GUTS

LAST DAY FOR APPLICATIONS!

2011-03-31T12:01:00.000-07:00

Things are starting to heat up at GUTS for the final 6 weeks (really? how can school be that close to being over already?) of school, but before we preview the rest of the year next week, don't forget....

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY FOR HIRING! If you want an awesome job at GUTS next year, and trust us, you do, then get in your application today by 5 pm! There's still 3 more hours left!

Not convinced of our awesomeness?

Reasons to work at GUTS include:
Great friends - seriously, you will not find a more fun and friendly group of people.
Great workplace - where else can you blare any music you want during your shift and have no one care?
Flexible hours - Yes, that's right. Other than 4 scheduled hours a week, you come and go as you please. Awesome, right?
Great resume experience - Event planning? Check. Teamwork skills? Check. Organizational skills? Check. Anything you want to do at GUTS, there will most likely be someone to help you make it happen.

So go ahead. Go to guts.studentorg.wisc.edu/hiring/, check out our open positions, and then send us a resume and cover letter explaining how awesome you are, along with two references that can vouch for it. (Seriously, don't wait, there's only a few hours left!)

Weekly What's Up at GUTS (3/3-3/9)

2011-03-03T13:08:00.000-08:00

Well, the sun has started to shine a bit, the birds are beginning to do that chirping thing again, and its time for some fun and festivities at GUTS!

First, HIRING HAS BEGUN! Though most of us are graduating in May and will be very sad to leave for everything from the workforce to grad school, we can't wait to meet all the new people that are going to make GUTS even bigger and better next year! We have positions open in every single program, from Academic Match to Foreign Language Learners to a new Webmaster, so everyone is encouraged to apply!

If you want to meet our current staff or know more before applying, come to one of our Info Sessions:

Tuesday, March 8 from 6:00-7:00, SAC 3161
Monday, March 21 from 5:00-6:00, SAC 4201 (Hearing Room)

Conversational English Hour has changed from 6-8 pm to 7-9 pm today because...ITS MARDI GRAS time! CE has partnered with BRIDGE and the D-Squad to bring you a Masquerade Ball in the room across from the CCE! Don't miss out on tons of beads, masks and a whole lot of fun! Next week we'll be talking about language and returning to the usual time.
CE is also looking for more tutors and tutees, so if you're interested at all or know someone that might be, don't hesitate to drop by the office or check out our website!

Idiom of the week: To have two left feet.
Example: Tomorrow at the dance I'll definitely need to take advantage of the free dance lessons because I've got two left feet! My dancing is terrible!

Study Skills is continuing their weekly Study Skills classes. Tonight they'll be here in the GUTS office from 6-7 pm, so come by if you want to learn more or need help with things like note-taking, memorization, time management and more!

McBurney Study and Learning Skills welcomes McBurney students to set up an appointment before midterms. SLSS staff can help with multiple choice test taking, reading strategies, and exam anxiety. Students with a McBurney visa can set up a one-on-one appointment or simply stop by our drop-in session hours on Thursdays from 2:30-4:30, at the McBurney south conference room. Students can stop by the McBurney Center (702 W. Johnson Street, Suite 2104) or email SLSS (guts-slss@rso.wisc.edu) for more information.

Last but not least, the GUTS Conversational English Raffle is still going on! It ends next Thursday, so get your nominations in while you still can! One last time, here's the rules:

For every tutor you refer that CE can match, you will receive one entry into the Refer a Tutor Raffle! All you have to do take a minute to tell someone to join the fun. Anyone involved in any GUTS program is eligible, so don't delay!

Grand Prize: $15 gift card to Downtown Madison
Also prizes for the 2nd and 3rd names drawn!

Rules:
-References must be made between February 10 and March 7, 2011
-To be eligible for the drawing, you must be a tutor or tutee registered with any GUTS program.
-New tutors should record the name of the person who referred them on their registration form when asked "How did you find out about the CE Program?"
-Only new tutors who are matched with a partner can be counted as a recruit
-Raffle winners will be announced Thursday March 10, 2011

So get to it! You can also find out more on our Facebook page!

That's all for this week! Good luck on midterms everyone, and don't forget to go to our Drop In centers if you don't have a tutor and need a little extra help!

Weekly What's Up at GUTS (2/24-3/3)

2011-02-24T13:31:00.000-08:00

Things at GUTS are going to be fairly slow this coming week, but we're heating up for some BIG developments!

Conversational English Hour and Lessons are continuing and going great! Tonight's Conversation Hour is Board Game Night! Join us for friends and fun and learn new games like Jenga, Catchphrase, Boggle, Charades and more! Next week will be our annual Mardi Gras party! Come decked out in all your Mardi Gras finery!

And don't forget about the Conversational English Refer a Tutor Raffle from now to March 10! Here's the deal:

For every tutor you refer that CE can match, you will receive one entry into the Refer a Tutor Raffle! All you have to do take a minute to tell someone to join the fun. Anyone involved in any GUTS program is eligible, so don't delay!

Grand Prize: $15 gift card to Downtown Madison
Also prizes for the 2nd and 3rd names drawn!

Rules:
-References must be made between February 10 and March 7, 2011
-To be eligible for the drawing, you must be a tutor or tutee registered with any GUTS program.
-New tutors should record the name of the person who referred them on their registration form when asked "How did you find out about the CE Program?"
-Only new tutors who are matched with a partner can be counted as a recruit
-Raffle winners will be announced Thursday March 10, 2011

So get to it! You can also find out more on our Facebook page!

Study Skills classes started today as well! We still need more tutees, so if you're interested in weekly help in things like note taking, concentration, motivation, test taking skills and more, come sign up in the office!

Finally, GUTS is hiring beginning March 1st! Nearly all of our current staff is graduating in May (sad face) so we have open positions in every department and will have an almost entirely new staff starting in September! If you want to be part of continuing the great and honorable tradition of working at GUTS, you can find more information on our hiring page http://guts.studentorg.wisc.edu/hiring/ starting March 1st.

We will also be hosting two informational sessions:
Tuesday, March 8 from 6:00-7:00, SAC 3161
Monday, March 21 from 5:00-6:00, SAC 4201 (Hearing Room)

We hope to see you there and see your application as well! Please feel free to ask us any questions you might have at our general guts@rso.wisc.edu email!

Weekly What's Up at GUTS (2/18-2/24)

2011-02-18T11:09:00.000-08:00

Hello again everyone! We hope you have all been enjoying the amazingly warm weather this week! Even with the protests at the Capitol, GUTS activities are going on as usual.

In the upcoming weeks, we have some exciting activities from both Conversational English and Study Skills!

Conversational English continues to host their weekly English lessons and Conversational English Hour. Yesterday the Conversation Hour theme was Classic Movie Night. Next Thursday will be Board Game Night! Come learn some new board games like Boggle, Jenga, Charades, Catch Phrase and more! Feel free to bring your own as well. 6 pm under Gordon Commons, you don't want to miss it!

And don't forget about the Conversational English Refer a Tutor Raffle from now to March 10! Here's the deal:

For every tutor you refer that CE can match, you will receive one entry into the Refer a Tutor Raffle! All you have to do take a minute to tell someone to join the fun. Anyone involved in any GUTS program is eligible, so don't delay!

Grand Prize: $15 gift card to Downtown Madison
Also prizes for the 2nd and 3rd names drawn!

Rules:
-References must be made between February 10 and March 7, 2011
-To be eligible for the drawing, you must be a tutor or tutee registered with any GUTS program.
-New tutors should record the name of the person who referred them on their registration form when asked "How did you find out about the CE Program?"
-Only new tutors who are matched with a partner can be counted as a recruit
-Raffle winners will be announced Thursday March 10, 2011

So get to it! You can also find out more on our Facebook page!

Study Skills had a workshop last night and will be hosting another for the Women in Engineering floor in Liz Waters! If you live on this floor and need some study skills help, feel free to drop by! Also, Study Skills lessons start on the 24th! Need more help than just one appointment can provide? Now you can get help every week. Come learn about new techniques for time management, test-taking, staying on track for classes, concentration, note-taking and more! Swing by the office and sign up!

Study Skills McBurney has officially kicked off it's "SLSS Drop-In" sessions for McBurney students who are interested in stopping by for quick studying help at the McBurney Center. The sessions are held by Emily and Maria on Thursdays from 2:30-4:30 in the South Conference Room. Interested students should simply let the front desk know that they are there for SLSS drop-in, and they will be directed to the correct room. They've conducted many student appointments and SmartPen demos this week and are happy to help out any students preparing for midterm exams, so don't hesitate to drop by!

And last but not least, GUTS is going to begin hiring for the 2011-2012 school year by the end of February. Information will be both on the student job center and our website, so don't forget to check back if you're interested and tell all your friends! We have positions available for all programs and all types of people!

That's all for this week guys! Enjoy your weekend and the weather!

Welcome Back and the Weekly What's Up at GUTS!

2011-02-10T12:40:00.000-08:00

Welcome back everyone! The semester is finally really underway, and we've got some exciting new things happening at GUTS! For the rest of the semester, you can check back every Thursday for updates on the upcoming week's activities!

But first, a quick note:

McBurney Study Skills has moved from the Middleton Building to their new location at 702 W. Johnson Suite #2104, right by the new Admissions Office.

On to the fun stuff!

Academic Match is well underway and is accepting both tutors and tutees for spring!
We always need more tutors, especially in subjects like Chemistry, Econ and Stats, so don't hesitate to stop by if you want to help. You need to have received a B in the class you want to tutor and be able to make a two hour a week time commitment. Not bad for the satisfaction of helping other students succeed, right? You can sign up on our website or drop by our office!

Conversational English had their kickoff last week! It was a ton of fun for everyone, with cake and the opportunity for attendees to meet new friends and learn about different cultures (and cake). Tonight's Conversation Hour will focus on Valentine's Day, with the opportunity to make Valentine's Day cards, frost yummy cookies, and learn about the holiday and its history. Don't miss out! Come to the CCE (under Gordon Commons) from 6-8 pm!

In addition, CE is hosting a Refer a Tutor Raffle from now to March 10! And who doesn't love a good raffle? Here's the deal:

For every tutor you refer that CE can match, you will receive one entry into the Refer a Tutor Raffle! All you have to do take a minute to tell someone to join the fun. Anyone involved in any GUTS program is eligible, so don't delay!

Grand Prize: $15 gift card to Downtown Madison
Also prizes for the 2nd and 3rd names drawn!

Rules:
-References must be made between February 10 and March 7, 2011
-To be eligible for the drawing, you must be a tutor or tutee registered with any GUTS program.
-New tutors should record the name of the person who referred them on their registration form when asked "How did you find out about the CE Program?"
-Only new tutors who are matched with a partner can be counted as a recruit
-Raffle winners will be announced Thursday March 10, 2011

So get to it! You can also find out more on our Facebook page!

Foreign Language Learners needs tutors! Are you a native speaker of a foreign language or know someone who is? We need people to lead weekly conversation hours for students learning a language who want a little extra help or practice! Interested? Sign up on our website or drop by the office at 333 E. Campus Mall #4413!

And last but not least, Study Skills is starting weekly classes next week! Need more help than just one appointment can provide? Now you can get help every week. Come learn about new techniques for time management, test-taking, staying on track for classes, concentration, note-taking and more! Swing by the office and sign up, classes start February 24th.

McBurney is also starting a weekly SLSS “drop in” session from 2:30-4:30pm on Thursdays. This is for students who would like to get quick study skills help without making an appointment, collaborate with other students, or simply “check-in” and make a plan for the upcoming week.

That's it for this week! Don't forget to check back every Thursday for updates on what's happening at GUTS (you can also check our Events Calendar) and we can't wait to see you around!

Happy Holidays!!

2010-12-07T12:54:00.000-08:00

This week at Conversational English Hour! Holiday Party!
When: Thursday, December 9th from 6pm-9ish.
Where: The CCE (under Gordon Commons)

Join GUTS and DSQUAD as we meet for the last time this semester! We’ll be building gingerbread houses (check out this website: http://ultimategingerbread.com/), and watching the movie, Elf, at about 7:30pm! If you’ve never heard of this movie, please check out the trailer at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvtmsqyOkhc

GUTS Study Day!
When: Thursday, December 16th from noon-12am!
Where: The Drop-In center on the first floor of College Library!
Have last minute questions you’d like answered? Need some last minute study skills advice? Then stop by the College library and get your questions answered by our volunteer tutors!!

Tutor Appreciation Day!
When: Wednesday, December 15th from 3-6pm.
Where: The Multipurpose Room located on the 3rd floor of the SAC!
Here at GUTS, we’d like to thank you for all of your hard work this semester! So please stop by for a bit and enjoy some yummy snacks and pick up your gift!! Great job everyone and we hope to see all of you next semester!!

Winter is here!

2010-11-30T12:29:00.001-08:00

The cold has finally caught up to us, but don't let that keep you from joining our fun events!

This week at CE Hour: Come join us for our special guests: LGBTQ Diversity Squad and the LGBTQ Campus Center!
One of their goals is to educate the campus about issues of gender identity and sexual orientation. So, we'll open up the hour for some conversation about the topics and symbols surrounding LGBTQ in order to promote this goal! This will also be a great chance to ask any questions you may have involving this topic! So come join us for some great discussion and enjoy some free pasta!

