The Dean's A-List
How do you make the most of your first-year experience? What activities have the greatest potential to motivate, stretch, and inspire you as a new student? What should first-year students do to be fully engaged in campus life, discern their unique calling, and prepare themselves to be agents of change in today’s world? The Dean’s A-List is a set of must-do activities designed to help first-year students begin a yearlong process of contemplation and self-discovery guaranteed to result in personal growth and transformation. Those completing these activities will receive special recognition and have the chance to win cash ePortfolio prizes at the end of the academic year.
1. ePortfolio — A Must-Have
Develop an electronic portfolio to archive your résumé, samples of your best work, highlights from your journey through the First Year Experience at Notre Dame, and personal meditations as you complete items on The Dean’s A-List.
Well, here it is! I hope you are enjoying it.
2. Have a Life-Changing Conversation
Schedule a thirty-minute meeting with a faculty member outside of class to talk about your dreams and future aspirations. Ask her/him to tell you their Notre Dame story.
Professor Flannery, my microeconomics professor for the fall semester, met with me to discuss my academic plan for my potential second major in International Economics. While informative about the major, I didn't expect to learn so much about Professor Flannery and her experience as a member of one of the first female classes to ever graduate Notre Dame. She told me that she was not planning on attending the university; her guidance counselor pestered her until she applied, saying that she should take advantage of the opportunity because the university was finally accepting female applicants. The main allure for her, however, was the entire year abroad that ND offered Sophomore year. She wanted to travel and see the world. Her experiences at ND, however, were the ones that really intrigued me. She told me about how some of her male peers were bitter at the girls for being moved off campus to turn the male dorms into female dorms, and how that sometimes nasty jokes would surface, often at the girls' expense. On the whole, her experience was a great one. She loved her time at Notre Dame, and she told me to take advantage of every opportunity that surfaces here, because the time here is fleeting, but the experiences last forever.
3. Make Time for Discernment
Share your dreams with your First Year Advisor. Schedule a meeting with a counselor at the Career Center. Share your plans for the future, even if they are not yet fully developed. Talk about opportunities for learning beyond the classroom through internships and other activities. Develop a résumé and place it in your ePortfolio.
I have never thought more in my life. Although it may seem a silly sentence, my first year at Notre Dame has forced me to challenge everything I believe, or thought I believed. My Spring Seminar with Anre Venter, on Self, Meaning, Identity and Consciousness has made me ponder the deeper levels of metaphysics. Words are meaning incarnate, but that word "meaning" is practically impossible to quantify. We are surrounded by a world of culture, created by us and forgotten by us. Everything that we think, act or do is influenced externally and internally by the culture we create, from language, to media, to our very thoughts. Everything I see in the world is no longer black and white- there are shades of gray, levels of inbetween that contradict the world of absolutes that we claim exist for ourselves.
4. Wander the Stacks — Discover a World of Learning
Visit and wander the stacks in each of our on-campus libraries. Let serendipity fuel your wanderings. Pick up random books and periodicals. Scan them for a few moments. If something catches your eyes or makes you think, make note of it mentally. Keep a record of these discoveries in your e-Portfolio.
I don't normally document the books I'm reading or the shelves I wander down, but it is always an experience that is overwhelming for a book lover.
5. Immerse Yourself in the Arts
Take a tour of the Snite Museum of Art. Experience each of the following genres through events at the DeBartolo Center for the Performing Arts: Cinema — drama, comedy, documentary; plays; concerts — folk, classical, and jazz. Learn to draw, paint, or do sculpture. Cultivate your musical talents.
Above: My sketch of the Knights of Columbus building for my Architecture Fine Arts class- my first true attempt at perspective!
Above: Our Italian Class' recitation of Dante's Inferno at the Grotto for Dante Now!
6. Take an Elective to Help You Think and Explore
Use at least one of your elective class slots to take a course that helps you think more deeply about something you know or to explore a completely unfamiliar subject. Round out your education by choosing classes that give you a diverse set of skills in the sciences, technology, ethics, and emerging new fields such as sustainability in order to navigate the world of today and tomorrow.
Between Microeconomics, Italian, Spanish and my Graphics classes, I have explored so many different fields and cultures. The most foreign to me was by far my Microeconomics class; never have I grappled with concepts that had practically no former background to the subjects I studied in high school. It was a challenge for me; it was probably the hardest for me as well. I, however, enjoyed every moment of it simply because it was a challenge. It was the science of business, the reasons behind why people (for the most part) behave the way they do. I found it absolutely fascinating, and it was a large part of the reason why I decided to switch from Architecture to Business with International Economics.
7. Participate in NDignite Events
NDignite events allow you to meet new friends and faculty, talk about important issues and events, and think about the future. Select one or more events from a list of cultural, enrichment, intellectual, or learning opportunities and begin to make the most of your college experience.
The NDignite Event that I attended was, by lucky chance, with Professor Flannery! I, along with 14 other First Year students, spent the evening at her home talking about the economic impacts of health care reforms. I knew only what I had learned in her class, which was the strict economic impacts behind the new, and old, policies. After a hearty Italian meal, we settled in around her wooden kitchen table near her fireplace and began talking about what we knew about health care and the impacts it is having- and will have- on us. There were others like me who only knew the basic principles behind health care, others who were experts in the political aspect, others who were hopeful premeds trying to learn about the issues facing their prospective career... there were so many people from so many different places. It was extremely refreshing to have an intermingling of interests. The night was extremely educational as well as entertaining. It was somewhat strange to see a Professor, even a Professor I knew, in his or her natural habitat; it made me think of my old teachers, who would joke, "Hey, you know we eat too!" The NDignite event with Professor Flannery was a memorable one, filled with food, friends, and questions about health care that can never be definitively answered.
