Blugold Nuggets - December 2007

We hope this December issue of Blugold Nuggets will be helpful as your student finishes the last few weeks of the Fall semester and prepares for winter break.

Residence Hall Information for Winter Break

Students living in the residence halls should be aware that all halls will close on Saturday, December 22nd at noon with the exception of Towers, Katharine Thomas and Chancellors Halls. A UW-Eau Claire student who plans to stay in the halls during winter recess must register to stay in Towers, Katherine Thomas or Chancellors. He/She can do this by completing an online registration form. If a student wishes to stay on campus during the break but does not reside in one of the three halls that are open, he/she must stop in the Housing Office and complete a break authorization form and get permission/signatures from the student(s) to use their room before Thursday, December 20. Female students may only stay in female designated rooms; male students may only stay in male designated rooms.

The residence halls will reopen on Wednesday, January 16 at 8am.

Using Winter Break for Major/Career Exploration

Coming home for the holidays often means answering questions about what the student's major is or what the student plans to do after graduation. Rather than being stressed by these questions, students can use the encounters as an opportunity to obtain information.

• Students undecided about major or career plans often rely on parents and family to bounce ideas off of and to ask for suggestions. Why not formalize this by using the "Career Poll"? Have the student ask for 5 career suggestions from four or more people. (When a person asks "What are you majoring in, the student could turn the question around and ask "What do you think I should major in or what career do you think I'd be good at?) Then ask why they think the student would be good at that. Of course, the student still has to sort through all the suggestions and make his/her own decision.
• Encourage your student to ask others more specific information about their jobs. It's amazing how little most of us talk to our children about our jobs. What do you like about your job? What don't you like? Even if the student isn't interested in this particular job, it can get them thinking about what they would like in a job.

AskAnAlum

Winter break is also a great time to do job shadowing or informational interviewing. Students who are undecided can use it for help deciding. Students who have a major can start networking. Remember, most people LOVE talking about themselves! They can use AskAnAlum to find someone, or just use friends and family to make contacts .

And once the holidays are over and students are getting bored, encourage them to do research on occupations. Much of that can be done on-line. SIGI3 is a great tool available to UW-Eau Claire students from any computer. Or check out the links to career sites found at "Guide to Careers."

Final Exam Care Packages

Final Exam Survival Kit

Fruit Basket

The National Residence Hall Honorary sponsors a care package program to help parents and families support their Blugold throughout the year. Parents can have a variety of care packages delivered to their residence hall student at any time.

In December, NRHH delivers final exam survival kits to residence hall students. Information was sent to the permanent address of every student living in the residence halls about how to order by our corporate partners, On Campus Marketing. Unfortunately, orders can not be taken for students living off campus. Parents with questions or comments can email NRHH@uwec.edu

Holiday Concert

A festively decorated Zorn Arena will be the setting for the 33rd annual Holiday Concert hosted by the UW-Eau Claire's Department of Music and Theater Arts and the UW-Eau Claire Foundation at 2pm and 5 pm, Sunday, December 9.

The free concert will feature performances by the Concert Choir, The Singing Statesmen, the Symphony Orchestra, the Wind Symphony, the Women's Chorus, Women's Concert Chorale and the Symphonic Choir.

As is the tradition, the UW-Eau Claire Chapter of Mortar Board will collect new children's books for the Give-a-Kid-a-Book project. Audience members are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped children's book to donate.

Tickets are free but must be reserved in advance at the University Service Center, 715-836-3727 .

Sophomore Slump

If your second year student seems less enthused and less motivated than last year, he or she is not alone. The "sophomore slump" is a real phenomenon affecting many students. The novelty of college has worn off, the attention that is often given to freshmen is not there, yet the student is not yet in small, upper division courses in their major. If the student moved off campus, the isolation and demands of off campus living can be stressful. All of this is often worse for students who are uncertain about a major or have discovered that they won't be admitted to their major of choice.

There are a number of things students can do to counter this:

• Get involved in campus organizations and try to take a leadership role. If their major has an organization join it. That will get the student connected to other students in the major.
• Get involved in community service projects - students can fulfill their Service Learning requirement, meet people and feel like they have accomplished something worthwhile.
• Make an appointment with Career Services or an undeclared adviser to talk about majors. While it's fine to be undeclared as a freshman, sophomores really need a direction (or at least be on the way to deciding).
• Contact Career Services about a possible internship. Sophomores can get internships!
• Talk to their professors - stop by during office hours; speak up in class. Now is the time to start getting connected to their major.

H.O.U.S.E Day

Is your son or daughter thinking about moving off campus next year? On Tuesday, January 29th from 9am - 4pm - the UW-Eau Claire's Student Senate will sponsor Housing Off-Campus University Event (H.O.U.S.E. Day). Students will have the opportunity to check listings and meet and talk with approximately 50 landlords offering off-campus housing to students.

