COMMUNICATION Courses, Anyone?

COMMUNICATION COURSES OPEN TO NON-MAJORS, SPRING 2014 
 

There are seats available in some COMM courses, and they're NOT restricted to COMM majors!

Check these out (and pay attention to what you take if you might want to declare COMM):

• COMM  122:  Intro to Media Programming & Institutions  (3 cr.)
• COMM  140:  Introduction to Film Studies  (3 cr.)
• COMM  250:  Interpersonal Communication (3 cr., Gen Ed SB)  NOTE: This course does NOT count for the major so DO NOT take it if you hope to become a COMM major.
• COMM  288:  Gender, Sex & Representation (Online with in-person exams, 4 credits)
• COMM  342:  History of Film II (not open to first year students)

Stay Connected!

Classes are done and finals are starting. You've earned your break! But just because classes are over for the Fall doesn't mean you can ignore your UMass email.
 
As always, official UMass business will be conveyed via your UMass email address. Make sure you check that account on a regular basis, read any messages completely, and respond promptly, if required. Don't miss a deadline or important academic information! It is your responsibility to check your email often, even when classes are not in session.
 
Also, take a moment and make sure your personal information on SPIRE is up-to-date. Does SPIRE have your cell phone number? Correct address? Review the information listed and make sure it is both correct and complete.
 

Good luck on your finals, papers, and projects! 

Looking for the General Ed (BS) class: “Insects & Human Society”?

          It's moved! 

“Insects & Human Society” was transferred from Plant, Soil & Insect Sciences over to the Natural Resource Conservation program and is now listed as NRC 126.   This spring, it is being offered TuTh 11:15 with instructor Roy VanDriesche.  There's LOTS of space available!

Here's the Course Description:

Survey with emphasis on the successful design of insects and their innovative features. Aspects of insect biology, including communication, defense, feeding, and mating behaviors. Social behavior with a focus on termite, ant, and honey bee societies. Beneficial uses of insects such as silk and pollination, and negative interactions with humans, including disease vectors, parasites, and crop pests.    (Gen.Ed. BS)  Formerly PLSOILIN 126.

Paul's Blog Post: End of the Semester Crunch

Yep, Thanksgiving Break is officially over. With only two weeks of the semester left, we are definitely at a point in our undergraduate careers where stress levels are high and the workload may seem impossible.

But it's not! Here are a couple of tips to manage your projects, tests, presentations, essays, etc. while taking care of yourself:

Take on your hardest assignments first: One of the most inconvenient things I consistently do is always starting to work on my easiest assignments. By the time I get to the homework I really don't want to do or that matters more, I am tired, impatient, and still have no desire to finish these harder assignments. By taking on your hardest assignments first you can get additional help if you need it, avoid the "all-nighter", and slide on through with the rest of your easier assignments. If you have a comic book to read for a class or a 10 page essay to write, please at least start that 10 page essay first. Trust me, that was me a couple of days ago and I did not take my own advice.

Get help with your writing: Having a plethora of final essays to write in multiple classes can oftentimes feel overwhelming. Once you finish one paper, you still have another to write. My advice to support your writing endeavors is to get some help. Whether it's your professor, TA, classmate, or even a friend, it is really important to have someone read over your paper.

A great resource on campus is UMass' Writing Center where students can meet with a tutor to help them along with their writing process. Make an appointment today!

Take Breaks: Don't be afraid to relax a little bit. Take breaks in between assignments. Grab a meal with a friend. Go to a yoga class. Get some froyo, you deserve it.

Get off of Social Media: No Facebook. No Twitter. No Tumblr. No Instagram. No Snapchat. Or at least, keep the usage of these applications to a minimum for the next weeks. Trust me, snapchatting a selfie as you work on a paper will not get that paper done any faster. I learned that the hard way a couple of hours ago.

So good luck, persevere, and finish the semester on a high note!