FINAL VIDEO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-wgIw-rzVw

       My first semester of college was most definitely the biggest learning experience i had up to this point in my life.  Coming into college, i wasn't sure of what to expect, obviously i knew there would be a great deal of work and stress involved but I didn't  think it would be anything like this. Although i must say, i learned a great deal about myself throughout the process and hopefully that makes next semester a lot less difficult. 

I learned that organization within a college setting is completely different from organization in high school. My schedule in high school was jam packed 24/7 but for some reason I managed it no problem. College on the other hand, not so much. I had a hard time adjusting to the different style of work load. We would get assignments in class, their would be assignments on the syllabus, and also their were assignments on vista. I couldn't get the hang of checking all of these locations for all of my classes everyday. It was a huge hassle. Hopefully next semester however, I"ll find a way to have all my assignments in one location so I don't have anymore mix-ups. To be completely honest, I don't even  know where grades stand, none of my professors keep their grades updated and the grading process is nothing that I'm used to.

I would say my biggest struggle this year was definitely commuting. it was nothing like i expected. Driving a half hour to and from school is a lot harder than it seems. first of all you need to calculate this time into everything, which means waking up way earlier then needed and leaving school much earlier then i wanted to because I had work everyday. And once i got home from school and work, homework was the last thing i wanted to do because i was exhausted. Some people tell me to be a full time student and quit my job, but if i did this, I would have no way to get to school because i wouldn't be able to afford my gas or insurance, so either way I'm in a difficult position. I thought commuting would be good because i would have the comfort of my own home and city but in reality its just a huge distraction. Maybe if I was stranded in a dorm room, I would be able to get things done. Another thing that annoyed me this year was the amount of times my professors would cancel class, but rather then sending an email, they would leave a note on their door. I wasted so much gas because of this reason and that becomes extremely frustrating. I just feel like I have nothing to do with the university and I'm always out of the loop. And like i said, i wish i would could spend more time on campus, but my busy life doesn't allow me to do this. I don't feel like I'm gaining any type of experience. 

From this however, I learned that maybe commuting isn't for me as much as i thought it was. Im willing to try it again next semester, but I don't think I'll be doing it next year. The thing is, I know i have good time- management skills and I'm fully capable of doing the work, but living so far away from school makes it much more difficult. I think if i was living and working on campus, I would be able to put a lot more time and energy into my schooling rather then into driving back and forth and trying to organize my home life with my school life. 

Overall my first semester in college was a huge case of trial and error, and its a good thing i learn from my mistakes. I discovered my own personal learning style and also how I should deal with specific situations in the future. Another thing that changed was my intended major; therefore my goal for next semester is to figure out what I really want to be in life and what I'm actually working towards in school. Hopefully by this time next year, I'll be dorming and happy with where i am in school.

Feeling Stressed?

 ~ Stress is not what happens to us. It's our response to what happens. And respon is something we can choose ~                    Maureen Killoran

Don't Stress!!!

Since I started college, my life seems more stressful than ever. Unfortunately, an exceeded amount of stress can really affect your body. Although its not always easy, you should try to relieve yourself of your stresses as much as possible and keep yourself healthy. 

This week, along with most weeks, I went to the gym a few days. For me, exercising is one of the best ways to relieve stress. I blast my music and block everything out. It allows me to focus on the now and concentrate on what I'm doing. After I get out of the gym, I feel refreshed and level headed. It helps me get things off my mind. Even though exercising works for me, there are many other ways to help relieve stress. Some examples include:

Listen to Music If you're feeling overwhelmed by a stressful situation, try taking a break and listening to relaxing classical music. Playing calm music has a positive effect on the brain and body, can lower blood pressure, and can reduce cortisol, a hormone linked to stress.

Laugh It Off It may seem funny but laughter releases endorphins that 

improve mood and decrease levels of the stress-causing hormones, cortisol and adrenaline. Laughing tricks our nervous system into making us happy. So even when your stressed and you don't feel much like laughing, try to take things easy and think about something silly.

Drink Green Tea We all know that harsh caffeine found in coffee and energy drinks increase stress, however, green tea has less than half the caffeine of coffee and contains healthy antioxidants, as well as theanine—an amino acid that has a calming and soothing effect on the nervous system. 

