Month: November 2017

Global Health Initiative – Autumn 2017

I am in a student organization called Global Health Initiative, which increases awareness about health issues locally, nationally, and globally through meetings, film screenings, advocacy trainings, and other educational opportunities. We have different subcommittees, including Marketing, (Facebook and Instagram and website media) Local Volunteering (which volunteers at local organizations a few times a month like the Boys and Girls Club and with Local Matters), International Volunteering (two-week summer trips to countries like India, Guatemala, and Malawi to teach workshops and do other interactive service), Educational Outreach (raising awareness to youth in high schools) and Campus Events (professional development related, reaching out to rest of the campus community). The Co-Presidents work on executing General Body Meetings and finding speakers. All parts of Executive Board work together to make things go smoothly.

Our active organization is always accepting members, and dues are just $5!

I joined GHI during my freshman year of college, and I am glad that I did! I continue to expand my knowledge on world issues and learn how to advocate for others who do not have a voice or are unable to access resources. This club enhances or complements my major of public health. It is open to all majors: we have biology, microbiology, neuroscience, political science, anthropology, and other fields of study represented among our members! Topics covered in past sessions included food insecurity, global trade, infant mortality, and more.

Here is a timeline of the autumn semester, during which I served as Event Planning Co-Chair. There was a multitude of challenges but I am never alone in overcoming them because I have the help of my fellow executive board. During the summer, I was slowly transitioning into my role of an executive board member and constantly communicated with my other Co-Chair, who has had previous experience in the position, Jenn. Summer quickly ended and the school year began!

OSU Involvement Fair – August 20th, 2017

Global Health Initiative booth

We had many people stop by our booth! We distributed all of the 200 mini-flyers that I designed (1/4 the size of a regular sheet of paper) by 5 to 5:30 pm, and we still had an hour and a half left before the fair ended! Hundreds of students indicated interest in our organization by signing up for emails.

Prior to the Involvement Fair, the e-board members met up multiple times to discuss how to prepare for the fair. My event planning co-chair counterpart Jennifer met with me to help me matriculate to my position. I made a layout online for what I wanted the involvement fair poster to look like. Then I emailed representatives for Senator Brown, Senator Portman, and for Congresswoman Beatty to have them come for an advocacy training day in September. The day before the fair, Radhi and Sophia (the co-presidents for GHI from 2016-2017 and this year) and I gathered to create the poster together. Instead of having paragraphs of text on the poster, Sophia’s idea was to have handouts for students to read! I created the handout, with some editing from Radhi. Our poster has photos and headings on it, and the black background is meant to draw people in. I loved our set up for the fair. I had an hour-long shift and I spoke with a handful of students. I also really like having our logo on tanks!

Executive Retreat Agenda – August 26th, 2017 
From 10 am to 3 pm, the executive board members gathered to discuss plans and become closer with one another, since some e-board members were new and we had not met everyone yet. There are 12 of us, and we introduced ourselves and then went into a discussion about how to improve GHI for the year. Interestingly, all of us are women, but we would like more male representation in GHI as a whole, as well as on e-board. We broke into our committees: Event Planning, General Body Meetings, International Volunteering & Fundraising, Marketing/Social Media Planning, and Educational Outreach & Volunteering (previously High School Outreach). It was a very productive hour! We had a break for lunch, which was at Panera!

We all have some skills from the different color groups; we usually are strongest in one group.


After, we had a teambuilding workshop from Student Leadership Advocates, from the Office of Student Life. The specific workshop we participated in was called “True Colors”, by a Graduate Assistant named Elyssa! We learned about our dominant color, which reflects our personality style. When I did the True Colors Indicator, it accurately described me! (I am organized, meticulous, and methodical. I like to follow rules and have structures/routines.) This was a fun workshop where we interacted with each other and found out what the personalities of the members were! We next had a large group discussion about GHI troubleshooting. Finally, we had a short reflection on the retreat. I benefited tremendously from this because I got to know my team and we brainstormed and bounced off one another brilliant ideas. It was quite the storm in there, and the rest of the year is surely going to be as electric.

General Body Meeting #1 – September 7th, 2017

Full house at our first meeting!

