Studying Abroad, Yeah? YEEEAAHHH!

Posted on 15 October, 2012 by michael_pueschel@uml.edu

Thinking of study abroad? Yes? PERFECT! No? Well you should! I have all the information to guide you through the right direction.

First off, if you plan with enough time ahead, you can get the money situation out the way, which I KNOW is one of the most stressful parts of this process and a large deterrent in deciding whether to study abroad or not. There are plenty of ways you can get funded to study abroad:

Financial Aid (if you receive it already fro school)

Scholarships (get to them ON TIME!)

Loans

The study abroad program itself, depending which you use, sometimes gives the student money to cover part of their bill

Then there is good all SAVING YOUR OWN MONEY (which is why planning ahead of time is ESSENTIAL)

Now that we have all the boring stuff out of the way, let’s talk about all the WONDERFUL reasons why YOU, yes YOU, should study abroad!

Whether you just want to just experience studying abroad and possibly take a course in another language and in the country of this language while learning its culture, then that’s a good reason!

Whether you want to make international partnerships and Exchanges, where they have collaborations with educational partners from around the globe. You can broaden your learning experience, stimulating new research, discussion, and insights that will ensure you’re ready to take on the world.

Then there is the Global Service learning part of studying abroad which ignites that explorer in you who explores the world while making a difference. You can participate in community service missions and teaching projects across four continents.

If you have any further questions you can reach the UML study abroad staff

General inquiries– StudyAbroad@uml.edu

Manager, Fern_MacKinnon@uml.edu

Asst. Manager, Emily_Brazer@uml.edu

Phone – 978-934-4660

The office is located at:
UMass Lowell, South Campus
O’Leary Library, 271M
Lowell, MA 01854

OR you can email me at Giselle_Colon@student.uml.edu I have studied abroad before and can try to help you out with the process, it’s a lengthy one.

The world isyour classroom!

Even after college, you may want to consider working overseas, studying abroad while in college, could give you the connections you need =)

watch this:

<3 Giselle

Umass Lowell – A Progressive Change

Posted on 12 October, 2012 by michael_pueschel@uml.edu

Umass Lowell: What an Exciting Change

It’s Tim here and today we are going to talk about the exciting changes that both the city of Lowell and the University of Massachusetts Lowell are going to be taking together by 2020. Although not many university students may be aware, but the City of Lowell is going to make a remarkable change over the next couple of years. Before I bore you with the minute intricacies of the changes. How about a video instead?

The Lowell Plan

As you can see, there is a lot to be changed and a lot to be developed and a lot of excitement to feel for the amazing changes that are going to effect all of us. As much as I complain that I have lived in Lowell my entire live and it is true that I do get sick of Lowell sometimes, I still love it here. Lowell will always be my hometown and the place I grew up and the place I have spent all of my academic life.

I feel as if there is a lot of confusion across campus of what exactly is happening to our University. Hopefully that video answered some questions for you, but I want to go further and explain what the new buildings and construction will function as. I’m going to break down each construction site and explain its purpose.

After spending a very long time trying to mash together all of the changes going on at Umass Lowell, I realized this blog was going to be extremely long. Therefore, it will be in all of our interests for me to break this up into an epic 3 part series of awesomeness. First up:

North Campus: Engineering Awesome

The Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center

As most of you have already probably noticed, this is the University’s newest building. Here is some info on the building from the UML website:

“The opening of the Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center (ETIC) will mark the beginning of new scientific discovery and ground-breaking research at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

The ETIC houses cutting-edge programs in nanomedicine, nanomanufacturing, plastics and elastomers, clean-room technologies, biomaterials develoment and more. These are fast-developing fields with growing career prospects and promising industry partnership opportunities.”

Fun Fact: The ETIC’s opening day was October 11, 2012.

The North Campus Garage

This is the new North Campus garage that has alleviated what used to be a huge parking problem on North Campus. This parking lot opened up this September and has already been a huge help. The UML website explains description goes:

” This five-tier garage, which opened in September 2012, has added more than 550 parking spaces to the North Campus parking inventory. The garage is not only a useful addition to the campus, but also an attractive one, with features not usually seen in such facilities.”

