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I was interested in the Education Abroad presentation that was given during class, so I went ahead and used the search tab on their website to find out which programs might suit me. Based on my interest in Europe and Arts and Sciences, the search generator decided that these programs would best suit me. I know that studying abroad would be essential for my experience here as a student because it would allow me to get involved in something that is completely new. I would learn a lot about people and culture across the world and it would give me a skillset that would be applicable to bring back to the US.

Although the programs that I located on here were only projected for the upcoming year, it gave me insight as to what kind of programs are offered consistently. Being able to gauge where I might want to go is important to consider now so I can plan for when it might be a possibility.

Source: http://ea.uky.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.AdvancedSearch

There are several events that my dorm holds each month, and for October, this is what they have advertised. These seem like great ways for students to get involved in their specific dorm community. One aspect of my research that I want to focus on includes student involvement within the dorms, and I feel like the RAs are going above to make sure that we have the chance to be involved. By participating in these events, we have the chance to meet other people that might live on opposite sides of the building who we don’t often see.

UK, no doubt, has some of the most beautiful dorms across the country. Each student has the luxury of having their own space if they choose to live on campus. Bathrooms are shared with one other person, and each floor has its own communal space for students with a flat-screen and couches. I included the picture to show how cozy and warm the dorms can feel--just like home.

In attempt to further prove my point that on-campus living has its perks at a school like ours, I located an article online from The New Republic that discusses how college dorms are built to appeal nowadays because they know that people will pay. Regardless of whether it is a student from in-state or an international one, students and families enjoy the comfort of knowing that the spaces are well-kept.

They also claimed that dorms like these are not typically owned by the university itself. Most of these places are operated by a private company, since it keeps the cost down for the university while keeping business for the company involved. I looked into the 2017-18 Housing Contract from UK and located who runs and operates the newest dorms here, and found that this holds true for our school, too.

EdR, Education Realty Trust, built and continues to maintain the beautiful living spaces we have here on campus. They are a national company who has specialized in designing and building collegiate facilities to support the quality of a “living-learning environment.” This statement is accurate for UK considering that we are broken up into similarly styled dorms that all allow for comfortable collaboration between students.

Sources:

The New Republic: https://newrepublic.com/article/114744/luxification-college-dorms

UK Housing Contract: https://www.uky.edu/housing/sites/www.uky.edu.housing/files/2017-18_Contract_and_Cancellation_Policy.pdf

EdR: http://www.edrtrust.com/index.php/services/development

Speech Reflection

I feel as though my speech conveyed precisely what needed to be presented and elaborated on it for as long as possible given the time restraint. I was able to keep my voice moving fluidly with the help of the Power Point, so I made sure I could speak for a little while about each subtopic that I wanted to cover. In comparison to others, I thought that I provided an effective approach for advertising myself as a potential group member because of how my information was organized. I laid out where I got my information and what I would like to do with it in a way that would attract others to the idea. I practiced my presentation to myself several times using a timer, but I also practiced in front of friends to see if it would sound appealing for others to listen to. I knew the information well enough because it was all research that I had done that I was interested in. It was much easier to talk about since I developed the idea. For next time, I would like to give the presentation without signal phrases on a note card. I feel like this would truly show that I am prepared enough to simply go up and deliver the information.

Update 10/4

This week has been different because my central focus has been on math class. I’ve had hours and hours of studying and homework for just that class every single night, trying to make sense of the concepts. I enjoy this kind of thinking because it just deals with numbers. I find that they are often more straightforward than words because there is typically one definite answer that exists. Anyway, it’s the first time I have felt sort of bogged down by schoolwork since being here, because it is an endless cycle of problems. I’ve been utilizing places around campus more as resources like The Study and Mathskellar to make sure that I am getting the concepts. It feels nice to be accomplished at a new piece of math, especially since I have to dedicate most of my time to that. Every other aspect of school and life on campus has been productive this week, too.

Reblog

https://corneliuswrd110.wordpress.com/2017/09/07/new-gas-thingy-outside-science-building/

I thought that this topic discussed on this blog was interesting regarding a new gas tank outside JSB. I had heard that when constructing the building, the designers forgot to add gas lines into the labs throughout the building. It seems like such a silly thing to forget considering it is primarily a science building that requires gas for lab experiments, so it would be neat to try and do some research on this. By contacting who is in charge of this and why it was forgotten seems like a topic that would be beneficial to the explanation of the gas tank outside the building itself.

