Bear Essentials

As published in the Barnard Bulletin on August 31, 2009

Bear Essentials Archive

SPRING 2009 DEFERRED FINAL EXAMS will be administered on Friday, September 11. If you received the required approvals for a deferred final, please consult the Registrar's Office web site for the scheduled time and location.

FALL 2009 PROGRAM FILING DEADLINE is Friday, September 18. Information about procedures is on the Registrar's Office web site; it will also be sent to your campus mailbox. Please allow plenty of time to discuss your program with your adviser and to obtain his/her approval prior to the deadline.

FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE AP OR IB CREDIT must have an official report of the test scores sent directly to the Registrar's Office by the testing organization. The Registrar will process and evaluate the scores in order to determine whether credit and/or exemption may be awarded, and students who receive credit will be able to see the credits on their eBear transcripts. For any questions about AP or IB credit, contact the Registrar's Office or Dean Hollibaugh. The Barnard code for AP scores is 2038.

THE WRITING CENTER opens on September 22nd: Located at 18 Milbank, the Writing Center is a place where Barnard students in all disciplines can come to talk about their writing. Columbia students enrolled in courses taught by Barnard faculty are also welcome to discuss their writing for these Barnard courses. The Writing Center is staffed by Barnard's trained peer tutors, the Writing Fellows. All staff members are seasoned readers of undergraduate writing across the curriculum. For further information, including how to sign up for appointments, please visit the Writing Fellows website: www.barnard.edu/writing. Questions should be directed to either Pam Cobrin, Director of the Writing Program (pcobrin@barnard.edu) or Ditty Vick, Senior Writing Fellow, Writing Center Administrator (jvick@barnard.edu).

UPCOMING PRELAW EVENTS (open to all Barnard and Columbia students):

Prelaw Informational Session (Barnard students only): September 22, 2009 at 5:30 PM in Ella Weed, (Milbank 223). Dean Kuan Tsu will be on hand to explain the process of applying to law school for the 2009-2010 application cycle.

Harvard Law School Information Session: Wednesday, September 23, time and location to be determined. Cassandra Williams, Associate Director of Admissions at Harvard Law School will offer insight into Harvard's admissions process.

Cornell, Duke, NYU and Stanford Visit: Monday, 10/5, 6-7:30pm, location to be determined. Admissions Deans will discuss the law school admissions process generally and talk about their respective schools in a panel discussion format.

Law School Fair: The annual Barnard-Columbia Law School Fair will take place on Thursday, October 8, from 2:30 to 5pm in the Roone Arledge Auditorium, in Lerner Hall. Representatives from a large number of U.S. law schools will be available to answer your questions and provide you with important information about their individual schools. The fair will be preceded by a panel of law school experts speaking on admissions, law school curriculum, and the legal profession, 11:30am-1pm, location to be determined.

STUDY ABROAD INFORMATION SESSION: Are you just beginning to consider a semester or year abroad? Come learn the basics from Dean for Study Abroad Advising Gretchen Young. Tuesday, September 22, 5-6 pm, in 304 Barnard and Wednesday, September 30, 12-1 pm, in 328 Milbank.

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDY ABROAD: Would you like to apply for a scholarship to study abroad? For those who are eligible (students currently receiving Pell Grants), there will be a Gilman Scholarship Information Session on Thursday, September 24, 12-1pm in 227 Milbank and on Tuesday, September 29, 5:30-6:30pm in 214 Milbank. There will be a general Study Abroad Scholarship/Fellowship Information Session on Thursday, October 8, from 12 to 1pm in 227 Milbank.

STUDY ABROAD AND INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FAIR: Barnard and Columbia invite you to the annual Study Abroad Fair on Friday, October 2, from 12:30 to 3:30pm, in the Roone Arledge Auditorium, Lerner Hall.

STUDENTS INTERESTED IN STUDYING ABROAD: As you begin to consider studying abroad, we encourage you to obtain a passport, if you do not already have one. International students are encouraged to speak with Dean Ani Bournoutian about the impact of studying abroad on their visas. To schedule an appointment, please call 212-854-2024 or stop by the Dean of Studies Office, 105 Milbank.

ALL NEW PRE-HEALTH PROFESSIONS STUDENTS: If you are a pre-health student (i.e., pre-med, pre-dental, pre-nursing, pre-vet, pre-optometry, pre-pharmacy, or other), please make sure to ask Paula Hercules, the Pre-Professional Administrative Assistant in the Dean of Studies Office, to add you to the office's pre-health listserv so that you may receive future notices of important and relevant events. To be added to the listserv, simply e-mail Ms. Hercules (phercules@barnard.edu), tell her you would like to be added, and provide her with your current Barnard e-mail address.

