Spring has sprung in the Golden Heart City!

The residents of Fairbanks are just starting to see the grass again after eight months of winter. The UAF sledding hill is closed for the season. The ice on the ice wall is starting to detach. Students, excited about summer, are walking around in shorts and flip-flops. We are waking up to a mild twenty degrees above and the sun peeking into our windows.  Springtime in Fairbanks is a reviving, awakening time of year. 

Spring is your chance to sign up for Summer 2012 courses offered at UAF. The summer sessions are a great opportunity to take a class you wouldn’t normally be able to fit into a busy academic schedule during the fall or spring semesters. In the summer you can complete up to 14 credits in a variety of fields. Many types of classes are available, from basic general requirements, to unique one-day classes. 

A UAF Summer course may be just the thing to fill your time between floating the Chena River, hiking in the midnight sun, and taking in a Goldpanner baseball game.  Here are a few unique classes to consider:

Hands on Documentary Production, FLM F292: Work with classmates to produce a documentary film! Learn how to operate a camera, direct, edit and more. This course is three credits and is part of the MAYmester session, which runs May 14- 25^th.

Seminar: The Horror Film, ENGL F692: Watch and analyze horror films, including Dawn of the Dead, The Exorcist, and Carrie. Investigate the horror narratives from different cultures, and analyze how monstrosity is defined. This three credit class is part of the first six-week session which runs May 29- July 3. 

Beginning Field Painting, ART F233: Spend even more time outside this summer while learning a new skill- painting! This summer the class is painting in the Yukon-Charley Rivers and staying at Slaven’s Roadhouse, a historic 1936 mining camp. Learn about the concepts of space, light, color, composition, and the elements of landscape painting in one of the most beautiful locations in Alaska. This class is from July 18- 22 and will earn you one credit. 

Alaskan Gourmet, CAH F025: Learn to cook gourmet, high quality meals with the freshest Alaskan products! This is a non-credit course that is from 8 am- 5 pm on July 26. Work with Chef Christopher Koetke, who will help you make the most of Alaska’s bounty.

You can learn more about these and all of the summer courses UAF offers at www.uaf.edu/summer

The last day of registration is the first day of the class you are interested in. Register early to have the most choices!

UAF- Friday Flashbacks Year in Review

Every Friday during the past year, Todd Paris uploads one of his favorite images from his years working as a photographer here to UAF's Facebook page. Here's his Year on Flashbacks in review.

Capture the Flag

I have one UAF pennant left and it could be yours! To capture it simply browse the postings to this blog beginning in January of 2011. Find the answers to the following questions and send them to admissions@uaf.edu.

Subject line: Admissions Counselor Blog Posting.
Include your name, address, and date of birth along with your correct answers.

All correct answers will be entered into a drawing for this pennant.



Questions:
1. According to the blog: Money! You want it?, what three events take place in February each year?
2. What is a nanook?
3. What creature did the department of Fish and Game ask you not to taser in April?

On your mark, get set, go!

The drawing will take place next Monday at 12 noon! I will post the winning entrant here!

The College Experience: College Roommates

The College Experience: College Roommates

If you are a newly admitted student planning to live on campus you might be asking yourself what it will be like to have a roommate and hoping that you'll get paired with someone that you like or at least can tolerate! Below are a few simple rules to follow for a successful roommate experience.

College Roommate Rules
source: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/college-success/26657.html

Most college students who don’t live at home have one or more roommates, often assigned to them randomly by the college. This is the first time some students have lived with anyone other than their family. If you’re on your way to college, you might be wondering how well this works.

Many first-year students miss the privacy of their homes, of course. But most also find comfort in the company of others who are going through the same things they are — such as taking challenging courses and figuring out how to balance school and social life. Even roommates who have differences are often able to solve any problems they have by talking it out.

Living harmoniously with someone means respecting differences, sharing, being courteous, and accepting others for who they are. These are good life skills to learn. They may be the most important lessons you’ll learn in college outside the classroom.
Lifestyle Differences

Let’s hope this won’t be your experience:

11 p.m.: You've finished your schoolwork for the evening. You stack your books on your desk, fold and put away clothing, shut off the lights, slip into your neatly made bed, and drift off to sleep.

2 a.m.: You're jolted awake by bright lights and laughter. Could it be morning already? No such luck. Rather, it seems your party-loving roommate has arrived home and is just now starting to do homework. You watch in near-disbelief as your roommate gets online, cranks up some music, and starts singing loudly and dancing — discarding clothes and books on the floor. Noticing you, your roommate says “What’s up?” cheerfully and without a trace of guilt, apparently unaware that you were fast asleep.

You flop back onto your bed, put your pillow over your head and groan, "How am I ever going to get through the year?"

