Name: Sheri Li

Hometown: Woodbury, MN

Major(s): Neuroscience

Year of expected graduation: 2016

Why she chose the U of M: It's funny, because I actually ruled out Minnesota at first because it was too close to home for me. In the end, I realized how much I love the campus. The great thing about college is that you can make it as close or as far away from home as you want it to be. Also, I love the Twin Cities! The University is located minutes from downtown Minneapolis, and is very close to St. Paul. Not only does this make an exciting environment, but it also brings a lot of companies to the University as well. The deciding factor for me was the wonderful opportunities that the University offered me and other National Merit Scholars. You simply can't get a better deal at a better school.

How she is involved at the U of M: So far I am involved in the Honors program, a student group called "U Students Like Good Food," and am involved in Admissions Ambassadors. I love how I get to express my interests here at the University. I'm a total food geek, yet no one really knew until I joined a club full of others who were passionate about the same things as me.

Highlight of her U of M experience so far: The hockey games! If you are a hockey fan, you'd love these. If you aren't a hockey fan, you'll still love these.

The winter weather and snow make the University of Minnesota campus more and more beautiful each day this holiday season! In a winter tradition that began last year, students in the College of Science and Engineering (CSE) celebrate the winter season with a dazzling light show: "Illumination." The students cover the entire Civil Engineering Building Plaza with lights, which are accompanied by music that is composed and performed by U of M students. This year, the show uses more than 100,000 LED lights! I visited the Premiere Party for this event, and I can say from experience that the lights were absolutely spectacular!

The Premiere Party took place on December 7 and included performances by student organizations at the U of M such as MinnesoTap and Serenade the City, as well as CSE's "Freezin' for a Reason" 5K run. All proceeds from the 5K Run were donated to the Amplatz Children's Hospital. After the Premeire Party, the light show ran every weekend in December. What a great way to bring the U of M campus community together during the holiday season!

Check out the video clips below to see some of the CSE students' excellent work! Happy Holidays!

Finals week is coming up! As the semester finishes up, everyone wants to do the best they can do in all of their classes. Luckily for students like me, the U of M does a lot to support students during this time of year, such as offering students many ways to improve their study skills and relieve stress. 

Puppies, cookies, and massages in the libraries!

This week, the Bio-Medical Library will hold a Final Stress Buster program for students. Cookies and beverages will be served, and chair massages will be offered. Additionally, a registered therapy dog will be at the library to offer Pet Therapy to students. What a fun way to study for finals!

During finals week, I practically live at the library. Walter Library has the perfect atmosphere to help me get the most out of my study sessions; it is the largest library at the U of M so there is always room for me, and the Wise Owl Café in its basement which makes it the perfect place to focus and have access to coffee at all times.  

This past Saturday was the beginning of Exam Jam in University Libraries. Exam Jam offers practice test, snacks, and tutors for students to use as resources. As a matter of fact, tutors are offered to students for the entire semester. When I was taking Calculus as a freshman, I used the math tutors nearly every week, and they were extremely helpful. The beginning of Exam Jam also marks the weekend when libraries are open 24/7. This ensures that students have a night, quiet place to study all day and night.

Boynton Health Services stress management classes

To help students relieve stress, Boynton Health Service offers free yoga, tai chi, and Pilates classes each day of the week.  Classes focus on stress management. Exercise is extremely important for your health, especially when you are under a lot of pressure; I am lucky to attend a school that encourages these healthy behaviors!

Find a study space

I love it when I find a new, perfect place to study; there are many on campus. The U of M just began connecting the use of smartphones to helping students with classes by allowing them to find a nearby study space. The University has located all the General Purpose Study spaces (GPS Waypoints) on campus. Each space has a QR code so students can save the hours of each location in their phones! This way, U of M students will always have a great place to study.