UT Tyler Wind Ensemble Concert!

                With finals just around the corner and tensions running high, it’s definitely time to find some kind of way to relax and stop worrying about everything. Luckily for me, I found a way to chill pretty quickly. I decided to go to the last UT Tyler Wind Ensemble concert of the semester! If you have read any of my previous blogs you know about my ridiculous obsession with music, so this was the obvious choice for me.

                After my semester concert for my percussion ensemble ended, I no longer had to go to class. I feel like I have been musically deprived since then. I have a few friends who are in the Wind Ensemble, so I would always ask them when their final concert was. Plus I’m just really pumped to actually be in the Wind Ensemble next semester! It’s definitely going to be different, because I've been playing percussion for the past four years and now I’m going back to clarinet! Hopefully it’ll all work out in the end.

                I went to the first concert that the wind ensemble put on earlier this semester, and I was really impressed! From what I have been told by my friends that are in the wind ensemble, they are playing really cool (but yet difficult) music. I know that I will be blown away again. I am definitely ready to get my finals over with, and move into a new semester. If the school  never put on things like this, or any other campus activities, I know I would go crazy.

                The UT Tyler Wind Ensemble concert will take place this Thursday night at 7:30 in the Vaughn Auditorium in the Cowan Center! It’s free and open to the public, so please come see what the ensemble has been preparing for! Hope to see you there!

Colder Weather at UT Tyler

So, as we all know, the weather is starting to get cooler and fall is setting in. Most people welcome this change with open arms! However, I prefer the summer, so right about now is when I grudgingly drag out my winter clothes and coats. (I was unprepared for this weather in Family Ties).

See? I can tolerate the cold weather, just not for long periods of time.

Now it's that time of year again, where the buildings won't turn on their heaters yet, but it's too cold for the air! Today at work with my fellow UT Tyler Bloggers , I am keeping warm in the office by wearing my PEA COAT while inside! And, I still can't feel my toes! :O 

A few Facts About Kat: 

1. I am very cold-natured. Even during the hottest times of the year, I am often cold inside and/or during the nights. 
2. I love ice cream, Icees, popsicles, Blizzards...and pretty much any frozen, delicious treat of sugary goodness. 
3. If it didn't cost about $1,847,293.47 to always have a space heater running in my bedroom, I would absolutely do it. 

So, today at work when we were enjoying some delicious ice cream for funsies, I did so while wearing my winter gear inside. Take a look: 

My love for ice cream extends beyond my frozen toes and fingers! 

STAY WARM out there, my fellow Patriots and friends! 

Are You Excited About Any Classes?

For the first time in my collegiate career I am truly exited about a class I am about to take. Now don't get my wrong, I've had plenty of classes that I have found interesting but there has never been a class that has stuck out as truly extraordinary. Until now.

Tomorrow at 12:30 I will begin my 20th Century Presidential Leadership class with Dr. Linehan,. She only offers it during the fall semester of election years as the main focus of the class will be on the current election. Now I know a lot of you are thinking that this class will just be one non-stop headache of yelling and chair throwing but that won't be the case. It will be mostly screaming and desk throwing...

Tune in this semester as I will be talking about this class in great detail as it will become known as THE BEST CLASS EVER!!!!!

Life Cheat # 19404: If you park in a reserved spot on campus you're gonna have a bad time.

Beginning of the End or End of the Beginning?

Tomorrow will be the last “first day of the semester” I have as an undergrad. In December I plan on walking down the aisle to accept my diploma and quickly jump back into the world of academia with graduate school. I’ll most likely stay here in Tyler where I am comfortable and already acclimated with the History Department and its faculty. I’ll write my thesis, get my masters, and then I’ll be on my merry way to continue my education by receiving a PhD……. Mmmmmmmmmm, It tastes so scholarly.

Are You Ready For This Semester?

Today is the last day of July which means in 20 days the 2012 Fall semester will begin at UT Tyler. You've probably been lounging about for the past 2 months (except for those taking summer courses) and have even forgotten what you signed up for. Well, here's a short check list to help you prepare for the coming semester.

