Vilma is an international student. She’s a junior, Public Health major. She was an orientation leader for two years and now is an orientation coordinator. I asked her a few questions about orientation!

Q:How did you hear about applying to be an orientation leader?

A: I was walking in my residence hall and I saw a poster of Chris Jackson’s face. I thought this job looked fun and as an international student you cannot work anywhere other than on campus so it worked out!

Q: Were your nervous about being an orientation leader? If so, why?

A: I was nervous because pre-orientation I was relatively quiet and took a lot of time to warm up to people. I was very nervous about going up to people and talking to people I was unfamiliar with all day.

Q: What was your favorite part about being an orientation leader?

A: My favorite part was getting to meet new people. Bonding with staff and then bonding with students allowed me to make personal connections.

Q: What was a challenging thing about being an orientation leader?

A: Keeping my energy up throughout the day and as we got into later sessions.

Q: How does being an orientation coordinator differ from being an orientation leader? 

A: Its a lot more behind the scenes work, more planning and the biggest difference is that I don’t get students anymore.

Q: What are you looking forward to this summer?

A: I am looking forward to seeing the orientation program through a different perspective. My first year was different than my second year since i was a returner and now being orientation coordinator, i will see it in an even different perspective.

Q: Are you nervous about anything for this upcoming Summer?

A: I have more responsibility now and I really want to do a good job.

Finals are less than a month away and you are JUST realizing you have no idea what has been going on in class all semester. You are panicking, you are reviewing materials, you are stress napping.. but are you meeting with your professor? Don’t be that person that waits until finals week to meet with the one person who knows what is going on! Meet with your professor a few times and you will see just how helpful office hours are.

Not sure where the office is or when they are available to meet? Think back, long, long ago on the very first day of class when your professor handed out a syllabus? And on that syllabus were his or her office hours! These are their available hours throughout the week that you can stop in and chat about what you don’t understand. Professors love when you stop by because it shows that you are putting in an extra effort to understand what they are teaching. Also, don’t hesitate on emailing your professor and schedule a set time or just email him for clarification! Your professors are here to help you!

Couldn’t get to any marches that were in Boston or Washington D.C? In our city, there will be a march dedicated to eradicating sexual violence. Join Lowell in its 13th annual Take Back the Night. THIS Thursday, April 5th, people are marching from City Hall, located in Downtown Lowell, to University Crossing! This will be an empowering rally with survivors and supporters coming together. Lowell is planning on taking back, so be there and embrace your voice for survivors, loved ones and supporters! 

Interested in volunteering? If so, contact tbnlowell@gmail.com!

Jasmin is from Boston, Massachusetts. She is a senior psychology major with a premed track. Want to get to know her more? We asked her a few questions about her experiences at UMass Lowell!

Q: Was UMass Lowell your top school?              A: No. I wanted to go out of state.

Q: Why did you come to UMass Lowell?               A: It was the most affordable from all the schools I applied to.

Q: Was it hard for you to adjust to UMass Lowell?                                                              A: No, I was fine. I was very close to home so I went home every weekend.

Q: Did you live on or off campus?                                                                                        A: I lived on campus all 4 years.

Q: What was your favorite residence hall to live in and why?                                              A: My favorite residence hall to live in was Bourgeois Hall  because my roommate was never there and I had the room all to myself.

Q: What’s your favorite thing about UMass Lowell?                                                            A: I made great friends!

Q: What has been your favorite class so far?                                                                      A: My favorite class was Human Sexuality. I liked the discussions that we had in class and listening to people’s opinions.

Q: What are some changes UMass Lowell has undergone since you’ve been here?            A: They added the business building. They also bought Perkins and tore down the dining hall on South Campus. Now the dining hall is located in McGauvran.

Q:  What are your plans for after graduation?                                                                    A: After graduation I plan to become a physician assistant and to help the less fortunate. I also want to be the greatest I can be! 

Second semester is flying by! We are in March, have one month left and before we know it, it’s finals week. You might be losing focus and motivation around this time. Not going to the library as much as you were in the beginning of the semester, saving studying and homework for the night before and watching Netflix BEFORE finishing all your work. Summer vacation is right around the corner, we can smell it. BUT you have to remember why you’re here. We all have a goal.

Here are 10 ways to stay motivated while studying: 

1. Take breaks every hour: You do not have to complete everything in one sitting, Take breaks, talk to friends, check your phone. then get back to work!

2. Put your phone on Do Not Disturb: We are glued to our phones. the second it vibrates we have to check who it is, what it was. put your phone on do not disturb so you have zero distractions.

3.  Head to a quiet space: OFTEN TIMES OUR ROOMS MAY BE TOO LOUD TO GET WORK DONE. GO TO THE LIBRARY OR THE RESIDENCE HALLS STUDY ROOMS. 

