...of BFFLS

Yes, I just used BFFLS!

As I was wondering what to share with you guys today, I felt like all the topics I chose were already told to you or just flat out lame.  So, just like any other college student would do, I asked my BFFLS for advice.  They tried and tried, but none of their ideas really stuck with me (that is why they don't work with me), but what I did appreciate was their effort!

Right now, you all think that your circle of friends are the ones that will be there when you get married and you will share more awesome memories with each other, but these friendships aren't quite the same as the friendships you will make in college.  You may still be right about your friends now because I still have those same friendships as a Sophomore, but they aren't exactly the same.  We have all moved to different places, met our college friends, and it is just different.  I don't really know how to describe it...

However, I do feel closer with my friends here at UNI because we are all going through the same changes together.  We all experienced living out of our homes for the first time, dealt with stupid freshmen mistakes, and have all seen each other at our absolute WORST!  For a lot of you, you will find these friends right next door to you in the dorms - just like me!  Also, you can meet a ton of people in the organizations you join, your classes, study spots, or even at campus events!  Here go a few pictures of where I met my BFFLS:

I live with these girls and I can't ask for anything other than the world of crazy we live in :)

I met them in HLSU and I always have a great time whenever we get together!

My coworkers are simply awesome! I couldn't ask for a better team!

If you remember just one thing from this post, remember that you can meet your future maid of honor/best man anywhere! Keep your head up and don't be afraid of meeting new people!

~STAR Joslyn

...of Decorating for the Holidays!

It's that time of the year again- the holiday season! And in those few weeks between Thanksgiving break and finals, it can be easy to get a little homesick and miss your fireplace, your Christmas tree, and so on.

Not to worry! With just a little bit of money and a lot of festivity, your college dorm can be transformed into a winter wonderland! From making paper snowflakes to putting up cute gingerbread man window clings, it's easy to feel comfy-cozy in your home away from home. 

Happy Holidays!

-STARs Diann & Emily

... of staying organized

A huge difference between high school and college is that you have to be pretty self-motivated to get class work done. For me at least, the majority of my professors aren't reminding me on a daily basis what is due when. Instead, at the beginning of the course, they hand out a handy-dandy syllabus. Obviously on your first day of classes the last thing you want to get is a packet 8 pages thick, but there is some useful information in these things... sometimes.

Usually, professors will provide you with a course schedule so that you can see what you'll be doing in each class, and also what you'll need to get done outside of class. At the end of the mini-novel that is a course syllabus, you will find this...

...the dreaded final exam times. Finals are the time of year when instead of going on actual dates, students have dates with ROD library. Lots and lots of dates with ROD library. The majority of successful students (unless they are really really lucky) don't save all their work for finals time. And so the syllabus comes in handy again. Because profs give you the schedule for the semester, you know most of your assignments ahead of time. You can then plan ahead so you're not scrambling last minute and pulling all-nighters to get your homework done. (Because, let's face it, by the time 1 AM rolls around, you'll be falling asleep on  your laptop). Something that has helped me stay organized and on top of my homework is my planner. (You get one of these on move-in day).

Sticky notes and hi-lighters are my best friends at helping me stay organized. I write literally everything down (whether I have short-term memory loss or am just OCD is yet to be determined.) Either way, using my planner works for me!

If you're not the "write everything down" type of person, that's totally cool. Just find a system that works for you and you're set.

Stay awesome (and organized) baby panthers,

:)

-Melanie, STAR

...of a CAT!

Hello again!

-FYI I am sniffle free!-

A lot of you guys are leaving clubs and organizations that you have been a part of all of high school and maybe even middle school - that's scary! If you are anything like me, I lived and breathed for my high school's speech team! I loved everything about (what I considered to be) that sport!  So, going into college and wanting to be dedicated so strongly to something similar to that was very important to me....so important that I got kind of crazy ;)

As all of the organization fairs came about, I think I collected so many business cards and brochures to keep me warm through the Zombie Apocolypse! In all seriousness, out of all the organizations I became a part of, two have exceeded the level of HHS Speech: HLSU and CATS! HLSU stands for the Hispanic Latino Student Union and it shaped me into the leader I am today and I met a lot of my close friends from there.  CATS stands for Connecting Alumni to Students and this organization is a little more relevant to all of you reading this (not that HLSU isn't, but I am going to save that for later).  The reason why I have CATS on the brain is because we just received our new "kittens" and they remind me of you guys! They are like the freshmen of CATS :)

CATS serves as a medium between current students and faculty to alumni here at UNI.  We volunteer at a lot of the Alumni Associations events, various organizations in the Cedar Valley, and we help promote Panther spirit within the community and on campus itself.  If you would like to learn more of the logistics, I am sure you can find a CAT or two on the Facebook app or just walk around campus and ask anyone wearing our gear.

