Healthy College Lifestyle: Investing in Yourself

It is easy for college students for people to become consumed in their lifestyles and forget to take care of the one thing they are stuck with for the rest of their lives--their body.

Face

Taking care of your face not only helps you feel better about yourself, it increases your confidence.

• Wash your face twice a day. We've all heard some acne treating systems can cause your skin to become addicted.  However, there are some face washes that are not like that. I personally use Le Meiux. Target's generic brand works pretty well. Many of my hall mates and friends use Cetaphil.
• Use a face mask once a week and exfoliate once a week.  It is possible to over-exfoliate so do not do it everyday and it is not recommended more than 3 times a week. Be sure to moisturize after.
• MOISTURIZE! It is very important to moisturize your face because washing your face will dry it out. 
• Use sunscreen. Walking around the sunny campus over time can be detrimental to your skin. Use sunscreen to protect your skin from the damaging rays.

Body

• Eat well (see other posts). Drink plenty of water (a good place to start is half of your body weight in ounces). 
• Wash your hands because it can prevent sickness.  
• Take the vitamins supplements for the vitamins you don't get enough of from your diet, it will protect your immune system. 
• Exercise for 30 minutes a day. This does not necessarily mean you must go to the gym. Take your dog on a longer walk. Run up and down your stairs. Do push ups, sit ups, or lift light dumbbells while watching television.

Mind

• Make sure you are getting a good amount of sleep every night to protect your mind and immune system.  Also try to stick with a regular sleep schedule.
• Wake up at least 45 minutes before whatever you have to do to give your mind time to fully awaken.
• Take study breaks. Over studying may cause you trouble in remembering the things you have studied. Studying too much at one time can also hard on your eyes. Every few minutes remember to gaze at something 10-30 feet away for 10 seconds.
• Understand that it is okay to take a day off. Take a day to treat yourself (read a book, go shopping, go out to eat). Do something that takes your mind off of everything you have to do for a few hours. With too much stress, you will not perform at optimal level.

Healthy College Lifestyle: Clean Eating

I have heard that people do not eat because the food does not taste as good.  I believe that the opposite is true.  Healthy food tastes good, sometimes even better than junk food.

Clean eating IS NOT the same thing as dieting.  I am not a supporter of diets. A lot of people who diet are looking a long term solution using a short-term inconvenience. Soon after a diet is complete, they go back to their old habits gaining back the weight (sometimes more) they just lost.  People are also more likely to cheat on diets, limiting the outcome.

Clean eating IS watching what you eat and how much you eat.  This is not a blanket statement to start calorie counting (be sure to talk to your physician about changing your dietary habits).  However, if you know too much sodium causes you to bloat, consider reducing your sodium intake.  Many people will also blankly cut fat from their diet.  Polyunsaturated fat is not bad for you but Trans fats are terrible for you.  So before you change your diet, do your research, take a nutrition class, or read a book about it.

Clean eating IS NOT 3 squared meals a day.  Many nutritionists recommend 5-6 small meals a day.  Having 3 larger meals causes you to eat more at one time which is hard on the digestion system.  5-6 small meals also prevent unnecessary snacking.

Clean eating IS eliminating processed foods. Processed foods are EVERYWHERE and they are cheaper than organic foods.  Look for foods without any extra additives.

• BREAD: By definition, bread is processed. This does not mean stop eating bread because your body needs some of the nutrients bread has.  Instead of white bread, eat whole wheat or multi-grain breads.
• MEAT (if you eat it): Look for meat that comes from farm-raised animals and have been not been fed GM (genetically modified) food.
• FRUITS and VEGETABLES: A vast majority of fruits and vegetables on the markets are not genetically modified however you want to look for organic fruits and vegetables because they will contain as few natural pesticides as possible.  Be sure to thoroughly rinse your produce before consumption.

Clean eating IS NOT falling for the "gluten-free" marketing trap.  Unless you have a gluten allergy, eliminating gluten from your diet, because of the process of removing gluten from food, can also eliminate other vital nutrients to your health.  Gluten is a protein typically found in wheat.  Many products advertised as "gluten-free" should not include gluten naturally.

Healthy College Lifestyle: Thank Yous

A healthy lifestyle in college is not nearly as hard as people make it seem.  This post will give you five reasons why there is no better time to start living healthy than in college.

