Seventh annual Summer Edge Program will provide new students with skills, confidence

Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q), a Qatar Foundation partner university, will hold the seventh annual Summer Edge Program for newly admitted students this summer. The program was created in 2016 to help prepare the incoming class for the rigor of academics at CMU-Q. Over the years, the program has evolved to better engage students and to provide them with the knowledge and skills to tackle their first weeks at CMU-Q with confidence. 

Mariamma Thomas is the director of the CMU-Q Academic Resource Center, and one of the creators and organizers of the program. 

“For us, Summer Edge Program is a yearlong discussion,” said Thomas. “Throughout the year we are crafting  and customizing the program. We follow up with faculty members and students and we learn where they need support, so each class of new students will have a meaningful experience.” 

Mariamma Thomas speaking at the first Summer Edge Program in 2016.

Boushra Bendou is a first-year computer science student who participated in the Summer Edge Program 2021. 

“I was very nervous about starting at CMU-Q, but I feel like the Summer Edge Program was a helpful transition,” Bendou said. “I feel like everyone should do it because you learn what it is like to be in university—without the pressure of keeping your grades up.”

Adapting the program

The Summer Edge Program provides preparatory courses in math and English, as well as major-specific courses. The program emphasizes working collaboratively, which is an important element of the Carnegie Mellon curriculum. 

Ha Le is a first-year business administration student who feels the program was a good introduction to her coursework.

“We did a business project, and it was really helpful because we had the chance to work in teams and learn how to approach projects,” said Le.

In its first few years, Summer Edge Program was offered in-person at the CMU-Q campus. Although all new students were invited to attend, participation was limited; Qatar residents often travel during the summer and international students do not typically arrive until the week before classes begin. For Summer Edge Program 2020, the program shifted to online mode, effectively opening it up to all first-year students. 

“We saw a huge jump in attendance,” said Thomas, noting that participation online in both 2020 and 2021 was four times that of the in-person version. “The remote version is here to stay. Not only are more students participating, but they are very engaged with the program. They are excited to meet one another and to see what they will be studying.”

Pía Gómez-Laich is an assistant teaching professor of English at CMU-Q. At Summer Edge Program 2021, she taught a new course in writing to prepare students for the required introductory course.  

“I loved the experience,” she said. “It was interesting because I had more than 80 students online, which is a lot, but I actually think that’s the strength of the program. The students were very engaged and eager to participate, and it was a great way for me to meet students before the semester started.” 

Pía Gómez-Laich is an assistant teaching professor of English at CMU-Q.

Providing the skills for success

As the director of the Academic Resource Center, Thomas can see the difference in students who have participated in Summer Edge Program. 

“They come to campus and they are more confident and less nervous. We also find that the students have greater perseverance with difficult courses.”

In addition to coursework, the program also emphasizes the skills and resources of studying. Students learn strategies for time and stress management, as well as how to access resources to support learning. 

Adithya Jaganathan is a first-year computer science student who feels that the program set him up for success from the beginning.

“Attending the program helped me to not feel overwhelmed when the semester started. I settled into a comfortable day-to-day rhythm much sooner than I would have without it.”

The Academic Resource Center has always held information sessions on study skills, but introducing the concepts early seems to make a difference. 

“We have found over the years that students benefit from the program in important ways,” says Thomas. “It is an opportunity to make mistakes and learn. When they start the semester, they already have a sense of the expectations, and how to tackle assignments.”

Summer Edge Program 2022 will start on June 19 and run for three weeks.