University of New England: Emma Bouthillette

Good question Aysha!...it is actually about that time of the semester when class registration occurs.

What will happen for first year students, when you come during summer orientation you will take placement tests in math and English on the first day and the results will be calculated for the second day for registration purposes. You will then be directed on how to use to UOnline, which is a website generated means for seeing course offerings and selecting courses you wish to take. Minus the general core requirements and your major requirements (and still in these areas sometimes), the choice of what you take is up to you! If you are interested in art, history, politics, sociology or whatever, there is a class for you to take!

If you aren't coming to a summer orientation session then you will be taking the placement tests in the fall, and course offerings will probably be limited and in some cases you may be preregistered in whatever is available. (That is what happened to me starting in January of 2005).

Now, the tricky part...how to pick classes and lay out your schedule.
Here are a few things I consider...
1) What do I NEED to take?
2) What looks interesting to me?
3) Do I want morning classes/late classes/night classes?
4) Can I plan to have a day completely off during the week?

So, I check out the course listing and I make a list of what looks good, its date and time...organized by section (I write all my ART classes together, all my ENG classes together and so on). Decide which classes I want the most, figure out what I want for a class schedule, and get it down to 4-6 classes that I want. Classes are usually M,W,F for an hour or T,Th for an hour and a half or one day a week classes for three hours...it all depends what you think you would prefer. Of course just starting, you may not know what you would prefer. I wouldn't suggest a three hour class to start your first semester, simply because they are long and tend to be tiring. But, you know yourself best and what you can handle.

Here is my schedule this semester
Monday: Watercolor 9-10:20
Women and the Environment 10:30-11:50
Art History 12:30-1:50
Tuesday: American Lit Survey II 9:30-10:50
Wednesday: Watercolor 9-10:20
Women and the Environment 10:30-11:50
Art History 12:30-1:50
Ceramics II 2:00-4:50
French History 5:30-8:20
Thursday: American Lit Survey II 9:30-10:50
Friday: OFF!!! (so technically my weekend starts at 11 on Thursday)

Although my Wednesday is really long...the other days balance it out. I love the three day weekend too!

It maybe super complicated at first, and as a first year classes can be limited...but you get used to it! It's like a puzzle for me at this point.

Hope that answered your question...feel free to ask more!

Posted by Emma Bouthillette at 7:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

That's right, 37 days left of Spring Semester 2007. Wow!

WELL, it is Sunday afternoon, beautiful and sunny. The snow is melting, the birds are chirping, and the flip flops are out! It's a nice balance after that dreadful week that has to happen after a vacation...never fun.

Let's see...I guess I'll just share with you the highlights of my life at the moment.

Thursday...my last day dog/cat/parrot sitting and I took some pics to share with you all!
Pepper...

Sunny on my shoulder...

Sky being shy...

Kodi getting cuddly...

Riley dog...

and Angel helping me study...

Friday...I spent 3 hours in the library creating a power point for my France History presentation (more to come on that later)...a little over an hour at the gym...then got ready super fast to go out with some friends (Ruby Tuesday's)

Saturday...Camille and I went on an ADVENTURE!!!

First, we stopped by a friends to take care of their sheep...

Then we drove to Wells...and past Wells...and ended up in Ogunquit at Knight's Quilt Shop. They had some really nice stuff! I bought a pattern for myself and Cam bought one for her mom.
We grabbed lunch at Congdon's Donuts . It's a nice little family restaurant with good cookin' for a great price (oh and donuts to die for)!
The whole point of our adventure was that I needed to be fingerprinted. I just applied to be a substitute teacher at the Biddeford High School, and law now requires all employees to be fingerprinted by the state (and it's not a cheap requirement!). So Cam did a photo shoot as I was getting printed!

...oh what fun!
When we got back to Biddeford, it was SO beautiful, we went for a walk on the beach to see our future home from the ocean front! Then Cam brought her dress for Semi (more on that later too) over cause I need to undo a alteration her mom did and redo it so it fits right.

Almost forgot to mention that we went to Reny's in Wells (cause it's a Maine Adventure) and shopped for some artsy crafty stuff...our final product...

To the left is Keatsy the pig (named for Keats) and to the right is Keefesy the pig (named for Georgia O'Keefe). Yeah we were very proud.

