Hello friends and Happy Halloween! I hope you all are having an amazing end to October (Where has the time gone?!). I you are all safe tonight, if you need any tips on that make sure you check out last weeks blog!

As you know it is almost time to pick classes for the upcoming spring semester. This is usually when everyone starts scrambling to take care of holds, pay their bills and have last minute meetings with advisers. The Solution Center is now fully functional and here to ease the your stress! It is a one stop shop for all of your university needs.  It integrates all of the services currently provided independently by the offices of the Registrar, Student Financial Services and Financial Aid. It is located on the first floor of the new University Crossing Building. Not only well it help with the services mentioned above, it will also provide information on jobs on campus and all the major functions of ISIS.

The Solution Center is here for you during the November rush, make sure you use it!

-Migs

Hey friends and happy Friday! It’s half way through the semester and now transitioning from sweater to coat weather. Sooner than you know it, it’ll be Thanksgiving weekend!I’ll back track a little bit… It’s t-minus 7 days until Halloween. Fun fact: Halloween is one of my favorite holidays.

For those who don’t celebrate Halloween, there are events happening on campus that are non-holiday related. There are events on campus for those who would like something to do on Halloween, too! UMass Lowell is an inclusive community for everyone attending the University. Here are some events listed below with a description about them!

These are more geared towards Halloween. If you’d like to pass by anytime, feel free to do so.

If you like to watch movies, a big marvel fan or would just like to do something Wednesday night, Guardians of the Galaxy is getting screened at Moloney Hall at University Crossing!  The movie is about a group of space criminals must work together the fanatical villain Ronan the Accuser from destroying the galaxy.

If you would like to watch the extended version of the trailer, click here!

On the bottom left, there is another event in Fox Common that’s host by Student Government Association. If you’d like to sing, watch people sing or get some food! It’s from 8-10 PM on Thursday, October 30th and food will be provided!

The ICC is the Inn and Conference Center in downtown Lowell. This residence hall is a hotel style set up with residence hall furniture. To get to On Thursday, the ICC is having a magician come and have a show from 7-8 PM. It is $5 for students and $10 for faculty and staff. For more information, please call the ICC at 978-934-6920.

Hello friends and long time no see! I hope you found the newsletter be a helpful and enjoyable read, I know I had a blast writing it.

1. Travel in Groups: It might sound simple but you would be surprised at how many people travel alone on a night in which we statistically have the most visitors/strangers on campus. I would love to believe that people are generally good but we need to be cautious about the exceptions in humanity. Traveling with a group of your friends makes you infinitely safe and is probably a lot more fun! If you do go to meet people alone make sure you let someone know when you leave so that a person you trust knows where you are.
2. Costume Functionality/Self Awareness: Crazy costumes are fun and will definitely generate some laughs but make sure you can function as a human being in them. If you can’t walk in heels and you need to walk across campus to hang with some friends it would probably be a good idea to wear some different shoes. Same applies if your costume is so big it keeps you off balance or you can’t see well because a part of it covers your head, Safety first guys! their are a lot of drunk drivers out on October 31st, you don’t want to raise your chances of getting into an accident because of your super awesome over-sized M&M suit.
3. Be Careful With Fake Props: While you and your friends may have coordinated costumes, strangers may not be as knowledgeable about your costume and its accompanying props, Do not carry fake weapons. Not only do you want to avoid scaring those around you  but you also want to avoid alarming the police who are on high alert for anything suspicious on such an active night on campus
4. Be Aware of What You Consume: If you are hanging out with people who you are not as a familiar with avoid any fishy food or drink. Avoid punch bowls and hand wrapped/unwrapped candy. Again I like to see the best in everybody but it is better to be safe than sorry!
5. Keep your Cellphone Handy: In case of emergency keep yourself on hand, not seven layers down through your costume!

Hey friends and happy Friday! It’s the first weekend of October, where the leaves are turning colors and the week of midterms is among us. I’m still in shock that the first month flew by! I just received the dates of all my exams and I’m starting to prep for the upcoming weeks. Always try to be ahead of the game friends! It’s good to be on top of things.

Other than midterms, October is full of amazing opportunities and events. One of them is River Hawk Homecoming! For those who are unsure of what its about, it is a yearly tradition for alumni and current students of a high school, college and University.This event gets confused for a formal dance, but that’s considered a prom. Homecoming is full of activities, sports events and cultural events that would happen throughout the weekend.  Fun fact- Southwestern University hosted the first homecoming celebration in 1909!

River Hawk Homecoming is new to the University. As UMass Lowell is expanding every year from new buildings, renovations and new students, its great to share this with alumni, too! From explanation above, there will be activities, cultural events and sports events where both alumni and current students can enjoy. This event will be from October 24th-26th. If you cannot make an event, it’s perfectly fine! There is a lot going on throughout the weekend. Feel free to look below to check out what’s going!

