October is here!
Dear Mammoths,
October is here! Soon it will be Fall Break, 10/9-10/10, and then Family weekend, 10/20-1022, followed by Advising week where you’ll be meeting with your faculty advisor to talk about how your academics are going and which courses you would like to take in the Spring. Hard to believe but we are almost at that time of the semester. Pre-registration for next term then happens over two weeks, starting at the end of this month. The Registrar’s website and the Advising Hub web pages both have useful information that can help you prepare for your advising meeting and register for your Spring classes.
This is also a month of midterm projects, papers, and exams. If you haven’t already made an appointment with the Writing Center, Moss Quantitative Center or tried a meeting for additional resources to support your transition into student life here through the Strategic Learning Center it might be time to review your course syllabi and book some appointments well before an assignment comes due.
I’m also always here as a resource to support your academic goals and to offer more holistic advising. Those of you who might already be doing research for your classes or who know you will have a research assignment due at the end of the semester may have had an in-class session with one of our extraordinary Research & Instruction librarians. They are always available to support you with your academic work, so please reach out to them as well whenever you need. Amherst also offers peer tutors to help support your learning, which you can learn more about here.
Keep an eye out for: The Five College Native American and Indigenous Studies Symposium, which happens the Thursday and Friday after Fall break. This “Gathering at the Crossroads: Abya Yala & Activism” is an event open to all students and community partners. This is one of among many programs that students can have access to this month.
Finally, I hope you are each finding time to manage your calendar in ways that make studying and learning both productive and enjoyable. There will continue to be a range of co-curricular activities that you can participate in, so hopefully you are finding ways to connect with other first year students and other members of the Amherst community.
One fun example is that Amherst College will be covering the Registration fee for all students, faculty, and staff who want to participate in the ABC 5K walk/run on Saturday, October 14. Register here and use the coupon code “AmherstCollege2023” when you check out. It’s fun, free, and on campus. So check out the Center for Community Engagement (CCE) website for more details as well as their posts in the Daily Mammoth.
I look forward to seeing any first-years who are available for Cider & Donuts on Thursday October 19 on the First Year Quad to meet and talk about how this semester is going for you. It should be appropriately autumnal and a chance to meet new people in your class.
See you around campus,
Dean Vigil