Summer Preparatory Seminar: Issues for Graduate Students of Color
Community Building and Skill Building for Success
The seminar program is intended to prepare students for the transition to graduate level studies and to life at Berkeley. This week-long program focuses on academic preparation, such as statistics and writing skills for graduate level work and key campus resources, also develops important skills such as leadership, conducting effective presentations, and managing stress.
The program is intended to help create and establish a healthy cohort for underrepresented students as a sustaining and supportive mechanism for them while in graduate studies at UC Berkeley.
The summer preparatory program is open to all entering two-year M.P.H. students. The majority of students who sign up for the program are historically underrepresented in graduate school, educationally and financially disadvantaged, or first-generation college students.
What seminar participants say about the program:
Priscilla Gonzalez, Health and Social Behavior '10
 "The Summer Seminar was invaluable: I had the opportunity to meet some of my fellow classmates across all M.P.H. tracks early, learned a lot about the school's resources, past student experiences, and new skills necessary for success in grad school. Because of this seminar, I found myself significantly more comfortable, confident, and knowledgeable about what I wanted to get out of my graduate program, and I had a unique cohort of supportive friends that made the transition to grad school so much easier. Above all, it was so much fun! Thanks, Abby!"
|
Baljeet Sangha, Health Policy and Management '10
 "I feel the Summer Seminar was worthwhile on multiple levels. On a practical level, where it served to show students new to Berkeley, and also Cal graduates all the important offices/buildings were that they would need to know this upcoming year: the Tang Center, Libraries, University Hall, Public Health Departments, etc.
"On an academic, course planning and preparation level, having instructors and the student panel come in definitely allayed some of the anxiety we felt about various courses and allowed us to get to know some of the second-year M.P.H. students and some of our future professors on an a more intimate, informal level. Also, the topics they discussed were not only interesting to hear about, they were also pretty motivating.
"And finally, on a personal level, the course allayed the anxiety we all had for our fears/concerns about grad school: We all realized we were in the same boat when it came to fears about doing well in grad school (since many of us had been out of school for some time), about the ambitions and goals we hoped to achieve at Cal. We realized it was okay to not be decided on topics of interest, areas of study, etc. Doing the diversity seminar brought together 25 diverse people and turned us into a cohesive group of friends—friends we were relieved to see on the first days of orientation and first days of school, and who brought a little sense of familiarity to an environment and experience with which we were otherwise unfamiliar." |
Jennifer Tillett, Health and Social Behavior '10
 "I'm glad I attended the Summer Seminar because it allowed me to enter grad school knowing that there are other students who have the same worries and the same hopes as I do about this program. It was also really comforting to see other faces of color and to recognize that each person brings something essential to this campus."
|
Thomas Leong, Epidemiology/Biostatistics '10
 "I attended the Summer Seminar for the year 2008 and I can definitely say that I'm very, very glad that I did. As I was coming right from undergrad and I knew that a substantial number of M.P.H. students were, historically speaking, people with M.D.s or work experience coming back to school to supplement their prior experience, I was nervous about being part of a cohort that I thought would be much more knowledgeable than I and might be relatively distant. However, the Summer Seminar not only put those fears to rest in a hurry, it let me get to know a great, friendly group of students whose interests spanned the entire range of public health. Over the week, we all got a little more familiar with the school and the campus, learning about the flood of resources available and the classes coming up; it really does something for pre-class preparation jitters to learn that there's a whole bunch of other people out there in the same situation, and then to go and address those concerns head-on. As Abby Rincón, the seminar's coordinator, said to us the first day, 'The professors tell me that they always know who the Summer Seminar students are, because on the first day they're all sitting together and talking, while everyone else is looking kind of lost and awkward.' And, come Day One, that sure felt true for me."
|
Nayabei Vanwoerkom, Health and Social Behavior Program
 "The summer seminar eased my transition into graduate school and connected me with new friends. Everyone was able to share their concerns in a small group, which to my relief, revealed that we shared many of those concerns. Also, I learned about the multiple resources Berkeley has to offer. Although I still have many questions, now I know where to go for an answer."
|
