Advising Week

Guess what happens next week? Advising week. Goodness I feel like I've been waiting for this since the beginning of October, but that's only because I like to be way way overprepared. As an Honors student we get priority registration, meaning that the normal advising week is when we actually register.

I can't tell you how confused I was the first time I went in for advising, although I had everything I needed I wasn't ready to talk to my advisor. He was great, and everyone I've talked to has a great adivsor. They know their stuff and know what you're going through and the best classes to take. However for them to help you to their fullest extent there are several things we need to bring in as students.

1) Degree Evaluation - for UW students its under the student resources tab Wyoweb. This shows you what you need to complete your major, your minor, and what you've already completed. I check this regularly especially when trying to figure out GPA and class standing.

2) List of classes you want to take and a tentative schedule - Seriously this may be the most important part. The new class list is up, as of last Thursday, so you can see what classes are available and what times. Having a few schedules that you'd be okay with having next semester is a good idea. Also not all classes are offered every semester.

3) Anything extra to help you plan - As a Political Science Major I know that the only place I go to look for advising information is in the Political Science Advising Page. Almost all majors have a little something different to help those going in for advising. Try and knock out some USP's (Gen ED) because if you haven't covered all of them by senior year you don't get to graduate.

If you have all this you will fly through your advising session and walk out with your PERC number ready to sign up for classes when your slot opens.



Extra tips I've found useful:

• Register as soon as you can, seriously getting up at that 7 am sign up may mean getting into the class you need for the semester. Last year we had a class fill up in under 5 minutes. Not all classes are like this, but remember there are only a limited amount of spots and you have to make it work with what you get.
• When making your schedule remember that it's not just the classes you can take, its putting in time to study and time to relax and eat! If you're a morning person take early classes, if you doze in the after noon think of that. If you want to look for a job schedule around those hours. This will be your life next semester, will you be happy with it?
• Have a back-up plan, and a back-up-back-up plan. If your first class doesn't work out you want a list of others right next to you that you can work with as well.
• Breathe, its not that scary and it won't kill you. I may seem terryfing but its the first step to figuring out life, somewhat, on your own.
• Take a lighter class, one that you can slack off in a little, or will look forward to everyweek. If you take all heavy classes, that is when students tend to burnout and drop classes. It can be a fun one! I'm taking Zumba for my PE credit this semester and last semester I had beginning acting. Its a great release and way to help motivate you. 

- Wyobelle

P.S. I've done this a few times and have it pretty much figured you, if you need help or just want to talk let me know!! Wyobelle1@gmail.com

Halloween and halfway through!

Can you believe that it is almost Halloween, or that it is halfway through the school year? I certainly can't it feels like everything has flown by so fast, and yet the fact that we only have a month and a half till break seems like a short amount of time.

How have your study habits been lately? I know mine have been subpar for what they were earlier this year. Now that finals is almost over, Homecoming has gone by, and Border Wars is waiting for basketball season I feel like I might be able to pick up those last few weeks with some better habits so I can pull a few of those B's into A's.

However what I have also noticed is that my November weekend is almost filled up already, I want to take this point to remind everyone(myself included!) that it's okay to take a break, and just enjoy yourself. Understand that life needs balance. That balance might be in a night out with friends, a good book, or a nap.

I am particularly bad at balance, I tend to tip onto one side but my goal this week is to finish strong, and breath.

Whats your goal for the week? How do you balance life? Any big accomplishments lately? 

-Wyobelle

P.S. Who else is ready to carve pumpkins? It's officially the beginning of the holiday season, the pumpkin flavored everything has hit with fall. I'm trying to figure out my costume this year, and I've been talked into a comic girl, what do you think?

But what? Boots!

Hello world,

Midterms caught me off guard so hard this year, but not as badly as our football team did yesterday. Bit of a let down that one, well more than a bit. Went up in the hills this morning, early this morning, didn't see any elk which was our goal but I did see lots and lots of snow.  By the time my friend and I got back to town it was snowing pretty hard. However, this afternoon all the snow had melted again.

