Houstonian 2022

2022

HOUSTONIAN

A MAGAZINE FOR THE GRADUATES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON

Table of Contents Page 5 Page 8 Page 11 Page 12 Page 15 Page 17 Page 22 Page 25 Page 26 Page 29 Page 30

Year in Review 2021-22 This Year in Sports Joining the Big 12 OPINION: It’s Okay to Go a Different Path Applying for Grad School After Grad: What Comes Next?

The College Experience Cover Letters How the Pandemic Affects College Senior Memories Going the Pre-Med Route

Staff Editor-in-Chief Sydney Rose

Chief Graphic Designer Juana Garcia

Front Cover Photographer James Schillinger

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Staff Writers

Anna Baker Lisa El-Amin Donna Keeya James Mueller Cynthia Isabel Zelaya Ordonez Aminah Tannir Armando Yanez

Dear Readers, Hi everyone!

I want to start by saying how honored I am to be heading such a great team of writers, photographers and graphic designers for this magazine.

I would like to think of editing this magazine as my last hurrah as this is my last semester working in the CSM with organizations like The Cougar and Cooglife.

I’ve spent most of my college experience in this office space, so getting to work with a staff I have grown close to over the years is very heartwarming and really makes a girl grateful for such an opportunity. That being said, I can’t wait for you all to read the content this staff has made for you!

I want to give a special thank you to my favorite people, those who work at The Cougar, for writing their hearts out and giving you graduates various perspectives on life and the college experience. Also, a shoutout to James for the amazing cover done and Juana for making every

graphic you see here. You all are amazing and I truly could not have done it without you. Really.

I can not draw to save my life and my camerawork is ... okay at best.

To graduates, I want to wish you the best of luck on this next step in your journey. You’ve already accomplished so much and I hope the articles, stories and pieces provided here give you some more insight into what is to come and help you reminisce on the best parts of your time at the University.

A lot went on this year (let’s be honest, the past couple of years) and we want to make the best of it, so I hope you enjoy what’s inside and it brings up all the good memories you had here at the University of Houston.

Go Coogs!

Sincerely, Sydney Rose, Editor-in-Chief

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A Year in Review:

Looking Back at Fall 2021 This school year was eventful in that there was a resurgence of events that had been postponed or canceled since the pandemic began.

Take a look back with us at some of the highlights and moments that made the 2021-22 school year at UH.

By: Sydney Rose

Campus Reopens: Soft Opening The campus reopened back to a typical precoronavirus amount of in-person courses and activities. This came along in the form of a soft opening in the fall.

The first two weeks were set for the soft opening, but that later extended into four weeks before professors brought their courses fully into an inperson or hybrid format.

October 2021

August 2021

Student Government Recall

There was a lot of talk circulating campus regarding the Student Government Association in the fall as the former president Arsalan Darbin faced an election for his recall.

This election was voted on by the current administration, and in that time 15 senators were suspended.

Darbin ended the recall election with a suspension until December, then re-took office after that.

Katrina Kujawa/The Cougar

HOUSTONIAN // MAY 2022

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October 2021

Homecoming To follow an annual tradition, UH brought Homecoming festivities back to an in-person format with the game, the NLE Choppa concert and all the events in between.

Jordan Booker and Jayce Ball were crowned the 2021-22 Homecoming King and Queen at the end of the week.

The football game against East Carolina was delayed for a few hours, but resulted in a Cougar win once all was over.

Sean Thomas/The Cougar

November 2021

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HOUSTONIAN // MAY 2022

Wrapping up Spring 2022 Janurary 2022

Another Soft Opening: Omicron Appears As cases from the omicron variant started popping up over break, the University launched another soft opening for the spring semester lastign two weeks.

New SGA President After already having a special election this year, the annual Student Government Association election for a new president and administration as a whole resulted in freshman Joshua Martin winning, and becoming the youngest to hold that position in UH history.

Juana Garcia/The Cougar

March 2022

Frontier Fiesta Frontier Fiesta was brought back to an in-person crowd after the previous year being virtual.

