Boilermaker's Inside Scoop

Let it snow!

2007-12-05T20:54:00.001-05:00

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

2007-12-03T11:29:00.001-05:00

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…

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.
Take out all trash
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)
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)
Close windows and blinds
Turn heat down (but not off) to prevent coming back to a sauna
Take home any summer clothes and shoes in your closet to make room for winter sweaters, boots, etc
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
Bring home class notes, binders, and books that you won’t need next semester
Sell back texts books if possible (you'll probably want that money over break)
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.
Organize pictures from fall semester to share with your family and friends or to print at home.

IU vs PU...

2007-12-02T23:30:00.001-05:00

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

2007-12-01T19:59:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-28T21:44:00.001-05:00

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

2007-11-28T14:07:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-27T15:09:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-27T00:06:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-23T13:47:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-16T13:43:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-11-14T21:51:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-14T11:38:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-10T19:18:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-10T18:18:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-09T19:32:00.001-05:00

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?

2007-11-09T15:00:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-11-08T22:27:00.000-05:00

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:

Who do you want to live with?
Do you want to live in a dorm, sorority/fraternity, co-op, apartment, or house?
How much you can afford per month for rent?
How close do you want to be to campus?
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

2007-11-03T23:34:00.000-04:00

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

2007-11-03T23:31:00.000-04:00

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

2007-11-03T19:00:00.000-04:00

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

2007-11-03T15:10:00.000-04:00

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

2007-11-02T00:06:00.001-04:00

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...

2007-10-30T23:25:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-30T22:44:00.000-04:00

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?

2007-10-27T19:25:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-26T20:29:00.001-04:00

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...

2007-10-24T20:32:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-22T23:45:00.000-04:00

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...

2007-10-20T22:29:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-20T16:55:00.001-04:00

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

2007-10-20T15:32:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-20T14:31:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-18T16:32:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-18T15:24:00.001-04:00

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.

Freshman Can't Bring Cars to Campus - Or Can They?

2007-10-17T01:40:00.000-04:00

Coming into my freshman year in college I didn’t think I would mind not having my car to drive. However, I quickly became aware that if you are involved in many activities and have a lot of homework and a social life in addition to that, walking everywhere simply becomes not possible to pencil in to a 24 hour day. I’m in engineering and I’m also involved in the equestrian team at Purdue, and the barn where we ride is a whopping 25 minute drive. I made the decision to bring my own horse up to West Lafayette figuring I could hitch rides with other people out to the barn a few times a week. Although this has been possible, it has been a huge inconvenience for me and has put me through a lot of frustration. I’ve dealt with unreliable rides along with the issue of rides not being available at the times that work best for me. So I decided to convince my parents to let me bring up my car which leads to the question…

Where can freshman on Purdue’s campus park? It is possible to get a residence parking pass as a freshman, but there are pretty tight restrictions. Basically you have to have proof that you have a job or class off campus that meets a certain time requirement – which I don’t. This lead me to investigate the undercover places that freshman can park that no one wants us to discover.

The places that I discovered are on Waldron and Russel Street. These roads are pretty convenient to most residence halls, especially the ones on the north side of campus. The housing lining these streets are mostly sororities and fraternities with a few houses and apartments scattered in between. There is unmetered roadside parking, and you don’t need a parking pass to park there. Even though the parking is unmarked, I tested it out with my boyfriend’s car a few times when he came to visit and no problems so far. The only problem with these spots is that they are first come first serve, so there is always the risk of not being able to find a spot. If I discover new parking for freshman I’ll be sure to share…

MythBusters

2007-10-16T22:52:00.000-04:00

I want to make it my duty to inform everyone who does not know that MYTHBUSTERS IS COMING to Purdue! I am very excited about this fact. I thoroughly enjoy MythBusters on the Discovery channel. I always learn something, laugh a lot in the process, and get to see stuff get blown up or shot at or launched into the air. Who doesn’t love that? If you have not watched the show I highly encourage you to do so and get to know everyone –Adam, Jamie, Kari, Grant, Tory, and the rest of the crew. Avid fan or newbie you should come to Elliot on Sunday, October 28 at 1:00pm and see Adam and Jamie in person. The tickets are only $10 for students which is a really good deal. Bringing MythBusters to Purdue is part of the Science Centennial Kickoff (the college of science is celebrating its 100^th year). I was even more excited about MythBusters when I found out that as a member of Purdue Science Student Council I get to usher the event. I do not know a lot about what the Mythbusters will be doing while on stage, but I do know there will be a question and answer time. I think that is a great idea. Many times during the show I thought of something I would ask the “busters” about the experiment, setup, or a behind the scenes question. Or have you ever thought of a myth you wanted them to solve? This event is the perfect time to do it. You should definitely be there!

What to bring...

2007-10-13T20:52:00.001-04:00

When packing things up and getting ready for college, it easy to get overwhelmed with the number of items that you need to bring with you. I would strongly suggest a check list so that you don’t forget any of the most important items! I put together a list of things incoming freshman should be sure to bring along…..

Alarm clock
Laundry basket & laundry supplies
Pillow, bed linens, and blanket
Umbrella
First aid kit
Bathrobe
Toiletries
Fan – especially for non air-conditioned dorm rooms…
Towels and wash clothes
Flashlight
Shower shoes
Extension cords/power strips
Cash
Cold medicine
Air freshener
Cleaning supplies
Decorations for your room (pictures, memory boards, etc.)

Winter is coming!

2007-10-13T20:18:00.000-04:00

You can tell winter is almost here when people start breaking out there North Faces and Ugg Boots. After the nice long summer the cold weather hit us by surprise. I know the first morning it got cold I was freezing walking to class! I recently read the article “Staying Warm and Looking Cool this winter” and I learned some fun tips to stay warm while trudging to class on those cold winter days.
The first important tip is layers, layers, and more layers. According to the article there are three important layers, the wicking layer, the insulating layer, and the protection layer. The wicking layer is worn closest to the skin, its purpose is to “(move) moisture away from the skin and pass it through the fabric so it will evaporate.” Good examples of this would be long underwear or anything made of synthetic fiber. The insulating layer is the middle layer. This is where you wear sweat shirts and fleeces “It should be loose enough to trap air between layers, but not so bulky that it restricts movement.” According to the article cotton is not good to wear in the winter anymore because it retains moisture that can make you feel colder. Fleeces and wool would be a better alternative to cotton. The last layer is the protection layer. It serves to protect you from snow, sleet, wind, and rain. An example of this would be a good winter jacket.
The next tip is to accessorize, it’s important that you always wear a hat because according to the article “Up to 60 percent of the body's heat can escape from an uncovered head.” So just from wearing a hat you can greatly increase your chances of staying warm. Also make sure not to forget your gloves and socks, the article suggest only wearing one good pair of socks because “putting on too many pairs of socks. You'll restrict circulation and actually cause your feet to get colder” so just stick to one pair and your feet will stay warm.
Wearing boots has helped me stay warmer in the winter. I’ve noticed that when my feet are warmer the rest of my body feels warmer. I also like to wear fleece, I found it blocks the cold very well even when it’s windy outside. Here are some links where you can find some good winter clothing: The North Face, Ugg Australia, Columbia

Going to the Student Health Center

2007-10-13T20:14:00.000-04:00

It’s inevitable that sometime during you college career you will have to visit the Student Health Center, also known as PUSH. I know the first time I went I was very confused on what to do, but it’s very easy you just have to follow these few simple steps:

1. First of all try to go early in the day you have a better chance of getting an earlier appointment time.

2. Make sure before you go you bring you student ID and medical card. If you don’t have your medical card just make sure you know your health insurance information.

3. Once you walk in go to the left and up the stairs you will see a desk that’s says CHECK IN, there may or may not be a line. The person at the desk will ask for you student ID and medical card. They will then offer you an appointment time, it’s usually the same day. If the time they give you does not work with you they can schedule you another time that’s more convenient.

4. Come back at your scheduled time; try to arrive a few minuets early. You will go to the same check in desk and they will give you a slip of paper telling you what room to go in.

5. Once you find the room their will be a nurse in there that will take your vitals and write down your symptoms. You will then be asked to go into another room which is where the doctor will be.
6. If the doctor gives you a prescription it’s very easy to get it filled. You will have to walk to the Pharmacy building which is right next to PUSH.

7. There will be a counter where you will check in, it usually takes about a half hour to get a prescription filled so you can either wait there or come back later in the day.

Here’s a link to the Student Health center where you can find information about appointments, billing/insurance information, urgent care etc.

Student Health Center

Recycled Food

2007-10-13T19:43:00.001-04:00

I try to read The Exponent everyday to stay on top of what it going on around campus (and to do the crossword). I came across another article I thought was interesting about the dining halls on campus reducing the amount of waste by reusing more food. Some may say that recycling food is gross, but I was really glad to hear they were making a conscientious effort to decrease waste for several reasons.

First I am used to having leftovers a lot at my home. Reusing the meat for one night’s meal in an omelet for the next night’s meal isn’t nasty to me. Secondly I have been on two mission trips to Jamaica and every time it saddens my heart to see the skinny children, mothers, and fathers everywhere because they cannot afford food. Most Jamaicans eat one meal a day. (We can also look around our own country and see places were food is in need too.) I would have such culture shock when I returned to the States and saw the excessive amount of everything that we have –food, water, clothing, shoes, cars etc. It made it hard to see anything go to waste. But I did realize that by throwing away that brown part of the banana or the crust on my sandwich didn't make me a horrible person. We can all do our part to not be wasteful, but we shouldn’t feel guilty that we were blessed to be born into a “wealthy” land. Lastly I worked as a waitress this summer in a thriving local restaurant in my town. I saw first hand how it is necessary to be resourceful in creating meals and entrées from leftover food. I was amazed many times by the wonderful specials or soups the owner would “makeup” without a recipe using what was left. It is essential for her to be able to survive and make a profit. Also I fully confident in Purdue’s ability to wisely reuse leftovers heating them at the right temperature and knowing when something should be thrown out.

I have wondered about how much food the dining halls waste everyday and how it was sad to see it go to waste. It was encouraging to me to learn from the article that food is recycled and that only a small percentage of the food purchased by the dining halls is thrown away. Considering the amount of food that is made at all the dining halls each day I am sure the waste could be much more. I think it is great the effort Purdue is putting into reusing food.

Learning the College Life

2007-10-13T19:21:00.001-04:00

I have come to really enjoy my college experience thus far. I was scared upon coming here if I would truly like it or if I would feel overwhelmed and unprepared for such a big adjustment. First there was the whole living in this small little space with someone who is a complete stranger. This was my main concern. However, my roomate and I get along just well. The whole space thing isn't that bad either. I have learned to get used to it. I must say, however, that when I went home for October break my room seemed so much bigger because while I really only slept in my room back home I now live in a room that is about the same size. It was also extremely weird having my own personal bathroom instead of sharing one with bunches of girls.

