Meeting new friends in the dorms

I’m sure you heard it all the time when you were a kid: Don’t talk to strangers. Well, as a new freshman in college, you'll need to start talking to all the strangers you can find …that is, unless you just want to hang out in your dorm room by yourself for the next four years!

It might seem obvious, but actually hanging out on campus is the best way to meet other students. If you are visiting your boyfriend or girlfriend off campus every weekend, then yeah, it’s going to be harder to get connected. So, enjoy your surroundings! There’s lots of ways to get yourself out there, whether you live on campus or off, so we’ve put together a Top 10 List to get you started:

Top 10 ways to meet other students

10. Strike up conversations with students in your classes. People love to talk about themselves, so the best way to get them talking is to just ask questions.

9. Get to know your roommates better. Forgive your roommate for not putting away her hairdryer and go chat and de-stress over some frozen yogurt.

8. Join a campus club or two to meet students with similar interests. And think outside the box – consider starting your own club if what you are interested in isn’t at your campus yet.

7. Consider whether rushing a sorority or fraternity is a fit for you. Talk to your RA and/or other upperclassmen to get more perspective on what it’s really like.

6. Play intramural sports. It’s a great way to get some exercise (aka fight the Freshmen 15) and you’ll meet fun people who aren’t afraid to make fools of themselves with sports they might not have ever played before – how’s that for getting outside your comfort zone?!

5. Host a game night in your hall. Get out the old board games…remember those? In the days before Wii and Guitar Hero? Try Apples to Apples , Catch Phrase, or Would you Rather…? for some hilarious moments.

4. Do your homework in the library instead of your room or, I know you might not want to have to start thinking about this already, but better to get ready for it now instead of later, organize a study group for an upcoming exam.

3. Eat your meals in the cafeteria and challenge yourself to talk to new people each time – even if it only means sharing a laugh with someone about the newest casserole sensation.

2. Use Facebook to connect with students at your new campus and organize face-to-face get-togethers. Take a look at your new Facebook friend’s pictures from Spain or Hawaii or even the neighborhood BBQ to get the dialogue going.

1. Be yourself and be positive. When in doubt, smile. You will be amazed at how much it can do.

Remember, you are not in this alone – everyone else in your freshman class is right there alongside you, meeting people and navigating the new social scene just like you are. And of course, you can always bounce ideas off of your InsideTrack Coach or talk through suggestions for how to meet people. Your life-long friends from college may just be the people you meet in the next few weeks!

Translating high school experiences to college

In movies, high school is usually characterized as either the best of times or the worst of times. As far as Hollywood is concerned, there never seems to be an in-between. You and I both know that that’s not always the case – there are people along the entire spectrum, from those whose high school experience seemed like a dream come true, to those who had a perfectly ordinary experience, to those who didn’t have a very good experience.

Wherever you fall in this spectrum, starting college is a completely fresh start. A fresh start means different things to different people – what does it mean to you? Since your first semester of your new life is going to begin in just a few weeks, this is the perfect time to ask yourself these questions:

• What do you want to take with you into your college experience?
• And what are the things you want to leave behind?

Maybe you loved being on the high school soccer team and are dreaming of college soccer games; maybe you always wanted to learn how to play an instrument but never did; maybe you hated being the class clown and want to be thought of more seriously by your professors. Spending some time now considering how you want college to be similar or different from your high school years is a great way to feel more prepared for what’s right around the corner: walking across your college campus for the first time as a college student.

Remember, there are no rules here: you decide what you want your college years to look like. Think back to when you were in your cap and gown getting your high school diploma, how did you feel about your high school experience? Now, fast forward four years – you are in cap and gown again, getting your college diploma, how do you want to feel about your college experience?

What will you do this summer?

With summer now officially underway, I have been talking to a lot of students who are starting to feel – dare I say it? – bored. A big contrast to the school year, when you’re inundated with clubs to join, activities to try, friends to hang out with, and of course, tests to study for. So summer comes, students go home, maybe get a job, maybe take a class. The result? The landscape of your time has drastically changed – leading to the unfortunate but common phenomenon of feeling like you have all the time in the world but nothing to do.

O.K., so what does that leave you with? Probably one of two things: you either feel guilty about not being more “productive,” or you just want more fun stuff to fill your time.

Are you of the sort who had all sorts of plans for your summer, things like lists of books you wanted to read, volunteer work you wanted to get involved with, closets you wanted to organize (I could go on, but you get the point)? Maybe that list of things is really important to you, and if it is, my message for you is: Summer Is Fleeting! Get Up And Get Things Done! Or, if now that you’re in summertime, you could also change your plans and focus on enjoying the freedom that summer brings, especially knowing that it will not last long. Fall is around the corner, and your schedule will shortly be filled to the brim once again. Don’t undervalue rejuvenation!

Or, if you’re looking for more fun stuff to fill your time, try to think specifically about what you’d like to have bragging rights to once school starts back up again – maybe trying something new or going somewhere unique. Are these things you need to plan in advance, or do you just need a casual summer to-do-list? If you don’t have lots of ideas, And if you are having trouble coming up with ideas, there’s lots of great websites to give you ideas … on any budget (here’s a few to get you started: www.planjam.com, www.yelp.com, www.citysearch.com.

