Recap of My May!!!

Since I am from Lafayette, I have spent much of my time this past May welcoming back old friends that went off to other colleges (the students not fortunate enough to come to Purdue) and catching up on what has happened in the past school year. I also have enjoyed visiting with the students who did not want to leave Purdue and stayed here for the summer to attend summer school. Another group of people I have had a blast welcoming back to Purdue are the ones who have only been gone from Purdue for a few weeks, but have came back to visit already. Every time I talk with one of these people I hear the same thing, "I am glad to be at home with my family again and stuff, but I just miss being at Purdue so much!" This is why being from Lafayette is so great, I get to enjoy the Purdue atmosphere while in school, and the totally different Purdue atmosphere of the summer.

I have also been very busy with what my Uncle Mike refers to as "the dirty four letter word".....WORK!!! I work at a CVS Pharmacy in Lafayette, coach AAU basketball, and work landscaping for my friend's company. I work a lot but I have also made sure to make plenty of time for relaxation and fun with friends this summer as well. Just in May I made time to go to a Jason Aldean concert, watch my little brother play in Columbus, Ohio in the Big Ten Baseball Tournament, and had a great time with friends at the Indy 500 Race.

So remember this summer, to work as hard as you can when you can, but to also leave some time for yourself to relax and have fun.

--- Kyle

My Brother's Graduation

On May 14, 2011, my older brother graduated from Purdue with a degree in Computer Science. This was a very exciting moment for my family because education is considered a prize possession. After the graduation we held an open house. In my family after every graduation they host a huge party for the graduate. My mother cooks a feast and the whole community is invited to celebrate. With all the celebrating I could not help but imagine myself in the same situation two years from now. Freshman and sophomore year have gone by very fast and I can’t wait to see what the next two years have to offer.

--- Ciatu Fahnbulleh

Graduation Season

May has been a very eventful month for me. In our family we have many members graduating from college and high school. It all started with my brother graduating from Purdue with a degree in Computer Science. It was very exciting seeing my brother walk across the stage and get his diploma. Then two of my closest cousins graduated from high school and are attending Purdue in the fall. Watching my brother end his college journey and seeing my cousins begin their college journey, it gives me motivation to keep going and striving to my best in my classes.

--- Ciana Fahnbulleh

Maymester Madness!!!!!!!!!!

One course two hours five days a week for four weeks, also commonly referred to at Purdue as a Maymester course. I am currently half way through Entr200 as a Maymester course. I can’t believe how fast the class has flown by. It is crazy to think that in two weeks I have given six presentations, taken nine quizzes, and developed an original idea for a company. The part that’s even crazier is how much I have been able to learn such a short amount of time.

For our midterm assignment we had to come up with a company to potentially launch on the website Kickstarter.com and make a video that could be posted on the website. It’s a really interesting site which gives entrepreneurs a platform to ask for funding to start their projects. The entrepreneurs keep complete ownership in their company and the donors get a gift of gratitude for supporting their endeavor. I been spending a lot of time checking out people’s innovative ideas on the site and they are really cool. You should check it out!

It is such a relief to be done with my midterm and have a three day weekend. I have been enjoying it by spending the weekend with my family in Michigan. Its back to class on Tuesday and in two weeks, I will be done. Craziness.

--- Kelsey Leliaert

Enjoying a break at last!

This past semester, my 2nd semester of Junior year, was one of the busiest I have experienced yet at Purdue. Trying to balance a full class schedule, work, and officer and member meetings was a big challenge. My planner became my best friend. Staying organized and on top of things is the key to success when it comes to handling several things at once. I suggest buying a Purdue motor board when you first arrive on campus. It’s a great place to keep track of classes, assignments, work schedule, meeting times, and also comes with dates of activities happening on campus already wrote in for you.

Most important after a crazy semester it’s essential to find time to relax and unwind, whether it’s taking a vacation, sitting by the pool, spending time with family and friends or just picking up a book to read for fun. I recently just got back from a family vacation to Panama City Beach, FL where I was able to lay on the beach, read a novel for fun, and enjoy the company of family.

Talk to you soon,

--- Bridget Gehlhausen

Don’t forget the memories

One word: summer.

This is what you start daydreaming about during long hours of studying for finals. It is the ultimate payoff for all of your hard work and a time to finally relax. However, when you leave for the summer and hit the snooze button at 6:30 a.m. for your job, you realize that those 8:30 classes weren’t so bad after all. That’s not the only thing you realize, though. Summer is a time to reflect on your semester and truly appreciate the small things. While having had almost finished the first month of my summer, there are a few things that I look back on which I’ve been able to compile in a list that could go on for pages. Lucky for you, I’ll give you a little preview. So, here are a few things I miss and appreciate about college life:

1. Thinking that a 9:00 class was way too early!


2. Not getting dressed in business casual every morning, sweats are more appropriate.


3. Devoting your whole Saturday to football games.



4. Never coming home to an empty room.


5. Instead of having one closet, you have everyone else’s to run to.


6. Squeezing in a work-out at midnight is perfectly acceptable.


7. Realizing you’re hungry at 3 a.m. and Jimmy Johns is there in 2 minutes.


8. Being surrounded by inspiring YOUNG people with BIG dreams.


9. Being a mentor to amazing 3rd graders at College Mentors for Kids.


10. Going 18 hours without sitting at the PUDM (Purdue University Dance Marathon) for the most courageous Riley kids.



11. Realizing how much a letter in the mail from home can mean.


12. Always having someone to kick back and have a movie marathon with.


13. Keeping in touch with your high school friends that mean so much.


14. More importantly: having them visit.


15. Getting involved with anything and everything.


16. Being introduced to people with so many different interests. There really is something for everyone.


17. Finally, meeting friends that become family when yours is so far away.

--- Jacey Abney

No need to make a comeback if you are already in the lead

I know it is May and it is the summer, but I thought it would be a good time to recap the second semester of my freshman year.

I got a wake up call on my way home for Christmas when I realized I would be getting a B in BIOL 110 whereas the other classes on my schedule would be A's. I knew that I had to change my study habits in order to improve for the spring, when I would be taking BIOL 111, a continuation of BIOL 110. High school study habits don't always cut it at the college level and especially not at Purdue. I realized that high school was a lot of spoon feeding answers compared to the self-learning that is expected for you to do well in most major classes in college.

I made a few changes my own to add more study time and attend review sessions, but the plan that my girlfriend Melanie (a bio major, score!) helped me with is what I believe made the difference. I took time the week before every exam to listen through all of Dr. Bos's lectures (which he posted on Blackboard; a very useful tool) and wrote down all the little things he said that might not be mentioned in the notes. I went through them all again as well before the final and it paid off with a 4.0 GPA for the spring semester, bringing my cumulative up to 3.87. Needless to say I took Mel out to a very nice dinner after that.

My advice to all new students is to take college seriously right out of the gate. No need to make a comeback if you are already in the lead.

--- Andrew Wiseman