Month: August 2009

Locked Out of Your Room?

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Some handy information in case this happens to you during your first couple of days on campus….  See you soon!

The time and day that you are locked out determines whom you should call or visit. If you are locked out when the thumbnailCA0XTQ0GOffice of Residential Life is open (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday), come down to the Lower Level of North College to borrow a key. There is no charge for this service as long as the key is returned by 5 p.m. on the day it is signed out. Between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., please contact the RA on duty who will let you in. The cost is $10 per lock out. At all other times (between 5-8 p.m. and 8-8:30 a.m.), please contact the Office of Public Safety at x2345 and they will let you in, again at a cost of $10 per lock out. For more information about lock changes, refer to the ResLife website at http://www.wesleyan.edu/reslife/Policies/lock_change.html

Campus Safety

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thumbnailCAVKZXOYHere’s some information from our Public Safety Office about campus safety that I wanted to pass on to you.  It is common-sense advice that is offered just as a reminder as you prepare to transition to campus life.

College campuses across the country are generally safe places for the students attending them.  In many instances, though, this leads to a relaxed attitude toward personal safety and security measures and students tend to let their guard down.

A majority of the incidents that occur on our campus are “crimes of opportunity.”  These happen when students leave their room doors unlocked when they leave, do not use the window locks in their houses, leave unlocked bikes outside, or leave their  laptops unattended in a library or residence hall.   We usually see a rise in laptop thefts during exam periods when students are preoccupied with their studies and  leave their laptop “for a few minutes” while they run to grab a bite to eat.  It only takes a few seconds for a thief to unplug the laptop, put it in a backpack, and walk away.  You should always lock your room or residential area when leaving, even if it is only for a few minutes or you are going down the hall to shower.  College campuses are places where thefts occur because there is a  large number of laptops, small electronic items such as Ipods, and bikes  in  a small geographic area that are often left unsecured and unattended. 

As you would anywhere else, be aware of your surroundings when walking around campus day or night and always remember to secure your personal items or keep them in your sight.   There is no substitute for vigilance when it comes to campus safety.

Traffic Alert for Arrival Day

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thumbnailCALPQOBUPlease take note as you make your driving plans for arrival day.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation has notified Wesleyan University that road construction on Washington Street (Route 66) between Bernie O’Rourke Drive and Plaza Drive is expected to cause heavy traffic delays weekdays between 6:00 am and 2:30 pm. Work is expected to continue for the next 2 years, except during the winter.  Travelers from New Haven, New York and points south and from Waterbury and points west are encouraged to find alternate routes to Wesleyan via 91 Northbound to Route 9 Southbound. For the latest project updates, please check the DOT web site at http://www.ct.gov/dot/cwp/view.asp?A=2135&Q=445400.

International Students Arrive!

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thumbnailCAFSJQD1On Friday, August 28, we will be welcoming to campus the nearly 70 international members of the Class of 2013! They will have a full four-day schedule of events designed to help them acclimate to Wesleyan, get a full introduction to the American liberal arts college academic system, shop for the essentials they could not bring across the oceans, and sleep off jetlag. 

The international students, including Americans who live abroad, hail from 30 countries and 5 continents, from Argentina to Myanmar, Yemen to Zimbabawe.  Along with the 160 or so upper-class international students, this is Wesleyan’s international community.

New on the agenda this year: We plan to invite international students and their roommates to a few special events, so that they too will contribute to the cross-culturally “hyper-aware” community that we expect Wesleyan to be. 

We extend a warm welcome to these international classmates who will be making the same big adjustments now that the rest of the class will be making a few days later—plus more, as you all embark together  on this most exciting adventure.

