Life Skills

By Kailen Wong, Class of 2021

The college experience is characteristically described as “full of freedom” – the freedom to eat dessert before dinner, skip class to study outside, or stay up past 2 a.m. with friends. Unlike high school, there are no ringing period bells to usher you to your next class and fewer people telling you what you need to do and when. Each morning, you are given the freedom to shape your day however you want! 

When I first moved into my residence hall freshman year, I did not know how to wield this freedom well. I constantly asked myself what to do with my day – “Should I be studying right now or having fun with friends? Do I eat lunch before my 12:30 class or afterward?” – and sometimes I spent whole afternoons with friends only to feel stressed later in the evening when my homework was piled high. However, at other times, I found myself at the other extreme, working entire Saturdays and Sundays in the library but leaving feeling exhausted, hungry, and miserable that I had said “no” to fun activities all weekend. 

It took me a few months, but finally, I learned how to build balance into my life. With more intentionality, I began to use my newfound “college freedom” to dedicate reasonable amounts of time to my various activities. For example, instead of spending all of Saturday with friends and all of Sunday cramming for an upcoming exam, I worked to balance each day with a bit of both. On weekdays, I aimed to head to the gym after class or eat dinner with friends before sitting down to homework in the library. In this way, I found routines that helped keep me less stressed, more efficient, and able to enjoy the countless activities and opportunities that college offered me. 

My advice, if you too have struggled with how to spend your time in college, is to build balance into your life. Start by picking activities that fulfill your academic, physical well-being, and mental health goals. Then, spend your days balancing your time with a bit of each activity! 

By Brayton Matuska, Class of 2023

If you’re like me, you have had your ups and downs when it comes to academics. As a student transitioning from high school level courses to college classes, I was challenged with finding new and creative ways of studying. However, as time went on I began to use three key study habits that allowed me to see a significant change in my topic retention and overall learning. 

The first study habit that has been successful for me is to take breaks. Many times, students think they need to study for hours upon end to retain information. However, it is scientifically proven that the amount of information you retain increases if you study in bursts with breaks in between. I have found that studying for 50 minutes and then taking a 5-10 minute break works well for me. So, I encourage you to find time for breaks in your studying. It can keep your focus and strengthen your overall output. 

Another study habit that has worked for me is to read the textbook. Professors often teach from PowerPoint slides nowadays, which is great, but I strongly recommend still reading your textbook. There is always new and important information that may not have been discussed in class that often is helpful in understanding the topic you’re learning. 

The third effective study tool I want to share is music. Although it may not be for all people, listening to music has increased my focus during studying session astronomically. I suggest the playlist: Chill Lofi Study Beats on Spotify. It contains many instrumental songs that are shown to increase attention during studying. Also, if you’re a crammer (which sometimes we all are), I suggest listening to one song on repeat. Then before taking the test, listen to the song again. This has been shown to increase retention from your previous study session. 

Hopefully, this information on alternative study habits helps! Good luck and happy studying! 

By Logan Baker, Class of 2022

Some freshmen enter college thinking they know exactly what they are going to do. Others feel like they have a general understanding of what direction they are headed in. There are also a few who have no idea what type of path they are going to take. Personally, I fell in the middle ground. I knew I wanted to be in the college of business, but I did not know exactly what I wanted to major in. 

It is important to remember that a lot of people do change their major. I ended up changing from management to economics. Then, I added finance to that. Switching and adding majors will not ruin your career path. It will not make you go back to square one. Rather, if thought through, it can jumpstart your career. I have had many interviews where there has been a great discussion of my path that I took to learn the things I have so far.  

I knew I wanted to change majors as soon as I started taking economics and finance classes. The course material was so interesting, and I felt like I had a good grasp of it. While changing majors is always an option, it is best to catch it early so that you can plan ahead as much as possible. I would recommend talking to your advisor before making the switch official. Additionally, look into what classes you will be taking should you switch. I believe it is best to major in something you both enjoy and excel at. So, get to know your strengths and weaknesses. At the end of the day, remember that your major is not the defining factor of your entire life. 

By Caitlin Mills, Class of 2021

After moving off-campus at the start of my junior year, I needed to learn how to cook for myself as I could no longer rely on the dining hall for my meals. At first, I struggled with the amount of food I needed to buy, how much money I should spend each week, and cooking/eating my food before it spoiled (RIP all my overripe, mushy Trader Joe’s avocados). After some trial and error, I discovered that meal prepping at the start of each week helped me make my grocery list, allowed me to follow a budget, and prevented me from throwing away spoiled or leftover food. As I incorporated meal prep into my weekly routine, I started noticing that this method helped me save a lot of time, money, and energy.  

