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Declaring/changing majors (3.8)

February 24, 2025 / khansen

Choosing a major is important, so this edition of Stalled is here to help you get a sense of the logistics around declaring or changing your major. Make sure to stay in touch with your advisor(s) about the courses you need to fulfill your major!

DECLARING & CHANGING MAJORS

THE SPECIFICS. First-year students will be able to declare a major beginning on February 19, 2025, and the deadline to do so is March 21, 2025. You can have one or two majors. Or, if you prefer, you can have one major and two minors.

Any student looking to change their major must also do so by that same March 21 deadline.

HOW DO I DECLARE MY MAJOR? Access the MyColby portal and navigate to the “Academics” section. In the menu to the left, you’ll see the “Initial Major Declaration” option. Click that, and follow the directions there to declare your major!

DO I HAVE TO DECLARE? Students have to declare a major before they select their courses for their junior year. But no, first-years are not required to declare a major if they don’t yet know what they want to pursue. And that is abolutely okay! Lots of people take their time in figuring out what they want as a major, and it’s nothing unusual.

HOW DO I CHANGE MY MAJOR OR MINOR? If you decide that you want to change from one major to another, or if you want to change your minor, you should first talk to your advisor or your class dean.

Why is that your first step? Changing a major (and, in some cases, a minor) will shift your required classes. We want to ensure that there is a pathway for you to complete all graduation requirements within the eight-semester time frame. Advisors and class deans know how to navigate those kinds of concerns.

But if you do decide that a major or minor change is right for you, there is a form that you will need from the registrar’s office — see the “Further Resources” section of this poster for a link (you can access all of those resources via the QR code on this poster).

HOW DO I PICK A MAJOR? Get the perspectives of people who are knowledgeable about the major you’re interested in. Talk to students who major in the department you’re considering. What do they say about what it’s like? To get a full picture, you should also to talk to a faculty member in that department, or the department chair, to find out about course requirements and opportunities that are open only to majors. To experience what courses in the major are like, contact a faculty member and ask to sit in on a class session (just note that some rooms will not have space for guests, so be understanding if the faculty member has to say no to your request).

DECLARING A MAJOR MATTERS

MAJORS AFFECT COURSE ELIGIBILITY. Many courses are set up so that only majors in a particular department can take them. So, the major that you declare will directly affect which courses you can take.

If you’re thinking about changing your major or minor, you need to do so by the March 21 deadline. Otherwise, you may not be able to register for some key classes!

MAJORS AFFECT ADVISING. Declaring a major will affect your advising, too. Once you declare a major within a specifc department, you’ll be assigned an advisor within that department.

FURTHER RESOURCES

Colby College. “Advice from Departments.”

Colby College. “First-Year Advising.”

Colby College. “Major Requirement.”

Colby College Registrar. “Change of Major or Minor.”

Discord. “Academic Advising for the Colby Class of 2028” server.

Academic risk-taking (3.7)

January 29, 2025 / khansen

Many students fear making mistakes. Yet taking responsible academic risks involves accepting that you will make mistakes. Mistakes are not only helpful for learning, they may be essential for learning. How can you help yourself to see mistakes as valuable learning experiences? That’s what this edition of Stalled is all about!

ACADEMIC RISKS TEACH US

MISTAKES FACILITATE INNOVATION. Researchers like Janet Metcalfe have suggested that students may benefit more from making mistakes and correcting them than by avoiding mistakes. Without the willingness to try new things, and make mistakes in the process, we might never have gotten superglue, Post-It notes, or even Coca-Cola, all of which were created by mistake!

TAKING INTELLECTUAL RISKS. It can feel risky to contribute an idea that you’re testing out to a discussion, or to be willing to try a new approach to a homework problem. But taking such risks is often how you can stretch your thinking and capabilities.

