College admissions like to let you think that they are telling you everything. If they actually told you everything, most people wouldn’t go to college.
That’s why this guide is here. Here are a few things that I’ve discovered over the past month:
-Quarters are the most desired form of currency. You need them for vending machines and to do your laundry.
-Text books are heavy and cost as much as they weigh. If you can, trade textbooks with roommates and friends. You save around $100, and you also get tips from the people who have taken the class.
-Mail and packages make you feel special. Even if it’s just your mom sending you detergent, it boosts your ego.
-Having clean laundry is as much of an ego booster as passing a class. It comes more often.
-A ‘C’ in college is like an ‘A’ in high school. They are just as frequent and mean the same thing. Don’t fret if you’re a straight A student. Getting a C is not the end of the world.
-Coffee, tea, Mt. Dew, and Coke are your new favorite drinks. Don’t get anything that doesn’t have caffeine.
-Naps are a wonderful thing, especially after a 7:30 AM class.
-Exams are rarely during class. They will generally be in the evening.
-If you’re a female, get some mace or some pepper spray. It’s a must have on a college campus. As the cliché goes, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
I’ll add more when I learn more, which I’m sure I’ll have plenty to add in the coming months!
Saturday, September 22, 2007
3 days of insanity, 2 exams, and all in one week
College life is stressful. There is no doubt about that. As freshmen, we're trying to figure out the balance between fun, sleep, class, laundry, and remembering to eat.
One of the most stressful things about class is going to be the exams. Here are some things to do to make exams less scary:
-prepare in advance. Don't cram 2 hours before the test. It may have worked in high school, but it doesn't work so well for college.
-ask for help. If you don't understand, talk to your TA. Talk to your peers. Form a study group. It's better to ask before the day of the exam.
-go to the office hours. Ask your prof if you don't understand. Chances are that if you don't understand, there are other people who also don't understand.
-find the resource room. For my chem exam, I went to the chem resource room. they sell old chem tests, reviews, TA's notes, and everything that you could possibly need to study.
-relax and get some sleep. it's pointless to study at 3am. your brain tends to process things in your sleep. even if you don't understand what you're reading before you go to bed, just get some sleep. You'll function better and be able to show what you do know.
College is also full of interesting experiences. If you are taking a class with a lab, be prepared for something to happen at some time. If it's chemistry, know that chemicals will spill and that people play with the bunsen burners and that there is a chance of a fire. When these things happen, try to remember a few things:
-remain calm. keep your head together. take a deep breath and think before acting. the last thing you want to do when there's some lab emergency is freak out and make things worse.
-grab your things as you leave. chances are that you're not going to get back in the building for a while. Don't be niave. People steal things. if there is a fire, your stuff might not be there when you get back. If there's a chemical spill, you might not want your stuff back.
(if you couldn't tell, this was my week!)
One of the most stressful things about class is going to be the exams. Here are some things to do to make exams less scary:
-prepare in advance. Don't cram 2 hours before the test. It may have worked in high school, but it doesn't work so well for college.
-ask for help. If you don't understand, talk to your TA. Talk to your peers. Form a study group. It's better to ask before the day of the exam.
-go to the office hours. Ask your prof if you don't understand. Chances are that if you don't understand, there are other people who also don't understand.
-find the resource room. For my chem exam, I went to the chem resource room. they sell old chem tests, reviews, TA's notes, and everything that you could possibly need to study.
-relax and get some sleep. it's pointless to study at 3am. your brain tends to process things in your sleep. even if you don't understand what you're reading before you go to bed, just get some sleep. You'll function better and be able to show what you do know.
College is also full of interesting experiences. If you are taking a class with a lab, be prepared for something to happen at some time. If it's chemistry, know that chemicals will spill and that people play with the bunsen burners and that there is a chance of a fire. When these things happen, try to remember a few things:
-remain calm. keep your head together. take a deep breath and think before acting. the last thing you want to do when there's some lab emergency is freak out and make things worse.
-grab your things as you leave. chances are that you're not going to get back in the building for a while. Don't be niave. People steal things. if there is a fire, your stuff might not be there when you get back. If there's a chemical spill, you might not want your stuff back.
(if you couldn't tell, this was my week!)
PDA sale on the Wal-Mart bus!
Ah, Wal-Mart, where would we all be without you? Wal-Mart keeps us college students supplied with food, clothes, school supplies, and anything else a student may need *cough*LIQUOR*cough*. So basically, Wal-Mart is awesome. The problem lies in getting there. For people like me with no car (and no friends wih a car) taking the bus is the simplest solution.
The bus system here is actually pretty good. We get free rides everywhere as students. Today I went with a few of my friends and we boarded the 1B Salisbury, which is a straight shot to Wal-Mart. As we rode, I looked around the rest of the bus. There was quite a variety of people there. A heavyset man sitting in silence, a woman with two small children going to the Goodwill store... and two students sucking face.
Now, I am a pretty liberal guy. I don't mind a little PDA (public display of affection). But when I see two people going at each other like pirrhana at a cow, I get a little queasy. Thankfully the ride didn't last much longer than that, and I was soon able to escape the human leeches.
This may be news to some of you, but people notice what you do in public. If you are going at your significant other on a bus, the other passengers can and do see you. They probably like it as much as I do, which isn't much (well, probably some of them enjoy watching, but I digress). Save your affection for alone time. Displays such as the one I had the "pleasure" of witnessing negatively affect the way others think of you. You never know when you will see these people again. Maybe one day you will be at a job interview and all the interviewer will think is "that guy was sucking that girl's face off on that bus". You don't want that to be what you are remembered for.
