Keep Calm UT Tyler. It's Almost Summer

   Finals week are at full swing this week at UT Tyler ! Even though it's not quite summer yet, I wanted to share some of the things I am excited about for the summer!

1. NO SCHOOL! This is actually the first summer since Sophomore year of High School that I will NOT have summer school .

2. Florida: My family and I are going on vacation to Florida, Universal Studies to be exact! I haven't been to

Florida since high school. It wasn't a great experience for me at all! Unfortunately, there was a storm that came a day before we flew in. As you can guess, it wasn't a pretty site at all. There we're sea weeds everywhere that the storm brought in! It also became a little bit chilly.

 3. Diagon Alley :  For all my fellow Harry Potter fans, Diagon Alley opens at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter! AGHHHHH!!!:)

4. Transformers: The Ride 3D and Despicable Me Minion Mayhem are other attractions I am excited about! Oh yeah, back to being a kid again!

5. Lounging: After a semester of constant studying and stress for the nursing program, I am ready to just lounge and not do anything for once! Catching up on shows, sleeping in late, tanning by the pool... oh yes, I. AM. READY!

    These things are what's keeping me going and pushing through finals week. Just a couple of days guys and WE WILL BE FREE!!!! 

Good Luck on Finals!

         

    Another semester is closing to an end. I feel torn about this. Of course I am looking forward to summer without class, sleeping in late, lounging by the pool, and not waking up to that pesky alarm clock. However, I am not looking forward to finals week ....


            So this is a quick blog to tell all my fellow Patriots LOTS AND LOTS of luck as we embark on yet another finals week here at UT Tyler . Remember to do your course evaluations as well on myUTTylers , so you can check your grades earlier!

          It's a bitter sweet moment for me as well, having to say good bye to friends here at Tyler as I go back home to Allen next weekend. For all of those who are moving out for the summer and moving back home, I wish all of you a safe travel!

   

 Just remember that the end is almost near! Do not give up! Always remember that pain is temporary, so stay up late night, chug those coffee, and get those bags under your eyes, because we have less than two weeks of school left! After these last few days pass, it's going to be worth it and to be able to say that you got through another semester. So finish strong! See you guys next semester! 

Boba Loompia!

Adobo: meat marinated in spices and soysauce

          Finally, a Filipino restaurant will open right across the street from UT Tyler's campus! Personally, I can't wait till this restaurant opens! As a fellow Filipino that lives a couple of hours from home for school, I really have learned to appreciate my mother's cooking. That is one of the things I miss about being home...THE FOOD

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day fellow UT Tyler Patriots! 

        What is Earth Day you say? Earth Day is an annual event that is celebrated on April 22nd to demonstrate support for Mother Earth and her protection! The very first Earth Day occured on April 22 1970. The Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act and many other groundbreaking environmental laws soon followed.  

More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world" according to Earth Day Network. 


This day was created by senator Gaylord Nelson  to make people aware of the importance of keeping our planet healthy and clean. On that day,people made promises to help the environment and make positive changes in the community. And you can do it too! 

So go out there and help plant trees, 

                                     cut back on shower time

                                                                                                                                                       Ride a bike instead! 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       and don't litter!

The Truth About College

        It's been a year and a half since I was a mere freshman at UT Tyler, "moving out" from home and experiencing a whole lot of independance. I remember how excited I was. No curfews, you get to eat whatever and whenever you want, and no one telling you to do chores?! Oh yeah, I remember the feeling. It was quite nice wasnt' it? But then the reality of college than the media doesn't emphasize creeps in before you know it...



   

UT Tyler's Pollen Storm

              It's that time of year again, water eyes, snotty noses, and heaps of used kleenex !
Here are some home remedies you can try for those pesky allergy symptoms!

Amelia's Farewell

   This past Friday, I had to say, "See you later" to someone very close to the Student Call Center . After 5 years at UT Tyler , Amelia Harrell sets of on a new adventure! Amelia (or Amy) established the Call Center here at UT Tyler. She was actually the one who hired me for this job almost two years ago when I applied on Patriot Jobs !

     This woman is such an amazing person. It's still a bit emotional for me to write about her leaving so i'll keep it brief. Amelia will truly be missed in The Office of Admissions, especially here at the Call Center. She put so much effort and dedication towards the success of our office here. She invested so much time and energy to train each of us, write manuals, and about one hundred other things to make the Call Center,  Preview Day and other Admission events so successful.