I never thought that going home would be so weird, but the realization hit me that it will never truly be "home" again. Kind of sad in a way, but I wouldn't want to trade my college experience for anything. Being home was weird as well because of the fact that I noticed little changes in my town. Like how there is a new strip mall that was built and it has new stores in it. I thought it was funny how little things popped out to me because I really hadn't seen it in two months!

It's also weird how friendships change in college. Some of the people I was best friends with my senior year I barely talk to anymore. I know that we all have busy schedules with school and all, but it is sad to know that we all have different groups of friends now and other priorites and keeping in touch is not as easy as we thought it would be. I have met some wonderful people at Purdue though that I would never trade in for anything. I have built friendships that although we have only been here for about eight weeks it seems like we've known eachother forever. I find that I do not really even have time to call all my old friends. Between homework, classes, and all the other things to do in a day, I guess it is easy to forget.

Another weird thing is how strange it is to go out to eat or just eating on my own. I have become so accustomed to food being served buffet style, and having so many different options. Ordering off of a menu is just bizzare, and having a person give you your food...very weird. I remember the days also when I would pack a bag to go on vacation or stay at a friends. Now I pack a bag to go home? I though everything you needed was supposed to be at your house..nope not anymore my dorm is my home it feels and it has everything I need for the most part.

I also don't like the fact that my brother and sister are growing up so fast and I don't get to see it. I hate how I can't steal all my little sisters clothes and I can't take them with me! These things are overlooked however, which is bizarre in a way because once again with classes, homework and the other various activites we all have as college students, I guess I once again just forget.

Now however, I am very excited for breaks! It is my "catch up time", and it is something I know I will always look forward to. It will be nice on thanksgiving break because I know that all my friends will be coming home and all be in town. For fall break not many of my friends came home because they do not have a fall break. It will be weird to hear of their stories, their new friends, their new activites and everything else that they will have to say about their college experiences. I know one thing, my stories will all be very positive. It will be weird to see them because I am used to seeing them everyday and of them knowing about everything I do. Now I will have to tell them what I have been up to for the past couple of months.

So yes things change. Things change a lot, I expected it but it is weird just going through it all. I think it is just being a freshmen as well. Once the other years come it will be something we have all come a little bit more used to. We will grasp the fact that our old home isn't really home anymore, that people change, a lot, priorities change, and people grow up despite your being aware or being there to see it. It is these things that we as people, as students, will come to know all to well.

October break II

2007-10-11T23:05:00.000-04:00

People have many different ways to spend their breaks. Some may spend it being adventurous and taking trips or going on a mission trip, some may catch up with family and hometown friends, some may develop their partying skills, and still others may decide to do what most of us yearn to do…nothing. With October break 2007 behind me I am thoroughly pleased with how I spent my time.

As I said in my last post I went on a road trip with two of my friends to St. Louis. I still stand by my theory that while in college you should take advantage of every opportunity to go on road trips with friends and choose to spend your breaks being adventurous.

There are many reasons why I loved my October break road trip to St. Louis with my two friends. Here are a few…

I did not have to spend a lot of money since food and housing were with family
Hours riding in the car together created lasting memories
I saw awesome animals at the St. Louis Zoo (and it was free!)
Home cooked meals
Sleeping past 9:00am

This break came with perfect timing. I was pretty exhausted by the time fall break came around. There is a down side to short breaks though. Because you are beat from school you don’t want to do any work over break...so you don’t. Then when you get back to the reality of school you are behind. I definitely have some catching up to do on studying and homework. I also need to catch up on sleep because my body got used to getting more sleep over break and now it is not and it doesn’t like it. All in all it was a great break, and I can’t wait till Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone enjoyed the way they chose to spend fall break.

p.s. Enjoy my zoo photos :)

Roommates: My Experience

2007-10-11T15:03:00.000-04:00

So far, the situation I have had with my roommate has been nothing short of fabulous. We didn’t know each other going into it, but we haven’t had any issues since we moved in. I think I can owe most of this to how honest and open we are with each other, along with having a strong sense of mutual respect.

I was pretty messy in high school – I tended to try on about 5 different outfits, and when I found the one I wanted the other 4 would camp out on my bedroom floor until laundry day. Amazingly enough, my habits took a turn for the better once I moved into my dorm room. The space is way too small to be messy. I’ve also noticed that my roommate and my cleanliness kind of feed off of each other; if my things start to get messy, so do hers, and if I pick up my things, so does she. Out of respect for her I keep my stuff picked up, because I know it would annoy me if her crap was constantly all over our little living space.

Another major thing to keep in mind is flexibility. My roommate and I have very different schedules, and we do really well with adjusting ourselves to respect each other. I tend to have more homework than she does, so if she’s just hanging out and watching TV while I’m trying to study, she’s very courteous and goes next door to watch her show with some of our friends. Also, if I know she has an early class the next morning, I’ll either go to bed early with her or leave the room to continue studying when she wants to go to bed.

We also have pretty good ‘rules’ about visitors, if you can call them rules. I have a boyfriend that goes to another school, and that could potentially cause issues with a roommate if you aren’t careful. However, I try to not have him come and visit during the week, so that it won’t distract my roommate (or me) from our studies. We are very conscious of each other’s privacy – I’m always willing to leave the room if she needs me to, and she’s always willing to do the same for me – and on the other hand we never expect each other to leave at unnecessary times for unnecessary reasons….

One last bit: my roommate and I get along fantastically; however, we don't try to be each other's best friend. It's inevitable that it will get really old really fast if you try to be best friends with the person you live with. I think we both understand this and don't feel the need to spend every minute outside of our room together when we already spend plenty of time together in our cozy little home...

Living with a Roommate

2007-10-10T23:29:00.000-04:00

For the majority of college freshman, this is the first year that they will spend living with a roommate. This means sharing about half as much space as you’re used to with a person that you have possibly never seen before. I found some tips about living with a roommate online, and I’m sure a few of them could help out. (click on the title of the post to see site).

-Communicate: agree on rules and talk about potential issues before they become a problem.

-Don’t beat around the bush and drop hints when there’s a problem – it’s better for both parties if you are straight up and honest about and issue you are having.

-Practice common courtesy when it comes to visitors – determine general rules for visitors right off the bat, especially for weeknights.

-Set a policy about borrowing each others’ things, and make sure you always ask before using something of your roommate’s. When you want to borrow something of theirs, think about whether or not you would care about sharing something similar.

-Be flexible – be willing to adjust to your roommate’s schedule and realize that he or she has the right to visitors and the right to ask for privacy. However, don’t be flexible at the expense of your own health or grades.

-Try not to get caught in the middle of your roommate’s issues. Personal issues with their friends, family, significant other, etc. are theirs. Don’t offer advice unless you are asked because chances are you don’t know the whole situation.

-Be considerate about your living space – even if you are used to being a slob, out of respect for your roommate, keep your stuff picked up. Keep in mind that you wouldn’t want someone else’s crap all over your living space if you were trying to work or have visitors.

Coming soon… my thoughts on these rules and a few tips of my own…

Shopping in West Lafayette

2007-10-08T00:14:00.000-04:00

One thing I really miss about back home is that I could hop in my car and drive myself to a mall, which was about five minutes away. Now, being at Purdue and being a freshmen, means I’m car-less so I no longer have this advantage. I enjoy shopping and I find that since I’ve been here I have saved a good amount of money not doing it as often.
The closest mall is about a fifteen-minute drive. If you do not have a car and have to take the bus it takes quite a long time.
The mall is decent; it has good stores, necessary ones. It is not the best and personally I am not in love with any of the particular stores that it has. If you need a certain something, however, like for a special occasion it can most likely be found at this mall. To find out more about the mall’s stores visit the : Tippecanoe Mall website.
If your like me then you will not really want to go through the hassle of going to this mall unless you really need something. Mainly this is due to the bus experience, which was definitely not a good one for me, it took close to forty minutes to get to the mall and we had to change buses at one point as well…not fun. There are a couple alternatives to the mall; they consist of little clothing boutiques in West Lafayette.
One is located right next to Love shack around the corner from Chauncey. The name of it is Indigo. This store is very small, even smaller than my dorm room. It has rather plain shirts, but they are still stylish. It also sells jeans and fancier bottoms such as skirts and casual pants. This stores has a pretty good selection of jewelry, especially earrings. It is priced very reasonably, most shirts here range from about twenty to around thirty-five dollars and jewelry is not more than about fifteen dollars per piece. This also depends on what the piece of jewelry is and how much detail there is to it. Last time I was in the cashier told me that they get shipments in about every week, so if you cannot find something the first time you go in, you can always try a week later!
The other boutique is a little bit further than Indigo is. It is located by Scottie’s down by the Levee. The name of this store is Juniper. When I first visited this store the first thing I noticed was how helpful the staff was. They help you find exactly what you need. This boutique is a bit more pricier than Indigo is as well. It also sells the brand billabong here, which is more expensive than the other brands sold at this store. When I went here I also noticed that they sold a lot of dresses and cute fall coats. They have many cute shoes as well, and a good variety too. They have heels, flats, boot, sandals, ect. They also have a good selection of handbags and an excellent selection of jewelry.
The store is a nice size and it is a fun and unique store that I definitely recommend checking out.
If you are on a hunt for cool jewelry at a reasonable price, then you should go to Von’s. They have really cute and unique jewelry here and they have a huge selection of it as well. There jewelry also conveniently runs on the cheaper side. One bracelet that I got here was only two dollars! If you are looking for something specific that you cannot exactly find they even let you make your own jewelry here! They have a huge variety of beads and strings that you cant make necklaces and bracelets with. It really cool and they have a lot of different things here.
One last place I have discovered is a little bit different than any other clothes store I have been to. This store is called Amused Clothing. I am not sure that it is really my style, but it is a rather unique place. They sell mostly used clothing, but they change it from its original style. For example they will take a used shirt and cut it and tie the ends to change it up a bit. It’s kind of different. They also sell some new clothing here as well, I believe. They have a good quantity of clothes here and it is all pretty cheap.
I hope that if you are sick of traveling to the mall that you will enjoy these stores that are a little closer and in walking distance.

