THURSDAY, MAY9, 2002
ENTERTAINMENT
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 6B
Rick's Place
Domestic & Foreign Complete Car Care
Graduating early has its perks
By Meghan Brune Jayplay writer
As the graduating seniors line up for their walk down the hill this spring, they will be joined by some who came to the University of Kansas with the 2003 class.
They leave for various reasons — some to enter the work force, others to travel, get married or take time off.
Lindsay Kincaid, Overland Park senior, is one of these students. Kincaid started at the University in the fall of 1999. She is a secondary English education major and finished her first four years of coursework in three.
"I always knew what I wanted to do, so I never took a class that didn't count toward my major." Kincaid said.
Education majors are required to spend a year doing a student-teaching internship after completing their four-year degrees, Kincaid will hold off on her fifth year until the fall of 2003. For next year, Kincaid is traveling around the world.
"After I got back from studying abroad my sophomore year, my goals and my perspectives on things had changed. I wanted to spend time traveling," Kincaid said.
Kincaid's travels start in September with friends in Australia. She then plans to work in New Zealand for three months, travel through Asia, Africa and Europe, then return home in time for her teaching internship in the fall.
"Who knows what will happen, but I don't feel ready to teach, and I have this travel bug that I need to get rid of." Kincaid said.
The people around Kincaid daily see her as hardworking and motivated.
Jill Bradshaw, Overland Park junior, tried to convince Kincaid to slip a few hours of fun into her grueling schedule of 20 hours last semester.
KIMBERLY THOMPSON/KANSAN
"She motivated me to study because otherwise I felt lazy, but I reminded her to play as hard as she was working." Bradshaw said.
Senior Christi Balderston, Shawnee Mission senior, is another student who will be donning her robe early this May.
"Christi has always been an incredible student who excels at everything," junior Rachel Adams said.
Adams has been a friend of Balderson since the first grade. When Balderson came back to school
Lindsay Kincaid, Overland Park senior, is graduating early from the University. She's going to travel to Australia in September, followed by work in New Zealand.
engaged last fall, Adams was not surprised she had also decided to graduate early.
Balderton's boyfriend of four and a half years, Danny Bartlett, is a sophomore at Emporia State and their wedding is set for this June.
"Talk of engagement motivated me to finish early and I am looking for a job in Emporia for next year," Balderston said. "I have a lot of friends getting married too, so I think they can relate to me."
Adams is excited for Balderston's future plans and thinks Balderston has made a good decision.
"I think Christi was here for school and now she and Dannv can start their life together."
Contact Brune at mbrube@kansan.com. This story was edited by Justin Guenley.
Graduation mistakes occur rarely
By Becky McClelland Jayplay writer
It's a senior's worst nightmare. The cap and gown are bought, invitations are sent, but there won't be a degree.
After spending four years or more—working toward graduation, being told you have to wait might seem like a disaster. But Pamela Houston, director of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Services, said this did not happen often and it was preventable.
"The real problems, the real surprises, are very rare," Houston said. "I know students get very paranoid, worrying that they won't graduate. We have students who come in every week to check that everything is OK."
For those who aren't graduating, here are a few precautions you can take to make sure you aren't one of the few unlucky ones.
1. Make an appointment with a graduation counselor one semester before you expect to graduate. They can tell you if anything needs to happen, and you'll still have time to take a class if you need it. It's always better to find out you need another humanities course in October than in March when it's too late.
2. Ask lots of questions. If something doesn't make sense, it might not be right, and the earlier you ask, the less stressful it will be.
3. If you aren't sure about something an adviser said, get a second opinion, and get it in writing. Many things need approval from more than one office, and getting it in writing will make sure everyone has the story straight.
4. Last but not least, pay attention to deadlines and what the catalog says about your specific major.
Houston said there were some situations hat required more attention than others.
"Transfer students are a challenge," she said.
The information a student gets when going through admissions isn't always the same as what you get once you're enrolled, and it's the latter information that matters. Some students take an admissions counselor's word about something, when more documents or information might be needed.
Most importantly, the administration doesn't want a student to stay any longer than they have to. The ARTS form system has been in place for about 16 years, and has worked flawlessly most of the time, officials say.
"When the University makes a mistake, we don't penalize the student for that mistake," Houston said. "We walk a thin line between being helpful in hard situations and letting the integrity of the degree be diminished."
Contact McCieland at bmccelland@kansan.com. This story was edited by Kristi Henderson.
CRAWFORD'S- Chrysler Dodge Jeep
New $1000 $ College Grad Rebate
You can buy a new car at Crawford's and receive a $1000 dollar better deal than the general public. Call For Details
Bonus 90 days till 1st payment
*excludes Viper•Prowler•Grand Cherokee Sport.
"Less Than 1 hour From Lawrence Crawford's in Raytown
Crawford Chrysler 9209 E.350 Hwy www.CrawfordJeep.com 816-356-9500 Crawford Dodge 10000 E.350 Hwy www.RaytownDodge.com 816-737-2500 Crawford Jeep 9401 E.350 Hwy www.CrawfordJeep.com 816-358-3700
kansan.com The student newspaper of the University of Kansas brought to you by
iayhawks.com