Fun Fact: This garage actually has restrooms located on the ground level.

The Pulichino Tong Business Building

The wind has been whispering rumors of a new business building for UML’s Manning School of Business. Well, here it is. The project begins this summer with the destruction of Eames Hall (sorry honor students, but you get to live in University Suites which I will talk about next week). The University’s description is as follows:

“A new building to house the Robert J. Manning School of Business is named for John Pulichino ’67 and his wife, Joy Tong, who donated $4 million to the University for scholarships. To give back to his alma mater amid their highly successful business careers, Pulichino and Tong recently created the Pulichino/Tong Family Foundation scholarship fund for students studying in the Manning School of Business. The Robert J. Manning School of Business in the new Pulichino Tong Business Building will offer students a world-class business education with the best facilities, including a trading room.”

Fun Fact: The manning School of Business was renamed last year because of Robert J. manning and Donna Manning who together made a multimillion-dollar commitment that will create more than $5 million in endowment to support ongoing initiatives for the new Manning School.

Well that’s all for this week. Next week I will be going over the changes to East Campus. So get ready for that. I hope everyone has a safe and happy weekend and you all better be at the game tonight supporting our D1 Hockey Team.

-Tim Brown

Campus will be HOT this weekend

Posted on 10 October, 2012 by michael_pueschel@uml.edu

GREAT WEEKEND TO STAY ON CAMPUS!!! DON’T MISS OUT GUYS!

Friday October 12

Break the record Rally
4-6pm
CRC Lawn

Kick off hockey with our spirited pep rally

THEN…..

7-10pm
OPENING HOCKEY GAME @ the Tsongas Center
After stay to enjoy the postgame FIREWORKS

Saturday October 13

FAMILY DAY….yey for family =)

11:30am- 3:30pm
@ the Tsongas Center back lawn
Come enjoy some food, music and have tons of fun with pony rides, crafts and inflatables

TO END A PERFECT DAY WITH A PERFECT NIGHT…..
KARAOKEEEEE @ Rowdy zone (ICC) 8pm- 12am

You know you don’t want to miss out on this AMAZING weekend guys! By the way, if you are early for the hockey game Friday, first 500 people get a #codeblue hockey jersey, how cool is that? COME CHEER ON YOUR RIVERHAWKS and show your BEST SCHOOL SPIRIT! We wouldn’t have it any other way. Hope to see you there <3

–

— ——–Giselle

Talk about a throwback

Posted on 9 October, 2012 by michael_pueschel@uml.edu

When a baby is born the hippocampus has yet to be fully developed. At around eight or nine months after being born a baby has fully developed a hippocampus. For those of you reading this thinking “What in the world is Brady talking about?” The hippocampus is a part of your brain located in the limbic system that is responsible for storing memories as well as being responsible for your spatial navigation.

An MRI picture of a hippocampus

Why am I talking about this? It is simple I am going to cause you to delve into the depths of your hippocampus and revive your memories about some of the best shows that were broadcasted on Nickelodeon in the 90’s, according to me. My qualifications to conduct an analysis as strict as this are extremely subjective and lengthy so I will not bore you with them. But I assure you they do exist.

If my qualifications were tangible they would look like this

Best Show #1:

The Ren and Stimpy Show

The Ren and Stimpy show started airing in 1991 and ran until 1998, while I was not allowed to watch this show due to my mother not being a fan of the “toilet humor” that ran rampant throughout the series, I was still able to catch clips of it after I discovered the recall button on my remote. The show was based around the zany adventures of Ren, the psychotic chihuahua, and Stimpy, the dimwitted cat. Often viewed as controversial due to the sexual innuendo and violence, Ren and Stimpy soon won their way into homes and my young, tender heart with gems like this.

I never got a log as a child

Best Show #2:

Kenan And Kel

The show that started airing in 1996 ran until 2000 gave us bundles of laughs, a Good Burger spin-off, and forever locked the shows stars Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell in their respective roles as Kenan and Kel. Think about it, how many times have you seen Kenan or Kel in another TV show or movie and gone “That’s Kenan/Kel from Kenan and Kel!” It happens to me at least once a week. The show also gave rapper Coolio something to rap about besides his “Gangsta’s Paradise”. It also gave him something else to be known for. Also, Kel was never able to shake the stigma of loving Orange Soda.