Taking your First Exam

2007-10-06T20:07:00.000-04:00

Taking your first exam can be a stressful thing for a freshman college student. College exams are much more difficult than those in highschool because highschool teachers help you prepare by giving your detailed notes and study guides, as well as daily classes. College professors, on the other hand, expect you to learn a lot on your own through reading and taking your own notes. However, there are a couple things that can do to help you to study and prepare for your first college exam.
First of all DON’T procrastinate; this can be the worst thing a college student can do because often times there is just too much information to cram the night before. It’s important to spread out the study material for at least a week or two. This way you can study small amounts each day, which will make the material easier to remember. Each day you study new material you should go back and look over the things you studied the previous day.
Another tip is get help from your TA, professor, or tutor if you need it. If you do not understand what you are trying to memorize, it will do you no good. So use your resources and make sure you understand everything. It’s also important to take good notes in class. If your professor is writing something out or has it on a power point it means they want you to remember it. Pay special attention to things highlighted or underlined because this information will most likely appear on the exam.
An easy way to help you remember things is to make note cards. This can sometimes be time consuming but they are a really good way to test yourself. You can also save these note cards and use them to study for finals. Some professors give you access to old exams from previous years, these can be extremely beneficial because you will find out what kinds of questions the test will ask and will help you figure out what you need to study.
It’s also important to be prepared the day you take the test. In the article “ Tips for Test Taking” it stresses the importantance of arriving early, being comfortable, and staying relaxed. It’s important to arrive early so your not stressed about being late and you won’t miss attendence. Also make sure you have everything you need to take the test, as staying comfortable and relaxed can help you stay calm during exams. It is really easy to feel anxious but try to stay calm because this will help your memory and ability to think through the questions. The article also talks about answering the easy questions first, this will allow you more time to think on the more difficult questions.
If you follow all these guidelines you should do great on your first exams. Just remember to study properly, get there on time, and to stay calm. Your will start to develop a rhythm for test taking and each exam will become easier. So, good luck and happy test taking.

Staying Awake in Class

2007-10-06T20:05:00.000-04:00

Being a college student, it is very difficult to get enough sleep. I am so busy with classes, studying, clubs, and meetings, there is literally not enough time in the twenty-four hour day, to get as much sleep as I need. Due to the lack of time, it is easy to find myself dozing off during a morning lecture or even an afternoon class. So, when I recently read the post “How to Stay Awake during Class”, it sparked my interest on this topic. I discovered some tips that really helped me stay awake and more alert during those tedious classes.
The first tip the article comments about is taking notes by hand. Although taking notes by lap top can be more efficient, it is easier for your mind to wander while you’re typing. Typing is so automatic it is hard to pay attention to the content of the class and stay focused. It is easy to lose your attention. It is also easy to become distracted by other things like face book and IMing. By writing the notes, it takes more concentration, so you have more time to soak up the information. It will also to force you to stay awake.
The next helpful tip is to eat healthy and stay hydrated. The article says that
“Carbs and proteins—can help energize you” so it would be a good idea to grab an apple banana or any healthy fruit when you are on your way to class. Fruits are loaded with carbs, so they should help you be more alert and you won’t find yourself dozing off as often. It’s also helpful to drink lots of water. Dehydration can make you very tired because your body isn’t getting the water it needs to funtion properly.
The last thing the article talk about is trying to be interested in the lecture. It might not be the most exciting class, and it might not be the most interesting lecture, but if you try to stay focused and learn what the professor is saying it will greatly increase your chances of staying awake. It is very easy to fall alseep listening to a boring monotone professor, but if you try and concentrate and remember what they are saying you won’t have time to fall alseep.
It’s also imporant to try and get enough sleep the night before the lecture. This combined with all the other helpful tips will make it easier staying awake. I know all of these things helped me stay awake and they can help you too.

October Break

2007-10-06T18:16:00.001-04:00

I am psyched for a fantastic weekend. In a few hours I will be in a blacked-out crowd full of students all cheering Purdue on as they face Ohio State. It is sure to be an exciting game because no matter what the outcome of the game it will be an electric atmosphere. I know the players, the band, and the cheerleaders have all been preparing extra hard to put on a great show tonight. I am excited to go to my first night game…in a glow in the dark shirt no less. Even though it is October break I think we will have a good turnout of fans. Campus is definitely buzzing with people everywhere. The intramural fields are packed to the maximum with tailgaters. T minus 2 hours!

Then after the game my two friends and I are going to catch a few hours of sleep and then get up and drive to St. Charles, MO which is a suburb of St. Louis where my friend lives. I have never been to Missouri and cannot wait. Not only will we get to go to the St. Louis Zoo, see the arch, and eat at wonderful restaurants I will get to meet all of my friend’s family and see where she grew up. I think part of the college experience is going home with your friends and seeing different areas of the US. Plus we have a place to stay for free and no obligations over break so college is the perfect time to take road trips.

Facebook: the Down-Side

2007-10-05T19:37:00.000-04:00

Although I really talked up Facebook in my last post, I don’t want to give the impression that it’s 100% wonderful. There are also some aspects of Facebook that aren’t so fabulous. The most prominent one is that it is addicting. I’m not talking mildly addicting for amusement, I’m talking hard core can’t draw yourself away from it. This probably goes mainly for girls, but looking at people’s pictures on Facebook and chatting with your friends can become very distracting. The art of “Facebook stalking” is also very prominent in college; searching for information about the latest gossip by checking out other peoples’ conversations, photos, etc. Sometimes I find myself on Facebook for over an hour before I even realize it, and this can be very detrimental to students with busy schedules.

Although the addictive nature of Facebook can be devastating, it is only a matter of self control to fix. There are other more serious issues that come with being a Facebook user. First of all, anyone can see everything that you post on your profile. This means contact information etc., so you always have to be careful about what information you disclose to avoid your information coming into the wrong person’s hands. Also, some employers have recently started checking Facebook as a part of their hire process. This means that any inappropriate photos or information could cost you a job or a scholarship. Even though Facebook offers very useful networking tools, it must be used smartly in order for it to not work against you.

Land lines vs. cell phones

2007-10-05T16:15:00.001-04:00

In our generation land lines are becoming extinct. Cells phones are more essential and more practical than land lines. Cell phones are just way more convenient –you all your numbers right there (I hardly have anyone’s number memorized), you can silence when in class, and you can always call if you are in danger or in an emergency.

In the Exponent today there was an article discussing the land lines in the dorm rooms vs. cell phones. They said that students overwhelmingly choose to use their cell phones. This does not shock me at all. Last year in Windsor our phone sat under my desk on the little ledge because we never used it and it didn’t get in the way down there. It flashed red practically all year because we couldn’t remember how to check our voicemails. The only phone calls we ever got were from newspapers trying to get us to pay for a subscription. It was pointless to have since no one knew that was our phone number. This year our room phone is stored away too.

The article was right when they said, “due to habit and convenience, student’s think of their cell phone as their primary number.” It’s true because my cell phone is always with me. I feel lost without it and I feel safer with it. The article said the phones are kept in rooms right now so emergency 911 calls can be made. Cell phones calling 911 transfers to the provider number not the county number which would pinpoint your location better and provide a faster response. But in my 20 years I have never had to call 911, but if I had had to I would think first of my cell phone.

In the dorm that is currently under construction here at Purdue will only have one phone for every cluster of 22 rooms. This makes sense considering at Notre Dame they have the option of choosing to have a land line or not and only 18 of 7,000 students chose to have a land line. When I am living on own not in a dorm I will not have a land line either. In college you try to avoid unnecessary costs and a land line is definitely one of them.

Facebook: the Up-Side

2007-10-03T21:55:00.000-04:00

In my opinion, Facebook is one of the greatest online creations of the past few years. For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, Facebook is an online network on which users can create a profile, make friends, write blog posts, hold events, join groups, etc. There are many perks in being a Facebook user in college, but there are also a few drawbacks. Hopefully this post will inform you of both sides of Facebook…

First of all, Facebook is a great way to network socially. You can join your college’s specific network, and join groups formed specifically for people at your college with things in common. These could range from classes, to dorms, to your graduating class. Since you will meet a ton of new people in college, Facebook is a great way to help keep names and faces straight. When you meet someone new, you can add them as your friend on Facebook and write messages to them, etc. You can also get invitations to parties and other functions through Facebook. Not only is Facebook a great way to keep track of new friends, it’s also a great way to keep in touch with old friends, or siblings that you no longer live with.

Along with being a great place for social networks, Facebook is also quickly becoming a place for academic networking. For example, it’s a great way to send out mass messages to group members about a project, or contact people who in your classes for help with homework. For example, I just joined a help group for one of my hardest classes. Students post questions and comments about the class, and other students can post their answers and opinions. Even some of the teaching assistants for the course have joined the group and have been giving us tips on assignments and answers to tough questions.

If you haven’t joined Facebook yet, it would be worth your time to check it out. Have a friend give you a little online tour. Coming next: the not so good aspects of Facebook.

Harrison Grille

2007-10-02T23:29:00.000-04:00

Tonight for the first time I ate at Harrison Grillé, and I really enjoyed it. I never realized how convenient eating there is since it’s so close to where I live, has late hours, and takes Dining Dollars. It is open at night so when the dining halls are closed, but you’re hungry for “real” food you can go there. I have often been annoyed when I have a test, group or club meeting, or some other activity during dinner hours, and then we I get back to the dorms –starving –the dining halls are closed. Now I know that I can go to Harrison Grillè and get a really good meal. I also never realized that Harrison Grillé was an actual restaurant. You order, wait for your food, eat it at one of the booths, and can watch TV…or you can get it to go. There is a wide variety of food. They have appetizers, sandwiches, salads, wings, pizza, on-the-go style sandwiches, fruit, and drinks. Another awesome thing about Harrison Grillé is the “sweeter side.” They have Eddy’s ice cream which I really like because I enjoy scoop ice cream much better than the soft serve most dining halls have. They also have milkshakes! The special flavor this week was pumpkin pie. Yum!

Hours:

Monday – Friday 6:00pm – 1:00am

Sunday 2:00pm – 1:00am

Harrison Grille Menu

Procrastination...

2007-09-29T21:48:00.001-04:00

Oh procrastination. I don’t know about all of you, but I have a serious procrastination problem – and it has a close link to my last posting on stress. Procrastination tends to just add onto stress that you already have. It’s a quick fix – you can do something better right then, but it always comes back to bite you in the butt. Even though I’m a pretty good procrastinator, the one thing that saves me is having to-do lists. I find if I write down things that I have to do it helps me organize my time and not forgot things. Plus, it’s so rewarding to cross things off your list and actually feel like you got something done. However, for us serious procrastinators, to-do lists just might not cut it. I found a few interesting tips at AssociatedContent.com…

1. Anticipate future assignments.
2. Don’t put assignments off until the last minute. I find this one a bit obvious….
3. Do hard assignments first. I personally don’t really like this one – I like to get small ones done so I can cross them off my list and not have them hanging over my shoulder. Plus, it starts the process of being productive without the frustration of a difficult assignment.
4. Work on large assignments in chunks.
5. Use a planner.
6. Expect the unexpected.
7. Just get started.
8. Page numbers. I find that one of the easiest ways to avoid procrastination when it comes to reading a chapter is to avoid looking and counting the page numbers. If you are constantly looking at what page you are on and counting to see how many you have left, you’ll never get done.
9. Avoid distractions. This is really hard to do in college since wherever you go there are tons of people, but if you can find a secluded spot or time of day to work, you will be way more productive.
10. Reward yourself. I love this tip. Personally I use food or social activities to bribe myself. This way you work really hard to get something done and there ends up being a positive experience.

