COLLEGE 101

Planning a productive summer in college

As we wrap up the school year and start to welcome summer, I wanted to touch on a few ideas I had for planning a productive summer in between college. At the end of the year you can easily get burned out and not want to do anything once you get home. Planning for a productive summer can give you an advantage in the future.

Get some rest

When you get home from your long and busy semester, take a few days to a week and rest up. You need good sleep, good food and a mental break after the finals you just completed. Make sure you give yourself the rest you need before tackling another trip, job or project.

2. Look for a job or internship

The summertime is a great way to make some extra money or add some experience to your resume. Look into getting a job when you go home or call your old boss from your job in high school. Talk to your advisors and career coaches at school to see if there is an internship program you may be interested in. Apply and interview for as many as you can. If you’re lucky, you may be able to get a paid internship and kill two birds with one stone.

3. Reevaluate

Use the summer time to reevaluate. You are about to start a new year in school or have just graduated and are making plans for your future. You could use this time to visit a place you want to live after you graduate or take a trip and see the world (if your bank account will allow it). The summer time is a good time to readjust your goals and dreams or make new ones depending on where you are in your college journey.

4. Revitalize

Keeping with the theme to reevaluate your decisions, this may be a great time to sell old or unused items. Get the clothes together you have been wanting to donate or sell clothes. Sell old furniture from college or purchase new items you’ve been looking at.

5. Online classes

I know the whole point of summer is to take a break and get away from school work, but if your major and degree audit allow, you may be able to take classes during the summer. Sometimes you can do this by taking them at a local community college or online from your university. This is a great way to stay in the swing of school and to get a head start or a later finish. Summer or winter classes could be very beneficial to a student when it comes to graduation dates and finishing course requirements.

As we close out this semester, I want to thank my readers and my classmates for interacting with my blog. I hope you all enjoyed reading these as much as I have writing.

How I stay “healthy” in college

Hey guys! I hope everyone is having a great week so far! For this blog I wanted to talk about something I haven’t really touched on very much in my other blogs and that is how I stay “healthy” in college. I put healthy in quotations because I don’t consider myself to be the healthiest person ever. I don’t eat my veggies like I should, and I don’t go to the gym every day, but these are some tips I have developed and they work for me. I hope you all are able to use them!

Try to make a gym schedule

I try to make time for the gym at least three times a week. I have a workout plan in the notes section of my phone for each muscle group and cardio days and use these plans when I go to the gym. Some days I go to run or do cardio and some days I like to lift weights, it all depends on how I feel that day. I would suggest writing some workout plans in your phone for the gym. This is nonchalant and allows you to go in with a plan and come out feeling accomplished.

2. Don’t drink your calories

I know drinking your calories sounds like a weird term, but it can have a dramatic effect on how you feel throughout the day and your body. You probably never think about how many calories are in a can of coke or a juice drink as you consume them. Next time you go to grab a soda or milkshake, reach for a water or even a carbonated water. A good way to curve these cravings is with water flavor packets like Crystal Light or Mio. Most of the time these are low in sugar and calories and may be a great alternative for drinks you consume every day.

3. Watch your intake & serving size

Be sure to watch the food you are putting into your body every day. Be cautious of the amount of carbs, proteins, fats, sodium and sugar you ingest. Consuming large amounts of each everyday can create changes to your body overtime. Not to mention there are daily consumption recommendations for each of these groups.

4. Kick your bad habits

Try to limit your mindless, stressed, and bored snacking. I know that snacking can sometimes be a comfort or a way to cope for others. Try to limit this purposeless snacking and if you can’t seem to get rid of it, try swapping out your snacks for healthier options.

5. Get your sleep schedule together

Most people sleep and complain about not getting enough. My problem was that it’s hard for me to fall asleep and stay asleep. I noticed my sleeping habits and patterns changed my freshman year of college and I struggled with sleep for a while in the spring of last year. I tried melatonin, meditation and reading before falling asleep and nothing seemed to be helping. I eventually went to the doctor and explained what was happening. A few months after visiting the doctor. I was able to get my sleep routine in check. Not everyone struggles with sleeping, but I would suggest seeing a doctor if you do. Sleep is so important for your bodies functions and your overall mood.