This included three days of activities open to students and the community.

Part of the Fiesta fun available to particpants was rides, games, musical performances, varieties shows put on by Greek life and a large array of food to partake in.

James Schillinger/The Cougar HOUSTONIAN // MAY 2022

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Sports Recap: All the exciting University sports memories you may have missed this 2021-22 season By: James Mueller Sept. 10, 2021 - UH accepts Big 12 invite After years of pushing toward joining a Power Five conference, it finally became a reality as the University announced it had accepted an invitation to join the Big 12 Conference.

UH athletic teams could make their debuts in the Big 12 as soon as the fall of 2023 but details of when the Cougars will officially start competing in their new conference are still being worked out.

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James Schillinger/The Cougar

Sept. 11, 2021 - UH football starts an 11game win streak with victory over Rice After blowing a double-digit lead in the season opener against Texas Tech, UH football quickly turned things around with a 44-7 pounding of cross-town rival Rice to win the Bayou Bucket.

This win sparked an 11-game win streak for the Cougars on their road to clinching a spot in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game.

Nov. 13, 2021 - UH football clinches spot in AAC Championship Game By defeating Temple 37-8 for their ninth straight victory, the Cougars clinched a spot in the conference championship game.

UH went on to win its final two games of the regular season before falling to Cincinnati, a team that made the College Football Playoffs, in the AAC Championship Game.

Dec. 28, 2021 - UH football wins Birmingham Bowl over Auburn For just the third time in UH football program history, the Cougars finished with a 12win season with a 17-13 victory over SEC staple Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl. Quarterback Clayton Tune connected with receiver Jake Herslow for a 26yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter to lift the Cougars over the Tigers.

Courtesy of UH athletics edging out SMU by just half a point.

March 13, 2022 - UH men’s basketball wins back-to-back AAC Tournament titles

Feb. 26, 2022 - UH men’s track and field wins AAC Indoor Championship

After falling to Memphis twice during the regular season, the Cougars redeemed themselves in the conference tournament championship game. Minutes after the game’s conclusion, UH found out it would be the South Region’s No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

For the seventh consecutive year, the UH men’s track and field team took home the AAC Indoor Championship crown.

Head coach Leroy Burrell and his staff were named the conference’s Coaching Staff of the Year and freshman phenom as well as South African Olympian Shaun Maswanganyi took home the Most Valuable Performer and Freshman of the Year awards.

March 1, 2022 - UH men’s basketball wins AAC regular-season title For the third time in four seasons, the UH men’s basketball program stood atop the AAC after defeating Cincinnati to earn the conference’s regular-season crown.

Feb. 19, 2022 - UH swimming and diving teams win sixth straight AAC Championship Coaching changes prior to the season couldn’t slow down the Cougars’ swim and dive team as the UH women won their sixth consecutive AAC Championship,

March 20, 2022 - UH men’s basketball returns to Sweet 16 54 combined points from UH guards lifted UH over No. 4 seed Illinois to get the Cougars to their third straight Sweet 16.

March 24, 2022 - UH men’s basketball defeats Arizona to advance to Elite Eight The Cougars continued their magical March run by knocking off the South Region’s top-seed Arizona 72-60 to advance to their second consecutive Elite Eight.

Days later, UH was one win away from back-to-back Final Four trips but went ice cold from the field and fell to No. 2 seed Villanova in the South Regional Final.

Sean Thomas/The Cougar HOUSTONIAN // MAY 2022

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UH joins the Big 12 starting 2023 By: Armando Yanez

Armando Yanez/The Cougar

UH

is now heading into its final collegiate year as a member of the American Athletic Conference with an arrival to the Big 12 Conference sitting on the horizon.

With suspicion bubbling over after Texas and Oklahoma accepted invitations to move to the SEC starting in 2023, the level of excitement amongst the UH fanbase has ramped up after the confirmation of the Big 12 Conference realignment in September 2021.

“All of us were super excited, and it feels like its been a long time coming,” accounting junior Peter Miller said. “We’ve been waiting

for this moment for UH to get put into a Power Five conference for some time now. UH has been one of the better Group of Five teams over the last decade, so we’re all pretty excited.”