Well...I've got to go now! Having some guests over for dinner!!!

Posted by Emma Bouthillette at 3:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

So, my spring break didn't end quite as planned.
A lovely Nor'easter...and no not our mascot, blew up the eastern seaboard and canceled my flight to DC 5 minutes before I was supposed to board the plan...MAJOR bummer.

Then, stranded in Manchester, NH because no one could drive in the weather to come get me, I rented a hotel, bought some beverage, and ordered Dominos...not exactly what I had in mind for the eve of St. Patty's but oh well!

My dad was finally able to get on the road around 12pm on Saturday to rescue me. We returned home to dig out my car and then to help dig out my friend who was taking over dog/cat/bird sitting for me in Kennebunkport.

So I released my friend from her animal sitting duties and resumed my job. Needless to say I don't feel alone with the talking squawking parrots! You can listen to just a bit below...

Never quiet, but ever funny parrot jabber.

Once my new camera comes in I will take some pictures too!

Anyway, my break was relaxing but not too exciting. I've been taking care of the animals since last Saturday, went shopping (once with mom and once with Lynn), worked, got a manicure and pedicure with mom, read some books for fun (Jodi Picoult is my new fav author)...and that is about it.

I'm trying to work out another time to head down to DC, but I don't know if it is going to work out...we will just have to see! And now it is back to the grindstone for 6 weeks plus 2 days...and one day of finals...oh yeah countdown!

Posted by University of New England at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

As for a single room, probably not, according to my RA friend. I would talk in detail with your admission's correspondent and then the housing office. Despite the appeal of a dorm room to yourself, I don't think I'd encourage it. Personally, I haven't lived in a dorm for more than two months and that was at the college I started at and left Columbus Day Weekend, but living in a dorm with a room mate is a huge part of the college experience. Living at home and going to UNE, I haven't really received the "full college experience." From having friends that do live in the dorms, with roomies, I feel that I'm missing out on the roomie bonding and the social life. What I would suggest is when you come here for orientation (I hope you have choosen UNE as your college!) meet people, socialize and discuss roomie situations. You might just find your match!

Also, there is a new dorm for freshmen and sophomores, Sandra Featherman Hall. All double rooms, no suites...but there are these things called iPods. Not the music things but "Interest Pods." A couple examples are the arts, environmental issues, leadership...stuff like that.

Check out the Housing and Res Life website to get some more general information!

Posted by Emma Bouthillette at 7:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ahh yes, it has arrived...
The one week of college EVERYONE looks forward to!

The notorious spring break...

No matter where you go, no matter what you do, it is definately the greatest week of college and is never long enough!!!

Here are my Spring Breaks in a nutshell...
Spring Break 2005: I painted and redecorated my bedroom...by myself. It was a redesign to improve my santuary...because now that I was at UNE (as a commuter) I was going to be spending lots of time in there studying and sleeping so I need to like what I was looking at.

Spring Break 2006: UNE HABITAT for HUMANITY!!!! That's right kids, this is one of the best clubs on campus. You work all year raising funds to travel in a group of 15 down to some warmer climate and build houses for people in need. Our group of all ladies and our advisor Dan Cassely (shout out to the admissions staffer!) travelled to Miami, Florida to spend 1 day on the beach and 4 putting roofs on some modest family homes. It was the best experience I have had traveling. We worked hard all day and did touristy stuff at night...crashed...then did it all over again. Great memories and great friends!

Spring Break 2007: I'm dogsitting at a friends so at least I get to get out of my house. I do plan on doing some homework...but only the stuff I'm interested in (aka ceramics and my France History presentation on the Louvre/The Da Vinci Code) and some work (I need money just like any other college student). Then for the second weekend of break I am going to visit my cousin and his girlfriend in DC and we are going to pretend we are Irish for St Paddy's Day!

Spring Break 2008: Not yet planning that but it is going to be good no doubt!!!

There are SOOOO many options for breaking from college in March it is hard to decide. There are some people who just go home to chill, others are traveling for classes to places like Greece, and then there is the classic-go some place warm with a beach and a tiki hut! However you choose to do it up, it is always great and memorable...and most of all a break from the schedule of college life.

Posted by Emma Bouthillette at 8:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)