Recent Entries by Vy  

If you are one of the students here at UMR that has a passion to help others and give back to the community, then Circle K is the club just for you! I recently found out about Circle K from a friend who told me all of the things that Circle K does. Circle K involves plenty of volunteering opportunities. Circle K meets every other week over at 318 Commons from 7 to 8 PM. Our leader for the club is the one and only Michelle Burgraff. She is an incredible leader and very motivated at getingt the club running. She is dedicated to helping students in the club get as much volunteering experience as possible.

Circle K club is also joined by the Kiwanis. They are a bunch of enthusiastic people that have the same outlook as Circle K. This outlook involves giving back to the community and lending a helping hand. The club motto is "Live to Serve, Love to Serve." This is Circle K's first year at UMR and the turnout has been amazing for a club so new to campus! There are about 70 students in the club and a good majority of them are freshman. Anyone can join the club and I guarantee it will be the best choice you ever make! I am so happy that I decided to join the club because it is a life changing, great experience of what it is like to work with others, and a lot of fun.

March 14, 2013 was a big day for Circle K because we were inducted into the Rochester Kiwanis Club. Every student in the club got a certificate and made a promise to the Kiwanis's that we will be responsible and great future leaders in the community! Not to be biased, but Circle K is the best club ever and I couldn't be any happier being in a club filled with great people sharing the same passion to help the community. If you have Facebook, head on over, take a look, and don't forget to "Like" it! https://www.facebook.com/umrcirclek?ref=ts&fref=ts

Hope you all had a wonderful and memorable spring break 2013! I was looking forward to this break for quite some time. I bet all of us needed a break from school. Most of us travelled out of the state or stayed in the state but still went places. For me, I had one fun and exciting spring break ever! On early Saturday morning, my family and I headed to the Twin Cities to help my uncle move into his new house. It had just renovated. Now that might not seem fun.... moving boxes and furniture, but for me, if someone needs the help I am more than happy to lend a helping hand. When my family and I got to my uncle's house, there were plenty of people there going in and out of the house already moving things into the truck! We just stepped in and made the process go a bit faster and to take a load off of the movers there. It was such a fun day especially because I had my brother, sister, and cousin there to share a laugh with. We did a lot of moving and we were so happy that the day was warm and sunny!

Sunday was the day I was looking forward to the most! We visited the 2013 Auto Show in Minneapolis! I am a huge fan of cars, especially Mercedes Benz, BMW's, Audi's, and the one and only Volkswagen. After a long previous day of moving boxes and furniture, it was a day to relax and not move heavy things. I went to this event with my family and my two baby cousins. We saw many amazing cars like the ones pictured below. When we got tired of looking at cars, we all headed over to Mall of America to do some retail therapy. My spring break was all about catching up on sleep. Best spring break ever!

Where did the time go? I remember it was just winter break back in 2012 and now spring is around the corner and its 2013?! WOW! When you are having too much fun, time sure flies! First off, welcome 2013! Glad everyone survived the 2012 "epidemic." It's a new year and I sure hope everyone made new resolutions and will stick to them! My top three New Year's resolutions is to go to the gym more, which I have been doing daily and I feel great, and spend time with my family as much as I can and to enjoy life to the fullest! What I love most about a new year, is that it gives you a chance to start a new life and to have a new outlook on your life. Whatever happened in the previous year is now history. Always look forward and never look back! Set yourself some new goals and do things that you would never have thought to do previously!

You are only young once, so might as well enjoy life while you can. Anyways, besides setting new goals and having resolutions for the year, I hope you are enjoying spring semester. Just think, in a couple of months we have a three month break to enjoy summer! As of right now, all I can tell you is to do well in school, seek help if you don't understand something, make new friends, try to laugh at least five times a day, and enjoy the semester! Best of luck to you! Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!

Another semester has just gone by and I am finished with the first semester for junior year. I am still in shocked that I made it this far in college already. Only a few more semesters left before I walk out of UMR with a degree in hand ready to tackle the world! For this blog, I am going to relive the best memories that I have made this semester.

The first memory that I remember the most was making a new friend. On the very first day of Anatomy and Physiology, my friends and I walked into the classroom with smiles on our faces, excited to see how this class was going to be. The professors split the class into small groups. I was paired with two new faces that I have never met before. I smiled and I said hi. One of my partners reached his hand out and shook my hand graciously. What a great first impression! Over the next few days, we learned about each other and had great laughs. Up to this day, our friendship has become really strong. We helped each other make it through this semester by having study sessions together and motivating one another. Finding good friends is tough because you don't know who to give your trust to, but I am glad that I found amazing friends whom I trust a lot.