4. REWARD YOURSELF WITH AN M&M FOR EVERY PAGE YOU READ:  Your professor assigned a 30 page reading and said there would be a quiz. Reward yourself with a snack, food is always great motivation.

5. Make plans for when your work is completed: if you make plans for after you are done your work, it’ll allow you to get it done faster!

6. use a Study Lockdown App: yes believe it or not there are apps that may benefit you when you are trying to study! try it out!

7. Power Naps: although you might think its counterintuitive, power naps help a great deal. 

8. Study Groups: Having study groups is very beneficial because if you do not understand something, you can ask a friend.

9. Make index cards: making index cards before your test is a great way to prepare yourself for your exam.

10. Play Classical Music: It may not be your favorite type of music but you will notice how calming and helpful classical music can be when you are studying.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN ORIENTATION LEADER?

• Entertaining
• Friendly
• Leader
• Lively
• Influential
• Helpful
• Energetic
• Dedicated
• Responsible

It will be a fun Summer with a staff who will turn out to be more like family when the Summers over. You get to help students successfully transition into their first semester while building on your own leadership and professional skills. You get PAID, you get HOUSING, and you get a Summer MEAL PLAN. As someone who was an orientation leader for two years, it’s an experience that I loved! I met so many amazing friends from the orientation staff as well as amazing new students. Being an orientation leader is a TIME COMMITMENT, so be sure to keep that in mind when applying!

Application deadline is February 23rd at Noon.

After the first few weeks of classes I can imagine the winter break blues hitting hard right now. I bet you’re missing your own bed, the home made food, annoying your siblings and miss having your pet around at all times. It’s normal, we all miss having 3 weeks off and being able to relax, catch up on shows and most importantly be around family. But don’t worry, the enrollment ambassadors got you covered with ways to avoid the winter blues!

1. Stay involved! If you are already in clubs, continue going to meetings! This is a great way to keep your focus and energy on something else!
2. Stay active! Go to classes that the CRC offers! Take friends and go to zumba. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Great way to stay active and help with the winter blues!
3. Weekend adventures! If you have time on the weekends, get a group of friends and go do something fun! Go shopping, go bowling, or even head to the city of Boston!
4. Make time for yourself! There’s nothing wrong with some alone time, in fact, its quite healthy for you! Read a book, journal, take a walk around campus!
5. Visit home! Unfortunately, not everyone can go back home on the weekends, but if you can, take advantage! Go home at least one weekend a month, just to be around your family!

We are almost there folks! In about three weeks the most grueling part of being a student arrives, *drum rolls* finals week. Finals week isn’t as bad as you think. There are ways to make it possible to study for exams and to write those papers… as long as you don’t procrastinate. Procrastinating is a dangerous game my friend, especially so close to the end of the semester. 

Now, as awesome as procrastination is when you are hanging out with friends or taking millions of naps, it’s awful when you’ve waited till the very last minute to do all your work. So try, your very best to avoid procrastinating. Set up a schedule that works for you and allows you to complete all the assignments in a reasonable time. You’re questioning how does one study for 3 exams and still have the time to write 2, 5-7 page papers? TIME MANAGEMENT. This is one of the most important things you’ll learn as a college student.  You need time management skills in order to maintain those good grades. Finals week will be a breeze, as long as you don’t listen to Spongebob!

Exhaustion is beginning to set in as December 21st comes closer and closer. The good news is, you are almost there! You are making it through your first semester here at UMass Lowell and you should be proud. Give yourself a round of applause. Now do it again! 

It’s hard staying motivated at the end of the semester. All you want to do is watch Netflix and nap…  (maybe that’s just me getting a little too personal).. But do not forget that finals are approaching, which unfortunately means we have lots of studying to do and papers that won’t write themselves! The more we let procrastination get to us, the more we are putting our grades in jeopardy. So here are 5 things to do to make sure you never lose that motivation, especially this close to the end of the semester!

     5 ways to stay motivated:

Watch Ted Talks

Surround yourself with positive people

Dream about your goals

Focus on the present

Don’t be too hard on yourself

                                                ONLY T H R E E WEEKS LEFT! 

As you all may know we have a residence hall right in the heart of the city. If you take the Yellow Line it will take you to the Inn and Conference Center, and from there you are free to explore Downtown Lowell. You will find so many unique shops and great restaurants!

Here’s a list of some of the places you should check out! But be aware, there’s so much more! And thanks to Student Government Association, many places Downtown will give you up to 10% off if you show them your student ID!

1. El Potro

2. Lowell Burger Company

3. Humanity

4. Wings over Lowell

5. Sweet Lydia’s

6. Mill No. 5

7. Tremonte

8. Coffee Mill

9. Ramen Bar

10. Brew’d Awakening