Ring Queen
After a long semester at school, it’s important to reward yourself! Congratulations! You did it! Class after class, roommate drama after drama, and somehow you made it out alive. It’s almost hard to believe that a whole semester passed. Now it’s summer and you have a few choices. You can either spend the next few months “winding down” and rejuvenating. Or, you take a breather, rest up, and spend your summer working, saving up, or getting ready for the next semester—trust me, it will be here before you know it!
So how do you decide when break time is over? You survived your classes and a break is obviously in order. You need to veg out and watch a little tv, raid the fridge and see your friends. But when should you roll out of bed and get back to business? And how can you make the best of summer, combining the best of both worlds—fun and productivity?
I have a mental checklist to keep my summer moving. It keeps me honest and helps remind me that even though I would love to spend every waking hour sun bathing by the pool, it might not be the most practical thing for me!
I would recommend making a list of the different things you want to accomplish this summer—think of it as a bucket list of sorts. It will help you prioritize and highlight the areas you need to focus on this summer.
You don’t have to follow this list, but here are a few ideas.
Do something for yourself. I call this the “Pool time regime”. My guilty summer pleasure is hanging out at the pool. It gives me a chance to relax, gather my thoughts, and of course, soak up a few rays! (Don’t forget your SPF!) Your summer getaway doesn’t have to involve water, in fact, you don’t have to getaway at all! Just make sure to schedule a little time for yourself so you can regroup and recharge from the semester.
Next, get a job. It can be painting, or mowing the lawn. You can sell lemonade, or ice cream. Be a lifeguard, sell shoes. Whatever it is, just do it. Summer is a great time to relax, but no one needs THAT much time to do nothing. Dust off your resume, put on something nice and go searching. Maybe you want to do an internship, or a co-op. Or maybe you want to stay low-key—I’m not joking, a lemonade stand in the right climate has huge potential! Just make sure you don’t spend all summer trying to perfect a body imprint on your couch. A part time job will give you the freedom to make your own money, stay busy during the day, and if you’re lucky—time off at night to hang out with you friends and family! It doesn’t sound thrilling, I know, but it really shouldn’t be optional. Future employers will look at your resume—if not this summer, then soon. They will ask you about the gaps in employment and you might want to prepare a better answer than, “well I felt like the pool was more fun!”, I wanted to try that, but everyone advised me against it so I’m passing the memo on to you!
Third on your bucket list: Family Time! I don’t know about you, but I miss my family a lot during the year. I decided to go out of state for college. I only go home a few times a year. When summer rolls around I’m thrilled to see my family! It can seem boring going home—You’re in college now, obviously a “real” adult! But don’t take these brief visits for granted. Before you know it you will be a senior in college ready to move out on your own and all you’ll want is a home cooked meal and fresh laundry. It may knock you down a few pegs on the freedom ladder when you go home for summer—yes, now you have to actually let your mom know you won’t be home until 2 A.M.! But, enjoy it while you can.
The last tidbit of advice I have for you to keep your summer feeling great is to work out. Don’t let the hot weather and smaller clothes fool you. You still have to keep moving and stay active if you want to stay in shape. Make sure you are drinking water and getting enough exercise. It will make you happy and keep you feeling good. Summer tends to be a “lazy” season for some college co-eds, don’t let that be you! Play outside, take a walk, jump rope, or swim laps! Staying active will not only benefit your body, but will keep on track for when school starts up again.
Summer will come and go before you know it! Make sure you are keeping busy and doing more than just watching summer reruns. If you stay busy and make the most of your time off, you may surprise yourself with what you can accomplish!
-Ring Queen
I’m reading Prealgebra
Graduation is a bittersweet time of year. We know it’s coming all year long. In fact, if you think about it, we know it’s coming for at least 4 years leading up to it. Regardless, it’s still a shock when May rolls around and we have to say goodbye to the seniors—the ones we have looked up to and watched rule the school. Some students are sad—they already miss their friends and they haven’t even walked across the stage yet! Some students aren’t sad, but nervous. If seniors are graduating, that means they’re next; can they really be growing up that fast?
