Category - Academics

Last semester, I started a series of posts where I talked to someone in a particular program at Illinois. I want to add another post to this series and talk about what it means to be a James Scholar. I was admitted into...

The first two weeks of last summer were rough. I found myself sitting on my couch all day, binge-watching show after show. Although I had just finished a busy first year of college, I still felt like I needed something...

These days, college students are faced with an impossible task: purchasing textbooks. And with the purchase of textbooks comes a boatload of questions. Today, I hope to not only address the most common questions about...

It’s the fourth week of the spring semester, and while spring seems to be nowhere in sight, I like to take time this week to reflect on how I’ve been preparing myself thus far this semester and think about what’s...

What is going on friends! Semester is a rolling here at Illinois as we’re coming up on week 3 of the spring semester. Crazy how fast the last one is moving. I wanted to talk to you guys about online classes in case any...

Entering as a freshman at a big institution is frightening—I get it. Picking classes during summer registration is nerve-wracking—honestly, I feel you. Selecting the right major that you actually enjoy? A spooky feeling...

It was nice being able to travel, sit on the couch, hang out with your dog, and grab food from your kitchen cabinet whenever you wanted. But now you’re back at school, and if you’re finding it hard to get into the swing...

On the first day of finals, from U of I to me: a gen ed that I’m failing On the second day of finals, from U of I to me: 2 peer reviews and a gen ed that I’m failing On the third day of finals, from U...

When I decided I was going to apply for graduate school after my undergrad, there were so many things I had to consider: where I was going to go, what program I would be doing, and what tests I needed to take. I went to...

As an eager and over-zealous freshman, I plopped down in front of my academic advisor the second week of school with three spreadsheets detailing the next three years. Poor Gary, bless his heart, stayed patient and...

I hate midterm season. You’re stressing out all week, spending the majority of your day in the library, and sleeping late to cram material. Worse yet, you have to balance studying with all your other classes going...

As another round of midterms roll around, my study habits and grind are on full mode. Over the past few years, I’ve developed different studying skills and habits that have allowed me to perform well on my college exams...

One of the biggest things I wondered about as I came into college was how I would structure my days. It’s no longer as simple as driving to school, walking into the building, following my daily schedule, and then going...

In college, it can be hard not to get caught up in the competitive atmosphere. It seems like every day there’s a scholarship to apply for, jobs to get, internships to fight for, etc. This as well as the nature of...

For the first time in 17 years of schooling, I wake up each morning excited to go to school. And not just any school, but a local middle school. That’s right—read that again. I wake up excited to go to middle...

While I was an “A+ student” in high school, I never found it necessary to take many notes to succeed. Sometimes in high school, teachers print out slides or give you the lecture material after class. While this still...

Two of my most rewarding jobs at the University of Illinois are my positions as the Social Media Intern for the History Department and as the Student Public Outreach Employee for the Gender and Women Studies (GWS)...