Summer is finally here! After an intense week of final exams, the spring semester is over and my hard work has paid off. I've been spending most of my free time with my friends, enjoying all of the great summer amenities Minneapolis has to offer. Lake Calhoun and the Sculpture Garden have been two of my favorite outdoor activities.

I have also spent some time doing stuff that I hadn't had much time for during the busy academic term - like spending time with my older sister (who recently graduated from the U of M) and visiting the Mill City Ruins near downtown Minneapolis.

While I have spent all of my college summer breaks thus far here in Minneapolis, I have decided to spend my final summer before senior year back at home in Southwest Minnesota with my parents. After three years of summer work and paying the bills myself, moving to an air-conditioned lake home with free room and board sounds great to me! I will be blogging periodically throughout the summer to share my thoughts and keep in touch as I try to land an internship for the fall when I return to Minneapolis.

Also...I have nearly forgotten that in the midst of the end-of-semester craziness, I registered for fall semester classes. Much of the coursework will be fulfilling my housing technology concentration and architecture minor - they add up to 16 credits total:

HSG 3482: Sustainable Housing - Community and Environmental Technology

ECON 1101: Principles of Microeconomics

Hope you're having a great summer so far!

Jesse LaMaack - Housing Studies, B.S.

Posted by JESSE at 3:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Its summer time! A time to relax a bit, take some time off from school, work in the fashion field on my own and through volunteer opportunities, work and save up for the fall semester, etc. Over the summer, I will continue blogging about my goings on, related to school, working and fashion design, but will only blog every other week. Feel free to keep commenting and asking questions and I will try to answer each and every one of them!

As far as this summer, I will be working two part time jobs: one, the one I hold during the school year as well, is as a student receptionist/assistant for the Dean's Office in the College of Design. This is great because a lot of the people I work with during the summer are newly incoming freshman, so its great to share my story and give them some insight into a student's life. My other job, that I just got recently for the summer, is working as a fit expert and personal shopper at Nani Nalu swimwear boutique. I work with clients, one on one, to find suits that fit them based on their sizes, height, lifestyle, etc. Its great for my career goals, because I eventually want to work with a range of sizes, and learning directly from women and what they like and don't like is great insight. Another great thing is that a lot of the women I work with, are within the size range I want to design for: 8-14, so learning and seeing what works best of those range of sizes is great.

Here is a picture of the boutique where I now work!

Lucie, Apparel Design

Posted by LUCIE at 1:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Readers, it is with great regret (and great pleasure) to say this is my last blog as your student blogger. I've had a great time sharing stories with you over this last academic year, but I'm excited not to be a student anymore! I'm still working on finding a job; however, I have an interview at Hopkins/Baumann, a small design shop that specializes in publication design tomorrow. I'm very excited!

Over the summer, my new friend Sean will maintain this blog every other week. I say new friend because he and I didn't know one another until he applied to take my place as the graphic designer in the College of Design Student Services Office. Since then, he's even applied to replace me at the Office of Information Technology! I also found out that he and I have the same birthday, separated by two years. So we're basically the same person.

I wish all of my readers luck in their future paths, whether you are a parent helping your student decide where to go to school, or you're the student embarking on one of the greatest journeys of your life. I hope I've helped you decide that the University of Minnesota is the place for you. It certainly was for me.

A fond farewell,

Patrick
Graphic Design B.F.A.

Posted by Patrick at 6:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last Saturday was a glorious day filled with friends, family, and a whole lot of memories. My family arrived around noon to traveled with me over to Rapson Hall. One of my studio-mates scheduled a pre-commencement photo in our beloved architecture building. It turned out to be very chaotic, but we took some great group photos. Our commencement was held in Mariucci Arena because Northrop Auditorium is being renovated. After hearing a motivating speech by U of M alumnus John Cary, we walked across the stage to shake hands with some of the faculty including Dean Fisher, Julia Robinson, Benjamin Ibarra Sevilla, Renee Cheng, and Loren Abraham. That short walk will forever be etched in all of our memories. I'll miss everyone that I've met here, especially those who have changed my life.

For now, this time after graduation is filled with excitement and uncertainty. I will have to choose a graduate school if I want to become a licensed architect. But before I rush back to studio all-nighters, I am considering applying for a Fulbright Scholarship to teach English in Poland. After spending two weeks there last May, I fell in love with a country that most people forget exists unless you have Polish ancestors. Hopefully, I will be able to experience their culture for longer than two weeks.

Beau Sinchai will be taking my position as the Architecture blogger. She is a great friend, fellow AIAS member, and student. Beau is seeking her Bachelor of Design in Architecture and will be graduating next year. You will learn a lot of information about student involvement from her; she does so much!

