TRUMBULL COLLEGE: October 20, 2025
October break always seems to come at the perfect time – when we really need it. Five more weeks until our next break! ;) I hope your breaks were good – restorative and fun, ideally. You might have had a to-do list that didn’t get done – it’s okay (I had one, too!!). I hope simply having a moment to pause was restorative.
We did our annual trip to Niantic, CT. It was our fourth time renting a place on the water (Sahej calls it the “beach house” since it’s the same place each year). It was a little chilly, but sunny the whole time, which was awesome. We have a few restaurants that we really like there and we paid a visit to the Book Barn, which was really fun. As usual, my parents and sister joined us for the day on Saturday. It’s a much-needed respite for me each year.
I wish you all the best as we approach the official midterm date this Friday, October 24th (scroll down to see “Upcoming Dates and Deadlines”). Happy to meet with you (see below) if you want to chat this week. Please keep in mind that this week, I have multiple blocks of OPEN Zoom office hours (see below). These are for quick meetings (5-10min) about academic progress, seeking extra help in a course, etc…I’m here.
Fun fact: Though Alice is nearing the end of her third year here in Trumbull, today is her 22nd anniversary as a staff-member at Yale! Congratulations, Alice! I am so thankful to have you as a partner here in Trumbull!!
Have a great week, everyone – take care. :)
Meeting with me – again, please take note of my OPEN ZOOM HOURS
To make an appointment, please use the Calendly scheduling tool, https://calendly.com/dean_c, or reach out to Alice with any scheduling issues. For in-person meetings, please come to the office. We’re right here in Trumbull G104, which you can access across from Entryway A or through Entryway G. Zoom meetings (including open Zoom office hours) will be through my Zoom page: https://yale.zoom.us/my/skchandhoke.
My OPEN ZOOM office hours for each week are listed on the top of my Calendly page. When you click on the Zoom link, you will be placed into a waiting room. I will speak to students (one-on-one) in the order they “arrive.” My upcoming open hours are
- TUESDAY, October 21st (4-5pm)
- WEDNESDAY, October 22nd(4-5pm)
- THURSDAY, October 23rd (4-5pm)
- FRIDAY, October 24th (9:30-11:30am)
Please note that I teach on Wednesday mornings during the fall term.
ACADEMICS
Double credit: If you are interested in petitioning to earn double credit in a single-credit course, please read the relevant section in the YCPS, and then consult with me. The deadline to submit this petition is Midterm – this Friday!
Yale Degree Audit: Yale Degree Audit (YDA) is a tool that tracks your progress toward the bachelor’s degree. You can learn about – and access! – Degree Audit at https://registrar.yale.edu/student-records/degree-audit. Degree Audit displays the Yale College degree requirements that you have already completed and those that are still pending. If you believe that academic information in your degree audit is incorrect, contact our office.
UPCOMING DATES AND DEADLINES (5pm unless noted)
October 24 Midterm
October 24 Last day to withdraw from a fall full-term course without the course appearing on the transcript, 5pm
October 24 Deadline to apply for double credit in a single-credit course, 5pm
October 24 Withdrawal from Yale College on or before this date entitles a student to a rebate of one-quarter of the term’s tuition, 5pm
October 24 Final ABX exam grades are due
November 6 Last day to withdraw from a course offered in the second half of the fall term without the course appearing on the transcript, 5pm
TUTORING
Advising Resources: http://advising.yalecollege.yale.edu
Academic Strategies Program: https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/academic-strategies-program
Sc/QR Tutoring: https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/learning/help-with-stem/stem-tutoring
Language Tutoring: https://cls.yale.edu/programs/language-tutoring
Writing Center/Tutors/Partners: https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/undergraduates/undergraduate-writing-and-tutoring; https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/undergraduates/writing-center
Trumbull Writing Tutor: Adam Reid Sexton is the Trumbull College Writing Tutor. Adam teaches three courses in the English department (The Craft of Fiction, Reading and Writing the Modern Essay, and Writing About Music) and is a Critic in the graduate School of Art. During summer 2022 he taught Writing About Music for Yale in London. Adam is also a writer; his next book, Difficult Listening, is due to be published soon. To meet with Adam, please reserve a half-hour by logging on to https://www.yalewco.com/index.php, and be sure to email him the document you want help with by 7am on the day of your appointment. Include the instructor’s prompt, your focus for the meeting, and when the paper is due. Adam looks forward to working with you!
Academic Strategies Program. Through the Office of Educational Opportunity, the Academic Strategies Program helps students navigate the “hidden curriculum” at Yale, the invisible set of underlying assumptions and expectations about how to do well as a student. They offer support groups, individual mentoring, and workshops; see https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/learning.
