SUNY Ulster Community College

Guide to Surviving Midterm Week.

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Man working at homework on desk

It may seem hard to believe, but Midterm Week here on campus is quickly approaching!

Over the next few days, you may find yourself wondering how you may ever survive all the projects, and studying that needs to be completed within such a specific span of time!

To survive what may seem like “Midterm Madness” we have put together some of our top tips that can help you get ahead of the game and dominate anything that comes your way!  

Attend Study Sessions.

Attending study sessions is a great way to get a professional and in-depth look at what the upcoming midterm topics. Professors are likely to let similar questions to those on your exams slip during these sessions, and that is an excellent opportunity for you to get a full study experience!

Meet With Your Professors.

Taking advantage of your professors’ office hours as the mid-term looms closer may allow for you get a full analysis on what areas you need to work on, and you may also be able to gauge what topics will be focused on by listening closely to what topics your professor focuses on during your meeting. You can find your professors schedules on their syllabuses, or posted on their office doors.

Stay Healthy.

You may be tempted to pull an all-nighter and spend little to no time preparing healthy food options for yourself. As you increase your brain activity even further this time more than ever your body requires sleep, and nutritious food to keep a clear mind!

Manage Your Time.

As previously stated in our blog post “How to Fight Procrastination this Semester” creating a customized study plan may be an essential part of your success during midterm week. A HUGE part of this is time management- the recommended study session from University of Guelph Learning Commons is studying for 1 hours with a 5-10 break in between.

Stories of SUNY Ulster — Marla Gruner: Family Woman, Educator, Library Scientist

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The Stories team recently got an opportunity to conduct an interview with SUNY Ulster’s own charismatic librarian: Marla Gruner. Invariably seated at the help desk, Marla is known for her pleasant helpfulness and the sagacity of her assistance. Entering her office, we are delighted to the smell of fresh coffee, photographs of her two adorable children, and a glowing presence ready to talk.

“I was an English major in college, and I realized there wasn’t a whole lot I could do with an English degree *Laughs*. So I thought, what are my options? I talked to my advisors and they were iffy about it, and I think I took a career quiz and found out that I could go on and get my masters in library science very easily, and I had also worked in a public library when I was in high school and I liked it! It’s not a thrilling story or anything, I was just fortunate enough to have a direct line to working in this field, sort of a straight path…Mostly it’s the people here that I like working with, there are a lot of energetic, fun people to work with. It’s a small community, and unfortunately a lot of people come here from disadvantaged circumstances, so I really enjoy being able to help them in any way; be it finding a book or navigating the site…I’m teaching at F.Y.E. this semester, so I feel like I’m really able to branch out, talk to people and meet more students — that’s one thing about the library is you don’t always necessarily get to know the students very well, you don’t see them as much as their professors might per se. I feel like this is a great opportunity to know more students better…So, yeah, I just really like the community college environment and feel, and with my job specifically, I’m able to do a lot of things in the library, whereas at a larger institution, there might be like ten librarians. So I get to do the job of ten *Smiles*, but in all seriousness it is wonderful and I enjoy it.”

Interesting Tidbit: When asked about the slow decline of the print book and nationally declining book circulation rates, Marla says she is not concerned. She envisions the library of the future as more of a meeting place and help center, as well as a massive digital database. Forever the optimist, Marla is as much a librarian as she is a friend to the campus at large. The next time you find yourself in the library, keep an eye out for Marla and her infectious smile!

Tips to Fighting Procrastination This Semester.  

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Woman's hands typing on a laptop

Procrastination is the mindset of “Have fun now, worry about it later” that plagues countless individuals. As the semester moves forward it may feel as if countless due dates, and exam dates continue to fill up your calendar. Here at SUNY Ulster we want our students to have all the necessary tools to fight procrastination and have their most successful semester yet! Here are some tips to help you to get the job done!

Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

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At some point of working on a project it may feel as if all the information you have compiled is no longer making sense, BUT HELP IS AVAILABLE.  In addition to asking your professors for addition support there are resources all across campus that are designed to help you succeed in all your classes!