The bus system here is actually pretty good. We get free rides everywhere as students. Today I went with a few of my friends and we boarded the 1B Salisbury, which is a straight shot to Wal-Mart. As we rode, I looked around the rest of the bus. There was quite a variety of people there. A heavyset man sitting in silence, a woman with two small children going to the Goodwill store... and two students sucking face.
Now, I am a pretty liberal guy. I don't mind a little PDA (public display of affection). But when I see two people going at each other like pirrhana at a cow, I get a little queasy. Thankfully the ride didn't last much longer than that, and I was soon able to escape the human leeches.
This may be news to some of you, but people notice what you do in public. If you are going at your significant other on a bus, the other passengers can and do see you. They probably like it as much as I do, which isn't much (well, probably some of them enjoy watching, but I digress). Save your affection for alone time. Displays such as the one I had the "pleasure" of witnessing negatively affect the way others think of you. You never know when you will see these people again. Maybe one day you will be at a job interview and all the interviewer will think is "that guy was sucking that girl's face off on that bus". You don't want that to be what you are remembered for.
The Shared Shower
So I live in Cary Southeast on Purdue University's campus. And you know, it's not a terrible place, but there's one thing thats just killer: and thats the shared showers. If you got a suite, then your all set... but if you just got a room, you share the showers with like 20 other guys. And you know, some guys are just plain filthy.
So I'm here to tell you the ways I've found to make showering in a public shower feel a little better. There are some materials you should make sure you have with you. These include, 2 towels, shower sandals, soap, and shampoo. It's wise to have a nice little container that take all of these at one time, because it makes dropping items less likely. And trust me, when you drop something in that shower area, you pretty much leave it there. It's important to have 2 towels in your room, but only to bring one to the actual shower. Shower sandals are a necessity because you want your feet to have as minimal contact as possible with the floor there.
Depending on what kind of "showerer" you are, soap and shampoo are important too. Their even more important here, because you need something to make you think that you are indeed getting cleaner and not going in the opposite direction.
One last tip I can give is to try and make the shower as efficient as you can, you don't want to be there longer than you have to be! Through all this darkness, I have found one positive. There is pretty much unlimited hot water. This is one luxury you don't get in all places you stay.
If you got your own place, congratulations you don't gotta worry about any of this. But if like me, your showering in the same place as 18 other dudes have... hopefully my tips helped just a little bit.
So I'm here to tell you the ways I've found to make showering in a public shower feel a little better. There are some materials you should make sure you have with you. These include, 2 towels, shower sandals, soap, and shampoo. It's wise to have a nice little container that take all of these at one time, because it makes dropping items less likely. And trust me, when you drop something in that shower area, you pretty much leave it there. It's important to have 2 towels in your room, but only to bring one to the actual shower. Shower sandals are a necessity because you want your feet to have as minimal contact as possible with the floor there.
Depending on what kind of "showerer" you are, soap and shampoo are important too. Their even more important here, because you need something to make you think that you are indeed getting cleaner and not going in the opposite direction.
One last tip I can give is to try and make the shower as efficient as you can, you don't want to be there longer than you have to be! Through all this darkness, I have found one positive. There is pretty much unlimited hot water. This is one luxury you don't get in all places you stay.
If you got your own place, congratulations you don't gotta worry about any of this. But if like me, your showering in the same place as 18 other dudes have... hopefully my tips helped just a little bit.
To Frat or Not to Frat
So all though all high school I have heard a lot about "frat life" and "frat parties," but I never knew exactly what they were about until I got to college. So Thursday night I decided to do some "research" for all 2 of my readers out there. I went to a few frat parties (against my will of course) to try and get a little better perspective. And the truth is that I still really don't know.
I found out that the guys at some places are really cool, while at others they are just jerks. You can tell when people just want to have fun and when some people are just on a power trip thinking they are cool.
But the thing I'm really not sure about is if I could handle the frat life. There seems to be a lot of "non-school" work and distractions that come with the package. You see, I like to study in my room whenever I can and I just don't know if living at a fraternity would give me that kind of flexibility. There seems to be so much going on at one time there, I don't know what kind of freedom I would have.
Make no mistake, I like to have fun too. I like to party, chill, tailgate and all that good stuff. But as I mentioned in an earlier post titled "Distractions", I've found that you have to learn to balance the fun and the studies and I'm just not sure that a fraternity would give you that kind of choice. Also, some frat guys are just plain crazy. They can handle any amount of anything you throw at them. I'm just not like that.
Personally, I'm pretty sure I won't be joining a frat anytime soon. I don't think I'm crazy enough and I wouldn't be able to balance life and school. But if fraternity life is something your interested in, then go for it... and good luck.
I found out that the guys at some places are really cool, while at others they are just jerks. You can tell when people just want to have fun and when some people are just on a power trip thinking they are cool.
But the thing I'm really not sure about is if I could handle the frat life. There seems to be a lot of "non-school" work and distractions that come with the package. You see, I like to study in my room whenever I can and I just don't know if living at a fraternity would give me that kind of flexibility. There seems to be so much going on at one time there, I don't know what kind of freedom I would have.
Make no mistake, I like to have fun too. I like to party, chill, tailgate and all that good stuff. But as I mentioned in an earlier post titled "Distractions", I've found that you have to learn to balance the fun and the studies and I'm just not sure that a fraternity would give you that kind of choice. Also, some frat guys are just plain crazy. They can handle any amount of anything you throw at them. I'm just not like that.