Imagining Your Summer. Thinking about summer study abroad, fellowship opportunities, or professional internships–but don’t know where to start? Come to this session to hear from students who have done these things & staff whose job it is to help you get these things! You will leave this session with a clearer idea of what is possible, and a solid understanding of what resources could be available to you to make it happen. Now is the perfect time to start planning!
Monday, October 20, 4-5pm, Poorvu Center CTL, Room 120A
Thursday, October 23, 7-8pm, Online Event (register for link)
STEM Navigators: Mythbustin’ Medical School. What are the common myths and misconceptions about medical school and medical careers? Come and learn from medical students what to believe/not believe based on their own experiences! Monday, October 20, 4-5pm, Poorvu Center CTL, Room 120C
Autism Discussion Group. An inclusive community for autistic students and allies to discuss experiences, share strategies for campus life, and build meaningful connections. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or have been part of the autism community for years, all perspectives are welcome. Monday, October 20, 5-6pm, Poorvu Center CTL, Room 120C
Fantastic Mentors and Where to Find Them: What Is a Mentor? Who Could Be a Mentor? Mentorship comes in many forms—peers, faculty, grad students, alumni—and all of them can shape your Yale experience. This workshop is a conversation about how to recognize potential mentors, build meaningful connections, and make the most of the support already around you. You’ll leave with ideas, inspiration, and guidance from ASP Peer Mentors who’ve been both mentees and mentors themselves. Monday, October 20, 6-7pm, Poorvu Center CTL, Room M104A
Senior Thesis Power Hours. Writing a Senior Thesis is HARD—but it’s way more fun with snacks, support, and friends who get it! Drop in anytime to this two-hour session, hosted by the Yale College Writing Partners and Academic Strategies Peer Mentors, for (1) facilitated & structured focus time + breaks; (2) delicious snacks + seltzer water; (3) optional 1:1 help from Writing Partners and Academic Strategies Peer Mentors; (4) the camaraderie you need to keep those ideas flowing. Monday, October 20, 7-9pm, Poorvu Center CTL, Room 120A
Fantastic Mentors and Where to Find Them: Cultivating Faculty Mentors. Looking for someone to guide your academic path? This workshop helps you identify potential mentors, ask for support, and build lasting connections with faculty—led by juniors and seniors who’ve done it and can tell you what actually works. Tuesday, October 21, 4-5pm, Poorvu Center CTL, Room M104A
Organize Your Time! (Micro-Workshop). When’s the last time you looked at your schedule and thought, how am I supposed to do all this? This 30-minute workshop helps you learn time management strategies and begin applying them to your own week, helping you feel more in control of getting everything done. Afterward, stick around for optional quiet work time with Academic Strategies Peer Mentors on hand to support you. Tuesday, October 21, 4-4:30pm, Poorvu Center CTL, Room M104A
Managing a Heavy Reading Load (Micro-Workshop). Too much to read, not enough time? In this 30-minute session, we’ll share practical strategies for approaching your reading more efficiently—and then give you time to start putting them into practice! Stick around afterward if you’d like to keep working, with ASP Peer Mentors on hand to support you. Tuesday, October 21, 6-6:30pm, Poorvu Center CTL, Room M104A
Chronic Illness Discussion Group. A supportive space for students navigating chronic health conditions to share experiences, coping strategies, and resources. Connect with peers who understand the unique challenges of managing health while pursuing your Yale education. Wednesday, October 22, 4-5pm, Poorvu Center CTL, Room 120B
How to Lock In: Working Through Procrastination. We all procrastinate—but when it gets in the way of your goals, it’s time for a shift. In this workshop, we’ll explore what’s really driving your procrastination and share strategies to help you break out of the cycle. You’ll leave with tools to reset your habits and move forward—one doable step at a time. Wednesday, October 22, 6-7pm, Poorvu Center CTL, Room M104A
Eli Whitney Caffeinated Commons. Wrap up your week with community, conversation, and caffeine! Drop by this relaxed weekly hangout hosted by the Academic Strategies Program’s Eli Whitney peer mentors—sometimes there’s a theme or discussion, sometimes just snacks and good company. Whether you’re here to chat, decompress, connect, or set up your weekend, you’re always welcome. Thursdays, 4pm-6pm, coffee provided. Thursday, October 23, 4-6pm, Poorvu Center CTL, Room 118B
STEM Navigators x MB&B Peer Mentors: Research Lab Trick or Treat! Interested in learning about different research opportunities while enjoying Halloween treats? Join STEM Navigators and the MB&B Peer Mentors for a spooky spectacle where members from research labs in various departments will talk about their research and opportunities that are available at their labs! Thursday, October 23, 5:30-7pm, Poorvu Center CTL, Rooms 120A, 120B, 120C and 121
STEM Navigators: Study Hall. Snacks? While studying and meeting peers? Come complete your p-sets, study, and meet your peers in your STEM courses. Snacks and peer mentors are here to help you with any questions about majors, summer opportunities, or classes to take in the future! Mentors will also serve as accountability buddies to make sure you stay on track during the study hall and achieve your academic goals! NOTE: Tutoring NOT provided by mentors! Sunday, October 26, 2-5pm, Poorvu Center CTL, Room 120A
CAREER STRATEGY
The Office of Career Strategy (OCS) offers career advising, professional school advising, employment and internship opportunities, and career development resources. The office works with students and alumni to clarify career aspirations, identify opportunities, and offer support at every stage of career development. Schedule a weekly OCS newsletter tailored to your interests, check out OCS events, opportunities, resources and services at https://ocs.yale.edu/channels/student, get even more tips and announcements at https://ocs.yale.edu/blog.
