By Alison Blazer
We’re a little over a week away from the College of Liberal Arts Annual Matriculation Ceremony. If you’re anything like me, you’re reading this blog thinking to yourself “what the heck is a matriculation ceremony?”– I’m here to tell you that it’s really less complicated and fancy than it sounds. Each and every first year Liberal Arts Major that attends Oregon State receives first-year general advising through their college in Gilkey 213. If you’re a freshman or a first-year student, you’ve been meeting with a general advisor over the past 6 months or so and recieving guidance regarding Bacc Core courses and your first year at OSU. The goal of the Matriculation ceremony is to facilitate the transition of students from general advising to major-specific advising. While you may have been eager to jump into your major coursework long ago, or are hesitant to change advisors because you’ve developed a comfort with the CLA advising office, trust me when I say this transition is significant and exciting!
My freshman year, I applied to Oregon State as an English major. Through some Bacc Core courses I not only realized that English wasn’t the right subject for me, but also discovered that Speech Communication was intriguing and incredibly relevant to my interests. I was so excited to start taking Communication courses on a larger scale, but my CLA advisors assured me taking Communication courses while also completing other Bacc Core requirements would be worth my while. The goal of this transition from general to major-specific advising is to ensure that no time is wasted at Oregon State. If I had spent my entire first term focusing on English and then discovered my love for Speech Communication, I would have completed a whole lot of unnecessary coursework, setting myself back in terms of graduation. Now, almost 3 years later, I am a Junior studying Speech Communication, minoring in Spanish and pursuing the International Degree. Every aspect of my degree involved a discovery process– a process in which I experienced something new and exciting and made the decision to commit to that subject or field for the remainder of my time here at Oregon State.
Transitioning from a first-year to a second-year is significant in itself, but the transition to major-specific advising is key. When I discovered my love for Speech Communication I couldn’t wait to meet a new advisor, hear the details of my coursework and get started on a new, more specific path. I hope that each and every one of you get to experience that same excitement through your own subjects and journeys here at Oregon State. The Matriculation Ceremony is the first step! Not only will College of Liberal Arts advisors be there to send you off, but they will help introduce you to advisors in your major field. Some of my wonderful fellow CLA Ambassadors will also be in attendance to help make this transition go more smoothly! When it’s time for you to make an appointment with your new major advisor, I can say from personal experience that it’s helpful to have already met them and broken the ice. So invite your friends, go in a group, enjoy the free food, and get out there and matriculate!
The ceremony will be held in Withycombe 109 on Tuesday April 16th at 5:30 pm.
Call the CLA office with any questions (541-737-0561), but other than that, congratulations on making it to Spring term of your first-year here at the Beaver nation and get excited to start the next chapter of your OSU experience!
