September 2008 Archives
Hey,
So this is normally not something I would discuss here, but I think it's important. Politics... Kind of.
Most college freshmen are 18, and with the glorious age, comes a lot of responsibilities. Most importantly, voting! UML recognizes that a lot of students haven't had the chance to register or don't know how.
SO, for the next 2.5 weeks, we'll have voter registration tables on all three campuses where students can fill out a registration form and the school mails them in. (No you don't have to pay anything.. not even the cost for a postage stamp.) We'll be in the Southwick Dining Hall, McGauvran and Fox Hall Lobby at night.
As an ambassador, I was asked to sit at the desk and help out. We'll most likely be there almost all day so if you have any questions, we can answer you and help them out.
ALSO, We'll be encouraging people to get Absentee Ballots. A lot of the time, students who are registered can't get home to vote. This isn't a reason not to vote. If you get an absentee ballot and mail it in, your vote still counts.
College is where most people gain independence, but that independence doesn't mean anything if you don't take advantage of it and VOTE!
*steps off soapbox*
Thanks for reading,
Sam :)
Hey everyone,
I wrote the rest of this entry a few days ago, but our system was down so I couldn't post it... So here it is now.
Phew! Exams this week are over! In true Sam fashion, I got miserably sick right before my exam on Tuesday. I know! Just my luck! (If you've read previous entries, you'll see a pattern).
Getting sick at school is one of those almost unavoidable things that happens at the WORST times. Notice that I said almost... There are some ways to keep healthy at school.
1 - Take vitamins. Tell your Doctor or Nurse Practitioner that you're at school and your diet is changing and your exposed to all new kinds of germs. They can usually suggest something that will work best for you.
2 - Eat a fruit or vegetable at every meal. Whether it is the banana you put in your cereal or the apple you grab on the way out of dinner, get the nutrients you need!
3 - Drink lots of water. Stock up on the 24 packs when they go on sale at Market Basket or Wal-mart! (And if you don't want to carry a whole case up the stairs, leave them in the trunk of your car and carry up a few at a time, that's what I do)
Okay, so let's say you're starting to feel sick at school (it is inevitable, you will get sick at some point) no worries! What I do is when I feel a sniffle start to come on, I immediately ditch the soda's and get orange juice in the dining halls. Also, take that hour you have off to take a nap rather than sit on facebook or play Guitar Hero. Even a little nap can help you re-power yourself to get through the day. Another thing is to get to sleep early, pass on the trip to Mahoney's at 11, and get to bed! Sleeping is key!
Now let's say you're at the point of mere misery (say me, right now) still don't worry! First, head to Fox convenience and buy yourself some cough drops and cold medicine (courtesy of whoever pays for your meal plan) with points. It is great when you don't have to spend cash on medicine to nurse yourself back to health. At UML, we also have a great Health Services on campus. Call and make an appointment! It can't hurt. Maybe they can give you some tips on how to get better faster or anti-biotics (if it isn't just a plain cold).
Remember, your immune system isn't perfect. . . especially if it is your first year here, your body has to get used to everyone else's germs.
Well I'm going to take this time to re-coop and I'll see you all later.
Thanks for reading,
Sam :)
Phew! Exams this week are over! In true Sam fashion, I got miserably sick right before my exam on Tuesday. I know! Just my luck! (If you've read previous entries, you'll see a pattern).
Getting sick at school is one of those almost unavoidable things that happens at the WORST times. Notice that I said almost... There are some ways to keep healthy at school.
1 - Take vitamins. Tell your Doctor or Nurse Practitioner that you're at school and your diet is changing and your exposed to all new kinds of germs. They can usually suggest something that will work best for you.
2 - Eat a fruit or vegetable at every meal. Whether it is the banana you put in your cereal or the apple you grab on the way out of dinner, get the nutrients you need!
3 - Drink lots of water. Stock up on the 24 packs when they go on sale at Market Basket or Wal-mart! (And if you don't want to carry a whole case up the stairs, leave them in the trunk of your car and carry up a few at a time, that's what I do)
Okay, so let's say you're starting to feel sick at school (it is inevitable, you will get sick at some point) no worries! What I do is when I feel a sniffle start to come on, I immediately ditch the soda's and get orange juice in the dining halls. Also, take that hour you have off to take a nap rather than sit on facebook or play Guitar Hero. Even a little nap can help you re-power yourself to get through the day. Another thing is to get to sleep early, pass on the trip to Mahoney's at 11, and get to bed! Sleeping is key!