Personally, I'm pretty sure I won't be joining a frat anytime soon. I don't think I'm crazy enough and I wouldn't be able to balance life and school. But if fraternity life is something your interested in, then go for it... and good luck.
Skipping Class
If you are like most people in college, you probably skip class. Maybe not all the time, maybe not every class, but there is likely some class that, for whatever reason, you choose not to show up to every day. I will admit to doing that. I have a five hour math class that meets at 12:30 every day. I always skip the Thursday class so that I can eat lunch with some of my friends, but I show up Fridays for recitation in case I missed anything important that Thursday. I took this class last year also, so missing material is not too big of a problem with me. I show up 4 times a week, skip just one period; everything looks good.
Recently, I have noticed a disturbing pattern in class attendance. Last week I skipped Thursday AND Friday because I had something I thought was more important to do (something that I can't even remember...). This week I missed Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Wednesday I just didn't feel like going to class. Friday I was frantically called by one of my friends, who apparently was in dire need of a math major. Some big assignment due or something. So, being the good friend and humanitarian that I am, I skipped class to help out. I also skipped English ; ) Hope we didn't do anything...
The point is that on each of these days, I felt like there was something more pressing to do than attend a lecture where attendance is not mandatory. Did I make the right decisions? Some of them seem stupid now. This past Monday when I went to turn in my homework from the week before, I found that my teacher had added an assignment to those that we were turning in. He had told the class on the Thursday before. Quite possibly something like that will happen this time also, when I walk into class in two days. I am not saying that skipping class is a bad thing. Sometimes it can do wonders for your stress levels and give you time to work on important projects. Just be aware of how much you are doing it. Lectures are not just free periods. They can greatly improve your understanding of the class, since teachers often cover the difficult material in depth during class. Teachers also announce changes to the syllabus in class, many of which they neglect to post on the class web page. Try to bear all this in mind next time when you are thinking about skipping.
Recently, I have noticed a disturbing pattern in class attendance. Last week I skipped Thursday AND Friday because I had something I thought was more important to do (something that I can't even remember...). This week I missed Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Wednesday I just didn't feel like going to class. Friday I was frantically called by one of my friends, who apparently was in dire need of a math major. Some big assignment due or something. So, being the good friend and humanitarian that I am, I skipped class to help out. I also skipped English ; ) Hope we didn't do anything...
The point is that on each of these days, I felt like there was something more pressing to do than attend a lecture where attendance is not mandatory. Did I make the right decisions? Some of them seem stupid now. This past Monday when I went to turn in my homework from the week before, I found that my teacher had added an assignment to those that we were turning in. He had told the class on the Thursday before. Quite possibly something like that will happen this time also, when I walk into class in two days. I am not saying that skipping class is a bad thing. Sometimes it can do wonders for your stress levels and give you time to work on important projects. Just be aware of how much you are doing it. Lectures are not just free periods. They can greatly improve your understanding of the class, since teachers often cover the difficult material in depth during class. Teachers also announce changes to the syllabus in class, many of which they neglect to post on the class web page. Try to bear all this in mind next time when you are thinking about skipping.
Homework is pain
Most people procrastinate doing there homework. I mean that they wait till 10PM the night before it is due to start working on it. I use to be in this crowd. I realized that I did not like always worrying if I was going to get everything done in time. I much rather get it done, so I don’t have to worry about it. Some people I know have to pull all-nighters regularly to get there work done because they procrastinate. I was never that bad though, I don’t think I have ever pulled an all-nighter. You were not using your time very well if you have to stay up all night to get it done.This semester has been my worst semester at Purdue so far. I have to do home work for many hours everyday including weekends. By the way I am only taking 16 credits. I think it is so bad though because I am taking 3 classes with labs that require me to work on the labs for about 5 hours outside of class each week. This semester I find myself doing homework up to 6 days ahead of time because I know I have so much to do. If I did not do it ahead of time, I would not be able to get it all done. I find myself having to do some work frequently till 12 or 1am. I also have to do some work on Friday nights, and Saturday and Sunday days, my traditional relaxing times.
What really worries me is that this semester I taking 16 hours and next semester I am taking 18 hours, so I can graduate on time. Next semester I have three classes that will have labs as well with out side of class time spent on labs. I am not sure how I am going to get everything done next semester. I might have to cut things out like watching my favorite TV shows. Also as a note, I fell stressed by all the work now and I don’t really have TV distractions yet, since most shows have not started yet. Some people might say I am just bitching, but the time I am spending is just on the class work, this does not include, reading or studying.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Staying on Good Terms with your Roommate
Have you ever had to live with a complete stranger or one of your good friends and figured out that you are complete opposites? Well hopefully, this does not happen to you because this would create one really long year that might just drive you insane! I am going to offer you some ways to better understand you and your roommate, how you want to live, and what will work out better for you guys in the scheme of things.
First of all, in the first few weeks that you move in together make sure you just go over basic questions and see what they are like and what they prefer. Are they neat or sloppy? Do they stay up late or go to bed early? Do they prefer to talk about things or keep things to themselves? What is the best way for them to study? These are just some of the basic topics and issues that will arise in the first couple of weeks that you should talk about. Make sure you are upfront with them and if something really bothers you then address them and come up with a compromise that you can stick to.