Activity idea of the week: Ice skating at the Shell!

Recreational skating hours:
Monday and Wednesday: 6:15-7:15p
Saturday: 1:45-3:00pm, 7:00-8:30pm
Sunday: 1:45-3:15pm

For UW students, it only costs $5 to go ice skating!! For other prices and times, check out their website at: http://www.recsports.wisc.edu/shell/icerink.htm

Stay warm!
Kristan, Tong, Amy, and Zach

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-23T13:28:00.000-08:00

Hello All!

First off, I hope that everyone has awesome plans for the break!! Make sure to eat lots of turkey and stuffing!

Next, NO CE HOUR THIS WEEK!

Idiom of the week: “To Make One’s Mouth Water”
Meaning: the smell or the sight of food makes your mouth water; it makes you want to eat it.
Example sentence: “That turkey is making my mouth water, it looks so delicious!”

Tutor Appreciation Day: Recommend Your Tutor!
If you have a tutor who was awesome and helped you out a lot this semester, please email us and let us know! We’re looking for the top tutors for our Tutor Appreciation Day and we need your help to find those top tutors!

Have a great break!
Kristan, Amy, Tong, and Zach

CE This Week!

2010-11-16T13:33:00.000-08:00

Harry Potter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay now that that's out of my system, here's what's going on this week!

Event of the week: Dance Party
Saturday, November 20th starting at 9:30pm in the Great Hall, Memorial Union
Held by the Lao and Cambodian Student Association!

It’s free, fun, and a great break from studying! Come hang out with your friends and dance all of your stresses away!
Check it out at: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=165509770149026&index=1

Thanksgiving CE Hour!
Thursday, November 18th from 6-8pm.

We’ll be exploring transformations and adaptations that people have had to make in response to moving to Madison! Also, because Thanksgiving is one of the few religious holidays we’d like to explore what roles religion might play in one’s life and how a holiday like Thanksgiving differs from one’s like Christmas or Easter!

Place of the week: Chazen Art Museum
Gallery hours: Tuesday – Friday 9 am - 5 pm, Saturday – Sunday 11 am - 5 pm

Take a break from studying and check out their current: Andy Warhol Photographic Studies exhibition with your CE partner!

Have a great week!!
Kristan, Zach, Amy, and Tong

What is a fish with no eyes called?

2010-11-09T13:42:00.000-08:00

A fsh! Haha.

This week at CE Hour:
BRIDGE PROM!
Thursday, November 11th from 7-9pm.

If you want your pictures taken, come to the CCE from 6:30-7pm!
Come join us for a fun night of dancing, hanging with friends, and great party music! There will also be a free ballroom dancing lesson for those of us who have two left feet! So dress up, bring some friends and come learn what PROM is all about!!

Idiom of the week: To have two left feet.
Means: To be very awkward or clumsy with one's feet. (Often refers to awkwardness at dancing.)
Example sentence: “I’ll never get the hang of this dance because I have two left feet!”

Place of the Week!

Need a new place to meet? We recommend Dobra Tea! They offer a variety of fun teas, and nice social environment! It’s the perfect place to chat with your partner!

Finally, please send us any pictures that we can include in our Tutor Appreciation Slide show, and don’t forget to refer your friends to our program for the chance to be entered into our raffle!

Hope to see you at the dance Thursday!
Zach, Amy, Kristan, and Tong

Tutor tips and Tutor Appreciation Day!

2010-11-02T13:01:00.000-07:00

We are looking for pictures for Tutor Appreciation Day! So if you have any great photos or fun photos with your CE partner, please send them our way then so we can put them in a slide show!! Let's all thank our tutors for their hard work and dedication!!

This week's event idea:

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday the movie "Inception" is playing at the Memorial Union! So if you haven't seen it yet, take advantage of this opportunity to see a great movie! Then after watching it, try watching the South Park version of this movie for a great laugh!

Next week: Bridge Prom! November 11th from 6-9pm.

Dress up, come down and have some fun at the prom!! There will be performances throughout the night, free food, and lots of dancing and fun!! So come with someone special or some friends and have an unforgettable time!

Hope to see you there!

Kristan, Amy, Tong, and Zach

2010-10-26T13:42:00.000-07:00

CE Halloween Party!
Thursday, October 28th from 6-whenever

Join us for our annual Halloween party this year! We’ll be having a costume contest for those interested in participating, fun food, games, and at 7:30pm we’ll be watching the movie Hocus Pocus! Bring your friends, take a break from studying, and come have some fun!

Tutor Tips
Halloween is just around the corner, and so there are lots of fun activities going on around campus that you could do with your tutee! Hoofer’s is holding a haunted house at Memorial Union tomorrow, CE has a Halloween party on Thursday, and Freak Fest is on Saturday! Another great activity would be watching scary movies!!! Or if you’re like me and scare easily, how about watching something like “The Nightmare Before Christmas” or “Ghostbusters?”

Tutor Appreciation Day!
We are looking for pictures to put in our slide show! So if you have any great photos of you and your tutee/tutor please send them our way!

Finally…
CE is short of tutors, so if you’d like to help out another student please let us know!

Thanks for all of your hard work!

Kristan, Tong, Zach, and Amy

Need help with study skills? Know lots of people?

2010-10-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

The GUTS study skills department is looking to do a couple more workshops this semester. If you have a student org, a study group, or just a few friends that could all use help with the way you study, we can help!

We ask that you have at least 15 confirmed attendees but otherwise, we do our best to accommodate you. We can address time management, stress, organization, study methods, study groups, note taking and reading strategies, or any other ideas that you can come up with.

The format of our workshops is also flexible. Some groups prefer small group discussions, while others prefer a dynamic, interactive lecture. We can do both or any kind of combination. We have worked with groups from 15 people to 100 people and can find a style that fits your group.

Through our workshops you can help a large number of people at once, or just introduce them to services that GUTS study skills can provide. So get your friends together, head over to our website and register. Hope to hear from you soon.

CE this week!

2010-10-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

CE this week!
First off, we’d like to thank everyone for their hard work so far!! The CE program is still looking for tutors though, so encourage your friends to become a CE tutor!

CE Hour this week!
Thursday, October 21st from 6-8pm
Join us this week for some fun conversation and board games! Come meet some international students and enjoy some puppy chow!

And what you’ve all been waiting for….TUTOR TIPS of the week!
Need a good activity idea this week? How about carving pumpkins with your tutee! You can easily pick out some pumpkins at the farmer’s market and then after carving them, you can bake the pumpkin seeds for a yummy treat!
Next, if you are having any problems with your tutee or need any assistance feel free to email us or stop by the office! We are always available to answer questions and/or give advice!

Next week!
Halloween Party!
Thursday, October 28th from 6-8pm at the CCE!
Come enjoy some snacks, fun, and at 7:30p watch a Halloween movie!
Think you’ve got a cool costume? Then wear it to the party and participate in our costume contest to win cool prizes!

Thanks!
The CE staff

CE Happenings.

2010-10-13T17:51:00.000-07:00

CE This Week!

CE Hour w/ALPS:

Thursday, October 14th from 6-8pm

This week ALPS will be coming to CE Hour for some fun group-building activities! So bring your friends and join us for a night of fun!

Tutor Tip of the week:

American football can be an elusive topic for many International students. So why not try explaining the rules and watch a game together? Then they'll be able to understand the culture surrounding football!

Tutor Appreciation Day!

We are looking for pictures for our slide show! If you have any fun pictures of you and your tutee please send them our way! We'd love to incorporate them into our slide show!

Next week: Thursday, October 21st join us for our special guests: China's Champions at CE Hour!

Attention International Students!! Don't forget about CE's English Lesson! If you are having problems with or want to learn idioms or slang, then join one of our 4 free lessons! They are all led by great instructors and you're guaranteed to have a blast! You can sign up at the GUTS office!

Here come midterms!

2010-10-07T14:38:00.000-07:00

The first round of midterms is here. They seem to be popping up all over the place. People are stressed, meetings are missed and extra-curriculars are taking a back seat. Just remember, don't let tests take over everything in your life. Have a plan early on and try to fit in studying around whatever else you need to do. Some things may have to fall by the wayside, but make a conscious decision about what your priorities are this week.

The week after midterms tend to be our busiest here in the GUTS office. If you sign up for a tutor or a study skills appointment next week, expect a little bit of a wait. We will do our best to match you as quickly as possible. Thanks for the patience.

Good luck this week, don't let tests get you down, and hang on it will be over soon.

Fall is finally here!

2010-09-20T13:09:00.000-07:00

Not only are we already in the third week of school, but the weather has actually started to be a little chilly. ALL of GUTS's programs are up and running and ready to serve you. Drop-In centers opened last week, over one hundred people have been matched with academic tutors, 120 international students have been matched with English tutors, and our study skills advisers have started their individual meetings.

Don't wait until you fall behind to get a tutor, start early, meet often and be successful this semester! If you need a volunteer opportunity, we're looking for tutors in Psych, Spanish, French, Econ, Bio, Math and Chem. We also need native speakers of Korean, Japanese, German and French for our Foreign Language Learners program. Come help out, have some fun and be there for your fellow students.

Good luck to all this semester. Whether you tutor, get tutored, volunteer or have ever used our services before, we hope we get the chance to hang out with you sometime this semester.

The Best Things I did in Madison!

2010-05-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

I promise I'm not stealing Abby's idea...I'm only inspired by it ;)
Well it's been a good five years but I am over-due to graduate and move on with my life. I can't wait to end my undergraduate career and move to Taiwan! The only homework I want to do for the next year or two is Chinese language homework!

Anyways, as a way of organizing and collecting the thoughts in my head my last blog entry will be about the best things I did in Madison (according to me)!

5) Took interesting classes - I don't know if my classes were easier than my contemporaries or not, but I never really felt burdened with my workload the past five years. I don't think they were easier but rather I just really loved them. I've had some amazing professors and some of the topics I am very passionate about. I may forget a lot of what I've learned but nonetheless I loved learning it all in the process. I think I could count the number of times I intentionally skipped class in the past five years with just one hand!

4) Learned to sail - My grandpa could build his own sailboats, so I think I should at least be able to sail them! I've spent two summers out sailin' Lake Mendota and even though it cost me a pair of sunglasses and a few bruises (and almost a concussion!) it was one of my favorite campus pastimes. There's something exhilarating about being out in the middle of the lake, just you, the boat, and the elements. It was freedom! I hope I can buy my own sailboat in the future...

3) Became a Conversational English Tutor - Becoming a tutor for CE gave me new friends, a job, teaching experience, and even taught me about my own language. I still keep in touch with three of my tutees and hopefully I'll be able to keep in touch with the GUTS staff as well!

2) Stayed in touch with old friends, made new ones - I think there's a sort of tension when you graduate high school between your high school friends and the desire to make new friends in college. Some people go to the extreme and either struggle to make new friends or completely dump their old friends for the sake of new ones. Looking back I'm happy to say I took a middle road. Well, almost. Most of my best friends are still from my high school, but many of them were not best friends back then--they only became so in the past five years. Despite that my lifestyle and their lifestyles have diverged into separate directions, we haven't lose our original connection. But I've also made many new friends, many of whom I am very close to. I just don't believe it is proper to tear out the sutures of perfectly good stitching! I've always favored a few close friends over a plethora of casual friends anyways, but I've keep an open mind to making new friends all five years as well.

1) Learned who I am - If today I was still the lame boring loser I was back in high school, the University of Madison would have been pointless for me, regardless of the value of the actual education. My philosophy has always been to continuously fight to improve myself. Therefore I spent the past five years experimenting with who I am, without compromising what I believed in. I tried to improve some of my skills (failures: I still suck at soccer and at playing the harmonica) and fine-tuned my morals while addressing my vices. I was a tinkerer, if you will. And it was worth every second...I am about 200% more optimistic than I was back in my Freshman year. Huzzah.

Okay now someone please show me the door. I gotta bust lose from this place!

...But I still love ya Madtown!

-Michael

My top ten favorite places in Madison!

2010-05-06T10:33:00.000-07:00

Over the past four years Madison has earned a special place in my heart. These are my top ten favorite places and every one should visit them in their time here.

10. The Chocolate Shoppe
9. Monona Terrace
8. The view of Madison driving on John Nolen
7. Lakeshore path
6. The UW Arboretum in any season
5. Student section of Hockey games
4. Farmer's Market on Saturdays
3. The Union Terrace
2. The McBurney Office
1. The GUTS Office!!

Love,
Abby

The Wheels on the Bus.

2010-04-20T05:47:00.000-07:00

A music video with a kids song and funny photos. Hank

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYcw3n_PdGY&feature=youtube_gdata

Need a Study Break?

2010-04-19T14:55:00.000-07:00

As we all know, the end of the semester often signifies long hours spent in the classroom, in the library, or in professors' office hours. With summer only a few weeks away, these final preparations can be especially challenging. To keep things in perspective, a change of scenery never hurts. Here are five of my favorite spots on campus to go "just to get away".

1. Chazen Museum of Art
-Spend ten minutes or 2 hours- easily!

2. Allen Centennial Gardens
-Located just off of Observatory Drive, the gardens provide 2.5 acres of natural beauty.

3. The 19th Floor of Van Hise
-The top floor of the 241 ft. tall Van Hise allows observers to see for miles.

4. Howard Temin Lakeshore Path
-Perfect for running, walking, biking, and just relaxing.

5. Bascom Hill
-Few things capture spring at the UW better than strolling barefoot on Bascom Hill.

Enjoy!
-Emily

Spring!?!?!