Talk about forcing your acting career into a corner

Best Show #3:

All That

It is safe to say that were it not for the TV show All That then there would be no Amanda Show, no Drake & Josh, and no Kenan & Kel. All That was a sketch show that really was the gateway to hilarity in the 90’s, who can forget the lovable skits of “Good Burger” and “The Loud Librarian”. All That originally aired in 1994 and ran all the way until 2005 when it was finally cancelled. Honestly the show was done once the original cast left but much like a lot of other TV shows they wanted to keep it going and milk every last view they could. The show was also the launching pad of many teen icons careers in the 90’s. The list includes, but is not limited to, Amanda Bynes, Kenan Thompson, Kel Mitchell, and Nick Cannon.

When the police arrested Amanda Bynes she was quoted in saying “That’s me”

The list of TV shows that entertained us throughout the 90’s is obviously a lot greater than this. It is hard to illustrate such an awesome decade into one blog. I know that Ren and Stimpy can be found on Netflix if you ever feel the need to expose yourself to Gritty Kitty or Marooned. As for Kenan & Kel and All That I do not know where their episodes have dispersed to, but I would love to find out.

-Brady

Anger, learn to let go

Posted on 9 October, 2012 by michael_pueschel@uml.edu

We have all gotten angry at someone or something at some point, but what really causes our anger? Is it our fault? Is it the other factor’s fault? How can we address anger to reduce it from our lives?

Just a few questions I’m sure we have all pondered and now we can take a journey together on how to fight fire with water!

First i’d like to state that anger is a normal human emotion that is usually healthy to express, it is only when it gets out of control and becomes destructive do we have to address and intervene. When this happens anger can effect almost everything in your life from work, relationships, classes and even how you treat yourself.

The three main strategies for controlling anger are to; express, suppress, and calming.

1) Express: Express your anger in an assertive non-aggressive manner. Learn how to make clear what you need and plan out how to get it, without hurting others. Being assertive does not mean pushing everyone else out of your way to achieve something but to be respectful of others as well as yourself.

2) Suppress: Anger can be suppressed and converted or redirected. This happens by holding in your anger, stop thinking about it and focus on something positive. Inhibit your anger and convert it to positive, constructive behavior. The last thing you want is for your anger to turn inwards, to yourself, this can lead to; hypertension, high blood pressure, or depression.

3) Calming: calming means not just controlling your outward behavior but also controlling your internal responses. Take steps to lower your heart rate, calm yourself down and let the feelings subside.

Some people may feel that letting their aggression out is the best method all the time, but this is not the case. Since anger builds on anger the more you lash out at everyone and everything the more your anger will become uncontrollable and you will need to seek outside help to help yourself.

Relaxation is a key step in reducing anger. Some tips you can try are: Breath deeply and slowly. slowly repeat a calming word over and over, repeat it to yourself until you’re calm. Use imagery, picture a relaxing experience and hold on to it, either from memory or imagination! Yoga has also been shown to help relax not only you but your muscle as well.

Another tip is to use what experts call: Cognitive Restructuring, which is a fancy phrase for change how you think about something in a positive way. Turn something you hate into something you love by changing your thought process about it. Try something you think you hate, don’t knock it till you tried it!

A couple other strategies are problem solving, better communication, and humor.

For a better idea of where you are at you can take this anger quiz: http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=3396&cn=116

Be safe, be smart, make good decisions,

Craig

Jeepers Creepers

Posted on 2 October, 2012 by michael_pueschel@uml.edu

As most of you hopefully know it is currently October. Do you know what the best part of October is? Halloween. What is the best part of Halloween? Having an excuse to watch an unreasonable amount of scary movies for an entire month. Oh and the candy, the candy is definitely a plus.

