May 2012

Hello! I hope this finds all our families doing well and enjoying the spring weather. The Parent & Family Programs Office is busy welcoming our new families with our incoming class of students, preparing to celebrate with current families of graduating seniors, and planning fun activities for Family Weekend 2012, which will be held on October 26-28th!  Students are busy preparing for mid-terms, making summer plans, and getting ready for our 30th Annual Sun God Festival. 
 
The Sun God Festival is an annual tradition at UC San Diego that usually takes place the seventh week of the spring quarter.  Put on by Associated Students, the festival contains a fair, as well as multiple stages which feature art performances, DJ performances, and a main stage which features a mix of underground/indie bands with headlining mainstream groups.

 
The festival's name references the Sun God, an on-campus statue by French artist Niki de Saint Phalle. The Sun God was the first contribution to the famous Stuart Collection. The first Sun God Festival coincided with the one-year anniversary of the statue's arrival in 1984. The festival's original location was adjacent to the statue, but it has since grown and moved numerous times, from Price Center to the now-demolished Mile High Field, to its current location on the RIMAC Field.  The festival and concert provide an opportunity for students to enjoy themselves after mid-terms.
 
This is always an exciting time of the year for students, but it can also be stressful as the academic year begins to wind down.  Sending a care package, a sweet card, or a happy text message can brighten your student's day and let them know you are thinking about them.  As you come across questions or concerns, please remember to call us using the Parents’ Helpline (858) 534-7273 or email us at parents@ucsd.edu. Don't forget to also sign up for the Triton Family Association if you haven't already, so we can keep you connected to campus life.  Happy Reading!

With Triton Pride,

– Laci Weeden, Director of Parent & Family Programs

Triton Family Association – Join Today!
Student success is a goal that is shared by parents and the University. To help ensure your student’s success, we encourage you to stay involved during the entire collegiate experience at UC San Diego. What’s the best way to do that? Become a member of the Triton Family Association.

Our programs and services strengthen the relationship between the University and families, increase communication with parents and actively involve you in campus life. And it's all free!
 
As a member of the Triton Family Association, you receive:

• University Parent Guide
• Annual "Welcome Issue" of the Triton Family Connection
• Monthly electronic newsletters with timely announcements
• Invitations to special events, such as Family Weekend
• Access to the Parents’ Helpline for assistance with questions
• Triton Family Association Car Decal

We'll keep you updated on ways to encourage your student's success!

Designed to facilitate meaningful conversations about timely student issues, “Conversation Corner” provides suggested conversations parents and families may want to have with their student.

 
How are your classes going?
At UC San Diego, instructors are encouraged to provide evaluative feedback to students so they have a better understanding of their academic progress in a particular course. If your student shares that they are struggling with a class or if there are signs of academic difficulty, listed below are tips/advice to share with your son or daughter.

• Your student has some time to recover. The important thing is to plan, not panic. Ask “What went wrong?” “What are some possible remedies?” Encourage them to go talk to their professor to see what can be done to get their grades up in that challenging course.
• Availability of Resources - “Have you explored the use of a tutor, help sessions, or a study group?” “What other resources has the professor made available?”  Each College has tutoring or other services to help students succeed. OASIS offers group workshops in many first-year courses in chemistry, biology, math, and physics. OASIS offers all writing assistance for non-native English speaking and for assignments in Spanish language courses for any student.
•  Appointment with the Instructor - “Have you made an appointment with your instructor?” Meeting with the professor after and before each test is the single best way to identify weak areas and make a plan for improvement.
• Appointment with the Academic Advisor - “Have you discussed your concerns with your advisor?” Advisors can assist with identifying helpful resources.
• Appointment with the Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) - Academic difficulty is often the result of other issues, financial struggles, relationship challenges, career direction, etc. Counselors can help students to identify problems and define solutions.
   
   

Conan O'Brien College

The University of California, San Diego's Sixth College renamed itself "Conan O'Brien College" for the day on Friday, April 20, 2012 in honor of Conan O'Brien, who spent the day touring the campus. Conan met students and faculty, then participated in a revealing, off-the-cuff Q&A with more than 4,000 Team Coco fans. Conan answered all the questions thrown at him during this freewheeling event, from "what's your most embarrassing date story?" to "who's the most attractive celeb in real life?" Conan's answers range from hilarious to insightful... but they're never predictable. Sixth College was proud to celebrate their 10^th anniversary with this memorable and impactful evening. The event was open to all UCSD students, faculty and staff. 