Cowan Center Presents: The Addams Family

              Gomez.....Morticia.....Uncle Fester.... Wednesday...... Pugsley.....Lurch... Thing..... Do these names sound familiar to you? Well, if you are a 90's child like myself, you probably grew up watching The Addams Family! 

     One of the most well-known family, The Addams , was aired from 1964-1966. It was first seen as a cartoon created by an American catoonist, Charles Addams. The Addams family is a satirical inversion of the ideal American family. The Addams family are eccentric, a grim atmosphere, and are unaware that people find them frightening and bizarre. Gomez Addams is a wealthy man who is madly in love with his wife Morticia. They have a daughter Wednesday as well as a son,Pugsley. The Addams live on 0001 Cemetery Lane with Grandmama, Lurch, the butler, and Thing, a disembodied hand that appears out of wooden box. 

Spring Break Blues

   Back to reality..   UT Tyler's Spring Break is over, and eveyone is either still in Spring break mode, still dreaming about Spring Break, or college student like me, who wished their Spring Break was a lot more eventful.


      I spent a majority of my Spring Break, unfortunately cooped up in a library since I had a test the Monday morning after Spring Break... That's nursing school for ya! I did however went to Marble Falls, Tx to go zip lining! Marble Falls is about 30 minutes outside of Austin. Speaking of Austin, I just want to express my condolances to the vicitms of the SXSW car aaccident.

UT Tyler Gate goes to Meiji Jingu Shrine and Imperial Palace

      Meiji Jingu Shrine is a Shintu Shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. After the Emperor and Emperess passed away, people commerate their virtues by donating 100,000 tress throughout Japan and overseas and worked voluntary to create the forest around the Meiji Jungu Shrine.

We had the opportunity to witness a traditional Japanese wedding! 

    Shintu does not have a founder, a holy book, as well as the concept of religious conversation. Shintu values for example harmony with nature and virtues such as "sincere heart" or Magokoro. Shinto believes in Kami, divine spirit, that is seen in mythology, nature, as well as human beings. In Shintu, it is believe that there is an unlimited number of Kami.

You can also purchase Ema, a wooden tablet which wishes can be written down and hung around the camphor tree.

Isn't it beautiful? 

UT Tyler's GATE student's also toured the Emperial Palace! This is a brief description from the Japan National Tourism Organization, which I could not have put any better " The Imperial Palaces, where their Majesties the Emperor and Empress reside, is situated in the center of Tokyo. The palace is surrounded by a water-filled moat and tree-covered grounds - a precious taste of nature within the bustling metropolitan city" 

Imperial Palace

Crazy Weather at The University of Texas at Tyler

    The winter of 2014 has brought some crazy weather. The student's at UT Tyler even had TWO days of bad weather this week! Due to this weather,  this is a compilation of things you might want to keep in your car just in case:)

jumper cables: When the weather is really cold and it's perilous to drive, remember to at least start your car and let it run for 5 min. Doing so recharges your battery especially in the low temperature when the cold decreases the power of the battery available  to start the car. Find a more detailed explanation here! Need help figuring out how to use jumper cables? Click here!

Navigating myUTTyler

    myUTTyler is a great tool for both prospective and admitted UT Tyler students! I know it can be hard for students who have never navigated through myUTTyler to find the student center, which basically where you will spend a majority of your time when using myUTTyler.

1. Go to the UT Tyler website and hover over UT Tyler log in. Click on myUTTyler.

*If you do not remember your credentials, you can contact IT Support at 903-565-555 or IT@uttyler.edu.

2. Click on Student Home Page on the left hand side
3. Click on student center and that's where all the magic happens.

Click image to enlarge

click image to enlarge 

I HOPE THIS HELPS! Also, check out Keerin's blog on enrollment "to do list"

Spring Break Destination

Destination for Springs Break 2014!

UT Tyler's Spring Break is coming up in just two weeks! Can you believe it? The semester is going by so fast and on the week of March 10-14, UT Tyler Patriots will be enjoying their much anticipated Spring break vacation! I have compiled the most visited college student's vacation spots for spring break.


1.

