Happy Doodle Enrollment Services Story at UT Tyler

Sometimes a tough class just doesn't go your way. It is a lot like in the Oh the Places You’ll Go book when it discusses how sometimes you’ll fail at a certain thing. Don’t beat yourself up- you’re not a failure and it is not the end of the world. There are options. As an undergraduate, you get three grade replacements and with your graduate plan, one has two grade replacements. Whether it is a failure of getting the grade you want or getting into the class you want, it is likely we will all encounter failure of some sort in our lives. 

Some mountains are bigger than others

This is what happened to me in the chaos that was last week. Now, let’s have a pause and take a deep cleansing breath. We all survived! So, we all know the importance of checking to make sure you are enrolled in all the desired classes before the first day of school and checking Blackboard for grades, but for some reason or another, it just snuck up on me. It was awful.  Please learn from my mistake. Running around campus trying to get enrolled in a closed class two hours before the 5 o’clock drop deadline, begging for a seat in a closed class is absolutely no fun. It is stressful and chaotic and you realize all the people you need to talk to are either a) out to lunch, b) out of the office but “very interested in your call”, or c) you just missed them and they are unaccounted for.

Pingu believes in you!

Always remember: you are more than your transcript and you are more than your GPA. Remember that this is not to say don’t take your studies seriously and blow off your classes, but don’t let those numbers define your sense of self-worth.

You Study WHAT?

   For many people the system of Higher Education is a pathway to studying the things that fascinate you. For some it might be the work of the Romantic Poets, the 1667 government of Germany, or the way that molecules work under different temperatures. Everybody finds certain things more fascinating than others, however justifying your interests can sometimes be difficult.

New Legislation Promotes Open-Access Textbooks for College Students

Senators Durbin (left) and Franken (middle)

On November 14^th, a bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate that would encourage the creation and utilization of free online textbooks for college students.  Senators Richard J. Durbin (D-IL) and Al Franken (D-MN) introduced the bill, called the Affordable College Textbook Act, as a response to a Government Accountability Office report that noted an 82 percent increase in textbook prices between 2000 and 2012.  

The bill contains a litany of improvement mechanisms for the textbook market.  It also provides the incentive for states to being experimentation with open educational resources, with the intent to decrease the cost of education for college students and high school students in dual credit courses.    If the bill passes, it will direct government funding to the creation of college textbooks and materials made free with open licenses.  These licenses allow for flexibility with how students and teachers use the books, so long as there is acknowledgment of the work’s authors.  Authors retain compensation for their work, and students have free access to their works for classes with larger enrollments.

Senator Durbin began working with the University of Illinois to secure funding for an open textbook project, the results of which created the framework for this piece of legislation.  The University identified sustainability as the topic for further work, finding that in order for this project to be a permanent part of colleges across the United States, it would require groundwork that benefits all parties involved: authors, publishers, administrations, professors, and students.  If a group does not benefit from the program, it will be a failed initiative in our colleges and universities.  Congressional policymakers will ask this question before deciding if this piece of legislation will become law in the United States.

Too expensive.

If this bill passes, it can establish an entirely new framework for how students purchase textbooks, as well as how durable they are as the student progresses with their studies.  One benefit from the program, besides financial relief, for students who take part in this program is the benefit of textbook retention.  Some textbooks directly pertain to a student’s specific major or field of study, but it is often seen as more beneficial to sell the textbook after its class use, that way other books become affordable.  This program would incentivize the use of e-books for student use, meaning that after completion, it is not cumbersome or a hassle to keep the books for future reference.  Essentially, the program allows for a better system of academic retention for the involved students.

The bill currently is in the US Senate, and if it passes, it will go to the House of Representatives for evaluation, markup, and a vote.  If successful, the legislation is sent to the President for a pass or veto.  Keep up with govtrack.com for updates on the legislative process.  

The Procrastinator’s Guide to Not Doing Terribly in College

This is a blog post for all students, whether they are freshmen, upperclassmen, graduate students, or exploring the complicated world that is college academia at UT Tyler.  A common issue of procrastination exists amongst all students of higher learning, with varying magnitude amongst each individual.  However, now is the time to break the common mold that you may have already set yourself in; use this blog as a clean slate to disrupt the norm of educational procrastination.

Now, I know myself to be a consistent procrastinator, but that does not mean I am ok with it.  On the contrary, I constantly try to find new ways to make myself study and do work in a more efficient manner in relation to time, rather than put off assignments until they are either more convenient for me, or when they are due the next morning.  Many others have similar habits, and there are effective tips to combating these potentially harmful trends.