Month: March 2014

5 Things I Learned in March

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We are now at the point in the semester where we are all counting down the days until finals are over and summer is here. I don’t know about you all, but I think the past three months have flown by, especially March. With March coming to a close, I thought it would be a great time to reflect back on the past 31 days and take those lessons with me as I head into April.

1. Things aren’t always predictable. 

If you’ve been on any form of social media or watched television lately, then you’re probably aware that March Madness is in full swing. I’m not one who follows basketball religiously, but it is always fun to have some friendly competition through creating brackets with my friends and my family. This year was especially exciting because it was the first year that participants could enter the Billion Dollar Bracket, where you could win a billion dollars if you created a perfect bracket. Over 11 million people entered the Billion Dollar Bracket and just after the second day no one was left. With eight upsets in just the first round, I think it is safe to say that despite how sure we are that something might happen, life always manages to throw us curveballs. Whether it is your March Madness bracket or something else, it is important to keep things in perspective when unpredictable situations are thrown your way.

2. No matter how long you’ve been at Ohio State, there is always something new and exciting to experience.

One thing I love about Ohio State is that there is always something going on. While it is easy to aware of the big events happening around campus, curiosity and a mindset of adventure can help you find something new going on that you may have never heard of before. It is important to keep an open mind as you attend something for the first time as well as when you look for things to do around campus. A few weeks ago, I was grabbing dinner with a two of my friends in the Union when we saw a sign outside of the Performance Hall for the Multicultural Greek Council Variety Show. Needless to say, walking into the Union , that was really the last thing I expected to do. We decided to go watch and had a great time seeing the different groups’ performances reflecting their cultures. Your time spent at college moves quickly so if you don’t stop and look around every once in a while, you might miss it.

Check out this video from OSU Genesis, Ohio’s Premiere All Male Fusion Dance Team! They are just one of the many unique student organizations at Ohio State!


3. Having time away to recharge is important.

I think it is safe to say that everyone’s favorite part of March was Spring Break. Let’s face it, nine straight weeks of classes can get to be a bit draining. Spring Break was the perfect time to take a step back and get away from it all for a while. Whether you went camping in Florida (like me), went skiing in Colorado, or just went back home, those nine days of break were just what we all needed. Coming back from Spring Break, I felt recharged and ready to get back into my weekly routine. Although stress comes with being in college, it is great to know that we have those opportunities to relax and rejuvenate.

4. Ohio is still confused about our current season.

Nothing says “spring” like waking up, looking out your window, and seeing a fresh layer of snow covering the ground. This past month we’ve had it all: rain, snow, and 60 degree weather. It seems as though Ohio is having an identity crisis and we are suffering because of it. Just keep checking the weather forecast because you never know what it will be like walking around campus!

5. You can definitely overcome the mid-semester “slump”.

At the beginning of the semester, it seems as though everyone is so determined, eager to learn, and ready to push through the next 14 weeks. But suddenly there becomes a point in everyone’s semester when we lose this focus and hit the mid-semester “slump”. At the time, it may feel as though you’ve hit a wall, but don’t let that discourage you! Looking back, we have already completed 11 weeks of classes, which means that there is only less than one month left. If you’re feeling a bit down about the semester, keep your head up and be proud that you have powered through the last three months. You only have one month left of your first year of college, so make the most of it!

14 Interesting Classes to Take in Your Second Year (and Beyond!)

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I want to tell you about my favorite day of class as an undergraduate student. Let’s flash back to autumn 2009 (my third year). I started my morning in the basement of Hughes Hall with my History of Rock ‘n’ Roll class. The lecture was on “Pop Music of the 1980s”—my favorite music genre. As expected, we spent the class period exploring the glory of one-hit wonders, synthesizers, and the first music video icons. And much to my satisfaction, we spent significant time learning about the pop icon, Michael Jackson. Not only did we observe the magic moves of MJ on the large projector screen, but we learned about the impact he had on music, dance, stardom, and race in America. We explored the meaning of the feuding characters in his Beat It video, the popularity of the 13-minute Thriller video (FYI, it was played on average twice per hour on MTV), and the historic event of revealing of his signature dance move—the Moonwalk.

I was fascinated to learn the true story behind one of my all-time favorite musical artists in a college academic course. I actually enjoyed learning in this class. I also gained a new perspective on a topic that impacts my daily life more than I realized. For instance…I finally learned how I’d answer the common conversation-starter, “What kind of music do you like?” with a response other than “Everything.” And I can hold my own in a debate over which decade produced the best music. I also have a new appreciation for music and pop culture because of my deeper understanding of its history.