Alice Hadler, Associate Dean of International Student Affairs

Creating a Course Schedule

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thumbnailCA7Z1T6RAs you think about developing your fall semester course schedule, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.  Overall, you want to think about how your courses relate (or not) to one another and to think about taking courses across divisions (H&A, SBS, NSM) and within a division rather than loading up on several courses in one department, so that you get both breadth and depth.  Your first year is a time to explore while keeping connected to areas of interest and possible majors.  Other suggestions are to: 

  • challenge yourself in a new subject area—maybe in a course unique to Wes—as well as in a subject you love;
  • choose courses with different kinds of work: analytic, creative, quantitative, experiential, written (not all thumbnailCAYAHNW0reading and writing);
  • enroll in courses with means of evaluation that differ from one another (papers, tests, labs,  performance, etc.) and that come at different points in the semester;
  • get courses that vary in size (seminar and an intro);
  • begin fulfilling General Education Expectations;
  • strengthen your Essential Capabilities;
  • distribute your courses throughout the week (not all Tues./Thurs.);
  • spread your courses throughout the day (three in a row is a killer!); and
  • make sure you schedule time for lunch!

For each of the four courses in your ideal schedule, you should identify a back-up course (in case you do not get in due to classes being full, schedule conflicts, etc.).  Then you should identify a back-up for each of your back-ups (for the same reasons), keeping in mind your overall educational goals.  This strategy will generate good course options to discuss with your faculty advisor in your individual meeting on Thurs., Sept. 3.  In this focused discussion, it is important to stay open to your advisor’s suggestions as well.  Your peer advisor will be available to work with you on Wednesday, if you would like help in your planning.   

This “back-up” strategy also will help you stay organized and on track during adjustment and drop/add.  While you may not get all four of your ideal courses, you will certainly get some of the twelve you have identified, and will continue to find new course possibilities through this process.   With the permission of your faculty advisor and the course instructor, you also may drop and add classes during the first two weeks of classes.

Meet Your Head Resident!

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Head Residents (HRs) are student staff who supervise Resident Assistants (RAs) in the residential halls. They are seniors who have been RAs in the past, and so have lots of experience with programming and building community. So go ahead and meet your HR!

Campus Culture: WES Acronyms

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92:  92 Theater, right next to Memorial Chapel     Argus:  Wesleyan student newspaper     CFA:  Center for the Arts     COL:  College of Letters     CRC:  Career Resources Center     CSS:  College of Social Studies     DFC:  Daniel Family Commons, 3rd floor Usdan     Drop-Add:  A period of time right after school starts, where you can add new classes or drop unwanted ones     FGSS:  Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program     Fisk:  Building on High Street where most language courses take place     Foss Hill:  The big slope right next to Andrus Field where you sit and chill with friends on a sunny afternoon or slide down in winter     Freeman:  Freeman Athletic Center OR Freeman East Asian Center     Helpdesk:  Part of ITS, people located in Science Center 116 who will save your computer     Hir/Zir: thumbnailCAY6FQQLGender neutral possessive pronoun     IMS:  Instructional Media Services, branch of ITS, all sorts of media-related services on campus, i.e. video-taping events, recording classes, etc.     ITS:  Information Technology Services     MB&B:  Molecular Biology & Biochemistry     MoCon:  McConaughy Hall, round, UFO-shaped building sitting behind Hewitt, former student cafeteria until end of Spring 2007     Neon:  Neon Deli, run by Fran and Cynthia on corner of Cross St. and Vine St., a favorite place if you’re stuck on campus with nothing open and no food supplies     The Nics:  one of the four Nicolson res halls on Foss Hill     OBHS:  Office of Behavioral Health for Students     PAC lab:  Computer lab located on the ground floor of PAC     PAC:  Public Affairs Center, where Economics, History, Government, Sociology & CSS have their department offices     Pi:  Pi-Café, located in Science Center     P-safe:  Public Safety     S&C:  Star & Crescent restaurant located in Alpha Delt     SALD:  Student Activities and Leadership Development, supports students and student groups, another resource for event budgets     SBC:  Student Budget Committee, a WSA committee in charge of allocating the student activities fund that holds weekly meetings so student groups can go and submit budget requests for upcoming events     Science Center (ESC):  Exley Science Center     Sci-Li:  Short for “Science Library,” located in Exley Science Center     SJB:  Student Judicial Board     ST Lab:  24-hour computer lab on ground floor Science Center     Summerfield:  Student dining facility located in the Butterfield courtyard     TEV:  Transfer, Exchange and Visiting students     The Butts: Butterfield res halls     The Market Place:  Student dining area on 2nd floor Usdan     The Ride:  Campus shuttle that runs from 7pm-4am     Usdan:  Campus center     Wesleying:  Wesleyan student-run blog     WesMap:  Online course schedule     WesShop:   Grocery store on campus where you can get anything from toothpaste, oatmeal, microwave food, fresh produce to kitchenware for only points and cash     WestCo:  West College res hall     WesWings:  Restaurant on High Street opposite the Butts, serves chicken wings and other yummy foods, only accepts points and cash     WSA:  Wesleyan Student Assembly     Ze:  Gender neutral pronoun     Zelnick:  Zelnick Pavilion, glass box connecting Memorial Chapel and 92 Theater, exhibitions and events are held there

