CollegeSmarts by StudyPods

August/September 2013

Cheating is hard – the panic, the anxiety, the guilt. Don’t stress yourself out by cheating. Just try StudyPods. At StudyPods.com not only can you store and share your notes, exams and files in 5GBs of free cloud storage, but you can also collaborate with other students, form study groups, and help each other get better grades at your university and at colleges worldwide. It’s easier than cheating.

Fromthe authors Our staff has more than two decades of combined college experience. In total, we have led, started, and/or been members of about 15 student clubs and organizations. Some of us are recent grads, looking back on our experiences and dealing with life after college. The rest of us are still students fighting our way to a degree. We’ve been in your shoes, whether it’s dealing with a jerk professor, counting nickels and dimes to buy a late-night energy drink, or making the decision to forego dating because you’ve just had enough. We hope our experiences can help you along the way.

Kamren Scott

Courtney Sheets

Age: 24 Graduated: 2012

Age: 22 Graduated: 2013

Lauren Barnes

Julie Apoderado

Age: 22 Graduating: 2014

Age: 21 Graduating: 2014

Sheena Walker Age: 25 Graduated: 2011

Want to read more from these guys? Check out these stories and more on our blog! Student Life

It’s easy to get lost in the homework, tests, assignments, and group projects of college. If you’re not careful, you can bury yourself in course work and miss half the college experience. Obviously, your grades are important, but networking and connections are valuable assets you should gain in college, and many of them can’t be aquired by doing homework alone in the library. Broaden your horizons (and your social skills) by going to parties. Hang out. Meet people. Have a drink. Check out our tips to networking in college throughout this issue with tips to becoming a beer pong pro on page 7. Check out the science behind your hangover on page 23 after you’ve had one too many.

Inside Cover Stories

Health

12 Tips for why and how to travel while you’re young 15 6 Questions to ask before posting on social media 17 Rainy day tips to help stay dry on campus 18 Drinking games for dummies: Beer Pong 23 The science behind your hangover Student Life

07 09 11 4

A letter to boomers from a millennial 5 ways your high school teacher got it wrong 5 BS facts about college August 2013

24 Summer fitness that doesn’t involve the gym 27 5 Tips to cut out common college stress 28 Pros and Cons to eating healthy 31 4 Fitness steps to get you on the right track Money

33 5 Easy & realistic ways to save money 35 Bored and broke? Free and cheap stuff to do 36 Student credit & debt don’t sacrifice the finer things Class & Studying

39 41 43

How to deal with a jerk professor Rip off that studying band-aid in the library 25 Tips to help you study

What is

CollegeSmarts

College: proof to everyone back home that you’ve got the book smarts to make it in the world of academia and continuous knowledge (or alcohol, your pick). But after that initial rush of freedom disappears and excitement fades, the battle to get that piece of paper begins. College is fun but don’t get us wrong, it takes more than book smarts to survive. It takes wit, ingenuity, and a dash of street smarts. By the time you’ve earned that cap and gown, you’ve endured plenty of late night study sessions, found nearly invisible loopholes for countless online assign-

ments, and developed insomnia and procrastination like an art form. College grads everywhere have developed a new set of skills that only a student could achieve—the perfect blend of book smarts and street smarts. We’ve decided to wrap up all these skills in a pretty bow to make college life a little bit easier. We’re covering the basics: studying, classroom etiquette, freshman advice, and student life. Everything from overcoming the freshman 15 to tips on how to get that next internship.

Student Life

t n e d Stu e f i L College is about more than just classrooms and assignments. If you need advice and tips on partying, travel, social media, and a bunch of other stuff, check out this section.

August 2013

By Courtney Sheets

ur generation has the world at their fingertips, and yet repeatedly we get bashed for being the least informed generation ever.

In a recent article the youth of today was accused of being “socially isolated, neurotic, and sadly uninformed about local, national, and international issues.” I would like to respectfully disagree. Most of this is largely based upon my own meandering experience, but since I am from this generation, I would like to believe I have at least a decent perspective. Many of us are either in college or recently finished, and the 2013 college experience looks completely different than ten or even five years ago. College shapes the foundation of who we are, and social media has allowed us to be more connected than ever. We tweet and post every part of our lives and are in constant communication with someone. Through our phones, tablets, and laptops, we rarely experience an unconnected moment. I will admit this connection may not look like the traditional definition of communication and relationships, but it’s our definition, and it’s ultimately transforming the way we live. Although other generations may look at our generation as neurotic, I like to think of us as realistic. I acknowledge we have been classified as more stressed, depressed, and dependent on healthcare, but I would

like to point out our world kind of sucks sometimes. No other generations so far have experienced the level of connection to content and media as we have. We are bombarded with reports of death, debt, and corruption constantly. Forgive us if we prefer to use the internet to connect with our friends. It’s no different than turning off the TV or radio when something upsetting is on, which brings me to my next point. Supposedly we are uninformed about the issues. Did you forget we are young? Forgive us if we sometimes struggle to keep up with the soap opera that is the old men and women who represent us. Many of us are still getting our education, and in case you can’t remember, aren’t you the ones running the country? Are we really to blame for all of our frivolous spending leading to monumental debt? You approved that student loan I took out at 18 with zero credit and no concept of money. So congratulations on not only supporting my debt, but encouraging it. The moral of the story is that our generation may not be perfect, but we are still trying to figure things out. When we have a solution to the problems you created, we will let you know. Until then, cut us a break. We may communicate differently than you, but didn’t you communicate differently than your parents? The next generation will always be scrutinized by the previous, and we are trying to land on our feet in the process of growing up. Please, just give us a little time to figure out how to stand on our own, and I promise you will be impressed. Student Life

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8

August 2013

On a scale from 1 to 10, how clean is your room? (1 being an atomic disaster. 10 being spotless.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 How often are you with your significant other? o Every minute of my life. o Every day. o Once or twice a week. o Hardly ever. On a scale of 1 to 10, how much drama is in your life?