Sleep Better Everyone knows stress can cause you to lose sleep. Unfortunately, lack of sleep is also a key cause of stress. This vicious cycle causes the brain and body to get out of whack and it only gets worse and worse with time. You should always try to get at least eight hours of sleep every night, especially when your stressed. 

Call a Friend If you're feeling overwhelmed, take a break to call a friend and talk about your problems. Good relationships with friends and loved-ones are important to any healthy lifestyle. A reassuring voice, even for a minute, can put everything in perspective.

Eat Right Believe it or not, stress levels and a proper diet are closely related. Unfortunately, it’s when we have the most work that we forget to eat well and we resort to quick junk food. Try to avoid the vending machine and plan healthy meals. 

Try Yoga Yoga is great time to breath deeply, meditate, and take your mind off things. Its even good for your body. I used to do yoga all the time and I loved it!

Stress is an unavoidable part of life. But that doesn't mean you should ignore it. Too much untreated stress can cause potentially serious physical and mental health problems. Don't ignore your stress, relieve it.

        
 Getting sick as a college student can take a huge toll on your schedule and it affects everything you need to get done. Therefore, you should avoid getting sick as best as you can throughout the school year. Better yet, avoid getting sick throughout life to always ensure good health. Here are some tips: 

Wash your hands!
I know we have all hear it a thousand times, but washing your hands on a regular basis is a simple step towards avoiding sickness. Our hands encounter millions of germs everyday and we use them for just about everything. By washing your hands, there's less chance of these germs entering your body.

Don't touch your face!

Our face is the number one place for germs to enter our bodies. Were all aware that we inhale airborne germs, however germs can also enter through other places like your eyes. Avoid rubbing your eyes and the rest of your face, especially if your hands aren't clean.
Avoid other sick people!
Staying away from other people with illnesses is important when avoiding getting sick. Surrounding yourself with bacteria basically ensures that you will catch it. Although this isn't always possible, be aware that there's always germs around (especially during cold and flu season) and pay attention to your hygiene.

Exercise!

Not only does exercise keep you looking and feeling great, but a great deal of recent research suggests that regular exercise will boost your immune system. A good immune system is a key point towards preventing illness.
Stay hydrated!                                                         Although drinking plenty of fluids is a key strategy to fighting illness once you’re actually sick, staying hydrated may actually help you prevent illness as well. Our bodies are over 60% water. Water transports nutrients to cells and flushes out toxins. 
                         Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables!
Our immune systems fight off tons of infections every day without us even realizing it. To keep your immune system strong however, you need to maintain a healthy diet full of vitamins and minerals contained in fruits and vegetables.
Don't party too hard!
Alcohol, cigarettes, and illicit drugs all weaken your immune system. So if you feel a cold coming on you might want to avoid these things. If you cant help yourself, try and do it in a bacteria free environment. 

Keep your environment clean!

When your avoiding getting sick or trying to get over an illness, you should clean common surfaces as often as possible. For example, handles, doorknobs, telephones, etc. The less germs the better!


Get plenty of rest!
Ensuring that your body has enough rest will keep you and your immune system strong. An unhealthy amount of rest can leave you prone to infection. 

Anything Thoughts or Opinions?

           Since I started college, I started to realize how much people actually use, rely on and even abuse technology. In a way, its kind of ridiculous. People have constant access to the world at all times and they never skip a beat. Whether its updating their Facebook status, checking an email, or searching something on goggle, its happening 24/7. Although technology provides us with an exceptional amount of convenience, is it really the best solution? I asked the following question to 10 of my peers to learn their opinions about the topic as well.

Does technology improve education, why or why not?

Rachel: " Yes, it makes everything so much easier. I dont know what I would do without it."

John: " It definately has its pros and cons. Although technology provides us with so much, it also provides major distraction"

Krissy: " Yes, technology does improve education. It makes resources easily accessable and it keeps me connected to the world. However, its also a major distraction. When i'm doing homework, i'm usually on Facebook and downloading music at the same time. I cant help myself when its right in front of me."

