- Ava Bysiewicz Donaldson–Venice, Italy
- Ali Patrick–city of Trivandrum, India
Photos from Italy and Australia and Three Continents
Know Your Academic Rights
Dear Students,
As the last day of classes approaches please take some time to consider your academic rights for Reading Period and Finals.
- Final exams (meaning comprehensive examinations covering materials from the course of the entire semester) can only be given during the formal exam period.
- In courses without a registrar-scheduled final examination, significant assignments such as final take-home exams, semester-long projects, and term papers must be due no sooner than the first day, and no later than the last day, of the exam period and preferably at the time slot reserved for the registrar-scheduled examination.
- Student organizations should not schedule retreats, programs or meetings that require student attendance during Reading Period.
- Departmental, program, and college activities that require student participation should not be held during Reading Period, with the exception of oral and written examinations covered by alternative exam calendars.
- If a student has three or more final examinations on one day, the student may request a rescheduled examination from one instructor.
For the full-written regulations for finals and reading period as well as other academic policies of the University please click here.If you do not feel comfortable speaking directly to your instructor about any concerns you have about your academic rights, please contact your Class Dean.
If you have any additional questions or concerns about Final Exams, Reading Period or other academic issues, please feel free to contact the WSA’s Academic Affairs Committee Chair or speak to any of your Academic Affairs Committee representatives.
Mari Jarris ’14, Chair ( mjarris@wesleyan.edu ), Aubrey Hamilton ’12 Vice-Chair ( ahamilton@wesleyan.edu ), Nandita Vijayaraghavan ’13
Representative ( nvijayaragha@wesleyan.edu ), Christian Hosam ’15
Representative ( chosam@wesleyan.edu ), Sisi Miteva ’15 Representative ( smiteva@wesleyan.edu )
Good luck and have a wonderful December and January! -The Academic Affairs Committee
Useful Academic Links: Academic Calendar 2011-2012 Year Fall Semester 2011 Exam Schedule Student Disability Services Unofficial GPA Calculator
Prof-It — Check it out today, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Dear Students,
The Wesleyan Student Assembly is pleased to announce Prof-it, a professor review website exclusively for Wesleyan students. Stop by Usdan 108 today, December 5, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. to review your professors, ask questions, and get free Thai food! In the meantime, check it out at www.prof-it.org to write and read reviews of professors and courses.
If you have any questions or concerns feel free to email me at mjarris@wesleyan.edu.
Best, Mari Jarris ’14, Academic Affairs Committee Chair, Wesleyan Student Assembly
Green Fund Application
Hi students,
Just wanted to remind you all that the fall semester application 
deadline for Green Fund proposals is Friday December 9th at 9pm. The application can be found at https://greenfund.wsa.wesleyan.edu/applying-for-funding/
If you have any questions about the application process or the Green Fund in general feel free to contact me.
Good luck with finals and the end of the semester,
Evan Weber, Green Fund Committee Chair, eweber@wesleyan.edu
Apps for WSA Rep due by 6 p.m. Sunday
Dear Students
This a reminder that if you want to run to be on the WSA next semester, you must submit the signed elections petition and 150 word candidate statement by 6 PM this coming Sunday. Petitions should be submitted to the office and the candidate statement should be emailed to wsa@wesleyan.edu.
Elections will open next week, Monday through Friday and all students can vote. Encourage your friends who are abroad to vote too!
Thanks and wish you the best of luck on finals,
Arya M Alizadeh, Chair, Elections Committee Coordinator, WSA
Last Day to Withdraw from Classes
Today–Friday, December 2 by 5 p.m.–is the last day to withdraw from first semester courses. You need the signature of your instructor, faculty advisor and class dean in order to submit your withdrawal form to the Registrar’s Office.
On Campus During Break and Pull-in Forms
Break Reminder:
If you do not live in a wood frame house and need to stay for winter break, you must complete the winter break housing application on our website at: http://www.wesleyan.edu/reslife/ugrad_housing/winter_closing.htt by Thursday, December 1, 2011 by 4:30 p.m. ** Program houses are not considered wood frame houses**
** Athletes will receive information from athletics about winter break arrangements and do not need to apply.
***International students with questions regarding winter break should contact Janice Watson at jwatson@wesleyan.edu
Students will be notified of their winter break status on December 9, 2011 via email.
Pull-in Forms:
Completed pull-in forms must be submitted to the Office of Residential Life by Thursday, December 7, 2011 by 4:30 p.m. The pull-in form is available on our website at: (new form)
If you are being pulled in and are unsure that someone submitted a form for you, please contact the person who is pulling you in for confirmation.
We will not be making exceptions for late pull-in or winter break housing applications.
