Tag Archives: Professors

Awesome Professors, Office Hours, and Actually Understanding Homework

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This past weekend and this week I have been studying for my Calculus III midterm which, unlike last semester where I always felt like I was struggling to get my homework done and floundering when it came to understanding the topics, I have felt more prepared than I have in a long time, in addition to less stressed. I’d been having trouble figuring out why that was and was worried that I should feel more stressed. What I realized is that this semester, I have gone into office hours and understood my homework better than I ever did last semester.

Last semester, my professor assigned problems out of a textbook, which I didn’t mind, but I was able to use online resources more readily, one in particular called Slader, which provides detailed answers to problems from hundreds of different textbooks. Although this was helpful for receiving full credit on my homework and for helping me understand how you were supposed to get from step A to B, I often found myself relying too much on Slader and not doing enough of my own work. This in turn made it so that I was not as confident in the material and my ability to work through questions on my own.

My professor this semester writes all of his own homework questions, so if I want to ask for help, there’s no way for me to look it up online, like I could last semester. I have to go in to his office hours and ask specific questions about the problems I don’t understand. This also works in my favor, because I have to articulate what I’m not understanding and can then receive a more individualized answer.

When I do go to office hours, I often bring the whole homework assignment with me and work on the problems in his office. That way, when I have a question, I can ask him immediately and clear up the issue right away, and often have a realization like Jim just had.

Because our homework is due every Wednesday and I most often go to his office hours on Monday, I can also get the homework done early and am not trying to hastily finish it on Tuesday nights.

What I also enjoy about the professor I have this term is how accessible he is. He has his set office hours, but always encourages us to come in other times because he is normally in his office. In addition, the atmosphere he creates makes every student feel comfortable, even when they might need to ask him to clarify something more than once. It can be hard to admit that you don’t know something and be okay feeling vulnerable academically in front of your peers, but in addition to the environment that my professor creates, he exudes that to his students, and I always feel comfortable asking questions in front of my classmates. If you are someone who does feel uncomfortable talking in front of others, most professors are willing to meet outside of their regular office hours to accommodate all of their students, so reaching out is always a good idea if you need extra help.

It can be hard to muster the confidence to visit a professor’s office hours, but in my experience, it is normally worth it. In addition, the help that you can receive on homework and practice tests can be worth it just by the fact that it could help minimize stress. I am not always the best at utilizing this resource, but would recommend it to everyone. Professors are here to help you learn the material, and in going to office hours, you are showing them that you are there to better understand the material and expand your current thought processes. And that’s what education is all about. So utilize professors and their office hours, and don’t be afraid to ask for extra help or to meet outside their scheduled times, if they don’t work for you. It will definitely benefit you in the long run.

If anyone is interested in the math professor I am referring to, please don’t hesitate to contact me: [email protected] He’s the best!

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!

Care about the world, your career will follow

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I think we can all agree that the past week has been tense. From the protests at CMC, marches across the 5Cs, the list of ISIS target cities in the U.S., and shootings and bombings in Paris, Beirut, Baghdad, and Syria – it has been unbelievably difficult to concentrate on anything school or career related.

And that is totally allowed.

Your tests, your papers, your meetings, your applications, even your interviews can wait. If you are passionate about changing the world, and the time comes for you to act on the deep and dedicated feelings you have for making a difference, do what you need to do. You can, and should, prioritize whatever you want to prioritize. That being said, I’d like to offer some help in navigating those conversations with your professors and your employers who may not feel the same way about how you want to spend your time.

When talking to a professor…

Keep the correspondence short and sweet. Since having this conversation is accessible in person, try to catch your professor during office hours. But if that’s not an option, email is definitely a preferred form of communication on campus. Explain what will be turned in late or what you will miss. But also make sure that you take ownership of the situation with phrases such as “I understand the grade on my paper will be lowered due to late submission” or “I plan to make up for our missed discussion in whatever way is best for me to do so.” It is important to acknowledge the results of your actions in order to show that you still care about school, but your cares must now be focused on something more pressing.

When talking to an interviewer or recruiter…

So that protest or debate you wanted to attend now interferes with a scheduled interview. The best way to contact is to call or email, depending on the relationship you have with the interviewer or recruiter. If you’ve spoken on the phone more than twice, call and leave a voicemail. But if most of your conversations have taken place in person or via email, stick to email. Again, this message should be short and sweet. But because the decision to reschedule or cancel an interview is treading tricky waters, you’re also going to need to explain a little bit more why the event or issue matters to you. Professors are on campus, and for the most part, they know when students are being socially and politically active. But recruiters aren’t on campus all the time, so it’s vital that you explain a little more. Within two to three sentences, detail (1) what’s going on, (2) what it means personally to you, and (3) why you feel the need to participate.