2010-04-12T12:57:00.000-07:00

This is always such a difficult time for me. I have really terrible seasonal allergies, so despite the beautiful weather, I have always held a certain resentment towards this time of year. And as glad as I am that it is nearing the end of the semester, this part is always the hardest, precisely because it is getting so near the end. It's just such a conlict-laden time of year.

In light of this, the only thing I have to say is that, hopefully, its worth the struggle every time. Soon enough you will be able to breath again and you won't have to go to class anymore. But on the other hand, look at how much you've learned this semester, even in this last few difficult weeks. Remember that you are here for something and it's in your best interest to get something out of your time here. So take advantage of the money you've spent and the time you've put in and suck it up. This terrible season is almost over!

-M

My Favorite Foreign Films

2010-04-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

Today (which should have been last week) I'm going to blog about my favorite foreign films, limiting them to one per country.

The United Kingdom: Hot Fuzz
This is a British action comedy that parodies or spoofs many cop movies from the ages (inculding Bad Boys I & II, Point Break, etc.). The film's creators, Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost also made another great movie, Shaun of the Dead, which spoofs zombie movies. While filled with a distincly British sense of humor, the movie also targets movie nerds everywhere, of whom I count myself amongst.

France: Amelie (Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain )
This Romantic Comedy starring the extremly gorgeous Audrey Tautou is one of the few Romantic Comedies that I enjoyed. About a young girl who lives alone but stumbles upon love during one of her quirky missions, the movie's characters are all so quirky and strange that the movie is down right hilarious. Albeit a little fantastical and a little TOO loved by the Indie scene, it's still one of the cutest movies I've ever seen.

Japan: Departures (おくりびと, Okuribito)
This Japanese movie tells the story of a cellist in a Tokyo orchestra who loses his job and moves to a smaller Japanese city. Here he gets a job working at a morgue (which is a taboo in traditional Japanese society). The movie mixes serious story telling with humor very well, and the soundtrack is one of the best in a movie that I've heard in a long time--but then again I am a sucker for the cello.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joepLZtiFyM&feature=related

China: Hero (英雄, Yīngxióng)
This martial arts movie (the genre is known more specifically as wuxia) not only has some awesome fight scenes with great choreography, but also has amazing cinematography. The set is extremely colorful, and the colors change based on who is telling the narrative (the movie is split between different people telling different versions of the same story). The movie may have some subtle political undertones that I disagree with, but it's still a fun movie.

South Korea: Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War (태극기 휘날리며)
A movie about the Korean War will automatically catch my attention. Known as the "Forgotten War", there are radically few movies about it in the US. Because of my interest in the war and the modern histories of the US, Korea, and China, I sought out this movie and watched it. It's basically South Korea's "Saving Private Ryan"...only even bloodier. It's gory--really gory, but it is not biased as one may expect. The movie shows the horrors done by both sides during the war. Not for the faint of heart and a little cliche but definitely good for those who like novel war films.

-Michael

Some Jokes.

2010-04-11T05:31:00.000-07:00

"Waiter!"
"Yes, sir."
"What's this?"
"It's bean soup, sir."
"No matter what it's been. What is it now?"

---
"Do you love me, dear?"
"Dearly, sweetheart."
"Would you die for me?"
"No, my pet. Mine is an undying love."

---
"My wife kisses me evenings when I get home."
"Affection?"
"No; investigation."

---
"Did any of your family ever make a brilliant marriage?"
"Only my wife."

---
"How is your little brother, Johnny?"
"Sick abed. He hurt himself."
"That's too bad. How did he do it?"
"We were playing who could lean furthest out of the window, and he won."

---
A pretty little girl of seven entered a store in a small town and said:
"I want some cloth to make my dolly a dress."

The merchant selected a remnant and handed the child the package.

"How much is it?" she asked.
"Just one kiss," was the reply.
"All right," said the child, as she turned to go.
"Grandma said to tell you she would pay you when she came in tomorrow."

---
Judge--"It seems to me that I have seen you before."
Prisoner--"You have, your Honor; I gave your daughter singing lessons."
Judge--"Thirty years."

---
From 10,000 Jokes, Toasts and Stories

Make a Study and Learning Skills appointment before FINALS!

2010-04-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome back from Spring Break. It is hard to believe it...but...Finals are just around the corner, so NOW is a great time to brush up on your study skills. Make a study and learning skills appointment to create a study schedule for your final exams before it is too late. We are available for appointments Monday-Thursday afternoons as well as Tuesday and Thursday mornings. You can call the McBurney front desk at 608-263-2741 to make your appointment. Or feel free to email us with any questions (guts-slss@rso.wisc.edu). We will look forward to meeting with you!

Abby and Emily
Study and Learning Skills Specialist

Life Lesson #243

2010-04-07T10:51:00.000-07:00

You know what's really funny? Laughter is a natural medicine that can reduce stress, fight infection, and reduce pain. It can also help you stay healthy in multiple other ways and make life more enjoyable. So why have I labeled this post "Life Lesson #243"? Well I'll tell you. We live in a culture that values hard work, idealizes stress, and emphasizes negativity. Advice that should come before all else, is brushed off and devalued. I'm going to change that right now: Laugh, joke around, don't take everything so seriously.

I know life can be tough at times. I also know that "stress" is nearly synonymous with "college". But guess what, before you know it, the books, exams, papers, and drama will come to an end. Stop worrying about the little things. When you're feeling down, take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Watch a funny video clip, listen to some stand up comedy, or simply do something you love to do! Laughter releases anger, stress, guilt, and anxiety...it boosts the immune system and stimulates endorphins that cause positive brain chemistry.

For the rest of this semester, keep working hard, but let go of the little things that bring you down. Smile at strangers, don't be afraid to laugh. And most of all, celebrate the joy in life!

All good things,
Kasandra Brown
Study Skills Coordinator

Drop-In Update

2010-04-06T16:15:00.000-07:00

Hey Students,

I hope everyone had an awesome Spring Break and you were able to forget that there even was a school to come back to. But now that were back don't let things pile up, come get help at your closest Drop-In center. All the tutors are back and rested and ready to help. So feel free to stop by the SAC or College Library and get help in all the most common subjects.

your friendly neighborhood Drop-In coordinator,
Lee

Read Before: SPRING BREAK 2010

2010-03-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

Well well.. college students. It's break time yet again.. Spring Break time.
I would like to offer some advice to ease into your vacation.

If you are headed out to a far away hotel hittin' up with Carson Daly and your new peeka-boo swimsuit- Remember this there are a lot of creeps crawlin' in dark corners so be cautious. Whatever you do don't open the door to this guy NO MATTER WHAT!

OR

Perhaps you are traveling to go sight seeing. In that case expect the unexpected. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled at all times! You never know what you will see! Take me for example, the following photograph I took on my last vacation! You think I was expecting THIS.....

OR

Maybe during spring break you will be with the family. Remember to love each other like my favorite on camera family...

OR

Perhaps you are going to stay home and do nothing. Here is my advice for you then. Do not get bored and start doing crazy things. No one thinks a cat dressed up in a clown suit is funny! Trust me I know from personal experience- you could be reported for animal cruelty!

Whatever you are doing this break be sure to rest and rejuvenate so you can hit the ground running when school starts again.

Try and be cool!

Kelly- your favorite office manager!

Food for Thought

2010-03-15T14:16:00.000-07:00

There are few situations to be in as a university scholar that are worse than completely blanking on a midterm that is worth a large percentage of a final grade. There are many factors that contribute to "going blank", but it is likely that all of us have experienced the feeling at one point or another. How can this situation be avoided? Some tend to think some assistance can be found in your fridge.

An article published on selfgrowth.com has highlighted the categories of the best foods to improve memory. The following all have a direct impact on brain function:

BUILD:
-Healthy Omega-3 fats found in eggs, walnuts, salmon, and soybeans.

PROTECT:
-Antioxidants in foods such as blueberries, green tea, tomatoes, broccoli, soy, and carrots.

ENERGIZE:
-Neurotransmitter building foods like seafood, soy, and eggs.

REGULATE:
-Fiber controls sugar absorbtion and is found in foods such as raisins, apricots, peas, broccoli, lima beans, seeds, apples, avocados, brown rice, and whole grains.

HYDRATE:
-The brain is 80% water. 3-4 liters per day is recommended!

To discuss this and other creative ways to prepare for exams, schedule an study skills appointment at the GUTS office! As for me, I'm going to go make a salmon raisin blueberry lima bean sandwich. If anyone has any better recipes, let me know.

Emily

Wanna take a breather?

2010-03-14T19:13:00.000-07:00

Hey,

I was informed of these excellent free sites for music and shows:

1) Pandora:

Pandora: Internet Radio

Recommendation: Jim Crose

2) Hulu:

Hulu: Watch your favorites Anytime

Recommendation: Saturday Night Live

Check them out in your "free" time!! ^_^

Hank

Adventures in Study Skills

2010-03-12T09:02:00.000-08:00

The weather has been getting warmer, the days getting longer and my bike getting anxious. Spring break is coming, trees are budding and yes, my homework is no longer getting done. It is a simple and true fact that the nicer the weather gets, the more time we want to spend outside. I feel like it's my duty as a study skills coordinator to instruct all of you to fight the urge to blow off your work. I should be encouraging you to set goals and manage your time and so forth. Honestly though, I would feel guilty. I know that we have decided to be here, we're paying money to be here so school is what we should focus on. But what are we missing while we buckle down?

I'm missing bike rides around the lake. I'm missing lazy afternoons on the deck with a cup of tea and book that I haven't been told to read. I'm missing walks at midnight in a quiet part of town. I have been making choices lately to forgo these opportunities for a little enjoyment in hopes of academic success and I don't know how I feel about that.

I doubt that I will really make the choice anytime soon to start ignoring my work and spend more time doing nothing but,crap, it sounds appealing right about now. As much as I want to change direction and encourage all of you to say, "screw this, I'm going to have picnic today" I know that I probably won't and therefor can't really advise you to either. I guess Ill just refer to the cliche and remind us all that we need to strike a balance....blah blah blah... but I don't want a balance, I just want to go for a walk outside. The spring sun is calling my name...

M

Speaking More Better!

2010-03-05T09:55:00.000-08:00

Having spent a considerable amount of my time teaching English and learning Chinese, language (and the studying or learning of) is almost always on my mind. I find myself trying to think in Chinese or thinking about my own language in new and challenging ways when asked a good question about English (I’m surprised how often we know so little about our own languages because we rarely stop to think about them).

I would love the opportunity to study Irish (Gaelic), Persian (Farsi), Japanese, and Latin but I doubt I’ll have the chance to even nibble at any of them in my life time. But languages fascinate me--I think they should be pushed harder in the US curriculum. My accomplishments in the field are few and small: a few summers ago I became fluent in Pig Latin... And get this: my twin brother and I spoke our own exclusive language as toddlers before the outside world came in and tore it away from us, forcing us to switch to English. Because of my last name, we often jokingly refer to it as “O’Connish.” Even today, my friends refer to the peculiar way that my twin and I speak English as “O’Connish accents.” We have a tendency to speak very fast and slur our words together, and sometimes even pronounce words in our own unique ways. When we are very comfortable or excited we often switch to this fast-paced English and our friends often complain. Some of the friends we’ve had for a long time even claim to “understand O’Connish.” But I digress. Although the “original” O’Connish has been lost, some names remain: Doogan and Dogan, which were our names for each other; Nahna – my older brother Marty, and Gahk – my oldest brother Erik. I wish more of this “language” could have been recorded!

Anyways I think this blog post is supposed to have some sort of point, something for the reader to take away, so I’ll argue something: the most important thing to practice when learning a language is speaking, speaking, and speaking! What good is mastering the grammar of a language when you lack the confidence or ability to speak it (well it’s good for research and academics I suppose)? I would rather be comfortable speaking a language even if my grammar was subpar than be a master at writing or reading it while being a lackluster speaker. However, speaking a language is also the hardest part—it takes practice, patience, and courage. But as Nike says, swoosh. Oops I mean just do it.

-Michael O’Connor

A blog about blogs

2010-03-03T14:23:00.000-08:00

While beginning to type another blog about what exciting new anecdotes I have learning about study skills in the past month, the thought struck me that I know very little about the activity I am doing right now, blogging. So in leui of continuing to divulge my study skills secret I decided to teach you (and myself) some information about blogs. I hear about blogs almost everyday, and I read a recipe blog almost everyday. However, when I google searched "history of blogs" and was taken the Wikipedia paged titled "History of blogging timeline" I might as well have been reading a Portugese newspaper (and my Portugese skills are...well...non existent). Blogging has become such a part of our everyday life, that it is almost assumed that everyone knows what a blog is and how to work them. Well I have had a small amount of practice with GUTS blog (and by a small amount of practice I mean approximately 4 entries), but I am by no means comfortable with my blogging skills. So for any other uneasy blog writers/readers here is a short crash course in the history and the present of blogging.

1. Justin Hall, is considered to be one of the first bloggers. He blogged about happenings in his personal life while a student at Swarthmore College. He began in 1994.

