Archive for November 2011

We all need more tips on studying for finals. Here’s some advice from the experts:

Study Actively!
DO NOT waste your time passively “re-reading” notes or chapters. Instead look at the headings of each section and try summarizing the section to yourself. Then re-read if you need a refresher.

Ask About the Exam
Professors may not reveal the content of your exam in front of the entire class. Try approaching them after class with the question, “what should the focus of my studying be,” or “how should I focus my studying.”

Math/Science Exam
Select a few problems from each section (consult tests and homework). Re-do the problems in the amount of time you will have on your exam. Don’t use any aids you will not have during the actual exam. When your done, re-do the problems you missed until you fully understand them.

Calculate Your Grade
Before you start studying, use your syllabus to calculate your grade. Determine what grade you need on the exam to get your goal grade in the course. Also, read about the description of your final that is written on your syllabus.

Cram Session?
If you need to have a cram session do so, but NOT THE NIGHT BEFORE THE EXAM. Pull an “All Nighter” 3 or 4 nights before your exams start, then sleep a lot. You need to sleep to let the information sink in. Use the days after your cram session to review what you’ve learned.

Study Schedule
No matter how many days you have left, take the time to make a study schedule that includes breaks, snacks, and sleep. Break up large study tasks into small manageable tasks. Then stick to your schedule. Don’t set anyone disrupt your schedule.

Reducing Stress
This is a stressful time, but you can reduce it! Eat 3 meals a day, sleep 7+ hours a night, take breaks (5 minutes for ever hour), exercise, talk about your stress, and visualize yourself doing well!

Essay/Content Exam
Turn every sentence or paragraph of your notes into an essay question. Use the questions to quiz yourself. Circle the problems you get wrong and go over them until you have gotten them correct several times.

Finals are a difficult time for everyone, so if you need break , check out the Fall Study Break at the MUB on Tuesday, December 13th from 4:00 – 6:00 pm for free food, prizes, and a break!  For more info, please visit http://www.involvement.mtu.edu/organization/memorial-union-board/calendar/details/80285

Want to work for Student Life? Check out this website: http://www.mtu.edu/student-life/employment/student-positions/positions/ to find more information on positions in COMPASS, Housing and Residential Life, The Center for Diversity and Inclusion, and Student Activities! Positions are posted sporadically throughout the semester, so keep an eye out for the jobs you’d be most interested in! Information sessions on Student Life positions will be from 8:00 – 9:00 pm in Fisher 135 on the following dates:

December 6
December 7
January 15
January 19

Please note that attendance at these Info Sessions is REQUIRED to apply for any Student Life Position! So find one that fits best in your schedule now and plan to attend it as soon as possible! If you have any questions on positions in Student Life, please visit http://www.mtu.edu/student-life/ To apply for a position in Student Life, go to http://www.mtu.edu/student-life/employment/student-positions/

Need help studying for finals this year?

Your Commuter Assistants are hosting a FREE study session in the Commuter Lounge (MUB 106) at 6:00 – 8:00 pm on Sunday December 11th to help you study for finals! There will be Learning Center coaches and other upperclassmen there to you help you study for your finals in Calculus, Chemistry, and Engineering. If you have finals in other subjects, there will still be plenty of help available to you so don‘t forget to bring work from those subjects as well! There will also be FREE refreshments there for you if you need a quick study break!

So get some quality studying time in before your finals and receive some expert advice to aid you in your quest to conquer your first college final exams!

For more information on this event and to RSVP, email us at commuters@mtu.edu

Thanksgiving break is coming soon. If you’re looking for something fun to do in the local area during your 10 days off, consider attending Michigan Tech’s 14^th annual “Home For The Holidays” Gift Market on Saturday November 26 from 10am-4pm.

Dozens of local artists and crafters will be selling seasonal wreaths, jewelry, baskets, art, photography, candles, treats, and so much more. The Holiday market will be set up in the Rozsa Center for Performing Arts.

For more information, call 906.542.6782.

Believe it or not, December will be here shortly and the Rozsa Center for Performing Arts is ready to help you ring in the holiday season with three great December performances.

KSO Presents Synthetic Symphony
7:30 pm on Saturday, December 3^rd
First, on Saturday December 3^rd, the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra will present a 200^th anniversary four-part compilation of symphonies written by Dvorak, Mozart, Franz Liszt, and Tchaikovsky.

A Choral Celebration
7:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 10^th
One week later, on Saturday December 10^th, the Michigan Tech Concert Choir will perform favorites from their spring tour of Slovenia, Bosnia, and Croatia.

A Christmas Carol
7:30 pm on Friday, December 16th
Finally, on Friday December 16 the Nebraska Theatre Caravan will perform “A Christmas Carol,” by Charles Dickens. This family favorite will be performed Broadway style with a cast of 27 and a live band.

Thank you to all the commuters who participated in Commuter Appreciation Day 2011.  On Thursday October 27, over 200 commuter students stopped by the commuter lounge to participate in cookie decorating, mask-making, caramel apple making, treats, a raffle, socializing, and a screening of Charlie Brown’s “Giant Pumpkin.”

At the event, we handed out 100 “treasure maps” specifying the location of free trick-or-treat giveaways. The next day, 40 commuters put their treasure maps to use by  trekking around campus for Commuter trick-or-treating! Both events were a big success, and we are looking forward to Commuter Appreciation Day 2012!