When you fall behind on applications…

Breathe. Close your eyes. Say “it will get done.” Because you know it will, just maybe in a couple days. Draw or print a weekly calendar and write in the events you need to attend, as well as any upcoming deadlines for applications or papers. Try to give time frames for each obligation in your calendar too – that way you can really hold yourself accountable to a schedule.

Sometimes, you need to focus on the things much larger than school and much larger than jobs. And that’s OK. Being a socially-minded individual is arguably more fulfilling than finishing that last paragraph of a paper or completing the one missing accomplishment statement on your resume. But if you do start to feel behind, take advantage of the resources CP&R provides – such as drop-in hours and counseling sessions.
You can do it all, and you can make a difference in the world along the way.

So Long, and Thanks for All the Books

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When I start to think of whom I would most like to give thanks for in my life, a lot of the people that came up immediately were family and teachers. Now, in my mind there’s not such a great difference between these two because your family are kind of like your first teachers – they’re the ones who start to show you how the world works, and in my case both of my parents are actual teachers. A lot of what these teachers have given me over the years- be they my family, or my actual teachers – is more than just knowledge, or grades, or the ability to sign my name in cursive (because to be honest, at this point most of us just scribble it, don’t we?). No, the biggest thing I am grateful for is my love of books, and of reading, and of writing.

I was lucky enough to grow up in a house of readers. My mother always has at least one book on her bedside table, and my dad usually has a pile too, although he gets through them much slower than she does. There are bookshelves in our living room, in our dining room, in all the bedrooms, and in the basement. I grew up surrounded by books, and quickly started developing my own collection. When I was in first grade I noticed that my mother seemed to be able to read a lot faster than I could, so my friends and I started doing speed-reading contests during “quiet time” at school. We would see who could get through more letters in the beginner’s dictionary within a set amount of time. Sure enough, I was reading faster than my mother within a few years time. I devoured books, and my teachers encouraged it.

I had a second grade teacher who required us to write short, paragraph-long stories every week using a list of vocabulary words, and it was doing those assignments that I first began to type on a computer. My third grade teacher challenged us to read a certain number of books over the summer – I don’t actually remember how many it was at this point, but I’m pretty sure I read about triple that amount. Those of us who actually completed the challenge, and turned in a list of the books we had read, were treated to lunch and a trip to the science museum on a Saturday during the fall of our 4th grade year. In fifth grade, with my teacher’s permission, I would stay in from recess and alphabetize the classroom library for fun, because I preferred the quiet to my screaming and running peers, and this way my friends and I could play card games or read our own books. All of these early teachers encouraged me in my outside reading, and in writing – both things that still help provide me with some sanity when I’m feeling stressed.

So in honor of Thanksgiving this year, I would like to say that I am thankful for my parents, for my sister, for Mrs. Zimmerman, Miss Quatrimoni, and for Ms. Lundell. And I am also thankful for the librarians of my Faneuil Branch library in Boston, and all of the amazing teachers I have had, from middle school up into my junior year here at Scripps. I can’t name you all, and I also cannot thank you enough, but you have had a great impact on me.

5 Steps to finding an on-campus job, one step at a time

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Finding an on-campus job can seem daunting. Getting back into school mode, while filling out applications and going to interviews can be overwhelming—at least it was for me. Anyone seeking an on-campus job, but does not qualify for work-study positions have the added challenge of finding specific positions that are open to non-work-study students. I got my first on-campus job in the spring semester of last year. This semester, I will be continuing to work as Professor Delmont’s research assistant. Here are five tips that will hopefully point you in the right direction if you are looking of an on-campus, non-work-study job.

1. Spend time on The Gateway. Look at all the different positions that are available, even if they are work-study. Scouring The Gateway helped me gain a better understanding of all the different kinds of jobs available to students. And, it helped me figure out what kind of job I would be most interested in.

2. Determine what kind of job you want to get. Some things to consider might include: flexible hours or concrete hours, working independently or working with peers and possible career interests.

3. If there is a job you really want, but is not offered to non-work study students, I would recommend contacting the person who posted the listing. Chances are they may have a volunteer position you could take. If the volunteer position is in an area you are really interested in, it might be worth it to ask if they see non-work study positions becoming available anytime in the future.

4. Talk to friends and talk to professors. Many professors have research assistants who help out with their academic projects. You could ask your adviser if they know of anyone who is looking for a research assistant or office aide. Chances are, they will be able to point you in the right direction.

5. Respond quickly. The sooner you turn in your application, the better. However, make sure that it the application is thorough and doesn’t have any typos. I often get so excited about new possibilities that I try to get everything done as fast as I can and it ends up not being my best work.

I hope this gave some of you a good start to finding a job. What have other people’s experiences been like? Has anyone else found a non-work-study job a different way?