Posted on by Anna

Weekly Round-Up

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Important Dates and Deadlines

January 29: Deadline to ADD full-semester course
January 29: Deadline to add yourself to spring degree list if you expect to graduate in May (you can do this online in Self Service)
February 1: Deadline to apply to Sec Ed minor (for sophomores, not first-year students!)

As always, if you would like to schedule an advising appointment with Anna or Keshia, please CALL the office at 217-333-4346. We are happy to answers questions via email (englishadvising@illinois.edu) but for more complex matters such as schedule rearrangement, overall degree planning, or existential-crisis-management, an actual appointment is preferable (in person or virtual, as you prefer). We look forward to seeing many of you this semester and wish you all safe travels and a lack of frostbite in the coming week!

For those of you planning to graduate in May or August, be on the lookout for information about the English & Creative Writing Convocation ceremony, which will take place on Saturday, May 11 at 5pm in Smith Hall. We will be sending out emails in February with more details about the registration process, and we are in the process of updating the webpage for the event.

Study Abroad Open House

LAS International Programs will host an Open House  in 3060 Lincoln Hall on Wednesday, January 24 to promote study abroad programs for summer, fall and academic year 2024-2025 ahead of the February 15th application deadline. Lunch will be provided, and the schedule is as follows:

During the rest of the week, we will also host several info sessions:

Pre-Law Advising Workshop

Next week the Pre-Law Advising Services Office will be hosting their annual LSAT Jumpstart workshop series on  January 23 and January 24.  Sessions will be held via Zoom from 6:00 – 8:00 pm.  Program is open to both UIUC students and alumni.    Below is a brief agenda of the program.

Tuesday, January 23
6:00 pm CT: LSAT Overview with LSAC
7:00 pm CT: Blueprint Reading Comprehension Workshop

Wednesday, January 24
6:00 pm CT: Blueprint Logical Reasoning Workshop
7:00 pm CT: Blueprint Analytical Reasoning “Logic Games” Workshop

In addition to programming next week, participants will have the following benefits:

  • Free  mock LSAT with TestMasters,
  • LSAT Peer Perspective Panel on January 30, and
  • Be eligible to receive a  FREE LSAT prep course through Blueprint (2 courses will be given away–must be a current student to receive).  

Students may register online  through early next week.  All program details can be found online at:  https://prelaw.illinois.edu/node/98. 

A full list of upcoming pre-law programs and events can be found on the PLAS events calendar:  Pre-Law Advising Services Calendar (illinois.edu).

Call for Student Alumni Ambassadors

Interested in becoming a Student Alumni Ambassador? Come to an Info Nights on January 29th OR 31st at Lincoln Hall Theater, 7 PM! 

The Student Alumni Ambassadors (SAA) group is responsible for events such as Illinois Sights and Sounds, Homecoming events, I love Illinois week, iHelp, Senior 100 Honorary, and more! Members of the Student Alumni Ambassadors are involved in fostering the Illini spirit in the campus community of the University of Illinois. Through engagement with their peers, as well as networking with professionals and alumni, the members of our organization create once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Each carefully selected member gets the opportunity to be a part of the planning and execution of long-standing traditions as well as developing new traditions for students to come.

If you wish to make a mark on campus that will be remembered for years to come, the Student Alumni Ambassadors is the organization for you. The application is now open and due on February 3rd at 11:59 PM. Visit our website www.illinisaa.com and apply now at SAA2023.”

Poetry Prize for First-Year Students

Submissions are now being accepted for the Kevin T. Early Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship is made possible through an endowment by William and Donna Early in memory of their son, a poet, Kevin T. Early. It awards $2000 to a student with freshman standing at UIUC for the 2023-2024 school year. The deadline for application is Friday, February 9, 2024.  (If you started as a first year-student out of high school in the fall but gained sophomore standing early because of test-based credits, you are still eligible).

If you would like to be considered, please submit 5 poems via email to John Dudek at Jdudek4@illinois.edu. The complete submission should not exceed 5 pages (so 1 poem to a page). Submissions should be attached to the email as .docx (Word) files.

The subject line of the email should read: “EARLY PRIZE SUBMISSION: Last name.”

