I graduated recently from the University of Houston, and towards the end I sometimes felt like I was stumbling towards the finish line. That final semester was blur of arduous nights of studying, rushed mornings, and caffeine breaks in between. I balanced taking a full load of 15 credits, working an internship, staying active in my community, and making time for meetings, events, as well as the people who are important to me. While the busy schedule I maintained throughout the semester took a big toll on me physically and emotionally, looking for ways to find balance helped me not only to survive, but to thrive. The rewarding satisfaction resulting from my busy schedule quickly paid off when I saw the positive outcomes at school, work, and the events I attended. Although I was always on-the-go, I did not want to miss out on any of these opportunities and my last semester turned out to be the most rewarding semester of my undergraduate career.
For someone who is a busybody like myself, I find it a challenge to not keep moving because I am always on-the-go. In the midst of a busy schedule, I have learned the importance of finding balance and what it means to recharge. It is so easy to lose sight of what matters most at times because of our hectic schedules, making us forget to take a closer look into healthy living. Seeking creative ways to take a break from those schedules and deadlines helped refresh my drive to accomplish as much as I could before graduation day.
In a fast-paced world, relaxation could often be overlooked and mistaken for idleness when relaxation is necessary for a healthy lifestyle. We all need to recharge ourselves from time to time. Relaxation could be taking a day to rejuvenate by sleeping in, taking a nap, going for a walk, traveling, or having some quiet time.
I find that whenever I make time to relax, I can accomplish things better than working on sleep deprivation and exhaustion. If one is not able to focus, it is best to return to the task after taking a short break while doing something that is therapeutic. Productivity is very important in achieving successful results, but cannot happen when one’s stress radar is ragingly high. Therefore, finding and maintaining balance in life is an absolute necessity. How do you find a balance between work, school, and fun?
I cannot believe I am a college graduate! I am a completely different person than I was when I first started college. College has changed me and given me experiences that have shaped me into who I am. If I could go back, I would tell my freshman self these tips:
Don’t be scared to take risks. Talk to people you don’t know. Join clubs, even if you’re nervous or shy.
Nobody cares. Nobody cares what you look like, if you don’t wear makeup today, if you don’t have your life together. Everybody is in the same boat and we’re all just trying to get through the day.
Take care of yourself – mentally and physically. Do things you love to relieve stress and keep yourself happy. The Freshman 15 is real – exercise and get outside. Make time to read books and have a picnic or relax at a park. Treat yourself from time to time.
It’s okay to not have your entire life figured out. I would always stress about not having every aspect of my life planned. Which graduate school should I go to? Where was I going to work after graduate school? When would I fit in marriage and a family? It will all work out, I promise.
Things change and so will your plans. I always had a specific plan for my life: undergraduate, graduate school, marry my long-term boyfriend, become a clinical psychologist. However, when I realized I didn’t want to get my Ph.D., or when I broke up with my long-term boyfriend, my plans changed, and that was okay. It worked out in a better way. Even though my plans are totally different from what I thought would happen when I was a freshman, I’m so happy with the direction my life is heading.
It’s okay to say no. It’s okay to say no to hanging out with someone or going out. It’s okay to not want to drink or do things you’re uncomfortable with.
Study abroad if you get the opportunity. I had plenty of opportunitiesto study abroad and I finally did during my last semester of college, and it made me wish I had done it sooner. I got to go to London and I made some seriously amazing friends in the process.
Take advantage of the amenities your school offers. I mean it. With only a few weeks left of school, I looked back and wished I had taken advantage of my school’s amenities. I wish I could continue using the gym for free. My gym had a rock-climbing wall and I am now realizing I have never used it. I wish I had taken more of the free classes at the rec center. My rec center (and so do many other universities) also offered cheap “outdoor adventures.” For example, my school offered a trip to the Grand Canyon for a week for only $200 and it included transportation there and back. Why did I find out about this only weeks before I graduated?
Be nice to everyone. I mean everyone. This includes professors, students, classmates, co-workers, or even your Starbucks barista. There is always the potential to network with others, whether you’re aware of it or not. It’s a small world, and you never know who knows who. In a few years when you are looking for job opportunities or graduate school options, these connections can help you get the position you want.
Never wish it away. I can’t count the times I wished I wasn’t in school or wished for the semester to just hurry up and end. I can’t count the number of times I have wished that graduation would hurry up and get here. Now that I’ve graduated, I wish I could go back.
So, freshmen, sophomores, or even juniors – please take my advice! I wish someone would have told me these ten things before I graduated, and now I hope to help you and other students! Don’t look back at your college years with regret! Look for opportunities and experiences while you’re seeking your higher education!
