Summer Communication: Stay In Touch!

Official UMass business is conveyed via your UMail email address, and this includes anything that happens during the summer. Make sure you check your UMail on a regular basis, read any messages completely, and respond promptly, if required. Don't miss the deadline to apply for a special scholarship or appeal a suspension because you didn't read your UMail!

Make sure your personal information on SPIRE is up-to-date!  Does SPIRE have your cell phone number? Correct address?  Review your information and make sure it is both correct and complete. It can be a bit embarrassing if someone from a UMass office calls to change the time of an appointment and reaches your parent, not you!

Read the Undergraduate Advising Blog during the summer to make sure you don't miss important information. While many posts will be directed to incoming students, watch for information that might pertain to you, your schedule, or your academic program. Be among the first to know when grades will hit SPIRE or which department is hosting an info session the first week of class!

Last Call for the Academic Advising Link!

The Academic Advising Link will close for the semester at 8pm on Wednesday, May 1.  

Stop by to get help with your end of the year questions. We are open to all students in all majors.

If you need any help with your GenEds for next year, reading your ARR, navigating SPIRE, questions about closed courses, or you have other questions, be sure to come talk to our trained Peer Advisors.  We're located in the Learning Commons in the W.E.B. DuBois Library

Peer Advisors will be there from 4:00pm - 8:00pm from Sunday April 28 until Wednesday, May 1.

Have a great summer and we'll see you in the fall!

 

DEADLINE: Isenberg SOM Applications for BBA, HTM, and Sport Management Due May 1st

If you're planning on applying to the BBA track (Accounting; Finance; Management; Marketing; Operations Management), Hospitality & Tourism Management or Sport Management majors, time is running out.



Applications are due Wednesday, May 1 at 5:00pm.

If you have questions about the process, make an appointment to meet with an advisor before Wednesday. Read the instructions and information on the Isenberg site before coming in.

BBA Track Application Information

HTM Application Information

Sport Management Application Information

If you miss this deadline, you will have to wait until the Fall to apply.



It's Time For Finals!!!

Wednesday, May 1st is the last day of classes, and finals begin on Friday the 3rd! Now is the time to take hold of your academics and wrap up your semester on a positive note. Try out some of these tips for a stress-free finals week:

1. Make sure you know if your exams are cumulative. Cumulative exams will cover more material and including some material you probably haven't seen since the first half of the semester. Try this 5 Day Study Plan to help manage your workload and time.
2. It's also important to know the format of each exam. Is the exam multiple choice? True/False? Fill-in-the-Blank or Short Answer? Essay? You'll want to prepare differently for each type of exam, so knowing what to expect on test day is step one. 
3. Not sure where to begin? Knowing what type of learner you are can help you tailor your study methods to those that work best for you! Try this learning styles inventory to discover study strategies that will work best for you. 
4. Try forming a study group with classmates. Study groups can help keep you motivated and discussing course concepts with others can actually increase your ability to commit such information to long-term memory!
5. Whatever you do, don't let the Ten Traps of Studying get you!
6. Finally, don't forget to utilize campus resources. Many classes offer review sessions and most courses have TAs available to help clarify material. The Learning Resource Center in the library offers FREE peer-to-peer tutoring (by appointment only during finals week) and the Writing Center is a great place to have any essays or final papers reviewed before you hand them in.

Good luck!

Thinking About Summer Courses?

Are you thinking of catching up, getting ahead, or retaking a class this summer?  Here's what you need to know:

You can earn CREDIT for courses taken at another institution--such as a community college near home--but these courses WILL NOT affect your UMass Amherst GPA.  Want to be sure the class you take will actually transfer to UMass before you spend your beach-time doing homework?  Complete a Prior Approval Form before enrolling in the class.

You may also consider taking a class through UMass Amherst, either in-person or online.  Only courses taken through UMass Amherst will grant you a grade as well as credit.  You can check availability and cost and even register for such courses through UMass Continuing & Professional Education.  If you plan on repeating a course that you got a C- or below in over the summer, this is the way to do it!  Remember, you cannot repeat a course to replace a grade anywhere else but here.  Before going this route though, you may want to speak to an advisor.  The grade you get the second time is the one that counts toward your GPA, even if it's lower than your original grade, and summer courses can move at a very different pace than regular session courses, especially if they are taught online.  Check in with your advisor to assess which summer course options are best for you! 

