Category Archives: Campus Life

17 Things Students Who Graduate Early Will Understand

Apr 3, 2014 | Author: Colleen Bierstine

Photo by Kevin Waldron

College students know it’s hard enough to graduate on time, let alone early, but some of us are on a different path and kick things into high-gear so we can get our diplomas sooner. It isn’t easy, but we stick to the plan of attack come whatever may. And with a few heavier course loads and a lot of determination, we finish up a semester or two early feeling on top of the world.

Anyone who’s been there knows our lives are a little bit different than our fellow students on the normal 4-year timeline. There are certain things only we can understand, and for that, we share a special bond.

There is no such thing as an “easy” semester for you. You have a full or overloaded course load every time, even as a senior.
If you’re like me and only graduating one semester early instead of two, you wish you’d gotten yourself going sooner so you could graduate two semesters early.
Free time? What’s that?
Maintaining a decent GPA is twice as hard.
You’ve inevitably had those full days that start with 8am classes and end with a night class, at least once every semester.
People assume you’re really smart, but honestly, it was more about taking on extra workloads than anything else.
People get really confused when your age and your class don’t match up (You’re 20 but you’re a senior???).
You’ve come to accept the inevitability of all-nighters.
Your time here with your favorite professors and classmates is all the more precious since you’re leaving sooner.
People who say college goes by in the blink of an eye don’t know the half of it.
You’ve been forced at least once to cram some of the most labor-intensive classes for your major into the same semester.
You felt like a boss when you made it out of that semester alive, and with good grades too.
You have a special bond with your adviser who helped you make graduating early possible. Without them, you would’ve gone crazy trying to put your schedules together.
You’re a master at packing a whole day’s worth of meals into one lunch box since you often wind up spending entire days on campus.
You are the ultimate multi-tasker, and your time management skills are incomparable.
You learned to embrace planners and calendars to keep your plethora of deadlines straight.
You know graduating early isn’t for everyone, but for you, it was worth it.

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Whats the weekend looking like

Apr 3, 2014 | Author: Juwan Wilson

Sorry guys for these late blogs this week, football started up and the amount of homework was crazy this week but im back and today this blog is to talk about some of the major events that is happening this weekend that i know the campus has been buzzing about and cant wait for. First up the OMIGHTY OMICRON ALPHA CHAPTER of PHI BETA SIGMA Fraternity are hosting a Evening of Theatrical Expresssions. The event will be held at the Holiday Inn located at 1777 Burrstone rd New Hartford, NY 13413. Its dress to impress so please bring out your best outfits i know i will. Its Free for UC students and shuttles will be provided, also guests are allowed to come it will be 15 dollars at the door. This event again being hosted by your boys in blue on Sat April 5,2014. The next and last event that the campus has been talking about is the OM Awards coming live on April 4 2014 at Strebel Auditorium being hosted by none other than you know Open wait on it YES! Moments. Admission is 2 dollars and there will also be a specail proformence by the Hamiltons Speak Easy. Now In the famous words of the
Great BIG papa “if aint know now you know” whats going on This weekend on UC campus.

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Do you have summer plans? If not UC has got you covered.

Apr 2, 2014 | Author: LaShanna Saunders

Summer time is the time to relax and focusing on catching up with old friends and spending time with your love ones. However, after the first month of that, it can get dry and you need something to keep you occupied and active. Utica is here to help you out. Utica College offers a wide range of jobs, volunteer opportunities and programs to get involved in. Here are a list of things that may interest you, followed by links and descriptions, if it seems like something you like to do follow up with it by clicking on the links for more information.

Summer Institute Peer tutor/mentor

Paid Job

The peer tutor/mentors are essential to Utica College Summer Institute Program. They provide the pre-freshman with resources that will enhance their opportunity for academic success and facilitate their transition into Utica College. Peer tutor/mentors are expected to foster a sense of community among students in the residence halls, and work cooperatively with other staff members to provide social, recreational, and educational activities.

Link :

http://www.utica.edu/student/development/tutoring/ptcdescription.cfm

Ecological, Zoological, Conservation and behavioral Internships

If you have an interest in becoming a bio major, chemist, or even begin in the health studies field there is a wide range of internship opportunities that will help you to be hands on in these environments and learn if this is your true calling!!

Link:

http://www.utica.edu/academic/as/biology/internships/ecological.cfm

Mosse Love as always, L.

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Long Hair/Short Hair – Who Cares?

Mar 28, 2014 | Author: Colleen Bierstine

Being a young adult in college means trying to figure out who the heck you are, inside and out. You’re trying to find a personal style and nail down what makes you, you. Plus, you’re trying desperately to distance yourself from the frizzy-haired, braces-wearing awkward teen you were in high school. That means you’re experimenting with new choices, whether it be clothes, make-up, fitness, or hair.

