In the spring, students enroll in PLSC 491 (“The Senior Essay”; Intensive Majors enroll in PLSC 493: “The Senior Essay for Intensive Majors”), in which they continue working independently with their senior essay adviser as they further develop and complete their essay. We strongly recommend that, at the beginning of the term, students and faculty advisers agree to a regular schedule of meetings. Many students find it helpful to meet with their adviser every week at the start of the semester and perhaps every other week in the second half of the semester. We also recommend that, early on in the semester, students and faculty advisers identify deadlines when preliminary drafts will be due. For example, the first draft deadline could be approximately six weeks prior to the final essay deadline and the second could be around three weeks prior to the deadline.