Learning to Appreciate The Little Things - by Chloe

After one year of college I have learned to appreciate a few things about home that I never realized I would miss at school. Here is a list of some things I have a newfound appreciation for.

1.     Soft Toilet paper: It’s good stuff guys. Let’s be honest. I go to a great school, but their toilet paper is reminiscent of that tissue paper you fill gift bags with; Truly awful. Love it while you have it… and then pack some for college!

2.    Soft water: Some of you probably don’t even know what I mean by this. Well at my house we have a water softener that takes the hard minerals and other things out of the water. (This is the reason your hair feels softer when you shower at home than at a hotel.) Well colleges don’t have that, so every time I come home it is like a vacation of soft hair: Glorious. You’ll understand someday.

3.    Home cooked food: You knew this one was coming, but it really is worth noting. There IS a difference; maybe it’s mom’s love, who knows.

4.    Seeing Old people: No really. Every time I see a person over the age of about 60 at IWU it is either a Sunday and they are there for their Sunday brunch, or it is Grandparents Day. No exceptions. Sometimes it is nice to know that there are still people other than college students out there.

5.    Animals (other than squirrels):Every college campus has a million squirrels. I don’t know why, but that is a cold, hard, fact. All other animals, however, might as well be mythical creatures. IWU actually has a Puppy Day where they bring in puppies from local shelters for the students to play with because we never see dogs and the dogs get to run around. It is a win/win, but love on your pet while you can because you will miss them!

6.    Sleep: Everyone has heard the all-nighter stories, but you don’t know the truth of lack of sleep until you are up until 3 or 4 writing a paper or studying for a test. I came home for the summer and slept for 14 hours the first night! I guess I really was exhausted!

7.    My parents: I couldn’t leave this without saying that I missed my family a lot more than I thought I would. They are pretty spectacular people and after a year in college I have an even greater appreciation for them.

If you are a graduating senior, or a younger student in high school, keep these things in mind this summer and appreciate the little things. You might just realize that it is the little things that make a place feel like home.

 
Chloe McLaughlin is a college freshman at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana majoring in Church Music and Christian Worship. Originally from Frankfort, Indiana, Chloe was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of Indiana for 2012. Learn more about Chloe here!

Maxed Out - by Carly

    

     At the end of the semester, the word on the tip of everyone’s tongue is stress.  Just last night I was surrounded by books and study buddies, and we were all nervous for the biology exam in the morning-7:30AM no less!  We sat there crunching numbers trying to determine the lowest possible grade we could get on the final to maintain the grades we had labored over all semester.  At two in the morning, we all finally looked at each other and just started laughing.  Those giggles turned into tears of stress, exhaustion, and pure insanity (it was 2 in the morning!).  After our outburst, we seemed to have things under control and went to bed.  About four hours later it was time to wake up and take on the day we had stressed about.  The test was not as difficult as anticipated, but was that late night studying really worth it?  Was the anxiety necessary to grasp the concepts in thirty chapters of ecology, evolution, and animal phylums? 

     It is now one in the afternoon, my test is complete, and I have arrived home, for Elizabethtown is only an hour from my town.  I’m lying in my backyard sipping on a Capri Sun and soaking up the long anticipated rays of summer.  So was it worth it?  I can honestly say that the late night cram session was not worth it.  One exam is not going to determine the success of my future, but it can ruin life’s precious moments.  I missed out on my last night with my new family all for a test.  My mind was maxed out with endless vocabulary and concepts.  I wish it had been maxed out with the love of my friends and one last night of adventure. 

     Every day I try to remind myself of the truly important things in life, and an exam is not at the top of the list!  It is so easy to get wrapped up in the day to day rhythms of life, but taking a minute to soak up the beauty around you makes things just a little bit sweeter.  To everyone stressed out with the busy weeks of spring time, remember that it all works out in the end.  You will survive and come out stronger than before.  Stay strong, and enjoy each day, for it is truly a special gift.


 Carly Henry is a college freshman at Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania majoring in biochemistry with a minor is business. Originally from York, Pennsylvania, Carly was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of Pennsylvania for 2012. Learn more about Carly here!

National Be Your Best Self Week - Be Studios - a video from Christina

This week, April 22-26, is National Be Your Best Self Week! Christina Maxwell, Distinguished Young Woman of America shares her thoughts on being studious, one of five elements that make up the Be Your Best Self program. Check back throughout the week for more videos from Christina!




Christina Maxwell is a college freshman at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan majoring in Musical Theatre. Originally from Asheville , North Carolina, Christina was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of North Carolina for 2012 and the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2012. Learn more about Christina here!

