On April 23, 2014 UMBC will host Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day (URCAD). More than 200 current UMBC undergraduates will present the results of their research, scholarship, and creative work. Hundreds of UMBC students, faculty, family members, and others will attend the conference, and learn from these student researchers.
As a research university, UMBC encourages all undergraduates to engage in research, independent study, professional-level creative work, and other hands-on experiences in their field of study. This can begin as early as the student’s freshman year. Through such experiences students gain valuable knowledge about their chosen field and establish mentoring relationships with faculty members. Students can approach a favorite faculty member for research advice before the end of the semester, or findmore background information online.
As we near the end of another semester, here are some insider tips for parents:
Final examinations will be held from May 15 to May 21. Encourage your student to make a study plan now. Research shows that people retain information better when they learn it and then sleep on it. Learning a little information each day produces much better results than an all-night session right before an examination.
For a change of pace, suggest that your student take a break from trying to get more information into his or her brain and practice getting the informationout again. Examinations test the ability to locate and express on paper the information the student has learned. Far too few students practice this crucial skill. To practice output, students first design questions that seem likely to be on the final. Then they practice writing the answers in the form that would be expected on the test: short answer, essay, etc. Some faculty members also make prior examinations available in the library or online to serve as study guides.
Continuing students should registration for fall classes between April 1st - 21st. It is important that students complete advising appointments before their registration time in order to have the best chance for a seat in important classes.
There is still time to sign up forclasses over the summer. Classes begin in May 27.