Academic Panel
FIP 2007
Starring…
Ms. Francis, Ms. Pandita, Mr. Devlin,
Ms. Gong, Mr. He,
Mr. Berastain, & Mr. Koll
Lesson 1:
First Week of Classes:
Do’s and Don’t’s
6 Tips to Survive Freshman
Week
With Ms. Kylie Francis
A young man hired by a supermarket reported for his
first day of work.
The manager greeted him with a warm handshake and
a smile, gave him a broom and said, "Your first job will
be to sweep out the store."
"But I'm a Harvard graduate," the young man replied
indignantly.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know that," said the manager.
"Here, give me the broom -- I'll show you how."
Tip #1: Start Early
DO
remember that your overall grade is
cumulative.
 Every problem set, paper, project and, in some
cases, attendance counts…starting from the
first couple of weeks.
Tip #2: Don’t Slack
DON’T
decide to drop your first problem set.
 For most of the science & math classes, problem
sets are assigned on a weekly basis and you’re
usually allowed to drop one. However, the first
problem set is probably the easiest so it’d be a
waste to drop it.
Tip #3: Don’t Ignore Shopping Period
DO
all your homework and take notes,
even for classes you are just shopping
Some professors like to assign homework
during shopping period. These are not ‘trial’
assignments; they WILL count towards your
final grade.
The first couple weeks of material is still
testable, so if you shop another class, get
notes from a friend!

Tip #4: Mind Your Language
DO
think seriously about taking
languages
 Language
classes meet everyday, have
strict attendance requirements, and often
take off very fast. So if you miss the first
few days of classes, it might be difficult to
catch up.
Plus, they meet during reading period!
Tip #5: Don’t Shop Too Much
DON’T
prepare a shopping list
that’s too long
Can’t
get good overview in 10 minutes
Check out syllabus online beforehand
Shop for at least half an hour, see if
professor can hold your attention
Tip #6: Don’t Be Shy
DO
speak to as many people as you can
about a class before taking it
 We are all your resources and would be more
than happy to help.
Lesson 2: Picking Classes
With Ms. Manisha Pandita,
Mr. Ronan Devlin
& Ms. Becca Gong
Q: How many Harvard students does
it take to change a lightbulb?
A: One; he holds it in the air and
waits for the world to revolve
around him
Placement Tests
Required:
Math and Writing placements
Take placements in all planned subjects
Remember: These are only
recommendations! YOU ARE NOT BEING
JUDGED and DON’T NEED TO CRAM!
Talk to professors and upperclassmen
Picking your first courses
No
single perfect plan
Balance
interest and exploration
Picking your first courses:
Requirements
Don’t
overload with requirements in
first year
Don’t ignore them either
If reasonably sure of field of
interest, take its intro courses
If not, explore!
Of Ec10 angst and LS blues
Large
classes, taught in sections
Use the professors and section
leaders to the maximum
Experience depends on section leader
(Use the CUE guide)
Study groups. Don’t be afraid to help
and take help
CUE Wha…?
Rates
courses based on quality of
teaching, workload and content
Good for starters, but not infallible
Talk to upperclassmen/random
precocious freshmen
Freshman Seminars
Small
classes, interesting, close
interaction with great professors
Low stress, great way to balance
course load
Pick 2 or 3 seminars you find most
interesting
Language Courses
Required,
place out
though you will all probably
But
make sure they have a placement
test for your language! Contact FDO!
Fantastic way to enter a new culture
The TF is important
NOTE: sections meet during reading
period
Ronan
Balancing Classes
Classes
vary in workload
Science/Maths classes tend to be heavy, but
watch out for heavy reading assignments
Ask people who have taken these classes before.
Balance between cores & concentration
requirements, Sciences & Arts.
Consider your priorities: extracurriculars vs
academics.
A light first semester may be useful in
facilitating the adjustment to college/US life
Core classes
You
have to take 7 of them if you do
not have Advanced Standing
If possible, try taking them early on
If you finish all cores before senior
spring, you can get a Harvard
certificate to apply for H-1 B visa
Add/Drop
First
week of classes = shopping
period
Standard courseload = 4 classes
Can add or drop 1 or 2 classes until
5th Monday of a semester
Rather drop than add – starting a
class later than others is stressful
The Secret of the Syllabus
When
shopping, the syllabus is your friend!
Check your final exam/paper schedule!
(exam groups)
Check midterm and problem set dates.
Make sure you don’t have big conflicts!
TIP 1: Don’t leave all your studying for reading period!
TIP 2: No one does work over winter break. I’m
serious…don’t even bother trying.
Things to look for on a syllabus:
Requirements
(final research paper, takehome midterm, etc.)
Balance of % weights in requirements
# of pages of reading per week
Specific readings in the class -- not just
the general topic
# of (good) TFs
DATES!! (Put them into your calendar!)
Lesson 3: Picking a Concentration
With Ms. Becca Gong
Top Five Lies Told by Teaching Assistants:
#5: I'm not going to grant any extensions.
#4: Call me any time. I'm always available.
