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@serendipitous-smithie
How does the 64 credit rule to graduate work with double majoring?
Great question! Basically, your credits in one major count as outside the other major. And most majors do not require 64 credits to complete, so you'll still have some room for electives. Hope this helps!
If I want to pursue marine sciences who is the best professor to try to get research experience with? Is it worth it to do the CMS program and how have you liked it?
Hi!
There a few professors to talk to, depending on your interests within marine sciences. Paulette Peckol focuses on marine ecology and the intertidal zone, Rachel Wright (the lab I’m in!) focuses on coral reefs, climate change, and their genetics, and David Smith focuses on invasive marine organisms and their genetics. There are also a couple classes you could take that have associated labs such as marine ecology and invertebrate diversity.
There are a few reasons I chose the Five College Coastal and Marine Science (FCCMS) certificate over the Smith marine science and policy minor. First, it has a broader scope than the Smith minor does. The Smith minor is under the environmental science and policy major, so it is very policy focused, which is not where my interest lies. For the FCCMS certificate I had to take at least one marine policy class, but I also had to take at least one ecology class, and one geology class. I really enjoyed taking a diverse set of classes, while then being able to take my last 3 classes in my subject area (ecology). Second, there is a robust system of placing students in marine internships through the FCCMS program. Part of the requirements for the program is at least 80 logged hours of marine related lab and/or field work, and to complete an independent study project and present it. For this reason the FCCMS program has relationships with partners all over the country to place and fund internships for students in the program. I completed most of my hours and my project through the Williams-Mystic program in Fall 2019, but the internship placement was a big reason I chose to do the FCCMS program!
Best,
Hazel
I saw you were dojng a minor and getting the coastal certificate in a previous post. How were you able to pursue a 5 college certification and a minor at the same time? I’m interested in doing a double major but also the coastal science certificate sounds very appealing to me, but I’m not just I want to give up getting a major/minor in my other field of interests. How were you able to work out the certificate plus minor?
Hi!
I am not getting the certificate listed on my Smith degree - it will be a separate certificate from the 5 College CMS program. It’s how the registrars office told me I was able to find a loophole to get all of them officially.
Hope this helps,
Hazel
Spring 2021
I’m finally back on campus and taking classes again, and I’m so excited. Most of my classes are primarily remote still, but I’m happy to at least live on campus.
My classes this spring are:
BIO 366 Biogeography - This class fulfills requirements for my biology major as well as for my 5 College Coastal and Marine Sciences certificate, and its a class I’ve been wanting to take since my first year. It is about the distribution of species on Earth, both terrestrial and marine, and how humans are impacting those habitats.
BIO 390 Coral Reef Seminar - This seminar I’ve also been waiting to take, and I’m so excited to finally be in it. It also fills the same requirements as my biogeography class, so I’m almost done with my major and certificate (ahhhh!) As the name suggests we study coral reefs with an emphasis on reading and presenting relevant scientific papers.
REL 206 Afterlife in World Religions - I’m taking full advantage of Smith’s open curriculum and taking a class way out of my field about religion! I’ve never taken anything in the religion department before, but so far I’m really engaged with the readings and the professors are making it very accessible. I was not raised with any sort of religion so I’m excited to learn more.
CLS - Bronze Age Archaeology in the Mediterranean - I officially finished my archaeology minor last spring, but I really liked the professor who taught Hellenistic Art and Archaeology so when I saw she was teaching an even more archaeology focused class I had to take it. We’re studying the civilizations of Sumer, Ancient Egypt and more up to the Bronze Age collapse.
Hi! I'm going to be in the class of 2025. I plan on studying marine science too and I was wonder if you could tell me more about labs and field studies?
Hi! Welcome to Smith! There are quite a few opportunities in marine science at Smith, you just have to know where to look. First, we have a minor in marine science and policy, and there is a five college certificate in coastal and marine sciences. I am completing the five college certificate because it is not as policy focused, and requires a certain number of field or lab hours to complete and thus has programs that provide fieldwork and lab opportunities.
There are a couple of classes and labs at Smith that deal with marine science. Classes include marine ecology, invertebrate diversity, and biogeography. There are also lots of classes within the 5 Colleges that deal with marine topics. Many professors within the biology department work with marine organisms to some degree, including anemones and crabs. Working or volunteering in a professors lab is one of the best ways to gain experience, and undergraduate research is something that Smith supports and encourages.
Smith is also part of the 12 College Exchange which includes the Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies program. I wrote some about my experience at Williams-Mystic here, I really enjoyed it and got a ton of research experience in many facets of marine science including policy, history and of course ecology.