Now let's say you're at the point of mere misery (say me, right now) still don't worry! First, head to Fox convenience and buy yourself some cough drops and cold medicine (courtesy of whoever pays for your meal plan) with points. It is great when you don't have to spend cash on medicine to nurse yourself back to health. At UML, we also have a great Health Services on campus. Call and make an appointment! It can't hurt. Maybe they can give you some tips on how to get better faster or anti-biotics (if it isn't just a plain cold).
Remember, your immune system isn't perfect. . . especially if it is your first year here, your body has to get used to everyone else's germs.
Well I'm going to take this time to re-coop and I'll see you all later.
Thanks for reading,
Sam :)
Hey everyone,
So as the first semester starts to pick up, we're approaching the time where a lot of professors are administering first exams. This week I have my first spanish and research II exams. So here are some (very true) studying tips from yours truly.
Tip #1 - Shut off the AIM/cell phones. It can be very tempting to go hang out or grab a late night snack, but if you're unreachable, you can't be tempted.
Tip #2- Utilize the library. Not only will you be un-findable, but you'll have a great studying environment.
Tip #3- Don't leave it until the last minute!!! Start studying in bits and pieces a few days before will save you time and it'll be a lot easier to recall information.
Tip #4- Study groups aren't for everyone! If you aren't the type of person to gain anything from a study group, politely decline your classmates. As much as a study group might help them, it might hurt you.
Tip #5- Take Breaks! Not long enough breaks for you to lose all the information you just learned, but for every hour of studying, take five minutes and check your facebook, dance around the room, get in a quick round of mario kart.. whatever is fun for you. It'll motivate you immensely.
Then the usual tips, turn off music/televisions etc., don't stress... make flashcards...
Remember, college is a lot different than high school, and higher-level classes (300's, 400's) are different than first year levels, so pace yourself and be realistic about how much time it is going to take you feel comfortable with the material.
Well, I'm going to follow my own advice and start studying...
Thanks for reading,
Sam :)
Hey everyone,
So I'm kind of behind on entries, thanks to an unexpected update and a little thing I like to call Roommate Agreement Forms. I've been working on them with my residents this week and they're excellent.
Basically, we meet individually with each room in our hall/floor and we draw up the form to stop any roommate conflicts before they happen or solve them if they have happened. I haven't had any roommate issues brought to me yet, but we're being very proactive.
The roommate agreements cover a lot of subjects, some touchy and some general. These forms cover:
- cleanliness/cleaning the room (how often, and who does what)
- study times (when we'll study, how much noise is appropriate & study hours)
- use of your possessions (is it okay to borrow your roommates stuff?)
- phone usage & messages (for the free room phones)
- stereo, tv & computer (what shows we'll watch & borrowing dvds etc.)
- temperature of room (hot vs. cold, open window vs. closed window)
- time to hang out/socialize (nights vs. day, weekends vs. weekday)
- refrigerator/microwave use (shared vs. individual, sharing food)
- visitation & guests (weekends vs. weekdays, sleepovers & gender of sleepover guests)
- sleeping arrangements (nap time, quiet hours in the room)
- communication (how we deal with stress, conflict resolution)
- room for additional information (in case of any previous issues etc.)
Basically these forms are a god-send to RA's because we get to pull out the contract if a roommate issue arises and basically say "well you two agreed to this..." and then we sit down and change the form so it works with everyone again. It also helps two, three or four roommates see everyones needs on paper, and see a concrete compromise. It is especially great for first time room-sharers.
Well, I have my first real exam of the semester tomorrow, so goodnight ! :)
Thanks for reading,
Sam
Hey everyone!
How was your weekend? Mine was great! I was on duty Friday and I got to hang out with some friends on Saturday.
So weekends seem to be the time that this campus dies down greatly, and I often hear things like "There's nothing to do on weekends." My question for these people is WHAT SCHOOL ARE YOU AT? There is tons to do here on the weekends.
For example, this weekend Marc Broussard, a singer, performed in Lowell and UML students got a discounted rate ticket. There are also sporting events every weekend, and they're FREE and sometimes they even give away free stuff. The Rec Center also does programs like white water rafting and hiking that you can sign up for.
OH, and the Hockey Season is starting up soon, and the games are right at the Tsongas for free! The school even shuttles students over to all the games. They are lots of fun! (See back from my entries last year.)
Plus, just in the city of Lowell there is the Tsongas, a movie theaters, a bunch of theaters that have plays and musicals all year round. There is Downtown Lowell, which has a lot to offer too. My favorite is Mambo Grille (a restaurant) that has live bands a few times a month.
AND... Right outside Lowell, is a Chunky's Movie Theater & Restaurant and TWO malls.
With all the stuff I listed, and school work, I'm sure you can find SOMETHING to do on the weekends.
