CIRCLE Fast Track
Join CIRCLE to chat, learn, and exchange ideas with your peers from around the world! The weekly discussion series consists of seven topics that rotate each week between cultural and academic themes including tips and strategies to accelerate your adjustment to living in the U.S. and ways to boost your academic productivity. You will leave each session with new knowledge, different perspectives, helpful tips and strategies, resources for future learning or development, and most importantly, friendships that could last longer than your educational journey at UW.
In Autumn 2023, the academic and cultural themes include:
- Making Connection via Small Talk
- Tips to Kick off a Successful Academic Year
- Learning About U.S. Sports Culture
- Making the Most of Office Hours
- Places to Visit: Museums
- Educational Experience Around the World
- Holiday Traditions and Celebrations: Thanksgiving
Join CIRCLE to chat, learn, and exchange ideas from your peers from the U.S. and across the world! You will leave each session with new knowledge, different perspectives, helpful tips and strategies, resources for future learning or development, and most importantly, friendships that could last longer than your educational journey at the UW. By clicking on the links in the schedule below you can see more details about the sessions and access the registration link. You can also access the registration link for all the Autumn quarter discussions in the button below.
Schedule Overview
| Week | Date/Time | Category | Topic |
| Week 2 | Oct 04 (Wed), 4:00-5:00 p.m. | Cultural/Social | Making Connections via Small Talk |
| Week 3 | Oct 11 (Wed), 4:00-5:00 p.m. | Academic | Tips to Kick off a Successful Academic Year |
| Week 4 | Oct 18 (Wed),4:00-5:00 p.m. | Cultural/Social | Learning about U.S. Sports Culture |
| Week 5 | Oct 25 (Wed), 4:00-5:00 p.m. | Academic | Making the Most of Office Hours |
| Week 6 | Nov 01 (Wed), 4:00-5:00 p.m. | Cultural/Social | Places to Visit: Museums |
| Week 7 | Nov 08 (Wed), 4:00-5:00 p.m. | Academic | Educational Experience Around the World |
| Week 8 | Nov 15 (Wed),4:00-5:00 p.m. | Cultural/Social | Holiday Traditions and Celebrations: Thanksgiving |
Weekly Discussion Facilitators:
Elizabeth Dechasa is a Program Assistant at CIRCLE and a first-year graduate candidate in the Department of English studying Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. In between studying and working, she is learning Amharic and drinking lots of coffee. Elizabeth is from the Midwest and has three years of work experience in both an International Programs Office and a Writing Center.
Mellot Samuel is a Program Assistant at CIRCLE. She currently is a third-year undergraduate student majoring in International Studies, with a minor in African Studies. In addition to her major, she is currently studying two languages, Japanese and Swahili. Mellot was born and raised in Seattle, WA.
Ziyan Bai, Ph.D. is the Assistant Director of Graduate Programs at CIRCLE. She is dedicated to promoting the holistic success of students in higher education. She has over 9 years of professional experience leading professional development workshops for students from diverse cultural backgrounds. Ziyan received both her master’s and Ph.D. degrees in higher education leadership and policy studies from the UW.
Background of CIRCLE Fast Track Weekly Discussion Series:
In winter 2023, CIRCLE launched a weekly discussion series to better prepare international undergraduate and graduate students with knowledge and skills for a smoother transition to U.S. academic and social life. As international students coming from different cultural and educational backgrounds, your past experiences inform how you adjust to the U.S. and the University of Washington. Each quarter, CIRCLE Fast Track weekly discussion series highlight different topics each week that are the most relevant to student academic, social and cultural life.
Previous Quarter Schedule Overview
Spring 2023
| Week | Date/Time | Category | Topic |
| Week 2 | April 5 (Wed) | Cultural/Social | Holiday Traditions and Celebrations: Easter |
| Week 3 | April 12 (Wed) | Academic | The Art of Saying No |
| Week 4 | April 19 (Wed) | Cultural/Social | Discovering Parks in Seattle |
| Week 5 | April 26 (Wed) | Academic | Goal Setting and Planning |
| Week 6 | May 3 (Wed) | Cultural/Social | Exploring Coffee Culture |
| Week 7 | May 10 (Wed) | Academic | Fundamental Interviewing Techniques |
| Week 8 | May 17 (Wed) | Cultural/Social | Balancing Finances as a Student |
Winter 2023
| Week | Date/Time | Category |
Topic |
| Week 2 | 1/12 (Thu) | Academic | Making the Most of Office Hours |
| Week 3 | 1/19 (Thu) | Cultural/Social | Making Connections via Small Talk |
| Week 4 | 1/26 (Thu) | Academic | Successful Participation in Class |
| Week 5 | 2/2 (Thu) | Cultural/Social | Learning about U.S. Sports Culture |
| Week 6 | 2/9 (Thu) | Academic | Effective Email Communication |
| Week 7 | 2/16 (Thu) | Cultural/Social | Exploring Food in the U.S. |
| Week 8 | 2/23 (Thu) | Academic | Writing in the U.S. University |