(1 being worse than Jersey Shore. 10 being I don’t even know what drama is.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 How do you feel about a chore chart? o That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. o I would try it. o I invented chore charts. What are the top 5 essential items in a living room? 1. ___________________ 2.___________________ 3.___________________ 4.___________________ 5.___________________ Do you have a toaster oven? o Of course o Why would I need a toaster oven? How do you spend your down time? _____________________________________________________________________ Do you like headphones? o Definitely o No way How often do you do laundry? o Every day o Like once a month

o o

Once a week Ain’t nobody got no time for that

On a scale from 1 to 10, how much do you like throwing parties?

(1 being my life is a constant party. 10 being I never, ever want to host a party.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

By Kamren Scott

ur high school teachers may have taught us a lot of important things, but most of their college advice was pretty bad.

With decades separating most high school teachers from their “glory days,” they’ve lost touch with what it’s really like to be a college student. Their tips may be given with good intention, but it’s often bad advice.

“SCHOLARSHIPS WILL EASILY COVER TUITION.”

Scholarships are hot commodities. They are difficult to get and don’t often come in large quantities. Only a very tiny percentage of students are able to pay their full tuition and buy supplies solely with scholarship funds. The reality is the average graduate has about $27,000 in student loans.

“A COLLEGE DEGREE GUARANTEES A GOOD JOB.”

This is the big one. Times have changed. Maybe a couple decades ago this statement was true, but the Atlantic reported 53% of recent college grads are jobless or underemployed. “You know that old saw about how college is just about getting a fancy piece of paper? Not true. For an education to be worth anything these days, it needs to impart skills.” A degree isn’t necessarily enough anymore. Students need to be ready for this reality.

“ALL PROFESSORS CARE ABOUT YOUR SUCCESS.”

Some of your professors will care deeply about the outcome of your life. They will do backflips to make

sure you understand the content and comprehend the subject. They help you get into grad school, find jobs and just generally be better. These are not the rule. These professors are the exception. A lot of professors don’t care at all. Their involvement in your life ends when class is over. They are uninterested, apathetic, and indifferent. They are not altruistic. You are just another student to them.

“YOUR HIGH SCHOOL GPA MATTERS.” Your high school GPA stops mattering the minute you’re accepted to a college. Your professors don’t care what your GPA was. Your advisers don’t care. Upperclassmen don’t care, and employers definitely don’t care about your high school GPA.

“YOU CAN’T SKIP CLASS.” While you can’t skip class all the time, skipping class every now and then isn’t going to ruin your life. The world won’t explode. Sometimes you just need a day. That being said, you have to be smart about it. Student Life

10 August 2013

By Kamren Scott

ou hear about college in movies, TV, rumors in the cafeteria, older friends, but you never really know what it’s like until you’re there.

Your college-freshmen friends tell you about the constant, wild party life full of freedom and experimentation. Your high school teachers lecture you about how it’s going to be the hardest time of your life and they’ve been letting you slide by in their classes. Your parents tell you everything is dangerous, followed by the typical “stay in school” speech. So, what’s the deal? How do you know what to expect? Well, here are a few rumors about student life to get you started that I uncovered during my five years of college.

YOU CAN SURVIVE ON CAFFEINE AND RAMEN. While it’s true that caffeine provides (sometimes necessary) energy and ramen is a quick meal, you can’t survive on them. You need to make sure you’re getting everything you need nutritionally. If you’re only eating ramen, you need to take a multivitamin. The milk in your latte isn’t enough calcium.

GRADUATING EARLY IS NO PROBLEM. Graduating early is a legendary task that few people are able to achieve. It’s not just your major. Depending on your college and degree, there are about 60 hours of core, your minor, and outside-major

requirements. If you want to shoot for this, you should probably have taken dual credit, be in summer classes most summers, and stay in constant contact with your academic adviser.

EVERYONE IS PARTYING/STUDYING ALL THE TIME. If you look at a student’s social media feed, it will probably mostly be posts about studying or partying, but let’s be honest, you’re not going to spend all your time studying. And if you don’t have a job, you’re not going to spend a lot of time partying because alcohol is expensive.

YOU CAN SKIP EVERY CLASS / YOU MUST GO TO EVERY CLASS.

Attending class is a balance.

Class attendance can be tricky. You will have professors who range If you want to from saying “you absolutely have to skip sometimes, be in every class or else” to profesit’s probably not sors who don’t even know who you the end of the are let alone whether you were in world. class. Attending class is a balance. That being said, if you skip all the time, you probably won’t do well. Every student is different. Every class is different. It’s important that if you are going to skip, you make at least one friend in class to share notes with.

THE FRESHMAN 15 IS A RUMOR. This will be most people’s first experience away from their parents. There’s no one to tell you not to eat those Chili Cheese Fritos at 3 a.m. No one to say drink plenty of water. And no high school state mandated exercise. The freshman 15 is real. Student Life 11

By Lauren Barnes

was considering a somewhat spontaneous dream trip to Belize recently, but it just seemed unlikely that I would be able to drop everything and fly to a foreign country.

That’s when I came across this blog post inspiring people to travel while they’re young. Have you ever read something that inspired you with “Get up and do it NOW” inspiration? As cliche as this is, that post truly did put a fire in my belly. I WAS READY TO GO. And I thought, “Why the hell not?!” My responsibilities are important, which is why I didn’t shut my laptop and drive to the airport immediately. However, I did not let my responsibilities keep me from being proactive. Within 3 days, I had gotten time off from both my jobs, found my passport and booked my flight and hotel. I know what you’re thinking, “Yeah, but I just have too many things to do and responsibilities, to travel now,” and I understand. I have always been the queen of the “Yeah, but…” Yeah, but… what about my jobs? Yeah, but… what about how expensive it will be? Yeah, but… what about my friends? Yeah, but…. INSERT MORE EXCUSES. As the very inspirational blog post said, “Be careful of the ‘yea-but.’ The ‘yea-but’ will kill your dreams.” Don’t let your responsibilities be your excuses not to travel because you will always have responsibilities.