And here’s the kicker: this class was in no way related to my majors or career interests. I took it for a general education (GE) requirement. That’s the beauty of GE classes and electives. By taking classes outside your major or career interests, you’ll become a more well-rounded and informed individual. In fact, in my list of favorite classes I took as an undergraduate, only three of my top ten would be courses within my major.

I hope you take advantage of the variety of GE and elective options at Ohio State. Take a class that sounds interesting or just because it sounds fun. You might discover a new interest, passion, or major/minor! If you don’t know how to find these “fun” classes, never fear. I polled my Facebook friends and Twitter followers (including recent alumni and current students) about their favorite undergraduate class at Ohio State. Here are some of their most interesting responses…

  1. ARTSSCI 4870:  The Ohio State University: Its History and Its World — An introduction to the past and present of Ohio State, its importance, its disciplines, the interrelations of the academic and other components of the institution, and the contributions over the years of Ohio State to the wider world.
  2. MEDREN 2666: Magic and Witchcraft in the Middle Ages and Renaissance — A study of the history of witchcraft and magic from 400 to 1700 C.E. within sociological, religious and intellectual contexts.
  3. COMPSTD 2367.07: Religious Diversity in America — Exploration of the concept of religious freedom and the position of minority religious groups in American society.
  4. EEOB 2250: Dynamics of Dinosaurs — A review of current information on dinosaur biology, emphasizing scientific approaches to reconstructing dinosaurs as living, dynamic animals.
  5. ECON 4830: Economics of Sports — Analysis of economic and business aspects of sports teams and their strategic interactions in sports markets.
  6. FDSCTE 1110: Chocolate Science — Introduction to science and business of chocolate. Students develop and market a chocolate product as part of a virtual company. Students taste commercial products.
  7. ITALIAN 2055: Mafia Movies — Examines Italian and American mafia movies made from 1905 to the present day and traces the history of the Italian and Italian American Mafias. Taught in English.
  8. DANCE 2181: Social Dance — Learn and practice forms of social/ballroom dance, including fox trot, tango, waltz, etc.
  9.  GEOG 3900: Global Climate Change: Causes and Consequences — Examines the natural and human factors that force changes in our climate and environment and explores strategies for a sustainable environment in the future.
  10. KNSFHP 1139.11: Rock Climbing — Basic rock climbing techniques, rope handling, and safety systems will be covered.
  11. ECON 4597.01: Issues of the Underground Economy — Focuses on the informal sector of the underground economy: illegal drugs, arms sales and human trafficking. Applies economic reasoning. Prereq: Jr standing and above.
  12. EARTHSC 1108: Gemstones — General introduction to gemstones, including the origin of gems, identification techniques, and the history of important gems. Precious metals are also discussed.
  13. GERMAN 3252: The Holocaust in German Literature and Film — Reading, analysis, and discussion of representative works pertaining to the Holocaust from the perspective of German literature and film. Taught in English.
  14. COMPSTD 2367.04: Science and Technology in American Culture — Role of science and technology in contemporary American society; their relationship to human values; sources of concern about their impact; evaluation of selected issues.

 

Tips to Help You Remain SANE in the Homestretch to Finals

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We’re at that point in the year where we can see the end of school. Classes are finished in less than a month. But, we’re also at the point where it feels like every instructor is cramming in a million more group projects, papers, midterms, etc., even though finals are right around the corner. Here are some tips to help you remain sane through the end of April.

1. Get time away and/or alone

Make sure you take a few minutes for yourself to just walk around campus, get a coffee from Starbucks, or just enjoy the nice weather on one of those days when it decides to be 60+ outside.

2. Spend a short time doing something for pure fun

With all the hard work and stress that the next few weeks will bring, make sure you have time to reward yourself for your hard work. Whether you Skype with a distant friend, play some video games, or watch funny YouTube videos, just make sure you reward yourself.

3. Exercise

You may be thinking, “How am I supposed to have time to exercise when I have to study for five tests, write nine papers, and complete four group projects?” Trust me, even just a few minutes of exercise will make you feel so much better. If you want to exercise, but also want to accomplish something for school, bring your book or notes to the gym to study while you’re on the treadmill or while you’re biking. You will feel reenergized once you’re done. Even if it’s only for 20 minutes, try to get some exercise.

