Sleep!

SLEEP!

Okay, okay...we all know sleep is important. We all know that we probably don't get enough sleep for our bodies and our crazy schedules. We all know that we're college students, and we clearly don't need sleep. Wait, I take that back. We are college students, and that's exactly why we do need sleep.

How can we expect our bodies to operate for 18 hours a day, sleep for a mere six, and then get up and do it again back to back for 15 weeks? But, somehow, in the matter of 18 hours we make it to our classes, still have our social lives, manage to do all our homework, go to our extracirriculars and still be breathing. We push ourselves to every limit, and then somehow we are still able to go out on Friday and Saturday night to be with our friends. I like to make the famous argument, "Oh, I'll just catch up on sleep this weekend." Like sleeping this weekend is going to help my body when I'm not sleeping during the week?

The National Sleep Foundation says that "Sleep is not merely a 'time out' from our busy routines; it is essential for good health, mental and emotional functioning and safety." They also make sure to point out that "sleep loss has been found to impair the ability to perform tasks involving memory, learning, and logical reasoning. This may contribute to mistakes or unfulfilled potential at school or on the job and strained relationships at home."

I know I wish there were a few more hours in the day, but sometimes it's best to call it night, turn off your brain, leave the homework for the next day, leave the internship search for the weekend and get some sleep. Your body and mind will thank you.

Facebook

The topic of conversation between my friends lately has been Facebook. Shocking, I know. All college kids talk about is Facebook. The typical line goes something like, "If it's not on Facebook, it's not official." Yeah, yeah, whatever. Our parents don't get Facebook, but our lives revolve around Facebook. Parents, professors, companies and grad schools are all trying to get why we're Facebook-obsessed.

Well. I'm not sure why I really use Facebook. Is it because I love "stalking" people? Or is it because it's easiest way for me to keep in touch with friends? Or do I love putting all my weekend photos up for everyone to see? Of course as my mom would say, "My generation did the same things you guys are doing, but we didn't publish our lives on Facebook." We live in a completely different world compared to our parents. The technology and constant connection to Internet that we have makes us obsessed with knowing things at the exact moment. We don't have any patience. We can upload sixty pictures in a Facebook album in less than two minutes. Of course, this applies to more than just Facebook.

We can Google a question like, "Where can I find jobs in the Rochester, NY area?" In .3 seconds I received 2,650,000 results. Our generation turned "google" into a verb.

Or this is a good one too... There is a service called Cha-Cha. The number is 242-242. You can text this number any question you have from, from being lost and needing directions to needing to know if there is a new episode of Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice on. Cha Cha will text you back within three to five minutes. The only charge is your standard text messaging fee.

We can hop online during class with a cellphone to get an answer for a professor. We can cheat on tests, quizzes just by using our phones. We have access to technology that our parents gawk at.

So, what's wrong with Facebook?

The world wide web creates an alternative reality. Facebook makes it harder to define our social lives from our academic lives because now it's not as simple as going out on the weekend, having a good time and then going back to class on Monday and being that stellar student. Now it's much more complicated. What you do on the weekends is publicized on Facebook. If you make a bad decision and someone has it on camera, you can bet you won't be living it down for a LONG, LONG time. If you are shaking your head right now, thinking "Oh no, I never do anything stupid," please, please, remember that you're sitting behind your computer and it's okay to admit it. We've all done it. We're college students; we're learning about life. Our parents did it too. Our professors caused just as much trouble. Oh yeah, and those future employers? They probably got into a little trouble in college as well. It's a part of life, but we're on a fine line. Our stupid acts, our bad decisions are on Facebook. Is it public information to the people we hang out with, the professors who brave the Facebook world, and to the employers who check students before they hire them? We are putting it out there for all kinds of people to see.

Here's the real question: Do you honestly want some of those tagged pictures? Sometimes everyone has a little too much fun. Sometimes we all do those stupid things. So, why? WHY do we leave pictures like that tagged? Because we're college students. We love pictures, we love documenting everything we do, and most of all we LOVE seeing it on Facebook. Using Facebook appropriately is great. It is a great tool for networking and keeping in touch. But please, use some Facebook etiquette....

