Finals week

Hello everyone - it's Blen, I am thrilled to kick off a new blog post full of motivation for finals week.

Finals week for J-term can be a challenging time for all students, but for international students, the added pressure of navigating a new academic system and cultural environment can make the experience even more stressful. However, it's important to remember that despite these challenges, international students have the ability and potential to succeed. Here are some tips and motivations to help international students do well on finals week.

First and foremost, its important to remember that the hard work and dedication that international students have put in throughout the semester will pay off during finals week. It's important to keep in mind that long hours spent studying and the late nights spent working on assignments have all been preparing students for this moment. Have confidence in the knowledge and skills that you have acquired throughout the semester, and trust in your ability to perform well on exams. 

Secondly, it's important to remind ourselves that the J-term is not the end-all, be-all of our academic journey. While it's important to do well on finals, it's also important to remember that it's just one part of our academic journey, and one mark on our academic record. International students should focus on bigger pictures and think about the long-term goals and aspirations they have for their academic and professional careers. 

Additionally, it's important for international students to take care of their physical and mental well-being during finals week. This means getting enough sleep, eating well, and staying active. It's also important to make time for relaxation and self-care activities, whether that be reading, meditating, or going for a walk. These activities will help students to stay focused and maintain a clear mind during the stressful period of finals week. 

Another important aspects to remember is to stay positive and optimistic. Finals week can be a challenging time, but its important to keep a positive attitude and approach the exams with a clear and open mind. It can be helpful to remind yourself of past success and accomplishments, and to focus on the progress that you have made throughout the semester. 

Finally, it's important for international students to understand that it's okay to ask for help if they need it. Many universities have resources available for international students, such as tutoring, counseling, and academic advising. Additionally, international students can also reach out to other international students as they maybe going through similar experiences. 

In conclusion, finals week for J-term can be a challenging time for international students, but it's important to remember that the hard work and dedication that has been put in throughout the semester will pay off. It's important to stay positive, take care of oneself, and reach out for help if needed. Remember, it's just one part of your academic journey and you have the ability and potential  to succeed. You got this!

- Blen

 

Self-care before dead week and finals 😪🤧🤗

Hi everyone! 👀😆

I hope the semester has been going well so far with all of you. Now that we are closer to dead week and finals week, don’t forget to take care of yourselves! I know that we have blog posts about this before, but I think it’s important to have it as a reminder every semester that we are the most important. If we are not healthy, we cannot do anything. So keep that in mind, and put yourself on your to-do list!

PLU offers care week with all different activities EVERY SINGLE DAY from May 14 to 18 on campus, so if you want to take off some time from studying, come to the events! Any of them! You can find this information on the bulletin board everywhere on campus.

May 15: Treat yourself with late night breakfast @Commons 9-10.30PM

May 16: Write a loved one a letter and send it for free @The tables outside the Commons 5-7pm

May 17: Help yourself with others - a discussion and action event based on mental health awareness @Harstad Main Lounge 7-9pm

May 18: Find Kind bars hidden in the UC with challenges to make someone smile

Pick one or more or if you have something else you like to do to relax, do it! Don’t start a new series on Netflix or anywhere, it’s a trap…😂😂

Puppies! (Dogs are forever puppies😍) featured Billy the goat 😉 (I actually have never met Billy the goat 😂)

Come to Red Square on May 17 11AM-2PM to meet these beautiful creatures to recharge your day! 

It’s Mother’s Day 👩 in the U.S. on Sunday May 14, so call your mom, or your family even if you don’t celebrate this day in your country. Show some love, give some love and receive much more from your beloved people. The supports from them can be the most powerful resource to get over this stressful time. 💜💜💜

Listen to some music. Find a good playlist. Create a playlist. This is what I listen to end my Friday night. 

Like always, good luck! Take care and don't forget that YOU, are important.

From,

Cloud~ ☁

Finals and preparation for Holiday

Here is the time of the semester when all the assignments, essays and exams are catching up on us.  Different people have their own way to stay awake and stay alert, and stay focused or stay on top of everything (hopefully). 

