Columbus Day Schedule Change

 There are no classes on Monday, October 13 and most offices on campus will be closed.

Tuesday, October 14 will follow a Monday class schedule.

The rest of the week will follow a normal schedule. 

The Academic Advising Link will be closed on Sunday and Monday.  It will reopen at 4:00pm on Tuesday. 

Weekly Preview: October 13 - 17

Monday, October 13 is Columbus Day. No classes are held and most campus offices are closed.

Tuesday will follow a Monday class schedule.  The rest of the week will be normal.

The Academic Advising Link will be closed on Sunday and Monday and will reopen at 4:00pm on Tuesday.

Applications to declare Public Health Sciences are due by Tuesday, October 14.  Click here for information about the Public Health Peer Advisors and to download the application.  Typed forms need to be delivered to the Public Health Peer Advising Office in 330 Arnold House.

iCons applications are due by 11:59 pm on Tuesday, October 14.  Click here for more information about the program and to access the application.

Isenberg School of Management Information Sessions for Sport Management, the BBA program, and Hospitality & Tourism Management will be held on Wednesday, October 15 promptly at 5:30pm.  Do not be late!

• HTM will meet in Isenberg 106.
• Sport Management will meet in Isenberg 108.
• The BBA Program will meet in the Bernie Dallas Room on the 5th floor of Goodell.

Attending an Information Session is required before applying to the Sport Management or HTM majors and highly recommended before applying to the BBA program.  Reread our earlier post on how to prepare for these information sessions.  Plan on meeting with an advisor to discuss a backup plan!

Thursday, October 16 is the last day to drop with a W or change a class to Pass/Fail!  Reread our earlier post to learn more.  Completed paperwork must be passed in to the Office of the Registrar in 213 Whitmore before 5:00pm!  If you have questions about how a W or a Pass/Fail will affect you, make an appointment to talk to an advisor before Thursday. 

W-Drop Deadline is Oct. 16th!

The Mid-Semester date is Thursday, October 16th. This is the deadline to drop a class with a "W" or elect to take a course Pass/Fail. Before you decide to do either, here are some things you need to know:

Dropping with a W isn't a bad thing. It will not count against you should you decide to apply for/declare a major (as long as you have completed all the prerequisites, predictor courses, and any other requirements). Dropping a course at this point means a "W" will always remain on your transcript, but you will not receive a grade for that class, so the class will not affect your GPA. The W just indicates that you dropped a course after the Add/Drop deadline. You should consider withdrawing from a course with a "W" if you know that you are not doing well in it and there is little chance you can remedy that, especially if  your intended major expects a strong cumulative GPA or specific grade in that class. Be careful though that you are not going below 12 credits (full-time) in doing so, as doing so could have an effect on your financial aid, insurance, etc.

There is actual paperwork required to withdraw from a course (you can't do it on SPIRE) and you will need your instructor's signature. So, don't  wait until the day of the deadline to make your decision!

The mid-semester date is also your last chance to change a class to Pass/Fail grading. Rather than dropping a course from your schedule you can elect to remain in the class, but instead of getting a letter grade, your transcript will just indicate a P (if you pass) or an F (if you fail). A P will not affect your GPA, but an F will. If you're considering the P/F grading option, be careful! There are many things to consider before making this choice, including the fact that courses taken P/F may not count toward Gen Eds, major reqs, or predictor courses. Just like dropping with a W, electing to take a class P/F requires paperwork (but not an instructor's signature).

You should see your advisor soon if you're considering either taking a W or changing a course to P/F. You can pick up the necessary paperwork in Undergraduate Advising (if you're Undeclared) or the Registrar's Office  in 213 Whitmore.

Eric's Tip of the Week: Talking with your professors!

Hey everyone! I'm Eric, a Peer Advisor here at Undergraduate Advising, and I am here to help you guys with any questions or concerns you may have. I know talking to your professor might be a little challenging or even scary so here are some tips on how to overcome those obstacles.

• Read the Syllabus - We tell students to do this constantly! The syllabus is where you can find your professor's contact information, as well as information about how you will be graded in the class. 

