Month: May 2017

How to Make the Best Out of Your Summer

How to Make the Best Out of Your Summer

If you are in Chicago, take advantage of the city and all the places and events that are happening especially in the summer. Don’t simply sit around inside the house all day!

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There are tons of museums to go to in Chicago. There is the Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, Science and Industry Museum, and so much more. Especially if you are a Illinois resident, you may even get discounts to parking and admittance.

The Shedd Aquarium is a wonderful place for people who love sea critters and fishes of all kinds. There are so many types of species of fish with so many colors, patterns, abilities, and more. It is completely mesmerizing to watch them swim so gracefully and beautifully. In addition, there are tons of shows for you to see, including a dolphin show. Who wouldn’t want to see that?!

The Field Museum is a cool place for those who like to take a travel to the past and see exotic cultures and the remnants of past civilizations. I remember visiting the Field Museum many times in elementary school during field trips. In particular, I loved the Egyptian exhibit the most. I loved seeing the real mummies, going through a fake pyramid and seeing all the little knick-knack things Egyptians had.

The Adler Planetarium is an interesting place for you to see and understand everything relating to the sky. It is quite eye-opening to realize how tiny we are compared to the universe. I went here this past Monday (Memorial Day) and had a blast (haha)! Besides the planetarium, it’s location is quite breathtaking. The entire Chicago skyline can be seen beautifully from here!

The Science and Industry Museum is hands-down my most favorite museum. Though it is a bit of a drive from the central downtown area, it is worth it. It is very interactive and full of exhibits to see–maybe even in one day, you might not even get to see all of the exhibits! My favorite exhibit is the U-505 Submarine, which is an actual German vessel used in World War II. I think it is pretty cool!

Millennium Park is an awesome place to chill around. On particular days, there are events like concerts and movie nights that happen in the park too. All FREE! Just sit back and relax on the grass and enjoy the free entertainment and background view of the skyscrapers. At night, the city is lit so nicely, so try to stay into the night!

Navy Pier is another wonderful place for people of all ages! There is a children’s museum and tons of activities to do there. The actual pier just had reconstruction and now looks very modern and enjoyable to the eye. The actual Ferris Wheel was recently redone and now stands higher than before and features better gondolas for your comfort.

If you are like me and live in Chicago, and have been to a lot of the typical attractions countless times, there are other fun places to go.

Foster beach is a good place. It is place to chill out with a picnic on the grass, go kite-flying, take a swim in the lake, play volleyball on the sand, and more.

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There are a ton of other places like the Lincolnwood Mall, Village Crossing, Old Orchard, and other places that have shopping malls, movie theaters, and restaurants.

Nevertheless, your summer should be full of the things to do. Especially in the city of Chicago, you can never be bored.

Advice To My Past Self On College

Advice To My Past Self On College

If college doesn’t change you, I don’t know what will. In college, you will learn to grow in every aspect and realize your potential. Your identity will reveal itself stronger when you decided to do more things in the community and actively engage in programs and clubs. I can definitely tell you I have changed dramatically–for the better.

Here’s my advice to my past FRESHMAN self I wish someone would have told me:

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  1. Take advantage of the FACT that most freshman (like 90%) don’t know others well, so go talk to them and build friendships! It is EASIER to make friends at this point in time. Don’t be so shy. This is your moment to rebrand yourself and show yourself off as a welcoming and amicable person!                                                       
  2. Stop stressing so much about “college classes”/”college atmosphere”. All the things you see in the movies and TV shows about college are a bit over-dramatized. Especially here at Loyola, you’ll feel welcomed and comfortable quickly. Your anxiety over the concept of finally being a college student is causing you to be TOO nervous thus limiting you from meeting others, participating in clubs, and ultimately having the Loyola experience.                                                                                       
  3. You are NOT that different. There ARE students who are like you and share similar characteristics and personalities. These people are not hard to find because if they are like you, you’ll find them in places where you will be at. People who share the same major or career path will most likely be people to associate around because they are like YOU in one way or another.                           
  4. Keep an open-mind. It is most likely that students will change their major after taking their 101 classes because they figure out that that subject isn’t their cup-of-tea. Though you think you may be set on a specific major, think again and really be open-minded.                                                 
  5. Medical school do not only look for students with Biology, Chemistry, Biochem, or Physics majors. No, no, no. Hard science majors are commendable, but med schools do not admit just these types of students. Just like Loyola, they are looking for students and their well-roundedness meaning hard science isn’t JUST the thing they want. As long as you complete your pre-health courses, you should be fine. YOU ARE FINE! 🙂                                                                         
Loyola University Chicago 2017 Commencement

Loyola University Chicago 2017 Commencement

 

No, I did not graduate, but I still have 1 more year to go. Nevertheless, it is good and exciting to see what I will experience in 12 more months! I cannot believe that my Loyola experience is 3/4 complete and that I now have to get ready for the future ahead of me. It is scary, yet it is inevitable. It is amazing to see friends post pictures of their graduation; I am so proud of them and their accomplishments. Now, it will be my turn next.

