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31 08, 2022

Tips for Starting a New Semester
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Tips for Starting a New Semester

college students, college tips, fall semester, Uncategorized

Tips for Starting a New Semester

By TCU Team|2022-08-31T21:22:35-05:00August 31st, 2022|college students, college tips, fall semester, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Tips for Starting a New Semester

Tips for Starting a New Semester

Starting a new semester is always exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. New classes, new friends, and new opportunities also means new responsibilities, obligations and commitments—it’s a lot to figure out all at once.

Everyone wants to have it all, the social and academic balance, but it can be difficult to manage once you’re already in the thick of it. If week 1 didn’t go your way, that’s completely okay! Pause, remember what your goals were and hit that reset button!

Here are some tips on how to start your semester strong.

1. Make Goals

Set goals for what you want to achieve this semester beforehand so you can the most out of your time on campus. Start by setting big picture goals and then break them down into smaller and more achievable tasks, this will keep you focused and help you to not get overwhelmed this semester.

2. Have a Schedule (and stick with it!)

An established routine is key to success. Structure in your daily life will make things more manageable so that you have time to get everything done than you need to achieve for that week. Making time in advance for school, friends, extracurriculars or whatever your goals are will help you to keep up when the semester gets busy.

3. Use Your Resources

It is important to utilize your academic and career resources to get the maximum benefits out of your campus. Make sure you take advantage of your academic advisors, office hours and other campus resources like tutoring to help you succeed.

4. Get Involved Early

College isn’t just about classes; it is important to become a part of your campus community in groups that help you feel supported and to spend time doing things you like. This can look like joining a cultural or religious club or signing up for intramural sports – get involved!

5. Update Your Resume

It is important to keep your resume updated, especially if you are planning on applying for jobs on campus or internships. Updating it before the summer ends makes any upcoming opportunities easier to tackle!

6. Take Care of Yourself

Finally, and most importantly, don’t forgot to take care of yourself. You will have so many amazing opportunities and responsibilities this upcoming semester, don’t forget to give yourself time to breathe. Take breaks, exercise, and make time for yourself.

And remember, college is not only about academics. Have fun and stay healthy, you are only here for a short time so make the most out of it!

24 01, 2022

Restarting New Year’s Resolutions
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Restarting New Year’s Resolutions

college students, college tips, spring semester

Restarting New Year’s Resolutions

By Baylor Team|2022-01-24T17:59:05-06:00January 24th, 2022|college students, college tips, spring semester|Comments Off on Restarting New Year’s Resolutions

The start of the New Year marks an exciting time for everyone. Whether you’re a believer in goals or resolutions, most people are hopeful of what the new year may bring. However bold we might be coming out of the holiday season into the fresh unknown, it can certainly be hard to follow through on those goals.

Studies as of 2016 show that only 9 percent of Americans who set New Year’s resolutions feel that they achieve them. Out of the Americans who set resolutions, a disproportionate number have given up within the first month or even weeks of the New Year. For college students, this can be even more difficult once classes start up and free time begins to dissipate. If that’s the case, it’s likely that a great number of us (myself included) have already given up their resolutions?

Essential tips to restart your New Year’s Resolutions:

1. Narrow the focus on your most important goals

If you’re anything like me, I aimed far and wide in 2022. Surely, since self-improvement goals all have a positive impact, the more the merrier, right? Unfortunately, this isn’t typically the case. The more goals you have, the less likely you are able to follow through. It may make sense to reevaluate your goals for this year in light of what you’ve found to be more critical to your personal fulfillment and development.

2. Re-define your goal

After starting a new goal, you may find that the target was a little off. That’s not to say that one month represents your full year potential! However, some of our initial goals may not be realistic given our history or current situation. For example, if you aimed to workout 6 times per week this year but find it won’t be possible with your course-load, it may make sense to aim for 4 or 5 times per week. There is no shame in altering your goals to be more achievable.