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I found this poster on the wall of the elevator in my dorm. What is slam poetry? How do you learn to do slam poetry? How often does UK have these events for students on campus?

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I decided to reblog this because I thought the purpose behind the event was unique. I hadn’t seen anything where students were invited to an event, open to anyone across campus, at a dorm. It is interesting that they were trying to introduce people to a new sort of event. I hadn’t ever heard of slam poetry before looking it up, but it sounds like something where people would be forced to get out of their comfort zones.

The description of slam poetry that I found on Power Poetry can be found listed as the source below. It essentially just explains the rules of the poetry presentation for all involved. I’m not really huge into presenting in front of people, but this would be a fun activity to partake in as an audience member.

Source: http://www.powerpoetry.org/actions/5-tips-slam-poetry

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I was walking to my class in White Hall and I came upon this wall of posters. I’ve always walked by this wall but I never actually took a picture or read it because I was always in a hurry. There is a bunch of posters up with different events and information! The one that caught my attention was how all these posters have different activities/shows that you can attend. Why isn’t this wall more talked about? I wonder who started it and does going to these events have a good benefits for those who attend?

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I found this piece of research interesting, because I have looked through the posters on this wall before. Trying to find things to do sometimes might seem overwhelming, but this area kind of advertises things all in one place. To answer the question posted previously, I feel like going to these events helps you feel more involved as a student living on a college campus. As obvious as that might sound, getting involved is one of the most important pieces of learning how to function on your own in a new environment. This wall in White Hall is definitely seen by many students daily, and it can provide them opportunities for fun activities if they are struggling to find some.

Update 9/28

My main goal this week has been trying to form a solid schedule within my class schedule. Obviously we all have mandatory class time, but I’ve been trying to see what I can fit in effectively between my classes and budget for time. I try to make plans with the same group of people on different days of the week to make sure that things feel more consistent throughout my time here.

Recently, I’ve been making it a point to stop studying in my room all the time and utilize the study rooms on my floor and also Willy T. Sometimes I struggle to focus in spaces like these because of the noise, but I’ve been trying to adapt to it. Usually I’ll try to go with a group of friends, because it’s easier to see other people study and then want to do it for yourself, too.

When I went to the study room on my floor this evening, I noticed that some students had left this up on the board. This was great evidence for my blog, because it corresponded precisely with what I’m trying to portray: students working collaboratively in the dorms. While these problems don’t seem too difficult, it still shows that someone might have been trying to help someone else out by writing the steps out on the board. These study rooms are conducive for students because it allows them to work together on things they might not entirely understand. This was not the first time I had seen students working together, so it just strengthens my point.

I found this article from the Iowa State Daily newspaper that talks about how student involvement around the dorms leads to a higher graduation rate, and how it makes students feel more comfortable. Having spaces for students to congregate and feel connected is essential for having an increased return rate of students each year.

Source: http://www.iowastatedaily.com/news/article_6e9d3ae8-011a-11e1-b3d5-001cc4c03286.html

After I had checked out the Lexington Philharmonic, I decided it would be cool to figure out when the UK Symphony Orchestra performs and what they’ll be playing. When I was at rehearsal for UK Wind Symphony, I noticed this outside the hall. They have a bulletin board filled with advertisements for different performances by the College of Fine Arts and professional groups around Lexington. I like looking over those kinds of posters, because they help show what is going on around campus. By offering a variety of performances throughout the year, they cater to a wide range of students.

Here is a website offering more information about the group: http://finearts.uky.edu/music/ensembles/uk-symphony-orchestra

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Although studying isn’t everyone’s favorite thing to do, these views from study rooms in the dorms make it feel entertaining. It’s easy to get your work done in the company of friends with an added view.

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Another place in the dorms that brings students together is the kitchen. I’m not sure if every dorm has a kitchen for students, but it has proved to be helpful for me and my friends. This Friday night, a couple of my friends and I went to the kitchen in our dorm (WG4) and made enchiladas, beans, and cookies. I added this to my post about the study rooms on each floor, because it shows how students can connect within their own dorm. The buildings seem to be made so that students don’t feel so alone in the place where they live, since most of us just have one roommate. Being around other students makes it more fun.

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I was required to attend the Education Abroad Fair held at Willy T. for my UK 101 class. I would have gone to this event regardless of whether or not it was required for a grade, because it is something that I am interested in doing while at UK!

Problem: Students might not have the finances to back up their travel desires, so it turns them away from learning more about studying abroad.