2. The word blog is short for "weblog" which was coined by Jorn Barger in 1997.

3. Technorati is a search engine dedicated to BLOGS. They have an index of over 112.8 million blogs.

3. Technorati shows that the most popular blog today is the Huffington Post (www.huffingtonpost.com). They update their top ten list daily.

4. You can read the "State of the Blogosphere" on Technorati.

5. There are many types of blogs: personal, business, entertainment, news, politics, diaries......

Well I'm a little blogged out, but I'll share more at a later date. Until next time...keep blogging!

Abby

Drop-In Update

2010-03-02T14:57:00.000-08:00

Hey there,

Drop-In is up and running smoothly at both College Library and The Student Activity Center, so come on by. The schedule is posted at the centers as well as online at our GUTS website http://guts.studentorg.wisc.edu/Drop-In%20Schedule%20Page.html In addition to all the most common subjects (Math, Chemistry, Physics, Econ) we now offer Political Science Tutoring from the Political Science Honor Society, just another reason to check the schedule or stop by.

If you have any questions, feel free to let me know at:
guts-di@rso.wisc.edu

thanks,

Lee

letter found at guts, mystery ensues

2010-03-02T14:29:00.000-08:00

madison, wi - contacts at the guts office told the media today that there were a number of staplers missing. on february 27th, it is rumored, one of guts' smallest employees awoke to a noise and asked the intruder why he is taking the staplers. the intruder was quite clever and made up a story, gave the smallest of employees a glass of water, a pat on the head, and sent her to bed. the staplers were reported stolen on february 28th around 4:30pm. when asked how this will affect the day-to-day activities of guts, officials stated, "the consequences of the dastardly theft of our staplers have yet to be fully realized." thus far there are no leads. however, a letter was found at the crime scene:

Dear GUTS,
A bunch of our staplers work like crap, and I can't Find any tools here. So I took them home to fix. I will bring them back next time I'm in the office. the 2 blue ones are fine.

The authorities are looking for a green, bearded man. If you have any information, please contact guts at guts@rso.wisc.edu.

Monday March First.

2010-03-01T12:25:00.000-08:00

I must say, there are not many calendrical events that I like more than when the first of the month is also the beginning of a new week. It feels like I've been presented with a clean slate on which to start fresh and improve myself. This morning, I was drinking my Tahitian Vanilla Hazelnut Tea and thinking about my goals for March. Suddenly I noticed the quote printed on the little piece of paper at the end of my tea bag. It told me to "unite with your own higher self and create a friendship."
The insight of this quote propelled me to consider the relationship I have with myself. I asked, "Self, am I friends with you?" And before you start to think I'm crazy and like to have conversations with my self-I should point out that I am indeed a bit crazy, but then, who isn't? Back to my point, I challenge you to ask your own self this question. Do you treat yourself like you would a friend? Do you encourage yourself in times of sadness, hardship, and/or stress? Do you celebrate your successes and find joy in spending time with yourself?
I found that in general, me and myself are pretty tight. But there are aspects of our friendship that I want to improve. Sometimes I'm too hard on myself, I take my own limitations for granted and don't do enough encouraging. We all have a strong inner spirit, this month, I challenge you to befriend this spirit and love yourself as you do the other people in your life.
With academic stress building around midterms and the countless other engagements you probably have, there will never be a better time to get to know yourself and always remember the advice Ralph Waldo Emerson gives us, "insist upon yourself. Be original."

Have a beautiful month of March, enjoy the coming Springtime weather, and try to strengthen that bond between you and you.

Kasandra Brown
Study Skills Coordinator

Reminder- GUTS Applications for 2010-2011 are due Friday, Feb. 26th!

2010-02-24T11:56:00.001-08:00

Just a reminder that applications for any of the GUTS 2010-2011 positions are due this Friday, February 26th!

All positions pay $9.19/hr and require a time commitment of 12-20 hours per week, with the exception of the Webmaster ($13/hr.). This is a great opportunity to share your knowledge, work with a motivated group of individuals, gain leadership experience, assist your UW peers, and build your resume.

For more information please visit:
http://guts.studentorg.wisc.edu/frontpage_hiringannouncement.htm

To apply:
Review the program job descriptions posted on the site and consider applying for all, some, or one position. Please send the following to guts@rso.wisc.edu:
1) Letter of Application / Cover Letter.
2) Resume: please include the names, titles, and phone numbers of three references.

APPLY TODAY!

Sharing the Fun!

2010-02-22T18:30:00.000-08:00

Last week, we had a blast at CE events! To start off, we had a great CE English lesson with our volunteer tutor, Kenny. At the lesson, CE participants read over a news article, learning new terms and expressions introduced in the article. There was also some time for discussion.

On Wednesday, the conversation hour was themed around the Winter Olympics currently happening in Vancouver. Quite a few of us gathered around to have English conversation over some snacks and tea!

After the conversation hour, a few of us walked over to the ISS Taste of India. The presentation was full of facts about India, demonstrations of dance, and some snippets of Indian song. One of our very own CE participants even danced for us! To top it off, we all got to have a free meal! It was delicious- chicken masala, samozas, and a carrot desert. I'm so glad I brought a travel container to campus that day- there was so much food left over I was able to grab some for lunch the next day!

Hope to see some more faces joining us for the fun!
~Amy

The week is ending and another about to begin...

2010-02-20T20:10:00.000-08:00

It's that time of the semester again, when many of us are beginning to realize it's already the sixth week (!) of classes and deadlines are right around the corner. I can't believe how fast the time has flown by! Don't they always say, "Time flies when you're having fun?" Although I am enjoying my semester, it surprises me that this entire school year seems to be passing by faster than the 11 fun filled weeks I spent in Laos last summer.

I've been realizing that the reason why time seems to go so fast during the school year is because I am always thinking about which assignments are due when, where will I be over the summer, where will I live next year, and sometimes wondering how I can best prepare for a future career. As students, we are constantly forced to think of what is ahead. But as we push ourselves to get through the week to reach the weekend, we forget to enjoy so many of our days.

This week, I challenge you to live each day for today and not tomorrow. Take some time to slow down, and try to make the journey as important as the destination.

enjoy~
Amy

Just some thoughts.

2010-02-17T13:26:00.000-08:00

-Idea

What are the most important study skills in your mind? From a holistic educational perspective, the answers are probably in your body: eat well, sleep on time, and exercise regularly! After all, a hungry tired stressed scholar can hardly focus on his/her studies.

-Website

http://www.origami-club.com/en/

Interested in some hands-on experience with origami? This website is awesome! It has the diagram and animation for each origami. Come try out this lovely site!

-Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK4_ui_aTb0

It's all about the industrialization of agriculture. In a series of video clips, Howard Lyman presents the inside story on why cows are no longer vegetarians these days.

Hank Shengpeng Wu

Spotlight on...The 2010 Winter Olympics

2010-02-17T12:49:00.000-08:00

So how about the winter Olympics? Regrettably I must say that I have not been able to devote as much attention to them lately as I’d like…although deciding between phonology homework and the speed skating finals is pretty darn tough. I am a fan of the Olympic Games for the same reason many other people are, international unanimity attained by celebrating the triumphs and lamenting the disappointments some of the world’s finest men and women athletes. In case anyone is interested, here are the current medal standings for the top 5 countries as of 02/17/10:

Germany: 3 Gold, 4 Silver, 2 Bronze = 9 Total

United States: 2 Gold, 2 Silver, 4 Bronze = 8 Total

France: 2 Gold, 1 Silver, 4 Bronze = 7 Total

Canada: 2 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze = 5 Total

Korea: 3 Gold, 1 Silver, 0 Bronze = 4 Total

Now we all like to get excited about figure skating, hockey, snowboarding and downhill skiing, but what about the other 11 events? I’d like to take the time to highlight the top 5 (in my opinion) under-recognized events of the Winter Olympics:

5. Skeleton: To start, a skeleton slider grasps the handles on either side of the sled, runs as fast as possible, then dives head first onto the sled. Sliders lie on their stomachs and steer by shifting their bodies very slightly.

4. Bobsleigh: To start, the racers push off as fast as they can for approximately 50 meters, then jump into the bobsleigh for a seated descent down the track. The driver steers down the track, while, at the end of the run, the brakeman stops the sled.

3. Biathlon: When the athletes ski into the shooting range, they must put down their ski poles and take five shots at a metal target. The hit area size changes depending on whether the athlete is shooting in a prone or standing position. A missed shot means either one minute of added time or skiing a 150-metre penalty loop.

2. Nordic Combined: The jumping portion occurs first followed by a free technique cross-country race. The break between the races can be as little as 35 minutes, or as long as a few hours. The winner of the Nordic combined event is the first athlete across the cross-country finish line.

1. Curling: The game is played on ice, and the two teams take turns pushing stones towards a series of concentric rings or circles. The object is to get the stones as close to the center of the rings as possible. Team members sweep the ice clean in front of each stone to control the stone’s direction and speed. The team with the most points — more stones closer to the center of the rings — is the winner.

Happy watching!

Emily

photo courtesy of: http://642blog.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/2010-torch.jpg

CE Events!!

2010-02-16T19:00:00.000-08:00

CE English Lesson

Every Wednesday 6:30pm-7:30pm
Caucus Room(4024), 4th floor of student activity center (same floor as Guts office)
This week: Article Discussion -- World Texting Champion
We're having our first English Lesson this week. Join our new tutor Kenny who knows five language and you'll have a spectacular, intense and fun learning experience!Our new English lesson will have 3 different formats (Idiom, Article and Discussion,Humor) and we will rotate them every 3 weeks.
Check out here to know more details about the lessons and what Kenny wants to tell you: http://guts.studentorg.wisc.edu/CE%20English%20Lesson.html

Conversation Hour

Every Thursday 4pm-5pm
The Satellite (a room in Gordon Commons, located at 717 W Johnson Street. Enter the building from under the bridge connecting Gordon Commons and the Witte Dormitory. )
Topic this week: Winter Olympics
This is a great opportunity for tutees to practice their English with more people and for tutors to meet more international students. Tea and snacks will be provided! Hope to see you there!

***After the Conversation Hour, you are invited to walk over to the ISS Taste of India with us!***

ISS Taste of India

Thursday February 18th at 6:00pm, come join the CE table at 5:45pm inside! (Look for the yellow GUTS shirts)
Red Gym (On Wisconsin Room) Join the CE Program as we learn about the culture and customs of India while enjoying FREE Indian food.

---Coming Soon---

CE-PSA Politics Forum

February 24th (next Wednesday ) 6:30pm
4th floor Caucus Room Student Activity Center
Conversational English is partnering with Pi Sigma Alpha (the Political Science Honors organization) to bring you a special event! At the CE-PSA Forum, CE Participants are invited to come ask the PSA members any (and we mean ANY!) questions you have about American politics (domestic or foreign policy). Although we invite you to ask any question you may have, we ask that you please remember to respect the opinions of others! This is a good opportunity for international students to have any questions they might have about American politics looked at, but also to learn what ideas are popular amongst young Wisconsinites!

2010-02-15T08:45:00.000-08:00

Kelly the Office Manager Here!!!

I can't believe it's time again to expand the GUTS team. Over the last year I have been working at GUTS I have seen an organization come together in an attempt to truly better student life on campus. Now it is your chance to join the team and I encourage all to do so. Apply Apply Apply and come to the info session tonight- you may never have the chance again to make THIS much of a difference on campus and get paid!
Here's what you need to know!

GUTS is in the process of hiring 11 new people for next semester.
An informational session is being held tonight at 6:30pm and 7:30pm at the GUTS office, SAC #4413, 4th floor, 333 E Campus Mall.

This is the time to learn more about GUTS and the positions we are hiring for next year.
See you there!

and remember...

All applications are due by February 22nd! Please follow the link to the Student Job Center to read about each job and apply if interested:

http://jobcenter.wisc.edu/Home.aspx
or visit
http://guts.studentorg.wisc.edu/

Thank you! Stay Cool

We need Study Skills Advisers!

2010-02-12T15:14:00.000-08:00

In our ever-present desire to expand, the Study Skills department has reached a conclusion. WE NEED MORE PEOPLE!!!

Shocking, I know.

We are looking for 3-4 for people to join our team of amazing (and reliable) Study Skills advisers. Advisers are paired with students that have come to us for for help in any number of different arenas. From a holistic viewpoint, we address issues of time management, stress, motivation, concentration, note-taking, reading strategies, test preparation, speed reading etc, etc...

We also hold monthly training for our advisers to inform, discuss, get feedback and share experience. They're pretty fun.

If you may be interested in joining the team, hop on over to the GUTS website and email us. We'll be in touch and get you advising!

CE Events recently

2010-02-12T10:36:00.001-08:00

Next Wednesday CE English Lesson is coming back.

Our new tutor Kenny knows five language and is going to teach international student in 3 formats (idiom, article and discussion, humor).

More information about English Lesson is available on Guts website.

First Lesson: Article Discussion - World Texting Champion
Time: Feb 17th, Wednesday, 6:30-7:30
Place: Caucus Room(4024), 4th floor of student activity center

We are also going to have our political event soon on Feb 24th. We'll have discussion about the heated political events and answer any questions about politics.

Last but not least, our conversation hour is Every Thursday 4p-5p. It's a great chance to practice English and meet new friend.

