It’s finally here – Winter Break!

You worked hard this semester and it doesn’t go unrecognized. Now is the time to get some well-deserved rest and re-charge before the spring semester begins.

It’s easy to binge-watch your favorite tv shows or go down the Tik Tok rabbit hole, but we’d like to challenge you to do some things that will truly restore you during your winter break.

1. Catch up on Sleep

Did you pull more all-nighters this past semester than you would like to admit? Now is the time to re-establish some good sleeping habits.

2. Do some light brainstorming for next semester plans.

If you found yourself too overwhelmed and busy last semester, consider what activities you may need to let go of. On the other end, if you feel you had too much time on your hands, consider some clubs or activities you may be able to get involved in this spring. Many organizations are still meaning virtually and Campus Life continues to offer regular online programming for students.

3. Take time to reconnect with family and friends.

Tell your friends you cherish them! Keep your support system strong and growing into the Spring semester. FaceTime the elders in your family and learn more about your family history and heritage. This discovery about your family roots can be the inspiration you need to keep pushing forward when the going gets tough.

4. Eat a good meal! Or two. Or three...

Take a break from your typical college diet and use this time to enjoy some healthy meals. Check out these easy meals for college students.

5. Spend an afternoon exploring the great outdoors!

Yes, it’s a bit cold in the winter, but all you need is some winter gear to enjoy some fresh air and nature. If you call Maryland home, many of the state parks are still open. And if you aren’t feeling as adventurous, even a walk around your neighborhood can do a world of good!

6. Research a graduate or professional school.

Whether you are just starting to think about grad school or are actually working on applications, many schools are offering virtual fairs or meetings to prospective students.

7. Set up an informational interview with a working professional.

Find out what a profession is really like and make connections with people in your future field by conducting an interview unrelated to a job search. Sample question: “What are the most important qualities for an aspiring pilot/engineer/dance therapist?” Keep a journal to record notes from these experiences.

8. Update and upgrade your resume.

Opportunities sometimes come up quickly and you want to be ready with that polished resume. Every college student needs a polished resume!

9. Plan an independent research or creative project and prepare an application for the UMBC Undergraduate Research Award (URA).

The URA provides up to $1500 to support research expenses such as equipment, travel, and materials. Here is a link to the full details.

Summer internships can provide both $ and valuable experience. The more competitive internships have deadlines in fall, but some are still open in January-March. If you have already missed a deadline, get all the information so you can apply early next year. Some internships are open to recent college graduates.

10. Work on your graduation game plan.

Winter break is an excellent time to create, revise or update your plan. Here are suggestions for a pathway you can take for graduation, and it includes a worksheet to start the plans on! Don’t forget to refer to your myUMBC profile for more academic information!

College is a time for self-discovery and personal growth. Part of that self-discovery comes from deciding what you see yourself doing in the future, which isn't always easy. You may think, "But that's so far away," "I'm too young to be thinking about that"- although that may be true, having an idea of what you see yourself doing in the future will help you be as academically successful as you can be here at UMBC. 

Consider these "Do's" and "Don'ts" for choosing a major:

"DO's" for Choosing a Major:

Get to know all the majors available at UMBC.

Some major fields may be completely unfamiliar because they were not taught in high school. Individualized Study (the "build your own major" major), Health Administration and Policy, Geography and Environmental Systems, and Business Technology Administration are interesting majors students may not have been aware of before arriving at UMBC. There's no harm looking through the list- you never know what you might find!

**SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT**

One timely way to explore all of UMBC's majors is to attend our upcoming Major Event this month!

Educate yourself on potential majors.

It's a good idea to talk to an advisor or current students in that major you're interested in so that you can get a better understanding of the potential courses and paths you may want to pursue in your selected major. Researching on your own is highly recommended, as well.

List 5-8 possibilities based on your interests and aptitudes.

Take courses that are steered towards potential majors you have chosen. Read the entire catalog sections, all the course descriptions, faculty bios, and any other information about these majors available on the Department websites.

"DON'Ts" for Choosing a Major:

Don't let anyone else choose your major for you.

Your parents, friends, and siblings all have ideas about what you should major in, but it is essential to make your own choice. You are the student, and you are making the decision that could affect the rest of your life.

Don't assume that a college major will necessarily lead directly to a specific type of job.

The skills acquired from college are of a general nature that can be applied to many different professional settings. The workforce is full of people whose undergraduate majors bear only an indirect relationship to the positions they hold.

Don't stick with a major when it is clear that you are performing poorly in the required courses.

If you notice your grades are low in your major, this is an indication that it is not appropriate for you. Consider other options in which you can be more successful!

Helpful Links

Advising Contact List

"What can I do with my major?" via the Career Center

List of UMBC majors, minors, and certificates

UMBC Academic Pathways (sample four-year academic pathways for each major)

Did you know that every student at UMBC has an assigned academic advisor?

For most students, this will be a professor in your academic major department. Others will work with a professional (full-time) advisor, at least until they have reached their junior year or selected a major (in the case of our office who work with undecided/exploratory students).

Something a bit unique to UMBC is that all students are required to meet with their advisor at least once a semester, prior to registration.

But let’s back up a bit. What exactly is academic advising?

An academic advisor’s role is to assist you in planning your academic career at UMBC. You can talk to your advisor about:

• Your adjustment to college
• Major and career choices
• Course selection and long-term academic planning
• Academic difficulty
• Academic “extras” such as minors, internships, study abroad, etc.