This is the water bottle I use. It is similar to a Yeti because it will keep your drinks cold all day. It makes drinking water so much easier!
*I do not own the rights to this picture.*

I try to be asleep each night by around 12 and wake up around 8 or 8:30 a.m. This screenshot is from the Clock app from my iPhone. I can adjust the times I want to go to bed and wake up and I can track how many hours of sleep I’ve gotten each night with the Sleep Analyzer feature.

How to plan for a great semester

With the semester coming to an end, I thought I would write about some ways to make your semester beneficial. Some of these tips I have learned and observed over the past two years and some are tips from friends. Either way, I hope they’re useful and as always, please comment or contact me if you have any other comments or suggestions. I would love to interact with you all more!!

#1. Schedule

Make your schedule reasonable and one you know you can follow. Don’t sign up for 8 a.m.’s if you know you can’t wakeup at 7:15 every morning. At some point, you may not have a choice of what time one of your classes is and may get stuck with a dud. Also, when it comes time to register for your classes, register as soon as you can so you can get the right classes that fit your degree requirements.

Along with your class schedule, consider making another schedule that you can devote to time for yourself and others. Schedule things like appointments, lunch dates, or gym sessions.

#2. Organization

Once you get your classes scheduled, try to print out each syllabus and add the important dates to your planner or organization system. Another plus to this tip is that most teachers will give you a syllabus quiz at the start of the semester and this way you already have it printed off and ready to go. Also, by printing it you can write and highlight important assignments, date changes, etc.

#3. Budget

Make a budget for yourself. This was my first year living in an apartment in college, so budgeting was a bit different. I kept the same elements but changed a few parts of my budget to fit my current living situation. It’s really important that you keep track of your finances in college. Try not to spend money with no plan or savings to fall back on. Save your $$$!

#4. Be familiar with campus

If you’re a freshman and are not familiar with the campus, you might want to consider walking around the campus a few days before class starts. This can help you find what buildings your classes take place, the room and further familiarization with your new home.

#5. Organization

Get your things together prior to starting the year. This will make starting the year much easier for you because you will know where everything is. Make sure your printer is ready to go, order any backup supplies you may need, and organize your everyday items for easy to reach access.

#6. Freshen up

Rejuvenate your closet. Sell or donate items you no longer find yourself reaching for and use that money to get a few new pieces.

I hope you all found these tips helpful. See you next week!

A (busier) DAY IN THE LIFE OF A COLLEGE STUDENT -PODCAST

Hey guys! For this post, I did another podcast about my daily schedule. I plan to go into much more detail about what my day looks like in the next blog post, but I just wanted to give you all a brief run-down of what my busiest day of the week is like. Thank you so much for tuning in this week and I hope you enjoy.

Source: Vocaroo Voice Message

A day in the life of a college student (Podcast)

Source: Vocaroo Voice Message

Hey guys! This week’s blog is going to be a little different than most. My professor has encouraged our class to use a different media platform to use in our blog site. My podcast today is focused on what I do day-to-day at school. Today was a Tuesday so my schedule was a little less hectic than most days. If you all want me to record a podcast for a busier, more interesting day, please let me know and I would love to do that for you.

Ps: Thank you all for the engagement and interest in my blog. 🙂 I hope you all enjoy it and continue to follow me on this new journey!

Living with roommates in college

So, to clarify there can be different kind of roommates such as suite-mates, meaning four girls share one bathroom that is split between two dorm rooms, or roommates in a dorm or apartment. Sometimes you know who they are going in and they may already be your friend and sometimes you get assigned to them randomly. The process is different for everyone. In this blog post, I wanted to share some tips I have for communicating and making the best out of your living situation.

As you can imagine, living in a dorm is a little crowded so it is important to remember how to keep your things tidy and neat. Make an effort to keep your space clean while holding your roommate accountable as well. This will help both of you keep up with your items and know where things are when you are looking for them.

