your mind is okay, especially during this time of your life!

100-level Intro Classes

I could make a list a mile long, but luckily they have a nice website you can explore! In addition to academic books, they also have books you can read for fun, dvds, vinyl records, and magazines. One of the coolest things they have is an Empire Pass which provides free access to New York state parks including the Saratoga Spa State Park in town. Libraries are more than just books and not enough people take advantage of the wonderful resources offered.https://lib.skidmore.edu/

Library Resources

Check In With Advisors

Some classes in Polisci actually count towards general college requirements that you may have not expected. For example we have a class that counts towards the Quantitative reasoning requirement. Once you declare (or even before) check in with your advisor and ask what requirements can be completed within the Polisci department. That being said, branching out into other departments is not only fun but also really important!

Get To Know Your Professors

Your professors are kind and want you to succeed. Do not be scared of office hours– take advantage of the time. You can go to ask for help or just to talk. If you get to know your professors early not only will you have a wonderful relationship, but you will have people who can write wonderful letters of recommendation for you and they might even recommend you an internship. Networking may sound scary but sometimes it happens naturally.