Let it snow!

The first snow of the year always brings about some new experiences for college freshman. Hopefully by now everyone has their winter gear; although you probably laughed at your parents when they used to tell you to zip up your coat and put on a scarf, you will find yourself doing so voluntarily, regardless of how goofy you think you look. It’s hard to imagine how cold your extremities can get merely walking to class, but you should be sure to take extra precautions to stay warm. Also, if you are one to go to the gym and work out, be sure to bundle up when walking back to your dorm or apartment because not doing so will surely result in a cold. Make sure your upper body is warm, and try to cover your head with a hat or a hood. Also, not covering your legs could result in cramping.

Walking to and from class after a fresh snow can be tricky. First of all, you want to make sure that you wear shoes with good traction; my friend and I counted nine people who slipped and fell on ice on our way to class this morning. It’s also smart to wear gloves to keep your hands warm. If you don’t wear gloves you will end up putting your hands in your pockets, which reduces your ability to balance or catch yourself if you slip. Another recommendation: dress in layers. Although this may seem somewhat obvious, it really is crucial. In order to prevent getting sick over the winter months be sure to bundle up, even just to walk to class. However, as soon as you get to class it’s not unusual to find yourself sweating, in which case layers come in handy.

One last thing to look out for after a fresh snow… Today when I was walking on campus I could hear a loud noise coming from the roof of a building. A few people moved off of the sidewalk away from the building, so I followed suit, unaware of why they were doing so. Sure enough, a few seconds later huge chunks of ice came crashing down onto the sidewalk from the roof. I was glad the people I had been walking near had known what was about to happen. So beware of sliding ice; this tends to happen in the afternoon when the sun starts to melt the snow and ice, causing it to slide off rooftops.

Gearing Up for Christmas Break

The semester is quickly coming to a close, and soon we will all be able to relax with our families for three glorious weeks. I know when that last final is done I am going to pack up in record time and head towards home, but don’t leave in such a hurry that you forget to do a few very important things…

1. Take everything out of your refrigerator that will perish, unplug it, and put a towel in the bottom to catch water when the fridge thaws. And make sure you empty the ice cube trays in the mini freezer. We forgot to last year and had quite a lot more water than expected to clean up.
2. Take out all trash
3. Unplug all appliance for fire safety reasons (maintenance will do it if you forget, but it will make their jobs easier if you do it)
4. Loosen laundry detergent bottles otherwise when the room gets warm they will leak from the pressure (I've seen it happen...you don't want that mess)
   
5. Close windows and blinds
6. Turn heat down (but not off) to prevent coming back to a sauna
7. Take home any summer clothes and shoes in your closet to make room for winter sweaters, boots, etc
8. Clean out your desk from first semester and throw away anything you don’t want. When you come back from break you’ll be really glad you already cleaned out your stuff
   
9. Bring home class notes, binders, and books that you won’t need next semester
10. Sell back texts books if possible (you'll probably want that money over break)
    
11. Find out what books you’ll need spring semester. You can order them online over break (www.half.com) for less. That way they will arrive in time for the start of classes.
12. Organize pictures from fall semester to share with your family and friends or to print at home.

IU vs PU...

Since day one I fell in love with Purdue, but I never truly appreciated this fine establishment we call home until I got to visit Indiana University. Although IU is a good state school, there are quite a few things that I noticed that make Purdue, in my opinion, a better school all around…

1. Purdue’s campus is much less spread out than IU’s. This means shorter walks to classes and parties!
2. One word: food. I have personally experienced a few of IU’s dining halls and friends from IU have experienced Purdue’s Ford Dining Hall and the decision was unanimous: the food at Purdue is ten times better than the food at IU.
3. Reputation. Degree’s from Purdue are taken seriously all around the country, where as IU’s reputation as a huge party school has stuck.
4. Dorm life. When I visited IU I noticed a few things about dorm life. First of all, students have to have a key to enter the building, the floor, and their room. This means it’s much harder to stop by and say high to friends or to look for help with homework. Also, in Owen where I live at Purdue, everyone’s door is always open and everyone is friendly; at IU the doors are shut and the general dorm atmosphere is much less open and enjoyable.
5. Parties: although IU is a very fun party campus, it’s also very risky. IU students get drinking tickets and get arrested far more often than students at Purdue. The cops at Purdue are more easy-going and generally just try to keep the peace and make sure everyone is safe rather than try to get everyone in trouble, which is always a plus for the students.
6. The Greek life at Purdue is much bigger than that at IU. This means more registered parties to go to so you don’t have to take the risk of going to house parties and getting in trouble with the cops.

There’s no doubt that IU is a great school, but anyone trying to decide between these two rival state schools should take a look at the facts and get the inside scoop from students who have experienced both schools: Boiler Up!

Attention: Lock Your Room Doors

The Purdue police just issued a warning to all students living in the dorms to keep their rooms locked whenever they are not in the room due to recent burglaries. Early this morning eight rooms in Tarkington Hall and two rooms in Wiley Hall were robbed while the students were sleeping. Detective Lt. Fred Davis reported that the thieves took ten laptops, six iPods, two wallets, and one camera totaling $18,000 worth of stolen items.

Make sure to lock your doors especially at night. Lock your door even if you go across the hall to your friend’s room or to the bathroom. I know it’s a pain, but it’s worth it to prevent being burglarized. You might not think that anyone in your hall would steal from you; however, you never know who might wander into your hall and steal from you.

Birthdays in College

When you go to college a lot of things that you used to get excited about lose their flavor, the best example being birthdays. When you’re in high school, you get to go out to dinner with your family, come home and open presents, then go do whatever you want with your best friends. Everyone at your school had probably known you for a long time, so your day was filled with happy birthday wishes and little gifts from all of your closest friends. Unfortunately, when you go to college, birthdays leave you feeling a little emptier inside than you’re used to. Chances are, very few people will realize that it’s even your birthday, you won’t get to open any presents on your actual birthday, and you will spend your day going to class doing homework.

Today was my roommate’s birthday and I thought I would share a few things that my friends and I did to make her birthday a little more special. One of her close friends bought her a present to give her right at midnight, and while she was occupied with that a few girls on my floor and I decorated our door and our room with colorful birthday decorations. A good idea is to cover your dorm door with paper so that everyone who passes by will know there is a birthday; this way she got more birthday wishes and people who walked by would write personal happy birthday wishes on our door. Although it’s just a little thing, reading little things from all of the people you have met can make your birthday that much better. And since we can’t drive to a nice dinner or anything, a group of girls organized a surprise birthday dinner at Ford dining hall – it’s the thought that counts, right?

And don't lose hope - check your mailbox often around your birthday. Even though snail mail is kind of outdated, its always fun to get cards and boxes in the mail in college - it lets you know someone back at home is thinking of you.

InFLUenza Vaccine

Several of my posts lately have related to our health as college students. We all know how much of a pain it is to have a runny nose, cough, sore throat, or extreme fatigue because of the flu. Then on top of all that lousiness we still have to go to class and study when we just want to sleep the day away. With the semester winding down we will be spending a vast amount of time studying and the last thing we need is the flu. Yesterday I went and got a flu shot at PUSH to reduce my risk of getting the flu. It was really easy and fast. Plus it was only $13! This is a fraction of what it would cost at your doctor’s office.

According to the pamphlet I received at PUSH from the Department of Health and Human Services anyone who lives in dorms or other crowded conditions should get the flu shot which would include many of us. A flu shot is also recommended for children and anyone over 50 years old, anyone who has a long-term health problem such as heart disease, kidney disease, asthma, anemia, or diabetes, anyone who has a weakened immune system, or anyone who is around young children or the elderly. Basically if you want to reduce the risk of becoming sick with the flu and spreading it to those around you you should consider getting a flu shot –soon!

