DUS News - October 19, 2020
Penn State has over 680 majors and minor 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 2021 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/#connect.
- October 20 (Tues)
- DUS Group Advising Session - Explore and Find the Right Major for You - October 22 (Thurs)
- HHD Majors and Minors Night - October 30 (Fri)
- DUS Scholarship Application Deadline
Are you interested in applying to a health professional school? Consider stopping by the PreHealth Advising virtual walk-in hours. Please log in to Starfish to schedule same day appointments during the times listed below.
There will be walk-ins on the following days:
- Monday: 1:30–3:30 p.m.
- Tuesday: 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
- Wednesday: No walk-in hours
- Thursday: 1:30–3:30 p.m.
- Friday: 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Have a question that can be resolved in a short 5-10 minute conversation? Join us for Quick Question Advising via Zoom on the dates and times below. Some of these topics include: discussing adding/dropping courses within deadlines; getting a form signed; using LionPATH; reviewing entrance-to-major requirements; learning about general education information not related to schedule planning; transferring credits. Quick question advising is not intended for in-depth conversations.
For students enrolled in DUS:
- Click here for quick question advising via Zoom - Please note that a DUS adviser is only available during the times listed below. All times are Eastern Time.
Monday 1:00–3:00 p.m. Tuesday 9:00–11:00 a.m. Wednesday 9:00–11:00 a.m. Thursday 1:00–3:00 p.m. Friday No Quick Question advising.
For students not enrolled in DUS:
- Use our online form to submit a question. Use your Penn State email.
How can you better monitor your learning so that you don't waste time and effort on ineffective study strategies? This workshop presents research-based evidence that metacognition (awareness of how you learn and the predictable effects of the related choices you make) can help you successfully transition to the demands of college-level courses as well as the flexibility of setting your own schedule. All sessions will be held online via Zoom, and all times listed are Eastern Time (ET).
Upcoming Study Smarter Sessions:
- Tuesday, November 10 at 5 p.m., https://bit.ly/StudySmarter11-10-20_5PM
- Wednesday, November 11 at 10 a.m., https://bit.ly/StudySmarter11-11-20_10
- Thursday, November 12 at 6 p.m., https://bit.ly/StudySmarter11-12-20_6PM
Want to know more about the majors and minors in the College of Health and Human Development? Attend one of the HHD Majors and Minors Nights! Whether you're interested in a career in healthcare, public health, education, recreation, the hospitality industry, or scientific research and development, the College of Health and Human Development offers you options that are practical and purposeful.
HHD’s majors bring together the science of life with the business of being human.
Thursday, October 22, 7:00–8:30 p.m.
For more information and Zoom session links: http://bit.ly/HHDMajorsNight
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 will be held via Zoom.
Upcoming Fall 2020 Sessions
All sessions are at 8:00 p.m. ET and held via Zoom:
October 20: Explore and Find the Right Major for You
Register and attend online: https://psu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LzZyxV3OQ7GVkIdV4DhWzg
DUS students who engage in their educations have multiple opportunities to be recognized. For example, DUS students in sophomore standing (at any campus) who have a cumulative grade point average above a 3.50 can apply for a DUS scholarship. (If that’s you, please apply!)
Students who have been thoughtful about their academic decisions are regularly nominated for a variety of leadership positions. At University Park, DUS students are involved in Leadership Council and Engaged Scholars. At other campus locations, check with your DUS Advising Office, Student Activities Office, or Financial Aid to find leadership and scholarship opportunities specific to your campus. And all DUS students, regardless of campus, could be featured in a DUS Student Story video.
Finally, in recognition of academic excellence, all students who complete 12 or more credits in a semester with a 3.5 or higher are named to the Dean's List.
Interested in a major in the College of Engineering? There are several ways for you to learn about majors in the college. You can attend a virtual major night, in which you can view a presentation by faculty and current students and learn about the major, typical coursework, and potential career paths. Note that the linked website states that attendance is required. This is only a requirement if you are enrolled in EDSGN 100. These events are open to all students considering an engineering major, not just students enrolled in EDSGN 100. We chose to link to this site to show all available sessions. You can attend one or all sessions. The choice is yours!
Don't have time to visit the virtual major nights? Check out the series of 5-minute videos highlighting each major with current faculty, students, and alum who are working in their respective industries. These are a great resource for students when looking at the difference between majors.