My second memory that just stands out in my mind was staying after school really late with my friends trying to get a lab report done. When it comes to General Chemistry lab, I really recommend getting your lab reports done ahead of time or to seek help when needed. One day, my friends and I gathered together in front of a big television down at University Square around 6 PM trying to get our lab reports done. Out of all the lab reports that I have done in my life, this lab report was a beast! It couldn't be tamed! But luckily, my friends and I walked each other through the lab procedure and we got it done at about 11 PM. With good friends, lots of coffee and sugar to keep you awake and going, you can get anything accomplished!

Finally, the last memory that I love the most was having a dinner get together with close friends. Once in a while, my good friends and I would treat each other for frozen yogurts, coffee and cookies. But one day, my friend asked me and my other friends if it was all right for her and her sister to cook a traditional Sudanese meal and to enjoy each other's company before finals approach. All of us were in for this traditional meal. The best thing about having a group of diverse friends is that you learn about where they come from and their background. I was excited to try a Sudanese traditional meal. So on a Friday evening, my friends and I all gathered at a friend's apartment and had ourselves a traditional Sudanese meal. It was delicious and had a great time enjoying each other's company. We had many laughs and created a lot of memories together this semester. Friends are family members that you get to pick!

I love the memories that I got to create this semester. I am very fortunate to have some amazing people in my life that I get to call my best friends!

Where has the time gone? I remember the first day of school so well like it was yesterday, but here I am now on winter break. Time flies when you are having fun in school minus the homework. But overall, I am so happy that this semester is finally over! It was one tough semester, but that is what college is all about it, a challenge that we have to try to overcome. Now that all I have to worry about is catching up on my sleep that I have lost over the semester and giving my brain a break. What I look forward to most about break is hanging out with my old high school friends, listening to new music, spending quality time with my family that I barely got to see, go sledding or maybe some snowboarding, and watching movies! What I will miss the most are my best friends that I made this semester. We have all gone our separate ways, but we will be reunited in a month. Right now, as I am writing this blog, I am staring out of my window watching the snow fall. Apparently there is supposed to be a big blizzard coming! Will we be having a white Christmas this year or is the world really ending? Who knows? Whatever happens, I am satisfied with how I lived my life and most of my dreams have become reality. Attending UMR is one of those dreams that is now a reality.

Attention all UMR Raptors! It is that time of year! FINALS ARE HERE! This is definitely the time for us to buckle down and study hardcore. We frantically set up schedules of when to study for a particular class, we calculate our final grades, we run to the professor's office to turn in assignments, and we lose a lot of sleep! That is the beauty of what happens during finals week. If I were you, plan to study a couple of weeks earlier before the finals so that you don't overwhelm yourself. I will share with you my top three tips of when it comes to finals week.

First, keep everything organized! This is super important because when it comes to studying you have everything in place and in order, so that you don't have to waste time making sure all the things you want to study are there. Definitely use folders or some sort of binders to keep all of your notes and worksheets in one place. Use different folders or binders for each different course, so that you don't mess anything up. Also, keep a planner around to set up your own schedule of when you want to study for a class. Planners are a big life saver when it comes to finals week. It keeps you on top of things, so that you know what path to go on when it is time to study.

Second, try to attend help sessions that your professor would offer. This is something that you cannot pass up. The professors obviously want you to do well on your finals, so that is why they are taking time out of their day to offer you their help. Ask questions on areas you are struggling with, take notes during the help session so that you can review later. But most importantly, LISTEN with your eyes and your ears! Make sure you understand everything that the teacher is explaining.

Lastly, the most important tip that I can give to you is to STUDY!!!! If you study, the chances are you will do well on the final! If you don't study, then you are either a genius or just aren't motivated enough. Studying is definitely important when it comes to finals. You want to do well and get the grade that you desire for. All the hard work that you have done over the semester should pay off when it comes to the finals. Give the finals all your best and get your A+!

Best of luck to everyone during finals week! These finals are standing in your way to a fun and relaxing break! Take one day at a time and try not to get everything done at once. Remember to take deep breaths and always think positively!

It is finally that time of year! Probably the happiest part of the year for the majority of us because we get to go home and be reunited with our old friends and most importantly our family. This break is going to be much needed! I am a sophomore this year at UMR and I am not going to lie, it has been one really tough semester. Exams after another, papers to write, countless hours of studying, but overall this is what college is all about. But sometimes, we need to take a step back and collect our mind before we tackle school work again. Since November is about giving thanks, I would definitely give thanks to UMR for giving me an opportunity to study and learn here. Education is important and not everyone gets a chance to experience what college is like. I am forever grateful that I got the opportunity to even go to college. Life is tough, but we have to pick ourselves up and move on. The past is the past, and we must focus on the present. I am so excited to spend time with my family and get the four day long weekend break. Other than spending time with my family for Thanksgiving, I am super excited for Black Friday! Every year, my mom and I would go shopping at 3 AM till noon. We like to explore the different stores around town and if something is worth buying, we would for sure purchase it. Spend wisely on Black Friday! I hope everyone has a safe and fun Thanksgiving!