When I wanted to cut my hair, someone very close to me vehemently urged me against it, telling me quite frankly how ugly and unfeminine I would look if I did. It had nothing to do with how the actual cut would look on me, but was merely because the person telling me this thought all females look bad with short hair.

Spoiler alert: I cut it anyway and received more compliments on my hair than I have in my entire life. I had a new found confidence and freedom, a sophisticated look that better suited my personality.

The initial skeptic still wasn’t happy, and I of course encountered others opposed to the look. They couldn’t believe I chopped off my “beautiful long hair,” and seemed personally offended by the choice, like how dare I make a decision about my appearance without their approval? The nerve I had to choose short hair when others would’ve killed for my long hair.

Here’s the deal with all the hair haters: it’s none of anyone’s business what I, or anyone else, decides to do with their hair. Short hair might not be your favorite thing, but that doesn’t mean somebody with a shorter cut is any less beautiful for choosing it. And maybe you wouldn’t want long hair that dangles all the way down to your butt, but some people do, and they like it that way.

There’s no need to judge someone on the street because they dyed their hair a hundred hues of pink, purple, and green. People are so quick to cry, “How unprofessional!” Or “What was he/she thinking?” I’ll tell you what they were thinking: this is something I want to do, and I’m going to do it for me. Their personality is not suddenly less mature or professional because their hair color changed. I mean, think about that for a second. Some people just love to experiment, and maybe those against it are just envious that they don’t have the guts to do so too.

On a similar note, if somebody wants to do absolutely nothing with their hair for their entire life, that’s totally cool too. There’s no law that says you have to constantly chop and color according to the latest trend.

We’re in 2014 now, and an ultra-short cut doesn’t have to be any less feminine than long locks on a chick; nor does flowing hair on a guy need to be less manly than a buzz cut. Sometimes, the other extreme fits your lifestyle better, and that’s what your choice should be about, not gender norms. I workout and sweat everyday, so short hair’s a breeze for me, plus it suits the shape of my face. Another girl might prefer long hair she can constantly style differently.

Guys, it’s hair. It grows, it changes, and mostly, it just hangs there. Do what you want with it, whatever makes you feel beautiful, and don’t let anyone else make you feel any less so.

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Quick Facts About Being an RA

Mar 28, 2014 | Author: Cody Plasterer

A picture from one of my events to the Syracuse Zoo

For the past two years I have been apart of a great leadership opportunity here at Utica College: being a Resident Assistant. During my first year I never contemplated the idea of becoming an RA, the idea of being in charge of two dozen people and creating events every month seemed like a lot of work to me. But during the Fall semester of my second year something amazing happened, the residence life department ran out of alternative RAs and a position opened up so they were scrambling to fill the position as quickly as possible. A few of the Area Coordinators met and through out names of student leaders on campus that could be a good fit for the position and my name came up. I received an email to come meet with the staff about the position. When I read the email, I did not know what to do. Did I really want to do this? I don’t really know all the duties of an RA so I guess I should at least go find out. So, I went to the interview. After the interview, I was hired and I do not regret that decision at all. I love being an RA. I get to meet so many individuals and create so many bonds with my residence on my floor and other people who live in the residence hall. Besides that, I get to see my residence grow and I get to be apart of the welcoming atmosphere of Utica College. I would suggest anyone to apply and become a student leader.

Now, I would like to take a moment to tell you some facts about being an RA:

1) Not every student is going to appreciate the things you do for them, and sometimes they will judge you unfairly.

As much as we would like to be appreciated and on friendly terms with each and every resident, that is an unrealistic vision. People in the halls may not like you. People in your own community may not like you. These views may have nothing to do with you personally, but the role you have as a student authority figure. Being a Resident Assistant puts you in a position to not be liked. Be fair, kind, and caring towards others, and you will find that the majority of residents will respect and care about you in return.

2) Do events that the residents want to do.

The only want to get your residence to come to your events is to do events that interest them. If your residence do not want to go to the museums but instead would rather go play laser tag, well, you better put in a proposal for laser tag. You will have a better turn out, and your residents will appreciate that you are doing things that they want to do. If you don’t know what your residence want to do, then ASK THEM. Take 20 minutes out of your day and go to each room on your floor and ask your residence what things they would like to do. Remind them that the events are free.

3) Be clever with your advertisements

It is very hard to get residence to go to educational events, so, put up flyers that are clever and make the residents think the event is about something else than it actually is. For example, if you are going to teach your residents about planting, put up a flyer that reads “Pot Party.” What do you think the residence will think the event is about? To get good turn outs you have to be creative!!

4) Make connections with your residences

The only way to make your residence respect you is to talk to them. It may not seem like they care, but talking to your residences once in a while allows them to feel comfortable with you and you will see that they will respect you more when you have to write them up for breaking the rules…

So even through the hours of training, piles of paperwork, numerous meetings, lock outs at 4 in the morning and the stress of busting underage parties in the residence halls; being an RA has been a great part of my college experience, this position has allowed me to grow as a student leader.