Either way, summer will be over before you know it, so what are you waiting for?

Keeping your energy level up

It’s the final push to finals and the end of your freshmen year! I know that you are busy trying to fit everything in to these last few weeks, so you’ve got to make sure you are taking care of yourself in the meantime. For so many students, getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and taking the time to exercise are usually last on the priority list when the pressure starts building. But if you prioritize these things last now, it is going to negatively affect you down the line when you really need to be performing at your best!

Let’s clear up some misconceptions about college lifestyles and get you on your way to finishing the year strong.

No, college students are not zombies – they do actually need more than 2 hours of sleep per night…
I know how it goes: you have every intention of starting your 10-page paper at the reasonable hour of 7 pm, but then your roommate walks in and convinces you to go get dinner at the cafeteria, and then your favorite shows come on, and then the cute guy down the hall asks for help with calculus, and then you realize you have to do laundry, and then your high school best friend calls for a catch-up session, and before you know it, it’s 3 am and you haven’t started a thing! Sure, most students pull an all-nighter every now and then, but if you let too many of them stack up right before finals week, your body is going to protest in a big way. You might not notice it now, but you will definitely notice it when you over-sleep the morning of your last final.

Yes, you do need more variety in your diet than Cup of Noodles is able to provide…
Everybody jokes about the eating habits of college students. But questionable cafeteria food + way too many microwaveable meals might equal more than just the infamous Freshmen 15. Your eating habits impact your energy and productivity levels, which in turn ultimately impact your grades and social life! I know you are super busy all day, so try to think ahead so that you can be prepared with healthy, easy snacks you can take on the go, like fruit, granola, energy bars, nuts, or pre-made deli sandwiches. If you keep your blood-sugar level throughout the day you will be far less likely to binge on sugary foods that will cause you to crash later.

No, playing Wii Sports does not count as exercise…
Well, maybe you can count playing Wii Fit as exercise, but other than that, you have got to get moving! You’ve heard it before, and here it is again: exercising helps keep you alert, gives you energy, helps you sleep better, and it gets the endorphins going so those finals don’t weigh you down as much. Even if it’s as simple as taking the long way to class, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or grabbing a friend for a trip through the mall, every little bit counts. Try wearing a pedometer or tracking on your calendar when you work out so that you can visualize the progress you’ve made and the steps you have taken to be good to yourself.

Remember, your Coach and I want you to have the best possible end to your freshmen year, and in order for that to happen, you have to take care of yourself! You’ll thank me when you are looking at those final grades.

5 ways to conquer stress

Though stress is an inevitable part of every college student’s life, you’ve got to make sure that it doesn’t overwhelm you. Now that we are in mid-April and the year is winding down, where’s your stress level at? Feeling some stress can definitely be a good way to get things done, but if you start feeling too much pressure, your productivity will actually go down. To make sure that doesn’t happen you need some good go-to’s to combat rising stress levels. Here are five easy things to try next time you snap at your roommate for breathing too loudly.

1. Take a walk: Get up from your desk and go take a walk down the hall, around campus, or to the store down the street. That paper will still be waiting for you when you get back, and getting some light exercise will help clear your head and re-energize you to actually finish it!

2. Make a phone call: Sometimes when the pressure builds, you just need a good friend who will either listen as you unload or get you to laugh and put aside what’s going on for a few minutes. Reach out to someone you haven’t talked to in a while and see what unfolds – maybe you’ll even get some killer summer plans out of the conversation.

3. Check in on your expectations: Is any of your stress attributable to an overly aggressive workload? Maybe it’s time to reevaluate your to-do list and double check your prioritization. What are the things that really need to get done today, this week and this month? And what are the things that you can push off a bit to make your load feel a bit more reasonable?

4. Reward yourself: What are some of your favorite simple pleasures? When the stress starts creeping up on you, be good to yourself and schedule in some time to reward yourself. If you’ve spent all day in the library and finished your problem set, get a change of scenery by hanging out with your friends or going for a run. Or, after you’ve finished your assigned reading for a class, take 20 minutes to visit your favorite blogs. Rewards can really help motivate and rejuvenate us, but if time is really tight, make sure you commit to a time limit so you don’t get sidetracked.

5. Just breathe: According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, fast breathing rates are linked to high blood pressure. Take a minute to close your eyes, go to your happy place (island in the Bahamas, maybe?!), and concentrate on taking deep breaths. Mindful breathing isn’t just for yoga fans – it releases endorphins…and you don’t even have to get on the treadmill!

By learning the best ways to handle and diffuse your stress now, you set yourself up for a much more peaceful and productive college experience, and ultimately a much more peaceful and productive post-graduation life! Can’t really argue with that, right?

100 things you want to do in college and beyond

Have you seen the new hit show “The Buried Life” on MTV yet? On the show, three guys travel around the world in a purple transit bus to complete their list of 100 things to do before they die and encourage others to do the same. Those guys are on to something: get excited about your dreams and goals, start checking off some of the things you want to do before you die, and then pay it forward and help others do the same thing.