Violet

A Valentine Haiku for YOU!

2010-02-08T14:56:00.000-08:00

GUTS how I love you
Will you be my Valentine,
And make my day great?

-A squared

Academic Match

2010-02-08T14:45:00.000-08:00

Hello all!

The Academic Match program is currently in the process of matching students into small tutoring groups. We have over 30 groups formed already, with many more to go! Feel free to stop by the office, give us a call, or send us an email if you have any questions about how AM works. We are ALWAYS in need of tutors, so sign up ASAP if you are interested! Tutors for all courses are welcome! Thanks!

-Nicole and Alex

Welcome to February.

2010-02-02T12:28:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, happy February!

I'd like to start this post off with a quote from author and syndicated cartoonist Ashleigh Brilliant who says, "My life has a superb cast but I can't figure out the plot." Have you ever wondered about life's purpose? Or about what the whole point is? I would like to argue that the answer to these questions doesn't really matter, and the more time we spend trying to find the solution, the more of life we let pass us by.

Coming to college is a huge life experience. No matter what stage you're at in your academic career, chances are you're still trying to figure out exactly what you want out of life and your future. You're probably still trying to find yourself and at times worry about how others view you. The University is so extremely large and the number of activites, sports, and various opportunities for you to immerse yourself in are innumerable. Sometimes, in the process of trying to find yourself, you lose yourself. I want to stress how important it is for all of us to be true to who we are. Fill your time with self-reflection, physical activity, studying, and that superb cast that accepts you for the wonderful person you are. As cheesy as it may sound, let your inner light shine-it'll make the world a brighter place.

Peace, happiness, and...warmth,
Kasandra Brown

Study Skills Coordinator

2010-01-27T16:47:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

Drop-In is looking for new tutors for the Spring semester of this brand new year 2010. Many tutors are returning which only reinforces how good of a program Drop-In is, and how much you can get out of it. Last semester we helped 703 students, and this semester we hope to strive just as much. If you would like to become a Drop-In tutor or even find out more information, come into the GUTS office on the 3rd floor, 4413 in the Student Activity Center or email me at guts-di@rso.wisc.edu. I will be putting together a schedule over the next week and a half and hosting orientations as well, so hurry up. For those of you that have already signed up, you will be receiving an email very soon.

Drop-In will open its doors on Sunday February 7th at the newly renovated College Library Drop-In Center, and at its satellite center at 4413 Student Activity Center on Tuesday February 9th. Check the GUTS website for the published schedule grid to get updated tutor information as the date approaches. http://guts.studentorg.wisc.edu/

my best

Lee Jastrow
Drop-In Coordinator

Onward Bound

2010-01-27T13:44:00.000-08:00

So here I am...I am in my last semester at the UW of Madison. I will soon graduate and be on my merry little way. In other words, I've almost succeeded in climbing out of the boiling pot and into the red-hot fire of El Diablo. Worrying about what to do after we graduate is something that eats at most of us. I, for one, am in dire need of finding a job this summer. Some of us dread leaving what may be the best years of our lives and might try to cling to any semi-advernturous opportunity that comes our way. But we still need to make money, right?

However, I've discovered a sly little loophole in the whole "get a job" thing after college. My answer for those who still don't know what they want but want to do something new? Teach English abroad. And somewhere different than here (i.e. not Western Europe). South America, Asia, etc. Although it's not necessarily or always easy to qualify for such a position, it's certainly obtainable if you put effort towards it...especially in less picky schools in China. In some places you can make a solid income compared to the locals around you. It'll be different than what you're used to but that's the point. Break your confort zone...it'll be healthy for you. Do it for a year, enjoy the local culture, and daddle a little into the local language. Develop your skills well enough and you create resume gold. Successfully surviving this sort of experience builds confidence and a more open mind. Most importantly for me, it forces us to become more independent.

The path (or loophole) that I personally am seeking involves not teaching English abroad but studying a foreign language (Mandarin Chinese) through a scholarship that allows me to enrichen my coffers, not drain them. I'm a sly dog like that. However, that kind of opportunity is not guaranteed so my Plan B is to do as I perscribed above. Spending 1-2 years in China or Taiwan? Yes please.

Until next time,
Michael

2010-01-21T10:28:00.000-08:00

It's a new semester...a chance to start over with a clean plate. While it is easy to fill your plate with class, study time, your favorite tv shows, and friends, make sure to leave room for "brain food". This article from Live Science, http://www.livescience.com/health/090107-brain-food.html, explores the best foods to eat to ensure your brain is prepared for all the other activities taking up room on your plate.

Still in Winter Break mode? Make a Study and Learning Skills appointment at the McBurney Disability Resource Center to get back into the swing of things. Call 608-263-2741 to make a one-on-one appointment. We can help with topics such as time management, test anxiety, procrastination, reading comprehension, and more!

Hope to see you soon!
Abby
-Study and Learning Skills Specialist

Let's Not Snow This Out of Proportion But...

2009-12-10T11:10:00.000-08:00

Hello again! This is Michael from CE and I am here to rant about the winter. So we had our first blizzard of the season and the first full snow day since 1990 and I can't help but smirk at this. Although the Farmer's Almanac predicted that we will have a pestilential winter this year, many more "scholarly" sources said that this winter, in comparison the past few, will be more mild. The score thus far: Farmers: 1, Meteorologists: 0.

During my high school years (2001-05) we never had white Christmases. It never snowed until January. Seasonal snowfall was meager, never reaching 50 inches. That changed however when I migrated on over to the UW to attend college. How lucky was I to discover that as soon as I needed to start walking outside all day between classes, the weather of Wisconsin decided to berserk and deviate from its previous behavior. Thanks, Badger State. The past few winters have been record-setting in snow volume and frequency (snow in November was not uncommon). Last year, we broke the previous record of seasonal snowfall: ~79 inches. The new record to beat: a whooping ~101 inches. Wow. Although it makes for a nice white Christmas, it also makes for a hassle-filled end to first semester.

Because Wisconsin's change from autumn to winter can happen very abruptly, it is important to be prepared for winter and have everything you'll need. That said, I have prepared a list of things to have/keep in mind in order to properly prepare you for the advent of winter.

1) A massive, thick winter coat. In the midst of the Ice Age fashion should be the last of your concerns. Not everyone needs a $200 North Face parka (and a nice-looking peatcoat might not cut it during the most savage days of winter). Dress thick and warm. It is okay to walk around campus looking like a giant blob of coats. Besides, the more fashionable you look the harder I laugh when you slip on Bascom Hill.

2) Warm pockets to keep your iPod or cell phone in. People, including myself, like to walk between classes whilst listening to tunes. The cold, however, likes to suck out the battery power of electric goods like iPods or cell phones. Last year, my cell phone even broke simply because I was walking around outside too often with it in my pocket. The coldness scrambled my ability to get new voicemails. Likewise, my iPod was want to die and think it was out of battery even if I had just charged it 100% a few hours earlier. My advice is to keep these things in internal pockets if you have them.
3) Girls should never, never wear high heels. If you need them for something, bring them but don't wear them out on the ice. I don't pity the girls who slip on Bascom Hill's ice while during high heels. I laugh at them.
4) The warmer your coat, the less you need to wear underneath. This is benefitial for when you go inside places that have the heat pumped sky high. Too often my freshman year I made the mistake of trekking to class in long underwear and thick sweaters only to find myself sweating profusely in the middle of Feburary. Gross.

5) A scarf. On the coldest of days, this should be worn around your face, not just around your neck. Who cares if you look like a winter ninja, at least now your snot won't be freezing in your nose.

6) Wool socks. These are not necessary if you will not be outside for long. However, if you intend to find yourself outside for an extended period of time, wearing wool socks is heavenly. There will be no cold toes for you!
7) Hot chocolate is eternally delicious.

See you next semester!

Study Skills is Growing!

2009-12-02T12:30:00.001-08:00

The Study Skills program has steadily increased the amount of people it reaches since its inception in 1974. Along with the individual appointments, Study Skills has begun to develop workshops, research new material and maintain collaborative relationships accross the campus community.
We feel that the most meaningful interactions that we have as a program are the one-one-one sessions with our specialists. However, with the increasing amount of people sigining up and the new directions our program is going, we are making some changes.

We need your help!

Instead of our specialists conducting individual appointments, we are going to train a team of Study Skills Advisers that will conduct initial appointments, do follow-up meetings and maintain a system of support for students throughout the semester.

If you are interested in becoming a Study Skills Adviser...

CONTACT US

send us an email or come into our office anytime. Training will start at the beginning of next semester. Hope you can help out!

Conversational English Weekly Events!

2009-11-19T13:18:00.000-08:00

Conversation Hour, Every Monday 1:00 pm
Informal gathering to practice speaking English led by CE Coordinator Amy. Located in the GUTS office.

CE English Lesson, Every Tuesday at 7:30 pm
Come read and discuss a current article, all the while practicing pronunciation and learning vocabulary and idioms. Meets in the Student Activity Center, ask us for location specifics!

Conversational English Tea and Activity Hour, Every Thursday at 4:00 pm
CE Coordinator Michael will be leading a casual conversation hour at a location called the Satellite from 4pm-5pm. It is located at 717 W Johnson Street. The entrance is under the bridge between Witte Dormitory and Gordon Commons (the cafeteria). If you have any questions about the location, please call the Satellite at 262-6791.

ISS International Conversation and Coffee Hour, Every Friday at 12:00 pm
Relaxing time to meet new people while practicing speaking English! At the Memorial Union.

All Hallow's Eve

2009-11-02T14:20:00.000-08:00

Because this year was my last Halloween at the University of Madison, I thought it might be proper for me to reflect upon my experiences with the Holiday. [Random Fact: for those of you who do not know, the culture of Halloween as the modern world knows it today is a North American (US & Canada) invention but the holiday originates from Ireland.]

This year was my first time going to State Street since they began to charge money for entrance. The last time I went was the last time it was free...and believe me, I miss the chaos. It wasn't as exciting this year, but I guess something had to be done to control the out-of-state folks who came just to relish in the mayhem. This year I even got to watch the State Street event from the roof of an apartment on State Street!

Anyways, I thought I'd rate all of my costumes from across my years and show you the best, worst, and simplest ones. I've gone as many things and people...Indiana Jones, a cowboy, a zombie, and so on. I think the simplest costume I ever went as was...

A man getting eaten by a shark. I took the shark costume, threw it on over my body. Costume complete. This was my freshmen year at UW.

But some people on State Street liked it. I, however, was not too proud of myself. My best costume, the pinnacle of my creativity, I think, was...

Kim Jong Il, Glorious Leader of North Korea.This was my costume THIS year.

People love to make fun of that guy. However, a costume they would make fun of even more is my worst costume, which was...

Peter Pan. How manly. If I had gone as Hercules maybe I would have grown up to be over six feet tall.

Now that my last Halloween at UW is over, I think Halloween will only get boring for me unless I have Halloween parties to still go to. From here out in, Halloween will mostly just mean handing out candy to trick-or-treaters until I have kids of my own who I have to lead around to get candy (that part will be fun, I suppose). I also get to look forward to dressing up my children in horrendous cutsie costumes so that they grow up with a grudge against me, haha.

This is Michael of GUTS: Conversational English, signing off once again.

GUTS is Hiring!!

2009-10-28T20:34:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Are you looking for more experience working with people with disabilities? The Greater University Tutoring Service, also known as GUTS, has a job opening for the spring semester 2009 as a Study and Learning Skills Specialist at the McBurney Disability Resource Center. It is a paid 15-20 hours/week job which will give you excellent experience working one-on-one with people with disabilities.

If you are interested, look at the full job description at: http://guts.studentorg.wisc.edu/ForHire/McB%20JOB%20DESCRIPTION-1.pdf

To apply, simply e-mail your cover letter and resume to the GUTS e-mail address:
guts@rso.wisc.edu

The deadline to apply is Friday November 6!! The interviews will begin in mid-November.

Feel free to email me with any questions about the position at guts-slss@rso.wisc.edu!

Abby- Study and Learning Skills Specialist

Kopperton Checks In

2009-10-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody-

First, I would like say that I am proud of every one's work already this year. DI is continuing to be solid. AM is rocking. CE's new Give and Take program is inventive and helpful. For the first time ever, we have a commercial, and we are going to be making a another one.

I would like to tell all of you that GUTS is working on a new program. We are not ready to reveal all the details about it yet. But I can tell you that it could greatly benefit all UW undergrads.

Since I cannot share much more information about it with you, I've decided to share some other interesting information with you in the following links:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/opinion/28friedman.html
This is an article by Thomas Friedman of the New York Times. I look forward to reading his articles because he has the best connections in the world - no kidding. He knows everybody, from foreign politicians, to domestic CEOs, to top scientists, to influential celebrities. And, they all like him, even those in the Middle East. Although I do not agree with all of his opinions, many of his points are hard to disagree with.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ys-forbesoverpaid102309&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
This is an article a friend sent me about overpaid NBA players. It points out an imbalance with big (as in tall) players' contracts and their stats. Andrew Bogut is a star of the article. Which provided me with the first piece of hard mathematical evidence to my continuous argument that Bogut was a terrible draft pick (#1 overall in the 2005 draft). Most notables picked behind him: #3 Deron Williams, #4 Chris Paul, #10 Andrew Bynum, #17 Danny Granger, and the list goes on.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/06/0613_050613_sharkfacts.html
This article was sent to me because I was recently made a fool. I believed my friend when she said she was bitten by a shark. Idiot, right.