This trend of snow and melt is beginning to become quite the pattern over here. And rain, we have had sooo much rain this year, more than I think I've seen in Wyoming in my entirety of living here (almost my entire life)! With so much snow and rain and the wacky Wyoming weather, I've been caught off guard with my choice of shoes.

I have heavy duty snow boots for the really wet storms and  otherwise have been able to tough through with tennis shoes the rest of the time, because honestly when the snow comes you aren't outside for very long normally. This bizarre year has made me lust after duck boots. Its the main thing I'm going to be asking Santa for for Christmas this year ;)

Here are a few of my favorites:

Tivol by Sorel
. 
Women's Shearwater by Sperry Top-Sider





and finally the Women's Bean Boots by L.L. Bean's



I just can't get enough of them, and they just me so well. My best friend loves her Uggs and she looks good in them, but it's just too much fluff and size.

How has the weather been for you? And midterms? Are you looking into anything new for the winter months?

-Wyobelle

Midterms

Alright guys, have you noticed that things are getting busy again?

I had the best weekend, stayed up way to late, and once again found my addiction to D.P.Dough.

(The Parmazone is my fav, especially with garlic butter!) However, it's time to hit the grindstone once again because midterms are next week, and I repeat next week. Where has the time gone? I feel like I'm just starting to get into the swing of things and we only have half a semester left, and from my previous experiences the second half goes by so much faster than the first. 

I know this week isn't too terrible homework wise for me, but I also have homecoming sing this week, a crazy work schedule, and family coming into town next weekend. That means that I need to start studying for classes, like now. Which coincidentally is when we all should be studying for our midterms. 

I didn't find out what good study habits were until this last spring semester. BAD IDEA. There are so many options out there, so many. In the dorms, on campus, in Greek life,  just put yourself out there and look for if you need help, because its not shameful and I can promise you that after midterms it's soooo hard to pull your grades up. The first test was a flop? That's ok, take a deep breath learn what you need to fix and move on. 

My favorite places to look for study tips are:

http://www.uwyo.edu/bettergrades/index.html
      which has a ton of resources and links to other sites

Pinterest.com
     I have a board called College Tips and Hacks which has basically everything that a college student needs, from funny t-shirts to study tips, and dorm/apartment food tricks to organization ideas. 

-Wyobelle

P.S. If you're in town Wednesday, come to Homecoming Sing in the A&S Auditorium around 7 o'clock! It's going to be awesome!!

P.P.S. If you're having a late night study session... or just a late night ;) I totally recommend D.P. Dough they have the best calzones and they deliver up till 2 am. They are chain that only pops up in college towns, something I think is brilliant.

http://www.dpdough.com/

Preparing for Homecoming

So, this weekend was particularly odd for me. Mainly I think because I didn't have too much to do, and I did homework for most of the weekend. I feel like I'm finally starting to grow up because, 1) my tastes have been changing and 2) my out look on school and life have been changing. However, these next two weeks will have me as excited as a high schooler again, because we are getting ready for Homecoming!

Being in a sorority have made a few of the things I'm doing a little different, but this is such an exciting time for the campus as a whole! Next week, any RSO's or groups that want to participate can join in Homecoming Sing. Normally Greek Life has a huge turn out for this, and this year is no different. I've already been preparing with my sisters for our Sing performance. It's normally super funny and a good time, lots of different groups up on stage in A&S doing skits and choreographed songs. That's happening Wednesday.

Then during the rest of the week we have the parade on Saturday, the football game Saturday, normally a volleyball game that weekend as well. Also the sports teams compete against each other in a car push up the ramps of Memorial Stadium. There is so much more, but please go out and support our sports teams! I can't wait. As a member of the newspaper I'll get to see everything written down after, so if you can't make it next week read about it in the Branding Iron!

The picture below should take you to the Homecoming page at UW!

It's going to be a blast and I can't wait to show everyone what Chi O has been working had at for the last few weeks! I love fall, the weather, the clothes, the drinks, the food, but mainly it means the start of some amazing times! Football, Homecoming, Halloween, and soon after Thanksgiving will kick off our holiday season! 