The body of the email should include the student’s name, address, phone number, e-mail, UIN, and the titles of the poems. The name should not appear on the entry file itself. Complete guidelines will be sent out via email. Please direct any questions to Jdudek4@illinois.edu.

LAS Career Services Spring Programming

Coming up soon is a series of “How I Got That Job” panels (click through for more details). Read on for details about a couple of other upcoming events that may be of interest.

How I Got that First Job with a Nonprofit Organization (Wed., Jan 31, 5 – 6:30pm)
How I Got that First Job in Business/Tech (Mon., Feb. 5, 5 – 6:30pm)
How I Got that First Job Doing What I Love (Wed., Feb. 7, 5 – 6:30pm)

Among the questions to be discussed at these panels:

  • What did panelists do while in college to set themselves up for future success?
  • How did they land the first job?
  • What has the transition from college to working life been like? Highs? Lows?
  • How does their current position fit into their overall plan for the future?

Day in the Life of an Intern – Working with a State Representative, Monday, Jan 22, noon – 1pm. Conference Room 143, the Career Center. “Join us for a glimpse into the daily experiences of an intern working alongside a State Representative [Carol Ammons, IL103]! Discover the intricacies of the legislative process, engage with influential leaders, and develop practical skills in research and proposal drafting. Seize the opportunity to inquire and learn more about this distinctive internship, where you can connect with a dynamic network and contribute significantly to impactful projects that directly affect communities.”

Lunch, Learn, and Workshop Your Resume with Teach for America. Tuesday, Jan 23, noon – 2pm, 107 Gregory Hall. Lunch will be provided. Registration required. Bring a resume, get individualized assistance with updating it, and learn more about TFA.

Opportunities in Business Consulting and More!

The following opportunities are open to students in all majors, so if you are looking ahead to a career in business or entrepreneurship, check these out!

Professional Development with the ILC!

FOCUS Scholars Program

Become a FOCUS Scholar
Application deadline: Wednesday, Jan. 24
Are you looking for a way to impact your career trajectory and earnings potential for years to come? FOCUS is an intensive semester-long program created to aid in eliminating the gap in post-graduation outcomes and starting salaries between underrepresented, first-generation students and their peers. 

Call for Submissions

You are invited to submit your work to the Madison Journal of Literary Criticism for the Spring 2024 Dream Edition! This edition will encompass what it means to “dream of more,” which includes both contemplating future aspirations and reimagining in a multitude of constructed contexts. Whether it entails the past, present, future, systems, institutions, relationships, methodologies, holidays, politics, fashion, education, emotions…we live in a world of constructs. To break away from these constructs, we dream of something new, something kinder, something better. This edition focuses on how those dreams take shape and will showcase the collective desire—and manifestation—of change that transcends the limits of our current reality. This edition we hope to publish criticism: academic, poetic, in the medium of art or prose or short stories. We hope to have a loose theme as writers and creators are more than willing to interpret, define, and redefine the term however suits them best, so the submitted work does not have to explicitly tie to abolition or social justice. We welcome nuanced perspectives and multiple interpretations, so please submit! 

For samples of work previously published : View MJLC’s Past Editions

If you have any questions, please direct them to mjlc@rso.wisc.edu

Opportunity for Pre-law Students

Have you considered summer study abroad and are interested in studying law? Join Cornell Law School faculty and the Office of Global Learning to learn more about the Cornell Prelaw Program in Paris, a three-week academic program in international and comparative law. Study law in a uniquely international and culturally rich environment, combining the excellence of Cornell Law School faculty and the Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne. Prepare for the law school admissions process and acquire the study skills for success in law school.

Virtual Info Session:

Don’t forget these great elective options!

SAME 490: Special Topics
TOPIC: Digital Research Skills
This course is an introduction to digital tools, data management, and data visualization. It is open to both undergraduate and graduate students across various disciplines. Throughout the course, students will acquire the skills to conduct research, efficiently organize their research materials and data, and use digital tools to present their work. Students will have the option to work individually or collaborate with peers or ChatGPT. Importantly, this course provides an opportunity to explore digital tools without the need for coding knowledge. Digital skills are vital for employees in the digital era and new employees needs to have soft and hard skills!

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