January Term, also known as J-Term and Interterm, is the short term between the fall and spring semesters during which students can opt to take courses. Usually these courses are low stress and 1-2 credits (though I took one of the exceptions to this rule two years ago, click here to see my post about it.) However, this year due to COVID, Smith decided to extend J-Term to six weeks and more 4-credit courses that are not typically offered during J-Term such as Intro to Psych and Thermodynamics were made available.
Here is what I did over J-Term:
1. SDS192: Introduction to Data Science
This is a four-credit course that is typically offered in the fall that was also offered for J-term this year. It was synchronous optional, meaning that there were class meetings every day Monday through Friday for about an hour and a half that you could attend but did not have to as the sessions were recorded and posted. Everyday homework was a combination of screencasts with accompanying slidedecks, readings for the textbook, and individual labs. Our grades were based on mastery of the thirteen outlined standards, including Aesthetic, Query, and Function. We showed mastery of hese standards through our weekly mini projects in R which we worked on in groups and the Moodle quizzes which were done individually. Overall this course was very fast-paced (we were doing a unit a week) and informative.
2. Praxis Internship
I also did an internship over J-term with a startup company doing front end web development. I found this internship through emails from the Smith CS Department and was able to get funding for my unpaid internship through Praxis (post to come.) It was challenging at times, but I learned quite a bit.
3. Korean Conversation Group
This was a new program that the Korean department launched, basically those who signed up were paired with a "mentor" who you met with weekly for 45 minutes to practice Korean. My group had another person from Korean II aside from me and our mentor chose to make every week kind of themed, for example we did a week talking about our hobbies. It was a great way to keep up with my Korean at least a little bit over the long break.
4. Graduate School Applications
I decided that I want to pursue a master's degree in computer science, so I sent in all those applications over J-term. I may post about this, but bottom line is that it takes quite a bit of time and it's something that you have to be sure you want to do. I'm happy to be done and will be getting results in the next couple months.
5. Hoya Hacks
I attended Hoya Hacks, a hackathon hosted virtually by Georgetown, and my team (all from Smith!) ended up creating a full stack applications that helps users track their knitting and crocheting projects. It was really fun and a great way to gain coding experience.
6. Relaxing
It may not seem like it, but I did take the time to relax and do some fun stuff over the break. Some shows that I binge-watched include the Mandalorian, New Girl, the new Winx series on Netflix, and WandaVision. I also finally finished my Baby Yoda (Grogu) crochet project. Lastly, I caught up on some sleep and spent time with my family.
This semester is my last semester at Smith College and here is what I am taking: (for a full list of all the classes I've taken while at Smith, click here)
KOR202: Korean IIÂ
This is the second installment of Korean II, the first of which I took last semester. I really enjoy learning Korean and wanted to continue my studies.
CSC251: Network Security
This class is new and taught by a visiting professor. I think security and privacy are really interesting and exigent topics and am excited to see how this class unfolds. This also fulfills my systems requirement for the computer science major.
CSC390: Seminar AI and Natural Language Understanding
I am taking this as my required seminar for the computer science major and I am really excited for it. I haven't had it yet, but based on the course summary I think that it aligns with my interests.
FRN259: Magic Words
This is a French seminar that I am taking at Amherst and the last course I need to finish my French major. From the reading they sent out, it seems like this will be a very interesting course.
A Complete List of Every Class I've Taken at Smith College
I've really taken advantage of the open curriculum at Smith, and it turns out that in my four years I've taken 41 Courses from 17 different departments!Â
Here is a complete list of every course I've taken at Smith (not including my summer abroad at Ewha Women's University.)
ARHJYA READING THE CITY OF PARISÂ
BIOJYA SCIENCES IN PARISÂ
BIOJYA SEMINAR:SCIENCES IN PARISÂ
CLT150 ART OF TRANSLATIONÂ
CSC102 HOW THE INTERNET WORKSÂ
CSC111 INTRO COMP SCI TH PROGRAMMINGÂ
CSC212 PROGRAM WITH DATA STRUCTURESÂ
CSC220 ADVANCED PROGRAMMING TECHNIQUEÂ
CSC250 THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS
CSCJYA ALGORITHMSÂ
CSC231 MICROPROCESSOR & ASSEMBLY LANG
CSC251 NETWORK SECURITY
CSC252 ALGORITHMS
CSC390 SEM: AI- NATURAL LANG UNDERSTAÂ
DAN223 BALLET IVÂ
ECO153 INTRODUCTORY MACROECONOMICS
EGR100 TOPC FOR EVERYONE-ENVIRONMENTÂ
ESS945 PHYSICAL CON: PILATES MAT IÂ
FRN220 HIGH INTERMEDIATE FRENCHÂ
FRN230 COLQ: PARISÂ
FRN235 SPEAKING (LIKE THE) FRENCHÂ
FRN252 FRENCH CINEMA: URBAN SPACESÂ
FRN270 LANGUAGE AND IDENTITYÂ
FRNJYA FRANCE AND ITS CONTEXTSÂ
FRNJYA ADVANCED LANGUAGE IÂ
FRNJYA ANALYZING CONTEMPORARY FRN THEATREÂ
FRN359A MAGIC WORDS
FRN392 SEM: TPCS/ CULTURE-STEREOTYPESÂ
FYS142 REACTING TO THE PASTÂ
GOV202 AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL LAWÂ
