Via Zoom, Wednesday, July 28, from 5:00pm – 6:00pm EDT
In this session, join the Academic Peer Advisors and Dean Leathers to learn how to navigate the Pre-Reg system. Topics covered include the whats and hows of Pre-Reg, navigating WesMaps, and factors to consider in choosing courses. There will also be a Q&A at the end of the session where your pre-submitted and on-the-spot questions will be answered, so be sure to tune in!
With over 1000 courses in 45 majors, 14 minors, 12 certificates, and a unique open curriculum, choosing classes during pre-registration may seem like a stressful and daunting task. Many students come into Wesleyan without any idea of what they want to study – and that’s totally fine! For most students, major declaration does not happen until the second semester of sophomore year. However, Wesleyan has three majors that require declaration during the spring semester of freshman year. These programs are the College of Social Studies, the College of Letters, and the College of East Asian Studies. 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 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. The College of Social Studies is a rigorous, multidisciplinary major focusing on 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. The 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. The 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.
For those considering one of these three majors, here are some helpful tips as you select your classes and enter your first semester of college:
Deadlines. CSS, COL, and CEAS require major declaration in the spring of your freshman year. The deadline for CSS and COL is generally in March, and CEAS is in April. The application forms and the exact dates can be found on the department page of each major. If you are thinking about one of these majors, I would recommend talking to people who are in one of these majors or reaching out to any of the faculty members in the major as soon as possible.
Admission Requirements. All CSS majors must complete the economics prerequisite either by taking ECON101 and achieving a grade of CR or a letter grade of at least C- or by taking ECON110 and achieving a grade of CR or a letter grade of at least C-. Some students who have not completed the economics prerequisite are admitted each year on the condition that they must complete the prerequisite in the fall term of the sophomore year. Even if you are possibly thinking about majoring in CSS, I would consider enrolling in an economics course in the first or second semester of your freshman year.
Language Requirements. COL and CEAS both have language requirements. COL majors must become proficient in a foreign language and study abroad in a country where the selected foreign language is spoken. CEAS majors are expected to take at least four semesters of East Asian language courses and reach a minimum of advanced-level (third-year) competency in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. Majors who are native speakers of Chinese, Japanese, or Korean are expected to study another East Asian language. Those who have already studied a foreign language relevant to one of these majors do not necessarily have to enroll in a foreign language in the first semester. However, for those who need to start at a beginning level, it is highly recommended that you enroll in a language course as early as possible.
General Education Expectations. Only CSS requires completion of Stage II general education requirements (three course credits in HA, SBS, and NSM, all from different departments or programs). However, CSS majors have until the end of junior year to complete Stage I general education requirements (two course credits in each area, all from different departments or programs). While COL and CEAS do not have general education requirements, it is highly recommended that ALL students complete Stage II general education requirements. A student who does not meet these expectations by the time of graduation will not be eligible for University honors, Phi Beta Kappa, honors in general scholarship, or for honors in certain departments and may not declare more than a combined total of two majors, certificates, and minors.
If you have any further questions about any of these three programs, we encourage you to reach out to a peer advisor or to a faculty member in the specific department.
Hello to all of you first-year students considering careers in health professions!
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 some other goals you might want to consider:
Draft a tentative four-year plan for courses and include a study abroad experience if that is something you are hoping to incorporate into your educational experience and your future summer experiences
How do you plan to explore your health profession? Consider doing some research online but also starting to volunteer in a clinical setting that involves your health profession
How will you maintain balance in your life and stay healthy?
Plan on gaining some shadowing experiences to observe a provider interacting with patients on a day-to-day basis
Set goals for getting involved with community service here in Middletown
Join a student organization and engage within your campus community
Take advantage of the wonderful and diverse courses available to you
Build relationships with faculty and staff
Personal growth and becoming more resilient
Critical thinking, ethical responsibility, teamwork, cultural competence and scientific inquiry grounded in research
Engage in self-assessment along the way and set goals to comport yourself as a future pre-professional for the health career of your choice
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
Preparing for the health professions is a long process and there are so many other goals I could list here but instead I encourage you to think about any goals you may have that are not listed and incorporate them into your plan
Once you set your goals, begin developing your action plan. As you move forward and have questions, please come see me. I would be happy to meet you and help in any way I can. Once you are on campus, you may set up an appointment on HandShake, or call our reception at (860) 685-2180 or just drop by the Gordon Career Center in Boger Hall (across from Usdan).
