Tag Archives: classes

Your mid-semester woes as told by Leslie Knope

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Its that time of year.  The Mid-Semester Slump.  When you are just a little too far away from the beginning of the semester and the end is not quite in sight.  As a respite from all the responsibilities that are piling up, here is a ray of sunshine.  Leslie Knope is here to cheerfully and honestly spell out your mid semester woes.

When You’re Really Missing Winter Break

A month off of school sounds really good right about now.  Although it seems like a distant memory, the days of carefree relaxation call from the past.  One can try to reclaim those peaceful moments for a brief respite and to interject some cheer into spring.

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Trying to choke down on another Malott Salad

I know, I know were gifted to have such wonderful dining halls with great healthy food options but sometimes you need a break from the same meal rotation.  9/10 times walking into Malott for lunch = the same darn salad.

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When you forgot to do the reading and try to participate in class

We’ve all been there.  Got a little too carried away the night before on a Netflix binge and then that 50 page reading just never got done? Happens to the best of us! Not to worry because there’s always the failproof “piggy back off of someone else’s answer” tactic.

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Giving your friends the motivation to keep going

As always, even when feeling down, you never fail to support your friends through their woes with some strong, choice words.

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And for a very frank assessment of the term so far

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PERMs, Scheduling, and Coveted Classes

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At the beginning of the semester, everyone is frantically trying to get into the classes they want, rearranging their schedules, and PERMing into classes they want to be in. This process is chaotic, and can be one of the most stressful times of the semester.

Sometimes, you’re trying ot get into classes that you need for you major, or are trying to get into a class with a certain professor. All of this organizing and reorganizing of classes can be overwhelming, but I had a friend once tell me that you should go to the schedule you want, not the schedule you have. What I’ve learned is that this could not be more true. In all of my experiences as a student at the 5Cs, I have learned that if you want a class, showing up is the most important step to getting in. PERMing into a class you want is the first step, but it takes the extra step of actually going to the class on the first day to solidify, in the professor’s eyes, your desire to take it.

This semester, there was a class at Pitzer that I really wanted to get into, but it was only open to Pitzer students and I decided that the best way for me to get in was to PERM as early as possible. As soon as I read the course description, I knew that the class would be a great experience and PERMed right the and there. Even though it was very early and arguably too early to PERM, as no one had even registered for the course yet, I knew that I would show as one of the first PERMs and knew that that would help me secure a spot in the class. A few days after registration had opened up for all students, the professor emailed everyone who had PERMed into the class and asked us to come to a meeting so that he could discuss some of the details of the class and give us more of a feel for what we could expect. Only about fifteen people showed up to the meeting, which my professor later noted made his decision about who would be in the class a lot easier, and there were only ten spots open in the class. The professor did tell those of us who were chosen to be in the class, that having a meeting, seeing who actually showed up was the biggest factor in how he chose the ten of us who are now in the class because he didn’t pick anyone who didn’t show up at the meeting.

Last semester, there was a history class at CMC that I really wanted to take and was one of over twenty PERMs, but I emailed the professor and made a case for myself, asking if she thought there might be room after the first day. When I showed up to class that day, there were only about fifteen people, and she ended up accepting my PERM because I had come to class.

Long story short, emailing professors, PERMing into classes, but most importantly, showing up to the classes you want on the first day is so important if you are not registered for a particular course and would like to be. It’s worked for every class I wanted to get into but wasn’t yet registered for. Best of luck to you all!

Choosing Classes and Other Nail Biting, Sweat Inducing Experiences

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A few days ago, I had to choose classes for my semester abroad at University College London. This process is already daunting at Scripps, but at least I knew how it all worked and understood what to expect out of the torturous experience. Unfortunately, signing up for classes at UCL was completely uncharted territory and I had no idea how the process worked.