 Here’s a list of some events of River Hawk Homecoming:

UMass Lowell vs. University of Michigan & Michigan State University
Game vs. Michigan: October 24th, 2014 @ the Tsongas Center from 7-9:30 PM
Game vs. Michigan State University: October 25th, 2014 @ the Tsongas Center from 7-9 PM

16th Annual: Jennifer’s Family Fun Run/Walk
October 25th, 2014 @ Tsongas Center from 11 AM-12 PM

Athletic Alumni Games
October 25th- Women Soccer Alumni Game @ Cushing Fields from 11AM to 12 PM
October 25th- Softball Alumni Game @ Riverview Field from 12-2 PM
October 25th- Men & Women’s Basketball Alumni Game @ Costello Athletic Center from 2-4 PM
October 25th- Hockey Alumni Game @ Tsongas Center from 3-4:30 PM

Campus Tours
October 24th- 40th & 50th Reunion Tours & UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center from 2-4 PM
October 25th- Now & Then Campus Tours from 2-6 P.M (Across Campus)
October 26th- Open House @ Tsongas Center from 9:30 AM-1 PM

Hawkey Way**
October 25th, 2014- Outside of Tsongas Center from 2-6 P.M.

If you’re interested in more events happening throughout the weekend, click here.
If you are also interested in buying tickets and packages, click here.

Hope to see you all there! Have a good weekend everyone!
-T

Hello my friends! It is officially October and that is terrifying for a myriad of reasons. 1st, Where did September go. 2nd, now that September ended we have to go wake up Green Day (fun fact-I have no shame when it comes to puns). 3rd and probably the most stress inducing of the three: Midterms. No matter if you are gods gift to standardized testing or crawl into a fetal position when given open response questions, exams are rough. You never know when your brain is going to throw you for a loop and decide that it is not going to make logical decisions when half your grade is at stake. All of that being said, there are very effective ways in which you can successfully prepare for these examinations without going on a three day, caffeine induced study bender.

Know what is going to be on the exam
This may seem obvious, but you would be surprised how many people just do not know what material is on the test. This DOES NOT mean that every time the professor introduces new material you raise your hand and say “Is this going to be on the test?”. That is disrespectful and shows that you are there just to get a grade and a diploma rather than to learn about your craft. A professor’s syllabus generally will have all of the material that is going to be covered and a schedule of examinations. Assume you are responsible for all the material that was taught before that exam date.If a Professor repeats a certain bit of information it is most likely going to be on the exam. If you are still not sure what material is to be covered, pass by the professors office hour and ask for help on anything you are struggling with. They will most likely give you tidbits on what if anything your struggling with is on the exam.

Study in groups not just by yourself
While studying by yourself is highly recommended and absolutely necessary, it is most effective when paired with a study group. It is easy to procrastinate when you are not around other people pushing towards the same goal. It is also extremely helpful to tutor others on the information, explaining the material helps you internalize it and makes you look at it from different angles. When studying with other people you can bounce ideas and off of each other and break the monotony of sitting in a chair and staring at a text book. Pool your knowledge together and the entire class will ace the exam!

Do Not Cram
Cramming does not work for the long term. Yes, it is possible to stuff a lot of information into your brain in a short period of time and regurgitate it into a blue test booklet. You are only doing a disservice to yourself by cramming. With no reinforcement all of that information is going to be gone within the week and when the comprehensive final exam rolls around you will have stuff an entire semesters work of material into two nights, not fun. If you break up your study time throughout the semester (20-45 minutes, 2 times a day) you will actually remember the material past the first exam and hopefully for your college and post college careers.

Disconnect and enjoy the silence
It is so easy to not study. There is Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, Tumblr, Pinterest etc. etc. etc. We have to DISCONNECT. Stay off the social media while you are studying, it will only distract you and make your already busy life busier. While you are staying off the internet (unless its for homework) try to occupy a space that is not so distracting. While your residence hall room is probably your first option it may not be quietest . Try the library, a park bench maybe one of the computer labs in your colleges department. The more you focus the more you can get done in shorter periods of time.

Stay healthy and organized
The fast food and coffee diet is a cheap ticket to the freshman 45 folks. The more you take care of your body the more efficient you will become at studying and your work overall. Your body is a machine and needs it maintenance. Schedule time to eat healthy,exercise and sleep. Also, schedule time to keep everything organized. If you room looks like a nuclear bomb when off the on reading day you might be in for a rough week. If you go into finals week with a clean and organized room, a schedule for how you are going to study for your exams and clear head, you are just that more likely to succeed.

Happy hump day friends, you are all going to do great.

-Migs