Number 1

Be thoughtful of what your profile picture is. That doesn't mean it needs to be your high school senior picture or something boring like that, but your use judgement. If you are underage college student you probably don't want to be holding a beer or doing something inappropriate. According to an article on http://www.pcworld.com/ you don't want profile pictures that are "too sexy, cartoonish or that might alienate your audience." Look through your friend list really quickly. You'll start making some assumptions about people just by what their profile pictures are.

Number 2

Be careful when filling our your information section. It's okay to put some personal information out there, but you should keep your religious beliefs and political beliefs to yourself.

Number 3

Many users never glance to the privacy page of Facebook, but there are some important things there. You should make sure your Facebook is private to your friends. It can be completely public, semi-public, just open to networks and etc. But, make sure you know who can see your profile.

Number 4

Be courteous. If you have an extremely embarrassing picture of someone ask before you put it up, or don't put it up at all. Some people don't want their pictures floating around Facebook.

Number 5

Make sure you aren't writing inappropriate things on people's Facebook wall. If you were an employer, would you hire yourself from your writing ability on Facebook? And yes, it's true that may not be the way you would write professionally, but employers make assumptions on what they see and what knowledge they can gather.

Number 6

When it comes down to it, are you friends with people you wouldn't say "Hi" to on campus? Then delete them. The more people that have access to your Facebook the more people that can see what's going on in your life. Go on a "defriending" kick every once in a while.

So, the next time you log onto Facebook, just think about this question. "Would I want my mom to see this?" It's the best trick.

On campus vs Off campus Housing

At Brockport you always know it is spring semester when people ask you this: "So, do you know where you are living yet? Have you signed a lease? Are you staying on campus for another year? Can I have your landlord's number?"

Extreme example, but true. Even after a long winter break people would rather know where you are planning on living in the next academic year versus how great of a break you had.

So, let's get to the truth about living on campus and living off campus...

My freshman and second year were spent on campus. The first year I lived in Thompson Hall, a corridor style dorm, and the second year I was in Mortimer Hall, a suite style dorm. I have few complaints about my living situation freshman year. My roommate and I got along great, the room was not too small, and walking down the hall for the bathroom was not even that bad. I was so excited to be in Mortimer that I did not even think about how small the room were when I first saw it. I thought would go just as smoothly. But, when you are living in a room that would be small for ONE person, things can get a little messy. Needless to say, my roommate and I barely survived the year with one another, and now we cannot even stand to acknowledge each other.

This is the first year I lived off campus, but I can say that it has been so much easier than living on campus. Not only do I have my own room, I also have my own kitchen and share a bathroom with only one other girl. The other positives of living off campus are infinite. Then again, if you are not responsible enough to pay your own bills, clean your own kitchen and bathroom, talk out problems that you are having with your housemates, then you probably want to stay in the dorms, but if you have never tried before you should give it a shot. It's practice for the real world. When you have a job, you certainly won't be living in the dorm rooms. You may have your own house, mortgage and family to support.

If you parents don't want you to move off campus then let me share some advice with you.
1. Don't room with your best friend unless you are positive it won't ruin your friendship. It's better to have to cross campus to hang out then dread going back to your room because you can't stand another second with her or him.
2. Remember, we all crave personal time, so when you need a break from the person be honest. I can't stress this enough; if you need a break it's okay to leave your room. Take a walk, head to the library, spend some time in the study lounge of your room. Your roommate won't be mad.
3. Your stuff is your stuff. If you don't feel comfortable sharing with your roommate, then don't. Clothes, utensils, bedding, chairs...if it's yours, let your roommate know.
4. If you have a problem with your roommate, talk to him or her about it. The worst thing in the world is when you are talking about your roommate and he/she finds out and ends up hating you for it.
5. Use your Resident Assistant. They get paid to help you solve problems. They know how hard it is to have new roommates, be in a new place and have to pass all your classes. They were once freshman too!
6. If you never are scared of your roommate, get out of there. Go to your friends, go to your RA, go to someone. Never put yourself in danger because of a other person.
7. If you don't like a certain behavior your roommate has (ex: having the television on when they are sleeping, blasting music when you are trying to sleep, drinking every night) try talking to he/she about it. Chances are pretty good that he won't want you to hate him.
8. Personalize your dorm room. Make it feel like home, because face it, you'll be spending more time in your dorm room then anywhere else. It needs to be "your" place.
9. It's going to be a challenge trying to work out all the new things you will be getting used to, but try and learn how to manage your time early. Set aside time for hanging out with friends, doing homework, going to class, and etc.
and 10. Just remember this - worst comes to worst, get some red duct tape and put in down the middle of your room.

