College Survival Series: Setting Goals

The College Survival Series introduces and discusses different aspects of college life, and aims to prepare college students for all situations they might encounter during their college career.

Setting Goals

One of the best ways to make sure you're getting the best out of your college experience is to set goals for yourself. You're at a time when you can really start taking control of what you want to get out of your life and start to map out your path. Setting goals encourages you to stay on track with where that path is taking you! I'm a huge fan of setting goals and do an okay job at sticking to the bigger ones that I do set. Of course, that's not without some failure, but that's all part of developing your goal setting skills! Here are some tips on creating and sticking to your goals:

Have a vision.  It's important to make sure you're setting a goal that you can see yourself reaching. Being able to envision accomplishing your goal helps build confidence, motivation, and can keep you focused. You need to be able to realistically picture all of the work that you have to put in, all the obstacles you may face, and of course, what it's going to be like once you do finally reach that goal. If you aren't able to envision all of these things, perhaps it is not the right time to pursue that particular goal. This doesn't necessarily mean it'll never be the right time, but a more clear vision is needed in order to move forward.

Research. All goals need a bit of research before they can be reached. Research can come in all forms - chatting with someone who has reached that same goal about what their experience was, reading about different techniques on how to successfully reach your goal, and learn about common obstacles that might stand in the way of reaching your goal. Researching what it takes to accomplish your goal is something that should be done throughout the entire experience of pursuing your goal, especially at the beginning stages.

Put your goals where you can see them. Write down your goal and put it in a place that you can see it (on your mirror, on your computer's monitor, on your car's dashboard, etc.). The more you physically see your goal, the more you'll think about it, and the more you'll be prompted to work toward it. One fun way to do this is to create a board on Pinterest that has links, videos, quotes, and photos that all pertain to your goal and motivate you to work towards it. You can even screen shot that board and set it as your desktop, phone, or tablet background, so you'll always see it when you're looking at your electronic devices!

Don't pursue too many goals at once. This is always a major pitfall to goal setting, and I am definitely guilty. When you start to think of goals that you want to set, you may feel tempted to pursue all of them. This leads to less focus on any one goal, will lengthen the time it takes to accomplish even one goal. It also could make you feel overwhelmed and discouraged, and may make you want to give up on the goal all together. If you do want to attempt multiple goals at once, try sticking to or three smaller goals instead of 5 large goals all at once!

Spend some time every day dedicated to your goals. This could be something as big as knocking out 20 pages of the novel you're writing or something as small as talking about the 20 minute training jog you went on the other day with a friend. I even consider thinking about it for 5 solid minutes as time spent dedicated to a goal. The more that it's in the front of your mind, the sooner (and better!) it will be accomplished.

Remember that goals take a lot of hard work and dedication to be accomplished, but if you stay focused, patient, and keep yourself motivated in a way that works best for you, any goal you set can be reached!

How do you stay on top of your goals?

This post is the last post of the Sundays in August College Survival Series schedule. I do post these time to time when an idea comes into my head, so if you enjoyed this series, make sure you let me know in the comments and I will make sure I fit them into my posting schedule! If you'd like to read more College Survival Series posts, check out the College Survival Series label on FivEleveNinety! :)

College Survival Series: Communal Bathrooms

The College Survival Series introduces and discusses different aspects of college life, and aims to prepare college students for all situations they might encounter during their college career.

Communal Bathrooms

This may seem like a silly topic to write about, but as a first year student who had the privilege of a private, 1-person bathroom with a door that locked my entire life, I was super nervous at the idea of having to share with 50+ other girls on my floor. Eventually I got used to showering and brushing my teeth in the same room as my floor mates, but it wasn't without picking up some tips along the way! If you're entering a situation where you'll be sharing a bathroom with the students in your building (which the majority of students living on campus will be) and you're a little freaked out by it, check out these tips to navigate the awkwardness:

Have a bathroom survival kit. Communal bathrooms means that you won't be able to keep all of your toiletries in there, as it causes clutter and will probably be thrown out by housekeeping staff. It's handy to keep everything you need for the bathroom and showers in a caddy. It sounds stupid, but literally everyone has one, and it definitely beats fumbling with everything while you're walking down the hall! Here's some recommendations for your kit:

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-Shower caddy (I recommend the plastic ones, like the one shown above, so it doesn't get ruined if it gets wet.)

