FOCUS

FRESHMEN ORIENTATION CENTERED UPON SUCESS

PORTSMOUTH CAMPUS

What is FOCUS?

How do students sign up?

When are the sessions offered?

Who should attend?

What if students have ACT/SAT scores?

Are family members permitted to attend?

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The FOCUS sessions are conducted by an advisor and last for about 2 hours.  There are three parts to the session: group presentation, campus tour, and individual advising and enrollment.

The first part of the session is a group presentation. During the group presentation, students attain information about the assessment test, TCC catalog, financial aid, tuition rates, expectations of college students, enrollment, and important academic dates. 

The second part of the session is the campus tour.  Students will learn about various Student Support Services available on the Portsmouth Campus.

The last part of the session is an individual session with an advisor.   During this session, the recommended courses (based on the assessment test results) will be reviewed and remaining courses will be chosen based on the desired curriculum. Students will then enroll in classes for the upcoming semester.

To learn more about the FOCUS Program, please link to http://www.tcc.edu/orientation/focus/

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Students need to sign up for a FOCUS Session at the Assessment Lab after completing the assessment test.

If you did not schedule your session while on campus, or need to re-schedule, please contact Deborah Brown --822-2194  

or by emailing  FOCUSPortsmouth@tcc.edu

REMEMBER to provide your first and last name, phone number, SIS ID, and your top two choices for the sessions.

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All meetings will be in the Waterfront Conference Room (room 520).

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All new students (with no prior college experience) are required to attend a FOCUS Session before they may register for classes.  New students must either complete the assessment test or bring in their SAT/ACT scores, if they meet the requirements.  Please visit the TCC Assessment Testing Site for further information on assessment for new students.

The only exceptions are non-curricular students taking less than 9 credits (not to include ENG, MTH, or courses with ENG or MTH prerequisites).   These students are to be referred to Counseling Center for advising.

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Students with ACT/SAT scores, no more than 3 years old, may be exempt from all or part of the placement test as follows:

                                                                      ACT                                   SAT

Verbal (Writing and Reading)                   21 or above                    500 or above

Math                                                         21 or above                    500 or above

Note:   Students with ACT/SAT should provide documentation of their scores when signing up for an appointment.

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If space allows, one family member may attend with the student.   Students are discouraged from bringing children to the session, as TCC does not provide facilities to accommodate them.

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