HSTJYA CONTEMPORARY HISTORYÂ
HSTJYA SECULARISM IN FRENCH SOCIETYÂ
KOR101 KOREAN IÂ
KOR102 KOREAN IÂ
KOR201 KOREAN II
KOR202 KOREAN IIÂ
MTH112 CALCULUS IIÂ
MTH153 INTRO DISCRETE MATHEMATICSÂ
PHI213A LOGICÂ
SDS192 INTRO TO DATA SCIENCES
SWG222 GENDER, LAW AND POLICYÂ
Hi Emily! I’m interested in taking CSC 111 and hearing about your experience with it. How is it for someone with no programming experience, and what was the class like? Also, are there any other interesting comp sci courses to take at Smith? Thank you so much
Hi! CSC111 is very beginner friendly, I had zero programming experience before taking it and did very well. There are office hours and TA hours if you need help; in fact, I am one of the TAs for this course. When I took it, there was a heavy emphasis on pair programming, which basically means I met up with my partner every week to do the homework assignment on one computer, and most of the course material was based on the lecture rather than the book. Nowadays, I've heard that they found a better textbook that they use instead but it's still a very structured around weekly homework and lab assignments. In regards to other courses, I really enjoyed CSC220 Advanced Programming Techniques and am looking forward to the seminar I am taking next semester on AI and natural language understanding. Hope this helps!
Get ready for the day. Wash up and change out of the clothes you slept in, even if that means just switching sweatpants.Â
Have a dedicated workspace. Keep where you work and where you relax separate. Also make sure that it's a space you feel you can be productive in (i.e. not too cluttered, not too noisy, etc.)
Keep a planner to track deadlines. Deadlines can creep up on you, especially in quarantine when time seems to slip away, so keep a planner or some sort of organizational device (Google Calendar, bullet journal, etc.) to stay on top of it.
Use Google Calendar to keep track of zoom links. A lot of professors email the zoom link or put it in the syllabus and that can take time to find, time you don’t have when you have class in a minute. An easy solution is to put your class times into your Google Calendar and hyperlink the zoom link in the comments so you can instantly click and join your class.
Set aside time to catch up with friends and relax. In the remote format, it isn’t as easy to keep in touch with friends, so you need to make a conscious effort, such as setting up a weekly FaceTime. Similarly, you should make time in your schedule to destress and recharge from Zoom fatigue such as assigning yourself a fun craft project, finding a series to binge, or designating a spa night weekly.
Here's what I'm taking this semester as a senior majoring in computer science and French studies!
1. CSC231: Microprocessors and Assembly Language
This is a required course for the computer science major that I'm admittedly taking a little late due to being abroad all of last year. In this class, we learn about the subsystems and architecture of computers so that we understand the underlying processes behind what we work with and can make more efficient code in the future. With the remote format, both professors are being very accommodating and are allowing us a choice of synchronous or asynchronous format.
2. CSC252: Algoritms
I am taking this course to fulfill the theory requirement of computer science major and also because topics covered in this class often come up in tech interviews. It builds on topics from introductory computer science, data structures, calculus, and discrete math. So far, it seems to be a challenging course that I will definitely have to dedicate a lot of time to. This is a synchronous course that meets twice a week.
3. FRN392: Stereotypes Seminar
As I was abroad in Paris last year, I am in a pretty comfortable position with the French major and only need to complete two seminars this year to complete the major. This course seems pretty interesting so far, we are watching films and reading articles in order to analyze stereotypes about French culture and people. This seminar meets once a week for three hours.
4. KOR201: Korean II
I am taking this as an elective. I took Korean I before going abroad and am hoping to become semi-fluent by the time I graduate. I really recommend taking a language in college, you join a community and it enhances your college experience. This is a synchronous course and is, as you can imagine, discussion based so we leave our cameras and our microphones on the whole class.
5.PHIL213: Logic
I am taking this at Amherst College (through the Five College Consortium) as an elective course. I've been wanting to take a Five College course and a logic course since freshman year, so when this lined up this semester it was perfect. This is a great course for anyone interested in law, computer science, languages, or philosophy. This is a synchronous course with a lecture section at the beginning of the week and two smaller discussion sections later in the week.
(Note: The hours are a bit weird as I am doing class remote from the West Coast.)
Here are the courses I am currently taking in Paris:
Histoire Contemporaine du XXème siècle
This is a history course I take at University Paris Diderot focused on the period between 1914-1945. I took this because I thought it would be interesting to learn history from a European perspective and so far, I've found that to be true.Â
Sciences à Paris
This is a continuation from the course last semester though this semester we are trying to find internships in Paris.