Our meeting was in Enarson, in a room half the size of what we needed for our group. We had about 50 students cramped in the classroom, and we felt bad that some had to stand. Therefore, Radhi did a speedy presentation so that we could finish the meeting in 30 minutes. Radhi introduced herself as Co-President, then International Volunteering spoke, then Educational Outreach, then Event Planning, and then finally Local Volunteering. (We also have a Marketing committee.) We had people sign up to indicate interests in international trips, so we could have specific information sessions and begin fundraising for those trips.

Radhi made this Canva flyer promoting our first meeting of the school year.

Torpedo Room Comedy Night Fundraiser – September 18th, 2017 
It was a flop; only three executive board members attended and no general body members. What we learned was that since no students were committed to an international trip yet, nobody would contribute to a fundraiser. We will keep this in mind for next time! Also, the time of 9 to 10:30 pm could be an issue for people, since it was a bit late.

Representing at Health Science Scholars Service Fair

Health Science Scholars hosts an annual Service Fair, where GHI attended and talked about our service opportunities.

 Sophia, a Co-President of GHI, represented our organization at this fair. This was a great opportunity to get more people interested in what we do! Many Health Science Scholars are pre-med, pre-dental, or want to go to some kind of professional or graduate school, so GHI is a viable option for them to get involved since we offer a variety of different opportunities within our organization.

Advocacy Training – September 19th, 2017 
This was a fantastic session that many of us benefitted from. Tanisha Humphrey flew in from D.C., where our partner organization Population Connection headquarters is located, to train GHI on how to advocate for women’s reproductive rights. We first learned the background, which is the first step in advocating for an issue. You have to thoroughly understand what you are talking about and what you are fighting for! About 20 general body members came to the training, and we had pizza, subs, and chips. I learned about Trump’s Global Gag Rule and what this actually means for the rest of the world. A starting fact was that 1 in 3 women will get an abortion in her lifetime. Advocacy is a part of public health, and we need to be knowledgeable on the policy side!

During training we made photo petitions of why we #Fight4HER!

Tanisha is a great presenter and introduced us to the world of advocacy!

 

General Body Meeting #2 – September 21st, 2017
We brought in Sarah Perry, former GHI co-president and current second-year Masters in Public Health student. She presented an overview of OSU’s Master’s of Public Health Programs and careers in Public Health. She was a Bio major until junior year when she switched to Public Affairs. She remained pre-med all the way but then realized it was not her path; she then applied for an MPH-Epidemiology Specialization. Everyone enjoyed her speaking and answering questions. It was such a natural and poised presentation. Plenty of students asked questions about how to make the best of college, such as when to look for research work and what would make them stand out for future program admissions.

We are thankful to have Sarah Perry give back to GHI.

 

A good attendance at our second meeting

 Civil Engagement Banquet – October 3rd, 2017
OSU has an annual banquet honoring those who are dedicated to social change and civic engagement. The Office of Student Life’s Social Change recognizes those in our community making great changes and impacts in civic engagement and service. Awards are named after notable philanthropists and are given to individuals embodying that service to others.

Sophia,  Jennifer and I attended the fourth annual banquet to accept the John Lewis Award on behalf of GHI.

 

GHI executives posing with Ashley L. Pryor, Interim Director of the Department of Social Change, http://socialchange.osu.edu/people/ashley-l-pryor/

A GHI co-president with the two event planning co-chairs on each side of her!

General Body Meeting #3 – October 5th, 2017
 Alex Sauersmith, planner for CelebrateOne, giving an overview of the infant mortality rate in Columbus, CelebrateOne‘s work, and internship opportunities to get involved with. Read here for more information on CelebrateOne. A major cause of infant mortality is not following Safe Sleep procedures: ABC (A – Alone, without stuffed animals and blankets, B – Baby sleeping on back, C – Sleep in crib). Other causes include being born prematurely or born too small, being exposed to tobacco and other drugs during mother’s pregnancy, and health inequities. There is a racial disparity among infant health; black babies are 2.5 times more likely to die than white babies. There is a task force dedicated to addressing this issue in Columbus. Infant mortality varies greatly based on zip code, so we have to address the conditions of specific neighborhoods to ensure that all babies can survive!

