DUS News - February 13, 2023
A third of the courses you’ll take to earn your degree at Penn State are General Education courses. This is because Gen Ed is a cornerstone of your university education, which is intended to prepare you to think, work, and contribute to a diverse and changing world. Gen Ed courses give you the opportunity to develop an important breadth of thinking skills, a well-rounded educational experience, and time to explore areas of potential interest. One of the most important things you can do is connect what you learn in Gen Ed courses to your life experiences, your interests, and your larger goals.
To Do: Reflect on how you’ve used the opportunity Gen Ed provides you and connected those experiences to other aspects of your life. Use the Gen Ed Planning Tool to identify the Gen Ed courses you've taken so far, and discuss with your adviser how you can best use the remaining courses to enhance your learning.
Last week's topic: How Do I Make Decisions?
If you have three final exams on one day or three exams in consecutive periods you can file an Overload Conflict Exam Request Form if you are at University Park, Harrisburg, or Behrend campus. If you are at another campus, please contact your campus registrar. The University Registrar explains the final exam conflict procedure.
- February 16 (Thurs.)
- Undergraduate Research 101 (Group Advising) - February 22 (Wed.)
- 2023 Darwin Day Lecture
Ready to declare your major (and possibly add on a minor)? You can do this through the “Update Academics” page on LionPATH. Visit the LionPATH Help page for step-by-step instructions on how to change/update/declare a major, minor, or certificate.
DUS will be holding group advising sessions throughout the spring semester as a way to discuss popular advising topics with groups of students. These sessions are open to all DUS students and will help you to learn more about the topic and to ask questions in a friendly, open environment. For more information on each session visit https://dus.psu.edu/group-advising. All sessions are held in the Grange Building Lobby, unless otherwise listed on the website.
Spring 2023 Sessions
All sessions are at 4:00 p.m. ET and held in the Grange Building Lobby.
February 16: Undergraduate Research 101
Please register in advance for the February 16 session.
February 28: Interested in Smeal?
Please register in advance for the February 28 session.
March 14: Explore and Find the Right Major for You
Please register in advance for the March 14 session.
March 21: General Education 101
Please register in advance for the March 21 session.
March 28: Course Enrollment 101
Herman Pontzer, Ph.D., Penn State alumnus and Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology and Research Associate Professor of Global Health at Duke University, investigates how our deep, evolutionary past shapes our lives today. His team conducted the first measurements of daily energy expenditure in traditional hunter-gatherers and in non-human apes, with discoveries that have changed the way we think about diet, exercise, metabolism, and health. A reception and book signing will follow the lecture in the auditorium lounge. RSVP required for the reception.
Date: Wednesday, February 22, 2023
Time: 4:30-6:00 p.m.
Location: Freeman Auditorium, HUB-Robeson Center
Are you interested in taking on a leadership role where you will have the chance to make a difference? If you are a current sophomore with a 3.2 GPA or above and have a conditional or permanent offer to a Smeal major, please consider applying to become a Smeal Student Mentor! As a Smeal Student Mentor, you will become a helpful resource for incoming first-year Penn State Smeal students and will focus on guiding them through their first college experience and answering any questions they may have. Mentors should maintain regular communication with their assigned mentees throughout the semester, make themselves available for meetings and events with mentees, provide advice about scheduling and academics at Penn State, and encourage first-year students to get involved on campus. Mentors also partner with Smeal Undergraduate Education in leading various Smeal-affiliated events throughout the year.
Smeal Student Mentor applications are now live on www.smealstudentmentors.org and are due by Monday, February 27th by 5 p.m. in 202 Business Building. Contact the Training and Recruitment Director, Noah Broderick at nmb5898@psu.edu with any questions.
There are three ways you can talk with a DUS adviser at University Park (Note: DUS students at other campuses or at other colleges at University Park should check how advising services are being offered where you are):
- 20–30 minute scheduled appointment with your assigned adviser over Zoom or in person.
- Quick question advising (QQA) with any DUS adviser over Zoom or in person. No appointment is needed. Quick question advising will be held Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 1:00–3:00 p.m. and Tuesdays from 9:00–11:00 a.m. You can find the link to the QQA waiting room on the DUS appointments webpage.
- Email your assigned adviser.
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