• Speak with your professor before/after class - Professors often arrive a little bit before class starts and stay after class ends for those students who have questions. Some professors may prefer to talk after class or during office hours rather than before class.

• Use proper email etiquette - Professors may be willing to read and respond to your emails because they know students might need help outside of class, but if your email is full of lazy typos and rudeness, they will not take the time to answer your questions. Don't expect an immediate response, especially if you email them on a Friday afternoon or the weekend!

•  GO TO OFFICE HOURS! - I cannot stress this one enough! Office hours are what I consider one of the most helpful ways to get to know your instructors. Most professors love when students come to their office hours because it shows that you, the student, are engaged in the course. They WANT you to come and ask them questions to help you understand the material or even get clarification about tests, homework, lecture. 

Hopefully these little tips help you feel more comfortable talking with your professors! Be proactive!

Family Weekend!

As the leaves start to change and the temperature begins to drop, UMass hopes that you will join us for Family Weekend 2014! Invite your family to come spend a lovely autumn weekend with you on campus October 24-26! There will be a variety of events for the whole family including tours, athletic events, arts, and many fall festival activities. There will even be a fall foliage walk, wagon rides through campus, and trolley rides into Amherst! If you're interested, talk to your family about it today! Registration is now open with a pre-registration deadline of October 17th and fee of $30! Check-in is available on Friday evening and Saturday morning. Most of the events will be taking place on Saturday. Don't wait! Register today to spend a wonderful fall weekend in Amherst with your family!

UMass Women into Leadership

Train. Lead. Inspire.

Are you ready to take on a leadership role?

Do you want to gain hands-on experience,expand your 

professional network, and jump-start your career?

Join UWiL and prepare for a career in public leadership -- earn 1 credit while you're at it! By application only.

Who should apply?

Any Undergraduate UMass Amherst woman, regardless of major, class year, political affiliation, ideology, or political experience. 

How do I apply?

Apply online!

What is the application deadline?

October 15

Have questions or need further information?

Check out the website  here !

Public Health Info Session and Application Deadline

Curious about Public Health?  Thinking about declaring it as your major?  

There will be a Public Health Information Session on Monday, October 6 from 6:00pm - 6:45pm in the Campus Center Room 911.  

All UMass prospective Public Health majors should either meet with a peer advisor during drop-in hours or attend an information session before applying to the major.  Hours for the Public Health Peer Advising Drop-In Center can be found by clicking here.  

The deadline to apply to Public Health in order to take majors only classes in the Spring is Tuesday, October 14.   

Weekly Preview: October 6 - 10

Curious about Public Health?  Thinking about declaring it as your major?  There will be a Public Health Information Session on Monday, October 6 from 6:00pm - 6:45pm in the Campus Center Room 911.  All UMass prospective Public Health majors should either meet with a peer advisor during drop-in hours or attend an information session before applying to the major.  Hours for the Public Health Peer Advising Drop-In Center can be found by clicking here.  The deadline to apply to Public Health in order to take majors only classes in the Spring is Tuesday, October 14.   

To celebrate Latin@ Heritage Month, the Latin American Cultural Center and the Center for Multicultural Advancement and Student Success are sponsoring An Evening with Raquel Cepeda.  Raquel Cepeda is hip-hop.  She will talk about her work and her life experiences which encapsulate the history and aesthetics of the hip-hop generation.  Raquel is a leading journalist whose work has appeared in People, the Associated Press, The Village People, MTV News and CNN.com.  She will also talk about her book, "Birds of Paradise:  How I Became a Latina" which is her story of redemption.  Monday, October 6 from 6:00pm - 7:30pm in the Student Union Ballroom

There will be an iCons Information Session on Wednesday, October 8 at 7:00pm in ISB 145.  iCons is a 20-credit academic program offered by the College of Natural Sciences.  Is iCons right for you? What are the program requirements? Will it fit into your schedule?  Click here to learn more about the program.  

