Self-serve is a system accessed through your UP portal that you will utilize often, and grow to love (hopefully, or maybe grow to strongly dislike…we’ll see 😉). But in all seriousness, self-serve is a life saver! It has just about everything you need in order to navigate registration, financial aid, final grades, and so much more. This post will take you through how to use self-serve, what you can find on it, and tips and tricks for efficient navigation.
Quick Notes
The College Essentials: Everything You’ll Find Beneficial here at UP!
Of course, everyone has their own personal items that they’re going to bring to college with them because they can’t live without them. Mackenzie (’22) has put together her list of things that she can’t do without during the school year. Maybe this will inspire you to bring these things too, or to think about what your “college essentials” are!
1. Coffee
Coffee is obviously number one on my list! Wow, I can’t imagine what my days would be like without my morning java. Coffee is the ultimate college-kid beverage. Or, I guess, energy drinks, if that’s your thing. I’m more of a simple, black coffee kind of gal. There were even a few nights where I had coffee or an espresso drink with dinner because I knew I still had hours ahead of me in the library. My coffee addiction is not something I am super proud of, but the caffeine is essential in the life of a college student!
2. Hydroflask or Water bottle
This is an absolute necessity in college. Your days will be full of classes, studying, and many activities that will require you to be on your A game! Hydration is the best possible way to improve energy, mood and to encourage your body to perform at its best. Any water bottle will work, but I personally prefer Hydroflasks, as they will keep your water cold for a long time! And I think I can speak on behalf of everyone when I say that cold water is far better than room temp water 😊
3. Headphones
Again, headphones are an absolute staple item in college. I wear my headphones constantly — when I’m getting ready in the mornings, when I walk to and from class, while I study, while I eat meals (if I’m alone). So get your playlists ready, because you’ll be constantly listening to your jams!
4. A good pair of walking shoes!
It doesn’t matter if you live in the closest or farthest dorm from the academic quad on campus — you’ll be doing a lot of walking in college. I learned the hard way by wearing my converse almost every day at the beginning of the year – big mistake! You’ll want to change up what shoes you wear so you avoid blisters and such. I did tend to wear my nikes a lot due to the comfort factor.
What To Know About Your College Syllabi
Here’s a short post about some tricks and tips for the first week of the semester: when you start receiving your syllabuses.
NAAHP 2018 National Meeting
The National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP) just wrapped up their National Meeting in Washington DC this year over the weekend. This 5 day conference was a fantastic learning opportunity for UP’s pre-health advisors who got to hear from institutions across the US about national and local trends, admissions, and programming. [Read more…] about NAAHP 2018 National Meeting
Advice for Incoming Students: Autumn (’20)
Autumn (’20) is one of our Student Office Assistants in the College’s Advising office. She is entering her junior year, studying Organizational Communications and Political Science. Autumn hails from a small town in Idaho and just returned about a month ago from a year-long study abroad opportunity through UP’s Salzburg program.
[Read more…] about Advice for Incoming Students: Autumn (’20)
Advice for Incoming Students: Katelyn (’21)
Katelyn (’21) is one of our Student Office Assistants in the College’s Advising office. She is entering her sophomore year, studying Biology (BS) with aspirations for pharmacy school after graduation. A native of Vancouver, WA (just north of Portland), Katelyn has a unique perspective as a rare freshman commuter student.
[Read more…] about Advice for Incoming Students: Katelyn (’21)
Congratulations to CAS in #PilotsGive!
Congratulations to the College of Arts and Sciences, which placed second in total donors in #PilotsGive! Thanks to your efforts, 128 donors made contributions to CAS, surpassing our minimum goal of 100 donors to unlock the $200,000 pledge from Kunal Nayyar! Great job, everyone! Together, we all add UP!
Kunal Nayyar ‘03 Challenge Gift for Performing Arts
Kunal Nayyar ’03, star from the Big Bang Theory, has pledged to give $200,000 to support the Performing Arts Department in the College of Arts and Sciences. Kunal hopes to inspire at least 100 donors to make a gift to any designation in the College of Arts and Sciences campaign. When this goal is reached, his gift will provide support for performing arts students and programs.