Another way to stay on good terms with your roommate is to respect their opinion and property. This is a huge deal; make sure you are considerate of them. If they want the room to be nice and quiet when they are studying for an hour or two make sure you do that. There’s nothing worse than living with someone that hates you and you will constantly fight with. Make sure you clean up after yourself; there’s nothing worse than having old food or something like that laying on your desk making the whole room smell. Also, you want to be friendly ask them about their day and how everything went. Don’t just come in, plop down and pretend they are not even there. Set up communication with each other, maybe watch a movie or something during the week. Be there if they need to talk about an issue or problem that is affecting them. In closing, make sure you are open, flexible, and especially communicate with each other and if any problems arise you can conquer them together.
First of all, in the first few weeks that you move in together make sure you just go over basic questions and see what they are like and what they prefer. Are they neat or sloppy? Do they stay up late or go to bed early? Do they prefer to talk about things or keep things to themselves? What is the best way for them to study? These are just some of the basic topics and issues that will arise in the first couple of weeks that you should talk about. Make sure you are upfront with them and if something really bothers you then address them and come up with a compromise that you can stick to.
Another way to stay on good terms with your roommate is to respect their opinion and property. This is a huge deal; make sure you are considerate of them. If they want the room to be nice and quiet when they are studying for an hour or two make sure you do that. There’s nothing worse than living with someone that hates you and you will constantly fight with. Make sure you clean up after yourself; there’s nothing worse than having old food or something like that laying on your desk making the whole room smell. Also, you want to be friendly ask them about their day and how everything went. Don’t just come in, plop down and pretend they are not even there. Set up communication with each other, maybe watch a movie or something during the week. Be there if they need to talk about an issue or problem that is affecting them. In closing, make sure you are open, flexible, and especially communicate with each other and if any problems arise you can conquer them together.
Building a Resume
It is important to get a good resume before you actually go to talk to companies. If your resume is bad, you will not have a chance. First you should go to this website to see how you should design it. It is also a good idea to look at a few friends resumes to get an idea too. You also need to decide if you want to put your GPA, Major GPA, or no GPA on your resume.
According to collegegrad.com
Once you think your resume is good, you need to get someone else to look at it to see if it really is a good as you think, it probably isn’t. Take it to CCO in Stewart Center 194; they will have recommendations on how to improve your resume. They are open to look at your resume Monday-Friday 9:00am to 4:30pm. It is really important that your resume be good since the recruiter from the company is going to glace over it really quickly, less than 30 seconds.
Now that you should have a good resume after revising it from the comments CCO gave you, you need to post it on CCO. You can do that by going to CCO’s website and creating an account and uploading your resume and defining your major. CCO allows you to apply for jobs that recruiters have posted there, but it also allows employers search for you even if you did apply. You can then search for various jobs that are available and that fit you. The goal here is to give you as many avenues to get a job or internship as possible.
This is not something you want to wait till right before the job fair to due because you will not be able to have CCO or your friends look over you resume to see if it is good before presenting it to companies.
EDIT: Fixed image, so you can read text.
According to collegegrad.com
If your overall GPA is 3.0 or higher, list it on your resume. If your major GPA is 3.0 or higher, while your overall GPA is below 3.0, list it as your “Major GPA” on your resume. You can list both if they are above 3.0 and your major GPA is at least three tenths higher than your overall GPA.
Once you think your resume is good, you need to get someone else to look at it to see if it really is a good as you think, it probably isn’t. Take it to CCO in Stewart Center 194; they will have recommendations on how to improve your resume. They are open to look at your resume Monday-Friday 9:00am to 4:30pm. It is really important that your resume be good since the recruiter from the company is going to glace over it really quickly, less than 30 seconds.
Now that you should have a good resume after revising it from the comments CCO gave you, you need to post it on CCO. You can do that by going to CCO’s website and creating an account and uploading your resume and defining your major. CCO allows you to apply for jobs that recruiters have posted there, but it also allows employers search for you even if you did apply. You can then search for various jobs that are available and that fit you. The goal here is to give you as many avenues to get a job or internship as possible.
This is not something you want to wait till right before the job fair to due because you will not be able to have CCO or your friends look over you resume to see if it is good before presenting it to companies.
EDIT: Fixed image, so you can read text.
RoOmmAtE RuLEsSsSss**
Let's play a game shall we? Guess what I am. Ready?
"That's mine!" "I'm turning off the air conditioning whether you like it or not!" "Will you PLEASE shut up, I have to study!" "Turn that music down, it sucks!" "Clean up your desk. I'm embarrassed to bring friends up here because you're such a messy person!"
Yup, you guessed it--- a typical roommate.
So you know as well as I do that going to college means having a roommate at some point in you're college life, unless you've got the sweet "hook-ups" and the person you know in charge can get you a room by yourself. However, if you think about it, theres a very slim chance of that happening. So we'll just say that there is a 95% chance that you already have one or you will be living with one in the future.
First off, I am definitely NOT here to tell you that all roommates are going to be terrible. In fact, I've only had one roommate so far, and even though the journey definitely has not been a piece of cake, who am I to judge whether or not it will continue this way for the rest of my freshman year? I'm not. I'm a pretty positive person if I do say so myself, and I have a feeling things will get better, so you should feel that way too if you encounter "struggles" with your roommate. If you get along with your roommate ALL the time, that's great. I wish I could say the same.
Here are a few brief and helpful tips that deal with having a roommate:
1) Try to be positive about any conflicts that arise, I learned this the hard way. Not every conflict has to be negative. It depends on how you look at it and react to the situation
2) Ask to borrow things if you need to. Don't just take them. That's really annoying, and it will often upset the person you are borrowing from and this will lead to a some argument between the two of you.
