Michelle Li
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Major: Biology Class Year: Junior Hometown: Queens, NY Favorite place to eat on or near campus: Kelly Dining Song you can’t get enough of: Crush – David Archuleta |
August 16, 2009
Countdown to Experience Stony Brook: 12 days to go!
As I typed down the date, August 16, I realized that summer is almost over. Yet I asked myself, where did my summer go? It’s really unbelievable how fast this summer passed by with my OL job, class and volunteer. I am currently volunteering in a hospital in the Emergency Department. It is a great experience for my pre-med track. Although things are a bit different from what I’ve imagined or seen in TV, but I really enjoy learning about all these new things. Now that I shared my summer with you, did you do anything fun this summer? Well, it’s not like you can get the answer to me, but hopefully you had fun!
I went to Target today to do a little shopping and I saw a lot of new students buying off-to-college supplies. If you are a resident and haven’t started planning on what to bring for your dorm room, you should start now. If you look online, there are lots of checklist guides for college supplies. For example, the CollegeBoard has a pretty good checklist: http://www.collegeboard.com/parents/apply/college-applications/21381.html Of course, you might need to edit the list to your own use.
If you are not sure whether you can bring a certain item, please please check with Campus Resident before you purchase the item (microwave is a big no no). This way you don’t waste your money. Also, contact your roommates and see what they can bring. Try to avoid duplicates of huge items like fridge and TV. When I was a freshman, I brought a printer, which was completely useless because Stony Brook has free printing quota. Guys, don’t make the same mistake I made.
Do your college shopping and start packing. I’ll talk to you next week!
August 9, 2009
How is everyone doing? You may have wondered, was Michelle slacking and skipped a blog? Well, not really. Last week was our last week of freshmen orientation. We had the first week of August OFF! Although being an OL means you have to commit your entire summer in welcoming new students, but summer is still summer, we do get a week off as our “vacation.”
I am sure all of you’ve received your Welcome Newsletter. Looking at all the events for the opening weekend and September, I can’t help getting excited and eager to start the new semester! One of the main reasons why I like being an OL is that I can undergo Experience Stony Brook more than once! Normally, most of the undergraduates only get to enjoy Experience Stony Brook once on their first semester (if it’s a Fall semester). The most memorable event during last year’s Experience SB was when we filled the Academic Mall Plazas with tables covered in red table cloth. The food was in buffet style and was absolutely delicious. Students were chatting with their new friends in the summer breezes. It was so wonderful! And I expect this year’s opening weekend to be even more mind-blowing than last year’s!
I know some of you guys might want to order your textbooks but not sure what to order. It really depends on the class and the professors. Some professors would email you and tell you what you need to get for the class or they would ask you to check Blackboard. Blackboard is the tool that your professors will communicate with you. To start a Blackboard account, you’ll need to go to SOLAR and set your NetID and NetID password. Then you can use the NetID and password to log into Blackboard. The website to Blackboard is blackboard.stonybrook.edu.
If you want to know the textbook lists for your classes, you can go to whywaitforbooks.com. My advice for purchasing textbooks is to wait for the first day of class. Sometimes the booklist may say you need 3 books, but your professor would tell you all you need is one. If you really really want to get all the textbooks before the first day of class, just email your professors. Search on the SBU websites or Blackboard to find your professors’ emails. Make sure you state your name, SB ID#, and course number with session number on the email.
We have six more transfer orientations to go and then comes Experience Stony Brook!
July 25, 2009
Wow, it’s almost the end of July. Freshmen orientations almost come to an end. Just one more week to go!
When freshmen step into the Student Activity Center Ballroom, they would see all the tables covered in ONE color of tablecloths. Curious why? If you have read my previous blogs, I explained how there are six different undergraduate colleges. Therefore, each undergraduate college lives in a designated Quad and assigned a certain color. ACH is red, GLS is orange, HDV is purple, ITS is yellow, LDS is green, and SSO is blue. I normally compare our undergraduate colleges to the houses in Harry Potter. Really, it’s almost the same, but we just don’t wave our wands to solve all our problems =P
Check new blog entry with many pictures!
July 18, 2009
Did everyone have a fabulous week? This week we started off the days with the Victory Song, but with a little twist to it. A video of Wofie was played with Wofie got up from bed, got dressed, did pushups and entered the stadium. All the OLs were clapping and stepping in the back of the Ballroom. As soon as the clip ended, the real Wolfie rushed out from the back of the Ballroom followed by 40 some OLs. It was really an extraordinary scene to see!
This past week’s welcome intro was addressed by the Orientation Team Leaders (OTLs). Since I am one of the six, I also got my turn to do the welcoming. It was very exciting yet nervous to stand on stage and speak to 200 plus people staring at you. Regardless, it was an experience not everyone would have ^.^
Check new blog entry with many pictures!