-Shampoo

-Conditioner

-Bodywash (much less messy and much more travel-friendly than bar soap)

-Washcloth or loofah

-Toothbrush with a plastic cover

-Toothpaste

Figure out your routine. This will be a little awkward at first, especially if you already have a specific bathroom routine that you're used to at home. If you tend to take longer than usual to get ready in the morning, figure out what you can do in you own room (make up, hair styling, etc.) so you don't hog the mirror in the bathroom. If you feel pressed for time in the morning, consider becoming a night shower-er, or figure out when everyone tends to wake up and try to shower before them. It's going to take some adjusting when you share a bathroom with your entire floor, but you'll figure it out eventually!

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Invest in rubber flip flops. The floor of a bathroom can get pretty gross when 50+ people are sharing it. Grab some $2 rubber flip flops from your local WalMart or Target and leave them right by your door so you can slip them on whenever you run to the restroom. PLUS they can be used as shower shoes!

Don't forget your key! Nothing's worse than being locked out of your room in a towel. (Trust me, it's happened to the best of us.) If you really have trouble remembering, try making it a habit to store your key in or near where you keep your toiletries. That way,you'll see your keys and (hopefully) remember to bring it along. Any way that you can, make sure your key is in your hand before you let the door swing shut behind you!

College Survival Series: The "Freshman 15"

The College Survival Series introduces and discusses different aspects of college life, and aims to prepare college students for all situations they might encounter during their college career.

The "Freshman 15"

Ahh, the dreaded "Freshman 15". You may have heard of this legend before heading off to college, and have been told to beware. The not-so-mythical "Freshman 15" refers to the notion that first year students tend to forget to take care of their physical health when they first walk into their first semester and may gain a little weight because of it. (For anyone wondering, this norm used to be called the "Freshman 5" not too long ago... yikes!) Though it's not a guarantee that college will completely transform your body, there are a lot of temptations in the form of late-night take out, alcohol, and weekend-long video game sessions with your roommate that can really distract you from taking care of your physical fitness. Here are a few tips to help you keep your health in mind during your hectic first few weeks!

Eat/drink the healthy stuff first. Really craving that pizza and unlimited supply of fries at the dining hall? That's fine, but grab a salad, too, and make sure you eat the salad first. When you do this, you'll fill your body with something healthy first, leaving less room for the yummy junk food. Do the same thing with drinks as well - grab a glass of water with your soda and drink the water first. You'll hydrate your body before drinking all of that sugar, and you may even not feel the need to drink your soda after you drink a full glass of water!

Get outside. When you're outside, you're more likely to exercise in ways you don't realize is exercise. Walking, climbing stairs, and even playing on the swings at your local playground all get your body moving and blood pumping, all while secretly burning calories. You don't need a gym membership to work out! (The fresh air also does wonders for your energy and mood!)

Look into your campus's fitness options. Almost every college campus has a fitness center of some sort, as well as open gym hours, intramural sports, and fitness classes, all of which are typically free with your student ID. If you're interested in this route for exercise, head over to your school's recreation department and look into your options and find out what's good for you!

Be conscious of what you're drinking. It is super easy to drink your calories, and this is usually where college students (and people in general) gain most of their weight. Sugar-filled coffee drinks, soda, bottled juice, and alcohol (yes, there is sugar in alcohol) are all culprits of rapid weight gain. It's okay to drink these in moderation, but remember to balance these liquid treats with lots of water throughout the day!

Make sure you're getting a good amount of sleep. Your body recharges in your sleep, and not getting enough will start to manifest on your body over time. Without the right amount of sleep, you'll be more tired, depriving you of exercise motivation and the conscious ability to make healthy nutritional choices. A lack of sleep can also lead you to illness as well, which will completely knock you off your game! Though the occasional all-nighter needs to be pulled when schoolwork gets hectic, make sure you're getting a solid amount of sleep as often as you can!

Make sure that you also out this post about staying healthy with a busy schedule!

College Survival Series: Roommates

The College Survival Series introduces and discusses different aspects of college life, and aims to prepare college students for all situations they might encounter during their college career.

Roommates

If you are living on campus, you are likely going to be sharing your space with at least one other person. This can be a difficult transition, especially if you're like freshman year, 18 year-old me and you've lived your whole life in your own room. I'll admit, adjusting to having someone in your grill when you just need some alone time can get pretty annoying, but there are also some pretty awesome perks to having a roommate or two as well! Here's a list of pro's and con's to having roommates in college, and some advice on how to make the best out of those not-so-fun con's!

