Profile Post

While perusing the Internet in search of some blog wisdom for The Ultimate Balance to a College Life, I came across a woman who has had plenty of blog experience when it comes to the college life.

College advice is arguable one of the most searched topics on the Internet, therefore there were plenty of bloggers out there who look to give advice just like myself. However, this woman’s blog stuck out to my above the rest for her blog topics, style, credibility, and reviews.

This woman’s name is Kelci Lynn Lucier, blogger for usnews.com. Kelci has a large resume full of experience when it comes to college. She has worked in college education for ten years where she eventually got into educational writing in 2008. Not only does she write for usnews.com, she is also the writer for the Guide to College Life at About.com and the founder of The College Parent Handbook. To add along to that impressive history, she also has a master’s in higher education from Harvard!

It is clear to see that Kelci has a strong passion for higher education and helping students deal with the complexities of the college life. When writing her blogs her angle comes from an informative viewpoint. With all of her wisdom and experience, she is simply just trying to help out students who are not knowledgeable about college.

Over the years, Kelci’s topics have been similar to mine as in they deal with situations that may arise amongst college students.

Here a few of her blog post topics….

-4 ways to Deal with a Bad College Professor

-How to Handle the College Winter Blues

-Manage your Academic Time

-Pay for College

The frequency of Kelci’s writing seems to be sporadic for usnews.com. Most of her blog posts come from 2011. Since then she has written very few for usnews.com but still continues to write for multiple blog outlets.

I wish I found these blog posts when I was a freshman at USC; her advice is some of the best guidance I have gotten. Since I never found her blog until now, it has taken me till junior year to learn about the hardships of college. It’s not to say that I would have been more knowledgeable when handling different situations, it’s just good to have a simple heads-up.

For Kelci’s blog posts, she engages all students of every demographic. She is able to have insight to every possible situation and is a great leader that all college bloggers should emulate.

She also gets positive feedback via comments at the bottom of her blog posts including shares onto twitter and Facebook.

I urge all of my readers to take a look at Kelci’s blog because that’s where the REAL WISDOM comes from. While I’m just a young buck giving advice, she has been a pioneer in the blogging world, enlightening students for years.

Blog Companion (The College Life)

The Internet is full of bloggers like myself who enjoy engaging college students on the difficulties and challenges of a college life. Millennials are essentially the largest consumers of the Internet and are always searching for tips and advice from different perspectives.

One blog that stuck out to me in particular is a People blog on usnews.com written by Kelci Lynn Lucier. Her main focus in many of her blogs is around college students and situational events that may occur to any student during their four-years at a university. 

Some of her most notable blogs dealing with college students are called:

“How to Get Some R&R During College Breaks”

“Embrace Growth and Change in a Student’s First Year”

“How To Survive on Limited Funds Until Semester Breaks”

“Learn to Manage Your Time in College”

and many more… Click the link below to check out the links to all of her articles.

http://www.usnews.com/topics/author/kelci-lynn-lucier

Her blogs go way beyond what I try to write about. My main focus is the balance to a college life but she exceeds my ideas by writing about interesting situations that students might not know how to handle.

A unique blog of hers is about “5 non traditional ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day in College.” This blog post gives out a different perspective to a student that just doesn’t mean they need a significant other on Valentines Day. One interested point she made in the blog was to consider volunteering. Volunteering is a great way to enjoy the fun on Valentines Day and provide a community service with a local organization!

One useful blog that every college students should read about is her blog post about New Years resolutions for students. Personally, I always find it funny by how packed the campus gym gets after students return from winter break. Surely students are trying to lose some weight but this goal seems unrealistic for most students, especially once midterms come around and they have no time to hit up the gym…that is what usually happens… What are left are your usual gym-goers.

Lucier’s tips regarding your new years resolution are simple but note worthy:

1.     Set realistic expectations

2.     Set both specific and holistic goals

3.     Focus on the means, not just the ends.

These are just a few of her blog posts that she has written since 2011. She has received positive feedback from many of her readers including numerous shares of her blog posts to Facebook, twitter, and many more social media outlets.  

It’s hard to engage college students to prove that you are a trustworthy source. If you have been writing blogs for years regarding the college life, then you should be considered a credible source. For me, I’m still new to writing my blogs but am learning through my own experience and others on how to become more reliable.

Stay tuned for next week’s blog.

Studying for the Big Exam

During syllabus week most students map out their semester to appropriately plan out when they have midterms, prelims and finals. This is a great way to start the semester but as those important dates inevitably creep up, most students fail to appropriately prepare.

As a Human Biology major I often find myself stuck in science classes with my fellow premed students who need good grades in order to go to the next level. Failure is not an option for these students, as they must achieve decent grades. For any person that is in a similar scenario you must know that time management is crucial.

Well here is my first rule…. NEVER PULL THE ALL-NIGHTER!

According to an article written by Shaniese Alston an all-nighter at the library does no good as it impairs reasoning and memory and can even lead to anxiety which is the last thing you need going into an exam. You should feel confident and stress-free.

http://blog.suny.edu/2013/12/scientifically-the-best-ways-to-prepare-for-final-exams/

Personally I like to look over my notes every night after class lecture regardless of when my midterm is. This can take only 15 minutes and if you do this consistently, you will retain the information over time.