If you’re not sure where to start with taking these kinds of intellectual risks, here are a few suggestions:

Think of your peers as supporters, not competitors, and remember that they’re learners, just like you.
Know that your professors want to see you succeed, and they realize that not all of your risks will pay off in immediate successes. But they respect your efforts when you try something new!
Accept that feedback is intended to help you develop. Some students think that if feedback from professors and peers is anything but 100% glowing, then they’ve failed. This is absolutely not true! Someone giving you thoughtful critique and feedback is actually a way of respecting your work and helping push you to higher levels of achievement.

DEVELOP A GROWTH MINDSET

WHAT IS A GROWTH MINDSET? A growth mindset is one that acknowledges the research-backed idea that humans are capable of intellectual growth and development. It involves rejection of the misbegotten idea that people have set talents and qualities (like believing you’re “not a writer” or “not a math person”).

Research pioneered by Carol Dweck and supported by other researchers shows that once people realize that the brain is like a muscle, and only really becomes more agile with practice, the better they tend to do in their academic work. In other words, once students adopt a growth mindset, they are much likelier to persist and develop over time (even with tough skills/knowledge).

PATIENCE. Learning is not supposed to be easy. When something is easy, you aren’t being sufficiently challenged. In fact, real learning is effortful, and we humans learn through expending active effort. You likely have experience with effortful training; if you have learned to play an instrument or a sport, you understand how much practice and mistake-making goes into mastering new skills. Learning in an academic setting is much the same — homework, discussions, and problem sets give you practice so that you can gain experience as you learn ideas and cultivate skills.

EMBRACE “NOT YET.” If you knew a subject fully already, your time at college wouldn’t have much to offer you. Remind yourself that you are new to content and skills that your classes are teaching you, and remember that you’re not yet fluent in those ideas — but you have the capacity to get there with time and practice. Similarly, try to shift your thinking to emphasize opportunities for growth (rather than “weaknesses”).

FURTHER RESOURCES

Dweck, Carol. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (2006).

Jarvis, H. et al. “Effort Reinforces Learning.” Journal of Neuroscience 42 (40). 2022.

Metcalf, Janet. “Learning From Errors.” Annual Review of Psychology 68 (2017).

Touro University Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. “Growth Mindset: Celebrating Failures.”

What professors do (3.6)

December 10, 2024 / khansen

Students don’t always understand all the workings of a college. Yet understanding how higher education works can help you better navigate your education. So, this month’s poster is meant to help you understand more about what your professors do — for instance, did you know that teaching is NOT the only (or even the biggest) part of their job?

WAIT—PROFESSORS DO MORE THAN TEACH?!

SCHOLAR-TEACHERS. Professors have different job duties than your high school teachers did — though yes, teaching takes up about 40% of their work time.

However, half — or more! — of professors’ work time is devoted to research. Research can look very different for professors in different departments. For instance, English professors might travel to libraries that hold rare manuscripts, letters, or other materials, and their research can involve constructing and writing analysis of literary texts that they publish. Biologists’ research can involve laboratory experiments or field observations, and they, too, must write and publish their findings. Even though the forms of research differ based on the kind of work in which each individual professor specializes, research and dissemination of their work is a large and very time-demanding part of a professor’s job.

Disseminating scholarly research can happen in a variety of ways, including publishing articles in academic journals, publishing books, and presenting work at academic conferences. Conference presentations take much time and care to construct, and publishing papers usually takes even more time. Books? Those usually take years to write, and quite a while to publish, too.

SERVICE. An additional job requirement for professors is service. This aspect of their job can be very different for each professor, but service can involve duties like being a member of various campus committees; holding office in regional, national, or international scholarly organizations; or public service that relates to the professor’s areas of scholarly focus. However, many other types of service exist, as well.

WHY DOES THIS MATTER TO YOU?

PATIENCE. If teaching tends to be about 40% of a professor’s job, and if they spend 9 hours a week in class time, 4 in office hours, and 3 hours creating lectures and class activities, it doesn’t take much math skill to know that they don’t have as much time as they would like to feedback your work and get it back to you. Keep in mind, too, that many professors spend more time on teaching tasks than what these example hours suggest.

