Don’t refer to him as ‘ heyyyydude!’: How to E-mail Your Professors

Often times, college is the very first time many students will ever write a professional e-mail. Now, you may be thinking to yourself, ‘Professional e-mail? That’s an oxymoron, Katie!’. Au contraire, my friends. E-mail is now used as the primary means of communication in professional and academic settings and you need to know how to write a good one.

Again, you may not see the need for writing a proper e-mail, as again, it is just e-mail. Professors and other university personnel expect communication to be formatted in a certain way and it is your job to do this as they expect. If you don’t, your e-mail may be disregarded, or at the very least taken as a waste of time, uninformed, or disrespectful. Keep these things in mind while communicating to anyone in any position at the school or work:

• Only write e-mail from your college-provided account. Professors don’t want to read email from playyyboiHOTTIxxx8947@yahoo.com. Even if your yahoo/gmail account is professional sounding, it may be accidentally looked over as spam.
• In your title, mention: your name, your course number and session, and a general topic on what the e-mail is regarding. Professors use this information to categorize what e-mail pertains to what class and use it as a reference when replying. In addition, do not put “URGENT!” in the subject line and especially don’t leave it blank. It will be deleted in both cases. Said professor will hate you.
• Put the date at the very top of the e-mail, aligned all the way to the left. Yes, I know e-mail have a time-stamp. No, this doesn’t make a difference. Do it anyways.
• Address the e-mail as “Professor/Dr. Smith”, accordingly. I have always felt ‘Dear Professor Smith’ is too personal, as they are not your dear, but that is up for interpretation. Unless the Professor really is your dear… Moving on!
• State what you need to say, briefly. Don’t ramble. They don’t have time for that. If you have several things to say, bullet or number them. Anything that makes it quicker and easier for the professor to understand and respond to will be appreciated. At the very end, yet still in the body of the e-mail, thank the professor for their time.
•  Sign your name, first and last, two lines down from the body paragraph. Again, I have never felt a need to sign ‘sincerely’. I have never been very sincere about asking a question on last night’s European History 101 reading, but again, you may have a very sincere relationship with your instructor…

 

I got this information from the advisor of my Freshman Experience course, and it has always served me well. Use this format and professors will respond promptly and they also won’t punch you in the face next class.

Tags: class, college, communication, email, format, professor, school, student, university

Clean Cut: How to Maintain Hygiene at School

This may seem rather obvious at first glance, but for some of my readers, and myself included, keeping up your usual grooming habits that are second nature to practice at home can be a challenge when you go to school.

For one, the showers are very small and don’t provide the luxury that a thirty minute soak in the tub can do at home. Secondly, my feet are always torn up from all the walking in unsupportive shoes (Can anyone say flip-flops?). And lastly, students are so strapped for time and cash while in school. Weekly $20 manicures and hour-long hair conditioning treatments? Yea, right.

So what can you do to keep your hygiene up and your stink down during the school year? A few rules to live by when away from home:

• Get a shower tote. You can keep all you shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, razors, face wash, and everything else all in one place. This makes carrying everything into the shower so much easier that trotting down the hall with an arm-full of various bottles and tubes.
• Get into a habit of grouping hygiene tasks and designate them to a certain time of day. Every time I wash my face, I brush my teeth and I always do this right before I go to bed. Every time I put conditioner on my hair, I shave my legs and underarms, then exfoliate my feet. Before my Monday morning classes, I always trim and paint my toe nails and finger nails. By grouping essential tasks together, it makes it hard to forget/look over them. Physically write these things down if you have to. Whatever works.
• Get up earlier in the morning to leave yourself more time for grooming. It may seem like a hassle, but will pay dividends when you go to class feeling fresh and confident.
• Don’t wear sweatpants to class. Don’t. Simply do not. It promotes a culture of sloppiness and makes you look like you couldn’t give a damn enough to get ready.  You will feel increasingly gross the longer you let this go on. Professors will respect you more, classmates will appreciate the effort, and you will feel ready to go every day ifyou take the time to dress yourself. How can you learn in the same attire in which you sleep?
• Take as much time in the bathrooms as you need. A reader mentioned it is embarrassing to do this, particularly with washing their face. Believe me, it is more embarrassing to go around campus with terrible acne. Invest in some Pro-Active (what I, as well as my best friend use) and scrub up. People on your floor couldn’t care less how much time your spend washing your face.
• Come back to your dorm once mid-day, if your schedule allows, to touch up make up, deodorant, and brush hair and teeth. Trekking around campus can be exhausting and everyone needs a refresher from time to time. Just don’t stay too long or this could become a productivity vacuum and suck you into staying for far too long.

When I first moved on campus, the hygiene situation was terrible. I felt so gross most of the time because I constantly wore sweatpants and I wasn’t used to the bathrooms or how much activity it takes to get around. The key to feeling great is reserving time to take care of yourself every single day.

