DUS News - February 6, 2023
Everyone has a decision-making style as well as a decision-making strategy that they tend to follow. Is your style spontaneous, or do you collect all the information available and weigh the pros and cons? Is your strategy to follow your gut instinct, or is your strategy to plan carefully? Your style and the strategies you use as you explore majors will affect how certain you are of your academic goals.
To Do: Read and do the exercises in the Decision-Making Style and Strategy and Major Certainty documents. Bring them with you to your next advising appointment for an in-depth conversation about your decision making and major certainty.
Last week's topic: How Do Majors Relate to Careers?
Next week's topic: How Can Gen Ed Courses Enhance My Education?
You are allowed to be in DUS up to the end of your first four semesters. After that, though, you need to move out of DUS and into your major, especially if you’re planning to graduate on time.
If you started at Penn State during summer or fall 2021, this is your last semester in DUS, and you will be receiving letters from us about this. Work with your adviser to determine your next steps, and use "Update Academics" to declare your major!
If you have reached a decision about your choice of major and meet the qualifications to enter that major, you can use “Update Academics” in LionPATH to process a change into your major. You can review the qualifications for your intended major by viewing the entrance-to-major requirements on your intended major's page in the Bulletin. Students who are completing their second year at Penn State need to be moving out of DUS—if you're still unsure of where to go from here, meet with an adviser to finalize your plans.
- February 6 (Mon.)
- Pre-Law Orientation Session - In person (Registration required) - February 12 (Sun.)
- Erickson Discovery Grant Application Deadline - February 16 (Thurs.)
- Undergraduate Research 101 (Group Advising)
If you haven't found your niche on campus yet, you may be wondering how to get involved with leadership, service, and other organizations at Penn State. Check out the DUS page on University-Wide Involvement Opportunities for ideas and suggestions!
Register to attend the Pre-Law Orientation Session on Monday, February 6, 3:00–4:00 p.m., in the Grange Building Lobby.
Pre-Law Orientation Sessions are open to all Penn State students considering law school. First- and second-year students must attend a Pre-Law Orientation Session prior to scheduling an individual appointment with the pre-law adviser or attending the Applying to Law School Session. Topics covered in the Pre-Law Orientation Session include:
- Preparing for law school and strengthening your application now (even if you are not yet certain that you want to attend)
- Skills required for law school
- Learning about law school
- Exploring legal practice
- Deciding whether to apply to law school
- Introduction to the LSAT and GRE (brief intro to this topic – more in the Applying to Law School Session)
- Law school application timeline (brief intro to this topic – more in the Applying to Law School Session)
- Pre-law advising resources
Planning to do a research project over the summer? Apply for the Erickson Discovery Grant, and earn funding for your project! The Rodney A. Erickson Discovery Grant Program supports undergraduate student engagement in original research, scholarship, and creative work under the direct supervision of a Penn State faculty member. The grants may be used to cover living expenses and project costs (e.g., supplies, materials, books, specialized software, travel for the purpose of data collection, etc.). The application deadline is Sunday, February 12.
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
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.
The Division of Undergraduate Studies is on Instagram! Follow us @PennState_DUS to see student/alumni stories, academic tips, events, announcements, and more. Share your own DUS story with us using #PennStateDUS for the chance to be featured.