Notes From LAS 101

What The Career Center has to Offer!

1. Students can have a mock interview done at the Career Center. They would dress as if it was an authentic interview and go through the entire process. They are filed as well so that once they are done they can look and see what kind of actions and how their posture look during the interview. This is done so that the students can view how they look during their interviews as well as how they sound.
2. The Career Center also has staffs that look over and help improve students’ resumes and cover letters. They give out feedback such as which way to word the sentence and how to improve some of the points so that they sound more full and impressive. They give out clever and helpful advices such as to send the cover letters and resumes in a PDF format when sending them via email so that there is no room for accidental errors made on the documents.
3. The I-Link is a very useful tool for students to use because it provides information of the available internships. The companies in search of interns use I-Link as their location of internship posting. Therefore, students interested in internships during their time at school should utilize the I-Link usefully.
4. The cu.volunteer.com is also a very useful website because it lists volunteer opportunities for the students. The volunteer activities make individuals’ resumes look more impressive and promising. Therefore, it is always recommended for the students to utilize this website to search for available websites.
5. The Career Center also gives out free handouts and pamphlets that hold a variety of useful information. For instance, they have the “Action Word” handout which has words that help resumes and cover letters sound more impressive. They also hand out information sheets that are very informative to each grade level. There is a handout called “To Do List for First-Years & Sophomores” which holds many great advices for Freshmen and Sophomores. All of these resources are free so the students should utilize these resources greatly.

http://www.campusrec.illinois.edu/employment/images/careerCenter.gif

-Mirae Choi

C-U Eats!

One of the perks of coming to a new city is a plethora of new restaurants to try out, and the Champaign-Urbana area certainly offers many delicious options. Parents coming to town and want to impress them with a yummy restaurant recommendation? Hoping to take a significant other out for a romantic meal? Need to curb the home-sickness with homey food? As far as restaurants go, Champaign-Urbana offers anything and everything you could be looking for, but here’s a list of some spectacular spots!

1. Black Dog Smoke & Ale House- 201 North Broadway Avenue, Urbana: Fan of barbecue? Black Dog is the top dog as far as barbecue goes. Anything on the menu is worth ordering, your mouth will water just looking at the food. Get there early though, this gem is of course always packed and their famous burnt ends sell out quickly!

2. Papa Dels- 206 East Green Street, Champaign: Pizza lovers rejoice: Papa Dels is a pizza delight. Although a bit pricey, getting a few friends together to hang out and split a pan is worth it. Made famous for their delicious deep dish pizza, they have had many years to perfect it. Added perk: once you fall in love with their pizza, you can get frozen pies to take home and bake yourself.

3. Dos Reales-1407 North Prospect Avenue, Champaign: Looking for a cheap, filling, but still delicious meal? Dos Reales Mexican restaurant is the place to stop by. Offering a lengthy menu with many options, even the pickiest eater can find something worth ordering. Fast service is also a guarantee. Good luck scarfing down the complimentary chips and salsa before your food arrives.

4. Insomnia Cookies- 502 East John Street, Champaign: Technically not a restaurant, but what establishment that only offers delicious cookies and brownie treats isn’t worth mentioning? Insomnia cookies is just as the name describes: a place dedicated to those with a sweet tooth who crave it at all hours of the night. Open from 4PM to 2:30AM, they’ll even deliver cookies to your dorm!

5. Faren’s Pub & Eatery- 308 North Randolph Street, Champaign: For burger enthusiasts, Farren’s is a must. Although it may be hard to spot in its little cove of a location, finding it is like locating treasure! Locating this restaurant is the hard part—falling in love with the burgers is easy. Inside tip: upgrading from the basic chips to the home-fried potato chips is worth the extra change and don’t order the ridiculously expensive Koby burger unless you never plan on eating any other burger ever again: it’s gold.

6. Jupiter’s Pizzeria & Billiards-39 East Main Street, Champaign: A great place to pal around with friends and get some exotic pizza while you do it. Offering plenty of pool tables and some arcade games too, Jupiter’s also has delectable thin crust pizza with a plethora of available sauces and toppings.

7. Golden Harbor-505 South Neil Street, Champaign: Hailed to be one of the best Chinese restaurants around, Golden Harbor warrants a visit if you want authentic Chinese cuisine. It is a little pricey, but well worth the money as they cater to whatever request you might have with their extensive food offerings.

8. Fat Sandwich Company-502 East John Street, Champaign: A one of a kind Champaign restaurant and food experience, Fat Sandwich offers as their name describes. A concept only understood by eating there, this restaurant is made famous by their creative sandwiches which involves a mash up of all your favorites.

9. There are a few restaurants that definitely deserve an honorable mention:

   Merry Ann’s Diner: quick but scrumptious food at an extremely affordable price.

   Courier Cafe: reasonable prices and an appetizing salad bar.

   Guido’s Bar and Grill: A great stop for reasonably priced sandwiches, and their nachos are a meal in themselves.