Hope this helps and of course if you have any specific questions feel free to private message me!
Hey! I got admitted to the class of 2025 and I'm uper excited about being on campus. That being said I'm used to warm weather and I was wondering if the houses have central heating. How cold does it get in the houses?
Hi!
Congrats on your admission and welcome to Smith! The houses themselves are usually kept pretty warm during the winter and each room has a heater. In most rooms you are able to control the heat once facilities turns it on for the winters by turning it either off, low or high. The hallways and bathrooms and living spaces etc are all heated as well.
Best,
Hazel ‘22
Interterm at Smith
Every year during winter break Smith offers interterm classes, also called j-term that usually begin the first week of January, and end the week before the spring semester starts. Its a great opportunity to take classes that are outside of your major, spend some extra time on campus, or just take something fun! The classes offered are usually 1-2 credits, but some more intensive classes are the regular 4 credits. For years that aren’t in the middle of a global pandemic all students are allowed to return to campus at any point during interterm regardless of whether they are taking a class or not.
For Interterm 2020 (last year) I took a week-long, 1 credit class on New England ecology and outdoor education called Interpreting New England Landscapes. I got to combine my interests of the outdoors and teaching, and the class culminated in our organizing a lesson plan and teaching the sixth graders from the Smith campus school what we had learned over the week. Pictured below is some of the stuff we collected for them (and us!) to look at under the microscope in the MacLeish Field Station classroom. This included leaves, needles, fungi, different types of scat, and bark from various trees.
My favorite part of this class was getting to traipse around the woods all day with 10 other smithies and our professors and call it a class. We got to learn so much about animal tracks, plant identification, connecting to nature more, and even saw a porcupine!
While it was a bit chilly (averaging about 15 degrees), we had so much fun learning about the woods around us, and how to effectively communicate all that we learned to others. Plus, once this class ended I had a week before my spring classes started so I could just hang out on campus with friends, and relax before the spring semester kicked in.
hi! I’m an incoming first year from socal and I was curious whether smithies from the opposite coast tend to go home for shorter breaks like thanksgiving and spring break? if they don’t, what do they do instead?
Hi! I’m from NorCal, so I get why you’re wondering. In my experience, most people from the West Coast don’t tend to go home for shorter breaks. I did for Thanksgiving because it falls on the birthday of my entire family, but I found traveling in such a short period of time to be a bit exhausting. Instead, most people like to travel during these breaks to other parts of the East Coast like New York or Boston using Amtrak or Peter Pan. You can also stay on campus over break, though you do have to pay a fee.
Emily ‘21
I’m also from the West Coast and have stayed for every Thanksgiving break, as well as spring breaks. I’ve done things like road trips to Boston with friends, taking some time to explore campus while it’s quiet, and go on local hikes! I personally have really enjoyed getting to just hang out and not be as stressed about classes, and even had some time to get ahead on work.
Hi there! I am a first year considering what to take for classes, and wanted to ask, if you could recommend any classes you took your first year at Smith that made you feel excited to go to class or work with a certain professor or was overall really educational/eye opening, what classes would they be and why? They can be from any field. Thank you so much!
Hi! My first semester at Smith, I took Intro to Latin American Studies with Javier Puente. It was a survey course, so we got to explore the subject from many different perspectives and fields of study. Topics ranged from climate change and environmental justice to art and colonization. The course really allowed us to dive into our own interests and culminated in a self-designed, semester-long research paper and presentation. I really enjoyed the guest lecturers who came to class as well as the projects and assigned readings. I would recommend this class to anyone, regardless of their major/academic focus. I don’t think Javier is teaching the class this fall, but I saw that he’s offering a first-year seminar (FYS 110), so if you’re interested in taking a class with him, you can check it out here! ~Jess ‘23~
Hi! To add another suggestion on to this - I took the introductory archaeology course with Elizabeth Klarich, it is normally offered every semester and is definitely being offered this fall. Professor Klarich is awesome, and frames archaeology in a more critical view and how the field can grow and change from the looting and antiquities market it came from. It is a mostly discussion based class with a few shorter papers that were on fairly flexible topics. This class is the reason I declared an archaeology minor!
Hazel ‘22
Hi! I'm a first year, and I don't know if this is weird, but I have a big pet peeve with people touching my things without my permission or going into my room when I'm not there, especially now with Covid-19. So, I was wondering how often Smith has room inspections and what they are like? Thank you!
Hey there!