The inclusions of UH, UCF, Cincinnati and BYU create for a more competitive mix across all sports within the new and improved Big 12 Conference.

Big name schools such as Baylor, Kansas, Texas Tech, West Virginia along with current AAC programs UCF and Cincinnati will all be making trips to compete against UH on campus and around events nationwide starting in 2023.

“I think the biggest thing is the

more publicity that is coming to UH,” Miller said. “Especially in the sports world, I think that we’ll get a bigger spotlight, we’re going to get more fans, and you know, getting the big schools to come play in Houston is what I’m looking forward to most.”

The recent success for UH athletics boosted the University’s name up the board of candidates for replacement programs in the Big 12 Conference.

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Continued from page 11 The UH men’s basketball team has made four straight trips to the NCAA Tournament including two consecutive Elite Eight appearances and a Final Four appearance in 2021. The UH football team won 12 games, advanced to the AAC Championship game and won the Birmingham Bowl over Auburn.

Yearly successes and rising programs across several other sports including UH track and field, swim, golf, volleyball, soccer,

baseball and softball will now have the opportunity to compete against Power Five competition, which over time, will boost the quality of all athletic programs.

“I think it’s all of it, you know,” Miller said.

“Five years ago, we weren’t really anything in basketball. In football we were struggling for a while after Gred Ward Jr. left, so these last five years have been super crucial. The Final Four, four straight NCAA Tournaments, you look at our football this year going 12-2 and making the conference title game.

It’s a big part of it because you look at the other

schools that are going to the Big 12, they all have recent success in sports as well. I think if we didn’t have the success that we have had in the past few years, we might not have been picked.”

The Group of Five standard is long gone for UH, as the Power Five will be a whole new challenge to the University’s athletic programs. The list goes on for what awaits UH in the Big 12 Conference, from more national presence, high-level games, high-profile opponents, recruits, money and the list goes on.

The excitement is as

present as it is going to be until the move officially begins in 2023.

Until then, the UH faithful will have to continue waiting until the time comes.

“It’s going to be huge,” Miller said. “I know that they’re probably going to get a lot more money to be able to spend. Along with that, it’s going to bring in more fans. I expect more hype around the athletics around here in Houston. Overall, I think that going to the Big 12 is going to help us be competitive but also just the overall aspect of the sports here at the University.”

OPINION:

Juana Garcia/The Cougar

By: Anna Baker 12 HOUSTONIAN // MAY 2022

IT’S OKAY TO CHANGE YOUR PATH AFTER GRADUATION

A

nother year, another class of student graduates with their respective futures ahead of them.

Many may be going into the fields of their majors and many may not, which is perfectly okay.

You should pursue the career you desire even if it doesn’t coincide with your degree.

After four years, as graduates walk up to get their diplomas, they’re expected to have a concrete plan for what’s next and have it be related to their degree.

By that time, everyone’s taken their capstone course so there’s no going back right?

While you can’t reverse your college path after graduation, you can still change your mind about what you want to do. You can change it ten years from now, twenty years from now or more.

While restrictions have largely lifted, this class is still graduating during the pandemic. The world has seen a lot of death these past couple of years.

One thing people can take from that is that you have one life in this world, so you should use it doing something you enjoy.

While some may understand that it’s morally okay to question what’s next, some may worry logistically. If you have a degree in

something, then it sounds logical to just go straight into that field.

While some degrees, such as education or engineering, may seem like they lead directly into a specific job, you can still go in a completely different direction and succeed.

College teaches you skills like discipline and time management that you can’t take anywhere.

Also, getting that degree, even if you go into something else, isn’t a waste.

Having a degree makes you look good overall even if it’s not in your career field.

In fact, you can probably use it in your interviews as an interesting talking point to make yourself stand out.

UH alumnus Gilbert Badillo graduated in 2021 with a civil engineering degree and is now an Assistant Project Lead for quality assurance in the video games industry.

