UT Tyler Freshman Orientation session 1!!

     New Patriots flocked the university as the first orientation session occurred last Thursday and Friday. The University of Texas at Tyler welcomed these new freshman as they have taken the interest in attending UT Tyler. Orientation is always different for every session, the programs are the same for each session, but the new people make this experience fresher every time. Orientation is not only a valuable program for students, but parents also get to experience UT Tyler first hand!

UT Tyler reschedules College Showcase: Education and Psychology!

     The College Showcase event for the College of Education and Psychology is rescheduled to occur on Monday, March 3 at The University of Texas at Tyler. Due to the icy conditions on its original day on February 12, the event could not take place. This time around should be beneficial for students who are looking at majoring in education or psychology!

Advice to My CAP Students Coming to UT Tyler

CAP Students always want to know if it's hard, how the program is, etc.

I'm a current CAP student as well and this August I am 98% sure that I will have the GPA to allow me to go to Austin. (Fingers crossed. There's a month of school left)
That being said, I'm going to let ya'll in on a little secret...
It's not that hard. I promise.

Coming to college is NOTHING like going to high school. In high school, you had homework everyday, you'd get ready for tests every week, and blahblahblah. 

My first week here I swear, I was near tears thinking about how I wished I could just drop out. I couldn't handle it. It felt like soooo much. It's not even because we have more work, it's just so different from what I was used to.

Luckily, I stayed and I got the hang of everything.

It's all about time management and being on top of your assignment due dates and test dates. So PLEASE read your syllabus and have a calendar of everything you need to turn in. Your professor won't remind you like your high school teachers did.

Certain classes you find the best ways to pass them. 

English classes - Essays and papers are important. You have the Writing Center for that.
Math classes- Go to class. Do well on quizzes and you'll do awesome on the tests.
Science classes- Go to lab. 
Psychology- Read the book. Do the online studies. Read the notes.
History classes- GO TO LECTURES. And read the book. Go to SI. History's pretty hardcore here.
Political Science classes- Go to class. The professors tell you everything you need to know. 

 First semester I did awesome. Even though I was meeting all my new friends and had days when I really did NOT want to get out of bed or walk all the way to class, I would make myself do it. First semester I was SO motivated, because all I was thinking of was Austin. 

Second semester... ehhhh. You get into the hang of things. Once you get comfortable you start slacking, I won't lie. 

Please don't do this. You still have to maintain a 3.2 GPA. So you still have to do well! And if you're anything like me, that just means you have to do EXCELLENT your first semester so that you CAN chill out a bit your second semester. However, with my major, I don't have to apply to any particular college in Austin. I'm automatically accepted. 

For those business majors and other majors where you have to get into a special college, you'll need a higher GPA. And make sure you get your essays and everything done on time. Keep in touch with our Admissions counselor, Carlos Alvarez. He'll look out for you.

There are a LOT of CAP students who come here. Everyone comes in with the mindset that, "Oh, it's just two semesters, it's just a year, blahblahblah", however, some people end up really loving Tyler. I know a lot of my friends who have decided that they're going to stay here. You meet all these amazing people, we're at a really good school, and this type of environment just ends up suiting you. 

Don't ever feel bad about wanting to stay. It happens to a lot of us. 

So, to all of you, congratulations and good luck! I didn't know anything about Tyler when I chose it as my university. I just knew it sounded bigger than my other choices. I ended up falling in love with this school. I've enjoyed my time here and I truly believe they've helped prepare me for Austin. 

Come, work hard, study, and have fun! You can do it! Just don't forget to truly experience Tyler while you're here!

My College Experience

       The semester's end is drawing nearer and nearer. My Freshman year is going to be over in 6 short weeks!! So, I decided that I would write a blog reflecting back on my first year in college!

       Before I moved here to UT Tyler, I was living in a house with six other people. I have a very big family, so I was not used to being on my own whenever I moved away from home. I was used to always having a part of my family around me. So that was one of the very first adjustments that I had to make.

       I didn't know what else to expect when it came to college. I was the first person in my family to go to a university. Another thing that I had to get accustomed to, was trying to manage my time. Time management has never been so important and critical to me. I learned over time how to balance school, work, and having a social life. It took a while and a lot of mistakes, but I got there.

       One of the great things about living right here on the campus was that I could interact with other first time freshman very easily. I met very many people over the course of the first two weeks that I was here. Now, many of those people are my friends! And friends are an important thing to keep close, especially in difficult times, like moving to college.

       Overall, I believe that I did quite a bit of learning this year, both academically and just about myself. College is so different than anything else I have experienced, yet it's one of the best things that I have ever done. I honestly don't know what I would be doing if I wasn't at college. Responsibility plays a much bigger role in my life than it ever had before!