I’m not here to tell you that you should be watching scary movies instead of doing your school work because you should definitely do your school work but if you ever have any free time and want to watch a scary movie because it is October or if you want to be too scared to go to sleep so you can finish your homework here are some suggestions from me.

Suggestion number 1:

The Thing

When I say to watch “The Thing” I am talking about the good version made in 1982 by John Carpenter that was a rip off from a movie made in the 50’s. You know The Thing with Kurt Russell and Wilford Brimley. This movie is easily one of the scariest movies I have ever seen because not only does it feature a shape shifting alien that could take the form of your best friend then try to kill you but because the first reaction by Kurt Russell when he finally realizes that there is a shape shifting alien taking the form of his friends and killing everyone is to kill it with fire.

Kurt Russell’s beard was neither harmed or singed in the making of this film

I know that most of you reading this are thinking one of two things, one being “Wow I value Brady’s opinion so much!” others might not be sharing the same sentiment so if you don’t wish to believe me The Boston Globe ranks The Thing as the number one scariest movie of all time.

Those of you who are not thinking about how much you value my opinion are thinking, “Wow this movie has Wilford Brimley, surely that can’t be the very Wilford Brimley from those diabetes commercials!” I should have you know that it is that very Wilford Brimley.

Suggestion number 2:

Nightmare on Elm Street

Nightmare on Elm Street features a lot of the same elements of a traditional slasher film except that this one stars Johnny Depp. Wes Craven created probably one of the most vile looking villains of all time when he envisioned Freddy Krueger. Krueger was killed with fire and is now exacting his revenge by killing his victims through invading their dreams and cutting them with a bladed glove, so if you wish to eliminate the desire to go to sleep for the next week I suggest watching this movie. Freddy Krueger’s weakness besides not being afraid of him is energy drinks.

All he really wanted was some skin cream, that stuff is hard to get in the dream world.

This movie also spawned a song by none other than the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and his trusted DJ side-kick Jazzy Jeff.

Suggestion number 3

Halloween

I know that having Halloween be on this list is a bit of a cliche but the movie is quite scary and really deserves a lot of credit for what it did. Granted the movie used a lot of elements from Hitchcock’s Psycho but Halloween because the poster child for low budget slasher films in the 80’s and 90’s. If John Carpenter did not make the movie Halloween then there would be no Friday the 13th or A Nightmare on Elm Street and I would have had to choose other movie for suggestions two and three. Halloween features a psychotic murder who escapes captivity and wreaks havoc on his hometown. The antagonists name is named Michael Myers, not the Mike Myers who is quite groovy.

Deranged serial killer

International Man of Mystery

I didn’t want to make this excruciatingly long but I feel like I might have. Regardless here are some other movies you should check out if you are ever in the mood for a good scare; Friday the 13th, Psycho, and Troll 2. Maybe Troll 2 isn’t scary but it is worth the watch. Who can deny this as the best line ever uttered in a film?

How he didn’t swat the fly off his head still eludes me

-Brady

Fall Festival!!!

Posted on 2 October, 2012 by michael_pueschel@uml.edu

Hello everyone, happy October!

It’s that time of year again when we celebrate Fall Festival. Now some of you may be saying, YAYYY Fall Festival! Others may be saying, “What is Fall Festival”? Well I’m writing this to both get you excited for it as well as educate you on what Fall Festival is all about. Most of the Fall Festival Events are geared towards showing off all of what Umass Lowell has to offer, connecting with Alumni as well as families of current students! For Students these three days are full of events that both educate you about Umass Lowell as well as have some fun, especially Family Day (Saturday October 13th, Back Lawn of Tsongas Center).

Fall Festival runs from October 11th-13th, Thursday through Saturday. Here are a few exciting events happening during Fall Festival this year:

Thursday October 11th: 1) Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center Ribbon Cutting/Luncheon

2) Health and Social Sciences Building Tour 3) Advisory Board Meetings

Friday October 12th: 1) Campus Recreation Center 10th Anniversary Alumni Reception 2) Soaring River Hawks Alumni Rally 3) Hockey East Home Opener: UMass Lowell River Hawks vs. University of Vermont Catamounts.