“I bear no ill will towards civil engineering, but later in college, it sank in that it wasn’t my passion,” Badillo said. “I don’t regret pursuing another career in the slightest. If you’re lucky enough to have the opportunity to pursue your passion you should.”

Badillo also thinks that his degree was actually helpful for pursuing this

new career, despite being designed for another career path.

“I think that the difficulty and practicality of an engineering degree improved my standing when applying for my initial position and getting promoted later on,” Badillo said.

While degrees are useful, some jobs may require additional education. You can always go to grad school for a different field or take classes at a community college to get different certifications.

If you want to enter into a certain field, there are

ways to do so even if you didn’t major in it.

It may take time and money and unfortunately, you may have people wondering why you didn’t just stick to the original plan and go into your field. This can feel isolating.

However, a minority of college graduates actually work in their fields. Most don’t. You won’t be alone.

The bottom line is that there are always options to change your future.

Nothing is set in stone.

If you want to change your career path after graduation, go for it.

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Applying to Grad School Story by: Cynthia Isabel Zelaya Ordonez Graphic by: Gerald Sastra

There are many reasons why someone may seek higher education. They may want to expand their potential career opportunities, or want a bump in their salary or they may seek personal growth. Regardless of the reason why someone decided to go back to school, they need to apply in order to get in. The process can be daunting.

But never fear, I’m here to guide you through it.

Step 1: Choose a Degree Plan

Unlike with your undergraduate degree, there isn’t too much room to ‘find yourself.’

A graduate degree is meant to supplement your existing degree and equip you with knowledge to become a master of your field.

Meet with an adviser to go over your options.

Depending on your major, you may qualify for some graduate programs right off the bat. Other programs may require you to take prerequisite classes before you can start working towards your degree.

Step 2: Prepare your application

Applying for graduate school is a little different than undergraduate, but it’s not too difficult once you have a checklist.

UH is home to 16 different colleges, each of which has different requirements to admission into the graduate program. With that being said, start an application. Most colleges require the same application to be filled

out. However, there are separate applications for people seeking a professional program such as law, nursing, optometry and pharmacy.

Next, you need to choose your program.

After you’ve chosen the program, you need to submit your transcripts.

On average, most colleges require you to have graduated with at least a 3.0 in order to apply for a graduate degree.

If your GPA falls below that, never fear. An outstanding life event, a noteworthy career or a great service as a student leader are just a few things you can include in your personal statement to make up for the score.

After that, you must submit your GRE (or other required exam) scores. The GRE is the

most common, and you can pick up a study book and ace it like it’s the SAT. You can also pay for a GRE prep course.

Lastly, you need to collect all of the extra documents. These include letters of recommendation, a personal statement, a resume and whatever else your chosen college requires.

Step 3: Arrange your finances

Say good-bye to the pell grant, direct subsidized loans and all the other perks of being an undergraduate student in need. When entering a graduate program, it is expected that you already have a career underway.

Continued on page 16 HOUSTONIAN // MAY 2022

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Continued from page 15 This means you should have enough money to pay as you go or keep up with subsidized loans.

However, this may not always be the case, especially if you are in your early 20s.

Luckily, there are plenty of options to pay for your degree if you don’t have the immediate funds. If you qualify financially, you are eligible for an unsubsidized loan. You can take out a loan with a bank or another servicer.

But, before going into debt, scour the

internet for grants and scholarships. UH offers many paid fellowships available only to graduate students.

But, the best resource is the scholarships tab on AccessUH. Do not fear loans. Graduate school is significantly more affordable than undergraduate school but, don’t resign yourself to debt.

Step 4: Succeed

The fact that you took your future into your own hands and applied is victory enough.

Congratulations on choosing to pursue higher education. Everyone has a different reason for choosing this step, with

the one commonality being a desire to better themselves.

Curriculum & instruction graduate student Salma Yousef began her journey with a desire to change social education from it’s core. She understood that to be in the positions that allowed her that power, she’d need a higher degree.

“I wanted to provide myself with alternative career paths beyond teaching, such as being a curriculum writer, learning coach, professor or member of admin/ instructional leadership within schools. So, I may have a chance at creating positive social studies

reform on a larger scale,” Yousef said.