Yale College OCS-Fellowships Outreach Coordinators
The OCS-Fellowships Outreach Coordinators are undergraduate students in the residential colleges, trained by the Office of Career Strategy and the Office of Fellowships to introduce their peers to the resources of these offices. Each outreach coordinator serves as the point person for two residential colleges. When classes are in session, the Outreach Coordinators host programs in the colleges, are available for resume reviews, and can answer questions about career and summer funding resources. Each also holds Open Hours once a week in each of their assigned residential colleges, which are posted on the OCS website. Students are invited to visit them during their open hours or contact them directly.
Leerink Partners LLC Company Presentation. We will be discussing our 2027 Investment Banking Summer Analyst role and look forward to connecting with you. Please note, this role is targeted for current Sophomores (i.e. 2028 grads) but all students are welcome to attend. Leerink Partners is a leading investment bank providing a complete suite of financial solutions comprising M&A advisory, equity, debt, and derivative capital markets, equity research, and sales and trading capabilities. Monday, October 20, 6-7:15pm, The Study Hotel, 1157 Chapel Street, Gallery Room 1
TUM-PREP Summer Research Program Info Session. In the framework of the Practical Research Experience Program (TUM PREP), TUM invites excellent students from leading North American universities and the Imperial College London for a research stay July 1-August 28, 2026. Participating students gain valuable insights into the research work at Germany’s top-ranked technical university and enhance their technical and methodological qualifications. Students can choose from over 70 TUM PREP research projects among 7 different TUM Schools in Munich, Garching, and Freising. Join us to learn more about of the application process and time for Q&A. Tuesday, October 21, 11am-12pm, Online Event (click for link)
Mercor Coffee Chats. Please sign up for a slot to discuss our Strategic Project Associate role at Mercor with a senior ops member, who will be on campus for coffee chats on October 21st. The associated job posting for Mercor’s SPA program is already live, and we encourage all graduating seniors to apply! Tuesday, October 21, 11:30am-3:30pm (click to sign-up for a timeslot), The Blake Hotel, 9 High Street
Center for Strategic and International Studies Virtual Information Session. Join Julieze Benjamin, Program Manager of University Partnerships, for an engaging presentation on the role of think tanks in the DC ecosystem and CSIS’s impact on policy. Gain insider tips on internship opportunities at CSIS. Tuesday, October 21, 12-1pm, Online Event (register for link)
MIT Sloan Masters Programs Virtual Info Session. Explore how our Master of Finance and Master of Business Analytics programs prepare students for impactful careers in finance and data science. Get application tips on how to highlight your academic and professional experience. Learn how our curriculum prepares students to reach their career goals. This virtual session is tailored for college seniors and recent graduates who want to learn more about Masters programs and ask questions directly. Tuesday, October 21, 2-3pm, Online Event (register for link)
diiVe Information Session. Curious about consulting or global internships? Join Devon Reynolds, Head of Programs & Ops, for Coffee Chats at Yale. RSVP on OCS Job Search. Learn more about diiVe’s Summer 2026 Consulting Internship in Cape Town or Remote and how you can gain real consulting experience, mentorship from McKinsey/BCG/EY alumni, and global career skills. Tuesday, October 21, 4-6pm, Good Life Center Lounge, Schwarzman
UBS Investment Banking Information Session. Join UBS Investment Banking for an exclusive information session with Yale University alumni from our firm. This is a great chance to connect with our team, hear their career stories, and get tips to advance your career using your new and existing contacts. RSVP to secure your spot and take advantage of this chance to learn from alumni experiences.
