Evy JagGuide's Blog

     Hey everyone! Long time no see!   Today I'd like to share some of my favorite things about being an English major here at South. I love the program here and will sing its praises until the cows come home. Without further ado, here's some insight about what it's like to be a part of the English department:   1. Our faculty is top-notch.   The English faculty is so kind and dedicated to ensuring their students are well-prepared for their time here at South. I have so many professors in the department that I feel comfortable approaching for advice on how best to tackle my future. You really get the sense that these professors not only love what they're doing, but that they also care about their students and want the best for them.   2. You can concentrate in Literature or Creative Writing.   I'm a Literature concentration, but if Creative Writing is more your jam, then we have a fantastic new extension of the department at the Stokes Wr...

    Hey everyone!   If you've visited my blog before, you'll know that I don't actually live in Mobile. I live near Ocean Springs, Mississippi, which is a little over an hour away from South's campus. I drive here 5 days a week and spend about 10 hours total a week in the car! As such, my typical week looks pretty similar across the board. Here's a snapshot of what it's like...   I normally leave my house by 7:30 a.m. most days even though my first classes start at 9:30 a.m. or later. I like to give myself some extra time in the morning when I get here to either eat breakfast or do some homework. When I have this extra time, I typically go to the Seaman's Bethel, which is the Honors College hub.   A lot of my day is eaten up by classes. Since I live far away, I like to schedule several classes a day so I'm more motivated to make the drive. But in my downtime between classes, I'll eat lunch and study. You can almost always find me at the Bet...

  Me in Badlands National Park, South Dakota   Hi future Jags!   Today I'd like to share some more interesting tidbits about myself than I have in previous posts. As always, if you have any questions, you are more than welcome to send them my way! I would be glad to help. This summer, my family and I took a month-long road trip across the Western United States. We visited 13 states, 11 National Parks, and drove 6,470.5 miles! As some of you may know, I came into South as a Geology major, and though I'm no longer majoring in the subject, my interest in it didn't suddenly go away.  It was an amazing trip that fueled my thirst to see geological wonders of the world. Speaking of which, I collect rocks and minerals! My collection has over 100 different specimen, and I started it when I was about 7 years old. My parents took me to a gem panning place in the Smokey Mountains, and from there I developed a love for pretty (and ugly!) rocks and minerals. I r...

   Howdy future Jags!   If you've poked around my blog before, you'll know that I always sing high praises for our campus tours. Today I'm going to share my memories of my first campus tour here, which was the first time I had ever visited South's campus!   When I was considering colleges in high school, South did not come onto my radar until pretty late in the game. I was very focused on going to a university with an excellent Geology program, so I had my gaze turned across the country, to Colorado or Arizona. One day, my mom mentioned South Alabama, which I wasn't aware existed and was only an hour away from home. I figured I might as well just tour it for fun, to keep my options open... and I'm so glad that I did!   South Alabama was the first college I ever toured, and I was blown away not only by the beauty of the campus but also by the friendliness of the staff and students who spoke to me that day. My tour guide was friendly, funny, and knowledgea...

I wish that was me...  Howdy everybody!   I'm going to be enjoying an extended Fall Break here beginning at 8 pm CST (when I get home from my commute). But how does a college student relax, exactly?   Honestly, despite the massive amounts of work it seems we have to do (and trust me, it's barely an exaggeration), you need some ME time here and there! Usually students return home during the break and hang out with friends and loved ones, and I'm no exception.   However, because I'm a commuter student who lives in Mississippi, I spend about 10 hours in the car every week getting to and from class. When breaks roll around, and especially ones as short as Fall Break, I'm pretty sick of driving, and I don't really want to go out! I intend to spend my break nestled in my bed and allowing myself some time to breathe.   I usually play video games or draw in my downtime to relax and get my mind off of the stress of school (and life in general). I don't...

  Howdy future Jags!   We're approaching the middle of the semester, which means the end of your senior year is ever encroaching! You may be wondering what to do at this point if college is on the table for you. It can be overwhelming; I remember what it was like to be in your shoes! Luckily, here are some tips I have for you to make sure you've got your ducks in a row:   1. Make sure that you have all of the necessary credits and classes to graduate. This may seem obvious, and your counselors should be monitoring that with you as well, but you'd be surprised at how many students I knew that were blindsided by credits they had to make up before they could graduate! Review your school's requirements!   2. Start researching the colleges you're interested in and take note of their application and scholarship deadlines. The priority deadline for scholarships at South is December 1st. Start narrowing down your choices now so you can get those applications in in ...

