A Bear's Life: Student Stories

Student stories from our peer counselors

Effective Study Tactics (Fall 2022, Week 10)

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Welcome Back Bears

Everything is starting to get back into a routine after Fall Break weekend but that means that classes are back in session. I don’t know about you but for me, midterms and class assignments are still rolling in hot. This is my fifth year at Missouri State and believe it or not exams, quizzes, or anything standardized really make me nervous but I’ve learned quite a few things to help myself out. Things like finals, quizzes, and exams are all a part of the college experience but that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t appreciate some good tactics. For my blog post this week I wanted to give you some effective study tactics to survive midterms or any exam for that matter.  

Effective Study Tactics: Surviving Midterms   

Check-in with yourself  

Studying while you’re trying to maintain your other classes and your personal well-being can be hard, so check in with yourself. That means that you are taking time to assess how you’re doing emotionally and physically. Carve out time to eat, take care of your personal hygiene or do the things you like to keep yourself moving forward.  

Plan effective times to study 

College courses really differ from each other so you’re constantly altering how to study for each of your classes. It definitely works to plan out when you study in preparation for an exam, especially if there is a lot of material to cover. Cramming doesn’t work for everyone, and you want to be able to alleviate some of that stress early on. Planning effective study times also keeps you prepared and ready for the questions you’ll be answering

Teach an imaginary lecture  

While you’re studying it’s important to remember that there is a mixture of memorization and repetition going on. It helps to imagine that you are teaching someone else or a group of people the material that you are studying. During an exam, you could recall your imaginary lecture when you are stuck figuring out the answer to specific questions.  

Don’t be overwhelmed with material 

When you get overwhelmed with everything, you’re attempting to study you can potentially forget things that you know or even want to give up on the entire studying process. Make sure you’re taking breaks and breaking the material up in order not to feel like you’re studying everything at once

Study in comfortable environments  

Personally, I like to study in a quiet environment with a large table where I can spread my study materials. Find study environments where you can comfortably study and not be interrupted by outside factors. You’ll be able to retain more information, be able to interpret information and of course, focus.  

You can check out some of my other tips that can help you during the exam period for relieving stress and studying in my Tips and Tricks for Relieving Stress and Studying post. 

Midterms or any college exam can be really scary because you want to do your best while maintaining your ideal grade. However, it’s always good to remember that it helps to have different strategies. You want to get through midterms and exams unscathed, but you also want to learn your dos and don’ts for studying as time passes. I’m going to be wishing you all luck on your future exams in the hopes that my tactics can help you out in some capacity. This week I’ll leave you with a quote by Colin Powell,  

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure”.  

~Alexandria 

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

 

Campus Life Tips (Fall 2022, Week 7)

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The semester is really rolling by but I’m excited to enjoy the last of my experiences as a senior. If there is one thing that I’ve learned about being a college student, it’s that you always want to do things that make your life a little easier. To make things fun this week, I wanted to list some of my all-time favorite campus life tips that I utilize throughout the semester. The tips that I’m going to list can save you money or time or just give you more of a sense of what Missouri State offers to its students. 

Campus Life Tips 

Coupon book 

Believe it or not, the MSU Bookstore has a free coupon book usually offered near the entry or exit doors. If you don’t see them there, you can ask the Bookstore staff. The coupon book offers deals for the Bookstore, some fast-food options, and other Springfield area places. You can save money and use those university coupons whenever you stop by the Bookstore to grab some BearWear.  

Dining halls 

If you live in a residence hall, then you would be required to have a meal plan that gives you money for Boomer Meals and access to the dining halls. Due to past circumstances, the campus adapted take-out boxes and cups. I’m usually on the go so I like to grab food at the dining halls using the take-out boxes. If I’m not hungry but will be later, getting takeaway to save to eat later saves me time and money on the fast food that I might have otherwise bought.  

Powder detergent  

In my experience when it comes to detergent, the powder is better in comparison to liquid detergent. With the powder, you get a lot for your money and can make the detergent last for a long time especially if you do your laundry on a schedule. I’ve used both liquid and detergent to wash clothes and personally my clothes get a lot cleaner using powder, especially for stubborn stains.   

Dryer sheets  

This tip is one of my favorites because I didn’t realize until recently that you can make your clothes smell great even with one dryer sheet, split into two pieces. Previously, I used two dryer sheets when drying my clothes because both pieces would get around the clothes in the dryer. I got curious one day and just ripped one dryer sheet into two. From that experience, I quickly learned that my clothes still smell really good and I save money in the long run by using one less dryer sheet.    

Cup scrambled eggs  

I’m living in a residence hall again this semester and using the kitchen every other morning can get really tiring. In order to save time in the mornings, I make scrambled eggs in a coffee mug. I add two eggs, bacon bits, salt, and pepper, just stir everything together, and microwave for about two minutes. You have to make sure to watch the mug in the microwave so you don’t overcook it and the eggs don’t overflow. Everyone’s microwave is different so cook the egg in increments to make it easier to pinpoint when the egg(s) are cooked.  