3. Break down your goal for the next month

If you’ve had trouble maintaining focus on a year-long goal, it may be better to set more short-term goals. These goals may ultimately point toward a long-term goal, and are often easier to maintain. If you’re hoping to become a morning person in 2022, it will be a lot easier to set a goal of waking up 30 minutes earlier in February than you did in January, and so on. This can be much less scary than jumping straight into the deep end of the pool!

4. Give yourself a little grace

It can be easy to go hard on yourself after you feel like you fell flat on your New Year’s resolutions. At the same time, remember that it’s meant to be a positive impact, and you may not always succeed. If you mess up on a goal or underperform one week, that doesn’t mean you need to wait until next year to start over. To remain persistent in your goals, remember to give yourself grace when you slip up. You can’t change who you are overnight, but you can certainly get 1% better each day.

Regardless if you are still pursuing or restarting a resolution this New Year, I hope these tips are an encouragement! Best of luck to all students in their spring semester and broader 2022 goals.

4 08, 2021

Tips for Sorority Recruitment
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Tips for Sorority Recruitment

college students, college tips, greek life, Uncategorized

Tips for Sorority Recruitment

By Jenna Frisby|2021-08-04T14:09:07-05:00August 4th, 2021|college students, college tips, greek life, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Tips for Sorority Recruitment

Sorority recruitment is just around the corner. As a former Zeta Tau Alpha at Baylor University, I know the recruitment process can be tiring and intimidating. If you are going through rush or thinking about rushing at your university, here are a few of my top sorority recruitment tips to help ease your mind. Best of luck this fall or spring!

6 Tips for Sorority Recruitment

1. Keep an open mind

It is sometimes easy to go into recruitment only wanting one specific house. However, the reality is many Potential New Members’ (PNMs) minds are changed once they get to know some of the other houses. You may be surprised by how well you get along with other houses that may not have been on your radar going in. It’s important to trust the process!

2. Be yourself

During the rush process, you may feel pressure to talk or act a certain way to be liked by a house. It is important to be true to yourself in order to see which chapter you feel most comfortable in. The chapters are meeting hundreds of girls in such a short period, but there’s only one you! Being authentic and genuine will allow you to form real connections with the chapter that is right for you.

3. Prepare questions ahead of time

The fast-paced environment of the rush process can often be overwhelming. To help ease some of the pressure, think of some potential questions to ask chapters ahead of time so you don’t have to think on your feet. Having some questions prepared will help you feel more confident. Potential questions to ask the houses might be: Can you tell me about some of the events your chapter holds? What makes your chapter special to you? Are there opportunities to get involved and hold a position?

4. Submit letters of recommendation to all chapters

Something they don’t talk about enough during the pre-rush process are the recommendation letters. These letters help the chapters learn more about you. Some chapters make cuts based on whether or not the PNM has a rec letter. You should have a letter written on your behalf for each house on your school’s campus. You can ask an active alumni in good standing to write you a letter, or your local panhellenic organization to arrange an alumni to write a letter for you as well. Don’t leave this part to the last minute, and be sure to follow your school’s directions on how the alum can submit a letter.

5. Don’t talk bad about other chapters

The sorority recruitment process is unique to every girl who goes through it. Each chapter has its own set of values that make their sisterhood unique. You may love one chapter and not have quite as good of a fit with another chapter. However, it is important to keep your opinions to yourself and not put down other chapters. The goal of recruitment is for each girl to find the sisterhood that is right for them, and by doing that, all chapters deserve equal respect.

6. Relax and have fun!

While rush may seem overwhelming, the process is in place for a reason. All of the active members are excited to meet you and tell you all about their sisterhood. You may not realize it, but the active members are nervous as well! Just remember when in doubt to be yourself, and have fun finding the right home for you.

