The Perfect

Roommate More often than not,

students find that

living with others is

a lot harder than ex-

pected. While the

perfect roommate

probably doesn’t

exist, there are

things that can be

done to make the

roommate situation

easier to manage:

Be upfront about

your expecta-

tions

Respect each

other’s privacy

and personal

space

Follow through

with your obli-

gations

Be prepared to

compromise

Clean up after

yourself

Be courteous of

your roommate’s

sleeping habits

Spend time with

your roommate

Stay flexible

Communicate

Share

Divide responsi-

bilities

Instead of searching

for the perfect room-

mate, try being the

perfect roommate.

Roommates tend to

follow each other’s

lead. Watch how

things improve from

you setting an exam-

ple.

It’s Almost Like Starting Over

Welcome back! Whether you spent your break relaxing, working, or taking winter classes, I

know you couldn’t wait to get back to campus and get going this semester. Some of you

may have received the grades you wanted, while some may not have. The spring semester of

your freshman year is one of the most important semesters of college.

If the fall didn’t end quite as well as expected, this is the time to turn things around and re-

build your GPA. The more classes you take, the harder it is to raise your GPA. Since most

students take about the same number of hours in the fall and spring semester, each class is an

opportunity to balance any grades that were less than desirable. If the fall semester went

well, you might find yourself feeling extremely confident about the spring. Just don’t lose

sight of all the hard work you put in to get the grades you did last semester. Thinking you

can achieve the same things by doing less work is often detrimental – courses typically get

harder as you progress in your college career.

With one semester down and having a better understanding of college life, many students

want to get involved on campus this semester. There are a number of organizations wanting

to recruit new members and are able to tell you all of the benefits of becoming a member.

Joining organizations are a great way to get involved on campus and become more connected

to your peers. However, you must be sure you are able to strike a balance with your academ-

ic life. Some organizations require just a couple of hours a week. Some require much more.

You need to understand the time commitment you are making before you join and be willing

to say no when appropriate. They are called EXTRA-curricular activities for a reason.

Spring often brings new hope and a feeling of invincibility for students; making them believe

they can take on the world alone. When reality hits, don’t be afraid to ask for help. “I

should know this by now” or “They will think I’m stupid if I ask them” are thrown around all

too commonly among freshmen. Don’t let pride or ego keep you from getting the answers or

the help you need. As the semester goes on and problems arise, you have to remember that

you aren’t the only one having issues. Common second semester issues experienced across

the nation include:

Stress of getting back into the routine

Missing college friends who didn't’ return to campus for the spring

Pressure from home to improve grades

Adjusting to a new roommate

Weight gain

Missing family, home, and friends...again

There are a number of resources on campus to assist you and make this a truly successful

semester. If you don’t know where to start, you can ask your RA, area coordinator, profes-

sors, UH PAL, or send an email to the FYRE program at fyre@uh.edu.

Spring 2012, Volume 1

Spring 2012, Volume 1

Tips from a

College Graduate

New Semester, New Habits

Now that you have a semester under your belt, it’s time to identify where you need the most work

in terms of your study habits. Learning Support Services (LSS), located in room N111 of Cougar

Village, is a great resource to utilize when looking at academics. LSS offers a variety of services

including tutoring in many subjects and workshops to help you succeed in your classes.

January Workshop Schedule:

To register for workshops, visit www.las.uh.edu/lss and look for the “Workshop Signup” link.

You may also find the complete list of workshops provided this semester on the website.

LSS is located in Cougar Village N111 and can be accessed via the Northeast entrance facing

Moody Towers or via the Northwest entrance adjacent the Cougar Village classrooms.

Jan 19 4:00 PM

Study Strategies for a Great Semester

Jan 23 4:00 PM

Freshmen Science Workshop: Time Management

Jan 24 9:00 AM

Fresh / Soph Business: Time Management

Jan 25 10:00 AM

Freshmen Science Workshop: Time Management

Jan 25 1:00 PM

Time Management Wednesday

Jan 26 10:00 AM

Freshmen Science Workshop: Time Management

Jan 26 4:00 PM

Freshmen Science Workshop: Time Management

Jan 27 10:00 AM

Time Management Friday

Jan 27 12:00 PM

Fresh / Soph Business: Time Management

Jan 30 11:00 AM

Textbook and College level Reading Tips Monday

Jan 30 4:00 PM

Freshmen Science Workshop: How to Study the Social Sciences

Jan 31 9:00 AM

Fresh / Soph Business: Reading and Note-taking

Jan 31 3:00 PM

Time Management Tuesday

Help!

“When I was younger, so

much younger than today/

I never needed anybody's

help in anyway/

But now these days are

gone, I'm not so self-

assured/

Now I find I've changed

my mind, I've opened up

the doors”

The Beatles sum up how

many of us feel in our

first year of college; we

are young, invincible, and

don’t need anyone to help

us. The truth rears its ug-

ly head when that first

semester is over and the

grades tell us otherwise,

in which case the best op-

tion for help is tutoring or

speaking with your pro-

fessors more.

However, seeking help is

not limited to academics.

Maybe your declared ma-

jor isn’t exactly what you

thought it would be; help

would be seeking out an

advisor to help you decide

what the best field is for

you. You might even be

coping with a loss of sorts

or could be going through

a tough time in your life

so Counseling and Psy-

chological Services

(CAPS) can definitely

help you.

There’s no shame in seek-

ing help in any capacity

so make sure you start the

process right when a

problem arises and open

up the doors!

Spring 2012, Volume 1

Questions, Comments,

Suggestions? Feel free

to contact us.

Freshman Year

Residential Experience

Moody Towers—Rm 15

713-743-6881

fyre@uh.edu

www.uh.edu/fyre

Christopher Miller,

Program Coordinator

Andy Chang,

Student Programming

Director