12 August 2013

WHY SHOULD YOU TRAVEL WHILE YOU’RE YOUNG? • If you travel while you’re young, you can gain a clearer vision of the world and it can transform the way you live each day of the rest of your life. • As college students, recent grads, and young adults, we are constantly plugged in. Whether it is emails, course notifications, cell phones, or social media. We never get a break. If you’re like me, you can’t even take a shower or sleep in peace. Traveling gives you a chance to disconnect from our daily lives and truly immerse ourselves in a new adventure. • You have the chance to see true beauty. I’m sure you can find beauty anywhere you live, but most of us don’t have mountains, Mayan ruins, or the Great Wall of China in our backyard. • Each culture will give you a in which to do new perspective. Even if you think everything you’ll you know it all, you don’t. Seeing ever do. the world first-hand will give you a -Colin Wright healthy dose of reality. • You could learn a new language. • It gives you the chance to get out of your comfort zone and meet new people. You can have connections all over the world (and a potential free place to stay if you travel there again). But don’t get me wrong, you don’t have to travel ONLY when you’re young. There are just added benefits to traveling while you’re young. As you get older you will have more excuses to NOT travel. Whether

You have exactly one life

you like it or not, the older you get, the more responsibilities you have. Also, if you get in the traveling mind set when you’re young, you will only be more motivated to keep traveling as you age. OK, so all this sounds great, but you’re thinking to yourself, “How am I supposed to afford to travel? Well, I’ll tell you.

HOW CAN YOU AFFORD TO TRAVEL YOUNG? • Be really good at simple math and work within your current budget. Really watch how you spend your money. That $6 pack of cigarettes a day is over $2,000 a year. What do you really want to spend your money on? You’ll be surprised how much money you can save if you cut out unnecessary spending. • Book your flights in advance when they’re cheaper and avoid peak/holiday periods. • Crash on the couch of a friend, a friend of a

friend or use a website like couchsurfing.org to find a reliable place to stay. • Study abroad whether it’s a semester-long program or a short research program. Most universities offer scholarships to help offset your costs. • Find a job in a foreign country. Teaching English in another country is a great opportunity to travel and a lot of organizations will give you a housing allowance. • Use Workaway.info. They introduce working travelers and language learners to like-minded hosts so you don’t have to pay expensive agency fees. If you’re like me and work really hard to save money, it can be a little difficult to let go of. But please remember: money is replaceable but the experiences that shape who you become are not. So what are you waiting for? Stop making excuses and just do it. Student Life 13

Do you have class? Nope

Yes

Do you have a test today?

Yes

Is anything due? Can you get out of it? No

Can you get the notes from a friend?

Yes

Does your friend have the book? No

Yes

Can you read the book & understand?

Yes I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have it

Yes

Seriously?

Just Get up! 14 August 2013

Sleep all day

By Courtney Sheets

veryone gets the urge to post a status when cracking up with friends or experiencing the most awkward moment at the mall. But should we?

Is sharing our every thought or action online a good choice? Don’t get me wrong. Posting on social media occupies my life as much as any other college student, but what guidelines should we follow?

1. WHAT TIME IS IT?

Have you ever heard the expression “nothing good happens after midnight?” Well as far as posting goes, nothing good happens after 10:00. At this hour, things become much funnier or much more stressful. This leads to posts which either make no sense or are completely irrelevant. Don’t be that guy who crowds everyone’s feed with selfies while studying, “hilarious” jokes that aren’t funny at all, or awkward drama.

2. HAVE I BEEN DRINKING?

Again, everything seems more extreme while under the influence of alcohol or extreme amounts of coffee. If you have consumed large amounts of either of these, just don’t post. You’ll thank yourself later for showing restraint now.

3. AM I GOING TO REGRET THIS POST LATER?

If the answer to this is yes or you are unsure, don’t post it. If you are particularly sad, angry, confused, or in any other emotionally unstable state, do not post. You are much more likely to post something you will

regret. For example putting your roommate on blast for not doing the dishes is not always a good idea. Give yourself time to calm down before sharing.

4. AM I UPLOADING A PICTURE?

Is this picture relevant to only you? If it is, just keep it to yourself. Does this picture contain incriminating content? While statuses are easy to pin on someone else/delete/forget about, pictures are not. You can’t deny that is your face. (If you answered yes to the previous questions, this tip especially applies to you.)

5. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU POSTED?

If your answer is under one hour ago, stop. Put down your phone, log off your account, and walk away. I know you think your followers want to see five selfies of you in a row on Instagram, but they don’t. They also don’t want to read the play-by-play of your dinner, study session, or your break-up. Less is more when it comes to the number of times you post.

WILL ANYONE IMPORTANT SEE THIS POST?

Important people include (but are not limited to): parents, professors, current employers, future employers (for when your current boss fires you), grandparents, your pastor, that really cute guy who you are trying to convince that you are normal, etc. You should know by this point to censor yourself, but in case you don’t, be careful. Controversial topics/pictures could create terrible, awkward, embarrassing conversations. TO SUMMARIZE: Our world is changing and our “private lives” are not so private. If you don’t want those pictures to come back and haunt you, first don’t take them, second don’t plaster them on the internet. Student Life 15

16 August 2013

By Kamren Scott

ainy days are the worst. You don’t want to be at school at all, let alone sitting in a small wooden desk all soggy and cold.

You know those days when you have to make the long, dreary trek to class, skipping and hopping over what seem like rivers in the parking lots, soaking your shoes and pants–as if going to class wasn’t depressing enough. As much as it sucks, it’s important not to skip rainy class days. If a lot of students miss on a rainy day, some professors give “free” A’s to the students who managed to show up. Unfortunately we can’t control the weather at StudyPods, but we do have some tips to make the rainy days a little more bearable.

COME TO CLASS EARLY. There won’t be a single parking spot close to any buildings at your school. If you normally think it’s hard to find a spot, be prepared for the most difficult hunt of your life. Getting there early will give you the time to either 1.) start the epic stake-out for a closer parking spot or 2.) wait out the heaviest rain in your car.

WEAR APPROPRIATE CLOTHES. I hate wet jeans. It’s a terrible feeling. If you know it’s going to rain, wear boots. (If you’re looking for a great, reasonably priced pair of rain boots, check out Target’s collection of rain boots.) Army boots are

also a great option. If you don’t want to wear boots, at least wear shoes that dry quickly. Be aware of the fabric and colors of your clothes. Don’t wear something that takes a long time to dry or shows water spots really hardcore. If you have long hair, you should probably wear it up or be prepared to deal with frizzy or flat hair, especially if you live in a humid climate.

