Weekly Round-Up, Welcome Back Edition

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Welcome back everybody, and a special welcome to our new students! This is the first edition of the weekly round-up (which we hope you will consult faithfully) of announcements, reminders, and helpful tips. Many of you received an email from us yesterday asking you to check in during the first two weeks; please call or stop by the office at your earliest convenience to schedule that appointment (remember that we do not schedule by email during spring and fall). Note: the office will be closed the afternoon of Friday, August 22 as we attend LAS Lift-Off.

For details about the advising office, including hours and contact information, check out this page.

Coming Soon!

In addition to scheduled appointments, we will be offering express advising twice a week starting September 9. Express/drop-in sessions will be Tuesdays from 10:00-11:30 and Wednesdays from 1:30-3:00. These are for quick questions, routine check-ins, signatures on forms, and anything else that requires 15 minutes or less. For lengthier discussions please continue to schedule regular half-hour appointments.

We’d also like to invite you to the first-ever Advising Office Open House! Stop by the office on Wednesday, August 27 between 8:30 and 10am for breakfast treats, beverages (hot and cold), and friendly chat (we also have games and puzzles on hand if you like that kind of thing). This is a great way to get comfortable in the space, meet new students and/or connect with old friends, and chat to advisors Maggie and Anna about how things are going (for new students, if you don’t have any major issues to resolve, this would be a fine way to complete your new student check-in).

Welcome Event for New and Continuing Students

Help Reward Excellent Instructors!

Is there an English department instructor you have found to be especially skilled, knowledgeable, inspiring, and/or responsive to your needs as a student? If so, please nominate them for a teaching award.

You can nominate any professor, lecturer, or instructor (that includes graduate TAs) who has taught any English department course (BTW, CW, ENGL, RHET) on any topic.  You can nominate more than one person.  All you have to do is fill out the online form available at https://english.illinois.edu/resources/student-resources/resources-undergrads/nominate-outstanding-teacher. The deadline to submit nominations in this award cycle is Tuesday, September 2.

It only takes a few minutes but it’s enormously helpful to us.  Thanks in advance!

Illinois Business Consulting is Recruiting!

IBC is the largest student-run consulting organization in the country, providing hands-on opportunities for students to work with real clients while developing critical professional skills. Applicants from all colleges and majors are welcome—no prior consulting experience required! If you’re interested, consider attending one of the following events:

• Info Session – Wednesday, August 27, 7–8 p.m., Deloitte Auditorium
• Case Workshop – Thursday, August 28, 6–7 p.m., Deloitte Auditorium

Applications are due by midnight on Friday, August 29.

For more information and to apply, students can visit: https://linktr.ee/illinoisbusinessconsulting

Save the Date for the Humanities Open House!

If you’d like to participate in the video challenge associated with this event you must be an actively enrolled University of Illinois undergraduate in FA25 with a declared LAS humanities major or minor. First Prize will receive $500; Second Prize, $250; and Third Prize, $125, deposited to the winner’s student account. The deadline for the competition is September 15. Click here to learn more.

Looking for a Language Course?

This introductory Swahili course is open to students in all majors and provides a very comfortable language-learning environment. Take it for fun/interest, or as the first step toward completing the Language Other than English requirement!

Fine Arts Courses Open to All

These 2-hour music courses are open to students in all majors:

MUS 446: Songwriting
This course develops and refines music composition techniques and self-expression in popular, vernacular, and folk music genres. Students will:

Write, record, and perform original songs
Provide and receive constructive peer feedback
Reflect personally through journaling
Explore readings and recordings tied to class activities

Students should be comfortable singing and performing on an instrument (e.g., guitar, piano, or digital backing tracks).

MUS 428: Music Monetization
This hands-on course dives into the real-world logistics of live performance and the business of music. Students will learn how to:

Work with artists, agents, venues, and PR teams
Navigate compensation and contracts
Coordinate sound, lighting, and event staff
Organize and run a live performance event from start to finish

Restricted to upper-division undergraduates (freshmen and sophomores with instructor approval).

Academic Support and Independent Skills Development

The following courses offer academic support for students in all majors; the first is open and unrestricted, but the other two require advance permission (and may be restricted to students enrolled in the Illinois Neurodiversity Initiative).

EDUC 199, Section SAS: Strategies for Building Academic Success
This course is designed to help students develop and strengthen their academic skills, with a focus on active learning, communication, goal setting, time management, and personal growth.

HDFS 102: Academic Strategies
Stress, frustration, and difficulty surrounding academic work? Students will learn executive function strategies that can be applied directly to assignments for their current classes. These strategies will promote student success this semester and in their future academic and professional career. Discussion time will be used to complete course assignments, build social networks, and provide a quiet study space with structured accountability. This course is for students who have or suspect they have a neurodiverse brain. Email Professor Jeanne Kramer at jjkramer@illinois.edu for permission to enroll.

HDFS 204: Living on Your Own
Neurodivergent students will learn and apply essential skills for independent living. Topics include problem-solving strategies, effective communication, money management, navigating the community, home maintenance, interpersonal skills, and healthy relationships. Through interactive discussions, activities, and practical exercises, students will develop the necessary skills to thrive independently. Email Professor Jeanne Kramer at jjkramer@illinois.edu for permission to enroll.

Gilman Scholarship Information Sessions & Workshop

Are you a Pell grant recipient who wants to study abroad or do an international internship? If so, the Gilman Scholarship is for you!

Eligibility
Freshmen through Seniors who are U.S. citizens or nationals, Pell grant recipients, in good academic standing, and will be participating in a credit-bearing study abroad program or international internship are eligible to apply. 

Get tips about applying from recent Illinois Gilman Scholars.

Deadline 
The national deadline is October 3, 2025.

Application Preparation
If you are interested in applying, please attend our informational sessions:   

IN-PERSON Gilman Scholarship Information Session
Thursday, August 28, 2025, 3:30-4:30 pm
Lincoln Hall, Room #1090 

ONLINE Gilman Scholarship Information Session
Friday, August 29, 2025, 9:00-10:100 am
Register in advance for this Zoom session.

IN-PERSON Gilman Scholarship Workshop
Friday, August 29, 2025, 3:00-4:00 pm
514 Illini Union Bookstore Building, Floor 5

For more information, contact the scholarships office at topscholars@illinois.edu or visit our website at www.topscholars.illinois.edu 

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