There will be an Overview of the Health Professions Coursework on July 27 and a Health Professions Overview for First Years during New Student Orientation (NSO) week. I will also be at the Academic Forum and will have 30-minute drop-in appointments for the first two week of classes. Enjoy the rest of your summer and I hope to see you this fall!
Feminist, gender and sexuality studies is an exciting interdisciplinary field that addresses gender, sex, and sexuality as well as related issues of race, class, nation, and citizenship across multiple disciplines, epistemologies, methods, and vantage points. At its most fundamental, the field addresses how persons are identified and identify themselves as similar to and different from each other and the relation of these categories of difference to power relations. The study of feminist and queer thought on sex/gender and sexuality offers a critical lens through which to examine social structures and social problems, inequality, difference and diversity, identity and the self, belonging and community, and the possibility of social change, among other topics. This course will offer a broad introduction to the field and provide a foundation for further study of specific areas of interest. The primary goals are to (1) explore the multiple ways feminist and queer scholars have understood sex, gender, and sexuality; (2) explore different methods and styles of feminist thought and expression; (3) situate these in time and place, with attention to historical and cultural contexts; and (4) explore the intersections of sex, gender, and sexuality with race, nation, and other categories of difference. The course will cover aspects of first-wave feminism (e.g., suffrage and the abolitionist movement); second-wave feminism and critical theories of sex/gender; and contemporary feminism, including queer theory, intersectionality and race, and transnational and postcolonial feminism.
The open curriculum affords every student the freedom to chart their own educational journey through Wesleyan. Because the curriculum is open, there are no required courses at Wesleyan other than the courses required to complete one’s major. Students are expected to pursue intellectual breadth and depth during their four-year course of study, but the open curriculum does not proscribe any set path to achieve this goal. Students are expected to find their own path.
So how do you navigate the open curriculum if there are no guideposts? How do you chart a path through the open curriculum if you don’t yet know where you’re going? This fall Wesleyan will be offering over a thousand courses in dozens of fields of study. How will you decide which ones you want to take?
Peter Gottschalk, Professor of Religion, and Tanesha Leathers, Dean for the Class of 2025, will be hosting an open conversation on how to chart a course through the open curriculum via Zoom on Thursday, July 29, from 11:00am—12:00pm EDT. If you would like to join this conversation, please sign up though this link (Wesleyan login required).
Taking a summer FYS? The Writing Workshop is here to support you! Make a virtual appointment between today and August 27 to meet with a trained peer writing tutor by clicking the “Writing Workshop Account” link under the “Academics” tab of WesPortal. Writing tutors come from all class years and majors and are excited to meet you wherever you are in your writing process, whether you’re working on an essay, a lab report, or anything else. You can expect your appointment to last 45 minutes and to look like a conversation: your tutor will help you address any goals or concerns you bring to your Zoom meeting.
If you’d like the inside scoop on writing at Wesleyan and breaking down the process of writing, come to our First-Year Writer’s Series every other Wednesday from 6-7pm EDT throughout the summer. Join us over Zoom (https://wesleyan.zoom.us/j/9137042697) to meet Wesleyan faculty and students while picking up some new tools for your writing toolkit.
We want to build a writing community outside the expectations that come with assignments and grades–and we hope to see you there!
The course pre-registration platform opens July 12. Until the system closes on August 5, you will be able to browse WesMaps and rank your course preferences for the fall semester. You will be informed of your course placements in mid-August.
You should begin to think in terms of building a manageable course of study that offers challenge as well as flexibility for you to explore the curriculum and discover new interests. As you pursue your educational goals, keep in mind the idea of constructing a schedule that is balanced, challenging, and interesting. An academic schedule is balanced when there is a combination of small and large classes, lecture and discussion, and variations in course content and focus (e.g., reading, writing, quantitative work, artistic activity). This can provide breadth and stimulate academic curiosity while keeping a schedule manageable yet challenging.