1.  Your wallet will thank you.  Cutting down on the amount of fast food you eat saves money in the long run. A trip to the grocery store may seem to have high up front costs but if you spend $6 plus dollars a day at the end of the week you've already spent at least $42.

2. Your keyboard will thank you.  I know personally I have spent plenty of mornings, a few afternoons, and several evenings in the Student Union with food trying to finish an assignment.  My keyboard has seen a spill, some dropped crumbs, and several greasy fingerprints.  Since reducing my fast food intake, my computer has not been subjected to such messy environments.

3. Your face will thank you.  Ever get those pesky stress pimples? Ever want to blame them on your makeup brushes? STOP.  If you eat a lot of greasy food, the toxins have to leave your body somehow.   Does your face get blotchy? Try drinking more water, and less coffee.  (My rule of thumb is drinking at least double the amount of clear liquids to anything else I drink).

4. Your body will thank you.  When you eat healthy, you have more energy, you sleep better, and you are less likely to get sick.

5. Your mind will thank you.  Sometimes in college you feel like you never get a break. I have found that when I cook it gives me 45+ minutes of me time. Use that time to watch Netflix, listen to music, or whatever you do to relax.

Healthy College Lifestyle pt. 1

College is the best time to begin a healthy lifestyle.  I am starting a new series this month on living healthy.  It is not easy but it is worth it.

At some colleges (like mine), the student union is full of fast-food restaurants and a few places to get healthy options at an ultra-high price. Read more to get the best for your dollar and your body.

1. Cooking more will give you 2-3 meals for the price of one. It is hard to make time but you can eat the left overs for lunch the next day.

2. Go grocery shopping. Understand that eating on campus is not really saving you money.  Grocery shopping may seem like it is expensive because it is takes time and you pay upfront.  I would challenge you to calculate how much you spend on fast food for two weeks and compare the costs of one trip to the grocery store.  When I took this challenge it cost about the same amount for me to get a little more food including time spent as well as gas money.

3. Drink more water.  A case of water at the grocery store costs the same amount of money as two 20oz sodas on my campus.

4. Schedule gym time. Working out is proven to increase memory and help you to sleep better at night.  I am not saying go to the gym everyday. Try twice a week and see how it makes you feel and increase from there. 

5. Regularly see your physician.  I cannot recommend a rapid change in dietary habits or how much to work out but your doctor can suggest a regiment to help improve things like your immune system.

6. WASH YOUR HANDS.  College is full of germs, bacteria, and the latest strand of the flu. Keeping up with bodily hygiene helps prevent some sicknesses you could be getting.

5 Reasons GPA is NOT everything

Everyone has heard that "GPA is not everything" saying.  What needs to be understood is that the cliche is not a blanket statement to get a 2.5 GPA. 

It's easy for me to say "GPA isn't everything" because I have an extremely high grade point average.  BUT that is the reason that also makes it hard for me to say "GPA is not everything." In the past I have thought "oh I'm gonna get this because I have a high GPA," but I didn't get it because I didn't meet the other qualifications. 

1. INTERNSHIPS - Internships are a great way to get real world experience.  A rock solid internship will look better to potential future employers because the you already have somewhat of a handle on the things you will be doing.
2. LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE - It is better to prove that you know how to step up and be a leader than taking a test because there are less knowledge tests in real life.
3. CLUBS - Clubs are a great way to get involved and meet new people. Do NOT feel the need to join a bunch of clubs. Instead, dedicate your time to one club and get to know the ins and outs of it.  Think about joining the E-Board.  
4. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION. Good letters of recommendation can be the difference of getting a scholarship, internship, etc., or not. It is important that the person knows you very well. It is also important that the person writes very well (someone once spelled my name wrong in a letter of recommendation). Make sure that the letter is applicable to what you need it for. 
5. NETWORKING. Another commonly ignored cliché "it's not what you know, it's who you know," is also completely true. How many people do you know got jobs because of a friend or colleague? Knowing how to build relationships is important. I heard at a networking event that 60% of jobs come from networking. There is no rulebook on how to network but do not be afraid to meet people and tell them your passions and go from there.

Instead of GPA meaning grade point average, think of it as Grades, Productivity, and Actions. When you think of it like that you'll remember that grades just go along with everything else that you do.