Have you created a Bucket List yet? If not, get started on one. College is a great time to create your list because, as the cliché goes, you have your whole life ahead of you!


What kinds of things would you want to be on it? Be as creative or generic, specific or vague as you want to be – this is your Bucket List! To get started, you might want to imagine that you’re at your 30th, 40th or 50th birthday party. When your friends and family are sitting around the table reminiscing, what are the things you hope they’re talking about? The time you climbed Mt. Everest or visited the Taj Mahal? Or your big promotion when you were 25? There are so many things you can do, so it might help to break your Bucket List up into categories, such as “Professional” and “Personal.” Then you are forced to dig a little deeper with your list.

Your Bucket List is a living document – hopefully you will keep adding to it as your life moves forward and expands. But, it definitely helps to take some time to think about the things that you’d want to do sooner rather than later. For example, going backpacking through South America for a summer might not be quite as easy once you’re in full career and family mode. So take a few minutes to focus on what you want to accomplish in the time you have left in school. And don’t forget that your Coach is the perfect resource for asking you the questions that will really get you to think about, clarify, and break down your goals!

So why not make your list this Spring break? Or maybe even get started on some of your items! Think how great it will be when you are at your 50th birthday party, looking at this Bucket List and the things that you have done and crossed off… and the things that remain that you want to have done by your 90th birthday!

Stumped on what to add to your list? Here are some ideas to get you going…

Professional

While in College

• Join the business fraternity (AKPsi)
• Get a Marketing internship
• Job-shadow at a movie production company
• Study abroad in Germany for a semester
• Join Toastmasters
• Get a part time job at a concert venue

Post-Graduation

• Start my own record label
• Get my MBA at a top-ten school
• Get a job I love doing ______________________
• Work in another country for a year
• Own a property in Hawaii
• Open my own sushi restaurant

Personal

While in College

• Learn how to surf
• Try vegetarianism for a month
• Go to at least one away-basketball game
• Do a volunteer trip working with kids one summer

Post-graduation

• Go skydiving
• Run a half-marathon
• Plant a vegetable garden
• Adopt a Greyhound from an animal shelter
• Learn how to ride a unicycle
• Become a certified yoga instructor

Maximizing your spring break

Ahhh, Spring break…for most students, Spring Break offers a chance to kick back and relax before the stress of final exams. For some, this is the most important use of this time: reenergizing, recharging and giving you a well deserved break from school. If this is you, then take this time so that you come back to school focused on the last part of the term.

And for other students, resting and recharging also leaves time and energy to be productive and get ahead. Here are some ideas for how to put this extra energy to good use during your time off.

Smaller-Picture Stuff
Map out your time between now and the end of the semester
I know it might feel like the semester just started, but the rest of the year is going to fly by. Make sure you’re ready for it by taking an hour or so to map out what you have planned for the next few months. You can put everything on your calendar or simply list it out. Getting clarity on what you need to get done will save you headaches and stress. Plus, a month from now you won’t kick yourself for not getting organized when you actually had the time.

Investigate summer job opportunities
Whether you are staying near school or going back home for the summer, Spring Break is the perfect time to start making phone calls and sending emails to nail down the job you want. If you are going home for the week, arrange some in-person meetings/interviews with potential employers. That way, you can get it out of the way before the end of the semester, and you can stand out to employers and surpass the hordes of other students competing for the exact same summer jobs.

Research your housing options for next year
If you are staying on-campus next year, research your rooming options and the deadlines for getting your paperwork in on time, picking your roommates, etc. If you are looking to move off-campus, now is the ideal time to start researching where you want to live. Start by identifying the features you want, and then work to eliminate the unlikely candidates and slowly hone in on the potential ones. Though many landlords won’t talk seriously with you until you are 30-60 days before your move-in date, many students make arrangements to pass their housing on to other students early. Get ahead by talking to seniors who are moving or studying abroad next year to see if you can take over their place.

Bigger-Picture Stuff
Dive into internship possibilities, job shadowing, and networking opportunities for the future
Spring Break offers a great opportunity to organize your internship or career search. Research the companies that you want to work for in the future and make some calls to see if you can set up informational interviews. In order to really maximize your meetings, read up on the company and industry, plan out the questions to ask, and think about how you want to present yourself. If you can make a great first impression now with a personal contact, imagine what opportunities could be waiting for you down the line.

Volunteer
Take this week to get involved with something bigger than yourself. Here’s a great website to start with: www.volunteermatch.org. Besides the obvious of helping others, volunteering is a wonderful way to meet like-minded people and build up your resume with relevant experience. For example, if you are pre-med, check out opportunities at the local hospital; if you want to go into education, try tutoring at-risk youth; if you are pre-law, find a non-profit that offers free legal advice. And you never know: a week of volunteering could turn into life-long civic engagement.

Whether you set yourself up to be full of energy for the rest of the term, get organized for the next six months, or focus on the bigger picture, taking full advantage of your Spring break will be one of the best things you do for yourself this year, no doubt about it!