Paul's Tip of the Week: Peer Advisors' Advice

This week, I asked some of my fellow peer advisors ways in which they deal with the high amounts of stress and work associated with the end of the semester. Here are their little tips on strategies on practicing self-care and make sure you stay focused and motivated during this critical time of the semester.

Tyler:  "Sleep, make time in your schedule to sleep before an exam...also set multiple alarms if you have an early exam. There is nothing more embarrassing than walking in late to a final or missing it completely."

AND

"Plan ahead. look at your finals schedule early to make sure you don't have 3 on one day or 2 at the same time. Also use this to plan out a study schedule for the week ahead"

Gabby: "Go to the gym to release some stress from studying"

Liz:  "My main advice is taking small 5 minute breaks throughout studying (like every hour) but making sure that they only last 5 minutes. That and lots of sunshine/fresh air."

So remember, it is important to stay busy and focused on your work during these next few weeks but it's also important to take care of yourself, get some sleep, and take breaks.

Maybe one of those breaks you take could include going to this year's Acappellooza event this Wednesday at 7 PM in Bowker Auditorium featuring performances from all the acapella groups on campus! Great way to sit back and relax for a little while. 

Whoops! Resource Economics Deadline is THIS Wednesday!

We accidentally listed the deadline for submitting your Statement of Interest for Resource Economics as May 24. 

YOUR STATEMENT OF INTEREST IS DUE ONLINE BY 

WEDNESDAY APRIL 24  

IN ORDER TO REGISTER FOR FALL 2013 COURSES AS A RESOURCE ECONOMICS MAJOR!

Reread the (corrected) post to learn more about what to do if you're planning on declaring ResEc for the Fall.

Resource Economics Online Statement of Interest DUE APRIL 24

In order to declare Resource Economics before the end of the semester and be able to add ResEc courses for the fall, you must submit your Statement of Interest Online by APRIL 24.

Be sure to read their Undergraduate Handbook to familiarize yourself with ResEc prior to submitting your statement. Here are the three options of fields of study that are possible within Resource Economics. But you should begin your search here if you want to be a Resource Economics major.

Good luck!

Weekly Preview: April 22 - April 26

Welcome to the last full week of classes!

As classes wind down and you're preparing for your finals, there are still deadlines and events to pay attention to.

Speaking of finals, you did check your schedule and clear up any conflicts, right?  Right???  Click here to reread what you must do right now!

The deadline for declaring Resource Economics for the Fall is this Wednesday, April 24.  You must submit their online Statement of Interest by noon!  Click here to read more about the major and to find the Statement of Interest link.

Career Services will be holding a free Ice Cream Social on Friday, April 26 from 12 - 4 in 511 Goodell.  All students in all majors are invited to meet with Peer Adviors and Career Services staff to learn more about what Career Services can do for you! 

Two important dates for next week

There will be an R1 Exemption Test on Monday, April 29 at 6:30pm in Marcus 131. 
Bring a #2 pencil, ID, and calculator.  Passing the R1 exam (at least 12 out of 20 correct) will satisfy the R1 requirement for graduation but will not result in the awarding of any credits. There are, however, credit courses that will also satisfy the R1 requirement.

The deadline to submit your application for any of the majors in the Isenberg School of Management is Wednesday, May 1 at 5:00pm.  Reread our earlier post for more information and links to the applications.  This deadline is not negotiable.

Get the JOB

How do you get a job when you graduate?

>>  Your chances improve if you've had an internship (or several).

As cited in an NPR story on 3/4/13, the “National Association of Colleges and Employers found that 63 percent of paid interns in the class of 2012 had at least one job offer when they graduated. Of those who did no internship, only about 40 percent had an offer.”



How do you get started?

INTERNSHIP HOW-TO

Thursday April 18 

from 4-5:00pm in 604 Goodell

Hear from staff and a student about what you need to do . . . and how cool it can be!