Hairspray

2007-09-29T21:17:00.000-04:00

When I was little my movies of choice were Beauty and the Beast and The Sound of Music. My love for musicals probably came from watching these wonderful movies filled with singing and dancing over and over again. What’s not to love about combining singing with dancing? I have continued to love musicals. I know the musical is good if afterwards I am pumped up and singing and dancing along.

A few weeks ago my suitemates took me to see the movie Hairspray. I loved it. We were singing and grooving for days. So we were all really excited when we found out that Hairspray was going to be performing at Purdue. And we became even more excited when we realized that Hillenbrand was offering the tickets for only $7. The public prices were $20-$45.

The cast performed Hairspray at Elliot last night. The show was really good. I was laughing throughout the entire show. They had a lot of different punch lines and sexual innuendos (well…some of them weren’t so subtle) that were hilarious (and different than the movie). There were also some ad-libs that were unexpected and outrageous. We were all laughing so hard (although if I had gone with my mom I would have felt awkward). The dancing and choreography was amazing. I wish that during my daily life people would break out into song and dance together in harmony. Everyone would know all the lyrics and dance moves...it would be so cool. The stage set-up and scene changes were really impressive as well. The one bummer about the musical was the lead, Tracy Turnblad. She was the second understudy and it did show a little. She did do a good job, but it was nothing to rave about. Her Baltimore accent was good and her acting was just fine, but you could tell she was a little nervous or maybe just not as experienced. Several times she faltered a little singing and was behind on tempo. All in all this very minor detail did not detract from my overall experience. The show was very entertaining.

One thing that influenced me to come to Purdue was all the opportunities that are offered here. Hairspray is a perfect example. We got to see an amusing and entertaining musical only three blocks from where we live and for only $7.

Ways to prevent getting sick in the dorms

2007-09-29T20:50:00.000-04:00

It seems like once one person gets sick in the dorm we all do. It’s simply from people living so close together in the same building that germs are easily passed around. But don’t worry there are things you can do to stay healthy even living in a dorm.
First of all WASH YOUR HANDS, yes you hear it all the time but it’s true. Your hands are really big germ carriers. According to the article “Preventing the common cold” People get sick from touching their nose or eyes after coming in contact with germs. The best way to prevent this would be to simply wash your hands. Also washing your hands with just water doesn’t cut it, the soap is what lifts away dirt from your hands. It’s also important to wash your hand for a full 10 to 15 seconds in order to get rid of all germs.
Another way to avoid getting sick would be don’t share cosmetics. Eyeliner and mascara can be huge carriers of bacteria that you can easily get buy using some else’s make up. It’s also important to buy new make up frequently so bacteria doesn’t have that much time to grow. Your close can also carry germs so try not to let big piles of clothes sit around unwashed your room will be cleaner; you will smell nicer and stay healthy.
The article also suggests getting plenty of sleep and exercise, which can be difficult being a busy college student. It helps build up you immune system when you do come in contact with germs. Also drink plenty of water and try to eat healthy, you will feel much better and your body will be more equipped to fight off disease. You also might want to try keeping your toothbrush clean. It’s easy to set it down in the bathroom not realizing the germs it could pick up, so it would be a good idea to buy a new toothbrush every month or two to reduce your risk. Another obvious tip would be to stay way from sick people, this way you won’t be exposed to their germs because people are most contagious when they are sick.
If you do happen to get sick give yourself time to recuperate. It’s important to get plenty of rest to help your body fight off the infection. Also make sure not to share drinks or food with other people so you don’t pass on your sickness. If you follow most of these tips (especially washing your hands) you will greatly reduce your risk of getting sick even with living around so many people.

College and Cash

2007-09-29T20:49:00.000-04:00

Let’s face it-college students aren’t made of money. Even if your parents pay for your college you can still find yourself running a little low on cash. But don’t worry. There are lots of easy ways to save and still have a good time in college.
The article “136 tips for saving money in college” suggests buying used books as a way to save some cash. The best time to do this is before you start your classes because many times the used books run out and you will have to buy new. Another good idea would be to sell your books back to the bookstore when you’re done using them. You will not get full face value for them but it will put a dent in the price you have to pay for your books the next semester. Another tip the article gives is don’t buy term papers online. This seems like a joke but believe me some people do it. These papers are usually expensive and professors can typically spot one when they see it so don’t waste your time.
Another way to save money is by not eating out. Chances are if you’re a freshman you have a meal plan. Get your friends to go eat with you and you will all be saving some money. Or if you are sick of dorm food buy a large pizza and spilt it with some people and the cost will be a lot less. The article also mentions buying things in bulk. For example: toilet paper, paper towel, bottled water, etc. It may seem like a lot but you will use it eventually and you will be saving a lot of money in the long run. Also when you do go shopping make a list and know exactly what you want so you aren’t tempted by any other items which can rack up the cost.
If you are really crunched for money you could consider getting a job. A lot of the places on campus offer jobs. (Dining halls, campus food courts and bookstores). If you’re worried about it taking up too much time, just work once or twice a week so you still have time to study. This will enable you to have a steady income (even if it’s a small one) to help pay for things in college. Another tip would be try to visit home once in awhile. Chances are your parents will be happy to see you and they will give you a little extra cash.
While these are just a few ways to save money in college, there are many more. If you are interested in more ideas I suggest reading the article “136 tips for saving money” just be smart. It’s probably not a good idea to go on frequent shopping sprees and buy things you don’t need.

Purdue's Campus

2007-09-28T18:06:00.000-04:00

One thing that led me to come to Purdue was the allure that the campus possessed. Upon coming here I knew I could see myself going here and absolutely loving it. From the red brick buildings to the flowing fountains every part of Purdue’s campus displays a unique beauty. I don’t even mind walking to and from class because the scenery in between the two destinations never has a dull point.

The fountains have a simple structure, although they also have a certain uniqueness to them. I think they add a lot to the campus. I also love the bell tower; you can see it from so many different spots on campus. Especially at night, when you are walking along Third Street toward campus, when the tower is lit up, is one of the prettiest sights you will see here at Purdue. There is also a lot of construction underway presently to make the campus even better! This is shocking because I believe the campus is already beautiful so improvements are a huge excitement! For example, the Neil Armstrong building, which is in its final stages of development is an example of a unique and beautiful new addition to the campus. They are also building a new dining court, the Wiley dining court. This is a nice addition also, although I am not sure we need another dining court, I am not complaining, it will be a nice alternative to the other food courts. I have also heard word of a new dorm complex going up across from Earhart, so we will see what happens with that. It is nice to know that they are continually updating campus and making it even better than it already is!

Many college campuses are really spread out and the walking distances to classes can be somewhat ridiculous. This is another thing that I like about Purdue. Although, it is a rather compact campus, it is nice in many ways. It makes it easy to walk to classes. From my dorm, Owen, it takes only about ten to fifteen minutes to walk into campus, which really is not that bad. The furthest dorm, McCutcheon, is only a mile walk into campus. It is nice to have buildings that are close together also so if you do have two classes in a row you are not late. Also, if you have a break you have time to study in a library instead of saving time to walk to your next class. To walk into town is even a walk able distance. All in all I think this makes everything very convenient. I love the architecture Purdue has and I am glad to say that I love every aspect of Purdue’s campus. Purdue also maintains its campus as well. There is never trash all over the ground or graffiti all over walls. For being a place where thousands of college kids walk through it daily, the up keep of campus is incredible. It is always neat and tidy. There are also cute traditions that go with many of these structures. For example, running through the fountain. Many people participated in this one during BGR week. Also, walking under the bell tower as a freshmen means that you will not graduate in four years. Yikes! Crossing the ‘tracks’ is a tradition that you are supposed to do as a freshman and then cross them again when you graduate from Purdue. These different little traditions make campus fun and kind of add a little humor to campus as well.

The union is one of my favorite buildings because I feel like it has everything. It is a cool place to go and hang out, have meetings, study, eat, bowl, and do many do more things. I think it is cool too how there is a hotel connected to it. This makes it extremely convenient for when visiting campus or when relatives come up to visit. It is nice to have a place right on campus to stay and be so close to everything the campus has to offer. Really the only thing that you need transportation to get to is places like Wal-mart, Target and the mall. Even if you have to go to these places though, they are all within about a ten minute drive or so. As many know there is the city bus that can take anyone to these places as well. Purdue really has a wonderful set up. It makes it easy and convenient for students to get to where they need to go pretty easily. This is a huge advantage of Purdue’s campus and a big reason I decided to come here. I hope everyone is enjoying Purdue and its campus as much I am! Until next time, GO BOILERS!!

Phew!

2007-09-28T00:32:00.000-04:00

I can finally let out the breath I have been holding for the past week. Thank goodness. I now know the grades I got on my three tests last week, and it is such a relief. I am completely satisfied with my scores. I studied really hard for my tests so it’s nice to see my hard work pay off. It’s nice to have that feel of accomplishment. If you did well on your first round of tests you can rest a little easy knowing that if you bomb one of the other tests when the material gets harder it will be okay.

Trust me though I don’t always have such a great feeling after I find out my test scores. For all of you who maybe didn’t do as well as you would have hoped on your first round of tests don’t worry. You still have time to save your grade. You can make up for the grade with your next two tests in the class. Next time you will know better how your professor writes tests and how better to prepare and study for it. Also don’t be afraid to ask questions and go to help sessions. Believe me I have had some bad tests, and I still ended up doing fine in the course. Don’t get discouraged.

Stress

2007-09-26T23:15:00.000-04:00

Stress is a very prominent issue among humans, especially college students. There’s pressure to do well academically, to get a good degree and good job, pressure from friends, from parents, and the overall load of work and study takes a toll on the average student. During the past few weeks it seems like everyone on my floor has been really stressed out about exams and projects, myself included, so I decided that maybe I could do some research on stress. I found some useful info on Amherst College’s health education web site, and I wanted to share what I found to help out my friends and my readers.

Some common signs of stress are:

Problems eating or sleeping
Increased use of alcohol or other drugs
Increased boredom and fatigue; a general sense of "the blahs"
Problems making decisions; increased procrastination
Becoming anxious and confused over unimportant events
Increased frustration with minor annoyances
Frequent colds and infections

This website also offered different tips to handle stress. Some of these include short term fixes:

Relax where you are.
Take a break.
Ask yourself whether it's worth being upset over the situation.
List all the things you think you need to do right away. Then prioritize the list and only do the top few.