Enjoy,

Chris Kopp
SAGE Coordinator

GUTS Drop-IN

2009-10-27T14:00:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

This is just a post letting everyone know that GUTS Drop-In is in full Swing at College Library and the Student Activity Center (SAC). The College Library Center is located on the first floor, and the SAC center is in room 4413. Full schedules of tutors are found at the GUTS website for both the centers so be sure to check them out, and remember that you can use the Drop-In centers as much as you want. Here's a link to the schedule: http://guts.studentorg.wisc.edu/dropinschedule.htm. We have tutors in all the most common classes (Chem, Math, Physics, Econ, and more) and the centers are open Sunday through Thursday. If anyone has any questions feel free to email me and let me know,

Lee Jastrow
guts-di@rso.wisc.edu

Adventures in the life of a GUTS Study Skills Specialist

2009-10-27T12:51:00.000-07:00

Dzien Dobry to all of you avid followers of the GUTS blog. I write to you today from the brightly decorated walls of the GUTS office in the SAC. If you haven't stopped by, please do. Come critique the highly esteemed artwork or chat with whoever is in the office.

I work within the Study Skills Department. We really like seeing students who want to learn better ways to effectively study. We have great tips and real world experience to enable YOU to be a superstar when it comes to studying. I've been in the office for almost a year and truly utilize the tips I teach. My favorite tip is to use a time management grid to plan your days. It helps to see that you actually have little breaks that you can use to study, instead of studying all at night.

As a Senior about to graduate in December, I encourage all of you to come utilize what GUTS has to offer! We have fabulous programs and are here to help you gain the skills to succeed in college!
-Liz

Academic Match Update

2009-10-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

Sign up for Academic Match tutoring will be closing THIS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30th! If you are still looking for a tutor, please stop by our office and fill out a tutee registration form so that we may try to match you as soon as possible! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

CE Events Week of October 26th!

2009-10-23T05:41:00.000-07:00

Monday October 26th

CE Conversation Hour, 1-2 at the GUTS office. Please come to this great opportunity to talk to peers in English! This informal discussion focuses on a varying topic week to week, this time focusing on the general theme of healthcare! Don't know anything about it? Then come and learn! No preparation is necessary!

Tuesday October 27th

NEW! CE English Lesson, 7:30-8:30 pm at the Student Activity Center. Come work with our volunteer tutor who will be teaching this class! The class will be based on a current news article through which students will practice pronunciation, learn vocabulary, and have discussion or debate about! There will also be a fun activity to work on speaking English in real life situations!

Thursday October 29th

Conversational Tea and Activity Hour, 4-5 pm at the Satellite. The conversation is always interesting at this casual event! The relaxed atmosphere makes it a comfortable place to makes it a great place to meet new faces!

Friday October 30th

ISS International Conversation and Coffee Hour, 12-2. Either meet Michael at the GUTS office to walk over together, or directly meet at Memorial Union.

NEW! CE Halloween Party, 6:00pm. Next Friday come to the Student Activity Center to celebrate Halloween with fellow CE participants! There will be a short presentation about Halloween followed by watching the movie E.T. Come enjoy some tasty treats while learning new idioms and vocabulary, and discussion among friends! And please feel free to wear a costume!

GUTS on youtube!

2009-10-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

GUTS' staff have put together a commercial for the very first time...
We hope you will enjoy and more importantly, join GUTS!

-- Vivian

2009-10-20T10:24:00.001-07:00

CE et Moi

2009-10-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

你好 everyone…this is Michael O’Connor, the Conversational English External Relations Specialist over at GUTS. Today I’ll be blogging about some of my experiences with international students in CE.

My major itself has been shaped by my experiences with CE. I am majoring in International Studies and East Asian Studies, so the countries that captivate my interest the most are China, Japan, Taiwan, and the Koreas. This has not always been the case! For the first two years of college I found Europe much more enticing and focused my studies there. That all changed once I joined CE (although I still need to visit Ireland!). My first partner was in the summer. She was a girl from South Korea and she introduced me to Korean food and some cultural differences that she noticed between Americans and Koreans. I became much more aware of "little" things like body language, eye contact, and how horribly fast I spoke English, slurring all my words together. My friends still remark to me that they are amazed I tutor English when even they cannot understand me sometimes...

My conversational partner my junior year was from Japan and helping her practice her English was my first prolonged (one year) experience working with an international student. From her my knowledge of Japan expanded exponentially, moving beyond commonly known-about things like Nintendo (which I love) and sushi (which I also love). By the end of the year, I knew that I had an interest in visiting Japan and learning Japanese (which is sadly still TBA). Today, my former conversation partner and I are still in contact—writing letters (that’s right, with stamps and all—the old fashioned way) to each other about where our lives are heading. As a wee child I regarded Japan as a mysterious and near-mythical place and I knew very little about it beyond my avid interest towards things like Nintendo and Godzilla (or Pokemon cards with Japanese on them). Now that I have friends there and have actually visited Japan (albeit only for five days) I have a much more realistic and less nerdy interest in Japan...eh actually it's still pretty nerdy.

Japan:

My “conversion” to Asia was fully completed that summer, when I went to China to teach English to children in a cram school. There I spent a significant amount of my free time studying Mandarin. I found it much more engaging than French (the language I had previously studied) although I wasn't really sure why. It was just fun and different. Upon my return to Wisconsin and my studies, I received a new CE partner--a grad student from China. My new partner, although a student in physics, was very interested in international politics and was eager to talk me about China. He and his wife are also qualified to be Chinese teachers, so I was able to consult them with questions about Mandarin (which I had frequently). Over time, meeting with him and his wife multiplied my interest in China (and the love of its food). One year ago I looked at spicy food with disdain but now I love it (minus the heartburn)! Although I had left China thinking that the foreign language I truly wanted to learn was yet to be found, by the end of the year with my Chinese tutee Mandarin was back on my plate.

Me in China:

As another consequence, I took (and still am taking) many more China-oriented classes in History, Political Science, & Sociology. Lastly, French has become a thing of the past (desolé, mes amis français) and I am now enrolled in Chinese. One of my favorite hobbies has become annoying my American friends by speaking to them in Chinese and annoying my Chinese friends by constantly berating them with questions about Mandarin.

In this new year, I have gone full circle. My new tutee is from South Korea again and now that I am much more interested in East Asia I look forward to learning as much about it as I did for Japan and China.

w00t,
Until next time.
-Michael

Pen from the future

2009-09-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

When I picture the year 2050 I see flying cars, houses that self clean, and robots that make dinner. However, there seems to be a little piece of the future that has landed right here in 2009...the smart pen. This pen has been on the market for two years, and combines many forms of technology into one innovative tool that can assist with note-taking. The experience of seeing this incredible tool at work cannot compare to a written description of it, but nonetheless I will try my best to do it justice. When using this pen students have to write on specially made notebooks that appear to be any old spiral notebook. However, at the bottom of the page there is a sort of tool bar that has a record, stop, play, jump, bookmark and other buttons. When a student sits down in class to take notes he or she would press the record button on the bottom of the page of notes and simply start writing in ink with the pen on the notebook page. When the student has completed taking notes for the lecture that smartpen enables he or she to return to any point in the text that they wrote, touch the text with the pen, and the voice recording aspect of the pen will sync to the point in the professor's lecture when the student wrote that word. The notes and lecture can also be uploaded to the computer. More information can be found about the smartpen at livescribe.com. This futuristic tool is very difficult to conceive without seeing it in action so the Study and Learning Skills specialist at McBurney are now doing demonstrations of the smartpen. If you think this would be something that would help with your note-taking capabilities feel free to make an appointment with a Study and Learning Skills Specialist by calling the McBurney Center at 608-263-2741 or stopping by the office at 1305 Linden Drive.

-- Abby

Are you coming down with flu?

2009-09-25T19:26:00.000-07:00

Many of GUTS tutors and tutees have flu-like symptom. If you are not feeling well, the most important things are sleep, fluids, and fever control. Get as much rest as possible. Drink plenty of fluids, such as water, juice, and herbal tea. Even if you feel nauseated or have no appetite, keep your fluids up so you don’t get dehydrated. Use pain relievers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, as directed, to control your fever and body aches.

Influenza and other flu-like illnesses can make you feel very sick for three to five days. Even after the worst of your symptoms are over, you may not feel like yourself for a week or more, so take it easy.

By the way, do you know what is the right way to sneeze? If you don't have tissue near you, you should...

Get smarter and study will be easier!

2009-09-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

Here are 12 hacks that will amp up your brainpower

1: Distract Yourself

Desperate to memorize a crucial fact? The trick is to distract yourself by studying stuff that's slightly different from whatever you're trying to learn. Your brain will then work harder to permanently store the original information. It's a tricky concept, but here's an example: In 2007, researchers asked UCLA students to try to memorize a set of 48 word pairs (country: Russia, fruit: lemon, flower: lily, etc.). After studying the list, some students then had to sit through a slide show and view closely related material (flower: rose). Guess what? The distracted students performed better on subsequent recall tests. "Distraction forces you to engage in processing," says Benjamin Storm, a UCLA researcher who oversaw the study. Hey, up in the sky — is that a blimp?

2: Caffeinate With Care

Coffee, yerba maté, Red Bull — there's a caffeinated beverage for every demographic. And no wonder: Caffeine jump-starts the body and sharpens the mind. But studies suggest that we Yanks are doing it wrong. For optimal brain gain, regular tea breaks, as favored in the UK, are more effective than a 20-ounce French roast sucked down at Starbucks in lieu of breakfast.
Throughout the day, your noodle fills up with adenosine, a chemical thought to cause mental fatigue. Caffeine blocks the brain's adenosine receptors, countering the chemical's dulling effects. To maximize alertness and minimize jitters, keep those receptors covered with frequent small doses — like a mug of low-caf tea or half a cup of joe — rather than a onetime blast. Test subjects reported that periodic small shots made them feel clearheaded and calm, both of which enhance mental performance. Even better, add a lump of sugar or have a carbohydrate-rich snack at the same time for an extra cognitive kick. It seems that glucose and caffeine together do more to enhance cognition than either does alone.

3: Choose Impressive Information

4. Think Positive

Learning new things actually strengthens your brain — especially when you believe you can learn new things. It's a virtuous circle: When you think you're getting smarter, you study harder, making more nerve-cell connections, which in turn makes you ... smarter. This effect shows up consistently among experimental subjects, from seventh graders to college students to businesspeople. According to studies carried out by Stanford University psychology professor Carol Dweck and others, volunteers with a so-called growth mindset about learning ("persist in the face of setbacks") have more brain plasticity. In other words, their noggins are more adaptable. They exhibit increases in cognitive performance compared with those who have a so-called fixed mindset ("get defensive or give up easily"). "Many people believe they have a fixed level of intelligence, and that's that," Dweck says. "The cure is to change the mindset."

5: Do the Right Drugs

Get to know what does the drug do as well as its side effect.

6: Juice Your IQ Score

7: Know Your Brain

8: Don't Panic

If you're fleeing a cave bear, it's good to be stressed — you'll run faster. If you're stepping onto the set with Alex Trebek, that same anxiety will put your brain in jeopardy. While a little nervousness can boost cognitive performance, periods of intense stress essentially turn us into Neanderthals: The amygdala, known as the fear center, one of the most primitive brain regions, overrides the prefrontal cortex, which handles working memory and executive function. "When those deep brain areas are active, they shanghai your cortical neurons," says psychiatrist Edward Hallowell, author of CrazyBusy. "Your IQ plummets. Your creativity, your sense of humor — all of that disappears. You're stupid." How to quiet your inner caveman? By slowing and synchronizing your pulse and respiration, thus sending a message to your brain that everything is cool. Yoga or power napping could do the trick. Or try the StressEraser, a biofeedback device that suggests a target breathing rate to help you calm down. That should help you nail that Daily Double.

9: Embrace chaos

One way to learn Better: Mix yourself up. That's advice from Robert Bjork, chair of UCLA's psychology department and a leading expert in memory and learning. Volunteers in his experiments exhibited superior recall when they learned information in randomly ordered chunks. For example, he asked subjects in one group to memorize five-letter sequences on a computer keyboard. First they learned one sequence, then moved on to the second, and then the third. Compare that to a second group of volunteers, who practiced the five-letter combos in a random order. When tested, the random group had much better recall — something to remember when you sit down to memorize stolen-base success rates before your next fantasy baseball draft.

10: Get Visual

Images help you to rember things better!

11: Exercise Wisely

Can exercise make you think better? In some cases, yes. Here's what works best.

Aerobic Training

Don't cut that PE class! In 2006, Arthur Kramer of the University of Illinois used MRIs to prove that aerobic exercise builds gray and white matter in the brains of older adults. Later studies found that more aerobically fit grade-schoolers also perform better on cognitive tests

Impact on intelligence: Strong

Lifting Weights
When weight lifters talk about getting huge, they aren't referring to their hippocampus. Researchers have found only the most tenuous link between heavy resistance training and improved cognitive function. Got that, meathead?