4. Attend an athletic event

Sometimes you just need to take a break completely from what you may be doing to get a new perspective or to get reenergized. A great way to do this is to attend an athletic event at Ohio State. There are baseball games, softball games, track meets, the football spring game (April 12; free to students), and many other athletic events that will occur during these last few weeks of school. I know the athletes would all love your support and it would be a great way to take a break from studying.

5. Make a list, write everything down

One suggestion to help you feel less overwhelmed these last few weeks is to make lists. This simple concept may sound silly, but it will make you feel better! Make lists of the things you have to do. As you complete them, make sure to cross them off on the list — you will feel great that you are accomplishing something, even if you have a million more things to do. At certain points, make sure you set rewards for completing so many things on the list. This will encourage you to continue to work hard and not get too frustrated.

If all else fails, make sure to breathe. We have roughly five weeks left (including finals). Just think: we are so close to summer. If you need an incentive to study hard for finals, just think about how great summer will be when you find out you got better grades than you thought because you studied so hard!

Research — not just something done by faculty

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I’m a science fair girl. I come from a science fair family. The site of a tri-fold display board brings back fond memories of projects on biorhythms and on dementia and on the impact of environment on memory recall. These are projects that won awards at the state science day, people!

The projects I remember from those bygone days are nothing compared to the sophisticated research on display annually at the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum – the 2014 edition to be held on March 26 at the RPAC. The research happening everyday on campus – the discovery of new knowledge – is pretty impressive, even more so when we know that there are many, many undergraduate students who are contributing to and leading research efforts of their own. And that’s what we get to see at the Denman.

The Denman participants will present their research via a poster – and not like what you can find at the tent poster sales at the beginning of the school year:

They also present their findings orally to a pair of faculty judges. Participants are selected based on their abstract submissions, as the Denman is limited to only 550 projects. Recently, I had a chance to catch up with a student who I haven’t spoken with in a while, and he was gushing – gushing – about the three research projects with which he’s been involved in the last year. Three. He started his involvement in a professor’s lab as a first-year student. It’s never too early. And he’s not even presenting this year at the Denman – that’s how much great work  is happening here!

As you walk through the display floor, you never know what kinds of projects you’ll see. Some of the winners last year include projects titled:

  • Calculating Susceptibility from Local Field Inhomogeneities for Applications in Multiple Sclerosis Studies
  • Effect of Early Treadmill Training on Blood-Spinal Cord Barrier Permeability after Spinal Cord Injury in Mice
  • Biochemical Characterization of 6-phospho-β-glucosidases to Gain Insights into Cellobiose Utilization by Clostridium beijerinckii NCIMB 8052

I don’t know about you, but I love an intimidating title, not to mention the actual research behind it — for those of you wondering, Clostridium beijerinckii NCIMB 8052 is “a saccharolytic, strictly anaerobic, mesophylic, motile, rod-shaped bacteria with oval, sub-terminal spores.”

Fortunately for me, the projects aren’t all in what we used to call the hard sciences. There are also the categories of business, arts, and humanities. Some winners last year in these categories included:

  • Let’s Talk Money: Impulsivity, Social Influence and Consumers’ Saving Behavior
  • Wyrd: The Woes of Postmodernity
  • Corruption and International Aid Allocation: A Complex Dance

So, if you find yourself inspired to find out what fascinating work your fellow students are doing, check out the Denman. I’ll be the one trying to look 20 years younger and setting up the card-table.  

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10 Reasons You Should Study Abroad Before You Graduate

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Okay, so we all know Ohio State is the best school on Earth. Obvi. We have amazing school spirit, a beautiful campus and a huge, fun, talented student body (maybe I’m a little biased but whateves). Being in such a fantastic place, why in the world would anyone in their right mind want to leave?! Well, I’ll tell you why. TO STUDY ABROAD.  There are so many reasons you should study abroad, but here are ten of them:

1. Experience a place that’s not, well, Ohio  (It’s out there people, I promise.)

There’s a whole big world out there waiting for you, where maybe they eat weird, but delicious things, or have cool sayings that you can use to impress your friends back home. Who knows. Listen…Do you hear it? The world’s calling.