3) Don't invade you're roommates privacy, and don't let your roommate's friends invade your privacy either. Make sure you and your roommate come to some sort of agreement about this. Talk these kinds of things out before a possible problem arises. I'll give you a perfect example. My roommate had a friend over while I was out, and she let her friend get on MY computer. THAT IS A NO-NO. My roommate could have let her friend borrow her computer, not mine. Don't let things like that occur unless you don't really care...
4) Don't let your roommate tell you what to do. If you like you're stuff a complete mess, don't let him/her talk you into cleaning it up because he or she is "embarrassed" to bring people to the room. Sometimes it's easier to find something when it's messy anyway because you know exactly where it is. If you like it messy, keep it that way, and if you ARE an organized person, don't get mad because your roommate isn't.
5) Try to make plans to go out and do things with your roommate. You'll get along much better if you become close friends, and things will be a lot more fun.
6) Respect each other. Don't have people in the room if your roommate has to study. From my own experience, I like being in my own special place when studying and doing homework. Yeah, I could go to a study lounge or to the library, but if the environment doesn't suit me, I won't be able to concentrate. So if you like studying in your room, make some sort of agreement with your roommate about having/not having people over while you are studying for something.
7) Don't allow your roommate to take over 90% of the room. NOT GOOD. You each deserve an equal amount. Otherwise, it's not fair and you'll have no room for your things, or your roommate won't have any room for his/her things.
8) DON'T KEEP THINGS BOTTLED UP INSIDE OF YOU!!!! If you are uneasy or mad about something your roommate has done or said, say something and talk it out. If you keep things to yourself, more problems will arise.
9) Don't complain about small and worthless things.
10) And in the whole scheme of things, HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"That's mine!" "I'm turning off the air conditioning whether you like it or not!" "Will you PLEASE shut up, I have to study!" "Turn that music down, it sucks!" "Clean up your desk. I'm embarrassed to bring friends up here because you're such a messy person!"
Yup, you guessed it--- a typical roommate.
So you know as well as I do that going to college means having a roommate at some point in you're college life, unless you've got the sweet "hook-ups" and the person you know in charge can get you a room by yourself. However, if you think about it, theres a very slim chance of that happening. So we'll just say that there is a 95% chance that you already have one or you will be living with one in the future.
First off, I am definitely NOT here to tell you that all roommates are going to be terrible. In fact, I've only had one roommate so far, and even though the journey definitely has not been a piece of cake, who am I to judge whether or not it will continue this way for the rest of my freshman year? I'm not. I'm a pretty positive person if I do say so myself, and I have a feeling things will get better, so you should feel that way too if you encounter "struggles" with your roommate. If you get along with your roommate ALL the time, that's great. I wish I could say the same.
Here are a few brief and helpful tips that deal with having a roommate:
1) Try to be positive about any conflicts that arise, I learned this the hard way. Not every conflict has to be negative. It depends on how you look at it and react to the situation
2) Ask to borrow things if you need to. Don't just take them. That's really annoying, and it will often upset the person you are borrowing from and this will lead to a some argument between the two of you.
3) Don't invade you're roommates privacy, and don't let your roommate's friends invade your privacy either. Make sure you and your roommate come to some sort of agreement about this. Talk these kinds of things out before a possible problem arises. I'll give you a perfect example. My roommate had a friend over while I was out, and she let her friend get on MY computer. THAT IS A NO-NO. My roommate could have let her friend borrow her computer, not mine. Don't let things like that occur unless you don't really care...
4) Don't let your roommate tell you what to do. If you like you're stuff a complete mess, don't let him/her talk you into cleaning it up because he or she is "embarrassed" to bring people to the room. Sometimes it's easier to find something when it's messy anyway because you know exactly where it is. If you like it messy, keep it that way, and if you ARE an organized person, don't get mad because your roommate isn't.
5) Try to make plans to go out and do things with your roommate. You'll get along much better if you become close friends, and things will be a lot more fun.
6) Respect each other. Don't have people in the room if your roommate has to study. From my own experience, I like being in my own special place when studying and doing homework. Yeah, I could go to a study lounge or to the library, but if the environment doesn't suit me, I won't be able to concentrate. So if you like studying in your room, make some sort of agreement with your roommate about having/not having people over while you are studying for something.
7) Don't allow your roommate to take over 90% of the room. NOT GOOD. You each deserve an equal amount. Otherwise, it's not fair and you'll have no room for your things, or your roommate won't have any room for his/her things.
8) DON'T KEEP THINGS BOTTLED UP INSIDE OF YOU!!!! If you are uneasy or mad about something your roommate has done or said, say something and talk it out. If you keep things to yourself, more problems will arise.
9) Don't complain about small and worthless things.
10) And in the whole scheme of things, HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Avoiding Procrastination
Procrastination is a topic on everyone’s mind that will hit you at least once or twice in your life and through this blog I am going to try and give you tips and guidelines on how to avoid it. Procrastination is delaying or putting off things such as homework and projects that need to be done. You seem to always come up with better, new, and exciting activities to do. You need to stay focused and get things prioritized first and get them done as soon as possible.
In the blog, Get Motivated and Stay Motivated- by Peter Murphy in his 8 Ways to Avoid Procrastination he sums it up perfectly with one sentence in his post.
Although learning how to avoid procrastination is simple, applying the principles is harder as those who do procrastinate, will put off even attempting to avoid procrastination itself.