Here’s how I do it! 

Step 1: Decide what meal(s) you would like to eat that week. Choose wisely because this will be the meal you have all week long. I generally meal prep two meals every week: one lunch and one dinner (I do not meal prep my breakfast; however, if you would like to, a good breakfast option to try is overnight oats). I usually start by browsing Pinterest a day before I plan to go to the grocery store. One of my favorite pages to browse is Half Baked Harvest. I can always find two dishes that are quick, easy, healthy, and delicious! Make sure to check it out. 

Step 2: Once you have decided what you are going to cook for the week, the next step is to make a comprehensive grocery list. At the grocery store try to stick to these items, in addition to a few extra healthy snacks and/or dessert treats. In total, I try not to spend more than $40 each week. My suggestion to you is this: know your budget and stick to it! 

Step 3: Find time to cook. I try to have my meals last from Monday to Sunday, if possible. So, I prefer to cook on Monday evenings after class. This has become my favorite part of the whole week, because I like to destress and take a breather from the start of a sometimes-hectic week ahead.  

Step 4: Once you are done cooking, place a serving size into each plastic container, and store in the refrigerator. In the morning, grab your to-go container and reheat in the microwave for lunch or dinner. And that’s it! It’s really that easy.  

By investing an hour or two one night of the week, you’ll save yourself time throughout the rest of the week and can avoid eating out or skipping a meal. Overall, meal prepping is a fast and efficient way to save money and time. I hope you give it a try! 

By Noah Harrahill, Class of 2021

No matter where your academic career takes you, your resume is a key factor in reaching the next step. As an interviewer for the Honors Program and New Student Orientation, as well as a successful applicant for several PhD programs, I have reviewed and received feedback on numerous resumes in various stages of one’s career. Your resume can either be a foot in the door to a successful application or, in the worst case, a fast track to an expedient rejection. What follows is a collection of advice I have received, as well as notes on particularly impressive resumes I have read.  

Do something important to you – there is a common belief that medical schools, graduate programs, or what have you want you to complete a certain variety of activities that check their boxes. That is somewhat true, but it is much more meaningful to participate in an activity near and dear to your heart. This lets the reviewer know more about your character than a scattered assortment of commitments that you think would look good. It will also make it easier and more enjoyable for you to stay involved. Moreover, in an interview, it will be easy to talk about something that you truly connect with.  

Stay committed – in reviewing applications, I have been taught to look for sustained commitments. In conjunction with the last point, a commitment spanning several years is much more impressive than a large number of ephemeral involvements. Become an expert at one or two things. 

Seek leadership opportunities – many admissions committees will devote an entire section of their application to leadership capabilities. The best way to meet this criterion is to, obviously, rise through the ranks in one or several of your involvements. You don’t have to be the president of everything but having a few leadership experiences that you can comfortably talk about will go a long way.  

Be detailed – when describing your activities, include specific examples of what your tasks were, how you accomplished them, and how your organization benefitted from your work. List the dates of your involvement with both the month and year. 

The “Big Three” – academics aside, the Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett of your resume are experience in your field (e.g., patient hours or serving as treasurer), service (preferably but not necessarily related to your field), and leadership capabilities. A strong body of work in these areas will make your resume stand out.  

The resume itself –- I won’t go into detail about formatting a resume because there are countless templates and guides online, but in short, keep it consistent, organized, and detailed. I’ve recently seen resumes including a professional picture of the applicant, and I thought that was a nice touch. I would also like to dispel a myth about having a two-page resume—I do not know a single person who would not review a resume in its entirety. Lastly, avoid buzzwords to describe yourself; instead, try to give an example of you demonstrating a particular quality.  

I hope that these tips have provided some insight into the types of activities you should get involved in. If you take anything away from this, remember that it is more important to engage in something meaningful to you than to simply pad your resume. The goal is to stand out. Lastly, I’ve included a checklist of must-haves on your resume below:  

• Academics 
  • GPA (if it’s above a 3.0) 
  • Any awards or distinctions, or any honors societies 
  • University, major(s), minor(s) 
• Experience (one example is a bare minimum, two is good, three is impressive) 
  • Position 
  • Responsibilities in brief  
  • Accomplishments  
  • Dates active (month and year) 
  • Any pertinent certifications 
• Volunteering  (at least one sustained commitment; preferably more, even if they aren’t as sustained)
  • Position 
  • Responsibilities in brief  
  • Accomplishments  
  • Dates active (month and year) 
• Additional Activities (don’t need to be super specific, but good to describe your responsibilities as a leader)
  • Should demonstrate your genuine interests. 
  • At least one leadership position