2. Push yourself (I can totally figure out the subway system and how to speak German at the same time. Piece of cake.)

Making your way in a new country can be scary and uncomfortable, but there’s no better feeling than finally figuring out what that phrase everyone has been saying means or getting on the right bus for the first time because you KNOW where it’s going. You’re capable of way more than you think.

3. When else in your life will you have time to do this?!(I mean, why not now?)

College is a time of exploration, experimentation and independence. We are just starting to figure out who we are, who we want to be and how we fit in the world. If there’s ever a time to observe other worldviews, opinions and ways of living, it’s now.

4. Meet new people  (Heck, odds are they probably won’t even be from Ohio.)

Not only can you meet friends from the U.S. who are participating with you, but you can also befriend the locals! How fun! You can literally casually throw into conversation when you get home, “Well, my friend from Paris said…”.

5. See how others view the world  (You mean to tell me football isn’t a way of life here?)

It may surprise you that not everyone in the world wears Uggs or has seen the latest episode of Scandal. But so many different ways of thinking, doing and feeling exist in the world. Go explore; ya never know: maybe you’ll adopt some new habits (meditation? eating beondegi? The possibilities are endless.)

6. Adventure  (Wait…you eat what?!)

Why not let your adventurous spirit run wild for a while? Taste new foods, meet new people, venture outside your comfort zone. See the Eiffel Tower, the Great Wall, or the Pyramids. There is no time like the present and at the very least you’ll make some great memories to take home with you.

7. Be Independent  (For real this time, since we all know how you go home solely so your Mom can do your laundry)

No matter where you go, studying abroad will force you to figure things out on your own and be independent.  You might even have to cook your own food, omg.

8. Gain valuable experience  (looks great on a resume!)

Studying abroad will help you gain problem-solving skills, appreciate other cultures and grow in confidence. These are great transferrable skills for any future job, or just to be better at life.

9. Learn about yourself  (Who knew I was capable of  miming what flavor of gelato I wanted to that waiter?)

You probably already have a fairly good idea of what you’re good at, but did you know how good you were at navigating that incredibly confusing city? Or how well you could pick up Spanish in three weeks? You may just surprise yourself.

10. Appreciate what you have (Depending on where you go, you will never again take for granted not having to pay to enter a public restroom.)

Studying abroad in a foreign country, no matter where it is, or the standard of living there, will make you appreciate what you have.  Whether that be your family, friends, hometown, or college campus, you will come home more grateful for the blessings you have.

So basically what I’m trying to say is, GO STUDY ABROAD. Take one semester, or summer away from your normal comfortable routine and explore the world. You never know who you’ll meet, what you’ll see, or most importantly, what you’ll learn about yourself along the way.

Spring Break: A Week ON, not a Week OFF

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Last week I had the opportunity to advise a Buck-I-SERV spring break trip to New York City. Along with 16 students, two trip leaders, and one other advisor, we spent the week doing community service at soup kitchens, food pantries, and daycare centers throughout NYC. One reason this trip was unique was that it was directly connected to the Buckeye Book Community (BBC). This means the location, activities, and service were directly related to the themes and plot of this year’s BBC book: The Submission by Amy Waldman.

Anyway…I can’t wait to tell you all about this trip…but since I’m quite removed from my first year at Ohio State (circa 2007), I thought I’d bring you a more relevant perspective– from a first-year student who attended the trip with me. I interviewed Sally Raudabaugh, a Chemical Engineering major from Dublin, OH, who I met on the trip. I spoke with Sally after we returned from NYC, and here is what she had to say:

Why did you apply to attend a Buck-I-SERV trip?

College has helped me realize how fortunate I’ve been, and I really want to give back. Religion is also a big part of my life, and by going to churches around campus, I’ve discovered community service as a way to help others. This trip was amazing, and I definitely want to attend more alternative break trips in the future.

Tell us three things you learned on the trip.

You can’t guess who a homeless person is just by looking at him/her. We served so many people who were hungry and homeless in NYC, and none of them looked like the stereotype of what we think a homeless person is supposed to look like.

Homelessness and hunger are a HUGE problem in NYC. People really need help escaping unemployment and getting on their feet. They can’t do it alone.

One thing that surprised me is all the help that’s available for people…all the soup kitchens and food pantries available… at least there is some help available if you look for it.

What else surprised you on the trip?

I always thought NYC was one big melting pot, but so many people there spoke other languages and expressed their own cultures.

