Notes & News - Week of April 27th, 2014

April 27, 2014

confirm: baraboo

MASTER’S PIECES

Evening, folks. I know that it’s at best bittersweet, but depending on which you’ve been this past year, you’ll never be taking classes as a college senior, junior, sophomore or freshman again. S’ok: the river rolls ever onward. Tomorrow is another day. Seek and you will find. Go west, which is pretty easy to do from here.

Or if not west, then to Paris, or Turkey, or Kenya if you’ve been able to work out one of those summer deals. And if you’ve not got something exciting lined up, I recall working summers at home from Yale in Kentucky on an assembly line for Ford trucks. Pounding on hub caps is not a popular internship choice these days, but it gave me a visceral feel for the value of a Yale education.

Meanwhile, it was a gorgeous TD Day on Friday. Thanks to both Mott and SAC and the Dining Hall staff for the relevant assists.. Coming up, there are no planned events in the college this week except for the Senior Class Dinner, which is taking place in all the colleges on Monday. Dining services should have mailed non-seniors with your options.

Good luck with your papers and exams, and watch your emails for notices about study breaks.

ACADEMICS

Deadline:  April 30 is the deadline for all course assignments, including term papers.  This deadline can be extended only by a Temporary Incomplete authorized by the student’s residential college dean.

The official final examination schedule  The official final examination schedule and list of assigned classrooms for Spring 2014 are available online at:

http://www.yale.edu/sfas/registrar/exams.htm

In order to view a list of the classroom locations, click on the link “Yale College Spring 2014 Exam Locations.” This will display a list of all courses, sorted by subject, that are scheduled to hold a final examination. The list also contains the day, start time, and assigned classroom or classrooms for the final exam. A link to the building codes and street addresses (“Building codes and locations”) is located just below the link to the exam list.

Please note that exam locations may change during the exam period in response to requests by instructors and issues with buildings, so you should check the location on the day of the examination to avoid confusion or delays.
 

Advice: Check this schedule daily because examination times AND examination rooms may change and because, well, you may wrongly remember the date and time of an examination.

Postponement of Final Examinations:  The residential college dean (and only the residential college dean) may postpone an examination (ordinarily to September) only for certain reasons: if a student has three examinations scheduled within four time slots, whether or not each of these slots has an examination group number assigned to it (the 7 PM slot is included in this calculation); if a student has three examinations scheduled during the first two days of the final examination period; if a student has an incapacitating illness, family emergency (or another matter of comparable moment), or for the observance of religious holy days (See YCPS, page 52- 53.)  Advice: Before the examination takes place, see me if you think any of these reasons apply to you (in case you misunderstand, for instance, the rules about postponing an examination and are not eligible to do so). Reminder:  An examination cannot be postponed on account of travel arrangements or mis-arrangements.

From TD Writing Coach, Diane Charney

Tutoring continues through Reading Week, ending on Wednesday, April 30. Please contact me by email before then if you anticipate needing help at any stage of the writing process.

Don’t believe the Scheduler. I would like to hear from you even if my online schedule appears full, since I will try my best to add extra time for TD lions. First timers are always welcome!

Courage and best wishes to all, as we head into the Homeward Stretch.

FRESHMEN

Reminder: Select an adviser for your sophomore year.   If you have difficulty finding a faculty member with whom to discuss your courses for next year, I will be happy to suggest choices.  If you have not done so already, hand in the sophomore adviser form signed by your sophomore adviser and you before you leave campus. The form can be printed from http://sophomore.yalecollege.yale.edu/selecting-adviser and by clicking “Sophomore Year Adviser Form.”

SOPHOMORES

[Sophomore Website: http://sophomore.yalecollege.yale.edu/]

Reminder: A consultation with your sophomore adviser or another faculty member to discuss a tentative program of study for your junior and senior years.  This consultation is mandatory.  If you have not already handed in the completed form to my office with the adviser’s signature to confirm you had a conversation, do so before you leave campus.  The part of your form on which your record your tentative plans you should keep for your reference.  The form is available at the sophomore web site http://sophomore.yalecollege.yale.edu/   I am happy to talk to you about your questions or concerns about this mandatory consultation.