Avoid Eye Strain while Studying

While studying over the next few weeks be careful not to strain your eyes because it can worsen your vision. I know this to be true from my own experience. After a visit to the eye doctor at the end of my freshman year I found that my vision had gotten worse. I needed a stronger prescription in my contacts to see clearly. Also my suitemate needed glasses after her freshman year after never having eye problems before then. Studies have shown that close reading, studying, and using the computer for prolonged periods of time can have an effect on your vision and can cause headaches and irritated eyes. I read Care of Eyes For Students During Examinations by Dr. Anand Shroff and I learned what precautions I should take these next few weeks to ensure that my eyes don’t get even worse.

What to Avoid:

• Poor lighting
• Make sure you can hold the book you’re reading away from you and still be able to see clearly. You do not want to have to have your “nose in the book” to be able to read it. This will reduce eye strain and fatigue which can cause headaches.
• Extended periods of close reading
• About every 30 minutes look at distant objects for a few minutes. It sounds dumb, but it will work and it’s an excuse to take a break from studying J
• Lying down while reading
• Laying down strains your eye, neck, and back muscles. If sitting while reading make sure you have good support. To reduce headaches, neck aches, and back aches keep the reading material at a comfortable angle.
• Wearing contacts for long periods of time
• When you focus on near objects like a book or a computer screen you blink less and your eyes dry out. If you have contacts I am sure you know how annoying it is when your contact lenses stick to your eyes. When the contact sticks to your eye it can cause contact-lens-induced allergies. If you know you will be studying for a long time you should opt to wear your glasses.

Final Exams

Final exams can be a stressful time for college students, especially freshman. Since finals are such a big part of your grade students can find themselves getting nervous and not knowing how to study. The article Surviving Finals explains ten ways to get through finals with low stress and high rewards.

Take time to relax- This is very important because it can be difficult to study if your worried about other things. The article suggests exercising, long walks, and bike rides as good ways to relax.

Have a positive approach- If you become too nervous this can affect how you study. If you have the mind set that you’re going to do well you most likely will.

Stay away from people who have high anxiety- If you are around people who are stressed you are more likely to become stressed yourself, the article states “anxiety is contagious”.

Start studying early- This can sometimes be difficult but it’s very important. It will be more beneficial to you to schedule study times to stay away from cramming the night before.

Schedule large blocks of time for studying- This way you won’t have to rush and you’ll be able to get to sleep at a decent hour. Make sure these study blocks are at least to hour to maximize your study benefits.

Allow short periods to review- If you are constantly running the information through your head you will have a better chance of remembering it.

Schedule breaks- The article states “Respect your concentration span. Especially if you haven't studied much all semester, it may be difficult to study for several hours at a time.”


Stay with your routine- It’s important that you keep on task in order to complete all of your needed study time. “Go to bed at your regular time and get up a couple of hours earlier than you normally would, to continue studying. You will be able to understand and remember more when you are rested than you would if you postpone rest.”

Don’t cram the night before- It’s important to go over the material the night before, but don’t try to cramp all of it in one night. Chances are you will become more stressed and won’t do as well.

Moderate Stimulants- Caffeine can be a safe way to stay awake but too much can cause you to be jittery and unable to concentrate.

Studying for Finals

Finals are going to be upon us in just two short weeks. We all need to budget our time wisely over the next two weeks to prepare for our finals. It seems too earlier to start studying for finals, but believe me you will be glad you did. It is so much easier to study in small productive chunks days in advance rather than cramming the day before your final (especially if you have two that day). From my experiences I have a few tips to make studying less painful.

1. Determine the order in which you should study for your tests. Calculate the score you need to get on your finals in your classes to receive the grade you want in each class. With this information you can determine which finals you should focus on more.
2. Study without distractions. Turn off the TV, music, and computer screen. Reruns of your favorite TV show, the temptation to sing along with the songs, and Facebook can all be very distracting when trying to study. The distractions prevent you from retaining the information.
3. Take study breaks. Watch TV for a half hour then go back to studying. That short time when your brain can just “veg out” will help your sanity, and you’ll get your TV fix.
4. Don’t forgo sleeping. Good, solid sleep before a test is vital. That extra hour of studying when you are nodding off is not going to do any good. Sleeping will help you be able to think logically and be more alert during the test. And definitely don’t substitute caffeine for sleep.
5. Try different study techniques. Flash cards really work for me since most tests require a lot of memorization. I also use mnemonic devices to help me memorize long lists or other complex information.

Dining Hall Thanksgiving

I would like to give a shout out to all the dining hall staff for putting together a great pre-Thanksgiving meal last night. I ate at Hillenbrand and was really glad I did. Sometimes I take for granted all the work the staff put into preparing food for us everyday. Plus they always seem to do it with a smile on their faces.

Last night the staff had decorated the whole place with fall decorations and dimmed the lights which set the mood. The food was really good -moist turkey, homemade stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans and corn, and dinner rolls with cinnamon butter. Plus the must have desserts -apple pie, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, and candy corn! The down side to this wonderful meal was the very long wait in line. But the staff anticipated this and had an apple cider fountain outside the doors so you could stand in line drinking apple cider in a fancy cup while you waited. I really appreciated all the effort they put forth in preparing the meal. I know that some students won't get to come home for Thanksgiving so it's nice Purdue food services can bring a little home to them.

If you missed last night's meal you have the Christmas dinner to look forward to, and I know from last year it is even better (if that's possible). And remember to thank the staff for all the time and effort they put forth in preparing our meals (everyday not just on holidays).

Winter is coming...Bundle Up!

The weather is getting cold and walking to class is getting more unbearable. Unfortunately the freezing temperatures, cold winds, and possible snow are here to stay. Dressing warmly this winter will be really important for our health and comfort. During Thanksgiving break last year I got better winter gear for walking to class. I learned quite a few things after my first winter here on campus about how to stay warm.

Essentials for Walking to Class this Winter

• LAYERS –Wear layers because you will be really cold walking to class and then sweating once you get into class. You'll want to have several layers to remove in buildings.
• COAT –You definitely need a heavy winter coat. More than likely the winter coat you wore in high school isn’t going to cut it here at Purdue. (Thanksgiving break is the perfect opportunity to shop around.) You should look at several types to research the different options before you purchase one. I would recommend a down filled jacket that hits several inches below your belt. The longer the coat the warmer you’ll be because the wind won't get up it. And don’t just by a coat because it is fashionable –you’ll regret it believe me.
• HAT –Make sure you are covering your head with a warm hat to prevent heat from escaping. The hat needs to cover your ears, too. A head band would be okay, but a full covering hat will keep less heat from escaping.
• GLOVES –There a many different kinds of gloves: windproof, waterproof, mittens, wool, polar fleece…. My hands are always the first thing to get cold. I often wear mittens because they keep my hands the warmest.
• SCARF –A scarf is a must with the Indiana wind. If you aren’t wearing a scarf up around your neck the wind will go right through you. Plus on some days when it was really windy I would wrap the scarf up farther and basically bury my face in it. It sounds silly and I probably did look silly, but it doesn’t matter because I was warm and I didn’t get wind burn. Wind burn stinks believe me. And guys I know scarves might not be your favorite things so you could try a neck gaiter which is basically a tube of fabric you put on over your head that keeps your neck warm.
• SHOES and SOCKS –Besides your hands your feet get cold really fast. I would recommend waterproof shoes or boots with a good grip for icy days and heavy socks. Tennis shoes are definitely bad because your shoes and socks will get wet if it snows. Cold, wet feet are even worse than cold feet.