   

   http://slice.seriouseats.com/images/

The Illini Union

Your Future Professor is Human Too.

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Getting to know your professors in college is probably one of the smartest and most beneficial things you can do in college. While some professors may seem intimidating or tough, they are usually very welcoming to help students directly with questions or concerns they may have. You don’t have to become a teacher’s pet or their new best friend, but making an effort, such as visiting them during office hours or staying after class, can make a big difference in the ways that professors view you and your dedication to your schoolwork. There are many reasons why you should go and see your professor.

 1. You’re Confused

 2. You Need Help With an Assignment

3. You’re Curious about Your Teacher’s Research or Interests

4. You Need a Reference for a Job

5. You Want to Make Connections in Your Field.

Don’t be afraid to ever ask for help in college. If you don’t understand a certain topic in class ask questions while in class. And if you need extra help than you can go to your professor’s office hours to get better help.  Your professor will recognize that you took the extra step to get help and then when you ask for that letter of recommendation he/she may be more willing to write one for you.  You don’t have to become a teacher’s pet, every so often make sure you show your face so your professor recognizes you more easily. 

Now you may be asking how do I get to know my professor of how do I get my professor to know me? There are many ways to get to know your professor 

1. Go to class every day

2. Turn your assignments in on time

3. Ask questions and engage in discussion in class

4. Go to your professor’s office hours

5. Go to an event where your professor is speaking or to a meeting for a club or organization your professor advises

6. Ask to sit in on another of your professor’s classes.

7. Look into honors programs in your major. This will allow you to work closely with your professor.

These things will help you to get closer to your professor and in turn help you out in future years. Plant the seed now and it will pay off in the long run. These steps are easy to follow and will impress just about any professor.

-Richard Bernard 

Trouble With Writing?

We have all been there, stuck on the first sentence of a major paper with too many ideas flowing through our heads. Should I start with a quote? A fact? A personal story? If you have this or any other problem related to writing then you can set up a FREE appointment at the Writers Workshop so you can put your ideas on paper!

The Writers Workshop provides free assistance at each and every stage of the writing process:

                -brainstorming

                -drafting

                -revising

The consultants consist of both undergraduate and graduate students who are waiting to help you express and articulate your ideas. They are excellent writers who are specially trained to teach writing right here at the University of Illinois.

One important thing to note is that the sessions in the workshop are very INTERACTIVE, so you will be involved in the work. Your consultant will ask you questions about your paper and will help you formulate your ideas into words.  The consultants will not simply proofread a finished paper to search for errors or improvements, but rather will teach you strategies to find your errors and improve your paper on your own.

Call 333-8796 or come in to 251 Undergraduate Library to set up a 50 minute session at any of the Workshop locations!

                -Undergraduate Library

                -Ikenberry Commons

                -Granger Library

                -Morrill Hall

And remember, the Writers Workshop’s goal is to make YOU a better writer by teaching you strategies on how to articulate your own ideas and to revise your paper.

Picture: http://www.jobgoround.com

-Stephen Gaggiano

Sex in College

Of all the temptations that incoming freshman will experience, being sexually active, is one that is rarely mentioned. The truth of the matter is that it is just as prevalent as the pressure of drinking alcohol, engaging in the use of recreational drugs, skipping class, and even attending parties and social functions when your schedule or workload  doesn’t permit. You should know that coming to college and being independent of your parents also means that you will have to make very important decisions that will directly impact your health, and choices regarding sex falls into this category. Here are some tips that might help you in your decision making process:

For those of you who are not already sexually active:

1. Abstain. Don’t do it, and you won’t have to worry about the things that will accompany sexual activity.
2. Sign up for classes that will better inform you about “real” sex education; i.e. Human Sexuality. This might incline you to continue to hold onto your innocence a little while longer.
3. Avoid opportunities that would provoke your lustful desires. Sometimes drinking more than your tolerance level at a Frat house might not be such a smart idea.
4. Just to be clear about tip #3…you’re not supposed to drink anyway since you’re more than likely underage. But hey…things happen.
5. Do things that will use your excess free time. Go to the ARC or CRCE, the campus gyms, and workout. Get a campus job. Hang out with friends. Oh yea, studying might not be a bad idea either.

For those of you who are already sexually active:

1. Be responsible. Men, McKinley Health Center gives out free condoms for students; up to 14 every two weeks! Ladies, a prescription of birth control at McKinley is only $5 a month. That’s close to nothing when compared to the amount of money you would invest in health issues or even baby.
2. You should also register for classes that will better inform you about health and sex education.
3. Make appointments to have regular check-ups to keep up with the status of your body. Get tested for everything!
4. Limit the number of sexual partners that you have to limit the risks that often go hand- in-hand with being sexually active.

Hopefully these tips and suggestions will be helpful. Take your physical health seriously because you are stuck with the body you have now for the next…60, 70, or even 80 years. Always honor your body because if you don’t then who will?

Ebony Irvin