Every baby should be able to live past their first birthday.

 

Smart Cookie Study Session – October 9th, 2017
GHI brought Insomnia Cookies for our members (and the general public) to munch on while preparing for midterms. Our session lasted from seven to 11 p.m., and people could come and go. We had over 20 people stop by! 

My poster for our study table session!

General Body Meeting #4 – October 19th, 2017
Sarah Inskeep, Regional Field Planner for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, provided an overview of Planned Parenthood and their work. They are fighting for universal access to safe, affordable reproductive health care. Women’s right to have birth control and quality care is threatened constantly by legislation. This is an issue that has long been debated and continues to receive national attention.

Read here for more information on Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio

Photo from democraticvoices.com


Major Event: Pre-Professional 101 – October 22nd, 2017

A flyer we put on the Ohio Union TV screens.

Great turnout!


Pre-Professional 101 was our major event for the autumn semester (and just the second year that we have had this)! Since this was the first time that I was involved in organizing such a large-scale event, I was anxious throughout the several month process, but it was not too overwhelming. I had support from Jenn and from my peers. Pre-Professional 101 was a casual networking event with upperclassmen and graduate students from different tracks sharing their knowledge and experiences with younger students. We had close to 20 representatives available to describe how they evolved and found their paths from freshman year to their junior and senior years. One pre-law student also shared how she formatted her resume.

Our most popular tables were, not to my surprise, pre-medicine and nursing.

A successful event usually takes months to prepare, such as this one!

A pre-law student (right) discussed building a resume with a GHI member (left) and a GHI executive board member Mackenzie (middle). A resume speaks volumes about your work and what you can potentially bring to the table.


I was proud of myself for the efforts I put into making this event happen, and for speaking at the front of the room in front of so many of my peers. I printed out a script to guide me on what to say: “Thank you all for coming. My name is Melinda and I am Event Planning Co-Chair for Global Health Initiative, a student org at Ohio State.” Then I explained what GHI was to those who were unfamiliar with the organization, and reminded people to mingle and treat themselves to the food and refreshments in the back of the room. This event will return every year to provide students with advice and perspectives of people who were in their shoes before!

No Options – Voices from the Frontline – October 26th, 2017

The Facebook event ad for the event


This spectacular meeting was made possible by the collaboration of Global Health Initiative and Population Connection. We hosted the speakers in Hale Hall, and provided pizza, salad, and breadsticks. (In the future, I hope to bring more healthy options for dinner.)  Family Health Options Kenya Director of Clinical Services Amos Simpano, Kibera Clinic Director Melvine Ouyo, and human rights activist and award-winning author Lisa Shannon came to discuss how the Global Gag Rule is harming millions of women. They shared their stories from the frontlines of reproductive healthcare in Kenya, Congo and Somalia.

Senator Portman needs to get on board with us. We will lobby at Capitol Hill every spring until he supports our side.

Thank you to the three speakers who made time to speak and share their experiences!

 

Another round of good attendance at one of our events.

https://www.thelantern.com/2017/10/it-is-a-death-warrant-kenyan-health-experts-cross-an-ocean-to-talk-trump-administrations-gag-rule/
This event was featured in an article by The Lantern

General Body Meeting #5 – November 2nd, 2017

Photo from wagingnonviolence.org. Women are told “Don’t Get Raped” by making sure we do not wear clothing that is too revealing, or drink too much, or go out alone to parties. There are precautions that we take like watching our drinks. Many times, rape victims are blamed and even shamed, being told that they are just seeking attention. Instead, people should be told to not rape. Another frustrating point of the issue is that when perpetrators are found out, they don’t get as harsh sentences as they deserve. The offenders get excuses such as “He had a promising career.”


We had a fantastic presentation from Jill Davis of Ohio Health’s Sexual Assault Response Network of Central Ohio (SARNCO). She spoke on sexual violence, its incidence, prevalence, and types. I gained greater clarity on this issue; this is so important on college campuses, where there’s greater opportunities for sexual violence to occur. Jill presents about this topic to fraternities and sororities, student organizations, and other areas.