Thanksgiving Meals

November is always a good month. It brings cool fall weather, beautiful trees and leaves, and most importantly the great holiday, Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday, it reminds us of everything we have to be thankful for and we also get an excuse to be fed a wonderful and very delicious meal. Being college students, we get a break as well so we can go home and spend this holiday with family and friends. What is nice about this particular break is that most colleges have it around the same time; therefore we should all get a chance to see friends that go to other schools. This will be nice because a lot of my friends didn’t get an October break so when I went home for the weekend I didn’t get a chance to see many of my friends that went to other schools.

One of the many reasons I love this holiday is because I, like many, get to spend it with my family. Especially being away at college, I don’t get to see a lot of my relatives, so this is a chance for us to all get together and spend it together and just be thankful we have one another. Since I haven’t seen some of my relatives in a while I was thinking it might be a nice idea to make a special thanksgiving treat to share with all of them. After doing some brief ‘thanksgiving’ research on yummy desserts I could bake for my family I saw a few things of interest. First there is the traditional pumpkin pie of course, however this is too common, I figured someone would already make this, also I think this would be a bit complicated.

I found a dessert that sounded somewhat easy, but at the same time wasn’t just from a box, this way you could personalize it a little bit and know that you really did make it. The dessert is called pumpkin crumb squares. Basically what you do is get a yellow cake mix and pour it into a pan, after adding the eggs and butter of course. Then you add a pumpkin filling, which is made up of canned pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Then some more cake mix, sugar and chopped nuts are sprinkled over the top. After baking this you get your delicious pumpkin crumb squares. They sound really good and not too complicated, and I’m sure anyone would really appreciate a great tasting dessert after such a wonderful thanksgiving meal.

One of the reasons I, like many, love this holiday so much is because of the fantastic feast that always comes with it. I usually always end up over eating and feeling stuffed to the max after this dinner. Being college students, everyone hears of the ‘freshmen fifteen’ and many try to watch what they eat to avoid this. Contrary to popular belief, if you are trying to watch your calorie intake, there are ways to do this even on thanksgiving. I thought I would share a few tips with you, incase you were interested on how to try and eat good on such a food focused holiday. First, don’t go to the thanksgiving dinner hungry. Make sure you eat a wholesome breakfast and lunch prior to the big meal. If you don’t you will eat faster and possibly think it is okay to eat so much because you have barely eaten all day. Try and stock your plate with lots of vegetables, and remember to not over indulge in food, just stop when you are full. Of course you can eat turkey, just try and go skinless when picking out your preferred slice, this will help save calories and cholesterol. So there is most likely going to be various types of side dishes, it is okay to get a taste of each one. Just try to get each one in smaller portions; this will help you be able to sample each one. Just remember that moderation is key.

Also keep a few things in mind to try and avoid high fat items. Such as, lots of fat can be found in fried and creamy dishes, as well as dishes that contain a lot of cheese. Some times you forget that mashed potatoes are usually made with milk and butter or that green bean casseroles, even though they have vegetables in them, contain cream of mushroom soup, cheese and milk and topped with fried onions. It is okay to try these side dishes; I am not saying if you have a little you are instantly done for. The key is just moderation in these dishes.

These are some things to keep in mind if you are trying to watch your calorie intake. On the other hand, if you do overindulge in the meal, don’t waste time feeling guilty. Maybe make it a plan to do a little bit more exercise during the week than you normally would. Otherwise if you simply don’t care don’t feel all that bad, after all, thanksgiving only comes around once a year.

I hope you have a wonderful thanksgiving holiday as well as break and remember most importantly everything that you have to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!

Purdue's Football Season

Today marked the end of Purdue’s home football games. I though it would be necessary to do a little home football game recap. So being a freshmen, this was the first time I went to multiple big ten football games. Actually, it was the first time I even had attended any college football game. I really enjoyed every game I went to and had a lot of fun being a Purdue fan. It was great to go to every game and see the awesome turn out of Purdue sports fans that would show up decked out in black and gold. I learned a lot of chants and learned how to be a true fan.


Every morning there was a 12 o’clock game people would be outside ready and yelling for the boilermakers at probably 7 in the morning. I got to hear every single one of them because my room is right on Stadium Avenue and is right near the stadium and my window is right by the street. As weird as this may sound however, I started to kind of anticipate it and almost look forward to this noise on game days. It got me up, ready, and pumped for the big game. Every time I would hear this yelling and loudness I was reminded that it was time to jump out of bed and go root on the boilermakers with the rest of the fans!

I really enjoyed tailgating as well. It was a time for me and my friends to get together at sometimes 8 in the morning and get each other excited and ready for the game. Also the food was good too. Although most of the time it was more of a lunch meal, I still enjoyed the grills going and cooking food this early in the morning. Football was a time for all Purdue students to come together and cheer on their team and hope for victory.

One of my favorite parts of these Saturday mornings was the people dressed up for breakfast club. I heard a lot of chatter during the weeks of upperclassmen discussing what they would be for the upcoming football game. They would come up with crazy costumes and get up as early as 5 in the morning to go to the bars in ridiculous costumes that I’m sure gave everyone a good laugh when they passed on the way to the game. I saw costumes like Hulk Hogan, making fun of celebrities, and teenage ninja turtles, to name a few that stuck in my memory. It was funny the first week of football games, when I really did not know what to expect. I was really confused when I saw people dressed up in outrageous costumes cheering for the boilermakers. I was thinking Purdue fans are kind of weird. However after a few home games and a few conversations explaining this tradition to me, I came to understand that this was something that I would get very used to seeing.

So every Saturday there was a home football game I looked forward to seeing this funny tradition. People can get very creative when it comes to these outfits. I look forward to seeing much more of this in the years to come as well as being able to dress up myself for these Saturday football games.

I am glad to say that I have really enjoyed every football game that I have gone to here at Purdue. It has been quite a positive and enjoyable experience. The fan turnout was always good, even when the weather wasn’t the best or when it was a long weekend when most people would go home.
Today was a very nice day to have our last home football game on, the weather was very comfortable. I dressed up thinking it would get cold and I was surprised to find out that I was not cold at all and I could really enjoy the game without being cold and shivering, most games were like this luckily.

So while the home football games are over, we can still look forward to the upcoming basketball season. I think this will also be really fun, I have never been to college basketball games either. So I’m sure I will come to find many new traditions that come with this sport as well. It is nice that it will be inside, as the weather will get colder. Basketball is one of my favorite games to watch because I understand the rules more and you get to sit closer so you can see more. I think it will be fun because all the fans will be able to be closer and it is inside so we can sound really loud when we cheer on Purdue.

I am very happy that I got the VIP sports package, now I can go to all the games here at Purdue that I want to. It is great to go see everyone so hyped up to support their team! I am definitely looking forward to every upcoming football season and I will definitely be getting tickets to every home game to come.

Housing Bonanza Follow-Up

I have a few follow-up thoughts from my Housing Bonanza post. As I said my suitemates and I have been looking for apartments near campus. On Tuesday we toured an apartment complex on Vine Street that we really liked. It seemed like it was almost perfect –good price, water/sewage paid, laundry on the first floor, split bathroom, off street parking, partly furnished, 24 hour maintenance, and it was only one block from campus. Plus he landlord was super friendly. Before we left our tour of the apartment we checked to see how many units were still available on the third floor (the floor we wanted) and there were three. So we thought no problem. We really like this place, but it was only the second place we had seen so we wanted to look around more. We saw one later in the week that we hated so we decided to be proactive and have our parents read over the lease of the Vine Street apartment. My dad is a lawyer, and he thought the lease was very fair and reasonable.