PRO: Automatic friendship! The first few days of college can be a little scary and confusing to navigate - finding out where the dining hall is, trying out new activities, and meeting people in general are all things that you will be faced with soon after moving in. Your roommate is sort of a built-in partner in crime. If you don't want to go to the welcome back barbeque by yourself, your roommate might want to come with you! If you don't know where the building your math class is in, your roommate might know or might be able to help you figure it out. If you're bored in your room at night, you always have your roommate to talk to and hang out with. Even if you don't wind up ~besties~ you still have someone that you'll be sharing the first year of your college life with which is a relationship like none other.

CON: If you don't get along. Chances are that you're going to come from a very different background from your roommate, you might have vastly different interests, and (worst case scenario) you may not get along too well with them. The biggest mistake you can make when living with others is not communicating. You've probably heard that communication is key to any relationship, and it's especially true when you're living with someone. As an RD and even as an RA as an undergraduate, I've dealt with and have had to mediate roommate conflicts on multiple occasions. One of the main underlying themes to each and every conflict is not communicating. The first thing I ask if a student approaches me with a roommate issue is if they have spoken to their roommate about it, and the answer is usually "no". If there is an issue regarding something your roommate is doing, there may be a chance that your roommate might not even know that it's annoying you. Talking to your roommate about what's bothering you may be uncomfortable, but it opens the doors to developing a better and stronger relationship with them, and will make your living situation much more enjoyable. You don't have to be good friends in order to be good roommates!

PRO: Someone to get you out of a jam! I can't tell you how many times I locked myself out of my room in college. It took me a while to get into the habit of carrying my key with me everywhere I went. Having a roommate in this situation is SO clutch! You don't have to worry about bothering the RA or other ResLife staff or get charged a lockout fee - all you have to do is see if your roommate can come back to the room and let you in. Your roommate can also help you out in other ways, like turning off your straightener before it burns the residence hall down if you accidentally leave it on, waking you up during a fire drill if you're a deep sleeper (like me), cleaning up the room real quick if your family decides to drop by for a surprise visit, and even lending a listening ear if you're having a rough day. If you have a solid roomie relationship, it's usually not an issue, especially if you do the same for them!

CON: Little to no privacy. Yes, sharing a room with someone means that you're also kind of sharing your whole life with them. They'll see your dirty laundry, notice your weird sleeping habits, and be able to listen to your phone calls. It's important that you realize that the lack of privacy is something every person in your room is experiencing, not just you. It's not fair for anyone to expect their roommate to leave the room when they're trying to study, for them to be okay with having friends over until 3AM, or for them to keep their side of the room perfectly clean. What is fair is setting up rules of the room that you both (or all, if there's more than two of you), like agreeing to use a lamp instead of the large overhead room light and headphones instead of speakers if you have to pull an all-nighter to finish a project so the other roommate can sleep easier, having a school night curfew for friends to be out of the room, and to keep your mess on your side or area of the room. The sooner that you have an understanding of what each of you needs in your sleeping & study space, the happier you'll be!

The list can be much, much longer than this, so maybe I'll write a part two in the future, but I hope that these few starter tips can help you forge a successful roommate relationship!

Have any tips for living with roommates?
Leave them in the comments below!

College Survival Series: Peer Pressure

If you missed it in my previous post, I announced that I'm relaunching the College Survival Series for the month of August! Each Sunday evening I will be posting a College Survival post for all of you soon-to-be and current college students, just in time to gear up for move-in at the end of the month. Make sure you check back every week for a new topic! Now without further adieu, I give you the return of...

The College Survival Series introduces and discusses different aspects of college life, and aims to prepare college students for all situations they might encounter during their college career.

Peer Pressure

Like high school, peer pressure is a rampant issue in the college environment. It's something that every college student will have to deal with in one scenario or another, and it's important that you know what you do and do not feel comfortable with when you're placed in a situation involving peer pressure. Here are a few tips of how you can prepare for and navigate those sticky situations:

1. Know your values. Though college is a time where you really start to solidify your sense of self, you still have a solid idea of what is important to you before you even open your acceptance letter. You're going to find yourself in new situations that will test what you believe in and you may question what you feel is the best decision. Make sure you know where you stand on things such as drinking, recreational drug use, and sex, as those are some of the most common issues involving peer pressure that students will face.

2. Don't be afraid to share your views and opinions (in a respectful manner). If your beliefs on sex, the use of alcohol, drugs, or other topics are different than those of your college crew, don't be afraid to share that with them. Chances are they'll be totally cool with it. If they aren't and continue to badger you into doing something that you don't want to, they aren't being very good friends to you anyway, and you may need to ditch them until they can respect your choices.