The BDIC 2014 Lecture Series begins on Wednesday, October 8 in 604 Goodell from 5:00pm - 7:00pm.  Come learn about opportunities in various careers from our distinguished speakers!  Sarah Beth Hill graduated from BDIC in 2009.  The entrepreneur will talk about how BDIC helped her found Perfect Strangers of NYC.  Pizza will be served.  RSVP by emailing: bdic@bdic.umass.edu 

Don't forget about the Mid-Semester Date!  Thursday, October 16 is the deadline to turn in completed paperwork to the Registrar's Office in order to change a class to Pass/Fail or drop with a W.  We'll have more information about this coming soon.  If you have questions now, stop by the Academic Advising Link in the Learning Commons in the DuBois Library to check in with our Peer Advisors.  They're there from 4:00pm - 8:00pm on Sundays through Thursdays to answer your questions! 




 

Shaylene's Tip of the Week: The Five People to Know on Campus

Hey everyone! I'm Shaylene, a peer advisor with the Office of Undergraduate Advising. I'm happy to help answer any questions you have and help make your time a UMass a little bit easier. In fact, here are some tips about the five people to know on campus!

1. Your Advisor
I can't stress this one enough. Really get to know your advisor because
they will be a major part of your time here on campus. Not only that, but they're here to help you! Don't just pick classes and hope that they will keep you on track for your major or potential major. Take five minutes to stop by and talk to an advisor just to make sure that you are on the right track. You'll feel a lot better knowing that you're in classes that will help you accomplish your goals.

2. Your Professors
Okay, okay. So you're going to have more than one professor, but my advice? Meet them all! It's a great feeling when your professor is able to call you by name in a lecture of three hundred people. Besides that, if you're ever a little fuzzy on what you're learning in class you can talk to them and have it clarified. It shows that you care enough about the class to take the time out to meet with them and get assistance. Put in the effort. It's worth it in the long run.




3. Your RA, Peer Mentor, and/or Peer Advisors

These are some of the most helpful people on campus. Get to know your RAs because to be honest, they're awesome people. They're students just like you are so they can give you a lot of advice about different resources on campus and activities to get involved in. Plus, if you ever have a problem in your dorm, they're most likely one of the first people you'll have to go talk to, so it's definitely worth getting to know them. Your Peer Mentor is also an upper-class student who lives in your building. Peer Mentors are available to offer academic success tips, like how to send an email to your professor or where to go for help studying for a big exam. Peer Mentors even offer monthly Academic Success Workshops to help you focus on specific skills! Check-in with your Peer Mentor and watch for flyers around your hall to learn more! And finally, did you know more and more departments have Peer Advisors available to help students with major planning, Gen Eds, and class selection? If you have questions about classes or major requirements, consider seeing if the department has a Peer Advising center or stop by the Academic Advising Link--sometimes talking to a student can help you get the real scoop!

4. A Career Advisor
Aside from all the studying and fun times, one of the main points of going to college is to prepare to enter the job force once you leave. Get to know a career advisor on campus early on! They'll be able to help you prepare resumes, give you tips on interviews, and look for internships.

5. A Classmate

It's great to know someone in each one of your classes. Sit down next to someone and talk to them about the homework, the class, anything. I have become great friends with some of the people I have met in my classes. Plus, you have a partner to study with when it comes time to prepare for midterms and finals!

CMASS Open House

You are warmly invited to the CMASS Open House on Thursday, October 2nd from 4:00pm to 6:00pm in 201 Wilder Hall.  The Center for Multicultural Advancement & Student Success provides academic support, cultural enrichment, student development as well as support for institutional diversity on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus. 

Whether you're looking for peer mentoring, social connection, exposure to national student leadership conferences, help navigating offices of the Bursar, Registrar or Financial Aid, or more - CMASS is here to ensure that you have the resources to thrive in an inclusive and multicultural environment during your time at the university.

Click here to learn about the programs and services that CMASS offers and be sure to stop by on Thursday to meet the staff and check out the activities and events for the whole academic year.  There will be games, prizes and surprises.  Light refreshments will be provided.