summer

5 Fun Ways to Maintain Your Mental Strength This Summer!

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Three lawn chairs in a row on a beach with the ocean in the distance.

As the hazy lazy days of summer approach a college student such as yourself may have fallen into a not so productive routine. You may have adopted an unsteady sleep schedule, a habit of not keeping up with news and advancements in the industry that you are studying, as well as watching maybe one (or 5) too many episodes of your latest Netflix binge. 

But alas the sharpness of your mind is not completely lost! We have compiled a list of “Five Fun Ways to Maintain Your Mental Strength This Summer”so that you may have a chance at entering into the fall semester knowing maybe even more than you did before the end of the last semester. 

Volunteering:

Two women pose together for a photo wearing shirt that read "Volunteer" .
Photo: rawpixel via Upslash.com

Volunteering is a great way to no only lend a helping hand in your community, but make potential employment connections, as well add true substance to your resume! You may consider volunteering at a local nursing home/rehabilitation center working with the elderly, spending some time in a local soup kitchen, joining an environmental clean-up group, as well  working with animals in a shelter, or helping kids!

 Listen to a Book or Podcast: 

This time spent outside of the classroom does not mean that your quest for knowledge has to a stop. Summer provides an awesome opportunity for you to listen to a new book or podcast! The true perks of being able to “read” while on a walk, while you clean, or during the commute to your vacation destination is incredibly valuable. Take advantage of this time where you can choose what you want to “read” before it is time to dive back in to your mandatory textbooks reading!

Go Outside/ Get Active:

Young man standing on top of a mountain hands up in the air.
Photo by Jake Ingle via Unsplash.com

This tip may seem unrelated- but hear me out! The best part of the summer (in my personal opinion) is the ability to get outside and explore! Getting active is a great way to give your mind a chance to absorb and potentially even apply all that it has learned during the past semester. Relieve yourself of stress- explore, learn, think, and be free!

Work on your Resume:

Time outside of the classroom is the perfect chance for you to begin putting together, or sprucing up your existing resume. You never know when an internship or job prospect may present itself and you want to be prepared to apply!  Add any skills or certifications you have earned over the past few semester, as well as any volunteer and campus club activities you have been involved in!

Need some tips for writing a resume? Check out our blog post : https://wp.me/p5odWC-7O

Binge a Netflix Documentaries:

Woman in a room on a laptop
Victoria Heath via Upsplash.com

If you absolutely feel the need to chill and watch Netflix (or whatever your preferred streaming service is) why not have it be something that will make you smarter? As of April 2018 there were 1402 movies in Netflix US library. Pick something you know a little about, or a topic that you have not yet explored and expand your horizons!

 

 

5 Great Summer Session Classes to Take in 2018

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Woman reading a book while dog is nearby

Summer will be here before we know it! With summer at SUNY Ulster comes Summer Sessions, our yearly offering of on-campus and online classes. This year, there will be several Summer Sessions to choose from: those occurring from May 21-July 2, from May 21-July 31, and from July 5-August 15. We’ve already talked about the benefits of summer session classes, but you may not know what specifically is being offered! Well, there’s a comprehensive list on our site. And to give you a preview, here are just a few great options for you to pick from this year, out of over 80 classes offered between the three sessions:

ENG 216-Science Fiction Masterpieces

Offered Online May 21-July 2

Spend your summer days reading by the pool, and get college credit for it! As long as you’ve taken ENG 102 and LIB 111 you can take this fun course, in which you read and analyze some of the great science fiction authors’ works.

COM 105-Public Speaking

Offered On Site July 5-August 15

Let’s face it, none of us really want to do public speaking, but we all have to, either in the form of Public Speaking or Oral Communication (which are basically the same thing). Why not get it over and done with during the summer? It’s also usually a smaller class. This course is taught by Jennifer Patterson.

ART 130-Photography

Offered On Site May 21-July 2

What better time to learn how to take good pictures than in the summer, when you can explore nature and take lots of photos of the great outdoors? This fun class lets you explore your creative side and learn helpful photo editing skills along the way.

