DUS News - October 15, 2018

News: 
Find Your Own Path

Penn State has over 680 majors and major options. That is a lot of majors, which means you don’t have to follow the crowd. As a DUS student, you should work hard to create your own path at Penn State. This means exploring different academic paths in a proactive fashion. You could sit in on an upper-level course in a major that interests you. Or you could join a club that is connected to a major or minor. Or you could meet with your adviser to discuss different options at Penn State. Your academic path won’t find you; you have to find it!

Schedule an Appointment

Have you made a scheduling appointment with your adviser yet? If not, you should do this as soon as possible, as scheduling for the Spring 2019 semester is approaching fast!

You can schedule an appointment with your DUS Adviser (at University Park and at some Campus Locations) online via Starfish (starfish.psu.edu). To do this, log into Starfish and you should see a list of people and resources that are available to assist you, including your assigned DUS Academic Adviser. If online scheduling is enabled, you will see a link to make an appointment (If not, you can always contact your adviser or your Advising Office directly). For more information or step-by-step instructions, please visit: http://sites.psu.edu/starfishinfo/user-roles/student-users/#appointment.

DUS Advising Award

Now through Friday, Nov. 9, students may nominate advisers for the 2019 Penn State Excellence in Academic Advising Award. Sponsored by the University Advising Council and the Office of Undergraduate Education, the award recognizes and rewards advising excellence.

One award is given annually to a faculty member and one to a professional academic adviser. All current full-time University employees with advising responsibilities and two years of advising experience at Penn State are eligible.

Students who wish to honor an adviser who has helped them navigate the University’s academic system, plan a fulfilling program of study, consider co-curricular experiences, and learn to manage their own educational journey at Penn State are welcome to complete a short, online nomination form available here.

Advisers selected for the 2019 Excellence in Advising Award will be recognized by the University in the spring.

Important Dates: 
Resource Spotlight: 
PreHealth Advising

health professional school applicant? Consider stopping by the Pre-Health Advising Center in 225 Ritenour Building. Visit their walk-in advising (less than 10 minutes -- M, W, and R, 1:30–3:30 p.m.; T and F: 10:00–12:00 p.m.), make an appointment in Starfish or attend one of their upcoming events for first and second- year students:

  • Med Prep (medicine, dentistry, and podiatry)
    • Tuesday, October 16, 6–7 p.m. in 104 Thomas
    • Monday, November 12, 6–7 p.m. in 201 Thomas
  • PA Prep (physician assistant)
    • Wednesday, October 17, 6–7 p.m. in 201 Thomas
    • Thursday, November 29, 6–7 p.m. in 201 Thomas
Events and Announcements: 
Engineering Major Nights
University Park

Learn about engineering majors at University Park during information sessions throughout the semester. Go to those that interest you, hear from students and faculty, find out about what you'd study in the major and what kinds of career opportunities there are, and tour the facilities. Upcoming major nights include:

Nuclear Engineering
Tuesday, October 16, 5:00 p.m.
106 Sackett Building

Architectural Engineering
Wednesday, October 17, 6:00 p.m.
107 Engineering Unit B

Mechanical Engineering
Thursday, October 18, 5:00 p.m.
203 Sackett Building

Business Majors Night
University Park

Interested in a business-related major?  Every fall semester, DUS hosts Business Majors Night featuring presentations and conversations with representatives from various colleges, including Agricultural Sciences, Communications, Earth and Mineral Sciences, Engineering, Health and Human Development, Information Sciences and Technology, the Liberal Arts, Eberly College of Science, and Smeal College of Business. Presentations include overviews of different business majors, commonly asked questions/answers, entrance requirements, and opportunities in the various colleges/departments.

This year's Business Majors Night is October 17 from 4:00–6:30 p.m. in Findlay Commons.

Are you thinking about a Smeal College of Business major?
University Park

Attend Explore Smeal 2018 events on October 15, 2018 from 4:45 p.m.–8:45 p.m. in the Business building. Presentations on all eight Smeal majors and information sessions about the opportunities outside of the classroom (Alumni mentoring program, the Small Business Development Center, Honor & Integrity Initiatives, the Sustainability 2-Piece Sequence, How to read a degree audit, Study abroad opportunities, diversity enhancement programs and Career Business Services).

To register: https://php.smeal.psu.edu/uprog/explore

Study Smarter, Not Harder
University Park

Would you like to learn how to study more effectively in less time? Study Smarter, Not Harder is an interactive workshop that 99% of students who previously attended would recommend to a friend. Study Smarter, Not Harder will be held Tuesday, October 23 at 6:30 p.m. in 110 Wartik Lab. You’ll learn how to create good learning habits, effective strategies for processing information, how to break down course material into manageable concepts, and the most important factors in successful learning.

EMS Majors Night
University Park

Interested in learning about majors in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences? Come to room 26 Hosler Building at 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 26 to learn about majors and minors in EMS. Students will share their unique experiences in majors, minors, internships, global experiences, research, and more! Refreshments will be available!

Group Advising Sessions
University Park

DUS will be holding Group Advising Sessions throughout the fall 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, including dates and times, visit https://dus.psu.edu/group-advising. All sessions are held in the Grange Building Lobby, unless otherwise listed on the website.

Topics include:

  • Exploration Workshop (multiple dates/sessions)
  • Smeal Entrance to Major (multiple dates/sessions)
  • Study Skills and Time Management
  • Marketing Your Transferrable Skills
  • Schedule Planning (multiple dates/sessions)
  • Constructing Your Story: Minors, Involvement, Internships, and more
  • Major and Career Planning (multiple dates/sessions)
  • Goal Setting and Decision Making
  • DUS Students and Study Abroad
Join Nittany Lions Read/Nittany Lions Count
University Park

The Nittany Lions Read/Nittany Lions Count mentoring program is designed to enhance early reading, math, and science skills of children from surrounding communities, while providing Penn State students the opportunity to give back to their community, gain work experience, and earn federal financial aid through Federal Work Study. The Nittany Lions Read/Nittany Lions Count Program is coordinated jointly by The Office of Student Aid and The Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy; through The College of Education.

They are now accepting applications for Fall 2018. Visit their website at: http://sites.psu.edu/lionsread/ to learn more about the program and to apply.  

Pre-Law Information Sessions
University Park

Students thinking about going to law school should sign up for an information session before scheduling an individual appointment with the pre-law adviser. Two kinds of sessions are available throughout the semester: “Pre-Law Orientation” and “Applying to Law School.” See details, dates/times, and registration instructions at Pre-Law Information Sessions. Note: These sessions fill quickly.

Med Prep & PA Prep Group Advising
University Park

Interested in entering the health professions field? Beginning Fall 2018, all first-year students interested in meeting one-on-one with a health professions adviser are required to attend a large-group advising session (Med Prep or PA Prep) prior to scheduling the advising appointment. All other students are encouraged to attend these sessions as well, as they contain valuable information about how to get started (e.g., prerequisite coursework, extracurricular experiences, etc.). 

FA18 Med Prep & PA Prep Group-Advising Schedule (all sessions are the same - attend one):

Med PrepCoursework, skills & experiences needed for medical/dental/podiatry programs

  • Oct. 16, 6 - 7 pm, 104 Thomas
  • Nov. 12, 6 - 7 pm, 201 Thomas

PA PrepCoursework, skills & experiences needed for Physician Assistant programs

  • Oct. 17, 6 - 7 pm, 201 Thomas
  • Nov. 29, 6 - 7 pm, 201 Thomas

Additional information about health professions advising is available on our website: http://science.psu.edu/premed/advising