Jill was a marvelous presenter! She showed a video about a man (whose face was not revealed) who is pre-law and revealed in an interview how he “staked out “freshman girls on campus with his friends and “targeted” the pretty ones, “grooming” them over the week until they trusted him to go to a party on the weekend. The drinks served at the party had alcohol put in; the man claimed that the “smart girls” knew there was alcohol in there. Rape culture is so pervasive that many men who do commit this offense do not consider it as rape! The entire presentation was extremely effective; she was prepared with handouts and promotional items to distribute to our group.

See this website for more information on SARNCO.
https://www.ohiohealth.com/services/neuroscience/our-programs/behavioral-and-mental-health/sarnco/

Reproductive Health: Policy & Practice – Global Health Initiative and Scholars Strategy Network Collaborative Event – November 9th, 2017
We collaborated with Scholars Strategy Network, or SSN; Sarah Perry, OSU alumna and former GHI President is a part of SSN. She was responsible for this event that brings together policy and public health. In the state of Ohio, reproductive health policy is often at odds with best practices in clinics and hospitals. Students of medicine and law discussed how current law affects our access to a full range of reproductive health services and how clinicians navigate state-mandated restrictions while caring for patients. How does policy shape practice – and how can practitioners and researchers effect policy change? A networking happy hour was held after the event, where heavy hors d’oeuvres were served. Attire was business casual. We had over 30 people attend, and I learned more new pieces of information! 

Tierra Prometida: “Breaking the Cycle of Poverty”  – November 9th, 2017 

Ohio Union – Cartoon Room 2, 8:30 to 10:30 pm
Project Nicaragua, a nonprofit student organization at OSU, works to alleviate poverty in a small impoverished community in Nicaragua, which is the second poorest area in the Western Hemisphere, with the first being Haiti. This showcase event was about how to break the cycle of poverty both locally and internationally. Project Nicaragua presented their documentary, which they filmed in the rural town of Rancho Grande, Nicaragua, where they have been developing rapport and relationships for several years. A few other student organizations gave presentations: Encompass, Global Health Initiative, and Operative Smile. A guest speaker, Dr. Abdoul Sam, who is also a faculty member at OSU, spoke about his efforts in applied economics when it comes to agriculture and resources.

Tierra Prometida means the Promised Land in Spanish.

 Sophia, one of GHI’s Co-presidents, and I presented for about 10 minutes on current public health initiatives in Columbus. We discussed what issues Columbus Public Health is addressing around Central Ohio, including alcohol and drug abuse (the opioid crisis, for instance), infant mortality, and food insecurity. I enjoyed working with her to create a PowerPoint to convey this information. During the process I learned more about what was actually going on in Columbus, so this made me more aware of the existing programs and resources that are available and often, extremely affordable! It was an honor to be able to speak along with Sophia at this event. The documentary was eye-opening and allowed me to see what Nicaragua looked like (I had no idea at all.) I am fortunate to have been able to hear my peers speak about their contributions to society! I have trouble with public speaking, and tend to forget what I want to say or stumble over my words when doing so, but practice will perfect my speaking. 

General Body Meeting #6- November 16th, 2017

Our last General Body Meeting for this semester, we brought in Sarah Wharmby, Volunteer & Operations Manager for Local Matters, a non-profit that works to create healthy communities through food education, access and advocacy. They partner with healthcare providers to offer healthful food education and complement existing programs treating chronic diseases. They teach cooking classes and gardening to anyone in the community! Programs vary and serve ages from pre-school children to adults. The organization’s goals include addressing food insecurity and food waste.

Photo from NBC4 team building a garden with Local Matters

GHI Executive Board – Friendsgiving – 11/20/2017
Most of the executive board members gathered for a special dinner to celebrate the semester and bond over good food. We all contributed dishes or utensils or beverages; we had stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans cooked with olive oil and thyme, pasta, and salad! I got apple juice since that is more of a seasonal drink. We then had a good time talking. I am so grateful to be in a group with strong, independent women who are all thriving and inspiring me. One of us has already been accepted to medical school!

GHI had a private potluck!

