Coronavirus
Click here for the latest college updates and resources connected to the coronavirus outbreak. Please let me know what questions I can help you get answered.
How can I help?
Struggling with this course? Grotesque realism got you down? Worried about an upcoming assignment? Need help with writing or presentations? Just want to study or work on your homework with someone who can pitch in as needed? Not finding time for Rabelais in your busy Bi-Co lifestyle? You’ve come to the right place!
Help with anything connected to the course, or not sure what kind of help to ask for
Email Prof. Farmer. I may take 24 hours or so to respond to emails, but I’m happy to answer quick questions about the course, schedule an appointment to meet with you, or help you figure out which other resources to draw on.
Looking to drop in and get questions answered
Come to my drop-in hours: Mondays 1:30-3:30pm, Hall 205. You don’t need an appointment, but if you know you’d like to come at a certain time, you can let me know and I’ll block it out for you.
Need help finding or exploring research topics and library resources
Contact Margaret Schaus or Semyon Khokhlov, our class’ research librarians; they’ll be happy to meet with you and help you find whatever you need! You can also get started by using the Research Guide they’ve prepared for our course.
Having trouble affording textbooks or otherwise meeting the financial burdens of this course or college in general
Haverford and Bryn Mawr provide a number of forms of support for students beyond traditional financial aid to help you meet your expenses. Please come and talk to me, or consider talking with your dean, if you are in any way struggling to meet expenses here.
If affording textbooks is a problem, please know that there are a number of solutions! At both Haverford and Bryn Mawr, all assigned course books are kept on reserve in both libraries, so you can consult them in your campus’ library if you need to. Both libraries can also request additional copies from other libraries, if you’d like to be able to have a copy you can take home. Both the Haverford and Bryn Mawr Classics departments maintain substantial libraries of textbooks and other assigned books, and we can offer lend or even just give you a copy if you’re in any way struggling to afford your own.
Finally, consider applying for a micro-grant through The Sportula. To put it in their own words, the Sportula is “a group of Classics Graduate Students and Junior Faculty committed to making sure that students from working-class and historically looted communities (like the ones we ourselves come from) don’t fall through the cracks left by traditional scholarship programs; all too many of which have a poor understanding of what our lives are *actually* like and what we *actually* need. We provide microgrants–petty cash ranging from $5 to $300, no questions asked, to Classics undergrads who need it.”
Struggling to balance this course with other courses, sleep, social life, activities
At Haverford: The Office of Academic Resources has coaches who will meet with you for free to discuss time management, balancing your many demands, and other skills for surviving your college experience. Like all other OAR services, this is totally free! The vast majority of Haverford students will use the OAR at some point in their time here – why not get started? OAR offers one-on-one coaching sessions, free workshops, and online guides for all kinds of academic challenges like procrastination, time management, or exam prep.
At Bryn Mawr: the Office of Academic Support and Student Support Services offers a wide variety of forms of support for students at Bryn Mawr. You can see a full listing of their services here. I particularly recommend checking out their Peer Tutors (fellow students with specific expertise in Latin) and Peer Mentors (fellow students trained to help with study skills, time management, and other general issues). You can also contact the Director of Academic Support, Rachel Heiser, if you’re not sure what kind of help you need.
Having a hard time adjusting to life at Haverford or Bryn Mawr, feeling lonely, anxious, depressed, overwhelmed, or otherwise finding your mental or emotional state is hindering you
Both Haverford and Bryn Mawr offer free, confidential meetings with therapists to discuss whatever is troubling you. You don’t need a mental health diagnosis, you don’t pay, your parents don’t have to know – it’s fully free and confidential. If you want to talk with a sympathetic, trained counselor who is not a professor, fellow student, friend, parent, or someone else who has any kind of other relationship with you, this is the place to go! I can’t recommend it highly enough. As the Bryn Mawr Counseling Service puts it, seeking help is a sign of strength, not a sign of weakness.
At Haverford: The Haverford Counseling and Psychological Services Center (CAPS) offers mental health support to Haverford students. You can email CAPS, call (610) 896-1290, or schedule an appointment online. CAPS also offers walk-in hours at Stokes 203 where you can show up without an appointment and request to speak with a therapist Monday-Friday 11:00am-12:00 pm and 2:00–3:00pm.
At Bryn Mawr: Bryn Mawr Counseling Services offers mental health support to Bryn Mawr students. Call the Bryn Mawr Health Center at 610-526-7360 to schedule an appointment.
None of these sound quite right, but I’m still having a hard time
Come by my drop in hours (#) or email to make an appointment. If I can’t help you myself, I guarantee I know someone who can! It can be hard to navigate all the different resources available on campus, so if you’re not sure how to get help but you’re struggling with any aspect of your life here, feel free to come talk to me.
