Friday, August 30, 2013

What to do with the weekend

Welcome Week is coming to a close, but there's a few more events on campus you'll want to check out before it does...


Friday

Commuter Connection 
Kick-off
12:00 – 1:00 pm
The Commons Breezeway
Join the Commuter Assistants 
Team as they kick off the beginning of the Commuter Connection series with free food and 
lots of fun.

UMBC Men’s Soccer vs. 
Seattle
7:00pm
Retriever Soccer Park

Comedy Hypnosis: 
Russ Peak
9:00 - 10:30 pm
University Center, The Ballroom
Come and enjoy Russ Peak as 
he hypnotizes some of your 
fellow classmates-or perhaps 
you. This is a blast! Seating is 

limited so come early.


Saturday

Welcome Week 
Service Project
8:30 am - 2:00 pm
The Commons Loop (Between 
Physics and The Commons)
Join new and returning UMBC 
students for a fun and rewarding volunteering experience at 
a neighborhood non-profit. We 
will depart UMBC at 8:30am and 
travel by bus into Catonsville to 
The Samaritan Women Center 
where we will assist the staff 
and residents with gardening, 
landscaping, renovations, and 
painting. Wear closed toed 
shoes and come prepared to 
get dirty! Please bring your 
own reusable water bottle, we 
will provide all the tools needed 
and lunch too! Walk-ins are 
welcome, but space is limited 
please sign up at http://goo.
gl/L2HAAx (case sensitive) or 
mzachar1@umbc.edu. See you 
on Saturday morning!

Trip to Arundel Mills and 
Local Attractions
Go to www.umbc.edu/transit 
for departure and pick up 
times.
Want to do some shopping? 
Visit this huge mall that features 
more than 15 achor tenants and 
over 200 specialty stores, including Bed Bath and Beyond, H&M, 
American Eagle Outfitters, Dave 
& Busters, Best Buy, Skechers, 
Old Navy and more. UMBCTransit offers shuttles to and from 
Arundel Mills all year. Shuttles 
depart from Hilltop Circle and 
Commons Drive. Please bring 
your UMBC red ID.

Comedy Show featuring
Hal Sparks
9:00 pm 
University Center (UC), 
The Ballroom
Known for his hilariously quirky 
comments on VH1, hosting 
E!’s Talk Soup, and starring on 
the breakthrough Showtime 
series Queer as Folk, comedian 
Hal Sparks takes the stage as 
UMBC’s headlining comedy act 

to kick off the semester!


Sunday

Trip to Arundel Mills Mall and 
Local Attractions
Go to www.umbc.edu/transit 
for current departure and pick 
up times.
Want to do some shopping? 
Visit this huge mall that features 
more than 15 achor tenants and 
over 200 specialty stores, including Bed Bath and Beyond, H&M, 
American Eagle Outfitters, Dave 
& Busters, Best Buy, Skechers, 
Old Navy and more. UMBCTransit offers shuttles to and from 
Arundel Mills all year. Shuttles 
depart from Hilltop Circle and 
Commons Drive. Please bring 
your UMBC red ID.

UMBC Men’s Soccer vs. 
UNLV
7:00 pm
Retriever Soccer Park

UMBC Women’s Soccer vs. 
Drexel
4:00 pm
Retriever Soccer Park

BIG Breakfast & Bingo
7:00 pm
UC Ballroom
Think bingo is for your 
grandma? Think again! Join 
(seb) for this fun, high energy, 
high stakes version complete 
with a ton of breakfast food and 

awesome prizes. 

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Comfy couches are back in the lounge

The OCSS lounge (Commuter Lounge) has always provided students a place to rest, study, game, eat lunch, and just generally hang out. You may have noticed that our couches were missing for the first day of school, but as of this morning we are once again a comfy place to hang out in between classes.

Nathon Church enjoys new couches in the lounge


Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Welcome back!

Happy first day of classes UMBC! And the good new is, it's already Wednesday...