Study Tables – December 3rd, 2017
We had another study tables session before finals week. We had a smaller crowd at this event but it was still a productive time.

Study tables/sessions can help encourage people to get work done! I made this flyer.

Next Semester:

In March, we will hold our annual event Research Mix & Mingle (which was in fall of last year), at the Biomedical Research Tower over on OSU’s medical campus. This is usually a three-hour long event, involving a dozen distinguished faculty members who want to share their research with students. The event begins with some light food. A member of GHI’s executive board, typically a co-president, will give a brief presentation to begin the program. People listen to brief explanations about the faculty’s research. The faculty members are stationed around the room, and the students move around to who they want to converse with. The research represented comes from various disciplines including public health, biology, entomology, epidemiology, biomedical engineering, neuroscience, and sociology.

Research during your undergraduate is an enriching experience. It does not have to be in a lab – there’s research done using interviews, focus groups, and other methods. Research is not always science-heavy; any field, even social sciences, can involve research.


I attended this mix and mingle myself during my freshman year and it has provided me insight into networking and how to find research opportunities. Students are required to RSVP and wear business casual. Prior to the Research Mix & Mingle, GHI also holds a preparation event. We bring in career services representatives who offer their tips for resume writing and review so that students can effectively display their talents on paper.

In addition to our Research Mix & Mingle in March, we will have General Body Meetings on WEDNESDAYS from 7 to 8 pm for Spring 2018 semester! We also plan to host an Alumni Night (AlumNight) to connect with the people who were in charge of GHI in previous years. This will most likely be a conference call/Skype session. Some of the former Co-presidents are now medical students or Ph.D. students. One is currently attending medical school at Brown University.
GHI’s volunteering is going well; we traveled to the Boys and Girls Club to teach them about the flu and flu vaccine and hand-washing techniques. We also prepared gardens with Local Matters to prepare for the winter season. With the Sierra Club, we worked with honeysuckle and planting trees. Additionally, we made and distributed meals and hygiene supplies to people experiencing homelessness with Crosswalk Outreach to the Homeless.

Please return back to my e-portfolio next semester to stay updated on what GHI does next!

CONNECT WITH US
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/globalhealthosu/
Instagram: @osuglobalhealthinitiative
Website: http://globalhealthosu.wixsite.com/globalhealth
Lyft Code: OSUGHI
For new users – get $5 your first 10 rides for each ride!

  • All funds will go to GHI‘s international trips!

Email: osuglobalhealth@gmail.com

 

 

Sophomore Slump

Many people are aware of the Freshman 15. Not as many people have heard about the phenomenon called the Sophomore Slump. I myself was unsure what this phrase meant at first, but the first few days of my second year of college made me cognizant of how real and troublesome the slump can be!

Lemons and Richmond (1987) define sophomore slump as a “period of developmental confusion” and hypothesize that “sophomore slump results from student’s struggles with achieving competence, desiring autonomy, establishing identity, and developing purpose.”

A typical college student can suffer from sleep deprivation, stress, and more.

Freshman year at OSU was a struggle and emotional roller coaster for me; luckily I barely put on weight! I always teeter around the same number, and am just a few pounds heavier today. But I began to carry a metaphorical weight , and this manifested more as college went on. In August 2017, this invisible load surged.

Already, I have witnessed a dramatic dichotomy from freshman year to this sophomore year. I had to withdraw from a few commitments (volunteering at the James Cancer Hospital and my involvement in Mirrors Sophomore Class Honorary). I had to refocus what I wanted to get out of college and what I could realistically carry on my plate. My previous schedule entailed doing an extracurricular activity after classes each day of the week! It seemed impressive but it was going to drain me more than fill me.

Being on the executive board for two organizations is more than enough to handle, and I truly love both the organizations I am in. Less is more! It’s something that I have to remind myself. I do not have to do EVERYTHING. I just need to do a few things with great impact instead of many things with tiny influence. Other challenges of the Sophomore Slump include harder classes. Mine require much reading and preparation, especially my Chinese 1103 class (it’s my last semester of Chinese though, thankfully).

