Stressed Out

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Sometimes college can give you that inevitable feeling that you are drowning. Whether that be from homework, work itself, roommate drama, or just not adjusting very well, everyone will feel the stress at sometime or another.

Luckily for you, there are ways to lessen its impact.

A great stress reliever for some people is hitting the gym.

For a short amount of time you can take your mind off the stress and the struggles of college life and just run (or bike, if you are like me).

You can also go to the FREE counseling services at Washburn!

It sometimes helps to just get some stuff off your chest every now and then, and this is a great way to do that! The person you are talking to doesn't know the person you are talking about, so that is also another plus.

Another great person to confide in is your teacher. They don't know you are struggling unless you tell them so talking to them about it is always a good idea.

Don't wait until the last second to do your assignments.

I know, it's hard not to just put it off and do other "important" things instead (i.e. watch Netflix and pig out), but you will be way less stressed out in the long run if you just do it when you can.

Stress may be inevitable, but there are ways to cope with it. Don't let it get so bad that your stress has stress, just get the help and do whatever you need to do to make college a little easier on yourself.

If you need some good stress relieving tips, go to http://campusmindworks.org/students/self_care/managing_stress.asp

Need A Little Help From My Friends

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If there is one thing I have learned from my time in college thus far, it is that high school didn't prepare me - at all.

I didn't know how to study, I didn't know what to prioritize when I was "studying", and I certainly didn't know how to get a tutor.

One thing that is great about college, especially here at Washburn, is that we have some fantastic tutoring services.

Whether it be through the library or the department itself, there are tutors for EVERYTHING. Math? We got them. History? We got them. Any struggles you are having in a class, there is most likely a tutor for it.

One thing to keep in mind if you do get tutors is you shouldn't be ashamed that you need one. Everyone struggles with something in their lifetime and if yours just happens to be a Statistics class, then so be it.

You should be proud of yourself for recognizing that you need the help. Just know that it is okay to get a little help from a friend every now and then.

If you would rather just get online help, http://www.tutor.com/ is a good website to go to!

Procrastination - the Leading Killer of All Students

I will write this later.

Better Late Than Never

We are all gonna experience it at one time or another - you are gonna be late for class. There are multiple ways to handle it - both good and bad - but you just need to have common sense.

Don't just skip because you are gonna be 10 minutes late.

I know, I know, it's tempting. But don't. It isn't worth it and you will miss a lot of information that you can only get in class. Now if you are gonna be 45 minutes late, that's another story...

Run. Run. Run.

If you are late it is not the time to be dilly-dallying around. Forget the makeup and the cute clothes. It doesn't matter if you look like a hobo, just run. As fast as you can.

Don't make a big entrance, but don't take forever.

Obviously don't just storm in there but don't take a lifetime to open the door either. Try to be as quiet as possible and sit down immediately. People will either not even realize you walked in or they will forget about it in like .2 seconds. It will all be good.

Even if you are late to one class, just know it is not the end of the world. Life will go on, and so should you!

How to Survive in the Dorms

Photo Courtesy of Reilly Peuser

Living in the dorms is one of the best parts of college. New friends, great memories, an all around great experience right? Well, sort of.

Life at the dorms is not all rainbows and butterflies all the time, so it is good to know how to cope with it.

1. Make friends in different rooms.

You and your roommates will not always get along. Just expect that to happen. So it is always good to make friends outside your room to be your safe haven when you just can't take it anymore.

2. Communicate.

Communication is key. One thing that is good to enforce in your room, like I did in mine, is an honesty policy. Anytime that someone does something to upset you, you enforce the honesty policy and tell them. It will work out for the better if you do.

3. Forgive and Forget.

Holding grudges won't do you any good either. You just need to learn to let things go and move on. It will not only help you in college, but in life. Trust me.

Life won't always be easy and it won't always be fun, but if you can learn some good tips to handling your living situation, it will be far easier.

Funny Business

The latest craze that all the college kids are into now-a-days is "clown hunting". Personally, there is not way I would EVER do that . EVER. But if you do, here are my tips to staying safe.

1. Bring protection

Pepper spray, taser, heck even your car keys can be a weapon! Just make sure you have something to use if you happen to get chased down, like so many people have.

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2. Travel in pairs

I feel like that is common sense, but if you didn't know you are always safer in groups. If you anything you just need to be able to outrun at least one person in your group.

3. Or you could just stay in your car

Driving around not only gives you a barrier between yourself and the clowns but it also gives a faster way of running away from them.

If you are into the possibility of getting chased down or stalked by a clown with a knife or you just like the adrenaline rush of seeing one, please be careful. And don't approach one, whatever you do. This is real life man.

Week by Week

Photo Courtesy of Reilly Peuser

One of the best ways to stay organized in college is to take things week by week.

The easiest way to do that is to make a weekly calendar! I made the one pictured above out of four simple items; a picture frame, scrap booking paper, a sharpie, and Command strips.

Step 1: Buy all the supplies.

 

Most of these items were inexpensive and I already had them in my house. The most expensive thing being the frame which was around $12 at Target. The paper was around $4 from Wal-Mart and the Sharpie I already had but they run around $3.30. The Command strips come in a pack of 12 and run around $8.  

Step 2: Write on the frame.

 

If you aren't the best at calligraphy, don't fret. You can always try your best, do what you know you can do, or find someone that can. I did all the calligraphy myself so I am always open to helping!

 

Step 3: Pick out the paper to go behind the glass.

 

When picking out the perfect paper, just know that you have to be able to read what is written on the
glass. It helps if it is lighter colors or mainly white with hints of black. I didn't really follow the whole light paper tip but I was trying to match the colors of my bed spread, so don't judge.

 

Step 4: Hang the frame on the wall.

 

This is pretty self explanatory but my only tips are to have a second person around to help you level it out. 

This is not only a good way to keep yourself organized, but you will look like a pro at D-I-Y projects while you are at it.