       So, for all of you high school seniors out there who don't know what to expect from college, don't worry. The next four (or more) years of your life are very well going to be some of the best years of your life! Sure, it might be different at first, but like everything else, takes some getting used to!

       If any of you ever need any kind of advise about college, or wants to share your freshman experience, you can leave a comment below! :)

My Experience Becoming a Freshman at UT Tyler prt. 1: Housing

Coming to a new place is always terrifying, obviously.
I had no idea what to expect moving hours away from my home and family to Tyler. I tried to do a lot of research and see where I was going to live, what there was to do, what the people might be like, everything.

Every time I come to work I feel awesome that I can help someone with making their college experience by sharing mine. However, some people don't know to call or what to ask when we're on the phone with them.

So here are some things I had questions about when it came to  making decisions about financial aid to housing to just where to hang out.

If I tried to stuff all of that information into one blog, it would be way too long, so here is the topic for today: 

HOUSING

Housing was one of the things I was most excited about getting done. I was so ready and so excited to get out of my house and be on my own (no offense Mommy). 
There are a lot of options when it comes to living on or off campus.
It's required here at UT Tyler that freshman live on-campus if they live more than 50 miles away.
I know it's a good money saver to live at home and commute if you live close enough, but your freshman year I definitely feel like you should live on campus. 
That's not to say that you won't have a good experience living off-campus at all, because I have a lot of friends that commute here. (You'll be the one everyone calls for their kitchen and when people want to go out on weekends)

But when you take into account convenience and parking and just the freshman college experience, I'm so thankful I live on-campus.

Gabby and Emmy's Ode to Freshman

This blog is dedicated to all ya'll Freshman out there :) Hope these tips help!

Semester Number Two

                Hey guys! Well, the spring semester of my freshman year here at UT Tyler has officially begun! I can already tell that this semester is going to be a lot more difficult than my last semester was. It’s not at all a bad thing, and I actually think that the classes that I am taking are going to be much more exciting than all of my previous classes were.

                As some of you may know, during the fall semester I took a math class. I really don’t like math, which is weird because my major is currently management! Now I’m not taking any math classes at all, and so far I found my classes to be much more appealing than before.  Now I’m taking courses like History, English, and Politics. So far, they all require a lot of reading.

                In addition, I am now officially a part of the UT Tyler Wind Ensemble! It’s all very exciting for me! I honestly feel like I’m finally doing something right in school by being in this ensemble. Everyone that I’ve met in the wind ensemble is all very nice and funny, just like how I am. I really missed band being a part of my life when I graduated from high school. Maybe I should reconsider what my major is, maybe.

                If I stay on track this semester and step up my A game, I really think that I can really excel in all of my classes this semester! I have set a standard for myself to do the absolute best that I can in everything that I do. I’ll be sure not to disappoint myself!

                Also, I got a new camera for Christmas, so now I can record video blogs in better quality! I am really looking forward to being able to use it! I came up with a small list of videos that I think will be fun and interesting, so be on the lookout for any video blogs on our page in the future! If you have any video blog ideas for me, I would absolutely love to hear them! If you do have any, please leave me a comment below, or anywhere on our Facebook app! As long as I can get to them!

                How is your semester going so far? Leave us a comment below too! Be sure to subscribe to our blog too! We would very much appreciate it. :) Happy 2013!

-          Chandler Upchurch 

Advice for freshmen - from a freshman!

After being a freshman in college for a good three weeks, I have learned quite a few things about college. I’ve also relearned how to do things that I already knew how to do, but better. Here are just a few of the things I’ve learned so far!

·Get as much sleep as you can at night! When you stay up until 3 of the am and your first class starts at 8 the next day, you end up feeling more tired than you did when you went to sleep. And then once you get in the habit of going to bed late at night, it’s really hard to break that habit. Basically, if you know that you’re going to have to wake up early the next day because you have a class, don’t stay out too late.

·Don‘t wait until the last possible minute to do your homework. When you procrastinate, you feel rushed, and don’t necessarily have a lot of time to think about what you’re putting on your paper. And if you decide to do your homework the night before, make sure it’s not after midnight, because then you’ll get less sleep, and feel like a Zombie the next day!

·If you have a meal plan, don’t go out to eat while the met is open. When you go off campus and spend your own money on food, when you can just your meal plan, that’s a waste of your money. Now if you just don’t feel like getting the usual food and decide to eat somewhere else that’s fine, but I wouldn’t recommend that you make a habit out of it, or you’ll run out of money fast!

·Keep your things organized, and especially keep track of you syllabi. If you just put you papers just anywhere, when you go to look for them, you might not find them. So it’s just better to buy some folders and organize your things however you feel fit. You’ll be glad you did! Also highlight anything that you think is important on those syllabi, because your professors might not remind you about when things are due.

