{Questions?}

What do you know now that you wish you would have known at the start of the semester?

{Transition} Times: Career Cruising Workshops

Hello there! My name is Kimberly Schirm and I am an Academic Advisor in the Office of Academic Advising. I advise freshman Deciding students and Social and Behavioral Science majors. Over the next few months, I will be making appearances on this blog, where I will be writing about the transition to college and what can help make this process a smooth and positive adventure.

 

 

The Office of Academic Advising puts on a variety of events during the fall semester to aid you in your transition to UNI. One of the most fun and beneficial events, Career Cruising Workshop, is quickly approaching! In case you are wondering what Career Cruising is, don’t worry, you’re not alone!

 

 

Career Cruising is an assessment tool that matches up your interests to possible careers and majors. To complete the assessment, you must answer a variety of questions that range from “Do you enjoy working with children?” to “Do you like working outdoors?” Questions such as these enable the assessment tool to then provide an accurate list of possible careers that match up to your interests.

 

 

The workshop portion of the event is designated to help you better understand your Career Cruising results. There will be an Academic Advisor from our office available to assist you in looking through and understanding your results. It is a quick, easy and fun way to look more about you, majors and careers!

 

 

If you are interested in attending a Career Cruising Workshop, please read below to see the dates, times and locations of the workshops. Hope to see you there!

Career Cruising Workshops:

Location: ITTC Studio Lab

Dates: Monday, 9/24 at 3:00 PM

           Tuesday, 9/25 at 3:30 PM

           Wednesday, 9/26 at 12:00 PM
           Thursday, 9/27 at 4:00 PM

The {PAIR} World

 

The Peer Advisors in Residence (PAIR) are great resources for those students living in the residence halls. They are accessable, approachable and knowledgeable about the academic and social happenings at UNI. Every other week, a PAIR or two will be joining us with a video blog about information, facts or stories they think will benefit you.

 

To start off the series, enjoy this introduction video - The PAIR World!

{Test} Taking

 

Being a little anxious for a test is normal. Did you hear me? Normal. Give yourself a break- it is still early in the semester, these are probably your first round of exams and many of you are still figuring out the strategies for doing well in college. It’s ok if you are nervous. But what’s not ok is letting your anxiety overcome you and interfere with your success. There are steps you can take to make your test-taking experience manageable.

I’m going to state the obvious and first tell you that you need to be prepared for your test. This starts with having a good record of going to class, completing assigned readings and being engaged in class lectures and activities. Then once it comes time for your tests, studying becomes a review of the material you have already heard or seen rather than the first introduction of the material.

Next, make sure you know what will be covered. Discussing the test with your professor or referring to your syllabus for the chapters and topics that will be on the exam will offer you the framework for your studying and can help reduce uncertainty.

I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but you must avoid last minute cram sessions. Pulling an all-nighter before an exam will leave you fatigued and even more overwhelmed. Plan to study for your tests over the course of the week using flashcards, reading aloud, asking friends to quiz you or simply go over your notes.

Finally, and maybe a bit hokey, but practice positive thinking. It will do you no good to dwell over how hard you think the test will be, how you don’t understand anything the professor taught, or how your low test scores in the past have shot your confidence. Focus on getting yourself prepared for the test, understanding the expectations of the exam and being optimistic about the results and you will find yourself in a much more calm state.

And always, there are Academic Mentors in our office who are willing to help you with things like test anxiety, study strategies and skills, and understanding your learning style – all things that will benefit you and help you be a successful student. Be sure to connect with them early on in the semester before any troubles arise.

Good luck on those first round of tests!

 

{Questions?}

 

After a month of classes, what questions do you have that still need to be answered?

 



{Introducing} Caitlyn

Hey everyone! 

I’m Caitlyn and I work in the Office of Academic Advising!   I graduated from the University of Northern Iowa last spring and decided to come back to get my Master’s Degree in Student Affairs.  Just last year, I was in your shoes, facing the same situations you are now.  Actually, I am still trying to figure out how to juggle school, work, family, and friends!

My goal is to keep you all updated on what’s happening on campus, so you can just think of me as “the happenin’ girl”! There are so many activities and opportunities for you to get involved and meet new people, it’s probably overwhelming!  So if you have any questions at all, feel free to leave a comment or shoot us a message.  As always, we love hearing from you!

So… Want to know what’s going on this upcoming week?!  THE CAREER FAIR!

Here are the facts:

It’s Monday, September 17, 2012 from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. in the McLeod Center.

Over 150 employers will visit UNI recruiting students for career opportunities, internships, and continuing education.

Whether you are a freshman or senior, I’m telling you this is a GREAT opportunity to explore and network!  Start thinking about your future!

FUN FACT: There will be a photo booth at the fair this year, so any student who doesn't have a professional photo yet, will have an opportunity to have one taken!

If you have any questions about the Career Fair, leave a comment! If you want even MORE information as to why you should go, click the link below.

http://www.uni.edu/careerservices/events/careerfairstudent.html

Hope to see you there :) 

Introducing your {host}...

Hello there! As we start our fourth week of classes (can you believe it!), I want to step back from content driven posts and introduce myself. I'm your blog curator Advisor Alex and it is my goal to bring you resources, tips and ideas to create a successful (and fun!) university experience. I want this online space to be yours so feel free to ask questions, propose topics or engage in the information provided. As your host, I plan to bring friends, colleagues and experts to our space as guests, keep you in loop about university happenings, ask questions of about your experiences and provide you with a little inspiration along the way.

To get the most out of your blog-time, I suggets you follow the blog by entering your email in the right-sidebar or follow via Google Friend Connect. Instructions are here. Then your final step is to drop me a line or two! Comment on the bottom of a post, send me an email or just stop by the office! I truly want to provide you with content and ideas that work for you, so feedback is always appreciated.

Finally, go out and enjoy this amazing university. Get involved. Talk to people. Ask a million questions. Show up. Make mistakes. Make successes. Embrace change. Learn about others. Learn about yourself. And just plain have a good time.

                                                                                        It is nice to meet you!

To ease the stress of a busy week, tell us a funny story about

your first few weeks of school!

Getting {Involved}

• Gaining experience and skills in leadership,communication, problem solving, and time management. 

• Creating a stronger connection to campus, people and other resources.  

• Increasing your level of satisfaction with your college experience.

• Meeting people who share similar interests with you.

• Easing the transition from high school to college.

• Creating new friendships.

• Free Food! (Sometimes :-) 

If any of these statements interest you, consider getting involved on campus!

Student organizations are great opportunities to share your talent and passion with others!  In fact, there are over 300 options waiting for you to join at UNI.

To search for an organization click here. If you'd rather meet with someone face to face to learn more, visit the Student Organization Fair on September, 5th at Maucker Union from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

More questions?  Visit the Student Involvement Center at 111 in Maucker Union, or at 319-273-2683.

Do you know about the Procrastinators Club? We've heard they haven't met in YEARS!

Leave your comment below: What organizations are you interested in being a part of? 

We can't wait to hear from you!