Long term ways to handle stress include:

Seek your own stress level.
Choose your own goals.
Think positive.
Make decisions.
Keep realistic expectations.
Accept what you cannot change.
Anticipate potentially stressful situations and prepare for them.
Manage your time.
Take care of your health.
Take time for yourself.

Personally, I have a few ways to handle stress that I feel really work well for me. I really like the short term tip to take a break. Chances are, when you’re feeling really stressed, it’s just mental. If you take a break for a little while and take your mind off things, chances are when you approach your problem again you will come back with a much more collected and calm manner. I will continue to test out these stress tips and let you know what works best for me…

Also, click on the stress title of this posting for a link to the Amherst College Health Education website.

Groups Good/Bad

2007-09-25T23:24:00.000-04:00

When I graduated from high school two years ago I was under the delusion that I would not have to work in groups in college. I quickly came to realize that of course you still work in groups in college especially in labs. It seems that no matter how many good group experiences you have with hard working, easy to get along with group members the bad group experiences always overshadow them by far.

Most of my lab partners have been cooperative, easy to get along with and work with, responsible, and conscientious. I am always very thankful when the groups turn out that way. It seems though that I always get the good groups when it is a short term project. I get stuck with a bad group or partner when it’s going to be for the entire semester or a really big project. My biggest pet peeve with group work is working with a partner who is not prepared or organized, but acts like they know everything. I work hard for my grades, and I do not like to be penalized for other people’s lack of motivation and caring.

The answer to the “bad” group problem should easily be solved by evaluations right? Teachers always believe this is the “easy fix” and will eliminate undeserving grades either too high or too low. Unfortunately this generally does not help. I personally cannot fill out an evaluation right in front of the other members of my group and give them poor scores (especially if you know them outside of class and/or they are genuinely nice people just awful partners). Other times I have filled out evaluations that did not have the criteria that related to why they were bad partners. Frustrating…

My advice for myself and you:

You cannot change the way your partner acts so just try and act like their annoyances aren’t fazing you. I recount my bad group experience with someone later. Usually when I say my story out loud I decide it wasn’t really as bad as I made it out to be at first. It always could have been worse. (And generally the retelling makes me laugh.) If your partner is really outrageous I would go beyond the evaluations and straight to the TA so they are aware of the situation. It is not fair for one or two of the members to be doing all the work, but everyone to be benefiting from their hard work. Finally always try to remember the great group experiences :)

Football Tickets

2007-09-25T08:40:00.000-04:00

I always knew football was big at Purdue, but I don’t think I really grasped the concept of how big. I did what I thought every student was supposed to do: I bought my season tickets and so far I have gone in for every home game. Recently a few of my family members decided that they would like to go to the Ohio State versus Purdue game, and asked me if I could pick them up tickets at the box office. I thought to myself, “sure, no problem,” but boy was I wrong. Tickets have been sold out for as long as anyone can remember. Luckily, the ticket office sometimes decides to open up more tickets for big games just a week or two before the game, and I got an email from the office just yesterday announcing this. The ticket office opens at nine, so I decided to blow off my 8:30 chemistry lecture in order to come wait in line from 7:30 til nine. Although I was an hour and a half early, I’m probably the fortieth person in line.

The way it works is that the ticket office makes five hundred more student sections available for each of the upcoming games, and each student is allowed to buy up to four tickets to each game. Tickets for the Ohio State game are going for around for close to a hundred bucks a pop, so waiting in line to get tickets for $65 is definitely worth it. My suggestion to all Purdue students would be to buy season tickets and to tell family members to plan months in advance if they want to go to a major game. Plus, if you buy tickets and end up not wanting them, there are always people outside of games trying to scalp some, so it’s very unlikely that you’ll lose your money.

After experiencing some of the craziness about football tickets here, I kind of assumed that it was the same at any major college, but this is not the case. I went down to IU last weekend to visit friends and I was able to buy a ticket to their game minutes before it started for only $20 at the box office. This probably has a little something to do with how good the football team is…
Anyways, regardless of what college you go to, any student who is interested in sporting event tickets should research how their school handles sales in advance in order to avoid not being able to get tickets. You should take into consideration how big each sport is at your college take into account that some games are bigger than others…

P.S. It was definitely worth getting here early and being able to set up camp inside the ticket office building - the hundred or so people in line outside just had to whip out their umbrellas
:)
)

Turning your room around

2007-09-23T00:04:00.000-04:00

Okay, so we are all crammed into a little area of space for the next eight months or so…not fun! I don’t know about you but this is one of the main things that is driving me crazy! I am constantly thinking of ways that I can rearrange my stuff to make it more compact. Even just decorating a room can also make it appear larger. First, as the semester rolls on, papers and assignments will pile up, you may want to invest in a small plastic file box, it may seem silly now, but you will need a place to store your papers/assignments and this will definitely help you keep organized.

Next, it is always a good idea to stack things. When things are vertical it saves more space. Even if you can’t attach things to the walls, vertical crates or boxes are a good idea. Also you may not have enough closet or drawer space. Remember to keep in mind the clothes that will be bulkier for colder weather in the coming months. A good idea is to purchase under the bed storage, this can help storing clothes. Also to help save space in the closet single hangers with multiple bars can help hang jeans and such things.

To make a room appear larger, mirrors on the walls can help. Also do not leave the walls blank decorate them with things. There is still time to make your dorm ‘homier’ you do not want to live for the next eight months feeling crammed and uncomfortable. Yes, we have been here for a month and hopefully many of these things you have taken into consideration but I have seen those rooms that make me feel like I am in a hospital room, so don’t compromise for a dull ugly living space. Fix it!
For more information on space saving and decorating your room visit http://www.iamnext.com/living/dormdeco.html.

Events At Purdue

2007-09-22T23:29:00.000-04:00

Getting involved at Purdue can sometimes seem overwhelming. Being such a large school there are so many different ways to get involved and interact. Sometimes it is necessary to just take a break and relax. This is why it is so great that Purdue has so many events that take place year round. No matter what your interests are or your schedule, there is sure to be one that fits into both of these for each individual.

There are numerous events that will be taking place this year. There are various guest speakers and plays presented by Purdue Convocations. The events calendar is definitely something to check out; students even get a discount to events. The calendar can be seen at http://news.uns.purdue.edu/eventindex.html. This website is very helpful; it gives a brief description of the event, the date, and the price. There are so many different things offered and I think everyone should take advantage of attending an event because they are offered especially to us being Purdue students and this is a wonderful privilege we are given.
Another website to see upcoming events can be seen by going to http://calendar.purdue.edu/. This shows the different categories of events such as arts and entertainment, lectures and seminars, and career programs, just to name a few. The website is always being updated so even if there isn’t something you see interesting as of now, don’t forget to revisit it in the next couple weeks or so to see if it has changed. There may even be famous musicians of comedians that you may be a big fan of, take advantage of seeing them, you will most likely go for a better price than seeing them at a larger venue, and it will be more directed to the college audience.

A much anticipated and advertised event coming up is the play Hairspray. It is being preformed at Elliot Hall and is put on by Purdue Convocations. It will be on Friday September 28 at 8 pm. There are many other plays put on by Purdue Convocations throughout the year, so if this is of any interest you can also visit the convocations website at http://www.purdue.edu/convos/home.shtml.

One event posted, that I am sure looking forward to that is free for every student is homecoming! On October 26th there will be a boilermaker on campus parade at 8 pm. I don’t know about you but this sounds like a lot of fun to me, I have never been to a parade at night, and I think it will make for a different and more exciting atmosphere. Then after the parade will be a pep rally at Slater Hill. This will be king and queen coronation. After this, will be fireworks! This sounds like a fun filled night that will convey a lot of boilermaker spirit! The next day will be the game against Northwestern University. I am sure everyone will be extremely hyped up for this game and I cannot wait to see all the fans decked out for this special weekend!!

Keeping in Touch with your Parents

2007-09-22T22:14:00.000-04:00

College life is so bust it is sometimes hard to keep in touch with you family back home. Between class, exams,eating, studying and various other activities it is sometimes hard to keep in touch.

A simple way to keep in touch with your parents would be to call them but that's not always easy. You may no a half hour to talk to your mom about the latest news on the phone. Some other alternatives to the traditional phone call would be to email, text, or send a letter (sounds stupid but I'm sure your parents would love it). Two types of communication that interest me are emailing and texting. This is a luxury that our parents didn't have back when they were in college. Today texting is one of the main forms of communication between teens. Today's parents are learning to use this new technology so now college students are able to talk to their parents more often by texting.

Although it's very important to keep in touch with your parents you also need your space. You are an adult now and are able to make your own decisions. Some parents who are a little too protective are also called "helicopter parents." Helen Johnson states in the article "Do helicopter parents do more harm then good?" that "parents like Lewis are far too involved in their children's lives." and that "In taking over, they are sending a profound message: You are not capable of handling your life," Lewis is a single mom with two sons in college who goes far beyond the duty of being a mom. Although her sons appreciate having a mother to do everything for them experts say it's not for a child's well being. The article goes on to talk about helicopter parents and how they are sweeping college campuses.

The bottom line is that you should keep in touch with your parents but not too much. Once a day would be more then enough to inform them about all of the days activities. And if you are too busy some days then send them a quick text or email just so they know you are alive and well.

To learn more about helicopter parents go to this website: http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Health/Story?id=1237868&page=1

5K

2007-09-22T22:13:00.001-04:00

Today was a great day. I ran a 5K hosted by Tippy Connect with two of my friends and my boyfriend. The race was a benefit for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Wabash Valley. The staff who organized the race did an excellent job. They provided drinks and food before and after the race. Also they stood along the running path and encouraged us as we ran by them. It was a great experience. It gave me such a sense of accomplishment.

It was a beautiful morning to go for a run. It was sunny, but still cool with a little breeze. The mayor of West Lafayette, Jan Mills, started the race off at 9:00am from Purdue West. I started out the race feeling pretty good…and then we ran up a hill. But once I set my pace I felt strong again. One of my friends and I helped push each other on. Sure my legs were tired, but there was the staff standing along the running path cheering us on which made it a lot easier to go on. There were also several policemen who very kindly blocked and directed traffic for us to ensure that no one was injured. Plus they handed out plenty of high fives along the way. The last half of a mile I was struggling, but I also think I ran it the fastest. It was –well breathtaking to catch glimpse of the finish sign and sprint past it. Needless to say I was out of breath when I finished. I felt great though, and next time I want to finish with a faster time. I love running because you are running against yourself and the clock. It depends solely on the individual effort you put in. You train, but not until the big race day do you really see the progress you have made.

