Class Starts Monday

The first thing I'd advise to you, and myself, is get your supplies in order for class. 

          "School supplies" for college differ a lot from the lists we received in our past experiences in education. Aside from the more... costly supplies like books, electrons, and software- what you decide to do to learn is mostly up to you!

          A few of my friends (consequently, mostly future teachers) start off, and stay organized! They have all of these color-coded folders and sticky notes for days. They use the right color pen at the right time (red isn't used to draw little hearts on all my note cards?) and they can just -FLOP- out their notes at any moment's notice! They spend scheduled time on their time blocked schedule and study and get things done. They make good grades.

 Not every student is that type of student. You may not be that student. I am not that student, but we can try!

Ask yourself how you learn best? Is it writing it down? Making note cards?
I even have a friend who draws herself pictures, to better illustrate the point. 

           Personally, I normally learn best by applying and teaching the concepts to other students. This weekend I'm going to get a few nice notebooks and pens. If the paper is nice, I can't bring myself to write down things that aren't useful and productive. But that's just me. Everybody is different.

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.