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. 

It's homecoming week! Homecoming at the University of Minnesota is one of my favorite events of the year. Not only am I a huge Golden Gopher fan, but the University also sponsors many events honoring the spirit of the maroon and gold. This year's theme is "Legendary U" (hashtag #LegendaryU).

Two of my favorite events include the Cheer Competition and the Lip Sync Competition. U of M students compete to be named the best Cheer team of the year at with crazy songs and stunts at the Cheer Competition. Additionally, at the Lip Sync Competition, students perform a dance while lip-syncing a song related to this year's theme. Along with these events are many others, including flag football, volleyball, a blood drive, and a 5K run/walk.

The 2012 Homecoming concert features B.o.B. with Timeflies. My friends and I have been talking about this concert all semester! "The Bank" will definitely be filled with U of M students on Friday evening.

The day everyone is waiting for is Saturday, when the Golden Gophers take on Northwestern at TCF Bank Stadium. I can't wait to cheer our football team to victory on Saturday! Ski-U-Mah! Go Gophers!

The science-based majors listed below are each offered through the College of Science and Engineering (bachelor of science degree) and the College of Liberal Arts (bachelor of arts degree). 

In addition to the benefits of learning from world-class faculty and utilizing state-of-the-art facilities, students who are seeking a science-based career can also utilize the Career Center for Science and Engineering to work on their resumé, participate in mock interviews, learn about internship and co-op opportunities, and more.

To learn more about U of M major options, visit: http://admissions.tc.umn.edu/admissioninfo/fresh_acadprog.html.

Major: Chemistry

(College of Science and Engineering, College of Liberal Arts)

Description: Chemists interact with nature at a fundamental, molecular level. This field of science impacts medicine, materials science, genetics, biology, pharmacy, food science, and environmental science. The curriculum encompasses the major subfields of chemistry including theories, techniques, and tools. It also includes chemistry, physics, mathematics, and the liberal arts. Students select an emphasis area from the following:

• Bioscience and bioproducts
• Chemical physics
• Chemistry education
• Environmental chemistry
• Materials chemistry 

Examples of Careers: Biochemist, microbiologist, industrial hygienist, analytic chemist, pharmaceutical chemist, crime lab analyst, researcher, or food technologist

Major: Computer Science

(College of Science and Engineering, College of Liberal Arts)

Examples of Careers: Researcher, Computer Communication Specialist, Computer Engineer, Robotics Engineer, Software or Hardware Developer, Systems and Security Administrator or Web Designer

Description: Computer scientists develop programming languages and operating systems, design computer software and hardware, apply computational techniques to other sciences, investigate social uses of computing, and advance new technologies like artificial intelligence and robotics. Students will learn to design and analyze computer systems, to use them to solve practical problems, and to assess their limitations. They use state-of-the-art computing platforms and instructional facilities and also have access to special research facilities like the Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Vision Laboratory, which includes a lab devoted to undergrads.

Major: Computer Engineering

(College of Science and Engineering)

Description: Computer engineers design, build, test, and install high-tech computing devices or everything from supercomputers to toys. This in-demand field includes hardware, software, and systems that contain microprocessors or microcontrollers. Students in this major learn to integrate hardware and software into systems that deliver power, performance, safety, security, and reliability. Seniors choose one of the following emphasis areas:

• Computer Architecture
• Computer Networks
• Software Engineering
• Microprocessor and Microcontroller Systems
• Computer-Aided Circuit Design

Examples of Careers: custom computer designer, computer chip designer, software designer, computer network engineer, electronic systems designer, hardware engineer, development engineer, or systems engineer

Major: Physics