Whether or not the ceremony is filled with joy, or sadness, or just pure anxiety, graduation means different things to different students. It can affect us all- regardless of our year.
Graduation for seniors is about the next step. They are moving on and saying goodbye to their classes, their dorm rooms or school-houses, and hello to a job (hopefully), bills and real life. They are leaving their friends and meal plans and going into the real world to fend for themselves. Will they make it? Are they happy or scared? Are they wondering if they should have invested in the 5-7 year college plan instead of 4? It’s scary and different but can also be a breath of fresh air. Your senior friends can pat themselves on the back. They are walking away with an arsenal of knowledge, a college degree, and hopefully not too many student loans. Either way, they made it and should be incredibly proud. They can throw their cap up high!
For juniors, graduation is odd. It means your friends are leaving, you’re getting older, and somehow, someway, you’re next. In the blink of an eye you went from being a new kid on campus and barely making your way from class to class and now you’re just two short semesters away from the stage walk your friends are facing. There has to be a mistake? How would you have missed something as huge as three years of college? Could the old saying be true, and time really does fly when you’re having fun? Or, have you just been so busy working and studying that the last 6 semesters have slipped you by? Breathe. You will make it just fine. This is the last summer before your big year. Enjoy it, relax. When you return in the fall, it’s your time to shine and prepare to ride the rollercoaster of your senior year! It’s filled with emotions, ups and downs, and plenty of “real world” anxiety.
Sophomores are excited by graduation. They think to themselves, and announce of their facebook pages, “Whoo, I’m half way done with my college career”. Little do they know the next two years of their lives are about to pass by even faster than the previous two. Sophomore year was exciting. You finish the year, go home for summer and come back an upperclassman. It’s a strange but exciting feeling.
Freshmen might feel just about as weird as the seniors do when graduation rolls around. Didn’t they just graduate? How can it be May already, there is absolutely no way a whole year has past? Freshmen spend the year soaking up all that college has to offer. They study hard, meet new friends, and experience a whole new chapter of life. When May hits after their first year there really is no other option other than to just reflect and think back on everything you just spent the last 8 months doing. How did you do? Did you like it? Did you make it? How were your grades? Will you ever make it to where those old kids are in their college robes?
No matter what year you’re in, or how far you’ve made it in your college career, there is no denying how fast time flies. You made it through another year and summer is here once again. It’s quite an accomplishment and shouldn’t be taken lightly—even if you aren’t the one in the robes (yet—you’ll get there!).
Now is the time to breathe. Relax. Enjoy your summer, keep working hard—no matter what year you’re in, and stay positive. The 4 years of college are supposed to be fun, challenging, rewarding and exhausting all at the same time. It will fly, so you may not be the one the stage this year, but your time will come. Be prepared!
-Ring Queen
I’m reading Beginning and Intermediate Algebra
It’s no secret that jobs are in high demand right now. Every day we see the unemployment rate fluctuate and play with our emotions. Graduating college seniors know all too well the struggles that accompany a serious job search. In these last few weeks, as they all prepare to walk across the stage, many are reflecting back on the last four years and pinpointing what may or may not have helped them land a “real-world” job. I’ve been listening, and taking notes trying to figure if there is a successful formula to finding a career after college, or if lady luck is the only one who can predict our professional fate.
I’ve heard it through the grapevine, and partially through experience, that employers are looking for a mix of things. They want to look at everything you’ve done in the last for years—and more recently, even your Facebook page! Employers will look at your GPA, you major, activities and your experience. So what matters most? How can you prepare yourself to be an attractive employee? (Regardless of the job you’re applying for!)
Seniors going out to work now swear by their internships and hands on experience. They say that nothing helped them more! So do internships, summer jobs, and networking make all the difference when it comes to the top and bottom of a candidate pool, or is there something else to consider?