I also went into this trip having preconceived notions about 9/11. September 11 was always something so distant that you’d read about in history books. But being there at the sight of the World Trade Center and hearing first-hand stories of survivors helped me realize how it impacted thousands of individuals and the city. I never knew the rubble from the towers was stories and stories high and was on fire for days. Or how they couldn’t simply replace the towers with new office buildings right away (it took years to do so, and they’re still working on it). The entire impact of 9/11 was not real to me before.  I used to see it on the news and think it’s terrible. But it doesn’t feel real or hit your heart until you’re there. It was very moving.

Now that you’ve nearly finished your first year of college, how have your reactions and thoughts about The Submission changed?

Just reading the book was not enough to understand it. But now that I’ve been to NYC and attended the lectures in the fall by Amy Waldman and Reza Aslan, I understand the bigger picture of what the book was about. Everything is suddenly more tangible… talking about sensitive issues, seeing how 9/11 impacted people of different cultures, hearing the author’s perspective while writing the book… this made the book an experience.  Reading the book alone is not enough to truly grasp it.

How would you sum up the trip in 5 words?

Inspiring. Exciting. Making a difference.

 

9/11 Memorial

10 Things I Did Instead of Studying!

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Well, Buckeyes, spring break has come to a close and all I can say is…Why so soon?!

Today I want to see just how many of my proud fellow Buckeyes are suffering from the highly contagious and dreaded disease known as (dun dun dun) PROCRASTINATION!

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Most of us have been there: It’s the night before an exam, homework or a paper is due, and you’ve been staring at your computer for the last 3 hours with absolutely nothing to show for your inner turmoil. Afterward, you promise yourself you won’t wait until last minute ever again, but the real question is how do we get here in the first place? Here’s my list of things I consider to be my biggest time-wasting temptations:

Watching anything and everything interesting on Netflix or Hulu.

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Whether you like to watch a series at a time or explore the wide-ranging selection of B-Movies, Netflix is an awesome way to help the hours pass by.

Facebooking, Tweeting, Skyping, Instagramming, etc.

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In one second you can be reading an article in an academic journal and the next you’re liking the last 10 statuses your buddies posted about the crappy weather outside.

Finding memes to post that illustrate just how distracted you feel.

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You know you’ve done it! Whether it’s Condescending Wonka, Futurama Fry or ermahgerd girl, you’ve found a meme that speaks to you and posted it for all of your friends to see.

Watching videos on YouTube.

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You can sink quite a few hours into watching just about anything on YouTube; in the land of funny cats and viral videos, you are sure to be entertained.

Cleaning (a new level of desperation, but effective).

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Hmmm, study for your Calc midterm or do the dishes? Normally I’d go with the third option (neither); however, if you need to feel like you’ve accomplished something while doing basically nothing, cleaning your room, apartment or house is always a great option.

Playing with your (or others’) pets.

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Pretty self-explanatory; however, the amount of creativity you are capable of possessing when needing a distraction can be quite scary. 

Complaining to others about whatever assignment you have due.

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All of your buddies are going to the movies but you have economics homework due. What’s wrong with texting them sad face emoticons all night? After all, misery loves company.

 Browsing Pinterest.

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Clothes, funny memes, food, celebrities in weird situations…It’s the best example one can give of how a picture is worth a thousand words. The best part? You can flood Facebook newsfeeds with pictures of stuff your friends probably won’t find even the slightest bit interesting.

Playing video games.

Video-Game-Addiction

The culprit responsible for the downfall of even the most devoted college students—video games! From PC to PS3, plenty of people have found themselves completely obsessed with some sort of digital distraction in one form or another, and no judgment on the fact that you may have spent your entire weekend playing Grand Theft Auto V or Call of Duty.

 Sleeping.

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What do we want? SLEEP! When do we want it?! Whenever we can get it! I won’t lie, next to Netflix this may be one of my favorite activities to engage in. It’s completely free, good for you and requires absolutely no effort. I just wouldn’t suggest napping during lecture (usually doesn’t end well).

All right, so we’ve covered the basics of Procrastination 101, but what now? If nothing else, hopefully you’ve found this to be a pretty helpful reflection on just how normal it is for you to find yourself easily distracted. Plenty of us have to fight the temptation to put off assignments or studying until later and it’s not unheard of to lose the battle and give in. However, it’s important to know that if you are falling behind in your classes or find yourself earning bad grades despite your best efforts there is plenty of help to get you back on track.