Takeaways 

I like it when I’m able to make my life easier because I’m always running around and getting things done. Classes take up lots of time and I really like to have my own personal time to do the things that I like to do. The life tips that I’ve listed are things that have been a part of my everyday life for the past five years and have helped me to better manage my money and time. I’m hoping that these tips can help some of you out too or encourage you to create some of your own. 

Be on the lookout for the rest of the semester’s blog posts and some new peer mentors that are ready to take the blog by storm.  

~ 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.) 

 

Managing Homesickness (Fall 2022, Week 6)

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Welcome back to the blog everyone. It’s literally only been a week but who’s counting, certainly not me. This week I chose a topic that is really special to me and has become increasingly persistent in my life these past few weeks. If you have read the blog post before, I always list information about myself and my family at the end of each post. My family is a big part of my life because without them I wouldn’t have the motivation to continue my education or even want to learn new things. I’m extremely close to my family members and these past two weeks have been hard because my younger brother is turning eleven and my younger sister is having a hard time adapting to her new fourth-grade class.  

Drawing from these experiences, I’ve created a list of things that I do to manage my homesickness and keep myself grounded and looking forward to graduation.  

Managing Homesickness 

Call your family or friends 

It might be hard at first but keeping in contact with the people that you care about can really make you feel better. You shouldn’t cut yourself off from talking to others but make more of an effort to stay connected with everyone. You can start to feel more alone if you don’t put in the effort to maintain the relationships that you have. So, call, text, or even email your parents, siblings, or friends as much as you can.  

Do the things that make you happy  

College is no fun if you can’t continue to do the things that make you happy or smile. You can think about your family and care about what happens outside of class, but you have to prioritize yourself. I’m at my best when I’m able to express myself and do the things that I like.  

Let your emotions out  

It’s better to get your emotions out than to keep them in because at some point you’ll just explode. It’s okay to cry, scream into a pillow or journal about how you feel. You hurt yourself more emotionally and cause yourself stress when things remain pent up.  

Stay productive and busy  

Distracting yourself with your classes and even a job (if you have one) can help your mind not to wander. You chose to come to Missouri State for a reason so keeping your goals in mind can help you to stay grounded. You can eliminate stress and work in a way that gives you more time to do what you want or take naps.  

Give yourself something to look forward to  

It always helps to bring yourself some happiness whether that is your favorite food or some new clothes you ordered. This can be a form of reward for yourself and can keep your mood elevated as you go through the semester.  

Self-Care 

One of the best things to do from this list is self-care because you’re the one that’s experiencing homesickness. Self-care is all about keeping yourself healthy so you shouldn’t avoid it but welcome it into your routine. For example, take relaxing baths or even put on a face mask to end the night. Self-care can eliminate things like stress or depression while increasing happiness and improving your energy.  

Takeaways  

I realized after being a student for so long just how important it is for me to stay happy because the world doesn’t look the same when I’m not. I love my family and how they support me and want what’s best for me. The connections I have with my family and friends help me to be a better version of myself. Homesickness can come out of nowhere or just be at the forefront of your mind for weeks but doing things like this helps me to become more aware of myself and just how much I can handle in order to reach my goals. Being a big sister, daughter, cousin or friend is always going to bring some challenges, and managing homesickness is just one of those challenges.   

I’ll leave you with this quote by Jodi Picoult, Handle with Care:  

“MAYBE YOU HAD TO LEAVE IN ORDER TO REALLY MISS A PLACE; MAYBE YOU HAD TO TRAVEL TO FIGURE OUT HOW BELOVED YOUR STARTING POINT WAS.” 

~ 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.)

Backpack Essentials (Fall 2022, Week 5)

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Hello fellow Bears and welcome back to the blog, I really can’t believe that it’s already the fifth week of school. However, I’m starting to get used to my schedule as the days go by and I’m enjoying the new amenities that have been added to the campus. Even though this is my fifth year as a student at Missouri State I’m always changing the way that I do things or just what I carry along with me. I always have my backpack with me because I’m usually going to work, classes, or prepping to study somewhere. For this specific blog post, I wanted to share my backpack essentials and why I carry those items. 

Backpack Essentials

Loose Leaf paper

You never know when you need to write down some information or just if you want to take some time to doodle to relieve some stress. 

Pencil Case

My pencil case holds my writing utensils, paper clips, sharpener, and calculator. Being a student means that you should always have something to write with so having my pencil case handy helps keep me on track.  

Planner

If you use a planner, you’ll definitely want to carry one with you around campus, so that you can update it and check your upcoming assignments whenever you need to. If you don’t use a planner already, you should! Planners help you stay organized, help make sure you won’t forget something important, help you stay motivated, and can reduce stress. I wasn’t really a planner person to begin with but the semester can get a little crazy so I opted to get one. If you need a planner, stop by the CAST office at Meyer Library 116 for a free planner.

