The goal of the Reach ACRoSS workshops is to provide students on campus in the summer with opportunities to learn valuable skills applicable for pursuing URSCA and other Gateway experiences and to provide tools that will help them transition from their time at Allegheny into careers or postgraduate experiences. These sessions will be interactive and will provide information, resources, and opportunities to brainstorm and work on projects with partners.
All Reach ACRoSS sessions this summer will take place on Wednesdays, in the Collaboratory of Pelletier Library (second floor) from noon until about 1:20.
A full lunch will be served with the Reach ACRoSS workshops. Therefore, students must RSVP in advance to attend. Most workshops will be limited to 20-25 students.
June 12th, Making the Most of the Summer Experience
Completing a summer research experience can be extremely rewarding–both in the short and long-term. During this Reach ACRoSS session, we will talk about how to discuss these benefits with others (e.g., for future employment, internship, or post-graduate opportunities) and how to prepare to maximize your time on campus. In addition, we will have an open question and answer period so that any concerns, ideas, or challenges you have right now can be addressed.
June 19th, Sharing our Work: Multiple Audiences, Multiple Venues
Across your time at Allegheny, and beyond, you will be asked to share your story and to listen to the story of others. Whether discussing our research, turning points in our journey, or our long-term goals, how we tell these stories matters. In this session, we will consider the importance of authentically shaping and sharing stories. We will discuss both oral presentations and the creation of posters used to visually represent research. We will think about how formatting changes across disciplines as well as what stays the same. Join us as we work together to explore the challenge and power of sharing stories.
June 26th, Finding Common Ground
This will be the most informal session of Reach ACRoSS meant to be a space for summer students to meet one another and talk about areas of common interest. There will be no set agenda other than to talk to one another about your work this summer and consider ways that the experiences of research across disciplines are similar and different. We hope this session will give you a chance to make connections with other summer students and consider how you might work together on future projects. Other possible outcomes of this session could be study groups for GREs, LSATS, MCATs, etc.
July 3rd, I Don’t Think I Belong Here
The impostor syndrome is a well-studied phenomenon in social psychology that explores the persistent doubt some individuals have about their accomplishments and how that doubt creates a fear that can prevent them from pursuing their goals. In this session, we will think about what famous researchers and authors have to say about “feeling like a fraud,” learn to recognize impostor syndrome, and discuss ways to combat it.
July 10th, Don’t Follow Your Passion!
How often have you heard the advice that you should “follow your passion?” What does that advice mean to you? In this session, we will consider why using the criteria of “passion” to find our “calling” may be misleading. Specifically, we will consider research on fixed versus growth mindsets and the advice to follow our passions may unintentionally limit the opportunities we explore and the impact we can make.
July 17th, But Do Look for Purpose.
How many times have you found yourself reading for class or working on a class project and thinking, “this is boring”? Have you noticed that you work harder in courses that you find “interesting”? In this session, we will talk about the emotions of boredom and interest. Specifically, we will think about research that shows that when we find work under or over stimulating, we experience negative affect which is often interpreted as being “bored.” More importantly, we’ll talk about what research has to say about how to find interest where we might least expect it.
July 24th, “Unflattening”: A Discussion
In his graphic novel “Unflattening,” Nick Sousanis pushes us to think about the construction of knowledge and how we use words and images to know the world around us. In their review of the book, Harvard University Press states, “Unflattening is an insurrection against the fixed viewpoint. Weaving together diverse ways of seeing drawn from science, philosophy, art, literature, and mythology, it uses the collage-like capacity of comics to show that perception is always an active process of incorporating and reevaluating different vantage points.” In this Reach ACRoSS session, we will discuss our impressions of and reactions to this novel and what we might take away with us and carry into our work at Allegheny. NOTE: Those who RSVP to attend will receive free copies of the book.
July 31st, The Next Journey.
What is your next destination after Allegheny? Do you know? In this session, we will consider the multitude of options in front of you–no matter your major. We will consider how to know whether/not post-graduate opportunities (like grad school, law school, or med school) might be the option for you. But we will also look beyond those choices and creatively consider what might be next. We will also highlight how the Career Education office and other offices of the Gateway can help you start (or continue) planning this journey.
August 2nd, The Rule of Three Will Set You Free
Regardless of whether you are a rising sophomore, junior, or senior, the fall 2019 semester most likely has a lot in store for you! How do you prepare to jump into the rhythms of academic life again? How do you find balance and time so that you can make real contributions to our community while also preparing yourself for life after Allegheny? In other words, how can you do well with your classes, research, and other commitments? Join us at this last session of the summer to learn about The Rule of Three and how it can help provide perspective and grounding to your work.