...of Studying and Time Management!

Are you nervous about studying and time management in college? I know I was really nervous about this when I came here, and I have found some tips and tricks to help with classwork!

1. Use your planner. You will receive a planner from the university at the beginning of the year, and it is so important to write down important dates. Go through your syllabus at the beginning of the year and write down all the due dates and test dates!
   
   
   
2. Make a to-do list. This is something that has helped me so much. I use my planner to write down important dates and assignments from class that day. I will make a daily to-do list to write down everything I need to accomplish that day. This ranges from assignments and studying to cleaning my room. It feels so good to cross out the list and be done at the end of the day, so this might help you too!
   
3. Make a friend (or more) in your class. Get to know the person next to you! I have made a lot of my friends in my classes, and this really helps around test time. Finding a study partner can really help you in class. Having someone you can ask for help on anything assigned in your class is really nice!
   
4. Find what studying technique works best for you. Studying is different for everyone. There are a few techniques you can use. One is flashcards. This can be on note cards or online on Quizlet. Another is writing important things down on a piece of paper a lot of times until it is memorized. Another thing to do is outline and highlight your notes, both from lectures and from the book. There are other ways as well, so be sure to find one that works for you!
   
5. Don’t stress. I know this one may seem impossible, but if you manage your time throughout the day and allow yourself enough time to study, you will be less stressed. Study until you feel confident, and try not to overwork yourself.

These are just some things I wish I knew when I came to college because they have really helped me with my classwork. The biggest thing is knowing what works best for you to study, so use different techniques and see what works best!

-STAR Emily

...of a Movie Addict on a Budget

Hey Future Panthers!

STAR Grace here with another awesome deal for you, especially all you movie lovers out there!

Just a couple miles from campus is College Square Theatre! This movie theatre has all the same great movies showing all over the country, but they have some special deals for us college students and for the Cedar Falls residents as well.

The great deals they offer for college students are available on Thursday: admissions to any movie is only $5 and a small popcorn is free! :) This is a really fun activity for you and friends or as a quick study break! 

Not only is there a sweet deal on Thursdays for college students there is also one on Tuesdays for everyone! The movies on Tuesday are $5 as well, plus free popcorn, $2 candy, and $2 hot dogs! 

Last week I saw Cinderella with a drink and popcorn for only $8.00 total! Normally its about $7 just for admission. 

Be on the lookout for great movies while on campus because the deals are great, and after all that studying, you'll definitely need a break! 

P.S. Be sure to checkout the the College Square Theatre website for deals when you're here!

Cant wait to see you on campus! 

-STAR Grace

...of an Elementary Education major!

Hey future Panthers! STAR Hannah here!

As some of you may know, I am an elementary education major! The returning students are starting to register for classes, so I thought I would give you guys some insight on what typical classes are in the schedule of an elementary education major!

I started out the fall semester of my freshman year taking mostly Liberal Arts Core classes. The good thing about being an elementary education major is that a lot of the LAC courses are also major courses, like Math Reasoning for Teachers I and any of the Inquiry into Life, Physical, or Earth Science classes!

I registered to take my Level 1's during this Spring semester. If you are not familiar with this terminology, it is short for saying "field experience." There are 3 levels of field experience, and then the fourth "level" is student teaching! Level 1's is usually two classes. One of them is called Dynamics of Human Development. I am currently in this course, and it is very interesting! It goes through the development of humans, beginning with the fetus--a course perfect for elementary education or early childhood majors! The second course is Level 1 Field Experience: Exploring Teaching. This is the class where you talk about what goes on while you're in the classroom in a surrounding school district. My field experience placement is in a first grade classroom at Orange Elementary in Waterloo! I am loving it so far! I have to be in the classroom for a minimum of 30 hours. At the end of the semester, I will have gone for at least 3 hours per week for 10 weeks. On Monday, I had the pleasure of teaching a short math lesson, and I had a lot of fun interacting with the students! It was like being the teacher for five minutes! I am currently working on a lesson plan to teach a mini-lesson about the story Chrysanthemum!

