Category Archives: Academics

The Bittersweet Timeline: Knowing College Is Ending but Life’s Just Starting

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There’s a strange feeling knowing that we’re past halfway through my final semester in college. It feels somewhere between nostalgia and anticipation. I’m surrounded by everything I once dreamed about: the friends who became family, the campus that became a second home, and the routines that I planned in my head for years. It’s bittersweet to come to terms that this chapter is ending. I’ve worked so hard to get to where I currently am, but it’s already time to say goodbye. 

College has been a timeline of milestones: first classes, first jobs, first apartments, spontaneous adventures to Ireland and beyond, and now the timeline stretches forward into the unknown. I think the scariest part of this is how the next milestones aren’t marked on a syllabus or anywhere in my planner. Instead they’re written in real life. A job offer, moving to a new city, new friends. In realizing this, it’s easy to feel like everything is ending. But it’s not truly ending. 

Because the truth is, life after college is full of firsts too. There is so much to experience beyond the bubble of class schedules and late nights in the library. I know I’ll miss the familiarity of campus life, but I’m excited to find the freedom in building something new from scratch. 

I know this transition won’t always be smooth. There will be moments of uncertainty, loneliness, and longing for what used to be. But there will also be moments of joy, growth, and gratitude when I realize that every version of myself along the way has been preparing myself for this.

With these last few weeks, I understand I’m not losing my college years. Instead, I’m carrying them forward, turning lessons into confidence, memories into motivation, and endings into beginnings. 

So here’s to the next chapter. One I get to write entirely on my own. 

How to Read Academic Papers Without Losing Focus

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This semester, I’m taking a Stress & Immunity class for my advanced biology seminar, and we read a new academic paper for almost every class. At first, I thought it would be pretty straightforward: open the paper, read, take notes. But academic papers have a way of making even the most focused reader drift off halfway through the methods section. With so many different acronyms and scientific jargon, it can be easy to get lost and have to read everything again. After a few weeks, I’ve figured out a system that actually helps me stay focused and understand what I’m reading: 

1. Start with the Big Picture

Don’t dive straight into the dense parts. Read the abstract first to get the main question and key findings. Then skip ahead to briefly review the discussion or conclusion to see how it all fits together. Once you know the why and what, the rest of the paper should make a lot more sense when you go back to the details.

2. Have a Purpose Before You Start

Ask yourself what you need from the paper. Are you looking for background info, understanding an experiment, or finding something to cite? Knowing your goal keeps you focused on the relevant sections instead of trying to absorb everything.

3. Highlight Intentionally

I know I’ve been guilty of highlighting entire pages with different colors and then looking back and realized that it just made it harder to determine what’s really important.Try to highlight only what’s essential (ex. the hypothesis, main results, or key terms). 

4. Summarize Each Section in a Sentence

Another great tip for making sure you understand everything is summarizing. After finishing each section, pause and summarize it in your own words. 

5. Read in Small Chunks

Most academic papers are dense enough that you can lose focus after even a couple pages. Breaking your reading into smaller chunks is a great way to try to maintain energy. 

7. End with a Quick Recap

Similar to summarizing by section, writing a short summary of the entire paper can help pull together the intro, methods, and conclusions all in one place.

A Week in My Life at W&M

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College weeks can be unpredictable with one day feeling super motivated and productive with another day struggling to get everything done. Here’s a peek into what a real week looks for me through the balance and chaos of classes, work, and training for a half marathon.