Unfortunately I called on Friday to check how many units were left and there were none. We were crushed they had all sold. The moral of the story is if you like a place, it meets all your requirements, it has a good landlord, and it has a fair lease you should go for it! Don’t be too late like us because the good apartments are getting taken left and right.

Spring 2008

Most of you have scheduled your classes for spring 2008 semester. It is important to remember that you do have some control over your schedule and you should research your professor and your courses.

To research your courses you can go to http://www.courses.purdue.edu/cgi-bin/relay.exe/query?qid=courseOfferingSubjectList. The site has the schedule of classes for spring 2008. It has the times for each section number, who the professor will be, and how many spots are still available. If after your schedule is run you don’t like the way your class times have lined up you can try and change them. This website makes it really easy to compare the possible class times to your schedule and find a section time that fits. Once you figure out what section and division you want to change to go to Hovde Hall the first few days before classes start and then to Schleman Hall the two weeks after classes begin. You will pick up a section/division form to fill out and the staff will help you with the rest. It is important to know that division changes are first come, first serve so you need to get there early, and you should only request one change per day. Each night ssinfo does a new schedule run and you can check if it was switched. If it wasn't you can try again the next day because students will be constantly dropping and switching classes.

To research your professor you should check with friends who have had the professor and get their opinions. Generally you can change your professor if you don't like what you hear since most classes have multiple sections with multiple professors. To find out more about your professor you can go to www.ratemyprofessors.com which has ratings for a lot of professors. I have found it to be very helpful and accurate. It has a rating scale for average helpfulness, average clarity, average easiness, hotness total (probably a questionable rating), and overall quality. Most people write comments about the professor’s teaching style and attitude which are the most helpful.

I would definitely recommend trying to change your schedule if you are unhappy with those 7:30's.

Can I Make a Long Distance Relationship Work in College?

Many graduating seniors are faced with a difficult decision as they head off to a different college than their boyfriend or girlfriend– to attempt a long term relationship or to end what they’ve had going for who knows how long. This is probably one of the most difficult decisions that an 18 year will have to make. I have a fairly strong opinion on the subject of long distance relationships from personal experience and from seeing what my friends have gone through this first semester of college.

All through high school I was very against long distance relationships in college. Even though I dated a guy for the majority of high school, I knew the whole time that we wouldn’t try to stay together when we headed our separate ways. I felt strongly about this for a few reasons. First of all, high school relationships tend to be somewhat immature – although it doesn’t seem so at the time, what you experience with a high school sweetheart is much different than the experiences you will have in college. Many of my friends tried to do this and because of trust issues and lack of time together, they ended up breaking up with their high school sweethearts during the first semester of college. You also have be mature enough to know why you are staying with the person. Many people just stay together because it is what they are comfortable with and are scared to lose the person, but there are millions of people out there that are worth taking the time to meet.

Although I was always against long distance relationships in college, I am currently going against everything I thought I would do and I am dating a guy from another school. Although every how-to book about college will tell you long distance relationships are disastrous, I disagree as long as the relationship follows a few key rules. First of all, you must trust each other – if not you will both be miserable. Secondly, you have to allow each other to live individual lives, and be understanding of the other person’s schedule and social life. A few of my friends didn’t go out on the weekends at all in college simply because they had boyfriends at another school and this ended up being a huge mistake. They have since broken up with their boyfriends, and now are having trouble fitting into a social group because they missed the initial time when everyone was meeting new people.

Another key to a long distance relationship is finding the perfect balance with sacrifices. You will have to make some sacrifices, such as time spent to visit each other, but you should not be sacrificing academics or your social life in college for a significant other at a different school. Also, if you are trying to make something like this work, you need to take on a ‘if it was meant to be it will be’ type of attitude. You shouldn’t feel like you are trying to make things work – if it’s that important and your relationship is healthy, it will work on its own.

One last comment – if you never get to see each other it simply won’t work. You will spend too much time missing each other and wasting time on the phone that it will get out of hand. Therefore, long distance relationships should be kept to a reasonable distance. In the same state – alright. Indiana to Florida – I would consider seeing what else is out there.

Housing Bonanza!

It is hard to believe that it’s already time to start looking into housing for next year. Recently I have been looking at apartments with my two suite mates. There are so many aspects to consider, that it can sometimes be overwhelming. Whether you’re ready to spread your wings and live on your own in an apartment or take the plunge into Purdue’s Greek life, the great thing about this university is that the choices are certainly not limited.

Things to think about when considering your housing options for next year:

1. Who do you want to live with?
2. Do you want to live in a dorm, sorority/fraternity, co-op, apartment, or house?
3. How much you can afford per month for rent?
4. How close do you want to be to campus?
5. Are you willing to cook your own meals and clean your own bathrooms?
   

If you choose a house or an apartment you need to consider:

1. Number of bedrooms and bathroom?
2. Available parking and cost
3. Utilities included?
4. 10 or 12 month lease and policy on subleasing
5. Wash and dryer included or nearby
6. Furnished or unfurnished
7. Safe location
8. What floor you want to live on
9. Reliable and timely maintenance
10. Trustworthy landlords

Obviously, I could go on and on with these lists, but this is at least a pretty good start. Remember to be proactive in your search and ask plenty of questions along the way. Next school year is going to come upon us before we know it. I imagine we all want to make the best of the precious time we have left in college, and where we live and who we live with will likely play a huge part in our experience here at Purdue. Happy searching!

Ways to Beat Homesickness

Adjusting to college is not easy; it’s so simple to want to just revert back to your old life in high school but unfortunately you can’t. When I first came to college I had a hard time adapting to the new people and new atmosphere. I found myself wanting to go home every weekend to see my family and having things back to the way they used to be. In the article Ten Helpful Hints to Beat College Homesickness explains ways to beat homesickness.

First of all, get involved this is the easiest way to get your mind off the way things used to be. Join a club or a sport, you will instantly meet new people and have fun while doing it. The article states, “Social groups and events are a core part of your college experience. Just glance at a campus calendar or student newspaper to find out what's happening at your school. Attend a sporting event, concert or campus sponsored program.”

Another idea is go out with your friends. It’s very easy to make friends with people in your dorm who are like you and also have similar interests. Keeping busy will keep your mind off being homesick. The article states, “An older student or someone you can confide in can help make your transition from home a little easier. You might even discover your friend is struggling with the same problems as you.” You could also try keeping in touch with your family. It can be difficult not being able to see them everyday, calling them a couple times a week or sending emails will help you stay in touch and feel less disconnected with them.
You could also try contacting an old friend. The article states, “Going separate ways after high school graduation can be a little depressing. After all, these are your friends you've grown up with, survived the last four years of high school with, and shared experiences with like your first kiss, Mr. Boring's history class, prom and lots of other high school memories. But however far apart for school, your friendship isn't over. Plan to do something with your old friends when you are home during a break. You will look forward to the reunion and enjoy remembering old times together.” I’ve found this especially helpful, whenever I’m feeling down I just call my good friends from high school and they are always able to brighten my day. If your feelings homesick hopefully these tips help you to cope and make you college experience the best four years of your life.

Not Organized? Read This

Organization has never been easy for me and college doesn’t make it any easier. I can’t even remember how many times I misplaced assignments in high school. In high school a missed assignment was not that big of a deal, but in college it has a much bigger impact on your grade. You have to stay organized to succeed. It took me only took a couple weeks in college to realize I would have to change my old habits to be able to excel in college. Here are a few tips that helped me and hopefully they will help you too:

1. Use your planner. This is a great way to stay on top of all your assignments, appointments, meetings etc. I never used a daily planner until I went to college. I realized it really helped me remember what was due and when. It’s also a good idea to have a calendar hanging in your room. Put it in a place where you can easily see it so you’ll remember any important dates.