Scenes like this are not unusual at college. If you're a bookworm who goes to bed early and your roommate is a party animal who just gets going at midnight, sharing the same quarters may not be easy. But that doesn't mean the two of you can't get along.
The Talking Cure

Keeping lines of communication open is essential. If your college has given you contact information for your roommate, call or e-mail before college begins. Introduce yourself and find out more about the person you’ll be living with for the next year. Here are some other tips for getting off to a good start:

Discuss important issues and establish rules. If you make house rules, and communicate openly and often, you can avoid unpleasant surprises down the road. If you can't study with music on, then come to an agreement about quiet times. If your roommate likes to have lots of friends over and you like solitude, make a schedule for using the room that’s fair to both of you.

Be respectful. Successful roommate relationships are based on mutual respect. If your roommate doesn’t want to loan or borrow clothes, respect that choice. Your roommate should respect reasonable requests from you, too — for example, not to eat your food without asking.

Be willing to compromise. You and your roommate may not agree on everything, but you both have to compromise a little bit. For example, suppose one of you is a slob and the other is a neat freak. The untidy one should keep the shared areas of the room clean. And the neat one should overlook untidiness in the roommate’s area.

Be courteous. Courtesy is contagious. If you behave politely to your roommate, your roommate is likely to follow your lead. Wish your roommate luck on an exam. Ask if you can pick up something while you're running errands. And don't borrow anything without asking.
Good friendships often begin by sharing space with strangers. Who knows — maybe that loud, partying roommate you thought would drive you crazy will become your best friend.

Making the most of your campus visit

UAF's Discover UAF: Inside Out event is just around the corner (June 24th) and so I felt inspired to share this little nugget with our followers.

I found the advice listed below in an article on the College Board website in a section dedicated to helping students prepare for their college search process. (I highly recommend checking in out!) As you read through the article you will notice that there are links you can click on. These links will (more often than not) take you to a UAF website. My advice: click through and read more about these areas and then...COME VISIT US.

If you haven't signed up for Discover UAF: Inside Out, it's June 24, 2011 and you can sign up by clicking here!

Campus Visit Checklist - www.collegeboard.com/student Make the Most of Your Trip
Visiting a campus helps you get a sense of what that college — and life for its students — is like. This can make a difference when you’re deciding whether the college is a good fit for you.

When you’re planning your trips, make sure that you allow enough time to explore each college as fully as possible. Wander around the campus by yourself and imagine being a student there. Here are some things you can check out while you’re visiting.

Admission and Academics
Find out what you need to do to apply. And see if the college environment supports your educational goals.

Participate in a group information session at the admission office.
Interview with an admission officer.
Pick up financial aid forms.
Sit in on a class that interests you.
Meet a professor in your chosen major or in a subject area that you may want to pursue.
Get business cards and the names of people you meet for future contacts.

Campus Life

Daily life has a big effect on your happiness — and your success — at a college. Get a feel for student life and decide whether the college is a setting where you can thrive.

Take a campus tour.
Scan bulletin boards to see what day-to-day student life is like.
Talk to the coaches of sports in which you might participate.
Go to the career center and learn what services it offers.
Plan an overnight with a student.
Ask to see the residence hall where most freshmen live.
Visit the cafeteria, fitness center, library, bookstore and other campus facilities.
Walk or drive around the community surrounding the campus.

Campus Media

Tune in to learn what’s happening on campus and what’s on students’ minds.

Listen to the college radio station.
Read the student newspaper.
Review other student publications — department newsletters, alternative newspapers, literary reviews.
Browse through campus blogs.

Current Students

Being on campus gives you a wonderful chance to talk to the students who currently go to that college. You can ask questions like these to see what their experience is, and what yours might be like:

What are the best reasons to go here?
What do you do on weekends?
What do you love about this college?
What do students complain about most?


Photo credit: Todd Paris, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Marketing and Communications
Participants at the Spring 2011 Inside Out event pose for photo opportunities with UAF's mascot, the Nanook.

Scholarships

The number one lesson I have learned about scholarships is that you can't get any if you don't actually put forth the effort to apply. It's a hard lesson to learn, especially when there are so many great scholarships out there that go unused each year. Even if it's not a huge chunk of money, every little bit helps to offset the costs of your education, which includes tuition and fees, books, travel, housing, and food. 


Below is a short list of scholarships I've recently heard about with upcoming deadlines. The deadlines for many of the scholarships listed below are fast approaching. For UAF's privately funded scholarships and UA's Foundation scholarships, the deadline is February 15th. The UAF and UA scholarships deadline is still a few months away, but it will come quickly, so apply early and get your essays done soon! 


For a quick tutorial on applying for scholarships through UA and/or UAF click here. 

Scholarships: 


Alaska Association of Environmental Professionals (AAEP) Scholarship
To provide scholarships for full-time undergraduate or graduate students currently enrolled in a degree-seeking program in at the area of environmental (or natural) sciences, environmental technology, or environmental policy. 


