March | 2025 | Be Well and Thrive

Spring Break is a time for students to unwind, have fun, and create unforgettable memories. Whether you’re traveling, hitting the beach, or simply enjoying some downtime, the Student Wellness Center wants to remind you that fun is best had when done safely. We know it’s not easy being the safety leader in your travel group, but taking care of yourself and those around you is part of being your Buckeye best. So go ahead, soak up the sun, dance all night, and make it a Spring Break to remember…while also keeping the following Party Smart tips in mind!

Spring campus scenes with students and student activity in outdoor spaces at Mirror Lake.

Keep Track of Your Drinks: Plan for how much you are going to drink and stick to it. While on vacation, it’s easy to drink more than usual. Be cognizant of how your habits are changing while in a new environment.
Take Your Time: Don’t consume large amounts of alcohol in a short period of time. Aim for drinking one drink per hour. 
Drink Water and Eat: Drink water and eat food before, during and after consuming alcoholic drinks. It can help to control your buzz and rehydrate your body while reducing the risk of a hangover. 
Do You: Don’t try to keep up with others who are drinking more. Do your thing and enjoy the night. Try an alternative like soda with lime if you want to take a break while keeping up appearances. 
Plan Your Rides Ahead of Time: Partying smart means planning safe transportation and never driving after drinking. Always plan how you will get to and from the spot. Lyft Ride Smart is a smart plan!  
Know Where Your Drink Is and Where It’s Been: Always keep your drink with you and only accept drinks you’ve poured or bought.  
Be Careful When Mixing Alcohol and Drugs: Make informed decisions. If you don’t know how alcohol interacts with a substance, it’s not worth the risk. If you have a new prescription, talk with your doctor or pharmacist about how it will interact with alcohol. 
Keep Your Friends Close: Travel with people you trust and stick together. When it’s time to leave, make sure the entire group is still together. 
Avoid Drinking When You’re Upset: Using alcohol or drugs to deal with unwanted emotions is a slippery slope. There are plenty of positive ways to cope. View a list of support resources here.  
Only Drink When You Really Want To: Not sure if you’re feeling it tonight? Don’t drink or use! Check out something else to do around campus, enjoy a night in or simply go out and have a good time without drinking or using.  
If You Decide to Use Drugs, Test Them: Powders and pills that are purchased from a dealer can be contaminated. Fentanyl test strips are available at no cost for Ohio State students at the Wilce Student Health Center Pharmacy.
Never Use Alone: Using any drug that you purchase somewhere other than a pharmacy comes with risk of contamination. If you are planning to use a drug that wasn’t prescribed to you, make sure that someone else is around in case they need to administer naloxone. Naloxone is available at no cost for Ohio State students at the Wilce Student Health Center Pharmacy.

For more tips and information on how Party Smart this Spring Break, go to go.osu.edu/PartySmart!

–Leena Chatterjee, Student Assistant

Mastering professional communication is something that takes practice! Here are some tips for how to email professors or bosses and sound like you know what you’re doing:

Do’s

Use a Clear and Relevant Subject Line: Make it easy for your professor to understand the purpose of your email at a glance. Always include the course name or number as well, since they might be teaching multiple courses at the same time. Examples: “Personal Finance: Question about Homework Assignment” or “Chem 1110: Lab Meeting Request”
Greet Formally: Address your professor with their appropriate title and last name (e.g., “Dear Dr. Smith” or “Hello Professor Johnson”). Using formal greetings sets a respectful tone.
Be Concise and Specific: Professors are busy, so get to the point of your email quickly. Clearly state your question or concern in a few sentences to make it easier for your professor to respond.
Proofread Your Email: Doing a quick read-through for spelling and grammar to make sure that names are spelled correctly and you’re using the correct “your” can go a long way. Spelling is hard sometimes, Grammarly helps.
Be Polite and Professional: Always be courteous and thank your professor for their time and assistance. This helps build a positive relationship and shows appreciation.

Campus scenes with students and student activity in outdoor spaces.

Don’ts

Don’t Use Informal Language: Emails to professors are not like text messages to friends. Avoid slang, emojis, or overly casual language.
Don’t Overlook the Importance of Proper Formatting: No one wants to see an email that looks like you just rewrote Harry Potter. Use paragraphs or bullet points to break up information and make your email easier to read.
Don’t Expect Immediate Responses: Professors are people with lives outside of class, too. Be patient and allow a reasonable amount of time for a reply before sending a follow-up email. A good rule of thumb is 24 hours during the week, 48 hours on the weekend.
Don’t Write Without Context: If you’re referring to specific class material or previous communications, provide enough context so the professor understands exactly what you’re discussing.
Don’t Email During Unreasonable Hours: Just because you’re up working at 2am, doesn’t mean your professor wants to receive your email at 2am. Schedule the email to be sent during business hours to be courteous of your professor’s time.

Following these guidelines will help ensure your email is well-received by your professor and you get the best, most helpful response. Happy emailing!

-Bea Amsalu, Graduate Assistant

References:

https://www.linkedin.com/learning/tips-for-writing-business-emails/email-an-extension-of-your-brand

Ohio State nav bar

Month: March 2025

Professional Email Do’s and Don’ts

-Bea Amsalu, Graduate Assistant