Jennie's Tip of the Week: Get Back on Track for Second Semester!

Getting back on track for second semester is crucial, but it can also be very difficult.  As a second semester senior, I find myself struggling to get back into the swing of things more than ever.  After winter break, which is never long enough, we all need to readjust to classes, homework, quizzes, and getting up earlier than we'd like.  After all of my semesters here I've come up with some great ways to make sure you get back on track as soon as possible.

1.  Write all due dates from your syllabi in your planner.  Getting back into the habit of checking your syllabi and your planner is crucial.  It's extremely easy to forget about assignments when you're readjusting to being back at school, but if you write everything down you're much more likely to remember.  Another great thing about writing out all of your assignments is that you can see when you'll be busiest.  For example, if you have a busy week in early March, it will be easier to plan ahead and get your work done in an efficient manner.  

2.   Choose specific times to study and do homework and stick to it!  Once you get into the middle of the semester it will be more natural to fill in gaps of time with homework and studying.  However, that is not necessarily the case at the very beginning of the semester.  Everyone is back and excited to see each other.  I understand that students would much rather spend their time catching up and hanging out with friends, but classes are starting to move more quickly and you do not want to fall behind.  The best advice I can give you all is to set aside time to hang out with friends and time to do your work.  A balanced schedule is the best way to stay on track.

3.  Get involved on campus.  The best way to ensure that your time management skills kick in is to stay somewhat busy.  Do not overload yourself, but keeping involved in extracurricular activities forces you to find time to do your work.  If you are already part of an organization, have a job, or both, keep going with it! If you did not join anything last semester, look on campus pulse and see what there is to offer!  There are hundreds of opportunities to get involved on campus.  Not only will you have a schedule to follow, which many people find helpful, you will make new friends who may have similar interests or could be taking similar classes.  You could find the perfect study buddy!

4.  See an advisor.  In order to make sure you are definitely on track, meet with an advisor.  Even if you are pretty sure you know where you're going with the semester, it never hurts to run your plan by someone else.  Advisors want to be sure that you've considered all of your options and that you are happy with your class schedule.  Not only can they look over your schedule with you, but they can show you resources you may need to utilize this semester.

Remember to stay on track this semester! Good luck everyone!

ISOM Info Sessions Reminder

Mark your calendars: Isenberg School of Management Group Information and Orientation Sessions will be held THIS Tuesday and Wednesday at 5:30pm.  

Interested in the BBA? Head to the Bernie Dallas Room on the 5th floor of Goodell.

Thinking about Sport Management? Your Info Session will be in Isenberg 108.

Leaning toward Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM)? Meet in Isenberg 106.

Add/Drop Ends at 10pm on Monday!

You can make changes to your schedule via SPIRE until Monday, February 3rd, at 10PM.  After that deadline you can no longer add or drop courses through SPIRE--making changes to your schedule will require additional paperwork/permissions.  Double check your schedule on SPIRE and make sure it looks as you expect it should.

Not attending a class doesn't mean you've dropped it!  If you do still need to make adjustments, use the swap and edit functions whenever possible.  And remember, should you decide to add a class at this point, you will be responsible for any work that has been assigned during the first week and a half of classes--plan accordingly! 

You have until the Mid-Semester Date (Thursday, March 6) to change a class to Pass/Fail.  After Add/Drop ends, you'll need to go to the Registrar's Office in Whitmore to fill out a Course Change Request form.  You do get credit for Pass/Fail classes if you pass but they do not fulfill requirements (GenEds, major, minor, certificates, GlobalEds, etc.), so make an appointment to meet with an advisor if you're not sure how this will affect you.

As always, if you have any questions about your schedule, you should see an advisor. Undeclared students can set up an appointment by calling (413) 545-2191.  

Weekly Preview: February 3 - February 7

Add/Drop ends on Monday, February 3 at 10pm.  

If you have any problems with your enrollment appointment prior to 10pm you should contact the Registrar's Office.  It is your responsibility to ensure your schedule is correct.