Things can escalate quickly, and I was already on the fast track to getting burned out within the first weeks of autumn semester. Multiple times during a week (or even a day) I would ask myself why I was here at Ohio State. How can I possibly keep going on? Some symptoms of a Sophomore Slump include questioning one’s decision to go to college or continue with their studies, questioning major or career choices, thinking about graduate school and if that’s an option or not, and more.

Something that I want to address to my readers and the greater OSU community is that taking a step back to evaluate mental health should be encouraged. There are a multitude of factors contributing to my stress: being a first-generation college student, a female, a racial minority, learning a foreign language, family tensions, climate change, and the state of the world potentially being in shambles, etc. Other pressing concerns include graduate school in the near future, learning how to drive a car eventually, and finding an apartment for junior year. While people may assume that I have it all going for me, nobody’s life is perfect. Sometimes I would feel unsatisfied and feel like I was not doing enough to be successful.

I struggled with my issues alone for a long period of time, but did open up to friends about my problems. It may be even more helpful and liberating to speak with a counselor about it. I bravely made the phone call to Counseling & Consultation Service, and then was called to do an over-the-phone assessment. Afterwards, I was invited to come in for a in-person session.

Based on my experiences, I want to share how to help yourself and others to be well in various aspects of life.

TIPS & TRICKS

STRESS MANAGEMENT
At least one day a week do something fun that you have never done before!

  1. Embark on Columbus Adventures – Make a plan to go to a new Columbus attraction at least once or twice a week or month. Escape from the books and explore off-campus! With your BuckID, we can take COTA buses anywhere for free! There’s:
    – Columbus Zoo ($8 if you pre-pay by going to the Discount Tickets, also known as D-Tix, station in the Union)
    – Franklin Park Conservatory ($5 with D-Tix) – gardens and constantly changing exhibits
    – Short North (tiny shops, restaurants, art galleries) – a short COTA ride towards downtown
    – Bunch of niche neighborhoods like German Village, Victorian Village, and Italian Village
    German Village has The Book Loft, which is a bookstore with over 30 different themed rooms!
    – COSI ($8, D-Tix)
    – North Market – market plaza area with dozens of merchants selling spices, meats, ice cream, desserts, and variety of authentic ethnic foods, and more. Great for getting ingredients for cooking and household ware
    – University District
    – Clintonville
    – Grandview
    – Lucky’s Market
    – Trader Joe’s
    -Shopping malls and plazas including: Lennox Town Center (less than a mile from campus), Polaris Fashion Place, Tuttle Mall, and Easton Town Center. At a plaza called Carriage Park Place, there’s a pet store called Pet Land with dogs, puppies, cats, kittens, reptiles, mice, gerbils, guinea pigs. You are able to play with them.
    For more ways to explore Columbus: https://visit.osu.edu/experience/

    At the Franklin Park Conservatory, one of my favorite exhibits includes a koi garden and waterfall, with butterflies fluttering around the room.

  2. Participate in OUAB events
    Since student tuition and fees go into supporting this magnificent program, check out the Ohio Union Activities Board! Also follow up on their social media updates because they constantly bring new exciting events and speakers to campus! Last spring, OUAB brought in The Big Brain Theory’s Mayim Bialik (she plays Amy Farrah Fowler, Sheldon’s girlfriend). I got to see her for FREE with my BuckID and hear her story about becoming a star and her views on life. OUAB also puts on the giant Welcome Week Concert each fall, as well as a Big Spring Concert. I saw Kesha and Zedd concerts. Furthermore, there’s showings of movies for free too.
    http://ouab.osu.edu/
  3. Artistic and/or Creative Expression
    Paint, draw, sketch, sculpt, color, sing, play an instrument, or knit! Play with LEGOs, design an invention, create a mix tape, photograph things, experiment! If you don’t do it for yourself, you can give your finished product to someone else. My Health Sciences Scholars program held a Canvas Painting Night in February of this year. In front of me was a blank white canvas and I was unsure of what to paint. I decided to paint flowers in front of a soothing background, so I layered on coats of a light turquoise. Next I drew dark brown branches of a tree, then red dots, dark pink dots, light pink ones, and teeny white dots to form cherry blossom buds blooming! That one hour of painting goes by quickly; I had a great time and talked to people. Others loved how my painting turned out and so did I! Stop by a crafts store to pick up some supplies.