Good luck in everything you pursue! Thank you for reading my blog!

Best,
Holly
Bachelor of Science - Architecture

Posted by HOLLY at 10:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hi everyone, I wanted to first thank all of you for reading my blog! I hope you learned a lot about the U of M, Landscape Design & Planning Majors, and about the College of Design. The new Landscape Design & Planning blogger will be Sarah Sularz! She will be starting bi-weekly blogs over the summer with the first one being May 28th.

My plan for the rest of the summer is to continue working (while always keeping an eye out for bigger and better things, as you should too!) Next year I will return to the University of Minnesota for my final year in the graduate MLA program where I will be crazy busy completing my Capstone Thesis and will (fingers crossed!) graduate from the MLA program this time next spring!

Please do not hesitate to track me down next fall if you have any questions or simply want to chat about Landscape Design & Planning tracks within the Bachelor of Environmental Design!

Have a great summer!

Eric
Accelerated Bachelor of Environmental Design - May 2011
Masters of Landscape Architecture - Expected May 2013

Posted by ERIC at 6:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, well, well. The end of the year had to come sometime, and with the summer following behind it, I can't say I'm too somber. This week has been quite the transition being that my last final was on Saturday and now I'm finished with school until the fall. As I mentioned before, I'll be working quite a bit this summer, and that has only just begun. And if I'm not working, I actually have this wonderful thing called free time. With all this free time, I've decided I need to set some summer goals.
1) Exercise or be active 5-6 times a week.
2) Read for leisure.
3) Self learn more on Adobe Illustrator.
4) Cook more.

I'm really excited about these goals because they are all totally attainable, as well as beneficial if I can stick to it and accomplish them. Along with those goals for the summer, I'll also continue blogging-- though it'll be every other week until fall. Don't fret too much though! Time flies and I'll be back with another post on May 28th.

Until then,
Ashley
Interior Design

Posted by ASHLEY at 8:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hello Friends! School just got done this past Saturday and summer break is finally here! Woot! However, it does not feel like summer quite yet. I am still in the school mindset and can't seem shake the feeling that I should be studying or doing homework, but I have none, so I do not need to be doing anything; it is wonderful! It's nice to know that for the next two weeks, until my internship starts on May 29th, all I am obligated to do is rest, be lazy, and enjoy beautiful weather.

So the end of the semester not only brings an end to school, but also an end to my weekly blog posts. But do not fret friends, because this summer I will be blogging every other week starting May 28th. I am planning to keep you all updating on the happening of my internship and all that I am learning; but other than that it's pretty up in the air; so if you have any questions specific to previous posts or ideas on what I should cover or go more in depth with, let me know and I will definitely try to write about it!

Talk to you all in two week!
Sasenka-Retail Merchandising

Posted by SASENKA at 3:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hi everyone. This is my second to last blog entry with you. I'm starting to get a little sentimental about graduating. I haven't nailed down my next step yet, so I've been telling my friends that it's hard to get excited about the unknown right now. It's also been different at work, having everyone realize they're not going to be walking up to my cube to say, "Hey, Patrick," anymore. I've really enjoyed working at the CDes Student Services office, and I've grown so much personally and professionally there. I'm going to miss it a lot.

Saturday and Sunday are two of the most important days of my life thus far, though. Graduating from college has been on my mind since I started high school in 2004 (just realized how long ago that is ahhhh). There have been so many important memories made along the way, and I think that's one of the biggest things to realize: it's not just the education that makes you employable. It's the path you take and the lessons you learn outside of the classroom that make a person a life-loving, well-rounded individual.

I'm going to end this week's entry with a picture of all the regalia I will be wearing this weekend, besides the cap and gown. The maroon and gold medallion shows I'm a Latin Honors Graduate; the blue and white cords are from my fraternity, Kappa Kappa Psi; the gold cords show I'm graduating with distinction; the copper tassel shows I'm graduating from the College of Design; the white tassel shows I'm graduating from the College of Liberal Arts.

Oh, and I had a job interview at Padilla Speer Beardsley today (http://www.psbpr.com). Wish me luck!

Patrick
Graphic Design B.F.A.

Posted by Patrick at 1:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As you may or may not know, an internship is required as part of the Bachelor of Environmental Design degree program. Internships can be found on the U of M's goldpass site, the American Society of Landscape Architecture -Minnesota chapter website, Minnesta Nursery & Landscape website, and any number of city websites.

To help you with resumes, cover letters, and anything else job application related.... the U of M career services is a great help - and FREE to students!

I completed an internship with the Ramsey County Conservation District as an Urban Best Managament Practice (BMP) Design Intern. I designed rain gardens, dry creek swales, shoreline restorations, and native planting restorations.