I expected to be able to talk to someone about my options and that they would help me come up with a final decision, but instead I was given a list of classes in my department and let loose to sign up online. In addition, I would have to contact other departments separately if I wanted to take their classes and there was no guarantee that I would be let into the class. It was obvious that I was in no way, shape, or form ready to choose classes alone so I decided to furiously email every single one of my advisors back at Scripps and anyone at UCL that would reply to me.

Finally, after countless emails and Skype conversations with professors, I had a tentative idea about my schedule and what classes that I should take. The only remaining issue was to decide whether my last class should be a Politics class that would count towards my major or a fun class that would not count for any requirements. My mentality going into choosing classes was to make sure that all my classes counted towards my majors so that I could complete my dual major in Politics and Economics. However, after talking to my major advisor I realized that the whole point of studying abroad is to have experiences that you cannot have at your home university. I was really worried about being able to complete my dual major and simultaneously taking classes for fun, but I decided that I should look more for the experience than for fulfilling requirements. Before I could change my mind, I decided to sign up for a class called Medieval History in London Collections, which takes you to different old sites and museums around London every week.

This was definitely a nerve-wracking decision for me because I am used to planning every class and every move far in advance and only thinking about taking classes that fulfill requirements. This is the first time that I am taking a class purely for fun and I cannot wait to see how it turns out. It is definitely important to fulfill major requirements during college, but there is so much more to explore and learn and this is the best time to take advantage of the opportunities that we are given as students.

Math’s Beast: the wonders and horrors of Calculus II

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unknown-2After finishing Calculus AB in high school, I was content with the fact that I might never take math again. Unfortunately, once I decided that I wanted to become a science major, taking math again was no longer an option – it was required.

Coming into college, I was intent on being a double major in biochemistry and English. I knew that I wanted to combine my love of the sciences with my love for writing and figured that a double major made sense. Thus, I would also need to take Calculus II in order to fulfill the major requirements for biochemistry. After taking Calculus I at Pomona last semester with one of the best math teachers I have ever had, I wasn’t too worried about Calc II and was confident that my professor had prepared me well. I knew that with hard work, I would be able to do well in the class. Although I still believe this to be true, I have heard more recently, from many friends, peers, and professors, that Calc II is the hardest of the three calculus classes. That was not exactly uplifting news and not what I wanted to hear about a class that was making me more and more nervous. It wasn’t until I remembered some of the basic skills you need to succeed in math classes, that I began to feel better.

Math is a subject that you must learn by doing. My mom is a fifth grade teacher and always tells her students that the only way to get better at it, is to practice. Although this is fairly intuitive, as many of us have been taught this lesson in other parts of our life, such as in sports or the arts, math is especially tricky because it is hard to remember that even if you can get one problem right, there are so many other variations that can be written. Math challenges us to evaluate what we are seeing at first glance. There are often problems that are easy to solve, but require work at the beginning to make the rest of the problem possible. This approach is unlike most of the problems we learn to solve in algebra classes where the strategy to solve for the specific answer is pretty straight forward. But in Calc II, not only are you solving for that specific answer, you must also determine if work needs be done beforehand so that the problem is properly executed.

Math can also be difficult simply because it does not seem applicable to our dailiy lives. For example, it might lead us to have these sorts of thoughts:math-fail-pics-409unknown

 

 

 

 

 

But what I am learning more and more often, is that Calc II is applicable and can help me understand more of what I am learning in my science classes. Although, it’s hard to believe, the parallels are there.

Calc II has proven to be a challenge, even this early in the semester, and yet, when I do end up figuring out that problem that’s been driving me crazy, I can’t help but feel exactly like this:

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Comments? Questions? Resources? Comment below and share any of your own success (or horror) stories about Calculus II.

