WHAT IS SWELL & WHO IS IT FOR?
SWELL stands for Students Who Engage, Learn & Lead, and is a student engagement initiative designed for first year CSE students. The program started in 2019, and its goal is to engage students with the CSE Department and UC San Diego community to foster student involvement during the first academic year and beyond. SWELL is dedicated to helping first year CSE students navigate all of the resources that UCSD has to offer, as well as creating opportunities for students to build new connections with their peers.
The program is open, by application, to all first year CSE freshmen and CSE transfer students. It runs the duration of your first year at UCSD, throughout Fall, Winter and Spring quarters, in a cohort format. All students who complete the SWELL program will earn validation on their Co-Curricular Record for their participation in SWELL: a great way to highlight your involvement!
The main components of the program include event attendance, quarterly workshops on leadership and well-being, and networking opportunities for first-year CSE students. To complete the SWELL program, participants are expected to attend a mandatory SWELL cohort workshop and complete a networking opportunity or reflection assignment each quarter. Students are also expected to attend a total of 6 pre-approved UC San Diego involvement opportunities, workshops, or events during their time in the SWELL program.
SWELL participants will also have access to optional social events for informal networking with their peers and the SWELL Guides, a team of three CSE majors who participated in the SWELL program during their first year at UC San Diego.
Through SWELL, you will be introduced to a wide variety of campus resources that will help you take advantage of all that UC San Diego has to offer, all the while building friendships and connections with your peers!
WHY SHOULD I GET INVOLVED?
Did you know that studies have found student involvement in co-curricular experiences is positively related to academic performance, well-being, and leadership? (Center for the Study of Student Life, 2020). Getting involved and engaging in opportunities that you enjoy empowers you to make the most of your college experience. So if you want to get involved but don’t know where to start, SWELL is here to help!
One of the great things about attending UC San Diego is that there are so many resources available to help students throughout their educational journey. However, we know that going to a new campus, especially one as large as UCSD, can be a bit overwhelming to navigate, especially in your first year. SWELL is designed to help mitigate that issue, and allow you to kickstart your UCSD career on the right foot!
You will have a chance to connect with other first year students in your major, receive mentorship from our SWELL Guides, learn where to find events and opportunities on campus, and have exclusive access to special events hosted by the CSE Department.
YOU SOLD ME, HOW SHOULD I APPLY?
The SWELL application for the 2022 - 2023 academic year will be opened with the release of our new student orientation on Canvas. The application link will be listed in the SWELL module, in addition to being sent out to new students via UCSD email.
All applicants will be notified of their SWELL status by the end of Week 3 in the Fall 2022 quarter. Please email csestudent@eng.ucsd.edu with any questions, and thank you for your interest in SWELL!
Updated 8.30.2022