Five Essential Truths College Has Taught Me About Life So Far

Textbooks, lectures, final exams, these, are just a few tools many people think of when describing how college prepares students for their jobs after school. However, college is much more than just course-work, it is a time for developing who we are as people and the ideals we will carry for the rest of our lives. We come in as naive 18-year-olds, and over the years we hopefully discover who we are.

With the middle of the semester coming up, I have been reflecting on the lessons that I have learned so far at ONU.

 I realized that college has provided me the opportunity to set the standards for my own life, leading to outline five essential truths to my life so far.

1. Being excessively-organized is critical to success in school as well as life.

My calendars, planners, note-taking systems and even organizing my apartment have become a part of my daily life management routine. I would not survive without excessively organizing my life; it keeps me on task and goal oriented.

2. Treat every day like it is a day job

A while back, I had read a bulletin board in my apartment hallway, (sometimes they have great information) and read an interesting piece on how to stay productive during the day. The section on the board said to treat every day of classes as a day of work. Meaning that if you go to class in the morning at 9 and then have a 3-hour break, under no circumstance should you go back to your room and watch TV! 

Instead, go to the library or an empty classroom on campus and get some work done, read the news, or a book, anything that could help you work toward a goal that you have set.

When I go back to my room, I know that I neglect the work that I need to get done. Taking that break in the day sets my mind to its lazy setting when it needs to be in productive mode. I make it a priority to have that "work day" feel until have accomplished the day's goals.

3. Being happy with your department/workplace is more important than the status/money you think you need.

My first semester of college was a miserable experience. I was struggling in every aspect of my life; school, personal, emotional and physical.  I was having a hard time fitting in with the professors that I had, the friends that I had made and the student organizations that I chose to participate in.

Thankfully, one professor in the Communications and Media Studies department helped me realize something vital; if you are struggling with an aspect of your life, you should examine the people that you are around first.

In my case, I did not fit into the department. I made the change, and now I love going to class, I love the work that I am doing and love the people that I interact with on a daily basis.

You can not put a price on being in the right place at the right time.

4. There are times for buckling down and having self-control, and there are times for letting loose and falling off the face of the earth.

Often, as college students, we tend to get into a mindset that we need to be productive all the time, 24/7. I know people who get up in the morning, start doing work, go to meetings, go to practice, go to work, come back and do more homework.

Working that hard all the time leaves no room for reflection or mental decompression.

I make a point to take a step back from my work every once in a while. When that time comes, I forget everything I have to do; it goes on the back burner. Taking time to "fall off the face of the earth" is sometimes healthy. Get lost in a good book, go for a long walk or just sit and think, whatever allows you clear your mind and relax.

5. Let your confidence show and step out of your comfort zone.

Confidence is the most powerful aspect that a person can have. It amplifies our attributes and shows other people that we can handle ourselves. If we spend all of our lives putting up boundaries around the things we think cannot be handled, then our full potential will never be reached.

Go and join that club you once thought you might want to or take that class you never thought you could handle, run for a president of an organization. You never know if you will succeed at something if you never try.

I am in no way the most confident person in the world, nor do I always step out of my comfort zone. However, I try to walk into new situations with the confidence that I will succeed. I will always be the loudest person in the room, not always vocally but confidently.

#ONUHomecoming17 Men's Soccer Game Storify

Social Media Marketing Workbook Introduction

The Social Media Marketing Workbook cover art from the 2016 edition. This is the version of the book that we will be using throughout our time in the course. (Photo/Amazon)

In Social Media Principles we are starting a new book, "Social Media Marketing Workbook" by Jason McDonald. This book is the second of three that we will be reading during the duration of the course.

Bored and Brilliant

Follow @manoushz

Boredom, we have all experienced it, and we are all guilty of suppressing our boredom. With social media and mobile devices, it hardly ever seems possible to become bored, but what if I told you that being bored is healthy.

Manoush Zomorodi, a journalist, turned podcast host has created a new stigma around being bored with her Bored and Brilliant movement. She recently gave a talk at TED about the connection between boredom and creativity.

Manoush said in her TED talk that we are more creative when we are bored. We need our boredom to critically think and to think creatively about topics we have been focusing on during our active time.

Why Ohio Northern Should Improve the Department of Communications and Media Studies

The Freed Center for performing arts at the Ohio Northern University which is home to the Communication and Media Studies department (photo/onu.edu)

The Ohio Northern University has completed several renovations over the past few years. Most recently, they remodeled the McIntosh Center which included new seating in the public areas, polar expresso, dining hall, and the complete remodel and addition of the Wow Wingery. The university just recently announced the building of a state of the art engineering building worth millions of dollars.

With all of these renovations to campus, many departments are stating their case as to why they should have the next large scale renovation. I believe that the Communication and Media Studies department should be the one to receive the next improvement on campus.

The Why and How for Maintaining Strong Family Relationships Through College

Everyone goes through struggles in life at one point or another. When we are experiencing the pressures that school, work, and life have on us, we often rely on the people who are closest to us. For myself, I fall back on my greatest support group, my home, and my family.

My home and my family are two things that I miss while being away at college.

My outlet for all of my pressures in life is my family. If I am having a bad day and need to talk to someone, I call my parents and brother.  They always guide me to the right decisions when I am struggling with school, life or relationships. They always have my back when I have had a rough day of classes or life is getting me down. The ultimate stress reliever when I am away at college is my family.

Having a close relationship with my family is something that I make sure I maintain throughout my time away at college. Here are my key points to consider for keeping close relationships with family when away at school:

    1. I make sure to call family at least twice a week to update them on how classes, life, and relationships are going.

    2. When I am not calling family, I make sure to send texts periodically throughout the day, especially goodnight and that I love them. (this goes a long way)

    3. I try to make time for two visits home a semester, not including scheduled university breaks.

Remembering to accomplish these three easy points has provided me with strong relationships with my family. Although I do not see them as much as I used to, they are always there for me when I need them. They are my greatest support system, and I could not imagine completing college without their guidance.