The Orientation Interns

Academic Skills Assessment Survey Recommendations

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Thank you all for submitting the academic skills assessment survey.  Based on what you told us in the survey, we have recommended specific workshops to enhance or reinforce your academic skills in particular areas and to help you negotiate a smooth transition from high school to college.  Do not be alarmed if some of you receive more thumbnailCAFF781Arecommendations than others.  This survey was for your benefit and our recommendations, based on your responses, will connect you with resources to help promote your success and make your academic experience more productive and satisfying.  You can access these recommendations through your e-portfolio in the “Wesleyan Career” bucket now and view a schedule of workshops that will be available during the first two weekends after classes begin.

Bicycle Security

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thumbnailCAXUPREEBecause of the rise in value of the average bicycle in recent years and the increase of bikes on campus, there has been an increase in the number of bikes stolen on campus.  Most bikes that have been taken are either unsecured or secured with a cable lock, which is easily cut. 

If you bring a bicycle to campus you should:

  •  Purchase and use a high quality U lock to secure it.   When parked near other bikes, chances are a thief will take the bike with the least secure lock.
  •  If your U lock has a key at the end of the crossbar, position the lock with its keyway end facing down towards the ground to make it more difficult for someone to get at.
  • Personalize the bike to make it less attractive to a would-be thief and easy to identify if recovered.
  • Engrave an ID number on the bike (take advantage of Operation Identification).
  • Register your bike with Public Safety.

On Wednesday, September 2, there will be a Safety Fair held at the Usdan Center courtyard.  Public Safety will be registering bikes at that time and will also have U locks that can be purchased for $20.00.

Two helpful websites for further information are: www.nationalbikeregistry.com and www.BicycleSafe.com. 

Lt. Paul Verrillo,Wesleyan Public Safety

Transitioning to Campus Life

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transitionsCollege life, as exciting as it is, can be significantly different from your past experiences. New environment, new friends, new classes, new ideas, new experiences are yours for the taking! There is familiarity with being a student since you’ve been doing that most of your life, but you may need to adapt your study habits to a less structured and more demanding academic environment. And you may be living on your own for the first time, responsible for everything from getting up on time for class to doing your own laundry to budgeting your money. A few suggestions for managing the transition:

  • Talk with friends and family members who have recently attended college about their experiences transitioning to campus life — the challenges, the joys, the things they wish they knew starting out. You may be able to glean some words of wisdom!
  • Make a plan with your parents/guardians for how frequently you will talk and email. Strive for regular, but not daily, contact. It will help you concentrate on adjusting to Wesleyan while still reducing the likelihood of feeling homesick.
  • Once on campus, seek out opportunities to get involved in one or two activities outside the classroom. Focus on quality, not quantity. You have plenty of time over the next four years to try out everything!
  • Being a college student does not have to equal being unhealthy. Strive for balanced eating habits, a regular sleep pattern and a manageable workload.
  • If you are of age and choose to consume alcohol while on campus, party with a plan!  It will greatly reduce your risk for problems related to your own consumption. Learn more about how to do this with Randy Haveson during New Student Orientation.
  • Keep up your exercise routine at Wesleyan’s great athletic facilities, with WesWELL’s non-credit fitness classes, or on your own. Physical activity greatly helps with reducing stress levels and with mental acuity.
  • Ask for help if you need it academically or personally; it is a sign of strength, not one of weakness. We want to help you succeed!