I cant believe the semester is over. It had been a rough one personally. I missed more school than I wanted to. I had more illnesses and doctors appointments than I have in a long time. I am actually one of the many students that love to be in class. I miss the discussions and the reviews and the lectures. But I managed to keep up and had a great group of friends that helped me keep up with notes.
I firmly believe that keeping in contact with your classmates is a blessing in disguise. They provided me the support I needed to pass. Even if they dont take notes, which surprisingly many dont, they took the time out to answer my questions and go over lectures that I had to miss. As I stated in my last blog, most of them graduated. Now I am a Senior! Wow! That is so exciting to say.
I thought that being 1 year away from my Associates Degree was exciting, now that I am one year away from my Bachelor's Degree, it has gotten even more surreal. I realize that in January I will be filing my petition for graduation. I love the classes that I am enrolled in for the Fall and will be looking forward to keeping up with all the election updates until then.
I decided to not take the Fast Track Route. I realized that as a single mother, it will be difficult for me to figure out how to complete my Masters Degree when most of the classes are offered in the evenings and on weekends. They also took the program that I was originally interested in out because the classes weren't making. So right now there is no more legislative studies masters program, only political science or political science with an emphasis in Constitutional Law. They may be revamping the program so I will wait a year and see what happens. I may be looking in to the George Washington School of Political Management a little more carefully. Right now my plan is to finish my Bachelor's Degree strong and then hopefully there will be enough classes offered so that I can graduate with an emphasis on campaign and elections or legislative studies.
I am also excited about two classes being offered in the Spring, Dr. Champagne's Civil Liberties and Dr. Thielemann's Legislative Decisions class. Yes, I am already planning for next year.
I will starting my summer classes on the 30th. Will keep ya'll posted!
Best
Cristina
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
So it is now the last two weeks of school! I am tired, excited and stressed out all at the same time. After speaking to many of my colleagues, I think we all feel the same.
#1 rule during finals - try and get as much rest as you can..If you stay up all night, your body will be tired and then you may not do so well..and stay hydrated..you dont want to be tired during your exams.
I was walking across campus today and I was so impressed with how many study groups were going on all over campus. I saw groups in the SU, sitting in the PUB, outside in the grass, inside study rooms in the library, all the computers were taken in the library too, which I dont see too often. Everyone is in Study Mode!
I love talking to other students and being able to have diverse intellectual conversations about politics. I am sad that this semester is ending because we did have a great class in Contemporary Political Thought. The students amaze me with their knowledge and passions about different issues. It helps you get to know other students as well as find out a little something about them you didnt know. Some students are lobbyists, some are trying to get into prominent law schools, but all of us are there to succeed.
It is also getting close to Graduation, and I am sad to see some of my colleagues leaving, but I hope we will keep in touch. The Political Science majors are like a little family. Its really neat having so many people you can turn to for advice, help, or even resources. I think of it as a non partisan think tank, if that exists. lol
I found out that my daughter is going to have to have her adnoids taken out and ear tubes put in, but I am hopeful that it will only make her feel better. She has been suffering with a sinus infection for 16 weeks now, lots of nights up all night, plenty of days home sick, lots of trips to the ER, Urgent Care, and the doctors. She maintains such a positive spirit that I have to lead by example and also maintain the same optimism.
I wish all of my friends that are Graduating luck and I wish them the best in all their endeavors. If I ever need an attorney, I know where to find them. :)
Back to studying and finishing some unfinished projects.
Best
Cristina Garcia
#1 rule during finals - try and get as much rest as you can..If you stay up all night, your body will be tired and then you may not do so well..and stay hydrated..you dont want to be tired during your exams.
I was walking across campus today and I was so impressed with how many study groups were going on all over campus. I saw groups in the SU, sitting in the PUB, outside in the grass, inside study rooms in the library, all the computers were taken in the library too, which I dont see too often. Everyone is in Study Mode!
I love talking to other students and being able to have diverse intellectual conversations about politics. I am sad that this semester is ending because we did have a great class in Contemporary Political Thought. The students amaze me with their knowledge and passions about different issues. It helps you get to know other students as well as find out a little something about them you didnt know. Some students are lobbyists, some are trying to get into prominent law schools, but all of us are there to succeed.
It is also getting close to Graduation, and I am sad to see some of my colleagues leaving, but I hope we will keep in touch. The Political Science majors are like a little family. Its really neat having so many people you can turn to for advice, help, or even resources. I think of it as a non partisan think tank, if that exists. lol
I found out that my daughter is going to have to have her adnoids taken out and ear tubes put in, but I am hopeful that it will only make her feel better. She has been suffering with a sinus infection for 16 weeks now, lots of nights up all night, plenty of days home sick, lots of trips to the ER, Urgent Care, and the doctors. She maintains such a positive spirit that I have to lead by example and also maintain the same optimism.