Normally room inspections are once a year and the reslife for your house will always send you multiple reminders of the time when they’ll be doing them, usually about an hour window. The room inspection itself is very straightforward, they cannot open any drawers or closet doors, or move anything like blankets, unless there is reasonable suspicion (like if your room smells like weed or for some reason your closet meows). You are allowed to be in the room when the inspection is taking place, and overall it takes maybe a minute, they’re super short and sweet.
Hope this helps alleviate any concerns!
Hazel ‘22
Academic Advice for First-Years: Part I
Last week I posted some general college advice for first-years. Here I will delve into my academic advice. This post got really long, so I decided to break it up into two parts. In this part, I will provide some general advice on course selection, note-taking, and homework. Next week, I will be exploring the academic support systems on campus. I will first address a reader question that I received.
What is your favorite computer science course you have taken at Smith College? Thanks :)
That is a great question that I am unfortunately unprepared to answer as I have only taken a semester’s worth of computer science at Smith. The courses I took were How the Internet Works (CSC 102) and How Computers Work (CSC 103). (You can see a full list of my courses here). While I don’t want to perpetuate the notion of “humanities people” and “STEM people”, I do think that these introductory courses are best suited for someone curious about computer science but who is quite intimidated by it. Namely, these courses have a math designation for Latin Honors but are way less “mathy” than say calculus I. With that said, I still think the best place to start is Introduction to Computer Science Through Programming (CSC 111). Why? First of all, because you will learn programming rather than just theory. Secondly, CSC 111 is required for the major and minor whereas CSC 102/103 cannot be applied to a minor and do not serve as prerequisites for any other courses. It is worth noting that despite recommending CSC 111, I myself haven’t taken it because I was able to test out of it. While I’m sure that this wasn’t the answer you were looking for, be sure to keep an eye on the main blog for another Smithie’s response in the near future.
In terms of course registration, here is a post I wrote a few months ago. While that post was quite thorough, circumstances have definitely changed in intervening months. Specifically, you may now elect to take three courses (instead of four) in the fall and an additional full credit course during interterm. This may make sense in that it allows you to spread out your course load and to have something interesting to do during interterm. Really it just comes down to if any of the course offerings pique your interest. It is also worth thinking critically about which classes may be best to take this fall as opposed to in the spring. As building community will be more difficult this year, I more than ever would recommend enrolling in a first-year seminar. First-year seminars are great because of the small class size (caps of 16-20), varied topics, and writing focus. This writing focus is important because all first-year students are required to take a writing-intensive course and because writing is a crucial skill.
Course selection ties nicely into my most general academic advice which is to build a strong relationship with your advisor and to learn to write effective emails. This relationship is important because it will improve the entire advising experience and efficacy. You can read more about advising at Smith here. In terms of emails, they are a key form of communication between you and your advisor, other professors, and your employer / prospective employer. In addition to proofreading papers that you submit, be sure to take the time to proofread carefully anything you send via email. In terms of the format, it is usually best to start with Dear Professor Last Name. If it’s someone you haven’t communicated with previously, be sure to introduce yourself. I like to include my first and last name, class year, and depending on the context, my majors. From there explain the situation and relevant questions. If there is a deadline or key question, bold text may be useful. Effective use of whitespace (paragraph breaks) and a concise but informative subject line are also important.
In terms of actual classes, be sure to attend every lecture. College is different in that not all courses take attendance and grade participation. Obviously, if you are sick, definitely don’t attend class in person. If you are more severely ill, it may be necessary to completely miss class. Here is where effective emails and positive relationships with peers come in. This is also part of why attendance matters in the first place. For instance, say you routinely miss class for illegitimate reasons and then actually get sick. If you need some motivation to actually get up and go to class, consider the extremely high cost of tuition and subsequently high monetary value of an hour of class.
Courses vary in how/if you should be taking notes. Courses that are discussion-based may require written preparation before class, but minimal in-class note-taking. In general, if the professor is lecturing you should be prepared to jot down the main ideas. The trick is to remain present in class. Namely, learn once by actively engaging with the material rather than trying to teach yourself later from verbatim notes. In terms of paper or digital notes, I vastly prefer digital notes. But between typed and handwritten notes, handwriting is better for actually learning and retaining information. This may sound like a contradictory answer, but my solution is writing on an iPad. You can read about the technology I use in college here. I also have a few posts on how I organize in college that can be found here.
Actively participating in class means contributing to class discussions and asking questions when you are confusing. Seriously, do not be afraid to ask questions. This is key for your own learning and will likely benefit your peers as well. It is only if you wait too long to express your confusion that your question may end up being “stupid.”