 Some of you may remember this from your childhood!

The best part about our College of Education here at UNI is that they make sure you get out into the classrooms before Spring semester of your second year! This creates a very hands-on experience since the classroom is where we are able to learn best from other experienced teachers. The video on the College of Education homepage (uni.edu/coe) is a great summary of just how awesome our program is! You can also find many helpful tips and resources on that website as well. Feel free to explore it a little bit!

Have a great week, future Panthers! :)

~STAR Hannah

...of UNI Now!

If you are a student planning on attending University of Northern Iowa, have been accepted, paid your acceptance fee, completed your housing contract, will submit your final transcripts when you graduate and have a summer orientation date scheduled, congratulations on your becoming an official member of the Panther family!

When you attend your orientation session, you get to stay on campus overnight, meet your new classmates, learn more about your major, register for classes, and attend the Pantherpalooza to play games, relax, and just have a great time. If you think that sounds pretty fun, just wait to see what else we have in store.

UNI has something brand new and exciting coming up this summer! Incoming students, after they attend their orientation, can come to campus for the new UNI Now program on August 19th and move in early! This will give new students the chance to get acclimated to the university, get to know their peers, and participate in fun activities put on by our admissions Cat Crew!

“How do I register?” you may ask. Well, you can do it easily online at http://www.uni.edu/orientation/uni-now! If you think orientation and its accompanying activities are fun and you can’t wait for your college experience, you haven’t seen anything yet! 

- STAR Lauren

...of Going Home for Spring Break!

Hey Future Panthers!

Spring break just ended and it's back to work and classes! Before, during and after spring break I heard a lot of people complaining about having nothing to do. So, I decided to put together some tips of fun things you can do over spring break even if you aren't going anywhere!

Have a great rest of your week F.P.'s!

~STAR Eliza

... Of Preparing for Midterms

Hey Future Panthers!

At UNI, midterms are approaching, which means a ton of homework, projects, and tests.  This is also the time where most students are either relieved or overwhelmed… 

Here are some tips to avoid feeling so overwhelmed about midterms during your time on campus!

·       Make to do lists or keep a planner

Lists are a great way to manage your activities, homework, and deadlines.  It is also a great feeling when you are able to cross items off your list!

·       Turn off Netflix

Many of us are guilty of binge watching Netflix, but when midterms are coming up, it is a good idea to either turn it off or minimize how much you spend your time watching it.  Instead, use this time to be productive by studying, completing projects, or doing homework

·       Find a study spot

Personally, I find it difficult to do intense studying in my room or house’s lounge.  Find a study spot that is quiet, not too busy, and without lots of distractions.

·       Study a little bit every day

Pretty self-explanatory; studying a little bit every day helps make the workload seem a lot less intimidating!

·       Don’t procrastinate

In the moment, procrastination might seem like a great idea, but do not do it.  The all-nighters, last minute study sessions, and panic about if you will finish a paper on time is not worth the stress.  Like I said before, get a little bit done every day.  Set little daily goals and this will help reduce the amount of stress that comes with procrastination.

·       Get plenty of rest

It might feel like you are constantly on the move, so be sure to get lots of rest to keep your energy up for the next day!

·       Exercise

Exercising is a great way to keep endorphins going!  It is also a great way to relieve stress while staying healthy!

·       Do something fun

This can be anything!  For my roommate, she has decided that a nap is what sounds the best right now.  I volunteered at Special Olympics with my friends.  Do something that will just make you relax, laugh, or be happy.

Sydney and me with our buddy Mark at Special Olympics

 -STAR Courtney

...Of a Winner!

Hello friends,

I have created a video for you guys about my experience volunteering for the Special Olympics last Sunday. I hope you like it and that you get involved with things like this in your community! :)

Peace.Love.Special Olympics

-Star Olivia