It’s Just a Letter - by Carly

We've all heard people say that size is just a number.  Well, when you get back an exam, that little mark at the top of the page is just a letter.  It is so easy to get hung up on that one red letter at the top of a paper or test!  But, I am here to reassure you that your life does not depend on one grade. 

I am living with all of the honors students at school this year; so, when exams role around, everyone gets a little antsy.  Non-honors students do not seem to stress about one exam, but the honors students act as if their lives depend on it!  I myself used to stress about each and every test, but I’ve realized that it is not worth the anxiety.

Sure, it is VERY important to do well in school.  Solid grades help you get into college and graduate school.  But, learning valuable skills in school is even more important!  When you enter the real world, your employer will not care if you can ace an exam.   They will want an employee who can be personable, organized, and hardworking (the list goes on and on, but “excellent test taker” does not top the list!).

A few blog posts ago I talked about my professor who encouraged me to go on an adventure and explore the world around me.  If you are too busy stressing about grades, those experiences will fly right past your nose.  Whether it be a new friendship, networking opportunity, or an internship, you can’t let an obsession with grades blind you from what is really important.  

I encourage everyone to keep working hard and studying, of course!  When that test is placed in front of you, take a deep breath and know that you can handle it!  After that huge term paper or midterm, treat yourself to some “me” time.  Why stress about each and every question that you may or may not have done incorrectly?  One assessment will not determine your success!  Take a look around and find the big picture happening around you.  You may be surprised to find that those little red letters are out of sight in the grand scheme of things.


 Carly Henry is a college freshman at Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania majoring in biochemistry with a minor is business. Originally from York, Pennsylvania, Carly was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of Pennsylvania for 2012. Learn more about Carly here!

Study Tips - by Ali

Have you ever studied for hours and felt really confident going into a test only to get your score back and see that you didn’t do as well as you’d hoped? Sadly, most of us have experienced this heartbreak at least once. This week, I definitely experienced this feeling of complete disappointment but I was able to learn from it and figure out how I can improve for the next one! I have put together a list of 5 tips to help when it comes to studying and managing your time during crazy weeks like mine!


1.    Start early. This week I had three midterm exams, seven quizzes, six chapters to read (each about 30 pages long!) and on top of that, I had to prepare to coach my hometown dance team at Nationals this past weekend. Welcome to college, right? There will be times when your exams and assignments may fall on the same week or maybe even the same day. My advice would be to start studying early! You will know when every exam is at the beginning of the semester so you will be able to plan it out ahead of time. Try to mix it up by studying for one class for an hour and then the other class for the next hour. Studying one subject for hours at a time doesn’t help as much!

2.    Say “No”. You will be tempted to go out. Friends will ask you to go out with them this weekend or there may be an event with a group your involved in (for me, it was my sorority) but you have to try and refrain. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t take breaks or become a hermit or something like that but if you do choose to go out, try to make it short (an hour or two). Trust me, there will be weekends when you’ll have nothing to do and you can go out then! 

3.    Again, take breaks! There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a break from studying. If you feel like your brain is about to explode, take a quick walk or eat a snack. It’s kind of like hitting the refresh button on your Internet. Sometimes, you just need a break. I read somewhere that for every hour you study you should give yourself a 15-minute break. Powernap, ready, set, go!

4.    Just breathe. Try your best not to stress too much because that will just make things worse. I almost had a meltdown this week but I found it really helpful to call my mom and just talk to her for a few minutes. She really calmed me down and settled my nerves. Also, writing down what you need to do before the test really helps as well. Seeing what you need to do visually can really help calm you down and you can check things off as you finish them as well. Most of all, just remember to breathe and that things will get better soon!

5.    Learn. Like me, your test may not go the way you would have liked it to no matter how long you study. I took a practice test for my exam 100 times (this is no exaggeration… it was 103 actually.) I felt really good going into the test and when I was done, I wasn’t so sure anymore. However, there is nothing you can really do at that point. I got my score back and didn’t do as well as I had hoped. (So this is why this class is the 2nd most failed class offered here…) I was disappointed and at first, very angry. However, I decided that there was nothing I could do about it. I worked as hard as I could in order to prepare for it so I did the best I could. I chose to learn from my experiences and prepare to study differently for my next exam. Hopefully, I will do much better for the next one!


Good luck to everyone with exams soon or in the future! Just try to remember these tips and also, make your own. Some of these may not work for you and others may work great! You know your strengths so apply them to your work and you will do amazing things!

Ali Houser is a college freshman at The University of Minnesota – Twin Cities in Minneapolis, Minnesota majoring in Dental Hygiene. Originally from Beresford, South Dakota, Ali was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of South Dakota for 2012. Learn more about Ali here!