By Rachel Back, SCS Advising Leader: Talking to our alumni is one of my favorite parts about working for the University of Illinois Foundation (UIF). UIF works closely with all three colleges that make up the University of Illinois system- UIC, UIS, and UIUC- to fundraise and receive gifts that ultimately fund the various programs and opportunities for each school. Although their experiences were different than mine, I found their experiences and words of advice to be very insightful. Here are some of the most memorable pieces of advice that our alumni have to offer....

Dear First-Year Milena, Welcome to Urbana-Champaign, the land of the corn, and exciting new opportunities and experiences! I know you’re excited to be here, in a new state with new people to meet. Everyone has been telling you that the next four years are going to be the best years of your life. Even though you’re enthusiastic about the adventure, you’re also wondering whether you’ll succeed and make the most of the four years. Spoiler alert: you will. You knew that choosing a major such as Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE) meant things weren’t always going to...

By Elizabeth Jones The first year of college is a time of great change that can be daunting for many students. Adjusting to life away from home and the amount of newfound freedom is both exciting and a challenge to first-year students. Embracing college life is key to getting the most out of your experience, but it’s important not to neglect your responsibilities. I found that maintaining a school-life balance was especially important to success, and I wish I had learned that early on in my collegiate career. So, if I had the chance to write a letter to myself for when I first started at...

By Jose Munoz, 2020-2021 SCS Advising Leader: ******TRIGGER WARNING: This blog talks about sensitive topics that may trigger certain individuals with specific histories. This blog is meant to be informative to parties who may not have experienced such events and wish to learn and assist/direct others to professional aid. The blog specifically talks about forms of substance abuse and forms of assault****** With the first half of April already past us, I’d like to bring attention to our national monthly April observations. A part of diversity, equity, and inclusion are getting uncomfortable...

By Milena Nutrobkina, Chemical Engineer, 2020-2021 SCS Student Advising Leader: It is hard to believe that winter is over, March has passed, and Spring has finally arrived! Spring brings warm weather and the ability to spend time outside. We are also two-thirds of the way done with this semester. Taking both Spring and exams into account, it becomes a great opportunity to study outside. I have provided four well-known, as well as not so well-known, places to study outside below. We will start with locations in the southern part of campus and move north. • Arboretum...

By Jose Munoz, 2020-2021 SCS Advising Leader: While March has passed, it’s important to remember to recognize the achievements and contributions of women and celebrate Irish heritage not only during March. We should continue to observe these accomplishments during and after March. For this blog, I would like to show appreciation for the achievements of women, Irish culture, and the contribution both have made to society around the world. Needless to say, there are many women and Irish activists, artists, musicians, scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs that have made a...

By Elizabeth Jones, 2020-2021 SCS Advising Leader: We’re already over half-way through this semester and many of us are busy with mid-terms and starting final papers and projects. Normally around this time, we have a full week off from our academic obligations. The lack of a spring break this semester is a challenge to many students, and “wellness days” are just time to catch up on our studies, not take a break from them. With the second half of the semester still to come, it’s important to avoid becoming unmotivated, tired and burnt out. Here’s some advice that helps me...

By Milena Nutrobkina, 2020-2021 SCS Student Advising Leader When I was in elementary school, I became fascinated with space travel. I participated in an astrophysics camp where I learned how to use software that models distant solar systems on the weekends, and I joined a robotics club in school designing and building remote-controlled cars. You can see I have been interested in engineering from the beginning. Later on, I fell in love with chemistry. So, when I was applying to school, I was determined to find an engineering major that utilized chemistry, thus chemical engineering. However, I...

By Zander Leja, 2020-2021 SCS Advising Leader:             Starting out in college is not an easy task and requires coming outside of your comfort zone in all aspects of life. It can be stressful and draining for many but with help from professors, advisors, TAs, and mentors it becomes more manageable. Having positive experiences with mentors and older classmates has helped me throughout my experiences as an undergraduate Chemistry major and allowed me to bypass the silly mistakes or become aware of mistakes I was making. Now, as I am...

By Elizabeth Jones, 2020-2021 SCS Advising Leader: Millions of people make New Year’s resolutions each year, ranging from improving health and fitness to finding a better job or even something as simple as keeping a daily journal. We’re already two months into 2021 and the motivation to keep working on your resolutions may be starting to falter. Maybe you feel as if you’ve already fallen behind and are starting to give up on your resolutions, or maybe you’ve already accomplished them and are now working on maintaining them. Either way, it’s never too late for self-betterment and to keep the...