Whether it’s your class work, activities or your experience, the way you spend your four years in college could have a huge impact on your future, so listen up!
No one will tell you that you can’t have fun in college. In a way, people will sometimes even encourage you to do so—you have four years before the rest of your life starts. Learn lots, make a few mistakes, and mature into the adults we are all capable of being. However, what many mean by the phrase “make the most of the next four years”, is slightly deeper.
Yes, we should have fun, and branch out. But we also have to remember that four years flies by. It will be over before we know it. And while “fun” makes for great memories, if we aren’t careful we won’t have much to show our future employers—except for those Facebook pictures you only wish they couldn’t see! Our coursework, our major and our activities say a lot about who we are. Our resume showcases our academic capacity and interests. Our activities show our potential to work with groups and form leadership opportunities. But do these bullets on our resumes say enough about us, or do we need the “hands-on” experience to proof to support the words?
If you ask me, you should try your very hardest to get an internship, co-op, or summer job. The experience is invaluable in the work world. It shows future employers that you can handle a job, hopefully in your field of study, not to mention you already have some time under your belt. You can use your experience from campus—your classes, or student organizations history— to your advantage and really showcase your skills in the office, or on the job.
Need another reason to give up your summer pool time to work? You can get a feel for an industry or job before you commit to it full time. Think of it this way, applying for jobs can be great, but what if you get one in a field you don’t really mesh with? Use this time while you’re still a student to decide if your “desired” path is right for you.
Internships, like jobs, don’t grow on trees. They can be competitive. But do your research and apply often and early! Find connections on LinkedIn, network and chat with as many friends, coworkers, alumni and professors as you can! The more you network and research the easier it will be to find openings in companies and areas that interest you. When you’re in college summer seems like a time to let loose and relax—only a few months until class starts up again! But don’t get sidetracked! This time can be precious and could mean the difference between being hired and being left behind in “the pile”.
-Ring Queen
I’m reading Focus on Personal Finance
In the blink of an eye we went from January to April. Now, on the brink of yet another summer, college co-eds everywhere are forced to take a long, hard look in the mirror and face the facts. Winter is over, spring sprang, and now summer is staring us dead in the face.
We can’t cover up with coats, or blame the “post spring break” lull for the dust settling on our dumbbells! Second semester is not only in full swing, but sadly folks (or happily for some), we have a few shorts weeks left to wrap up another term. So how are you going to get into tip top shape in time to hit the beach? (Or pool, or puddle, or however you are planning to stay cool this summer…)
This time of year isn’t so much about losing weight as it is about feeling great and being confident. It can be difficult for some to slip out of the sweats and feel comfortable wearing shorts and breaking out the flip-flops. Of course, that excludes the brave young men who wear shorts year round—rain, sleet, snow or sun.
To make the transition from shy in sweats, to confident in whatever you wear, it might be time for a workout shift! If you’re anything like me, after your spring break routine paid off, you took a little break. You indulged in a few sweets, and decided to take a few days off from the gym. A few days turned into a week, and a week turned into a few more. How did I justify not going? Well, isn’t it obvious? It was all too easy to excuse away the laziness… “I’m tired, I’m busy, I have sooo much work, I’ll go tomorrow, I walked around campus A LOT today, etc”. The excuses could go on forever. But all that stops now.
We are tired, we are overworked, and we all know we’re ready for a little fun in the sun. So ease into fitness slow and steady—it will pay off in the long run. We all know how exercise lifts our spirits and can put us in a good mood. It’s a double win. You can kick start your fitness, and round out the semester feeling and looking great—who knows, it could even help you focus and prepare for your finals!
Here are a few easy suggestions on how to get moving and get active!