Nate: " No, technology doesnt improve education at all. It makes things way to easy for people now a day. It stops people from using their brains. Why think when you can search it on Google?"

Maria: " Yea, I think technology helps education, but it also prevents it sometimes. Everyones so caught up in their phones and computers. It can be so distracting. "

Mark: " No way, I hate technology. Everyones always on Facebook, Skype, or something like that during school. Its so annoying and distracting. And I hate when professors make us do a ton a work online. Half the time is does'nt even work."

Sarah: " Of course, I dont know what I would do without it. It allows me to contact my professors whenever I have a question about something and it makes homework and projects much easier. If I don't know the answer to something, all I have to do is look it up!"

Will: " Well its obviously distracting but I dont think any of us could live without it knowing how convient it makes things. "


Mike: " Technology is stupid. Why are half my classes online?!"

Kristen: " Yea technology improves education, but at the same time it gives students the  easy way out pretty often."

            In my opinion, technology obviously makes our lives a lot easier when your gaining an edution. However, are'nt you curious to see how different things would be without it? What if we could'nt contact our professors when we had questions about assignments? What if we could'nt just search an answer to something on Goggle? What if we actually had to think when didnt know something? I think the world would be full of many more, intelligent and well- rounded people.

The Movement Blog

Using Time Wisely

           Sometimes daily chaos and hectic schedules prevent us from making the most of our time. Since my first day of college, I realized how crucial  time- management would become to my life. I've always been pretty good at managing my time. Now a day however, it seems more difficult then ever. Balancing school, work, homework, and actually having a life can be a lot harder than it seems. After concluding in class that we have about 70 hours of free time a week, I considered how my time was being spent. Much of my 70 hours is devoted towards homework. I do approximately 30 hours per week. However I use the majority of my free time as just that, time to my self. I go to the gym often and run a lot of errands. I also spend a large portion of my time with my friends and family, probably my biggest distraction. 


         Although an invite to hang with friends or my boyfriend is always more intriguing then studying, this is where my time- management skills need improvement. I've come to realize that my ultimate problem with time management is trying to fit too many things into a short amount of time. I need to learn how to spread out and cluster my time to accommodate everything I need to complete. My busy schedule sometimes results in me doing my homework through a series of small intervals of time. I want to improve the way I manage my time so that I have longer spans of time to complete homework. Another issue that affects my time management is my bad habit of procrastination. Unfortunately, I've always been one to save things for the last minute.Although it allows me more time, it often hurts me in the end. I hope to eliminate this trait and get things done when I have spare time rather then right before they need to be completed. 

  "Dost thou love life?

 Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of. "
   Benjamin Franklin, 'Poor Richard's Almanack,' June 1746

         

"A"/ Excellent


So I'm honestly not very good at this whole blogging bit, but by the looks of, it seems as if some of you have been doing it  for years and your blogs would definitely be ranked as an A+ in my opinion.

The first blog that stood out amongst the others was Mien Laben als Tori. Tori, I'm pretty sure about half the class picked your blog but its really well done. Your creative title immediately caught my attention, and your blog itself kept it. Your posts express who you are and there done exactly the way there supposed to be. I learned a lot about blogging from visiting your blog and it inspired me to make mine stronger. Also, your graphics are excellent and your blog titles are very catchy!

The next blog that deserves an A+ was the very first blog that caught my eye and that's Louie's Happy Blog Time. Louie, to me your blog title made it irresistable to click on because I was convinced it would put me in a good mood, and it did. Your wit and good sence of humor without a doubt add a lot of spunk to your blog, yet it is done neatly and propperly. Your blog posts are well construsted and they clearly depict your ability to speak your mind. Also, your funny jokes keep me intrigged to keep reading, great blog!

Last but not least, the third blog that should receive an A+ is The Triumphs and Troubles of Tina. Tina, as I'm sure you know, you have one of the most studious and well-organized blog's on here. Your blog's are well constructed and follow format and direction. They provide a lot of information. Also, your simple, yet accute graphics make it easy for the reader to focus on the context. Your blog is very well-done!

Along with these three, everyones blog is interesting in it's own way and they each express a different meaning. It was fun reading all of your blogs. They gave me a better sence of who some of you are and they each taught me something new about blogging!