To watch the full video coverage, visit http://teamcoco.com/video/ucsd-conan-obrien-college-qa-42012.

2012-2013 Thurgood Marshall College Scholarship

Will your student be a sophomore, junior, or senior next year?  Have they grown as a scholar and a citizen while at Marshall College?  If so, they may be eligible to apply for the 2012-2013 Thurgood Marshall College Scholarship!  More information—including eligibility criteria, application instructions, and the actual application form—are available online at marshall.ucsd.edu.  All applications are due by Monday, May 14. 

Marshall College Night!

The annual Marshall College Night, organized by students to bring the Marshall community together, will take place on Friday, June 1.  For just $3 students will check in to a lounge for a smooth start to the evening before being seated at the OceanView Terrace Dining Hall to enjoy a night of fine dining, desserts and entertainment.  If your students could use a fun, relaxing break from studying before finals, make sure they know about Marshall College Night!  Tickets on sale soon.

The Good Life Festival

The Health, Recreation & Well-being cluster is proud to introduce The Good Life Festival, an exciting night full of activities, games, and something for your students! This free event is focusing on well-being related FUN and is the launch of the cluster’s new wellness campaign called “the good life” where we students are encouraged to explore what gives life purpose and meaning.  Students will learn about the campus’ numerous health and wellness resources while engaging in fun and exciting activities, including:

• Live Art Wall and Student Art Wall (depicting student’s images of what makes their life good)
• Aqua Bubble Rollers (Human Hamster Balls in a Pool!)
• A Blow-Up Obstacle Course
• Live Zumba Session
• Beer Goggle Pedal Carts (alcohol abuse prevention education)
• Henna Tattoo Booth
• Photo Booth
• Chair Massage
• Student Dance Performance
• Climbing Wall
• Inflatable Jousting 
• Additionally, the event will include music, healthy food options, non-alcoholic beverages, prizes, and giveaways offered throughout the night.  Encourage your student to attend and enjoy The Good Life!  For more information, visitt zone.ucsd.edu/goodlife or contact Iris Crowe-Lerma at icrowelerma@ucsd.edu.

Health, Recreation, and Well-Being for Your Student

UCSD Health, Recreation, and Well-being highlights Occupational Wellness as the wellness in focus for the month of May. This critical element of well-being emphasizes personal satisfaction with job and career decisions, while maintaining a sense of balance, creativity, and self-expression.  From interpersonal communication to assistance with resumes and interviews, our many tools, resources, and workshops are designed to lead students to success.  We are teaming up with The Career Services Center for special career enrichment programs at The Zone. For more details about Occupational Wellness, visit the Wellness Center Web site.  

Summer Session at UC San Diego

Enrollment has begun! This summer UC San Diego is offering over 600 courses from a variety of disciplines and departments during three convenient sessions:
 
Session 1: July 2-Aug 4, 2012
Session 2: August 6-September 8, 2012
Special Session: June 18-September 21, 2012
 
Summer Session is a great way to:
-Accelerate progress towards your degree
-Focus on a challenging subject
-Reduce your fall/winter/spring course load
-Enroll in courses difficult to enroll in during the fall, winter or spring quarters
-Enhance your career prospects
-Enrich your cultural and intellectual knowledge
 
Summer Session isn’t only for UCSD students!  It is also open to:
-Other college students
-Adult learners
-High school students in grades 10 to 12
-International students
 
For information regarding enrollment, schedule of classes, fees, deadlines, and more, please visit our website at http://summersession.ucsd.edu.  You may also contact Summer Session directly at 858-534-5258. 

Summer Housing/Fall Bridge Housing

UC San Diego students contracting for Summer Housing and holding an on-campus Housing contract for the upcoming 2012-13 academic year will have the option to remain on-campus after the end of their Summer Housing and the beginning of their fall move-in date, September 22th. Fall Bridge is available only for students contracted for Fall 2012 and living in Summer Housing on September 8th. Please visit the Summer Session website: http://hds.ucsd.edu/housing/summer.asp for more information on how your student can apply for Summer Housing and reserve their summer space for only a $300.00 prepayment. For questions regarding summer housing at UC San Diego, please email us at summerhousing@ucsd.edu.

