How to Ensure a Holiday Break is a Break

Hello Missouri State! It wasn’t long ago that we were on Thanksgiving break and soon we will be on winter break. I encourage you to finish these last weeks of the semester strong and to stay motivated in your coursework. As we prepare for another break I wanted to share my advice on how to ensure a holiday break is a break. 

Adjusting to a New Routine

Whether you go home, stay on campus, or do something in between you’ll have to adjust to a new routine for a month. My biggest piece of advice is to give yourself time to figure out what works best for you. It will take a few days before you remember how to live with your parents or what to do with all your newfound free time. You could also find that you have a lot that you need to get done over break and finding time for it all quickly becomes overwhelming. Whatever your break looks like, give yourself grace as you figure out what your new normal may look like.

Productivity or Laziness

A big mind game I play with myself when I go home on a break is if I want to be productive or lazy with my time off and I always leave frustrated that I didn’t do the other. I’ve concluded though that either one is okay in moderation. As college students, breaks should be used to rest and refuel but the extra time can be used to our benefit to get things done. If you spend your whole break on the couch watching movies you may find that coming back to a busy semester is a real challenge. If you spend your break working you’ll enter the new semester restless and potentially anxious. I think it’s wise to make a plan of all the things you hope to accomplish while on the break with implemented times to rest. If you find yourself bored or lacking productivity check back in with your list of to-dos and check one off. This also works vice versa, if you are working long hours remind yourself that you’ve earned a break and do something mindless. 

Preparation for the Upcoming Semester

I’ve talked frequently about the next semester after winter break because it’s the next milestone. I’m constantly thinking about the next thing and when on break all I can think about is the upcoming semester but it’s also important to reflect on the previous. Benefits to reflecting include knowing what worked and what didn’t, your favorite memories, showing gratitude for your new community, and a check-in with your goals. After you finish reflecting, it’s wise to apply it to your upcoming semester. For example, if you found that you did not study well in your dorm room, make an adjustment to find a new space. Maybe you’ve decided you want to get more involved on campus and so you find an organization that you’re interested in. A good way to be held accountable for these adjustments is meeting with a peer mentor when you return from break. Letting your peer mentor know what your goals are for the upcoming semester will allow them to share resources and support along the way. Everyone’s semester looks different but anyone could benefit from a time of reflection and adjustment.

Take a Break

This is a piece of advice for myself just as much as anyone else. As college students, there is an underlying pressure to make money or to stay busy but we all need a break. We’ve all worked hard from August to now and our reward is the time off, what you do with that time is your choice. From my experience moderation of productivity and laziness with reflection time is the best way to spend a break. I hope you were able to take something away from my experience and that you remember to truly rest however that may look.

“Taking time to do nothing often brings everything into perspective.” – Doe Zantamata 

~Aubrey

(Bio: My name is Aubrey Hardy, a sophomore studying special needs education. Fun fact: I grew up on a farm.)

Hi again, Bears! I have returned once again for another blog post. Another fun thing to know about me is that I happen to be a commuter student, so I live off-campus. This semester was actually my first semester of being a commuter, and I can easily say that I’ve learned a lot about the differences between living in the residence halls on campus and living off-campus. With the end of the semester rapidly approaching, I thought I would take the opportunity to write about my new knowledge, especially since some students may be experiencing (or getting ready to experience) new housing changes. Like I said before, there are a lot of differences between living on and off-campus, but most notably, it’s a lot harder to stay engaged with campus and feel like a part of the community when you don’t live there. So, with that in mind, I’m here to share my best tips for how to stay engaged with campus when you’re living off-campus.

How to Stay Engaged as a Commuter Student

Set up your schedule in a way that works best for you.

One thing that students don’t always realize until after they start living off campus is that coming to school or going to class feels and is completely different. It can be a lot harder to be motivated to come to class when you have to physically drive or otherwise transport yourself to campus, especially compared to students who live on-campus and have class just a short walk away. 8 a.m. classes, for example, aren’t as realistic for commuter students, especially if they’re coming to campus from further away. When creating your schedule, make sure it’s realistic. Give yourself time to get to class in the morning, as well as extra time to be on campus, whether that time is used for sitting in the library doing school work, eating in the dining center with friends, or campus involvement. Speaking of campus involvement, that leads me right into my next tip!

Get involved on campus.

In order to stay engaged with campus, you’ll need a reason to be on campus outside of classes! Getting involved in something outside of your academics can help you meet new people and become a part of the community on campus. While students typically associate campus involvement with student organizations, your involvement on campus can look different! There are endless ways for students to get involved on campus, whether that be a student job, an academic club, a big organization, or just attending campus events. There’s always a wide variety of things happening—sports games, music concerts, lectures, movie screenings, you name it—and most of them are free for students! Even if none of those things sound appealing, there is something for everyone to enjoy and get involved in, and it will greatly enhance your college experience.

Find a balance between school and life.