2. Check your email. It’s a good way to keep in touch with you teachers. Usually sometime within the first couple days of class your professors will give out their emails, I strongly suggest writing them down. I know it’s helped me if I’ve missed a class or am having trouble with assignments. If you’ve joined any clubs, fraternities, or sororities you will constantly be getting emails since that’s their main form of communication.

3. Have a binder for each class. This will help you keep you’re assignments for each class separate. I also find it helpful to have each binder a different color so you will easily recognize what binder is for what class. There has been so many times where I have grabbed the wrong binder because they all look similar.

4. Have a place for everything. It’s a good idea to have all your personal items in one area, and you school books in another. You have enough stuff to worry about and trying to find something doesn’t have to be one of them. I use the bottom drawer in my dresser to store all of my school material, so when I’m in a hurry I can easily grab it.

5. Don’t procrastinate. There’s nothing worse then having so many things to do and have not enough time to do them. The article How to Stop Procrastinating suggests setting deadlines and not letting yourself break them, also do unpleasant tasks first to get them out of the way. This will make you more motivated to get the easier things done.

6. First things first. Do the most important things first. Make sure you get assignments done before you have leisure time. It’s also helpful to make a list of things you need to get done; this will help you evaluate which ones are most important.

Cleaning Out

Cleaning out and getting organized makes me feel really good. Yesterday I took some time to clean out my ever expanding (practically exploding) closet and my desk. I really like to be organized and have everything put in its place, but when I get busy it is hard to stay organized especially when your laundry is taking up half your closest as mine was. I had a great sense of accomplishment once I finished cleaning my closet and desk. It felt really good to de-clutter everything. I threw stuff away I didn’t realize I still had, and I reorganized my closet so that everything had its own place again. I definitely feel more on top of things and more productive. Things are no longer falling out of my closet when I open it, and I don’t have to sort through the massive pile on my desk to find what I am looking for.

As a college student I would encourage you to take a few moments to de-clutter your room. I don’t know what it is about cleaning out, but you’ll feel a lot better after you do, I promise.

Test Taking Strategies

Most kids in high school get a little stressed out over tests. Even though these tests can be somewhat intimidating, most high schoolers face a rude awakening when they take their first college exam. Not only are college exams more difficult, they are also worth a very significant part of your grade. I looked up a few test taking strategies online that I thought were kind of interesting…

Dump your brain. When you first get your test, write down any information that is difficult to remember such as formulas, dates, keywords, etc. on the back of the test. Then, you can reference it while you’re taking the test without worrying if you’ll remember it correctly.

Skim through the entire test. When you first get your test, skim through the entire test and answer all of the questions that you can answer quickly and easily.

Skip the questions you don’t know. Don’t waste time on questions you’re unsure of. Mark them with question marks and move on.

Double check your work. If you have extra time after you’ve finished the exam, take a few minutes to double check your answers, make sure you’ve followed all the directions, and haven’t skipped any pages.

Look elsewhere on the test for answers. Sometimes the answer to one question may be found on another section or question of the test worded differently.

Pace yourself. Being able to take a test quickly yet carefully is essential. If necessary, wear a watch or periodically keep your eye on the clock so you are aware of your time left. Also, don’t get anxious if you hear other students finishing their tests early.

Ask questions. If you’re confused about the wording or meaning of a question, ask your professor. Don’t risk getting a question wrong because you misunderstood it.

Carefully read all of the directions. Most students get a lot of points taken off because they were careless and didn’t fully read all of the directions.

Follow your gut instinct. Most of the times when students second guess themselves, they choose the wrong answer.

Relax. It is important to keep your head during a test. There can be a lot of pressure on you to succeed, but remember that stressing out works against you. You risk panicking and/or forgetting information you’ve studied.

Consequences of Stress

I am in a psychology class this semester, and recently we discussed the physical and psychological consequences of stress. Coincidentally I have been having a lot of stress lately, and I can really relate to these consequences.

Stress can affect us physically. My professor (and our book) says stress increases your susceptibility to illness. Stress decreases your body’s immune system by decreasing the number of lymphocytes (white blood cells that attack viruses and bacteria). Therefore, when we get stressed we are more likely to get sick during midterms, finals, and other stressful situations. Who knew? I can relate because as I mentioned in my last post I have not felt well lately –headaches, a lightheaded feeling, etc which is likely a result of the stress I have been under.

Psychological problems can arise from stress such as feeling anxious, out of control, emotionally drained, sad, and depressed. Our psych book gives three ways for coping with stress: 1) practice relaxation techniques such as meditation 2) finding “social support systems” basically caring and helpful friends 3) changing the way you interpret the situation or “stressor.” From my stress these past few weeks I have certainly felt anxious, emotionally drained, and a little down. I said in my last post that I was feeling better because interaction with my friends and family improved my mood. I think these coping methods are very applicable.

Our professor also talked about how having regular exercise and activity really impacts your physical and psychological health. I definitely believe this. When I don’t get to exercise for a few days because I am so busy and stressed my mood is not good. (After awhile I even crave physical activity.) But when I finally do get time to run, swim, or anything active my mood improves so much. It’s almost like this weight has been lifted off my shoulder. This shift in mood has been proven to be true. As my professor puts it when you exercise all the “good stuff” (mood-inducing neurotransmitters) gets released making us feel better. Plus your eating habit also impacts your physical and psychological health. It is important to eat right since our health and diet are linked. I know this to be true. When I am stressed I crave junk food --> I eat junk -->I feel gross --> I don’t have time to exercise -->I feel bad physically because I just ate “bad” food and didn’t exercise --> my mood is not good.

Stress causes a vicious cycle that I tend to get caught up in. It helps to see the cause of my downer moods and sickness. That way I can pay attention to what I eat when I am stressed and I can try extra hard to schedule time for exercise which will hopefully stop the harmful consequences of stress before they start.

A Few Little Things...

Now that I’m a few months into college, there are a few things that I have just figured out that I wish I would’ve thought of earlier. Just a few helpful things that would’ve made the first few weeks of classes a little bit smoother. First of all, if you are taking classes in college that you took in some form in high school, bring your materials! I ended up bringing up high school study materials and notes just a week or two ago and I wish I would’ve done it earlier. High school teachers tend to put together nice concise study guides and easy lists with ways to study things that are way easier to understand than your college professor who may or may not speak your language. I would also strongly suggest saving all of the major papers that you write in high school. Chances are they had the opportunity to be proof read a few times by teachers and classmates in high school, and you don’t get that luxury very often with papers in college. Plus, if you took classes in high school that are somewhat relevant to your college courses, there’s a pretty good chance you could end up with a repeat topic for a major paper. One of my good friends recently got assigned a 7-9 page paper on stem cells but it was no problem because she already had 5 pages to work with that she had written in high school.

One last thing about college that I wish I would have realized that is completely irrelevant to academics: people don’t dress up for class! I bought a bunch of new clothes for college that are the cute everyday kind of clothes, but I wish I would’ve bought only sweats, t-shirts, and going out clothes. Maybe that’s obvious to some people, but I didn’t realize that the people in your classes aren’t necessarily the friends you hang out with. No one cares and you usually don’t have anyone to impress, so be smart – save money and go comfy.