  • Monday: School starts up again each Monday starting with virology and biostatistics classes. I’ll learn more about viral entry mechanisms and then do some reading and soak up the sun after class. I have a huge gap between my two classes on Monday, so I use the time to study, get some content done, and work. By this time, Biostat feels pretty late in the day, so I refuel with a strawberry acai lemonade from the ISC cafe. Monday is one of my favorite days for running because of the DoG Street Pub Running Club at 6pm! Given that I’ve finished all of my tasks for the day, I’ll wind down with some reading, crochet, or tv. 
  • Tuesday: Tuesday is my busiest day starting with a long run at 5am, but after 8 miles, I moved my long run to Saturday. I have two back to back classes: stress & immunity and spatial analysis & social justice, so I spend my first hours of the day in ISC. I’ll then get some work done in Swem while waiting for my lab meeting with my research advisor where we’ll discuss next steps on my project (now in the publication phase!). I usually stop at Everbowl for a snack after this long day and then head to the gym for strength training before grabbing dinner at Caf and watching Dancing With The Stars. 
  • Wednesday: Wednesday is pretty similar to Monday schedule-wise, but I have some more meetings and my biostatistics lab before class! Wednesday is also another running and strength day.  
  • Thursday: Thursday is a rest and social day. I usually will grab lunch or dinner with a friend and catch up on any work I need to complete. 
  • Friday: Friday is always fun. I like to clean on Fridays to prepare for the weekend. After my shakeout run, you’ll find me in bed early on Friday to prepare for Saturday!
  • Weekend: Saturday is my long run day ranging from 6-11miles in preparation for the Jamestown Half! I love getting Kung Fu Tea and then studying for a couple hours at Barnes & Nobles. I also like to use the weekend to plan and get ahead on next week’s tasks! 

COLL Classes Explained

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During your four years at William & Mary, you’ll be required to take a variety of COLL classes. COLL classes are included in the curriculum to explore new concepts/ideas and also deepen your knowledge on topics specific to your major! Each COLL corresponds to a different academic discipline and mode of teaching.

COLL 100 and COL 150– The first set of COLL classes taken by first year students are intended for students to branch out and explore new broad topics they’re interested in learning about. COL 100 classes are focused around creative presentation of big ideas. COL 100 usually consists of projects that go beyond writing essays. COL 150 classes are focused around readings and expanding writing skills on more narrow topics.

EX. COLL 100 from Fall 2024 –  Big Ideas in Applied Science: Renaissance in 3D 

COLL 150 from Fall 2024 – Philosophy of Technology

COLL 200 – Taken in your second year, COL 200 are a bit different from other COLLs since you are required to take a COLL class in each of the three knowledge domains: Arts, Letter, and Values (ALV), Natural World and Quantitative Reasoning (NQR), and Culture, Society, and the Individual (CSI). 

Ex. COLL 200 ALV from Fall 2024: History of Jazz

COLL 200 CSI from Fall 2024: German Fairy Tales

COLL NQR from Fall 2024: Intro to Integrative Conservation

COLL 300 – COLL 300 classes are taken in your third or fourth year. COLL 300 is designed to broaden your knowledge about the world outside of your direct experience and can be taken on campus, domestically, or internationally through study abroad. 

Ex. COLL 300 from Fall 2024: Indian Ocean Soundings

COLL 350 – COLL 350 classes are taken in your third or fourth year. They explore themes of culture and social identity and are centered around meaningful discussions and critical analysis. 

Ex. COLL 350 from Fall 2024: Black Playwrights, Then & Now

COLL 400 – COL 400 classes are taken in your final year. This capstone class helps collect your knowledge from other COLL classes and apply them to your major. COLL 400 classes can be completed through independent research, upper-level seminars, and honors projects usually within your declared major. 

Ex. COLL 400 from Fall 2024: Advanced Seminar in Biology: Bird Song 

My Experience with Undergrad Avian Research 

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This past year I had the wonderful opportunity to assist grad student Ali Grossweiner in her polarization study. In this experiment, focal birds (Zebra Finches) are conditioned to associate water with reward in order to test preference for polarization. There were three steps to the experiment: acclimation, training, and testing. I had the opportunity to assist with all three steps and eventually conducted training and testing independently. On these training days I would set up the equipment, conduct two trials for each bird, handle the birds into and out of the box, conduct cleanup and birdcare after the training was completed. Then I would insert the results of training into our polarization study spreadsheet. 