On the other hand, although Rianne Akindele always had a passion for learning, she started working towards her masters in clinical mental health counseling more out of necessity than desire.

“With the way the world is set up, you cannot truly put your psychology Bachelor’s to use unless you also have a Master’s at least in the counseling world,” Akindele said.

Every student has a different motive, but they all graduate Coogs. Good luck on your journey, and welcome to UH.

CONGRATULATIONS COOGS! Thank you for your involvement A.D. Bruce Religion Center Center for Diversity & Inclusion Center for Fraternity & Sorority Life Center for Student Involvement Center for Student Media DSAES IT Services LGBTQ Resource Center Student Centers

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After Grad: What Happens Next?

Story by: Armando Yanez Photo Courtesy of Ryan Hamilton HOUSTONIAN // MAY 2022

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“I’m feeling good, feeling confident, this semester has been treating me pretty well, and you know, three more down and hopefully a master’s degree is attached to my name when it’s all said and done,” Hamilton said.

Much like his current status as a graduate student at OSU, Hamilton spent a heavy amount of time balancing his own personal interests alongside his graduate studies.

“In my free time, I work out, drive around, go around the city and find new things to do,” Hamilton said.

Courtesy of Ryan Hamilton College graduation is one of the most exciting, yet stressful times for students finishing their college careers.

Students are waiting to earn the opportunity to walk across the stage and receive their degree. But, what happens after grad?

Ryan Hamilton graduated from the University of Houston in December 2021 with a double major in accounting and finance along with two certificates in corporate entrepreneurship and personal financial planning.

As far as Hamilton’s post-undergraduate life, he is currently attending Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla. and is pursuing an MBA while also working as a server at Olive Garden.

College students commonly struggle to transition from undergrad to their next step, but as Hamilton nears the end of his first complete year of graduate school, his lifestyle has translated over nicely from his days at UH, setting him up for the years ahead.

Hamilton’s career goal is to work in a sports front office, preferably for an NFL team.

Working towards his MBA, he is learning management skills for a much bigger scale of work in preparation for his desired career path.

The education he received while pursuing his Bachelor’s degrees at UH paved the way for his next continued studies at OSU. “That undergrad at UH being accounting and finance taught me the basics and got me prepared for my Master’s route I was looking for,” Hamilton said.

Academics aside, many students waltz through college without learning meaningful lessons that stretch beyond the classroom.

However, UH played a huge role in shaping Hamilton in multiple ways.

“I feel like UH prepared me for a lot of things,” Hamilton said.

“Throughout my time at UH, my classes, my professors, even my mentors all prepared me to respect others and to take that extra step to see the difference that we can all bring.”

“It prepared me to be a man, and I feel throughout college that I have matured, and I really took those skills and made decisions for my future, decisions that would impact me financially, socially and mentally,” Hamilton continued.

Countless students worldwide were impacted by the rise of COVID-19, as every situation was unique to those who can say they experienced and attended college during a pandemic.

However, Hamilton embraced the hardships

Continued on page 21

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Continued from page 19 and stayed the course, knowing he would not be pushed off his stride during his undergraduate years.

“Even during COVID, I knew what my goal was,” Hamilton said. “I knew I was going to come in here, make connections, make college an experience and get my degree. Even when [COVID-19] came through, I knew it wasn’t going to affect me at all. It may have affected my social aspect, but I was able to go to my classes, do what I had to do and focus in. You know, stay on my grind.”

undergraduate years paid off in his own desired ways, learning valuable lessons and growing into the person he is today as he continues to move forward in his next career steps.

“People will reach out saying ‘We miss you’ and ‘We saw you on this wall because of something,’ so I feel accomplished for making myself known and being an inspiration to others while proving that it’s not all about the books and the grades, or even just the fun,” Hamilton said.

“You can do everything and still be successful. You just have to know what your goal is and stay on that path.”

While college can be seen as an option for extending one’s education, Hamilton gave it a deeper meaning and found it as an opportunity to make a bigger impact at the University of Houston.