July 11, 2009
“GO FIGHT WIN! GO FIGHT WIN!” For the past week of freshmen orientations, new students started their day high spirited with the SBU Victory Song, along with our mascot Wolfie and all the amazing OLs. More excitingly, they took a tour of the campus buildings and dorm rooms. This tour covered most of the important buildings in the campus, like the library, bookstore, Union, Sports Complex, Staller Center, and Wang Center. The OLs of the tour enthusiastically explained the facilities and functions of each place along the way.
Follow by the tour was lunch and the undergraduate colleges. Remember, we have six undergraduate colleges in total: Arts Culture and Humanity, Global Studies, Human Development, Information and Technology, Leadership and Service, and last but not least, Science and Society. They are divided according to different themes and dwelling places. Students were placed into one of the six colleges according to their shown of interest when they filled out the preference form. This doesn’t mean that your major must relate to the college’s theme. I was a Biology major doing pre-med and was placed in Global Studies. You can be an Art major and belong to Science and Society. The undergraduate colleges won’t affect your major and career goal at all.
This past week we had Human Development (HDV), Information and Technology (ITS) and Leadership and Service (LDS). A picture worth a thousand words. I didn’t get to capture any pictures of the new students doing the undergraduate colleges activities. I’ll show some pictures of us OLs during training.
Check new blog entry with many pictures!
June 13, 2009
I just finished the first week of orientation! This past week was for transfer students, so will be the next two weeks. I saw some very excited new students, some were tired from the long ride here, and some were confused but were just glad that they made it to the right place. Of course, they were pleased to enjoy a cup of hot coffee or a yummy sandwich while being welcomed to the University.
Check new blog entry with many pictures!
June 6, 2009
Hello everyone, I am back! The two weeks of intense Orientation Leader training is finally over (Hooray!!). All the OLs, including myself, are ready for our first orientation on the 9th (Oh ya!).
Check new blog entry with many pictures!
July 4, 2009
Happy July 4th everyone! This is my first Independence Day as an official US citizen. Coincidently, I became a citizen during an orientation day last summer. God bless America!
Let’s get back to talking about my orientation week. Finally, freshmen orientation started. This week, we welcomed the Athletes, University Scholars, Honor College and WISE. During the University Scholars day, I had SAC (Student Activity Center) Entrance as my first job assignment. In another word, my job was to hold the SAC door open for the new Scholars and their guests. I was so happy to be the first few to greet them. I guess they were surprised someone would hold the door for them, like the ones in the hotels. Yup, we want to make everyone feel the same enthusiasm as we do. By the time I finished my first job assignment, my facial muscle was numbed, from smiling too much -___-”
“WHO ARE WE? WE ARE SEAWOLFIES!” The Seawolf or Wolfie is our school’s mascot. Everyone that attends Stony Brook is a Seawolf. Yes, that is indeed the case, but for this week, I was actually Wolfie. You must be confused as to what I mean. I meant that I was able to wear the Wolfie costume and became Wolfie, the we love so well Wolfie, for 20 minutes!!! Now SHHHHHH--- let’s keep this a secret. After all, Wolfie IS real.
One big difference to help Freshmen and Transfers register was that OLs provided both advising AND registration for Freshmen students. Freshmen filled out an Advising Planning Form on SOLAR. There were their declared major and intending major. Advisors would suggest classes according to the given information before the Orientation day. Even if you changed what you’ve filled out, we still have advisors there in the room to help answer any questions!
Have a great week, Seawolfies!
June 28, 2009
Dear everyone,
It has been another week of orientation, at least the weather was getting nicer =D
For the past week I’ve been doing registration. So I might as well explain to you what registration for transfers is about. The transfer students would have met with a math and or chem, bio, biochem, physics advisors. Plus, they would have had their 1 hour one-on-one advising appointment with an awesome advisor. It is during this 1-1 appointment that the transfer students picked all the classes.
Next, the advisor would bring the students to the registration rooms, and this is where we OLs do our job. We would sit down with the students in front of a computer and guided them through the enrollment process on SOLAR. Sometimes, the students may change their minds about a DEC class (or general education class) and want to pick a different one. Maybe the class was full. All the OLs were trained in academic advising and we can give students advises on changes to the schedule. Besides, an actual advisor would check the schedule of the students
A student asked me this week why I carried a spoon in my hand, even when I was helping her register for classes? It is our OL tradition to play SPOON WAR! For those who are not familiar with the game, it’s like an assassination game where each OL would get an assigned target. All players must hold their spoons in their hands or mouth. The spoon must be visible at all time. The players would tag their targets when the targets put down their spoons. After a target got tagged, the target would tell the assassin who he or she has as a target. The assassin would now inherit the new target.
