Motivational Talk

Just Keep Swimming 

( image taken from Google.)

This is from the movie: Finding Nemo.  Dory is the name of the fish in the image above. She says this quote a few times in this movie " Just Keep Swimming ". I believe there is a good lesson from this quote. Life can be really hard. There are so many stressors in life and it can be exhausting. Work, school, health, and relationship problems are some of the stressors that people have. Here are some tips that can help you conquer your stressors and motivate you to keep going in life.

1. HAVE ME TIME. When life is busy, you need to have some personal time. This allows you to have a break and it can calm you. Doing art, cooking/baking, watching a movie/ tv show/ YouTube, and spending time with friends are some of the things that I like to do for me time.

2. BREAK BIG TASKS INTO SMALLER CHUNKS. The task will seem less intimidating. This helps with time management and helps reduces procrastination. I use this technique for homework and studying for exams/quizzes. When I use this technique, I am less stressed and I feel more confident about the exam/ quizzes. This tip could be applied for other projects that you need to accomplish.

3. DO YOUR BEST. There are times that people will criticize you on something that you have done. Do not beat yourself up when you receive criticism. What matters is doing your best. Sometimes criticism can help you accomplish doing your best. We learn from other's peoples mistakes and wealth of knowledge.

I hope these tips can help you. I would love to hear how you conquer stressors and stay motivated in life.

Saving Money in college.

I apologize for not posting in forever. I have been busy with coursework. Since it is spring break in the States, I thought this would be a good topic to write about it. I like to save when I can. It’s nice when I can save money on my spring break activities. While starting college, I have learned that college is expensive. I have learned a few ways to save money without sacrificing fun. Being smart with money is important to learn. It will show that you can be responsible. Let’s show the world that not all college students are broke. I hope these tips can benefit you.

1)   Bring your own food. I have saved money by not eating in the cafeteria. I am not saying never eat in the cafeteria just not eat there often. A person can prepare a tasty lunch that is cheaper than buying it at the cafeteria. Bringing your own lunch can be healthier. I am able to eat fruits that are not offered at the café.  There are so many options when it comes to bringing your own lunch. It can be a hassle to bring your own lunch but it is worth it in the end.

2)   Find free stuff at your school. My school offers free activities and activities at a reduced price. This is a great way to save money and socialize with people. Some schools offer free services. For example, they offer free printing, counseling sessions, tutoring services, use of fitness center. Take advantage of these free services. I have used some of these services at my school and it has helped me greatly.

3)   Use your student ID. There are several places that will give discounts to college students.  Some restaurants, stores, and online websites offer great discounts. I know certain movies theaters give discounts too. These discounts will vary depending on where you live.

Have a lovely day and spring break. I would like to hear your opinions or topic ideas about the blog.

SURVING MIDTERMS

Midterms are coming up for college students. They can be scary. It is never too early to start preparing now. Even though I am a freshman, I have learned a few tips that helped me survive midterms. I hope these tips can help you.

·        Find out when midterms are. This is obvious tip but a good one to do. When you know when midterms are, you will be able to prepare for them. You do not want to have them “sneak” up on you.

·        Don’t study last minute. This may not work for some students but it helped me. I try to prepare about a week before the exam. If you work a lot, try to study while commuting to work. Instead of listening to music try to talk about the material to yourself. While getting ready, I would tell myself the material that I need to know. During lunch break, study for the midterms. It is also helpful to quiz yourself over the material

·        Stay hydrated. It is super important to drink water. I get headaches when I don’t drink enough water. It is super hard to study when your head is pounding. Keep a water bottler near you when studying.

·        Don’t study for long periods of time. I find it better to study in chunks. It helps me retain the information better. My brain gets tired if I do too much readings/studying. I like to give myself little breaks. Sometimes for breaks I will do chores, make a snack, check social media, watch youtube /Netflix, and text friends.

·        Get sleep. It can be hard to take a test with only three hours of sleep. I do not recommend all nighters for any test. Some people may be able to function with small amount asleep but a person generally feels more alert with more sleep. Being sleep deprived is not a good thing.

I would love to hear how you study. Have a great day.

Spanish Outside the Classroom

After completing one semester of Spanish, I realized something about learning a foreign language. Incorporating the language is a very important aspect. A person needs to use that language outside of the classroom. It can help that person understand and learn the language better. Why learn a language and never use it outside of the classroom?  Here are tips to incorporate Spanish in your life. These tips could also be applied to learning other languages. I use Spanish as an example since I am learning it.

·         Watch a Movie/tv show in Spanish. This can help you get used to hearing the language.  I like to watch movies/tv shows in Spanish with English subtitles. It helps me learn new words. I like to watch children tv shows in Spanish because I find them more interesting to watch than Spanish soap operas.

·         Read in Spanish. I like to read signs that are in Spanish and English. First I try to read it in Spanish and figure out what it means. Then I read the English portion and see how much I translated correctly.  I liked to read social media post in Spanish too. Spanish books and newspapers are great avenues to practice reading in Spanish.