Internships go a long ways when beginning to build your professional network and begin to generate persons you will use later in life as references for future employement. As broad as our program allows us to be, and all the various subjects we gain knowledge in, it never ceases to amaze me how interconnectd the professional world we will be going into is. Your current boss may just be golf buddies with your future boss.

Make the best of every opportunity you get!

Till next week... Where I will be introducing you to the new Landscape Deisng and Planning Blogger for this summer and the 2012/2013 school year!

-Eric
Accelerated Bachelor of Environmental Design - May 2011
-Master of Landscape Architecture - Expected May 2013

Posted by ERIC at 9:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Saturday, I will join my fellow studio-mates to receive my diploma in Mariucci Arena! Until then, I am finishing up some meetings with professors, cleaning out my studio desk, and passing the AIAS gavel to our new board members. Like most architecture faculty, my studio professor, Dale Mulfinger, met with me to discuss my grade and future. It's comforting to develop a relationship with a professor to seek advice about graduate schools, jobs, and life. In addition, all my studio professors would write a recommendation letter for me when I apply to graduate school! I've found that they don't have the direct connection with their professors in other degrees .

Cleaning out my studio desk was very stressful because it's hard to know what to save, especially since I will be moving in a few weeks. The best solution to a clutter-free lifestyle is to photograph and scan anything that seems important. Rapson Hall provides a great imaging lab and a scanner in their computer lab. Also, buy numerous external hard drives to back up your work. You never know when you might lose, drop, or spill water on your precious electronics.

It's come to that time of the year when I have to start passing on my responsibilities as AIAS President. I'm really excited to see what the new AIAS board will do in the upcoming school year. Good luck! I'll miss you!

I know I said last week that this would be my last blog, but surprise, I have one more! I'll introduce you to the new architecture blogger and tell you what my hopes for the future are.

Holly
Architecture - Bachelor of Science

Posted by HOLLY at 9:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hello friends! So, do you remember how last week I showed you a picture of a project I was working on for my visual merchandising class? Well that project was actually not only a project for the class, but also a competition for Target! About a month ago we, as a class, were given the opportunity to redesign/re-merchandise different sections of the Target store: women's ready to wear section, the men's swim shop, and the boy's Cherokee shop. Having been assigned partners of two, we were given the option in choosing which of the three shops to re-merchandise. My partner, Joe, and I chose to take on the challenge of re-designing the men's swim shop.

Spending many hours brainstorming, visiting Target and competitors, doing peer interview, and implementing our ideas on the computer program, mock shop, Joe and I finally got to present our project to our class last Monday. Out of about 40 groups, which presented both that Monday and Wednesday, Joe and mine's idea was selected to be in the top 12! Not only meant that we had a good idea on our hands, but that we got to present this idea to Target executives! We were very excited!

Well, this executive presentation actually occurred yesterday, Tuesday, and Joe and I ended up winning 2nd place! Not only is this a great honor, but also it is an even greater opportunity! By placing 2nd, we are given a chance to visit Target headquarters this coming August and discuss the possibility of a job opportunities after college! HOW AMAZING! I am so thankful for this wonderful opportunity!

Well if any of you have questions, please feel free to ask! But until then, have a wonderful week!
-Sasenka-Retail Merchandising

Posted by SASENKA at 1:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Things are finally winding down in the academic department, though it is finals week. I've gotten two of my final projects/exams taken care of and I've got two more later in the week, but I'm really almost done and it's kind of hard to believe. The spring semester probably flown by faster than anything I've ever experienced. It was a busy time and I have A LOT going on. From school and work to my tonsillectomy, social commitments and portfolio review, life was pretty crazy. And even the fall semester--I can't believe how far behind me that is now. I hate to be cheesy or overly sentimental, but it honestly feels like just yesterday that I was walking into McNeal for my first day of classes. The year has been a whirlwind, but I'm so happy to see summer on the horizon.

And speaking of summer, I've got a busy one of those ahead of me too! I've got quite a bit lined up for myself, including working at Rapson, completing a visual merchandising internship, doing my retail gig and then working back at McNeal. It's going to be crazy hectic, but I'm also really excited! It'll be nice to have a break from school, but I'm glad I'll still be productive.

Until next week!

Ashley
Interior Design

Posted by ASHLEY at 7:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Finals week here at the U of M is in full swing, and so far so good (for me at least). As much as I'd love to share all of my pre-exam stress drama with all of you, I figured it would be a good week to instead give you all a few reasons why I'm proud to be a housing studies major - a course of study that is often overlooked by prospective students.

It's a Real-World Major.