 Good luck :)

- Jay

Misconceptions About College

5 Biggest Misconceptions about College

High school is made to "prepare students for life" (college, military, trade school, the workforce, etc.).  However, that is not always the case. There are misconceptions told that give students the wrong impression.

1. "College is easier than high school." Comparing high school to college is comparing apples to orange. College is what you make of it, so is high school. The difference between the two is the gray area. 

2. "The professors do not care about you." That is a flat out lie. With bigger classes, it is hard for the professors with large classes to have a personal connection with every student. Truth. Professors are not going to give you the grade you want. You will have to work for it. Truth.  If you choose to go to office hour the professor will help you.

3. "There is no help."  One of my larger classes has 14 TA's.  If that is no help, then I don't know what help is.

4. "You should NEVER buy textbooks from the bookstore." The school's bookstore is not as bad as they make it seem. I would advise you buying any e-book from the actual source because typically those access codes are marked up 30% in the bookstore. The other books, check all of the sites people tell you as well as the bookstore and consider shipping and how used the books are before you decide where to buy.

5. "You will never have time for anything else." You will have time for whatever you make time for.  If you rather take long "social media breaks" doing your homework than getting it done right away you will not have as much time to do other things later on. Finding the Study-Sleep-Party balance is completely true. Managing your time will be the single most important thing to making sure you have time to do the things you want to do. (More information about planning at Planner Pickett Blog)

How First Semester Is Unlike Anything Else

So You Think You Know It All?

Freshman year is nothing like you would expect. All of the blogs in the world could not prepare you for the journey you are up for.

1. You will call a majority of your teachers and professors by their first names. Some professors will want to be addressed by "Dr. (insert last name)" and that is okay. Respect them. They worked hard for their doctorate and are proud of it.

2. You can be dropped for missing too many classes. You set your own schedule.

3. Your mom can't call you in anymore.  In most cases, missing class requires a Dean's excuse. The Dean wants you in class so unless there is no possible way you can be in class, go.

4. There is a drastic reduce in "busy work." Professor's and TA's would like to grade the least amount of work as possible. Therefore less busy work is assigned to give you more time to work on the bigger projects and study for tests.

5. There are less days off. *SPOILER ALERT* There is no Columbus Day off.

6. Your schedule is how you make it. If you know 8am does not work for you, don't chance it. Someone (possibly you) are paying to be in school. Do not get dropped from your classes because you don't like waking up or you cannot learn at 6pm.

7. You don't have to buy every book. Look for free e-books. Check ratemyprofessor.com to see what the other students say about textbook use.

8.  Your advisor will not pull you out of class. You schedule your own appointments, you can schedule during class time but your advisor will not come and get you to ask you a question about your grades or things of such.

9. Stalling the professor is no longer cool or funny. We are no longer in the business of wasting time. Time is money and any material the professor does not cover will be up to you as a student to learn.

10. You are in control of your own life.  The world is at your hands.  Use your resources.  Your advisors, professors, and peers will only be as useful as you make them. If you write someone off as unhelpful, you will not get what they have to offer.  Nobody is going to hold your hand but rather offer you resources to solve your problems.

Sylla-whaat?!

How to Make Use of Time During Syllabus Week

Syllabus week make seem like the perfect time to blow off your responsibilities. However it is actually the WORST time to waste time.

First Impressions are Lasting Impressions. If you come come to class late or hungover the first week, it will not go unnoticed. People may not want to work with you if they think you are irresponsible.

Setting the tone. If you want the TAs or professor to notice your participation, the first week is the perfect time. Falling asleep in the back will give the impression that you do not care about your education. It will also give your classmate the idea that you are not someone to take seriously.

Preparing yourself. About a month in, you may feel like you're drowning. A great way to prevent that feeling is by taking time out now to prevent yourself from feeling overwhelmed.

1. Use your syllabus. When you get the syllabus for a class, highlight office hours and locations, transfer all important dates to your calendar systems. Make yourself familiar with the attendance, grading, and extra credit policies. If color coding is what you do, color code it while you are updating it. If you are unsure whether or not you plan on dropping the class, pencil it in. That way, if you drop the class you can erase it and if you don't you can leave it or go over it with a fun pen!

2. Keep your syllabus.  I mostly use my computer for notes, so I keep all of my syllabi in one place for later reference. Other bloggers suggest keeping the syllabus with class notes/work. It does not matter where you choose to keep them. Stay consistent and remember where you keep them.