I feel that this passage fits perfectly because we all know that we procrastinate here or there, some more often than others but we need to stick to a strategic plan or set of rules that we make for ourselves to help fight it and get things accomplished.
Some of the main reasons that we procrastinate are as simple as waiting for the right time and place to do it. Also, not estimating the correct time that it will take, how difficult or easy the project is, fear of failure, and being a perfectionist. This can affect your overall productivity; you may not make a certain deadline, put you behind in your classes or work, and will just keep piling things on top of each other. One way to stop it would be to set a specific time to work on it and to stick to that. You could get into a schedule for example where for one certain day like Tuesday at 12 you will work on your English assignment for 2 hours. If you get into a routine, it will be easier for you. Also, make a list of the exact assignments and projects that you need to do and set deadlines for yourself. When you have fulfilled the tasks check them off of your list and move on to the next one. I have also found in my personal experience if you get the hardest tasks out of the way first, everything else seems to fly by.
Another idea would be to break down large daunting projects into simpler tasks that are easier to get done. If you work on the whole project at once, you will procrastinate even longer because it just seems that more impossible and definitely not any fun. Also, make sure you do not surround yourself with the things that you love to do like watch television, sit by your computer, or have friends over. You will get side tracked and put it off. You will find yourself surfing the internet or watching the new episode of your favorite television show. Make sure you get the essential tasks out of the way first then you will have plenty of time to relax.
My best piece of advice would be to set goals and deadlines for yourself. During the time that you are working on it make sure you work diligently and efficiently that way the process goes by faster. When you have reached your goal make sure you reward yourself in some way. If you manage your time, make a schedule, set goals, and achieve them you will be very successful and not just sitting there procrastinating. Hopefully this will inspire you in any way to get things done and do not wait till the last minute it will never turn out good for you!
In the blog, Get Motivated and Stay Motivated- by Peter Murphy in his 8 Ways to Avoid Procrastination he sums it up perfectly with one sentence in his post.
Although learning how to avoid procrastination is simple, applying the principles is harder as those who do procrastinate, will put off even attempting to avoid procrastination itself.
I feel that this passage fits perfectly because we all know that we procrastinate here or there, some more often than others but we need to stick to a strategic plan or set of rules that we make for ourselves to help fight it and get things accomplished.
Some of the main reasons that we procrastinate are as simple as waiting for the right time and place to do it. Also, not estimating the correct time that it will take, how difficult or easy the project is, fear of failure, and being a perfectionist. This can affect your overall productivity; you may not make a certain deadline, put you behind in your classes or work, and will just keep piling things on top of each other. One way to stop it would be to set a specific time to work on it and to stick to that. You could get into a schedule for example where for one certain day like Tuesday at 12 you will work on your English assignment for 2 hours. If you get into a routine, it will be easier for you. Also, make a list of the exact assignments and projects that you need to do and set deadlines for yourself. When you have fulfilled the tasks check them off of your list and move on to the next one. I have also found in my personal experience if you get the hardest tasks out of the way first, everything else seems to fly by.
Another idea would be to break down large daunting projects into simpler tasks that are easier to get done. If you work on the whole project at once, you will procrastinate even longer because it just seems that more impossible and definitely not any fun. Also, make sure you do not surround yourself with the things that you love to do like watch television, sit by your computer, or have friends over. You will get side tracked and put it off. You will find yourself surfing the internet or watching the new episode of your favorite television show. Make sure you get the essential tasks out of the way first then you will have plenty of time to relax.
My best piece of advice would be to set goals and deadlines for yourself. During the time that you are working on it make sure you work diligently and efficiently that way the process goes by faster. When you have reached your goal make sure you reward yourself in some way. If you manage your time, make a schedule, set goals, and achieve them you will be very successful and not just sitting there procrastinating. Hopefully this will inspire you in any way to get things done and do not wait till the last minute it will never turn out good for you!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Go to job fairs
You may think that you don’t need to go to job fairs because you are only a freshman. This is not true. In my major, Computer and Information Technology, it is almost a must to have internships in order to get a job when you graduate. The two things that employers are looking for at least in the more technical degrees are experience and GPA. A person with a 3.0 with experience will be taken over a person with a 4.0 with no experience.
Going to the job fairs even if you don’t really want a job or internship is still important. It allows you to practice talking to companies and selling yourself. This way when you really are ready for that internship you will already be an expert on selling yourself.
I went to a job fair earlier this week for my major called AITP: Computer Roundtable and there I talked to every company except two. I did this to increase my chances of getting an interview from someone. Another reason is there are lots of good companies out there. Just because they are not a company you have heard of does not mean they would not be a good company to work for. Most people usually go for the bigger names, Allstate, Discover, Ford, Lockheed Martin, ect. I found some of the smaller companies are actually really good companies too, they just might not be national.
Make sure you dress up when you go to the job fairs as well. You need to dress to impress. This means a suit if you got it. If you don’t have a suit, you should get one because you are going to need it for interviews and other formal things as well. I personally wear my suit several times each semester for fraternity, job searching, and events for other organizations I am involved in.
A Little Studyin' Never Hurt Anyone!
There is just something about being in a huge lecture hall around seven or eight o'clock in the evening with about two or three hundred other students, surrounded by dark or light, tiled or carpeted walls and feeling so cramped together than you can not even breathe. On top of all that, there are only about two or four doors to enter into and exit out of causing you to feel trapped, like you could possibly be stuck there for the rest of your life, or at least the next couple hours. Then you realize that you and all the others sitting in that room with you have one thing in common. You are all about to take an EXAM (dun dUN duN DUN)!!!!