There was about 70 runners this morning. There were many different people running. Moms and dads running with strollers, twenty something to 50 something men and women, people in shape, people working on getting in shape, and even a young girl. It was nice to look around and see all the different runners (and quiet a few of them pass me). I would like to think that twenty years from now I will still be running 5Ks.

All in all the 5K was extremely successful. I accomplished my goal, it made me want to run more races, and we raised money to help the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. I would definitely recommend running a 5K. You should grab a few friends to join you. It is a really good idea to run with other people who can train with you, push you, and encourage you. I can’t wait to run another one and beat my time.

Freshman 15

2007-09-22T20:46:00.000-04:00

Before coming into college I always heard horror stories about people gaining tons of weight once they went to college this is known as the "Freshman 15." So naturally I was really worried about gaining weight in college and I told myself it would never happen to me. Now that I am in college I can really see why a lot of people gain weight. It's not just lack of exercise but it's also all the different kinds of food available to you. For starters the dining halls which is where most people eat at least once or twice a day. There are all different kinds of foods ranging from pizza to Chinese to ice cream cones as well as many other delicious fattening foods. These foods taste great but they can also add a couple inches to the waist line. http://www.housing.purdue.edu/NetNutrition/Form2.aspx?topicID=MealDetail&process=MealDetail&unit=828&menu=264375&category=&procID=10&update=true&parent=793 From going to this website I was able to see nutrition information for the food at Ford dining hall and the other dining halls as well. I figured out that if you eat a Cheeseburger and fries your meal can total up to 791 calories! This is close to half of the suggested caloric intake per day, needless to say most people eat way more then just a cheeseburger and fries. I have seen some people with two or three plates piled with food.

Dining courts aren't the only thing contributing to the Freshman 15, it is also snacking in your room and ordering pizza late at night (lets face it we have all done it). It's so easy to just give into the temptation of snacks when most dorm rooms are filled with them. Some of the common favorites would be easy mac, chips, pop tarts, granola bars, pop, candy, pizza rolls, pretzels and many more. Sometimes you won't even notice it and you will just grab a snack or two while your studying.As for the pizza I feel like someone is always ordering pizza late at night and the temptation is overwhelming.

Eating isn't the only part of gaining weight it is also lack of exercise. College students today are so busy with classes, exams, clubs, intramurals etc. That there is hardly any time for exercise. And when you do get a free hour or two the co rec is usually jam packed with people and a lot of the machines are taken and you have to wait to use them. Although the freshman 15 happens to a lot of people it's not all of use. As long as you try to eat moderately healthy, try not to snack to much, and try to exercise two or three times a week you will have better chances of staying fit.

Wave on Wave

2007-09-20T18:27:00.000-04:00

What a week! Stressful days somehow always manage to pile onto each other making for one stressful week. I am never ready for the “wave” of tests and projects that always seems to come about every five weeks. I get used to my routine of doing homework and studying. I have time to do practice problems, read, and stay on top of my assignments plus socializing, eating, exercising, and sleeping! Then the wave hits and all I do is study, study, study.

The wave hit me this week. I had tests Monday and Tuesday night, and I just finished my third test this afternoon. It seems like all I have been doing is constantly studying, but the tests are finished now. The wave has finally come crashing down...and so have I. I generally feel a mixture of emotions after the wave has passed.

1. Tiredness

2. Relief

3. Ickyness

The general feeling of ickyness can be attributed to the fact that all I have been doing is eating, going to class, eating, studying, class, snacking, studying, and studying again. I have barely had time to sleep let alone exercise. My body is not appreciating that right now.

After riding the wave the best feeling for me is being able to sit down, relax, and do absolutely nothing after the last “stressor” is finished. I enjoy getting back to my routine and having time to socialize, sleep and exercise –which allows my body to like me again. Unfortunately, I then remember I should start preparing for the next big wave to hit me by catching up on the homework and preparations I didn’t get done since I was studying.

Oh the good ol’ life of a college student –the waves just keep coming.

But there are only 24 hours in a day...

2007-09-17T23:24:00.001-04:00

As college students, it’s often really hard to balance schoolwork, social life, extracurriculars, and sports. Personally, I’m a very social person and my major is challenging, and every day I feel like it’s a struggle to find time for everything. One thing that has really helped me keep from stressing out is making a ‘to do’ list. As I accomplish tasks, I cross them off and it makes me feel like I’m actually getting somewhere with everything I have to do. Also, I’ve been planning my week by the hour and deciding when I’m going to do what. I try to get all of my schoolwork done during the week so that I can have the weekends to go out and be with my friends. I also ask myself, “How am I supposed to find time to work out among all of this schoolwork?” I’ve decided that even when I’m swamped, it’s mostly mental and I actually don’t have as much to do as I think. Instead of sitting in front of my computer and trying to figure out where to start, I’ll go on a 20 minute run. It’s not forever, but it’s better than nothing, and it usually helps me relax, gather my thoughts, and take my mind off of schoolwork for a few minutes. Lastly, I’m learning how to take advantage of those awkward one hour breaks between classes. Instead of walking back to my dorm just to switch books and watch TV for 20 minutes, I find a nice spot in the shade and read or study or knock out a few math problems. It’s efficient, and I’m amazed at how much I can actually get done in an hour when I’m not distracted.

Why are my white socks pink and blue...?!

2007-09-17T23:03:00.000-04:00

As an incoming college student, one adjustment that many kids have to make is that of doing his or her own laundry. Although many kids do their own in high school, many, myself included, had the luxury of throwing dirty clothes in a laundry basket and having them reappear every Thursday, clean and folded. Unfortunately, the laundry fairy cannot accompany you to college. I have learned a few lessons about laundry that I think would be worth sharing to the incoming college student, or the student who has yet to do laundry and is now wearing very smelly clothes.

First of all, I would strongly advise learning to do laundry BEFORE coming to college, rather than thinking that it will be easy to figure out all alone. Personally, I did my own laundry the majority of the summer before college. This made me pretty comfortable with it, but it still wasn’t second nature. I would suggest maybe 4 months of consistent laundry doing before college; this will make it second nature and your entire wardrobe will be very familiar to you. This will make laundry sorting at college a much quicker process.

Another point to remember is that the washers and dryers in college are most likely not the same as the one’s at home, so be sure to check out the features before you use them. In Owen Hall at Purdue, for instance, our washers don’t have a place for fabric softener; instead you have to buy fabric softener sheets to put in the dryer. Also, don’t forget to remove all lint from the lint trap – it’s easy to forget, but if you do, all of your clothes will be covered in little fuzzies!
One of the hardest things about doing laundry in college is planning your time accordingly. Realize that once you start, you won’t be able to leave your dorm until you’ve finished – generally a little short of two hours. You don’t want to leave clothes sitting in the washer because colors could bleed or leave them sitting in the dryer because they will wrinkle. And although everyone hates to admit it, leaving clothes sitting in the laundry room increases the risk of something getting stolen. Last, but not least, pick a good time of the week to do laundry. The weekends are always the most busy since everyone has big chunks of time open without any classes to go to. Pick a time during a weekday when you have time between classes so that the room will be less busy. Don’t wait until the last minute to do laundry either since there is no guarantee to get a machine…

Bring on the Sniffles!

2007-09-17T21:11:00.000-04:00

It’s very normal for people to develop colds in the winter and late fall, right? It seems like everyone gets a little case of the sniffles, some cases worse than others. However, just in the past week I have noticed that the number of colds and the severity of each case is MUCH higher in college than I ever remember it being in high school. I would like to dedicate this blog to documenting how to survive cold season in college, particularly when living in a dorm.
First of all, there are many factors that contribute to the increased number of colds in college. Number one is probably lack of sleep. Increased homework loads and social activities take up more time than ever before and guess what – there are still only 24 hours in a day. Living in the dorms, there are many more items that are shared with many more people than one is usually accustomed to in high school. Shared objects in the dorm such as doorknobs, remotes, etc. are perfect places for germs along with even more trafficked areas such as floor bathrooms, study tables and computer labs.
Even though the germs are out to get you, there are many things you can do to keep those dirty suckers away. First and foremost is making sure you get enough sleep. This along with a healthy diet, regular exercise, and a daily vitamin will help keep your immune system in tip-top shape. Also, washing your hands and using antibacterial hand lotion as often as possible will help reduce the amount of germs that make it to you. (A note about antibacterial lotion: Purdue kindly provides a dispenser at the entrance to the major dining halls to help you stay healthy – use it!) Also, get antibacterial wipes to wipe down work areas and shared areas around your living space – it’s cheap, easy, and it really helps. Hopefully I’ll be able to take my own advice and stay healthy in spite of the 12 snotty coughers in my hall whose germs are on a rampage!

Study Sessions and Exams

2007-09-16T23:20:00.001-04:00

I thought it was extremely weird when I first found out that exams were not done in class. I really didn’t understand this concept. The other day I had my first exam, and I’m not going to lie I was a bit nervous. It sounded so serious, my teacher gave us strict instructions about meeting in Elliot Hall. She even sent us all emails about what section we would be in and that we had to be fifteen to twenty minutes early. I studied like crazy, the term exam instead of test made it sound so much more intimidating.

When six thirty rolled around on Tuesday, I tried in every way to prepare myself. I had my number two pencils, my student ID, and I set my phone on silent. I decided to go to campus early to study a bit before going to the exam that way I knew I wouldn’t be late getting there because I would already be nearby. This turned out to be successful, and I even got some necessary study time in at the library. So I would recommend this idea because it forces you to study and it’s always a good thing to study right before an exam so everything is fresh in your mind.

Another thing I would recommend is to go to the study sessions, even if you think you already know everything. It was actually a mistake that I went to my math study session on Monday morning. It was the day before the exam and the only reason I quickly found out it was optional was because of the lack of students in my class that morning. I forgot that it wasn’t mandatory and I am glad I did because I cannot say I would have WANTED to get up at 9 am on Monday to go to a what is posted as an optional class.

I thought I knew everything pretty well; I took notes, did all the homework and did well on the quizzes we took daily. However, when I went to the study session, students asked questions that I didn’t even think of that ended up helping me on the exam. Most of the problems we went over were very similar to the questions on the exam also. All in all I ended up getting only one problem wrong, which I didn’t think was too bad. I am confident in saying that I will continue to go to any study session offered even though it is optional. After all, it will only be about four times a semester; I think I can make the sacrifice of not sleeping in for a better grade.

Boiler Football

2007-09-16T23:17:00.001-04:00

I had never been to a college football game before coming to Purdue. Naturally, I had some idea of what it would be like, but not fully. I knew that going to a big ten school that the football games would be extremely fun and high-spirited. First off, tailgating is pretty insane; people are everywhere; students, parents, alum, and others all gather early before the games to cookout with fellow boiler fans. One of the many popular spots is the intramural fields, maybe I only think this because it is right across from my dorm and I consistently see massive amounts of people and tents set up there. People set up games, one of the most frequent seen ones being bags, or also known as corn hole. Mainly this is parents and alum or just fans that come to the games that gather here, but students do also.