3. Stick with what works. If you have a good system, make improvements but don't completely change it. What works for you may not work for someone else and vice versa.

4. Get out of your comfort zones. Try something new. Whether it be a new organization idea or sitting in the front of the class, trying something you wouldn't normally do will help you do set this semester apart from the rest.

5. Make a new friend. I've said this before and I will say it again. Make a friend in every class. This will be someone you can study with and keep up with the class.

6. Have fun. This will probably be one of the only weeks you are virtually free from responsibility. Have fun and don't let the stress of the upcoming semester weigh you down!

Good luck this semester,

~Jay

Taco Tuesday: Skillet

Making tacos is as easy as 1. 2. 3. These are great after a long day and you are looking for a quick meal. They are super simple for the nice cook like myself.

Servings: 6-8
Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients:
16 ounces ground turkey (or beef)
1/2 pack of your favorite taco seasoning pack
Water
Flour Shells
Embellishments (Lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, guac, etc.)

Steps:
1. Add a small amount of water and begin browning meat in skillet over a medium heat.
2. Rinse Meat once brown
3. Add water and seasoning to meat over heat until enough

Serve:
1. Warm shells (if desired)
2. Embellish tacos and Enjoy!

College can consume your life. Making these quick and simple tacos will be great for any day of the week. Because they are so quick, you do not even have to make them for dinner. Instead of eating out, invite your friends over during a break between classes and have lunch together. ~Jay

16 Tips to Improve Study Habits in 2016

With the new year approaching, many people will be adding "become a better student" to their New Years Resolution. I have a few tips that may help in accomplishing your new goal.

1. Go over syllabi before the first day of class. Highlight all important information (dates major assignments are due, test dates, contact information, etc.). Write any questions you may have down about what will be expected of you over the course of the semester. If they are unanswered the day you go over the syllabus in class, do not forget to ASK your questions..

2. Restock on supplies. Make sure you have plenty of paper, pens, printer ink and index cards.

3. Shake hands with each professor. This is especially important in large lectures. You want your professor to notice you and notice your performance in class. 

4. Stop skipping class. Every class is important. If it wasn't then the professor wouldn't be teaching it. Missing days to handle personal business or because you are sick is one thing. It is another to miss because you do not feel like going.

5. Make a friend in every class. An upperclassman gave me that advice and it worked wonders. If you miss class you automatically have one person you can ask about the information you missed in class. It also helps make the school feel smaller when you recognize them outside of class.

6. Not all attention is good attention. Professors do not like the people who cause distractions (talking, playing on your phone, etc.). Students do not like the person that start debates (in most classes) so avoid talks about religion, politics, and other fire starters.

7. Respect the professor. The professors and TAs have knowledge to offer you. If you would rather not be in class, do not waste anyone's time by taking up space in the class.

8. Understand that you control your ability to learn. You may not like your professor but you're paying to be in the class for a semester so do not waste your time or money. Even if the teaching style does not suit your learning style, there is something to be gained from the class.

9. Take your time on assignments. Do not rush through your work. If you do, you may not fully understand. Whoever is grading the assignment can tell you rushed and will base the rest of your potential off of that.

10. Study. If you have never studied before, learn what study methods work for you the best.

11. Take better notes. If the PowerPoint is provided, do not write any information from the slides in class. Write things the professor repeats, star things that the professor says are important, and rewrite your notes after class.

12. Work as if there is no curve. You never know how the curve will affect you. It will rarely affect you negatively but you should be able to accept the grade you earned if the professor decided not to curve that semester.

13. Take advantage of extra credit. Those opportunities are not guaranteed in every class. You have to remember "grades are earned and not given" so not all professors will give extra credit or curve grades.

14. Make corrections. Don't be afraid to ask your teacher to see your test. Go over anything you may still be unsure about. If your final is cumulative you will be glad. If the final is not cumulative, the information may still be important or helpful to know.

15. Accept your mistakes. Understanding where you went wrong will help you to figure out how to correct yourself and not make the same mistake twice.

16. Believe in yourself. You are your own worst enemy. The only thing stopping your success is you so believe and achieve.

Hopefully my tips will help you to put your best foot forward and earn the gpa you want. Good luck. 

~Jay