"Off" days

On days like yesterday and today I am so thankful for the people who care about me. I woke up yesterday with a horrendous headache. It was one of those headaches that leaves you unable to formulate complete thoughts or function properly. My roommate offered to take notes for me in the two classes we have together in the morning so I could sleep some more. It was so sweet of her because those few hours of sleep helped my lessen headache. Today I was feeling pretty down because I was really tired (I only got 3 hours of sleep because I a research paper due today), I was not feeling well still, and I was frustrated over one of my classes.

But I have had several things throughout my day today cheer me up. My friends really made me feel better. They have been in my shoes and knew how to cheer me up. I also felt better after blessing some little kids. I am in science student council, and we did science experiments today for young children at the West Lafayette public library. We made “disappearing” bubbles with dry ice, “vomiting” pumpkins, and other Halloween “explosions.” Seeing the little kids be amazed by the simple experiments we did for them was so fun. Doing the experiments for the children cheered me up. I also felt better after talking on the phone with my sister and my boyfriend. They always know the right thing to say. I am so grateful for the people in my life who love me , care about me, and cheer me up even on my “off” days. I should be better about appreciating them. One good thing about crappy days is that they can remind of the things you have to be thankful for.

Football, costumes, pumpking carving...what could be bettter?

I am having a weekend of goodness (which is exactly what I needed after this stressful week of midterms). First I went to the Homecoming game earlier today and watched the football team beat Northwestern. During the second half the momentum really picked up. It was fun to join in the crowd chanting Boiler Up, singing the fight song, and throwing my hands up and yelling “Shout!” It was an enjoyable game and I got to see Neil Armstrong (his pep talk turned the game around J ).

Tonight I am going to a Halloween party at my boyfriend’s house. Each year the guys in his house always come up with a theme. This year the theme is toys and games of our childhood. Some of the different costumes are the Operation game, a Lego man, Raggedy Ann, and a Battleship ship. My boyfriend is being a yo-yo, and I am going as a Scrabble piece –the letter L. It should be interesting to see all their costumes. I love coming up with a costume and making it. It’s fun to be creative when making your costumes. I like seeing the different costumes people come up with.

Sunday I am going to the MythBusters show at Elliot which is very exciting. And the best part of the weekend will be Sunday night. I am going to a pumpkin carving at my boyfriend’s home. His parents always throw a pre-Thanksgiving get-together. It is one of my favorite traditions. There is pumpkin carvings, home cooked food, and family time. Once the sun sets we all light our pumpkins and admire our creations. I know most if not all the dorms have a pumpkin carving of their own. I would encourage anyone to do it. It’s really fun!

Halloween at Purdue

Halloween is always a fun time of year. As October approaches I always find myself counting down the days until the 31st. It may be obvious as to why Halloween is such a fun holiday, but to name a few you get to dress up, have a reason to get free candy and eat as much as possible, and of course the haunted houses and scary movies that accompany it. All of these things and others add to the spirit of this fun holiday.

I don’t know anyone who complains of getting dressed up on Halloween. It is the one time a year that you can get dressed as whatever you want, and trust me when I say whatever, I have seen some pretty crazy things. People can get pretty creative with costumes and being that we are all at a college campus yes, we will see some pretty funny costumes. It is always exciting to see what people come up with though. If you are still looking for a costume and don’t know where to look here is a few places. First there is the obvious, the Tippecanoe Mall. Here there are stores like Spencer’s and Hot Topic which, from what I have seen and heard have some costumes. If you are at or by the mall area you can also check out a couple places right next to the mall. One is named Halloween Express and the other is called Spirit Halloween. Both of these stores I have been to and they both have a large selection of Halloween gear, from costumes to accessories to party favors, if you have to pick up some last minute Halloween things these places can be of use.

My personal favorite thing about Halloween is the haunted houses and other haunted trails, barns or mazes. As an article in the Exponent describes, there is a haunted house that will be running from the 20-21 and 26-28 of October at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds. This actually takes place in an old barn on the fairgrounds. It is supposed to be pretty scary, as children under 12 are not recommended to go. All of the proceeds also go toward funding for the Jefferson High School Choir. Another article in the Exponent describes another haunted experience, but this ones right on campus! The union this weekend will be trading its more formal surroundings in to create the look of a prison. It is described as bringing together the ‘virtual and real’. The PSUB and the Envision Center will jointly be sponsoring this event, which takes place from 7 to 11 pm on Saturday night. It sounds like a spooky but fun event that is being offered, so if you want to be scared but do not want to go very far to do it, set aside some time on your Saturday night to make sure your spooked and fully ready for Halloween.

So do you think you have a crazy or creative Halloween costume? If you do and you want it be known, send it into the exponent. They are looking for students to submit their crazy, creative, and creepy Halloween costumes to be featured in the Exponent’s upcoming Halloween guide. If you are interested you can email your costume idea and contact info to features@purdueexponent.org to be featured in the exponent.
Maybe all the scary haunted houses isn’t for you and you would prefer something a little quitter and less spooky. Well, that’s okay, this Sunday at the Long Center in Lafayette the Purdue Symphonic Orchestra will be performing their fifth annual Creepy Classics Halloween Concert. The concert is said to include a lot of traditional Halloween music. So you will still get the whole ‘Halloween feel’ although you are sitting in a chair in normal clothes. This also sounds like a fun Halloween event. There are numerous events that are taking place not far from campus for the upcoming holiday. Halloween seems like it has gotten pretty hectic in recent years, especially at college campuses. So maybe opt for another way to celebrate the holiday and attend one of these exciting events.

I hope that some of these ideas help you gear up and get ready for this upcoming holiday. It is always fun to do things related with Halloween because after all it does only come around once a year. So grab a couple friends and get a costume, go be scared, and eat lots of yummy candy! Remember to be safe and have a great Halloween!

Realistic Tips for Staying Healthy...

So, most incoming college students have the thought of gaining the Freshman 15 in the back of their minds, but most don’t realize just what it is going to take to keep these unwanted pounds off. I wrote a post earlier of some basic tips to stay healthy, but I’ve discover a few more simple ideas that will actually help make working out and eating healthy a bit more realistic.

First of all, know what you’re eating in the dining halls. Stick to simple rules such as only having one portion – about the size of your fist for entrees such as meats. I also discovered online on the on campus dining website that they have a calorie calculator for a lot of the foods served in the dining halls. Also, at the On-the-Go locations there is a piece of paper taped to the checkout counter that gives the nutritional facts of the foods offered. Even if you aren’t super obsessed with calories and what not, I would suggest checking this stuff out – that simple sandwich that you have for lunch every day that you thought was healthy quite possibly costs you about 600 calories – ouch!

Here’s a few working out tips that I have found to work fabulously for me. My first discovery was stairs. If you go to the football stadium its easy to find an entrance that has 2 or 3 flights of stairs right together. If you run up down these (or even walk down) for about 30 minutes you’re pretty much guaranteed to be sore the next day – unless of course you’re super fit in which case you probably don’t need to be reading this post in the first place. But for the majority of us, this can serve as a quick workout that actually makes you feel like you accomplished something – and something is always better than nothing. Another idea: do homework while working out on cardio machines in the co-rec. I have found it’s really easy to read assignments while working out on the elliptical. If you have an exam to study for, studying while working out is a great way to multi task. Studying takes your mind off working out, and before you know it 40 minutes will have passed; at the same time, working out for 40 minutes designates a focused time period to study in which you really can’t be distracted by much else.
That’s about it for the few healthy tid-bits that I’ve decided work well for me. I’ll keep trying to add to the lists as I can..

Under-recognized

I was really hoping to get to the PU women’s soccer game against Illinois yesterday, but I had a prior commitment and could not go. I have never been to a women’s soccer game, but I had been told by a fan that Sunday’s match up was going to be very exciting. I decided it would be a good first game to attend, and it was senior day. It definitely sounds like I was right –it was a good game. Today when I read in The Exponent about the game I was bummed I had missed the game.

