Welcome, Welcome Back, and Warm Advice

Taking a step in the correct direction, I would like to wish everyone a belated Happy New Year!!! Let us all follow (or in some cases, pretend to follow) our New Years Resolutions. Next, I’d like to welcome all UIC students back to school a.k.a. classes, coffee runs at Dukin’, horrible all nighters, and our friends. for all new UIC students, WELCOME TO UIC GO FLAMES!!!! Now that the second half of the school year has begun, I have learned enough from last semester to share. Some lessons I could have avoided, others I could have enjoyed, and still others had to come from the hard knocks of life. Nonetheless, I hope the lessons I learned can actually be used by my fellow UIC peers.

1) Go to Class- Last semester I skipped at least 12 classes from various disciplines for stupid reasons (i.e. didn’t feel like going, not prepared for class, had to eat breakfast first, felt like sleeping in etc.). Because of that “excellent behavior”, I fell behind in some courses and did horribly in others *cough, cough Chemistry*. Not only will you be missing information, but also some interesting stuff that may help you decide your major/ career in life! Trust me, I know it sucks getting up early or whatever the excuse is, but being a college stupid has pros and cons- get used to it.

2) Study for EVERYTHING- This piece of advice may sound repetitive, but just because you think you know a topic, does not mean you have mastered it. That extra study session can help you do well – not just slide by- in classes, help you make friends -study groups people-, and help you retain information for the next class in that subject. It’s a benefit to THOROUGHLY study (not skim) for test, quizzes, and exams.

3) Get to Know Professors- It may seem like your hardest class is even worse because your professor is from Uranus, but I promise you don’t even know the half of her/him. My English 160 professor was literally amazing!! I almost cried at our last meeting, but she might have thought I was weird. In retrospect, I was probably one of her worse students. I was often late (more than 20 minutes), missed a few assignments, and I am pretty sure I messed up the format of some of my papers, but she still loved me anyway ( I also did extremely well in the course ;D) It was like a weight off of my shoulder going to see her during office hours. During our one on one sessions, I actually saw a person and not just a woman teaching me how to be a better writer. Getting to know her was well worth it considering she helped me (almost) decide my major. That extra time out of class can always provide so much more help, academically and personally, that it seems wasteful to not see teachers out of class.

4) The Gym is FREE!!!!- After gaining some life lessons last semester, I also gained some Christmas Break Weight ( 7 pounds to be exact :O however, I am definitely not alone) It sucks, but I intend to use the gym on campus. Why would I pay to join a gym when it is already billed to my tuition? I can save money and time by working out at the Rec Center. . Plus, the UIC Rec Center has personal assessments for students and neighborhood folk. All students need is their I- Card and some motivation, we can do this!! Check out the resources available on campus this semester and have a great year!

#newyear#finallyschoolisback#learnnewthings#morefun,moresweat#dobetterthisyear