Dear Students,
With a fun football game behind us, we're about to start the fourth week of the semester. This is where the enjoyable leisure of summer starts to fade and professors introduce our first midterm exams of the semester. Its hard to go against human nature and prepare in advance, but that's what has to happen. I hope you are able to spend time reviewing, and you won't be in a last minute cram. I still remember a big test in college I bombed because, instead of focusing on the material I didn't understand, I repeatedly practiced problems I could already do well.
Other than midterms, I wanted to bring the following two initiatives to your attention:
1) Degree in Three. Did you bring a lot of placement credit with you? Do you want to get a jump start on graduate or professional school, or simply save a year's costs of a college education? The College of Natural Sciences has developed a new expedited degree program we call Degree in Three. Take courses over three summers, and follow the prescribed plan during three full academic years. Make an appointment with your advisor to see whether this will work for you. The web site linked above will help you through the process of putting your course of study together.
2) The college is streamlining the international study abroad process for science students. We are identifying "sister" universities all over the world that are our academic peers, and evaluating over 300 courses from those institutions to pre-certify which courses match and which degree requirements they fulfill. These approvals will be in place *before* you leave, rather than requiring that you get transfer approval when you return. The IONS student group (International Opportunities in Natural Sciences) will have their welcome back dinner for returning students as well as an information session for students interested in study abroad on 9/22. Contact Wesley King if you'd like more information.
Best of luck in the coming week.
Yours,
Dr. Sacha Kopp
PS: Science trivia quiz of the week:
(1) What cartoonist has had three insect species named after him?
(2) What does a bromidrosiphobic shoe salesman fear?
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