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 Even though snail mail is kind of outdated, its always fun to get cards and boxes in the mail in college - it lets you know someone back at home is thinking of you.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.