-U of M students studying on the lawn, 1946, from the Bentley Historical Library
Study hard, everyone, and good luck on finals!
Psst…there’s tons of exciting Sophomore Initiative courses you can take in the Fall 2013 semester. If you look under the Sophomore Initiative tag on the course guide, you’ll find over 50 wonderful courses that will expose you to a variety of different disciplines and fields. We have interdisciplinary and/or seminar courses that we picked just for sophomores — classes on acoustic songwriting, digital research, global health, intergroup relations, publishing and editing, and myriad other subjects; check them all out here.
While you’re selecting courses, here’s some helpful tips on backpacking and registration from the Campus Information Center Blue Prints Blog.
Making a difference with the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center
As a sophomore, my main goal was to contribute to the University of Michigan in a meaningful way. When you’ve gotten a feel for the university, but aren’t really on your way out just yet, it is easy to get excited about influencing real and lasting change for all those future sophomores. I found a place to do that through my work with the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center. After volunteering for two years, I became a co-coordinator of the Men’s Activism Program, which focuses on engaging men in the movement against sexual violence, and developing creative ways to do so. Though I joined in my freshman year, it was my sophomore year that I really became immersed in the work and the community.
Many people think that SAPAC is just survivor services - a place to go if you have been sexually assaulted - however its heart and soul are the volunteers who work tirelessly to prevent assaults through education and activism. If you’re looking for an opportunity to affect change on macro as well as micro levels, volunteers at SAPAC help change and create university policy, and also educate and converse with individual students with workshops and campaigns. Volunteers also help survivors through a Peer-Led Support Group, and events like Speak Out which encourages survivors to share their stories in a supportive environment. Making an impact on the lives of the other people on this campus is important to many students, and SAPAC is absolutely a place to do so.
L to R: Alisha Opperman (LSA BS ‘09, MSW ‘10), Vivian Yu (LSA BA ‘12, MHSA ‘14), Amanda Yu (LSA BS ‘08, MPH ‘10)
Thinking about what to do after graduation? Considering grad school?
Some (hopefully) helpful advice: if you’re unsure about going to grad school vs finding a job, I would suggest this simple question — are you completely sure of what you want to do with your life? If you answered yes, have researched that field, and grad school is the gateway into it, then apply away. If you answered no, then your sophomore year is the perfect time to figure it all out. Take classes you wouldn’t normally take, talk to people who do what you might want to do, shadow someone for a day. How do I go about doing that? Easy, reach out to a lawyer/doctor/writer/engineer/consultant/insert profession here. What’s the worst that could happen? They say no or that they’re too busy, so you try someone else. It’ll be a good exercise in resilience. Just make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.
Vivian is currently a first year student in the Department of Health Management and Policy at U-M School of Public Health. She is interested in improving the patient and provider experience of care and working to eliminate health inequities across the system of healthcare. She received her Bachelor of Arts in psychology and medical anthropology from U-M in 2012, where she was involved with Circle K, Building a Better Michigan, and the Michigan Union Board of Representatives.
I am in University of Michigan’s 2013 production of the Hijabi Monologues next Thursday, April 4 at 7 PM. It is F R E E and I would love to see people there. :)
At the Major/Minor Expo last week, we had the opportunity to interact with some amazing sophomores who offered some sage advice for incoming sophomores. Stay tuned; we’ll be posting more soon!
Come see us at the Major/Minor Expo! It’s a really fun time and we have swag! Come by the Michigan Union Ballroom; we’ll be here until 3.
Undecided about what you’re going to major in? Thinking about adding a minor? Considering double majoring? TOMORROW, come by the Michigan Union Ballroom to talk to representatives from all of the departments at LSA.
We’ll be there too; come by and see us! You’ll have the chance to learn more about Sophomore Initiative courses, sign up for future events, and ask us any questions about the Sophomore Initiative. We’ll have swag!
