Quite a Round-Up!

We hosted several hundred excited students earlier this month for Fall Round-Up, right here in the College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources. That's right, CAFNR welcomes freshmen and sophomores by giving them a night to explore the opportunities available in the college.

The crowd of students made its way through the halls of the agriculture building to mingle with representatives from many of the great organizations CAFNR has to offer! Since I’m an atmospheric science major, I helped out at the Meteorology Club table throughout the night. So many excited and interested students came through and asked a ton of questions!

I’m a senior this year and it made me really happy to know that there are such excited underclassmen in line to take over the many clubs and organizations in the college. Even if a student didn’t manage to find a club they were interested in, they still got a t-shirt, candy AND a free dinner. Not too shabby :)

-Madison Burnett
Senior, Atmospheric Science major

How can college help YOU?

That's a good question. For me, college has offered up a variety of experiences to prepare me for a full-time career. From the life lessons to the friendships, and all of the professional connections I've made in between, I'm not scared of the future.

There are so many resources like organizations, internships and other opportunities to help students find the path they want to take in life.

Find out how several CAFNR students, including myself, have taken advantage of some special programs offered to us as we continue searching for success. Click here to read more.

Who wants a popsicle?

CAFNR Career Services is giving away FREE popsicles to promote professional development among students. Click here for more fun pictures and some career advice from the experts!

Making Dreams Come True

Starting your first day of college, or maybe your very last year of high school? If so, I bet you were excited and anxious as you went to bed the night before classes began! It's kind of like a little kid going to Disney World, a quarterback getting ready for the big game, or a singer thinking about performing in front of hundreds of people.

I know just how it feels...in fact I had that same problem last night, even though I've been a college student for almost 1,100 days! So why am I still tossing and turning before the first day of class? Find out here!

CAFNR graduate starts local restaurant

Hands-on experience in the Hotel and Restaurant Management department helped Brian Coley start his own restaurant at the age of 23.

A recent article in the Columbia Missourian features the young restauranteur's new venture, Coley’s American Bistro.

Jeffrey Guinn, a resident instructor in the hotel and restaurant management program at MU, had the chance to work closely with Coley as his teacher at MU.

“When it comes to food, Brian has a very creative imagination and comforting palate,” Guinn said. “He has the ability to put together complimenting and contrasting flavors and textures, resulting in wonderful plates.”

Click here to read more.

Hands-on Learning: The Gathering Place Bed and Breakfast

CAFNR students get hands-on experiences no matter what major they choose. The folks in Hotel and Restaurant Management are keeping busy with a new adventure right in the heart of campus.

Distinguished Faculty

Another CAFNR faculty member is recognized for outstanding teaching.

Mike Smith teaches reproductive physiology in the Division of Animal Sciences. He earned the Maxine Christopher Shutz Award and Lecture for Distinguished Teaching.

Click here to read more.

Congrats to another faculty member that makes CAFNR so great!

Foreign Fun!

Once you start thinking about college, you’re sure to hear the phrase “study abroad”. While the term seems pretty vague, I knew before I even stepped foot onto the University of Missouri campus that I was going to spend a portion of my undergraduate time in a foreign country, studying abroad!

After working my first couple of years to save some cash, I decided the summer after my sophomore year would be the best time to study abroad. However, now I had to consider tons of things!

• What time of year did I want to travel?
• How much could I afford to spend?
• How long did I want to be gone?
• What programs offered credit hours that would help me graduate?
• Where exactly in the world did I want to go?

So then I started searching for answers:
I had always wanted to go to Europe and I wanted to be gone longer than three weeks but less than a semester. Going to a country that did not speak English was appealing and I had a rough idea of how much I could afford to spend. Between those few things, I decided studying abroad in Prague would be the best choice! Prague is located in the Czech Republic which borders Poland. This was even better, because being the history nerd that I am…visiting Auschwitz was a must during my Europe experience.

What a fantastic choice I made, about 20 other Mizzou students traveled to the Czech Republic for the same trip and we had the time of our lives! Each week we’d load into a bus and take an excursion. Our excursions ranged from coal minds to visiting historic towns such as Karlovy Vary…where my favorite movie Last Holiday was filmed with Queen Latifah! Weekends were often spent traveling to other countries. I visited Poland and Hungary, while other students visited Ireland, Switzerland and France- the possibilities were endless.

However, the weekly travel was not the only highlight. Each day we would attend classes and then spend the afternoons doing different activities. Surprisingly enough I enjoyed the classes, especially the history class! Learning about communist control, which only ended in 1989 was an eye-opening experience. Culturally, it was interesting to see how communism affected the Czech people and it was most apparent in the older generations. Daily activities ranged from sports, music lessons, paddle boating under the Charles Bridge and sightseeing in Prague.