I wish all of my friends that are Graduating luck and I wish them the best in all their endeavors. If I ever need an attorney, I know where to find them. :)
Back to studying and finishing some unfinished projects.
Best
Cristina Garcia
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Hope you all had a great Easter weekend!
Hope everyone is refreshed after a great Holiday weekend. I registered for my fall classes yesterday. I set my alarm for my appointment time and had all my classes in my enrollment cart. I was hoping that none of the classes would be full yet and I was excited to learn I got in all the classes I wanted.
So after this semester I will be maxed out on the number of 4396 Topics of Study classes I can take. I had to verify with one of my professors that his class in the spring would not fall under the same category.
I am very excited to be taking Bearry's Machiavelli Class. I know this is going to be a great class because he is so passionate about Machiavelli in his Political Theory and Contemporary Political Thought class. Nothing better than taking a class with a Professor who is passionate about the subject.
I am also taking American Public Policy, Campaigns and Election for my degree plan and I know its going to be interesting especially in an election year.
Also, Dr. Thielemann is offering another Honors class involving the campaign. Cant Wait. If anyone is interested let me know cxg109020@utdallas.edu and I can send you the description of the class he sent out.
Its been a rough semester for me and my daughter. We will find out more answers on the 18th when she sees a specialist but I have maintained contact with my professors weekly with updates so they know I am not intentionally not making it to class some days.
I will be at the EPPS table next week in the Comet Cafe with a list of electives that any major can take so if you are political saavy you should join us in one of our EPPS electives. There will also be a sociology major at the table with me as well.
Best
Cristina
So after this semester I will be maxed out on the number of 4396 Topics of Study classes I can take. I had to verify with one of my professors that his class in the spring would not fall under the same category.
I am very excited to be taking Bearry's Machiavelli Class. I know this is going to be a great class because he is so passionate about Machiavelli in his Political Theory and Contemporary Political Thought class. Nothing better than taking a class with a Professor who is passionate about the subject.
I am also taking American Public Policy, Campaigns and Election for my degree plan and I know its going to be interesting especially in an election year.
Also, Dr. Thielemann is offering another Honors class involving the campaign. Cant Wait. If anyone is interested let me know cxg109020@utdallas.edu and I can send you the description of the class he sent out.
Its been a rough semester for me and my daughter. We will find out more answers on the 18th when she sees a specialist but I have maintained contact with my professors weekly with updates so they know I am not intentionally not making it to class some days.
I will be at the EPPS table next week in the Comet Cafe with a list of electives that any major can take so if you are political saavy you should join us in one of our EPPS electives. There will also be a sociology major at the table with me as well.
Best
Cristina
Monday, April 2, 2012
I cant believe it is April already. Hope you didn't have too many April Fools Day jokes happen to ya!
So Today is the Day to register for your summer classes? Do you know what you are going to ake? How did you feel about the schedule for the summer and the upcoming Fall?
I just finished registering and now I am working diligently to find the perfect schedule for the Fall. I am very excited about my classes for the Fall, especially with the Presidential Campaign and all of the elections. I enjoy watching the debates and getting all of the "modern" inside politics from Professors that have been through this process for many years. Its great to have such good insight into the Political arena.
Life has been full of blessings lately. My daughter is much better and we will soon find out the cause of her medical issues.
I talked to my advisor last week and she gave me some great advice. Dont get yourself into too much because it is better to have great grades than is to have alot of grades and them not be so great. Its the difference between a C and an A. It is hard to keep the GPA high but when I look at the overall picture, it is just another challenge to overcome. In the longrun, it will help me in my career path.
I found out yesterday that being a member of Phi Theta Kappa and other Honor's Societies can increase your job offer at most companies. I was honored to speak at their Induction Ceremony at Collin College yesterday. It was great to see 300 students being inducted into a Society that has helped me so much.
Now it is time to study for two exams.
Best
Cristina
So Today is the Day to register for your summer classes? Do you know what you are going to ake? How did you feel about the schedule for the summer and the upcoming Fall?
I just finished registering and now I am working diligently to find the perfect schedule for the Fall. I am very excited about my classes for the Fall, especially with the Presidential Campaign and all of the elections. I enjoy watching the debates and getting all of the "modern" inside politics from Professors that have been through this process for many years. Its great to have such good insight into the Political arena.