There is variation in class days and times and instruction mode. For some students, this is as important a consideration as what courses to choose. Without sacrificing intellectual rigor or interest, students should try to distribute their courses across the week and throughout the day in the way that works best for them.
• Complete the ISO Registration Form by Thursday, July 15, 2021
• Follow us on Facebook to find biweekly releases of the My Wesleyan Journey video series
• Subscribe to the Wes and the Worldnewsletter to stay up to date on intercultural events and activities, study abroad, global opportunities, international updates, and more!
Starting later this summer, the Fries Center for Global Studies will send out the Wes and the World Newsletterevery other week. The newsletter features a wide range of global or international themed information and resources, such as intercultural events and programs, study abroad, global opportunities, language resources and opportunities, and international updates.
Past content that was published through the newsletter can be found on our blog. Here is the link to subscribe to the newsletter. For additional information and questions, please contact Zijia Guo, Global Marketing Specialist, at zguo@wesleyan.edu.
Join Mildred Rodríguez, PhD, the Health Professions Advisor for an overview that will assist students in developing a schedule that will incorporate at least one of the science pre-requisite courses for the health profession of their interest. Additionally, the goal is to encourage students to explore other areas of study and develop competencies that overlap across disciplines. There will be plenty of time for questions in the last 20 to 25 minutes of the overview.
Presented by Tanesha Leathers, Dean of the Class of 2025 Co-Sponsored by the Gordon Career Center Co-Sponsored by the American Medical Student Association, Wesleyan Chapter Co-Sponsored by Minority Association of Premedical Students, Wesleyan Chapter Co-Sponsored by the National Organization on Rare Diseases Student Association of Connecticut Co-Sponsored by the Wesleyan Pre-Veterinary Medicine Club Co-Sponsored by the Pre-Dental Club
Hi everyone! My name is Darshana Banka and I am a rising senior at Wesleyan. I attended high school in Mumbai, India. I am a Neuroscience & Behavior and Psychology double major. I am on the pre-medicine track. I have taken courses in Economics as well and I am interested in pursuing public health policy down the road. Outside of peer advising, I am a Research Assistant in a Molecular Biology and Biochemistry lab doing yeast genetics and the Wesleyan Media Project doing health media research. I am also a Peer Tutor through the Dean’s Peer Tutoring Program. Apart from these ventures, I am the Secretary of Shakti (South Asian Student Coalition), Project Coordinator of the Wesleyan Therapy Dogs, Clinic Escort at the Hartford GYN Center, Project Co-Director of AskWes, and Co-Founder of WeSanskriti (South Asian Classical Dance Team). Outside of campus life, I love to go hiking with my friends, travel, play the guitar, and cook. I am really excited to meet all of you in the fall either virtually or in person. If you have any questions about transition to college as an international student, academics, or simply just want to chat about life at Wesleyan, please feel free to reach out to me at dbanka@wesleyen.edu.
Belle Brown 2022 (Spring 2021)
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Hi everyone! My name is Belle Brown and I’m part of the class of 2022, majoring in Government and Environmental Studies, with a minor in African American Studies. My hometown is Arlington, Virginia and I transferred to Wes as a sophomore from Emory University, so I’m here for you if you have any transfer related questions. Besides being a Peer Advisor, I’m also on the track team, work at Long Lane Farm, perform stand-up comedy with Awkward Silence, and am a member of WesACLU. In my free time, I enjoy being outdoors and cooking for my friends. Please don’t hesitate to reach out at bbrown03@wesleyan.edu with any questions or concerns you might have (again, especially about transferring!) or just to chat. Looking forward to getting to know you. Go Wes!
Cyann Byfield 2023
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Hello everyone! My name is Cyann Byfield and I am a rising junior here at Wesleyan. My pronouns are she/her and I’m from Brooklyn, New York, and went to high school in the Financial District of Manhattan. I am a Sociology major and an African American Studies minor but I also enjoy taking American Government courses as frequently as possible. Currently, I am an Orientation Leader for New Student Orientation, and I’m a part of “Kalalu” the Caribbean dance team, which of one of the many dance teams on campus here at Wesleyan. I am also a member of the Women of Color collective, the Caribbean Student Association, and pre-pandemic I was an overnight host for prospective students. I am also a Prep for Prep alum which is a rigorous academic program for students of color in New York City, therefore I have years of experience in effectively completing intense academic work. One of my favorite things about Wesleyan is our campus, there’s nothing I love more than going for walks with my friends or just relaxing on Foss Hill. Other than being a full-time student at Wes, I love to do hair and makeup and I also love to cook and bake. Feel free to reach out anytime if you have questions or just need to chat cbyfield@wesleyan.edu!