Can you imagine holding on to a spoon 24/7? The only free zones are the bathroom and when you are sleeping. This game is intense! We started with 50 OL playing in the end of May. Now, we have less than 10 players left. The game is now a free-for-all, meaning we can tag anyone who forgot his or her spoon. I know you may think that this is a silly game, which was exactly what my mom told me. Yet, it is a lot of fun. We don’t greet each other with a “hi”, we greet each other with a “Where is your spoon?”
Freshmen Orientations starts next week! I’ll tell you guys how that go. Before coming to orientation, make sure you take the math placement if you are suppose to. That’s it for this week, enjoy the beautiful weather!
June 20, 2009
Hi, everyone! It was another great orientation week!
There is something I would like to share, and that is I finally got assigned to Check In and Skylight Lounge! You may wonder, why am I so excited about these job assignments? Well, as I have mentioned before, OLs get job rotations and everyone will get a chance to do all the different job assignments. Yet, as an OL Team Leader (there are 6 of us including myself), my very first and last job assignments for the day would be to set up and break down computers. Basically saying, there aren’t too many variations to the Team Leaders’ job assignments. I like the tech job very much of course, but still, I just couldn’t hold back my excitement.
During the AM Check In, I was sitting at the Family (or guests) Check In desk, greeted all the guests a “Good Morning!” Plus, I handed them a bag which contained a How to be a Cool and Happy College Family Member 101 Calendar (yea, take a look at it, I really think it provides great advices), a magic pen (it’s magical because it has the Orientation and Family Program office number! Parents and family members, if you need to reach someone and not sure who to contact, call us. We can direct you to the right place. It works like 411, well, kinda =D), and all other goodies in the bag. I then directed them to enjoy some hot breakfast and check out our info fair. Last but not least, no guest left the desk without at least one OL wishing them a good day.
Skylight lounge is really the place that transfer students can mingle with their OLs and other new students. Students who were sitting there got to talk to at least one OL. I like to remind students to make sure they see the advisers (math, chem, bio, biochem, and physics) they needed, make sure they have all the unevaluated credits evaluated. Also, a lot of students discussed about their intended majors or some classes they wanted to take. I love doing skylight lounge since I got to talk to so many students. They were all so willing to share their experiences and know more about our campus, classes, and even us OLs (I meant that in an appropriate way like our job responsibilities =P). Honestly, my tongue felt numb after so much talking in the lounge, but it was so much fun!
Last reminders:
-Read all the mails the Orientation office sent out and follow the instructions there if it pertains to you.
-Arrive on time. You really don’t want all those yummy breakfast/lunch to fly into other people’s stomach. Hehe, okay, I was kidding about that part. We understand that due to traffic and other reasons, you may not be able to arrive on time, there would usually be some food left over (still taste awesome). But please try to get here on time.
-It is quite cold in the Student Activity Center, so do bring a sweater, especially of the changing weather recently. Bring an umbrella too, even if you are driving. You will need to walk to the parking lot.
Guys, just relax and have fun!
May 31, 2009
HELLO! Hello! I am Michelle, one of your awesome Orientation Leaders this summer. First things first, let me make a brief intro about myself. I enrolled in Stony Brook University as a freshman and I am going to be a junior in the Fall. My major is Biology and my minors are Business Management and Chinese Studies. I am currently on the Pre-Med track (remember, Pre-Med is not a major!). Queens, New York is where I live. I was born in China and immigrated to the U.S. for almost 10 years. During the regular school year, I do live on campus, so I am a resident student.
This is my second summer as an Orientation Leader (OL). What first motivated me to apply for this position as a freshman was to improve my public speaking, leadership and customer service skills. So I submitted my application, went through the group interview and individual interview and became an official OL (Yay!!!).
It was after last summer of Orientation that I realized this position not only improved my people skills but also brought me many surprises. I’ve never thought that I would meet so many great peers (my OL mates). Staff and faculties whom did not seem quite approachable to me as a freshman, yes, I got to talk to them, they were very chill. Yet, the best thing was that I got to interact with new students and parents. I am the type of people who are very curious about every culture, language, place, event, or anything I’ve never heard of. I am not going to lie, the OL position can sometimes be very tiring and time consuming. However, the knowledge I gained and fun I had through interacting with new students, parents, other OLs, and staffs made me feel it was definitely worth it and that’s why I returned to this position again, standby and ready to offer everyone another great experience this summer!
I will blog again in a few days to share with you my OL training experience (it’s definitely entertaining). There will also be some useful tips for new students coming in for orientations. Thanks for reading my first blog! I’ll talk to you soon!