SKIP BRINGING TEXTBOOKS & LAPTOPS IF YOU CAN. Carrying a bunch of stuff in the rain is difficult, especially without a backpack. Although, if you have a backpack, it will probably end up soaked by the time you walk to class and back. (If you write notes in ink, all of your notes could be destroyed. Be careful.) Basically, just bring as little as possible those days. If you can get by with a single notebook and a pen, do it.

CONSIDER BRINGING A LUNCH. If your building isn’t close to food, there are two possible negative outcomes. The first is that you won’t eat food, which is never good. The second is that you may leave to get food and decide not to go back to class. Bringing food prevents both those problems.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, BRING AN UMBRELLA. You should splurge on a small, expensive umbrella unless you want to buy umbrellas every time it rains or lug around a giant, wet umbrella. Student Life 17

By Julie Apoderado

Whether it’s a laid back evening at the apartment or a raging party in a frat house, we can almost guarantee you will encounter college’s most popular drinking game. The gist of the game is simple. Throw your ping pong ball into your opponent’s beer cup and drink up if they make it into yours. The first to make it into all ten cups is the winner! Winners then get the honorary prize of bragging rights over the loser. Got it? Now, let’s make you a pro.

YOU’LL NEED

2 to 4 players A long table 16 oz beer cups (22) Ping pong balls (2+) Beer of choice

18 August 2013

SETUP Take 10 cups to each end of the table and arrange a triangle-like formation. Fill each cup with an equal amount of beer. Take the 2 remaining cups, fill them with water, and place them to the side of each triangle to use as rise cups, which you will rise the ping pong

ball in after every turn. Each player goes to opposite sides of the table either in teams of two or one-onone. Since this game has so many different variations, quickly go over the House Rules on racking, bouncing, swatting, etc.

GAMEPLAY Pick a player to go first. Depending on House Rules, whoever goes first will vary. On your turn, take your preferred ping pong ball and dip it in the rise cup (for hygiene purposes). Then shoot it into one of the opposing player’s cups. If you are playing in teams of two, it is now your partners turn. When you make it, the opposing team drinks the filled cup and removes it from gameplay. When you miss, your turn is over.

SHOTS There are many techniques to tossing a ping pong

ball into your opponent’s cup: lob, straight-shot, or bounce. Depending on House Rules, players are allowed to react to each throw.

HOW TO WIN THE GAME If you are the first person or team to make it into all the opposing teams cups, you win.

BUT WHAT IF… I make it on a bounce? Opposite team drinks two cups. I make it three in a row? You’re “on fire.” Shoot until you miss. My partner & I both make it? Balls back; it’s still your turn. The ball rolls back to my side? Another shot, behind your back. They knock my cup over? Drink up. I miss every single throw? Drink up and get under the table. For more interesting tidbits on the game of beer pong visit bpong.com. Don’t forget to play responsibly. Student Life 19

20 August 2013

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h t l a e H College can be pretty overwhelming. The work stresses us out and leaves little time for healthy routines. This section covers both the mental and physical issues of a college lifestyle.

22 August 2013

By Julie Apoderado

lack coffee, more alcohol when you get up, bacon & eggs, aspirins–remedies students everywhere have tried to avoid hangovers.

The dreaded hangover has plagued student life since the beginning of time. There’s tons of advice on how to cure it, but let’s dive into the science behind it. You know what a hangover feels like–the splitting headache, an overwhelming sense of “how am I not dead,” and a lack of motivation to get out of bed. The night before your hangover, when consuming alcohol, your brain stops creating vasopressin. When this chemical is subdued, your kidneys start sending water to your bladder. This starts the frequent bathroom trips you make throughout the night. The alcohol in your bloodstream decreases but your chances of a hangover increase. This occurs because while you’re constantly visiting the bathroom, your bladder releases electrolytes and other bodily fluids needed to perform nerve and muscle functions. When you’re low on nutrients, it causes the pain that results the morning after. Glycogen, your body’s main energy source, is also broken down and released from your body, explaining the lack of energy and immense fatigue. When the alcohol reaches your stomach, the toxins are absorbed. They irritate the organ lining. To combat that, your stomach releases hydrochloric acid. It is a

protective mechanism which tells the brain the substance within the stomach is hurting your body. The result is vomiting or diarrhea. The stomach irritation also explains your loss of appetite the next morning. After, the alcohol reaches your liver, it is then broken down into an enzyme called acetaldehyde. This is the cause for irritation in your mucous membranes and can have other side-effects such as headaches, unconsciousness, and pneumonia. As acetaldehyde builds up in your liver, the chances of vomiting rises. The longer it takes for your body to break down alcohol, the worse the hangover. But the cause for pain isn’t over. Glutamine, an amino acid responsible for stimulating your brain is blocked due to depressants in alcohol. When you stop drinking, your body makes up for the lack of stimulant and produces more then necessary. The effects keep you from reaching the deeper cycles of sleep. Having excessive amounts of glutamine cause restlessness, anxiety, and increased blood pressure. The dehydration also causes dry mouth and more headache pain. Unfortunately, there’s no big secret to avoiding the agonizing hangover. Don’t forget to combat the alcohol in your system by eating full meals before your night out and drinking plenty of water to replenish your organs. Take aspirins/multivitamins before going to bed and eat a light breakfast the next morning. Sorry, we don’t have the magical cure to all your weekend shenanigans, but at least you know why your body hates you so much the next morning. Student Life 23

By Lauren Barnes

etween staying up until 4 a.m. cramming for a test, a full-time course schedule and work, it can be hard to find time for anything else.

If you do happen to have some free time, you most likely don’t have any energy. Things like working out become nearly impossible with limited time and energy. Don’t worry though, summer is upon us. However, if you’re anything like me, you are terrified of the gym. Unless you can afford a personal trainer (which, face it, we’re college students. We can’t), it can seem nearly impossible to figure out how to get started in a workout routine and what the hell you’re supposed to be doing. There is also the intimidation factor. You know the ones in the gym who workout like 5 hours a day. Their glares of “what are you doing?!” are enough to send me hiding in the locker room. Gym memberships can also get really expensive. To solve this problem, I’ve made a list of 10 things you can do to get fit over the break without having to go to the gym.