At some point, most likely around the middle of the quarter, you will have to take college exams. What comes to your mind when you hear the word 'exam'? I'll tell you what I think. Back in high school, we used to have TESTS and then at the end of the semester we had final EXAMS. So when I think of a college exam (midterm), I think of end-of-the-semester-high school- exams, but in reality, these exams are really just like tests in high school. They don't cover as much material as a final exam does after an entire semester. No, they do exactly what high school tests do. The test you on a minimal amount of material that you have learned up until that point, and most of the time, you won't see that material on another exam until the end of the semester when it comes to finals. So if you freak out when you hear 'exam', don't stress out. IT'S JUST A TEST.
Sometimes you will end up having one or even three exams on the same day (trust me, I know). Welcome to college people! If you had good study habits in high school, chances are you will utilize those habits again in college and it won't be so hard for you to adjust. However, if you had poor study routines, I will help you to see what you can do to stay on track so that when an exam rolls around, you won't be too nervous or too stressed out. These tests really aren't all that different from high school tests.
The best thing you can do to prepare for upcoming exams (even if you don't know when they will be) is to study every evening and review the material you learned in class THAT day, but ALSO study the material learned in class on PREVIOUS days. It is usually easier to remember material if you cover it each day. You won't have to study or cram as much when its time to study the night before the test. And if you aren't going to take that advice, I highly suggest you think about this following strategy. When you figure out that you have an exam coming up in the near future, begin studying for it and look over the material (at least briefly) each night up until the exam (Ahh!! Will you stop saying that word already!!).
Well I hope this helps you out a bit. I can't waste anymore time helping you when I have to study for a biology exam that I have to take tomorrow!
At some point, most likely around the middle of the quarter, you will have to take college exams. What comes to your mind when you hear the word 'exam'? I'll tell you what I think. Back in high school, we used to have TESTS and then at the end of the semester we had final EXAMS. So when I think of a college exam (midterm), I think of end-of-the-semester-high school- exams, but in reality, these exams are really just like tests in high school. They don't cover as much material as a final exam does after an entire semester. No, they do exactly what high school tests do. The test you on a minimal amount of material that you have learned up until that point, and most of the time, you won't see that material on another exam until the end of the semester when it comes to finals. So if you freak out when you hear 'exam', don't stress out. IT'S JUST A TEST.
Sometimes you will end up having one or even three exams on the same day (trust me, I know). Welcome to college people! If you had good study habits in high school, chances are you will utilize those habits again in college and it won't be so hard for you to adjust. However, if you had poor study routines, I will help you to see what you can do to stay on track so that when an exam rolls around, you won't be too nervous or too stressed out. These tests really aren't all that different from high school tests.
The best thing you can do to prepare for upcoming exams (even if you don't know when they will be) is to study every evening and review the material you learned in class THAT day, but ALSO study the material learned in class on PREVIOUS days. It is usually easier to remember material if you cover it each day. You won't have to study or cram as much when its time to study the night before the test. And if you aren't going to take that advice, I highly suggest you think about this following strategy. When you figure out that you have an exam coming up in the near future, begin studying for it and look over the material (at least briefly) each night up until the exam (Ahh!! Will you stop saying that word already!!).
Well I hope this helps you out a bit. I can't waste anymore time helping you when I have to study for a biology exam that I have to take tomorrow!
Monday, September 17, 2007
The Home Cooked Meal
This weekend Purdue football picked up its third win in as many games, doing so in a similar fashion as the other games. Now that most of the bull**** games are over, Purdue's got some exciting games down the road. They have opponents such as Ohio State and Notre Dame at home.
Oh wait, check that... Notre Dame is no longer an interesting opponent. Did you know that they average -6 yards rushing yards a game right now? Really!! Check it out.... http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/clubhouse?teamId=87
Now... what to tell you about college? I'm going to go ahead and talk about the food situation in college. Now most kids in school have limited money and our forced to eat in the dorms. At most colleges, thats a pretty raw deal. So when I first ate at the dining hall here at Purdue, I thought it was fantastic. They had everything! So I thought, "I'll be all set." That was three weeks ago. I was young and foolish.
Now I am much wiser and have realized something, that no matter what at some point... dorm food is going to suck. Even if it's all pizza, burgers, fries, chinese and all this good stuff that you think you could never get tired of... it's going to suck. Your going to get tired of it.
I've come to realize that I actually miss my mother's homecooked food. In fact, I miss it a lot. And since theres no realistic way to have her food for a few months, I have to learn how to adapt to the dorm food. You have to eat the stuff that is fresh (or at least mildly so). Fruits, yogurt, jello, that kind of stuff will keep your stomach not-so-queasy. You gotta limit the fried stuff, since that is never good.
But really, it's about what you can handle. I mean, this could be just something crazy about me and this isn't happening to anyone else. But all I know is that I damn near throw up looking at the dorm food now.
So if you follow my steps and drink A LOT of water, I think you might just make it. Let's just hope that i do.
Oh wait, check that... Notre Dame is no longer an interesting opponent. Did you know that they average -6 yards rushing yards a game right now? Really!! Check it out.... http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/clubhouse?teamId=87
Now... what to tell you about college? I'm going to go ahead and talk about the food situation in college. Now most kids in school have limited money and our forced to eat in the dorms. At most colleges, thats a pretty raw deal. So when I first ate at the dining hall here at Purdue, I thought it was fantastic. They had everything! So I thought, "I'll be all set." That was three weeks ago. I was young and foolish.