H.O.U.S.E Day

The 11th Annual H.O.U.S.E. Day is designed to combat the problem of students being caught in a 18 month or greater contract obligations when their plans may not be that predictable. This has led to many legal and personal complications between students and landlords.

Representatives from the City-County Health Department and State Department of Consumer Protection will also be on hand to answer questions.

 

Don't Let the Flu Ruin Your Winter Break

The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses.  It can cause mild to severe illness, with symptoms including fever (usually high), headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, muscle aches, and a runny or stuffy nose.  Flu viruses spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing and sometimes by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.  Most healthy adults may be able to infect others one day before symptoms appear and up to five days after getting sick.  Thus, it is possible to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick as well as while you are sick.

The single best way to protect yourself and others is to get vaccinated each year.  The vaccine can be given with a needle (“flu shot”) or by nasal spray.  Although October and November are the best times to get vaccinated, it is not too late to still get vaccinated as the flu season can last as long as May.  Influenza vaccine is important for those people at high risk for complications of flu and their contacts as well as anyone who wants to decrease their risk of influenza.

The following additional measures can help prevent the spread of flu and other respiratory illnesses. Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze and try not to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth since many germs are spread this way. Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand cleaner if water is unavailable, and avoid close contact with people who are sick. If you get the flu, stay home from work, school, and social gatherings.

Paying Tuition

Winterim - Informational electronic bills will be emailed to each student's University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire email address on Thursday, Dec. 6th. Payment is due in full on Tuesday, Jan 2, 2008 to avoid a $6 per credit administrative service fee.

If the student's financial aid exceeds his/her University costs, refunds will be disbursed beginning Jan. 2, 2008 from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Cashier's Window, Schofield Hall 108. If a student wishes to have his or her financial aid refund check mailed when class(es) begin, please follow the instructions at this web site: http://www.uwec.edu/bussvs/busoff/refundAuth.htm.

Spring Semester - Informational electronic bills will be emailed to each student at his/her UWEC email address on Friday, Dec. 7th. An electronic bill with financial aid applied will be emailed to all students to their UW-Eau Claire email address on Thursday, Jan. 17th. A final electronic bill will be emailed on Tuesday, Feb. 6th. Payment is due in full by Friday, Feb. 15, 2008 to avoid finance charges.

If the student elects to participate in our partial payment plan, one half of his or her bill is due on Friday, February 15th. The remaining half, plus finance charges, is due on Friday, March 14, 2008. An electronic bill will be emailed to students on February 20th.

For more information about billing contact the Business Office

Holiday/Finals Gift Ideas for your Blugold

With finals and the holidays just around the corner you may be looking for gift ideas for your son or daughter. We have come up with a top ten list to help you out.

1. Computer (find out how you can get discounts on top brands)
2. CASH
3. UWEC Apparel
4. I-Tunes gift card
5. Gas/restaurant/movie Gift Cards
6. Cold weather gear - (hat,mittens, coat, boots)
7. Flannel sheets
8. Books
9. Pajamas/Slippers
10. Massage (you can get a 1 hour massage from University Recreation for only $33)

Off Campus Good Neighbor Reminders

For most of our students, living off campus is their first experience being primarily responsible for a home and yard; this gives them a chance to test their skills as a neighbor. Early in the fall, neighborhood associations send out information on city ordinances to help inform students before they find themselves in violation. Winter brings new issues such as calendar parking and snow removal. Winter parking rules are in effect from November 1st through May 1st and the city gave warnings in the first couple of weeks but has begun issuing citations now.

Snow shoveling needs to be done within 24 hours of a snowfall and if your student plans to be out of town for a long period of time over break, he or she should make arrangements for removal. Trash containers also need to be in by 5pm on the day of pickup. Most neighbors are extremely helpful (many shovel all the way to the curb, etc.), so encourage your student to reach out and ask for help if he/she need it, or offer some if he/she is able.

McNair Program - Will your student be seeking a Doctorate Degree?

Named to honor the African-American astronaut who perished with the Challenger mission, this TRIO program assists eligible low-income, first generation students to prepare for and enter graduate programs leading to the Ph.D. Each year at UW-Eau Claire ten to twelve new undergraduate McNair Scholars embark upon two years of intensive mentoring, specialized curricular and co-curricular offerings, collaborative research, and paid internships, all of which groom these candidates for graduate school. Take a short tour of an introduction to the program. Participants include academically talented low-income, first generation students and students from groups traditionally underrepresented in Ph.D. programs. McNair Scholars are chosen via faculty nomination.

The application and nomination deadline for CoHort 10 McNair Scholars is mid April 2008. For more information about the McNair Program and eligibility, contact Patricia Quinn