JUNIORS

Fellowships for study, research, or teaching abroad after graduation*— opportunities beginning in 2015-16, with application deadlines beginning in August 2014.   *Attendance at an information session is required before a one-on-one meeting with an adviser, so don’t miss out!  Note that there are only a few of these info sessions offered each spring, and that if you’re interested in UK fellowships, including the UK Fulbright, you must attend a UK info session.*

  • Postgraduate study in the UK & Ireland: Monday, April 28, at 4:00pm, CIPE room 305 –last one planned for this year
  • FulbrightTuesday, April  29, at 11:00am, CIPE room 305–last one planned for this year
  • Writing essays for national fellowships: Wednesday, April 30, at11:00am, CIPE room 305 –last one planned for this year

SENIORS

Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships

Five fellowships in the amount of $25,800 each will be awarded to young poets through a national competition sponsored by the Poetry Foundation

Eligible: US citizens between the ages of 21 & 31

www.poetryfoundation.org/foundation/prizes_fellowship

Deadline: April 30, 2014

Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting

Up to five $35,000 fellowships are awarded each year to promising new screenwriters

www.oscars.org/awards/nicholl/about/index.html

Deadlines: February 28, April 10, and May 1, 2014

The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant for Artists

Supports artists (specifically those working in a representational style in painting, sculpting, drawing, and printmaking) who are in the early stages of their careers to develop and refine their skills by awarding unrestricted grants of approximately $15,000.

Eligible: those aiming to make art a lifetime career

http://www.elizabethgreenshieldsfoundation.org/

Deadline: None (applications accepted throughout the year)

SUMMER

International Summer Award

http://www.yale.edu/yalecollege/international/funding/isa/index.html

Deadline: May 1, 2014

*Have you already applied for an ISA to support a designated non-Yale study abroad program? If so, please note that your ISA cannot be processed until you have uploaded your program acceptance letter to your Study Abroad program application. The deadline to do this is May 1, but the sooner you upload it the sooner you can receive your ISA funds!  (Questions? Email MyCIPE@yale.edu.)

Yale students living in a variety of cities throughout the summer will have the opportunity to connect with their peers and Yale alum. Sign up to receive notifications of Yale-only events this summer through Yale UCS Symplicity. Under the Events tab, click Employer Information Sessions, then select the Yale Summer Events item that corresponds with your city from the drop-down menu. RSVP for the “Sign up for Yale in [city] Events (Summer 2014)” to receive notifications about Yale-only events all summer.

CAREER SERVICES

Visit the UCS Calendar of Events for a full list of upcoming events. Log in to Yale UCS Symplicity under Events/Employer Information Sessions to RSVP.

UCS is open throughout the summer and students can still make appointments through the online appointment system. Regular walk-in hours are not held during the summer months; however if you have quick questions, call 203-432-0800 or email undergraduate.careerservices@yale.edu and ask to speak with a UCS adviser. Senior same-day appointments will continue through May 22.

New Employment Evaluation Database
UCS is pleased to announce a password-protected, searchable employment evaluation database, through which students can share honest, constructive feedback about their employment experiences. Currently there are more than 1,100 employers evaluated in the database ready to be searched. To access the system login into Yale UCS Symplicity and search for employers under the Employers tab. Click on the employer name and you will see a tab for Summer Evaluation. If the tab does not appear, that employer has not yet been evaluated by a Yale student.

TIPS for READING and EXAMINATION PERIODS

[Emailed unexpurgated and unedited to TD students since 1999]

At this time of year, it is my custom to send you my tips for reading and examination periods.  Maybe you will find them useful.  If you have some to add, please let me know. 

Keep perspective: The term will be over. You have succeeded before. Remember: Yale is difficult, but you can handle it. Have confidence. Believe in yourself. Repeat often: “I can do it”.