Simply coming to college is a tremendous milestone in the life of a student. College provides a platform for a student to build a career upon, whether it be for academic learning, socializing, or networking. No matter if your college is large or small, there are resources and people ready to support you in order to help you accomplish all that you can for your career. Campus engagement is vital to success beyond the classroom and achieving your career goals. Joining clubs, attending events, and going to office hours are some of my favorite ways to engage with my campus.
Relaxing is an underrated and important aspect for a healthy life. The daily functions of a college student requires high energy exertion which, as we all know, becomes draining after some time. Without taking the time to unwind and ease the mind that is racing two-hundred miles per hour, that drained energy never gets a chance to recharge and can result in stress-related issues. That is why I am here to remind you of simple things you can do daily to relax the mind and body. I promise once you start prioritizing relaxation, things will start to fall into place.
Never underestimate the power of a bath. All you need is warm running water and some peace and quiet. Warm baths are proven to release tension in tight muscles and put the brain into relaxation mode, like a mini vacay for the mind. You can even add aromatherapy bath salts and baking soda to the bath to pull out toxins and add a more calming effect.
Aromatherapy is natural, simple, and probably the greatest concept ever invented, in my opinion! Essential oils are all you need. For relaxation I recommend lavender. You can put these oils on the skin, wrist, temples, back of neck, or you can put them in an essential oil diffuser. Inexpensive and a great investment, diffusers allow the air to be filled with the essential oil smell.
Just as a warm bath can release muscle tension, heat wraps can do wonders for the body. A heat wrap just needs to be warmed in the microwave between two to four minutes and then placed on the body in areas that are tense, sore, or in pain.
“A good book a day and the relaxation stays,” is a motto I live by! Reading allows the mind to drift off into the story and away from the everyday to do list, worries, or questions that are bouncing around in an individual’s head, keeping a cluttered mind. Reading lets the mind wander into the literature, relieving real-world pressure for a moment.
Write things out in a journal! It’s a great way to release emotions, thoughts, frustrations, and tension. Writing things down creates an open space for relaxation through expression. Try it – I promise you will not regret it.
A good night’s sleep means the world to your mind and body. It gives you time to relax your muscles, breathe deeply, and recharge. If you are not getting at least eight hours of sleep per day then you are depriving your body of one of its main functions. Sleep as much as your body needs to feel ready to go the next morning.
The next time you feel like the world is weighing you down too much, take a moment for yourself and relax. Listen to your mind and body, it will tell you when the actions above need to take place. Relaxation is an easy task to accomplish, and you will enjoy doing so. As a student, it’s inevitable to get stressed at times, which makes it more important to spare a few moments in your day to relax!
What is your favorite method to relax? Retweet my blog and share your relaxation tips with the Pearson Students community!
My proudest college achievement was my contribution to President Obama’s Heads Up America campaign to provide free education for community college students. I first got involved through my school, LaGuardia Community College in New York City. The school’s publication team asked me to send a short video speaking about why students should have free education. Students from other colleges were submitting videos as well. From those submissions President Obama would choose the face of the campaign along with who would be cast in the PSA video they needed to make.
How lucky was I to be chosen out of multiple students to join both of those initiatives? I was so excited about this opportunity because I believe education should be treated as a right, since more low income families are making an effort to gain a college education. Once I was given the details about rehearsals and where the set would be, I was excited for this new adventure. At the time, I didn’t realize how much this opportunity would change the course of my life moving forward.
On the day of filming, I was introduced to everyone on the team and given my script to memorize for the PSA. I sat there for a few hours mingling with other actors and memorizing my lines at the same time. During that experience, I felt uneasy and nervous because I knew the importance of the work I was doing and that I needed to perform it as planned. As my scheduled time to film crept closer, I realized a lot of prominent actors and figures were included in this campaign including Louis C.K., Chris Rock, Dr. Jill Biden, and even the President! After seeing that list, I was expecting my anxiousness to get worse, but instead it calmed me down! It allowed me to have an objective view. The filming team was impressed by my natural and professional presentation and some of the actors complimented and encouraged me to go into comedy and acting in the future.
During my freshman year of college, I made many new friends, and with that came birthday celebrations. A few of my friends talked about their annual traditions which usually included their families. While my July birthday allowed me to be at home to celebrate, I realized that friends with birthdays occurring during the school year would have a very different experience without their families nearby. A birthday should be a happy occasion, not a day to feel homesick because you are away from home for the first time. So whenever I can, I make it my job to ensure my friends have the best day ever.