This year I'm abroad in Paris so I've gotten a lot of opportunities I would not otherwise have. One such opportunity is different course options (all in French). Here is what I took this past semester:
A French-language course focused more on conversational skills. I really enjoyed this course as I felt like it transformed me from a person who knew French academically into a person who spoke French like a human being.Â
Sciences à Paris
A course that all the STEM majors took but that was open to everyone that discussed France's approach to sciences as well as exigent issues in the science community. Our teacher brought us different pastries every week :)
Lire Paris
An architecture course in which we studied various important architectural periods and did visits to supplement what we were learning about. I took this class as an opportunity to branch out of my comfort zone and take advantage of being in Paris.
Algorithmique
This was a course I took at University Paris Diderot. It was a computer science class on graph theory meant for French computer science students in their last year of university study. I found it to be very challenging.
This is a little late, but I really want to share the amazing experience I had this summer in Seoul, South Korea thanks to Smith.
How I Got Involved
I had already known about the Smith-Ewha Exchange for a long time, it was actually one of the contributing factors in my decision to attend Smith. However, I hadn't really thought about it since arriving at Smith, as I didn't end up even studying Korean until the same year I applied to this program. I was, on the other hand, seriously thinking about studying in France (where I am now, I will eventually post about it!) and so I went to the study abroad fair, to look for more info on the Smith in Paris program. There I saw the booth for the Smith-Ewha Exchange and later I received information that there would be an info session later in the semester.
I attended the info session, not really thinking I was good enough in Korean to be accepted, mostly because I was curious. (Sidebar: I really recommend going to events, especially those in Wright Hall, because you never know what you'll discover.) When application season came (around February/March), I decided to apply and see what happened.
The Application Process
Before applying, it is important to note that you need a minimum 3.0 GPA and to have taken at least a year of Korean language studies. Also, there are limited positions and if you do not get in, you will be put on the waiting list.
Regarding the application itself, there are two different application processes and an extra mini-application if you want credit for the courses you take.
More info can be found Here
Paying for It
Through this exchange, the tuition and the application fees are completely waived, however you still have to pay for airfare, the housing and fieldtrip fees, and for meals and shopping. You will want to shop A LOT. If you are in need of financial assistance, you can apply for the International Experience Grant for additional funds.
Cool Things I got to do!
Go to the DMZ
Learn Korean
See SM Town, the museum for K-Pop Producing Company SM
Learn how to play Korean traditional instruments: the Gayageum, Changu, and Tanso
Go to two different amusement parks, Lotte World and Seoul Land
Experience Seoul Night Life
Photoshoot at Gwangjang Palace in Hanboks
Go to a Cat Cafe as well as a bunny cafe and meerkat cafe
Buy ALL the cute stationary and beauty products
Make amazing friends (that I'm still in touch with!)
I’ve gotten to do a lot of amazing things due to Smith this summer, including a month-long exchange in Seoul, South Korea, but before getting into that I’d like to share about this incredible experience I had at Liberty Mutual this summer.
I actually found out about this conference in one of the many emails we get from Smith. I figured I might as well apply and to my surprise and happiness, I was granted an interview and later a spot in the summit. Â
The summit itself was three days in Boston, transportation and living costs fully paid for by Liberty Mutual. We got to do tech workshops, go to networking events, and have fun, like with our Duck Boat Tour of Boston and trivia night.Â
Overall, it was a great experience, I loved meeting other women in tech, both those who currently work at Liberty Mutual and other students from other universities.Â
I don’t even live here, but I was walking through Park House earlier this summer and I had to take a video to share this amazing space! There was a calming sound of nature and a soft breeze coming in through the window and in addition to the seating shown in the video, there was an attached kitchen area (perfect for snacking!) and a study space with desks.
Smith is beautiful during the summertime, but also very humid! If you plan on visiting, make sure to bring water to stay hydrated and a fan may be a good idea :)
This is another great Smith tradition! All the previous classes of Smith alumnae walk in a parade alongside the graduating class, the soon-to-be alumnae. Everyone wears white, though only the alumnae get to wear white shoes and each alumnae class has signs and wears their class color (either blue, red, green, or yellow, it alternates each year.)Â
This is a really meaningful tradition, not only is it beautiful but alumnae come from all over the world and after many years to be witness to this wondrous day. This year, it was the class of 1969′s 50th reunion :)
Commencement was truly gorgeous this year. The weather was gorgeous (it thankfully didn’t rain despite raining quite a bit that week) and the speeches were wonderful. If you want to see it for yourself, look at the below links :)
To see the live webcast click here
To see the commencement guest speaker Ai-jen Poo click here
To see the commencement student speaker (from my house!) click here
One kind of unusual Smith tradition is the Diploma Circle, which dates back to 1911 and was my duty to facilitate as a sophomore push (will post later about).Â
Basically, because diplomas are handed out in alphabetical order of the entire class but you walk on stage in alphabetical order by house. This means that almost no one walks on stage with their own diploma, and after all the speeches are done, an exchange needs to happen.Â
It seems like it would take forever, but in reality, it only takes about 15-20 minutes. The above video is my perspective from the center of the diploma circle. For more information about this tradition, click here
Smith had a petting zoo during finals week to help de-stress! This is one of the many activities they did this year to help students de-stress, some other activities they did include: a video game truck, laser tag, tie-dye, acupuncture, shaved ice, and a photo booth! It was really great to hang out with goats and bunnies after taking all my finals :)