11 02, 2021

Starting the Semester Off Right
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Starting the Semester Off Right

college students, college tips

Starting the Semester Off Right

By Aly Hashim|2021-08-03T04:33:54-05:00February 11th, 2021|college students, college tips|Comments Off on Starting the Semester Off Right

Winter break is always a great time for relaxation after the fall semester. Many of us had the chance to reconnect with friends and family, celebrate the holidays, and ultimately reflect on this past year. Although 2020 was not at all what anyone had expected, we all had opportunities to grow and develop. Cheers to the next chapter in our lives – and for college students that means a great spring semester.

Top 7 tips to start the semester off right:

1. Use a Planner

As college students, many of us are constantly overwhelmed with the number of assignments, projects, tests, and club meetings we have in any single week. The truth is we’re never too cool for a planner! At the beginning of each week, write down all of your obligations to ensure that you stay organized and don’t forget any deadlines.

2. Meal Prep

In college, FOMO is real and time is of the essence. The last thing you want to do is attempt to cook when you’re buried in homework. Therefore, meal prep can be a great strategy to stay cost-efficient and eat healthily. Move away from microwavable meals and fast food, and prepare your meals ahead of time to stay fit, save money, and increase productivity.

3. Exercise

Although we often prioritize academic deadlines and social obligations to stimulate our mental health, some of us forget to take care of our physical health. Strive to take care of yourself physically by lifting weights, doing yoga, or just simply taking a brisk walk outside between classes. You will find that if you include physical activity in your daily routine, you will be healthier, happier, and more productive.

4. Get to Know your Professors

Something that many of us often ignore is striving to get to know our professors. However, your professors are your professors for a reason; each one of them has a diverse set of backgrounds and life experiences. Attend their office hours or schedule a one-on-one meeting with them. It is your job to take advantage of this resource and seek advice that you can instill into your academic and professional journey.

5. Unplug your Virtual Self

Zoom fatigue is an exhausting issue. From constantly watching lectures on your laptop to checking social media, a lot of us don’t get a break from technology. Technology is an important part of our everyday lives, but it’s easy to forget that there is a life outside of our virtual screens. Take some time out of your busy schedule to catch up with a friend, play a sport, or take a relaxing hike. It can be a great stress-reliever!

6. Start Building your Resume

Creating or updating a resume may not seem like a priority if you’re not actively looking for a job, but taking the early initiative in your professional journey can be extremely beneficial. Academics are of great concern, of course. However, equally important is what you do outside of the classroom! Building your resume and networking are great ways to take the first step in your future career.

7. Have Fun!

The last but certainly not least important tip we want to offer you is to truly enjoy your time as a college student. College is the time to figure out who you are and where you feel you belong. Create new bonds, join organizations, and take advantage of the social atmosphere that college fosters. Many people look back at their college experiences as transformative, and now is your time to start creating those lifelong memories!

29 01, 2021

Winter Break Recap
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Winter Break Recap

college students, winter break

Winter Break Recap

By Jenna Frisby|2021-08-03T04:36:35-05:00January 29th, 2021|college students, winter break|Comments Off on Winter Break Recap

The holidays are always one of the most cherished times of the year. Elementary and college students alike look forward to a break from the stress that the school year entails. Winter break is a time to spend with family, binge a Netflix show, or sleep in until noon without consequences. What could be better?

However, this year’s winter break looked a little bit different. With the pandemic more prevalent than ever, communities limited business hours and encouraged residents to stay home. Travel restrictions forced many families to celebrate the holidays apart and alter long-standing family traditions.

A time of year usually centered around visiting elderly relatives required out of the box thinking. This resulted in holiday gatherings on Zoom and outdoor visits in the freezing weather. Christmas Eve church services were watched online by many in living rooms without a choir to drown out your off-key singing.

With all of this unprecedented change in the world, it has allowed me to reflect on the things that remain steadfast. As college students return to campus and adjust back to class schedules, we have an optimal opportunity to reset. Therefore, we can all strive to focus less on the negatives from 2020 and maintain a positive mindset when tackling the year ahead!