FINALS ARE A BEAST

  It takes a very animated person to spend hours reading, caring for family members, working, and managing daily stresses, all while singing and dancing perfectly on key. As much as many of us want the seemingly unlimited time that Belle has to keep up with herself and achieve her dreams, we might need some additional planning or help to fit everything into one day. Here are a few tips for navigating self-care, time management, and campus resources so that you can spend more time being productive and avoid all-nighters in the library.

Be our Guest!

Being a college student can be hard, and we all wish we could have the time that Belle has. But if you use the resources provided to you, then your grades here will never be second best. Belle would suggest you read your textbooks and use the solutions manuals. These books provide information that expands on everything your professors teach in class. In addition, there are several people on campus who would love for you to be their guest. The Academic Achievement Center offers tutoring, academic coaching, group study sessions, workshops and more. The Writing Center has writing assistants from each college at Towson to help you with brainstorming, writing, and polishing your final draft. Lastly, if you’re stressed it’s your professors office hours we suggest! Office hours are just for you so that you can meet with your professor and ask about anything happening in your class. If you use all of the resources provided, you can beast your finals and achieve your dreams.

Don’t Wait Until the Last Petal Falls

There are several strategies you can use to manage your time and earn your grade before the semester ends and the last petal falls!

First, set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based goals for yourself. This will allow you to focus on what you need to do and create smaller steps to work toward these goals.  Next, plan ahead! Look at upcoming deadlines in order to keep focused and be productive. Organize your workload into a manageable schedule. Plan out your weekly to-do items and break down larger assignments by scheduling time slots each day when you can work on them. Creating a daily to-do list is a great way to hold yourself accountable and keep yourself organized.

It can sometimes be hard to balance all of your responsibilities as a college student, so learning how to prioritize effectively is an excellent skill to practice. Ask yourself what is important, what is urgent and what can wait. Practice self-discipline and eliminate distractions such as social media. Learn how to say no when something that is not urgent comes up during a time that you have allotted for studying, but also be sure to set aside specific times to relax, have fun and take care of yourself! The best way to learn is to study in increments, so be sure to allow yourself enough time to prepare for exams so that you do not end up cramming the night before. Lastly, beware of perfectionism, do your best but don’t set unrealistic terms for yourself.

Don’t be a Beast

It is important during this stressful time of finals to not be a beast! Therefore, during finals it is important to eat well, get sleep, and take care of yourself! Try your best to eat the best kinds of brain food, get at least 7-9 hours of sleep a night, and pay attention to the needs of your body. If you take these three simple self-care techniques then you will not be the Beast during your finals, but instead you will BEAST your finals!

 

 

Climbing Towards Graduation: What you should know as you prepare for registration

It seems like it was just yesterday you were arriving on campus for the fall semester, but now spring is looming on the horizon. As your enrollment date draws

near, you might be thinking you can just wing it. But hold your horses: it might be a good idea to have a plan in place before climbing Mt. Ever-Successful.

Luckily, we’ve got your back! So grab your mountain boots, your climbing gear, your academic courses—and some granola for good measure. Here are some items you should consider packing as you look towards graduation and the summit of your college career.

Supplies

Before you even take your first step, it’s a good idea to take stock of what you have. What cores and major requirements have you already completed? Which ones do you still need to complete? Are there any prerequisites for those courses? You can find the answers to all of these questions and more by accessing your Academic Requirements Report on Towson Online Services and the Course Catalog for your academic year on Towson’s website.

Undergraduate students begin registering for spring semester courses on November 8, but you should note your specific enrollment date and time by looking on Towson Online Services under your student services page.

Map

If you have 45 or more earned credits, you need to complete a Degree Completion Plan. Think of the plan as a map of the mountain; you can change your route along the way, but the plan at least starts you off on the right foot as you navigate the path ahead. If you haven’t completed a Degree Completion Plan yet, your advisor can help you map out the courses you still need to take in order to graduate.