As I talked about in previous blogs it’s also important to limit yourself from distractions. That goes for social media, friends, and television. Even though you should limit yourself from distractions that should only go for when you are studying. Even with the days leading up to the exam you should be able to have fun with your friends and relax. It’s just important that you plan you you’re time wisely and feel comfortable enough to be social and take some time off of your work.

Also in her article, Alston claims that a combination of cardio and antioxidants are a great way to prepare for the exam. Even just twenty minutes of cardio can change your psychological state and improve your memory. An example of anti-oxidant can be oatmeal that is high in fiber and slow digesting.

But we all know it’s hard not to resort to the high calorie, sugar loaded foods when it comes to those late night’s studying.

That’s why I personally like to study in the morning, especially on weekends. Nothing beats waking up and feeling well rested, getting a cup of coffee and heading to go study. If you study enough in one day, you can even use the nighttime to go out and enjoy the company of your friends. It’s a win-win situation!

Sleep, Social, or School: You Choose

Arguably the biggest struggle in college students is to find the right balance between the following three entities; sleep, social life, and school work. It’s important to maintain this balance, however, it might seem too ideal to believe that this balance can be accomplished.

Besides, it’s not like these three entities are the only things students have to worry about. They also need to focus on internship applications, work, exercise, financial situation, and healthy eating habits.

It may be too much pressure to force students to balance out their lives between sleep, school and friends, but individuals must make their priorities straight. Therefore we will talk about each concept and use logic and deliberation to justify the right way to balance out your college lifestyle.

In order to manage your time wisely it is best to create a schedule or a calendar to visually see your daily plans. Now you can map out your schedule and find gaps of free time that you would have never thought of being productive.

When it comes to schoolwork and studying, even a small 30-minute gap in your schedule can be useful. Personally, I like to make flash cards of my study material and quickly review them when I have a free moment. This can even be in short-duration instances like waiting in line for food, before class, or even walking to and from places. Short-duration flashcard studying is a great way to gain memorization.

Speaking of memorization, your sleeping habits play a pivotal role in retaining your lecture notes for the big exam. According to a study conducted by Pennsylvania Institute of Technology, sleep can facilitate memory retention and academic performance. 

http://www.pit.edu/blog/2013/08/sleeping-helps-college-students-pennsylvania/ 

You should develop a sleeping pattern to keep your body in normal homeostasis. If you are exhausted and you’re up late cramming for a midterm, it would be more useful to go to sleep and wake up earlier in the morning to study. There is no use to study when you are tired, as your mind will find it difficult to retain the information.

With that said, never make your bedroom a study room as well. Then you would be more tempted to go to sleep rather then study. Make sure your study spot is a completely different environment then a bedroom.

Everyone should experience a social life while in college. But what if your social life comes at the cost of sleep and schoolwork? Or even worse, what if sleep and a social life come at the cost of school and studying. This dilemma seems to be a problem for many college students who don’t know how to manage their time. Once they are out of their parent’s home, they feel free to do whatever they want while disregarding school. 

It is critical to not lose yourself to the social life at college. Plan accordingly when it comes to making plans with friends. Even though the weekends are meant to be fun, sometimes you have to crack down on your schoolwork and hit the books at the library. If you are able to go out two-three nights a week then you are in good shape. Make lunch and dinner social with friends and if you don’t have enough time for anything you can always say to your friends “if I had time to be social while at school, you know I would hang out with you”... Every college student should understand that excuse.

So go ahead and evaluate what is important to you in your college experience. Of course there are students who manage to succeed in school by doing the bear minimum, but that is a rarity.

Be Balanced, Be Persistent, Be Healthy, Be Outgoing.

Why exercising is worthwhile for college students

Nothing beats that feeling when you put on the headphones, lace up your sneakers, and jog outside to the beautiful scenery of Los Angeles. For me, this is essential to my lifestyle. No matter how busy I am, I make it my mission to find time to exercise before I do anything else.

But what makes exercising worthwhile? If you’re a college student, you can be using your valuable free time to go to the bar with friends, watch TV, or even take a well-deserved nap. If you think those activities are fun and rewarding well let me tell you about one of the best feeling the world…The Runners High.

In my past experiences working out, my “Runners High” gives me a feeling of euphoria. Scientifically, the act of cardio fitness triggers the release of anandamide, which is a neurotransmitter of the brain that creates a similar sensation to the effects of marijuana.

This feeling is like no other, as you feel accomplished and invincible while standing on top of a mountain overlooking LA.

Image by alltrails.com

http://www.cannabis.net/anandamide/runnershigh.html

Exercise can even contribute to a higher performance in the classroom! According to an article written by the American Intercontinental University, exercise can have the following benefits among college students.

1.     Exercise stimulates brain development

2.     Exercise improves memory retention

3.     Exercise increases focus and concentration

4.     Exercise boosts mood

5.     Exercise relieves stress

http://www.aiuniv.edu/blog/september-2012/5-reasons-college-students-should-make-time-for-exercise

You can even be social while running. Having a running partner is a great way to keep you motivated and stay active. This principle is based on the theory of social facilitation that is if you exercise around other people, you are more likely to push yourself harder to stay at the same pace.

Try it out! Los Angeles has beautiful hiking trails, beach paths, and plenty more for you to explore with friends and go exercise.