So now that it is June many graduated high school seniors are starting to prepare themselves for what college will bring for them in August.  This is a crucial time for many students because even though they are enjoying the summer they are also mentally preparing themselves for many changes that lie ahead.  If you are not one of these students and think that this might be an option for you, you are in luck.  Illinois State is still accepting applications for incoming freshman and transfer students until July 1st.  So there is still some time left for those of you that might have a change of heart.  I would also like to add that college is an adventure and a growing experience.  Maybe this last minute application could change your life?�

Some of you may already know, but I just wanted to keep everyone updated.  The Admissions office is giving tours starting June 1st.  They will be held Monday through Friday at 1:00 pm.  Tours generally last about 2 hours and there is an opportunity to view a residence hall.  The two Open House dates are July 10th and July 17th.  Hope everyone is having a great summer!

One more week of school till we are finally out for the summer!  This year flew by fast, and it means one year closer to graduating.  For the next couple weeks the Admissions office won’t be giving tours, but they start back up in June, so get those dates in your head now.  There will also be 2 Open Houses in the month of July.  If you are interested in scheduling a tour you can click on the “Visit Campus” icon on the main Admissions website and it will let you do it online.  Or. if all else fails, just call our office. 

Good luck with the end of your year Seniors and Juniors, apps open up September 1st.�

Spring is finally here and most of us are hoping that it is here to stay!  I love this weather and I am also excited about getting the chance to see some football action.  Tomorrow, Saturday, April 18, the Redbird football team will be having their traditional Spring game after weeks of long practices and morning work outs.  It is open to the public and starts at 1:00 p.m.  Hope some of you can make it

Ok, so I ran out of ideas for blogs and had what some would say..”writers block”, but as I sit here in the admissions office patiently awaiting for students to sign into our web chat I realized this would be a vital time to write about some issues that might be of interest to some or most high school juniors and seniors.  I want to let you in on some things that I was unaware of as a high school student.

1.  I was unaware that most or all colleges held opportunities for high school students to visit their campus to get a feel for what they had to offer. 

I know this may seem kind of stone age, but I was the second of five members in my family to go to college and my first sibling had been out of college for over 5 years before I was ready to get going.

2.  I didn’t realize how important it was to research different colleges for things such as enrollment, cost, or even athletics. 

After coming to college and getting a first hand look at what college had to offer me I became very curious as to what other colleges were like.  I wish I could have at least explored these opportunities as a high school student in order to take away my curiousities. 

3.  I didn’t know that my high school counselor could have been a bigger asset to me when applying for colleges came around. 

As a matter of fact…my high school counselor never even made a point of asking me about my application process or if I needed any help applying to colleges.  My piece of advice to you guys…take advantage of your counselor’s knowledge and make sure you can get the most out of them when it is most important.

4.  The LAST MOST IMPORTANT THING….the application process begins in SEPTEMBER and it is beneficial to any student to get your app in during the preferential filing period which I’m sure is different for all schools but for ISU it is in NOVEMBER! 

So now that I have given a little forecast of knowledge I did not have in high school I hope that those of you who take the time to read this blog will learn from my experience and get a head start on your college hunt. 

 One thing I always tell students that I think is important…you spend too much money on college to not love where you are at!!! So make sure you are going to the college that is right for you and not your bestfriend or boyfriend/girlfriend.  The college search has begun for most of you and the more you know the better chances you have of picking the perfect school. 

Let’s Go Birds!!!

So now that first semester is behind us, we are all looking back at the Fall semester and what we can do to have an even better Spring semester.  School is hard work! Keeping on top of your reading and making sure you get to those classes in 2 degree weather can be one of your most challenging tasks.  The best thing about Spring semester is that you get to start all over; new teachers, new grades, NEW ATTITUDE. 

As a college student we are all left with one of the most dangerous things our parents can hand over to us when they drop us off in front of those residence halls and that’s RESPONSIBILITY.  Why all of a sudden does this become so important, I mean you have responsibility when you live at home right?  Yes, for the most part, but here’s what’s the major difference, we now have the power to dictate every class, meal, and move we make.  There is nobody telling us what courses we have to take, no parent to tell us what time we have to be home, and especially nobody to yell at us if we miss a class.  And unfortunately, this is where a lot of students start to lose their focus.  When did everything seem to become so chaotic?  Now all of a sudden we are left to make sure we eat right, exercise, go to class, and manage our money. 

So I guess you can say now that I have reached my first senior year (yes, I said first senior year because I will have yet another one coming in the Fall), I have learned some very valuable life/college lessons and I wanted to share them with you prospective students and/or transfers. 

1.       My first concern as a college student, the freshman 15! For those who are unaware that is the fifteen pounds that freshman are said to gain their first year in college. 

a.       My solution…when I was too lazy to take the bus to the rec center I simply walked to the basement of my resident hall and used the FREE weight room with elliptical and treadmills.  My savior in the winter time.

