BSO: Your VisCom Family

Your job

The good news: You aren’t in high school anymore! The bad news: You aren’t in high school anymore!

Remember, no matter what level you think you are at, you can graduate; you just need to work hard. You are responsible for taking care of yourself. The university has numerous resources to help, but you have to seek them out. And it's important to stay in touch with your advisor — if you don’t like your advisor, seek another one within the School.

Learning is your job, and you have to work at it. Get to know your professors — understand their expectations, and then deliver more than that.

You are paying for this education. Get your money’s worth by getting the help you need from your instructors and the university.

Be proactive

To expand your learning process and opportunities, make an effort to take part in activities outside of your classes. There are many ways to do this: Student organizations, student publications, Visual Discovery Conference, gallery shows, guest speaker events, and more. Consider becoming a VisCom Ambassador.

You will have advising sessions each semester; make sure you attend — it’s required!

Grade expectations

Taken to satisfy a requirement, professional classes, including, but not limited to JOUR, ART, MDIA, COMS, and VICO will not count unless you earn a “C” or higher. You get only two chances. This may affect classes with prerequisites, meaning some classes must be taken and passed before being allowed to enter subsequent classes.

Keep in mind that getting below a “C” in certain courses could mean waiting another year to take it, and therefore hold you up in coursework. Poor grades can delay graduation!

Download the School of Visual Communication Professional Course Grade Requirement Policy

Reach out

Don’t wait for a problem to sink you; get help! Start by talking with your advisor. Remember that scheduling is only for one semester — you don’t need to plan the next four years today. Do your best to seek balance, know yourself, and plan and manage your time well.

The fine print

Your catalog is your contract with the university. It tells you exactly what you have to do to get a degree, what the rules are, and how to work within the system. Keep it handy until you’ve completed your time at Ohio University.