I hope you all liked my first blog. Please let me know what you think!

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Coming back from spring break? 5 Tips for getting back to normal

Mar 27, 2014 | Author: LaShanna Saunders

Coming back from spring break is always tough. You just had a week off of no school, exams, or any other obligations pertaining to work. Most of us either cry on our way back or some may be too busy trying to get assignments done. Here are 5 easy tips you can use to get back to normal after spring break. By normal I mean: stressing over exams, cramming, pulling all nighters and waking up for those 8:30 classes.

Tip 1: Go to bed earlier than usual.The day before your first day back ( which is usually a Sunday). Do not stay up and watch t.v and try to avoid leaving your assignments for that night. This will ensure that you rest for your first day back so even if its tough, you will be able to manage.

Tip 2: Eat a good breakfast your first day back. I am for one am not a breakfast person, however eating an healthy breakfast improves your chances of staying awake in class and decreases headaches throughout the day.

Tip 3: Organize yourself. After your first week back, you feel as though you have been ran over by a car, so you tend to sleep in that first weekend back. Find time to organize your self. Now that you have had all your classes, go through the syllabus for each class and write out ( or maybe even type up) a schedule for the remaining of the semester, that way you know what you are up against. This gives you the ability to plan things out so that you don’t get overwhelmed with due dates.

Tip 4: Group studying. Dont be afraid to ask for help, you are not the only person failing a class or having a hard time adjusting back to school. In the library you can request study rooms. Request a room and invite some friends or classmates to study. You guys can feed off of each others energy while still studying and it will help you feel more relaxed that your not alone in this situation.

Tip 5. Relax!!!! This is big one. Find some relaxing time for your self, go to a zumba class, (Which is offered at Utica) or even the gym. Find time for yourself because you will be stressed out especially at this time of the year. Even changing your room around can help you feel refresh and motivated.

I hope that these tips were helpful in adjusting back to normal after spring break . If you would like more advice or entry’s on stuff like this just leave a comment telling me what you would like to know more about.

Moose You Later, L.

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7 LETTER WORD

Mar 27, 2014 | Author: Juwan Wilson

Ok so i have a question for you. what 7 letter word is essential to a great college career ? … can’t get it ? or maybe you think you have it. well the answer is BALANCE. Balance is so important in college for multiple reasons. Balance does exactly what its meaning says and thats keep you up right so you don’t fall down. College can get really frustrating with all the amount of work that you have to do , if you play a sport the endless meetings and hours in the weight room and lastly we can’t forget down time i mean we live for the down time at college thats when all the magic happens , its the one time when we get to experience college life and all the cool things that come with being a college student. Now with all those things being said it can sometimes be hard to keep yourself leveled to make sure that you are taking care of everything that is needed and at the same time having funny. This is where most people find themselves in trouble when they go away for college. They lose their Balance and everything starts to crumble , their homework starts to become late or not done at all and partying starts to take over their lives. This is were having the ability and know how to balance all of the things that are on your plate comes in handy. On my next blog i will list some steps more like helpful tips that you can use to create a base foundation for your own balance so you can stay on track and still enjoy college life. Just always remember that theirs a time for everything but make sure that its the right time for it.

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UC changed me

Mar 24, 2014 | Author: Juwan Wilson

My freshmen year is coming to a close and has cliché as this may sound , utica college has changed me for the better. Although my stay has just begun this small but not so small place has taught me knowledge yes within the classroom but also knowledge outside of equations , writing skills and all the other occupational skills we hope to acquire when we enter college. This knowledge that was provided to me was about me. It seems crazy but Utica College provided me with knowledge about myself.
I know that sounds even crazier that a place especially a institution taught me about myself and none of the information that was taught has anything to do with books but UC did just that. It provided me with new friends that help provide me with something new. By new I mean poetry events , monologues , talent shows , forms , fraternities , sororities , walks for different causes and so many different things I really don’t have the time to speak about. Before I stepped foot on utica college campus I was all about football and only football. With these new influences on my life I’m now about football , poetry , owning my own fashion company , writing blogs and yes making sure that my grades are where they need to be. I’m thankful for this new thought process UC has given me. And I guess the saying is true “when you think you know everything about yourself you learn something else … It just takes the right time , people and place to revel it”

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A Little Known Treasure on Campus

Mar 11, 2014 | Author: Joseph Fryc

Over the 3 years I have been working in the Art Gallery on campus I’ve heard the same question at least 100 times from students, “We have an Art Gallery?” It’s even possible that you asked the same question as you began reading this post. Though sometimes overlooked, the gallery provides a unique opportunity for students to experience high quality art right on campus, and it’s free!

