YOU MADE IT…Well, Almost!

Hey you! Yes, you! You officially finished classes for the Fall 2014 semester! Congratulations, you made it through countless lectures, discussions, quizzes, midterms, etc.!

Whether you’re a first year, returning, or even graduating (SHOUT OUT to Hope Arbesman and Alison Pfannenstein), give yourself a giant pat on the back for making it to the homestretch of the semester at UMBC!

Even though this official end of classes can be exciting, it also means you have one last obstacle to conquer……. FINALS WEEK!

Finals week can be very stressful, but if you keep calm, focused, and study A LOT, you can overcome this one last hurdle. And if you need more motivation, just remember, Winter Break is waiting on the horizon right after final exams! J

Off Camus Student Services will still be working during these weeks to help students with any of their concerns. Other organizations are also promoting finals related resources such as in the University Health Services and the Counseling Center’s awesome Mind Spa!

Recently, I was inspired by the karaoke rendition of this Disney song done by my fellow coworkers, and now I think it’s a good theme to get through finals. So during finals week, be like this beloved protagonist and “Let’s get down to business!”

TSN is hiring!

Hi everyone I come with great news! Transfer Student Network (TSN) is hiring two new team leaders for this upcoming spring semester. What is a TSN Team Leader you ask? A TSN Team Leader is a person that advocates for transfer student success here at UMBC. As a TSN Team Leader you will come up with fun fresh ideas for new programs and see your ideas come to life. Every semester TSN does workshops with the transfer students of UMBC in mind. They do workshops anywhere from stress management to healthy living while on campus and so much more. As a TSN Team Leader you will get to know UMBC and it's students in a way that no one else does.  If you're looking for something that is fun and rewarding this is the way to start! Apply for the position today! (More information about the position and the application are on the link below) Good luck with finals everyone!

http://my.umbc.edu/groups/ocss/news/48439

De-stress for Finals!

Photo from: http://tropparfait.blogspot.com/2013/08/calm-down.html

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well. As you know the semester is ending and finals are coming up. You know what that means, everyone is stressed out!

So while trying to do those last minutes projects, papers (like me!!!), and studying for finals, don't forget to give yourself at least an hour to de-stress.

As that being said, here are some ideas to how to de-stress [:

1. Exercise!
Run, hop, jump, skip, or even have a mini dance party! Exercising or moving your body in general is a great way to relieve some stress! Also it gets the blood flowing to your brain!

2. Snack!
Snack on some brain food such as: almonds, cashews, walnuts, dark chocolate, apples, blueberries, or if you want a bigger meal, salmon!

3. Nap!
Did you know 60 minutes naps are the best for remembering facts, faces, and names? If you got an hour to spare take a nap! Or need a boost of energy in a short amount of time? Take a nap for at least 10-20 minutes.

4. Set a Schedule!
Planning to pull an all nighter? Deciding to procrastinate and study the night or hour before your final? No, don't do that. First that's a bad idea for your brain and your body. Second you need to sleep. So instead of going that route, set a schedule when to study and when to take a break. Your body will thank you later.

5. Treat yourself!
After studying so hard you'll end up feeling burnt out. Treat yourself to some good ol "you" time! Watch some youtube videos, play a games, or catch up on an episode on your favorite TV show! The possibilities are endless!!! (Just don't forget to get back into the groove of studying again)

So with that being said I hope you enjoyed your Fall semester and enjoyed reading my blogs! Good luck to you all with finals and do not stress out too much! We are almost done with this semester!
It was nice writing to yah and I will see you guys in the Spring!

Stay awesome pawsome!
-Angela [:

My last blog

Hi everyone! As always, I hope you have had a wonderful semester. I cannot believe that we are at the end of the semester already. It seems like only yesterday that we started the semester and now it is almost over.

Today, I am writing my last blog as an employee of Off-Campus Student Services, as well as a UMBC student. I am graduating December 18th and I will be continuing my education at Loyola University Maryland. I am super excited, yet anxious at the same time. However, I know that UMBC has prepared me for my future endeavors.

