Time to Explore! Student Services Building

     Are you new to the University of Illinois at Chicago?  Did you just move into the surrounding area and are wondering what the different buildings are?  Are you contemplating becoming a Flame next year?  This blog is here to help you newbies out!  Take some time to read about what I consider to be the heart to becoming an UIC Flame.

     Some may say that the classrooms are the center of a university.  This very much so is true, but before you can walk into any of the many classrooms the University of Illinois at Chicago has to offer, you have to do some business with the Student Services Building (SSB).  It is home to so many of the very important offices here at UIC.  Some of the offices that call SSB home are: the Academic Center for Excellence, African American Academic Network (AAAN), Office of Admissions, Office of Career Services, Student Employment, Counseling Center, Dean of Students Office, Disability Resource Center, Office of Student Financial Aid, the ID Office, LARES, Office of Registration and Records, Student Financial Services and Cashier Operations, Office of Transfer Student Assistance, Trio, U-Pass Information, Urban Health Program, and several others.

     Phew!  That was quite a few offices to list that reside in SSB.  Well it is a good thing there are directories!  The wide options of services that the Student Services Building offers are not the only reasons that you will need to seek out a directory.  Do you want to know a secret that not everyone knows? SSB used to be…a mall!  The layout makes SOOOOO much more sense now, right?  Next time you are there, check out the computer lab – it used to be a fast food restaurant.  And all this time you just thought UIC was trying to be artsy with the layout.  Well, there really was no method to the University’s madness other than buying it and saving some money by not tearing it down.  Maybe that is also why it is so far from the rest of campus.  You can tell by the map how far SSB is from the main campus.

     So, remember when you took your placement test after you got that nice fat envelope saying you were accepted?  You took them at Student Services Building.  You were probably so nervous about the test and anxious to start your college career, that you did not really observe the people around you.  Have no fear! For I am here! I was a nosey busy body and got the low down on the people around SSB for you.  Basically everyone that is working inside is over the age of thirty.  They are also so nice and helpful!  I have not run into a rude person yet.  A majority of the people inside are students with the exceptions for a few who are older.  I cannot even count how many different nationalities I saw while here!  Most of the people went inside, but some sat outside by the tree.  It is actually a really nice area to just sit and talk or people watch – which is easy to do since it is a busy corner.  You can also stop inside to the little mini café if you wish.  If you snoop a little further, for those people who were not walking and texting or talking on their phone, their conversations did not vary too much.  Most of the conversations included: how to get to places, sports, personal life, dorms, roommates, and classes.  Ahhhh, the life of a college student!  Chit-chatting about their exciting college life as they receive some college help.

     The Student Services Building really is a good place for the Flames to start out their college career.  The services in the building portray what UIC is all about.  As the Mission Statement states, the University of Illinois at Chicago is here to help as many students with educational opportunities.  SSB makes this clear by the offices it houses and the students those offices help out every day!