By Kimberly Wei Kim Ngoh, 2019-2020 SCS Student Advising Leader: A midday cup of coffee to fight off being sleepy seems highly justified. Not only will it curb your desire to ‘rest your eyes’ during a lecture, but it also tastes good; depending on how you like it. However, unbeknownst to most of us is that the quarter-life of caffeine is 12 hours. That’s right—even when we lose the jitters from the caffeine we had at noon, a quarter of it is still swimming around in our system at midnight, at the risk of interfering with a good night’s sleep. We all vaguely understand that sleep is good for...

By Alayna Johnson, 2019-2020 SCS Student Advising Leader:   As you progress in the chemistry or chemical engineering curriculum, you’ll begin to move on to more advanced courses. While many of the study techniques you picked up during your introductory classes are still applicable, there are a few differences you’ll want to keep in mind as you move to 300- and 400- level lecture courses. Less busy work. Many of the general and organic chemistry courses have homework due several times a week. In upper-level courses, it’s much more common to have only a single problem...

Switching Majors By Alayna Johnson, 2019-2020 SCS Student Advising Leader:           According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 80% of students in the United States change their major at least once and the average college student will change their major three times. During my time at Illinois, I’ve considered at least six majors ranging from physics to materials science, switched majors twice, declared two minors, enrolled in a dual-degree program (which I almost immediately dropped out of) and eventually found my home in...

By Kimberly Wei Kim Ngoh, 2019-2020 SCS Student Advising Leader: College is a time of exploration—figuring out what you want to do post-graduation, discovering who your true friends are and finding what works for you in terms of balancing grades, social life, and sleep. For some of us, though, it may feel like we have yet to get our lives together, while everyone else seems to be on track, hurtling us into a paralyzing, albeit momentarily, existential crisis. Looking back, college was such an exciting prospect to me. Like most people, I began freshman year high with hopes...

By Kimberly Wei Kim Ngoh, 2019-2020 SCS Student Advising Leader: I am a huge advocate of study abroad programs, having done so through the International Programs in Engineering (IPENG), and as an international student here at the U of I. At the risk of sounding cliché, I feel hesitant to share about my time abroad but doing so has put me in contact with an extensive network of outgoing and incoming exchange students here. We connect over struggles of holding up the line to count foreign coins, as well as the...

By Rishi Ghorad, 2019-2020 SCS Advising Leader Fall Break is one of the best times of the year. After weeks of homework, exams, projects, and other trials in college, there is finally a long week of rest. Of course, some choose to relax and reset after so long of non-stop work. Others decide to catch up with family and friends. Chances are that the weeks leading up to Fall Break are packed with last-minute exams and reports. Trust me, I’ve had my share of trials and tribulations, so I know how that sweet relief of 9 days feels. Others may share this, but there are always those unlucky few...

By Alayna Johnson, 2019-2020 SCS Student Advising Leader: The importance of undergraduate research can hardly be understated: not only is it the best way to build a connection with faculty on campus, it also gives you a major leg-up when applying to graduate school and industry positions. It’s the single best way to apply what you’ve learned in your lecture classes to the real world. Not to mention possible opportunities to present and publish your work. Most students are aware of the benefits of conducting research as an undergraduate, but many underclassmen aren’t sure where to start when...

By Kimberly Wei Kim Ngoh, 2019-2020 SCS Student Advising Leader: It is no secret that a culmination of good habits will get you through college successfully. There is ample research on the power of habit, and a myriad of books to break it down for us with real-life, relatable examples, yet, we still manage to give in to the temptations of the habit we wish to break away from. We all joke about how college comes down to having to choose between the trifecta of social life, grades, and sleep, but truthfully, positive habits hold us in good stead for achieving the balance we...

By Alayna Johnson, 2019-2020 SCS Student Advising Leader: If there’s one sure thing about the University of Illinois, it’s that it’s huge. In some ways, this is great! It means you’re bound to find a group of people on campus you really connect with. However, some students worry that the size of Illinois will prevent them from getting to know their professors: after all, how are you supposed to form a positive connection with your professor in a lecture of 800 students? Here are some methods that have worked well for me and my friends in SCS. Make a great first impression:...

By Rishi Ghorad, 2019-2020 SCS Student Advising Leader: First Midterm Down - On to the Second We all have shared this experience. Cramming in all your free time during the week and dealing with homework or projects as the first exam reared its ugly head. Sometimes this manages to work out and a sigh of relief is the only repercussion. But in some cases, the first midterm may not go as you wanted it to, and everyone experiences this to some degree. Here’s what you can do to get yourself back in gear. First off, don’t hit the panic button immediately. There is nothing wrong with you not...