Because of the various housing classes I have taken this past few years, I have a full understanding of the housing market and its special relationship to our nation's economy. With housing being such a powerful economic asset, having an in-depth understanding of housing in America in the form of a B.S. degree will also be a pretty strong asset next year at graduation. The way I see it, Our major is pretty much job security because housing in this country is not going anywhere - and the demand for experts and researchers is only increasing as our housing market becomes increasingly complex. If there was an award for the major most relevant to the daily functions of our society, I would personally vote housing studies. I may sound a little bias in that statement, but housing is just that important. It's a (very expensive and complex) basic human need.

The People

Long story short, 75% of my housing studies classes have around 15 students (there's one larger class of about 40). The nature of housing studies courses encourage us all to work together and help each other out - whether we are doing a group project or individual work. There's only a handful of us in the program (roughly 12 undergrad housing majors, 26 students total counting those earning a housing minor). Note that this is not a typical program size at the U of M. We're all pretty much on a first-name basis and have likely had between 3 and 8 required classes together by graduation. I have made quite a few school friends so far and we're always helping each other out in some way or another with our studies - being competitive in the housing major would be counterproductive to the overall goal of our coursework.

Our professors, aside from being extremely knowledgeable, have devoted their careers to housing and are a huge resource to us students. They know our names, our interests, and tell us of any internship or job opportunities they've been informed of. After putting in the extra-mile into my housing coursework the past few years, the professors are more than willing to help you out with a letter of recommendation or serve as a professional reference. Our professors are also very involved in our HOUS student group events (often showing up with pizza), and will often give us opportunities to attend seminars and events with professionals.

I was asked by a professor to help represent the housing program on President Kaler's first visit to our department last year!

Well, I could go on all night but this blog is getting a bit long and I have a study tomorrow morning that I should be studying for! I'll save the last bit I had planned to share for next week. In the meantime, feel free to shoot me an email if any prospective students out there want any additional insight on what it's like to be a housing major! America needs more people like us out there who know housing like we do!

Jesse LaMaack - Housing Studies, B.S.

Lama0058@umn.edu

Posted by JESSE at 7:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Its finals week. That means different schedules, no more classes and final exams for some classes and final papers or projects for others. The nice thing about my spring semester this time around is that, because of our NASA project and trip to Houston, I don't have as much of a stressful time during this week. That is another thing about being a design student: most of your design classes have final projects instead of final exams which means lots of work before finals week, but not as much stress during the actual week. Your other classes however, will have final exams. My finals week this semester is pretty low key, which is nice considering the week before our trip to Houston, TX I wasn't sleeping more than 3 hours a night! I have a final exam tomorrow morning for my History of Costume class, as well as an online final for my Dress Society and Culture class. I have to turn in our final patterns, prototypes etc for my studio class as well, on Wednesday. My final paper for our NASA project is also due on Wednesday, I have been working on it and revising it throughout the semester but our final version is due then. My research class for our senior line was done a few weeks ago, with no final project. (It was only a 1 credit class.) The other class I had this semester, surface design studio, had our final projects due during the last week of class. Here is a photo of a few of my final projects for that class.

Lucie, Apparel Design

Posted by LUCIE at 7:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm sure you're probably getting tired of my writing about things winding down for me, but it's really what my life is about right now. It's tremendously promising and deathly frightening at the same time. My peers, faculty, and supervisors at work all have faith I will be employed quickly, but I can hear my bank account telling me that if I'm not working by June, July is going to be a problem!

It's not all stress, though. Last night was the Honors Recognition Ceremony for students graduating with Latin Honors. It was a wonderful event and a great celebration with my friends and old floormates from Middlebrook Hall. We went to Applebee's after for adult beverages (which is still kind of weird that we're all old enough to have those now) and, of course, half price apps.

This isn't chronologically correct, but Wednesday marked the last graded assignment of my undergraduate career. I created a book entitled Urban Frustrations, which was a collection of typography from construction signs and my smart-alec remarks back at them. It felt wonderful to turn it in and be done!

Today was the presentation of my Summa Cum Laude thesis, "More Than A Mark: Creating a logo and identity system for the University of Minnesota Marching Band." The presentation went extremely well, minus the part where I got teary at the end. Honestly, I think the realization that it's all over finally hit, and I lost my composure.

Finally, the registrar showed me the cords we get to wear for levels of distinction at Commencement today. I'm so glad I didn't buy a stole, and I also encourage everyone to do their absolute best. If not for the bling bling, because you want to. It will show when it comes time to graduate that you put your time in.

Personally, I will be walking wearing an honor medallion, the blue and white cords of my fraternity, and my cords for the level of distinction I earned. I'll also be wearing a copper tassel for my degree in Graphic Design, and a white tassel for my degree in Advertising. I'm not sure about you, but I think I have plenty to wear!

Until next week,

Patrick
Graphic Design BFA

Posted by Patrick at 3:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)