Saturday October 13th: 1) 14th Annual Jennifer’s 5K Run/Walk 2) Alumni Softball and Baseball Games. 2) Family Day! 3) UMass Lowell Parent Dessert Reception 4) Campus Tours 5) Golden Alumni Luncheon 6) Umass Lowell Field Hockey vs. Bellarmine (1pm). Kid’s Day at Field Hockey game- presented by Moe’s Southwest Grill. 7) UMass Lowell Baseball vs. Northern Essex (1pm, LeLacheur Park). 8) Soccer Alumni Rally (Noon, Cushing Complex). 9) UMass Lowell’s Men’s Soccer vs. Saint Anselm (1PM Cushing Complex). 10) Student Leadership/Greek Life/Athletic Reunions.

Now that you have an idea of all the events going on, you should go to them! You can register for Fall Festival Events here: http://alumni.uml.edu/s/1355/lowell/index.aspx?sid=1355&gid=4&pgid=252&cid=1549&ecid=1549&crid=0&calpgid=61&calcid=960.

Remember to explore everything Fall Festival has to offer and go to our first Hockey Game Friday October 12th at 7PM it is free for all Umass Lowell students! No excuses! I’ll see you at the Tsongas!

If you have any further questions about Fall Festival or an Alumni question, the Alumni office can be reached at:

Alumni Relations Office

Southwick 250

One University Avenue

Lowell, MA 01854

978-934-3140

Alumni_Office@uml.edu

That’s it for now,

Craig

Posted on 1 October, 2012 by michael_pueschel@uml.edu

Buenos Dias!

STUDY! STUDY! STUDY!! The word that is constantly on our minds, a word we wish DID NOT exist!!! BUT it does, and STUDYING is your BEST FRIEND if you want good grades! =)

Did you get tangled up in socializing the first few weeks and now you heard your professor mention in class, mid-term next week!? Yes, you did not think mid-terms would be so early in the semester right? And now you look like this:

DON’T WORRY!!! Take a deep breath and get yourself in ORGANIZED!

Especially if you are freshmen you will come to see that there are many differences in studying for college courses versus how you may have studied in high school. Regular worksheets are replaced by many midterms and exams which require knowledge about concepts rather than simple memorization of facts. You will find it easier if you adapt their study habits to the college setting. Here are some tips for getting started:

Find the right place to study
Get a buddy
Use daylight hours
Study in chunks
Study actively
Rank your classes

Finding the right place: it is essential to find the right place to study; it is always good to find a nice quiet area to get all your thoughts organized and away from distraction.

Get a Buddy: I know many people like to study alone because they feel a buddy would be a distraction, which in great part could be true, BUT if you find a buddy from your same class it could be VERY helpful to study with them. Your buddy might have written down some notes that you missed but needed. There you! The buddy saved you! Or you can even save your buddy! Always good to help as well as receive help =)

Use daylight hours: many night owls (like me) wait until the very last minute, at night, to study, but it is shown not to be such a good way of doing it. Studying while it is still light out gives you a clear mind to soak up all the knowledge! LET’S GET INTO THIS HABIT! That way you have the rest of the evening/night to do whatever you want. Doesn’t it sound awesome?

Study in chunks & Study Actively: you don’t have to over study, you just have to select a large part of your reading, go to the library after class read for an hour or two and then go home, attend your club meetings, or meet up with some friends, you can do that because you did your studying early, YEY YOU!

Rank your classes: This is very helpful, keep checking your syllabus, or maybe write down in your agenda every test or assignment that is due, look through those and then rank your classes weekly. For example the top three classes that have something due soon, those are the ones you study for. It becomes less stressful than trying to read every day a little from each class.

Day to Day

· Take good notes

· Be involved in your classes

· Review your notes everyday

· Keep up on your reading

If you follow all these tips, in NO TIME you will be looking more like this:

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE! im suuuuuureeeee you will do well =D

<3 Giselle

Coping with Stress

Posted on 1 October, 2012 by michael_pueschel@uml.edu

Happy October 1st Everyone.

Well, its the tenth month of the lovely year of 2012. The ups, the downs, sometimes life can feel like a rollercoaster. I sure do feel that way sometimes.