How to Crunch When Things Get Crunchy

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It’s finally here: Crunchtime. Colloquially referred to as “hell week” on school campuses across the country, we’ve reached that point in the semester when it seems like literally everything that could possibly be due has suddenly made itself known to you–like the Murphy’s Law of due dates, if you will. Not only that, but it’s also that same time of year when students begin to hear back from all of the various opportunities they have applied for, such as jobs, grad school, spring/summer programs, etc., adding yet another thing to weigh on our already very occupied minds. Sometimes I find myself looking around at everyone around me doing all of these amazing things and working their butts off, and find it hard to believe that another whole semester has passed without even realizing it. It happens each and every year, but it always manages to catch me off guard.

This is how I feel when I think about how much I have left to do this week……slow zoom and all.

Obviously, not everyone is going to have the same “hell week” experience–it really depends on how many finals you have scheduled, how you’ve managed your time thus far, if you’re doing thesis, etc. But, from what I have gathered, the last few weeks of the fall semester are generally not the most pleasant of times for the vast majority of students. The worst part of all of this, for me, is that it’s not even that cold yet! Hello!?!!? It’s December! I just want to start busting out my various holiday sweaters I’ve been preparing to wear every single day of the week! But alas, not even a cold winter chill can assuage the end-of-semester funk I’ve been in the past few days.

Fun fact: Jimmy totally raided my closet for this segment.

A lot of this stems from the fact that, as a senior, I (still) don’t really know what I’m doing after I graduate. Many of my peers are just now receiving news–both good and not so good, as is to be expected–that will start them on their post-grad paths to becoming the accomplished, successful women and men that will change the world someday….or something along those lines. Point is, it can feel kind of discouraging to look around and see such great successes happening all around you, especially if you’re still waiting to hear back from wherever, you didn’t get the news you were hoping for, or if you just haven’t had enough time to focus on anything other than your school work this semester. This is not to say that all of these feelings aren’t valid things to be feeling. On the contrary! Take it from me, the queen of letting things pile up–these are all very legitimate concerns to have, and should be treated as such. Don’t lessen your own needs by comparing them to the needs of other people around you, because it’s not all that helpful for anyone involved.

Thanks, Most Interesting Man In The World. I believe in you, too.

As I’ve said, this time of year is when emotions can run particularly high, so the added pressures of “getting it all together” can often make you start to question a lot of things that you’ve done up to this point–have I taken the right classes? Should I have spent more time on that last essay? Did I apply for enough jobs? Could I be doing more? As far as the last question goes, the short answer is, yes, we can always be doing more. Long answer? We certainly can always be doing more, but the real question instead is: is do we need to be doing more? For example, there will always more opportunities to apply for, that’s for sure, but just because they exist doesn’t mean they are the right kinds of opportunities for you. Sure, there will likely be some disappointments as you start to hear back from internships, summer jobs, and even study abroad programs, but that doesn’t mean something else isn’t waiting for you somewhere else. That’s why resources like CP&R are so helpful, especially when the existential what-am-I-doing and how-do-I-adult kinds of questions start to come about, usually during stressful times such as these.

Ok but seriously, how do you adult?? Did I miss the instructional booklet that accompanies growing up?? Taxes?? Mortgages? What are THOSE???

The point is, when the going gets crunchy, you gotta crunch right back. This means working hard, taking care of yourself, celebrating with your friends when they get the good news they are hoping for, and consoling them if things don’t work out. Be excited for the cool things that your peers will be doing after they graduate, but don’t put yourself down if you’re not quite there yet. We’re all at such different places in our lives–be it in terms of our majors and intended fields of study and work, or emotionally and mentally–it wouldn’t make sense for us all to be doing the same kinds of things anyway. So, for now, focus up and finish up this semester the best you can. For my fellow seniors finishing up their thesis projects, we got this! It’s not like we have choice, but we’re almost there and its gonna be awesome! To everyone preparing for their finals and projects, and those starting to apply for jobs and internships next year, keep on keepin’ on–you got this too, believe me.

Just think: winter break is only a few weeks away, and then we can all sleep in as late as we want~! Talk about a great reward for all of our hard work 🙂

BRING ON THE CAT NAPS!!!