If you are below 45 credits you still might consider starting a Word document or spreadsheet to organize the classes you need to take/are interested in taking in future semesters. Please note that some courses have prerequisites that must be completed before enrolling in the course.

Travel guide

Some students see their advisor as merely the person who lifts their advising hold; but they’re so much more than that! Advisors are here to guide you in knowing what courses you need to take in order to graduate. They can also be a sounding board for brainstorming and exploring new interests, new majors, and even a new career! Whether you’re a freshman or a senior, a TU native or a transfer student, advisors genuinely care about your success—both at Towson and beyond—so check in and say “hello” to them once in a while.

For general questions, you can also call, chat online or visit the Student Academic Advising Office in the  Academic Advising Center (located in the Lecture Hall above Freedom Square) to talk to a Student Academic Advisor about your academic plans, questions and/or concerns.

Alternative routes

It’s great to map out your future, but sometimes things don’t go as planned. That’s where Plan B (or C, D, E…) comes in. Depending on your enrollment date, classes may fill up quickly. When adding classes to your shopping cart, consider including alternative times/sections of classes, as well as alternative courses, just in case one of the classes you want isn’t unavailable.

Knowing your limits

It can be wonderful to challenge yourself, but you should also know your limits. It’s okay to ask for assistance or to lighten your load. Your advisor can help you assess whether your academic load is too heavy or if there is a recurring issue in your classes. You might also visit your professor during office hours or the Academic Achievement Center to receive additional assistance on coursework so those issues don’t continue.

If you do choose to take fewer courses, it is best to meet with your advisor before finalizing that process. Full-time students must take at least 12 credits per semester. Dropping below that 12 credit minimum could jeopardize your scholarships, financial aid and/or housing.

Registration may seem intimidating, but a proper plan can set you up for success. So get out there, start planning, and climb to the peak of your academic dreams!

 

Betty Kabtiymer, Student Academic Advisor

Marcus Dieterle, Student Academic Advisor

Academic Advising Center

Land Your Dream Job at the Fall Career & Internship Fair

With school finally being in full swing, it’s time to get out those planners and start planning out your events for the fall. With doing so, make sure to add in the Fall Career and Internship Fair, occurring October 7 from 12:00p.m. to 3 p.m. in the SECU Arena. With over 200 employers, the fair is the perfect opportunity to explore various career options, network with professionals in your field and potentially land that dream job you’ve always wanted!

If you’re a senior you may be thinking that it is way too early to start job hunting; the reality is that it’s NOT. Many employers (particularly big businesses) look to hire for entry-level positions and internships as early as a year before they want you to start. You don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to work for your dream company by choosing to wait until the spring. By choosing to attend the fall fair you will also be avoiding the rush of students who will be scrambling to get a job in the spring to prepare for after graduation. The time is NOW, so make sure to attend.

Not sure how to properly prepare? The first step to being prepared for the fair is to determine your strengths as an individual. By discovering your strengths you will feel more confident in yourself while engaging in conversation at the fair and will be better able to discuss how you can add value to a potential employer’s company. StrengthsQuest is a quick and easy way to determine your strengths and is available for free to all Towson University students.

Once you have determined your strengths through StrengthsQuest, it is important to incorporate them into your 30-second commercial. Your 30-second commercial should be a flexible statement that answers the request of “tell me about yourself.” It is basically a brief summary of your background, accomplishments, and strengths you have obtained via work experience, community involvement, etc. Use the 30-Second Commercial Worksheet (PDF) to best prepare your mini-presentation and always remember to PRACTICE for the big day.

Once it’s the big day of the fair, always make sure to dress to impress! Professional attire is extremely important so that potential employers take you seriously and know that you are taking the event seriously as well. When in doubt, always lean towards the more conservative side with clothing choices. The Professional Attire Worksheet (PDF) is a great resource to reference when deciding what to and what not to wear.

Lastly, make sure to have 10-15 copies of your up-to-date resume with you at the fair and try to research companies you are looking to talk to ahead of time so that you can impress them with your knowledge of their company (employers love this). Most importantly, have fun when you are at the fair! The employers attending are friendly individuals who simply want to learn more about you and what you can bring to their company.

