Students@UM-Flint

Taking a selfie at the graduation ceremony in December.

It’s been two months since I graduated, but every day I still make the drive to campus. I groan when there are unnecessary snow days and gripe when there aren’t snow days when it is necessary. I come to school every day, but I no longer go to classes. I head up two flights of stairs to the School of Education and Human Services Dean’s office where I unlock my office. I’m still part of this campus, but not a student anymore.

My after-graduation story isn’t like most graduates. I haven’t moved away. I’m not struggling to find a job. I had a job when I graduated, and now it’s transitioned into a full-time position. Trust me, it’s incredibly weird to walk past rooms where I had classes and it’s even weirder to now work with professors and staff members I once interacted with on a student basis. I don’t feel like I’m having the after-graduation experience. Which honestly bums me out a bit. Part of me wishes I had that two month period after graduation filled with Netflix benders and having philosophical questions about what I want to do with my life. Just day after day of sleeping in late and loving the graduate life while panicking about find a job. Yet I love my job and love that I can still interact with this campus.

Graduation wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be. However the actual walking across the stage was incredibly nerve-racking for someone who doesn’t like any attention drawn on herself. It didn’t feel like the end of something, but a transition onto the next step. I’m even looking into graduate courses at UM-Flint for the fall. It’s been quite the journey here at UM-Flint, and I’m just not ready to stop yet.

Being an introvert during this time of year can be difficult. We have one semester under our belts and are headlong into winter, eagerly awaiting summer on the other side. In the meantime the hustle and bustle to and from class, the long lines in the grill, and the daunting tasks of attending office hours with your professor are daily struggles we introverts face. None of these sound like a good time to the introvert. So below I am going to list several ways you can either help take care of that special introvert in your life or, if you are the introvert, make sure you make it through the semester in one piece.

Plan Ahead

For most introverts this comes easy. We think ahead. Being strategic is essential to our survival. Planning our day means that we know how much energy we need to deposit at each pit stop. That meeting that you have to attend may need mental preparation to deal with all the extroverts talking over one another. The class that requires you to be a part of the dialogue with the professor means seeking out a moment where you can get in a solid comment. All of these activities can take it out of an introvert, so planning ahead is key.

Keep It Down

There is nothing worse than feeling like you do not have a voice. Introverts often have things to say, but maybe not as much as their extroverted brethren. When you are in the UCEN and a group of friends are hee-hawing over one another, there is probably an introvert lost in the shuffle. It can be difficult to make yourself heard as an introvert. But when we do, believe that we have put a lot of effort in speaking up.

Find Your Place

This is both literal and figurative. Physical spaces can affect your introvert in ways it may not affect you. Being in the presence of someone can be draining if it was not apart of the introvert’s master plan. Our energy reserves are only so deep. So we seek spaces that make us most comfortable and that usually means with few people or none at all. This also means that you, as an introvert, may gravitate to a special group who provides this kind of comfort. Find them, keep them, and cherish them. They will make these 4-6 years of college bearable if not enjoyable.

Communication

Introverts are notorious for preferring non-verbal forms of communication. As stated earlier, when we speak it is usually charged with a lot of our energy. This also means that when we do talk, it is important to us and holds a lot of weight. The worst thing you can do to an introvert is not listen to them when they are investing their time and effort in you. It is our precious gift to you. It is important we feel you think of it the same way.

Diversity

Although I may be making blanket statements about introverts, know that one shoe does not fit all. Use your best judgment, find out what works for your introvert. Ask questions and consider their answers. Doing this will bring out the best in your introvert and let them know you care about them. If you are an introvert yourself, be aware that extroverts need love, too, and even if our noisy cousins drain us, they are just doing their best to make it through college, too.

With all of this cold weather lately, it’s been hard to muster up the desire to go outside for any reason other than classes and work. However, there are some opportunities not too far from campus where you can stay out of the chill and have a good time, like checking out a show at the Whiting or visiting the Flint Institute of Arts.

If you didn’t already know, students get discounted tickets if you purchase them on the day of the show. If you go the morning of the production with your student ID, you can purchase up to two tickets for $12 each as long as there are still seats available, which could mean a great discount on a front-row seat!