Assisting in this study, I learned more about the steps of developing and conducting research, polarization, bird behavior, and how to handle birds. Getting to help out in all stages of the research process made me appreciate how much goes into developing a research question and the planning required for each step after. In terms of avian experience, I also learned more about how to anticipate what actions a bird might take from observing their behavior, which was helpful during training as well as handling them in and out of the box. It was especially intriguing to witness the success of conditioning throughout the weeks they were trained. Watching them go from randomly flying around to looking at the water bowls and being more calculated with which perch they chose in such a short amount of time. 

Spending this spring formally conducting research with birds has also sparked my interest in learning more about the birds local to this area. I’ll often use the Merlin Bird ID sound ID to try to match different vocalizations to birds when walking around outside. It was truly a pleasure getting to be involved in a hands-on research opportunity and I hope to continue expanding my avian knowledge and experience in the future! The extent of research opportunities at William & Mary is truly expansive. Whether you’re a STEM or a humanities major, if you’re interested in gaining real world experience, you’re bound to find an opportunity! 

Introducing the Marine Science Major

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Earlier this spring, William & Mary began action on the proposal for a marine science major. The university currently offers a marine science minor, but this new offering will expand the opportunities in both curriculum and research, and study-abroad opportunities.Even more exciting, this program will be the first public undergraduate marine science degree in Virginia!

In conjunction with William & Mary’s School of Marine Science and The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), this program proposes a marine science immersion semester at VIMS. This would allow for experiential learning through various research and internships during students’ junior year. While not officially approved yet, it is hoped to have the program introduced in the fall of 2025. This new major will be a stepping stone to increasing marine science offerings in higher education. 

Read more about it here: https://news.wm.edu/2024/05/03/wm-pursues-bachelors-in-marine-science/

Sample Semester Schedules

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One of the best parts of college is being able to create your own schedule. At William & Mary, classes are usually either on Monday/Wednesday/Friday or Tuesday/Thursday. Monday/Wednesday/Friday classes tend to be 50 minutes while Tuesday/Thursday classes are 80 minutes. Labs are longer and scheduled for around 4 hours (most don’t actually last that long). 

Take a look at these sample semester schedules to get an idea of what an average semester schedule looks like!

Sample Fall Semester 

Monday

  • Integrative Biology: 9:00am – 9:50am
  • Philosophy of Technology: 10:00am – 10:50am
  • Greek Art and Archaeology: 11:00am – 11:50am
  • General Chemistry: 12:00 – 12:50am

Tuesday

  • Integrative Bio Lab: 11:00am – 1:50pm

Wednesday

  • Integrative Biology: 9:00am – 9:50am
  • Philosophy of Technology: 10:00am – 10:50am
  • Greek Art and Archaeology: 11:00am – 11:50am
  • General Chemistry: 12:00 – 12:50am

Thursday

  • General Chemistry Lab: 11:00am – 1:50pm 

Friday

  • Integrative Biology: 9:00am – 9:50am
  • Philosophy of Technology: 10:00am – 10:50am
  • Greek Art and Archaeology: 11:00am – 11:50am
  • General Chemistry: 12:00 – 12:50am

Sample Spring Semester 

Monday

  • Animal Behavior: 12:00pm – 12:50pm
  • America Through the Decades: 2:00pm – 2:50pm

Tuesday

  • Marine Science: 9:30am – 10:50am
  • Intro to Psychology as a Natural Science: 12:30pm – 1:50pm

Wednesday

  • Animal Behavior: 12:00pm – 12:50pm
  • America Through the Decades: 2:00pm – 2:50pm

Thursday

  • Marine Science: 9:30am – 10:50am
  • Intro to Psychology as a Natural Science: 12:30pm – 1:50pm

Friday

  • Animal Behavior: 12:00pm – 12:50pm
  • America Through the Decades: 2:00pm – 2:50pm

Don’t Just Survive, Thrive Your Freshman Year!

