Come to the RoomMate Luau on May 2nd and Meet Your Potential RoomMate!!

Hey Commuters,
Hope all is well with everyone!

With the ongoing chilly weather out we have almost reached the end of yet another wonderful semester, Spring'14! Now I know we all are busy preparing for finals and finishing up  those last papers before we can 'LET IT GO" for the much awaited summer break.

But with all these, we are also beating our head about finding a housing for the next semester.And since fall semesters are busier than the spring, finding housing both on and off campus becomes a challenge.Worse of all some might have already found one but they just do not have anyone to share it with.

Well if that's the case then do not worry because the Off-Campus Student Services is bringing you The ROOMMATE LUAU this Friday May 2nd during  free hour.The event is going to take place at  Lower Flat Tuesdays.There is going to be FREE food, Hawaiian music, decorations and raffles with great prizes at the end of the event! Most importantly you will get to meet a lot new people who are also looking for roommates to share their apartment with.

So commuters don't  wait up! Come out to the ROOMMATE LUAU and meet your potential roommate!

Hope to see you all there!

-Safa Zahangir

How to Study for Finals!

1) Download the self-control app. This is probably the most important first step to take because there's no way you can get your best studying done if you have your Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr tabs still open!

2) Now would also be a good time to calculate your grades if you don't know where you stand in class.  This way you'll know exactly how much time you need to spend studying for each class, some may require a lot more attention and others may require very little.

3) Identify your study goals.  There's bound to be certain material in classes that are more important to review than others and you can set goals for how much you want to accomplish with certain material.

4) Create your study plan.  Most students prefer the format of an outline because it can be so concise.  This is where you put together all the studying material for your test.

5) Start studying in advance.  Finals week is upon us and now is the time to start preparing for the harder classes.

6) Go to office hours or form a study group.  Once you have gone over the material and still feel like there's some confusing aspects, utilize these resources.  Your professors and classmates can help fill you in on any missing pieces and the collaborative effort would benefit everyone.

Good luck studying!

Help Prevent Violence and Promote Healthy Relationships

The Relationship Violence Awareness and Prevention Program is now recruiting for relationship violence prevention advocates for the Fall 2014.  This program is funded by a generous grant from the Verizon Foundation.

Relationship Violence Prevention Advocates are faculty, staff and students who learn and work together to promote healthy relationships while educating themselves and others about relationship and domestic violence. 

Advocates attend a full day of training and 9 meetings throughout the Fall, 2014 semester.  Meetings include presentations and group discussions on topics related to preventing violence and promoting healthy relationships.

Applications for the Fall 2014 semester are being accepted between now and August 8.  

Have fun with life!

Want to have a summer full of fun events? Want to have a summer you will never forget? If you answered yes to any of these questions here are some steps to coming out of your comfort zone so when summer comes around you'll be fearless and have fun doing all the things you've always wanted to do but never had the guts to do! Follow these simple 5 steps and you'll be having an adventure in no time!

1. Have a dance off with a stranger in the middle of the sidewalk
2. Allow a friend to make plans for you giving them complete creative control
3. Make a public announcement about something you're passionate about
4. Go to a restaurant you've never been to and order something unusual off of the menu
5.Explore a city you're unfamiliar with by yourself

Goldfish, Paints, Rock Walls, OH MY!

Greetings all, 

Commuter Connections is over for the semester, but don't be sad because OCSS still has a few more events left. The biggest one we have that everyone loves is Commuter Carnival!

This year it will be held on May 7, 2014 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. in the Quad. Expect
to have fun and let your inner carney out!

Learn about everything OCSS has to offer along with everything else available to commuters.
Along with all of this information everything available will be free. SEB will be providing free snow cones, popcorn, and cotton candy.

If food isn't your thing there will be many other activities.

• Caricatures
• t-shirt tie-dye
• photo-booth
• face-painting
• balloon animals

This event will be on a Wednesday during free hour so there will be plenty of time to stop by and get your carney on!

Quadmania is here!