As a commuter student, you’re not nearly as connected to campus compared to a student who lives in the residence halls—and that can be a blessing or a curse. On one hand, it’s a lot easier to disconnect from the stress that school causes, and your home can become more of a safe space that isn’t directly associated with campus and homework. On the other hand, you also disconnect from campus as a whole, and it gets a lot harder to stay involved or see friends. Living off campus can be lonely, especially if it’s further away. To ensure that your off-campus experience is mostly similar to that first scenario, you have to find balance between your school work and your life outside of campus. A good way to do this is to make sure you’re doing things outside of campus, and giving yourself time for self-care. One of the many benefits of being a commuter student who lives off-campus is that you’re more likely to be able to explore Springfield (or wherever you’re living) depending on how much access you have to transportation. Make plans during your free time to do things, whether that be in town with friends, or at home playing your favorite video game. Prioritization of self-care is essential to a school/work and life balance!

Takeaways

I hope this information was helpful for all of you commuter students out there, or anyone thinking about or getting ready to live off-campus. It certainly changes your college experience, and it can be an intimidating thought, but there are also many perks to living off-campus that many college students enjoy.

We are almost done with the semester, so keep working hard! Remember, if you’re struggling and need help, or you just want to talk to someone, we have some amazing Peer Mentors and Success Coaches in the CAST office that you can request a meeting with through our Student Request Form. The MSU Counseling Center is a great resource too! In the meantime, be on the lookout for more blog posts every week. I’ll see you again soon, and as always, Go Bears!

~Hallie

(Bio: I’m a sophomore out-of-state student studying Philosophy with a minor in Creative Writing.)

Welcome back to the blog! 

The last few weeks and the next couple of weeks are going to be crazy. I have so many assignments, projects, and things that I want to do before our Thanksgiving and holiday winter breaks. I can honestly say that I’ve done a good job keeping up with everything and getting my work done so far this semester. However, I have been struggling with burnout and a teeny tiny case of senioritis. To deal with this, I’m taking one day at a time, so I don’t get overwhelmed or stuck in a loop. The topic for this week is some tips to stay positive, because at times like this positivity is very welcome.  

The Light at the End of the Tunnel: Tips to Staying Positive   

Motivate yourself  

It’s helpful to celebrate the small wins and the big ones so that you don’t feel like you haven’t accomplished anything at all. I’ve always struggled with getting over my losses and not celebrating when I’ve successfully done something whether that’s a personal skill or college related. Sometimes you might not like to or don’t have the time to rely on others, so you have to show up for yourself and reward yourself. 

Surround yourself with people that care and are positive  

If you didn’t know already, I’m originally from St. Louis and while I’ve been attending college these last five years my immediate family has been back home. I like to keep in touch with my family and friends through the phone, text, and even facetime. My family and friends motivate me to push forward and to think about my own wants instead of other people’s. It’s worth talking to the people that know you so when you do need some type of positive message or affirmation those people will be there for you.  

Drop negative habits  

Throughout life and your college career, you most likely will adopt some bad or good habits that could be affecting your life. You have to make sure that you are creating good habits and that you’re regularly evaluating whether or not you have some habits that you need to address. These would be habits that negatively affect your well-being, your academics, your work, or other parts of your life. You want to drop the bad habits so that they don’t develop into something you probably can’t control and prevent you from being successful. Detecting bad habits, especially your own can be hard so try to observe yourself. Take notice of the things that negatively affect you or an issue that you continuously encounter that triggers the things that you do. You can excel mentally and physically and not waste your time or energy if you go along with this tip.  

Try to start your days or weeks right  

I like to typically do a Sunday reset where I do the things that I probably wouldn’t have time for during the week like my laundry and meal prepping. My Sunday reset sets the tone for the week because I’m managing my time in advance, looking over my classes for the upcoming week, and taking time out for myself. Starting things off right doesn’t have to look the same as what I do but could just be some small additions like making your bed, morning meditating, or just making your environment around you clean and welcoming.  

Takeaways

Being positive can help you when you’re feeling down or even when you have experienced something that you’re not used to. You gain skills to help yourself with your resistance and stress levels so that you can overcome some of those hard challenges that college and life like to throw at you. I’m going to continue to utilize my own tips and still learn just how much positivity can impact my outlook on life. I’m going to leave you with this quote by Willie Nelson, 

“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.”  

~Alexandria  

(Bio: I’m the middle child of seven kids in my immediate family. I’m currently a senior business major at Missouri State University.) 

Hello Missouri State! Last week I introduced myself and shared a little about myself and mentioned that I am a sophomore at Missouri State University. It’s crazy to think second block classes have begun and that the end of the first semester is quickly approaching. While I’ve only had two full semesters here on campus I’ve still found that each semester looks different for everyone. Through conversations with peers my age and older than me, I have found that I’m not alone in feeling overwhelmed by constant change.

Personal Experience

Going into college I knew that courses were only offered by semester, unlike high school where your core content remained the same throughout the year. After joining a sorority I knew that I would be living in the house my sophomore year but was unsure what housing and roommates would look like for the remaining two years. I did not anticipate how much my community would change and how much that would affect my mental health. When I enrolled for the fall semester I was excited about all the classes I would be taking. When I signed the contract to live in the sorority house I was eager to get to know my member class on a more intimate level. But when both of these things took action I found that my community looked completely different than it had in the previous year. I no longer lived with two or three roommates from my freshman year, I didn’t see the same people in my classes anymore, and because I spent so much time in the sorority house I wasn’t seeing friends outside of that organization. I noticed the change because it was negatively impacting my mood to not see people I loved every day or even once a week. Once I was aware of the problem I knew it was time to make a change.

