A Bear's Life: Student Stories

Student stories from our peer counselors

Fountain Day to the Rescue (Spring 2023, Week 11)

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Fountain Day to the Rescue

Hello, Missouri State! Spring is quickly approaching and Fountain Day is in our future. Coming into Missouri State I had heard upperclassmen talk about their favorite day as the day the fountain was turned back on in the spring. At the time I didn’t understand the significance of it and thought it was silly to look forward to. Having participated in one myself, I can say it is the best day on campus and as soon as I have the date, I will create a countdown.

 

What is Fountain Day?

Fountain Day takes place in the spring and it’s a place for all students, staff, faculty, and community to gather in celebration of the fountain turning back on. The Traditions Council hosts the event and ensures that there are plenty of activities to partake in. Last year free t-shirts, free food, vials of fountain water, and buttons were given out. The day is easiest to celebrate when you bring your friends, take photos, and countdown with everyone for the fountain to spring back to life!

A summer scene of the Missouri State John Q Hammons Fountain with a rainbow.

What is the big deal?

Even after an explanation you still might be questioning why everyone saves the date on the calendar or comes back to MSU as an alum for the event. After conversations with a wide variety of people on why they love the day I observed a consistent response. Responses included: “it cured my seasonal depression,” “it put a smile on my face,” “it gave me something to look forward to,” or “it symbolizes hope.” The fountain truly does have a touch of magic because I can agree with each one of these claims. Winter can be a hard season for anyone but especially college students who are homesick, have a heavy workload, operate better with sunlight, or who just miss the simplicity of summer. The fountain is turned on after the last frost date so it is pretty set that there will be no more cold days in the near future which always brings hope. 

 

How do I handle seasonal depression at school?

Seasonal depression is something I didn’t struggle with until coming to college. It wasn’t until the first day I could wear shorts that I noticed that I may need to be diagnosed. The weather made a whole difference in my day; I was smiling all day long and my problems the day before no longer seemed to have a weight on my shoulders. A few days later it was back to bitter cold and coat weather and my mood plummeted. The weather continued to fluctuate and I noticed this pattern until Fountain Day came and I was the happiest I had been. If you also find yourself affected by the winter weather, I recommend putting Fountain Day on your list of must-attend campus events. I’m thankful for Fountain Day and all it has provided to the body of Missouri State.

Here are some other tips for any students who might, like me, be anxiously waiting for the cold, gray days of winter to pass.:

  • My first tip is to go to a professional, especially if you’re feeling depressed or anxious. Utilizing Magers Health and Wellness and making an appointment in the Counseling Center to talk about your concerns can get you the personalized help you need.
  • Something I purchased that has helped me was a sunset lamp. The lamp is said to have a positive impact on serotonin and melatonin. Low levels of serotonin have been linked to depression.
  • Socializing is one of the biggest tools I used to get myself out of the “funks” I was in. As I had mentioned earlier, the best way to do fountain day is with friends but so is everything else. Finding something fun to do on campus with a friend is always an added bonus.
  • Planning time to go on a walk or visiting the Foster Rec Center to get your body moving is also a method worth trying.
  • Meet with a Success Coach or a Peer Mentor in the Center for Academic Success and Transitions office.

Being affected by the season or the weather is real and can take a toll on someone especially those in college who may be already struggling. I suggest finding what works best for you and your needs according to the ideas I listed or discover your own solutions. However, be sure to save the date for the 2023 Missouri State Fountain Day because it’s going to be something you won’t want to miss. 

 

 “It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light” – Aristotle

~Aubrey

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

How to Ensure a Holiday Break is a Break (Fall 2022 Week 16)

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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.)

Tips and Tricks for Relieving Stress and Studying (Spring 2021, Finals Week)

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Tips and Tricks for Relieving Stress and Studying

Hello Fellow Bears, we are currently coming to the end of the semester and are starting our finals. I am always trying to figure out the best ways to study while keeping myself from stressing out to the point that I do not succeed or my grades turn out poorly.

I am going to give you a few tips for studying but also some stress-relieving tips. Your education is important but so is your mental health and if you find yourself struggling, this information could be a big help. These tips and tricks can be used anytime, not just for finals. I’ll be using them next month when I take a summer course for accounting

  1. Keep Track.

I have learned the hard way that making sure all of your work is completed is the best thing you can do for yourself. You want to make sure that you are earning all the points you can for the semester and staying up to date with what you need to know for exams.

  1. Review.

Final exams usually consist of the things that we learned during the semester, so going over that information can be extremely helpful. Surprisingly, not everyone looks over the class materials but doing so can make things easier. Professors may utilize the same questions or ideas from the material or just flip it around to challenge you with what you studied.

  1. Use resources.

You cannot always study the same way for each of your classes; the material in each class might be harder or easier or have different amounts of materials that need to be studied. Take advantage of the resources on campus or any electronic resources that can help you better prepare. Resources like your phone’s note-taker and calendar can be useful, along with websites like Khan Academy, Quizlet, EasyBib and Chegg. Some websites and apps feature tools that you can use to create your own notes, test your knowledge of the material and keep you on track with your own schedule.

  1. Take a break.

Studying is important for any test or exam but that is not going to mean much if you get burnt out over the material. Studying in increments of up to twenty to thirty minutes with a break in between can help you to better retain the information and remember what you studied. You can always change the duration of each break if you prefer a longer or shorter one.

  1. Sleep.

Make sure that you are getting enough sleep and preserving your energy because you cannot do as much if you are tired and can’t keep your eyes open. You do not want to miss out on any study time, be late for an exam or be sleepy during those exams.

  1. Ask questions.

Even though it is the end of the semester, it is still important that you ask if you have any questions. Having as much clarity as possible can help set your mind at ease and clear up any confusion. The pandemic has changed quite a few things so if you do not know something or just need more help to understand specific material, do not be afraid to ask or approach your professor.

Almost done.

The summer is quickly approaching, and I am proud of the fact that I have made it through these last few semesters online.

If you are graduating, I wish you the best in your future endeavors and if you are continuing on during or after the summer, I know that you can succeed to get to whatever you have set your mind on.

~Alexandria

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