Ditch the nerves at the door and be confident and proud of your hard work during your time at TU!

Kelly Zindel

Career Center Marketing Intern

Plagiarism: The Gray Area

Previously published April 2015.

As students, we are all expected to know what plagiarism is. The Towson University 2014-2015 Student Academic Integrity Policy plainly spells out what plagiarism is: “Presenting work, products, ideas, words, or data of another as one’s own.” This definition covers the basic premise of what it means to steal someone’s work; however, there is a lot of gray area when it comes to what constitutes as plagiarism.

During syllabus week, it is not uncommon for professors to tell horror stories of students they caught plagiarizing work. If a student is caught stealing or copying someone else’s work, or even ideas, they can be subject to failing the course, or even suspension from the university. There are many circumstances where students are penalized, or even failed, for plagiarism without even realizing that they stole anything at all.

“Steal” and “copy” are two words that seem to go hand-in-hand with “plagiarism,” but it doesn’t just stop there. It is easy to fall through the cracks of plagiarism without directly copying and pasting someone’s work. In fact, there are different degrees of severity when it comes to plagiarism.

CLICK FOR A LARGER VIEW

Plagiarism can be as minimal as missing page numbers on citations or as severe as blatant theft of content.

The concept of plagiarism can be confusing for a lot of students, so it’s important to know what exactly constitutes as plagiarism and how to avoid it.

Allison Peer, one of the Assistant Directors for the Office of Student Conduct & Civility Education, coordinates the Academic Integrity Process and handles instances when plagiarism has been reported. Allison meets with students who have committed serious forms of plagiarism or second time offenders; however, she also works with students who fall into the “gray area” of plagiarism.

“Students have this pressure to do well,” Peer stated, when asked about the issue of plagiarism. “When you get into a desperate situation, you may be willing to do something you wouldn’t normally do.” This is the same for situations where students may not even realize that what they have done is plagiarism.

Here are some instances of plagiarism that students may not normally consider:

Using previous work without citing yourself

Even though you may have written a paper, done a study, or completed a lab, it is still important to cite yourself if you are using the information elsewhere. If anyone else was to use your work, they would be expected to cite it. So, the same goes for if you are using your own work. Towson is an environmentally friendly campus, but this is the kind of recycling you should avoid.

Reusing work that you have already submitted

Even if the subject matter is similar, the citations are all in order, and you got an A on the assignment, you can absolutely get into trouble by resubmitting work. If you make small changes or move a few sentences around, it will still be considered plagiarism. If you did well the first time, work just as hard on the next assignment and don’t risk failing the assignment because of plagiarism!

Not properly paraphrasing

Paraphrasing can be tricky. It can be difficult to discuss a thought that someone else had without quoting it exactly. When it comes to paraphrasing, you’re best bet is to play it safe; otherwise, it may look like you’re copying someone’s idea, rather than using it to support your own. Try putting away your book or article when you write your notes so you are forced to put the ideas into your own words. Allison Peer often sees students get themselves into trouble for “trying to paraphrase, but not doing so well enough.

Not citing every source

You may have cited most of your sources, but if you leave any out, even one, you are plagiarizing. It can be tedious citing multiple sources and may seem easier to just cite the ones that you relied on the most; however, spending the extra time on citing every source you used will benefit you in the long run.

First Draft Plagiarism

Make sure you properly cite and avoid copying text in your first draft. Even though it is not the finished project, it is still considered plagiarism if you turn in a draft that violates any rules regarding plagiarism. Make sure you include a work cited page or a bibliography, even on your drafts.

False Citations

It is easy to assume that professors aren’t going to check every source you include; however, falsifying citations can get you into serious trouble. Make sure any links you include in your citation are real and lead to the page that you say they do.

How to Avoid Plagiarism

There is a broad spectrum of what can be considered plagiarism and it is important to know what could potentially compromise your academic integrity. Towson University fosters students to uphold a standard of academic achievement and excellence, so it is important for us, as students, to make sure we avoid falling into pitfalls, such as plagiarism.