Interested in declaring Sociology?  The declaration period starts on Tuesday, February 4.  Click here to schedule an advising appointment and find the Peer Advisor hours.  Friday, March 14 is the deadline to declare in order to take majors-only classes in the Fall.







Isenberg School of Management Group Information and Orientation Sessions will be held on Tuesday, February 4 and Wednesday, February 5 at 5:30pm.  

• The BBA will be in the Bernie Dallas Room on the 5th floor of Goodell
• Sport Management will be in Isenberg 108
• Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) will be in Isenberg 106

Before applying to HTM and the Sport Management majors, students must attend an information session.  Students who plan on applying to the BBA program are strongly encouraged to attend.  There will be two more sessions in March and applications are due on May 1.


 

Resource Economics Information Sessions

The department of Resource Economics has info sessions coming up on Thursday, Jan 30th and Friday, Jan 31st. See the website for times and room numbers.

In order to learn about (and ultimately to declare) Resource Economics, it really is imperative that students attend an info session.

Students must attend an information session and complete the Online Statement of Interest BEFORE being invited to schedule an advising appointment to complete the change of major process. This process assists students in examining whether ResEc is a good fit for them and designing a plan for academic success.

There will be more information sessions in April, but it will be to your advantage to begin this process as soon as possible.

The Add/Drop period is half over...

The spring Add/Drop period ends Monday, February 3rd at 10pm. Just because you have another week to play with your schedule doesn't mean you should be making drastic changes at this point. Adding a course after more than a week may require you to play catch-up. Adding a course at the tail end of Add/Drop may also mean you don't have a chance to attend all components of the course (lecture, discussion, lab) before the Add/Drop deadline. That's not a great way to start your semester!

So, what if you still want to make changes to your schedule? It's not impossible to edit your schedule at this point, but you'll want to be very cautious. If possible try sitting in on a class you want to add before changing your schedule to accommodate it. This will give you a chance to collect the syllabus, get a sense of the professor's teaching style, and evaluate how much work you might have already missed. After sitting in, if it seems manageable, go ahead and add it on SPIRE! It's a good idea to meet with the professor and/or TA of any class you add at this point. They can help you sort out make-up/catch-up work that you are responsible for.

Whenever changing your schedule, keep in mind two handy SPIRE functions: swap and edit. In order to add a class at this point you may need to get rid of another class first. Never drop a course until you are absolutely sure you can get into another to replace it. Many departments will restrict courses to "Department Consent Only" after the first meeting or two of a class. This means you cannot enroll in the course via SPIRE without specific permissions. If you drop something else assuming you will get the new class, then get denied access by the department, you will be down credits. Instead, use the swap function on SPIRE. This function will simultaneously drop one class and replace it with a new one. If there is some sort of error that prevents you from adding the new class, you will remain enrolled in the original class and will not have risked falling below full-time status (12 credits).

Just want to alter a discussion or lab time? This probably isn't a big deal if you've been attending the class all along at this point, and you can easily make the change on SPIRE without having to drop anything! Edit should be used to change the discussion or lab time for a class you are already enrolled in. Editing does NOT affect the lecture time of a class.

Finally, when you think your schedule is good to go, check it on SPIRE to make sure everything looks correct. Then check it AGAIN! You are accountable for any course you are registered for on SPIRE.

Got questions? See your advising office or visit a Peer Advisor at the Academic Advising Link in the Learning Commons.

Weekly Preview: January 27 - 31

There will be an R1 Exemption Test at 7:00pm on Monday, January 27 in Marcus 131.  Passing the R1 exam (at least 12 out of 20 correct) will satisfy the R1 requirement for graduation but will not result in the awarding of any credits.  A student ID and a #2 pencil are required. A calculator is recommended. There is no limit on the number of times a student may take this test. The focus of this exam is to measure knowledge of basic math skills.

 

Boltwood Project Recruitment Nights will be held on Monday, January 27, Tuesday, January 28 and Wednesday, January 29 from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm in the Campus Center Auditorium.  You can earn 1-2 credits while helping children and adults with special needs.   You MUST attend ONE of these meetings to sign up, even if you were in before!  No exceptions!  Sessions start promptly at 6.  Do not be late.  Click here to learn more about Boltwood and how you can engage with the local community while earning credit.  Spaces fill up fast!