Personally, I study better at the library where there are no distractions. When I study at home, the bed is always tempting because of deprivation of sleep during finals or preparation for finals. Second floor of the library is usually my first option to go to. However, if it gets too loud, I will move up to third floor even though I tend to get too cold on the third floor. During my study, I tend to use a large amount of sketch paper but it is not really environmentally friendly. Fortunately, the library usually has standing whiteboards on the first and second floors, and for the third floor, most of the study rooms are equipped with whiteboards and computers. In addition, we can borrow markers from the library front desk. 

For efficient study, I am going to list some of the places that you can consider:

1.  Library

Dead Week hours:
December 4th (Monday) December 5th (Tuesday) December 6th (Wednesday) December 7th (Thursday) December 8th (Friday) December 9th (Saturday)	Open at 7am Open 24 hours Open 24 hours Open 24 hours Close at 10:00pm 10:00am-10:00pm

Final Week hours:

December 10th (Sunday) December 11th (Monday) December 12th (Tuesday) December 13th (Wednesday) December 14th (Thursday) December 15th (Friday)

Open at 10:00am Open 24 hours Open 24 hours Open 24 hours Close at 8:00pm 7:00am-6:00pm

2. Kreidler Lounge

Dead Week: Monday to Friday (From 8:00am to 5:00pm)

                    Sunday (From 9:00am to 3:00pm)

                    (PS: FOOD in Kreidler lounge on SUNDAY, 12/10/2017)

                   

3. The Cave:

Dead Week: Monday to Friday (From 8:00am- 5:00pm)

                    Saturday (From 9:00 to 3:00pm)

                     (PS: FOOD in The Cave on SATURDAY, 12/9/2017)

  4. Morken

Comment down below if you have a favorite place to study on campus! 

FINALS WEEK and Post-Finals

• ON-CAMPUS EVENTS:

End of semester celebration - Wednesday, Dec 13th from 12-2pm in the dCenter

• TRAVELING PREPARATION:

Lots of students have planned for their winter break travels even before the finals are over. Some students might go back to their home countries to spend new year with their family and friends. Some students might decide to go to other countries, or travel around the U.S. ANYWAY, prior to your traveling, please make sure to check your passport, U.S. visa expiration date, and check whether or not you need a new travel signature on your I-20 (Yes, if your I-20 was signed almost a year or more than a year ago). If you are leaving during winter break, make sure to check before the office is closed (From December 22nd to January 2nd)

Go here to  Request Travel Signature

If you have any questions in regards to your I-20, you can make an appointment with Heather Jacobson. https://hjacobson.youcanbook.me/

Good luck with finals, everyone!

~Camille

Preparation for Finals

I have finished my clinical rotation for this semester.  Even though I appreciated the opportunities to “being with” the clients and practice my therapeutic communication with them, finishing my clinical makes me more grateful the amount of the time I can sleep, which means no more getting up 4 am in the morning at least for a while. 

However, as finals are approaching, I understand lots of people start to stress out, and ME TOO!! I am not here to tell you how stressed I can get but to share my strategies of getting ready for finals.   

1. Listing specific study plan

        Throughout my academic path, I realized that I am easily distracted when I don’t make plan before diving into my study pool. When I say distraction, I am referring to other assignment popped into my head when I am working on one specific assignment, and I get stressed out so I ended up not finishing up my assignment.

To fix that problem, I usually list deadlines for all my assignments and exam, and I prioritize my to-do list. On top of that, I write down a study plan, or schedule. For example, instead of putting down “study biology” in my list, I put “study biology from p145 to p155” for 20 minutes. The reason behind it is to be more efficient with the time that I invest. Believe it or not, I could spend one hour reading 5 pages, and I still couldn’t comprehend the content at the end, which definitely increases my stress level. so DON’T do what I did. 

      2. Maintain sufficient sleep and rest

In the last week of my nursing competency I, we have talked about “Sleep and Rest”. Therefore, I want to emphasize the importance and benefit of sleep and rest.  In my perspective,  maintaining sufficient sleep is a key to efficiency. Sleep deprivation highly impacts on cognitive function like memory, concentration and mood. In my experience, I used to stay up out of guilt even though I knew I wouldn’t be efficient. I ended up being drained physically and mentally, and I wouldn’t be able to focus for the whole day. My main point is to sleep well, and study better. Your bed is your best friend. 

3. Relaxation

Lastly, it is important to take time to relax. What I had done on the Sunday before dead week started was to attend a yoga class and to watch a movie with my roommate. We tried out samdhana-karana yoga class, and they offer a few sessions of free yoga class. After a day of relaxing, I do feel that I am ready to embrace finals.  