Tags: ance, beauty, campus, college, dorm, dormitory, grooming, hygiene, shower, student, university

Giving Back: The Importance of Donating Blood

As college students, we don’t have very much money to give to charity, considering most of the time we are actually in the red due to debt.  On the same note, we also don’t have much time to spend volunteering for important causes. From school to work to student organizations to friends, and just about everything else we have going on, it is sometimes hard to scrounge up even an hour of time to volunteer (though, if you can, you certainly should). Despite our feeble philanthropic position, is it still important to give back? Let me shout a resounding “YES!”

Right now is just as important as ever to give back. Sometimes it is hard to remember how blessed we are to be college students. We all have access to an enriching education, something that most people in the world will never live to see. We all have internet access (you are reading this now right?). Most people in the world have never seen computers. We all have food in our bellies and roofs over our heads. Some of us even have the opportunity to live in fancy dorms while we study. Not to mention our iPods, televisions, laptops, UGGs, and Northface’s. We are pretty damn lucky.

So yes, it is important to give back somehow. The way you can do this is by donating blood through the Red Cross. It costs absolutely nothing and takes very little time.

Many won’t donate because it hurt or they dislike needles. Yes, it does pinch, but compared to the two moments of pain you endure, you save three lives. And yes, people do die every day because they do not have access to a blood transfusion. This actually happens… in America. Your fifteen to twenty minutes of unselfishness will save three lives. And if you are “afraid” of needless, better get used to them fast. They are used in healthcare all the time and usually there are no other alternatives to getting blood drawn or an IV.

Sometimes people say they don’t have enough time. Really? Did you watch television, play video games or go on Facebook today? I bet it was for more than twenty minutes, too, huh? If you are willing to do these leisure activities for hours every week, you should be just as willing to spend 20 minutes donating blood every 56 days.

Finally, many people still believe you can get blood transmitted infections from donating blood. THIS IS ENTRIELY FALSE. A new, pre-packaged, sterilized needle is used for every single donor. You have a greater chance of getting AIDS by getting a paper cut and having someone who has AIDS purposely slice their finger to run up to you and wipe their blood on your fresh wound. Let’s be real here, people.

Obviously there are some health restrictions. You must weigh above 110 pounds, be at least 17 years old, have a high enough iron count, and cannot have traveled to certain countries in Africa. In addition, some prescription medications will make one ineligible to donate. (This is not an extensive list of eligibility by any means. Check the link below for further restrictions).

If you meet these requirements, why not save three people’s lives. THREE! Isn’t that amazing? You, single handedly, stopped three people from dying today. Cool, right?

Blood drives are usually located on college campuses all the time, some times even in the dorms, so it won’t be far away and you will feel amazing when you are all finished. Sometimes you even get a free t-shirt, or like on my campus, a chipotle gift card! It may seem scary, but it really isn’t. Let this be your sign. Please, donate blood.

 

For more information or to find a drive near you, check out: http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood

Tags: american, american red cross, blood, campus, college, cross, donating, dorm, philanthropic, red, school, student, university

Window To Your Soul: The Appeal of Curtains

After moving everything into my dorm room this weekend, I found that something was missing… curtains. Even though my room has very nice, new, clean blinds, I thought curtains would add a homey, comfortable appeal, and certainly make the room much cuter.

In my very first room, freshman year, the default curtains looked like burlap sacks. Literally, I am pretty sure they put burlap sacks over the windows. They were terrible. They made me want to cry. I hated them. Even worse, they could not be taken down because they were permanently affixed to the window.

Unfortunately, I did not know then what I know now. Even if your dorm already has window treatments, no matter how horribly ugly or immobile they are, we can work around this problem by using a tension rod. A tension rod is a portable curtain rod that can fit into any window space, allowing you the freedom to add curtains, drapes, or sheers to any window you like! It is spring-loaded, pressing outwards on the window frame.

You can find a tension rod at J.C. Penney for only $7.98! (http://www.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?

A tension rod allows you to hang curtains in virtually every kind of window space without being permanent .

GrpTyp=STY&ItemID=14355a6&DeptID=70751&CatID=70824&SO=1&Ne=949+5+967+971+8+1021+18&x5view=1&NOffset=0&shopperType=G&N=4294953315&Nao=0&PSO=1&CmCatId=70751|70824) These are great because you can affordably hang any curtain anywhere.

If you have existing curtains in your room, simply place the tension rod outside the existing rod to cover the old curtains. If your new curtain does not cover the existing curtain completely, tuck the loose ends of the old curtain and safety pin to the new set.

