Hello Riverhawks! With the weather starting to cool down, how have you been feeling? You know, have you felt congested? Or maybe had a sore throat? Well this week we are going to focus on staying healthy! Because while we all want you to succeed in your academic and social life here at UMass Lowell, we also want you to do so without wearing yourself down because you are just as important as everything else. Scratch that… You are MORE important than those other things.

Conveniently located on the second floor of University crossing, the wellness center serves as a go to for… Well, all your wellness needs. For example, health services which is housed within the wellness center can do a check up on you if you feel like you need a professional opinion. They are also highly qualified to diagnose you and give you recommendations because they have full-time Nurse Practitioners on staff who are quite knowledgeable on what they do!

With September coming to an end, I’m sure first exams, projects, and essays are on its way! Not everyone considers themselves great test takers though. So, I’ve decided to provide you guys with a quick and fun video on how to prepare for an exam!

So, it’s clear that exams come with studying, BUT how much time do we actually give ourselves to study or simply finish any assignments in general. For most of us, probably not much. We all need to watch out for PROCRASTINATION and its secret agenda to stress us out as much as it can… I know. I know. It’s waaaaaaay easier said than done. It’s clear that we’re much happier when we tackle our assignments bit by bit, so WHY CAN’T WE JUST DO IT?! Why don’t we just stop procrastinating when we know it ONLY stresses us out? Well, let’s use this TED Talk video to first see “Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator.”

So, now that we know in a less scientific yet, funny way how it’s like to think like a procrastinator, I want to share some knowledge on HOW you can prevent yourself from procrastinating.

As I already mentioned, I know it’s easier said than done. It’s gonna take your own effort to fight it, but just think about how much happier you could be. Try finishing an assignment early and see how it makes you feel. That could motivate you to really change your habits. The thought of essays and exams is already stressful enough. Don’t procrastinate and make it even more tough on yourself. Hopefully, you use these tips and tricks and really make college a more positive experience.

Didn’t forget about the Upperclassmen Advice of the Week!
Jorge Soto, a Junior Business Student, says..

“Don’t be me. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Go to tutoring and email your professors when you don’t understand. You’ll regret it if you don’t.”

Hello Riverhawks! In our last blog we had mentioned that college will be a lot of fun, well lets expand on what you can do at UML! While the main purpose of college is to get you educated, you should definitely have fun because that leads to the best memories! And college should be memorable…Right?

1. Join a club! This is pretty straightforward. There are an ABUNDANCE of clubs here at UML, if there is something that interests you remotely then we probably have a club for you. For example, did you know there is a coffee club? I bet you didn’t, but yep we have one. They get together, drink coffee, and talk coffee, how great is that? Just head over to www.uml.edu/clubs to get a full list of the clubs that you can choose from!

Now, if there isn’t a club for an interest that you have, you can easily get a new club up and running. All you have to do is get you and 9 friends that want to start this club and head over to the office of student engagement in University Crossing, they will guide you with the rest of the process but then eventually you will be rewarded with your own club! Woo-hoo!

2. Go to events! There is always something going on on-campus and you should definitely take part in them. While you will see posters advertising certain events, scattered throughout campus, the easiest way to find out what events are going on is to download the Corq app on your smartphone, this lists every event and orders it by date and time! These events can be as simple as a presentation all the way to a sporting event. Oh, I should mention that sporting events are AMAZING so do yourself a favor and go to some!

3. Get active! If you love physical activity, there are quite a variety of things that you can take part in. Register yourself for an intramural tournament and be prepared to have lots of fun. Remember, these tournaments have different levels, so even beginners can play and still have fun. If you want a different type of commitment that is active, consider a club sport. Similarly to regular clubs, there are a variety of club sports to choose from. Heck, we even have a Quidditch team! So definitely check them out!

All in all, college is what YOU make of it, and getting involved can enhance that experience tremendously. Do not be afraid to try something new because you may never know how much you love it. While I only listed 3 kinds of activities, there are definitely many more things that you can do. So get out there Riverhawks, and have some fun!

Upperclassmen advice of the week:
“Being involved on campus has been great for me, it gave me confidence that I never had before and it allowed me to make more friends. Every new student should push themselves to get involved!”
– Leissy M. Junior, Biology major