Sophomore Winter -- Important Happenings

January 20, 2009

Dear Sophomores,

Happy Inauguration Day!

Winter quarter is a busy one for sophomores, so I have developed a Sophomore Calendar for the winter quarter to highlight some of the events and deadlines that come up this quarter. In this message, I want to share a little more detail with you.

Study Abroad: Long-term and extended-term study abroad applications were (as you know!) due Week 2.
Declaring a Major: You must declare a major by Declaration of Major Day on February 5th, Thursday of 5th Week.
(Read more details below.)
Exploring Internship and Externship Opportunities: There will be resume-writing workshops and career counseling available this quarter. The Externship Catalogue will be available on February 6th; externship applications will be due during 7th Week.
(Read more details below.) For the first time this year, externships will only be available for first-years and sophomores -- YOU WILL NOT BE COMPETING AGAINST JUNIORS!

Declaration of Major:

Declaration of Major Day is Thursday of Fifth Week! And there is a special DSA Pizza Party TOMORROW where Departmental Student Advisors who have "been there, done that" will be available to answer questions.

If you're anxious about declaring a major, remember two things:

Many of you already have identified one or two fields that interest you the most.
You can always change your major later!

Many students change their major at least once during their college careers. Even more significant, many people switch careers several times during their lifetimes. (I'm on at least my second career, myself, and have gotten involved in various projects that could count as other, temporary, careers.) It's important to remember that employers often care more about how well you did in college, and what you got out of it, than what you majored in. Graduate schools frequently care more about your major than companies do, but even there, there is often flexibility. So, talk to some of the professors in programs that interest you, choose one, fill out the forms, and then take that deep breath!

Dr. Zaide Pixley or I will send you more specific information about Declaration of Major Day when we get a little closer to the event.

Internships/Externships:

Many students choose to do an internship or externship during the summer between their sophomore and junior years. Some of you may also already be looking ahead to your SIP. The Discovery Externship Catalog will be released later in the Winter Quarter. The Center for Career Development (CCD) will host resume-writing workshops and one-on-one peer counseling with career advisors, followed by externship application workshops. The externship program is a great opportunity, developed specifically for K students.

See the Center for Career Development web page for more information on our award-winning externship program, as well as internships, and other programs sponsored by the CCD.

Whew! There's a lot going on this quarter, and that doesn't even include your classes and extra-curricular activities! So, whenever you can, make sure you get enough sleep, eat healthy (at least most of the time! ), support your friends, make use of the campus resources available to you, and get out and enjoy a little bit of winter weather. Here's to a healthy, productive, busy quarter!

Alyce

Alyce Brady
Professor of Computer Science
Dean of the Sophomore Class

You can find more information for sophomores on the Sophomore Year web page. Go to the Sophomore Calendar for the winter quarter to see the various study abroad, career development, and major declaration activities in calendar format.