This Week at the Tutorium

Where is home for you?

My home is Chicago. My sisters and I were born here, and so were my parents. (My grandparents were born in Ireland.) Right now, I live in the East Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago with my mother and youngest sister.

Do you have any nicknames?

Yes! My formal name is Therese, so Terrie is actually my nickname. I'm also called Tess, T, and my little sister calls me "Therese-the-Beast Byrne."

What’s your favorite movie?

I have so many! Going to movies is important in my family. During the COVID lockdown, we went to a drive-in theater (outdoor cinema) in Pilsen where we sat in our cars and watched the movies projected on the side of a building. For fun, I love watching Abyss, a deep-sea sci-fi movie with aliens, a message of peace. For deep thought, my favorite movie is Solaris. I prefer the one directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, but the American version starring George Clooney is good too.

Who is your most listened to musical artist?

Imagine Dragons. A close second is The Rolling Stones, Prince, or Creedence Clearwater Revival.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

Flying, soaring in the sky, wearing a really flashy, long cape.

Do you have any pets? Children?

We have two cats: Stevie (aka Captain Steve Rogers) and Peggy (aka Agent Peggy Carter). Yes, they are named after Marvel Superheroes.

What’s one of your favorite English words?

"Gazebo" - I love how it sounds.

Do you have a favorite word in another language?

"Bête noire." In French, it means "black beast." It's an idiom for something you dislike or avoid because it always causes you problems. One of my bêtes noires is broccoli. I even hate how it smells.

What is one piece of advice you have for students who are learning English?

Pick a fun activity you are already good at and take a class in English. I've had students who took tennis lessons from an English-speaking instructor, or a pottery class with all English-speaking students, and they loved it. They were already good at the class subject, so they were able to focus on practicing their English while doing something they enjoyed.

We are halfway through the semester, and midterms are just around the corner. It seems like there are so many papers, projects and homework that you can’t keep up with it all. You might be feeling a little overwhelmed and very tired. Sometimes the life of a university student can be stressful at times. The good news is that you don’t have to walk this journey along. UIC and its campus community is here for you. There are so many resources available. Here are just a few:

Campus Recreation programs and fitness classes are available at facilities on the east and west sides of campus to exercise your mind, body and spirit.
The Wellness Center helps students make healthy choices in areas such as overall life balance, emotional and social support, academic success and nutrition.
The Counseling Center provides a safe and confidential setting and creates personalized treatment plans for students to access short-term and long-term therapy options.
Accessing the Behavioral Health Guidebook outlines services and resources that students can access on-campus at UIC to support their mental health and well-being.

The UIC Intracampus (within campus) Bus Service provides free transportation for students on campus. Present your UIC identification card (i-card) to the driver when boarding.

Here are maps of the bus routes:

UIC Ride will not be used to track the bus services anymore.

The TripShot app (iOS or Android Version) will now be the only app that can track uic campus buses in real time.

Have you checked your UI-Pay account to understand how to pay your tuition?

If you have questions or issues with your bill, please contact tutorium@uic.edu

Payment options:

Pay One-Time in Full: Due on the 28th of June.

Set up an Authorized Payer: This allows your government, company, or someone else to pay your tuition for you.

Find out all the details on how to pay your tuition here: https://paymybill.uillinois.edu/payments

250 years before and 150 years after the founding of the United States, the enslavement of African people was widespread across the USA. After 400 years of slavery, it finally became illegal in the USA on June 19, 1865. June 19 is now known and celebrated as Juneteenth. Juneteenth was the first step towards equality for African American people.

Please feel free to join UIC's Disability Cultural Center in this year's annual Accessible Juneteenth celebration this Tuesday!

This celebration will specfically honor anyone in the disability community with African heritage ! Even if you are not a disabled person with African heritage you can still join in solidarity.

Face masks are required indoors.

Click here for more information

As we are now fully underway of this pride month, let's start building community! During Pride Month we celebrate all LGBTQIA+ people and history.

Chicago Pride Fest is a two-day street festival celebration of LGBTQ+ life, culture and community.

There will be live music, drag performances, dance exhibitions, and over 150 food and merchandise vendors!

This event is free but there is a suggested $20 donation.

Date: June 20th & 21st

Click here for more information

Chicago Pride Parade has been the biggest pride month activity in Chicago for 55 years!

This 2-mile parade symbolizes a celebration of love, unity, and the progress made in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights.

Date: June 28th at 11am

Click here for more information

Midterms are this week! Maybe you're nervous, maybe you're confident. Maybe the semester has been easy and fun so far, but maybe you have been working hard and saw little improvement. Whatever the case, the midterm week is as much an opportunity as it is a challenge. To learn how you can make the most out of midterms, read more>>.

You can and should fill out the applications to universities (undergraduate and graduate programs) while still studying at the Tutorium and improving your English. Most programs begin in the Fall (late August or September), but accept students many months before that.

Tutorium students should not try to move on to university until passing at least level 4. Passing level 5 is best. When you move to university, there will be many challenges, and you will want to be as skilled in English as possible to make your university experience the best it can be. To find out more information about the requirements for admissions to UIC, read more>>.

After midterm exams are finished, your teachers will review your work during weeks 1-4. You will receive a midterm course grade, and during week 5, you will have a conference with your teacher to talk about your progress this semester. You will also talk about your plan to improve more in the last weeks of this summer semester!