2.       My second major concern was food, I love food.  Eating the food in the same dining center can get a little old, so it was always nice to make a trip with my friends to other dining centers like Watterson or South Side which were my favorite.

a.       It was pretty important to me to make sure I did not get carried away with the French fries and cheeseburgers, thankfully the dining centers offer other healthier options.

3.       Going to class when you had no one to tell you you had to or SOME teachers that didn’t take attendance could get pretty difficult.

a.       My solution…make my schedule so that I had my classes back to back, that way it was less likely that I would miss classes since I was already out and about.

4.       MONEY, MONEY, MONEY is a pretty scarce thing now days.  You can’t go shopping with an empty bank account.

a.       My solution…I went around looking for on-campus jobs.  I was a freshman with no outside transportation and Thank God I can walk anywhere on-campus.  My boss worked around my schedule every semester so that I could work when it was best for me and she was also very lenient when it came to finals time.

So to wrap up this semi-lengthy blog, responsibility is all your own now and it is extremely important that you focus on your priorities in school.  There is no doubt that it is just as important to go out and make plenty of new experiences, missing a class won’t kill your grades, but make sure you don’t get carried away. 

A couple weeks ago I decided to take my new puppy junior on a walk in the quad.  Junior made it his job to make sure every person he saw recognized him and acknowledged his presence with a pat or kiss.  Junior’s attention grabbing extravaganza did not become significant until I came across a young girl who enjoyed Junior’s company as much as he did hers.  After talking to the girl for a little while I had come to understand that she was a freshman student who came to the university with her twin sister.  Both had resided in the same residence hall but on different floors.  The girl had told me that she was worried because she did not have a major and her sister did.  She felt pressured that she must know immediately what it was that she wanted to study, or in a broader, scarier tone, what she was to do for the rest of her life. 

I was very interested in what this girl had to say because I believe there are many high school students who are scared that if they don’t know what they want to do immediately after they graduate then they are doomed to extra years in college or worse yet, no college at all.  This is an area that I am especially concerned with because I feel that more students should be aware that it is ok to be an undecided student, it is ok to not know what you want to study once you leave high school.  This is what the general education major is used for (in my eyes).   Anyone’s first two years in college will consist of studying general education classes regardless of what your major is, but of course it is still important that you take the responsibility to get these decisions made. 

Students who do come in with intended majors will usually end up changing them anyways.  The average times a college student will change their major is 3-4 times before they come to an ultimate decision.  So don’t feel pressured if you’re the only one of your friends without a major going into college. 

ISU offers many ways for students to try and find their major such as tests, major fairs, or tons of information available on the website.  There is even an office that students can go to if they still need help.  Unfortunately for the girl that I was talking to, she had taken the test, and even tried the suggested major, but she just felt that it was not for her.  I am positive that there are MANY students in college that are experiencing these same problems.  The most important thing that I can advise to incoming freshman or even college students is that deciding a major can be a very difficult decision for anyone, take the time to find something you are passionate about and something you can see yourself doing in the future.  Just because you pick a major and graduate does not mean that you are destined to do that same thing for the rest of your life.  You will come across many life changing experiences and no one will know what you will be doing 20 years from now, but at least you can figure out where you life will be heading in the next 4-5 years.�

Friday night and homecoming is here! Tonight I will be going to hoopfest, which includes 3-point contests, dunk contests, and a scrimmage, for the men’s and women’s basketball teams.  After that we will be heading to the Redbird Arena for the bonfire, fireworks, and of course the pep rally!!! I love this time of the year.  I also have my friend that was my roommate from my Disney Internship last year here and I can’t be more excited to show her my school! ISU will be playing Missouri State tomorrow at 2pm…so we will all be praying for a win.

 ISU GO!

As homecoming creeps around the corner I can’t help but feel that homecoming is definitely the best time of the year.  Majority of the buildings on campus are decorated for the theme and this year it is FIRE IT UP.  Although we are still a couple days away from the actual week it is obvious that homecoming is here.  It’s that time of the year when you have more pride and spirit in your school than any other time, unless of course you are supporting an athletic team in playoffs.  There are tons of activities and free stuff all week long like footballs, cups, and t-shirts.  Of course, the best part about homecoming is always Saturday afternoon when thousands of students and fans overflow Hancock Stadium.  Seeing the tailgating and a sea of red everywhere you go.  More and more students are painting their stomachs, faces, and backs, and red hair galore.  Families are everywhere and there is always something to do.   It is just a very exciting time of year!!  I cannot wait for next week and will proudly sport that red and white. :)�

This Saturday at 6:30 P.M. will be the first home football game for ISU and I am extremely excited!! After 4 weeks into the season fans are finally able to support our Redbirds at home.  We will be playing against Eastern Illinois and this could be a nail biter game.  One of the most important things that I try to reach out to my fellow students is that it is so important that we go out and support our athletic teams.  These athletes work their butts off all year round and we should be able to go out there and cheer on our school.  There’s no greater feeling than going to a game and seeing a sold out stadium.  Redbirds, residents, and staff…LET’S PACK THE STADIUM!