On the flip side, make sure you're also respectful of them and their decisions. If you wind up making friends with a group that enjoys drinking and you choose to live sober, there's no reason for you to make them feel less-than.* You wouldn't appreciate them scolding you or making fun of you for not drinking, would you?

3. Make a plan. What are you going to do when you're put into these uncomfortable situations? If you're at a party and a group of your new college besties are doing something that you are absolutely not cool with, how are you going to react? What is the best way that you can make sure you stay true to yourself? These are all things that you should consider before you step onto campus. The most important thing is making sure that you are comfortable and knowing what is going to make your college experience as comfortable as possible.

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Peer pressure can always be a sticky situation, especially for first-years who may be wanting to fit in. It all really boils down to knowing what you are and aren't comfortable with and staying true to yourself. As long as you can do that, you should be fine navigating these situations!

Have additional tips or experiences involving peer pressure?
Share them in the comments!

*If you are really concerned about a friend's drinking/drug use (i.e. you feel it may be negatively affecting their life and the lives of the people around them) and you aren't sure what to do, talk to a counselor on your campus about how you can talk to them (without giving their identity away). College students can develop addictions, and if you are truly concerned, make sure you express your feelings with that individual in a private and respectful way that is safe for the individual in question.

College Survival Series: Staying Afloat

The College Survival Series introduces and discusses different aspects of college life, and aims to prepare college students for all situations they might encounter during their college career.

Staying Afloat
We are right in the thick of the fall semester. Many college students struggle with this time of year - weather's getting colder, the workload is getting heavier, and for some reason, all of your professors seem to have given you giant projects and papers on the exact same day. With Thanksgiving being on it's latest possible Thursday this year, it seems like the students I work with (as well as myself) are more burned out than usual. At times like these when there are pressures from all angles, it's easy to get lost, fall behind, or just plain give up. I figured now is a more appropriate time than ever to give tips on how to stay afloat.
1. Don't lose sight of what you love to do most. 
Of course, it's important to prioritize your schoolwork when it's coming down to the end of the semester, but it's also important to keep doing the things you love, even if it's less often than you'd like. Take a 15 minute study break every couple hours to shoot some hoops, play a couple rounds of your favorite video game, or even just watch an episode of your favorite show on Netflix. You'll come back recharged and ready to tackle a few more hours worth of assignments!
2. Less caffeine, more H2O.
I know that sounds INSANE at this point of the year, but at a certain point, caffeine can start having adverse effects on your body, and may make it even harder to study. (Check out this article on what too much caffeine can do to your body!) Your body needs lots of water to operate at its best (we're made up of 90% water - it only makes sense, right?) so make sure you're drinking at least 2 bottles of water between every cup of coffee or can of Red Bull! (Here's an infographic on the benefits of drinking water!)
3. Keep things in one place.
When there's so much on your mind, it's easy to lose track of things, no matter how important it may be. Come up with a system to keep things for each class in one spot (binders, folders, drawers, specific piles on your bedroom floor - anything works as long as you know your system!). That way if you need a specific source for your 15 page paper that's due in 3 hours that you know you printed out, you'll know exactly where to look!
4. Work in a space that makes you feel comfortable.
Maybe not so comfortable that you'll fall asleep, but you'll want to have a place where you'll be able to work without worrying about other people, time crunches, and other distractions. When I was in college, for example, I knew that studying in the library was not a possibility for me, as many of my friends were there and I wouldn't be able to concentrate. Our library also closed at midnight, and I was often doing homework much later than that, so that big interuption of packing up my things and walking back to my dorm room really threw off my concentration. So I opted for studying in my room where I could stretch out on my bed, snack on Ramen noodles, and not worry about someone kicking me out before I was finished with my work. Keep what works best for you in mind when selecting your study space!
5. It's okay to say no!
Lots of students who are involved in activities outside their studies may feel overwhelmed with how many obligations they've gotten themselves into when it comes to crunch time. Your advisors and fellow club members know that you're a student first, so if you need a day off to catch up with your school work, or if you can't take on that extra project because you're swamped with papers and projects, they will understand if you say no! There's absolutely no need to stress yourself out even more than you already are.
I hope these tips help you get through the end of the semester!
You can do it!!! :)

