Eyes of a Panther

Do your friends or student group want to earn some extra money?  The UNI Admissions team is looking for student produced videos welcoming future Panthers to life as a UNI student.  The focus is on what new students need to know before coming to UNI; classes, residence halls, professors, food, athletics, the WRC, or any other aspect of UNI life.

Guidelines:

• Student organized and featuring students
• Family friendly (No swearing, alcohol, etc.)
• 1-2 minutes in length
• It must be welcoming to new students
• UNI gear only
• The third place video will receive a $50.00 gift card, second place a $100.00 gift card, and first place a $200.00 gift card.
•  As an alternative, to a gift card, student organizations may choose to have the dollar amount paid to the organization account. 

The videos will be judged on how welcoming, entertaining, and on how helpful it is to new students.   

Admissions will need to know if you plan on participating by February 14^th.  You can let us know of your intent to participate by sending an email to Sean Hartnett (sean.hartnett@uni.edu) while including the names of all those who plan on participating and if you are representing a UNI student group.  

The videos must be submitted by March 14^th on a CD or flash drive to Sean Hartnett at 002 Gilchrist Hall.  The award winning videos may be sent via email to incoming students and be promoted through the Admission office.  If you have questions please email Sean Hartnett.  

  

This is a chance to make earn some extra money, have fun being creative, and impact the UNI community through the eyes of future Panthers.

{What Can I Do With an Interest In: Global Studies}

Potential Personal Characteristics: Good speaking, reading, and research skills, problem solving and critical thinking ability

Majors

• TESOL: Students will learn the techniques, theory, and practice of helping non-native English speakers improve their English abilities
• Global Studies: In Global Studies, students will learn about globalization and its impact, major international problems, as well as a major world area, language and culture
• Religion: Students will understand the role religion plays in conflicts and social change and the resources it may bring to their resolution, and ask fundamental questions about human existence
• Sociology: This major covers a wide range of interests. This can include race and ethnicity to statistical analysis. Students will learn to view the world through a sociological eye.
• Anthropology: Students will study the scientific and humanistic study of man’s present and past biological, linguistic, social, and cultural variations. Anthropology is the study of humanity from a comprehensive, holistic approach; the study of humankind from the earliest times to the present.
• Spanish: Students will learn through conversation, grammar and composition the language in depth. There is also some area of cultural study, which generally explores the history, customs, beliefs and artistic achievements of Spanish-speaking cultures
• Humanities: Students will study all aspects of society. Students learn how to develop their skills in researching, reading, writing, and thinking their way through abstract problems

Minors: Anthropology; Spanish; TESOL; International Business; International Affairs

Certificates: Global Health; Tourism; Translation; Spanish for Special Purposes; Language Studies; Hispanic Cultures; International Business; International Peace and Security; International Commerce

Career Possibilities: Social Worker; Tour Guide; Interpreter; Museum Curator; Foreign Correspondent; English as a Second Language Teacher; Translator; Language Teacher; Anthropologist; Market Research

Snow Day!

As you have probably heard by now, UNI has cancelled classes for the day! Now you are probably trying to come up with various ways to spend your day. Here are some to consider:

• Hang out with friends: This is a good time to pull out the deck of cards or any board games you've brought but haven't had the chance to use
• Catch up on movies or television: Classes may be closed but the internet still works! Catch up on your Netflix movies or watch the online versions of tv shows you may have missed
• Play in the snow: There are a variety of options to consider when playing in the snow
• Make snow angels
• Build a snowman or better yet, a SNOW PANTHER!
• Find a nice hill to do a little sledding on
• Organize a floor-wide snowball fight complete with forts
•  Build a snow fort
• Take a walk on campus and enjoy the beautiful way campus looks covered in snow -- this is particularly true at night
•  Be productive: A snow day is always a great day to have fun but we are in college and probably have homework that could be done or tests that could be studied for.

Our recommendation? Spend part of the day enjoying the snow, have some fun and relaxation, but build in a little time to be productive. You will thank yourself tomorrow.

How To: Stay Engaged in Class

Engagement is directly linked to success in the classroom, and when you are engaged in the classroom, you become a full participant in what you’re learning. These tips will help you fully engage in the classroom, which will result in better grades and improved learning.