Now, what kind of curtain are you going to hang on your new tension rod? Only the cutest ones, of course! The color coordinates for my room this year are purple and zebra, so I am looking at either black or white curtains that won’t over power my zebra comforter. This is an important factor to keep in mind if you are decorating with a print. There can be too much of a good thing.

I suggest getting curtains that are distinct to add style, yet versatile enough to go with any décor because you may want to change your room theme in years to come and your window treatments can come with you! Something like this

Stylish, yet versatile curtains such as these add personality, can work in future room decor, and work well with prints.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/your-zone-flocked-dot-sheer-curtain-panel/15715454 is perfect because they certainly have flair and are money-conscious at under ten dollars.

Curtains can make even the shabbiest living conditions a little more tolerable by adding a touch of sophistication to the space. They transform the room from “dorm” to “bedroom”, which is always an upgrade.

Do you have curtains? How do you hang them? What color do you have?

Tags: college, curtain, decorating, dorm, dormitory, drapes, rod, school, student, treatment, university, window

I’ve Got the Late Night Munchies: Why You Should Not Keep Food in Your Dorm Room

Friend or Foe?

It’s 2am. You’re bored and have nothing to do (except that philosophy paper that’s due tomorrow. Oh, well.) There is nothing on television, except maybe a re-run of Jersey Shore. You grab some Cheetos and plop down to watch the Snooks embarrass herself yet again. Before you know it, show is done and so is the entire bag of Cheetos. Oops.

Sound familiar? I sure hope not. It has happened to me countless times, and it can sneak up on you even quicker in college— overeating. Everyone overeats from time to time. “Man, mom’s mac and cheese is sure delicious. I will have four more helpings!” This because a larger problem in college because of two compound factors; no one is there to check you on your eating habits and stress.

When you eat too much at home, there are people to watch. There are people to be embarrassed in front of when you eat six slices of sausage pizza. At school, especially if you do not have a roommate, there is no one to say, “Hey, re-think that sixth slice”. In addition, you are much less likely you go back for seconds at the dining hall than you are in your own room.

In addition, school is very stressful. It isn’t easy and, although I have never been a stress eater (I am a “wow, this taste good!” eater), a lot of college kids are. Their stress level is positively correlated with how much junk food they can shovel in their mouth in any given sitting. What starts as yummy snack during a study break turns into a snack binge and a tummy ache. And the most horrible part of this whole picture is, you don’t realize you overeaten it until it is all over. Then you regret it. And wish all your Cheetos weren’t gone.

This is why I say keep food out of your dorm room. Obviously, if you live off-campus, don’t have a meal plan, or find yourself living in the middle of a Taco Bell, this excludes you. In that case, you have to shop right, keep it out of view and develop immense willpower during those all night study session. Good luck and Godspeed. Or for the Taco Bell kids, the fates will find their way. Give up hope.

But for the rest of us, there is an almost fool-proof way to avoid the late night munchies. Keep the food out of your room! The only things I keep in my room are a microwave soup and maybe a granola bar or a few bags of popcorn. Keep just enough in your room in case you were legitimately starving in the middle of the night or too sick to leave the room to find rations. Keep just as little as you would feel okay eating in one sitting. This means you can NEVER over-snack.

Not only does this help curb the Freshman Fifteen (Twenty?), it will keep you more social. If you want a meal, then you have to leave the room and therefore have to see strangers, who can become friends. And you never, ever meet strangers in the middle of your room. If you do, there may be an alcohol problem, but we will discuss that later.

This advice obviously excludes fresh fruits and vegetables. Go crazy on those, kids, but keep the other stuff down at the dining hall. If you are craving a particular snack for a particular night, by all means, buy it! Don’t deprive yourselves. Just don’t bring it home every night.

Any thoughts on food in college? Late night snacking? Am I totally off base here?

Tags: boredom, campus, Cheetos, college, dorm, eating, overeating, pizza, roomate, snacking, university

Rise to the Challenge: Why You Should Be Taking a Heavier Course Load

“If you’re an above average student, you can certainly handle an above average schedule.  Sometimes we don’t know what we can handle until we push ourselves a little.” -Steve Pavlina.

This is one of my favorite quotes about college academics. It comes from Steve Pavila’s blog post 10 Tips for College Students found here: http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/05/10-tips-for-college-students/ . I highly, highly suggest you read this article in its entirety. This was the very first “how to do well at school” article I ever laid my eyes upon and it has literally changed the way I look at academics, college, and life in general. This guy graduated with a double major in three semesters.

Yes, you read right.

No, not three years.

Three semesters.

