Month: July 2018

Message from the Dean

As we approach the month of August and you make the final preparations to travel to Wesleyan, please keep a few things in mind:

• When you make arrangements to travel to Wesleyan for the start of the semester, please note that students are expected to remain on campus until they have completed all final assignments and exams at the end of each semester. Faculty are not required to accommodate early departure for end of semester travel so you should not confirm transportation until you have confirmed the final exam dates with your professors after classes start.
• Although Pre-Registration Planning ends next week (Tuesday, July 31 at 5:00 PM), you still have time to consult the Advising Guidelines to seek advice about Pre-Registration, building a balanced schedule, and watch advising videos featuring faculty and students.
• Besides exploring the broad curriculum and enrolling in prerequisite courses for specific majors this semester, students who are already planning to study abroad or pursue specific careers paths should review their course selections to see if there are opportunities to include a course in their schedules that could prepare them for either study outside the United States or for post-graduate study at a professional school.
• If you are interested in studying abroad in a country where English is considered a foreign language, you must register for the first half of the appropriate language course. Consult the Fries Center for Global Studies to learn about the language requirements for the study abroad programs that Wesleyan sponsors.
• Students interested in post-graduate studies in the fields of law or medicine should contact the Gordon Career Center for advice on course preparation for these types of advanced programs. In this week’s Academic Highlights, I am pleased to introduce Health Professions Advisor Mildred Rodriguez to shared a few insights about course selection for students interested in medical school or another graduate school in the health professions.

Have a terrific week,
Dean Thornton

Academic Highlights

ADVICE FROM HEALTH PROFESSIONS ADVISOR MILDRED RODRIGUEZ

As you get yourself ready to prepare for your future application to a health professions program such as medicine, dentistry, optometry, physical therapy, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, physician assistant, nursing, occupational therapy, and any other fields, you need to consider the different facets of your preparation and work on a plan.

To start, begin setting goals related to the pre-requisite courses you need to complete alongside the courses for your major. To view a short video on the course selection for health professions go to: http://www.wesleyan.edu/careercenter/students/health/index.html

Here are a few other suggestions:

• Avail yourself to the wonderful and diverse Wesleyan University courses
• Maintaine balance in your life and stay healthy
• Focus on personal growth and becoming more resilient
• Cultivate relationships with faculty and staff
• Hone your skills in critical thinking, ethical responsibility, teamwork, cultural competence and scientific inquiry grounded in research.
• Read the Health Professions Newsletter and attend as many HP Events as you can
• Visit with the Health Professions Advisor at least once per semester
• Explore the particular health profession of interest to you. Conduct online research and volunteer in a clinical setting
• Seek opportunities to shadow a medical provider
• Join a student organization and engage in campus community
• Participate in community service in the City of Middletown or elsewhere

Preparing for the health professions is a long process involving numerous steps requiring early and careful planning. As you move forward and have questions, please come see me. I would be happy to meet with you and help in any way I can. Once you are on campus, you can set up an appointment on HandShake, or call (860) 685-2180 or just drop by the Gordon Career Center and ask at the reception desk.

Information Sessions:

• Friday, August 31 at 10:00AM in PAC, Room 001 – Health Professions Overview for First Years
• Thursday, August 30:
  • 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM – Available at the Academic Forum
  • 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM – 20 minute drop-in appointments in Gordon Career Center (GCC)
• During first two week of classes – Available for 30-minute drop-in appointments in GCC

Enjoy the rest of your summer and I hope to see you this fall!
Mildred Rodríguez, Ph.D., Health Professions Advisor

Message from the Orientation Interns

Hello, folks!

Your meal plan selection deadline – August 1^st – is fast approaching, so now is a good time to learn about the different meal plan options. For first-year students, the default plan is called “Block 140,” which gives you $586.00 worth of points and 140 meal swipes. Part of choosing the best meal plan for you is looking into dining facilities at Wesleyan. Places like Usdan charge both meal swipes and points, while WesWings and other places only charge points. If you like getting a coffee, you might plan to frequent Pi Café. In that case, you might consider choosing a meal plan with more points. It is all up to you! If all else fails, you can’t go wrong with Block 140. For complete information visit the Meal plan link and FAQ page from www.wesleyan.edu/dining

GO WES!

The Orientation Interns
Maximilien Chong Lee Shin ‘21
Caridad Cruz ‘21
Christopher Jackson ‘20
Virginia Sciolino ‘21
orientation@wesleyan.edu
(860) 685-5666

Summer Sendoffs  
Saturday, July 28 – Washington, DC
Thursday, August 2 – Boston, MA
Thursday, August 9 – Seattle, WA
Saturday, August 4 – Beijing, CH
Monday, August 13 – Chicago, IL
Tuesday, August 14 – Fairfield County, CT
Wednesday, August 15 – Philadelphia, PA

Message from the Dean

You have a little over one week left to complete Pre-Registration Planning. This is a good time to review the courses you have bookmarked. The following three questions might guide your course planning:

• Did I select a course about something I love?
• Do I need to add a gateway course for a department or major?
• Do I need to enroll in the first part of a language or science requirement?
• Could I explore something new and interesting?