I love being a CAT because of the family that I am in - it is like a fraternity/sorority without the Greek aspect.  I was welcomed into the organization as a kitten and at my first CATS event I received a Cat (similar to the Bigs and Littles in Greek).  Morgan showed me the ropes of CATS and we did a lot of fun things together my first semester - she is definitely a person I know I can go to if I ever need anything.

My Cat and I at Pride Cry

CATS is always doing fun things together, even if we are at a professional event.  I encourage all of you to check it out next fall if you want to be a member of a family that will not only help you professionally, but socially as well!

This is us being AWESOME at Pride Cry :)

~STAR Joslyn

...of the College Cold

Hello Future Panthers!

-FYI I am writing this blog on my "sick bed"-

Yes...I have the common cold that every average college student gets around this time of year.  Living in the dorms, a lot of germs are confined in your living space, so it is common to feel under the weather every once in a while.  In order to conquer the cold and be able to withstand finals, there are some essential remedies to use.

First, you need to take a break! Isolating yourself in your dorm is the best way to prevent spreading your cold to all of your new friends, and it helps your body to recuperate so you aren't sick for a longer period of time.  I am always on the go, so taking a day off was hard! Luckily, my boss and all of my professors were very understanding.  Trust me - they don't want to catch what you have! Also, you get to catch up on sleep (and maybe some homework)!

Next, you need the basics for curing the cold:

Stay hydrated!:

When you move in, DOR gives you a handy-dandy water bottle for this purpose!

Stay medicated!:

Just like your mother would, make sure you have the right cough medicine to help fight your cold.

Cough drops are always great to have too because they taste really good, and it is a constant relief.

Stay healthy!:

Even though you are sick and might not want to eat anything, you should still keep something in your stomach.  In my opinion, saltine crackers are easy to keep down and pretty filling.

Usually these two things will get rid of the cold in about a day.  If not, you can make an appointment at the Student Health Center the next day just to make sure it isn't anything abnormal from the common cold.  If you don't know what it looks like, here goes your first view:

Call (319)273-2009 to make an appointment.

~STAR Joslyn

...of a College Student Enduring an Iowa Winter

Hey, everybody!

For many of you, this may be your favorite time of the year. After all, who doesn't like hot chocolate, sledding, and the holidays?!? There are a few things to keep in mind as winter weather quickly approaches, however.

First of all, you have to dress the part! A warm coat, gloves, hats, earmuffs, scarves, and boots are all part of a winter-worthy wardrobe. Another thing to consider is vehicle maintenance and safety. You may even want to keep a mini "survival kit" in your car, just in case you get stranded on the road. Finally, make sure to stock up on tissues, cough drops, and nasal spray because those evil colds are after us all. And they WILL find you. 

If you follow these few easy steps, I can guarantee that you will have a safe and fun-filled winter!

Happy snow days!

~ Jordan, STAR

P.S. ONLY 29 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!! :)

...of Staying Motivated (Avoid End-of-Semester Crash & Burn!)

We all know it's getting closer to the end of the semester, which means it's time to decorate your room for the holidays, start that project you've put off for a few weeks, and begin studying for finals.

But it's also time that many students find themselves "hitting a wall" and losing their will to study, go to class, etc. Fear not! I am here to provide you with some sure-fire ways to come out on top this semester, and avoid that dreaded crash and burn feeling.

While Studying...
-Give yourself a change of scenery. If you're used to being holed up in the ROD Library for hours, try heading to the Towers Center, the Union, or even Starbucks.

-Reward yourself with mini incentives. For instance, eat a fun-size candy bar for every chapter you read, or take a minute long dance break for every 20 minutes you study.

-Color code assignments and projects; it stimulates your brain! (this works well for fellow STAR Diann!)

Take Care of Yourself...
-Make sure you remember to eat during these last few weeks. I know it can be easy to skip lunch or dinner, but it is important to nourish your mind and body during this busy time. I recommend a trip to Panchero's at least twice a week to combat this. ;)

-Get lots of Zzz's! Seriously, if you aren't getting at least 7 hours of sleep, you will find yourself struggling. Fellow STAR Vanessa says that sleep is her best motivator!

Zen Out For A While...
-If you're feeling completely overwhelmed, try some deep breathing exercises. As cheesy as this sounds, it really works! I recommend "Squared Breathing." Inhale for 10 seconds, hold for 10, exhale for 10, breathe normally for 10, repeat. You will feel instantly better, trust me!

-Treat yourself to a manicure, an episode of How I Met Your Mother, an hour of Halo 4, or whatever helps you relax!

-Remember, the holidays are just around the corner, and you have lots of family time and home-cooked meals to look forward to!

Stay positive and align your chakras!
STAR Emily

...of Closets in the Dorms

Hey Future Panthers!