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By Caroline Gyure

Entering college as a freshman can feel frightening and overwhelming. It’s easy to stress about managing college classes and making new friends. Yet through these challenges, you’ll find yourself growing and maturing as a person in ways you never thought possible. Though ultimately helpful, these growing pains are still painful, so here are five tips to help you thrive in your freshman year.

  1. Give yourself some grace. You’ll learn so many new skills your freshman year, both in managing your personal life and your academics! You’ll easily manage these responsibilities eventually, but don’t expect yourself to get everything right every time. You might procrastinate on your homework, take a wrong turn and be late for class, or forget an assignment. Be mentally prepared for these little mishaps, but always remember that is all they are: little mishaps. Take responsibility for your mistakes, learn your lesson, and move on!
  2. Schedule in downtime. Mental health is so, so important to everyone at William & Mary! One of the best ways you can keep yourself healthy is by scheduling yourself some downtime. Find a way every week to give yourself a few hours alone to decompress, even if you don’t think you need it – you always do!
  3. Ask people to hang out! Asking someone to hang out is always a little nerve-racking at first but always pays off. Everyone at William & Mary is so friendly, and every other freshman is also trying to make friends. Go ahead and ask your seatmate in your COLL 100 if they want to grab lunch at Sadler! You might just meet a great friend!
  4. Follow each day where it takes you. Some of my best memories at William & Mary so far have been created in moments of spontaneity. When someone asks you if you want to go grab ice cream in CW right now, say yes! Prioritize living in the moment and grabbing hold of all these little opportunities thrown your way!
  5. Read all the emails you get from William & Mary. There will be quite a few emails you’ll be sent from various campus departments – which you can unsubscribe to if they don’t apply to you! But skim through every Student Happenings and department newsletter. They have so much important information in them about guest lectures, fun events, and amazing opportunities!

Caroline is a member of the Class of 2027 at William & Mary, planning to major in English and minor in Management and Organizational Leadership. She​ sings in Barksdale Treble Choir and loves reading and creative writing. When not in class, you can find her studying around campus or at home in Yorktown, VA during school breaks!

All about PATH Registration 

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In this upcoming registration cycle William & Mary is implementing a new platform for course registration called PATH! This new platform allows students to build a cart with their preferred classes outside of a timed environment and create an optimal schedule for all students. 

Instead of building a schedule during an alloted timeslot, students can now add courses to a cart with registration priorities and alternatives. They will create a primary cart with the courses of first priority and an alternative cart with backups if not able to register for the first priority classes. PATH then registers students to classes based on the priorities set by students and social class. There will still be tiered enrollment maximums. Then, the add/drop period proceeds after registration has ended. 

Fall 2024 carts open on March 27th and close on April 2nd. Schedules will be released on April 15th and the add drop period begins on April 18th. 

More information on 2024 course registration: https://www.wm.edu/offices/registrar/studentsandalumni/registration/howtoregister/courseleafpath/

PATH Registration: https://registration.wm.edu

How to Study When Tired 

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As we’re nearing the end of the semester and work begins to accumulate, stress and procrastination can take over our time. Taking naps and energy drinks might seem like a good solution, but can eventually lead to lots of cramming, stress, and fatigue. Consider trying these strategies to help you effectively study when tired. 

  1. Staying hydrated and nourished

Your body will not be able to focus if it doesn’t have fuel! Make sure you’re drinking enough water and fueling yourself with food to help boost your energy levels.

  1. Take small breaks

It can be easy to get overwhelmed when you’re tired, so taking small breaks during your study sessions can help alleviate any extra stress. 

  1. Change your study area

Let’s face it, the odds of falling asleep after deciding to study on your bed is pretty high. Try switching up your study area whether it be outside for some fresh air or the library to be surrounded by others who are trying to get work done. 

  1. Exercise 

Exercising before you study can help boost your mood and energy levels! It can also help increase focus and you’ll get some movement in!

  1. Prioritize your tasks

Find what is most important to complete and do it first! Ranking your tasks by priority will help you figure out what needs to be done and what you might be able to do later if you don’t get to it that day.