By Jose Munoz, 2020-2021 SCS Advising Leader: Black History Month (BHM) is a fantastic time to celebrate a very special global culture. With many contributions to music, art, dance, food, science, medicine, and much more, we take this time of the year to reflect and celebrate the African American community. I have prepared a few easy-to-read flyers for Black History Month of familiar and not-so-familiar faces. The list contains well-known activists such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and important pioneers such as Afro-Latina Celia De La Caridad Cruz Alfonso who helped developed Salsa! Feel...

By Rishi Ghorad, 2020-2021 SCS Advising Leader: The challenges in the quarantine school year are further accentuated by difficulties within the job economy. Many companies now operate largely away from traditional workspaces and have shifted their policies and opportunities involving part-time work and internships. The beginning of quarantine in the spring and summer of 2020 saw the worst of this, with the uncertainty of the global pandemic resulting in many graduating students unable to obtain jobs. Undergraduates also were impacted through rescinded or canceled internships...

Primary tabs By Milena Nutrobkina, Chemical Engineering, 2020-2021 SCS Student Advising Leader: Are you a member of a registered student organization and would like to be part of the committee? Or do you want to become more confident when presenting yourself to others? Or you are committed to self-improvement but don’t know where to start? The leadership certificate program is the perfect place to begin your leadership development journey. The leadership certificate program is a tool for you to monitor your progress as you participate in leadership experiences. The...

By Milena Nutrobkina, Chemical Engineer, 2020-2021 SCS Student Advising Leader: As an engineer earning your degree provides you with a lot of the engineering knowledge that you’ll need to have in order to be successful in your career. However, what you will learn in school is not everything. You will have the responsibility to understand the impact of the product in a global and societal context. So, it is important to engage in life-long learning. Typically, continuous learning in the industry comes from attending conferences, taking stretch projects, and seeking out extra training. To get...

By Elizabeth Jones, 2020-2021 SCS Advising Leader: Fall break is a great time to take a breath from the hectic semester, see friends and family, and even get a jump start on preparing for finals. Whether you’re having a socially distanced Thanksgiving outside or meeting with family over zoom, it will still be nice to see family and take a break from thinking about academics. It’s easy to start neglecting your health when we’ve been busy with our studies, so we should try to make the most out of this week off. This year, it’s more important than ever to use this fall break to rest and...

By Jose Munoz, 2020-2021 SCS Advising Leader: As we approach the end of the semester, it’s important to think back on the pros and cons that have been produced in our academic lives this semester. Good habits should be reinforced, and bad habits should be reduced. In order to finish the semester strong, a couple of steps can be taken to stay motivated as we head home for fall break. Under these new circumstances, we will not be returning to campus after Thanksgiving break to reduce the risk of COVID-19 being spread. The following content is a list of things everyone can do whether staying on...

By Rishi Ghorad, 2020-2021 SCS Advising Leader: College is all about the opportunities and activities that are made possible on campus. However, our current global pandemic is changing the way RSOs are organized and held. Although there are clubs that are on hiatus or cannot operate normally due to the social distancing regulations, there are still organizations that are able to meet or form some plan around this. However, it’s becoming growingly apparent that not many people are able to get in touch with or stick to being a part of a club. Part of that deals with the difficulty of being...

By Milena Nutrobkina, Chemical Engineer, 2020-2021 SCS Student Advising Leader With remote learning, studying abroad may seem like a far-reaching goal. But it’s possible to participate in international activities on campus and to plan for studying abroad in the future. I had the opportunity to study abroad at Comillas Pontifical University in Madrid, Spain during my second semester as a sophomore in Spring 2019. It was an experience that I have wanted to partake in for a while. I studied Spanish since first grade and I couldn’t wait until I could immerse myself fully in the culture. Whether...

By Zander Leja, 2020-2021 SCS Advising Leader:   For some, studying for chemistry can be strenuous and frustrating when a great deal of effort is used to study for an exam, and they do not receive their desired outcome. Studying for chemistry is a different beast and requires different strategies to study than other classes might require. My advice is mostly targeted towards my younger Illinois friends who are just beginning their chemistry careers or need general chemistry for their course of study. This also may be helpful for my older peers who may want to think and adjust their...

By Jose Munoz, 2020-2021 SCS Student Advising Leader: As an undergraduate, staying disciplined and organized to study for exams is essential to succeed in your classes. Most students will experience that exams will total for anywhere near 30% to 80% of your class grade. This could induce unnecessary stress if you do not prepare well for upcoming exams and choose to cram instead.  The first part of developing better study skills would be to clear your schedule and designate specific times to study. Finishing assignments before their deadline, your portion of group projects, and other...