So, if you don’t receive speedy comments on work that you’ve turned in, give your professor the benefit of the doubt and some patience—they have probably been working hard on research and service. It’s also likely that they’re trying to balance their work with the other parts of their life (like parenting, caring for aging parents, cleaning house, doing laundry, grocery shopping, etc.*).

UNDERSTANDING. Knowing what your professors’ jobs really entail can help you value their work and time, and additionally, it can help you understand better what to expect from them. They want to help you, but they have to set limits to complete all their weekly work.

Additionally, if you are considering going to graduate school, you should understand the demands on your professors so that you can better navigate your work toward an advanced degree.

It’s especially crucial to understand what professors do if you are considering becoming a professor someday. Teaching is an extremely important component of this job, but a love of research in your chosen field is also an essential component of professorship.

FURTHER RESOURCES

Roney, Lisa. “What Do Professors Do All Day?” University of Central Florida, 2017.

Shepherd, Marshall. “Professors Are Often Asked ‘What Do You Teach?’ But They Do Far More.” Forbes, 2018.

Pitt Career Center. “The 19 Steps to Becoming a College Professor.” University of Pittsburgh. 2023.

Active listening (3.5)

November 5, 2024 / khansen

Listening is such a basic task that most of us assume we listen just fine! But truly active listening takes practice and focus. Without strong active listening skills, effective communication becomes impaired, if not impossible.

GENERAL LISTENING ADVICE

PRACTICE FOCUSING. It’s normal that our minds wander sometimes when we’re listening, but try to notice when that happens. When it does, refocus your attention on the speaker or discussion. Intentionally practicing such redirection helps you increase your ability to focus for longer durations. Taking notes helps, too.

POSITION STRATEGICALLY. It’s helpful to sit in a spot in the room where you can clearly see and hear the person who’s speaking. Also, be sure to position your body so as to be as attentive as possible. That involves sitting up straight and not slouching, leaning your face on your hands, or reclining in your seat.

LISTEN TO UNDERSTAND. This may seem self-evident, but your goal when listening to others is to understand and learn. That means that your goal with listening shouldn’t be to formulate things that you want to say, nor should your goal be to find ways to convince other people of your position. This can be harder than you think when a topic is one about which you have strong feelings, particularly if you’ve had those feelings for a long time. But listen to try to understand and even appreciate a speaker’s point of view, even — or especially — when it differs from yours.

SEEK CLARIFICATION. If you’re struggling to understand an idea, be willing to raise your hand and say “I’m a little confused about X. Can you explain it again?” If you see a connection between something that you just heard and material from another lecture (or from class readings), it might help to ask your professor about whether they agree that such a connection exists — and ask them to clarify the current content further.

DIFFERENT LISTENING CONTEXTS

LECTURES. Make sure to read all assigned readings ahead of class, which helps you know what to expect in class. Try to understand the pattern of organization underlying the arrangement of course material — for instance, is it structured to provide a historical overview or a problem/solution structure, etc.?

Listen for summaries of information to help you understand main ideas. Note how different parts of each lecture relate. Notice when the professor ties concepts in one lecture to something said in a previous lecture, and see if you can notice relationships between the current lecture’s information and other lectures/class readings.

DISCUSSIONS. Make sure to listen attentively when others are speaking rather than just waiting until you can make a comment. Notice when there are pauses, which might indicate a particularly complex or nuanced idea that people need time to think through, and try to ask questions that help to untangle such complexities.

LISTENING IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE. Use the context of what you’re listening to (the news, a conversation about food, a movie about family life, etc.) to predict the types of things someone might say. This can prime you to recognize words that are familiar to you. Also listen for “signposts,” or words signaling what comes next (phrases that contain meanings for “1st” and “2nd” indicate a listing of information or steps in a process, while words that mean “but” or “however” indicate contrast, for example). Aim to understand the main idea of what’s being said, even if you don’t understand all details. But note that nouns and adjectives are particularly helpful in providing the big picture of what a speaker is saying.