Perri Easley 2023
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Hey everybody! My name is Perri Easley, I am currently a rising junior at Wesleyan, and I am from Denville, New Jersey. At Wesleyan, I am an American Studies, French Studies Double Major with a minor in Film. I hope to pursue a career in media or politics soon. Outside of career advising, I am the Communications Assistant for the Fries Center for Global Studies. I also serve as one of the co-presidents of Wesleyan’s chapter of Active Minds, one of the nation’s leading mental health advocacy and awareness organizations, and a Board member of Wesleyan’s SOC Fashion Show committee. Aside from these commitments, I am very active in civic and community engagement efforts outside of the classroom, volunteering for several political campaigns and being affiliated with organizations like Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation, Headcount, and Empower the Village. In my free time, I love spending time with friends and binge-watching TV shows. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about academic peer advising, Wesleyan, or life in general. You can reach me at peasley@wesleyan.edu.
Amy Guaman 2022
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Hi everyone! My name is Amy Guaman, I am a rising senior from Queens, NYC and I am super excited to meet you all! I was born and raised in a diverse and vibrant city and still live there to this day, so as a Latina 🇪🇨 in NYC I never really felt like a “minority.” It was only when I came to Wesleyan that I began to feel like a minority and began to juggle the difficulties of imposter syndrome. It can be very difficult to face the day-to-day challenges that come with attending any university, especially as a student of color. That is why I am a huge advocate for therapy and other mental health resources. Wesleyan is amazing at offering various mental health outlets outside of therapy, such as workshops with CAPS, therapy dogs during finals week and even a mindfulness course that you can find on WesMaps. If you have any questions about these resources, please don’t hesitate to reach out! I would love to discuss them with you. And if you haven’t already guessed it, I am a psychology major, but I have also enjoyed taking several courses outside of my discipline such as in neuroscience, Italian and data science. I am also a member of WesRugby, the Basal Gang (Neuroscience Club), a Peer Tutor through the Dean’s Peer Tutoring Program and I have been a Peer Health Advocate for the Class of 2023. During my free time, I enjoy cooking, being outdoors, listening to music on the highest possible volume and traveling! I have enjoyed sharing a little about me, but I would love to hear about you! Please don’t hesitate to email me at aguaman@wesleyan.edu with any questions, concerns or just to chat. I am here as a resource for you, every question is important so please ask it and I look forward to meeting you all soon!
Tucker Kelsch 2022
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Hi! My name is Tucker Kelsch, and I am a rising Senior at Wes. I am a Government and Environmental Studies double major, but have been lucky enough to take advantage of the wide range of classes Wesleyan has to offer; some of my favorites are in Philosophy, Music, and the Natural Sciences. On campus, I am a member of the Men’s Soccer Team as well as a team representative on the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, and know about the importance of time management while navigating an active lifestyle. Beyond athletics, I am an active member of WesBuds, a student group that partners with IDD (Intellectually or Developmentally Disabled) students in Middletown, as well as a volunteer tutor with the Wesleyan University Middle School Tutoring Project. I’ve also found exciting extracurricular opportunities outside of Wesleyan, like my current role interning with the Arlington County Public Defender’s Office. I am excited to meet everyone this fall, and eager to become a resource to all who need it. Shout me out on campus, or shoot me an email tkelsch@wesleyan.edu if you’d like to connect!
