Assignment

Choose one assignment from the following options to submit for your assignment. Type up your response according to the guidelines listed in the syllabus (12 point, Times New Roman font, with 1 inch margins and double-spacing), and upload your assignment as a WORD or PDF attachment at the bottom of this assignment.

Your response will be evaluated on the basis of: a) how well you demonstrate an understanding of and engagement with the assignment task; b) the clarity and quality of your writing; c) your overall effort on the assignment. Remember that quality of writing is valued over quantity. The assignment will be graded on a scale of 0-25 points, and the grader's comments and grade should be available to you within one week of the original posting date.

The assignment consists of a larger task and a longer reflection paper and makes up 15% of your overall grade. The assignment is designed to help you think more deeply about class and reading material, and engage with campus resources that can help and support you.

The questions posed in each option are designed to help guide your thinking and response. You are not required to respond to all (or even any) of the listed questions, although your responses should be organized in some way. As with any writing assignment, providing sufficient background information to your topic and offering specific examples to support your views will make your ideas clearer and more convincing.

Option 1:

Make an appointment or attend drop-in advising hours to discuss your academic progress with an adviser at your college. Before your meeting, visit the UCSC advising website to review the University's timeline for student progress. Also review your ‘Academic Advising Report' (AAR) on your portal (see this video if you cannot locate your AAR).

At your appointment, discuss which lower-division requirements you have satisfied, which lower-division requirements you still have yet to satisfy, and possible classes that you'd like to take to fulfill them. Create a summer term and ‘sophomore plan' with your adviser. If you have a proposed major in mind, discuss this with your adviser. Discuss any activities that you'd like to participate in over the next few years (study abroad, faculty research, an internship, etc) and possible plans for your summer.

After your meeting, write a 3-4 page reflection about your meeting. Summarize what you discussed in your meeting, what advice your adviser gave to you, what your future plans are and how you plan to achieve your goals.

Option 2:

Visit a major campus resource that is open and available to UCSC students (Long Marine Lab, the campus farm, the campus arboretum, the Grateful Dead archive at the library, etc). Take notes during your visit about what the resource does, how it supports research and educational processes at UCSC, what the history of the resource is, which faculty or staff are involved in the resource and what kinds of research projects they are working on, among other things. Also note your impressions, thoughts and reactions to the resource.

After your visit, type up your notes in the form of a 3-4 page essay. Describe the campus resource you visited, and what your thoughts and impressions were.

Option 3:

Interview a professor or faculty member who you would like to get to know better. As a suggestion, you may want to interview someone whose class you enjoyed or who teaches in the discipline you hope to major in. Check to see when their office hours are. You may also want to send them an email to let them know that you will stop by their office hours. When you go to meet with them, introduce yourself and use the questions on p. 6 of Andreatta to guide your interview. Jot down your professor's responses on separate sheets of paper.

After your interview, type up a 3-4 page essay that reflects upon the interview. Summarize what you discussed and reflect upon what you learned. What did you enjoy the most in the interview? What surprised you or what did you find unexpected? Did you learn anything that changed your view of the university, research or what it means to be a professor?

Option 4:

Locate and read a scholarly article written by a professor whose class you've taken (professors' publications are usually listed on their website). When reading, try to annotate and understand the article as much as possible (you may not understand very much). Jot down what you do understand and what you don't understand. Answer the questions on p. 10 of Andreatta with as much detail as possible.

Turn your notes into a 3-4 page essay that discusses your engagement with the article. Explain the details of the article and discuss what you struggled with in understanding it and what you understood easily. Also discuss if, on the basis of the publication, you'd be interested in getting involved with this professor's research, and why or why not.

Option 5:

Make an appointment with an academic adviser in a discipline that you think you'd like to major in. Before your visit, review your ‘Academic Advising Report' (AAR) on your portal (see this video if you cannot locate your AAR). Discuss what lower-division classes you've taken in the major, what classes you'd like to take next year and what classes you'd like to take to fulfill your upper-division requirements. Discuss any other activities that you'd like to participate in (study abroad, faculty research, an internship, etc).

After your meeting, write a 3-4 page reflection. Summarize what you discussed in your meeting, what advice your adviser gave to you, what your plans are for the next three years of study and how you plan to achieve your goals.

Option 6:

After completing your FOCUS2 profile (during your Week 4 weekly assignment), visit an adviser at the Career Center to discuss possible major or career choices. You may sign-up for an appointment beforehand, or attend a drop-in appointment. Before your appointment, re-review Chapter 5 of Andreatta. At your meeting, analyze your FOCUS2 results with the adviser and discuss what the results may mean for your future studies or job opportunities.

After your meeting, write a 3-4 page reflection. Summarize what you discussed in your meeting, what advice your adviser gave to you and how their insight may impact your future plans. Discuss if you learned anything new, surprising or unexpected. Do you plan to re-think your major, career or future plans as a result of your advising session? Why or why not?

Option 7:

Use the Career Center Alumni Network (CAN) or the UCSC alumni page on Linked In to contact a UCSC alumni who has your dream job or works in a field that you are interested in. Drop the alum an email or contact them by phone to set up an interview (by phone, Skype or in person, if they are local). Before the interview, re-review Chapter 5 of Andreatta (particularly pages pp. 135-142). Prepare a list of questions to ask during the interview, including questions about how the alum got into their field and their particular job, what education is required to go into their field, what they do on a daily basis, and what specific things they like and dislike about their job. Take notes during your interview.

After your interview, type up a 3-4 page reflection. Summarize what you discussed and reflect upon what you learned. What surprised you or what did you find unexpected? Did anything you learn change your view of that particular job, the field or your possible major? Are you still motivated to pursue that job or major? Why or why not?

Option 8:

Interview a graduating student in a major you are interested in pursuing (ask a major adviser, residential assistants or college adviser for referrals). Before the interview, re-review Chapter 5 of Andreatta and prepare a list of questions to ask during the interview, including questions about why the student chose the major, how they prepared for the major in their first two years of college, what the good classes in the major are, what they hope to do with it when they graduate and what major-related activities they are involved in (internships, research, etc). Take notes during your interview.

After your interview, type up a 3-4 page reflection. Summarize what you discussed and reflect upon what you learned. What surprised you or what did you find unexpected? Did anything you learn change your view of that possible major? Are you still motivated to pursue that major? Why or why not?

Option 9:

Attend a workshop or panel discussion at the Career Center. They have several upcoming workshops on resumes and cover letters, exploring careers in medicine and law and paid internships in the private sector. Before the workshop/panel, re-review Chapter 5 of Andreatta. Take notes while attending the panel or workshop, and ask the panelists or speakers any questions that you have.

After the workshop, write a 3-4 page paper. Discuss what the panel or workshop was about, what you learned and how the information will be useful in your future. What surprised you or what did you find unexpected? What information or insights was most valuable? What follow-up questions do you have, if any, and how do you plan to get your questions addressed?