FURTHER RESOURCES

Boston University. Active Listening handout.

British Council. “Five Essential Listening Skills for English Learners,” 2015.

Monash University (Australia). Student Academic Success. “Active Listening.”

University of NC at Chapel Hill Learning Center. “Academic Listening Strategies

Structured Study Sessions (3.4)

October 23, 2024 / khansen

Studying is effortful, and it can sometimes be hard to focus when you’re studying. So, the Program for Academic Success and Transformative Learning (the same folks who create these posters) is here to help! We’re hosting Structured Study Sessions 5 nights a week to help you make the most of your studying!

INTENSE STUDY SESSIONS

FOCUSED TIME. Structured Study Sessions, hosted Sundays-Thursdays from 7 until 10 PM in Olin 019B, provide time and space to focus. They are quiet, structured times for study. New sessions start at the top of each hour (7:00, 8:00, and 9:00), and students can attend for just one or stay for more study blocks.

RESOURCES. These study sessions are faciliated by Peer Learning Assistants. They’ve all received training in fundamentals of effective study praxis, and they have resources at hand to help you use sound study strategies. They’re awesome folks, too!

ACCOUNTABILITY. Studying with others in a structured format encourages you to avoid distraction and stay focused, in part because the group setting means that people don’t want to let others in the room down by distracting them. So, this kind of group study session, which sets guidelines for quiet during the study blocks, helps keep you accountable on better on track.

STRUCTURE. These sessions use a modified version of the “Pomodoro” time management technique as well as Saundra McGuire’s “Study Cycle” as their underpinnings. Together, these structures help you parcel up your work into reasonable “chunks” as well as use focused bursts of work time — and it can be hard to hold yourself to that structure when studying alone.

WHAT DO I DO IN THESE SESSIONS?

BE ACTIVE. In these sessions, you’ll interact with the material, not just re-read notes or texts. There are many ways you can do this, but here are a few strategies to try:

Flashcards: If a class requires a lot of memorization, create flashcards by hand (one side with the word/phrase, the other side with the definition, date, chemical composition, or other information you need to associate with the word/phrase). Use them to self-quiz, setting aside any flashcards that you couldn’t remember so that you can practice further with them.
Concept mapping: Create a visual organizer to indicate relationships between ideas or things. You can make a timeline of historical events, group substances into “acid” or “base” columns, draw Venn diagrams to get a sense of how different schools of philosophy relate, or create a flow chart of the steps in a process, just to give a few examples.
Study guides: Make your own study guide. Making your own is better than using one that your professor gave you, because you will be more active if you make your own, which will help you remember more. Review your notes, PowerPoints from class sessions, assigned readings, and any other key class materials. Then, try to list the key themes or concepts, coming up with possible discussion or exam questions.
Feynman Technique: Nobel laureate Richard Feynman advocated practicing explaining concepts as if to a child. With this technique, write down everything you know from memory. Then, write down an explanation as if your audience was a child. Next, review your textbook/class materials and fill in any gaps in your explanation. This creates a condensed set of notes, and you can add to these notes as you learn more about the topic.

FURTHER RESOURCES

Gurung, Regan & Dunlosky, John. Study Like a Champ: The Psychology-Based Guide to Grade A Study Habits. 2022.

McGuire, Saundra Yancy. Teach Yourself How to Learn: Strategies You Can Use to Ace Any Course at Any Level. 2018.

AI and academic integrity (3.3)

September 30, 2024 / khansen

You’ve probably heard discussions around how certain kinds of artificial intelligence (AI) should or shouldn’t be used in coursework, and how it relates to academic integrity. There’s no one “right” approach that applies to all courses, so you need to know what each of your professors expects regarding the use of AI in their class.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY MATTERS

WHAT COLBY AFFIRMS. You’ve almost certainly seen the “Colby Affirmation.” It sets forth how academic integrity and social accountability are cornerstones of a Colby education because they keep the quality of education as high as possible.