  Hey everyone!!   When I found out I was accepted to South, excited was an understatement! I had been weighing my options between a few schools, but when I took a campus tour here it became clear that this was where I wanted to go. So my acceptance letter was anxiously anticipated!   What was even more exciting to me than my university acceptance letter was my Honors College acceptance letter. Back then, it was only an Honors program, but it was still pretty competitive, and I was worried I wouldn't get in. I was ready to celebrate when I got word I was accepted!   The Honors College is one of my favorite things about South, and I recommend all interested students to check it out. You get so many opportunities from internships to research to networking-- as well as a faculty dedicated to making sure you're getting the most out of your time in the community. And what a community it is! There's all kinds of weekly events that range from movie viewings to fascina...

  Howdy future Jags!   Welcome to the USA Class of 2023 page, and welcome specifically to my blog! My name is Evy, and I'm a third-year junior here at South. I'm majoring in English with a Literature concentration, and I'm minoring in Geology. I'm also a member of the USA Honors College and currently am in the process of arranging my research for a senior thesis.     I'm from the Mississippi Gulf Coast, near Ocean Springs or Vancleave, and I still live there today. I commute to the university every day for class! So I spend a rough 10 hours in the car every week. Sometimes it's exhausting, but at the end of the day, it's really not so bad!   Something really special about South is our wonderful faculty. In my experience, most of the professors here care about your education and want to see you succeed... even the ones who might seem intimidating at first! Combined with our small class sizes, it feels like you can genuinely build a connection with your ...

  Hi everybody!   I hope your summer has treated you well. If you're new to the page or to my blog, my name is Evy and I am an English major here at the University of South Alabama. Don't be afraid to drop me a line if you have any questions I can help you with... but for now, let's get cracking:   You may be at a point in your high school career asking yourself if college is worth the hassle. What's in it for me? Why bother?   If you're asking yourself these questions, I suggest taking the time to sit down and really consider what your plans are for the future. College isn't for everyone, this much is true! But if you're looking to have a solid career, you're going to need to do your research. Does your potential career necessitate a degree?   I know that the process of deciding on college can be very daunting, but there are more benefits to a college education than just a degree. At a university, you're given an opportunity to bond and inte...

 Hey everybody!   As your spring semesters draw to a close and you look forward to summer, you might be wondering how to know for sure that the school you've chosen is the right one for you. Truthfully, the only way to really know is to go there... but there are some hints you can watch out for that will ultimately inform your decision.   I've said before that one of the main things that sold me on South was the fact that I took a campus tour. In the moment, taking campus tours seemed more like a nuisance than anything else, but in retrospect I can see how much the campus tours I took at various colleges influenced my decision. South was the first school I toured, and I was blown away by the beauty of the campus and the gentle, down-to-earth nature of the staff I met. It was a quiet, tranquil campus to me, especially in comparison to some of the bigger colleges I visited, and I found myself thinking, "You know, I think I could live here."   I just didn't ha...

    What does it mean to be a Jaguar?   As a part of South's Honors College, we've developed a sort of credo when it comes to education: to bring up bright, inquisitive, and critical thinkers. I think that this idea extends outside of the confines of the Honors College; it is something that can be applied to every student who steps foot on our campus.   As a South student, I am provided the opportunity to facilitate strong, interdisciplinary thinking in my own life. My classes and curriculum are thought-provoking and challenging and offer new ways of walking through life. I am provided important tools for continuing on in my career, for building a life for myself, for observing my own internal biases.   At South, we are critical thinkers. We are innovators. We are here to learn and better ourselves. We are here to build the future.   We are South. Until next time... ☆ Evy Savoie ☆ 

  Hey everyone!!   I hope that y'all have had an excellent Spring Break- or, if you're on it now, that you're enjoying your time off. Today I'm going to talk about one of my characteristics that has been the most beneficial to my college career: my sense of work ethic.   I've always valued the work that I'm tasked with and have a desire to make sure I do the best I possibly can. This most often manifests at jobs I'm employed at, but it also extends to academia as well. Though I struggle with procrastination, when I sit down and do an assignment, I tend put in my all. This sense of duty has been extremely beneficial to my time in college; it helps me keep my head afloat when I feel like I'm sinking.   But I also believe that passion plays a role in how I operate. Sometimes, I think you can really feel the love I have for the subjects I'm studying in my work or writing, even if I bemoaned the assignment or put it off.   So my advice to you is t...

  Hey everyone! South provides a lot of information for incoming students, but there are some things you learn just through the experience of being a student! Here's a sneak peek at some of the fun facts you might not know about South: During finals week, we often have special events going on to help students either relax or power through their studying (or cramming). They can range from free food to therapy dogs. During my freshman year finals week, the Chik-fil-a on campus opened back up at midnight and did a buy-one, get-one-free deal on chicken biscuits. I was up frantically writing a term paper, and you bet I took a break to get two chicken biscuits to last me through the night. Many departments offer free or reduced printing prices to students in that respective field! If you're an Honors College student, you can get free printing at the Bethel every day; you'll learn quickly that printing costs add up, so take advantage of these special printing places! If yo...