RIDE A BIKE If you ride a bike to class, you get exercise and you don’t have to find a parking spot or buy gas. Also, more cities are becoming bicycle friendly. Some even have bicycle clubs that ride from bar to bar on weekends. See what your town has to offer. 24 August 2013

GO FOR A HIKE Even if you don’t live near mountains, there has got to be a place near by where you can hike. Try a state park or nature preserve or find out if your campus has a nature trail. Most rural colleges have nature trails on campus for hiking and biking.

GO SWIMMING If you live in the south, swimming is the perfect activity to get fit and stay cool without having a heat stroke. However, it doesn’t just have to be a pool. Think outside the box a little. Go swimming in the lake or see if your town has anything unique like a natural, spring-fed pool.

DANCE Even though I danced for 10 years and I’m still terrible, I think it’s such a fun way to burn a lot of calories. See if there is a local studio that offers adult classes. I know what you’re thinking; no it doesn’t have to be just ballet. Ballroom dance classes like the waltz and salsa have become popular. You could also organize dance parties with your friends, because face it-they’re probably just as bad as you.

ZUMBA, YOGA AND PILATES Zumba is for cardio. Yoga is for flexibility. Pilates is for strength. These classes aren’t only offered at a gym though. Most cities have multiple studios for just these classes. Also, groups are forming activities like yoga in the park for free. All it takes is a little research to see what your city offers. If you can’t find a free yoga group and don’t want to pay for classes, buy a DVD and do it at home with some friends.

ROLLERBLADING I know. I know. You are probably thinking I’m a little crazy because you haven’t been on rollerblades since you were a little kid. Well, me neither. But how fun would it be to get a friend and go to a local trail and rollerblade? It will give you a great cardio workout and make you practice balance.

KAYAK OR CANOE

Kayaking and canoeing are great, low impact activities that can improve your aerobic fitness, strength and flexibility. It can be done as a competitive sport or just for fun. It can be done on the river, lake or sea, so wherever you are, there should be access.

WAKEBOARD OR SKI

Wakeboarding and skiing are great ways to get in shape and stay cool. Both activities strengthen your core muscles and improve your hand-eye coordina-

tion. Grab a six-pack and friends for an all-day activity. (Added bonus: Everyone is in barely-there swim suits.)

PLAY A SPORT Even if you weren’t a star athlete growing up, get off the couch and play a sport. There are so many possibilities. You can play soccer, Frisbee, basketball, disk golf, volleyball, softball, baseball, tennis or football. If you’re a competitive person, it can be hard to do something that you’re not the best at, but I promise it’ll be OK. Join a team with some friends who weren’t star athletes either.

SLACK LINING I know, it sounds weird. Slack lining is a practice in balance where you walk a line tensioned between two anchor points. It might sound silly, but it sharpens your mental concentration and coordination while strengthening muscles in your core, legs, and feet. Student Life 25

26 August 2013

By Courtney Sheets

t this point, many of us have traded our couchsitting, Facebook-stalking, junk-food routines in for the stress of new classes.

You know the routine–coffee-drinking, paperwriting and book-reading plaguing each returning semester. We now have to face the reality of just how socially unacceptable it is to stay in bed until noon and not change out of our sweat-pants all day. Soon the assignments will begin to pile up and finishing the next season of “How I Met Your Mother” on Netflix will become a fleeting idea. Instead of getting stressed about these ideas, I think we should take an opportunity to step back from the chaos and realize the bigger picture. We should realize that one paper or test will probably not determine our graduation fate and remind ourselves that our assignments (when completed) are not just good, but good enough. In a recent article in BusinessWeek, the college stress level of students has more than doubled since 2000 moving from 16% to 37.4% in a 2012 study. This stress level is so rampant among undergraduates that suicide has become the second leading cause of death on campuses across the nation. I believe that it is safe to conclude that students are under extreme pressure in today’s high education world.

In the spirit of resolutions, I believe we can all resolve to cut out a small amount of stress in our lives; in fact, our lives may depend on it. Taking the opportunity to step back from papers and assignments and say, “It’s not just good. It’s good enough.” may enable us to focus our energy on other things, potentially getting more accomplished with less stress. 1. Stress less; exercise more. Exercise can cause you to not only be happier by releasing endorphins, but also may help you stay more energized and help your memory. 2. Organization is key! By organizing your room, you may feel more ready and able to study because you have fewer distractions. It may also be a good idea to use a planner or your iPhone scheduler to plan your day including a time to study. 3. Make friends in your classes to form study groups. Accountability may make you less likely to “forget” about your big test tomorrow. You can use StudyPods to exchange information with your friends and study at the same time but not necessarily in the same place. 4. Sleep may be overrated for a day, but you eventually will need it to function. Try to get a few hours before a test, and you will thank yourself later in the week. 5. Take it all one step at a time. Breaking large projects into manageable chunks will prevent you from feeling overwhelmed and encourage you to finish the project. Reward yourself with small breaks of Facebook or Twitter to break up the monotony. Student Life 27

By Courtney Sheets

recently decided to give up processed foods in an attempt to live a healthier life. My goal was to improve my energy levels and be overall healthier in my day-to-day.

I was convinced I would feel better within only a few days, and I would be happy-go-lucky for the rest of my summer. Then reality set in. I am not happy-golucky. Instead, I am tired, irritable and always hungry. A portion of this is due to my body adjusting to my new style of eating, detoxing from all of the sugars and carbohydrates I carelessly shoved into my mouth for years. The other portion is due to my annoyance of having to eat differently than my friends, making it more difficult to just go grab a bite to eat somewhere. Healthy eating is good for you, but my questions is how good for you? Because so far, this kind of sucks. So I have decided to do what I always do when faced with a difficult decision, make a pro and con list. Let’s start with the pros.

PRO: IT CAN HELP PREVENT DISEASE. My good friends over at WebMD shared with me that healthy eating can actually decrease your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and even some types of cancer. I think I knew most of those already, but if healthy eating now can help me 28 August 2013

later that’s always a good thing to keep in mind.

