The ELI Weekly
UF at a Glance
- You may have noticed that the UF campus is very large! It spans over2000 acres (8 km2) and contains over 900 buildings.
- UF has approximately 55,000 students (35,000 undergraduate + 20,000 graduate students), making it the 3rd largest university in Florida.
- The undergraduate acceptance rate for UF is 24%. This means that only 24% of the people who apply to UF are admitted!
- UF students can choose from over 300 academic majors. The top academic major for undergraduate students is psychology.
- There are over 6,000 international students at UF. The top countries of origin for UF international students are China, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Brazil, and Venezuela.
- And finally…did you know that Gatorade was invented at the University of Florida? UF scientists invented the famous sports drink in 1965 to keep UF athletes hydrated!
Notes from the Office
Student Addresses: It is important that the ELI has each student’s address. If you have an F or J visa, you should report a change of address within 10 days of any change. You can update your address in myELI using the ‘Basic Information’ tab in your ‘My Profile’ page. If you need help updating your address in myELI, please contact Daryl at studyenglish@eli.ufl.edu.
Deadlines: The deadline to drop or add a class, pay tuition, submit proof of insurance and immunizations, and turn in a signed waiver of liability, is Wednesday, May 21st. If you miss any of these deadlines, you could be removed from classes or charged a late fee! If you have questions about paying tuition or submitting a financial guarantee, email Tara Mace at fiscal@eli.ufl.edu. If you have questions about insurance or immunizations, email Christine Voigt at christinevoigt@ufl.edu.
Withdrawing: Students who withdraw from a course or from the ELI after the drop/add deadline (Wednesday, May 21st) will not be able to receive a refund or credit for their courses. Their transcript will have a grade of W (withdraw).
Holiday: Monday, May 26th is the Memorial Day Holiday. There will be no ELI classes or afternoon activities and offices at UF and the ELI will be closed. RTS will also have reduced bus service, so be sure to check your route.
Daryl out: Daryl will be out of the office May 27 – May 30. Please plan around these dates if you need to talk to Daryl.
CIP Weekday Activities
Weekend Event
Saturday May 24th – Sweet Corn Festival at Amber Brooke Farms – 9:15am – 1:30pm
Join us at this American farm experience for a fun Saturday afternoon! They will be celebrating sweet corn with all the corn you can eat! There will be sunflowers, corn, and blueberries to pick, treats, arts & crafts vendors, live music, plus all of your favorite farm activities! Enjoy lunch and fresh baked goods at the café, like milkshakes, peach cobbler, and more. Tickets cost 15 dollars online and 20 dollars at the door. Meet at Norman Parking Garage on campus. You must sign up to attend this activity.
Other CIP Reminders
Conversation Partners
Want to meet with a fluent English speaker and make a new friend? Sign up for a CP! If you choose to sign up, you must meet with your partner for one hour a week. It can take up to two weeks to get a partner from when you sign up. Please sign up here!
Please email Joey at conversationpartners@eli.ufl.edu for any issues, questions or concerns or visit her in the CIP Office during office hours.
CIP Passports
Don’t forget to get your CIP Passport hole punched from the activity leaders at the event (not after). We don’t hole punch passports after the event. Redeem your completed passport for a small gift, a photo for the ELI Instagram, and your name published in the ELI weekly!
Need a new CIP Passport? Stop by the CIP Office!
Find the Pineapple
Remember the CIP Pineapple is hidden in a new place every Monday in the CIP office. Stop by and find it for hole punches!
Photo of the Week: Campus Tour
Birthdays!
| Students | Staff | ||
| Haifeng Cao | May 5 | Rose Martinez Melendez | May 3 |
| Luis Lascano Valarezo | May 11 | Jen Ramos | May 3 |
| Solange Pierre Paul | May 14 | ||
| Anghelo Ito Durand | May 24 |
Manners & Culture
Q: What are some common ways to greet people in the U.S.?
- Many Americans greet by saying “Hi” or “How are you?” This is usually a form of greeting rather than an actual questions about your wellbeing. The common response is “I’m good, thanks. How are you?”
- You might greet your teacher in a slightly more formal way. You can say, “Good morning” or “Good afternoon.”
- It is common to smile during greetings. Americans generally smile a lot and are likely to appreciate a smile in return.
- A handshake is the most common greeting when meeting someone for the first time or in professional settings.
- Handshakes should be firm and accompanied with direct eye contact. However, be aware handshaking can seem too formal and awkward in casual settings.
- Many people also hug to greet close friends and family that they haven’t seen in a while.
Joke of the Week
Q: What kind of cat should you never trust?
A: a cheetah!
Notes from the Editor
| I need students, LAs, instructors, staff, and administrators to help me write the Weekly!
Write a paragraph about your experiences this semester. You could write about an ELI activity, a Gainesville event, a fabulous local restaurant, or tell us about a place or event in your country that we should visit. Send me grammar questions for me to put in the Weekly. Send me manners and culture questions for me to put in the Weekly. Send me jokes to put in the Weekly. |
Send your paragraphs and/or questions to Jen Ramos (jenramos@ufl.edu) Use the subject heading: ELI Weekly.