In terms of homework, the good news with college is that it is fairly predictable. First of all, key dates for exams and/or papers are outlined in the syllabus. Furthermore, courses often have a repeating structure for assignments. For instance, for my physics class, we had to read and virtually discuss the textbook by class time on Wednesdays and Fridays, we had a problem set due every Sunday, revisions due the following Wednesday, and a weekly quiz on Thursday. This predictable schedule allows you to better schedule when you will work on different assignments. Task management along with a study schedule help to keep you from getting too overwhelmed with all of your assignments. You can click here to read about a few task management systems I have used.
i just stopped by Smith’s campus today to drive in to see it. I’m a prospective student and i fell more in love with the school than I thought possible. So nervous I won’t be accepted!! I know if I can get into Smith I will 100% be going, is there any way to bring this up in a polite fashion if I am able to interview? I appreciate any tips on the admission process that worked for you guys! Thanks!
Hi! Congrats on finding a college that you love so early on in the college application process. In your interview, I would state what you already said! Your determination, drive, and enthusiasm towards Smith is a great way to show your interviewer that you are truly invested in Smith. Another way to show this is by applying Early decision (if you have decided that this is the right choice for you) and letting your interviewer know that during the interview. Another piece of advice that I have to offer is to reach out to your states rep and introduce yourself. You can find their email and respective state here. I hope this helps! ~Mya’24
Fall Plans
Since the United States continues to have large COVID-19 case numbers and deaths, Smith is not having any students on campus in the fall (except those with emergency circumstances), and all classes will be remote. For a multitude of reasons I am taking the Fall 2020 semester off. I am now class of 2022! I took a semester off my first year for health reasons so I was going to be a January grad (J-grad), so when all this happened I wasn’t too upset with having to take a semester off. I was meant to take 3 classes that required labs or fieldwork as I am a biology major, and I felt it wouldn’t be as good to take those online, and since it realigned my graduation year I was okay with this
For this semester I am staying with my parents, working at a local farm, and fostering kittens from the local humane society! I’m staying involved with the Smith community through blogging, continuing to work with Students Against Sexual Assault remotely (I’m the president this year!), and discussing relevant papers with the lab I work in.
Here is a picture of our barn cat who is both very cuddly and a very good mouser. We love her very much.
(Image ID: A fluffy black cat with white on the bottom half of her face lays on a cardboard box that is on a concrete floor)
College Essentials
It’s easy to get carried away packing for college. It is both exciting and daunting. Since I am within reasonable driving distance (3 hours), I definitely overpacked. (I even packed things that I immediately sent home with my parents). While I will be recommending items in this post, my main piece of advice is to be selective with what you pack. Furthermore, it is a great time to get rid of things that no longer add value to your life. I mean think about it, if you can get away without the given item for a whole school year, do you really need it? Besides, it is amazing to come home to a clutter-free bedroom.
If you plan on getting a job, you will need some official forms of identification. I would recommend packing a passport (if you have one) since a social security card is best left at home. I am mentioning this first because I didn’t think of it and as a result, my parents had to overnight my passport to me. On a somewhat related note, you can check out my most recent blog post on banking and personal finance.
Dorm Basics:
For starters, you will obviously need to pack plenty of clothes. I like to have about two weeks worth of clothing. While you won’t need them immediately, be sure to have a winter jacket and boots. I am from Vermont so I already owned these items and left them at home until Thanksgiving break. At least for students of color, it is possible to get free lightly used jackets from the Office of Multicultural Affairs Winter Resource Room. Also, if you really need financial assistance, you can apply (under emergency and medical expenses) for funding to cover the cost of winter clothing. Depending on your specific clothing, you will also want to have clothes hangers. Related to clothing, you will need a laundry hamper and laundry detergent. I would also recommend stain remover. While you need to pay for laundry, you do not need quarters. Instead, it is best to preload money onto your OneCard. This is more convenient and saves you money. A load of laundry (washer and dryer) costs $2.70 when using your OneCard or $3.00 when paid with coins.
Next, you will need bedding. It is worth noting that college beds are Twin XL. From my experience, the dorms are kept really warm so I definitely never needed a comforter. I would highly recommend investing in a mattress topper to make the bed more comfortable. Also, if you enjoy studying or reading in bed, a back pillow is really nice to have.
The dorm lighting isn’t the best, so I would recommend getting a basic desk lamp. Also since there aren’t always many well-located outlets, a power strip is a near necessity. For the beginning and end of the school year, a fan is a must (especially if you’re on the fourth floor like I was). That said, if you have a roommate you may only need one. Beyond basic toiletries, you will also want to have a shower caddy and shower shoes (cheap flip-flops). For storage, I found clear plastic under-bed bins to be quite useful.