TUTORING PROGRAM: If you are an upper-level student (i.e., sophomore or higher) who has taken and excelled in Biology BC 1500 or Economics BC 1003 or BC 1007 and you are interested in working as a Fall 2009 tutor for the Dean of Studies Office's Academic Assistance Program, please e-mail Paula Hercules at phercules@barnard.edu as soon as possible and provide her with: 1) your full name, 2) class year, 3) e-mail address, 4) cell phone number, 5) the name of the course you're interested in tutoring, 6) information on when you completed that course (e.g., Fall 2008) and 7) the grade you received in the course. Forms to request a peer tutor through the Academic Assistance Program should be available no later than the beginning of the third week of classes. Students who are interested in receiving tutoring, as well as students who are interested in becoming tutors, will receive an e-mail notifying you when the applications forms are available. The Academic Assistance Program offers tutoring in specific biology, chemistry, math, economics and language courses. Tutoring will be provided in small groups of 2-3 students, once a week, for two hours per week.

THE BARNARD COLLEGE PRIMARY CARE HEALTH SERVICE welcomes you to a new semester! We provide comprehensive primary care for all registered Barnard students through walk-ins and appointments. Walk-In students are seen in our Urgent Care service on a triage basis. (The sickest students are seen first.) For non-urgent care, it's a good idea to make an appointment whenever possible. Appointments are necessary for any medication refills, including contraception. We look forward to helping you stay healthy at Barnard; please call us at 212-854-2091 with any questions.

BC PRIMARY CARE HEALTH SERVICE CLINICIAN ON CALL: The Primary Care Health Service Clinician-On-Call, (866-966-7788) provides medical advice for urgent situations that occur outside of Primary Care Health Service open hours, which are Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5pm. You can call the Clinician-On-Call anytime the Primary Care Health Service is closed during the academic year, including Thanksgiving, winter, and spring breaks. (It is suspended during the summer break.)

FREE FLU SHOTS will be available for students in the Primary Care Health Service in the fall—days and times to be announced. Students with chronic illnesses are especially encouraged to get a flu shot! Please note: the Primary Care Health Service will offer H1N1 (swine flu) vaccination to students as soon as it is available.

PARENTAL LOSS SUPPORT GROUP: This group is for any student who has lost a parent recently or in the more distant past. This group explores ways in which the loss of a parent has had an impact on your life in large and small ways. You don't need to feel sad or depressed to join this group, just curious about your life now. If you are interested in joining the group please call 854-2092 to make an appointment to speak briefly with Forbes Singer, PhD, group facilitator. We meet Wednesdays, 6-7pm, in the Furman Counseling Center Conference Room.

LISTENING HOURS: Welcome to the new semester. As the fall term progresses, keep in mind that The Furman Counseling Center offers an evening residence hall walk-in service. No appointment necessary! If you'd like to talk out whatever is on your mind in a supportive space, drop by one of our Listening Hours. We'll help you sort it out. Listening Hours are open to all Barnard students. Beginning late September, Listening Hours will be held on Tuesdays in Plimpton Hall, 7-9:30pm, and Thursdays in Elliott Hall, 7-9:30pm.

FURMAN COUNSELING CENTER OFFERS MINI-COURSES: 1 hr/week for 3 weeks. Times/dates to be determined. If interested, call 212-854-2092 for more information.

ROMANTIC WELLNESS: Romantic Well-being Class. Barnard prepares you to be successful in so many ways - why not learn how to have healthy romantic relationships here too? Furman Counseling Center will offer a two-session class, each semester, on romantic well-being.

SMART EMOTIONAL LIVING: Achieve greater success in all areas of your life--academic, relationships, career - by learning tools to work with your emotions. Emotions can be a source of wisdom and empowerment, or can be destabilizing and destructive. It all depends on how you manage them. Learn skills to make your emotions work for you!

STUDENTS IN RECOVERY: Being a student and being in recovery can be a challenge, but it can also be an exciting and rewarding experience. This group offers support to students who are at various points in their recovery process. Open communication is facilitated by a comfortable and nonjudgmental environment in which students can share their experiences, frustrations and successes. Group Leader: Hilary Colenso, PhD. Contact hcolenso@barnard.edu or call 212-854-2128.

DAUGHTERS OF ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE USERS GROUP: If you grew up in a household with a parent who abused alcohol or drugs, you are not alone. According to a recent study by the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, one out of four people come from a home where one or both parents abuse alcohol or drugs. Although now in college, many students continue to deal with problems at home - their own feelings of anger or guilt, concern about siblings, or the demands of parents. This group offers a safe and confidential place to discuss these and other concerns with other students who really understand. Group Leader: Hilary Colenso, PhD. Contact hcolenso@barnard.edu or call 212-854-2128.