That means that academic integrity is essential in providing you with knowledge, skills, and awareness that you’ll need for graduate study as well as for your career. If our academic integrity standards are low, there’s no way to ensure that you know what you need to succeed in whatever you pursue when you leave Colby. You owe it to yourself to learn as much as you can while you’re here.

RESPECT FOR OTHERS. We’re all part of a community here at Colby, and the hard work of professors, staff, and other students deserves the respect of our community. When you protect academic integrity, you respect the work, talent, and dedication of others who educate Colby students, as well as those who came to Colby to receive a world-class education. Academic integrity helps foster a climate of trust. What’s more, academic integrity gives your future employer, coworkers, and clients a truly skilled professional (yes, that’s you!).

AI AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

AI IS A TOOL. Like any tool, there are reasons to use generative AI. Your professors will decide if it’s a tool that will help you acheive the goals of a particular assignment. If a professor allows you to use generative AI, think critically about what it, as a tool, allows you to do and to learn.

But like all tools, generative AI might not help your learning in every assignment. If the tool does your work for you, or prevents you from practicing skills that you need for your future, then using it is not consistent with academic integrity.

AI ISN’T PERFECT. Professors have to weigh the potential benefits of allowing students to use AI against any potential drawbacks. Some professors are skeptical about students using AI because copyright issues exist concerning the data on which AI has been trained, there are questions about a lack of diversity in the data being used in generative AI, and AI requires massive energy to run its applications (producing increased emissions in the process), just to name a few concerns.

So, if a professor restricts the use of generative AI or doesn’t allow it, that choice may well be a result of your professor’s commitment to educating you as ethically and responsibly as possible — another essential facet of academic integrity.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

REVIEW COURSE POLICIES. Many professors have created clearly articulated policies about AI use. So, check the syllabus for each of your courses for an AI policy. Also be sure to check the instructions for individual assignments, if any are provided, which might also contain guidelines for using or avoiding generative AI.

If there is an AI use policy, read it carefully, and be sure to ask your professor any questions that you might have. Remember, you are responsible for your work’s academic integrity, so you need to be proactive and aware.

If you do not find an AI use policy for a particular course, then you might consider asking your professor the following question during class time: “Are we allowed to use generative AI on our assignments?” Be prepared to ask follow-up questions, finding out which assignments may (or may not) be completed using generative AI, and what restrictions the professor places on using generative AI tools for that class.

EACH CLASS IS DIFFERENT. Be aware that the policies for one class are likely to be very different than policies for another, even if the courses are taught by the same professor. Why? Every course has distinct learning outcomes that professors want you to achieve. While the use of generative AI might further goals in one course, AI use might not help you develop the skills or knowledge bases that you need in another course.

So, do not assume that policies for any one course apply to any other course.

FURTHER RESOURCES

International Center for Academic Integrity. The Fundamental Values of Academic Integrity, 2021.

International Center for Academic Integrity. “Statement on Academic Integrity and Artificial Intelligence.”

University of Cambridge, “Why Does Academic Integrity Matter?”

The Study Cycle (3.2)

September 26, 2024 / khansen

You might have good study skills, but did you know that there are researchers who study the science of learning? They recommend regular use of the study cycle, which is described below. Try it to give yourself the best chance for academic success, and build the study cycle into your semester plans!

WHAT IS THE STUDY CYCLE?

ITERATIVE PROCESS. The study cycle is a process through which students can engage in deep, rather than surface or short-term, learning. It includes 5 components that you repeat for each class session (see image on poster).

PREVIEW. In this phase, students skim readings, noting headings as well as key terms, and review any summaries and reading/chapter objectives. In reading-heavy classes (like literature courses), students complete assigned readings, noting any connections to or contrasts with previous course readings. This stage also consists of creating questions to bring to class.