First, consider investing in a pedometer. I swear by mine and use it everyday to track the amount of steps I’m taking. It’s amazing to see how active (or inactive, cough, cough) you can be in just one day! A good goal, and one I’ve seen in various ads and fitness campaigns, is 10,000 steps. You can go higher or lower, run them or walk them, but either way you get yourself moving and compete against your worst excuses. You won’t be able to say you moved around when you really didn’t! Talk about accountability! Pedometers can range from simple to superstar. And lucky for us college kids, there are pedometers out there for every budget and price point!
My second and slightly smaller fitness tip is drinking water. Before spring break I was basking in H2O and drinking every drop I could get my hands on. For lent and the Easter season I did my best to stay away from soda, but once spring break and Easter came and went, I somehow cuddled up once again to my favorite physician, Dr. Pepper. But if you want to drop the sluggish feelings, and constant need for naps, I would trade your 20oz of fizz for some much needed water. Carry a water bottle to class and challenge yourself to drink so many bottles a day—my goal is at least 5! Your skin will thank you and your energy is sure to pick up. Plus there is something so refreshing and clear about water. There definitely won’t be any guilty conscious feelings after you indulge in a little H2O!
Whether your gym savvy, or scared to get on a treadmill, summer fitness isn’t something you need to shy away from. Make a commitment to get back to your fit and ready ways—either by hitting the weights, running in the sun, or just getting off your tush and getting a few much needed, and craved steps in for the day!
-RingQueen
I’m a big fan of the spring weather. Allergies and sinus problems aside, there is nothing I love more than flowers and trees blooming on the quad. The bright green grass and sunshine make for a beautiful, if not incredibly distracting sight. You can try and take the long route, but realistically, you are still in awe over how fast the flip-flop and shorts weather is approaching. No matter how hard you try, class and work don’t seem to compare to your excitement for break, the end of class and a little freedom.
Is it the weathers fault, or maybe the time of year? Or could we blame our lack of concentration on the sheer fact that we are all just a little impatient to get this semester over with?
Honestly, I think it has to be a little bit of both. We can’t deny that the weather plays a role in how we behave on campus. Take the cold for instance. The snow is fun for all of about 5 seconds until you realize your fingers are freezing and the new white layer on the ground is going to call for extra clothing, and thus extra sweat in most academic buildings. The quads lay empty with the exception of a few snowmen. The traffic is quick, no “social-stopping” traffic jams, or homework goers on the lawn.
Nice weather is a different story. When the sun is shining and the wind is cool, but not cold, and the birds chirp in an extra happy tune, we are slightly more excited to get out of bed—class on the other hand is a different story. Once you make it outside the atmosphere is different. No snow, no cold, no snowmen. The grass is green, the sky is blue, and everyone you’ve ever met seems to be lounging on the lawn—whether any homework is getting down is an entirely different story. There are people everywhere, music drifting, and smiles all over. Now tell me if you’d be in a hurry to get to class? Even professors seem to be more relaxed about that little rule we call, “being on time”.
So how do we curve this springtime craving and buckle down for the last few weeks of class? The weather most likely will stay nice—would we really want it to change?!—so we need to figure out a different way to handle ourselves rather than dropping the books and taking a much needed springtime catnap on them… I don’t care how comfy the quad is, don’t do it!
My advice to you is to pull out you planner, agenda or calendar and reevaluate everything you have coming up. Whether it’s assignments, projects, exams, or tests—write it down! Make sure you know when every commitment you have is scheduled, including when and where you need to be. By getting everything in order you will feel a sense of relief. You won’t have any looming academic surprises, or scary assignments you weren’t expecting—everything is right there in the open.
Once you do this, plan time for some fun stuff! Do a date night, or go see the school play! Take time for yourself and remember that while the semester may not be quite over, you still can have a little fun while balancing books and down time! Just know where the line is between fun and finishing. You don’t want your spring fever to get in the way of finishing the semester out strong—and with good grades. You definitely need to treat yourself to some fun, but you won’t be singing with the birds you if let you rose (cough, cough springtime) colored glasses get in the way of why you’re really on campus—homework and class first, then you can play (or nap!) on the quad!
-Ring Queen
I’m reading Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice
