Tag: Lake Shore Campus

For the Sake of a Sunrise, I’ll Get up Early

For the Sake of a Sunrise, I’ll Get up Early

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There is not much that will get a college kid out of bed early in the morning, besides an 8AM class. Because after a long night of studying there is nowhere we’d would rather be than curled up in bed. I was all for sleeping in as late as possible before I realized what I was missing out on during my extra hour of sleep. Every time I give myself only time in the morning to get dressed and run to class I’m missing out on the most beautiful sunrises in the Midwest. And those sunrises just so happen to take place on Loyola’s Lake Shore Campus.

Loyola’s Lake Shore Campus is tucked away in Rogers Park along Sheridan Road and the east side of campus just so happens to be the shores of Lake Michigan. Luckily for Loyola students, and the city of Chicago, the Lake’s east-side location makes it the perfect stage for the sunrise every morning.

My roommate and I made it a goal of ours to see the sunrise once a week. Our goal was a little ambitious, but I couldn’t be more grateful for the few times we have managed to crawl out of bed to run on Lake Shore Path or sit on the beach while the sun rises.

If you manage to drag yourself out of bed to watch the sun rise you should still have time to catch some extra sleep before class, but if you’re feeling especially awake grab a coffee and study in the IC (the study space with floor to ceiling windows and a perfect view of the lake) until class starts.

Since we’ll be here for four (or five) years be sure you spend at least one of those mornings lake side, watching the most beautiful sunrise in the Midwest. Rise and shine, Ramblers!

 

Loyola is Exactly What I Was Looking For

Loyola is Exactly What I Was Looking For

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When I started my college search I had one thing on my mind—Chicago. I grew up in a small town about three hours away from the city. Every time my family would come to the city for a visit my heart would start pumping fast and a smile would creep onto my face when I caught the first glimpse of the skyline. (Then again, that still happens to me today.) The problem with these visits to Chicago was just that—they were visits. We always had to leave the skyscrapers to come back to the corn fields.
My desire to do more than visit the city (and earn a degree) was the driving force behind my college search. Since I was looking for a school in the city I was nervous that all I would find were universities that consisted of a few tall buildings on a city block. I did not want to sacrifice the “college campus feel” or a quad for that matter. When Loyola University Chicago came up in my search I was pleasantly surprised.
I toured the university during spring break of my junior year. With my dad and my best friend in tow we started with a tour of the Water Tower Campus. I was blown away when I realized how many times I had been just steps away from the university on my many trips to Ghirardelli. Stepping onto Lake Shore Campus was a huge breath of fresh air. It was a real college campus, with a real quad, within the city limits! After that I was sold—so sold that Loyola was the only school I applied to.
Loyola was the best of both worlds for me, the city and campus all in one. But of course before I completely committed to this University I had to consider more than just location. Coming in without having a major I wanted to make sure the school I chose had plenty of options for me. Loyola’s School of Communications peaked my interest and someday soon I will be happy to choose a major within this school.
Now that I’m here I know I made the right choice. I’ve loved the opportunities I’ve gotten to become involved with campus ministry, do volunteer work in the community, and take classes from some truly inspiring professors. I’m so happy that I get to call Loyola home.

Find Yourself at Open House!

Find Yourself at Open House!

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As the on-campus event coordinator in the Undergraduate Admission Office, some of my favorite weekends of the year are coming up – our Fall Open Houses! This year we will be offering two Fall Open Houses on Saturday, October 18th and Saturday and Saturday, November 8th on our Lake Shore Campus for High School Seniors, High School Juniors, and Transfer Students. Open Houses are a great way to spend some time on campus to see if Loyola is the best “fit” for you. All of the different tours, sessions, and activities are designed to introduce you and your guests to the Loyola community.

Open Houses at Loyola differ from our daily campus visits in that they offer students, parents, and guests insight into the entire Loyola Community.

We offer presentations on: Freshmen Admission/Scholarship, Transfer Admission/Scholarship, Financial Aid, Study Abroad, Pre-Health Advising, Career Development & Experiential Learning, and Residence Life.

We offer tours of the Lake Shore Campus, all first year Residence Halls, and the Institute of Environmental Sustainability.

We also offer a Department Fair where guests have the opportunity to meet with faculty, staff, or students from every major at Loyola.

 

 Click here to register for Open House!

Click here to view the full agenda for Open House!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to bring anything to Open House?

You are not required to bring anything to Open House. Though we do recommend that you spend some time looking at the schedule before hand so you can select which sessions you would like to attend. Also, be sure to come prepared with any questions you have for admission counselors, financial aid counselors, or faculty members from your major/program of interest.

Do you have hotel recommendations for the weekend?

Yes, click here for recommended lodging options nearby.

Is parking available on campus?

Yes, we recommend that all visits park in our main parking structure on campus. Parking will be free on both Saturdays.