Divide the cleaning responsibilities evenly between you and your roommates. This is where the type of living situation you are in, comes to play. If there are 4 girls sharing one bathroom split the work up evenly so that each week someone is cleaning the bathroom. If you follow this tip, that means you will clean the bathroom once a month and I think that is manageable for just about anyone. You could even create a chart to keep you all on track.

Keep track of who buys what. Living in an apartment means you have to purchase more items because it is not already provided to you. To avoid miscommunication, keep track of purchases when they are made. If you buy the dish detergent one week, write it down so that your roommates know when it is their turn. This could be relevant to other household items as well such as paper towels and soap.

Coordinate with your roommates so that you do not bring two of everything. Before move-in day, it is helpful if you can get in contact with your future roommates. By messaging or starting a group text, you all can discuss who owns or will bring what items. This made moving into my apartment this year so much easier by knowing what certain items I needed to bring.

My last tip for you all is to be an understanding and respectful roommate. Sometimes living with people who were raised differently than you, can be challenging. Everyone has different values and morals and you should be aware of those before you move in with someone you are not familiar with. Communication and respect will get you far when living with roommates.

My roommate and I before moving in this year! 🙂

Maintaining friendships in college

This blog post has a little different approach to it. This week I am going to talk about how I have maintained friendships while in college. The relationships I am referring to have been built in middle and high school and some during college.

It can be hard when you and your friends graduate and you all go your separate ways. That moment of senior year when you realize you will no longer be in school together is a hard moment to grasp. No one is prepared for the future and has little idea how to handle the upcoming years.

Below are a few ways I continue to stay in contact with friends from home and school.

Make time for those high school friends. If you really value a friendship, make time to see them when you go home for breaks or long weekends. This one should not be too hard to do since most students travel to their hometown for breaks.

Plan trips together if your schedule allows you to. If you and a friend both have the same spring break week but go to different schools, try planning a trip with them to the beach or somewhere fun.

Make plans to meet up when everyone is home from school. If there is a big group of friends you would like to spend time with when you head home, try to plan a dinner or host friends at your home.

Some breaks occur at different times for every school, so they could be different for you and your friends as well. This does not mean you will never get to see that person, just try to work around both of your schedules when planning to spend time together.

Try to visit them at their school while welcoming them to stay with you at yours. Visiting other colleges is good fun when you are in school yourself. It allows you to spend time with your friends while providing the opportunity to meet new people. For example, Radford does not have a football team, so I have visited friends at James Madison and Virginia Tech. Not only do I get to see my friends and spend time with them, we always go to the games during football season.

Stay in contact with those you love. Send them a text to let them know you are missing them or thinking of them, especially during times like midterms and finals week. It can help when you miss them and also may help them by hearing from you.

When it comes to distance and missing those you love, try to consider that distance and time are temporary things. Eventually it will be the weekend, spring break or summer, and you can find the time to see them.

Here is a picture from my high school graduation with some of my friends who I still keep in touch with today!

Tips & Tricks for college life

This blog is about tips and tricks I have discovered in the past two years. I wanted to keep the layout of this post simple to read and navigate so I made it in a list format.

Buy a steamer. Do not waste your time and effort on buying an iron and board. You are not going to want to get it out and put it away every time you need to use it.

Go to classes to save up your absences! By attending class regularly not only are you doing what you are supposed to do but you are waiting to use your absences when you really need them the most. For example, you have six absences in one class and you have only missed two. You have four opportunities to miss this class based on how you feel the day of class. If you get sick or need a mental break from class for the day – you have the ability to because you have not used all of your absences.

Get enough sleep. This can seem like a no brainer when you hear it but getting enough sleep and being well rested can have a great impact on your performance throughout the day. When you are not well rested you can be more susceptible to sickness, headaches and not to mention, the only topic your brain can focus on is sleeping.

Use your campus resources! If you find yourself having problems with class material, go to the learning center for FREE tutoring. Need resume help? The career center will be able to help you. Visit the clinic when you are feeling sick or to get vaccinations. It is unlikely that each and every school will have the same campus resources, so find the resources your school offers and take advantage.