Course planning involves much more than just the subject matter. You should aim for variety in subject as well as the kind, size, format, and time of day of the courses. I am featuring some of the nuggets of wisdom from one of our Associate Registrars in this week’s Academic Highlights section.

All the best,
Dean Thornton

Academic Highlights

Nuggets of wisdom from the registrar’s office?

Senior Associate Registrar Karri Van Blarcom manages course registration, course catalogs, student information data, grades, and a host of other important aspects of students’ records. She asked me to share the following insights with you about aspects of Pre-Registration Planning:

• Check out the Course Registration website
• You are not actually enrolling in courses until Pre-Registration Adjustment in August after meeting with your faculty advisor, so plan now for a better outcome in August
• The course schedule you submit now, will be run in August and released on August 21^st. Adjustments can be made in August and again during the drop/add period.
• Pre-Registration Override and Permission of Instructor (POI) Requests can be submitted during Pre-Registration Adjustment in August
• Pay special attention to deadlines and make sure you are checking your Wesleyan email frequently for important updates.

Message from the Orientation Interns

Hey, everyone!

A brief reminder: July 29^th is the deadline for international students to register for the International Student Orientation and send their travel information.

If you are deeply entrenched in academic planning, you may want to take a step back to think about the bigger picture. Once you actually get to Wesleyan, you can get acquainted with your new environment by familiarizing yourself with the campus, taking a trip to Goodwill or getting involved with volunteer organizations all over Middletown. If you want to explore the outdoors, you can hike at Wadsworth Falls State Park, take a trip to Lyman Orchards or a dip in Millers Pond. There are many ways to foster a sense of interconnectedness with the world around you, and taking the time now to consider how you want to interact with the community at Wesleyan and in the surrounding areas might be a good way to mellow the anxiety of Pre-Registration.

We cannot wait for you to be members of our community and to see the ways that you all choose to get involved. Until then, GO WES!

The Orientation Interns
Maximilien Chong Lee Shin ‘21
Caridad Cruz ‘21
Christopher Jackson ‘20
Virginia Sciolino ‘21
orientation@wesleyan.edu
(860) 685-5666

Summer Sendoffs
Saturday, July 21 – Los Angeles, CA
Sunday, July 22 – Bay Area, CA
Wednesday, July 25 – Mamaroneck, NY
Wednesday, July 25 – Ridgewood, New Jersey
Saturday, July 28 – Washington, DC
Thursday, August 2 – Boston, MA
Thursday, August 9 – Seattle, WA
Saturday, August 4 – Beijing, CH
Monday, August 13 – Chicago, IL
Tuesday, August 14 – Fairfield County, CT
Wednesday, August 15 – Philadelphia, PA

Message from the Dean

Pre-Registration Planning has begun and will run until 5:00 pm on Tuesday, July 31. It seems that most of you have already taken advantage of the various advising resources available online and I am pleased that several of you have contacted me, other staff members, and the interns by email and phone. Keep it up! We welcome the opportunity to answer your questions and help you feel more confident about your transition to Wesleyan. In this week’s Academics Highlights, I draw special attention to the Academic Peer Advisors (APA), who will help you prepare for your academic journey.  This team of well-informed and supportive students is another good resource to whom  you may direct academic-related questions as you continue your pre-registration planning and exploring course options that both interest and challenge you.

You might want to check out “From Insight to Impact,” an online Coursera course taught by the director of the Gordon Career Center. It aims to help you understand your motivations, strengths, and goals, and appreciate how personal identity affects both academic and career decision-making.  Click here for full instructions to create a Coursera account with your Wes email and enroll in the course.

Academic Highlights

WHAT IS A PEER ADVISOR?

Peer advisors are juniors and seniors who work during New Student Orientation and throughout the academic year to enhance student access to academic resources. During the summer, peer advisors are available online to answer questions students have about academic resources or campus life. Peer advisors are available to connect individually with students to address specific questions about the course registration process. They will also assist in the development of time management, study skills, and exam preparation strategies, and provide academic resources and referrals as needed. You will have an opportunity to meet with a peer advisor during New Student Orientation as you prepare for your individual meeting with your faculty advisor. You can browse through their bios and email any of them directly.

Message from Orientation Interns

Hello Class of 2022!

As returning Wesleyan students, we Interns are also perpetually in the throes of course scheduling, so, to help you plan for registration, we’ve given you some advice below.

If you are a visual learner, you may find it helpful to make a chart of all of the classes you will take in your first year, keeping in mind the General Education Expectations, possible major interests, and new subjects. It helps to keep things balanced; don’t only include reading-heavy or math-intensive classes. Most importantly, craft a schedule that gets you excited to start school.

