Budget

    After a week of being sick, and finally making it back to my classes, I’ve overcome my inability to inhale through my nose.  Thanks to this experience, I’m going to start taking vitamins like normal healthy people do.  Being sick twice in one month, adding up to almost three weeks of illness, has to be a new personal record.  Take my advice - please - and start taking vitamins.  One of the worst things that could possibly happen during the semester is getting sick.  I’m not even going to get started on allergy season... yuck.
    Rather than listing off the same information I had the last time, I will just give the link to my past blog on being sick.  I know for sure that I cannot be the only one who was/is currently sick.
    Now, onto a better topic:  budget.  Being college students, we don’t have a large amount of money to spend.  In just two weeks I’ve spent a lot of money, though I’m not sure how, and I’m not going to share how much money it was.  I will, however, share how to control spending.  Seeing as I need to learn this life lesson, and some of you probably do as well, I’ve looked up ways to control it!

Here is a list of links that can help you control your budget/spending:

Control Spending In College

5 Tools To Control Spending

CollegeTips - This link will lead to a list of tips and extra links.

I hope that these links will help you, as well as me, in maintaining a different budget for the semester.

Have a good day and good luck!

“The lack of money is the root of all evil.”

-Mark Twain

Welcome Back!

    Welcome back FSU students! It may just be me, but it felt as though Winter Break would never end! Not that we would want it to... I hope that all of you have had an amazing break and are ready for the Spring semester!  I know, for one, that I couldn't bare the thought of classes starting and tried to prolong coming back to campus for as long as possibly I could.  Now that I’m here, I don’t understand why I was pushing it off for so long.

    This semester is going to be a bit different from the first, not only because it’s my second semester as a freshman, but because I’m also taking an online course.  I’m sure that some of you are getting into the swing of things while others are trying to figure out how to manage themselves this semester.  My fear at the start of this semester was that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with my online course; now I know that said fear was irrelevant, as long as I make enough time for myself and the class.
    Some of you may already be having trouble with your classes, but do not fret, for it is not too late! There is still time before it’s too late to drop/add a class; so I suggest that if you don’t feel as though you’re capable of handling a class, then make a decision on whether you should keep it or drop it.
    In addition, a special thank you to those who have read this blog and contacted me about it! : ) I enjoy getting feedback on how I’m doing and learning whether the tips I give are complete garbage or not.
    Good luck to all of you this semester!

“We all have ability. The difference is how we use it.”

- Stevie Wonder.

Sick

"Remember, you only have to succeed the last time."

-Brian Tracy

Being sick while in college can be a curse if you don’t know how to deal with it correctly.  I spent the majority of my time last week sleeping and taking medicine.  Most crave to have a stress free week, myself included, but it’s not enjoyable when you’re sick.  I had symptoms of the flu and decided to skip my classes that Friday and go home for the weekend.  I ended up staying at home longer than intended, a little over a week to be exact.  Battling an illness can be tough enough, but what about living on campus with it?

I was lucky to have chosen a college ten minutes from my house; I was able to go home and have the comforts of my bedroom while being sick.  What about students who get sick and have to stay on campus? I figure that, even though I’m close to home, the time will come where I’ll be sick and will have to stay on campus. After thinking about what I would do, and eventually drawing a blank, I decided to look up some information on dealing with being sick on campus.

6 Tips For When You’re Sick At College was very helpful and humorous at the same time.  The writer also touched base on going to the infirmary, which most students are too stubborn to do. I, for one, refused to go to a doctor until my mother forced me to.  Trying to ride it out without medication is brave but also stupid.  A similar post I’ve found, What to Do If You’re Sick in College, mentions to treat your symptoms.  Despite how that may be helpful, I’d still suggest seeing a doctor. You could misdiagnose your symptoms and even though the medication won’t make you worse, it won’t make you better either.  Wondering what to if your roommate is sick? Read My Roommate is Sick, Now What? The article gives tips on what to do if your roommate is sick and how to avoid catching it.