Here's a look at what's happening on campus today:

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Welcome Week at UMBC

Welcome Week activities are well underway at UMBC. For a list upcoming events, look through the Welcome Week book; a web copy can be found here. Some of today's events are featured below:


So You Want to Be a 
Healthcare Professional?
10:00 – 11:00 am
University Center, Third Floor
Are you interested in becoming 
a doctor, dentist, pharmacist, 
nurse, physical therapist or 
other health professional? Join 
us for this special workshop, 
conducted by two academic 
advisors with a combined 40 
years of health professions 
advising experience.

What is Your Green Dot?
10:30 - 11:30am
Commons 318
A green dot is simply your 
individual choice at any given 
moment to make our campus 
safer. This session will discuss 
the Green Dot program and 
how you can help to create a 
safer community at UMBC. The 
Green Dot slogan states: No one 
has to do everything, everyone 
has to do something. Come and 
learn what the “something” is 
that you can do. 

Tour of your College Towns
10:30 am OR 11:30 am
Bus departs from Commons 
Drive and Park Drive
Learn where to shop, eat, and 
play – all right in your new 
backyard. Hot spots you will hit 
include Patapsco Valley State 
Park, Double T Diner, Walmart, 
the Hollywood Theater, and 
local music and grocery stores. 
Seating is limited so sign up for 
one of the day’s hour long trips 
at The Commons Information 
Desk.

Fraternity and Sorority
Information Session 
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
The Commons, Sports Zone
The UMBC Greek community 
provides members the opportunity to develop leadership skills, 
scholarship and community 
commitment, while creating life-long connections and 
friends. Join current members 
of the UMBC Greek system as 
they share their stories and the 
benefits of “going Greek.”

Campus Jobs Fair
12:00 – 2:00 pm
University Center, Ballroom
Do you want to make some 
extra cash working on campus? 
If so, you’ll want to attend the 
Campus Jobs Fair where representatives will be present to take 
your applications and provide 
on-site interviews. Be sure to 
bring copies of your resume.

New Student Line Up for 
Convocation
3:00 pm
Albin O. Kuhn Library
Be part of a UMBC tradition and 
process into Convocation with 
your classmates. Please meet 
in front of the library to walk 
down the academic corridor 
and into the RAC together. If 
raining, feel free to go directly 
to the RAC.

Convocation
3:30 pm 
Retriever Activity Center 
(RAC)
Convocation marks the beginning of your UMBC career. Join 
students, faculty and staff as 
you are officially welcomed to 
UMBC by President Freeman 
Hrabowski, III, and others. Families are invited to attend.

Big Crazy Fun Night
8:00 - 11:00 pm
The Commons
True to its name, this event will 
be jam-packed with activities 
and people. This is the kick-off 
event of the semester and 
your last hurrah before classes 
begin. Don’t miss out on the 

food, games, music and prizes!

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Transit schedules available for fall 2013

UMBC offers members of the campus community access to six, free local bus shuttles. The six lines service the following areas: Arbutus / Irvington Line, Arundel / Light Rail Line, BWI MARC Line, Catonsville Line, Halethorpe / Satellite Line, Route 40 / Rolling Road Line; an additional shuttle called The Wave n Ride is available for transportation on campus, and circles the Loop approximately every 15 minutes.

Bus Schedules

The new transit schedules for fall 2013 are now available here on the Transit website.  These schedules are effective 8/26-12/19. Be aware of blackout dates around campus closures and national holidays.

For assistance in mapping your route to and around campus, contact our office between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday; a Commuter Assistant can help you to determine the best route.

Transit Tracker

Also available on the UMBC Transit website, the Transit Tracker maps the real time location of the shuttles.



Tuesday, July 16, 2013

How-to videos highlight campus services

"Where can I print my research paper?"

"Is there a place to heat up my lunch?"

"I forgot to stop by the post office, can I mail my rent check from campus?"

When commuting to campus, it can take time to discover all of the services the campus has to offer. So we're creating some How To videos, to show students where and how they can access frequently underutilized amenities. Check them out on our Facebook Page; we'll be adding more videos shortly, so check back in to see the latest. Are you interested in learning about a particular service? Let us know- we can help!