One scholarship of $1000 will be awarded for the 2010/2011 school year.
Application Procedure:
Complete the Alaska Association of Environmental Professionals Scholarships application, available from academic departments or the UAF Financial Aid Office.  Applications must be received (not postpone) by November 12, 2010 to be considered.
Return completed applications to:
Alaska Association of Environmental Professionals Scholarship
UAF Financial Aid Office
Room107 Eielson Building
PO BOX 757530
Fairbanks, AK 99775
General questions about this scholarship can be addressed to the Scholarship Coordinator (907) 474-6228 or via email scholarships@uaf.edu

The Women's Self Worth Foundation 

The Women's Self Worth Foundation has pledged $250,000 to the American Indian College Fund over the period of four years for 14 scholarships to benefit American Indian women attending college.

The goal of the grant is to empower American Indian women by providing scholarship support to ensure women obtain higher education. The grant will be used to fund seven scholarships at the amount of $4,000 per year for a period of two years for Native women pursuing an associate's degree at a tribal college; four scholarships for $6,000 per year for four years for Native women students pursuing a bachelor's degree at a tribal college; and three scholarships for $8,000 per year for four years for Native women pursuing a bachelor's degree at a mainstream college or university.

Preference will be given to Native women applicants who show academic achievement and involvement in their communities.

About the American Indian College Fund: with its credo "Educating the Mind and Spirit," the Fund is the nation's largest provider of private scholarships for American Indian students, providing 6,000 scholarships annually for students seeking to better their lives and communities through education. For more information about American Indian College Fund please visit www.collegefund.org.

American Indian College Fund
8333 Greenwood Blvd.
Denver, CO 80221 USA
Toll Free: (800) 776-3863
Phone: (303) 426-8900
Fax: (303) 426-1200 

Intertribal Timber Council Scholarship Announcement

For Native American/Alaskan Natural Resource Students

The Truman D. Picard Scholarship Program is dedicated to the support of Native American students pursuing a higher education in Natural Resources.

Required Materials:

1) Letter of Application

2) Resume

3)Three Letters of Reference

4)Evidence of validated enrollment in a federally recognized tribe or Alaska Native Corporation.

5) Transcripts

All requested information MUST be received by the close of business (5:00 pm) March 18, 2011.  For more information, please visit the website www.itcnet.org. Fax (503) 282-1274 and email itc1@teleport.com

BP Process Tech Scholarship
Note the deadline to receive applications this year is Friday, November 5th at 5:00 PM The BP Process Technology Scholarship is awarded to recipients selected for a two year Process Technology (PRT) Degree Program. The number of students selected is dependent on the allocated level of funding/credit enrolment. The scholarship awards are Level 1 = $3000 (12 + credits/ semester), Level II = $2000 (9 + credits/ semester) and Level III = $1500 (6 + credits). BP and AASSP work collaboratively to identify an interview team who interview prospective applicants. Only required PRT and required Core degree classes are funded. Recipients of the scholarship, once selected, are required to provide verification of enrollment each semester in an accredited Alaska Process Technology degree program, a sealed transcript showing they have maintained at least a 2.5 GPA. For more information or to apply, go to www.alaskaprincipal.org/218610122121916337 or email scholarships@alaskaprincipal.org.

American Indian Services scholarship
upcoming deadline Nov. 15

The Joan Hamilton Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a post-secondary school Alaska student who wishes to pursue a career related to the law in which s/he will advocate for Alaska Native rights, and defend the civil liberties of the peoples of rural Alaska. Your completed Application Forms must be RECEIVED by 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, November 22, 2010, at the ACLU of Alaska offices.

Doyon Scholarship Renewal for 2011 Spring Semester deadline is November 15, 2010.

Additional Scholarships: From: http://www.uaf.edu/finaid/types/scholarships

The University of Alaska Fairbanks encourages all scholarship applicants to also file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to determine eligibility for federal and state of Alaska aid programs. You may obtain the FAFSA from your school counselor or the Financial Aid Office at UAF.

Alaska Space Grant Scholarships

Undergraduate Scholarships of up to $1,000 will be awarded through a competitive process. Scholarships are open to new and continuing undergraduate students majoring in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics (STEM).  Students receiving awards in past competitions may apply and receive awards for subsequent competitions.

Army ROTC Scholarships

These scholarships are awarded to thousands of students annually on a competitive basis nationwide. The amount and length of the scholarships are based on the quality of the applicant. Scholarship awards range from $3,000 to $17,000 annually and may range from two to four years. In addition to tuition, each recipient receives $600 for books and supplies and up to $4,000 in spending money, tax free.

For further information about the Army Scholarship program, eligibility requirements and the application process, contact the UAF Department of Military Science at (907) 474-6852 or e-mail rotc@uaf.edu.