PRO: MORE ENERGY Your body will spend less energy breaking down processed foods and more energy allowing you to do what you want to do. By cutting out foods that are high in preservatives, sugars, salt, and oils your body can focus its energy elsewhere, like studying or Pinterest.

PRO: WEIGHT LOSS OK this is kind of an obvious one, but eating healthier can help you lose weight. I mean, honestly who doesn’t want to lose a pound or two right? Especially after the freshman 15 we have all fallen victim to.

PRO: OUR ANCESTORS DID IT. Seriously, think about it. For thousands of years our ancestors ate zero processed foods. It wasn’t until the industrial revolution that mass produced crackers and cheese were widely consumed. We haven’t been living like this all that long in the grand scheme of things. If they can do it, so can I.

CON: IT’S EXPENSIVE You eat a lot all the time. If the food is healthy, you most likely will not have very many restrictions on portion control (unless weight loss is your main goal). This results in the purchase of a ton of food, which can get expensive quickly. As a poor college student, your budget usually can’t handle significant spending, but it’s not impossible. Check out this blog about how to eat healthy on a budget.

CON: WHEN YOU’RE HUNGRY YOU’RE REALLY HUNGRY Not like the kind of hungry where you say “eh, I could eat.” NO. I am talking about the kind of hungry where you say “If I don’t get food in the next ten minutes, I will die.” I know this sounds dramatic, but especially when you first start out, it’s not. Getting like this can make you unpleasant to be around.

CON: IT’S HARDER TO GO OUT WITH FRIENDS Going out with friends may already be crazy if your friends are anything like mine. You find it difficult to agree on a restaurant and most of the time you end up just giving in anyway. Well, when you are on a restricted diet, your “going out” options become even more limited. If you go somewhere you can eat, you still have to be really specific about your order. It becomes somewhat of an ordeal.

CON: YOU SOUND UPTIGHT

Ordering the chicken and shrimp grilled instead of fried with vegetables instead of pasta and beans

instead of potatoes (because we all know they aren’t real potatoes) with the sauce on the side can make you seem, well, high maintenance. This is true. You are restricting yourself and have decided to eat this way. Nobody is making you. The best solution is to surround yourself with supportive people or people with the same eating restrictions and habits that you have. So, what is the conclusion? If you are determined, eating healthy has way too many long term pros than cons. But if you’re someone who is on the fence about the idea, maybe you should wait until you have done some more research. Eating healthy is an important decision, but it actually takes some serious commitment and patience to stick with it. I found these really good blogs to help you on your journey: Healthy Forms A College Guide to Eating Healthy Healthy Eating in College Student Life 29

30 August 2013

By Courtney Sheets

f you’re like 90% of the U.S., you probably resolved to workout this year. You envisioned yourself fit and fabulous by this time having a drink in a bikini on the beach.

And if you’re like 75% of the U.S. population, you probably have yet to even start working out. Unless you count walking around the mall. (We don’t.) I understand it can be difficult to take that first step, but here are some tips to find a workout plan and stick to it.

STEP 1: FIND A GYM The best gyms may not always be the right gyms. Chances are, you probably already have a gym membership on campus, but if not, this is your chance to explore. Find a place where you feel comfortable sweating and, at times, making a complete ass of yourself in front of everyone there. Once you go, you can create a community of like-minded people to hold you to your goals. Long story short, if you hate your gym and the people in it, you won’t go.

STEP 2: FIND OUT WHAT YOU LIKE TO DO It’s important to find a routine that works for you. If you hate running, don’t run. If you hate yoga, don’t do yoga. This isn’t rocket science people. A good way to figure out what makes you comfortable is to take classes. This helps you explore new and fun ways to workout and find what works best for you.

STEP 3: FIND A FRIEND Find a friend who will not only work out with you, but who will push you. Try to find someone who has similar interests. If you love running, find a runner. If you love lifting, find a lifter. This person will make sure that you are at the gym and pushing yourself every day.

STEP 4: FIND A SCHEDULE If you say you’ll eventually work out, you will never work out. Establish some sort of schedule and post it somewhere so you can actually see it. The more you see it, the more likely you are to stick to it. Also, you need to rest. Don’t forget to schedule days to rest in your workout routine. The first few weeks are the hardest, but don’t give up. Once you establish your workout as simply part of your schedule and routine, you will have a hard time forgetting about it. Student Life 31

y e n o M Money is always tight for poor college students. Learn to build credit, avoid debt, save and manage your cash, and most importantly, have a good time on a budget in the section.

32 August 2013

By Kamren Scott

f you try to find ways to save money online, a lot of articles give advice like, “Get a job” or “Stop spending money.” That doesn’t help a college student.

earbuds at the checkout you don’t really need but look slightly more comfortable than the other two pairs you have. If your problem is over spending and over drafting from your bank account, check out Spending Tracker. If your problem is late fees on bills you forgot to pay, check out BillTracker.

As great (and obvious) as that advice is, it doesn’t really help the day-to-day financial struggles of college students. We know what it’s like to count dimes and nickels in the checkout line, what it’s like to rush to work after being in back-to-back classes all day only to have your boss lecture you about being 5 minutes late, what it’s like to have to work an entire shift to afford just one of your textbooks. We’ve been there and these are some of the best tips we’ve found to save cash in college.

Everyone recommends buying food in bulk to save money (like buying cereal, tuna and canned soup), but there’s a ton of other stuff you can buy in bulk. One example is alcohol. Did you know in some states, you don’t have to be a member of CostCo or Sam’s Club to buy alcohol from them? Here’s how and why from WonderHowTo.com. You can also get school supplies, especially printer ink, in bulk and split the supplies with friends. Condoms are a good item too because they are much cheaper in bulk, but watch those expiration dates!

STUDENT DISCOUNTS FOR FOOD AND FUN STUFF Everyone knows you can get student discounts on software and technology like Microsoft Word, but you can get discounts for fun, every-day stuff too. For example, you should never go the movies or go out to eat without your student ID. Check out this list of popular chains with student discounts from Living Rich with Coupons.