ATTEND. When in class, ask meaningful questions, voice ideas in discussion, and take careful notes.

REVIEW. As soon after class as possible, look at your notes, filling in any gaps, and note any areas of confusion as well as any questions you have.

STUDY. Schedule several intense study sessions per class per week, including devoting time to course readings. For courses with problem sets or frequent homework assignments, ideally schedule several short sessions per day. Ask “why,” “how,” and “what if” questions, making connections with other course ideas and even with ideas from outside of your course.

ASSESS. Perform regular reality checks. Are you using study methods that are effective? The best way to check for this is to ask yourself: do you understand the material enough to teach it to others? If not, try different methods (ask your professor or learning assistant if you are stuck and don’t know what else to try).

INTENSE STUDY SESSIONS

SCHEDULE THEM! Putting your study sessions into your calendar helps you see how much time you need for studying, and how much time you have available for extracurriculars/non-academic events. It’s important to stick to your schedule so that you give yourself the greatest chance of doing well in your courses and maximizing your learning.

BREAK IT DOWN. Break each study session down into 4 parts: goal setting, studying with focus, rewarding yourself, and reviewing (see image on poster). Goal setting, which takes about 2 minutes, involves deciding what you want to accomplish in your study session. Studying with focus involves 30-50 minutes of interacting with course material, including reading, organizing, concept-mapping, summarizing, processing, re-reading, and reflecting. Rewarding yourself takes the form of a 10-minute break, such as texting a friend, getting a snack, stretching, or otherwise resting your mind. Each study session ends with about 5 minutes of actively reviewing what you just studied.

FURTHER RESOURCES

Johns Hopkins University. Academic Support.“The Study Cycle.”

McGuire, Sandra Yancy. Teach Students How to Learn: Strategies You Can Incorporate Into Any Course to Improve Student Metacognition, Study Skills, & Motivation. Stylus Press, 2015.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Learning Center. “The Study Cycle“.

How College Differs from High School (3.1)

August 26, 2024 / khansen

It’s not always easy to know the differences between high school and college, particularly when you’re new to college — but it can be the case even when you’ve been at college a while. So, here’s information about some key ways that college differs from high school in terms of student responsibilities. Head’s up: you have more responsibility for yourself than most students do in high school!

COLLEGE CLASSWORK

Some of your assumptions about college classes might not be accurate, and it’s important to understand the key ways that classwork in college differs from high school.

TIME MANAGEMENT. You’re in charge of setting up your own schedule, as well as budgeting enough time to complete all of your projects and assignments. Your professors will expect that you can manage your time well enough to meet deadlines and be prepared. Need some advice on time management? Use the link below to access the Stalled poster on “time management” for useful resources.

GRADES IN PROGRESS. Your professors will submit your grade in the course at the end of each semester, but you are responsible for knowing how you’re doing as the semester goes along. Need help? Use the free grade calculator in the resources linked to the digital form of this poster (accessible via a link below).

ACCELERATED WORK. Many high school classes span an entire academic year. At college, a class lasts only a semester. So, that means that every class period will emphasize new material, skills, or practice, and missing even one class can make mastery of future knowledge and skills much more difficult. It also means that projects like reports, papers, and other tasks will need to be completed while you are engaging in other work for the same class (as well as work for your other classes, too). To help yourself out, make a regular schedule for your classwork and be sure to stick to it (use the links below to find the Stalled poster on Google Calendar tips).

MORE WORK OUT OF CLASS. During class, professors deliver information and students engage in discussion and other activities. But a lot of your learning (arguably, most of it) will happen outside of class, and that means that you’re responsible for more of your own learning than in high school. You’ll need to do the reading and homework, and professors will expect you to come to class with questions to help them clear up any confusion as well as to push your understanding of the topics and ideas. Your professors will help show you how to learn, but you are responsible for your own learning.

PROVIDING FOR YOURSELF

In many instances, high school is a place where students are given supplies. In contrast, students are almost always expected to provide their own supplies in college.

