Wes 101: Approaching October

Wes 101: Approaching October

Dear 2023,

-Drop/Add deadline tomorrow

For courses in which students have a choice of grading mode, the final choice must be made by 5:00 p.m. TOMORROW in your class schedule on WesPortal.

–I’m available this afternoon from 1:00 to 5:00 but only 4:00-5:00 tomorrow as I’ll be in an all-day training.

–First-Year Dinner with President Roth on October 2. Please click here to RSVP:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdYZa7mOZ3FBlHdKbWkNKik72WwSXvET_19tu4le2KOji0gcg/viewform

My apologies for issues related to the first dinner this week; I was out of the office due to illness earlier in the week and completely dropped the ball. For anyone who had planned to attend this week’s dinner, please sign up for next week’s dinner!! We will confirm with all attendees and send reminders.

-As we move into October, this is the time to consider requesting a peer tutor, as midterm season will soon be upon us. You can request a tutor via this link:

https://www.wesleyan.edu/studentaffairs/resources/peertutoring/tutor-request-form.html

-Also, please reach out to our Academic Peer Advisors if you’d like some guidance regarding time management, reading comprehension strategies, preparing for tests, etc. Once again, they are:

Haley Brumberger, 2020
English and Earth and
Environmental Sciences Major
hbrumberger@wesleyan.edu

Jack Wang, 2021
Economics Major
cwang01@wesleyan.edu

Sydney Taylor-Klaus, 2020
Chemistry Major
staylorklaus@wesleyan.edu

–10 Ways to Improve your Note-Taking in Class

Adequate notes are a necessary adjunct to efficient studying and learning in college. Think over the following suggestions and improve your note taking system where needed:

Listen actively. If possible, think before you write – but don’t get behind.
Be open-minded about points you disagree on. You can think more about your arguments when you review/meet with the instructor.
Raise questions if appropriate.
Do not try to take down everything that the lecturer says. It is impossible and unnecessary because everything is not of equal importance. Spend more time listening and attempt to take down the main points. If you are writing as fast as you can, you cannot be as discriminating a listener.
Listen for cues to important points, transitions from one point to the next, repetition of points for emphasis, changes in voice inflections, enumeration of a series of points, etc.
Try to see the main points and do not get lost in a barrage of minor points that do not seem related to each other. The relationship will present itself if you listen closely for it. Be alert to cues about what the professor thinks is important.
Make your original notes legible enough for your own reading and use abbreviations of your own invention when possible. Although neatness is a virtue in some respect, it does not necessarily increase your learning.
Copy down or photograph everything on the board. Every blackboard scribble might be a clue to an exam item? You may not be able to integrate what is on the board into your lecture notes, but if you copy it, it may serve as a useful clue for you later. If not, what the heck – you haven’t wasted anything. You were in the classroom anyway.
Sit as close to the front of the class as possible – there are fewer distractions and it is easier to hear, see, and attend to important material.
REVIEW YOUR NOTES WITHIN 24 HOURS OF CLASS. This will help you better understand the material, see if you have any questions, and prepare for tests/quizzes/assignments.

–Martial Arts Showcase 9/27

-Equity and Inclusion intern position; information available here:http://classof2023.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2019/09/26/equity-inclusion-intern-position/

-Homecoming/Family Weekend positions, which will held from November 1-3; more information is available here:

http://classof2023.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2019/09/26/homecoming-family-weekend-positions/

-On Friday, October 4th from 2-4:30 PM in the Career Center, “Careers in Sustainability”

Join us to hear how Wesleyan alumni have used their liberal education to pursue various careers in the sustainability sector. Panelists will describe their unique career trajectories in environmental planning, public policy, program management, communications. A networking mixer with our Wes alumni panelist will follow after the Q&A discussion. Co-organized by Sustainability Office and Gordon Career Center. Food will be provided.

–Meet Demetrius Colvin!

As the director of the Resource center, my role is to maintain a centralized location on campus that recognizes and celebrates diverse and underrepresented identities and create meaningful avenues for both privileged and marginalized individuals and groups to learn together about privilege and intersectionality and actively contribute to equity on campus. Prior to Wesleyan, I worked at Macalester College, where I was the assistant director of the Lealtad-Suzuki Center for Multicultural Life. I also previously worked as the coordinator of the Multicultural Resource Center at Amherst College. I earned my BA in international studies from Case Western and also my M.Ed. in counseling from the University of Maryland College Park. If you have an idea or need that you think the Resource Center may be able to address, please contact me or one of my staff members! My email is dcolvin@wesleyan.edu.

That’s it for this week. Once again, I’m available from 1:00 to 5:00 today, but only available tomorrow from 4:00 to 5:00 due to an all-day training.

Best,

Dean Wood