-WyoBelle

P.S. How are you enjoying the switch into fall? Are you as excited for Homecoming and all the fun activities as I am? Will you be superfanning it for our football game? I wanna know! And to the readers outside of UW is your Homecoming soon? How do you celebrate it? 

Turn Your Whole Body

Okay, so I've been reading Plato's Republic for class.

However out discussion today got me thinking, a little after chapter 7 when Plato is explaining the Allegory of the Cave he states that education is not looking in the right direction. My teacher then explained more saying how one must turn their whole body to learn and become wise, this will then change how they feel about life and how they want to work in the world.

I know that most of that was boring, but it correlates to what we are doing with college. Now that may just having you rolling your eyes, but originally I was going into Pre-Med. I find Science soooo interesting, however I have found out that I don't always understand it. My first semester was kinda (really) rough. I'd already decided to major in Political Science because it was something I enjoyed learning about, and for Pre-Med you can have any major you want.

 I'd already found that I loved government, history, and politics when I was in high school. I decided to take a break from Pre-Med second semester and knock some of my major requirements out of the way. I found out that college classes can be fun. That I love to learn again. Most importantly, that I never wanted to go back into my science heavy coarse load of the Pre-Med world ever again.

Today I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do in a few years, I may go to Law School or maybe just intern somewhere. I may even get to go work in D.C. or maybe our state capital. As long as I'm working somewhere within the world of government I know that I'll be happy and that I'll be helping the world in the best way that I can.

It doesn't matter to me if I don't get a doctors salary, because I will have a job that I love doing. To me it was worth reading Plato just to realize that I'm on the right path.

Have you realized what you want to do with yourself? Or are you still searching for the right niche? I want to hear your stories too!

P.S. I have been ridiculously addicted to drinking London Fog since I've come to college, but this last week or so I've gotten really bad about it, and thanks to Starbucks it's gotten really popular!

Chase your passions

Ok guys so this really has been a long week so far, and I am so sorry I haven't been very active.

I know I'm not the only one feeling like this because all of my sisters do as well. Sisters you may ask? Yes! I am officially part of Chi Omega here at UW. That’s why my posts have been kind of odd lately. I'm starting to finally settle down and hope that I can have a normal schedule.

Here I am advocating for Fraternity and Sorority life, but also any other activity you want to get into. My freshman year I was waaaay to laid back, I hung out in my dorm became friends with my floor and didn't leave. Which isn't bad, but I feel like I didn't get to know Laramie or UW at all until second semester and even more this year. Now that I have a job and am in a Fraternity (Chi O is a womens Fraternity, founded well over 100 years ago) I'm super busy. However, I also know so many people now! I can't walk across campus without seeing someone that I know.

Halfway through my first year I really began to miss the sports teams and extracurriculars I'd been involved in all high school. I looked into several things, but what stuck out to me the most was going Greek. I didn't feel like joining a club sport though I knew many people who had and loved it, and I wasn't all that into going to a Church group. I have nothing against them, actually I have several friends in Navigators (one of our groups) and have seen it to be a postitive influence in their lives.  So look around and find something that interests you.

The main motiviator for going Greek was the fact that I had so many friends in the Greek system, saw something I liked and wanted it too. Now I won't only have friends or sisters that I can call on for help no matter what, but when I graduate they will still be there and I will join and even larger group of alumni across the nation. Those who went Greek in college are almost everywhere and have a bond with one another. I gives a great network to start out on, plus it looks good on resumes. Apparently I'm not the only one who thought that going Greek was a good idea, as my pledge class across the row was over a hundred girls, extremely large for the last few years. I can't wait for the experiences and memories I will make.

Look into your passions chances have it that there is something on campus you can join! College is for making great memories and great friends, go out and do something!

-Wyobelle

P.S. If you are interested in going Greek here is a little video they showed us girls at orientation night before we started recruitment: Our potential, your  move: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un6c-MY4FEY