Welcome to our 2025 CNMS Summer Reading Challenge! We’ve asked your professors and advisors for their top recommendations in fiction and nonfiction, plus some self-help books to keep your learning skills fresh. You can view our list of suggested readings HERE. The best part? The book recommendations are all directly related to your interests, major, and careers. Some of them may even give you insight into your upcoming classes this Fall!
Why a summer reading challenge? It’s essential that you keep up your reading skills during the summer because before you know it – you will be thrown right back into your textbooks and other reading-heavy assignments. Don’t let the summer deteriorate your hard-earned skills!
So what does this mean? Read ANYTHING but do it regularly! It’s like you are exercising your reading muscles and keeping them toned for the fall! Even 20-30 minutes of reading a day for at least 4-5 days of the week will help. Fiction, non-fiction, magazines, graphic novels, journals, you name it – we want to know about it!
Check out our flyer below and visit our website for our top picks if you’re not sure where to start.
Be sure to follow @cnmsadvising, #CNMSSummerReads, and #RetrieversRead on Instagram.
UMBC’s Alumni office is also kicking off a university-wide reading program this summer – RETRIEVERS READ! You can find out more information, request a packet (while supplies last), and get started with your challenge. Everyone who participates gets a starter prize pack PLUS the opportunity to win more goodies the more you read! #freepizza
CNMS Advising will be promoting one book a week over on our Instagram page PLUS offering tips on how to engage with specific scholarship in your field of interest. Let’s have the best summer yet!
For more information about the program please contact tmcgron1@umbc.edu.
ATTENTION ALL RETRIEVERS!!
Fall 2025 Advanced Registration is in full swing and ALL returning UMBC students will be eligible to register by the end of the week!
At UMBC, registration eligibility is determined by your number of earned credits and a comprehensive chart for all registration dates/times can be found here. **You can also verify your specific date/time for registration via your myUMBC account. **
As a reminder, however, advising clearance is mandatory every semester before you can register so if you haven’t reached out to your advisor yet – what are you waiting for?!? Keep in mind that advising is by appointment only and availability can be limited during this time of the semester. Check your myUMBC email (sent on or around March 3rd) for your advisor assignment and further instructions. Advisor assignments can also be found via the CNMS Advising website here (by major) and via your myUMBC Profile. Newly or recently declared life science majors who do not have a listed advisor assignment should contact CNMSAdvising@umbc.edu for support.
** PLEASE NOTE: You will want to seek advising clearance as soon as possible and regardless of any other holds you may have on your account (financial, housing, ECR Training, health, etc.). Delaying your advising appointment may mean that your assigned advisor no longer has the same availability to provide clearance/support once the dedicated advising season has come to an end. **
Throughout the week, CNMS Advising is also holding walk-in registration/schedule building support in The Learning Collaboratory (UC 115) during Study Hall hours (Mo-Fri 1-4PM). Peer advisors will be available to help you organize and build your schedule for next semester. In particular, they can assist with navigating Schedule Builder and utilizing the Class Search functionality. Please note that this support does NOT include academic advising, course suggestions, and/or advising clearance. Only your assigned advisor can provide that.
As we head into this final week of Advanced Registration, make sure that you are READY to register by meeting with your advisor, SET your alarm for your earliest registration date/time, and REGISTER ASAP!