Basically, keep yourself together and don’t panic if you mess up. I may just be a wee little freshman, but think I’ve learned a lot these past 3 weeks! This is only the beginning of a new semester, and things are starting to get really interesting in my classes!

P.S- Feel free to leave me some comments! They really help me out! Tell me what you guys think about my blogs!

Music + Me = LOVE

I finally enrolled into, and am now a part of the  UT Tyler Percussion Ensemble! I’m really glad I decided to add that course, because lets be honest, I can’t even go one semester without playing any kind of music. Music is what makes me feel happy when I feel lonely or sad or bored. If music didn’t exist, I would live in a constant state of boredom! Anyone who knows me knows that if I’m listening to music, I’m deep in thought, and don’t want to be bothered. But does that stop them? Haha, nope. But I feel like music is where my true passion and talent lies. Now don’t get me wrong, I do happen to be good at a lot of things, music just happens to be my favorite of them! Like I’ve probably said before, I’ve been playing instruments since I was in the fourth grade. In high school, I was on the drumline which, of course, was the most interesting part to play, and shall I say the most fun? Yes, and it was totally worth all of the sweat, hard work, and early morning practices.

      When concert season approached, I pretty much decided to stick to playing the marimba, unless it was a Sousa march, then I wanted to play bass. For those of you who don’t know who John Philip Sousa was, he was the man who wrote the Washington Post March, along with many many other famous marches. I’d say he is for sure one of the most famous music writers for concert band that there is in America! Anyways, if I could chose to do anything in the world at all, anything, then I would without a doubt play music in a symphony or something like that. But I’m nowhere near that level of skill when it comes to playing music, but I’d like to get there someday. Or maybe even compose music like the famous Michael Giacchino!

I’m very excited, needless to say, about what the upcoming semester has to offer me. I do have high expectations, and I will succeed at all costs. When I go to practice next week with the rest of the percussionists for the first time, I’m pretty sure I’m going to be really nervous. I’m excited to see what comes up for me next, and I’ll be sure to welcome it with open arms! 

Moving On and Growing Up

                       I recently made the greatly anticipated move to college, which I have been waiting for since I walked across the stage at my graduation from high school in May. And who hasn’t been waiting for the day you’re finally able to grow up and become an independent citizen of society? I even had an app on my phone counting down the days, the hours, and even the seconds until I was on my own. As the days grew closer and closer to move in day, I began to feel a lot less prepared than I should be. I almost felt like a deer caught in the headlights.

                     Finally move-in day arrived, and everything I was used to became a thing of the past: free school, home made meals, and living in a house of eight. . Now I have to buy my own food and gas, pay for my schooling and books, and learn how to keep up in my academics and maintain a social life while also getting enough sleep. I wasn’t quite sure how I was supposed to handle all these new things at once all by myself. It seemed like it was going to be really complicated at first, but I quickly realized that I am not alone in this awkward time of transitioning from relying on parents to becoming an adult. I met a lot of new people, and in the end, it was mostly those new friends who helped me. To be honest, becoming a college student was a little bit unlike I thought it was going to be, but I’m really glad that I did it. :)

New Patriot Orientation- session 1

The first New Patriot Orientation session of the summer was held June 14-15. It was my first time being an Orientation Leader and I have to say, it’s a really great college experience to have and I’m so thrilled to be part of such an exciting team of people and contribute to an important campus-wide event.

If I accounted every single detail on every single event, this blog would go on and on and on… so instead, I’ll just mention the highlights and tidbits that stuck to me.

Day 1

The Orientation Leaders and Orientation Planning Committee had to meet by 8am Thursday morning to get ready and help with last minute preparations. Even though most of us were still groggy and half-asleep (as most college students are at 8am), there was an underlying excitement and anticipation in the air. 

O-Hall Three Bedroom Tour Vlog

Three Bedroom O-Hall Tour!!! Take a look at what it really looks like to live in a three bedroom at The University of Texas at Tyler! I hope you like it!!!

Maturing in College?/1000th Blog!!!

Thinking back, I realize my room has gotten cleaner and more organized every year since I started college. Needless to say freshman year wasn't my most efficient year. Coming in as an unorganized and sporadic freshman my room was usually messy. Clothes were all over the place along with books and shoes. Somehow clothes managed  to hang from the laundry bin, sit around the laundry bin, and even under the laundry bin but never actually make it inside. The change finally came when i woke up late one morning and had to sift through my clothes to find the new ones making me late for class. Sad I know. The next day I angrily organized my room and gave everything a proper place. Out of spite since then I've managed to keep my room in good condition and most importantly, efficient for those late mornings. In fact, having my room a bit messy starts to bother me now. Maturing in college. Not just a myth after all.

It has been brought to my attention that this blog is our 1000th blog of the students communications team. Congratulations everybody!