If I cannot attend Open House, is there another time I can visit campus?

Yes, you can attend a campus visit at our Lake Shore Campus on Monday – Saturday and our Water Tower Campus on Monday – Friday.

 

If you have any additional questions, give us a call at 800.262.2373 or email us at admission@luc.edu.

 

The Countdown Begins

The Countdown Begins

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It is near the end of the second week of my last semester at Loyola University Chicago. As I get up every morning to start my day, I always ask myself,

Where has the time gone?

Four years truly flies by at a blink of an eye. Along with finishing up what is required of me academically at Loyola, reflecting on the impact this university has made on me has been very humbling.

One aspect of my Loyola experience that I will always be grateful for is my leadership development.

As a freshman mentee in the STARS program through the Department of Student Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, I, along with my first-year cohorts, attended a workshop facilitated by Student Leadership Development on evaluating our leadership styles.

The questions that encouraged looking into ourselves, how we work best with other people and independently, and how we can hone in on our leadership strengths helped me realize over my time at Loyola how much leadership ties into building and maintaining understanding, as well as community.

Both aspects have been and still are important to me with what I am involved in on campus, and I seek to encourage the students that are younger than me to consider the same as they embark on their own Loyola journey.

What to do When Waiting for a Decision

What to do When Waiting for a Decision

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It’s that time of year when applications are complete and the waiting game for decisions and acceptance letters begins! Here are a few tips on what you should be doing with this admission process down-time:

 

If you have any additional questions, give us a call at 800.262.2373 or email us at admission@luc.edu.

Don’t Miss Your Chance to Explore Campus!

Don’t Miss Your Chance to Explore Campus!

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Only 26 days until the first Undergraduate Admission Fall Open House of 2013 at Loyola University Chicago! This year’s Open Houses will take place on Saturday, November 9th and Saturday, November 16th starting at 9:00 a.m. Many students & parents have been asking questions about the event, so hopefully this post will provide some answers!

 

What is Open House?

Open House is an opportunity to explore campus, tour the residence halls, learn about academic programs, find out about admission and financial aid, and connect with current students and faculty! There will also be presentations on experiential learning, residence life, study abroad opportunities, pre-health advising, and the new Institute of Environmental Sustainability. Click here for a full schedule.

 

Who can attend Open House?

High school juniors & seniors, transfer students, and their families are invited to attend Open House. Click here to register online!

 

Do I need to bring anything to Open House?

You are not required to bring anything to Open House. Though we do recommend that you spend some time looking at the schedule before hand so you can select which sessions you would like to attend. Also, be sure to come prepared with any questions you have for admission counselors, financial aid counselors, or faculty members from your major/program of interest.

 

Do you have hotel recommendations for the weekend?

Yes, click here for recommended lodging options nearby.

 

Is parking available on campus?

Yes, we recommend that all visits park in our main parking structure on campus. Parking will be free on both Saturdays.

 

If I cannot attend Open House, is there another time I can visit campus?

Yes, you can attend a campus visit at our Lake Shore Campus on Monday – Saturday and our Water Tower Campus on Monday – Friday.

 

If you have any additional questions, give us a call at 800.262.2373 or email us at admission@luc.edu.

The Beginning of the End

The Beginning of the End

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It is my senior year at Loyola University Chicago. Typing the sentence itself for my last first post as an undergraduate student is still surreal.

This year I am looking forward to begin the steps needed to embark on the next chapter in my life. I will be enrolled in graduate school, hopefully in the fall of 2o14.

With the help of the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program, facilitated through the Graduate School, I have begun the process to prepare for my post-graduate education as well as gain research experience.

Conducting this research this past summer has been similar to peeling off the layers of an onion. Every macro idea thus far reveals many micros that cannot be explored in nine weeks.

Why spend time behind the computer exploring the “virtual world” that is New African Social Media? The advent of African youth having the space to show creativity and to share it through virtual communities hits home. Producers are able to communicate and share what they believe Africa was like in the past, what Africa is like in the present, and what Africa will be in the future. New African Social Media is an example of how new forms of media impact culture. Those within this “virtual world” are able to re-appropriate content and attach new meaning to the content they create or share.

With this, it is interesting to unpack how this content differs from Africa-content material in mainstream media. New African Social Media allows producers and consumers to shed a different light on what Africa means and is to them: diverse, progressive, and positive. People are given the freedom to be bold to create, report, and share what they do not see in mainstream media; as well as to give a more balanced view of what occurs on and off the continent.

So far in my research, I have found that people most popularly share visually contextual content that depicts people, daily life, and women. The peeling of this onion continues as I unpack the why, how, where, and when of these findings.

Luckily, with the help of my faculty mentor, I am currently continuing what I started this summer through an independent study. I look forward to interviewing participants to learn their perspective on this topic.