The women’s soccer team beat Illinois 2-1 which placed the team 5^th in the NSCAA National Rankings and ahead of all other Big Ten schools. When I was reading the article about the game I could tell the game had been intense and exciting. Unfortunately one of the seniors, Jill Sarbaugh, was injured while passing to another player. Sarbaugh nutmegged an Illinois player when she was injured. (Nutmeg means you pass the ball through the defender’s feet. I did not know this term, but it definitely sounds challenging to me.) The other girls pulled through and scored two goals after the scoreless first half.

It would be hard to be completely thrilled about the victory and top ranking when you had a fellow teammate injured at her senior day game. One of her teammates Stapleton was quoted in The Exponent as saying, "When you lose your best player, you go out and play for that person who can't be out there." In the article it said Coach Rob Klatte was sad along with the other players about Sarbaugh’s injury, but he said he knew the other girls would be playing for her and wanting to bring home a championship ring for her too. He also said she will be a great “vocal leader” on the sidelines. I think this is really great of the whole team to help Sarbaugh focus on the positives and give themselves wholeheartedly to winning the championship for her. It would stink to be injured when you were doing so well especially as a senior, but I would want to be surrounded by the encouraging teammates and coach it sounds like she has supporting her.

I think women’s soccer deserves much more recognition and appreciation for there accomplishments. I should have done a better job in the past of getting to the games, but I am going to try to go to future matches. The girls play here at Purdue on Friday, November 2 against Indiana who is ranked 24^th overall right now. I would encourage anyone who reads this to write the date down on your calendars so you don’t forget. Plus it is free admission.

Oh where to live sophomore year...

As a freshman in college, housing is probably the easiest decision you will make. You pick the nicest dorm, the dorm closest to your classes, or the dorm that is most recommended by older students that you know. However, for kids attending college for the first time, finding housing for sophomore year can be very confusing. Personally, I am the oldest child in my family so college is a new experience for all of all. I feel like I’m way too young to get a place of my own, but this is something that is approaching quickly. Joining a sorority or fraternity can be an easy way to figure out where to live sophomore year – a sorority was not for me since I’m not very girly, but a lot of my good friends became involved in greek like and are very happy with their decision. At first I was really stressed out about how I should pick a few girls to live with next year, but now that I’ve figure it out, I have a few guidelines that have worked with me so far.
First of all, I looked for girls in my dorm that I knew that had similar personalities to me. The girls that I found have the same work hard, play hard personality that I do; if you are very into classes and aren’t much into going out, I would suggest finding roommates who feel the same way. This will minimize the probability of conflict during the week about partying and things like that. Also, I kept cleanliness in mind. I’m not a clean freak my any means, but if my roommates left their stuff all over our apartment it would drive me nuts; once I found out who I wanted to live with next year I investigated their dorm rooms to get a feel for their habits and their general cleanliness.
Figuring out who to live with is only half the trouble; finding the right location is scary and frustrating. The best advice for me came from people that I knew who are older than me and who could suggest different areas around campus that are great places to live. Purdue also offers a few housing fairs once classes get started, which is a great way to discover different places to live. Also keep in mind that you have to be pushy when it comes to housing. You have to have the initiative to call the different housing companies to find out information and set up meetings.
One last suggestion…. Don’t wait until last minute! The good housing goes fast, so definitely figure out where you want to live and who you want to live with ASAP. The worst thing that could happen would be getting stuck with a crappy apartment in a location that you didn’t want…

TV bonding

Everyone knows that TV can have negative side effects, but I believe it can also bring people together. Last year several girls on our floor in Windsor always got together for Grey’s Anatomy and chips and salsa night. It was something we looked forward to at the end of a busy week. We all bonded while spending time together watching Grey’s Anatomy. This year I get together with my suitemates to watch The Office (I watch Grey’s online later). We watched seasons one through three in the weeks leading up to the premier to refresh our memory and get us psyched for season four. I appreciate living in a community like we do on campus because it is nice to have others close by to have fun with together.

If you do not watch The Office I encourage you to give it a try. The Office is the greatest show, and it is so original. I like that it is setup like a documentary, it is hilarious in every aspect, and there is a little romance too (Jim and Pam finally got together this season. It was so exciting!). I think whether or not a TV show appeals to both guys and girls is a determining factor in the awesomeness of a show. The Office does a good job of appealing to both sexes, and it is definitely up there in the awesomeness scale. It does takes a certain sense of humor to like the comedy in the show, but I think it is hilarious (albeit sometimes rather risqué). Plus the show has so many great lines. My friends and I probably quote The Office too much.

Okay this is one of my favorite quotes by Dwight Schrute...

"The purse girl hits everything on my checklist: creamy skin, straight teeth, curly hair, amazing breasts. Not for me... for my children. The Schrutes produce very thirsty babies."

Intercollegiate Horsemanship Association

Not only is college about academics but it's also about being involved. Universities today have just about every club or intramural you could ever think of. I've seen call outs for everything from sailing to ballroom dancing. It's just about finding a place where you fit in. For some people it's sororities and fraternities and for others it's clubs and sports. I recently joined the Purdue Intercollegiate Horsemanship Association and I love it. I have rode horses and competed in horse shows my whole life so I was so excited to find out if they Purdue actually has an Equestrian Team.
I found out about the team from signs posted in my dorm room. I then went to an informational meeting where they tell you all about the team. They told us about everything from fees to club activities. The first thing I did with the team was called a trial ride. This is where you go out to Foxton Farms (which is where the team practices at) and ride in front of the coach. He then asses what level you should ride at. I was nervous when I went to do this, but I found out it was very laid back and everyone I met was really nice. The coach puts you in one of the following levels: beginner walk/trot, beginner walk/trot/canter, advanced walk/trot/canter, novice, Intermediate walk/trot/canter, or open. So even if you have never rode a horse before you can still be on the team. This level is not only determined on how well you ride, but also what kinds of horse shows you have participated in prior to coming to college. If you have not been in any then you will automatically be place in beginner walk/trot or beginner walk/trot/canter. but don't worry it is very easy to point up out of these divisions which I will explain later.
The team practices once a week, you Will be sent an email saying the day and time of your scheduled practice. Since the barn is off campus you will have to get a ride with an older girl if you don't have a car. This is very easy most of the girls are more then happy to take anyone that doesn't have a ride. In addition to practices we have a meeting once a month to discuss club activities and up coming horse shows.
You don't even have to ride to be a member of the team. If you just like being around horses and helping out with horse shows and going to club events you can also be a part of the team. You just have to pay a $20 club fee at the beginning of every semester. If you do ride there will additional costs for lessons, horse shows, and IHSA dues.
Participating in horse shows are a big part of the team. They are usually about once a month. We have shows that we travel to (usually not farther then 2 hours) or we have home shows which are held at Foxton Farms. If it's a home show all riding members and club members are expected to help out at the show. You will be assigned certain duties to help the show run smoothly. If you are riding you will be given a number and informed of what class you will be riding in. There are separate classes for each level I talked about earlier so you will essentially be riding against people in your same level. When it's time for your level to show they will call you to the draw table. Here you will draw at random to see what horse your riding. It may or may not be a Purdue horse. After your class shows they will announce the winners of that class. You can place from 1st to 6th, each place has a certain point value, if you accumulate enough points it's possible to move up levels.
You can also run for positions on the team such as President, Vice president, Treasurer, social planner, and point chronicler. The team votes people for these positions. The club runs all year long and is only mildly time consuming. I have greatly enjoyed my experience for far and I know I have many great memories to come. This has just been my experience with a Purdue club, but there are many great clubs out there. So I encourage you to go find where you fit. It's a great way to meet new people with the same interests as you. If you are interested in joining a club at Purdue go to this website

