Back to the fut….I mean campus January 13, 2010
Posted by abearman in : Uncategorized , 1 comment so farThis week it was definitely back to the campus; back to work, back to classes, and back to getting on the daily grind of writing, reading, studying, reading, and more reading.
Not that I just rolled up in the Circle Drive of the University Center in a suited-up Delorian, with a lab coat and goggles, happy to explore the unseen terrain and time, but it actually was not all that bad.
This semester, I only have three classes, equaling 12 credits. I was already receiving syllabi over the break, and so I came into this new semester well prepared to take care of business. I only attend all the classes once a week each, so that is a great help when my entire schedule comes into perspective. Each class was pretty good, and we got out early from all of them, as expected. One class departed early due to the snow advisory! Yay snow!
It feels great to be back on campus, not necessarily because I missed it, but rather so that I can start the next step that gets me closer to Graduation! December 12th, 2010 is the day! There are a lot of things to look forward too, including the Mr. & Ms. UM-Flint Scholarship Competition and the 9th Student Leadership Conference featuring Lauren Lake (www.laurenlake.com). I will be at both because they are great events, and I will be working both of them!
Also the Winter Block Party is this week, as well as my favorite event to attend (bias included too), Monday Manna!!!
This is going to be a great semester! Don’t you feel it?!
Finals you say? December 16, 2009
Posted by abearman in : Uncategorized , add a commentYes, yes, yes, it is that time of the year again.
The time of year when anxiety runs high, all expected to be succumbed by a great deal of rest and satisfaction. This is the time of year where “cram” becomes a part of many students vocabulary. It is the end of a college semester, which can only mean one thing: FINALS!
I have had many finals while being here (unlike my good friend who just told me that in his 2 ½ years on campus he has never had a final) at the University of Michigan-Flint.
This year is no exception. I only have one test final, but boy do I have some papers to write. One final is already complete, but I do have three more to finish, in addition to some term papers that I have to complete. Once I am finish with ALL that I have to do, I am going to sleep and read over the holiday break! School can wait, because I am definitely pooped.
But thankfully there is a break after all of this, and my energy will be restored back to full capacity.
If you are studying for finals, or writing papers, my best advice for you is to do it yesterday! I have been caught up so many times due to procrastination, and it will always leave you scrambling at a time where you could be focusing on holiday plans.
And most importantly, you must avoid traps, i.e. Facebook and MySpace. Everyone who knows about these sites is aware that minutes can quickly turn to hours if you’re no careful, and hours wasted is definitely what you don’t need during Finals!
Books and Movies December 8, 2009
Posted by abearman in : Uncategorized , add a commentHere is a list of movies/and or books that I would suggest you check out!
Terminator Salvation: I recently watched this again, and it is my favorite out of all the terminator movies. Sticking to the theme of destructive cyborg robots that are always on the hunt and kill for someone, this movie actually had some credible emotion to it, making it not all the way robotic in its approach. The action was great, and the storyline was even better. It also did a good job of incorporating the knowledge of all the previous Terminator movies, and would be a more enjoyable watch if you see the three previous movies first! Definitely a movie for a free evening!
I Kissed Dating Goodbye: Don’t be shocked by the title! Many people miss out on a good read because they are a frightened by the title! This book, written by a then 21 year-old Joshua Harris, is a great book to challenge any reader to rethink their approach to relationships. It has many interesting stories and information, coupled with humor, failure, triumph, and even some things that will convict the hardest heart! I’d recommend it, and if you’re scared of the title, I suggest you quickly open it in order to get away from that page!
Any M. Night Shyamalan Movie: I am a fan of M. Night Shyamalan and his movies. Just as mysterious as his first name, are all of his movies that I have watched. Suspense, thrill, shock, humor, etc. are all a part of his production repertoire. His movies that I have seen are, The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Lady In the Water, The Village, Signs, Stuart Little, and I believe that is it! All of these movies, with the exception of Stuart Little (which is still a good movie) are very different movies, and will give you mixed emotions in exactly why do you like them!
Do Hard Things: This book written by two seventeen year old twins, is a book that challenges young people to “rebel against the low expectations” set for them by society. Young people, especially teenagers, are not really expected to do much when you look at things. This book will motivate a young person to rethink the way that they are living their ‘teen” years, and realize that it is really the launch pad to life! This is a necessity for any young person, and even some adults or “kidults.”
I would also recommend a movie called August Rush, as well as another book called The Power of the Second Man!