Credit: A. Fujii     My time here at South isn't just to get a degree and move on. I plan to go on to graduate school once I've completed my Bachelor's, and the opportunities that South is providing me are integral to ensuring I continue on with that plan.    Because I'm in the Honors College, I am given the opportunity and the resources to do significant undergraduate research. Not only will that give me real, proper experience, it will also put me in a grade above the competition I have when applying for grad school. Research also provides wonderful networking opportunities, all of which I find especially important.    I am not quite sure what I'd like to do career-wise yet, so I appreciate the opportunities to try new things and discover what I love. I've tossed around the idea of perhaps going into scientific journalism, so I sought a job at The Vanguard, where I've been learning the ins-and-outs of a newspaper operation.   ...

  Howdy everyone!   As the last semester of your high school career begins to wrap up, I'm sure that for many of you, college is never too far from your mind. Here are some things to consider as time marches on... Have you taken your ACT/SAT? If you're interested in bumping up your score or haven't taken one of the tests yet, make sure you get that done ASAP! ACT/SAT scores are vital if you're interested in any sort of academic scholarship, so keep on churning out as many scores as you can! Have you decided on your school yet? It's okay if you haven't, but keep in mind that many universities, including South, have important deadlines for the Fall semester to keep track of. For example, at South, things like Housing and Southbound Orientation are done on a first-come, first-serve basis; the longer you make a decision, the smaller your pool of options shrinks. What about housing? Are you living on or off campus? This is something you should be thinking ab...

  Hey everyone!   I hope everyone's having a lovely Valentine's Day! Today I'm going to be spreading the love and the cheer by talking about my favorite thing about South. I'll be honest-- there's a lot! But this time I'd like to put a special spotlight on our amazing English department and all of the hard work that they do.   South's English department has been nothing but exceptional in its performance and treatment of students. I could rave all day about how incredibly kind all of my professors have been; as I've said before in earlier blogs, I think that South has something very special with its lively faculty. But a lot of this has to do with the English department!   I haven't had one poor experience in the department. I know that I can rely on the professors there to not only hone my abilities but also support me in my endeavors. It's one thing to teach well-- it's quite another to want the best for your students. The chair of...

  Hey everyone! There's a lot that goes into choosing the best college for you, so today I'll be discussing three major points you should focus on when it comes to narrowing down your decision.   1. Tuition, Financial Aid, and Scholarships . How much you'll be spending at a college truly affects your likelihood of attending. If University A is offering you a free ride, it will probably be hard to resist! Look into what kind of financial aid and scholarships you qualify for at each college you're considering. It really helps narrow down your options.     2. Distance . This ties into the costs of college, but it's something you really ought to consider. Do you want to move far, far away from home, or do you want to stay in the area? When I was in high school, I really wanted to move across the country to attend a certain college that specialized in the major I started out as... but now that I'm still living at home and commuting because its the most cost-effec...

    Hey everyone! As your final high school years begin to wrap up, you might be feeling the stress of making your ultimate college decision. I know when I was a senior, I felt like I was going to lose my head! There are so many options out there for just about every kind of student, and it can definitely be overwhelming. So what made me choose South?     I took a campus tour! USA was the first college I toured... and, admittedly, I hadn't even considered it prior to this point. I saw that it was relatively close to where I live (about an hour) and figured, well, why not? I might as well!   And I ended up being blown away by not only the beauty of the campus but also by the downright zeal my South Guide had during the tour. It was obvious that the guide was incredibly knowledgeable and was just in love with the school. It was infectious-- for every other college I toured after South, I found myself comparing them, and I just kept gravitating back to USA....

  Getting involved on campus can seem like a massive undertaking. There are so many communities out there that it can seem pretty overwhelming! But the university makes it relatively simple to find a way to get involved.   There is a list on our website that contains all active student organizations. Every year, there is also a club fair often hosted at the student center. That's how I got involved my freshman year! Pinpoint what you like to do or what you would like to do, and there is surely a club out there for you.   The Honors college is where most of my activity lies. We are always hosting plenty of community service opportunities; for example, during Halloween, we do something called Ghouls for Good, where we collect canned goods for families in need. It's a lot of fun and is a great way to give back to the community.   South has a plethora of community involvement in almost every discipline to choose from. All you have to do is keep your eyes peeled! ...

  It's pretty easy to get into a miserable slump once the end of the semester approaches. All at once you're hit with every major assignment and responsibility, and it can get overwhelming real fast. As much as I like to keep my head above the water, sometimes it doesn't feel possible...   But if there's anything I've learned from struggling with tough times, it's that it's all about endurance. Much like I said in one of my previous entries about tackling the college application, the number one driving force that keeps me trucking is the fact that it's not the end of the world. It sure feels that way sometimes, especially if I've got three exams and two papers due all on the same day-- but it really isn't.   Sitting back and taking a deep breath to remind myself that my academic career does not reflect my self-worth really helps put things in perspective. And to get over a mountain of work? All it takes is some headphones, a good playlist, an...