Can you believe that we are already in the month of November? Where has the time gone? October was definitely the best month filled with memories for me. The number one thing that was most memorable of October was HALLOWEEN! Every year at UMR, students and staff members dress up in incredibly creative costumes to walk through the haunted hallways of UMR (UMR is haunted by the way). And by the end of the day, all of those who dressed up by themselves or with a big group, it was time to show off their amazing costumes and hope to win big prizes! When the night time rolls around, it doesn't matter if you are two or twenty years old, you still want to go out and get some sweet candy!

Another memorable moment for me was going out with my friends to see Pitch Perfect, which is probably the funniest and interesting movie I have ever seen. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I do recommend seeing this movie AND taking a break once in a while from the school life and go out and have a bit of fun with your best friends. Your brain has been working hard, so give it a rest! I hope you are making memories through your college years that you sure want to remember!

Whenever it comes to studying for a big exam or writing a five page paper for class, we all desire for a quiet place to relax and study. Here at the UMR, there are plenty of places to go and study. I will let you in on my top three favorite places to study.

The first study place that I always go to is the study rooms at the University Square or over at 318 Commons. These special little rooms are a must when it comes to studying. There are no distractions around and you can hear yourself think. A plus about these rooms is that they have white boards waiting to be written on. You can study by yourself in these rooms or study with a group of friends.

My second favorite study place is the library at University Square. This place is heaven on Earth! Not only is it quiet (not pin-drop hearing quiet), but it has big comfy chairs to sit on! When you are studying, you would forget about where you are at the moment. Each individual chair has a blanket and a lovely view of Broadway Street and the Mayo Civic Center. If you need something printed, the printer is just a couple of steps away. When you need to take a quick break to relax your brain, just lie down and close your eyes for a while and when you wake up, you'll feel as good as new.

My last favorite studying place is the 318 Commons area. 318 Commons is a getaway for me. What I love most about the 318 Commons area this year is that it is supplied with big white boards and my favorite thing of all... the BIG bean bag chairs! There are so many choices of what chairs to sit in when you want to study! There are the bean bag chairs, the tall stools, some regular chairs, a big comfy couch, swivel chairs, some chairs with a mini swivel table on it, and so much more. 318 Commons can get pretty hectic sometimes with the noise and laughter coming from the students, but if you know the time of when there is peace and quiet, seize that moment.

It doesn't matter where you study or do your homework, what matters is that you get your work done and understand what you have just done. Happy studying!

Over the years of attending college I have learned a lot from myself, my peers, my professors and my surroundings. But the number one thing that I wish I learned was how I can save a lot of money by doing simple things. Now that I have reached my third year in college, I will now pass my tips onto you on how to save money in college.

The first tip is to rent textbooks instead of buying them. When I was a sophomore in college, I discovered that books can be rented for a super low price! I was furious because my first year in college, I spent approximately $500 on books. But now, I am only spending $200 on books. Sounds a bit crazy, right? I would rent textbooks that I would only need for one semester, but if my class lasts for two semesters I would buy the textbook. But if I buy a textbook, I would compare the price of the textbook from the school bookstore and from a different website that sell textbooks for less. I would compare the two prices and whichever one has the best deal, I would immediately add it to my cart!

Now that you are saving money on textbooks, the second tip I would share with you is to use coupons. Yes, coupons... the money saver. Coupons can be used for grocery, clothes, books, etc. When you head out to a store do some research to see if the store has some printable coupons for the items that you need or if there is a good deal going on. After watching one episode of "Extreme Couponing" after another, it motivated me to start looking into coupons and see if they are a miracle and trust me... they are! Coupons have saved me a lot of money throughout the years. Now it is your turn to give it try.

And the final tip I would share with you is to set yourself a budget. I bet you have heard this a lot, but I will remind you again. Each week or month, think about how much you want to spend on food, clothes, and leisure. For clothes, I like to purchase them once every month, instead of every week because clothes are not that important, but food is! You need food to survive through college. What I like to do is spend at least $150 on food per month. Buy food that doesn't spoil fast, but can last a few weeks. For leisure, instead of going out to see a movie, or go out to eat with friends, rent a movie for the night, and make some homemade pizza and dessert to save big on money.

I hope that these tips will be helpful for you since it was really helpful for me. If you know how to manage your money very well, then you will find yourself saving a ton of money in college. Good luck!