【推荐2】School of International Liberal Studies（SILS）Credit and Grading System

The following is the explanation of "SILS Credit and Grading System".

※ Total credits required for a B. A. degree from SILS: 124 credits

※ Maximum credits registerable in each term: 20 credits（21 credits for first year students）

※ Grading（taken from the "Guidebook for Students"）

For each registered course, students are graded based on their test results, reports, and quiz results if they meet at least two-thirds of the total-class attendance.

Once a student has passed a course based on the above criteria, he or she will be awarded the fixed credits for the course.

The grades for the credits which are accredited（达标）for Language Proficiency or study abroad do not receive a score and are shown as "N" or "P".（However, these credits are counted for graduation.）

"A+"to "C", and "P": Pass            "F", "G", and "Q": Fai

※ Credits（appears on the bottom of the report card）

For a degree to be awarded, the number of "Included" credits must be either same or more than the number of "Required" credits, which total must be at least 124 credits over 4 years. The credits for voluntary courses are not counted for graduation.

• Category: Classification of courses

• Required: The number of credits required for graduation

• Passed: The number of all acquired credits

• Included: The number of acquired that is counted for graduation

If you have any questions, please contact: Johnathon Smith（Mr.）, Catherine Schiff（Ms.）

Phone: +81-3-5286（Mon-Sat 9:00-17:00）, E-mail: sils-as@list.waseca.jp

【推荐3】No matter where you are, you can be connected via your mobile phone number, email address or social media accounts.     1     What can you do to minimize these digital distractions and increase your focus? Below are some tips that can help you.

Turn on “Don’t disturb” when you study. If you want to get the most out of your study time, you must reduce distractions. I like spending about 30 minutes reading by using the Kindle app.     2     Because of this, I can focus completely on my reading.

Change your mind. One social issue in today’s world is the fear of missing out, which causes us to feel the need to be “connected”. That is one of the main causes of digital distractions.     3     You can do this by checking your messages and email before study.

    4     Seriously, you can do this. You don’t have to be always available. When you tell people that you aren’t available, they will respect your time. No one will force you to be available because no one can control your life.

Turn your “should do” into a “must do”. We all have things we should do. All these “shoulds” pile up and never get done because they aren’t priorities. “Should-dos” have no urgency attached to them, so they fall to the bottom of the pile of things we want to do. When you change a “should” to a “must”, it becomes a priority.     5    

【推荐3】I’m Louis. The first ten years of my life was perfect — until my parents told me a piece of news. Before I tell you, let me describe a great day mine before.

Every morning, my mom woke me up by kissing me and my great day started. My dad was only better. When I got up, the good smell of breakfast reached my nose. To make me happy, he even make Micky Mouse pancakes for me every day just to make me love my breakfast.

Then, during the drive to school, three of us sang along the way. After school, Dad usually played chess with me, waiting for my mom to cook dinner. We ate and told each other stories about our days. After dinner, Mom never forget her special — an enormous piece of chocolate cake.

Everything was great. And then, she told me that very soon I’d have a little sister. Ugh! For ten years, I was the center of my family and I didn’t share my parents with anyone.

Later, I found I’d also have to share my bedroom with the baby. That was silly! Don’t even think about using my Disneyland glass. No way! I told my mom I didn’t want a sister. I said I was happy with the way things were. I even told them to take the baby back to hospital and gave her back.

But now, here they are, in front of the door. Dad is carrying the pink blankets, now grandma is going out, too. I know it’s time for me to meet her. Before I know it. Dad put the baby in my arms and I can’t believe the baby is smiling to me! Maybe she knows I’m her brother and she already likes me! Hey, maybe having a little sister isn’t such a bad thing. For me, I think she looks kind of cute and I want to keep her in our family! Who can turn away such a cute girl?

【推荐2】English is my mother tongue, so for a long time I never had to give much thought to speaking about science in a different language-something many researchers have to do every day. But my privilege was ended in July 2020 when I started my research group as a junior faculty (教学人员) member at University of Montreal, a French-language institution in Quebec, Canada. I now communicate daily in both English and French.

Over the past two years, I have communicated science in French to a general audience, to the wider scientific community and to graduate students at the university. I believe that learning how to communicate science effectively in a language other than English has helped me to become a better science communicator in general. Explaining my research to a general audience in a second language proved hard. But with practice and continuous opportunities, I started to find my footing. For instance, shortly after starting at the University of Montreal, I gave an interview in French about my research projects. This was a great opportunity but also a big test of my language skills.

I have learnt to keep practicing and to have confidence in myself and in my ability. It is important not to be afraid to make mistakes or to ask for help. The primary goal is to get the message across clearly.

I have also faced difficult tasks, notably learning French field-specific jargon(术语), and translating abstracts, course material and so on. Alongside these academic challenges, I have to tackle administrative duties in a second language.

It has not always been easy or convenient to have to include French in my professional.

Despite challenges, talking and writing about science in a language other than English has helped me to communicate more effectively with general and scientific audiences, and has proved to be rewarding!

【推荐3】My wife, Hannah, and I didn’t usually keep houseplants. Anything in pots got either over-watered or under-watered and was finally thrown away. But after my diagnosis (诊断) with glioblastoma, a terminal brain cancer, I loved the idea of having something new and green around.

My friend Mitch gave me a lucky bamboo plant in a deep-green pottery bowl. We placed the plant beside the living room window.

I told Hannah I wanted to care for the plant myself. When it didn’t turn yellow or brown or lose all its leaves a fortnight later, I was kind of pleased. Tending to the plant gave me a sense of accomplishment.

Glioblastoma limited my ability to walk, making it hard for me to accomplish everyday tasks. As a family physician, I was used to being the one who provided care instead of the one who received it. My diagnosis made me rely on help from other people. The great change left me unsettled. Watering the plant, small act though it was, taught me I could still be a caregiver.

Later, after I recovered from surgery and completed chemotherapy (化疗), I continued to care for the plant. Soon, it even doubled in height and its leaves were shiny. Both the tree and I were thriving (生机勃勃).

Whenever I look at the bamboo, I make a point to think of those who have cared for and supported me. Even if my cancer returns and the plant outlives me, I hope it will comfort Hannah and remind her that our large community will continue to care for her after I am gone.