Miller Road December 8, 2009
Posted by abearman in : Uncategorized , add a commentFlint has some great “hot spots” around the city and my favorite probably has to be Miller Road.
If you have never been down Miller Road and you live in Flint, well quite frankly, you haven’t lived! Miller Road which is more on the Southwest side of the city, has tons of restaurants, stores, and shopping places for one to browse. Some of my favorite places are Family Christian Stores, Guitar Center, K&G Fashion Outlet, and more. There is a Target as well as a K-Mart.
Further down the road, there is, but of course, the Genesee Valley Shopping Mall! It, in itself, is full of stores to browse to meet all of your spending needs. Recently, the mall even held a concert on the inside of it; talk about innovation!
And then, there is my “favoritest” of the favorites!
The restaurants!
I love Applebees! I love Cottage Inn and their Chicken Mediterranean Pizza! I love Q’doba and their Mexican style burritos! I also love KFC, Arby’s, Sonic, Fuddruckers, Famous Dave’s, and the list goes on. They even have a WacArnold’s (McDonalds) even though I don’t eat it (more on that in a later blog).
Overall, Miller Road is a great place to visit while in Flint. There is easy access too I-75, and the area features several main roads that will lead you into other parts of the city.
Thanksgiving! November 25, 2009
Posted by abearman in : Uncategorized , add a commentI have some big plans for Thanksgiving!
I am sort of a bus passenger on turkey day; I make stops at various homes to partake in my share of their delicious food. This year will be no exception. I plan to wake early in the morning to eat my Wheaties. This way, I will have the energy to accomplish my task set out for the day: Eat!
There are so many families at my church that are cooking, and I will try to visit them all. I will also be attending a Thanksgiving party that will be held during the afternnon, including watching some football, eating again, and watching more football. On Thursday night, I will be heading out to Birch Run with the POSSE to shop during the Midnight Madness Pajama Jam. I look to also meet up with some of my friends from high school who are in town for the holiday break!
Its going to be a grand time, and hopefully I will remember to take pictures to share with you all of my time off!
Eat and be merry!
Courses for the Winter November 23, 2009
Posted by abearman in : Uncategorized , add a commentSo I finally got to register for classes…at least some of them.
I have been having issues with registering for all of my classes, because with me now taking the professional block classes, we maintain the same course section for each semester. However, some students registered for the wrong section, and well, things are like they are now.
Fortunately enough, Ella Moore of the Social Work Department knows what she is doing. She has been employed here at the University for a while, and course registration horrors are nothing new for her. She is so calm and relaxed, and something that a student believes will end the world, immediately becomes a light thing after conferring with her.
So, I am registered for my classes, and I got everything I needed (I don’t know too much if I actually wanted them). But I must complete the work at hand so that I can get that good ‘ol degree!
A class in particular about that I am eager (not necessarily excited) about taking is SWR 470-Statistics and Data Analysis for the Evaluation of Social Work Practice.
It is a new class, and me and everyone else there will be the first to partake of it! Now if that is a good thing or a bad thing, I am not sure. I guess I will find out once we receive the syllabus!
The Semester is Ending November 18, 2009
Posted by abearman in : Uncategorized , add a commentThis past week went by like lightning. It was, and then it was no more!
At one point I was just getting out of my Monday evening class, and the next thing I know, I’m closing up the office Friday evening, getting ready to head into the weekend.
My how time has flew!
And whether you know it or not, these are the tell-tale signs of one thing: the end of the semester. This Fall 2009 semester is quickly approaching, as we have less than a month before the last day of classes. Usually at this time, students are preparing for major assignments, or scrambling to turn any late assignments in. Some studious students are already preparing for finals, and some students, maybe a few, have the luxury of having everything turned in, allowing them to focus on their Thanksgiving Break plans.
I am definitely not one of those students. I have lately spent my free time writing on papers, some that are unfortunately late, and others that have yet needed to be turned in.
I am a senior, so one can imagine the amount of work facing me at this stage of the year. All I can say is that I am really looking forward to next semester. I am really looking forward to the time where I can capitalize on the mistakes I made this semester, and achieve in those same areas next semester. The beginning of a semester is always grand, because everyone starts ahead. But how quickly one can fall behind with just a little procrastination!
And how quickly can a week that needs so much attention, how quickly it can pass one by without even knowing.
P.S. I register for classes on Tuesday, November 17th. Oh joy!