Thanks for reading,
Sam :)
PS: Lately some friends have been telling me they read my blog, so HI everyone! <3
Hey everyone!
How's the rain where you are? It was raining cats & dogs here today. Which is ironic, I got a fortune cookie at lunch and it said "Your days will be full of sunshine and happiness." Well about 20 minutes after, I was in class and I couldn't even hear my professor over the rain hitting the window.
So one of the coolest things about UML is the free stuff. We get to see bands for free, free bbqs, carnivals.. tons of stuff. Well we found out the end of last week that all UML students could get into the Spinners game for free! This wasn't just an ordinary Spinners game either, this was the first time the Lowell Spinners have ever been in the playoffs!
So last night, after my staff meeting, a bunch of us went to the Spinners game. It was really nerve wrenching, they were down 3-1 in the bottom of the eighth and fans were beginning to get antsy and head out. Well they must be awfully disappointed because not only did the Spinners catch up, they won the game in the 12th inning!
If you've never been to a Spinners game before, it's really fun. They play popular movie clips in between batters then they play these really cool (not gonna lie, kind of creepy) shadows dancing on the big screen.They also do popular dances like the Chicken Dance in between innings. It was great to see a lot of the college students in the stands cheering and dancing with all the younger kids in the stands.
Well I hope the first week back to normal don't wear you out too much!
Thanks for reading,
Sam :)
Hey everyone,
I don't know about you, but I love half weeks. I'm so glad this week was only a half a week of classes, because I'm already exhausted. It's really hard to get back into the swing of things after having the summer to relax and sleep in and not read 100+ pages of textbooks a night.
So this week I started my work with Ambassadors. My job is basically that I keep in touch with freshmen to make sure their school year is going great and to reach out to prospective students and tell them about UMass Lowell. This week I sat at our info table in Dugan and handed out maps to all of our new students (and some returners).
This week I've also walked a lot from campus to campus with some friends. The busses are always hectic the first week of school because of lost students, new drivers, detours... etc. So we've made it a daily thing to walk and save time and frustration. One thing to remember, which is just a safety suggestion for ANY city, always walk with friends. Not only is it safer, it also makes the walk seem faster because odds are you're talking and not paying attention to the distance.
So now onto classes!! (You know, the reason we're here.) I LOVE my classes. I have great professors and this semester truly seems like it is going to be awesome (regardless to how busy I am.) My favorite is definitely going to be either Childrens Literature or my Directed Study. What do you think your favorite is going to be?
Well tonight, Mike Birbiglia is coming to the school. (He's a comedian.) He's been on HBO and has done a lot of shows at colleges. It's a really good deal too! $8 for students and $20 for the general public. I think it's going to be the perfect end to this crazy-hectic-fun week.
Well, I'm going to get some work done, or just hang out (probably this one)... Thanks for reading!
Sam =)
Hello everyone!
WOW! What a summer full of fun!
Orientation was great! I met some awesome incoming freshmen, parents and transfers. It definitely was an amazing experience that I'm so glad to have taken part of. If you came through Orientation this year, you'll get to hear from me again because I'm going to be an Ambassador through Admissions and the Orientation Program.
The last two weeks of summer were filled with ResLife Training, which was great. I met a lot of new Resident Advisors (RA's) and caught up with some returning RA's and if any of you are living on campus, whether it be East Meadow Lanes, the Radisson or a Residence Hall, you're going to have a wicked awesome experience. The RA's this year are motivated and very excited to be here for you! I swear, every year the program just gets better and better. My building and staff are AMAZING too. I'm so grateful to be working with them.
Then after training was OPENING WEEKEND/WEEK! Move-In was so smooth this year. We got these huge boxes on wheels and it saved everyone time and energy. It made it a lot easier to move people in (especially in Fox). There were also so many events for the freshmen. There were a few BBQ's, movies on the lawn, a hypnotist, casino night, convocation ... and tons more I know I'm forgetting. Then there was also Bingo for everyone (tons of awesome prizes) and the Club Fair today.
I had a table at the Club Fair today for Active Minds. We gave away these little brain pencil toppers and a few different pamphlets on Stress and Sleep. We got a great response from both students and professors. If you missed the fair and want more information, you can e-mail the club at ActiveMinds@student.uml.edu.
Then tonight we're having BBQ on the roof of the parking garage. There's going to be tons of food, music and a lot of my friends that I haven't seen all summer. I can't wait to go. I think it's going to be like a block party type deal.
Well now that I've filled you in on my fun-filled summer and opening weekend, i'm going to nap. (did I mention nobody really sleeps opening weekend?)
Thanks for reading,
Sam :)