·         Talk with a Friend. Find a person to practice speaking Spanish. In person, call, and video chat are ways to practice speaking Spanish. This can help you gain confidence speaking the language and practice pronunciation.

·         Write in Spanish. I like to text people in Spanish. Writing in Spanish makes you practice your knowledge onto paper.  Writing a letter or email is another great way to practice writing in Spanish.

I hope these tips can help you. These tips help me incorporate Spanish in a fun way.I would love to hear how you incorporate a new language outside of the classroom.

How to talk and email Professors.

I enjoy talking with Professors at my university. They help me by answering questions about classes or the university. It can be scary talking with Professors. I was nervous when I first started talking to them. Professor can be intimidating at first. I realized that professors are nice people and want to help students succeed in college. Emailing professors is another thing I have done in college. There are a few things to consider when talking or emailing to a professor. Remember these are general tips and these tips may not apply to all professors.

·        Use their title. We need to show respect to our professors. Some professors will want to be called Doctor or Professor. If a professor does not tell you which title to use, ask them what title they prefer to be called by.

·        Open Office hours or appointments only.  It is important to find out when the professor is available. The syllabus will state if they are open office hours or appointments only. This is the time to talk to them when you have a question.  If you cannot talk with a professor on campus, emailing a professor is good option.

·        State your objective.  When you are talking to a professor, explain why you are talking to them. Is it a question about the university, the class, homework, or a specific major? This will help the professor to answer your questions instead of guessing why you are there. This would also apply to emailing a professor for the same reasons.

·        Use correct grammar. This would apply to speaking and emailing a professor. Using correct grammar shows that you are professional. Always proof your emails before you send your emails and think before you speak.

These are the tips I use when talking and emailing to professors. I would love to hear your tips about talking and emailing to professors.

HOW TO STUDY:101

I hope you guys have had a good week in school. I have just finished my first week back at college. What is the one thing college students hear a lot? STUDYING is what students hear a lot from professors.  College students are seeing a lot of this right now.

                                  (picture taken from Google images.)

That’s right TEXTBOOKS.

Here are four tips that I like to use for studying.

 DO NOT PROCRASTINATE

As I have already, it is bad to procrastinate. Many bad things can happen when you wait the last minute. Power goes out, wifi goes out, computer crashes, and emergencies are some problems that can delay submitting homework. Since you do not know when these events will happen, it is better to be ahead of schedule and submit the homework early. Less stress and more time to complete the work are benefits of not procrastinating.

TAKE NOTES/QUIZ YOURSELF

While in class, take notes about the lecture. It helps you retain the information and it keeps you from being bored in class. A person can take notes by hand or electronically. I prefer taking notes by hand. There are many apps that help with note taking. Find the method that works for you. You can also quiz yourself with the notes that you took.  Reading over the material will not help you memorize it or learn it. You need to quiz yourself so that you can see what you really know. Do practice problems/tests without your book. I like to make flashcards. Flashcards are very helpful.

EAT A SNACK/ CHEW GUM

There are many times when you are studying that you will get hungry. I like to keep snack near me when I study. Chips, candy, and cookies are some of the snacks that I like. Healthy snacks that I like would include: apples with peanut butter, fruit cups ( oranges and pineapples), and celery sticks with peanut butter When I do not feel like eating, I like to chew gum. It helps me feel more awake.

PUT AWAY DISTRACTIONS

This is a hard one to follow. There are so many distractions for a college student. My distractions are texting, watching tv/Netflix/youtube , looking/posting on social media, and doing chores when I am suppose to study. How do I conquer these distractions? I put away my phone and I get my chores done before I start studying. Studying on campus helps me focus on my work. When I am not in a room with a tv, I am less tempted to watch tv. I avoid typing youtube or Netflix on my search bar.

 These are tips that I have learned and used while in college. I would love to hear how you study. There is no right way to study because we are all different.  I hope these tips can help you in some way.

How to destress while in college.

It's that time of year again. Most people have started college or will be starting very soon. Stress is them emotion that many college students feel. Classes, homework, friends & family, and job are things most college students deal with. My first semester of college of college was stressfy and I wasn't working at the time. These are tips that I have learned on how to relax. We all should focus on our studies but we also need to have a break every now and then.

Coloring

Coloring books help me relax. It calms me. Doing other creative things also help me relax. Drawing, origami, and painting are good activities that can help you relax.

Hanging out with Friends or family.

There are times that you need to have fun with people. I like to attend college group. It's where I can hang out with people my age and I don't have to worry about school. Try to set a time once a month to do something fun with someone.

Walking.

Sometimes I need to walk around when I am stressed. It makes me feel better. Any type of exercise can be relaxing. It can help you let off frustration.

Bubble baths

This is one of my favorite thing to do. It is so relaxing and it is nice to lay in  the tub. I like to play music while I lay in the tub.

Please Comment below. I would love to hear how you guys relax.