“I feel that I personally accomplished being more than a number and a statistic because I was a person who UH took a chance on,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton was active around campus throughout his undergraduate years while being a part of several organizations such as Cub Camp, Young Life, and Ignite.

His impact reached far beyond his organizations, as his presence around campus turned him into a well known figure on campus.

Ultimately, Hamilton’s decision to make the most out of his

Courtesy of Ryan Hamilton

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The College Experience:

A personal essay encompassing my journey as a UH student ON

December 5, 2018, I received an e-mail stating my acceptance into the University of Houston.

Since then, I have found my forever home that has housed many fulfilling experiences for me.

Starting off freshman year with my close friends,

I was introduced to the campus lifestyle every day and living on campus made adapting easier for me.

In the first few weeks of freshman year, I took the time to attend all of the fun events UH was hosting. At these events like the 2019 Glow Party

and Cat’s Back, I met some pretty fun people who I ended up getting closer to and hung out with throughout the rest of the school year.

Before UH, I wasn’t a social person and preferred to stay with myself or my close group of three friends, but that

changed with the new environment I was in. I was constantly forcing myself to break out of my shell.

While living my college dreams, I was still struggling to adjust in making decisions on my own as well as navigating all things enrollment.

Story by: Lisa El-Amin Graphic by: Juana Garcia

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Nobody in my immediate family went to college or had any idea how to help answer my array of questions leading to many troubling trials and errors that I figured out on my own.

As far as my initial experience with courses, my college offered a program called ‘Classmates’ that allowed for a majority of freshman students in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences to take similar classes.

This created familiarity for myself and others leading to people reaching out to study

together or even meeting new people that I share something in common with. Nonetheless, UH has made me feel welcome as well as created a suitable environment for me and many others to continue my education.

Like a lot of students, the pandemic shifted my motivation for school. I went from attending classes every day and following through with my assignments to feeling apathy and the fear of the events happening in the world.

Forced to be away from school and back home

in an environment that I loved, but couldn’t stay focused in, made the task of coursework incredibly draining.

with my coworkers and gotten the chance to experience this campus along with this city in ways I probably wouldn’t get to under other Since classes became face- circumstances. to-face again, I decided to take back my motivation I currently am finishing and put that towards my junior year of college becoming a better version and am very nervous, but of myself. excited about what the future will have in store During last fall, I for me. joined The Cougar as a volunteer writer with big The biggest lessons that aspirations to get involved I have learned during and meet new people. my time at UH are to take advantage of the Being a part of The resources on campus and Cougar has taught me to be comfortable with an amazing amount of being uncomfortable. skills and patience. I have created memories

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CONGRATULATIONS & BEST WISHES!

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Cover Letters: The Science Behind Story by: Sydney Rose How to Write Them Graphic by: Juana Garcia During college and even going off on the path after graduation will open up many opportunities to you and your future career. Many times, when applying for jobs or new positions, there will be materials that the company will ask for. It is always good to have a resume, and then, there is occasionally the request for a cover letter.

Personally, I had to write over 15 cover letters just this semester to apply for various jobs, so coming back from that experience, I want to offer some tips.

It is always good to have an academic-based template for a cover letter and a workfocused template, depending on who it is you are writing to. I

know if you are applying to different settings, some schoolrelated comapnies or positions will want to hear about the organizations you participated in or what your GPA is. Meanwhile, other jobs will only want you to focus in on talking about your work experience.

In any capacity, you want to address this cover letter as though it is an actual letter being sent out. This includes providing your information and how the hiring manager can reach you. It is always good to give your government name, then in parentheses your preferred name if it differs. Make sure to tag on your mailing address, best email address and phone number you want to be reached at.

When sectioning out your cover letter, try to divide the paragraphs into different strengths or topics you offer.

This can include mentioning your strengths from different jobs in seperate paragraphs or how you could be of assistance to the organization. It is always good to dedicate one section to what you are willing to learn at the company as well.

