Tomorrow is the last day of classes! Which means finals are starting, and stress and anxiety are ramping up to an all-time high. The end of the semester, especially Spring semester, can bring lots of emotions. For Seniors, it’s saying goodbye to the place they’ve called home for the last 4 years, Juniors are figuring out their summer internships and jobs, Sophomores may be finalizing their choice in major, and Freshmen are returning to the place that is “home” but doesn’t exactly feel like home any more. We know this is an overwhelming time, and we want to give you some motivational quotes to help brighten your day, get you through finals, or just make you feel better since we are all dealing with a lot right now. Motivational quotes are definitely a little cheesy, but I really believe that they work and help people get through hard times, so here are some of my favorites, all from anonymous authors:
Doing your best looks different every day.
The pain you feel today is the strength you feel tomorrow.
You’re not always going to be motivated so you must be disciplined.
No regrets, just lessons. No worries, just acceptance. No expectations, just gratitude. Life is too short.
You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing.
Whatever is going to happen will happen, whether we worry about it or not.
Stop waiting for everything to be perfect to be happy.
Some endings are sent for new beginnings.
I hope something makes you smile today.
Life is good when you spend it with the people who make your heart happy.
The end of the semester is in sight, and we hope that you can finish the semester strong, happy and healthy. If the motivational quotes were not enough and you feel you require extra support, don’t hesitate to stop into the peer advising office Monday-Thursday, or make an appointment with a professional advisor on Navigate!
With summer on the horizon and the semester coming to an end, energy levels may be running low. However, It is important that we power through the rest of the semester. Staying focused towards the end is always the most difficult. However, there are multiple ways to keep yourself on track.
Make sure you know your academic standing in all of your classes. To do so, check your grades on the interfaces that your professors use (Blackboard, Google Classroom, Moodle…). If you do not know how to find your grades online or if grades have not been posted, do not hesitate to reach out to the TAs, or to your professors to get a better gauge at where you stand in your classes.
If you are feeling overwhelmed with your classes and future plans, make sure to take a step back and take breaks for your mental health. Friendly reminder, nothing is more important than our health. Take random walks during the day, treat yourself to good food, reward yourself for all your hard work with some ice cream from the local creameries, make fun plans with your friends, and plan it all out to be able to balance your time between breaks and academics.
Some exciting events are going on to help us wrap up the semester nicely. On Thursday May 5th, 2022 from 5-9 pm the 2022 PondFire will be taking place. Gather a group of friends and huddle around one of the fire pits, make good s’mores, and even better memories. Do not forget to register!
The best way to destress is to do something that will make you laugh. What better way to laugh than to hang out with farm animals. On April 26th-27th, at 10am-3pm, on the lawn between Isenberg and the Fine Art Center, sheep from Hadley Farm will be visiting UMass for a day packed with student-led activities and an opportunity to learn about the use of sustainable land on campus. To learn more, visit this website!
The W.E.B Du Bois library hosts a series of final study break activities. Stay up to date by checking their website for new events. The events will be listed under “Libraries Outreach Series.” To list a few, on April 28th, from 7-8pm, the library is hosting a Superhero Bingo night on the 3rd floor. On May 4th, from 7-8 pm, they will be hosting a Star Wars trivia night on the 3rd floor, do not miss out on a chance to win fun prizes!
As the daylight lasts longer and the weather starts to get warmer, it’s clear spring has arrived after a long and cold winter! As we begin to register for fall classes, make our summer plans, and wrap up our spring semester, there are plenty of events for us to take advantage of within the department, on campus, and in the surrounding areas.
On Campus:
Check in on your mental health in the campus center auditorium on Tuesday, April 19th from 2-5pm during the Fresh Check Day! The event will feature food, prizes, and giveaways, and is free to all students.
The UMass Football team will take on Stony Brook University on Saturday, April 20th, at 12pm. Come cheer on the Minutemen one last time this year! Admission is free for all students, friends, and families – no tickets are required.
Stop by Wilder Hall and join CMASS every Wednesday night from 6:30-8:30pm for the LGBTQ+ Talk Space.
Located in Isenberg School of Management, Regina Kunzel is featured in this year’s distinguished annual lecture on psychiatry and the archives of modern sexuality. This event will take place on Thursday, April 21 at 6pm.
The University Programming Council is back for this year’s spring concert, featuring Jack Harlow. The concert will take place at the Mullins Center on May 1st, with doors opening at 6:30pm. You can buy tickets here!