Quadmania starts this weekend. This event will give everyone at UMBC a chance to get together and have lots of fun at the different events. The full itinerary and details can be found at http://www.umbc.edu/studentlife/orgs/seb/quadmania/. Kicking off the event Friday night is a rave being held at the UC Ballroom at 9 P.M. There’s even more fun to be had Saturday! After a day of live music and different activities (including carnival games, bake sales, and performances) being presented by various student organizations, the night events start. Not only is the band A Great Big World playing, but there’ll be carnival rides, fireworks, and food trucks among the other attractions. Quadmania will finish with a concert from the artist Capital Cities at the RAC Sunday night at 8 P.M. This event is the culmination of a lot of work from the UMBC Student Events Board and should be a great way to have a blast as the semester begins to wind down before finals. 

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day everyone! Earth Day is a day where we celebrate the planet we live on. Also how to keep it clean and go green! But here are some fun facts about Earth Day that you may not even know!

1. Earth Day was founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson on April 22, 1970.

2. 20 million people participated in the first Earth Day.

3. Recycling saves 3 to 5 times the energy that waste incinerator power plants generate.

4. By reducing our waste 1% per year and recycling and composting 90% of our discards by 2030, we could save 406 megatons of carbon dioxide equivalent every year. This is the equivalent to shutting down 21% of our nation’s coal-fired power plants.

5. More than 76% of cardboard boxes and 72% of newspaper were recycled in 2006 but less than 50% of printing and writing paper was recycled.

Earth Day Event

Come support UMBC Recreation and the Departments of Environmental Affairs and Health and Wellness at Free Hour on Wednesday, April 23rd by participating in our 5K!!

By participating in the 5K, you will briefly learn about
recycling, composting, and sustainability here at UMBC, while receiving FREE
T-shirts or FREE sustainable water bottles!
Registration begins at 11 am at the True Grit
statue in front of the RAC. Race will begin promptly at 12:15 pm. 

To sign up,
All participants will be required to create an
account on imleagues.com.

To create an account:
1. Go to www.imleagues.com.
2. Click on the “Create Account” link in the upper
right corner.
3. Enter your information, and use your UMBC email
address (@umbc.edu)
4. You will be sent a temporary password to your
UMBC email account.
5. Log in to www.imleagues.com by clicking the link at the bottom of the email. You
will be prompted to change your password upon first login.
6. After changing your password, the UMBC school
link should pop up. Click “Join School”
7. You may now log in at imleagues.com and register
to participate in Intramural Events.

Once you have an account:
1. Log in with your account information and choose
University of Maryland, Baltimore County as your school.
2. Click University of Maryland, Baltimore County,
at the top of your screen.
3. Scroll down and find "5k Walk and Run"
under Spring 2014, and select Earth Day 5k.
4. Next, click "Register/Signup" and then
select "create team"
5. Accept and Sign the UMBC recreation agreement.
6. Fill out the Waiver Questions.
7. Add team logo (photo of Self) if wanted.
8. Complete form.
9. Click create team, and your registration will be
complete.

I scream, you scream...

We all scream for ice cream!!!

How many are you excited for SUMMER BREAK? I know that I am! With all these exams, papers, and projects, I am ready for a break!

However, before we go on break, the Transfer Student Network is hosting a Ice Cream Social on Wednesday, April 30, from 12:00-1:00pm in Lower Flat Tuesday's! 

Come and meet transfer students from last semester, as well as the current transfer students! Also, get some ice cream and relax with the Transfer Student Network!

Who DOESN'T want some free ice cream and socialization before finals?!

We can't wait to see you!

http://www.icecreamireland.com/images/Animals/Gatsbycone2.jpg

Transportation Solutions!

UMBC Transit and Parking is holding a Q&A in UC312 (12-1:30pm) TODAY!

A chance to get your questions answered and grab some FREE lunch. 

A panelist of campus community members actively involved in sustainable transportation initiatives and programs at UMBC will discuss their work. A Parking Services representative will be here to address students' parking concerns. 

A discussion will be held on the Cities on Speed: Mumbai Disconnected Documentary, sustainable transportation, and UMBC Transit and Parking.

You won't be able to make it today? Swing by Lower Flat Tuesdays this Friday 12-1pm for Commuter Connections "Start Spring off Green" event. Another chance to learn more about sustainability at home and in the UMBC Community. There will also be free food, fun activities, and creative crafts for you to partake in. We will have office reps there to answer any questions you may have and to point you into the right direction to get those questions answered. 