Life has been full of blessings lately. My daughter is much better and we will soon find out the cause of her medical issues.
I talked to my advisor last week and she gave me some great advice. Dont get yourself into too much because it is better to have great grades than is to have alot of grades and them not be so great. Its the difference between a C and an A. It is hard to keep the GPA high but when I look at the overall picture, it is just another challenge to overcome. In the longrun, it will help me in my career path.
I found out yesterday that being a member of Phi Theta Kappa and other Honor's Societies can increase your job offer at most companies. I was honored to speak at their Induction Ceremony at Collin College yesterday. It was great to see 300 students being inducted into a Society that has helped me so much.
Now it is time to study for two exams.
Best
Cristina
Thursday, March 22, 2012
wow! what a crazy spring break!
Spring Break over already? I know after speaking to many of my classmates, we all feel as if it was too short. On the other hand we also got caught up on alot of our classwork. Sorry I have been quiet in my blogs for a minute but just like any other person I had some personal issues to take care of including my little girl and her asthma. Looks like we finally have it under control. I also missed about 2 weeks of school but because I kept in touch with my professors and kept them up to date on my daughter's appointments I was able to make up a midterm I missed. Word of advice to all, MAKE SURE YOU GET TO KNOW YOUR PROFESSORS.
There are so many political organizations that you can get involved with on campus if you are interested in campaigning and helping to get citizens registered to vote. I will get a list to all of you soon. I will be blogging much more frequently to help other students with anything they need. I will also be at an EPPS table on Tuesdays in the Comet Cafe from 11-12:45 come check me out and learn about the mentoring program.
I will be meeting with the Dean of the EPPS department next week to speak with him about the Masters Program in Political Science-Legislative Studies. Unfortunately they didnt have enough students to make the classes and they had to do away with the program. This is sad news for me since I was looking forward to fast tracking in the Fall. Now my life plan has been thrown a small wrench. If any of you are interested in this program please let me know, I want to bring it back.
Also, Diversity Gala and Scholarship Fundraiser is on March 31st at 6pm. They need volunteers for this event. Please contact me at aaliyah504@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering!
Missed everyone while I was gone but I have some great colleagues that have kept me up to date on everything Ive missed. Thanks to all that have helped me!
Cris
There are so many political organizations that you can get involved with on campus if you are interested in campaigning and helping to get citizens registered to vote. I will get a list to all of you soon. I will be blogging much more frequently to help other students with anything they need. I will also be at an EPPS table on Tuesdays in the Comet Cafe from 11-12:45 come check me out and learn about the mentoring program.
I will be meeting with the Dean of the EPPS department next week to speak with him about the Masters Program in Political Science-Legislative Studies. Unfortunately they didnt have enough students to make the classes and they had to do away with the program. This is sad news for me since I was looking forward to fast tracking in the Fall. Now my life plan has been thrown a small wrench. If any of you are interested in this program please let me know, I want to bring it back.
Also, Diversity Gala and Scholarship Fundraiser is on March 31st at 6pm. They need volunteers for this event. Please contact me at aaliyah504@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering!
Missed everyone while I was gone but I have some great colleagues that have kept me up to date on everything Ive missed. Thanks to all that have helped me!
Cris
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Long week
Hello everyone,
So it is the middle of the week and already it has been a week full of reading assignments. I hear through the grapevine that there will be even more reading when I start taking graduate classes. It has been difficult to keep up with all the reading but I have learned some time management skills to help.
1st and foremost, writing out a good outline of when assignments are due and putting the dates on a calendar really seem to help. Also prioritizing what you need to do and what tests you have coming up.
NOTECARDS!!! They have been a huge help in organizing my life and my schoolwork.
I found out about a scholarship today! CHECK IT OUT!
Best to everyone,
Cris
So it is the middle of the week and already it has been a week full of reading assignments. I hear through the grapevine that there will be even more reading when I start taking graduate classes. It has been difficult to keep up with all the reading but I have learned some time management skills to help.
1st and foremost, writing out a good outline of when assignments are due and putting the dates on a calendar really seem to help. Also prioritizing what you need to do and what tests you have coming up.
NOTECARDS!!! They have been a huge help in organizing my life and my schoolwork.
I found out about a scholarship today! CHECK IT OUT!