So, he has to know what he is talking about, right? He isn’t a genius, but he does plan smart. Tip number three says says, “ If you think you can handle 15 units, take 18 or 21 ”. I could not agree with this concept more. As college students, don’t we want to challenge ourselves to new horizons? Isn’t that what we are here for? I have rarely seen anyone flunk out of school because they had “too much on their plate”. More often than not, kids flunk out because they take too few courses and their motivation dwindles because they do not see academic work as a pressing priority. Rather, they see it as a minimal obligation that they can put off until later because it is such a low priority due to the small time commitment. They underestimate the amount of work it will take to score excellent grades.

On the other hand, students who have a full, challenging course load go into the semester with a mindset of work, studying, and commitment. They already know this is going to be a challenging semester, and do not fool themselves into procrastinating; from the very beginning they know they simply can’t! That isn’t to say someone with a full course load will never procrastinate. Everyone puts things off from time to time, but challenged students know they cannot put work off for long or it will be piling up to the ceiling in no time!

Not only does a rich course load keep one motivated and driven, it also and save you time, and thereby save you money! You can guarantee you graduate early, or at least on time, by taking more than the average course load. Or who doesn’t want a breeze of a senior year because the invested hard work early on?

So stop being a wimp and step out of the 15 credit hour box! Give yourself more than you think you can handle and give yourself the satisfaction of handling the work easily and diligently. I am taking 7 classes (20 credit hours this semester). You can, too! If Steve could take31-39 credit hours, you can certainly do 18 or 21! I always feel more motivated on the semesters in which I take more versus less. Right now, at this very moment, I dare you to sign up for one extra class if you are at anything below 16 credit hours. Go do it, right now. You will thank me later.

 

 

Tags: challenge, class, college, course, credit hour, motivation, school, steve pavlina, student, study, tips, university

The Most Essential Back to School Accessory: A Planner

The Most Essential Back to School Accessory: A Planner

You are in college now. There is a lot on your plate, including academics, student organizations, social functions, volunteer work, and a possible job. No matter how hard you try, no matter how good your memory is, you cannot remember when every function is, nor can you remember when every assignment is due. This would be bleak if it weren’t for the amazing planner.

If you do not already have on, go get one. Now. Run! This thing is going to save your ass in school. It can take ‘C’ student and turn her into an ‘A’ student, simply by eliminating forgotten assignments and inefficient use of study time. I love my planner and couldn’t make it through the week without it. But you ask, “What kind of planner do I need Katie? There are so many out there!”  I have a few requirements for my personal planners and maybe the will work for you, too.

• A large calendar page for each month- These boxes must be large enough to write several things on per day. You should be writing work schedules, student organization meetings, and any other special events that come up. Other than including classes, this serves as your ‘week in a glance’. My calendar boxes are actually lined, which keeps everything looking neat.
• A ‘notes’ space next to each monthly calendar- This is where I write birthdays, anniversaries, and other special dates that I send cards for (Yes, you should be sending cards. More on that later).  For example, you can open up to the month of September, see your work schedule and club meetings, then on the right hand side, in your ‘notes’ section, you can see special events. Leah’s Birthday is on the seventh, so she will need a birthday card in the mail. Lacey is taking her ACT on the 10^th and would love an encouragement card. It is mom and dad’s anniversary on the 10^th also, so you will need to send them a card as well. (Yes, all these special days are actually in my planner under September!) I also write reminders to make doctors’ appointments in these boxes for annual appointments.
• A large space for each day of the week- Ideally, these should follow each month’s calendar page.  In these spaces you will write when each assignment is due. Go through all your syllabi and write these due dates in as soon as possible. Don’t just do the next few weeks or half of the semester, do all of it. This will be a quick reference when you are planning what to study and what assignments to do. No flipping through old syllabi because it is all in one neat, little space!
• Tabbed dividers by month- As stated before, each months calendar and daily sections should follow one another. For example, you should be able to see your whole month of September in your calendar, then flip to the next page and see all assignments due September 1^st through September 7^th, then flip to the next and see all of your assignments due September 8^th through 15^th (and so on). These should be separated with dividers, labeled by month.
• A sturdy cover- The cover on your planner should be very sturdy, not just a cardboard front. Mine is coated in plastic. You are going to be taking this thing everywhere with you over the next few weeks, so it might as well be tough.
• Something very, very cute- You have to like this book. A lot. When I look at my new planner, I almost get a sense of butterflies in my stomach. You should be excited to use this, because if you aren’t, you will never write a word in the thing.

If you are looking for a place to buy your new planner, I suggest going here: http://www.blueskyimg.com/Catalogue/C/Planners/Weekly-Monthly . They made my planner and it is perfect (though I cannot find my exact kind off the website to show you guys. I bought it at Target). Planners are so important to academic success that I cannot stress them enough. How can your poor brain be held responsible to remember just your course work, let alone everything else going on in your life. Give your mind a break and write it down!

Do you have your planner yet? Any tips I forgot?

Tags: academics, agenda, college, freshman, journal, organization, organize, planner, planning, school, university