College Survival Series: Moving In

The College Survival Series introduces and discusses different aspects of college life, and aims to prepare college students for all situations they might encounter during their college career.
Moving In
With Labor Day weekend just a few days away, many students are moving to their respective campuses for the start of the fall semester. Living in a residence hall is a very unique experience, and can be a little daunting, especially if you're living on your own or sharing a room for the first time! Here are a couple tips to help you prepare for move-in day!
1. Contact your roommate! Before you even get to campus, you'll likely receive a letter from your housing office with your roommate assignment and some of their contact information. Reach out to them and chat on the phone, over email, or through Facebook, so you can sort of get a feel of who you're living with and arrange who will bring bigger items for the room (TVs, fridges, microwaves, etc.) so you don't end up with two of each thing in your room! (Unless, of course, that's what you guys want to do!)
2. Make a packing list. Write down everything you think you might need until the next time you visit home (for most students, that's Thanksgiving!). Even though you may feel silly bringing a heavy coat to campus with you in late August, you'll be thanking yourself come November! If you're not sure what to bring with you, check out collegepackinglist.com. They have an awesome interactive list with everything a residential student might need, and they also have a iPhone app if you want to see the list on the go!
3. Only show up at your designated time on move-in day. In order to avoid chaos in the residence halls, ResLife offices schedule specific times for each residential student to move in, normally by location. I know that moving to campus can be exciting and you may want to get there as soon as you can, but only show up to move in when it is your designated time! The move-in staff will appreciate it and it will make for an easier move on your end as well.
4. Utilize the move-in crew. Many colleges recruit their fall athletes to assist with the heavy lifting up to your room (that may just be on the top floor!). Definitely take advantage of this service so you and your loved ones don't have to spend hours lugging heavy bags up the stairs when you should be enjoying your move-in experience together! (Your parents will definitely be thankful for these guys!)

5. Meet your RA/CA! RAs (Resident Assistants)/CAs (Community Advisors)* are students employed by Residence Life to make your life easier! They live in the residence halls with you and are a great resource for you to use if you have any questions or problems within your residence hall. Make an effort to meet them - they're there to help!
I hope these tips help with your move-in day, and that you enjoy settling into your brand new dorm room!
Good luck, and welcome to campus! :)
*They're the same thing, just different terminology depending on what college you attend.

College Survival Series: Finding Your Place

The College Survival Series introduces and discusses different aspects of college life, and aims to prepare college students for all situations they might encounter during their college career.

Finding Your Place

It's August, which means most college kids are gearing up to move back into their residence halls for the fall semester. For first year students, this can be a scary time. It's the last few weeks they'll be spending at home, surrounded by family and friends that they've spent their whole lives with. Some are moving away from home for the first time, sharing a room for the first time, and most are going to a school solo without a familiar face in sight.

The thought of finding your place when you don't know a soul can be daunting, but the important thing to remember is that you're not alone, even if you feel like you are. Many other college freshmen are in the same boat - far from home, not one friend coming with them, and just as scared as you are. Here are a few tips to get you through your first scary weeks of college.



1. GO TO ORIENTATION! I can not stress this enough. Every college hosts an orientation program for incoming students during the summer, and this is a great way to make friends, familiarize yourself with campus, ask any questions you might have about campus life, and get a taste of what you'll be experiencing in the fall. If you missed your summer orientation, a lot of schools offer an abridged version of orientation when you move in. Contact your college's student activities office (they're normally in charge of orientation!) to get more details and sign up!

2. Join clubs, teams, or other organizations that interest you. Student organizations are always looking for new members, and chances are if you join one that interests you, you'll meet other students that you have a lot in common with.

3. Leave your door open. (While you're in your room and decent, of course!) At least for the first few weeks. I can't tell you the number of people I met just by doing this. I would say hello to anyone who'd walk by, and sometimes people would poke their head in and introduce themselves. My friends and I would always play video games in my room, and so many other students dropped in to join us!

4. Go to class. This is kind of a given (being that it's the entire point of going to college), but meeting and interacting with your classmates is very important. These are the people that you can study with, the people that can help you with your assignments if you're stuck, and in reality, the people that you're going to be seeing the most often throughout your time at college.

5. Keep an open mind.  College is not high school. You're going to meet people from all walks of life with all sorts of personalities and opinions. These are not the people that you've spent your whole life with and know like the back of your hand. You're going to meet people with conflicting ideas, beliefs, and lifestyles. The key is to keep an open mind. Try your best to listen and learn from others, and you might even learn something about yourself in the process!