DUS News - October 8, 2018

News: 

The Major - Career Relationship

We know you want to be able to support yourself once you graduate. We also know that there’s a relationship between what you do after graduation and what you choose to study. But guess what? The relationship isn’t as simple as you might think. "A college degree used to slot you into a 40-year career. Now it's just an entry-level point to your first job.” There are a lot of career paths that you haven’t heard of yet, and a variety of majors that lead to an array of careers. Moreover, the skills employers most want in their new employees don’t come from a specific major, but from the whole educational experience. Our advice? Seek out what you’re good at and what you care about, then use the resources at Penn State to connect your interests, talents, and skills to your future possibilities.

How to explore without taking a class

Want to explore, but don’t have time to take an entire course in a potential major? Here are some ways you can explore on your own:

  • Look through a major’s website to gain a deeper understanding of that major.
  •  Read a major’s upper-level course descriptions in the Bulletins.
  • Sit in on a lecture in a relevant course. Pro Tip: Ask the professor ahead of time; set up a specific date.
  • Find out if there is a club related to this major. Attend the club’s talks and events. Make
    sure to listen and ask questions.
  • Visit faculty members during their office hours. Prepare a list of questions before you go.
  • Find job shadowing opportunities for hands-on experience. Think about how a major will help you contribute to society. Does it feel like a good fit for you?

Help us improve our communications to you!

If you have been in Grange building recently, you may have noticed the digital screens in the lobby. If you haven't, you should, there is a lot of useful information there for you to see! In an effort to help us provide you with the most relevant information, our communications team would like your feedback on these digital displays. Please complete this brief survey to help us improve our digital display and information sharing for you and other DUS students.

Important Dates: 

More events at dus.psu.edu/calendar.

Resource Spotlight: 

Career Services

Discover and work toward a meaningful career pathway by using Penn State Career Services! http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/career/

Resources include:

  • Career Counseling and Coaching
  • Resume Reviews
  • Mock Interviews
  • Workshops and Career Fairs
  • Nittany Lion Career Network and On Campus Recruiting
  • Career Decision Making and Job Search Courses
  • Career Resource Library
  • …And more!

 

Events and Announcements: 

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

Smeal Snack-N-Schedule

University Park

Are you starting to think about your Spring 2019 schedule? Exploring Smeal majors?

  • What: Smeal Snack-N-Schedule
  • Who: Talk with your peers, the Smeal Student Mentors, about suggested academic plans each of the eight Smeal majors.
  • When: Wednesday, October 10, 2018 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm
  • Where: Business Building Atrium. 
  • No RSVP needed

P.S. Don’t forget your DUS advisor can help with scheduling decisions too! Make an appointment: https://dus.psu.edu/appointments

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:

Aerospace Engineering
Thursday, October 11, 6:00 p.m.
220 Hammond Building

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

Are you thinking about a Smeal College of Business major?

University Park

Attend Explore Smeal 2018 events on October 15, 2018 from 4:45pm – 8:45pm 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

Join the New Student Orientation O-Team

University Park

Interested in helping join the Class of 2023 to Penn State? Join the Orientation Team! We are seeking diverse, dedicated, enthusiastic, resourceful, and motivated students to join our 2019 Orientation Team (OTeam).  New Student Orientation (NSO) begins the transition to Penn State and the OTeam makes the difference for new students and their families. Members of the OTeam will serve as group facilitators, resource persons, role models, and ambassadors for Penn State during NSO. You can learn more about the Orientation Team by visiting oteam.psu.edu.

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 Prep: Coursework, skills & experiences needed for medical/dental/podiatry programs

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

PA Prep: Coursework, 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