Use reading period effectively (easier said than done, of course).

Go to review sessions. Find out in advance the format of the exam (IDs, essay questions, etc).

Check the exam schedule DAILY.  It tells the room where your exam is given. Changes do happen. 

Find the way and place you best study and prepare, and go at it that way.

Don’t compare yourself with others. Find a way and level of study that works for you. 

Take time for yourself each day – a small indulgence, perhaps. Take a walk. Do something small for someone else. Visit friends. Eat well.  Schedule quiet and private time. Get out.

Get enough Sleep, especially the night before the night before the exam. Lack of sleep inhibits efficient studying, concentration, and the ability to learn for recall later.  Lack of sleep can also sap confidence. 

Study with a purpose. Determine your purpose for reviewing a particular book or lecture notes. Prepare (study) in digestible amounts. Schedule your time accordingly. Review lecture notes before the night before the exam, for instance.

Keep in mind the big picture of the course – its major themes. Exams are the occasion for you to pull together in a coherent way what you have learned.

Look again at the syllabus to get a sense of the larger purposes and goals of the course. Be sure you did not miss any assigned reading in the small print (as I did once).

Find a study place or places that work for you. Sometimes changing study places can help. Some like studying in the same place all the time. It’s OK to rely on stuffed animals, cozy clothes, totems, charms, and comfort food.

Find a “study buddy.” Study collaboratively.

Find library materials before the last minute when you may find them already checked out. Likewise, use the language lab early. It can be packed the day before the language exam.

Be courteous and thoughtful of the stress of others and their study needs. Remember the quiet hours (after 11PM during exam period). Rumor has it that mornings are a quiet time to study.

Put your alarm clock out of reach of your bed. Help each other remember when exams are. Get up an hour or more before the exam starts to wake up sufficiently, to get some nourishment, and to gather your thoughts. Take some treats with you to the exam (lifesavers or the like). Bring extra pencils or pens.

Read the exam all the way through before you start it. Try to follow the time suggestions for each question or part. Pass over questions that are too difficult or stump you; first answer the ones you can readily answer; return to the others later. Read the directions carefully. Make an outline for long essay questions. Give long essay questions a title to remind you of your focus. Write legibly; it matters. And try to remember that thinking can be fun, including the kind of extemporaneous thinking required for exams.

Suggested “awakeners” while studying: lots of water (yes, water – a major cause of fatigue is dehydration), gum, going for a walk, short breaks, changing chairs, splashing cold water on your face. Leave the room. Stretch. Do Exercises. Take a walk in the cold air. Beware of caffeine, which can inhibit much-needed sleep. 

When you are running on little sleep, make no big decisions, draw no big conclusions (especially about your abilities and character). Your judgment and studying efficiency are impaired when you have too little sleep. Exams are a test of your knowledge, not of personal worth.

The TD dining hall will soon be set aside 24 hours a day for quiet studying. Bringing a lamp to study by can be helpful.  Internet connection is available.

When an exam is done, it is done. No need to dwell on it. Move on to the next task.

NOTES

Our term is coming to a close. I know you are working hard to finish.

Remember: You belong at Yale. Yale is difficult, but you will be fine. A demanding college takes getting used to. You will get used to it and even better you will discover resources within you that you do not know you have. Be optimistic!   You have the good fortune to be surrounded by others who care about you.

I want to remind you, as I have before, that exams are a test of your knowledge and not a test of your identity and personal worth, although it is difficult to make those distinctions sometimes. Also, keep perspective if you can. Exam period is a difficult time, but it is a finite time. And even this difficult time is an opportunity to look after yourself and others – a cheerful word, some encouragement, a cookie – small things that can mean so much, small things from one human to another.

And while taking an exam or writing a paper you might even have fun thinking – putting ideas together, calculating clearly, discovering themes, recalling with good effect, making connections coherently, making connections spontaneously, and finding you have personal resources you did not know you had. All these are possible. Remember, you will be fine. 

Best wishes as always during our final weeks together this term. 

Dean Loge