TEXTBOOKS. Students need to find their own copies of their textbooks, since the library does not hold copies of all textbooks for all classes. The Colby Bookstore (in the Cotter Union) has required textbooks for courses available for sale. However, note that some professors might suggest, rather than require, some books, and those might not be available for sale in the bookstore.

SUPPLIES. It’s students’ responsibility to provide study supplies for themselves. So, that means that if you want items like pens, notecards, paper, colored pencils, sticky notes, or other study supplies, you have to buy them (from the Colby Bookstore or from another online or physical store).

PRINTING. Black and white printing is free, while color copies cost $0.20 per page. Upon coming to Colby, each student is given $10 on the printing balance of their ColbyCard. It’s a good idea to ask your CA and upperclass students in your classes where you can find printers that are close to your dorm or classrooms.

FURTHER RESOURCES

“Google Calendar Tips.” Stalled.

Grade Calculator.

Macalaster College. “Differences Between High School and College.”

Pink, Daniel. “Daily When Tracker.”

“Time Management.” Stalled.

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. “How Can the Flowtime Technique Help Me?”

First-Year Orientation (digital-only edition)

August 15, 2024 / khansen

Welcome to Colby! And welcome to “Stalled,” a poster series that provides suggestions to help you maximize your academic success. Why is it called “Stalled?” We hope to give you advice before your schoolwork stalls. Also, you’ll find these posters in the bathrooms stalls of academic buildings several times each semester!

PLAN YOUR SEMESTER

SCHEDULE IT IN. You will have received your fall ’24 class schedule over the summer. This allows you to block off all class times in your calendar. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with Google Calendar, since Colby uses Google’s suite of software. If you need help, see the Stalled poster from February 2024 on Google Calendar by using the QR code or link to the Stalled archive at the bottom of this poster.

BE READY TO STUDY. To know how much time to devote to each class, you need to know that every 1 hour of class time requires 2-3 hours of study/work time. So, if you have a 3-hour class, expect to spend about 9 hours a week studying, doing homework, and completing assignments for that one class. It’s a good idea to schedule that work/study time on your calendar so that you know that you’re giving each class its due attention.

DON’T OVERDO IT. It would be easy to overpack your schedule with lots of club meetings, sports meets, performances, and other activities. Such events are great ways to meet people and develop your knowledge, so do take advantage of them! But pay attention to your energy levels and available time, and don’t do so many things that your schoolwork or self-care suffers.

UPDATE! Once you know when your major tests happen and assignments are due (which you’ll find out when Fall ’24 starts), add them to your Google calendar. Then, be sure to schedule work and study time for them — and change your calendar right away if any changes to those dates are announced in any of your classes.

MAKE THE MOST OF ORIENTATION

TAKE NOTES. Orientation is exciting and jam-packed, and you will receive a LOT of information in a short amount of time. So be sure to take notes. Come to each session with paper and something to write with (when feasible, you might also bring a digital means of notetaking). Keep those notes in one spot, such as one dedicated orientation notebook. That way, you can refer back later to the information you received when there is anything that you have forgetten.

ASK QUESTIONS. Orientation exists because you don’t yet know what it’s like to be a Colby student, so no one expects you to know everything on arrival. To make the most of it, be ready and willing to ask whatever questions you have. Know that if you have a question, it’s likely that other incoming students will benefit from hearing the answer, too — which means that asking questions is a way to help more than just yourself.

GET TO KNOW THE CAMPUS. During orientation, explore spots on campus like the Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center and Miller Library. Make sure also to find the classrooms for each of your courses, once they’ve been assigned later this summer. Need help finding a room or building? Ask your orientation leader or another new student!

MEET PEOPLE. Orientation is a great time to get to know your fellow first-year students! But you’ll also have opportunities to meet other students, staff members, and faculty. Ask fellow new students about what classes they’ll be taking, and ask folks who’ve been around Colby longer about Colby traditions, their favorite spots on campus, or things that new Colby students should know.