Speaking of yoga, I have found a yoga exercise that requires no yoga mat, and you can do it anywhere you want!  Practice your laugh yoga

Camille

What to do when You can't seem to be Able to do Anything

We have all been there.  It's 11 o'clock at night and you haven't started your homework.  You should be panicking and yet you sit and wonder how life would be if you just quit college and became a bohemian alpaca farmer. 

Well maybe that's just me, but don't lie and say you didn't panic binge 5 episodes on Netflix.  These days where motivation can't be found happen to all of us.  Though, with the end of the school year just a month away, some of us may notice that these days are coming more frequently.

I am not saying I have a magic potion or spell that will suddenly get you high on homework, but I do have some helpful tips and tricks for helping ease you out of the school year.

Getting Enough Sleep

It's hard enough to get out of bed in the morning as is.  Depriving yourself of a solid 8 hours with your pillow is a sure fire way of tanking out early in the heat of the end of semester craziness.  So make sure you prioritize your health this month and  avoid pulling any all-nighters. 

Not Letting Yourself Procrastinate

Seems impossible don't it?  You start off with the best intentions and suddenly you awaken from a 4 hour internet coma like "What year is it?"  Here are some tips that could help.

     -Designate a specific study area:  Do you study in bed, or where you normally sit and browse the internet?  If you answered yes to either of those questions, you may be unknowingly setting yourself up for failure.  That is, when you study in these places your brain is signaled to think about sleep, or the internet, respectively.  So, find a new place that you can use just for studying!

     -Set a 10 minute timer:  Anyone can be convinced to sit down and work for just 10 minutes.  This being said, setting a timer and telling yourself you will only work for those 10 minutes is a great way of focusing in.  You will be surprised at how much you get done when you fully dedicate yourself and in all likelihood you will have gotten so invested you won't want to stop.

Let Yourself Procrastinate

Well this is awkward.  Yes, yes.  I know I am now telling you to do the opposite of what I just said.  Please, let me explain.  In the hectic, fuzzy tumbleweed that is the end of the year, there will always be something more you can do.  Please, PLEASE, do not over load yourself.  It may seem like the end is nigh, but we still have a month left.  Charging into things all homework-go-lucky at this time is a sure fire way of zapping your energy before we even get to dead week.  So let yourself have moments of relaxation.  Recognize when your brain has had enough.  Take breaks. Draw pictures.  Go on walks.  Have coffee with friends.  Everything needs a little moderation.

Good Luck to All!

-Shanna

Post Thanksgiving and Finals Week

Hi again,

So the past couple weeks went by as a blur as Thanksgiving and preparation for finals took precedence in my life. For Thanksgiving, myself and a group of international students went to Vancouver, BC in Canada. Harald, my co-worker and good friend was with us as well! Shunying, an ex-worker here at the International Admissions Office (2014) also came up and joined us! 

From L to R: Joakim, Harald, Me, Shunying & Alex!

Vancouver is a really beautiful city. We spent 4 days and 3 nights there and had lots of fun. It has a large Asian population and this can be credited to the University of British Columbia, which attracts many international students who mainly come from Asia. We spent half a day at UBC and actually interacted with some international students there. We met this club on campus that was run by Chinese students, and they focused on video production and photography. Alex had a chance to interview with them about Taiwan! 

Alex conducting his interview about Taiwan.

We also spent another day in downtown Vancouver, and we rented bikes and cycled around Stanley Park. That was amazing as the weather was perfect that day and we just enjoyed the scenery that Vancouver had to offer! 

Fast forward to dead week and finals week, I'm doing pretty well. I had a fitness test and ruck march (6 miles with 35lbs) for ROTC that counted towards my GPA last week and that was fun. 

I also took my ROTC (MSIII Class) final exam last Tuesday and finished my Financial Accounting final today. What's left is a Computer Science final on Wednesday and a paper due for a Conflict class on Wednesday as well. 

My parents will be flying in on Friday, and we will be road-tripping to Idaho, Montana and Spokane, places which we've never visited before! 

Have a great week and good luck on your finals to all students out there! 