My roommate Julia and I instantly became best friends, and having a whole semester spent together I felt pretty confident about what to do for her when her birthday came around in February. A few days prior to her birthday, I picked up a card and a few of her favorite snacks. I woke up early and wrote a sweet note in the card and placed in on her desk so she would see it when she woke up – alongside her favorite snacks! A gesture like this goes a long way. It shows that you care about your friends and that you listen and pay attention to the small things they share with you.
Later that day, I coordinated with another one of Julia’s friends to decorate our room while Julia and I were in class. This unexpected act caught her by surprise when she was least expecting it. That was a moment she and I will never forget. Later, I organized a small group of her closest friends to go out to a fun restaurant to continue the celebration. We took a lot of pictures that we can cherish and remember the day forever. Julia spent her birthday feeling happy and celebrating with friends instead of missing her family.
Although it was not my birthday, it was my duty as her friend to make it unforgettable and as special as possible for her first birthday away from home.
How do you celebrate your birthday away from home? Share your experiences when you retweet my blog!
Generation Y. Millennials. Today’s youth. Regardless of what you label the young adults now entering the workforce, it’s worth considering how they will contribute to a greater purpose. To that end, perhaps we should be encouraging students to explore and ask “why?” more often. It may be time for Generation Y to become Generation “Why” for the good of their future employability.
Many inspirational innovators ask “why?” with intentionality. Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson may have asked why he couldn’t advance science as both a researcher and public communicator; Chance the Rapper may have questioned why a champion for independent music production did not yet exist; Oprah Winfrey may have once wondered why the highest-rated talk show in the history of American television was not yet her own. These are real, outstanding people. And they are a few of the most highly employable individuals on this earth.
Employability has previously been defined by Professors Peter Knight and Mantz Yorke as “a set of achievements, understandings and personal attributes that make individuals more likely to gain employment and to be successful in their chosen occupations.” I further define employability as “one’s capacity to create value for others.” Note that while today’s innovators are clearly employable, this is often a result of their primary efforts to create value for others. And while the creative process lacks a universal set of steps, I have found three actions to be most crucial to creating for and serving others. Neil, Chance, and Oprah have done each of them, countless times over.
Exploration
We all have creativity, but express it to differing extents based on our priorities and willingness to take risks.Consider exploring more than one passion, skill, or academic subject. Become invested in a cause much bigger than yourself – perhaps more so than you already are. Discover what hasn’t been done before, and then ask “why?”
“Creativity – having original ideas of value – is the product of intersection of varying interests.” – Sir Ken Robinson, Do Schools Kill Creativity?
I explore via biomedical research. I make myself more valuable by understanding how nanotechnology and optics can intersect to improve handheld diagnostic technologies. Through national academic conferences – such as the Beckman Symposium, Biomedical Engineering Society, and even the National Conference on Race and Social Equity – I have traveled far from home to share content and develop valuable connections. You can explore by expanding your social network, joining student organizations, and learning about a topic to a greater depth that you may be expected. Tie into employability through creating value for others. The depth of understanding and personal connections that come from exploration are valuable to others; they make you all the more employable.
Self-Management
We all have creativity, but it takes time to make the most of your imagination. It is difficult to manage your time and energy well enough to transform creativity into action. Consider setting aside time every week for self-reflection to have some consistency during your journey. Look at your goals as projects that you manage. Contemplate what has been stopping you, and then ask “why?”
“We need more people who ask new questions and find new answers, think critically and creatively, innovate and take initiative, and know how to learn on the job, under their own steam.” – Peter Gray, The Play Deficit
My introduction to self-management came from designing my own engineering curriculum. As a researcher, I aim to create value by developing point-of-care diagnostic technologies that account for both engineering and human factors constraints. Interdisciplinary engineering satisfies my dual interest in high-level biomedical and systems engineering, such that I will understand physiology, bioresponse, biomaterials, bioinstrumentation, nanotechnology, and human factors at a high level upon graduation. You can improve your self-management by starting a Google Calendar, being judicious with involvement, and better preparing for your most important commitments. Through self-management, you can begin to market yourself to create value in the area of your choosing; it makes you all the more employable.
Collaboration
We all have creativity, but too often keep it to ourselves instead of working together with our peers. Learning is not a winner-take-all endeavor, though. Rather, education is an opportunity for collaboration; with more input comes more solutions.Consider who would most benefit from your support. While leading a team to pursue your ideas is an exciting challenge, at times you may be more valuable as someone’s first follower. Think about bright ideas or friends who don’t yet have a first follower, and then ask “why?”
