Zeemee: A new way to make connections and find your people

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A New Way to Make Connections & Find Your People

Meeting other students attending UMass Lowell just became MUCH easier. During my time applying to UMass Lowell, there wasn’t a convenient way to reach out to fellow students and build relationships until I was on campus. That’s why UMass Lowell is making my experience a thing of the past and partnering with ZeeMee!

What is ZeeMee?

To put it simply, ZeeMee is a social media app dedicated to helping prospective students build relationships with peers before setting foot on campus. However, there is so much more to this app that makes it an invaluable tool for aspiring college students.

After downloading the ZeeMee app, make sure to join the University of Massachusetts Lowell community in the “Chats” tab. In our community, you will find a lot of cool features:

  • General Chat: This section is limited to prospective students and it is just a big group chat where you can talk about anything from college to current events. Whatever you want to talk about, this is the place for it!
  • Ask a Current Student: This is the section where you can ask a current student (which happens to be me!) whatever questions you have about college life. I’m happy to answer just about any question, so don’t be shy!
  • Find a Roommate: Make sure to take the quick ZeeMee roommate matching quiz that will determine how compatible your living habits are with other students that have also taken the quiz. You can talk with people that have a similar lifestyle as you and determine if you would like to be roommates.
  • Ask a Counselor: If you have any questions for an admissions counselor, drop them in this section and they will get back to you ASAP.
  • Class of ____: There are group chats dedicated to each class, so if you would like to just talk to students in your year, this is the place!

Before you get to meeting new people, make sure to create your own profile! You can upload a profile picture, type up a quick bio about yourself, add up to 20 of your interests, your hometown, your major, and your social media handles. There is also the option to answer “Fun Fact” type questions and post photos or videos to your feed.

UMass Lowell partnering with ZeeMee will really benefit future students. Meeting new people and finding a roommate can be tough, but the UMass Lowell community on ZeeMee is going to make meeting other future River Hawks as easy as ever!

Hi, I’m Kevin! UML’s Enrollment Marketing Intern

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kevin enrollment marketing intern

During my move-in day at UMass Lowell, I couldn’t imagine that I’d be writing blog posts offering prospective students my experiences just a few weeks later. However, that’s just the opportunity UMass Lowell was able to offer me in less than a month living on campus!

Hey, my name is Kevin, and as an Enrollment Marketing Intern this year at UMass Lowell, I will be periodically posting about some of the cool things going on at UML. Here is a quick Q & A about me and my life at UMass Lowell so far!

Where are you from?

Uxbridge, Mass.

What year are you at UML?

I’m a sophomore, but this is my first year on campus.

What’s your major?

Business administration with a double concentration in finance and marketing.

Where do you live on campus?

Fox Hall Floor 11. Once I saw the dining hall was on floor 3, it was an easy decision 🙂

What’s your favorite thing about being on campus so far?

I’ve really enjoyed building relationships with so many new people. Whether it’s my roommate, neighbors, professors or random people I run into all over campus, everyone is so open and welcoming.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I really enjoy playing/watching sports, particularly baseball.

How would you describe your time at UML in one word?

Epic.

Now’s the perfect time to visit campus

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now's the perfect time to visit campus!

We could tell you all about class sizes, dorms and the activities available to our students in an email, but it wouldn’t be the same as seeing these things in-person for yourself.

So, let’s take this offline.

Our admissions team is available and eager to connect with you and your family to help you imagine yourself here. This summer, you can visit campus in-person most days of the week (even on Saturdays!). 

We can’t wait to see you!

*Anyone who visits campus must review the Massachusetts Travel Order and register as a UMass Lowell visitor.

Check this out: Virtual tour, but make it personal

How the pandemic gave us hands-on learning opportunities

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Pre-pandemic, Chemistry professor Matthew Gage’s day-to-day life focused on teaching chemistry and running student labs focused on course material. His research was primarily dedicated to bacteria, proteins and fungi, not viruses. That all changed in 2020.

Professor Gage’s expertise in laboratory sciences made him the perfect person to head up an on-site COVID-19 testing and surveillance laboratory. Since last fall, he has been working alongside a handful of students to ensure the campus infection rate is monitored and controlled. Their work is one of the main reasons why UMass Lowell’s positivity rate continues to be low.

The best part? The students in the lab are getting a truly enhanced and critical hands-on-learning experience. By turning the unexpected into an opportunity, they embody what it means to be a River Hawk. And you can, too. We’re here to give you the tools and support you need to tackle the unexpected. We’ll guide you every step of the way as you make strides to a brighter future beyond this pandemic.

Check this out: 275 clubs and counting: Here’s where you can find them

What does the switch to rolling admissions mean for you?

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It’s been a challenging year, and you shouldn’t be penalized for needing more time to think about your next steps. That’s why, for students applying for fall 2021, we’ve shifted to rolling admissions for all of our majors (except nursing). With everything going on in the world, we want you to know it’s ok if you need a little more time.