ESC 114-Geology of the National Parks

Offered Online July 5-August 15

Learn about our National Parks from the comfort of your own home (but maybe take the time to visit one before the fall semester starts!) This course is designed for non-science majors, so as long as you’ve finished your English requirement you can take the class.

And last but not least…

Any Math Class

MAT 098, 100, 105, and 115 (and even a few beyond!)

Offered Both Online and On Site During Most Times

Math can be a challenge for many students (even for some of you STEM majors; it’s okay to admit it). Because it can be tough, why not take a summer class where you can focus solely on fractions, graphs, and quadratic equations with the help of an instructor? Burn through the rough stuff this summer so you can head into the fall semester ready to tackle the next class up, or, if you finish, enjoy the rest of your time at Ulster math-free. See the full listing to find out what all are available.

Fun Facts About Summer Sessions

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Student drawing tree outside

Even though it’s still chilly outside, it’s already time to start thinking about the summer! That’s right, registration is now open for Summer Sessions here at SUNY Ulster, so here’s some interesting facts about these mini-semesters that can help you decide if they might be a good fit for you.

It’s Not Like Summer School in 10th Grade

Let’s dispel this common misconception right away, because you might be thinking, “Summer classes? But I passed all my courses!” The truth is, taking summer classes in college often has very little to do with how well you did in past semesters. Granted, it’s a great way to catch up if you didn’t do well in a past class and want to improve your grade, but most people taking summer courses do it for other reasons. In fact, many students (myself included) have had difficulties with scheduling at one point or another and will need a few extra credits to graduate on time. A summer class or two can make all the difference when it comes to your graduation date, whether that means graduating on time or a semester or two early, and thus affects getting into a 4-year school or joining the workforce. Of course, there are many other great reasons to take summer classes too, such as…

You Can Get a Head Start on College

If you’ve just finished high school and can’t wait to start your college career, summer sessions can be a fantastic way to begin. You have a variety of prerequisites to choose from, and you can try online or in class to see what styles work well for you. By starting early, you’ll have an advantage over all the other freshmen who show up that fall and have yet to adjust to new types of classes, the heavier workload, and meeting new friends and professors.

There’s Lots of Class Options

Not only do you have a number of core classes to choose from, there’s also prerequisites and major courses for many fields being offered. This summer, there’s over 80 different options for classes and times available, so there’s a decent chance you will find something you need at a time that works for you. Not only that, there’s an almost equal number of online and on-campus classes, one of the few times this happens. Take advantage of it!

Not An Ulster Student? No Problem!

Many colleges (particularly other SUNY schools) recommend taking summer classes at a community college to accumulate credits at a good price for when you return to your own school in the fall. So if you’re back in the area for summer, or even halfway across the country with access to the internet, you can take advantage of Ulster’s Summer Sessions. Just be in contact with your school to make sure all requirements will be fulfilled first!

Weather (Shouldn’t) Be An Issue

If you prefer in-class courses but often have travel difficulties, summer classes can be a relaxing change. Just like the rest of the year, there are classes in Stone Ridge and at the KCSU, but you really shouldn’t have to worry about driving in snowstorms or waiting for the bus in sub-zero weather to get to them. Additionally, many students say they enjoy the energy in summer classes, since the weather is brighter and classes tend to be smaller, and classmates and professors tend to spend more time together and get to know each other better.

It Keeps You in the Studying Mindset

Okay, this could be either good or bad, but if you’re like most people, that break from homework in the summer makes it all the harder to go back to school in the fall. Summer sessions minimize that and keep you in the class-attending, homework-accomplishing mood we all have to be in to finally graduate. Summer sessions can be difficult, due to the condensed time frame they often work in, as they typically run for 8 weeks instead of 15. This can be a benefit, however, since it keeps you in the mindset needed to get work done and can help you get through a dull course or prerequisite quickly, so that next fall you can start taking more fun classes!

Look at the full list of classes offered this summer, with their session dates and online/in-class options, here. If you find a good fit, register today!