Action Plan

The first obstacle I had to overcome when planning to see last year’s community was making room in my schedule for it. I realized I had to start saying no so I could say yes to things I valued as more important. For example, I said no to study time at the sorority house so I could say yes to studying on campus with my study group from last year. This was an easy swap because I hadn’t been able to focus in the house and had been missing that group of friends. Then it came time for harder decisions of what I deemed more important or valuable with my time. After conversations with some mentors of mine, we concluded that my desire to see my community from last year outweighed my desire to commit to other things. If I could create an action plan for someone else struggling with constant change from semester to semester it would be broken down into three steps.

1. Personal reflection

If you notice your mental, physical, or emotional health is being affected, take time to reflect on what it is that could be causing it. This might look like going on a walk, journaling, or calling someone who knows you well.

2. Conversation with an older peer

Older peers who have experienced the change from semester to semester in college have great advice and stories to share. Talking it out with someone who makes you feel less alone and seen helps calm any anxiety you may be feeling.

3. Making a change

Now it’s time to tackle those fears or negative emotions you may have towards change. For some this could be making room in your schedule for things you miss from previous semesters, calling loved ones to let them in on how you’re doing or embracing the change alongside peers who are doing the same. 

Takeaways

Change is hard and college brings on a whole lot of it. Knowing how to handle it when it’s all known to you can be daunting so my biggest advice is to bring others into it. I have a mentor that I always go to seeking advice and sometimes just someone to listen and it made a world of difference having her by my side. Peer mentors can also help with finding your place at MSU; you can request to meet with a peer mentor through our Student Academic Assistance page. I hope this information helps anyone facing the reality of the constant change in college.

“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” – Alan Watts

~Aubrey

(Bio: My name is Aubrey Hardy, a sophomore studying special needs education. Fun fact: I grew up on a farm.)

Hi again, Bears! I’m back to write the blog post for this week. If you read my all-about-me post from a few weeks ago, you may remember that I’ve changed my major and minor a couple of times—and that is definitely not an experience unique to me. Most college students change their major at least once throughout their undergraduate years, and some come to school without a declared major at all. Since I consider myself to be an expert, I thought this week I would discuss how to declare or change your major.

How to Declare or Change Your Major

Know what you’re getting yourself into.

This step might sound a little daunting, but it’s the first step for a reason! It’s important to know what classes you’ll be required to take as your potential major. Reviewing program requirements for your major will help you determine when to plan to take certain classes, and it’s also a good way to make sure that the major you’re thinking about declaring is really for you. It’s okay to not like the idea of a couple of classes you’re required to take, but if a majority of them sound entirely unappealing to you, you may want to reconsider your decision. Keep in mind that you deserve to study something that you enjoy, and while it may be challenging, your studies should never be absolutely unbearable. The Missouri State website has the admissions requirements, program requirements, course catalog, and more information for every major offered on campus, and you can access any of that information by typing the name of your desired major into the white rectangular search bar located in the top right-hand corner of the webpage.

See an advisor.

Some departments prefer or require that you meet with an advisor from your desired major before you’re able to declare it. Either way, meeting with an advisor to discuss your potential major can help you plan out future semesters as well as make you aware of any admission requirements the program may have before you’re able to declare. It’s also another good way to make sure that you’re fully aware of all of the requirements that you will need to fulfill in order to graduate. Typically, you can schedule an advising appointment for your potential major by contacting the head of the department. Other times, a program may have a specific advising center or advisor that you’ll need to contact.

Do it!

If you’ve seen an advisor and reviewed the requirements, it’s time to declare your new major! There are multiple ways that you can do it. First, you could visit the Academic Advising & Transfer Center in University Hall 109. They’ll have someone there that will change your degree in the system for you. If you’re unable to visit them in person, you can also contact them via email, but be sure to include your BearPass number and be specific about what program you would like to add to or remove from your degree. Another way, and probably the easiest, is to use the online request form that you can access from the Missouri State website. If you type “declare or change a major” in the white rectangular search bar located in the top right-hand corner of the webpage, a link will pop up to a page called “Steps to Declare or Change a Major”. If you click on that link, you’ll have the option of accessing the online form, or reviewing more information about the options that I’ve listed above.

Takeaways

Changing your major or admitting yourself into a new degree program can be really intimidating, but it’s important to remember, like I said before, that you deserve to study something that you enjoy. Keep in mind that even if your new major (or minor or certificate) turns out not to be a good fit for you, you can always go back and change it again. I’ve visited that online request form countless times! There is absolutely nothing wrong with not knowing what you want to do. But, when you do, hopefully this information will be of service to you. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you again in a future blog post!

~Hallie

(Bio: I’m a sophomore out-of-state student studying Philosophy with a minor in Geology Creative Writing.)