“The first follower is actually an underestimated form of leadership in itself. It takes guts to stand out like that. The first follower is what transforms a lone nut into a leader.” – Derek Sivers, How to Start a Movement
I have enjoyed working with fellow students to develop an Academic Affairs Commission within Texas A&M student government. While I may have succeeded in improving peer mentorship and student feedback on my own, I’ve found the support of an Executive Team to be critical in promoting change. In similar veins, I’ve collaborated with peers to start a podcast, begin an educational technology startup, and teach underserved youth in my hometown community how to play tennis. You can further collaborate by organizing a project/event with friends, bringing your connections together for a bigger cause, or being someone else’s first follower. Great leaders can act as trusted followers. Use yourgenerosity and support to empower others. All things considered, the practice of collaboration will result in valuable friendships and a background in group project work; it makes you all the more employable.
I seek out those who create value. I visit with friends, family, and mentors. I attend concerts, stream movies, and enjoy comedy. I learn from professors, connect with fellow lab researchers, and seek out the multitude of resources available in my large university community. Our future will be shaped by the passionate leaders in industry, research, non-profit and entrepreneurial communities who create value in their own, unique ways. Regardless of where your past has taken you or what your future holds, I believe that seeking out exploration, self-management, and collaboration will encourage you to stand out and create value. I hope that my Generation Y peers build themselves up to employ their strengths for the betterment of our future. There’s a whole world out there. Dream big, Generation “Why”.
Socialization is a significant element in campus life. It’s important to question, however, if there should be a limit to what extent we socialize? Socialization can be a powerful tool, it opens tremendous opportunities for you. You may find yourself establishing new friendships or becoming a leader on campus. However, it’s important that you manage it, to ensure maximum success and happiness. If you make socialization a priority over your academics, you might find yourself in a crisis. Therefore, I want to share with you three things that can help you maximize the benefits of your campus social life.
Participating in an extracurricular activity is a way to connect yourself with other like minded individuals. The campus population is formed from a variety of different groups such as students, professors, staff members, guests, and community members. How you connect with them is very important, but it’s essential to stay true to your beliefs. You can meet unique and diverse individuals, no matter what your passion is. There are organizations centered on religion, activities, politics, ethnicity, and special talents.
Your academics should set priority. Earning your degree is the top goal of being in college. To do this, you need to have time management skills. Plan for each activity you want to participate in and make sure you don’t overload yourself. Know what time works best for you to attend classes and what time works for studying. The time you have leftover can be used to spend with friends and socializing. This ensures balance and won’t create a strain on your academic goals or mental health.
Where you choose to socialize is important. Some students socialize in their residential area while some students enjoy going off-campus, such as in a nightclub. Keep in mind that not everywhere is safe and rewarding. I personally prefer to meet people in my clubs and organizations because it guarantees that we have something in common to talk about.
Socializing is an important aspect to college. You make friends with roommates and classmates. Just remember three things when it comes to your social life: academics are a priority, your place of socialization should be considered, and check out special interest clubs on campus to meet new people.
How do you socialize in college? Please share when you retweet this blog!
College students can take advantage of a variety of extracurricular activities to enhance life outside the classroom. Participation in clubs and organizations allows you to meet and network with others. It can also play a key role in your college experience. The demands of an extracurricular active life can add pressure as you balance school, work, and life responsibilities. Keeping a few tips in mind can offer you tools to meet extra pressure and enjoy the totality of being a college student.
Prioritize
As the excitement to become involved pulls at your time, a strong time-management plan strengthens your ability to be active and still meet your other responsibilities. Set priorities to create an effective management system to optimize your experience. Some activities may conflict with study sessions or work schedules. Weighing the importance of your priorities and measuring your desire to participate can direct how to make the most of your available time. Implementing a ranking system helps you see the level of importance to you.
Reflect on your activity
Consider what you want to gain from extracurricular involvement and keep those goals in mind when you are participating in any activity. If the activity is an opportunity to socialize, use the time to engage others and offer input. If the activity is for relaxation and/or recreation, enjoy the moment so you reduce stress. If the activity’s purpose will bolster your network contacts, remain engaged and seek out the information that can help your goals.
Excel in class
Since your schedule allowed the activities to be a part of your life, the diversion from course work can alleviate stress. With a lighter frame of mind, focusing on your studies during the appointed time eases the pressure that your workload demands. Staying persistent with your time awareness and self-checks of health, diet, and sleep should pay off throughout the semester. If you keep in mind that you control your time, you can make adjustments during difficult moments.
With so many opportunities to take part in college, it can be easy to push coursework to the side. A solid time management plan is the best way to balance all areas to make the most of your experience. A plan that is adjustable allows for you to master your ability to multi-task while dedicating time to your studies. Striving to achieve balance between what you’re learning inside the classroom and what you can gain through extracurriculars will enhance your entire college experience. Get out there and join in!
How do you prioritize activities and coursework? Share when you retweet my blog!