The memories of studying abroad will stick with me forever, but I am continually reaping benefits from my experience. First, I had the opportunity to write an article for AgCareers.com concerning my study abroad experience. This allowed me to gain exposure and further enhance my writing abilities. And secondly, business is ever expanding into foreign markets so having international experience is increasingly appealing to employers.

If you are looking to study abroad, jump in and start asking questions! Roy Robinson in 2-64 of the Agriculture Building is always ready to talk about international experiences. Roy is a great resource when looking for scholarships, loans or information about specific programs.

Click here for more exciting info about CAFNR Study Abroad programs!

-Becky Schneider
Junior, Agricultural Education

Work hard for the money

I am a sophomore agricultural journalism major in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. I pay for my education completely, without the help of my parents, but with the help of CAFNR and MU scholarships, a part-time job, and of course, FAFSA. Because of scholarships, grants, and student loans I receive from FAFSA, I can sleep better at night knowing I can attain the college degree I’ve dreamed of.

Because I have financial help from these sources, I have time to get involved in CAFNR. This means numerous opportunities are at my fingertips. Rather than working every possible minute to pay for my expenses out of my pocket, I have time to build relationships and to better myself during my stay with CAFNR.

Scenario: You're a senior in high school, looking for the perfect fit after graduation. You like what the University of Missouri offers students like you to help you make your dreams come true.

Problem: It’s almost time to head off to college, but you don’t know how you can afford tuition, room and board, and all the extras that come with the college life.

Solution: FAFSA!! Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is here to help you pay for your journey through college. By simply applying for FAFSA, students all over the country are eligible and receive grants, scholarships, and student loans that make their education possible. Three easy steps are involved in applying for financial aid, according to the FAFSA Web site.

What's next:

• Get organized. This means do your taxes, apply for a PIN, and get all your paper work ready to go.


• Fill out the application. It’s that simple. Just fill out the application online, and add corrections as necessary.


• Follow-up. Print off all information, check on status of application, and watch for your financial aid information to be sent to you.


• Watch for important deadlines!

The Mizzou priority date is MARCH 1, 2009. Be sure to fill these applications out ASAP to recieve as much support as possible!

Remember, it never hurts to APPLY EARLY!

-Kaity Kerwin
Agricultural Journalism, sophomore

Catch the Tiger Spirit!

Photo courtesy of CAFNR student, Amanda Eiberger

Mizzou basketball provides a lot of excitement around campus. Our fans were quite proud as they defeated our arch-rival, Kansas, 62-60 earlier this month. After the game winning shot in the final seconds, fans stormed the court to celebrate the upset, the win against our rival and keeping an undefeated record in Mizzou Arena this season. The team looks to make their first appearance in NCAA March Madness tournament in three years.

And although basketball is on every Tiger’s mind right now, who can forget the last two football seasons? We made it to two great bowl games and were in several prime time games! Chase Daniel was a preliminary Heisman candidate!

• With all the excitement surrounding Mizzou sports this school year, you might be wondering how you can be a part of it all next year. Depending on what sports you want to buy tickets for, there are a couple different options. Although the ticket office has yet to decide what packages will be available for the 2009-2010 school year, here are a few things to think about when picking your package.
  
• What games do you really want to attend? If you are only a die hard football fan, pick the football package. The same goes for basketball. That way you don’t pay extra for games that you won’t attend.
  
• There will not be block seating at football games next year. All students seats with be first-come first-serve. So if you want to sit close to the field, get there early!
  
• Do you want to be with the loudest and most passionate Mizzou fans in the crowd? Join Tiger’s Lair (for football fans) and Zou Crew (for basketball fans)! These groups get great seats, t-shirts and opportunities to attend bus trips to big away games.

Information regarding ticket packages, Tiger’s Lair and Zou Crew will be available at Summer Welcome.

Be sure to keep following Mizzou hoops...help cheer on the team against the Jayhawks on March 1 in Lawrence. The final home game is scheduled against the University of Oklahoma on Wednesday, March 4.

-Madison Burnett
Soil, Environmental, and Atmospheric Science, Junior

Welcome to the Zou!

Looking for the scoop on colleges and universities? Tired of the same ol' brochures and post cards in your mailbox? Want to know what to expect after high school?

Here's your chance to get information from real students for real students.

Welcome to the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources blog, where you'll see what it means to be a TIGER. Follow our students through daily adventures through college life. Don't miss out, it's a jungle out there!

Now the question is, are you ready for the ZOU?