Campus secrets you may not know

Whether this is your first semester at UVU or your tenth, undoubtedly there will be a few school “secrets” that are completely unknown. For everyone it’s different, of course. For example, English majors are more prone to know about student publications like Touchstones and Warp and Weave than an art student, though the opportunity to get published is available to all students and those journals readily accept student artwork.

After talking to students and hearing their unknown secrets, we decided to unveil five of the most important secrets that every UVU student should know.

1. Parking services. Parking has become the bane of nearly everyone that has to drive to school,  and yes, driving around for fifteen minutes to find a parking spot in a full lot is no fun for anyone, but this isn’t something we should take out on parking services.

The most highly recommended course of action in this situation is obvious: give yourself more time. Leave the house ten minutes earlier and get there fifteen minutes before class. This will give leeway to search for that great parking spot, or at least give you time to park further away, walk and still make it to class on time. Also, a secret I discovered just last semester: If it’s after 4:00 p.m., students with yellow or orange passes are welcome to park in faculty parking spaces.

As for parking services, believe it or not, they aren’t just there to give tickets and make our lives miserable. There are a variety of services they provide free of charge if you just ask. Need help changing that unexpected flat? Parking services can help with that. Having a particularly forgetful day and locked keys inside your car? Parking services will unlock your car. They’ll even drive you to a gas station if you have the misfortune of running out of fuel on campus.

Parking services is located at 723 S. 1200 W. in the house next to parking lot V. They can also be reached at 801-863-8188.

2. Wolverine Track. Nearly every student I know has changed their major at least once, most of them multiple times. Without Wolverine Track, this arduous task would be downright miserable, having to make the time and appointment to talk to a counselor each time, only to later find out that a biology-math double major was way too much work for one person to handle.

Wolverine Track won’t make the work any easier, but it is a simple way to see exactly what classes are needed for which majors and just how close you are to that elusive graduation date.

Wolverine Track can be found on UVLink, under the “Student” tab. It analyzes and breaks down your major with classes taken, classes that currently enrolled in and classes still need to be conquered. There is also a handy percentage bar at the top of the analysis to see your overall progress in the program, and there are options within Wolverine Track to check what it would take to switch majors, add minors or change emphases within a major.

Wolverine Track also offers a GPA calculator that helps you figure out what exactly needs to happen to continued on B2reach your ideal GPA, includes a planner to map out classes for future semesters and it is an easy way to see every grade in every class you’ve ever taken at UVU.

3. Free help in the labs. It’s not always easy to admit when you need help, but with great student tutors available, why not take advantage of the assistance? There are three different labs located in the LA building and the library: the math lab, the writing center and the language lab. Each is pretty self-explanatory. If you need help with math, willing math tutors are waiting in the math lab to explain those tricky logarithms. If English is a weakness, or if you’re just really stressed about that big research paper, take drafts to the writing lab and see what kind of wisdom and advice you can get for improvement. The language lab is there for foreign language students and always has at least a computer available with step-by-step programs to give extra verb conjugation practice. It’s also a great quiet place to do foreign language homework.

The math lab is located in LA 201 and is open Monday-Thursday from 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The writing center can be found in LI 208and is open Monday-Thursday from 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

The language lab is in LA003a and is available Monday-Thursday from 8 a.m.- 9 p.m., Friday from 8 a.m.-7p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

4. Student health services. As college students, finances can be a little tight and with that, the services we offer to ourselves decrease. Without good insurance, a simple physical exam can cost as much as a month’s worth of food – and that’s if you’re lucky. So many students go without exams of any sort for all their college years.

There is no reason to do this, as UVU provides many services to students for quite reasonable prices. If you’re feeling under the weather, you can schedule a basic exam for only $10. Medical services of all sorts are available for students, from pregnancy tests to Hepatitis immunizations.

Mental health services are also available, which has proved to be a very important thing in the past year at UVU. Depression is very common among college students, especially in the dreary winter months, and student health services helps make that better. Therapy sessions are available for only $10 per session, as well as couples/pre-marital counseling and ADHD evaluations as needed. There are also a number of support groups available to students in need.

Student health services can be found at SC 221 and are open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Students are encouraged to make appointments beforehand by visiting their offices or calling 801-863-8876.

5. Facebook/Twitter. In the age of social networking, Facebook and Twitter are barely a secret to anyone, though following campus groups may be. Nearly every organized department on campus has a Facebook fanpage or a Twitter feed. A good majority of the clubs do, too. The benefit of following campus groups is simple: it’s a way to keep your finger on the pulse of the campus. Following the UVU library, for instance, would inform you, nearly immediately, about buildings being closed due to a gas leak, or limited campus hours on holidays. If you follow UVUSA, you’re going to know about student life events and happenings long before they’ll be announced on the school website and if you follow UVU athletics, you’ll know all the up-to-date scores and stats before they’re printed in the paper. Whatever you’re interested in, there is some kind of way to follow them more closely, and if you do that, you’ll never have to miss out on important news or events again.