Although I am graduating, I want to give you some tips to succeed at UMBC:

1. Talk to your professors and actually attend their office hours.

Because I attended office hours, one of my papers went from a 85% to a 90% because I talked to my teacher and explained my ideas. She had said that the TA looked over the papers. When I visited her, she reread over my paper and I explained my point of view. She changed my grade because she understood where I was coming from. This would have been difficult if I had talked to her in the beginning or at the end of class. Thus, it is important to visit your professors' office hours. They have them for a reason and not enough students utilize these opportunities for success. Thus, I would suggest attending office hours and getting the help you may need.

2. Obtain an on-campus job or join extracurricular activities/clubs.

Working at OCSS was a wonderful opportunity to gain work experience, meet new people, and have fun. I have truly enjoyed working at OCSS and getting to meet new peers, friends, and connections. If I had not worked for OCSS, I feel like my time spent at UMBC would have been totally different. If you have the opportunity to do so, find on-campus job. Many departments are flexible with your school schedule and they understand your main priority is to attend school. It is also a wonderful way just to gain transferable skills that can help you in future employment. Additionally, joining clubs can help you gain new connections and meet people.

3. Lastly, have fun.

School is very important to me and I have worked extremely hard the past year and a half I have been at UMBC. I took both winter and summer classes, along with attending school full-time during the spring and fall semesters. Although we all want to succeed, it is important to take some time and relax or have fun. It is important not to stress out all the time. Take some time for yourself and do something fun. Personally, I feel that sometimes I had compromised having fun in order to succeed. There should be a balance between the two. So, at your time at UMBC, take some time to do something you enjoy. But always remember the reason why you are at UMBC. :)

I have truly enjoyed being apart of the UMBC community and I wish you all continued success now and in the future.

(Photo taken from Flickr C.C. 2.0 under username George)

Reflecting on my PACC Leader experience

This semester is coming to a close. This is my last blog for the semester, and so I thought it would be appropriate to reflect on my journey as a PACC Leader. A fairly new program,  PACC is a necessary program that connects community colleges to four year institutions.

This semester marks my second semester  serving as a PACC Leader, and I believe that my role has helped me to become a better team member, and leader. I was able to see the PACC program develop over the semester as it assisted prospective/current transfer students have a smooth transition. I had the opportunity to organize two events at Montgomery College that were designed to dispense information about the transfer process to prospective transfer students. In the process, I was able to incorporate the skills I acquired from  PACC event programing to organize a large campus event in my cultural organization on campus. I learned the importance of team works, and communication. I spoke to many student at Montgomery College, and connected them to the resources at Montgomery College and UMBC designed to assist them in their transition. I was able to reflect back on my own transfer experience, and actively take a role in making the transition easier for others, so that they do not have to face the same challenges that I had too when I transferred.  I would not change my experience thus far! I was also able to work with an amazing group of people to grow the program.


Thank you for reading my blog, and see you all next semester!


Did you know?

President Obama was also a transfer student.

(Photo taken from Flickr C.C. 2.0 under username Kirsten Jarnling)

Time of reflection

Every now and then you have to take time out of your busy schedule to reflect on the things you've done well so far and the things you need to improve on. Now that the semester is coming to an end this would probably be the best time to sit down and reflect on your accomplishments and short comings of the semester. Think about all the goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the semester. Have you accomplished them all? Have you accomplished at lease one of your goals? If you've accomplished them all that's great, but if you haven't accomplished many or any at all that's ok too. It's not about spreading yourself thin trying to accomplish unrealistic goals, it's about making the effort to better yourself overall. Take the time you need to self reflect and think about what you did and what you could do better for the next semester to come. This would also be a great head start in thinking about your new year's resolution and come up with a game plan to achieve your resolution. Now that things are coming to an end, think about all the lessons you have learned along the way and all the things you want to do in your life. Come up with the most doable way to achieve all the goals you want to achieve in your life and think about how you're going to get there. I hope you all had a nice relaxing Thanksgiving break. Good luck with the rest of the semester! 

Best- Chloe

(Photo taken from Flickr C.C. 2.0 under username Tommy Ga-Ken Wa)