Checklist for Taking a Month Off

The faculty strongly encourages you to think deeply before making your decision to take this month off. All the CS courses are excellent and geared toward the marketplace. Taking a month off increases your loan and doesn’t substantially move you toward your goal of graduation.

Below are the action steps you will need to perform to remain on campus while not enrolled in a course:

  • S. Residents need to see the Financial Aid (FA) Office to verify that taking a month off doesn’t jeopardize your FA. Depending on where your final course falls within the semester, you may or may not be eligible for FA for that course.
  • Send an e-mail to Elaine so that she can verify that your visa status will not be jeopardized by extending your on-campus studies an extra month.
  • Submit a study plan to your faculty advisor that includes the topics, the book or online resources you will be using during this month and your goals in terms of knowledge gained during this time.
  • Stay in contact with your faculty advisor once a week for the duration of your month off to review your study plan and your progress. Your advisor can answer any questions you may have regarding the material you are studying.
  • See Mindy Wendt in the Career Planning Office to sign up for afternoon meditations with the Career Strategies Course. You are required to attend morning and afternoon group TM — in the morning in Dalby Hall and in the afternoon you may join the Career Strategies Course entering just after the break at 3:25).
  • Return this form to the CS Registrar by the end of the first week of the block.

This month off break also provides the perfect opportunity to improve your English skills. The English as a Second Language (ESL) Department can be reached at 641-472-7000 X 3221. ESL classes and tutoring sessions are held regularly throughout the week.

Speaking and working with the language is much more effective than watching TV and talking with your friends. The ESL Department can work with you to rapidly improve your English in a short time and command of the English language is crucial to a successful job interview.

Best wishes for a fruitful month off.