Mini First Aid Kit

Accidents can happen anytime but I also can be a little clumsy, so I like to keep a first aid kit in my backpack. The kit has cleansing wipes, band-aids, and gauze just in case something pops up. Tons of people get paper cuts, blisters, and all sorts of little injuries so I like having the kit to not only help myself but potentially other people. 

Toiletries

Walking around campus can make you really hot and uncomfortable so I make sure to keep extra products in my bag like deodorant, lotion, gum, and a light perfume. You won’t believe how having things like this can really change your life because anything can happen

Lysol Wipes

I haven’t completely let my guard down in relation to the pandemic so I wipe down surfaces that I use at work and sometimes where I sit in my classes. Even if the pandemic didn’t happen this is always a good item to have just to get rid of germs and make you feel safer in particular spaces. 

Hand Sanitizer

I quickly realized that I touch a lot of surfaces on campus and just to keep myself safe and healthy, my hand sanitizer travels with me.  

Headache Medication

Being a college student does bring occasional stress, so I like to keep headache medicine in my bag just in case I get a migraine. 

Water Bottle

It helps to stay hydrated and just have access to your own drinks so carrying a water bottle is a great essential, especially for long commutes around campus. The campus is equipped with traditional water fountains and water bottle filling stations so getting a drink around campus is easier. 

Takeaways 

One thing that I’ve learned throughout the past year is that you can’t always be ready for everything, but it doesn’t hurt to have access to a few things. My backpack essentials are definitely going to be different in comparison to someone else but it’s always good to share just in case you want to add something to your bag to make life easier. All of the essentials that I carry have been used in some capacity, so I’ll continue to carry them throughout the semester.  

I’m going to leave you with this quote by Israelmore Ayivor: 

“Preparation is the key to leadership success. The more prepared you are the less your struggle…” 

~ 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.)

Q&A Session (Fall 2022, Week 3)

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Hello, fellow bears and welcome to an all-new semester of blog posts! Unfortunately for us, summertime is officially over, and now it’s time to get back to work. This is my fifth year being a student at Missouri State and will be my last before I graduate unless I decide to go to graduate school. I’m still deliberating on that but in the near future, I’ll be sure to mention my decision.

This is the third week of classes so to commemorate that, I wanted to do something a little fun. For this blog post, I will answer some questions that can benefit you as a reader, and help me to think more about the future. 

Questions and Answers

How do you feel about your approaching graduation?

Honestly, I get a little emotional when I think about myself walking across the stage and receiving my diploma. My education at MSU has been a really long part of my life and when it’s all over and done with, I’m going to move on to new things. I’m excited to experience graduation with my friends, have photoshoots in my graduation gown, and just witness the changes happening on campus. All in all, I’m an excited, nervous wreck, but I also realize that I’m so close to accomplishing one of my biggest life goals and that is keeping me going.

Do you feel like Missouri State prepared you for the real world?

I feel that Missouri State did prepare me for some real-world things, but I still have a lot to experience to put that to the test. I’ve been challenged these past few years whether it was because of the classes that I was taking or networking to meet new people. From those challenges, I learned that no matter how prepared you are, anything can happen. Nonetheless, I can confidently say that the resources at MSU and my position as a student employee have helped me feel more prepared.

Looking at where you were as a freshman, do you believe that you’ve grown?

Yes, when I first started at Missouri State, it was overwhelming because I was away from home and trying all these different classes. I struggled to make new friends and learn how to study for different subjects. I knew that I wanted to go to college but saying you’re going and actually attending are two totally different things. It took some time, but I learned how the campus functioned and what it meant to put in some hard work to get the grades that you want. Not only that, but I trusted the process of making friends naturally and trying different organizations on campus. During my freshman year, I was very afraid to try things but as more time passed, I adapted to what was happening around me.

How do you feel about the financial aspect of graduation, particularly student loans?

Financial aid is something that I understand more of today, but not as much as I did in the very beginning. I’ve made great connections with people in the Financial Services Office and have learned a lot from them. Because my education is so important to me, and I am so close to accomplishing it all, I don’t really regret my loans. Loans have become part of everyone’s lives in some way, so it’s nice to know that I’m not the only one. Keeping a close eye on my student account helped me to better manage my spending and how I pay off certain things which is a great tip for students. I’m looking forward to getting a job and seeing how things go in the future because loans are becoming somewhat of a hot topic nowadays.

Takeaways

A big part of the college experience is coming to the realization that you are changing as a person every single day. My ideas and feelings about the above questions could stay the same, but they could also change drastically as time goes on. I would like for my readers to take the time to reflect more on themselves, even if that means talking to themselves out loud or writing a small note to read back later. Hopefully, this Q&A helps you out in some way just as it did for me. I’m going to leave you with this quote by Nolan Ryan:

“Enjoying success requires the ability to adapt. Only by being open to change will you have a true opportunity to get the most from your talent.”  

~ 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.)