Final Round of Pre-Fletcher Advice

To help incoming students prepare for Fletcher life, last spring the blog shared current students’ advice for how their new classmates should spend the summer.  Today, with a fresh crop of MIB students due to arrive next Monday for their pre-session, I’m turning to suggestions of how to make the most of your two years here.  I’ll start with tips on creating your own curriculum.

Former Admissions intern, JR, says:  The best advice I can offer is to have a serious look at the requirements for each Field of Study before Shopping Day (Tuesday, September 6, this year).  Two years is a very short period of time, and many of the required courses are offered during the fall semester, so incoming students need to have a clear sense of what they want to study before arriving.  I waited to take care of core courses until my second year, which meant I had limited time for electives.

Jeff agrees:  Build from your intended focus areas and sketch out some courses. Granted, this plan will change, but putting thought into what you want to take before school begins will lift the burden to decide quickly once at Fletcher.

Helping you avoid the wrinkles that can occur with cross-registration, Megan also suggests advance planning:  Before the semester begins, students should check out classes they might want to take at other institutions because their shopping days and start dates are earlier than Fletcher’s.

To narrow your class options, Margot says: When choosing classes, who the professor is, and how much you like his or her teaching style, is almost as important as the course content.

Rachel points you toward support as you craft your curriculum:  Early on, you should meet with your professors, or with other professors whose research you are interested in.  They can be an invaluable resource for you!