 

National Model United Nations 2014, New York!!

Hello there Commuters!
By this time I bet everyone is almost getting done with their midterms and some of us have even started preparing slowly for the upcoming finals in May!

Do not worry I am not here to enlighten you with tips for getting started for the finals or something of that sort.I just wanted to share something amazing that happened on the last week of March as a group of 31 talented individuals went on to represent UMBC at one of the most prestigious conferences, National Model United Nations 2014 that took place in New York.

The delegates of UMBC as they are referred as at the conference was representing Kingdom of Spain at this years conference.The conference went on for 5 long days from March 31st till April 4th and  I was honored to have been a part of every minute of  this occasion.

As the name suggests the conference is basically a model version of the United Nations and how different world issues are resolved with the participation of the different member states.The different member states works together to come up with a solution to each issue and they vote on it and if the majority is on board with it the resolution gets passed and it gets recognition as a new resolution of the United Nations.

We had the opportunity to talk to people from all over the world who came all the way to attend this conference representing a specific country of their own.The best thing is you get to meet so many people!

Take Back the Night!

 Tonight, the Women's Center is hosting a big event from 6:30-9:00! Come on out to support this event, as it deals with many important issues that affect everyone.  Here is the info:


"In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, join the Women's Center and UHS on Commons Main Street and let's take back the night!

Events and activities include:
Community Resource Fair (includes FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture, Hollaback Baltimore, Hope Works, and Turn Around)
The Clothesline Project
The Speak Out Forum
March Against Sexual Violence
Solidarity Performance (in the Commons Sports Zone) featuring an acoustic set from Last to Fire.

Stay tuned by liking the Women's Center at UMBC and Critical Social Justice on Facebook and following our Twitters:

https://twitter.com/womencenterumbc
https://twitter.com/critsocjustice

Also, #UMBCtbtn is the official hashtag, so follow us there, too!

Wanna learn more about what Take Back The Night is?

Visit www.takebackthenight.org for more information.

This event is co-sponsored by:
The Women's Center, UHS Health Education, and the President's Commission for Women

Check out Last to Fire: https://soundcloud.com/lasttofire

Please note the Women's Center will be closing at 6pm on April 15th to help staff TBTN!


* * * * * * * * * * *
The Women's Center acknowledges that this event takes place during Passover and we express our regrets to those in our UMBC Jewish community who wanted to attend TBTN but will not be able to this year. For anyone in our UMBC community that is a survivor of sexual assault and would like a space to share your story/experience and/or needs access to resources, please contact the Women’s Center."

The Indian Way

India in known for its rich culture, beautiful landscapes and economic infrastructure but what do you know about commuting in India? More specifically the daily commute in Mumbai. India is one of the top countries that is the most populated coming in second place only to China. How does a grand population affect commuting you may ask. Well come find out today at our documentary screening of Mumbai Disconnected! There will be free refreshments and popcorn. Come have fun and learn about how other parts of the world deal with commuting. The documentary is being showed three times today:  12PM-1:20PM, 3PM- 4:20PM, 5PM-6:20PM in The Commons SportsZone. Come join us!

Time to schedule for those classes

It's that time of year again, where the advising sessions begin and the process of selecting your next classes start too. I'm sure that everyone, I hope, is doing alright with their classes. I feel like this semester has been really rough for everyone, I would know because I'm feeling it too. Everyone has their own way of scheduling their classes. Whether it's take all your classes in the morning and rest in the afternoon or wait til the afternoon to take your classes and so forth. Some people would take a day off just to rest and relax.

I remember my entire freshmen year I had my classes in the afternoon and had Fridays off, it felt pretty nice to have a three day weekend and it gave me time to work on my homework. Now this year I have classes Monday to Friday in the mornings which isn't that bad, I kinda like enjoying the rest of the day relaxing or catching up on homework instead of thinking about classes.

Which is a good thing to seeing how I'll continue to have morning classes throughout the rest of my college career, which I suppose will be a good thing since I will be working in the mornings and the afternoons, so having a constant schedule is alright.