The Younkin Success Center, conveniently located on Neil Avenue next to Bruegger’s Bagels and across from Hamilton Hall, is a great resource for those of us who need a little academic boost. They offer free tutoring five days a week, a Learning Center dedicated to helping students develop helpful and effective strategies related to studying, note taking and exams, Career Counseling, and Wellness Services.

No one ever said college would be easy, but you should never feel as though it’s impossible to succeed. With the right tools, and a positive attitude you can make these years some of the best of your life all you need is to let your motivation defeat your procrastination.

So You’re Thinking About Switching Your Major?

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Did you begin your first year thinking you had the perfect major and career figured out? Did you take a random class that you ended up loving, or take a class you thought you would love and it ended up not really working out? Do not panic! We have all had at least one moment in college where we freeze, have a mini panic attack, and think, “what I am I doing with my life.” Whether it just lasts a minute or a semester, these moments are a great way to help you step back and ask yourself, “Am I happy with my major and the path my future is on?”

When I first stepped into SPHHRNG 2230: Introduction to Communication and Its Disorders, I thought, “Yes, this going to be amazing! I am going to be able to help so many kids, I cannot wait to be a speech pathologist!” Fast forward six weeks into the class and my thought process was not exactly the same. Though I had never had a specific class or experience that immediately turned me away from the field, I did have an extremely strong gut feeling that this path was just not meant for me.

In that same semester, I took PSYCH 1100: Introduction to Psychology for the sole purpose of receiving general education credit. However, as the class progressed I started realizing how much I was enjoying it. I noticed I was more excited to read my psychology textbook than my book for speech and hearing science. When I realized I wanted to switch my major to psychology, I did not go into their office and switch my major the next day. I finished out my speech and hearing science class and started to take some steps that helped me confirm that psychology was going to be the right major for me.

Here are four things that helped me with my decision to switch majors:

Talk to Someone

Whether it is your academic advisor, RA, Hall Director, parents, mentor, coach, etc., talk to someone about how you are feeling.  No one is going to blame you for questioning your options (that is what college is for). If you are genuinely unhappy in your major or classes, let someone know; let them what you do not like about the path you are currently on and where you would like to see yourself end up. There are people here to help you find out what you want to do and how to point you in the right direction to get back on track.

Use Your Resources

There are so many resources on campus that are here to help you decide on what is best for you! The Younkin Success Center offers career counseling that is personalized to your interests and gives individualized sessions. Additionally, every college on campus has some sort of career services outlet can help to students find out what they want to do with their life after college.

Set up a meeting with your academic advisor or with one in the major you are considering. They can tell you more about the major and everything you can do with it. Two awesome things about talking with academic advisors:

  • They can connect you with students who are currently in the major to get their perspective
  • They know so many more things you can do with the major that you may have never known existed

Research, Research, Research!

Look into all the areas in which you are interested. Find out what you can do with a degree in food science or anthropology. Be adventurous! Look up facts and articles about what is currently going on in the field and see if it is something you could see yourself doing one day. You will never know if it could be something your passionate about until you look!

Ask Yourself, Are YOU Happy?

Your major is going to set you up on a path that will direct the rest of your future. Are you going to be happy being an engineer, teacher, doctor, nutritionist, etc. for the next 25+ years? Is it going to fulfill your life and passions, besides just filling your bank account?  It is a decision that is entirely yours to make! Do not let family, friends, or society pressure you into a decision they think is best. You are the most important part of this equation. If you are happy and passionate about what you want to do, then pursue it!

Through talking to LOTS of people, researching different careers I could do with psychology, utilizing my academic advisor and the psychology department, and some self-reflection, I knew that switching my major was the thing to do.  All of the things I did reassured me that majoring in psychology was going to put in the right direction even if I did not have every piece of the puzzle figured out just yet.

Breathe. Trust me, more people end up switching their major then what you realize. It is completely 100% okay to do. If you think switching your major is the thing to do, then do it! College is the time to explore your options and figure out what you want to spend the rest of your life doing.

“Working out just isn’t working out”

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We’ve all come up with excuses at some time or another to avoid going to the gym: I have too much to do, it’s too far away, or it’s too cold out (or, in the case of this semester, there’s still too much snow on the ground!) But in reality, we know this is something important we should do to live a healthy lifestyle.