Coming up in the next few weeks at the Whiting are:

Flint Symphony Orchestra February Classical Concert
February 8^th at 8pm

Hamlet
February 11^th at 7pm

Chicago the Musical
February 18^th at 7:30pm
February 19^th at 7:30pm

Celtic Crossroads
March 1^st at 8pm

I’m hoping to get a rush ticket for Hamlet next week and my family and I are heading to see Chicago on the 18^th.  If you haven’t seen a show at the Whiting yet, you should definitely check one out, and be sure to check out what else is happening at the Flint Cultural Center this month!

This semester marks the first time I’ve had classes in Riverfront. For some reason, upper-level Spanish classes have been relegated there instead of the tiny freezing room on the first floor of French Hall.

Honestly, it’s not too terrible overall. I had never had a reason to go to Riverfront before, so getting to see the place every day is kind of cool. It’s called Riverfront for a reason and it has some really nice views of downtown Flint and the Flint River. On the slightly less bright side of things, the classroom I am in does not have windows.

Since it’s currently winter, and quite a bitterly cold winter I might add, I have come to sincerely appreciate the skywalks that connect the main buildings on campus. The Pavilion can get you close to Riverfront, but it’s the last stretch that kills you, especially with the traffic on the bricks which can sometimes seem more like walking into a free-for-all between speedy metal behemoths than crossing in front of a society following the rules of the road.

Some things that are super cool about Riverfront include the scrolling stock updates and fitness center that is so high above the second floor where classrooms are that the people working out can not only look down on you for not working out like them, but also literally look down on you as you scurry to class shivering and wet. It’s good motivation, haha!

Sadly, the two classes I have there don’t follow one another so I make the trip over twice a day, once at 11 and once at 5:30. Extra incentive to go slow and appreciate the often-overheated skywalks since I know I’ll be missing them sorely on the trek to my Spanish classes, I guess!

In all seriousness, Riverfront is a really cool building and I’m glad that I had the chance to experience some classes. I’ll still try to avoid it at all costs in future schedule planning just as much as I avoid Friday classes.

Hello UM-Flint and welcome to the Winter 2014 semester! Fall 2013 was a whirlwind of business and fun for me so I hope I can keep the ball rolling into 2014.

After our extended winter break, we’ve been in classes for about two weeks now, give or take a holiday or two. That means the introductory period has worn off and classes are really getting into the swing of things.

I overloaded a bit on credits to make up for some slack that was created my Sophomore year due to some cancelled courses and that resulted in my current schedule being packed to the brim with 17 credits distributed among seven classes (two of which are online) in addition to another class that I attend to serve as an assistant! By some sort of miracle, I managed to squeeze all those classes into only Mondays and Wednesdays so I can cram the other days of the week with work. As you can probably tell, this semester is going to be crazy. Hopefully the fun kind of crazy.

This semester’s gonna be all about making sure everything is in its place and my schedule functions like a well-oiled machine.

Busy is good!

The new year has been in effect for about three weeks now and I’m realizing that I have completely dropped the ball. Shoot, I’m starting to think I never even had the ball in the first place! You know everyone, including myself, wakes up December 31^st with positive thinking about the New Year and their plans to change for the better.  As of now, I’m pretty much sucking at that. I barely make it to the gym, rush to finish homework assignments, eat like a pig or get so ‘busy’ that I don’t eat at all! I want to blame the snow days we were “blessed” with at the beginning of the semester for getting me off track but that is not mature of me at all.  I must take accountability for my New Year laziness.

I looked at my grade of one of my classes (yes, we already have grades smh) and I just popped up out of my chair like, “Alright something’s got to give! Because this isn’t going to work, Janelle” (and yes, I talk to myself…don’t act like you haven’t). I’m sure some of you can relate to this. You had it in your head all late last year that you were going to change with those handy dandy new year resolutions of yours. You were so sure that this year was going to be different that as the clock struck 12 on January 1st, your new mantra became “New Year, New Me.” But real talk, it’s probably just the same old you, if not worse because you probably had all these high expectations for self like:

1. Going to the gym
2. Eating better
3. Being more social
4. Getting better grades
5. Being a better person

…and you’re probably sucking at most or all of them right now, like me. The truth is the people who are really changing are the people who didn’t wait for the New Year to start living better; they just did it right away. New Year resolutions can help put your life in perceptive but in all honesty, it’s just a way to put off things you need to do—a way to still overindulge on that Thanksgiving/ Christmas/Hanukkah /Kwanzaa/“Whatever you want to call it” meal before you start “working out” in January so you can be sexy-smexy for the summer (I know I’m talking to you).