With finals nearly a month away, keeping ourselves healthy is very important.  Take my advice, don’t do what I did and wait until the last minute to go to the doctor.  The sooner you get diagnosed, the sooner you get medication.  Missing class in college is a lot worse than missing it in high school, especially when it comes to taking notes.

Aspirations

"Far away in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead." -Louisa May Alcott

Aspirations -- they’re different with everyone.  Mine just so happens to be similar to what I’m doing here:  writing.  Coming across this opportunity has turned out great for me; I’m doing what I love in my free time and practicing with my writing skills.  Many people aspire to do something great with their lives, but it’s all about how we get there.  The journey to our goal is just as achieving as the goal itself.

Writing has been a big part of my life since the age of thirteen, when I started writing fanfiction.  For those of you who do not know what a fanfiction is, it is a fan written story that is based off of a novel/movie/comic/TV show/etc that already exists.  I have experienced a lot through my years of writing fanfiction, including constructive criticism which can be your best friend and worst enemy at the same time.  The main thing I have learned, however, is that not everyone is going to like what you write and you have to deal with that.  The brutal honesty is that if you cannot handle criticism, then you shouldn't be a writer.

One thing that I experienced first hand is being told that I wouldn't succeed.  Downing someone's dream is pretty much the same as telling them that they’re not good enough.  When I first told my family what I wanted to do they all said the same thing, “why would you want to do that?” By saying that, it made me feel like my writing wasn’t up to standard and I was going to fail before I even started. Do not listen to them! I took everything they said as a challenge and look at where I am now.  I graduated high school with honors, I’m currently in the FSU's honors program, and I’m doing what I love.

Focus on your goals and plan to do what you love.  It doesn’t matter what others think or how far-fetched this aspiration seems to them.  I’m taking on my writing career one step at a time; first with fanfiction and now with blogging.  Every step you take is just one more piece added to the puzzle of your life.  For those of you out there who are following your dreams, what is your aspiration? And what steps are you taking, aside from school, to work toward this goal? Also, though I hope this hasn’t happened to any of you, has anyone ever doubted you?

"My favorite puzzle is trying to work out the parts myself, after all it is a solo effort. " -Adrian Belew

Failure

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“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” - Theodore Roosevelt.

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“Failing will eventually result in more failure,” is what a concerned parent would tell their child while growing up.  We were taught from day one that failure is bad, that it would ruin our chances for a good future.  I see things differently now; I have learned that it is okay to fail. Without failure no one would succeed.  The path to success is not always as happy and clear as people would like to imagine, there are mistakes that must be made to lead us to where we want to be.

Imagine if someone has their life planned out:  what classes they’ll take in high school, where they’re going to college, what they’ll do for a living, etc.  They’ll see failure as the worst possible thing to happen to them, so they avoid it at all costs.  But really, they’re setting themselves up for failure.  Their plan would go accordingly until something would happen to throw them off.  Where would they go from there? They had never taken failure into consideration and so this small setback would ruin everything.

Failing can send us back on the right path if we want it to.  If you were never really sure about what career you want and end up failing in the one you pick, you know that it wasn’t the right one for you.  It’s the same with certain ways you choose to study for school; if your current technique isn’t working, you know to change it.  That’s what brought me onto the topic of failure:  my studying techniques.

My whole life I’ve been a ‘poor studier,’ avoiding it at all costs as if it were the plague; but I’ve always seemed to do fine on my exams... until now.  This failure, instead of being a setback for me, is pushing me to do better.  I now know that what I was doing before is not what I should have been doing.  Studying is a major part of classes and I had been lacking a lot in that department.  This failure has given me the motivation to change that part of myself and become a better student.  Sometimes it’s better to embrace the failure; after all, failure is what makes us human.

My Perspective

“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” – Alexander Graham Bell

People often say that “some things just come naturally.”  I often wonder about this saying and its meaning; my way of understanding it is that some things come easier than others.  I may be wrong about the meaning and its original intention, but everyone perceives things differently.  College feels natural to me and I’ve adapted to it pretty quickly, therefore I feel as though the phrase is right.

