Should I Go to Sarah Lawrence College

Should I Go to Sarah Lawrence College Shejla holds a bachelors degree in chemistry from Sarah Lawrence College. She helps students through chemistry tutoring, algebra tutoring, and a number of other academic areas. Interested in attending Sarah Lawrence College? Shejla shares her experience as a student there: Describe the campus setting and transportation options. Shejla: Sarah Lawrence College is located in Bronxville, New York, one of the most panoramic, quiet and safe villages in Westchester, so you can say the campus is in a rural setting. It was overall a safe area and there were shuttle buses to and from the closest Metro North train station. Most students living on campus would bike around. I commuted throughout my stay at SLC, so the train was my only means of transportation. How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Shejla: The professors and academic advisers are always there for you. Sarah Lawrence College runs on a don system, where a faculty member serves as an adviser and helps the student plan the courses of study and have a chance to succeed while at SLC and afterward. Having a don establishes not only a longstanding academic relationship with your adviser, but a personal and career-oriented one. How would you describe the dorm liferooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Shejla: I really didnt experience much of a dorm life, being a commuter, however I really enjoyed sleep overs or all-nighters at my friends space. There were two main food courts, but I wasnt quite a fan of either. Mainly, youd join fellow students at the food courts just to spend time with them, rather than for the food. It also served as a good opportunity to talk to people, both students or faculty. Which majors/programs are best represented and supported? Shejla: The unique thing about SLC is that there are no majors. Everybody graduates with a Bachelors in Liberal Arts, however there are certain concentrations you can follow (not officially) based on the type and amount of certain classes youve taken or the career path you want to follow afterwards. I mostly studied Chemistry, completed a senior thesis in Inorganic Chemistry, took all of the possible advanced classes offered in the area, and it did serve me well. I was a Visiting Student for a year at an Ivy League institution and look forward to enrolling in graduate school next year to pursue a doctorate degree in Chemistry. How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Shejla: I transferred at SLC from a community college after studying there for three semesters, and I found it hard to connect with peers, especially since everybody knew everybody from freshman year and commuting made it even harder to make friends. I found myself connecting to others through classes and study sessions. Greek life, on the other hand, is non-existent to my knowledge. How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services? Shejla: The Career Center proved to be very helpful during my senior year when I was sending out applications to graduate school. They helped me build the best resume, and we went back and forth in several editing sessions. Im not sure about other areas and concentrations of study, but in the sciences, the only instances in which chemical and pharma companies held college students recruitments were while my friends and I attended chemistry conferences. How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Shejla: I always studied in the library, since being at home meant too many distractions. What I didnt like about the library was its hours. It would only be available 24 hours during finals, which is when everybody studies at the library. Other times, it closed around 1am, and there were many nights when I needed to be up studying longer than that. Overall, the library is very small and there arent that many quiet study areas. Describe the surrounding town. Shejla: Bronxville is a small village, however there are a few restaurants and coffee shops we would always go to when we needed a break from campus food or when we were too lazy to head for New York City. Sometimes I would meet my friends there during the weekend for brunch, or walk with them from the dorms. It was always a nice walk, about 15 minutes, while we enjoyed the panoramic views of Bronxville houses and parks. How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Shejla: One of the things Sarah Lawrence College is famous for is its class size and one-to-one time students spend with the faculty, which is the main reason why I decided to attend SLC. Seminar classes have no more than 15 students, while lectures, depending on the professors popularity, vary in their size. Ive attended lectures with 30 fellow classmates, and others with 50. The overall undergraduate body comprises around 1400 students. Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Shejla: I dont think I regret anything from my time at SLC; not classes taken, projects undertaken, interactions with faculty, etc. All of them were extremely fulfilling and instructional to me. If I could choose between the countless great moments spent there, I would choose one with my professor and don, Dr. Colin Abernethy, who saw my potential in chemistry research. After having successfully completed one of his classes, he asked me if I had ever considered the possibility of conducting a senior thesis with him. I was really touched because it showed that he believed in me, but it also made it possible for the two of us to get to know each other better during that one year of research. The academic and professional bond created is still going strong today. Check out Shejlas tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

New Years Resolutions for Kids

New Year’s Resolutions for Kids The school year is well underway, but its a brand new calendar year and an ideal time for students to think about how to continue making positive progress in school. This month, spend time with your child to come up with a set of academic New Years resolutions. This exercise is worthwhile for several reasons: The process of thinking about how to achieve ones goals is highly beneficial, helping students stay motivated, build confidence and persevere. Setting resolutions teaches students how to think introspectively about their life and goals. Taking the time to identify areas of improvement helps students learn the importance of discipline and encourages them to take action to achieve the things they want rather than hope they happen. As you welcome the New Year, here are a few tips for guiding your child to establish resolutions that will kick off the winter term right: Make them realistic. Too often, people make resolutions that are unreachable. Encourage your child to set resolutions that are achievable and reasonable, given your childs age and academic ability. For example, a resolution to earn all As this school year when your child has a C average isnt realistic. A resolution to raise any C grades to a B is more attainable. Focus on the action, not the result. Grades are a useful measure of a students understanding of subject matter and progress toward grade-level standards, but as a parent, try to focus on learning and effort, not outcomes such as grades. When setting resolutions, your childs focus should always be on effort not results. Encourage your child to answer honestly whether he or she is focused on learning class material and has put sincere effort into all subjects. If not, what could your child do differently in the future? Plan out the steps. Setting a goal but failing to define the steps necessary to achieve it is likely to be ineffective. As your child comes up with resolutions, encourage him or her to break down each one into smaller steps. Then, have your child assign dates to each step. Your child should make a plan to follow up on those sub-steps periodically to measure progress. Put it on paper. Its fine to brainstorm resolutions aloud, but always have your child write down the final list. Studies show that people who write down their goals are more likely to achieve them. Committing to resolutions on paper will help your child hone in on exactly what he or she wants to achieve. This written list also serves as inspirationsomething tangible that your child can refer to regularly throughout the remainder of the school year. Incorporate good study habits. No matter who your child is or what age, he or she could likely use a refresher on good study habits, such as time management and organization. Have a conversation with your child about how the year is going so far. Go over the evening schedule and how your child manages time, the homework routine, your childs organizational habits and more. If anything needs improvement, establish resolutions that focus on making changes where needed. Setting New Years resolutions can be very valuable for students going into the second half of the school year, encouraging them to think about what went well and not so well in the fall term and define steps to make adjustments going forward. Youll find that getting your child into the habits of self-reflection and continuous improvement will benefit him or her in the long run as well. Help your child navigate the process so that he or she heads back to school after holiday break armed with a great attitude and a plan for success.