On game days it is very hard to try and sleep in. Especially living in Owen, which is located right next to the stadium. People get up pretty early and start screaming in the streets. Then there’s also the breakfast club, who get up as early as 5:00 am to go to the bars and dress up in funky costumes. When I first saw these people dressed up all weird I was extremely confused and had no idea what was going on. When a friend explained the reasoning behind it, then it made a little bit more sense. People will go to the football games in these outfits and it always makes me laugh to see some of the goofy outfits people come up with. I have never seen the campus more busy than when there is a Saturday home game. You walk outside and people are everywhere! A football game is an all day event I have found out. It’s nice though that everyone has so much spirit.

Saturday marked another victory for the boilermakers. The weather was much nicer than the last game and it was also parent’s day, so the fan turnout was phenomenal. The student section was pretty rowdy and everyone really helped cheer the boilers on to victory over Central Michigan. The half time show was also great on Saturday. The band, twirlers, gold dusters, and cheerleaders all gathered on the field and performed. It was very entertaining. The crowd also mastered the wave on Saturday; I think it went around the stadium about five or six times. It was pretty exciting, the crowd even at one point would slow it down and then speed it up, it looked really cool and it was fun too. I like the idea of people being thrown up in the air after we score a touchdown; it’s kind of funny looking. I also liked how they played the song shout after the third quarter. Things like this make it easy to really get into the game! I can’t wait to the next game; hopefully we can keep up this winning streak!

Toot, Toot "Boiler Up"

2007-09-16T22:49:00.000-04:00

The days pass much more quickly when you have something to look forward to on the weekends and what better thing to look forward to than a Purdue football game. I love football Saturdays. You get all decked out in black and gold, grab some friends for brunch at Ford or join the tailgaters on Slater Hill, and then walk with the crowd of people to the stadium. Once inside I love standing on the bleachers and yelling “1,2,3,4 First Down,” cheering on the players, and joining in the wave (our wave skills are pretty impressive…normal, slow, and fast speed). Then we score a touchdown –I jump up and down, give high fives all around, and count along as someone is hoisted into the air. It’s a bonding experience with people you don’t even know, but will soon get to know after standing by them for eleven weeks. Plus a game just wouldn’t be the same without singing and dancing along to Shout at the end of the third quarter.

Let’s not forget about the band though. How great are they (minus the early morning pre-game songs before I am out of bed)!? I came from a small high school that could barely hold together a band so I never appreciated how much they reeve up the crowd and how entertaining they can be. Last Saturday I got to the game a little earlier than I normally do, and the band was so awesome! Everyone might not get to appreciate the formations they make on the field, but my roommate got a chance to sit in a box office and took these pictures. I was impressed! Throughout the game I always love watching the band members swinging and jumping around. How do they always have so much energy? They definitely pump me up during the game. I really appreciate all the long hours of practice they put in and the many hours of playing before, during, and after the game that make our football Saturdays so great!

Making new friends

2007-09-15T22:07:00.000-04:00

Coming into Purdue I was very scared about making new friends. I have had the same firends since gradeschool and it was very hard for me to leave all of them. I went to a huge higschool of 3500 or more and all my friends went to IU or other schools. I knew that Purdue was for me because I got right into the nursing program so I really wanted to give it a chance. The first day after my parents left I felt very lonely, I remember sitting in the chair by my computer thinking wow I really should have gone to IU with all my firends. Meanwhile I looked across the hall to see two girls putting their futon together so I decided to go talk to them. They ended up being really cool and today they are some of my best friends. I think college is all about taking chances. You really have to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. I also starting leaving my door open so anyone could just walk in, just from doing that I pretty much know everybody on my floor. Another thing I started doing was talking to the people sitting next to me in classes. When you have lecture halls of 400 or more its hard to find people you know. But everyday I just started talking to whoever I was sitting next to and now I find myself knowing a lot of people in my classes.

Another way of making new friends is finding people to go eat with. Since everyone living in a dorm pretty much has a meal plan it's easy to find someone to eat with. By doing this you are forming friendships and getting to know all kinds of new people.

You could also try joining a club or a intermural sport. I joined the equestrian team and just from doing that I have met lots of cool girls. Purdue pretty much has every kind of group you could ever want to join you just have to find it. Soroities and fraterities are also a great way to meet new people. Just by going through the recructment process you meet so many different kinds of people. And if you decide to join one you will meet people that have a lot of the same interests as you. I realize that sororities and fraterities are not for everyone, but I encourage you to at least see what it's like, who knows you may surprise yourself and love it. If you decide they are not for you there are still many opportunities to make friends.

The difficulty of making new friends is all the studying that you have to do. I personally feel overwhelmed because I have to take a lot of science courses like biology and chemistry. It's completely different than highschool because you aren't pressured by your teachers to succeed. You have to be self motivated to complete your assignments and to study for important exams. By building a framework of friends you will find people in your same classes and be able to study, learn , and succeed together.

I Love Ford!

2007-09-15T15:40:00.001-04:00

If I could have dinner with anyone in the world, I would want to dine with John and Mary Ford. Actually I would just like to dine at the dining hall that was named after them. And although they probably have nothing to do with how delicious the food is there, they still occupy a place in my heart. For those of you who aren’t aware, Ford Dining Hall is THE BEST dining hall on Purdue’s campus – on any college campus now that I think about it. I happen to live in Owen, which is located right next to Ford Dining Hall. Allow me to give you a short description of why, in my opinion, Ford Dining Hall is the most amazing place in West Lafayette to dine.
I would just like to note right away that although the line at Ford is often way out the door, it happens to be the fastest moving line in Indiana, so please don’t get discouraged. Once inside, you have many food stations including – but not limited too – pizza, Italian, salads, sandwiches, all American, meats, desserts, etc. And this is no usual cafeteria food – I would put money on the fact that the brilliant chefs at Ford could give your own mother a run for her money. It is hard to describe in words how amazing this food is, but let’s just say that it is my main concern when the term ‘Freshman 15’ comes to mind. Not only is the food amazing, but it’s all you can eat! You can sample any and all of the options at any given meal. So for those of you who love food, I can describe it as nothing less than heaven. Ford Dining Hall also features a soft serve ice cream machine conveniently located right by the door, to be sure that no diner should miss out on this delicious dessert.
The one and only downside to Ford is that it isn’t open 24 hours a day! But Ford definitely makes up for this flaw with a lovely feature called On the Go. On the go is open the whole day and features great food choices that are sure to meet any hungry students’ needs. You can just grab 5 items of your choice and be on your way to class… or wherever you choose to go. I plan to continue to check out more of the dining halls as soon as I can tear myself away from Ford and I will be sure to keep you updated on the different sorts of dining at Purdue!

Boiler Up!

2007-09-15T15:38:00.000-04:00

“Boiler Up!” A phrase heard often around this vast college campus, but also a phrase that unites a school of more than 30,000 individuals. Each Saturday we wake up to the “Extra Special” parading down the street, honking its horn while the breakfast clubbers wander aimlessly down the streets in their unique costumes. It is almost like a notification to get up, to tailgate, and to get into the game with your close friends. This feeling is something I am not used to.I went to a relatively large high school, but we were not united. On Friday nights we would venture out to the local football game, but this experience is nothing compared to Big Ten Football. In high school, I would go the game with a few of my close friends. We would sit in the student section, compiled of the eager freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors in their spirit wear. I would only converse with my close friends and we would not even pay attention to the actual football game. In college, I venture to countless tailgates and meet a lot of new people. Once inside the stadium, I step into the “Black-out” section and am overwhelmed with a feeling of unison. We yell the infamous first down chant and jingle our keys at kick off. I don’t know many of these people, but we are all united over our love of Purdue football. I believe that at a school this size and this diverse, nothing is better than seeing a group of people come together over a common idea. Purdue Football is so much more than just a game. It is almost a lifestyle; one that unites a campus and encourages people to break out of their normal schedules and cliques. I love Purdue Football.

Dorm Life cont.

2007-09-14T14:29:00.000-04:00

It didn’t take me long to realize that living in a dorm and being in college is way different then living in the comfort of your own home. Some things I have noticed from just being here a month are that:

You are almost always never alone,
No matter how hard you try your room never stays clean,
Your bed probably will only be made once or twice a week,
Your trash can will be perpetually full,
You will go through water like its oxygen,
You will always have something that you should be studying for,
You will realize how easy high school really was,
You will begin to hate do laundry and you will let it sit in your room until you have nothing left to wear,
Facebook will become your new best friend,
You will start to get used to walking all the way down the hallway just to go to the bathroom,
you will re-read the paper posted on the bathroom door every time you go in there and every time it will be just as interesting as the first,
Although you thought they were amazing at first you will get sick of the dining courts,
you will make tons of new friends,
You’ll get excited when someone writes a new message on your dry erase board,
You will be surprised at how fast the Jimmy Johns man can bike to your dorm,
You will hate walking to class in the rain,
You will become best friends with the people that live in the rooms around you,
You will spill things on your carpet and not clean it up for a couple days,
Thursday nights will become part of the weekend,
You will never go anywhere without your cell phone,
You will feel as though some people in the dorm never go to sleep,
You will think futons are extremely comfortable,
You will realize how broke you are,
You will love getting things in the mail,
Fans will become your new air conditioning,
You will nap more then you did in Kindergarten,
You will spend ten minutes looking for your toothbrush and realize you left it in the bathroom,
You’ll miss having the mall less then five minuets away with stores you actually like,
You will miss real food,
You will miss your car,
You will miss your dog,
You will miss being able to shower without having to wear sandals,
You will miss going high school football games,
You will actually like talking to your parents on the phone,
You will consider wearing a t shirt to class dressing up,
You will always have something to do on weekends,
You will get really sick of Easy Mac,
You will find it to hard study in your room because there will always be something to distract you,
You will decide you are going to start liking coffee

A new "first" (and hopefully my last)

2007-09-13T23:26:00.000-04:00

I have heard several stories while at Purdue about people who have gotten hit by cars on campus. I have seen many incidents of cars driving too fast or recklessly, and I have seen students walk across streets without caution. However, I have never seen anyone get hit by a car nor have I gotten hit myself until…tonight. My record changed Car =1: Me =0.