Joel Goh

The PLU Bucket List

This is my third and final year as an undergraduate at Pacific Lutheran University, which had me thinking about all the things I still have to cross off my PLU Bucket List! The last year has gone by so fast and I will have so many fun memories to look back on, but there are still a few things I would like to do! If you are graduating or your stay at PLU is ending take a look through the list below to make sure you don't miss anything!

Here are 55 things to do before you graduate from PLU:

1. Go to President Krise's Gonyea House
2. Get a gold nametag
3. Get your picture on the PLU website or flyer
4. Skip a rock across Red Square to hear music
5. Declare a Major/Minor
6. Have a class in every building on campus (MBR, Morken, Admin, Xavier, Hong, Ramstad, Olson, Columbia Center, Ingram)
7. Befriend a student from another country than your own
8. Take a class just for fun
9. Perform on campus
10. Study away with PLU
11. Pull an all-nighter in the library
12. Put gum of the "gum tree"
13. Have coffee/lunch/dinner with a Professor
14. Join a club on campus
15. Start a club on campus
16. Study on Garfield street
17. Shop at the Garfield bookstore
18. Volunteer through PLU
19. Explore with Outdoor Recreation
20. Attend a PLU Sports Event
21. Hang out in the D(iversity) Center
22. Attend a concert in Mary Baker Russell
23. Perform on Stage
24. Play Tennis in the courts
25. Run on the PLU Track
26. See Mount Rainier from the 9th floor of Tingelstad
27. Have a sleepover in the dorms
28. Go on an all-hall retreat
29. Attend office hours with your professor
30. "Study"/Sunbathe on Foss Field or Redsquare
31. Learn a new language
32. Eat in the UC
33. Make dinner in a dorm
34. Visit every single dorm
35. Swim in the PLU pool
36. Participate in the PLU Color Run
37. Go to the Women's Center
38. Participate in Relay for Life
39. Attend LollaPLUza
40. Eat at every restaurant around campus
41. Attend a Career Fair
42. Buy something at BizVenture
43. Check out the Keck Observatory
44. Go to the Writing Center for help
45. Play with therapy dogs during final's week
46. Attend a PLUtonic and HERmonic concert
47. Buy a PLU sweatshirt
48. Take a picture infant of a PLU sign
49. Take a selfie with President Krise
50. Pull an all-nighter in the library
51. Read an issue of the Mooring Mast and the Daily Flyer
52. Rent a bike from the Bike Co-op
53. Attend Open Micc Night at Northern Pacific Coffee Co.
54. Play sand volleyball outside Pfleuger
55. Spin the sculpture in Red Square

I'm excited to say that I will be returning to PLU in the Fall to do my Masters which will give me a little more time to complete my list! Good luck everyone! See you next year!

Madeleine

Exploring the Library



Dear International Friends,

We are again at that time of the year, where classes are more than overwhelming due to heavy loads. For some of you, assignments and projects are due within less than few hours, papers need to be turn in within the next twenty four hours, or even multiple exams scheduled for the following day.

Do not panic my friend! If you want to meet all of these deadlines, the only right place for you to ensure that actually everything is going well and smoothly is, of course, The Library! 

Photo Source: Pape

In this article, we’ll discuss some resources that are useful and important to know about the library, especially if you are new on campus, and how these might be of a great help.

Let’s explore the library guys! Let’s explore!

Photo Source: Pape

Did you know that Mortvedt Library’s resources classification system might be different than your library classification system back home?

Photo Source: Pape

The Mortvedt library uses the U.S. Library of Congress Classification System, which means that all materials are assigned with a letter and call number based on the subject areas. Most of the universities in the U.S. use this classification system, but some others usually mix it with the Dewey decimal classification. So, do you know what parts of the call number mean and how are call numbers arranged on the shelves? Learning to understand these classification systems and their differences could be very useful to help you identify the resources you need much quicker such as books that you so desperately need today to write that research paper, the right encyclopedia for that class project, or even your favorite book. You can learn to read these call numbers by asking a librarian! They are very nice and could work you through the process.

Did you know that we have the tutoring centers in the library?

Photo Source: http://www.plu.edu/writingcenter/

Photo Source: http://www.plu.edu/aac/

One of these is the Academic Assistance Center, located down the hall, just on your left side as you enter through the main doors of the library. Another one, the Writing Center is located on the second floor of the library. You can use these resources if you need help with a particular subject area, also if you need a feedback for your paper due tonight, some study tips for your next test, or even to join a foreign language conversation group. All these academic support services are free for the use of students, just make your appointment and go rock that exam, assignment, or even project!