Finding a Balance with Health, Recreation and Well-being Services

From exciting internships and challenging academics to joining student organizations and meeting new friends, at UC San Diego, your student will have many opportunities to try something new and enhance his or her educational experience. Yet, balancing all that college has to offer can be a challenge in itself. That’s why UC San Diego’s Health, Recreation and Well-being cluster offers a variety of services, programs and expert staff to help students enjoy a balanced college experience and flourish academically.

For student Claire Miller, finding that balance is not just a personal aspiration, it is an area in which she tries to help her fellow students. Miller is a Wellness Peer Educator for UC San Diego’s Counseling and Psychological Services. Peer educators are a team of students who host events and awareness campaigns to educate their fellow students about mental health, wellness and the related resources available on campus. Last quarter, with support from the UC San Diego Parents Fund, the group hosted “Sweet Dreams” as part of National Sleep Awareness Week. The event included flyers with quick tips for better sleep, free ear plugs and eye masks, trivia games, and even milk and cookies.

“For many students, it can be hard to get adequate sleep while balancing a busy schedule, especially during finals,” said Miller. “This event was a really fun way for us to share with students tips for healthy sleeping habits and to debunk some of the common myths about sleep.”
In addition to Counseling and Psychological Services, UC San Diego’s Health, Recreation and Well-being cluster includes:

• Recreation – Students can exercise, play and have fun with a variety of programs and services offered by the Recreation Department, including intramural athletics, sports clubs, recreation classes, Outback Adventures, and state-of-the art gym and pool facilities.
• Sexual Assault and Violence Prevention (SARC) – SARC offers workshops on violence prevention as well as free and confidential services for students impacted by violence, including sexual assault and dating violence.
• Student Health Services (SHS) – SHS provides quality primary medical care with board-certified physicians, including specialists in gynecology, sports medicine, rheumatology, urgent care and mental/behavioral health.

On May 3, the Health, Recreation and Well-being cluster invites students and families to celebrate the good life at UC San Diego’s inaugural Good Life Festival. The free event will feature exciting activities and games—from human hamster balls in a pool to a climbing wall, music performances and massages—while showcasing the wide variety of resources available on campus to help students live their good life.

Programs and events that promote student well-being—like the Wellness Peer Educators’ “Sweet Dreams” event—are among the student life enrichment opportunities supported by the UC San Diego Parents Fund. The Parents Fund is designed to strengthen academic enrichment and Student Affairs programming by providing a flexible pool of dollars to each of the six colleges, as well as funding for campus-wide academic enrichment initiatives.

To learn more about how parents and families can make a difference at UC San Diego, and to make your gift, please visit the Parent and Family Giving webpage. For questions or additional information, please contact Director of Parent and Family Giving Suzanne McClain at sumcclain@ucsd.edu or (858) 822-3867.

Plan Graduation Weekend in San Diego

With graduation only a few months away, it’s time to start planning your stay! Take the pressure off the big day and focus on your new grad. Make one of San Diego’s Bartell hotels your destination for a memorable weekend. Parents, alumni and students receive discounted room rates, while UC San Diego will, in return, receive a percentage of the total room cost to support student scholarships. Don’t miss out on Bartell’s exceptional service, while giving back to UCSD students. To learn more visit: http://tritonfamilydestinations.com/.

Kaplan Test Prep

Online Pre-Med event (May 7)
Your student can get the inside scoop on getting into medical school, at this special live, online event to get all of their medical school admissions questions answered. They’ll learn about the top admissions factors, how to craft a winning personal statement, tips and tricks to use for the MCAT, and how the admissions process looks from the inside. Plus, this year Kaplan’s panel of experts will review actual med school applications to show your student who gets in and who doesn't—and why.
Have your student check out the 3^rd annual Medical School Insider event! Click Here to register.
 
MCAT Practice Test at UCSD (May 20)
Does your student still need to take the MCAT?  How about the LSAT or GRE?  Kaplan Test Prep can help.  Your student can check out the FREE PRACTICE TEST on
May 20, 2012 at Center Hall at UC San Diego and experience the GRE, LSAT, MCAT, DAT, OAT or PCAT completely free.  After the test, they will receive suggestions on how and when to prep for tests and apply to graduate school.  Attendees will also receive one-on-one consultations based on their diagnostic score.  To register, visit http://bit.ly/May20practice.

Are you or someone in your Triton family a UCSD alum? If so, e-mail us at parents@ucsd.edu with your full name, college, and graduation year. We’d love to hear from you!