I went out for a run around 8:00pm. It was still light outside with clear visibility although it was starting to turn to dusk. When I came to the intersection of Martin Jischke Drive and State Street I slowed down, looked to see that it was safe to cross since the light was green the way I was running, and looked for cars turning –all the things you are supposed to do to avoid getting hit right? There was a car turning right to my left, but I checked to make sure there wasn’t an opening in the traffic for them to be able to turn right on red, and there was not. So I proceeded to run across the street when the car pulled forward. The car could clearly not turn right yet because there was a steady stream of traffic, but the car pulled forward anyway into the crosswalk and right into me. My toes were run over by her front tire, but fortunately I have good reflexes and was able to pull my foot quickly away. The front of her car also hit my left knee…the knee that I tore my ACL in only five months ago. The driver asked me if I was okay, and I said yes because what else was I supposed to say? I think I am okay. I was quite stunned though. I am going to have a bruise on my knee, and my toes definitely feel like something very heavy was on them, but I was able to run another two miles so we’ll see if I am feeling any pain tomorrow. Hopefully not in my knee!

What stinks though is I did everything right. How was I supposed to avoid that situation? I had no way of predicting that the driver would pull forward –without looking both ways –in preparing to turn right when clearly she could not go yet. Obviously I was a little peeved; however, the incident did give me something to blog about so…um..thanks.

14 Do's

2007-09-12T11:20:00.000-04:00

This is my sophomore year at Purdue. Last year I learned a few things from my day to day experiences and observations. Maybe they can help you too…

Do take advantage of all PU has to offer. This sounds like something that your parents would say, but I am serious. Be active. Try something new. Walk down to Boiler Market and eat with your friends, join an intramural team, or go to a salsa club callout and take advantage of the free lesson.
Do open your room door…it may seem awkward, but you’ll make the greatest friends in the dorms. The people you meet in your dorm will be the people you’ll always remember. You may remember them for something quirky they did, or they may become your best of friends. Give it a chance.
Do realize that Facebook IS addicting. I know!
Do take breaks from studying. It is a necessity.
Do use your printing quota from the ITAP computer labs. It’s handy when you have breaks on campus, and you’re not wasting your ink and paper.
Do study for a test more than just the day or two before. Tests are not like they were in high school. Yes, studying sucks, but it is much more bearable when you study in little chunks. You remember the information better. Plus it is much better than pulling an all-nighter and having to drink 4 cups of some caffeinated beverage before your test. Hopefully, I can save you a little pain by passing on this tip.
Do take late night Wal-mart runs.
Do check weather.com frequently. It will become your best friend
Do remember to always have an umbrella in your bag. I have lived in Indiana all my life, and the weather is…well…erratic. The 50 degree morning is a prime example.
Do go to games (football, basketball, soccer, track, swimming…). You don’t truly experience Purdue until you have been to a sporting event. The energy from the crowd is the greatest feeling. You’ll want to cheer, to clap and to yell “Boiler Up.” Be there.
Do walk down the right side of the sidewalk. It’s just the way it is.
Do always look at the color of the stoplight and for cars before crossing the street. Don’t just follow the crowd –the crowd can be wrong.
Do ask for help from professors, TAs, or your classmates. If you don’t connect with your TA don’t worry. Find another TA, email them, or go to their office hours. I have found that people are generally very willing to help.
Do know that it’s okay to stay in some weekends. Don’t think that everyone goes out every weekend –have a hall video game tournament or binge on Grey’s Anatomy. These nights can create the most lasting memories.

High School vs. College

2007-09-11T10:24:00.000-04:00

Even though I’ve only been at Purdue for a month, I’ve picked up on some big differences between high school and college. If I were back in high school, I would have loved to have a serious heads up about a few of these. Let’s start with the differences that make college the “best time of your life.” First of all, for those social butterflies out there, the best thing of all is being constantly surrounded by friends. There is never a dull moment in the hall of a dorm, especially on the girls’ side. However, this could go both ways; those of us who are used to our own room and bathroom or doing homework alone in a very calm environment, say goodbye to efficiency and hello to about a million distractions. Fun? Yes, but also very frustrating at times. Another great perk of college for the more social student is definitely the constant availability of social events; parties, functions, clubs, etc. And also the nonexistent curfew. Nothing is better than going from home by 12:30 or grounded to being able to do as you please until all hours of the night. However, all of this freedom leads to a few more serious differences between high school and college…

With freedom comes responsibility, and this can be a difficult issue to tackle for an 18 year old who just wants to have fun. Personally, I am a very social person and I love going out and being with my friends. However, I also chose engineering as my major, and it’s kicking my butt. The amount of homework is incredible, and the amount of material I’m expected to learn on my own time is, in my opinion, not possible. Let’s face it - high school was basically a joke. I hardly ever studied for a test and I got good grades by doing just enough, and I’m starting to realize that that just won’t cut it in college. For the first month of college I have been trying to get all of my schoolwork done during the week so that I can have the entire weekend to do whatever I want. I would highly recommend this method – the girls living on my floor generally do the same and so far it has worked out pretty well (although we have yet to take an exam so my opinion may change after next week). Luckily I was a pretty responsible kid to start off with, but I think a lot of high school kids should really try to talk to college student to really get a feel for what they are in for.

Rainy Days

2007-09-08T13:27:00.000-04:00

I have always loved rainy days. Nothing is better than snuggling up on the couch when its storming to watch a good movie, or falling asleep to the sound of light rain on the roof. However, now that I'm in college my opinion has changed.

I hate rain.

Everything about rain makes a college student's life miserable. Allow me to walk you through a rainy day at Purdue from a girl’s prospective. You realize it right away when you wake up; you now have an afro courtesy of the humidity. When you go to take shower your towel still isn’t dry from the night before. Everything in your room feels sticky and dirty. Although this makes for a very uncomfortable day, the rain does lead to some very amusing/annoying events.

You walk to class in flip flops. Every time you take a step your flip flops fling little chunks of mud onto the back of your legs. Not a pleasant feeling. The other day on my way to class, a city bus drove through a HUGE puddle right along side of the sidewalk…and yes, that’s right, completely soaked me from waist down with the splash. So much for the umbrella keeping me dry.

And then comes an event that will brighten anyone’s day, unless of course you are involved. As all of us with driver’s licenses should know, roads are very slippery when wet. Not only does this apply to cars, but bikers also face the same issue. Although you hear many squealing bike tires on the way to class, nothing is better than being at the right place at the right time, to see nothing better than a bike mishap. Today I saw a very speedy biker completely take out an innocent pedestrian because his brakes went out on the wet pavement. Although this is very unfortunate, I am ashamed to admit that I was very amused (along with the other fifty people on the street corner).

One last bit about rain. Our first home football game got poured on – never too much fun. Until next time…

My Recent and General Findings

2007-09-07T18:38:00.000-04:00

Although I have only been at Purdue for all of around three weeks I am getting accustomed to my new college life. I guess I could say that adjusting hasn't been as hard as I though it would be. I remember the first week all I could think about was how I was going to be so lost around campus and most likely come in late to every one of my classes. I was determined to not look like the average freshmen with their map out in front of them and a completely confused look on their face. I have definitely sported the confused look on campus, but I decided to look at my map before I left for class and it worked out pretty nicely. Luckily for me I have yet to get lost, which really surprised me but I'm definitely not complaining. Although many of the buildings do look familiar I am now able to differentiate them some how.

I also remember not being particularly happy with the fact that I have an hour break between classes once a day. I didn't know what I would do for that hour; I didn't even know where the libraries were located. As a result, I started going to the union during that break, finding a comfy couch or chair, and catching up on some reading for a class that was due in a couple of days. It is a nice habit I have gotten into and it really helps me force myself to get some homework done. Also, if anyone is looking for a place to take a catnap between classes, I have noticed the union is also pretty popular for that, so you might want to check it out. Just a suggestion. Anyways I have come to find that perhaps those hour breaks were actually a blessing in disguise.

Another worry of mine was living in this crammed dorm. Although it isn't the best experience, I can say that it has helped me become more organized. This was a big shocker! However once again I can't say I can complain about that one. It's nice to know where everything is and because there aren't too many places to put things it's quite easy to know where things are. All in all I am confident in saying that I am completely enjoying my college experience thus far. I can't wait to report the rest of my findings here at Purdue...until then boiler up!!

Introduction to dorm life

2007-09-07T14:47:00.000-04:00

Owen Hall 1160 West Stadium Avenue, my new home for the next year. As soon as we pulled up to the curb that sunday morning there were people wearing bright colored shirts rushing over to us offering to carry my stuff to my room. Once it was all piled in it was time to unpack, this took awhile since I am not a very oranized packer and I had way to much stuff and not enough space. I found myself sitting aroung letting my parents do all the work. My dad being the computer genius of the family began setting up my computer and printer. After a couple hours passed it was time for my parents to leave, I had waited for this moment for 19 years and the time had finally come. I had always thought it was going be so easy for me to say goodbye to my parents but I started to realize it was actually one of the hardest things I had ever had to do. After watching them drive away and wiping the tears away from my cheek I wandered back inside to my new home.

The first day I sat awarkdly in my room talking to my room mate which was someone I had just met. It was hard for me to grasp the fact that I would be living, eating, and sleeping with someone I hardly knew. Thankfully my roommate turned out to be pretty cool, going into college I was pretty nervous about the whole room mate thing. You always here crazy stories about room mates gone bad, and I had hoped that I would never have to have one of these stories of my own.

My Mission Statement

2007-09-05T20:34:00.000-04:00

My inspiration for this blog comes from my experience of searching for the “right” college for me. Deciding what college to attend was one of the toughest decisions thus far in my life. I visited many colleges looking for where I belonged. Although touring the schools and listening to the admissions counselors was helpful, the best way for me to get the “scoop” on the campus was through the students’ eyes. Seeing the campus from the inside by staying over night and talking with current students helped me narrow down my decision and then finally decide on Purdue. My desire would be for my posts to allow everyone to get a glance at the daily life of PU students through my eyes and that it is relevant to all who read it. Hopefully you enjoy my “scoop” :)

Picture from: http://skyblue101.stumbleupon.com/tag/photography/20/

Mission Statement

2007-09-04T19:51:00.000-04:00

The mission of our blog is to get the "inside scoop" on Purdue's campus through our eyes as students. Our goal is to create an entertaining blog that is very conversational and encourages responses from other students. We will investigate many different aspects of daily life at Purdue including:
· Housing
· Food: dining halls, local restaurants
· Facilities: classrooms, recreation center, libraries
· Events: athletics, concerts, dances, speakers
· Academics: homework, professors, exams, etc.
· Extracurriculars: clubs, intramurals, jobs
We hope to paint a picture of what life looks like for us at Purdue. We would like to reach prospective students who wish to learn more about life at Purdue, and we would also like to connect with other current Purdue students who have had similar experiences as we have. Since we are documenting many different parts of life at Purdue, we hope that our blog will stay exciting and won’t get repetitive. Not only will we write about our personal experiences and opinions, but we will also include the experiences and opinions of our friends and peers. We hope you enjoy our scoop on Purdue… Boiler Up!