Tuesday, October 21, 6-7:30pm, Register for Location
Tuesday, October 21, 8-9:30pm, Register for Location
Information Session with Hopkins, Harvard, Columbia, and Yale Schools of Public Health. Come to this session with admissions representatives from the four different schools to learn about opportunities with their programs. Tuesday, October 21, 7-8pm, Online Event (register for link)
Lime Connect Info Session: Students with Disabilities Career Program. Join Yardena Gerwin, Community Engagement Specialist at Lime Connect, for a session designed for Yale students who identify as having a disability (whether apparent or non-apparent). In this session, you’ll learn about Lime Connect opportunities including scholarships, fellowships, internships, and events; gain insights on finding the most supportive and accessible employers; learn practical strategies for navigating the disability disclosure process during recruiting and interviews including the whether, when, and how of disclosure. Wednesday, October 22, 4-5pm, Poorvu Center CTL, Room 120A
BMO Capital Markets Equity Group (U.S.), Inc. Information Session. BMO Capital Markets is back on campus! Join us for our fall information session to learn more about our summer 2027 internship. You’ll have the opportunity to network with Yale alumni and hear what it’s like to have a career in finance. There will be BMO representatives present from Investment Banking. Wednesday, October 22, 5-6pm, Linsly-Chittenden Hall, LC211
Radial Equity Partners Information Session. Radial Equity Partners is a New York City-based private equity firm that has completed 49 transactions totaling $2.5 billion in total enterprise value. The Summer 2026 Analyst Internship Program is designed for current sophomores interested in gaining hands-on experience in private equity. All interested students are welcome to attend. Wednesday, October 22, 7-8pm, Linsly-Chittenden Hall, LC101
Common Good & Creative Careers Peer to Peer Networking Event. Are you interested in pursuing an internship this summer but don’t know where to start? Come to the CGCC Peer Networking event and hear from fellow students about their recent internship experiences. This is a great opportunity to get some of the inside scoop on what it was like to work for an employer in the Common Good & Creative Careers space. It will be a career fair format in which you can walk around the room and speak to various Yale students who worked at summer positions in the following fields: arts, education, government, nonprofit, publishing, and journalism. Thursday, October 23, 4-6pm, Dwight Hall at Yale, 67 High Street
Yale Personalized Medicine & Applied Engineering Info Session. The Yale School of Engineering and the Yale School of Medicine are hosting fall information sessions for their innovative one-year joint master’s degree in Personalized Medicine & Applied Engineering. This interdisciplinary program equips students with cutting edge skills at the intersection of medicine, engineering, and computer science. Participants gain hands-on experience designing 3D solutions for personalized healthcare using technologies such as 3D imaging and printing, artificial intelligence and machine learning, robotics and computer-assisted navigation, and augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR). Pre-med and medical students, biomedical/mechanical/electrical engineering and computer science majors passionate about healthcare innovation should apply by the December 15th deadline. Friday, October 24, 1:30-2:30pm, Online Event (click to join)
FELLOWSHIPS AND FUNDING
Yale and outside funding options can help support research, study abroad, public service, unpaid internships, and self-designed projects, in New Haven and around the globe. Postgraduate fellowships support independent projects, graduate study, and much more. The Office of Fellowships and Funding helps students identify funding opportunities and navigate the application process. Visit https://funding.yale.edu to learn more.
