By: Cristina Kerluke, Academic Support Program Specialist We hope you have settled into the online learning environment and have found ways to successfully navigate our current circumstances. This may mean taking it week by week, or even day by day. However, with just a few weeks of classes remaining, it’s important to know where you…
By: Samar Post Jamali, Nurse Practitioner Hello to members of the USM Community: We at Health Services miss seeing your faces around campus. We hope you are safe and supported during this unprecedented time. Please know that while Health Services is currently not seeing patients in person, we are happy to schedule telehealth appointments. …
By: Samantha Seebode, Suicide Prevention, Graduate Assistant As we reach week four of community quarantine, I’m finding myself just as restless as the tigers at Carole’s Big Cat Rescue. Feeling caged in my own apartment leaves me hoping I don’t run out of laundry to fold or drawers to organize so I can put off…
By: Lynn G Howard, MSN, NP-C The timely health topic this month is, not surprisingly, COVID-19 (aka Coronavirus). Given its significant impact on our lives, it would seem irresponsible of me to write about anything else. However, the status changes rapidly and much will be changed between the time that I write this (March 25…
By: Cristina Kerluke, Academic Support Program Specialist Any change can be challenging, particularly when sudden or unexpected. The pivot to a completely online experience for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester certainly falls within this category. Please be patient with yourself, your classmates and your instructors during this time. We’re in this together. During…
By: Zoe Bernardi, Columnist Ciao! Welcome to the last reflection from Italy. By this time I have been sitting in my bedroom in New York for 12 days in quarantine. But, before this, I was soaking up my last few days in Florence. This is what happened. The first step was to create a bucket…
By: Zoe Bernardi, Columnist Ciao! Another week, another big change in my life. Last week Italy was in a level two stated by CDC, and overnight it was pushed to a level three. To which UMaine and the risk management team held many meetings to decide what to do. UMaine chose to pull all programs…
By: Paul Dexter, Director of Academic Retention Initiatives, Megan MacGregor, Instruction and Outreach Librarian & Elizabeth Bull, Library Specialist In last week’s article, we offered guidance on how to improve your writing process for any type of writing task. We also noted how there are additional considerations when the writing involves research. Engaging in research…
By Sydney Pettey, USM Eco-Rep You’re taking that 20-minute drive from Gorham to Portland to take a final exam. You are going through every piece of information you crammed into your head the night before and then it happens. That glowing, orange light goes on and your car stops. It can only mean one thing….
By: Sarah Kelly, LCPC Most college Freshmen feel both anxiety and excitement when thinking about their college roommate. Often, they have completed a matching survey and are hopeful that the person that becomes their roommate will also become their friend. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. The college years are a major time of…
By: Zoe Bernardi, Columnist Ciao! I think the first thing that needs to be discussed is my take on the coronavirus. Hysteria and false media have taken over every single study abroad student and their mother. People are relying on word of mouth and false news headlines to determine their fate. Rather than looking at…
By: Paul Dexter, Director of Academic Retention Initiatives & Cristina Kerluke, Academic Support Program Specialist As with any learning experience, there can be a great deal of excitement, satisfaction, and joy associated with the writing process. Through writing, we can express our thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and assertions. It is an outlet for our creativity, a…
By: Oona Molyneaux, USM Eco-Rep Growing up in Downeast, Maine I always looked forward to the month of August. I always have and always will know that August is my favorite month of the year, mostly because this month brings an abundance of wild blueberries, and the excitement that comes with the month(+) long harvest….
By: Ben Whitcher, USM Eco-Rep According to goingzerowaste.com, zero waste is the redesign of resource life cycles so that all products are reused. Sounds nice. You’re probably thinking, “But I’m just a college student, I don’t know my left from right, let alone how to eliminate all my waste”. Well, you’re right, you’re probably not…
By: Naamah Jarnot, Coordinator of Tutoring Services & Paul Dexter, Director of Academic Retention Initiatives As you’ve likely gathered from our Free Press series so far this year, learning with a peer fosters self-testing for understanding, connecting concepts, and improving memory. This week we want to draw your attention specifically to our peer tutoring program….
By: Zoe Bernardi, Columnist Ciao! It has officially been 3 weeks since I landed in Italy. I am two weeks into classes and still trying to figure it all out. When most people think of studying abroad, they think it’s a four-month-long vacation: easy classes and galavanting around European countries on plane tickets that cost…
By: Anna Gardner, Recovery Oriented Campus Center Coordinator, Vicki Libby, Psy.D., Clinical Psychologist We aren’t here to tell you if cannabis is good or bad, or debate its merits. We have noticed an increase in marijuana use among students since its legalization in Maine. We think it is important for you to understand what research…
By: Tom Dolloff, USM Eco-Rep Climate change is a wicked problem with complex causes and unpredictable effects. If these issues aren’t addressed at a global scale, we will face the dire consequences of a planet not adapted to its climate. This is an unprecedented amount of pressure on both millennials and Gen Z who will…
By: Paul Dexter, Director of Academic Retention Initiatives & Cristina Kerluke, Learning Commons Academic Support Program Specialist Our weekly column is titled “Learning: It’s What You DO That Matters.” This catchphrase aims to level the playing field, as all students can improve their learning and academic performance by employing intentional, evidence-based, action-oriented strategies. We recognize, though,…
By: Zoe Bernardi, Columnist Ciao! Welcome to Florence Italy, my home away from home for the next four months. I am a student from USM and was the Community Editor for The Free Press, before placing my life in a checked bag and large backpack to start a new chapter. This column will reflect my…
By: Cristina Kerluke, Learning Commons Academic Support Program Specialist This week’s article is adapted from our Paying Attention web page. The very first step to learning is paying attention. Whether in the classroom, reading a textbook, listening to an online lecture, or practicing a skill for work, dedicating complete attention is absolutely critical. All of…
By: Cristina Kerluke, Learning Commons Academic Support Program Specialist Final exam week is almost here. Before sharing tips for succeeding on exams, let’s acknowledge that it’s normal to experience some fatigue or a dip in motivation this time of year. Thoughts drift towards the holidays, Winter Break, and some well-earned time off. It’s time to…
By: Janis Mallon, Training Director and Senior Psychologist The end of semester can be a chaotic and stressful time. Between studying for finals, managing plans for break and working that part-time (or full-time) job we sometimes find ourselves overwhelmed with an increasing sense of stress. What can often seem like very manageable tasks during any…
Lizzy Boudah, Staff Writer When the holidays come around, students find themselves scrambling for not only finances, but for finals as well. This time of year can lead to a lot of stress among students and professors alike. While there may be happy music and celebrations of all kinds, many students find themselves isolating themselves…