When looking for textbooks, check other sources before going to your bookstore. I always try Amazon and Chegg before I order from my bookstore. Even try connecting with someone you know who has taken the course you signed up for and try asking if they would be willing to sell their book. Chances are they will sell you the book for a third of what your bookstore is asking.

Be reasonable when making your class schedule. If you are aware of your nocturnal traits, reconsider signing up for that 8 a.m.

Keep the essentials in your backpack like tissues, cough drops, hand sanitizer, pens/ pencils, sticky notes, your planner, or a small stapler.

I would love to hear your favorite tips and tricks that you have learned or acquired throughout your college experience! Feel free to leave a comment down below.

Take care of yourself

One topic that I feel does not get the recognition it deserves is the importance of mental health in college students. It is easy to blow off being stressed, tired and busy and put it on the back burner of our minds. In this blog post, I will be suggesting some ways to destress and focus on your health.

My first suggestion is to not overwhelm yourself. It is perfectly normal to have a schedule that makes it hard to stop and breath sometimes but try not to pile on too many activities and classes that you hardly find time for anything else. This type of schedule will burn you out quickly and leave you tired. Instead try taking it slow at first, start looking at clubs or activities you would be interested in and be sure you know the time commitment each requires. For example, Greek life comes with much more time commitment than Psychology club. What is important is that you find that time to stop and relax throughout your hectic week.

My next suggestion is to save your absences so when you have those days when you wake up late or do not have the energy to go to class, you have the liberty to skip. I know what you are thinking, skipping class? I know it sounds bad, I’ve learned sometimes it is necessary to use an absence for a mental rest day. Professors would much rather you miss a one or two classes for your health than miss class just because you did not want to go. But with this tip, I would highly suggest you not miss an absurd amount of class. Use your adult judgement to decide what is the right decision and keep in mind each professor may have different attendance policies.

Last but certainly not least is to take breaks not only for your mental, but physical and emotional health too. It is okay to have off days and not feel like yourself. Once you realize you feel this way, you can take the next steps to figuring out how to better yourself. Try going to the gym to blow off steam or clear your mind. Read a book, watch a movie, or have a night with your friends to revive yourself. Anything that takes your mind off of your stress and helps you to relax will help you on long, hard days.

As you go through college you will find your balance and test the waters of how much you can handle. Find out how much you can handle and make your schedule and routine around that. Only you know your limitations so use this to your advantage.

Time management/ balance

Setting time management standards for myself was one of the toughest parts of my freshman year. Learning how to devote time and balance activities and school work was something I was not particularly good at in high school. When I began college, I wanted to discover time management methods that worked for me.

My advice for you is to make a realistic list of attainable goals at the start of the semester for yourself. This could be applying to jobs, going to the gym at least three times a week, or earning dean’s list. It is important to set small attainable goals for yourself before the semester chaos starts. When you are bogged down with work and assignments these are ways to help keep yourself on track and improving.

A simple and efficient way to stay on top of assignments and events is to buy a planner at the start of the year. By using a planner, you can keep track of important dates, assignments, homework and other events on your to-do list. It is much easier to keep track of assignments when they are all in one location. I also suggest making daily or weekly goals for yourself. I write mine on a sticky note and place it on the week I am currently starting. I have found that these two ways work the best for me.

Try not to miss deadlines for small, forgettable work like online quizzes or discussion boards because these can add up quickly. Everyone makes mistakes and misses deadlines here and there, just try not to make a habit out of it. As you grow in college and get older, your schedule will become busier and more demanding. It’s important to get your schedule in order so you know when events occur.

You will more than likely have a good amount of free time your freshman year, take advantage of this! Look at resources your school includes and use them! Try going to the gym or going to informational meetings for a desired club or organization. Pick up an on-campus position as a tour guide or join Greek life. Use your free time to your advantage by getting ahead on assignments. Using your time wisely throughout the week will provide you with more time on the weekends to do activities you enjoy.

The main point is to prioritize your school, social life, clubs, work, and personal time. It is important to be realistic with yourself when starting a journey as difficult as college. Find out what works for you and learn to manage your priorities. This is your year to figure yourself out and be on your own but starting helpful habits now, can help you in the future.