If you are ever confused or have questions about plagiarism, there are plenty of resources you can access to get quick answers.

• Talk to your faculty about their expectations when it comes to plagiarism.
• plagiarism.org and www.writecheck.com are excellent online resources for checking your work to ensure that you haven’t plagiarized.
• Check out Towson University’s 2014-2015 Student Academic Integrity Policy. It spells out exactly what the university considers to be plagiarism.
• The Writing Center and The Office of Student Conduct and Civility Education are always willing to help and answer questions regarding plagiarism.
• The Albert S. Cook Library also has tons of resources on how to avoid plagiarism, as well as citation help guides that can save you from making simple citation mistakes.

It can be tricky to stay out of the gray area of plagiarism, but when in doubt, just make sure you are using proper citations and giving credit where credit is due. Be sure to familiarize yourself with what plagiarism is and how to avoid getting caught up in it.

For more information, please visit:
http://www.towson.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/index.asp
http://www.osrr.calpoly.edu/plagiarism/
http://www.plagiarism.org/plagiarism-101/what-is-plagiarism/
http://cooklibrary.towson.edu/avoidingPlagiarism.cfm
http://thevisualcommunicationguy.com/2014/09/16/did-i-plagiarize-the-types-and-severity-of-plagiarism-violations/

Conor Reynolds
A-LIST Student, Cook Library

The Real Dr. Seuss Story

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”

If no teacher gave it to you at the end of high school, give Dr. Seuss’s “Oh the Places You’ll Go” a read-through.  Acceptance letter in hand, brains in my head, and feet in my shoes, I still remember the summer portion of my new student orientation. This year, all incoming students will come to TU over the summer and begin their orientation journey.

But orientation isn’t just a day where you pick up a bunch of informational pamphlets then go home and never read them. As cheesy as it may sound, it’s the day you become a part of the Towson story, and Towson becomes a part of yours. It starts with you, the new student, taking advantage of the opportunities laid before you to learn more about what the campus has to offer you.

Even if the person you hang out with all day doesn’t become your best friend, they are the person whose friend they introduce you to is in a club on campus you end up joining. For me, a great first experience with my Orientation Leader lead me to become one myself, and through that I met one of the most important people in my life.

The resources you learn about at orientation could be the ones you use to start your business, or write your book (The Writing Center is AWESOME!). The conversations you have will teach you about the world and how you are a citizen in it. You’ll talk about who you are as an individual, as an incoming class, and who we all are as a University. You’ll get your academics in line so that when you graduate you’re ready to take your degree and show everyone what you and your fellow tigers can do.

You’ll be guided along the way–not just by Orientation Leaders and your Guidebook App, but by professors, staff, and the generations of tigers that have come before you. So take your OneCard and wear your lanyard with pride. At the end of your summer orientation day you’ll feel like your blood is a little less red and a little more black and gold.

Arriving in the fall, you can re-connect with the classmates and friends you met over the summer (If you haven’t been sliding into each other’s DMs since). There’s a little more business to make sure you’re set up for classes to start, but there will also be a whole lot of FUN! You’ll meet more people and learn about organizations to get involved in and have plenty of time to get your Tiger Pride on.

I hope you’re getting ready to ride the rollercoaster I’ve been on these past few years. Sometimes I can’t believe it all started there at orientation.

“And then things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.”

Liesl Wegand

Student Director, New Student Programs

From a fishing village to Towson

This week the Thriving Tiger takes a slightly different focus. We asked Kanji Takeno, our beloved University Photographer, to share his words of wisdom and encouragement with our students as they ramp up for finals. Enjoy his storytelling and photos.

