The University provides students with many resources that help them thrive academically, financially and socially. As a freshman, I didn’t notice most resources offered and didn’t take advantage of many of them.

Here are a few of the resources that I find most useful:

Academically, there are computer labs all around campus. These computers are high performance Macs and PC’s that have many applications installed for any of your homework needs. Computer labs are inside dorms, campus buildings and libraries. The labs are helpful for any technical work you might need to do.

There are many student discounts for technological services and applications. The University web store offers students many different applications at discounted prices. As long as you are a student, load up on applications like Microsoft Word and Adobe Suite. In addition, because you are a student with an Illinois email account, you have student discounts for many web services like Spotify and Amazon.

The University pushes its study abroad program very heavily and it’s definitely a path that many students take. The University has many programs that take students all around the world to study abroad and simply talking to your adviser or looking online can give you plenty of information to get started.

Many students come into the University are unsure if their major is right for them. The University has resources that let students figure out which major is right for them. There are intro classes that students can take to try out classes from different majors. Advisers are also very helpful in getting students into a major that fits them. Personally, I transferred majors in my sophomore year and the advisers really helped me out a lot in terms of the classes I should take, which professors I should talk to and overall just being supportive of my decision to transfer majors.

Financially, the University has an online job board that lets students find jobs around campus. These jobs are looking for students so the board makes it very easy to find a job around campus. Personally, I emailed someone on the job board for a listing and although the position was already taken, the person I contacted was nice enough to tell me of other job opportunities related to the one I was applying for.

The University is in need of student workers, so people are always on the lookout for student applicants. In addition to job boards, there are career fairs throughout the year that bring in many companies students can talk to for potential internships over the summer. Finally, there is a website called Handshake, which is provided by the University to help students connect with even more companies for jobs.

Socially, the Illini Union has many events, ranging from playing movies to themed events. These events are posted throughout the Union and on message boards around campus. In addition, RSOs have their own events throughout the year. The Krannert Center for the Performing Arts also has theatrical performances; many Chicago based performances come down to perform. These performances are usually discounted for students so it’s an opportunity to see great performances for cheap prices.

Did you know there is also a museum on campus? The Spurlock Museum is a little gem hidden next to Krannert that most students don’t even know exist. It’s a small, free museum that has changing exhibits throughout the year. In addition, the museum also hosts events throughout the year that are worth checking out.

Speaking of hidden gems, Japan House is a cultural center with a traditional garden a little ways away from the main campus, but is a nice place to take walks and just enjoy nature. In the springtime, when the cherry blossoms bloom, the garden looks beautiful and is worth the extra walk to get to Japan House.

Brian is a senior in Engineering

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