• Attend Class: This may seem obvious, but the first step in staying engaged is to show up to class! Attending class will improve your overall understanding of the course material, and allow you to ask questions if you’re unsure about a topic. Missing class will put you behind, which will then make it harder to keep up and focus in future classes. Additionally, many professors include class attendance as part of your final grade, so simply showing up can have a positive impact on your grade.
• Come Prepared: Engagement starts before you even go to class. Ensure that you’re prepared to do your best by looking over your syllabus before class and seeing what topic is planned for that day’s lecture. Additionally, make sure you complete all reading assignments and take notes, so that you’ll be ready to participate in class discussion. The readings will also give you a good understanding and base knowledge of the topic. Finally, make sure you bring the necessary tools to succeed in class. Always bring your textbook to class, as well as your notebook and a writing utensil.
• Limit Distractions: Limiting distractions starts when you arrive to class. Try to choose your seat in class strategically, as it can have a real effect on your overall engagement and ability to focus. We suggest sitting in the “T zone”, which is the front and center of the classroom. Sitting in this zone will help to keep you alert throughout class. Also, ensure maximum focus by tuning out technology, specifically by turning off your cell phone and logging out of social media and e-mail accounts. Just turn off the phone so that you won't be tempted if it buzzes!
• Participate & Ask Questions: Participating in class discussions is an easy way to ensure that you are engaged. When you speak up and ask questions or provide an answer to a question your instructor has posed, you’re turning the lecture into a conversation. You’ll literally be engaged in a dialogue! Remembering the class material will be easier, and instructors often reward participation with a better grade. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions if you’re confused about a topic or want more in-depth information. The better understanding you have of class discussion, the easier it will be to focus and follow along.
• Take Notes: Note-taking is an integral part to the learning process, and will encourage engagement in the classroom. Taking notes will force you to focus on class discussions and limit outside and internal distractions. Decide what note taking strategy works best for you whether it be an outline format, drawing diagrams or something else. Note-taking doesn’t end when class does, as you should review your notes after class and edit them by adding, removing, or organizing information if necessary.

These tips are a great way to get started at being successful in this Spring semester.

This content was adapted from an article on Cengage Learning. The original can be found here.

International Opportunities Fair

Who should go: Any student interested in studying abroad whether it be for a full semester or just a few weeks

Where: Maucker Union Ballroom

When: Wednesday, January 22nd 11:00am - 4:00pm

Tell me more: The International Opportunities Fair will provide an opportunity to meet with representatives of partner universities, past participants and exchange students from other universities. Stop by to find out more about programs available in more than 60 different countries. The Black Hawk Recorders Office will be available for new and renewed passports.

How To: Be an Effective Note Taker

Note-taking is something that you will heavily utilize in your college career and beyond. However, it is something that is rarely taught. Here are some quick tips for you on learning effective note-taking.

• Listen for an organizing pattern. Observe whether you can determine the speaker’s system for addressing subjects (e.g., chronologically or topically).
• Note whether a handout accompanies lecture materials. If so, chances are that the information is considered to be important—especially if the speaker elaborates on those points during the course of the lecture.
• Recognize verbal cues. At the beginning of the lecture, did the speaker mention that he or she would address a certain number of key points? That’s one cue revealing how many main ideas will be addressed and what to listen for. Additionally, listen for signal words and phrases such as “For example…,” “On the other hand…,” or “In summary…,” as these are used to highlight main points.
• When in doubt, write it down. To prevent yourself from inadvertently missing a main point, let the motto “better safe than sorry” be your watchwords.
• Consider your learning style preferences. If you are visual, drawing diagrams may help; other learners may prefer outlines. Determine which method suits you best.
• Create a shorthand system that works. Very few people could literally capture every word of a live lecture. Abbreviations and symbols (such as “pp” for “pages” or “@” for “at”) can help you save time (and line space!) as you write.

 You can gather more note-taking tips from UNI's Academic Learning Center website here. Just scroll down to the "Handouts" section and select "Note-Taking Strategies."

This post was adapted from Cengage Learning and the original can be found here.