Question: What types of financial help can students gain to get the experience they want? How do students go about applying for these specific scholarships?

Problem: Students don’t even know where to start when going to the fair, since there is such an overwhelming amount of information being provided from several companies.

Question: How can a student narrow down their choices? How can each company’s offers be compared?

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I recently did more digging on the UK Education Abroad website. I was able to find a website that corresponded with some of the questions that I had, which helps students navigate their options when it comes to different programs that are offered. It is useful to be able to see where credit can be earned across different places around the world and how it will transfer back to UK. This website allows you to choose what kinds of programs you’d be interested in instead of just having a bunch of pamphlets shoved at you like at the fair. The amount of information that they had at the fair was semi-helpful, but it was mostly stressful. There was so much going on that students couldn’t focus on why they were really there, so it left a lot of unanswered questions and probably confusion. The website provides a more concise, broken down way of seeing all the options that are available, when they are offered, and when it is time to apply. It allows students to compare all their information in one area that can break it down more easily.

Source: http://ea.uky.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.AdvancedSearch

Update 9/21

This week, I experienced my first taste of quizzes and exams at the college level. For the most part, they were not as difficult as I had anticipated. I’m not sure if it was because I studied properly or if the exams were generally easy, but I felt good coming out of them. I spent a decent amount of time this week reflecting on my study habits throughout the last few weeks, making sure I know what I did to prepare and what I can do to prepare even more for the rest of the semester. I really like the freedom of planning that college has brought, because I only have obligations to myself to do my work and make sure I am learning. It’s nice to be able to plan exactly how I want my schedule to go without the interruptions that typically come with living back at home.

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As I was walking downtown, I noticed this painted on the wall next to the bus station. In a place that is composed of buildings that all look similar to each other, it was nice to see this difference.

- What are the different colors representative of?

- Why wasn’t another past president chosen to be painted on the wall?

- How does this mural connect to Lexington?

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On September 9, I posted a picture of the mural of Abraham Lincoln in downtown Lexington with some questions regarding its purpose. I found some information from a Herald-Leader Staff Report from the website LexGO, and from the UK Kentucky Kernel that provided some background on the work. Lincoln was chosen to be painted on the wall because he was born in Kentucky, not too far out from Lexington. This work was created as part of an art festival that is held downtown, sponsored by PRHBTN, a group that works to “[redefine] the negative stigma associated with graffiti and street art.” It is essentially there on the wall to depict the Lincoln Memorial in bold colors--mainly red, white, and blue.

Sources:

- https://www.kentucky.com/entertainment/visual-arts/article44452599.html

- http://www.kykernel.com/features/prhbtn-brightens-blank-walls-in-lexington/article_9807db04-1ff0-11e7-8e03-534ee3256306.html

Since I was involved in the orchestra scene back home, I decided it would be necessary to check out the offerings they have here! The Lexington Philharmonic performed beautifully, and the players and director had tons of energy.

Problem: I saw an advertisement for this group on campus, so I figured I’d check them out. When I looked online, ticket prices were near $80. At first, this turned me away because quite honestly, very few college students have that as pocket change. Although they had decently-priced student tickets, general admission ticket prices might turn people away from coming to hear the performance, so it might seem like it has to be a special occasion in order to spend the money.

Question: How can they keep the prices low and still pay the proper salaries of everyone involved?

Problem: People kept coughing and making noise during the performance, so it distracted from the sensitivity of playing.

Question: How can people feel comfortable disrupting the performance? Can people exit the room if they have an issue?

Meet Ollie! Staying connected with other students in the dorm has proven to be a success for me, since I got to meet my friend’s new baby kitten. People are always willing to let others play with their pets, since they know that people miss their own. With other people around my dorm and campus having animals, it makes it feel like I’m at home!

Problem: Students in the building might have severe allergies to animals, so it could be seen as unfair that they are being brought into an environment where so many people must live together.

Question: How does the university allow students to keep pets? What happens if students don’t take care of their animal properly and it causes issues for others in the dorm?

Problem: Since pets sometimes aren’t able to travel long distances or stay by themselves, it might become difficult as to where the animal will go when it comes time to go home for breaks, or even for the summer. Animals cannot stay in the dorms and be self-sufficient for that length of time.

Question: Are there arrangements that must be made on behalf of the student? Who decides, between roommates, who will take the animal home at the end if they purchased it together? Where will the animal be kept if they can’t take them home to their own families?

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