Just because you can take this time to plan ahead does not mean you should get overwhelmed. Relax and breathe. Don’t be afraid to reach out to professors, and don’t panic if you can’t get into certain classes. There are great courses out there for you to explore, and your first year at Wesleyan is a great time to do just that. Remember that things tend to fall into place. You will see that the beauty of a liberal arts education is in your ability to craft a schedule that is equally unexpected and enlightening.

Good luck! GO WES!

The Orientation Interns
Maximilien Chong Lee Shin ‘21
Caridad Cruz ‘21
Christopher Jackson ‘20
Virginia Sciolino ‘21
orientation@wesleyan.edu
(860) 685-5666

Summer Sendoffs  

Thursday, July 12 – NY, NY
Saturday, July 21 – Los Angeles, CA
Sunday, July 22 – Bay Area, CA
Wednesday, July 25 – Mamaroneck, NY
Wednesday, July 25 – Ridgewood, New Jersey
Saturday, July 28 – Washington, DC
Thursday, August 2 – Boston, MA
Thursday, August 9 – Seattle, WA
Saturday, August 4 – Beijing, CH
Monday, August 13 – Chicago, IL
Tuesday, August 14 – Fairfield County, CT
Wednesday, August 15 – Philadelphia, PA
Thursday, July 19 – Hong Kong, CH
Saturday, August 4 – Mumbai, IN

Message from the Dean

Pre-Registration Planning starts on Monday, July 9 at 9am and will run until 5pm on Tuesday, July 31. Here is a breakdown of the process:

• Use this time to review Wesvising and look over WesMaps
• Go to your WesPortal to access Pre-Registration
  • WesPortal>Student>New Student Checklist & Resources>Pre-Registration
  • Build a ranked course plan of seven courses you would like to take in the Fall. Rank order from first: 1^st choice to 7: last choice
  • Identify and rank seven first year seminar courses if you did not register for a Living & Learning FYS
• If you are a student interested in posting AP, IB, or pre-matriculant credits, please note that individual academic departments have specific guidelines in these matters. Consult the charts available online to get details for your particular situation.

Note: The CSS, COL, and CEAS majors require students to fulfil prerequisites in Fall of their freshman year. This week’s Academic Highlights will focus on these specialized programs.

Academic Highlights

Thinking about Majoring in CSS, COL, or CEAS?

Although most students will have until the second semester of sophomore year to declare a major, students interested in pursuing the College of Social Studies (CSS), the College of Letters (COL), and the College of East Asian Studies (CEAS) must do so in the spring semester of freshman year. While we like to advise students to explore a wide range of classes in their first year of college and hone their interests, if you are thinking about one of these programs, it may affect the decisions that you make during pre-registration. This blog post will provide a description of each of these programs and some suggestions for those who are thinking about choosing one of these majors.

• College of Social Studies is a rigorous, multidisciplinary major focusing in history, government, political and social theory, and economics. CSS is reading and writing intensive, encouraging intellectual independence with weekly essays, small group tutorials, and a vibrant intellectual environment.
• College of Letters is an interdisciplinary major for the study of European literature, history, and philosophy, from antiquity to the present. During these three years, students participate as a cohort in a series of colloquia in which they read and discuss works together (in English), learn to think critically about texts in relation to their contexts and influences—both European and non-European—and in relation to the disciplines that shape and are shaped by those texts. Majors also become proficient in a foreign language and study abroad in order to deepen their knowledge of another culture.
• College of East Asian Studies challenges students to understand China, Japan, and Korea through the rigors of language study and the analytical tools of various academic disciplines. This process demands both broad exposure to different subjects and a focused perspective on a particular feature of the East Asian landscape.

Visit the Orientation website to view for application deadlines, admission requirements, and course prerequisites for the CSS, COL, and CEAS majors.

Message from Orientation Interns

Howdy, incoming Wesleyan students!

Now that Pre-Registration will start on Monday, July 9, begin making use of WesMaps to look into available courses, especially First Year Seminars (FYS), for Fall 2018! As you get acquainted, we suggest looking at our peer advising webpage and contacting peeradvisors@wesleyan.edu with any questions that may arise!

As usual, good luck and GO WES!

The Orientation Interns
Maximilien Chong Lee Shin ‘21
Caridad Cruz ‘21
Christopher Jackson ‘20
Virginia Sciolino ‘21
orientation@wesleyan.edu
(860) 685-5666

Summer Sendoffs  

Thursday, July 12 – NY, NY
Saturday, July 21 – Los Angeles, CA
Sunday, July 22 – Bay Area, CA
Wednesday, July 25 – Mamaroneck, NY
Wednesday, July 25 – New Jersey
Saturday, July 28 – Washington, DC
Thursday, August 2 – Boston, MA
Thursday, August 9 – Seattle, WA
Saturday, August 4 – Beijing
Monday, August 13 – Chicago, IL
Tuesday, August 14 – Fairfield County, CT
Wednesday, August 15 – Philadelphia, PA