    My painting was inspired by cherry blossoms, which are so beautiful and appear after winter.

    Another recommendation is that if you aren’t keen or skilled at doing art, you can admire it at Wexner Center for the Arts or museums elsewhere. This was at the Fall Student Party 9/22/2017.

  4. Counseling & Consultation Services
    The workshops and times changes each semester but they range from art therapy to yoga and even a stress management workshop! I dropped into one of their Art Therapy sessions and I colored a mandala. It is a safe space. https://ccs.osu.edu/drop-in-workshops/
    Also, they have individual counseling in addition to group counseling and couple’s counseling.
    Please do not hesitate to check it out. There is a quote/metaphor that you can’t pour out of an empty cup, and I interpret that as meaning if you are drained and tired and hurting, your productivity is limited and you cannot achieve your full potential.

    Your health and happiness matter the most.

  5. Good Food
    Comforting options like fries, burgers, pasta, and chicken tenders seem like the best option for you when you are feeling down, but reach for the salads and fruit cups instead. They are better in the long run. Yogurt also helps with digestive health! (But everything in moderation, as the saying goes! Treat yourself to decadent, savory foods on special occasions).
    My recommendations: Berry Blendz, Pita Pit, Bibibop, Chipotle, Panera
    *Make-your-own-salad bars in campus dining locations let you personalize your salad!
  6. Music
    Having a playlist with songs that get you upbeat can help brighten your day. My main playlist is called “My Jams”. Singing along to songs and just losing yourself in the music will temporarily erase problems.
  7. Self Care
    This varies by individual, so the things that make YOU happy. Find your niche, your passion.
    Have some time set aside for “me time” where you can do whatever strikes your fancy. This time can be spent catching up on TV shows. Comedies bring me into a better mood!
    My TV show recommendations: Gravity Falls, Parks & Recreation, Grimm, Glee, etc.

    Watch on Hulu!

  8. Serve the community
    If you immerse yourself into serving others and thinking about how to make a difference in their lives, there are many places to get started:
    Community center
    Hospital
    Church
    Library
    Day care center
    Public school
    Halfway house
    Rehabilitation center
    Community theater
    Historical restoration
    Alderman’s office
    Retirement home
    Art gallery
    Youth organization
    Food bank or soup kitchen
    Neighborhood adoption or cleanup programs
    Boys and girls club
    Animal shelter
    Sports team
    After-school program
    Park

Credit: Caitlin Weber (caitlinweber.org)

This may seem like a generic, cliché list of advice. But these are simple, basic steps, and they’re repeated across different sources because there’s proof that they work. You do not have to try ALL of them. It can be one at a time.

KEYS TO ACADEMIC SUCCESS

  • Attend class, on time (early, if possible).
    This should be a no-brainer. Professors describe and explain concepts in class and give information that may not be found in the book or on their class pages. Some instructors write on the board or expand from the skeletal outlines on their PowerPoints. Attendance is as important as breathing air. Sometimes you get points for just showing up. My friends have said that for labs, even if you are a few minutes tardy, you will be asked to not come into the lab. Plus, if you get to class early, you get better seating, and possibly one by an outlet.
  • Pay attention in class.

    No social media page surfing while class is in session. It’s a habit to kick! I have seen so many peers do this, and I myself am guilty of doing this from time to time. Just exit out of those tabs; you can live without them for a class period. Also, it is frustrating when other students are having a conversation in class and their whispering is still pretty loud so that others can hear everything. Teachers will call them out on this, which may occur during or after class. Be courteous to everyone; someone is paying for your education, whether you are a scholarship recipient, footing the bills yourself, your parents are financially supporting you, or the government is loaning you money! Sometimes professors slip out “Know this for the test”, so keep eyes and ears focused on the instructor.
  • Do the readings for class.
    Even skimming, with special attention to the introduction, headers, and bolded/underlined/italicized terms, and conclusions, will suffice. Sometimes there will be 60+ pages of articles to read, for just ONE class! Be smart about reading. Work smart, not hard.
  • Sleep.
    I once had a friend tell me they did not need sleep. That is ridiculous to me. In college, I have had to learn to be content with 6 to 7 hours of sleep a night, but there were a few periods where some nights, I’d only get 4. Sleep deprivation should not be a common experience. Sleep is truly so wonderful, and nobody should miss out on it.
  • Do not cram. That almost always means failure.
    Information does not retain well this way; study incrementally. For instance, if you know you have a test in two weeks, divide the chapters up so that you can read them all for the exam, allowing yourself a few days of review. One of my high school teachers told me to not study at all the day before the test! (However, I study so frequently, leading right up to the test time.)
  • Write down all deadlines.