Have you paid your tuition and/or other bills that may put holds on your account?

Be sure and check your myuttyler account prior to the start of classes to make sure you have no fees or fines that may impede you in any way. You can also pay any outstanding bills via the cashier's office.

Do you have all your school supplies in order?

Be sure to bring at least a pen/pencil and a few sheets of loose leaf paper as some of your professors may want you to take notes on the very first day. HOWEVER, it is best to wait until after your first class to get any books for your classes. Some of your professors will not make them required or will base the entire class off their lectures alone. The syllabus may say the book is part of the class but the professor may say something different.

Is your home clean?

Before any semester begins I like to thoroughly clean my entire apartment to make at least the first week or so of classes stress free. However, this will change as the semester goes on and all my time begins to be engulfed by school work.

Do you have a parking sticker/permit?

Parking stickers can be paid for at the cashier's office and then picked up at the University Police Station with your receipt. For more info you can check out my this post which talks about where to park on campus and this one which explains how to go about getting a parking sticker/permit for this upcoming semester.

With this general outline your preparations for the upcoming semester should be most enjoyable and be completed with the greatest of ease

Life Cheat #84710: water taste a little... not so good? Simply put a slice of cucumber in their to instantly give your water a fresher taste.

Parking For Fall 2012/Spring 2013

The Police Department will begin issuing parking permits for the 2012/13 academic year this Wednesday, August 1. It is very important that all incoming freshman and returning students and faculty alike go about getting one before classes begin on August 20.

The new parking rules and regulations can be seen here under the Parking and Traffic Information tab. However, you can also look at my previous post concerning parking on campus. Remember, you must pay any outstanding parking fines before you will be issued a permit. 

Alpha Phi Omega

At the beginning of the semester, the organizations all get together for a campus event
and display themselves to the incoming freshmen in hopes that they will join their group. They present you with information about their organization, candy, sticky notes and other shiny materials with their organization name printed on it. That way, you remember them later when the chaos and nervousness of taking college classes.

We have a number of organizations on campus. Most of the student workers of this blog are in one or more student organization.I had my pick of organizations to choose from. My big thing in high school was that I was apart of organization which became more of a family over the 6 years that I was apart of it. That organization was AVID (Advance Via Individual Determination). AVID is "a college readiness system for elementary through postsecondary that is designed to increase schoolwide learning and performance." according to their website. Volunteering was a key part of 

the organization as it looks good on your college applications.

            My ears perked up at the mention that an organization had Jimmy Johns sandwiches. I jumped on the opportunity for free food. If you don't know already, the way to get college students to come to something,is to offer them free food, and they come like moths. We sat in the a presentation room in the third floor of the University Center, snacking on the sandwiches as the head of the organizations explain to us what Alpha Phi Omega was. Which is a service fraternity but really acts more like a service organization. That's when they reeled me in.  After the presentation we went to dinner and set a reminder to go to the meeting at Wednesday at 5. I managed to stick with it for both semesters and now it looks like this baby petitioning group will be a chartered by Fall 2012. Finger's crossed. 

The Quest for the "Perfect Schedule"

Don't run from your fall schedule... REGISTER NOW!

      It is again that time of year where I am finally trying to figure out the ‘perfect schedule’ for the Fall semester registration. Because I don’t have very many hours left to take, my next two semesters of my undergraduate career will be a seemingly lighter load. The desire to accomplish the elusive ‘perfect schedule’ is still very much present. Only Tuesday/Thursday classes or only Monday/Wednesday/Friday classes? Early morning and get it over or later classes and sleep in? So many questions in the quest for MY perfect schedule.

         In my experience there is a few things which will help you in your future scheduling conflicts you will encounter.

11.       Register EARLY. If you are in a bigger department, all of the ‘good’ classes (or the classes everyone HAS to take) will be full if you do not get there in time.