Monday, July 8, 2013

Off-campus Housing Fair

If you're in need of off-campus housing for the fall semester, there's still time to register for next week's off-campus housing bus tour. 

Can't make it to the tour? We're hosting an off-campus housing fair right in The Commons on August 13 from 11am-1pm. Read more about it on myUMBC, or call our office at 410.455.2770 if you have any specific questions. You can also see a list of apartment complexes along UMBC shuttle routes on the OCSS Website.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Off-Campus Bus Tours

It's not too late to find housing close to campus for the fall semester! OCSS and ResLife are sponsoring an off-campus housing bus tour of our local area.

The housing bus tour is an annual summer event for students in need of off-campus housing. On Wednesday, July 17, participants will meet on campus at 9:00 am and depart on a UMBC bus for a tour of local apartment complexes. The event concludes around 3:30 pm. Breakfast and lunch are provided, and the entire event is free of charge for students and their guests who register. 


To register for our July 17 bus tour, click here and complete the online form. Spaces are limited. Kindly note that completion of this form is not confirmation of your space. You will be contacted via email in June about your eligibility to attend. 


For more information...
Contact Jessica Sadler, Graduate Assistant for Off-Campus Student Services by email at, jsadler1@umbc.edu.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Commuter Retreat

OCSS is hosting two retreat days for incoming commuter students. On Saturday, August 24, First Year commuters can join us for a day-long experience on and off-campus. Here's the schedule:
First Year Commuter Retreat
9:00amCheck-In at the The Commons, Main Street Lounge
10:30am-4:00pmAbove & Beyond Low Ropes course OR
10:30am-4:00pmDowntown museum and collaborative project
5:00pmWrap-up activity at UMBC
5:30-7:30pmDinner at True Grit's Dining Hall (optional)

For more information or to register for this event, click here.


New Transfer Students can join in the fun on Sunday, August 25. This exciting retreat also offers on and off-campus experiences. See the schedule below:

                                   Welcome Day for Transferring Students                            
9:00amCheck-In at the The Commons, Skylight Room
10:00am-3:00pmMini-Retreat at The National Aquarium in Baltimore
3:30pm-5:00pmAcademic Success Session
5:00pm-5:45pmAcademic Advising for Transferring Students
5:45pm-7:00pmRetriever Cookout
7:00pm-10:00pmNight Out at Dave & Buster's

For more information or to register, click here.

Registration for both retreats ends August 16.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Orientation begins Wednesday

Transfer and New Student Orientation/ Course Selection days begin Wednesday at UMBC. Off-Campus Student Services will provide information at all sessions regarding: transportation, off-campus housing, ways to get connected, August Retreats, and more!
If you have not yet registered for an Orientation session, click here to sign up online.
Here's a timeline from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Orientation with some important dates to remember:
 
April-June 2013
 
Ongoing: Online Placement Testing. Students are required to take the online placement tests during their chosen one-week time slot. These tests are necessary for advisors to determine appropriate course placement during Orientation.
 
June-August 2013
 
June 13-28, July 2-12, 30-31, August 1-3, 24, 27: (select one date to attend) Orientation Course Selection Days.Your orientation confirmation will be sent to you following receipt of your online reservation request form.
 
August-September 2013
 
August 24-September 1: Welcome Week. A week-long series of social and educational events designed to help you meet other students and learn about opportunities available at UMBC, both inside and outside the classroom.  
*Prior to the  first day of classes, students must submit the Mandatory UMBC Health Form.
 
 
 
For more information regarding Orientation, email orientation@umbc.edu. Or as always, call our office at 410.455.2770 for more information regarding Commuter and Transfer Student programs.

Monday, June 3, 2013

Last call for June Bus Passes!

Hey, Commuters! Are you traveling to campus for your summer classes by MTA bus? We have discounted monthly passes on sale now for just $39. Hurry over to our office--sales end June 6!

 



Off-Campus Student Services is located on the first floor of the Commons, Suite 1A02. We are open from 8:30am-5:00pm Monday-Friday.