    This is what my planner looks like!

    I write all of mine into a planner at the beginning of the year by looking at all my syllabi in detail. I put down my exam dates, paper deadlines, and times to go to office hours. (Back up this academic planner onto a cloud service like Google Calendar).

  • Do the work – YOUR work, and nobody else’s!
    Do not even attempt to cheat because most times, if not always, you will be caught. It is not worth jeopardizing your academic future.
  • Attend Office Hours once in a while.
    You can ask professors how they became interested in their fields and about their experiences. Go over your project or paper ideas with them.
  • Expand your network.
    There’s career fairs and different professional events. Colleges at OSU bring their alumni back to talk about their frontline experiences and how they’ve grown. Get to know them and see what they can offer you in terms of mentorship and guidance!

    I talked to senior students about what made them pursue Occupational Therapy and physical therapy.

  • Get to know classmates.
    Share notes, do study groups. They are your peers and you find out that you have more in common than you think. I have met people from across the country and with ancestors from countries I had only heard of a few times in my life. The friendships I make at OSU are my favorite part of being in college.
  • Do some Informational Interviews.
    Try to do this at least once or twice a semester. Ask upperclassmen and graduate students to help you figure out if you want to be somewhat like them when you are older. You’ll learn their perspectives and they usually offer great advice. I have posted some Informational Interviews on my e-portfolio.
  • Prepare your backpack the night before so you are not scrambling and stuffing items in there in the morning, when you are more likely to forget something important.
  • Prepare for presentations.
    Dress the part even if you do not feel confident in presenting. Practice any speeches or PowerPoints over and over so that when you stand in front of your peers and professor, your words come naturally since you rehearsed multiple times. I wear a dress or blazer, blouse, and pants, and I feel better and in general, do better.

MY FAVORITE QUOTES

  • Stars cannot shine without darkness.
  • Other people’s success is not your failure.
  • Self care is not selfish.
  • It is OK to ask for help.
  • You are more important than your GPA.
  • You are worthy of love.
  • Another day, another slay.
    This means another day, another triumph/success.
  • “Messy bun and getting stuff done.”
  • “A diamond is just a piece of charcoal that handled stress exceptionally well.”
  • Value your friends and do not judge others without knowing their story. – Monster’s Inc./University
  • Every dream is possible. – Ratatouille
  • Learn to love yourself and never take your loved ones for granted. – The Incredibles
  • There is nothing else in the universe as amazing as the love you have for others. – Wall-E
  • Stay strong when things get rough. Remember to keep on swimming. – Finding Nemo
  • Life will take you places. Enjoy the ride. – Cars
  • “Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.
  • “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Gandhi
  • A simple act of caring creates an endless ripple.
  • Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.
    This means to keep pushing through, and live for the things that make us feel alive.
  • When you feel like quitting, think about why you started.
  • Her secret of success is that she did it all with passion.
  • It doesn’t matter what others are doing. It matters what you are doing. – Sarsuki Shibuya
  • If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.
  • Apply yourself to supply your wealth.

This post, while designed to help others, in a way has assisted me by allowing me to reflect on my emotional wellbeing and how I have coped with the various challenges of college and adulthood. I truly hope that this can be beneficial for at least one person. I am halfway through with the autumn semester already (I actually began a draft of this post in August but am just now posting it.) I will continue to post throughout my time at OSU about how much I grow.

Please let me know in the comments what works for you to manage your time or stress, or feel free to share what you do for fun!