Summer is finally here! For most of you, high school graduations took place this past weekend and I would like to congratulate you on a job well done. It is an accomplishment you should be proud of. Today does not feel like summer in the Black Hills but it will be here soon.

The Admissions Staff is always giving constant reminders of things you need to complete, turn in, and attend. With the first New Student Registration just around the corner, reminders about the materials you need to have completed will be coming frequently. Financial Aid award letters is one of them. If you did not complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), you do not need to worry about this. For those of you who did, you should have received an award letter in the mail. You will need to indicate which awards you plan to accept and decline and return it to Student Financial Services. The financial aid process can be confusing, so if you have any questions just let us know so we can help you answer them.

Immunization records are also important to remember. All students who attend Black Hills State must provide documentation of two MMRs (measles, mumps, and rubella). You were mailed a medical history form that you can take to your doctor to complete. You may also provide any other documentation that has the dates of your immunizations, such as a record you may have kept at home.

Enjoy your summer and I am looking forward to seeing you over the summer!

Emily Pier

Black Hills State University

The Sun is Shining!

Wow, how un-predictable & crazy can South Dakota weather get? Pretty darn crazy! On Wednesday it was snowing, causing hazardous driving conditions for many, and today the sun is shining, all the snow is melted, and people are coming out from the cracks with their summer attire; hopefully able to pack away those hats, scarfs, and gloves! Temps next week are being forecasted into the 70s! I am so happy that the sun is out and hiking season is on the horizon.

Speaking of summer... we have officially set the date for the annual BHSU Summer View visit day! This year's Summer View will be held on July 30th, packed with new and exciting events and activities to get you the most information about BHSU that we possibly can! Is your family planning on vacationing in the beautiful Black Hills at all this summer? Why not plan that vacation around Summer View, allowing you to check out the campus amidst all of your fun, or not so fun, family activities planned:). Registering for this event is easy! Simply go to www.bhsu.edu/summerview and fill out the registration form. We will be adding more information to this website very soon concerning the itinerary and time.

I hope that you all have a "summer like" weekend! For all of you seniors graduating this weekend- CONGRATULATIONS! Have fun in the moment!

Maria Hartung
BHSU Admissions Counselor
Maria.Hartung@bhsu.edu

SUMMMMMMER!!!! Or even Spring would be okay.

Oh, South Dakota weather, how do we ever adjust to your ever changing whims? This thought is running through my head as I am looking out at Lookout Mountain and watching the snow fall. Yes, I said snow, and not just the sleety, rain, but full on flakes. It has successfully snowed all day now.

This snow is really getting me in the mood for our many summer activities, more so anxiously awaiting them. If you have been following any of our social networks, it may seem like we have been paying a lot of attention to our 2010 incoming class, so this blog is for you future classes.
If you are thinking about starting your college explorations, summer is a great time to do that. As students your lives are filled all year long, but for 3 glorious months of the year, you may be able to focus on things other than school and its activities, and why not think a little bit about your future! BHSU offers a great opportunity called Summer View to come visit campus.

Summer View is like a quick sneak peak of life on campus. We encourage Juniors, soon-to-be Seniors, to attend and become familiar with all that BHSU has to offer. Of course if you are still making some final decisions, Seniors, this is a great day for you as well. Spend the morning on campus visiting with Faculty, Staff, and Current Students, go on a campus tour, eat at The Hive, and really get a feeling for your academic opportunities at BHSU that will transform your life.

Summer View is a little different because we always try to throw in a little extra fun, it is summer after all! Sign-up today.

If April showers bring May flowers – what does May snow bring us!?!?


Laura Weber – Assistant Director Admissions
Laura.Weber@BHSU.edu
Black Hills State University – GO YELLOW JACKETS

Summer View

Happy rainy Monday from BHSU! It may not feel much like summer here, but we are already thinking about and getting events for summer lined up. Summer View will be held on campus on Friday, July 30. Summer View is a great opportunity to check out campus during the summer. You will receive a campus tour, lunch in the new Student Union, information from any department on campus, plus many more things! Summer is a great time to check out BHSU because often families are visiting the Black Hills for vacation, so stopping by campus for Summer View would be a super idea.

For those of you who are juniors, Summer View is an ideal time to visit us. If you didn’t know, current juniors can apply and start being accepted this summer for 2011 fall admission as soon as this school year is finished. By coming to Summer View, not only can you get all of your questions answered, but you can apply for admission as well. Taking care of applications for admission early will allow you to concentrate on enjoying your senior year. Remember, completing applications for admission does not commit you to attend a school.

Check out our website at www.bhsu.edu/visit to reserve your space for Summer View or any other visit time. I hope to see you on campus this summer!

Emily Pier
Admissions Counselor
605-642-6227 Office
605-641-6990 Cell
emily.pier@bhsu.edu

It's Almost Here!

Summer is almost here! You wouldn't think that to be true though if you stepped outside today. I don't know who in their right mind ordered this crazy cold weather, but that's what we have! The only thing that has kept me sane this week during this nasty weather is the fact that I have been able to talk with so many of you on the phone and have been able to share in your pure happiness to graduate high school soon! Some of you are even graduating already next weekend. Can you believe it? For those of you who still have a few weeks left, hang in there. It will be here before you know it! Congratulations on your accomplishments!

Like Emily said, this week has been finals week at Black Hills State University. During finals week, campus is extremely quiet. I could even say that it is eerily quiet. Students are busy studying, sleeping, studying, eating, studying, and maybe a little more sleep. There are no classes held during finals week, so students are able to devote all of their time to studying for their final exams! I know that some of you already may have had finals exams in high school, but believe me, they are different in college. It's all good though. The feeling you get after you complete your final exams each semester is one of pure joy, and your shoulders feel a lot lighter as well!

If any of you are preparing for final test this week, good luck! Study hard, because it will only prepare you better for your college final exams. If this coming week is your last week of high school, enjoy it! Even if you have highly disliked high school up until now, try to find the silver lining this week, and remember that college will be so much better! :)

GO JACKETS!

Maria Hartung
BHSU Admissions Counselor
Maria.Hartung@bhsu.edu

School is almost out for summer! Almost…

Final exams are being given right now as they always take place during the last week of each semester. For you new and prospective students, final exams are a big part of college life. Some high schools have final exams at the end of a semester or year, but college finals can be a little different. They can often times be worth 20-50% of your grade in a class so they are very important to study for and take seriously. Regular class times are not held during finals week. Each class has a scheduled finals period and it most likely will not be on the same day or time that the class period is held. The schedule for finals week is designed so that you are only testing, not going to class periods.

There are lots of things to help students be successful with their finals. Classes offer study sessions or study groups and campus also has some “de-stressing” activities for finals week too. The library keeps treats and goodies such as bars and cookies all week for students and there are late night pancake feeds for when you need nourishment during those long study sessions. You will also find that the Residence Halls are pretty quiet during this week. Having study areas in the Residence Halls is a great option for studying. All students on campus will be hitting the books so joining in isn’t hard to do!

Each professor handles final exams differently. Some professors have an in-class exam when you come to the exam on a certain day and time. Other classes have final projects that are due the week of finals and other classes have take-home exams. Most professors notify their students about what type of final exam they will be offering at the beginning of the semester, so you will know what to expect as you near the end of the semester.

If you have final exams before graduation, good luck! I am looking forward to seeing you on campus for New Student Registration this summer or for a campus visit. Go Jackets!

Emily Pier
Admissions Counselor
605-642-6227 Office
605-641-6990 Cell
emily.pier@bhsu.edu