Are you interested in applying to the Computer Science major or minor?  There will be an orientation to the major on Monday, January 27 at 3:35 in 150/151 CS Building.  Questions?  Visit the CS Undergraduate Advising Center in 144 CS Building.  Click here for Advising Center hours.  March 1 is the deadline for applications.

Curious about Resource Economics?  There will be an information session on Thursday, January 30 at 4:00pm and again on Friday, January 31 at 11:15.  Both sessions will be held in Stockbridge 303.  Students must first attend an information session and complete the Online Statement of Interest BEFORE being invited to schedule an advising appointment to complete the change of major process. This process assists students in examining whether ResEc is a good fit for them and designing a plan for academic success.

Planning on declaring Public Health Sciences?  March 3 is the deadline in order to take majors only courses in Fall 2014.  Prospective students are encouraged to attend an Information Session on Thursday, January 30 at 6:00pm.  The location is TBA.  Click here to see if the location has been announced.  For more information about the major, visit the Public Health Sciences Peer Advisor Center in 330 Arnold House.  Click here to see the hours.  There will be another information session on February 24.

Thursday Night Engineering Info Session

Weekly Preview: January 20 - 24

Welcome to the Spring 2014 Semester!

 

Monday, January 20 is Martin Luther King Day.  Most offices on campus will be closed. 

The first day of classes is Tuesday, January 21.

There will be a Writing Placement & Exemption Test on Tuesday, January 21 at 5:30pm in Bartlett 206.  Any student who has not previously taken this test must do so before being able to enroll in ENGL 112 College Writing.  Call the Writing Program at 413-545-0610 for more information. 

Planning on taking a Foreign Language?  Do you think you should be exempt?  Do you want to know what you should be placed into?

 Foreign Language EXEMPTION Tests:

• Spanish, Latin and German: Tuesday, January 21 at 6:00pm in 163 Campus Center
• French: January 21 and 22 from 3:00pm - 5:00pm in the Learning Resource Center on the 10th floor of the DuBois Library

Foreign Language PLACEMENT tests:

• Spanish, Latin, French and German are available by clicking here for the NSO website.

Five College Interchange Registration begins on Tuesday, January 21 and ends on Monday, February 3.  Visit the Five College Interchange site to learn how the paper process works.  You will find the registration forms on SPIRE, but you cannot register through SPIRE.

Are you thinking about a major in the College of Engineering?  Come to the Engineering Information Session on Thursday, January 23 at 5:00pm in 604 Goodell!  Make sure you're taking the correct classes, ask questions, and learn more about the majors.

The first few days of the semester should be used to reevaluate the courses in which you are enrolled.  If you're not sure about your schedule, make an appointment to meet with an advisor or visit our Peer Advisors in the Academic Advising Link in the Learning Commons of the DuBois Library.  They are there Sunday - Thursday from 4pm - 8pm.

Round Out Your Schedule . . .

Are you a first year or entering student, wanting to round out your schedule for Spring 2014? Remember to look for 1-credit seminars that can balance out your schedule!

Here are some places to look on SPIRE, to see what might work for you:

• FFYS 197...  Faculty First-Year Seminars.   A number of these seminars, for first-year students, still have seats available.  Capped at 18 students, these seminars provide an opportunity to connect with faculty and students on a topic of shared interest.
• UNIV 125  OASIS Seminars.   Designed for first-year undeclared students, these seminars are taught by academic advisors, and provide extensive information about how to get the most out of your UMass experience and be successful.
• UNIV 125T  OASIS for Transfers.  Same as above, but for transfer students in their first or second semester at UMass.  
• UNIV 190L  Demystifying University Research.  In this hybrid class (several in-class meetings and the rest through Moodle), you'll develop the information literacy skills you'll need for college and beyond.
• UNIV 192G  OASIS: Moving Forward.  Designed for students who have faltered academically, this course reinforces solid academic skills and declaring the major that best fits the student.