Welcome to the COMS Club
Professional Development Monthly!
Spinning-off our Events and Internships segment from the Weekly COMS Club Newsletter, this monthly newsletter will curate internship, event, and professional development resources for COMS students!
Each issue will showcase not only some interesting opportunities for students, but also feature a different professional development theme.
Don't let it creep up on you! The end of Spring Quarter is right around the corner! Whether it's fatigue, Senioritis, or you just would like some additional advice, here are some things you can do to plan your ROAD TO FINALS! ðŸ§
To start, figure out when you're going to have finals - what's your finals' schedule? This is a simple, but useful trick for minimizing some end-of-quarter anxiety. Check our syllabi and figure out what your schedule actually looks like! Document the dates in your planner of choice, a piece of paper, or a spreadsheet (if you want to get fancy).
WHY: Writing out when your finals schedule ASAP allows you to better gauge where your energy is going to go during finals week (or maybe even during dead week)! Do you have all your finals on Monday? Is it spread out? Are they mostly papers and projects, or will you be taking a test? - These questions can help you guide how to adjust your schedule early to accommodate a busy (or not busy) dead week and finals week!
Next, don't be afraid to set up office hours with your professors! While not every professor from every department has standardized office hours, professor office hours can be a great opportunity to get clarifications about class materials or to ask logistical questions about your upcoming assignments. Each visit is different, but it usually never hurts to make the appointment - especially if your professor has explicitly advised you to give a visit!
WHY: Office hours is more intimate than class (usually)! They are a great time to ask more one-on-one questions such as getting feedback on a topic idea, advice on how to best tackle an assignment, or just more context about a reading. Don't be afraid to reach out for some additional help. (And pro-tip, if you aren't particularly comfortable making an appointment see if a friend, a classmate, or group members want to go along with you! There's power in numbers and chances are others have the same questions as you!)
And finally, create study groups for individual classes OR for company! A study group can be a great way to get some inspiration and motivation for making it through the last few weeks. Odds are that other people in your classes or circle of friends are struggling with the same assignments as you are! Make it an event and gather around to study together on Zoom or meet under COVID-safe conditions!
WHY: Having a friend along is a good way to gain some additional motivation aside from the sweet satisfaction of getting your assignment in. But also, a few heads are better than one! Study groups are a wonderful of exchanging notes, ideas, and gathering maximum resources as you prepare for your test or paper. If you aren't interested in meeting on a call for more hours of your day, a class group chat or shared document can also be a method of making the most of your individual resources.
Overall, there's a lot you can do to prepare for finals week. These are just a few tips that come to mind! Really the most important thing is to set your own goals for how you want to finish your quarter; make a list or check your calendar, but even a brief glance ahead can be useful as you walk down the road to finals!
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!
2021 Annual Communication Studies Banquet: Sunset at Cal Poly
(May 27 from 5:10-7pm)
What is happening at this year’s annual end-of-the-year event?: We’ll have group and breakout room activities to catch up with your fellow COMS major faculty and students. We’ll also be recognizing student awards and having many prizes given out! This year, the event is completely free of charge and open to all (attendance is NOT limited to graduating seniors; all years are welcome and bring a friend if you can!). All these details and more can be found on the COMS Club website at https://comsclubcalpoly.wixsite.com/official/2021-coms-banquet.
Cal Poly Multicultural Center APIDA Heritage Month Events (Various Dates)
Rising Tides: Awakening to Our Cultural Liberation. Check out our Instagram @calpolyapida and Linktree to learn more about our events! We will be raffling off t-shirts and books at each of these events. More details about events here.
Nonbinary 101 Training (May 20 and 27)
Join the GEC to discuss Nonbinary identities. We will be covering introductory themes including the gender spectrum, presentation, intersectionality, and allyship. We welcome everyone interested in learning more about Nonbinary identities regardless of individual identities or past experiences with these topics. More details about the event here.
Students of Color Summit 2021 (May 22)
The Embers of our Inspired Generations: (Re)Connecting to Environmental and Racial Justice. This year’s theme is (Re)Connecting to Environmental and Racial Justice. We aim to shed light on the issues affecting communities who have been impacted by environmental injustices and their intersections with colonization and systemic inequities. Environmental justice is rooted in addressing the inequities that can be perpetuated by the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental changes, laws, regulations, and policies. SOCS 2021 hopes to center critical perspectives on environmental justice and racial justice, engage in a restorative discussion, and unify our community in the pursuit of justice. Details can be found here: https://multicultural.calpoly.edu/socs
CROSSROADS Conversation Series (Various Dates)
This quarter's Crossroads will be a three-part conversation series featuring multiracial members of the Cal Poly community. Join us for interactive discussions about navigating mixed identity at Cal Poly (and beyond). All are welcome and we encourage attendees to ask questions and share their own experiences! For additional session details, visit bit.ly/cpcrossroads-schedule The final upcoming events will be on May 25, 1-2pm: NAMING & CLAIMING MIXED IDENTITY featuring Kari Mansager Senior Send-off Social Event and Induction Ceremony (June 5 from 11:10am-12pm)
Lambda Pi Eta members, join us for our final event of the year! We will be holding a senior send-off event for graduating students, as well as hold our induction ceremony for new members. More details to come very soon!
Call for Submissions:
Thank you for taking this survey! As a part of my senior project, I am asking Cal Poly students and faculty their opinions on music and community. Music has incredible bonding capabilities and can elicit very powerful emotional feelings, and is something that has been very important to me, and likely many of you, throughout this pandemic.
Nominate an Outstanding COMS GE Faculty Member (Deadline May 21st)
Nominations can come on behalf of faculty or students or can be self-nominations. Award eligibility: The nominee has to have taught a GE course during Academic Year 2020-2021 for COMS that does not fulfill a COMS major requirement (i.e., COMS 101, 102, 126, 145, 218). To find a list of the current faculty, visit here: https://coms.calpoly.edu/faculty. Nominations are due May 21, end of day. If you have any questions, please direct them to me [gyeh@calpoly.edu].
Lambda Pi Eta Leadership Elections - Deadline May 21
Interested in being a leader in the COMS Department? Lambda Pi Eta is looking for motivated individuals who are current LPH members to apply to be a board member for 2021-22. Apply today: https://forms.gle/vLi5pU1X4qa7AQEj6
Marketing Specialist - Eta Interactive - Deadline ASAP
Digital Transformation Hub + Foundation for the Future Student Internship - Deadline ASAP
SLO Counseling Service: Anxiety Support Group for Cal Poly Students - Deadline May 31
The Women's & Gender Studies Department is accepting scholarship applications for the 2021-22 academic year! Take these steps now to make sure you are considered. Note: Students do NOT have to be a WGS and/or QS Minor to be eligible for any of these awards More details available here.
APIDA Faculty & Staff Association Scholarships - Deadline June 1
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Send us a message at calpolyslocomsclub@gmail.com with any and all tips!
The Cal Poly SLO COMS Club is the official Communication Studies club for Cal Poly SLO. We celebrate communication studies, supporting mentorship and professional development for the Cal Poly COMS community. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at calpolyslocomsclub@gmail.com.
This newsletter was originally sent to our COMS Newsletter subscribers on May 18, 2021. Subscribe here to get your newsletter directly delivered to your email every 3rd Monday of the month!