And the “Top Ten” are… November 12, 2009
Posted by abearman in : Uncategorized , add a commentOne of my favorite events to watch on television is the ESPN SportsCenter Top Ten Countdown: In honor of it, here is my UM-Flint Top Ten Countdown!
10.) Campus size: I love the small size of the campus. Its not too small, but its definitely not too big. And if I’m ever running late for a class, I never have too far to go.
9.) Welcome Back Events: The Fall Welcome Back Picnic and the Winter Block Party are great for the campus and the students. It keeps students motivated knowing that the school recognizes the need for some social interactions and activities.
8.) Access to Computers: There is a surplus of computers available throughout the campus: in the library or one of the three computer labs.
7.) Proximity to Downtown: The campus is surrounded by downtown and all of the various businesses to go with it. Especially restaurants!
6.) Comfort: I have never been uncomfortable while being on campus. This is important. I don’t worry about my safety, and in addition, there are large comfy couches and chairs throughout the University Center and even in some classrooms!
5.) Food: It seems that every event on campus has food to serve! When I am hungry I can attend an event and gain both some knowledge and a bite to eat.
4.) Access to Administration: as a student, it is an empowering thing to have access to the administrators and leaders who run the school. Daily I run into the Chancellor, or many of the various deans and I am always welcome to share any concerns or ask any questions.
3.) Home: I would not be able to enjoy the University if I didn’t have a home to go to in order to get away from it when I needed to!
2.) Monday Manna: I love going to Monday Manna every Monday in the KIVA! I have a class that runs the same time as M2 this semester, but when given a class break, I always spend the break in the KIVA checking out on what is going on! Jesus is awesome!
1.) My Job! : The people I work with “make” the UM-Flint experience for me!
Soup Kitchen November 10, 2009
Posted by abearman in : Uncategorized , add a commentLast week I had a great time!
I went to go and volunteer at the north End Soup Kitchen with the Office of Civic Engagement. It was a First Friday day of service, and me and some other members of POSSE tagged along to go and serve for the day. It was 30 of us in all, which was a major turn out. Our group was split into three different teams and each team was given different assignments.
One team served in the kitchen to help prepare and serve lunch to the hundreds of people that come. Another team went across the street to the old Sacred Heart building to distribute clothes and other items as a form of outreach.
My team signed families up for Christmas give-a-ways. We took information on each family and the amount of children that they had. Families got to choose whether to get clothing or toys for their children. It was exciting, and very fast paced, as we probably served 300+ people.
One person could not speak English, so I got the chance to use my skills learned in Spanish 111 and 112! It was very exciting, and I’m looking forward to the next time of going there as I always enjoy it!
Work’n November 5, 2009
Posted by abearman in : Uncategorized , add a commentI have been working on campus, technically before I ever stepped foot in a classroom.
I was hired in the Office of Educational Opportunity Initiatives by way of recommendation, and it has been a joyous experience ever since! EOI has ten programs, and the program that I work for is the Bridges to Success Program or BTS for short. For those of you who have been following me this semester, you have already read about some things that I do on my job. As a Program Associate I am pretty much a jack-of-all-trades. I plan programs and events. I assist in doing academic consultations with the students we serve. I communicate with campus and community partners and I am even one of the unofficial IT and Graphic Design persons.
For the program that I work for, we have 5 components to it, as well as three large scale annual events. Those three events are the Mr. & Ms. UM-Flint Scholarship Competition (formerly Pageant), the Student Leadership Conference (SLC) which is February 4th, 2010, and also our high school summer program, Workshops On Wednesdays (WOW). I work with a team of great people, and we all put in tons of time as far as planning, creativity and the like with each and every event. I love working with the students here on campus, and over the past 3 years I have had some notable and memorably experiences!
It may sound crazy to you, but I don’t get paid for all of the labor that I put in! I do this thing every now and then called “volunteering.” This Friday, I will be volunteering at the North End Soup Kitchen in Flint. One of our programs at my job, POSSE, will be joining with Civic Engagement’s First Friday Day of Service. I have been to North End before and it is a great experience. There are so many people there to meet, many who need the help as well as a smiling young face to serve them food and clothing! Make no mistake; just because someone eats there doesn’t mean that they are hopeless and helpless. I have eaten at the Soup Kitchen countless times while growing up in Flint, and it’s something that I thank God for providing…I’m sure the hundreds of people who frequent there now feel the same way.
If you’re interested in participating, contact Gary Ashley in the Office of Civic Engagement at (810) 424-5458 or visit CCE in suite 1001 of the University Northbank Center.