#3: It doesn't matter what I think; write what you
believe.
#2: Think of the midterm as a diagnostic tool.
#1: My other section is much better prepared than
you guys.
Picking a Concentration
Picking a Concentration
Now:
middle of sophomore year!
“Advising Fortnight” - they woo you
Take intro classes to keep your
options open
Size is important
Honors only? Requires a thesis!
Switching Concentrations
Can
do so until spring of senior year
However, need to fulfill all
requirements of new concentration
Try to keep your bases covered
Secondary Fields
Can
only have one
Depending on your major, a closely
related field may not be allowed
Varies, but generally 5 courses
Only one course can double-count w/
your concentration
Lessons 4 & 5:
Grades & Advanced Placement
With Mr. Yinnie He
An exhaustive study has
revealed that 62.381527% of all
statistics are made up on the
spot.
GPA/Grades
Grades
consist of several
components – Final, midterm, papers,
section participation, problem sets
etc.
In almost all courses, grades are
assigned on a “curve”
Usually TFs determine your grade
GPA/Grades
GPA
is calculated as the simple average of
all course grades (A=4, B=3, C=2)
Average at Harvard = 3.4
If you get A- average, you are very good!
GPA esp. important for certain careers
(e.g. law school), while less important for
others (e.g. creative jobs)
Do not ask other people about their GPA!
Advanced Placement & Standing
APs,
IB, A-levels, Abitur, French Bac can count
for Harvard credit
Be sure to talk to Freshmen Deans Office as
early as possible
Advanced Standing
Graduation in 6-7 semesters, BA/MA in 8
semesters
Think hard a/b whether it’s worthwhile!
Lessons 6:
Writing in U.S. College Courses
With Mr. Ronan Devlin
A Harvard English 101 class was asked to
write a CONCISE essay containing four
elements: religion, royalty, sex and
mystery.
The only "A+" in the class read:
"My God," said the Queen, "I'm pregnant. I
wonder who did it?"
Expository Writing
 American
style is different to most international
writing styles
 Mandatory ‘Expos’ program will help to
acclimatise(/ze!) you to the American system
 Expos is taken as a half course in either the fall or
spring semester (assignments are random)
 It is possible to change your expos assignment if
you have a genuine reason for doing so.
U.S. Writing Style
 THESIS!!
- In American college essays you are
expected to make a coherent argument in favour
of a specific, debatable thesis. Counterarguments
should be addressed, but their weaknesses should
be outlined in order to demonstrate why your
argument is superior.
 MOTIVE!! College essays should justify
themselves. That is to say that they should explain
why your argument is worth making, or why the
subject is important.
Cheating and Plagiarism
Taken
VERY seriously in U.S. Will get you
suspended or expelled, sometimes even if
it’s unintentional.
MUST STILL CITE when paraphrasing
 Writing
with Sources
When in doubt, ASK.
Cheating: can get into
recipient OR giver
trouble for being
Lessons 7:
Using Your Resources
With Mr. Pierre Berastain
A young man rolls an overloaded cart to the checkout
register in a Cambridge supermarket and starts to
unload his many purchases.
The salesman ask: "Are you from Harvard or MIT?"
The young man proudly replies: "Harvard! How did
you guess?"
Salesman points to the sign "10 purchases or less"
and says:
"Harvard students can't count, MIT students can't
read"
Proctors
They
live in your entryway you can
bother them at any time
What should you bother them with?
Roommate issues
Academic issues
Personal issues
Just to talk
http://slantmouth.com/articles/myPalAl/images/roommate.jpg
Your Woodbridge Mentor, PAF
and Upperclassmen
These
are students, which means
they will have a different insight
from your proctor on things like
Choosing
classes
Getting used to living away from home
Extracurriculars
Social life
Academic Advisers
These
are usually members of the
Harvard faculty or your proctor
They provide more formal advice on
academic matters
You’ll be meeting with this person to
discuss your academic progress at
Harvard
The Bureau of Study Counsel (BSC)
Counseling
on cultural adjustment, study habits,
time management and family/personal issues
Peer tutors for all subjects, including Writing and
English language
Workshops on how to get the most out of your
classes
CONTACT: Linden Street, www.bsc.harvard.edu or
617-495-2581
Harvard Writing Center (HWC)
Basement
of Barker Center, Quincy Street.
Offers
student writing tutors who will help you
write, rewrite or edit your papers at no charge
Scheduled
half-hour conferences are available M F from 9 am - 5 pm. Drop-in hours are M – Th from
5 - 9 pm.
To
schedule an appointment, go to
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/
Lessons 8:
Chill Out
With Mr. Daniel Koll
The three biggest lies of
a student:
#3: Thank you, I'm not really
hungry.
#2: Tomorrow I stop drinking.
#1: Tomorrow I start learning.
Work Ethic at Harvard
Puritan
work
ethics in
Cambridge?
Balancing
out Harvard:
Academics
Extracurriculars
Social
Life...
Freedom
to choose what is most
important for yourself
Tips to cope with academic pressure