Did you know that you can reserve a study room in the library?

Photo Source: http://www.plu.edu/library/

Oh Yes!  You can definitely reserve any type of study rooms, the size of the rooms vary from a 1-person study room to a larger group study rooms that can accommodate more than 6 to 14 people. And, the nice thing is that you can reserve it for any length of time you want depending on the availability schedule of the room provided.  

Did you know that you could reserve and use lockers, both to secure and protect your computer as well as your luggages in the library?

Photo Source: Pape

Photo Source: http://www.plu.edu/library/

Hey Bud! From now on, you do not really have to carry out all these items with you! You can certainly go for that break without fearing any losses, of course if you do not have somebody looking after your items. Reserve a locker my friend. The library provides lockers to students, and they are located on the third floor of the library, near the University Archives. Not only that, you could also keep your laptop secured by checking out a laptop lock from the library front desk.

Did you know that you can use other ways to copy and print your documents in the library?

Photo Source: Pape

Aside from using your lutecard or copycard to print or copy, there are several other ways you could use to copy or print your items! For instance, did you know that the photocopiers located down the hall just on your right as you enter through the main doors of the library can be used to scan and email printed documents for free? Also, have you even heard of the GoPrint Mobile app? Here is your chance to learn about it! With this app, you could print directly from your personal device to a selected GoPrint stations on campus. Stations have two locations on campus, Haley Computer lab in the Library, and Morken Center, open lab- room 114. With this app, no rushing anymore, you can print anytime. For more info about the GoPrint Mobile, you can follow these links: http://www.plu.edu/helpdesk/support/mobile-printing/

https://print.goprintmobile.com/morkenctr

Did you know that you can borrow movies, DVD’s, CD’s in the library?

Photo Source: Pape

“If you are new, you might not know that you may borrow movies from the movie racks located on the first floor of the library, by the circulation desk. The good news is they are not just some old films that don't spark your interests. [Her] personal favorite? [She]'d say Inception. Look it up today and see what you can find!” – As my friend Shishi advised. Well, enjoy the movie collections then my friend! In addition to the movie collections, you could also borrow a bunch of DVD’s and videos, or even CD’s.

Did you know the borrowing, returning, and renewing policies at the library?

They are different set of rules designed to ensure that all students have assessed to the resources at the library. Thus, these rules differ based on the type of items that are check out using a library card. For instance, books can be borrowed for lengthy period of 28 days, could be renewed twice for 14 days each. DVD’s, CD’s, and other desired resources have also their borrowing period and number of renewal. However, if you do not comply with these rules, there are some late fines for return. For more info about these rules, follow this link: http://www.plu.edu/library/about-the-library/borrowing-and-renewal/  

My friend, I hope you've enjoyed exploring with me the Library, and I hope also that knowing about these resources would be of a great help!

Good luck on the heavy loads! 

Your friend, 

Pape Mathioro Samba

Happy Easter and Capstone Preparations!

It's Easter break at Pacific Lutheran University, many students have gone home for the break or exploring Seattle or Portland. Many students are also still on campus and we are making the best of it together! Easter breakfasts and dinners together, even Easter egg hunts and egg painting in the dorms!

Ditte and Traeger painting eggs!

I decided to put together Easter egg painting in my dorm, Hong Hall, for everyone that is still on campus. I thought it would be a nice break from studying and also be nice to get together before things get too busy!

Easter bunny visited Hong Hall with treats!

With only a month left before the end of this semester, exams are fast approaching and people are registering for classes trying to figure out what the future will hold for them. The next few weeks will be a stressful time for many students, and it is easy to forget to take breaks and treat yourself well!

Next semester for me will include Capstone, with the objective of allowing students to demonstrate their knowledge within their major! I will be presenting my project at a seminar in winter! In the psychology department this means an experimental project if you are pursuing a Bachelor of Science and either a experimental project, literature review, research proposal or a program evaluation. You cooperate closely with your capstone professors but also consult with a professor from the department.

Starting work early for capstone is required for psychology majors, as you must have a topic, project proposal and consultant signature completed before you are even able to register for this class. I absolutely love my consultant, she has been so helpful and has endless knowledge about my topic! She has helped me narrow down my topic to make it possible to complete as well as give me resources to find good sources for my project!

