March Lessons from the Class Deans

In March, the Spring semester truly finds its rhythm. First-year students have settled into their courses and their activities, and commonly face their first round of papers and exams for the semester. Information about the housing lottery process for next year is posted in March, so first-year students may be having conversations with friends about plans for housing during sophomore year. This is also the time of year when all students are beginning to consider their options for summer and for the next academic year.

March is often a time in New England when we all feel a longing for springtime, as the winter weather can hang on for awhile! Having a plan for spring break, whether it involves traveling or just taking time to relax and reflect, can be helpful even as students are very focused on their academic work.

Sophomores are trying to make a lot of big decisions right now, including what to major in. The deadline to declare a major is March 6th. Many students believe that picking a major is the biggest decision of their academic lives. At Wellesley College we try to de-emphasize its significance by pointing out that a liberal arts education will give them all the preparation necessary to pursue a variety of career paths, regardless of their chosen major. Sophomores are also hearing back as to whether or not they have been accepted to various study abroad programs to which they have applied. A lot of decision-making is going on, and your sophomore will likely be somewhat stressed about it. Please encourage her to see her class dean for advice and help in making those decisions.

Soon your daughter will be registering for classes for the fall semester and beginning to think about her final year at Wellesley College. To aid her in this endeavor, we will be mailing each junior a copy of her Degree Audit. The Degree Audit is a document indicating what graduation requirements your daughter has fulfilled and is a very useful tool for determining what courses she still needs to take in order to graduate on time. Sometimes receiving the degree audit can make students a bit anxious, and many will come in to see me after they receive their copy. This is exactly what they should be doing. If your daughter calls you with concerns or questions about her audit, please send her to me for help. Now, not next year, is the time to resolve these problems so that your daughter's senior year is smooth sailing.

Seniors are now well-settled into their final semester at Wellesley, finishing their final degree requirements and enjoying their last chance to take that one course that they shouldn't leave Wellesley without experiencing. Some seniors already have plans for their next steps after college, as they take on jobs or accept offers of admission to graduate schools. Others are just beginning to focus on their ideas about this, and there is still plenty of time to work with the staff at the Center for Work and Service on these plans. For some seniors, this is a complicated and anxious moment as they anticipate leaving college and moving on to uncertain futures, particularly in this economy. Reminding them of your own first steps, and perhaps sharing the shifts and turns that some of us take in our career path, can be a useful way to open up a conversation about this, and gives you a chance to acknowledge how much they have accomplished during their time at Wellesley.