During high school I had the schedule where the same classes took place at the same time, everyday, for the whole week.  The administration obviously felt the schedule to be effective, because they continued to use it, but a person can get tired out if they have the same class schedule every day with no breaks in between. When students are tired and worn down, they tend to lose focus. My college schedule is better. It is similar to an A/B block schedule:  I have the same classes every other day.  When you compare the two, the A/B seems to look like the better schedule.  However, according to an article I read, high school teachers feel that the A/B scheduling “vastly overloads their students.”  Overloading a student is not the intention of any administration, though they may unintentionally do so.

Classes are probably the easiest part for me, seeing as almost all of my past classes were similar.  Most college classes, as I have seen, consist of lecturing/note taking.  I have been taking notes in classes since middle school, so it was fairly easy to keep up with.  When you take a class that you show no interest in, it’s a lot harder to follow along and take notes.  I absolutely hate history, possibly because of all the dates you have to remember.  I’ve never liked it; I’ve always been an English/math person.  One of my classes this semester is about learning the history of the area, which tires me out easily; luckily, I have an amazing brother who lent me his digital recorder.  Even if I lose concentration, I’ll always have what my Professor said recorded.  I recommend investing in a digital voice recorder (if you don’t already have one) in-case you can’t pay attention in class or don’t want to waste paper by taking notes.  Also, for those of you who own an iPhone, I’ve heard that there is a recording app you could just download rather than buy a recorder.

Although what I’m advising may help, if you just don’t like the class and think you may fail because of that -- drop it.  It’s a big decision, and don’t let me talk you into it, but considering it could be very helpful.  I deem it pointless to take a class when you feel like you’re going to fail, it’s a waste of your time and your education.  In addition, do not overload with classes.  For every credit you take, three hours of studying time is recommended.  For example:  seven classes with three credits for each; you would have twenty one credits total.  Imagine studying sixty three hours per week for seven classes! Seven classes may not seem like a lot at first, but think about the effects in the long run:  tons of homework (no free time), you may excel in one class but lack the enthusiasm to do so in another, and having seven finals! Finals are something that, despite who it is taking them, will not come naturally.  I’ve given my thoughts and wish you readers the best in whatever it is you decide.

The Introduction

My name is Carissa and I am a freshman who is majoring in English at Frostburg State University.  I feel that, with as many opportunities as I have been given, college will be one of the greatest moments of my life.  Throughout some of middle school and all of high school I was a part of the Gear-Up program.  Gear-Up was set up to prepare students for college and influence them to do better in school.  Being a part of the program really helped me in becoming the student I am today.  I’m currently a part of the honors program at FSU and graduated from my high school with an honors certificate.

Adjusting to the college schedule was an easy task; it seems to be less of a hassle to go along with, not to mention only having certain classes two or three days of the week.  My classes don’t seem to be too difficult to handle just yet, though that may be because they’re the required credits and it’s just my first semester here at the school.  However, even this early into the semester I still dread the thought of final exams; but it’s nice to look at the calender and see that there’s a good bit of time before they arrive.

According to statistics only 56% of students who enroll at a four-year college earn a bachelor’s degree.  The percentage of college freshmen who drop out at the end of their first semester shocks me; approximately 35% of students who enter college will drop out within their first year.  The number is quite high and I was enlightened by my high school guidance counselor last year as to why they did.  Not many understand the importance of studying and end up partying their tuition away, which results in them dropping out before they fail.  There are many other reasons, including balancing work and school, but I feel that underestimating their time to study is the most common among freshmen.  One in four college freshmen drop out, but the real question is how can we stop this?

I know that with my honors certificate under my belt I will be able to handle anything college throws at me.  In order to succeed, I’ve decided to not put too much pressure on myself the first semester.  I only have the required amount of credits to be a full-time student and in my free time I do work study.  Once I get past this semester I’ll know that I can handle the next and so on.  It’s all about having the right motivation and keeping a positive attitude.

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will." -Vincent T. Lombardi