This final installment arrives at senior year, a culmination that should feel like a crowning achievement. Dr. Chernicoff takes you through capstone projects, applying to grad school and giving back to the incoming classes in a variety of ways. However it’s also a time to nail the dismount – this is characterized by attending your graduation ceremonies, thanking those who came through for you; and joining your Alumni Association. The featured guest for this season finale is none other than Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences and current President of the University of Washington – Dr. Ana Mari Cauce.

As a sophomore and junior, progress is measurable, and you can’t help but notice this defining period is where things come together. Dr. Chernicoff reveals the benchmarks of this stage in your evolution on campus starting with reconnecting with your Year One professors after that first summer away from your studies. Choosing a major, navigating internships, faculty sponsorships, applications for continuing education and letters of recommendation all come to fruition during the second and third year. This is where the path forward snaps into focus and genuine results take shape. Featured guests – Dr. Holly Barker, a Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and Museum Curator; and former Pac 12 Football Star, NFL player Micah Hatchee currently working as an Admissions Advisor for AAPI students – join this episode together, in a conversation that shows an example of how it all comes together when students and faculty align.

The first year on campus is crucial and Dr. Chernicoff puts the microscope on the systems that acclimate incoming students to their new reality. From interest groups to finding balance, and protecting your personal well-being through harvesting moments of joy, this episode in entirely focused on procedures that form a foundation that can take you to new heights. Even your summer plans after Year One are a critical decision when attempting to go beyond the minimum requirements of being enrolled. Featured guests include Distinguished Biology Professor – Dr. Linda Martin-Morris; and former General Counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Director of the Mexican American Defense Fund, and former Student Regent – John Amaya.

This episode is about money, and how you are entirely capable of emerging from college debt-free. Sounds like a tall tale but Dr. Chernicoff helps illuminate how scholarships work, how fellowships and endowments are rightfully yours and how an “apply as you go” approach can create financial windfalls throughout your journey on campus. You can even get paid while earning your degree if you play your cards right. Former Fulbright Scholarship recipient and UC Berkeley Law School Graduate Samson Lim details this process and how he launched scholarshipjunkies.com to help people just like you.

Adversity is inevitable and in this episode Dr. Chernicoff offers advice on how to cultivate resilience. An unorthodox studying methodology and setting healthy boundaries on your social life highlight the good habits that can take you through tough times. What’s the move when things don’t go to plan? How to pivot without losing confidence in your academic outlook is essential regardless of your major. The featured guest is Dr. Ed Taylor, former Gonzaga Basketball Star and currently the Executive Vice President and Dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs at University of Washington.

Returning to regularly scheduled programming, here Dr. Chernicoff expands upon the seduction of course descriptions, making sense of the syllabus and the all important geography lesson about where you choose to sit in class. Pre-lecture preparations are also addressed as is the importance of Teaching Assistants (TAs) in getting to where you want to go as an undergraduate. Guests on this episode include Professor of Geological Sciences at University of Oregon – Dr. Marli Miller; as well as Attending Physician in Emergency Medicine based in Southern California, and former Student Leader in AmeriCorps – Dr. Steven Sanoja.

Going off script a bit after dense episodes with a lot of information, in this installment Dr. Chernicoff amplifies student voices almost exclusively. After touching briefly on Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) and the opportunity to leave a legacy by establishing programs and initiatives that were notably absent from the campus experience prior to your arrival, five former students take it from there. In their own words they recount getting involved outside of the classroom, disrupting the establishment and how that defined their trajectory in ways that exceeded their wildest imaginations. Featured guests include Deputy Editor at ELLE Magazine – Kayla Webley Adler; Rapper, Producer and Bonderman Fellowship recipient – Sol Moravia-Rosenberg; City of Seattle Community Engagement Coordinator – Samuel Chesneau; former Student Regent at University of Washington, Law School Graduate and Founder of Rainy Dawg Radio – Alex Bolton; and Founder of University of Washington Cancer Relay For Life, currently working as a Global Health Professional in Namibia – Alison Ensminger.

Getting the right classes and the right professors is a process. Usually it takes a few quarters or semesters to get it figured, but why wait when there are ways to optimize your roadmap right from the jump. Dr. Chernicoff goes in-depth on the role of advisors, the movers and shakers on campus, the art of picking classes and work-arounds when you can’t get what you want. He also touches on the bogus criteria that tend to lead students astray during registration. Guests on this episode include former Dean of Undergraduate Education at the University of Washington, Sociology Professor, and former President of two Liberal Arts Colleges – Dr. George Bridges and Senior Academic Advisor – Clay Schwenn.

Without demonizing the fun that comes with college life, this episodes dives deep into the ways to distinguish yourself beyond the classroom. Fundamentally it means going beyond the course requirements and getting into the inner workings of departments, research, and the mechanics of the “academy.” From lectures to seminars and undergraduate research – if you like a subject or a particular professor there are myriad ways to start making an impression immediately even in a class of several hundred students. Guests include Distinguished Archaeology Professor, University Dean, and former Executive Director of WA State’s Natural History Museum – Dr. Julie Stein; as well as Yale Law School Graduate, and former Director for the U.S. Dept. of Education during the Obama Administration – Alula Asfaw.

This inaugural episode begins with the things no one will tell you. Dr. Chernicoff outlines the importance of being extraordinary, and how this is a conscious decision a student can make straight away. The dynamics of dealing with professors is explored so the prospect of building a relationship with them isn’t so intimidating. He also covers why you shouldn’t go home every weekend. Featured guests include Distinguished Criminology Professor, Department Chair, and Dean – Dr. Bob Crutchfield; and former Student Leader currently working in Arizona as a Master Trainer of Public School Teachers – Olivia Allpress.