FURTHER RESOURCES

Every issue of Stalled contains resources and/or related references, as well as a link to the Stalled archive.

Cherry, K. “How to Start a Conversation.” VeryWellMind, 2023.

Colby College. Campus Interactive Map.

Colby College. Office of Campus Life.

Google. Get Started with Google Calendar.

Pot, J. “Why Writing by Hand Is Better for Remembering Things.” Popular Science, 2024.

Stalled archive, listed by subject.

University of Pittsburgh. Time Management Calculator.

Presentation Q&A sessions (2.10)

April 26, 2024 / khansen

You’ve researched, planned, and delivered a presentation. But how do you handle the question and answer (Q & A) period afterwards? Read on for advice on Q & A time during poster sessions and after presentations.

WHY HAVE Q&A AFTER A TALK?

ACADEMIC DIALOGUE. Giving a presentation is usually unidirectional: the speaker talks and the audience listens. Yet academia is built upon lively discussion as a fundament of learning. So, engaging an audience’s questions and ideas draws more perspectives into the discussion, and provides more opportunity for developing your ideas and your work.

PRACTICE FOR PROFESSIONAL LIFE. Whether you deliver conference presentations in graduate school or give work-in-progress presentations in professional meetings, you’re all but certain to need practice in engaging with an audience. Doing so now gives you opportunities to learn different strategies and to test a variety of approaches.

STRATEGIES FOR ANSWERING

PREPARE IN ADVANCE. As you’re planning your presentation, think about the kinds of questions you might receive. What might non-experts want to know more about? What might experts be likely to ask you about? Also, if you have to cut material from your talk (as many folks do when trying to keep to an alloted time), save that material, including slides if there are any. Have that material handy during your Q&A session, and be ready to use it/display it if you receive a question on it. This will help you feel more in control, and it will help show your audience how thorough you are.

If you’re presenting a poster, know that people might break into your brief poster talk with questions before your talk is finished. So, practice giving your talk while friends or classmates break in with questions at different points in the talk. This will give you practice so that experiencing similar interruptions during the actual event won’t feel unfamiliar.

LISTEN CAREFULLY, ANSWER CONCISELY.It’s important to engage fully with the questions you receive so that your audience can learn and you can receive useful information and ideas from your audience. So, it’s essential to listen carefully to your audience’s questions and comments. If you didn’t hear a question completely, or if you’re not sure that you understand it, you should ask the questioner to repeat themselves, or you could ask “I’m not sure I’m understanding your question fully — could you perhaps restate it?”

When giving your answers, aim to answer the question fully, but also concisely. Additionally, feel free to direct questioners to useful secondary sources if you sense that they want to learn more about the topic.

WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER.Everyone receives questions that they cannot answer at some time, so expect questions of this type — and don’t feel like you’ve done someone wrong if anyone asks you a question to which you don’t know the answer. Ahead of time, prepare what you’ll do when this happens. Some strategies include thanking the speaker for their question and stating how you appreciate that they’ve pointed out an area of further study. Additionally, if the question falls outside the scope of your work, you can politely say so.

WHEN WORKING IN A GROUP

EVERYONE SHOULD SPEAK. If your group divides its talk into different parts, the person to answer should be whomever delivered the part that’s related to the question. But it’s expected that every member of a presentation group should participate in the Q& A.

YOU CAN ADD TO SOMEONE’S ANSWER. As mentioned above, it’s customary for all members of a group to answer questions. But audience members might not have questons about all parts of a talk, so some presenters might not know what to do to participate in the Q&A. Yet you can build onto what a group-mate says to answer a question, adding detail or explaining further.

FURTHER RESOURCES

Hanke, Stacey. “The Best Way to Answer Questions After a Presentation or a Meeting.” Entrepreneur, October 8, 2018.

Webb, Caroline. “How to Nail the Q&A After Your Presentation.” Harvard Business Review. January 24, 2020.