 I was born in a small, quiet fishing village. When I was a kid, I used to go to the concrete harbor and look down into the water. I enjoyed looking at the creatures living there. One day I went there with my brother and friends. During low tide time, seaweed and shellfish attached to the concrete wall are exposed. They were fascinating to me.  High tide came back swiftly.  I noticed my shoes were getting wet. I got up quickly and started moving to the stone steps to go up. The wet seaweed was very slippery. So I fell. I immediately panicked. My brother and friends did not know what to do. I struggled to get out of the water in vain. All of sudden I saw an elderly fishing man trying to grab my hands. I still have the vivid image…my aimlessly struggling hands, the man’s face, and his hand, trying to grab my hands. He saved me. I stood drenched on the edge with my face up. I saw the blue sky.  I learned something from the experience. When you are in trouble, struggle, struggle and struggle. Do not give up.  If you keep trying hard, you will be pulled out of the trouble.  

My father worked for the Japanese railway system after he graduated from middle school.  My mother was a dressmaker. She was also a hard worker.  I am the first one who went to college among all my relatives. My parents worked hard for my college education. My mother used to tell me, “Find out how far you can go.” The village had two huge attractions: the ocean and mountains. I always wondered what was beyond the horizon.   While I was a student, I started working as a freelance photo assistant for many established photographers.  The experience made me pursue my career in photography.   During these days I met several “fishermen” who saved me and led me in the right direction.

On Sept. 23^rd, 1996, my life at Towson University started. It was a beautiful day. I looked up at the blue sky. A year later I started teaching Japanese language.  My two major dreams came true. I was not very much of a “people” photographer then. I set my goal: “happy, positive, smiley” images. I struggled. Then I realized I needed to be “happy, positive and smiley” first, before I could translate that into my photography. My photographs now are very close to my goal. I will never forget good photographs are the result of wonderful TU students, our beautiful campus, and helpful faculty and staff. I know I am no “fisherman” to you, but I would love to make you smile and make this day a little easier to live. By the way, do me a favor. When you travel to somewhere in the middle of nowhere, meet a little kid and you hear him saying, “One day I will study in your country and make a difference to the world”, you say looking at the eyes, “You have everything you need to make your dream come true. Good luck”.

Have a great day. Keep smiling. Thank you all.

 

Preserving the Earth, Preserving your Grades

Are you getting ready for the end of the semester? Start thinking of when you should be studying, what resources you need, and how to finish your semester strong with everything from the beginning of your semester to now!

Plants grow from seedlings when nourished consistently over time. Your brain retains information better if you provide it a steady flow of information throughout the course of the semester rather than trying to cram everything into it in one week. Slow and steady always wins the race. The path to success is one of consistent attention and time commitment. It is not achieved in a week or overnight. This is the take home message for approaching finals or the next school year. The best way to prepare yourself for exams and for life is to start early and water your brain with the knowledge needed to succeed!

Tired of spending money on ink, paper, and printing fees for printing articles assigned for your class? How about toting around three notebooks so you can hectically take notes for each class, only to find them illegible when you look back to review them? It’s time to #recycle that paper and start using your resources! If your professors allow it, take notes on your computer or tablet during class.  You can compile your notes by subject, topic and/or day (side note, if you bring your computer to class, TURN OFF THE INTERNET-it helps with the internet browsing temptation).  Sign up for Evernote, where you can take notes and share them with others in order to make quick, easy, effective study groups. Finally, download your textbooks and articles onto your computer or tablet. Look into software that is compatible with your device so you can make notes on specific readings and save them to your computer. At the end of the day, you’ll have your notes and readings all in the same place.  With that said, don’t forget to back everything up! Whether you use an external hard drive, the “cloud”, or any other device, make sure you have things saved in multiple places.  Not only will you feel more organized, but you’ll save your back the trouble of carrying all your materials around campus.

With the excitement of finishing classes, it’s easy to be tempted to throw all your notes in the trash. However, take a moment to think about what might be useful for you in the future before throwing any notes away. If you are planning on going to graduate school, some of your undergraduate notes may be useful to save as a reference. If you are taking a course relevant to your future career, those notes also may be worth holding on to. You never know when you are going to need this information again! Another important reason to recycle your notes is because you can reuse them again to study! Save your notes for all your classes during the semester as they will come in handy when studying for finals and cumulative tests. At the end of the semester, go through all your notes and decide what is worth keeping and what you can afford to get rid of. You worked hard all semester to take good notes, don’t forget to reuse and #recycle them!