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Commencement is the same as graduation, but just a fancier version. It is similar to a high school graduation, but there are more pomp and circumstance for the hard (HARD) work students have done over the years to complete their bachelor’s degree, especially from an LUC Commencement. It is quite beautiful to see Loyola’s campus change for the event of commencement. Flowers all over campus get planted, tulips and cherry blossoms bloom right on time, flags and tables are set out on the quad, and most importantly, the Gentile Arena is transformed for the ceremony.

Gentile Arena did change its normal set up for graduation. From previous years, they had displayed their maroon and gold school colors on drapes that hung from the ceiling. Loyola’s logo hung from them and in the middle of the stage, there was a huge screen to better see speakers’ faces.

This year, they designed the stage more simpler. The backdrop was a black curtain and each school banner was hung horizontally across the stage. “Loyola University Chicago” in letters was hung above the banners. two big projector screens were on both sides of the stage.

If you did not know already, it is simply impossible to fit ALL the graduates in one event so reasonably, there are different dates and times in which graduates walk. They are categorized by the school in which they are from, for example, College of Arts and Sciences, Niehoff School of Nursing, School of Social Work, and so on. The Loyola Commencement ceremonies are not only held for undergraduates, but for graduates as well (receiving their Master’s degrees). They also host for the Loyola Academy (high school) graduations as well. To say in the least, the month of May is FULL of pomp and circumstance.

Even before graduation, there is a tradition for graduating seniors to walk out of the convocation doors of Cudahy Library. If you do not know already, freshmen traditionally walk IN the doors, marking their beginning of their time at Loyola. It makes sense to walk OUT when your graduate. It is pretty symbolic because these doors are only opened 2 times in the year– once for freshmen in August and once for seniors in May.

Again, I am excited to experience this soon, but I am sad to leave such a good school and start my life again in a new chapter. Who knows what lies ahead, but I am curious enough and prepared to face whatever comes my way.

 

 

Need a Summer Playlist? WLUW Has The Best Tunes For You!

Need a Summer Playlist? WLUW Has The Best Tunes For You!

As you all must know by the multitude of blogs I’ve written about it, Loyola has one of the hottest radio stations in the Chicagoland area: 88.7 WLUW. Even if you don’t live in the area, though, you don’t need an FM station to stay tuned to the hottest underground artists we know and love!

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WLUW’s website (wluw.org) offers an mp3 live stream where you can listen on your laptop or other electronic devices. On top of that, WLUW also offers a phone app! Just search WLUW in the App Store or Google Play Store and you can keep your music going wherever you go!

WLUW is a wonderful opportunity for music discovery, from playing well-known bands such as Arcade Fire and Tame Impala to much lesser known artists such as Warik, Thundercat, and Jay Som! Keeping the music going 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you can even check the schedule to tune in to some of specialty shows, such as Inside the Vault, which discusses WLUW’s history as a budding college radio station in the 1970s.

Want a little bit more of a visual performance? WLUW also has a YouTube channel where they post videos from live band performances at our School of Communications! I’ve personally been able to sit in for a few of those performances that should be released over this summer, and they are DEFINITELY something you don’t want to miss seeing. The bands the station pulls in are usually from Chicago, however for the Taste of Iceland Festival a couple weeks ago, two bands from Reykjavik, Iceland were nice enough to come and offer us performances!

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Either way, if you need tunes to listen to to help crank through the rest of finals week, this summer, or this coming school year, WLUW is always rocking out on the airwaves, no matter how near or far away you are from your favorite city.

 

Is It Really The End? The END?

Is It Really The End? The END?

Surprisingly enough, this week is Finals Week. It has been quite strange this time. It does not really feel like I ended Junior year nor do I feel like summer vacation next week. I do not know whether or not it is because of the gloomy, cold weather or if it is because I do not want to be a senior yet and graduate and ultimately come face to face with reality ( I am being dramatic).

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Here’s a more in-depth look at what Finals Week looks like:

  • The IC building and Damen is FULL of students. Never have I ever spent so much time trying to find a single desk and chair to study for my Physics final. It’s pretty cool to see so much activity going on and seeing an academic vibe.

  • Paper. Lots of paper- Study guides, Power Point slides, lecture notes, assignments, and more. Needless to say, the printers are a hotspot! Hot Hot Hot (what a pun!)
  • Coffee and Energy drinks keep us going and going and going….(echo the “going”…)

  • There are certain times campus is super active and empty, marking the times when finals are in session or people just got out. This is more vivid to see than our regular semester passing periods.
  • Luggage and moving out. It is visible to see who is going to take their last final and ready to get off of campus and jump into summer! For commuter students, well, they look the same.
  • Stress. It is quite common for students to feel a high level of stress during this time. It is understandable because of exams, papers, presentations and more. Sometimes stress and anxiety can correlate to acts of passive-aggressiveness, being dramatic, and sarcastic which I can assure you, played no part in how this blog was written.

Please pray for our students! 🙂