Best to everyone,
Cris
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Having to Drop my first class
Sooo, last semester I took Constitutional Law, Political Theory, Film and Politics, and Honors Political Economy of Modern Texas. I didnt want to overload myself so I didnt take International Relations. I had to drop Global Politics last week because I have very little International Politics background. Now, International Relations is not a required prerequisite for Global Politics and Professor Pinehardt is a great teacher but I was just not getting it and felt I needed a stronger background before I took the class. I was able to drop the course without getting a W but my plan is to take International Relations in the Fall so that I can have a good background before I have to play around with game theory and then retake Global Politics in the Spring. Also, just found out that Dr. Bearry is teaching a course on Machiavelli in the Fall. Cant wait to take that class. This semester I am taking American Political Institutions, 2012 Presidential Primaries (H), Contemporary Political Thought, and doing the internship at the Center.
I will be in the Student Union today at the UT Dallas EPPS table to answer any questions and to sign up students that are interested in the Coach/Mentoring program which is really neat. I had the honor of speaking to the high school students last semester and they are a great group of kids with a desire to go to college. Come get more information on the program!
Make Sure to Keep in Touch with your Advisors!
Also, there will be Voter Registration tomorrow outside the Library from 11-2pm!
Cristina
I will be in the Student Union today at the UT Dallas EPPS table to answer any questions and to sign up students that are interested in the Coach/Mentoring program which is really neat. I had the honor of speaking to the high school students last semester and they are a great group of kids with a desire to go to college. Come get more information on the program!
Make Sure to Keep in Touch with your Advisors!
Also, there will be Voter Registration tomorrow outside the Library from 11-2pm!
Cristina
Monday, February 6, 2012
The beginning of the Spring 2012 Semester
Hello everybody,
My name is Cristina Garcia and I am currently a Junior majoring in Political Science with an emphasis on Campaigns and Elections. I transferred from Collin College where I graduated in May 2011. I applied to UT Dallas because of the helpful staff and the amazing resources that are offered through the EPPS department. Last semester was my first semester and after a fantastic semester with great teachers and finding a bunch of new friends, I am proud to say that I am extremely happy with my choice in attending this University.
There are so many things to do on campus. I am involved in an organization, LULAC, League of United Latin American Citizens so I get to experience Student Life as well. I am the mother of a 3 year old daughter who attends pre-school so parenting also keeps me busy.
One piece of advice I can offer to everyone is “GET TO KNOW YOUR PROFESSORS.” I was fortunate to have taken Constitutional Law in the Fall and Dr. Champagne, who is amazing and is a Professor with many, many resources. Thanks to him, I am working as an intern at the Center for American and International Law part time. You have to work real hard in that Con Law class and I am extremely glad I am getting hands on experience at the Center.
2nd piece of advice, Register as soon as the schedule comes out, this semester I believe April 1st is the date they will release summer and fall schedule. If you wait too long, the required courses that are only offered in the Fall will be full.
I am proud to be the Student Ambassador for the EPPS department and if anyone has any questions regarding any of the processes and tribulations of being a student, please email me at cxg109020@utdallas.edu. If I don’t know the answer I can direct you to someone who can.
I will be blogging frequently during the week about different events and resources that I find out about through the course of the semester.
Best,
Cristina
My name is Cristina Garcia and I am currently a Junior majoring in Political Science with an emphasis on Campaigns and Elections. I transferred from Collin College where I graduated in May 2011. I applied to UT Dallas because of the helpful staff and the amazing resources that are offered through the EPPS department. Last semester was my first semester and after a fantastic semester with great teachers and finding a bunch of new friends, I am proud to say that I am extremely happy with my choice in attending this University.
There are so many things to do on campus. I am involved in an organization, LULAC, League of United Latin American Citizens so I get to experience Student Life as well. I am the mother of a 3 year old daughter who attends pre-school so parenting also keeps me busy.
One piece of advice I can offer to everyone is “GET TO KNOW YOUR PROFESSORS.” I was fortunate to have taken Constitutional Law in the Fall and Dr. Champagne, who is amazing and is a Professor with many, many resources. Thanks to him, I am working as an intern at the Center for American and International Law part time. You have to work real hard in that Con Law class and I am extremely glad I am getting hands on experience at the Center.
2nd piece of advice, Register as soon as the schedule comes out, this semester I believe April 1st is the date they will release summer and fall schedule. If you wait too long, the required courses that are only offered in the Fall will be full.
I am proud to be the Student Ambassador for the EPPS department and if anyone has any questions regarding any of the processes and tribulations of being a student, please email me at cxg109020@utdallas.edu. If I don’t know the answer I can direct you to someone who can.
I will be blogging frequently during the week about different events and resources that I find out about through the course of the semester.
Best,
Cristina
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