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For me, working out has always been a chore. Last year, I  viewed it as something I didn’t like to do, but I did it anyway. But this had its flaws. If I was really busy, working out was the first thing that would go. If it was really cold, I wouldn’t make the frigid walk to the RPAC.

It took me a while to understand, but working out and exercising on a regular basis has helped me manage my time better, feel better about myself, and be happier in general! (Who knew all that could come from a treadmill?!)

Here are 5 tips I’ve learned over the past year or so on how I have increased my motivation to work out.

Find a friend

Working out with a buddy is a great way to build motivation for a workout. If you and a friend schedule a workout, you’re less likely to back out if you know someone is relying on you to be there. Plus it’s fun! Going to a ZUMBA class or yoga with a friend for the first time can be a fun way to let loose!

Have fun

Finding an activity you enjoy makes working out fun! Running on the treadmill every day can get repititive, so try a variety of things–maybe it’s a pickup game of basketball, or a night of rock-climbing. Trying new activities is a great way to spice things up a bit.

Set goals

If you set a goal in your workout plan, you will feel like you’re working toward something. Maybe it’s running two more laps around the track next time, or increasing the weights you lift. Or maybe it’s scoring a few more goals in your intramural soccer game! Whatever it is, setting a goal helps you feel productive.

Understand the benefits

Understanding the benefits of exercising also helps with the motivation of actually doing it. Now that we’re (hopefully) coming out of the snowy, gloomy winter of central Ohio, the weather is getting nicer and we can spend more time outside. But when it’s cold and gloomy, we lack the vitamin D we get from the sun, which can sometimes affect our moods. By exercising regularly, you release serotonin which helps make you happier! I am no expert on health and medicine, but I’ve noticed when I work out regularly, I’m happier, more productive, and feel better in general. Check out the Student Wellness Center for more benefits and information.

Just do it!

Committing to yourself is half the battle! By scheduling workout times into your weekly schedule, you’ll be prepared for your hectic day. If you know you have a busy couple of days, schedule a workout time so you can prepare to bring your clothes and tennis shoes with you for the day. This way, you’ll be ready  to go!

I understand where the lack of motivation to work out comes from. Hopefully these ideas will help you a little bit! Hey! Maybe with enough practice you can do this:

The Next Step: Leading in College

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February and March are usually an exciting/hectic time for me. Almost everything is due the week before spring break, and you better be studying for that exam you have the week after!

If you’re like I was in my first year, you’ve probably gotten involved in a few student organizations that you are passionate about. You like going to the meetings, but you want to contribute more to the group. As the end of the school year comes around, this might be your chance to take the next step and run for a position! Whether it be a the head of a committee or president of the entire organization, if you’re passionate about the club you are in, don’t be afraid to run! It might be a little intimidating at first, but once you get your foot in the door, you will be glad you did!

After my experience serving as president of an academic honorary this past year, I’ve learned a lot about how leading in college is different from being on prom committee in high school (not that prom wasn’t important; it totally was). Here are my top three tips from my first year as president of a student organization…but these tips can also apply to anyone involved in a student organization (no matter the position)!

1. Get to know people!

In high school, many of us had been with the same kids since at least junior high. In college, you could be leading a group of people you’ve never met before. In the academic honorary system for example, a new class is inducted every year. This can be a tough one right off the bat, but if you don’t know everyone in the organization at least by name, introduce yourself! Friend everyone on Facebook, and be sure you know their face so you can remember their name. The better acquainted you are with the members or committee, the easier communication will be, and more things will get done. 

2. Delegate, delegate, DELEGATE!

Did I say delegate? There can be a steep learning curve when it comes to breaking things up and giving people responsibilities. There isn’t a teacher there to tell you how to run things (like on prom committee). You can’t do everything yourself, and once you try, you will be extremely overwhelmed. Learning to depend on others is one of the most important skills you can take away from being a leader. Collaborate to break up tasks based on convenience, ask for volunteers, and suggest a deadline.

3. Utilize your adviser!

Your student organization adviser will only be as active as you need them to be, but they’ve had experiences with the club in the past and are a wealth of knowledge! When we were planning our annual benefit dance this past February, I started asking my adviser all kinds of questions and wondered why I hadn’t done so before. In the honorary system too, they provide a nice link to past officers and the information they have as well. If anything, they’re a great listening ear as well!

Don’t be afraid to run for a position in a club you’re passionate about! If you want to start small, begin with a committee head and work your way up to the exec board. You’ll be glad you did 🙂

Jenna