Impact on intelligence: Negligible

Yoga

When facing a stressful situation or even a scary email, people often hold their breath. Yoga can break that habit. Under pressure, "most people breathe incorrectly," says Frank Lawlis, a fellow of the American Psychological Association and author of The IQ Answer. The result: more stress and less oxygen to your brain. "So the first thing that goes is your memory."

Impact on intelligence: Possibly strong

Studying on the StairMaster

A spinning class may rev up your mental muscle, but that doesn't mean you should study while huffing and puffing on the StairMaster. Research shows you'll just confuse yourself. "It's like doing something while you're driving," says Charles Hillman, a kinesiology professor at the University of Illinois. In other words, you won't do either task well.

Impact on intelligence: Negligible

12: Slow Down

It should take you two and a half seconds to read this sentence. Any faster and you won't absorb its meaning. The motor response of the retina, and the time it takes the image of a word to travel from the macula to the thalamus to the visual cortex for processing, limits the eye to about 500 words a minute. (That's peak efficiency; the average college student can expect a rate about half that.) "There is no such thing as speed reading," says Keith Rayner a cognitive psychologist at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. "Not if your definition of reading is comprehending text." Studies show that fast readers fare worse than slower ones when questioned about the text. So, to get smarter, slow down. It's even OK

GUTS Academic Match Program

2009-09-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

AM has recently started matching for a variety of courses. We currently have only 52 unmatched tutees, and have been able to successfully match 25 tutoring groups! Chemistry tutors for all levels are still needed, as always, and Math tutors would be great as well! So far, it sounds like all of our tutors are doing a great job, and the groups are all running smoothly. Keep up the good work guys!

ISS Fun Events!

2009-09-17T18:28:00.000-07:00

Hungry for some conversational English opportunities!? Check out these events with ISS!

LGBT Social: S’mores and More
Friday, September 18, 6:30PM- 8:30PM
Picnic Point, Fire Circle #2
Does an evening spent relaxing with nature walks, a bonfire by the lake, good company, guitar music, and a chance to roast hotdogs and s’mores sound good to you? Then join this inclusive ISS social event for all LGBTQ international students, friends and allies of LGBTQ students. (What are s’mores, you ask? Come and find out!)

Planes, Trains and Automobiles: Navigating Transportation Options in Madison
Thursday, September 24, 6:30PM- 8PM
MSC Lounge, Red Gym and Armory
Welcome to the wonderful world of transportation. Have you ever wondered how to take a bus to the airport, get to West Towne Mall, or visit wonderful places in Madison you’ve read about? Don’t stay home when you’d rather be out! Come learn about how you can gain regular access to a car or buy an inexpensive bicycle. We’ll cover bus routes, car programs, and much more in this lively, interactive session.

2009-09-10T09:24:00.000-07:00

GUTS is ready for the Fall 09 Semester!

2009-09-03T10:07:00.000-07:00

GUTS is ready for the Fall 09 Semester.

Starting this semester, We have extended the office hours to accommodate the increasing needs of our service.

Here are our new office hours:

Monday 11am - 5pm
Tuesday 11am - 9pm
Wednesday 11am - 9pm
Thursday 11am - 5pm
Friday 11am - 1pm

CE Cookie Decorating!

2009-04-27T17:24:00.000-07:00

Come decorate some sweet cookies!

Wednesday April 29, 6:30 pm
Meet in the Project Room, 3rd floor Student Activity Center
Bring friends in the CE program and your partner!
Please come celebrate your participation in the CE program with cookies and conversation!

GUTS is hiring!

2009-04-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

GUTS is hiring for the following positions:

Office Manager ($9.19/hr, 12 - 18 hrs/week)

McBurney Study Skills Specialist ($9.19/hr, 12 - 20 hrs/week)

Study Skills Curriculum Specialist ($9.19/hr, 12 - 18 hrs/week)

Study Skills Outreach Specialist ($9.19/hr, 12 - 18 hrs/week)

Conversational English Specialist (External Relations) ($9.19/hr, 12 -18hrs/week)

Detailed information can be found on GUTS' website: http://guts.studentorg.wisc.edu/ForHire/hiring.html

Employment with GUTS allows for a considerable amount of flexibility in work hours and requires the ability to work independently; however, some of hours must be worked during regular office hours -Monday-Friday, 11:00am-5:00pm.

Employment with GUTS requires student status at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

TO APPLY: Please submit the following:

1) Letter of Application / Cover Letter : In addition to highlighting your qualifications, please indicate the following: which position or positions (if more than one) you wish to be considered for, reasons for desiring the position(s), your student status, field of study, other plans for the academic year, local address, email, and phone number.

2) Resume: please include the names, titles, and phone numbers of three references.

3) Completed Applicant Information Form.

CE is Going to the Farmer's Market!

2009-04-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

What: CE is going to the Dane County Farmer's Market

When: Saturday April 25th 10:15 am

Where: Meet in front of the University Book Store on State Street at 10:15 am (between the book store and Memorial Library). From there we'll walk down State Street to the Capital Square where the market takes place.

Why: Explore the Farmer's Market with other CE participants and coordinators!

What do I need: Don't forget to bring CASH so you can buy goods at the market!

Dr. Conversation

2009-04-20T14:49:00.000-07:00

What does it mean when something 'takes guts?'

When something 'takes guts,' that means to do that thing takes courage! For example, it takes guts to sky dive! It also takes guts to bungee jump. Sky diving and bungee jumping are extreme sports that require courage to do.

You could also use this term 'guts' to talk about whether or not a person is brave enough to do something: "Do you think Nancy has the guts to jump into Lake Mendota in the middle of winter?" A person can also not have guts: "No way man, Nancy doesn't have the guts to do that!"

Dr. Conversation

2009-04-16T19:20:00.000-07:00

What does the expression "Don't put all your eggs in same basket" mean?

Let's give a situation in which this phrase could be used:

My good friend Sally was really determined to become a professional gymnast for a living. She went to practice hours each day, spent much money on hiring the best trainers, and was thinking about dropping out of high school to train full time. However, her grandmother advised her, "Don't put all your eggs in same basket!" What she meant by this was that Sally should not invest everything into becoming a gymnast, because what if something went wrong? For instance, what if Sally broke her ankle? Then it would be unlikely for her to become a gymnast, and since she did not invest in her schooling, that may put her future in jeopardy.

The expression "don't put all your eggs in the same basket" means just that; it is a bad idea to put all your eggs into one basket because if you drop it, you will then lose all your eggs!

CE Knitting Night Photo!

2009-04-16T14:44:00.000-07:00

The knitting night was great! Several CE participants learned how to knit!

Feel sorry you missed out??

Don't worry, we'll be having another knitting night Thursday April 30 at 5:00pm in the GUTS office!

GUT's CE Program Travels to Eagle Hts!!!

2009-04-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

GUT's Conversational English (CE) program is making plans to bring its services into the community of Eagle Heights. This month we visited the community center and presented at the monthly International Potluck. We received a great response, and viewed some amazing cultural talent.

2009-04-05T22:55:00.000-07:00

Dr. C. Answers:
How do you know when to say "yes" instead of "yeah?"

"Yeah" is an informal version of yes, so you will often hear American students saying it to their peers or family members. "Yes" is more polite to say, so it is commonly used at job interviews, formal events, or when answering to a person you respect or want to impress. If you are not sure which to use in different situations, it is always safe to stick with "yes!"

Dr. C. is the conversational English program's doctor of conversation. She is here to answer any and every question you may have about English usage, so please, ask away! Send an email to guts-ce@rso.wisc.edu with your questions.

CE: Sitcom Recommendation

2009-03-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

Check out 30 Rock!

The sitcom GUTS recommends you check out this week is 30 Rock! For those of you who are unfamiliar with the show, it was created by Tina Fey and depicts a fictional live comedy series on NBC. It is called “30 Rock” because of where NBC studios is actually located, at “30 Rockefeller Plaza,” and includes an awesome cast of characters. These include Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer, Scott Adsit, and Judah Friedlander, to name a few. The show has won numerous awards, and is still continuing to make us laugh!

Straight from the show’s website, “Hailed by Entertainment Weekly as not only "the best comedy on TV this year" but "simply the best TV," the Emmy Award-winning comedy "30 Rock" is told through the comedic voice of Golden Globe winner Tina Fey ("Liz Lemon") and features Golden Globe winner Alec Baldwin ("Jack Donaghy") as a top network executive and Tracy Morgan ("Tracy Jordan") as the unpredictable star of Lemon's hit variety show, "TGS with Tracy Jordan." Lemon constantly has her hands full, juggling corporate interference from Donaghy and off-the-handle star antics from Jordan, all while attempting to salvage her own personal life.” To learn more about the show and air times, visit the website at http://www.nbc.com/30_Rock/.

CE Open House

2009-03-24T13:06:00.000-07:00

CE Open House

Thursday April 2nd at 6:00 pm in the GUTS office

-A night filled with conversation, games, and treats!

-Meet the CE program coordinators and participants in the CE program.

-Check out the new GUTS office and learn about our upcoming events.

-Bring your CE partner or just come to meet some new faces!

CE Knitting Night

2009-03-24T12:45:00.001-07:00

CE Knitting Night

Thursday April 9th at 5:00 PM

Project Room, 3rd Floor Student Activity Center

Ever wonder how your sweater was made? Here’s your chance to learn!

• Work on your own projects, help CE Specialist Amy with an afghan to donate to Porchlight Inc., or come and learn this flexible art!

• FREE supplies will be provided to beginners!

• Remember, knitting is NOT just for grannies (even Russell Crow knits!), anyone is welcomed and encouraged to come!

Please let us know if you plan to attend and if you are a beginner so we can ensure to have supplies for you!

CE: Coffee hour @ ISS

2009-03-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

CE is going to the ISS International Conversation and Coffee Hour

Friday April 3^th 12-2 pm

Meet at GUTS office at 11:45 am

· Please Come to join us in ISS’s International Conversational Coffee Hour from 12-2pm!

· CE staff will meet with you at the GUTS office at 11:45am on April 3 and we’ll walk to Memorial Union together.

· It’s a relaxing time to meet new people and enjoy the conversation.

CE: Movie Night

2009-03-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

Come and enjoy a heartwarming comedy with the GUTS-CE staff on on

April 17, 2009 (Friday)
6:30 - 8:30pm
333 East Campus Mall
Hearing Room, 4th Floor

We will have a discussion after the movie. This is a great chance for you to have a conversation facilitated by the CE Coordinators on American culture.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off: Take the day off and watch John Hughes's uproarious ode to skipping school! Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) knows every trick to faking an illness (and offers a point-by point primer). With everyone convinced he's at death's door, Ferris grabs his girlfriend (Mia Sara) and best friend (Alan Ruck) and hits the streets of Chicago! But will the evil Dean of Students (Jeffrey Jones) put a premature end to Ferris's mental health day?

CE: Conversation Hour! (New)

2009-03-12T11:04:00.000-07:00

The CE Program is very excited to announce a new event that will be starting on Tuesday, March 31^st, 2009: the GUTS Conversation Hour! This event will be an opportunity for an informal gathering to converse in English in a comfortable setting, and will take place from 2-3PM every Tuesday afternoon. It will be led by two of our CE Specialists, Hiba and Amy, and they will be talking about whatever it is that you are interested in! Space is limited to the first five people who RSVP to this email, so please reply to this email ASAP to let us know if you would like to join! This will be yet another opportunity to improve your Conversational English skills, and a great way to meet some new friends. The Conversation Hour will take place in the GUTS office, and if enough people sign up, we will form a waiting list for future weeks.

We look forward to hearing from you! Enjoy your Spring Break!

CE: NEW CE Drop-In Hours

2009-03-12T11:01:00.000-07:00

Drop-In Hours (NEW)

Tuesday
2:00pm - 4:30pm

Wednesday
2:30pm - 5:00pm

Thursday
11:00am - 2:00pm
3:30pm - 5:00pm

CE: ISS Coffee Hours

2009-03-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

Please Come to join us in ISS’s International Conversational Coffee Hour from 12-2pm! CE staff will meet with you at GUTS office at 11:45am on April 3 and walk to Memorial Union together. It’s a relaxing time to meet new people and enjoy the conversation.

CE: ISS Events

2009-03-11T11:17:00.000-07:00

ISS Events GUTS will Participate in:

Interviewing Skills
Getting a job depends a lot on the interview. Learn how to prepare well and stay confident through tough questions.

Thursday, March 26, 5:00 - 6:30 pm
On Wisconsin Room, Red Gym

Taste of Cultures
Learn about cultures and customs while enjoying authentic food. All for FREE! Space is limited to the first 150 people. Thursday, April 2, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Tripp Commons, Memorial Union

Global Dialogue: Environmental Racism
Join American and international students for a dynamic discussion on the topic, “Who is expendable and at what cost?” Great refreshments and food provided. Monday, April 6, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Pine Room, Carson’s Gulley

Applying to Grad School
Most grad school applications are due in December or January, so now is the time to start planning ahead. This workshop will cover the application process, the search for the right graduate program, general information on assistantships, and an opportunity to ask questions and hear from current graduate students.