South Padre, Texas

South Padre, Texas: Everyone and their grandmothers have heard of South Padre. This beach is one of the most visited during Spring Break. South Padre is located on the coastal tip of Texas... at the very very VERY bottom tip of Texas. Sand dunes and empty beaches north of the city limit are perfect for camping, four wheeling as well as stunning view of the bay and Gulf of Mexico. It's the perfect getaway if you are looking for your very own private stretch of beach. Other attraction aside from  beach activities  includes Sea Turtle Inc, Port Isabel Lighthouse State Historic Site,South Padre Island Dolphin Research and Sealife Center !

How to Apply for the UT Tyler Nursing Program

  As another round of nursing application deadline comes to an end, I thought it would be beneficial to all  potential nursing students to explain how to apply to the UT Tyler's Nursing program. I know this process is very stressful and sometime confusing on what you needed to have completed and turned in by the deadline. I know, it's a crazy time! I was there not too long ago! So I hope this post will help clarify the application process and criteria for prospective nursing students!

Deadlines to apply to nursing program: Fall –February 15th / Spring – September 15th

1. You must apply and be admitted to the University of Texas at Tyler. Admission to UT Tyler does not mean you are accepted into the nursing program. Applying to the nursing program is a completely different application process. Upon being accepted to UT Tyler, you will be in the "pre-nursing" program. This means that you are taking the prerequisite courses needed to be completed prior to applying to the program.

UT Tyler Gate at Sensoji Temple

UT Tyler GATE students and professors with Dr. Kagawa from
 Shimane University

 Sensoji is a Buddhist Temple built completed in 645, making it the oldest temple in Tokyo. Japanese legends says that two brothers in 628 fished a statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, out of the Sumida River. The two brothers returned the statue in the river but it keeps returning to them. The temple was built nearby for the goddess Kanon.

Arriving In Tokyo with UT Tyler Gate

      As promised, I am so incredibly excited to share my experience with The University of Texas at Tyler's Gate Program trip to Japan! I am posting different blogs for each major place I visited. This will definitely be an on going project for the rest of the semester cause I just HAVE to share with y'all five weeks worth of such an amazing experience.

What Did I Get Myself Into?

After two weeks of nursing school I am E.X.H.A.U.S.T.E.D! I know it was going to be a challenge but I am so overwhelmed! There's so many outside school work that I can't even fit some of it on the space of my agenda!

My fellow student bloggers and I have numerous  blogs about tips on how to stay on top of school, be organize and stay motivated. However, sometimes all the hard work doesn't seem to be worth it when we lose ourselves in the chaos we call college.

I have always had this yearning to help people and with this drive, I always have wanted to be in the medical field. After years of schooling, especially the first years of college, I knew I was working towards my goal to become a nurse... but it has become a vision to get a degree. I realize that I have been so consumed with the commotion of college that I have somehow put aside the reason why I wanted this RN title in the first place.

College of Nursing Showcase Day at UT Tyler

The University of Texas at Tyler is hosting College Showcase Week in the month of February! This new event is very beneficial to prospective students. College Showcase Week is a bit more personal and major specific compare to Patriots Preview Day. This event designates one College per day through the week of  February 10th through the 13th. Each program will be held from 9 AM- 1:30 PM

I'm Back!

       After a semester of being away from the Call Center, I can't express how much I miss this second family of mine! I am so pleased to see familiar faces as well as two new ones:) Carver. and Dallas., I'm excited to get to know you guys better!

Off Campus Living

I spent two glorious years of carefree zombie walking to class every morning before I took the axe and moved off campus. No longer can I zombie walk 15 minutes before class starts.
Living off campus has its benefits but it does fall short on something the living on campus has and shines brightly. That something is the sense of community that fosters from on campus living.

Resident Advisor's get a budget and plan events for their residents. This in result creates a great feeling of community when all the hungry college students join in to feast on the free food.
I could be a little bias when it comes to this because I had two great RA’s and was buddies with a few others.  It also doesn’t help that I met my ball and chain of a boyfriend three years ago at an RA sponsored field trip to see THE LION KING 3D.

Resident Advisors’s sponsor events but they are not the only campus events going on.
One of my basic principles in life if you haven’t noticed is that if there is free food, you should go if you can.
Looking at the student life and leadership calendar, I found a CAB sponsored Waffle thing-a-may-jig on the 10th from 9am to 11am. Sadly, that opportunity has already past but have no fear because another event will arise.

I leave you with a goodbye of "feels" of from "our childhood"