Real talk, if you want to change your appearance, or your grades, or your attitude, just start doing it the moment you think about it. That’s all it takes. Even baby steps are steps in the right direction. So that’s what I’m doing, starting by getting back in sync with writing these blogs. They’re not just for you to read but somewhat therapeutic for the person writing them. I hope you all enjoyed and will follow my journey on the road on being a better me …basically not sucking.

Be better today than you were yesterday! Toodles!

The end is near! With just 8 days until the end of the semester, we’re going in to crunch time. The Campus Activities Board is bringing you a great way to relieve some stress with their final event of the semester – Casino Night!

Join CAB tomorrow night from 8PM-11:30PM in the Happenings Room of the UCEN for your chance to win big. There will be slot machines, roulette, poker, blackjack, and more. With your M-Card, you’ll get 20 FREE chips to start you off. You can purchase more chips throughout the night for $1 to increase your winnings, and at the end, you can cash in for raffle tickets. These raffle tickets will enter you to win prizes like games, iPad minis, and a PS4. If lady luck just isn’t on your side, you can also purchase raffle tickets outright for $1. All proceeds collected that evening will go toward the Relay for Life of UM-Flint, held March 28-29, 2014. Be sure to join in on the fun and try your hand at some great games!

If Casino Night’s not for you, there are two events next week to help get you ready for your final exams. Don’t miss the Midnight Breakfast at 11:59pm on Thursday, December 12 going into the early morning of Friday, December 13. Enjoy a great, free meal served by the First Street Residence Hall’s Hall Council in the Riverview Dining Room. After eating, you can sleep for a few hours before heading to the University Pavilion for the Study Day Tutorama. Stop by throughout the day for free pizza and free tutoring to help get you prepared for all of your tests!

Good luck with your exams, UM-Flint!

A break from school – finally!  I won’t tell you how long I’ve been counting down the days until this break arrives (maybe since early October…). As we get ready for this brief vacation, what kinds of things will you be doing?

Turkey Day

Thanksgiving always makes me think of tradition. There are usually more than 10 of us who gather for Thanksgiving and some of the most amazing food. Euchre is a must (that’s a card game that everyone should learn to play if you don’t already know how!). Watching the Thanksgiving parade is just as important, and rounding out the list is hanging out with family and relaxing. I enjoy spending the time with everyone and lazing around for those 5 days of absolute nothingness.

Black Friday

How will you spend Friday, November 29? Is it another day for you to sleep in, or will you be fighting with the best of them as early as 6PM Thursday evening? I’ve never been one to do any of the 3AM, 4AM, or 5AM rushes on Friday morning, and I spend my Thursday evening in a food-induced daze after all of the turkey and pie. I’ve just never been that much of a die-hard for any of the deals that come out at every store imaginable, although I do nod to anyone thinking about camping out in front of their favorite stores after dinner on Thursday.

I hope that everyone enjoys their holiday break and gets some well-deserved rest!  The countdown to Fall 2013 final exams is approaching, so be sure to get your Zzs in now and check out the final exam schedule before coming back on December 2 ready to kick butt and take names for the final 2 weeks of classes!

When I started my last semester, I still felt like I had all the time in the world. I hadn’t even started my senior Honors thesis yet and nothing about graduation was popping up in my inbox or mailbox. In just two months, I’ve started and finished my thesis, become a Maize and Blue Recipient, and am attending the College of Arts and Sciences’ Graduation Celebration. Woah. When did I stop being a freshman deciding to join a sorority and become this adult having to make big decisions and being in friends’ weddings? You know you’re getting old when people  you know are getting married.

When you’re a freshman or a sophomore it feels like you’re never going to leave. I still feel that way. That once I cross that stage during commencement I’ll still be coming back the next semester. I don’t think it will really sink in until the new year rolls around, and I no longer have to study for a test. I’m already aware of how hard it is going to be to let go. Maybe that’s why my future goals and career goals have changed this last semester. I no longer want to work in advertising, bur want to work in higher education marketing.

So as I continue to feel nostalgic, enjoy your time here. Maybe it’s not where you thought you would end up, but it’s where you’re at. Make the most of it before it’s gone and you can’t have it back again. Meet new people and do something you never thought you would.