TRACK YOUR SPENDING I know this sounds super boring and probably reminds you of the PC guy from the Mac vs PC commercials, but there are cool, simple apps for this now! If you’re more aware of your spending, you will be less likely to splurge on impulse buys, like those blue

BUY IN BULK.

PREGAME. Being frugal doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time, but drinks at the bar add up pretty quickly. Start your night by inviting a few friends to your house first to have a some drinks. This will seriously cut the cost of going out. (Don’t always pregame at your house though. You don’t want to constantly be responsible for the pregame drinks.)

MAKE SMALL SACRIFICES. Start taking a bottle of water with you instead of buying a bottle from the vending machine. (Check out Real Simple’s favorite water bottles.) Stop getting that latte and start getting regular coffee or Americanos. Student Life 33

34 August 2013

By Sheena Walker

e know you’re broke. You are a full-time student. By definition you have no money, but you can still have a life.

There are tons of really entertaining things to do that require little to no money.

FREE STUFF TO DO: 1. Sleep! Never underestimate the power of being well-rested. When you’re a busy college student, it’s hard sometimes to relax, but it’s definitely necessary. 2. Watch TV. Even if you have free cable in your dorm, you probably don’t get a lot of channels. Unless you want to nerd out and watch the news or the weather channel, you should go online. Most universities have free wifi. Check out the shows on Hulu. They have a huge variety and selection of shows. (And if you have a little extra cash, you can splurge for Netflix or Hulu Plus which are about $9 a month.) 3. Play video games. Studies show video game players are better at focusing and multitasking. There are a lot of Free-to-play video games out there. You can sign up for a free Steam account and check out all of their free games. You can even host LAN or WAN parties with friends if you’re feeling a little social. Team Fortress 2 is a good free multiplayer game. 4. Take a trip to the park or take a walk (or run) around campus. This will clear your mind, and you will

get some exercise to avoid the freshman 15! A lot of campuses have really great nature trails you can snap a few photos on for Instagram or SnapChat. 5. Join an intramural, intermural or club sport at your school. Depending on the club and the sport, you could have 2-3 games a week. It’s a great way to get exercise and and meet tons of new people. 6. Volunteer. This is a positive way to spend your time if you want a little more fulfillment. Plus it looks great on a resume!

CHEAP STUFF TO DO: 1. Go to a matinée. There are some really awesome movies coming out, and you can watch them during the day and pay less. Check out what movies are coming out soon. Don’t forget to use your student discount. 2. Museums are a great way to pass a lot of time, and there tons of types–art, history, aviation, science museums, etc. You might even learn something while you visit. Check out the top 10 weirdest museums here. A lot of museums usually offer student discounts too. (If you’re interested in art but totally broke, check out your university’s art department. They usually have a free student gallery.) 3. Planetariums are cooler than you think, and some college campuses have planetariums with student discounts. 4. Go for a drive. I know gas isn’t that cheap, but driving familiarizes you with your surroundings, and you might find some pretty cool, unique places. Student Life 35

By Sheena Walker

here are a lot of really cool products out there, and you shouldn’t have to sacrifice the finer things just because you wanted an education.

College is expensive and leaves one in five students in debt. Let’s change that statistic, get better credit, and avoid debt.

1. CHECK YOUR CREDIT REPORT

Some sites make you pay to check your report. We don’t like to do that, and we doubt do you. Lucky for us, www.annualcreditreport.com lets you check your credit reports for free once a year. You can still have a credit report even if you don’t have credit due to bureau mistakes or identity theft. It’s important to check because you may have to clean up your credit. Credit reports are used to create your credit score, which is a three-digit number lenders use to gauge your creditworthiness.

2. UNDERSTAND CREDIT SCORING

FICO Score Breakdown Payment history Amounts owed Length of credit history New credit Types of credit used Source: myfico.com

36 August 2013

FICO stands for Fair Isaac Corporation, which is the company that created the standard for credit scores. It summarizes your credit risk. It’s simple; don’t spend way more money than you have. Keep credit use down to less than 30% of your credit limit (10% is better.) Oh, and pay your bills in full each month! If you have a hard time remembering to pay bills, try setting up automatic payments. Late payments hurt your credit.

3. ESTABLISH CHECKING AND SAVINGS ACCOUNTS Lenders see lasting bank accounts as signs of stability.

4. “BORROW” CREDIT If your credit is already screwed, you can “borrow” another’s record by having them co-sign for you or become joint owner with them on an account, but remember to check their record before you borrow!

750+ = Excellent 720-749 = Very Good 719-660 = Good/Average 620-659 = Fair -619 = Poor 5. STORE CREDIT One way to gain or better your credit is get a store card. Most retail stores have credit cards (Bealls, Dillard’s, BestBuy). However, this doesn’t mean you should go to BestBuy on a daily basis because you really need to impress your friends with your eclectic blu-ray collection. It’s OK to treat yourself, but mainly this should be used in instances like your flash drive

implodes, and you need one immediately or the dress code of your new internship doesn’t include t-shirts. These cards don’t do as much for your credit score as a regular credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover), but they are easier to get with no credit.

6. APPLY FOR A SECURED CREDIT CARD

This is a big step, and you shouldn’t do it if you’re worried you might not be responsible enough. For example, if you get paid on Friday and you’re usually out of money by Friday night, you probably should wait to get a card. If you think you can handle it, make sure to apply for one with no application fee and low annual Is the average fee. Convert to a regular unseU.S. credit score. cured credit card after 12 to 18 months of on-time payments like the Chase Freedom Card. Remember when comparing cards look for NO annual fee and very low interest rates. But don’t open a bunch of accounts in a short period of time to better your credit. It can make you look risky.

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7. GET AN INSTALLMENT LOAN This includes revolving accounts like credit cards and lines of credit, and installment accounts are like auto loans, personal loans, and mortgages.

8. REVOLVING ACCOUNTS A revolving accounts means you don’t have the pay the full amount you owe, and the rest of the monthly bill will roll over. You can use them regularly, but be cautious.