8. Send Handwritten Thank-You Letters to Three People Who Have Made Your Life Better
Some say with the predominance of online communication — especially texting — that handwriting is fast becoming a lost art form and written correspondence completely passé. While it might be a little old-fashioned, handwritten notes remain an important way to convey information with a uniquely personal touch today. Think about three individuals who have touched you in some special way. Honor them by sending a handwritten thank-you note. Be specific in describing your gratitude for all they have done.
I love writing handwritten notes, but usually I don't take pictures of them before I send them. I have thanked my Grandparents for supporting me, my Godfather, Dr. Mike Sullivan, for all his medical advice (as well as thanking him for not disowning me once I didn't attend his alma mater ;) ) and my best friends who continue to give me advice when I desparately need it.
9. Set Aside 30 Minutes Each Week to Dream
Dreams are the real currency of colleges and universities, yet a typical day can become so incredibly full with academic and social activities that we forget to set aside time to plant and cultivate them. Find a contemplative spot: perhaps a dorm chapel, the basilica, the Grotto, our Lakes, or even the Labyrinth at St. Mary’s College. Give yourself 30 minutes each week there to consider your future aspirations.
My favorite thinking spot:
Yes, my favorite thinking spot is on the back of a horse, in particular this horse- Billy, a horse leased by the Notre Dame Equestrian Team at Lucky Horse Equestrian Center. I am convinced that there is no better spot to dream. I dreamt as a girl to ride, I dreamt as a high schooler to win at competitions, and I dream now about what the future holds. Dreams often times seem too tall to climb by yourself. When you're on the back of a horse, however, you get a change in perspective.
10. Attend a Lecture or Public Forum Sponsored by the University
The lectures, colloquia, and forums sponsored on campus throughout the year provide you with an opportunity to learn an incredible amount about the arts, humanities, sciences, and commerce outside of the classroom. Make it a point to explore the University calendar and bulletin boards around campus to identify some of these events. Attend several each semester.
I was so excited when Terry Eagleton came to Notre Dame this spring. I had read his book The Meaning of Life, and I have never been able to actually meet an author of one of my books before! Accompanied by a classmate of mine, we listened as he spoke about the impacts of 9/11 on a Post Modern culture. It was fascinating.
11. Begin to Learn a New Language — Really, Really Well
We live in a world of many cultures, peoples, and languages, a world in which communication is more important than ever. Proficiency in multiple languages is fast becoming a necessity for responsible global citizenship. Make it a point to assess your proficiency in languages with which you are already familiar. Enhance this learning through coursework and opportunities to hone your skills through speaking and reading. Utilize the resources of our Center for the Study of Languages and Cultures. Explore study-abroad opportunities that allow you to gain and maintain fluency and to deepen your appreciation of the extraordinary world in which we live.
My freshman year I took both Italian and Spanish; why, you ask? Italian had always been on my bucket list, and with my intended path as an architect in the fall, I was thrilled to take it. Once I switched to Business however, I wanted to learn a language that I could use toward a double major. I loved both of my classes, but my Spanish class this semester has left me thirsting for more. I love my class with Professor Mangione-Lora, and I can't wait for Textual analysis next year. My goal is to go to Toledo, Spain next summer to study and immerse myself in the Hispanic culture.
12. Build the Three “Cs” — Community, Compassion, and Cultural Competence
These three “Cs” are, for a Notre Dame student, as pivotal as what many still refer to as the so-called three “Rs”: reading, writing, and arithmetic.
You build community by becoming a good classmate; developing a deep respect and appreciation of others; valuing those differences that make each of unique; developing an appreciation for our common humanity; building lasting friendships; reaching out to, assisting, and standing in solidarity with those in need. We even build community by taking good care of ourselves and asking for help when we most need it.
We cultivate compassion by opening ourselves to those with whom we live in our community and sharing — at the most basic level — their joys and sorrows.
As for cultural competence, it comes through sustained compassionate encounter with others; through learning experiences that expose us to other cultural experiences and foster compassionate engagement with all members of our global community. Make a conscious effort to foster community and compassion in your daily actions. Develop cultural competence through learning opportunities within and beyond the classroom.
When I walked into La Casa de Amistad, I was terrified that I would make a fool of myself. After attending a meeting for Circle K, I signed up for La Casa simply because I wanted something that would challenge me. La Casa did exactly that, but not in the ways that I was expecting.
La Casa De Amistad, an after school program dedicated to tutoring Mexican American children, sits about 5 miles from campus. A dedicated Safe Place, it is decorated in bright murals and paint, about as lively as the kids themselves. I worked with the Creece Conmigo program, dedicated to kids grades K-5. They were full of seemingly limitless energy, making it extremely difficult to keep them on task.
They taught me so much, about themselves, about their culture, and about patience. I relearned how to learn through experience; the kids at La Casa just wanted to see the world and learn about animals like the "narwhal" (the animal for the letter N on the alphabet flashcards). They brightened my day.
