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S EPTE M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 1 8 | PE RS PE C TIVE S | P E P P E RD I N E G RA P H I C ME D I A
Keep in touch creatively Caroline archer p e r s p e c t i v e s a s s i s ta n t Editor
Ta h t e ’a n a n e l s o n s ta f f w r i t e r
During college, students find themselves in an environment where the concept of “home” becomes ambiguous. Caught in between the old and new, it is difficult to know what to prioritize: staying in touch with family or forging new friendships here. Regardless if blood is thicker than water, family connections matter. All too often, however, family connections are the first casualties of students’ busyness. To combat this, students and their families should find creative ways to stay in touch in order to maintain a quality bond. When making a commitment to keep in touch, mindset matters. Students, including those from local areas, should approach communication with their families similarly to how they would approach a long-distance relationship. This frame of mind may sound odd, but it encourages students to find innovative ways to update their families about their lives. People in a long-distance relationship have to be dedicated to one another; there are no short cuts. There are many effective and diverse strategies for sustaining distant relationships. While phone calls and Skype calls are two viable options, they can be difficult to fit into a student’s ever-changing schedule. Two forms of communication
Ally Armstrong | Staff Artist that create room for both detail and expressiveness are email and physical mail. These ideas are flexible as well as meaningful. They are becoming increasingly prevalent, according to Lindsey and Julie Mayfield’s article “Six Ways Families Can Stay in Touch Through College,” published Feb. 7, 2012 by US News and World Report. This way, students can be really intentional when giving their families insight into their lives. Beyond just the medium of communication, there are other elements to keeping in touch that students should keep in mind. The breadth and depth of what is shared matters. It is of utmost importance that people avoid making generalizations when sharing about their day, according to Jo Piazza’s article
“How to Make a Long-Distance Relationship Work, According to Experts,” published June 19 by Time. When vague becomes the default, the quality of the relationship starts to break down. If they skim the surface, students will inevitably find themselves growing apart from their families. Staying connected with people back home has a positive impact on students’ health. Studies reveal that “social support is related to psychological wellbeing,” according to Alexander Spradlin’s article “The Importance of Staying Connected with Friends and Family,” published Aug. 21, 2011 by Psychology Today. This social support includes the people who are in the students’ immediate proximity, but it should also include loved ones from back
home. Therefore, innovative communication goes a long way in promoting good health. In college, lack of physical proximity and day-to-day interactions with family and friends at home causes relationships to erode. In the absence of moments once taken for granted— shared meals, car rides and simple time spent with loved ones— it is difficult to prevent relational gaps from forming. To combat this, students need to think outside the box. Creative communication is vital to strong familial relationships. At the very least, variety makes communication more fun. Along with a time of learning and new experiences, college can be an opportunity for students to more deeply cherish ties to home. C AR OL INE.AR C HER @PEPPER DINE.EDU
Study in Malibu for Year 2 C h r i s t i an s an c h ez staf f wr it er International Programs applications are in full swing as they are every September at Seaver College. Many first-year students search to find the program that best fits their academic and personal goals, though they just arrived on campus. These first-year students have been inundated with information regarding study abroad opportunities since they first stepped on campus, and now is the time to act. It is a season of excitement as applications are submitted and dreams of traveling the world become one step closer to reality. Nevertheless, staying in Malibu for sophomore year can be rich and rewarding as well. Students should embrace the opportunity to invest in and be enriched by the Year 2 Malibu experience because a sophomore year in Malibu has much to offer. Studying abroad can provide many benefits, as Allan Goodman and Stacie Berdan shared in their article “Every
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Student Should Study Abroad,” published May 12, 2014, by The New York Times. In fact, twothirds of undergraduates here at Pepperdine take advantage of this opportunity sometime in their four years. While this is most evident with the apparent lack of sophomores on campus in any given year, a fair share of sophomores stay in Malibu. These sophomores who choose to be in Malibu can find that the campus is rife with opportunity for them. For students involved in clubs or ministries as a first-year student, spending sophomore year in Malibu provides tremendous opportunity to increase involvement. It is not uncommon for the executive boards of clubs to be filled with members who are sophomores. By the time junior year rolls around, those who stayed in Malibu can be connected to student groups in ways that those who studied abroad may never be able to. For students who never found the time or interest to get involved, sophomore year provides an amazing opportunity to get plugged in. Year 2 Malibu also has the potential to add a year onto a student’s resume. Research positions, internships, and volun-
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teer opportunities are available to Malibu sophomores in ways that students participating in international programs may be missing out on. Extra time can be easily turned into professional advancement. If students pursue these opportunities, it could be rewarding in the long run. The reward could be in the form of boosting the resume, discovering new passions, acquiring new skills, or all of the above. Students at Pepperdine have the amazing chance to study at a place that is consistently ranked as one of the most beautiful college campuses by Expedia
and Princeton Review. Conveniently located near a major center of commerce and culture, there is never a lack of experiences to be had in Malibu or nearby. Even on campus, there are programs occurring almost every night. Housing and Residence Life also plans a trip to Catalina each October and a weekend long trip to San Francisco in January, exclusively for sophomores. There are many ways to make life just as exciting or filled here in Malibu. As with anything, participating in Year 2 Malibu has its challenges. Exploring this important topic in her 2015
Pepperdine Graphic article “Feeling Year Two Maliblues,” Tara Jenkins discussed the challenges of navigating sophomore year in Malibu. Nevertheless, these challenges of finding community are similar to the disconnection that returning juniors can face after being gone for a year. Ultimately, any path students take will be filled with unique trials. However, spending sophomore year in Malibu should not be seen as a lesser alternative. Investing in the Year 2 Malibu experience can be a rich and rewarding experience for all students who elect to spend all four years in Malibu. C HR ISTIAN.SANC HEZ@PEPPER DINE.EDU
Students can become completely consumed in their academics, work and relationships resulting in limited self-care time. Self-care is not selfish, it’s important. People are bound to be stressed out and drained due to not taking the proper time to rejuvenate and detox. Dedicating time to fully honing in on the wants and needs of the body is essential for a healthy and stable mentality, as well as spiritual and physical well-being. Procrastination is a struggle that many people face on a daily basis. To better organize and line up assignments and other activites, a planner would be most useful. Planners are a great way to plan out a student’s schedule to ensure time is allotted for everything and more. Procrastination essentially affects the self-efficacy and self-actualization, distractibility, impulsiveness, self-control and organizational behavior of the students, which results in laziness and fear to start work, according to Irshad Hussain’s article, “Analysis of Procrastination Among University Students,” published in 2010 by Science Direct. Maintaining a balanced academic schedule will allow the right amount of time for extracurricular activities or necessary self-care regimes, as well as school work. The Counseling Center on campus is a great way to process negative or positive feelings. Sometimes students need the attentiveness of an unbiased stranger to allow them to be fully real with themselves and those around them. The Counseling Center is open for walk-ins or appointments. To make an appointment students can call the counseling office or go directly to the office and schedule an appointment with a receptionist. The sessions are usually around an hour long. In 2008, The American Institution of Stress published an article titled “Stress in College Students,” that points out that eight in 10 college students stated frequently feeling stress in everyday life. The stressors of everyday life in addition to school take a toll on students’ mental well-being. Students should take advantage of the resources provided on campus for a more positive academic and mental journey. Spacing out time for school work and self-care is a necessity for a clear and productive mindset throughout the semester. Overall, this semester should consist of proper time management and a necessary self-care regime so that students can be TAHTEANA.NEL SON@PEPPER DINE.EDU