The end of the semester is right around the corner and this is the time to sharpen up any habits you may have lost. Look over your notes, develop new habits, and start studying now!

Fact or Fiction? Swimming through the world of Politics.

Scroll through your Facebook timeline right now – somewhere there is at least one passionate novel length status from someone who claims they are the end all guru of political wisdom.

It’s that time again, friends. Happy election year!

With this being such a vital year in American politics, there’s a wave of messages flooding media channels with ‘vital political information’. But how do you navigate the madness? How can you figure out who to vote for with confidence when one source about a candidate contradicts another source?

Never fear! Political literacy is here!

Political literacy, first and foremost, should not be confused with political ideology. While political ideology is great in directing you in seeking sources based on your values, political literacy and being politically literate is being able to evaluate information that is appropriate, credible, and overall reliable. You see it in Facebook statuses, biased media sources, and even just word of mouth – there is so much information out there but not all the information will be reliable because, well, anyone can produce ‘information’. A good rule of thumb is to spot C.R.A.P when you see it!

When looking at resources, you should consider the following things:

Currency – How recent was this resource published or updated? This is especially important when you are researching political candidates because a statement that they said in a speech ten years ago may be brought up for debate. That statement might not have the same meaning or reflect the same beliefs the candidate holds now.

Reliability – What kind of information is included in the resource? Does the author provide citations/ references for quotations and data? Where are you getting this information from? A lot of articles will use numbers to make their point. Figures like 43% of this or $2 billion of that are easy to throw around, but where are the citations?

A great resource for those who are seeking to be politically literate is the site http://www.politifact.com/. This site has a user-friendly “truth-o-meter” where journalists have researched “political facts” and statements as a reference for voters.

Authority – Who is the author/ creator of the resource? Are they credible/ reputable? One of the best ways to ensure whatever information you are getting has a reputable authority behind it is to simply go towards the source! Go to a candidate’s site and research what they have been working on/what they value. Go talk to your local politicians – often times you will be able to actually visit their personal office! Being politically literate is about much more than just choosing a president and you can’t get more authentic than the politician themselves!

Additional sources that would be helpful would be the NYTimes guide to the candidates, http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/us/elections/2016-presidential-candidates.html, and Baltimore Sun Voting Guide http://data.baltimoresun.com/voter-guide-2016/, since the information is specifically compiled from the survey information that politicians filled out themselves.

Purpose/Point of View – Is the content primarily opinion or is the information provided with as minimal bias as possible? Why was the article written in the first place? If there is one thing you must be wary about is the tidal wave of bias. Often, the purpose of a political message is to share a specific point of view – even if that means exaggerating/manipulating information. Taking the initiative to be politically literate sometimes means leaving your ideology at the door. We’ve all been susceptible to the phenomenon of the “filter bubble” – surrounding ourselves with people and following social media that reflects our own ideology. While aligning with a political ideology has its perks don’t forget to ask for the facts!

Wow, it seems like you have to navigate through a lot of C.R.A.P to become politically literate right? Don’t worry! You’re swimming your way towards political literacy by just questioning the sources of information you find!

Student On-Campus Employees–It’s All About YOU!

Happy National Student Employment Week Tigers!

Did you know that there are over 3,000 jobs available on-campus for students and all departments are now required to post open positions on Hire@TU?

Students who hold on-campus jobs often have higher GPAs than their peers who work off-campus or don’t have a job at all. On-campus employment allows for flexibility in scheduling and convenience both of which aid in successful time management for class work and studying. As outlined by the NACE Core Competencies for Career Readiness (PDF), there are specific competencies employers in all industries look for in a candidate, which students should develop to be best prepared to transition to the real world post-graduation. On-campus student employment allows students the opportunity to develop these career readiness skills.