To help you better understand what this means for you, I sat down with Ed Seero, my colleague from Admissions, to lay out all the things the Office of Admissions wanted you to know.

Q: Why did UMass Lowell make this shift to rolling admissions?

Continue reading →

A month of virtual events just for you: Destination UML

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There’s so much we want to share with you to help you discover UMass Lowell—too much for one blog post. That’s why from March 22 – April 23, the academic colleges and campus life departments are coming together to give you a glimpse at life at UMass Lowell.

What is Destination UML?

Destination UML is a monthlong discovery event that’s the perfect way to explore what life will be like for you as a UMass Lowell student. We’re filling the calendar with virtual events, sessions, clubs, labs and more. You’ll be able to join in and choose what you discover.

Take a sneak peek at Destination UML

Here’s a quick look at some of the things we’re offering. The calendar is packed—and more offerings are continually being added.

You’ll have the opportunity to:

  • Participate in club sessions
  • Attend seminars with current students
  • Explore career opportunities and what you can do with your degree
  • Meet current students in your academic college and major
  • Sit in on lab demonstrations and clinical simulations
  • Explore your major and academic college
  • Join a campus recreation fitness class
  • Attend series that will help you transition to college and set you up for success

Take some time to explore your options for yourself. We can’t wait to see you there!

Check this out: Are you ready for college?

Are you ready for college?

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Ever since the world at large began social distancing and locking down, we’ve been working hard to understand how the pandemic impacted your high school experience. And we realized something.

We’re hearing that many high school students, like you, feel less prepared for college because of their remote and hybrid learning situations. And it’s no wonder—it’s been a tumultuous year. This is no one’s fault—not yours, not your teachers’ and not your counselors’. Missing out on in-person interactions in classrooms, hallways and during breaks is challenging. We know you and your teachers are working hard.

We hear your concerns, and we want you to know that our faculty and staff are working hard to find ways to support you and help bridge the gaps in your education.

It’s not just on you to catch yourself up. It’s on us, too. We’re acknowledging that there may be gaps in your education because of the pandemic. We are committed to making sure that you and your fellow students feel supported and able to understand your UMass Lowell coursework fully once you enroll.  The state of the world is beyond your control—we know this and it’s not your fault if you are a little behind academically.  We will help you get caught up.

We’ll say it again for the people in the back: It’s not your responsibility to cram hundreds of hours’ worth of studying and worry about this unnecessarily. It’s on the UMass Lowell admins, faculty and staff to create environments and supports that help you bridge these gaps.

How we’ll support you

Pandemic or not, our faculty and academic support staff are here for you from day one through graduation day. Here are some ways we’ll help you once you’re enrolled at the university:

  • The Launch! Summer Program lets students ease into college courses and build confidence in the classroom
  • The Centers for Learning, Advising and Student Success offers academic advising and tutoring for students worried about falling behind
  • All students are assigned a faculty and professional advisor—you’ll find support in your academics and your future aspirations

As always, we’re here to guide you on the next stage of your education. Have questions? We’re a quick email away.

Check this out: Let’s talk about test scores

How we’re dealing with stress in 2020 (with helpful tips)

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dealing with stress in 2020 helpful tips

We know that application season is a stressful time of year for students, and that’s before we take the pandemic into account. If you’re struggling to find a bright side in all of this, we’ve compiled a list of some of the ways we’ve seen the River Hawk community come together to deal with stress. And, we want to share some resources to help you destress.

How we’re helping high school applicants this year:

Quick and easy ways to add self-care into your life:

Some ways our River Hawks are dealing with stress:

If you are feeling overwhelmed, know that we’re a quick email away. We’re always available if you have any questions or need assistance.

Happy First-Generation Celebration Day!

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happy first-generation celebration day!

Every year, colleges and universities across the country celebrate the accomplishments of first-generation college students. If you’re the first person in your family to attend college, this day is to celebrate you.

This year, we’re celebrating in style!

Making college education accessible is top-of-mind here at UMass Lowell. We were proud to receive recognition as a First-Gen Forward Advisory Institution by the Center for First-Generation Student Success this past summer. And even though this honor reminds us of how far we’ve come, we know that there is still more to do and more voices to hear.

That’s why we’re constantly striving to develop supports and services to help students succeed.

Here are some more ways we’re supporting our first-generation students at UMass Lowell:

  • The River Hawk Scholars Academy promotes academic success and fosters active campus engagement for full-time, first-year students who identify as first-generation college students
  • UMass Lowell has a rich tradition of welcoming and supporting first-generation college students. A number of faculty and staff on campus were first-generation students themselves and advocate for their success
  • The Launch! Summer Program provides incoming first-year students with a choose your own adventure approach to transitioning to university life

That’s just a sampling of many ways we’re helping our students achieve their goals in college. You should know that we’re here to help you before you’re even admitted to UMass Lowell. Join us at our regular community discussions with high school students, Empower Hour: Supporting Access, Inclusion, Diversity & Equity. We cannot stress how much we want to help students succeed in college.

Check this out: What happens to your application after you click “submit”?