• OPT/CPT Employment Workshop

–   Students who plan to graduate in the next year and are interested in working in the U.S. may be interested in Optional Practical Training or Curricular Practical Training. Come get some helpful information on how to apply and ask questions! Applications for OPT are due to the U.S. government very soon. If you are considering OPT,you should get started now!

• Tuesday, March 7 from 4-5pm at Cumberland House
• Wednesday, March 8 from 12-1pm at Cumberland House

Spring break is just around the corner (March 12-19) and I am sure you’re just as excited for a week off from classes and school work as everyone else is. Do you any have plans yet on how to really enjoy your week off? If not, check below for some things to do if you’re not jet setting off to a tropical beach somewhere or visiting your home country!

• Enjoy Lancaster – there are plenty of things to do locally that can be fun rain or shine. Aside from the suggestions mentioned in our previous article, there is much more Lancaster has to offer! Strausburgh, for starters, is a small town about 20 minutes away with tons of fun things to discover, like ice cream shops, a railroad track, and antique shops! There are also the outlets near by to shop ’til you drop for new spring clothes! Downtown Lancaster is a great place to browse shops or grab a bite to eat with friends. No matter who you’re with, you are sure to find something fun to do in Lancaster!
• Take a beach trip – Sure, it may not be a luxurious vacation to Cancun, but the beaches of New Jersey and Maryland are only 2-3 hours drive from here. While it may be too cold to go in the water, there is still nothing like the feeling of being in a beach town!
• Go to D.C. or Baltimore – Our nations capital is only 2.5 hours from Millersville, and if you haven’t been yet – you’re missing out! With free museums and other attractions, Washington D.C. is a great city to explore, for a day or more! Baltimore, the capital of Maryland, is only 1.5 hours from here! Baltimore is another city rich with history and filled with fun attractions – like the national aquarium! Both cities are an easy way to have a fun day or weekend with a few friends without traveling too far.
• Visit a friend’s home – If you have made a lot of American friends who live close to here, ask if you can join them at home for a day or two. It’s awesome to be able to see where friends grew up and they know all of the fun things to do in their hometowns as well!
• relax – spring break is an entire week off from classes. While you may have some class work to do over break or tests when you come back, remember to find time to relax. Before you know it, spring break will be over and we will be heading towards midterms and finals! Use this time to catch up on your favorite show, read a good book, enjoy time with friends or family, and relax.

St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday widely celebrated around the world. While it was originally seen as a largely religious holiday in Ireland, the US sees it as a celebratory affair! Here are just a few ways that Americans celebrate – see how they compare to your home country this year on March 17!

• Green Everywhere! – Everywhere you look, there will be green. Green food/drinks, green clothes, and sometimes people even dye their hair or paint their faces green. People love to go ‘all out’ in decorations and dressing up for St. Patty’s Day!
• Shamrocks – We are not exactly sure why we use shamrocks as a token of good luck, but Americans love to believe in them anyway. 3 and 4 – leaf clover shamrocks are the proprietary symbol of St. Patrick’s Day.
• Parades – all across the country, big cities will be throwing St. Patrick’s Day parades and events. People will participate in everything from fundraisers, pub crawls, dances, parties, festivals and much more! Try hosting your own St. Patrick’s party with your friends and green decorations and food!

As you may have noticed from the crazy, unpredictable weather these past few weeks, Spring is among us! So, what exactly does spring in Pennsylvania entail?

• Longer days – Spring means daylight savings time starts back up again! This year, daylight savings time begins March 12. At 2 am, we will set our clocks (or they will automatically be set) forward one hour! This will result in the sun setting later and days lasting longer, and who doesn’t love that?
• Don’t rely on your weather app – spring weather is unpredictable. It will be warm and sunny one day, with a windy, cold day following. There is even still  a chance of snow showers from time to time, and this is not uncommon. One year, we saw snow as late as April! So, if we get a warm streak of temperatures in the 70’s, don’t pack away your long sleeves just yet.
• Everything is colorful again – Once the weather warms up and the sun starts to shine consistently, nature flourishes. Grass becomes green and full again, flowers start to bloom, and leaves on the trees will begin to grow buds.

I think it is safe to say that we are all ready for spring to begin on March 20. Before we know it, it’ll be time for summer break! Just try to keep up the motivation to go to class, even on sunny, warm days.