The department welcomes Charlton Mcllwain to deliver the 2022 annual lecture on Friday, April 22nd at 11:30 am. Stop by to hear this year’s lecture series topic: how to make technology antiracist.
Join the peer advisors for a de-stress day in the hub! More information to come soon – stay tuned!
Locally:
Want to spend some free time giving back to the community? Join in on the Community Clean-Up Day in Amherst on Saturday, April 30th, at 10am. You can get involved by registering to clean-up, dropping pins where attention is needed, or simply giving suggestions or ideas!
Starting on April 23rd, the Amherst Farmers Market is back every Saturday from 7:30am-1:30pm! Join over twenty local vendors for fruit, vegetables, flowers, meat, and handcrafted items in downtown Amherst.
A full calendar of events happening in Amherst can be found on their website.
Taking advantage of the community and events around you are key to having a balanced and successful end to your semester! The last month of school can wrap up fast as finals come closer, but taking some time to enjoy yourself is important too. As always, drop by the Peer Advising office in the ILC room N323 for any questions at all. Our current hours can be found here, or you can make an appointment on Navigate with a professional advisor.
Another semester has flown by and it’s that time of year again when seniors are getting ready to wrap up and everyone else starts thinking about class registration for the Fall semester! As of right now, courses are live on Spire and ready to be added to your shopping cart, but before we get to that here are some things to look out for when registering for classes:
When Is My Enrollment Appointment?
Registration takes place in order of seniority by credits, so the more credits you have, the earlier your appointment time will be. You can look to see when your appointment will be on Spire. This can be found under the ‘Enrollment’ tab under ‘Enrollment Appointment.’ You should be able to see the date and time that you are scheduled to pick classes. Below is the general list of ramp on dates:
April 4: Athletes, ROTC, Veterans
April 11-12: Seniors (87+ credits)
April 14-15: Juniors (57-86 credits)
April 20-22: Sophomores (27-56 credits)
April 25-26: Freshman (</= 26 credits)
What Classes Should I Take?
When choosing classes you should take into account any Gen Eds and major requirements that you have left, and plan out when you will take those. To access the courses you have left to take, as well as the number of credits, you can go to the Academic Requirement Report on your Spire. To access this you’ll want to go to the Main Menu tab in Spire, click on Academics, and finally click on Academic Requirements (ARR).
Once you arrive at your ARR you should expand all tabs in order to see all of the requirements and credits that you have completed, as well as those that you have yet to complete. The classes you have passed will be marked as satisfied (marked with a green check-mark icon), the classes you are currently taking will be marked as in progress (marked with a yellow diamond icon), and your remaining requirements will be listed as not satisfied.
Am I going to graduate on time?
First, this is a friendly reminder that there is no “right” time to graduate and that we are all on our own timeline and journey. That being said, to graduate from UMass you need to complete a total of 120 credit hours, which will include major, college, and university requirements. In order to graduate in a 4-year timeline, you should aim to complete, on average, 15 credit hours per semester or 30 credit hours per academic year. It is always good to keep tabs on many credits you have completed, how many you are enrolled in, and how many you have left in order to determine about how long it will take you to complete your undergraduate degree.
How to ease the registration process:
Come to Peer Advising!
The peer advisors are here to help and answer any questions you may have about this process. We recognize that registration is a stressful time of the semester, and therefore want to work with you to make this process as smooth as possible. If you feel that you have questions that don’t require an academic advisor, drop into the peer advising office in the Comm Hub (N323)!
Peer Advising drop-in hours:
Monday: 10 am – 4 pm
Tuesday: 9:15 am – 4:30 pm
Wednesday: 12 pm – 4 pm
Thursday: 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Meet with an Advisor:
We always recommend that you meet with your advisor regularly in addition to during registration time. By doing this earlier in the semester you can ease stress during the registration period and feel more at ease with the registration process. Your advisor can help answer many questions you may have, make sure you’re on track to graduate, and point you toward any resources you may need for anything outside their capacity. As registration gears up, remember that advisors will have a busier schedule than usual so book your appointment sooner rather than later! To make an appointment, log into Spire and on the bottom right-hand corner there should be a ‘Primary Advisor’ tab with your advisor’s information.
Navigating course registration can be difficult, but it doesn’t need to be! By using resources provided to students by UMass and planning ahead this can be a pretty easy process. Good luck on registering for classes!