If you have any questions, please email reslife@wesleyan.edu or call our office at x-3550
Desperate Times
By Peer Advisor, Jelisa Adair from http://peeradvisor.blogs.wesleyan.edu/
I think I can speak for quite a few people when I say this has been a hard semester. I myself can say quite honestly that after the October Break/Blackout fiasco, I lost a whole lot of my drive. However this is not the time to let the malaise of the semester get to you. It’s time to go hardcore and finish this semester out right. And I am here to help.
1. Facebook
Facebook is the devil. It is. If you are like me, you have found yourself intending to just check your notifications, only to realize that three hours have past and you have spent them all staring at pictures of your friends doing incredibly stupid things. Three hours that could have/should have/ostensibly would have been spent on more worthwhile things like that five page paper that’s due tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. And so it’s time to get nasty with your Facebook and show it who’s boss.
Tip #1: Actually use your time blocking software
Remember my posts about StayFocusd and LeechBlocker (which, due to craziness was just posted on Sunday) ? Maybe it’s time to revisit them. Limit your time to between 10-20 minutes.
Tip #2: Change your password
Remember, the title of this post is desperate measures. I will admit something, while I used StayFocusd on my Google Chrome browser, I had no time blocker on my other internet browser, Safari. So sometimes, when time ran out on Chrome, I just used Safari and kept blissfully wasting time away. But then I took a desperate measure. I closed my eyes and typed gibberish into a word document and then copy and pasted it to change my Facebook password. I then logged into my Facebook only on Chrome and then deleted the word document keeping my nonsensical password. Just like that, I couldn’t access my Facebook on any laptop other than my own on any browser but the one monitored by StayFocusd. I requested a new password just before break, but plan to use this tip again in the very near future.
Another option: Have a good friend change your password. My two housemates do this every finals week and even go so far as changing the email associated with the account so that the other cannot change their passwords back. Hardcore? Yes. Effective? You know it.
2. Unplug
There comes that time when you need to distance yourself from the distraction that is your cell phone. Whether this means not taking it to the library with you at all, turning it off, or even just putting it on silent (not vibrate, silent), any way to minimize the distractions of other people putting off their work can be incredibly helpful. I know it’s hard. Our generation is not used to being cut off from people for long periods of time. But you know that feeling of superiority you get by making people wait a long time for your texts? Harness that and remember that if people really want to get a hold of you, they will find a way. Or they will just wait.
3. Gmail chat
You are just signed into your email waiting for an email from a professor or just to answer a few emails quickly. And then someone im’s you. Fast forward to an hour later with you half-heartedly doing work while being annoyed by those little beeps that signal an im.
STOP. Go invisible. Not ‘Do not disturb’ because no one listens to those anyways. INVISIBLE.
4. Netflix
As a tour guide, I like to tell all the visitors on my tour to never get instant Netflix. Because as awesome as it is to wake up from a daze in which you have watched an entire season of Glee or Law and Order: SVU, it is actually a horrible feeling of regret and sorrow. Time block it for 45 minutes, enough time to watch one episode or two of a sit-com. Change your password. Suspend your account. ANYTHING. Just don’t let yourself get sucked in.
5. The Internet
Sometimes the internet itself can just be a big wide world of distractions. If you don’t need the internet, use one of the Exley classrooms to work since they have horrible internet reception.
I know. These sound extreme, but trust me, in the end, it’s worth it. Now excuse me as I go take some of my own advice!
a Adair
Thinking About A Thesis? 12/1, 4:15 p.m.
“THINKING ABOUT A THESIS” WORKSHOP
with Professors Pinch (HIST), Pfister (ENGL/AMST) and Sultan (BIOL)
and Honors Coordinator Susan Krajewski
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1 4:15 P. M.
ALLBRITTON 103
Run for WSA Rep — Apps due 12/4
Dear Students,
Want to get more involved with setting Wesleyan’s policies on academics, reslife, sports, social life, financial aid…or just about anything Wesleyan does? Are you looking to serve your community of fellow students?
If you are interested in running for a spot on the WSA, please note that election petitions are due by 6:00 PM on Sunday December 4th in the WSA office in Usdan. If the office is closed, slide the completed petition under the office door. You must collect 25 signatures from students in any year on the petition and submit a 150 word statement to
If you’re looking to change Wesleyan and represent your friends, classmates and fellow students, then the WSA is the place for you! Please email us (wsa@wesleyan.edu) by 6 PM on Dec. 4 or check out our website at http://wsa.wesleyan.edu, if you have any questions or concerns.
Cheers and best of luck finishing out the semester! Arya M. Alizadeh, Chair, Elections Committee, Coordinator, WSA