Truman Group Advising Workshop #2: Question #9 + the Policy Proposal. Join Yale’s Truman Scholarship advisor, Jill Carrera, as she highlights the purpose of Question #9 and how it should connect to your policy proposal. The majority of this workshop will be dedicated to selecting a problem/need/issue of society you’d like to highlight in Question #9 and beginning to back it up with concrete research and statistics. We will then explore to whom you might want to address your policy proposal in order to address a smaller facet of that larger problem. Come with a laptop or other device to begin/continue the research process. Monday, October 20, 2-3pm, 55 Whitney Avenue, 3rd Floor, Room 305
Pink Pumpkin Fellowship Pop-Up Advising Hours. Have fellowship questions? Look for the pink pumpkin! Dr. Fisher, Director of the Light Fellowship and Yale College Postgraduate Fellowships Administrator, is hosting pop-up advising hours in locations around campus throughout the fall—no sign up, appointment needed, just drop by! Whether you’re planning for summer, thinking about life after graduation, or just curious about what fellowships are, this is a great chance to get answers and explore your options. Tuesday, October 21, 2-3pm, Sterling Library Nave (1st floor), 120 High Street
Yale College Postgrad Fellowships - Info Session #2. Attend this information session to learn about Yale College Postgraduate Fellowships for research, study, and projects after Yale. These are a collection of fellowships which may range in duration from 3 months to year-long (12 months) opportunities for research, study, and projects. These awards are administered by the Office of Fellowships and share a common application form. Wednesday, October 22, 12:30-1:30pm, 55 Whitney Avenue, 3rd Floor, Room 369
Truman Group Advising Workshop #3: What Works and What Doesn’t? Join Yale’s Truman Scholarship advisor, Jill Carrera, as she goes through the Truman questions one by one and discusses a good response versus a bad response to each. Be prepared to talk about what you think works and what doesn’t! We will then talk about the broader lessons you can take away from this exercise into your application editing process. Thursday, October 23, 3-4pm, 55 Whitney Avenue, 3rd Floor, Room 305
STUDY ABROAD
Thinking about studying abroad? Head to the “Get Started” tab to search programs that fit your personal and academic interests, check application deadlines, review costs and funding options, get advice on your plans, and more. Learn about fulfilling distributional and major requirements with study abroad coursework.
AIT Budapest Info Session. Discover the Aquincum Institute of Technology (AIT) in Budapest, Hungary! Offering outstanding student services alongside demanding courses, AIT’s partners include some of the most prestigious American universities. For 15 years, AIT has hosted over 1,500 students from leading American universities in its semester-long, English-language Computer Science Program. Starting in Fall 2026, AIT launches a new Arts, Film and Culture Program for students passionate about film, photo, art, music, writing, and Central European culture—combining creativity, humanities electives, and vibrant city life. Attend this session to meet Professor Anna Gács, AIT instructor and Academic Director of the AFC program, take home a flyer, and explore the versatile culture of Budapest as your study abroad adventure! Monday, October 20, 4-5pm, 55 Whitney Avenue, 3rd Floor, Room 305
OTHER
Former CEO of Rio Tinto, Jakob Stausholm: How a Crisis Reshaped Rio Tinto’s Purpose, Culture and Strategy. This is your chance to join moderator Jon Iwata, Y-SIM Practice Leader and former Chief Brand Officer at IBM, at the Yale School of Management, and ask the former CEO directly how he did it. Registration required. Monday, October 20, 11:45am-12:45pm, Zhang Auditorium (with boxed lunch) or Virtual
10th Annual Career Networking Mixer where alumni meet current students and help explore career strategies. Register by November 12th. Alumni will share their “real world” experiences in life skills and careers, including the arts, business, communications, consulting, education, entertainment, finance, health care, government, law & social justice, non-profits, public service, real estate, STEM, and more! Students will come with questions about the current job world and strategies about how to develop a career, several careers, and graduate school opportunities. Alumni really want to meet and help you Navigate your career explorations; know what skills are critical now; take advantage of all of Yale’s resources. Note: you do not need to be first-gen or from a low-income background to attend. We all celebrate being members of the Yale family. Recent grads are welcome. Dinner and dessert included. Wednesday, November 19, 6-8:30pm, Afro-American Cultural Center, 211 Park Street
YC3
Navigating Conflict Workshop. Conflicts happen—but how you handle them makes all the difference. Join Brian Hamilton, Community Wellness Specialist, for this Navigating Conflict workshop that will give you practical strategies to better understand conflict and how to resolve it more effectively. Thursday, October 23, 12-12:45pm, GLC Lounge in Schwarzman
Yale Library
Latte with a Librarian. Meet with a librarian for a drop-in research consultation. Any student who asks a library or research-related question will receive a FREE Yale Library mug! Thursday, October 23, 12:30-2pm, Bass Library, Thain Café High Tables
Introduction to LaTeX Typesetting in Overleaf. LaTeX is a typesetting system used across many fields — math, physics, linguistics, economics, and beyond. In this session, we will cover the basics of LaTeX. We will be using Overleaf, which you can use at no cost to you by signing up with your Yale email, but there will be opportunities to discuss desktop software alternatives if interested. Friday, October 24, 10-11am, Online Event (register for link)
Library Workshop Incentive Program
Attend 3 or more library workshops in one semester to receive a free tote bag or water bottle.
Individualized Library Help and Research Support
Students may request a Personal Librarian, request a Research Consultation for a particular topic, or reach out to a Subject Specialist Librarian for individual support.