School Supplies:
I keep a pencil pouch in my bag containing some basic stationery. Specifically, a black pen, a blue pen, a four-color pen, a yellow highlighter, whiteout, pencils (mechanical and wooden), an eraser, a sharpener, extra lead, mini scissors, and a mini stapler. Okay, so not that basic but actually really useful to have. While it is only so often that I need the scissors, I am sure that other people have really appreciated that I carry them. I also keep my graphing calculator in my bag. In terms of other stationery, I keep extra pens, pencils, and paper in my dorm room. I also keep tape, a hole puncher, and binders with old school work. You can read about my college organization system here. Also, if you’re curious about the technology I use in college, I have already written an entire blog post on just that.
Nice Things to Have:
Be sure to bring things that make you smile. For instance, a beloved stuffed animal (see above in Dorm Basics). And no you are not too old for stuffed animals! Furthermore, photos of friends and family can make great decorations. One wonderful gift that I received was a custom calendar with photos of my friends and family. If you enjoy snacking, be sure to pack some of your favorites. (That said, don’t go overboard since there is plenty of real food to eat and many people pack more than they will actually consume). If you are a tea person, bring your favorite ceramic mug and perhaps a travel mug as well. I also liked having a small jar of honey for my tea. To be more environmentally friendly, consider bringing your own utensils. Don’t freak out, since it is only grab-and-go (lunches at Hubbard and Chapin) that use plastic utensils. I personally carry around a small metal camping spork.
Lastly, if you have a hobby that requires physical items, be sure to pack them. In many ways, college is a new beginning, but you must also stay true to yourself and not give up hobbies that you value. In my case, this meant packing my guitar (actually two of them and a ukulele). Best of luck preparing for and dreaming about college.
Hi! I am an incoming smithie 2024 and have concerns about housing. On my housing preference form I checked that I would prefer to have a single and am interested in Chase substance-free community. Now I think that it may be more beneficial for me to have a double as I fear I may isolate myself and not make friends if I am given a single. I am rather shy and reserved and tend to do this but it is a habit I really want to break! What do you think I should do?
Hey!
I lived in Chase for my first two years at Smith, and I loved it! Because the entire house is made up of singles it’s easy to meet other people and first years because nobody else has a roommate either. I personally really enjoyed having a house community to hang out with but also having my own space to decompress in, especially my first year since everything was so new. If you think you’d be able to have a roommate and it would be beneficial, it doesn’t hurt to try something new, and if it doesn’t work out the process for switching rooms is pretty easy.
Good luck!
Hazel ‘22J
Hey! I was admitted under the class of 2024 and am beyond excited! I was wondering if anyone has done the 12 College Exchange, and if so, what their experience was like. It seems like a great opportunity. Thank you! :)
Hi!
I participated in the 12 College Exchange last fall (Fall 2019), and did the Williams-Mystic program. I chose this program because it fulfilled a lot of the requirements for the 5 College Certificate in Marine and Coastal Sciences, and because I was hesitant to go abroad because of my specific ODS accommodations. I had no trouble getting my forms filled out and approved from both Smith and Williams-Mystic (which has an application and interview as well as the 12 College Exchange form). It is worth nothing though that if you are not applying to a semester program like Williams-Mystic or the National Theater Institute not all of the schools have spots every year, and it is possible to be denied from the program if they don’t have room.
Hazel ‘22J
Hi! I’m a prospective Ada scholar and I’m wondering if Smith College allows double minors? Since I would be transferring from a community college, I would have many credits, and I’ve been focusing on art history courses..but if I came to Smith, I would want to minor in history and art history..if double majors are allowed would both show up on my diploma? If not, but I completed the requirements for two minors, is there an option to get a certificate for the minor that wouldn’t be on my diploma?
Hey!
As someone who is doing a major, minor, and (unofficial) certificate this is possible but in a weird way. Your major and minor will show up on your transcript, and because the 5 College Certificate program is not affiliated with just Smith it will not (but it can if you don’t have a minor), but you will get a certificate from them separately. Smith will only list two degrees, so a major/minor, double major, major/certificate, and a concentration can be added on to any of those combinations. It’s a bit confusing, but possible.
Hazel ‘22JHey!As someone who is doing a major, minor, and (unofficial) certificate this is possible but in a weird way. Your major and minor will show up on your transcript, and because the 5 College Certificate program is not affiliated with just Smith it will not (but it can if you don’t have a minor), but you will get a certificate from them separately. Smith will only list two degrees, so a major/minor, double major, major/certificate, and a concentration can be added on to any of those combinations. It’s a bit confusing, but possible. Hazel ‘22J