This time of the year can get stressful quick. Your first grades are coming back, perhaps your first big projects are due pretty soon for all of your classes all in the same week, maybe you are just homesick, or maybe you just made some pretty poor choices this September.

Everyone has their own issues that contribute to their own personal levels of stress, nervousness, and anxiety.

I am going to give you some tips on how we can all overcome stress and relax.

1) Sleep! Sleeping is probably up there with eating, drinking, and breathing on the scale of vitally important attributes that a healthy, happy, and successful human being needs. Sleeping and napping is like therapy! Do it more often; I know it isn’t always as exciting as staying up and watching television, but it is so terribly important.

2) Exercise! This helps so much, going to the gym or playing frisbee or football or anything promoting physical movement is invaluable to the body’s health. Sometimes I feel like college students are too focused on exercising their minds in classes and in the library doing homework. Yes that’s important, but your brain isn’t the only thing that needs to be used in your body. Sometimes your muscles get jealous of your brain and they need to be used too. If you exercise you will also have a much easier time sleeping.

3) Complaining is often one of the easiest things to do when you feel stressed out. A little bit of complaining isn’t a bad thing and can help sometimes. However, when someone complains constantly, it’s a little bit like being stuck in the mud. By complaining, the focus is on the issues that are making the individual feel insecure and anxious. Try focusing on how to get over you’re worries than focusing on them. It really does work I promise. This is a hard tip to follow all the time, I know. I love to complain and I often feel like it hurts more than it helps.

4) Try to indulge in the little moments of the day when you can relax. Whether this is on the shuttle or if you have an hour in between classes. Put your headphones on and listen to your favorite songs. It will help you focus on something besides your problems and can help you recover and be more confident.

5) Keep your chin up! Too often it feels like we just want to stare at the pavement and ignore everyone because of our insecurities and inhibitions. This is not the way to go about your day. You might not be able to choose what happens to you everyday of your life, but you can choose your attitude, and no one can take that away from you. If something happens this week that upsets you, don’t let that problem get the best of you. Keep your chin high and your confidence even higher. If you feel confident then you’ll feel comfortable and if you feel confident and comfortable then you can take on the world.

6) Don’t say no to challenges. Every human being is equal. No one is better than anyone else and everyone can be great. It’s not easy and it’s certainly hard. Anyone can be the next Mother Theresa, or President Obama, or the next nobel prize winner. It’s only when you say “no, I can’t” and back away from the challenge that you disqualify yourself. If you want to grow up and have monuments built after you, then you can. Never say no and never give up.

7) Have patience. Frustrating things happen all the time and it can get upsetting. That’s inevitable. I wish I could grant everyone the patience to accept those things in which they cannot control. Unfortunately patience starts with the individual. This is probably the hardest tip on here but perhaps the most important. Patience is a virtue.

I hope that helped you feel a little better. I know it made me feel better. Let’s lighten up and smile. Here are a couple funny memes to maybe put a smile back on your face.

I hope you all have a great October. Remember: pumpkins are for carving and eating… not for smashing.

-Tim

IT’S FRIDAY FRIDAY! FUN FUN FUN!

Posted on 28 September, 2012 by michael_pueschel@uml.edu

Well It’s Friday. We we we so excited because….

(Sorry but that needed to be done.)

It’s Tim’s blog of the week. This week i’ll be talking about:

Intramurals!

Alrighty, I’m in a really good mood this Friday because I just got out of class and it’s the weekend! To quote Rebecca, “Yesterday was Thursday, Thursday. Today it is Friday, Friday, we, we, we, so excited. We so excited. We gonna have a ball today!”

Seriously, I need to stop talking about Rebecca Black. Let’s shift our discussion to intramurals.

So as some of you may be aware, intramurals technically already started… But your one wish is about to come true, because this is your moment. The second quarter of intramurals is incoming. The deadline is October 18th, So you still have some time to sign up.

Your probably like, “But Timothy, I’m not sure what intramurals there are, help please?”

I would be glad to help because I’m sweet like that. They have a plethora of options. Including:

5v5 Indoor Soccer