Just remember when you are applying, that while it can be scary, it is always good to be confident in your skills and show that off in any cover letter you write. Make yourself look like the best possible candidate and you’ll do great.

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Being a College Student in a Pandemic Story by : Donna Keeya Graphic by : Juana Garcia

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In American media, college culture is shoved down your throat almost as soon as you start consuming it. Ranging from the last season of Hannah Montana to almost every teen drama ever, many kids are anticipating their college experience way before they’re even in high school.

For those who attended college at any point during the coronavirus pandemic, the experience was heavily discombobulated from the traditional expectations. For myself, COVID-19 hit the spring of my freshman year, so I experienced a little bit of college prior to the pandemic, college through the heat of it and college now, in what feels like an awkward in-between.

For the seniors who are wrapping

up their degrees and walking across the stage, I know this was not the ideal college dream. I know many sacrifices were made and desires were given up along the way. While you deserve to grieve the experiences that this pandemic took away from you, I hope you have found some peace with the situation now, being a little over two years since the start.

Control declared the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

In March 2020, I left campus for spring break excited to be flying to New York City for a conference with three of my closest friends in just a few days. The night before the trip we received word that New York was being heavily impacted by this new disease rampaging through the city and we should not attend the conference. A few days later, the Centers for Disease and

In no way do I want to judge or invalidate how anyone chose to deal during all of this. All of our unique home, health and other circumstances played into our situations, and I’m proud of all of you for making it out.

Looking back, lockdown was, for lack of a better word, interesting.

Seeing everyone I know cope with the unprecedented times in different ways showed a lot about how even throughout shared experiences, as individuals, we make different decisions.

Continued on page 29

CONGRATULATIONS, CLASS OF 2022!

As you cross this major milestone in your life, remember the growth you experienced along the way. We have unwavering confidence that you have what it takes to build a better tomorrow.

STAY CONNECTED • @UHOUSTONCLASS

HOUSTONIAN // MAY 2022 27

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Continued from page 27 Academically, there is no doubt that transitioning from regular and fully in-person schedules to all online courses wasn’t difficult or uncomfortable. Honestly, some courses just weren’t designed to be taught through a screen and when there is no other option, it’s very valid to have flet struggle through that.

Socially, the pandemic might have brought you closer to your friends.

It might have dragged you apart.

Maybe you weren’t able to make the connections you wanted to in the classroom. Maybe you found

Senior Memories from 2021-22

yourself meeting others in online communities that you wouldn’t have been in otherwise. However it played out for you, it’s important to recognize that your social life in college was different because of COVID, but now you are accepting your reality for what it is.

I’ve worked at the student newspaper the entirety of my college career, and working in the news section during the pandemic was one of the most character shaping things I lived through.

Through the immense tragedy, directly covering it has felt like some of the most meaningful work I’ve done in my life, and something I will carry with me for many years.

“My favorite UH memories are getting dining hall food in the middle of the night with my friends. Nothing hits like an egg sandwich at 3 AM.” -Anna Baker

Hundreds of thousands of people have died because of the coronavirus pandemic, and we’re all so privileged to still be here and still have the option to continue in higher education. I hope that is something you don’t take lightly as well as something to appreciate on your graduation day.

However, just because you survived doesn’t mean your college experience was not heightened in difficulty because of the pandemic.

Making it through was not an easy feat and is something you should be abundantly proud of. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors, and hope you can reflect fondly at some of your memories from the University.

“My favorite UH memory is walking around campus at night with my best friend. We listened to Queen and explored some buildings; it was peaceful.”

-Juana Garcia

“My favorite UH memory has to be meeting the man who was on ‘The Bachelorette’ since it gave me clout. Also, meeting Quentin Grimes.”

-Ashley Gwananji

HOUSTONIAN // MAY 2022 29

S N O I T A L U MCAT Diaries: T A R G N O C !

S E T A U D A R G R U Managing life on a TO O

pre-med track

Remember, your relationship with the Honors community does not end with graduation. We are proud to welcome you as our newest alumni! Log on; link in; drop by.