For additional help you can visits these locations:

The Learning Center (VAN 247)

The Peer Tutor Program (VAN 247)

The Gary and Janaki Patrik Math Center (ALG 122)

The Writing Center (DEW 110)

 

Create a Personalized Plan.

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Creating a personalized road map to the completion of each assignment is one way to put yourself on task to complete your assignment by section and avoid procrastination.For example I divide my projects into levels of Priority. From there I work on the most crucial elements of my project first moving from phase to phase following the personalized plan I have created to completion!

 

Limited Distractions.

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In today’s world we are surrounded by distractions all day long. Whether it be apps on our phones, the latest Netflix binge, and basically anything other than sitting down and working on the project at hand. If you are looking for a place to tune out your distractions and get work done you may want to check out the library on campus. The Dewitt Library has incredible resources that you mat reference while you work as well as its various levels of peace and quiet to maximize your focus!

Library Hours:

Monday-Thursday: 8am-7 pm

Friday: 8am-4 pm

Saturday: 9 am-3 pm

Sunday: Closed

Remember to Reward Yourself.

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I have saved the best tip for last! One of the things that I do when I have a large assignment due is during my initial creation of my “personalized progress plan” I always take a moment to set up what or how I plan to reward myself once I have completed the final task! Whether it be to see a movie, buy a new piece of clothing, or treating yourself to your favorite meal don’t forget to reward your hard work!

Top Ten Reasons to Choose SUNY Ulster

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SUNY Ulster in front of the fountain in fall

Affordable EducationTaraFitzgerald
The cost of attending a four-year college is high and going higher. You can greatly reduce the cost of gaining a bachelor’s degree by graduating from SUNY Ulster and transferring to finish to a four-year institution to finish your degree. At SUNY Ulster, 70% of our students graduate with no debt and more than 200 students per year receive scholarships. Discover how Tara Fitzgerald saved to reach her goals.


Flexible Scheduling
If you need to make college fit in with job and family obligations, SUNY AudreyPottingerUlster offers daytime, evening, weekend and online classes to help you accomplish your educational goals. Did you know, we also offer seven different start dates to help get you going. See how Audrey Pottinger used every scheduling option to get herself across the finish line.

The Power of SUNY
The SUNY System has a policy of seamless transfer for those graduating from a New York community college with an A.A. or A.S. degree. Our Transfer Office can help ensure the credits you earn at SUNY Ulster will earn you placement as a junior in the four-year SUNY college or university of your choice.

Faculty Focus on Teaching VincenzoAgostaroCapture
Our professors don’t just teach a course, they live it. Experts in their fields, they bring real life experiences to the classroom. Classes are small, so faculty have the ability to inspire and mentor.

Support Services for Success
We strive to address the needs of all learners. From academic advising and tutoring to counseling and career services, we help you develop to your fullest potential.

Internships & Real World Experience
From day one, you’ll have the opportunity to register for an internship or academic travel. In addition, many of our programs provide real world experiences such as creating graphics or developing drafting proVictorCuevaCapturejects for real clients.

College & Career Options
If you’re like most students, you may not yet know your career path. SUNY Ulster is ideal for exploring fields that interest you to find your passion. Choose from career-oriented programs if you want to enter the job market with your associate degree, certificate or diploma or from transfer programs if you’d like to transfer to a four-year college or university.

Vibrant Student Life
Join a club. Run for office. See a play. Visit the gallery. Play for one of our athletic teams. Join us for BBQs, workshops, lectures, demonstrations and more.

Caring Community
You can feel it the moment you step foot on campus. We’re a community of helpers and doers, cheerleaders and mentors. You’ll quickly discover that faculty, staff and your fellow students become family.

Global Opportunities
Experiencing the world and connecting with other students from around the globe is easy for SUNY Ulster students. In addition to international and domestic travel, we are a leader in COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning). COIL classes use Internet-based tools like Skype and Moodle to connect with students from other institutions around the globe, without ever leaving campus. Learn with students from Mexico, Beirut, and Italy, among others.