How to Keep your Dorm Room Clean

Before college most students were used to having everything done for them. Whether it be laundry, cooking , cleaning etc. It can be hard for some students to adjust to having to do things themselves once they go to college. I know for me the first two weeks my dorm room was a disaster. I had laundry everywhere (most of it being dirty), the trash can was always overflowing sometimes even having a strange smell to it. It didn't help that my room mate is just a messy as me. No matter how messy you are it is very easy to change your lifestyle to being a little bit cleaner. I found myself getting stressed about how messy my room was and when I cleaned it I actually felt better.
First of all take out your trash. If you do it a couple times a week it won't pile up, over flow, and start to smell. This will make your room appear instantly cleaner. It's also a good idea to put a plastic bag inside of the trash can so it's easy to take out and you won't get things stuck to the bottom of the trash can. I would also recommend putting the trash can in a corner where it's not easily visible, this way you don't have to stare at trash all the time.
Another Idea is to put all of your laundry in a laundry basket in your closet. This seems like common sense but I don't know how many rooms I've seen with laundry all over the floor (mine being one of them). I've found that if you pick it up and put it all in one area your room will seem much cleaner. If it's clean, hang it up or put it in a drawer, this will save you time when you looking for something to wear. You won't have to search through huge piles of clothes trying to find something clean. You could also try doing laundry more often. This way when you do go to do laundry you won't have to do a lot of loads at one time. I know for me it was a pane trying to pull huge laundry baskets down to the laundry room.
The article How to Intensely Clean a Dorm Room suggest making your bed. I know its probably about the last things a college student wants to do. The article states that "A made bed makes a huge difference in the appearance of a dorm room. In tight spaces, a bed is the focal point of the room and may double as a couch and study space. Make sure your bedding is simple and make your bed daily." It's something easy and only takes up about three minuets of your day.
It's also important to vacuum your room once in a while. This will eliminate all the dirt and crumbs that can accumulate over time. If you don't have a vacuum don't worry, all of the RA's have one in their room and they would be happy to let you use it. The article also suggest spot treating any stains, you can buy carpet cleaner at any grocery store. You should also try to dust your room every couple weeks. The article says "Dust particularly attracts itself to electronics, so be sure to dust down computers, stereos, and televisions. You will also need to periodically dust down ceiling corners and walls to remove cobwebs. " This can sometimes take awhile so get you roomate to help you and you'll get done in half the time.
Putting you books on a shelf or in a drawer will also keep your room cleaner. Your books will also be easy to find when your on your way to class. Organizing your desk helps too. I know I get so many papers laying around I can nevr find anything. So buy some folders or something to help you organize your papers so you don't lose anything important.
The last thing I do that helps my room stay cleaner is use air freshner. Nobody likes a room that smells, so either buy the kind in a can, or you can get ones that plug into the wall. this will keep your room constantly fresh smelling. I hope these tips help you keep your room clean, I know that my room has transformed from being a complete mess to actually being clean.

Vote for Homecoming

Don’t forget to vote for Homecoming King and Queen by tomorrow at midnight. It’s really simple. Just log onto SSINFO and click on voting/elections. You probably won’t know the candidates personally so you can look at their bios on SSINFO. Go to the King and Queen contest info under Student Life. This page has a bio of all the contestants –their majors, GPAs, hometowns, activities on campus, and scholarships.

There is a lot more going on with homecoming besides the king and queen contest…namely the football game! The game against Northwestern starts at noon on Saturday, October 27. Plus there are a lot of fun activities and free give-aways leading up to the game. There will be a homecoming parade all through campus at 8:00pm on Friday night. It will go past all the dorms. I would recommend going outside when you hear them coming because they will throw free stuff. After that they will walk on over to Slater Hill for the pep rally with the band and candidates. At Slater they will announce the 2007 Homecoming Kind and Queen. At the end of the pep rally there will fireworks!

Then Saturday morning at 9:00am before the game there will be activities on the Mall. This includes performances, free food, tents from different schools, games, and a tour of the new Neil Armstrong Hall. Finally President France Córdova will lead a march to the stadium to “kick off” the game.

Be sure and participate!

Safety at Purdue

Everyone would like to think that we are safe all the time. However in reality, we aren’t and especially as college students there are many precautions that we should take to ensure our safety. There are always horrifying stories that are circulating about tragic events that happened at colleges. This is why we, as college students, need to be careful at all times.

First of all no one should ever walk home a lone at night. Here at Purdue there are ways that they are trying to prevent this. There is a reason they want to ensure no one is walking a lone at night, it simply just is not safe. This is why Purdue has the Security Escort Service. They are in operation on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8:00 pm until midnight. In addition, they are also available from 9:00 pm until 3:00 am on Fridays and Saturdays. They can be reached by dialing 494-SAFE. The escort service will come to where you are at and walk you back to where your destination is just to ensure your safe arrival. People may be embarrassed to call, or think it is stupid, but in reality this service is in tact for a reason so it should be taken advantage of.

I really do feel that Purdue is a very safe campus. I feel that there have been many measures taken to ensure this. Purdue has a 40-member Purdue Student Security Patrol, and these members have two-way radio communication with the police department and wear easily identifiable jackets while on duty. This is just one of the many aspects that really makes me feel safe. There are also many emergency boxes located all over campus. The last I have heard, there were 215 emergency telephones functioning all over campus. They used to be inspected twice each semester. However as of June 2006 they are now inspected by the Student Security Patrol more often. This is also another huge safety precaution Purdue takes. It is nice to know that they not only have all these boxes all over to ensure that if there is an emergency on campus police are only a button away, but also that they are all in working condition for the most part because they are updated regularly.

I also read an article that said that the security patrol are continuously looking on traffic patterns around campus to see if there needs to be more ETS boxes. This is a good idea because I think that it is important that there are these emergency boxes at high traffic areas, however, at the same time it is important that they are present at places that might pose more of a risk. These places could be places on campus that are more secluded, and that could be why they are of more risk. I don’t know about you but it is nice to know that Purdue is doing all these things to make sure that campus is a safe place.

The ETS boxes are painted yellow, so they are very easy to see. When pressed they are treated just like a 911 call, they are transferred directly to the Purdue Police Department. While this is all nice to know, again no one should walk alone at night. If you are planning on going out for the night, although you have most likely heard this numerous times, go with a buddy. Make sure there is someone with you.

Another way to ensure your safety here at Purdue is to be extremely careful when driving/walking around campus. I can not even explain how many horrible accidents I have heard of on college campuses. It is an unfortunate truth that many students do get in accidents and can severely hurt others. There are constantly numerous people all over campus, this is quite obvious. So when driving, especially because of all the one ways around campus also, it is important to be a cautious driver. Do not speed, or take your eyes off the road just to change the radio or reach down to get something. Also when walking, mainly when crossing streets, it can be tempting to just go ahead and cross when the walk sign is not yet on, but this can be dangerous because a car could whip around the corner and you both not notice each other.

I know that many of these safety precautions may seem obvious and things that your mother told you when you were 10. Okay maybe she did, but if these precautions are overlooked, and they are whether you will admit it or not, they can be very dangerous. So during your college experience, just keep these simple things in mind so we can walk away from Purdue with only safe and great experiences. For more information or ways to get involved in the security patrols around campus visit the Purdue Safety Committee Web Page Directory.