Anya Kisicki 2022
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Hi! My name is Anya Kisicki (she/her) and I’m a rising senior at Wesleyan. I hail from Phoenix, Arizona and I am double majoring in Government and in the College of Letters, a three-year multidisciplinary program that merges the studies of history, literature, and philosophy. I am also pursuing a minor in Film Studies. Outside of Peer Advising, I work at Wesleyan’s Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development to help plan student events on campus. You can also find me taking orders at the on-campus restaurant, WesWings, on Pocotopaug Lake with the Sailing Team, or in the 92 Theatre designing the lights for student-run theatre productions. Additionally, I am currently working to build a new campus group that focuses on creating space for non-cis males (womxn) interested in Film to network and hold campus-wide events. I am here as a resource for you, so if you have any questions at all about adjusting to life at Wesleyan, don’t hesitate to reach out by emailing me at akisicki@wesleyan.edu! I look forward to meeting you in the fall!
Quentin Tan 2022
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Hi! My name is Quentin Tan and I am a rising senior from Penang, Malaysia. I am currently the only College of Letters and College and East Asian Studies double major student at Wesleyan – and quite possibly the first Cardinal to do so – so I am no stranger to unorthodox but all the more rewarding academic explorations! I studied abroad my sophomore spring in Osaka, Japan and stumbled upon the outbreak of COVID-19 – making what is already a challenging academic experience in itself even more so! On campus, I am a Writing Mentor for the Writing Workshop (an amazing resource for students which I could not possibly recommend more highly) and a copy editor for the Wesleyan Argus. Occasionally, you may also find me grooving as a pianist in a number of Second Stage musical productions. I am a great fan of reading books from all around the world – Camus’ The Plague being one of my recent favorites – and Japanese literature, especially, is my ice cream at 3 a.m., so I would love to have tea and talk about recent reads with you! Please do not hesitate to reach out to me at htan03@wesleyan.edu, and I look forward to working with you in the fall!
Maya Verghese 2023
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Hi! My name is Maya Verghese and I’m from Hamden, CT. I am a rising junior majoring in Psychology and Government with a minor in Education Studies. Most of my free time is spent working as the Financial Manager of the Wesleyan Argus and leading the Event Experience team for TEDxWesleyanU. I’m also a member of the Psychology Majors Committee and was a teaching assistant for introductory psychology. My path through Wesleyan, both academically and in terms of extracurriculars, has not always been clear. I’ve taken everything from Planetary Geology to Dance History, served on the WSA for a semester, worked for Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS) in New Haven, and developed Argus finances for a few years. I’ve absorbed and learned so much and am happy to share my experiences and advice (as well as talk through anything that’s weighing on your mind). I have many demanding jobs and responsibilities on campus. It took a lot of practice, so definitely reach out if you need any help organizing yourself and finding the right balance. I have a deep love for the intersection between psychology, public health, and international politics—finding joy in the crazy connections between seemingly distant disciplines. During the summers between school, I interned for a lab developing apps for people struggling with their mental health, worked with a professor to maintain enormous networks of social psychology resources, and helped with an online preschool for children of recent immigrants and refugees during the lockdown. Finding these opportunities was an adventure, and I’m happy to talk about the campus resources I’ve used and my experiences applying for jobs. In general, I’m here to help you make the most of Wesleyan’s resources (some hidden in plain sight), talk through problems, and find solutions. I’m always here to listen and make sure that you never feel overwhelmed or lost. You have people looking out for you! Never hesitate to reach out to me at mverghese@wesleyan.edu. Looking forward to meeting you!!
Andi Wiley 2022
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Hi! My name is Andi Wiley and I am from Alameda, CA. I am a rising senior here at Wesleyan, class of 2022, double majoring in Economics and Psychology with a Writing Certificate. Initially, I was not sure what I wanted to study, so I explored many subjects taking full advantage of the wide variety of classes that Wes has to offer. In addition to peer advising, I am also a peer tutor on campus as well as a volunteer tutor for Wesleyan’s Center for Prison Education, which is a program that extends the Wesleyan community and resources to offer incarcerated individuals the opportunity to receive college credit. I am also passionate and actively involved with WesBuds, a student group partnership with the Middlesex Transition Academy (MTA), a school for students 18-22 with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Beyond academics, I am on the Wesleyan Women’s Soccer team, which has challenged my time management and organizational skills. Further, as a member of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, I understand the importance in balancing busy athletic schedules and rigorous academics. I am more than happy to answer questions, concerns, or to simply get to know you, so please reach out to me at anwiley@wesleyan.edu. Very much looking forward to the fall and meeting you all!
