Weekly Round Up

Some dates and events approaching that may be of interest to the Class of 2025:

  • Drop/Add Deadline ends Wednesday, February 9.
  • Student Employment is hosting an info session about how to get a job on campus on Wednesday, February 9 from 12pm to 1pm in Boger Hall. Visit Handshake on WesPortal to learn more.
  • The Gordon Career Center has posted the Summer Grants application. For more information, including deadlines, click here.
  • Study Abroad is hosting a series of events. For more information, click here.
  • Starting on Wednesday 2/9, Wes will offer a series of mini-workshops designed to help you become a more efficient and effective learner. Be sure to stop by Usdan 108 on Wednesdays at 6pm to join – feel free to bring your dinner!

Sustainability Office is Hiring

To all those interested in improving sustainability at Wesleyan, the Sustainability Office is hiring for 2 positions: 1 Sustainability Coordinator and 1 Waste Not Coordinator! We welcome ALL students (2023, 2024, and 2025) who are passionate about campus engagement to apply. 

  • Sustainability Coordinators (SCs) design and run independent projects that promote holistic sustainability and run Waste Not (the annual student-run tag sale) 
  • The Waste Not Coordinator plans and runs Waste Not with the SCs

Applicants should be self-directed, organized, and strong communicators. The position will require about 5 hours per week, paid at $13/hour ($14/hour starting in August 2022), with a requirement to work through Senior Week and return early during Orientation week, as well as occasional remote meetings in the summer. This position will be filled by students regardless of their work-study eligibility, with preference given to work-study eligible students. 

Find the full job description at https://www.wesleyan.edu/sustainability/involved/office/internships.html

To apply: Fill out our application form at https://bit.ly/sc-wnapp AND apply via Handshake (https://wesleyan.joinhandshake.com/emp/jobs/5962547) by Monday, February 21st at 11:59 PM.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the current Coordinators with any questions at wesustainability@gmail.com.

Faculty Failures Panel

Friday November 19th at 1:30pm in Exley 216 – faculty members will talk about how they have overcome failure or rejection in their careers thus far.

Choosing Majors and Careers for F-1 Visa Holders

Thursday, November 4, 4:30-5:30 p.m. EDT

Zoom link: https://wesleyan.zoom.us/j/4831393485

Intended Audience: Classes of 2024 and 2025 F-1 visa holders

Session Description: In this virtual session, you will learn about important factors (personal interests, career prospects, immigration-related benefits/regulations) to consider when choosing a major as an F-1 visa holder. Class Deans from the Office of Academic Advancement and staff members from the Office of International Student Affairs (OISA) and Gordon Career Center will lead this informational workshop, which will include an overview of the major selection process, post-completion employment as an F-1 visa holder, and STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) Extension-eligible programs of study at Wesleyan. There will be time for Questions and Answers (Q&A) in the second half of the session.  

Please RSVP through this link.

Academic and Career Planning for New Students through CSPL 405/406: Ideals into Practice

Would you like to receive course credit for working with other students, advisors and mentors to refine and build toward your academic and professional goals? CSPL 405/406: Ideals into Practice is a program that allows you to make connections between your academic curriculum and the practical experience you gain through campus employment, off campus internships, community service and extracurricular activities. You will be assigned to a cohort of like-minded students, receive one-on-one career advising and gain access to an online portfolio to document what you are learning both inside and outside the classroom. By allowing you to engage in deep reflection about the skills you are gaining throughout your time at Wesleyan, you will be better able to understand and explain to others how your education prepares you for life after college. Note: If you are already taking Career Decisions: From Insight to Impact on Coursera, you are ahead of the game, as it is also a requirement for CSPL 405/406! For more information, please see the Ideals into Practice website. Past participants have described this course as “fun,” “flexible,” and “a must take for anyone”!

Preparing to Meet Your Faculty Advisor

The objective of the pre-major advising program is to help first-year students and sophomores think seriously about their educational objectives in the context of the liberal arts education offered at Wesleyan. Together with your faculty advisor, you should develop a challenging and coherent educational plan for the first two years, one that achieves curricular breadth while preparing for the depth that the major will bring in the last two years.

Here are some things to think about as you plan for your first meeting with your faculty advisor:

  • Breaking the ice. A good way to introduce yourself to your advisor is to tell them about your high school experience. A good way to get to know your advisor is to ask them how they became a college professor.
  • Know the curriculum. Familiarize yourself with WesMaps and with the websites of departments in which you plan to pursue coursework. What was the logic behind your course pre-registration strategy?  Be receptive to questions and suggestions.
  • Have goals in mind. What are your academic strengths?  What are your academic weaknesses and how do you plan to address them?  How do you plan to pursue breadth? How do you plan to pursue depth? Share concerns that may affect your success in the upcoming semester.  Be sure to make arrangements to schedule your next meeting.

For more information, please see the Faculty and Student Advising Handbook.

Additional Information about English Coursework and Medical School Requirements

Any course that fits the classification shown below (taken from the AMCAS Guide) and entails writing at least 3 or more short papers or critiques will be considered an ENGL course for medical schools and other health professions programs. As I mentioned during the overview, you will find these courses under other course prefixes as well. For example, the First Year Seminar—August Wilson (ENGL 176), which is cross-listed with Theater and African American Studies, includes assignments such as “Short Papers, Writing Assignments, and a Final Research Essay.” Another example is the “Introduction to the Hebrew Bible” which is listed as a Religious Studies (201) and as a Medieval Studies Course, requires weekly written responses and three papers and is described as:

“the Hebrew Bible within its historical context while considering its literary, philosophical, and artistic legacy. Students will be exposed to the main historical strands of biblical criticism, while also engaging with the challenges of interpreting the Bible as modern readers: How and when did the Hebrew Bible come to be, and what relevance might it hold for us today? By beginning at the beginning and proceeding systematically through the Hebrew Bible, students will hone their skills as readers and interpreters of the Bible as a canon. Students will consider questions of the texts’ function, universality, and authority, and will be encouraged to explore the wide range of biblical interpretations in literature, music, and the fine arts from antiquity to the present day.”

Another example is ENGL 216: Techniques of Poetry, which is a creative writing course and requires writing throughout the semester. Just find something that you will enjoy and that fulfills the AMCAS ENGL classification.

Image of English Language and Literature (ENGL) Categories: Composition and Rhetoric, Creative Writing, and Literature

Questions? Please contact Dr. Mildred Rodríguez (mrodriguez01@wesleyan.edu) for pre-health professions advising.

Missed the Health Professions Coursework Overview Session? You May Access the Recording and Preliminary Transcript Below!


Link to Recording and Preliminary Transcript for Health Professions Coursework Overview – July 27, 2021
https://wesleyan.zoom.us/rec/share/O_5meoefIrHqn0mQYUhAdamxW8goITi31UWmdT6Sv7IUfg208qkb-ag5nBHGLkUT.3fRxP6nnNdvqqMPX 

Passcode: sRD4+saR

Questions? Please contact Dr. Mildred Rodríguez (mrodriguez01@wesleyan.edu) for pre-health professions advising.