With my research aside, my class schedule is light compared to semesters past. I have a little more free time to study for the GRE, as well as catch up with friends; especially those who studied abroad last semester.

I know that this is the beginning of the end of my undergraduate career at Loyola. My senior year will flash right before my eyes, but I will savor every moment of it.

A Busy, Yet Fulfilling Junior Year

A Busy, Yet Fulfilling Junior Year

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLkaEYVVkoE

I am already getting close to finishing off my fifth week in the spring semester!

Where has the year gone?

With the organizations that I have been a part of, we have done a lot of work on Loyola University Chicago’s campus and off.

In the video above, my African dance team, AfroDescent, performed a reggae-dancehall routine at the Pan-African Night on Jan. 26, in Mundelein. This was a benefit night that the African Student Alliance collaborated with a local nonprofit organization, the Pan-African Assocation.

As a kick-off to their 5k event in May and as a thank you to their benefactors and community members, my team wanted to be a part of it as well to show off our new routine.

It was a great night of community with both Loyola students and the community of the Pan-African Association, as well as with the immigrants and refugees they support.

Fall Break!

Fall Break!

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Fall break has arrived and I am welcoming it with open arms and open books.

I kicked it off with a trip to the movies with a friend to see “The Perks of Being A Wallflower”. It was a truly wonderful movie with great acting. I read the book when I was in junior high, and as much as people have said that you should read the book before seeing it, I’m really glad that I didn’t remember a thing from the book. It was like a brand new experience, one that left me with a lot of food for thought.

Now that I have started fall break, the time has come to spend four straight days catching up on sleep and homework, and I’m actually fine with that. Tomorrow I will do neither, though, because I’m rising early to go to work. I’m excited for that  for several reasons.

First off, this is going to be the first Saturday that I work at my job ever, and I’ve been working there for over a year now, so I’m really happy about that. Second, it’ll be a fair, and I’ve never actually worked a fair before so it’ll be a little different from what I usually do at work.

Third and finally, which is kind of my favorite reason, I’ll be working downtown at the Water Tower Campus, as opposed to at Lake Shore Campus, so though I’ll be seeing my coworkers working, we’ll be in a different environment than I’ve ever seen them in. That may sound weird, but to me its really cool. Having this workday be different from my usual will be a nice change, and I know that it’ll make me appreciate my job even more because I’ll be seeing it from a new light.

Sunday will be the day when I finally get to catch up on my sleep. I plan on unplugging all phones and other electronics in the house, putting my sleep mask on, and knocking out for a good 12 hours. Yes, that does sound crazy, but so does going day after day to school on 5 hours of sleep. I want half a day of uninterrupted shut-eye so I can dream in peace.

Once I do wake up, it’s a complete homework day from there. There are several chapters and assignments that I need to catch up on, and I hope to get everything done by the time midnight rolls around. Time to break out my school rules and get crankin’!

1,794 Miles

1,794 Miles

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As I’ve mentioned before, fall means travel season for Admission Counselors! So far I’ve spent a total of 9 days on the road and I’ve driven a total of 1,794 miles throughout Indiana! That’s an average of 199 miles per day, woah. While I love fall travel and the opportunity to meet with so many awesome perspective students, being on the road does make me miss Chicago.

I specifically miss the CTA or Chicago Transit Authority. The CTA is not only my regular form of transportation throughout the year, but also the 2nd largest public transportation system in the country. (Click here for more fun facts about the CTA!)

After living in the city for 5 years now, I definitely prefer taking one of the many CTA buses or trains instead of driving. It’s nice to be able to sit back and read my kindle or the RedEye, listen to music and watch the stops go by as I near my destination. By relying on the CTA, I never have to worry about navigating road construction, gas prices, car insurance, or finding parking in the city.

The CTA is a great option for Loyola students, as all full time students receive a U-Pass, which gives them unlimited use of all CTA transit during the semester. The red line, probably the most popular train route for LUC students, runs between Lake Shore Campus and Water Tower Campus (the Loyola stop & the Chicago stop). The #147 (Outer Drive Express) bus route also runs between the two campuses on Lake Shore Drive and Michigan Avenue, also known as the “Magnificent Mile“..

The U-Pass is more than just an option for getting between classes, it’s a passport to the city! It will get you to Soldier Field to watch the Chicago Bears, U.S. Cellular Field to hopefully see the White Sox make it to the postseason, Millennium Park, Museum Campus, Chinatown, the House of Blues for a concert, or maybe just a random stop where you can do some exploring! It was definitely one of my favorite possessions as a Loyola student, and I think most students would agree with me.

If you’re up for a road trip yourself, I’d recommend planning a trip up to Loyola University Chicago on October 20th or November 17th for an Open House. They’re a great way to determine if Loyola is the right fit for you, and you can always hop on the CTA and do some exploring in the wonderful windy city!