Chancellor's Scholarship

Available to a limited number of first-time freshmen. It will consist of a full or partial waiver of tuition to be used during the first Fall and Spring semesters at UAF following graduation from high school. Go toUAOnline to answer required scholarship questions. Once logged in, choose Scholarships under the Student Services menu. (The UAOnline portion of the scholarship application is required and you cannot be considered for any scholarships if you have not completed it.) Then fill out the online privately funded scholarship application. Contact the UAF Scholarship Coordinator for more information. The application deadline is February 15.

Chugach Gem & Mineral Society Clayton Rasmusson Memorial Earth Science Scholarship

The purpose of this scholarship is to offer financial assistance for tuition and other related educational expenses to University of Alaska Anchorage or University of Alaska Fairbanks students who are admitted in the field of Earth Science.

Honors Program

The Honors Program accepts about 50 talented students each year. First-time entering freshmen with a high school GPA of 3.6 or better and SAT combined scores of at least 1875 or an ACT composite of 29 or higher are encouraged to apply. Contact the UAF Honors Program for more information.

Human Achievement Award

Available to graduating high school students or transfer students with a record of volunteer service to a community, non-profit organization(s) or special interest group as well as a commitment to high academic standards. Go to UAOnline to answer required scholarship questions. Once logged in, choose Scholarships under the Student Services menu. (The UAOnline portion of the scholarship application is required and you cannot be considered for any scholarships if you have not completed it.) Then fill out the online privately funded scholarship application. Contact the UAF Scholarship Coordinator for more information. The application deadline is February 15.

Lawrence Tingook Davis Memorial Scholarships

Available for two qualified students enrolled in the Natural Resources Management undergraduate degree program $1000.00 scholarships for the fall semester. Visit specifics at the School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences Reindeer Research Program.

Native Corporation Scholarships

Some regional and village corporations provide scholarships to shareholders. Contact your local native corporation for details on eligibility and application procedures.

Summer Research Tuition Scholarships

Graduate students who have a 10-20 hour per week research or teaching assistantship during the summer semester may apply for a Summer Research Tuition Scholarship. Students must have been registered for 9 credits (3 of which must be at the graduate level) during the preceding fall and spring semesters and be registered for 6 credits of research or thesis during the summer to eligible for this scholarship. The application is available online. Please see the Graduate School for further information.

Talent Award

Available to graduating high school students or transfer students who have demonstrated talent in the area of music, theater, creative writing or art. A talent sample must be submitted. Go to UAOnline to answer required scholarship questions. Once logged in, choose Scholarships under the Student Services menu. (The UAOnline portion of the scholarship application is required and you cannot be considered for any scholarships if you have not completed it.) Then fill out the online privately funded scholarship application. Contact the UAFScholarship Coordinator for more information. The application deadline is February 15.

UAF Privately Funded Scholarships

The Scholarship Coordinator manages the application process for most privately funded scholarships, and coordinates with academic departments that evaluate applications and select recipients. Some scholarships are available to part-time students. Go to UAOnline to answer required scholarship questions. Once logged in, choose Scholarships under the Student Services menu. (The UAOnline portion of the scholarship application is required and you cannot be considered for any scholarships if you have not completed it.) Then fill out theonline privately funded scholarship application. Contact the UAF Scholarship Coordinator for more information. The application deadline is February 15.

University of Alaska Foundation Scholarships

Scholarships are available for students attending any campus in the UA system. Applications are available in the UAF Financial Aid Office or at UA Foundation.

University of Alaska Scholars Program

The UA Scholars Award is a four-year scholarship offered to Alaskan high school students in the top 10 percent of their graduating class as determined by qualifying high schools. Determination is based on class standing at the end of the junior year. Contact the UA Scholars Program, (877) AKSCHOL, (877)-257-2465 or (907) 474-5105, e-mail scholars@alaska.edu, visit the University of Alaska Scholars Program, or contact the UAF UA Scholars Coordinator.

University Women's Association Scholarship

The University Women's Association provides scholarships for undergraduate women at UAF. Applications are accepted between January and April for the following school year.

STEPS FOR APPLYING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS AT UA and UAF: 

Step 1: Apply for admission to a UAF degree or certificate program by February 15. The admission application can be completed at UAonline.

Step 2: Go to UAOnline to answer required scholarship questions. Once logged in, choose Scholarships under the Student Services menu. The UAOnline portion of the scholarship application is required and you cannot be considered for any scholarships if you have not completed it.

Step 3: Complete the UAF scholarship form at http://www.uaf.edu/finaid/types/scholarships/apply/

Step 4: To receive consideration for need-based scholarships, you must submit a completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by February 15 prior to the semester you plan to attend. FAFSA data used to determine scholarship eligibility include financial need, marital status, number of dependents other than spouse, etc. These items are selection criteria for specific scholarships and an important part of your application.