So what about you? Have you decided your classes and when to take them? Would you get them all out of the way and relax for the rest of the day or maybe enjoy the mornings to yourself and start tackling those classes later throughout the day. 

TSN: Follow-up Workshop Today!

Hey guys! 


We are having a follow-up workshop today! 


Time : 12pm to 1pm 

Where: Sondheim 202


Description of Workshop: 

This workshop will be about the services of the library and resources that are available for research.Lunch will be provided!




                           


I hope to see everyone today! 



Thanks,

Salma 

Thinking about your future?

Hi everyone! I hope you all are keep dry and warm out there on this chilly rainy day. Have you ever sat down and thought about your future and how to get to the place you see yourself in the future? If you answered yes to this than I think I might have the perfect advice for you. When I think about what I'm going to do with my life I always picture myself traveling and working for the World Health Organization, but how do I get there? Simple! Work experience, volunteering and internships. Some great things that UMBC offers is research work both on and off campus in the summer, winter and all years around! This is a wonderful opportunity to be apart of something big and not only help change the world but these research opportunities will also change you too. If you want to do some summer research next summer you have to research the programs you're applying to and send in your application early. Sooner is always better than later! It's easy to apply to programs, most programs want an unofficial transcript in PDF form, 2 letters of recommendation, and a research statement. Also ask for recommendations as early as possible. I would suggest that you send your teachers an email stating what specific program(s) you're applying to, attach your personal statement to the email and link the website to the programs you are applying to with more information about the program(s). Also if this is your first time applying to summer research I recommend that you apply to no less than 9 or 10 programs. I know this seems time consuming and it is but it will give you a better chance at getting accepted to a program. Good luck everyone! More information on summer undergraduate research can be found at http://my.umbc.edu/groups/undergradresearch/news. Join the Undergraduate Research group on my.UMBC!

This week on campus

Hi everyone! SEB is putting together a movie showing of Captain America: The Winter Soldier Midnight Premiere on Thursday, April 3, 2014 at 11 PM - Friday, April 4, 2014 at 3 AM.  It’s going to be off campus, so check on their website for more information.

Commuters!  The Career Week Committee has put an event together this Friday and Monday for students looking to build up their business attire.  The clothes are free of cost and yours to keep forever.  Stop by University Center room 312 on either Friday or Monday to pick up a suit, tie, skirt or blouse to make that good impression! You must be a UMBC student to participate! Also, come out this Saturday, April 5 on Erickson Field to join your peers in UMBC's second annual color run!  Don't worry, the course is only a mile but tons of fun and most importantly FREE! Wear a white shirt, and if you don't have one, shirts are available at the event. 

Things to look for on campus!

Hey guys,

With a little over a month left of school there are some things to look forward to besides finals.

Quadmania 2014: Saturday, April 26, 2014
 Elephant rides, carnival rides, food trucks, and fireworks! These are only a few things that will be available during the yearly event! Stop by the SEB group page on myUMBC to check out exactly who is playing and what other things to look forward too. http://my.umbc.edu/groups/seb/events/23572

Commuter Carnival: Wednesday, May 7, 2014
This year we will have our popular climbing wall, t-shirt tie-dye, caricaturists, photo-booth, face-painting, balloon animals, and many games and prizes! Guess what?! IT'S ALL FREE!!!

Save the dates and stop on by. De-stress from school and enjoy a day or two off from school while you're at school!

Be Productive This Summer!

As we move closer to the end of the semester, it becomes more important to begin looking for a way to be productive with the upcoming break. Finding a job or internship is one of the best things a student can do to prepare for the future. Either one can lead to money or experience. It can be daunting to find opportunities for a job or internship however. Fortunately, UMBC offers a great service with both the Shriver Center and their online tool UMBCworks. Both of these will aid in creating a resume and finding places that fit your needs. To begin using these tools, log in to your myUMBC account and go to Topics >>> Jobs and Internships and click on the UMBCworks link. Fill out all the information, draft a resume based on their examples, and schedule an appointment with the career center to meet with a knowledgeable counselor who will look over your resume before approving it so you can begin looking for an opportunity that matches your needs. Getting your resume approved should only take a day or two. Good luck and enjoy the time you have before break!