In addition to attaining desirable skills that can be translated into the real world after graduation, working on-campus has many other benefits. Rachel Ungvarsky, a marketing intern at the Career Center, shared with me how she benefited from working on-campus and how you, too, can benefit.

• Career Ready Skills:

 “I’ve held jobs on-campus in departments like Housing and Residence Life, New Student Programs, and the Career Center. These experiences have helped me develop valuable time management, communication, and organizational skills. I’ve also had a chance to work as a team with peers and learn from others,” said Rachel.

•  Convenience:

 Rachel explains that her favorite part of working on-campus is that on-campus employers “…understand that you are a student first. I’ve been able to juggle classes, involvement, and work schedule much easier because of this.”

 

• Makes Finding an Internship/Full-Time Position Easier:

 Reflecting on her on-campus experience she said, “I’ve also had a much easier time getting my first internship since I’ve had these work experiences on my resume. I highly recommend all Towson students to consider being an on-campus student employee. There’s a lot you can learn and experience by working on campus.”

 

To the students who are currently on-campus employees, join the Career Center this week for the following events (with lots of free food and giveaways) in order to celebrate and recognize your hard work and dedication:

 

 

• Monday, April 11: We wouldn’t be HOLE without you!
• Tuesday, April 12: We need SMORE employees like you!
• Wednesday, April 13: “Wheel” do anything for you!
• Thursday, April 14 : “TU’s coolest employees”
• Friday, April 15: National Student Employment Week (Individual department recognition)

Make sure to wear your department t-shirt/nametag or be prepared to pull up your online timesheet, as these events are only available to current on-campus student employees. If you are not yet a student employee and are interested in available positions, check out Hire@TU to find your on-campus job today.

Thank you for all of your continual hard work and dedication, TU student on-campus employees!

Amanda Sands
Marketing Intern
Career Center

Who’s Got Time for That?

As college students, you have multiple things that you are juggling all at once. Whether you are a student-athlete, in the marching band, a member of a campus group or organization, or just an involved student within your degree program; finding time to fit EVERYTHING in seems almost impossible most days. The purpose of this article is to help you find that balance and provide you with a few time management strategies that could alleviate some of the stress that comes from being so busy!

1. Prioritize your time: Make a list of all your obligations and prioritize them how you see fit.
2. Find an organization method: Write all of your obligations in a weekly or monthly calendar/planner so you can see where all of your time is being spent. Heck, you could go a step further and even color code the different commitments so you know how much time you’re spending per area. Include your school assignments.
3. Reminders: If you have a smartphone or electronic calendar, make sure to set up reminders to go off either 30 minutes before or a day before, depending on your short and long term memory.
4. Limit distractions: How often do you find yourself taking a break from studying to check out what’s going on in the social media world? Next thing you know, an hour or more has passed. Put a timer on your phone for 10-15 minutes and then start looking through your social media apps or shopping websites. When the alarm goes off, you know it is time to get back to work! Also, put your phone on airplane mode when doing school work so you don’t get distracted by emails, texts, social media notifications, etc.
5. Just DON’T do it… naps: It can be very tempting to take a nap for an hour in between your two classes. Although this sounds good at the time, there is sometimes room for error. Maybe you forget to set an alarm, or set it for PM when it was supposed to be AM. If you skip the nap you can maximize your day time hours and get your work done. Ideally you should be able to get to bed at a decent hour in order to get a solid 8 hours of sleep at night.
6. Online classes: It is easy to forget sometimes that you have to be reading or doing assignments for online classes since you aren’t physically going to a classroom to be taught the material. Make sure you schedule designated times and days to focus on those online classes so you don’t fall behind.
7. Get in the habit: Imagine waking up to go to class and when you get there, nobody else is there. At that moment, you decide to check your email and Blackboard. Sure enough, your professor sent a last minute announcement saying class was cancelled. Doh!!! Checking your email and Blackboard at certain times throughout the day could help you avoid added stress like this.

These are just a few suggestions for managing your time and obligations as a busy college student. Good luck!

Elysa Newman, Director for Athletic Academic Achievement