Now if your parents will let you move off campus, then here are a few tips for finding a house:
1. Start early! It's never too early to sign a lease and it's never too early to start looking. The best houses go fast, so be on your game.
2. Don't share a room off campus. That's probably why you moved off campus in the first place. You wanted your own personal space. Don't compromise that.
3. Your housemates will be edgy when it comes to housing. Broach the subject gently, but always, always, ALWAYS make sure you are on the same page. You don't won't to get burned when it comes to signing a lease for the house of your dreams.
4. Keep your parents in the loop. Surprisingly enough the majority of them probably lived off campus and probably know a thing or two about finding a house. And remember, they live in a house now.
5. When it comes to your lease, if you aren't sure what something means, go head and ask. You and your landlord will be in contact on a weekly basis for the next year.
Okay...now that you found your house and signed your lease:
6. Be nice to your housemates. Even when you are having a bad day, walk in the house ready to smile and say "Hi."
7. Make a chore list if things are not getting done. No one wants to live in a messy house.
8. Again, talk to eachother. If you are having problems with the living situation, talk it out. Make compromises, and change some habits. No one wants to be miserable when they have to go home.
9. If something breaks, call the landlord. They will want to fix it. If they don't, they know that it will get around that they aren't great landlords.
10. Always have carpet cleaner on hand. You would be amazed at many things spill in your apartment.

So - make your decision wisely. Your housing situation can make or break your college career, plus it helps you prepare for you future.

Just a little about me...

This will be the first time I have ever posted on a blog. So, if anything goes wrong, it's not my fault.

Since this is my first post on my blog I thought that I would share a little about my background.

First and foremost, I am in my third year at The College at Brockport, SUNY which means I am a junior, but credit wise I am a senior already. This is a) because I came into Brockport with eighteen credits (one semester's worth) and b) because of Delta College. Delta College is an honors style program with accelerated general education courses. This means that we take our general education classes in smaller groups and combine the necessary classes through interdisciplinary ideas. For example, our freshman year we take a class called Society & Culture I in the fall and II in the spring semester. This class incorporates world history, art, sciences. In words of the Delta College description it is an "interdisciplinary approach to the College's required undergraduate liberal arts and science courses."

Making the decision to enter Delta College was a particularly difficult decision for me. When I first was accepted to Brockport I was interested in both Delta and Honors and after a month of hemming and hawing, I decided I would go the way of Honors. And then after I graduated from high school I was at my summer job and I had just worked a long day of lifeguarding when I decided that Delta was the place I belonged. And I was right. A few weeks later I was at the Brockport summer orientation with the Delta group and I immediately felt right at home. My freshman year is a blurred memory of Delta projects, classes and public speaking. Delta has the ability to take the "shy kid" of a class and make him or her an active member of the class. Needless to say, by the spring semester rolled around, talking in front of a class was a breeze for me.

It's a good thing Delta College cured my fear of public speaking because I am a Communication major with a concentration in Persuasion studies. One of Brockport's mandatory Communication classes is Public Speaking. By the time I got around to taking it, I knew how to use my nerves as a motivation to speak better. I also have a minor in Political Science and today, I decided I would pick up a Business minor.

Another thing to know about me is that I was a competitive swimmer at the age of seven and this is the first year in my life that I haven't swam for a team. It was a strange transition to make, but it was for the better. Although I miss the team atmosphere and the pool, I don't miss competing at all.