Big / Little Info Guide — Bigs Edition

written by ACM [Annalice Ni]

Welcome back to the Allen School! We’re so excited to kick off the ACM Big / Little program for the third year, and we’re happy that you’re joining us in this program! Every year, we try to make the Allen School feel like home to the new admits through programs like Big / Little and hosting new admit events, and this year is no different. However, the virtual school format is definitely going to affect all of us, and probably the new admits most of all, so we’re working extra hard to welcome these new members of our community. Your role as a Big is invaluable, and we wanted to give some tips on how to make the most of your experience as a Big!

What is your role?

You’re a mentor and friend for new Allen School admits, and a guide for anything from which classes are must-takes, how to apply for an internship, or the best boba place on the Ave! There’s responsibility in helping your Little(s) feel as supported as possible in the Allen School, but don’t feel overwhelmed — your Little should be a new friend that you can feel comfortable giving advice to. Every Big / Little relationship is different, and you can clarify initially with each Little whether they want more of a mentorship or a friendship type of relationship (or both!). Most Littles will likely want a mix of both, but you can adjust the types of things you talk about depending on what you both find most helpful.

Communication

The amount of communication you have with your Little(s) depends on what both of your expectations are. ACM tries to match Bigs and Littles by the hours of monthly commitment as much as possible, but this is also something you should clarify earlier on.

You can decide how often you want to video call (or other forms of meeting up) with your Little(s) when you first meet them. Our recommendation is at least calling twice a month just to keep updated with what’s going on in each others’ lives. For these meetings, video calls or socially distanced meetups are usually preferred to messaging so that you can get some quality face-to-face interaction. Messaging is great for chatting any time in between as well, so you can figure out what you’re comfortable with!

If you have more than one Little, you can try making a group chat with all of them to see if that makes interaction easier for everyone. Depending on the person, it might be more effective to chat with each Little individually because it develops a more personal connection, but this is another detail you can ask when initially meeting your Little(s). Some Littles may prefer talking one-on-one and some may not mind either way, so make sure to see what works best for everyone earlier on!

You can also hang out with other Bigs and Littles in a group and meet more people this way. If you have a friend who is also a Big, this is a great way to introduce your Little(s) to more people and it alleviates how much you need to facilitate conversation during a gathering. You’re also able to do more large-group activities this way — games like Among Us or skribble.io are usually more fun with more people!

Getting to know your Little(s)

We get questions from Bigs every year about what to talk to your Little(s) about and how to get to know them. The most important thing is to treat this relationship like any other friendship and get to know your Little(s) naturally. You may not become best friends in an hour, but just keeping open and regular communication is the key to a meaningful relationship for both people. That being said, here are a few topics / questions to ask if you’re not sure what to talk about:

Academic:

• What classes (CS and non-CS) are you taking?
• How do you like your classes so far?
• Are you considering a double major, minor, or any other UW programs?
• What classes would you recommend to your Little?
• What extracurricular activities are you involved in?
• Are you a member of any RSOs or thinking of joining any?
• Are there classes that you’ve taken that your Little(s) want to know more about?

Career:

• How has recruiting season been going?
• What do you want to do after getting a degree?
• Do you have a dream role or dream company?
• Do you have questions about internships or the recruiting process?

General:

• What did you do during quarantine?
• Favorite show / book / movie / game?
• Favorite food?
• Favorite place to work on campus?
• Where are you from (hometown)?
• Are you living around campus or farther away?
• Are there any places on the Ave you’ve really liked?
• Best boba/coffee on the Ave?
• Cool places to visit around Seattle?

Activities to try with your Little(s) during a virtual quarter

Attend ACM events — especially Big/Little events!

• We’ll be hosting social events like game nights, debate offs, virtual escape rooms, virtual Fall Fest, and more, so keep on the lookout for these announcements!

Online board games! These are super easy to learn and mostly free to play, so it’s a fun option to try as you get to know your Little(s). Here are a few popular ones:

• Skribbl.io
• Codenames
• Drawphone
• Mad Libs
• Secret Hitler
• Battleship
• Collaborative crosswords
• Jackbox Games ($25 on Steam for each party pack with 5 games)
• Tabletop simulator ($20 on Steam, lets you play basically any board game)

Multiplayer video games — a bit more commitment than the online board games, but also a great collaborative option!

• Among us (Free on mobile app stores, $5 on Steam)
• League of Legends (Free)
• Super Smash Bros (Nintendo Switch with Online Play)
• Animal Crossing (Nintendo Switch with Online Play)

Watch a movie/show together

• https://potato.land/ — lets you steam Youtube and other videos together
• Or the old fashioned way of video calling while simultaneously starting a video always works as well :)

Start a book club

• Pick a book to read every month and talk about it during your meetings

Final notes

Remember to have fun as you get to know your Little(s)! We hope that these relationships will be ones that you want to keep into the future, and that you won’t see it as a commitment as much as something that makes you excited about being at the Allen School! If you’re ever at a loss for what to do or talk about, or have more serious issues in your relationship with your Little(s), be sure to reach out to ACM — we’re here to support you!

We hope this pamphlet gives you a better understanding of how to best support your Little(s) and make the most of your time as a Big! We’re so excited that you’re joining us in this program, and we hope you have a wonderful experience with your Little(s)!

As always, feel free to reach out to ACM at acm-officers@cs.washington.edu with any questions / concerns that you may have!