Easter decorations in my Hong window!

We only have 4 weeks left of the semester, things are getting a little hectic and tensions are high. There is a lot of work that still needs to be done before we can go on break.

To all students: I wish you all the best of luck! Keep working hard! The end is near!
Happy Easter to you and yours.
Maddie

Finishing My First Year at PLU

Hi, I hope you all are either having a good summer or finishing strong with school! I certainly have been having a good break so far. Here are my plans: I am going to be working in the Admissions Office and I'm also planning to take one or two classes at Pierce Community College for the summer. Of course, there are some other students staying around campus too, so it will be nice to catch up with them over the long summer!

Dead week and finals week were both really hectic. During dead week, I was scrambling around finishing my papers, projects, and presentations, while finals loomed over my head like a dark cloud. After the dead week passed, I had to worry about my exams. Though I only had two finals, both which were held at the end of the week, I also had more papers due in all my classes. However, I successfully survived the week! By Thursday, May 23rd  4pm, I was completely done with my first year at PLU.

My Writing 101 class really loved the professor!

Reflecting back on the year, I think it was one of my most life changing experiences. I got to meet so many wonderful people from different countries, and it was really sad to say goodbye to a few of my friends who were returning home after completing their time at PLU. However, I am really excited to see what my sophomore year brings, and I can't wait to take the classes that I signed up for the Fall 2013 semester.

Saying goodbye to friends :( Thank you for making my first year a good one!

I hope everyone has a good summer, and stay safe!

Lots of Love,
Loana

The Final Week

This week I had 4 finals and a paper standing between me and summer vacation. 

Last week was “dead week”, the last week of classes before finals, and in general a lot stressed out people and never ending amount of work to get done. Around this time it is not uncommon to find people studying or sleeping in the weirdest places. The library is open 24/7 and there are yummy snacks every night at 11pm!

17th of May is the Norwegian Constitution day! The Scandinavian students, students studying Norwegian and many of the schools staff and former students attended a Norwegian breakfast with speeches. Later that day many students made they way to Ballard, Seattle for the 17th of May Parade! There were so many people at the parade and I was proud to be walking with such a great group of PLU students! And I finally got some Solo (norwegian soda)! It was so good! :D

To get through these weeks you may have to lock yourself in the library for a while, but don’t forget to have some fun in between. Let your brain relax every couple of hours. As my German professor would say: “ Kein Stress!” Don’t stress, you can do it! 

Other than the overbearing amount of work, I actually really enjoy these weeks because people are so understanding of each other. For example you can go to the library looking like a hobo and everybody understands; its dead week and you have other things to worry about.

There are also a lot of events that you can go to as a study break or for stress relief.

My dorm, Tingelstad for example, brought in therapy dogs during dead week for all the stressed students to cuddle and play with. There were so many types of dogs, all different sizes and degree of fuzziness. It was really relaxing and helped me forget about the overbearing amount of work that I had to do for a little while. I have really been missing my dog back home in Norway and this event made me miss her even more.

Jess and Sophie!

Winston!

Bruiser :)

Packing up to go home has been quite a struggle. I don’t understand how I have managed to accumulate this much stuff on such a short time and I came here with so little. How did this happen?! The walls look so bare now with all my pictures taken down and somehow I have managed to fit most of it into a few boxes and bins. You can store a little in the dorms over the summer which is very helpful. The rest is going to go into storage. Many people have offered to store stuff for me as well over the summer which is really nice of them! :)

My room looks so different! Looks tiny without all my decorations!!

I am very excited to be going back to Norway this summer. It has been 329 days since i got on the plan PLU-bound! I am definitely ready to see my family, friends and old classmates again! I have missed them a lot! I have also missed some of the food from home! When people came to visit me I would ask them to bring me back my favorite Norwegian snacks :)

I am excited to come back next semester to see all of the awesome people I have met here again. After a year I feel like I know the school so well and have become very comfortable here. I definitely consider PLU one of my many home-away-from-homes.

Here are some pictures from my first year at PLU! 

Outdoor Movie Night!

2013 Color Run

Spring Soiree - Swing Dance Club 

Tingelstad goes to the Mariners Game!

<3 Madeleine