Now I am much wiser and have realized something, that no matter what at some point... dorm food is going to suck. Even if it's all pizza, burgers, fries, chinese and all this good stuff that you think you could never get tired of... it's going to suck. Your going to get tired of it.
I've come to realize that I actually miss my mother's homecooked food. In fact, I miss it a lot. And since theres no realistic way to have her food for a few months, I have to learn how to adapt to the dorm food. You have to eat the stuff that is fresh (or at least mildly so). Fruits, yogurt, jello, that kind of stuff will keep your stomach not-so-queasy. You gotta limit the fried stuff, since that is never good.
But really, it's about what you can handle. I mean, this could be just something crazy about me and this isn't happening to anyone else. But all I know is that I damn near throw up looking at the dorm food now.
So if you follow my steps and drink A LOT of water, I think you might just make it. Let's just hope that i do.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Better Business Bureau, here I come
Now, most people say they hate Wal-mart and all other such companies. I don’t just hate them. I despise them. I loathe them. I wouldn’t be sad if all the stores magically vaporized (but not the people…most of the people). Some people hate companies like Wal-Mart on principle. I hope they vanish based on practice and principle.
Story number one: My boyfriend’s dad bought him a watch in China, but the watch was a little big. So, we decided to go get it sized at the little jewelry counter at Wal-mart, simply because it was close. Now, this isn’t some little crap watch. This is a freaking amazing knock-off that could pass off as a real breitling.
My boyfriend, who is really patient, is standing at the counter watching them while I’m wandering around. First thing to rant about: my seven-year-old brother has better organizational skills than Wal-mart. Vacuum accessories aren’t with the vacuums. Cosmetics are right next to school supplies. You need a map and a translator to tell you were anything is because it makes no sense. Well, unless you’re on something, but that’s another rant for another post.
So, I finished wandering around, and I come back about a half hour later, and they still hadn’t figured out how to take out some of the links. The last thing I heard from the female was “F&*(( THIS GODD$(&^%# WATCH!” Needless to say, he asked for his watch back and we left.
We went to a Fred Meyer (which is apparently a western America thing…if you know Freddies, give a shout out!) and got the watch sized in 10 minutes max.
Story number two: My bike tubes were slashed a couple of weeks ago. Not the tires, just the tubes. See, people are amazingly cruel. They let all the air out of the bike tubes, and then they slash them.
The closest place that I can take my bike to is sadly Wal-mart. I took my bike in two weeks ago. Yes, two weeks ago. I called earlier this week. It still wasn’t fixed. I went in today, over two weeks later. It still wasn’t fixed. They wouldn’t let me have my bike back, either so that one of my new friends could fix my bike. My mom called during all this, and I reassured her that I would be calling the Better Business Bureau and the Indiana State Attorney General’s Office to file complaints against Wal-mart. The employees overheard this, ran off, and came back with my bike all fixed 10 minutes later. Honestly, 2 weeks when it only took you 10 minutes?
The moral of the story: drop the Better Business Bureau and the State Attorney General’s Office when the employees of a store are being particularly intellectually depraved. (Yes, depraved. I know there’s a difference. )
I know I’m not the only one with stories like these. I want to hear them! Send them in! Who knows, if your story insights a revolution, I might give you a brownie!
Edit: I rode my bike this morning. It made a horrible noise. Then the chain popped off, and I lost control of my bike. I was somehow able to hope off my bike before I flew with it into oncoming traffic. I can still ride my bike (because I put the chain back on properly.)
Story number one: My boyfriend’s dad bought him a watch in China, but the watch was a little big. So, we decided to go get it sized at the little jewelry counter at Wal-mart, simply because it was close. Now, this isn’t some little crap watch. This is a freaking amazing knock-off that could pass off as a real breitling.
My boyfriend, who is really patient, is standing at the counter watching them while I’m wandering around. First thing to rant about: my seven-year-old brother has better organizational skills than Wal-mart. Vacuum accessories aren’t with the vacuums. Cosmetics are right next to school supplies. You need a map and a translator to tell you were anything is because it makes no sense. Well, unless you’re on something, but that’s another rant for another post.
So, I finished wandering around, and I come back about a half hour later, and they still hadn’t figured out how to take out some of the links. The last thing I heard from the female was “F&*(( THIS GODD$(&^%# WATCH!” Needless to say, he asked for his watch back and we left.
We went to a Fred Meyer (which is apparently a western America thing…if you know Freddies, give a shout out!) and got the watch sized in 10 minutes max.
Story number two: My bike tubes were slashed a couple of weeks ago. Not the tires, just the tubes. See, people are amazingly cruel. They let all the air out of the bike tubes, and then they slash them.
The closest place that I can take my bike to is sadly Wal-mart. I took my bike in two weeks ago. Yes, two weeks ago. I called earlier this week. It still wasn’t fixed. I went in today, over two weeks later. It still wasn’t fixed. They wouldn’t let me have my bike back, either so that one of my new friends could fix my bike. My mom called during all this, and I reassured her that I would be calling the Better Business Bureau and the Indiana State Attorney General’s Office to file complaints against Wal-mart. The employees overheard this, ran off, and came back with my bike all fixed 10 minutes later. Honestly, 2 weeks when it only took you 10 minutes?
The moral of the story: drop the Better Business Bureau and the
I know I’m not the only one with stories like these. I want to hear them! Send them in! Who knows, if your story insights a revolution, I might give you a brownie!
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