Yes, this is another dorm post.  Us, STARs, just want to make sure you get the full scoop before you move, so there aren't any big surprises when it comes time to move into one out of the eight fabulous dorms we have on campus!  Also, this will hopefully get you excited about moving in!

Before you press play on that video below, just know that I am a huge shopaholic! I love anything and everything to do with clothes, accessories, jewelry, shoes, etc! This video includes a few tips on how to make sure everything fits in your closet and fits efficiently! You don't want to stuff everything in and then when it is time to get ready for classes, it takes you over an hour to find that one shirt you wanted to wear on the first day. Well, click play, sit back, and enjoy! :)

P.S. I live in Campbell, so your closet might resemble mine next year!

~STAR Joslyn

...Of a UNI Student Employee

College can be kind of spendy and there is no denying that.  One way to help support yourself but still be able to spend enough time studying is by getting a job on campus!  I have had a job since the age of 14 so when I came to college, I knew that I wanted and needed to continue working.  I worked my freshmen year of school at an off campus job, which paid well and I enjoyed what I did.  After a year of off campus employment, I decided that for convenience sake, it would be best if I relocated my employment to someplace on campus.  If you are living on campus and working on campus, you can save quite a bit in gas money!  Plus on campus employers know that your schooling comes first.

My sophomore year at UNI, I applied for a position as a STAR (a Student Telecounseling Admissions Representative).  Thank goodness I was hired because now I get the pleasure of working with these goons four times a week. See picture below.

My lovely co-workers!

Can you tell why I love working with them?!  Like I said, on campus employment is great!  Your employers are understanding and typically willing to work with you and the people you work with can be a real riot too!  Not to mention there are thousands of positions on campus waiting for people like YOU!
~Vanessa, STAR

...of a first time voter!

As many of you probably know, this year was the year for the Presidential election! 

It was my first time voting, which was really exciting! My grandma used to take me to the polls when I was little, so I've been looking forward to this for a really long time! 

I voted in the form of an absentee ballot, since I'm not residing in the town where I was registered to vote. (although, I could've updated my address which is what a lot of college students do!) Filling in those little bubbles was so exciting! 

~Diann, STAR

P.S. I am very happy the political ads are over so I can watch TV in peace, at least for a little while!

...of my current obsession: ROCK CLIMBING

Okay, so here's the deal: Recently I have become hooked on rock climbing. No joke. And UNI's Wellness and Recreation Center is ALL to blame. Before my sophomore year of college (this year) I had never been climbing, so you can imagine how nervous/scared/excited I was when my friends (all frequent guests to the rock wall) took me to go climb with them one evening about a month ago. Now? I can't get enough!

I'm not really a person who works out a lot (or enjoys working out for that matter...) And that's probably why I love climbing, you get all the benefits of actually working out BUT, more importantly, it's fun!

This recent obsession with the activity led me to sign up for a belay class offered, convieniently, in the good ol' WRC. I had the class last night and it was great! For about 2 hours I learned basic belay skills like tying knots for the climbing ropes, how to do saftey checks, and techniques and equipment that you use while belaying (along with meeting a few new climbing buddies). Now, I can take my friends along and get them as stoked on climbing as I am!

*This workout is Melanie approved.*

 

 

Happy climbing pals,

 

 

-Melanie, STAR

...Of a Student With #ParkingProbs

In many ways, having a car with me at college has come in very handy. It allows me to drive to Waterloo for an internship, to drive myself home for visits, and to make the more-than-occasional Scratch cupcake run. The only problem with having a vehicle is that you have to park it somewhere. Luckily, UNI provides a number of options for your various parking needs!

As a freshman, students living on campus have two choices for parking passes: an R pass or a C pass. Students who choose to return to the dorms for a second year become eligible for a C preferred parking pass, though not all of these students will receive one. Off-campus students are eligible for B passes. Parking permits are paid for at the start of the school year and are in effect until the following school year begins.

Now, you may be thinking, "What do those random letters mean?" Simply put, the letters on each pass correspond to the signs designating parking lots around UNI's campus. For example, a student with an R pass may only park in lots with signs bearing the letter "R." The picture below shows the CP (C Preferred) sign marking the parking lot next to Bender and Dancer halls.

 

In conclusion, if you're the type of person who prefers the ease of vehicular transportation to physical exertion (Who really exercises anyway?), then I suggest that you purchase your parking pass as soon as possible! Not only will it guarantee a spot for your "baby," but it will also keep you safe from those ever-so-annoying parking tickets! Believe me, people. They WILL find you. Happy parking!

 

~ Jordan, STAR



 





 

...of Fall Fashion at UNI

Hey, guys! It's getting colder and windier out there, but UNI students are still managing to look fashionable around campus. I decided to ask some Panthers where they got their favorite cold weather clothes, as well as their must-have fall fashion staples!

Hope you're all staying warm and fabulous!

-Emily (STAR)