Join the challenge starting tomorrow at 12:00 p.m.! On April 4-5 from noon to noon, the UP community will come together for our first ever day of giving:#PilotsGive. With nearly $400,000 in challenge funds available, University of Portland has an ambitious goal of securing 1000 donors in one day! #PilotsGive is OUR chance to make UP stronger. pilotsgive.up.edu Together we all add UP!
Becca Van Drimmelen
Becca Van Drimmelen
Academic Program Counselor
Q: Hello, Becca! Where are you from originally?
I am a Portland, Oregon native
Q: What is your educational background?
I have a BS in Human Development and Family Science from Oregon State University and a M.Ed. in Student Development Administration from Seattle University
Q: What’s the most interesting place you’ve visited?
Canterbury, England
Q: Favorite pastime or hobby?
Hiking
Q: Favorite on-campus spot?
The bluff in the summertime
Q: Cake or Pie?
Cake
Q: Early bird or Night owl?
I like a nice 1:30pm
Q: Book or Movie?
Book
Q: Coffee or Juice?
Coffee
Q: Dogs or Cats?
Dogs
Q: Oceans or Mountains?
Ocean
Q: Hotel or Camping?
Camping–unless it’s the Disneyland Hotel…
Q: Coca-Cola or Pepsi?
Coca-Cola
Q: Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter?
Harry Potter
Q: What if your favorite season?
Fall
Q: What challenges did you encounter in your studies?
I was very intimidated by my professors for a long time so I didn’t take advantage of things like office hours or just talking with my professors after class right away. Later on, I got to know my professors much better and not only were they super helpful about course content and how I was doing in their class, they were also just really cool people! I wish that I had been braver and gone to office hours earlier on in my college career so I could have developed that relationship with them sooner.
Q: What advice would you give to our students?
Be bold. Get involved, talk to people, use your resources! UP offers so many forms of support and opportunities for you to try something new – take advantage of them. You don’t have to do this whole college thing alone, your staff and faculty are here to help, you just have to reach out!
Katie Richardson
Heading into the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, we were able to give thanks for the addition of the newest member of the CAS Advising team: Katie Richardson.
In the spirit of building community, we sat down with Katie to find out more about her, thus, kicking off a new segment titled: “Get to Know Your CAS”!
Katie Richardson
Academic Program Counselor
Q: Hello, Katie! Where are you from originally?
I’m originally from Denton, TX but I’ve spent the last 10 years mostly in the Seattle area
Q: What is your educational background?
I graduated from Western Washington University with a BA in Cultural Anthropology and then from Seattle University with a Master of Education
Q: What’s the most interesting place you’ve visited?
I spent two weeks exploring the Canary Islands!
Q: Favorite pastime or hobby?
Snowboarding and Camping
Q: What is your favorite season?
Fall
Q: Favorite on-campus spot?
Pilot House
Q: Cake or Pie?
Pie
Q: Early bird or Night owl?
Early bird
Q: Book or Movie?
Book
Q: Coffee or Juice?
COFFEE
Q: Dogs or Cats?
Cats
Q: Oceans or Mountains?
I love both!
Q: Hotel or Camping?
Camping
Q: City or Country?
City
Q: Coca-Cola or Pepsi?
Coca-Cola
Q: Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter?
Harry Potter
Q: What challenges did you encounter in your studies?
I was the first person in my family to go to college so everything about the college experience was new for me. At first, I didn’t utilize my advisor or my professor’s office hours so I missed a lot of opportunities and resources that would have made my transition to college less stressful!
Q: What advice would you give to our students?
Make the most out of the opportunities available to you at UP. Explore classes and activities outside of your comfort zone and always keep an open mind!
Stay tuned for the next installment of this on-going series as we get to know our very own Academic Program Counselor in Pre-Health, Becca Van Drimmelen!!