9. PAY ON YOUR INTEREST If you take out student loans to pay for school, pay on them while you are in school if at all possible. I know it’s tough to choose to make a payment over going out with friends, but it will be more beneficial in the long run. After you graduate and have to pay those loans back, the interest accrued will not be as much as if you didn’t pay on those loans. Your GPA may be important right now, but your credit score will be important forever. It determines if you get a car, house, apartment, or even a job! Student Life 37

& s s a l C g n i y d Stu We spend a ton of time in classrooms and studying. We learn about our majors, but we also learn about life from bad professors and group projects. Learn from our studying mistakes.

38 August 2013

By Kamren Scott

nless you’re incredibly lucky or a fantastic planner with a lot of senior friends, you’ve probably had to deal with a jerk professor or two.

They don’t stick to the syllabus. They are completely unavailable. They give impossible exams, and they just hate humanity. I’m going to share my hard-earned and well-deserved knowledge of the most successful ways to deal with jerk professors.

THERE ARE A LOT OF TYPES OF JERKS.

My jerk professor was angry, loud, and arrogant, but it’s just as bad when they’re passive-aggressive, egotistical, actively apathetic, or neglectful. They seem to hate everyone. They don’t communicate well if at all. You have to decipher even the most basic tasks and assignments and hope you’re on the right track. If they keep their office hours at all, they are annoyed when you show up, won’t open the door, or push you quickly out the door always citing some mysterious, urgent deadline they must meet.

GET OUTSIDE HELP WITH THE MATERIAL.

If you need more help, it may be beneficial to look elsewhere. It’s unfortunate since you paid for your class and their time, but you should never give up just because your professor is a jerk. Don’t let them throw off your graduation schedule by making you drop the class. Talk to other people in your class. Form study groups. Get a tutor. I was lucky and managed to find

a nice professor in the department who actually cared whether I understood the subject, and she helped me. It’s important to note not all professors are jerks.

AVOID CONFRONTATION, ESPECIALLY IN CLASS. Some professors instigate arguments and disputes. Avoid it. It may be the most difficult thing on earth, but if you don’t want to drop, you have to let it go. You may have the most epic, perfect, legendary come-back, but rest assured, embarrassing a jerk professor will only result in a semester of pain and misery.

DON’T LET THEM GET TO YOU. Odds are you’re not dumb. Don’t let them make you feel that way.

LIFE ISN’T FAIR. USE THAT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE. A lot of professors give essay and short answer exams. These exams are subjective, meaning they can give just about any grade they want with little reason. You have to attempt to get inside your jerk professor’s head. What do they want? What kind of answers do they like? For example, if your jerk professor loves obscure, very specific dates, memorize as many of them as you can and flood your essay test with them. Your answer may not be exactly what they were looking for, but if they see something they like, it may impress them enough and/or throw them off enough to give you credit for the answer.

REMEMBER THAT EVERYTHING WILL BE OK.

At the beginning of the semester, it may seem like a long four months, but take it one day at a time. It will be over before you know it, and you will have survived and be that much closer to graduating. Student Life 39

40 August 2013

By Kamren Scott

t’s like 2 a.m. and you’re trying to cram for a test you have the next day, but it just isn’t working. For some reason the material just isn’t sticking, and you don’t know why.

Here are some questions to ask yourself that could help pinpoint the problem: 1. Are you playing music in the background? 2. Is your TV running continuous marathons in preparation for the new fall shows? 3. Are your friends sitting in the corner complaining about the lack of parking on campus? 4. Are 12 different non-class-related sites up on your laptop? 5. Are you stuffing food in your mouth because the last thing you ate was half a bag of chips before your 2:30 class? If you answered yes to more than one of these, you may have a problem. It’s hard enough to retain information without having lots of distractions. These disruptions only make studying more difficult and time consuming. I know it sounds horrible to go study in the library, but it is an environment created specifically for studying and homework. They already got rid of the distractions for you. There’s no false pretenses with your friends. If you say you’re going to the library. They know you’re serious about studying, and you don’t want them to follow you back to your dorm to distract

you with stories about their weekend or how crazy their parents are. You don’t have to feel bad about not entertaining them either. Don’t get me wrong. It will probably be crazy boring, but it won’t take as long to finish your homework or study, and you will have an easier time concentrating and absorbing the information. It’s just like any other activity that no one wants to do. You have to rip it off like a band-aid. Just sit down and do it. Student Life 41

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42 August 2013

By Julie Apoderado

veryone has their specific study technique, but I bet being the busy college student you are, you probably haven’t had time to perfect it.

Finding the right studying technique is a must for any college student. Not only is it the most effective way to spend your time buried in your books, but it’ll help you get focused when you need it. Chances are at least one of these 25 tips will be just the right one for you; it’s just a game of guess & check. Try out the tips and see what works best for you and master it.

WHEN STUDYING 1. Form a study group and review questions together. 2. Organize study guides or make a vocab list. 3. Make flash cards. 4. Re-write notes and everything that needs to be memorized. 5. Pomodoro Technique – decide on a time limit, set a timer, get it done. 6. Teach the material to someone else. If you can explain it, you’ve got it. 7. Use exam banks and study guides. 8. Add your notes to the PowerPoint slides. 9. Create a rewards system – a snack after an hour of studying. 10. Record your classes; listen whenever you can. 11. Isolate yourself.

12. Schedule an hour or more to study each day. 13. Re-write the material you don’t know. Repeat until it’s significantly less writing.

WHEN CRAMMING 14. Make friends with upperclassmen. They have the old tests and assignments. 15. Go over a review. Take a long break. Come back to an empty review, and fill in the blanks. 16. Study while doing your chores. Normal chores don’t need a lot of brain-power, multi-task. 17. With a partner, go back and forth asking each other exam questions. 18. After reading a paragraph, summarize what you just read. 19. Repetition – until you have it memorized. 20. Create mnemonic devices. The silly ones are the most memorable.

WHEN WORKING ON A PROJECT 21. Make a to-do list of what you need to finish/ study. 22. Make a project schedule with due dates and meeting times. 23. Use the syllabus for the project as a checklist. 24. Actually work on the project together. Avoid combining all the parts last minute. 25. Pick a job you’re good at – creating PowerPoints, proofreading, research. Actively figure out what works for you. Studying habits that work for your friends could mean nothing to you. If the material doesn’t stick move on to another technique. Good luck & get to studying! Student Life 43

44 August 2013

But they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to.