Generally, the gallery exhibits 2-3 shows a semester, each lasting about 1 or 2 months long. These exhibits range from local artists like those of the “Utica Camera Club” show, to more renowned artists like those exhibited this month in “The Landscape Revisited.” The common theme is the quality of the work that the gallery exhibits. Each show is produced, hung, and advertised by the student staff, under the leadership of the gallery director Carolynne Whitefeather.

In addition to the great exhibits, the gallery provides other services for the college community. The gallery is able to be reserved for meetings by students and staff with the gallery directors approval. Likewise, the gallery regularly shows films and documentaries, while also maintaining a quiet reserved space for students to come study or simply relax after a stressful day. The gallery also hosts 2-3 Art Fridays during each semester, which give students the opportunity to relax and hang out while learning how to make fine arts and crafts. These crafts range from holiday themed pieces to creative uses for household items, but all are easy and fun to create. Often, attendees will be entered into a giveaway to win prizes just for showing up.

The gallery is one of the largest employers of students on campus with 16 students currently on staff, each bringing their own skills and experiences to the production and presentation of the exhibit. It is not uncommon for the gallery employees to be responsible for conducting research on upcoming exhibits and projects, as well as pieces contained in the college’s extensive art collection. The gallery aims to send each student away with something they can use to market themselves to potential employers after they graduate from Utica College. The student employees are thoroughly taught information about the exhibits to provide the best experience for the visitor when they come to the gallery. I would challenge you, perhaps to the dismay of my co-workers, to come down and ask any employee about the artwork. I expect that you will walk away being impressed with the information and insight they can give you.

I personally encourage any student to stop down to the gallery whenever they can, and that’s not just because I work there. Having a knowledge of art work can really be a selling point when applying for jobs or impressing the higher-ups once you have the job. Also, who wouldn’t want to add a little culture to their lives. I can tell you from personal experience that being able to speak about art will make you seem all that more intelligent.

Want to know more?

You can connect to the Gallery Online at these links:

Website: http://www.utica.edu/academic/as/fine_arts/gallery/index.cfm

Email: ucexhibits@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Edith-Langley-Barrett-Fine-Arts-Gallery/241248979265223?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/UCBarrettArt

Instagram: http://instagram.com/ucbarrettart#

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How To Be Stress-Free.

Mar 11, 2014 | Author: MaryEllen Fitzgerald-Bord

Being stress-free may be an elusive goal for most people, but there are ways to decrease the amount of stress you feel on a daily basis, especially with midterms right around the corner.

Personally, I do not handle stress well. I know this, and live up to it. I do, however, try to reduce the amount of stress I feel on a daily basis. And here are some quick (and easy!) tips which I have learned, and have asked of others, for how to reduce how stressed you feel.

1. Exercise!

Photo: Yoga with Jeff today was a success! Thank you to everyone who came out to support. Keep a look out for the next class.

(A picture from the yoga class I attended that the Utica College Medical Society, and Alpha Epsilon Delta put on.)

I find yoga incredibly relaxing. (And if you’re like me, there is going to be another charity yoga class put on soon, which you can attend!) However, if “namaste” really isn’t your thing, you can run, walk, lift weights, go crazy with the insanity program, or do anything that gets you moving more than usual. Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy, happy people just don’t go crazy from stress.

2. Make Lists!

Write down what you have to do. I’m one of those people that writes down every. single. thing. I would forget something if I didn’t have it down on a post-it, or in a list. Also, you feel extra great when you get to cross something off your list. Being productive makes people feel happy. Happy=less stress.

3. Schedule Free Time!

Embedded image permalink

(A picture I tweeted last year from my personal planner)

This is a joke, I obviously don’t have to plan to be spontaneous. However, sometimes people forget. When you have so much to do, and so many classes requiring different things you sometimes get so caught up in doing all the work. Take a break. Breathe. Watch some tv. Go creep on facebook for a bit. Whatever you can do to take your mind off of the work for a while, just that small time off can help you de-stress.

4. Sleep!

(Brittany Thompson taking a nap in public.)

Take some time to sleep. (Write it in your schedule if you have to.) People get mean when they’re tired. Or people who are tired….are tired. When you’re tired you’re more susceptible to being irritable, being depressed, and increasing your stress levels. So, de-stress, take a nap.

5. Eat! (Regular Meals!)

(When you’re stressed you should vary your diet. Eat fruits and vegetables, carbohydrates, and be sure to get good sources of protein.)

When I’m working along I tend to forget to grab a meal, and when I’m hungry I just grab a quick bite by eating a granola bar, or an apple. When you’re stressed you should vary what you eat. Eat a wide variety of foods, make Michelle Obama happy and choose foods from each part of the pyramid.

So, may the force be with you this midterms (and extra stressful) season, you can do it.

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