The end is in sight! If you've earned 90 or more academic credits, you received a message from the Registrar's Office informing you that you are eligible to apply for graduation.

However, eligibility is only the start of the graduation application process. Below are four simple steps you can take now to ensure that you’ll soon be receiving your UMBC diploma.

Note: Even if you do not plan to participate in the commencement ceremony, you still need to apply to graduate in order to earn your degree.

Step 1: Apply for Graduation!

Tuesday, September 15th is the last day undergraduates can apply for December Graduation. 

Only those students who have every single requirement needed for degree completion on their fall semester schedules will be permitted to participate in the Commencement ceremony.

If you are taking a course at another institution that you plan to transfer, you must have an approved Verification of Transferability form on file with the Registrar’s Office and be prepared to submit a copy of your schedule.

Step 2: Embrace your degree audit!

Your degree audit indicates your progress toward degree completion. If you see “unsatisfied” items, these are requirements that appear to be missing and need to be addressed immediately. Your degree audit is located on myUMBC, under the guide link “Advising and Student Support.”

Make sure any substitutions or waivers of major requirements are documented in your degree audit; you may need to submit a Help/RT ticket to the Registrar’s Office to add these notations to your record. 

Step 3: Wrap up any outstanding details ASAP!

If you have Advanced Placement or CLEP scores, transfer transcripts, foreign language waivers, or other items you need to provide to UMBC, delay no longer!  If the major, minor, or certificate program on your record is out of date, or if you have additional majors or minors that you need to remove, submit a new Declaration of Major form.  Any of these items could prevent you from being able to graduate.

Step 4: Let the celebration begin!

Participating in the commencement ceremony is the culmination of all of your hard work. It’s important to take time to recognize all it took to get you to this moment and be proud of your accomplishments! 

Finally, use this link to check your Honors eligibility, which will be recognized at the ceremony and on your diploma.

Deciding on an academic major is a big deal! We have so many options at UMBC, including a unique major for students who are interested in carving out their own pathway.

Do you have so many academic interests that it’s difficult to pick just one? Are you curious how different academic disciplines can intersect? Do you want the chance to have more “say” in the types of classes you take? The Indivualized Study Program at UMBC might be just what you’re looking for!

We interviewed Carrie Sauter, Assistant Director of the INDS Program, to bring you more information about this exciting opportunity.

EC: Can you briefly describe the Individualized Studies program? What are the benefits to a student who selects this path?

CS: Individualized Study (INDS) is a unique path for a highly motivated undergraduate student to design their own major to meet specific goals. Students in the program merge courses from several disciplines into one themed degree plan. In addition to our core courses, we encourage internships and research outside the classroom. A quote from one of our alums: "My INDS degree has provided me: (1) critical thinking skills (2) tools to facilitate interprofessional conversations (3) fostered my understanding of research methods and application to research projects and (4) developed a sense of curiosity to understand problems from multiple perspectives."

EC: What additional work is involved to officially "declare" INDS. Can you talk a bit about the proposal writing process?

CS: We encourage anyone at any stage of their academic career to consider INDS. Obviously we would like to start advising students as early as possible, even before transferring to UMBC. Our core curriculum is a minimum of four semesters, and we would be happy to talk to students about how that can work with their goal graduation date. To declare INDS, students simply need to meet with an advisor in the program and obtain a signature on the Declaration of Major form. While in the second course in our core curriculum, INDS 335 Degree Writing Seminar, students craft a degree plan, present it to our faculty committee, and secure two degree mentors. The degree plan consists of not just a list of classes in a timeline, but a narrative of why this major is best suited for the student, definitions for particular aspects in the degree, and ways this degree plan connects to immediate and long-term goals.

EC: Besides the fact that you are creating your own degree plan, what do you think sets the INDS major apart from other majors?

CS: INDS students stand out in any application process: employers, graduate school admissions, medical school committees. Our students and graduates say they are able to think across disciplines, consider other viewpoints, and communicate clearly. We also require INDS students to complete a capstone project completed in their final year.

A quote from an alum: "In the public health field I am constantly interacting with professionals from other fields and disciplines such as social workers, medical doctors, policy makers, entrepreneurs, and a variety of researchers. As an Individualized Study student, I learned to see the strengths each different discipline could offer to address a problem and create an optimal solution no discipline could independently develop. Instead of seeing divides between my colleagues from different fields, I see connections and ways to build bridges by avoiding stereotypes of certain fields and communicating with shared language. This perspective will help me work more effectively with colleagues from a variety of professions to help create more comprehensive culturally appropriate health programs as a future physician aiming to promote integrative care."

EC Any notable alumni stories you can share? Any interesting things alumni have gone on to do?

CS: INDS students have gone on to medical school, law school, physical therapy school, doctoral programs, and employment across diverse fields. We also have several alumni who have started their own business after graduation. Notable highlights of graduates from the past eight years: two graduates with fully-funded PhD programs at Harvard University and University of Manchester (UK); full-tuition merit scholarship to George Washington University School of Law; Forensic Chemist at Prince George's County Police Department; software engineer at Northrop Grumman; Biomedical Engineering PhD at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; professor of entrepreneurship and business at Howard Community College; Software Developer at Booz Allen Hamilton.

Sounds like something you might be interested in? Click here to explore this pathway further.