Media Room, Red Gym
Wednesday, April 15, 6:00 - 7:30 pm

Intercultural Night
Join the Wisconsin International Student Association, ISS and others for the sixth annual Intercultural Night. Cultural performances from around the world will grace the stage, providing audience members a unique opportunity to experience the global diversity that exists on campus. Tuesday, April 21, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Union Theatre, Memorial Union

International Student Graduation Reception
Hosted by the Wisconsin Alumni Association, along with ISS, this farewell reception celebrates the achievements of international students graudating at the end of the semester. All graduating international students are invited and welcome to bring guests. Watch for registration information in Access ISS.

Wednesday, April 22, 5:30 - 7:30 pm
AT&T Lounge, Pyle Center

The Office: The Presence of Picasso in GUTS office

2009-03-04T11:49:00.000-08:00

GUTS' staff got to do some creative paintings at the staff meeting yesterday. These beautiful paintings will display in the GUTS office starting today.

Please stop by our office and take a look at these "master works". Admission is free!

Seriously, we need to get an Art tutor!!

SS: Free Individual study Lesson

2009-03-03T12:48:00.000-08:00

What is an individual Study Skills session?
Individual appointments are the most personalized service offered by the Study Skills program. The appointments are free, one-on-one meetings with a trained Study Skills peer advisor that generally last about one hour.

Study Skills appointments are tailored to address your concerns. Specialists can address concerns about a specific class or general study techniques. Some of our most popular options include:

Working with the student to develop a personalized time management schedule.
Techniques designed to address test anxiety and exam preparation.
Learning note taking methods.
Learning efficient reading strategies.
Improving memory and concentration skills.

What is a Study Skills workshop?
Campus organizations interested in helping their members improve their study skills can set up workshops for groups of 5 to 150 people. We will tailor to the needs of your group.

During workshops we anwer questions on study skills topics and offer suggestions to better their abilities to "Study Smarter, Not Harder." Workshops can give a broad overview of study skill topics or focus on a specific topic, such as exam preparation.

McBurney Study Skills Service
Students who qualify for services at the McBurney Disability Resource Center can meet with Study Skills specialists on a regular basis to receive on-going assistance. Call 608-263-5177 to schedule an appointment and meet with a study specialist.

AM & DI: Yes, We Can...

2009-03-03T10:12:00.000-08:00

Yes, we can definitely help you with your academic study!
Here are the two ways you can get help from:

1. Academic Match(AM)

The Academic Match program matches UW student volunteer tutors with UW students seeking weekly help in academic subjects.

AM provides group tutoring in Match, Physics, Chemistry, foreign languages, Computer Science, Economics, Statistics, and more. Academic groups are led by one volunteer tutor and include no more than six members. Groups meet for two hours every week. Once you submit your registration, our staff will match you to a volunteer tutor as soon as possible, depending on tutor availability. Please note, because our tutors are volunteers, we ca not guarantee that tutors will be available for every course.

Want to find out more? Email us: guts-am@rso.wisc.edu

If you are the type of person who is afraid of commitment but still want to get help with your academic work, we do have another option for you...

2. Drop-In(DI)

The Drop-In volunteer tutors provide immediate, short term assistance with subjects including: chemistry, physics, math, statistic, foreign language and biology.

Our Drop-In Center are located at Helen C. White library and require no previous registration. Drop-In tutors are available may be consulted regardless of whether or not you have been matched with a permanent tutor.

Schedules are available online at http://guts.studentorg.wisc.edu. Be sure to check the schedule before visiting a Drop-In Center as schedule before visiting a Drop-In Center as schedules tend to change week to week.

Want to find out more? email us: guts-di@rso.wisc.edu

CE: New Drop-In Program

2009-03-03T10:01:00.000-08:00

The Conversational English has started a new program this semester called CE Drop-In! All international are more than welcome to stop by during any of the listed times below to sepak with one of our CE coordinators, who will prepare a special topic to discuss each week. Feel free to utilize CE Drop-In as an additional resource to practice English and increase your understanding of U.S. culture, or simply to take a break from your study and have some fun!

CE Drop-In is located at:
Student Activity Center,
Office#4413

Drop-In hours:

Tuesday
11:00am - 1:00pm
2:00pm - 3:30pm

Wednesday
2:30pm - 5:00pm

Thursday
11:00am - 2:00pm
3:30pm - 5:00pm

CE: You've Been Matched!

2009-03-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

Conversational English (CE) is the biggest program at GUTS. The CE program matches UW student volunteers with international partners for whom English is a second language.

The program is a free opportunity for international students to practice their English conversation skills as well as meet people from the campus community and increase their understanding of American culture. Matched pairs are expected to meet for two hours weekly until the end of the current term.

CE program emails a monthly newsletter to turos. The newsletter provides conversation ideas, interviews and activity suggestions. We also proved many worksheets on topics such as idioms, slang, American culture, vocabulary, and pronunciation through Learn@UW

BE A Conversation Partner:
Volunteer with GUTS and be a conversation partner. Tutors do not need an ESL or teaching background to volunteer. Tutors benefit from this program by learning about other cultures and countries. Many students find the program to be valuable preparation for studying or traveling abroad. Volunteers gain valable experience working with people from other countries.

Register online at http://guts.studentorg.wisc.edu or in person at the GUTS office. You will be matched with one or two partners and will meet for two hours per week. There is no need to prepare a lesson plan; the only requirement is a willingness to communicate and an encouraging attitude.

GET A Conversational Partner:
Register for a CE partner at the GUTS office. We will match you with a native or advanced English speaker who will assist you in improving your speaking ability in everyday situations, as well as assist you in learning more about United States culture. Groups meet two hours per week in order to practice English conversation.

GUTS Has Moved!

2009-02-25T11:19:00.001-08:00

GUTS Has Moved!
Come see us in the newer, better, & cozier office located at:

Student Activity Center
Office #4413
333 E Campus Mall Madison
Tel: 608-263-5666

Main Office:

Mini Pantry & Conversational English Zone:

Study Skills Meeting Room:

Drop In: Study Day Fall 2008

2009-02-25T10:10:00.000-08:00

During final exam period, GUTS always organizes Study Day at the College Library to help you lease the pressure of exam. We provide coffee, snack and most importantly, free tutoring service!

Come join us this semester!

CE Interview: Michael O'Connor, Dalong Geng & Yu Chen

2009-02-24T20:41:00.000-08:00

This week Michael O’ Connor, Dalong Geng and Yu Chen shared about their tutoring sessions with us.

The three usually meet at Russell Lab on Sunday afternoons. With snacks and drinks, the conversation begins.

“There is so much to talk about. Michael and I both like WWII histories and we like to talk about related movies and our opinions.” Dalong said.

Dalong also told me how his English had improved because of the CE program.

“Had it not been for my tutor’s help, I would never have passed my Speaking Test for becoming a TA. He helped me understand the material and did a mock test with me. Practicing my English with him really helped me a great deal. Also, I got to know America better [working with Michael]. For example, last semester we talked about the U.S. Election.”

“This is a great chance not only to improve language, but also cultural understanding,” Yu Chen agreed. “It’s an amazing way to have an American friend! Like Dalong, really look forward to the tutoring sessions every week.”

Yu Chen mentioned how he really enjoys the different activities the three do together, including canoeing on Lake Mendota. They both expressed great appreciation for their tutors.

Michael has been a CE tutor since the summer of 2007. He has enjoyed working with different international students and is now very interested in teaching English abroad in Asia.
“Through CE, I met students from China and Japan. It’s nice that now I have built up the network of friends in these countries.” I get to know the different cultures and meet people from totally different backgrounds to enrich my campus life,” Michael said.

It is always nice for the CE staff to hear how much students enjoy meeting with their conversational English partners! Clearly, it is definitely a learning and rewarding experience for both sides.
If you would like to share your experience in the CE program with others, please contact us at guts-ce@rso.wisc.edu.

CE Interview: Tamara Casper and Yoona Kang

2009-02-24T20:36:00.001-08:00

Here’s a little something to brighten up this very rainy week- another Open Conversation. This week we interviewed Tamara Casper and Yoona Kang.

Tamara is a second year undergrad student studying chemistry and French, who also enjoys volunteering. In fact, the very day of the interview, she cut her hair for Locks of Love, an organization that uses donated hair to create hair pieces for children who have lost their hair due to medical conditions.

Tamara’s partner, Yoona, is a second year graduate student studying cellular and molecular biology, she spends most of her time working in the lab. Yoona also enjoys playing frisbee.

Yoona and Tamara have now been Conversational English partners for three semesters! They especially enjoy talking about cultural topics.

Yoona says, “I ask [Tamara] many different things about American culture, like football or the university life in the US, and some kinds of English usage.”

On the other side, Tamara said, “I didn’t really know anything about Korea until I met Yoona, and now I know quite a bit!”

Tamara has learned about how you have to press three different keys to make one character while creating text messages in Korean. Additionally, Yoona explained to Tamara how addresses are written in Korean. Instead of starting with the most specific information as in addresses in the United States, addresses for locations in Korea begin with the name of the city. Next the district and sub-district are listed. Finally the apartment and the apartment number are listed.

Although it is easy to point out the cultural differences between people, it is also important to find similarities too! A similarity Tamara and Yoona have found is related to games they played when they were children.

Yoona said, “Actually, there are lots of similar games, of course the name of the game was different, but it was really similar.”

Aside from continuing to learn about the similarities and differences between US American and Korean culture, Yoona and Tamara hope to continue enjoy their time together. In the future they plan to try Ian’s pizza and hope they can go to Camp Randall to watch a football game together.

CE Interview: Farrell Ougheltre and Il-Youp Kwak

2009-02-24T20:31:00.001-08:00

This week Farrell Ougheltree and Il Youp Kwak are our featured partners! Farrell, from Rhode Island, is a senior majoring in English and creative writing and Il Youp, from Korea, is a PhD student studying statistics.

Farrell and Il Youp like to keep things interesting- they vary what they do from week to week. They have enjoyed playing games like ping pong and air hockey in Union South and last week they went to Henry Vilas Zoo together (unfortunately a lot of animals were hiding from the cold and rain!).

Besides exploring new places in Madison, Farrell and Il Youp have been learning from each other too. Coming to the U.S. this past August, Il Youp was initially really worried about what to eat! He had no clue what was good since everything was so different compared to Korean food.

“Farrell told me about cheddar cheese and… I tried some steaks, and New York and rib-eye steaks are good; I tried both of them and I think rib-eye is better for me because New York is too chewy.” Il Youp said.

Farrell also learned a lot about Korea. One thing that amazed her was that all men in Korea are required to complete two years of military service. Il Youp completed his in-between his sophomore and junior years of his undergraduate education.

Also, Farrell thinks that being a Conversational English tutor increases your awareness of your own language

“It’s a learning experience for me because your brain has to work in different ways when you explain things- its almost like doing a Sudoku.” Farrell added.

Il Youp thinks that the CE program is a great opportunity for him to practice his English skills. Of the fifteen other people in his department, only two speak English as their native language, leaving a very narrow opportunity to speak with high level English speakers.

“I can talk with international students because our English is limited but when I talk with American guys they are really fast and they use some expressions that I don’t know. This is really nice chance for me to learn how they use some words in some situations.” Il Youp said.

Farrell and Il Youp, are just one of the 210 CE pairs, who continue to develop their friendship and learn from each other during their weekly meetings.

CE Interview: Tae-Joon Moon & Emily Piehl

2009-02-24T20:21:00.001-08:00

This week Tae-Joon Moon, 2^nd year graduate student studying Journalism and Mass Communication, and Emily Piehl, a sophomore studying Spanish and Portuguese, are the featured tutee and tutor of Open Conversation! Tae-Joon and Emily meet Thursdays at the Rathskeller and enjoy talking about food and movies and trying new food together.

Before the pair met, both were nervous and not sure what to expect. Emily thought that she would have little in common with Tae-Joon, but after the initial meeting, they found that they really enjoy the meeting time.

“Tae Joon has opened up Korea to me,” Emily said.

In fact, Emily now plans to learn Korean and would feel comfortable going to South Korea.

Tae-Joon has also had a positive experience with the Conversational English program.

“For international students who have no difficulty in class, but have a hard time expressing themselves in everyday life, [this program] is very helpful.” Tae-Joon said.

By working with his tutor, Tae-Joon can learn about pop culture and American history, which are two helpful areas to know when trying to understanding the context of a language.

This pair has been meeting for over a semester and look forward to learning more about each other's languages this school year.

CE Interview: Jeonghwa Lee & Alex Ostromecki

2009-02-24T20:11:00.000-08:00

This week’s featured partners are Jeonghwa Lee and Alexandra Ostromecki. Jeonghwa is a visiting professor with a degree in Family Studies and Alexandra is a junior majoring in Biology.

Jeonghwa and Alex were matched in Spring 2008. They have so much fun learning from each other. One of their most memorable experiences they had was when they went to each other's houses.

When Alex went to Jeonghwa's house, Jeonghwa made her a delicious Korean meal.

“While I was enjoying the amazing Korean meal, I was able to learn a lot more about Korean food and life style, it was a great night.” Alex says.

Jeonghwa and Alex both were able to learn about the similarities and differences between their cultures. Also, Jeonghwa mentioned that she was able to learn a lot of American expressions and idioms through Alex. Both women really enjoy being involved with the GUTS CE program because you get to both share and learn so much about cultures and best of all, you get to make great friends.

This semester, Alex and Jeonghwa hope to continue to learn from each other and to strengthen their friendship that will last even after Jeonghwa goes back to Korea next semester.