TheHonorsCollege.com/alumni 30 HOUSTONIAN // MAY 2022

Story by: Aminah Tannir Graphic by: Juana Garia

As a pre-med student, one of the more difficult aspects of the pathway is finding time outside of coursework to study for the taxing Medical College Acceptance Test.

Being a nontraditional pre-med student getting a BA puts me in an awkward position where I’m not coming across some of the material covered on the MCAT. With some research and adjustments based on my learning style, here is how I’m tackling studying for the big exam.

Prep to study MCAT study materials are definitely a point of discussion when it comes to exam preparation.

There are definitely the more popular test prep companies such as Kaplan, who produces the exam, and Princeton.

Blueprint is another popular resource for materials.

Given these test prep resources are the most popular, they are also a bit pricey. When looking for my test prep materials I found that I could compare packages within a company and look online to see what pre-med students who took the MCAT liked or disliked about what the test prep companies offered.

Having been a part of a medical society on campus, I’ve come to learn that there are MCAT libraries where you can check out books as well or donate your materials when you’re finished.

After acquiring my books and online materials, I started looking into how I could allocate my time to best fit in my MCAT studies.

This was the hard part.

Luckily enough, I was able to find study plan calendars online that showed what it would look like if I wanted to study over a one month, three month or six month period.

Beware when you’re looking for these, since many of them are changed up to match the style of the study prep company they’re designed for. So you might find that many will switch between content and review heavy sessions compared to focusing on content.

Since I was more focused on studying the content initially and switching to review sessions as I go, this was perfect.

When I was trying to figure out what prep style, materials and schedule worked best for me I must admit I did a YouTube dive.

From Shemmassian

Academic Consulting to Med School Insiders I was definitely feeling a lot more behind than I actually was.

I realized what’s important is to take the tips that work best for you. So if you ever find yourself in a 1 a.m.

YouTube hole questioning everything like I was, just remember to take a deep breath and focus on the task at hand: tailoring the study process to yourself.

Staying true to your schedule Being a student is hard, so when it comes to sticking with the schedule you’ve made for yourself, it can be difficult to hold yourself accountable.

If you’re like me, where you have extracurricular commitments, you might need to take a minute to sit down and figure out your schedule every week.

First thing’s first you want to have a rest day, when you can have some time to yourself and not have to work on school or the MCAT. After figuring out which day that will be, I would hope that’s on the weekend, you’re going to want to look at your class schedule.

You want to sneak in however many sections of MCAT coursework you need to get through based on the amount of

time you have based on your study plan calendar.

Whether it’s between classes or a quiet place during early mornings or late nights, this is when you’d want to study.

What’s important is that you keep your coursework first because your GPA is the other large component of your medical school application.

When you figure all of that out, stick to it. Plan ahead and don’t waver or else the study load will pile up and it will get to be unmanageable.

If you make an unreasonable plan where you’re wanting to study right before bed and you keep putting it off, you might need to reassess how you’re going about allocating time for MCAT studying.

I think the best way to approach studying is to really get to know your learning preferences and how to fit the studying into your schedule.

There are numerous resources online that can be helpful as well as asking around your peers that have taken the exam to see what’s best for them.

Take a breather, do your research and good luck on studying for the big exam!

HOUSTONIAN // MAY 2022 31

Congratulations to the Class of 2022!

To those who made their first gift as an alumnus to the University of Houston, THANK YOU. We hope you wear your Spirit Cord with pride!

You will be counted amongst our dedicated donors this year.

The University of Houston has the vision to build a Top 50 Public Research University. Alumni participation through giving is what can move us up in the US News and World Report rankings. As an alumnus, one of the most important things you can do is to Be Counted by making a gift to UH every year — no matter the amount.

Participation matters. It is a vote of confidence in UH and demonstrates your Cougar pride. Your gift can: • •

Increase UH’s national rankings by raising our alumni giving rate Provide needed scholarships, program support and research resources

We can’t do this without you. As UH continues to reach new heights, we need your participation.

Make your gift today by texting BeCounted to 71-777 or scanning the QR code.

32 HOUSTONIAN // MAY 2022