Imani Edwards

Summer is the lingering thought amongst most of us Vandy students as we prepare to tackle finals season. Most of us are looking forward to relaxing and enjoying ourselves while some will wonder what they will be doing over our 2 month long break. Here is a (semi) long  list of things to do and/or to keep in mind over the summer:

1. Plan/decide your future educational path/plan.
2. Schedule a shadowing of a professional in your prospective field.
3. Apply for internships in your prospective career.
4. Learn an new subject: cooking, coding, 3D printing, painting, song writing, playing an instrument, etc.
5. Volunteer at a retirement village (“old folks home”). They enjoy having young people around!
6. Volunteer at a local non-profit animal shelter. These types of shelter receive very few support and usually run on donations and grants and are always looking for help.
7. Create, learn, and start-up a business. This can be from doing tasks on Fiverr, selling handmade items on Etsy or Instagram, or even creating your own website and advertising your product.
8. Learn to meditate.
9. Find a way to incorporate more water into your schedule if it is hard for your to remember to drink it daily.
10. Apply for scholarships.
11. Learn to film, edit, and post videos/film.
12. Deep clean your room and donate any old but in good condition items to goodwill. Any new but unworn items can be sold on sites like Mercari or Depop.
13. Go thrift shopping.
14. Learn how to invest and/or budget your money.
15. Plan a vacation or day event with friends.\
16. Review online notes for any future subject you plan on taking.
17. Try a new clothing, hairstyle, and/or hair color.
18. Discuss possible room designs with your roommate for next year.
19. Consider mentoring an incoming Vanderbilt freshmen.
20. Breathe and enjoy the summer!
21. Learn a new hands -on-craft: woodworking, sculpting, construction, electrical circuitry, etc.
22. View study abroad applications and consider staying abroad for a semester.
23. Consider taking classes that are new to you (for example, sign language, theater production, acting, star gazing, etc.)
24. Learn tactics to limit procrastination.
25. Consider a new method of planning: bullet journals, notebook planners, electronic calendars, etc.
26. Volunteer at a local food pantry.
27. If you plan on transferring, taking college tours is a good idea.
28. Try a new diet and/or exercise routine (within healthy measures of course).
29. Read more. Go to your local library and get a library card. It is/should be free.
30. Practice improving your handwriting.
31. Learn how to type without looking down. There are many free services that offer this online and it makes your typing faster.
32. Learn/improve your cursive handwriting, like typing, cursive is meant to make writing faster.
33. Walk outside more and enjoy the fresh air.
34. Communicate with/visit far away relatives.
35. Find a summer job.(or create your own).
36. Sign up for move-in crew.

This list could go on and on but it should give you some ideas as to what you can do over the summer if you find yourself bored and uninspired. Have a great summer!

Final season has fallen among us. And like many other VU students, you most likely  have to juggle your last midterms with studying and/or working on your final exams/projects. Here are some steps to aid you in preparation for final season.

1. Make a list of all your exams, final projects, papers, etc. and record the date and time each assignment is due/scheduled.
2. Print a blank calendar (or use a planner) and write in the information you collected in step 1.
3. Review the list you made in step 1 and estimate how long it will take you to study for, finish, and/or prepare for each item you listed.
4. Using different colored highlighters, pen, symbols etc., block in the days that you will work on each assignment. For example, if you have an exam Friday, and you need to study for 4 days for it, you will highlight or mark the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday before the exam as an indication of the days that you will study for it.
5. Repeat step 4 for everything on your list.

In particular to studying, if you need guidance to break down your studying into manageable chunks, follow these steps:

1. Make a list of all of the chapters/parts that will be covered by your exam.
2. Quickly skim/review each section and make an estimate of how long it will take you to review the material. Note this next to each chapter/section.
3. Follow the same steps #1-5 in the above list and use them particularly for your exam. If needed, make/print another calendar separately for any exam.

Your planner/calendar can look pretty overwhelming after listing all of your responsibilities. However, know to take each day at a time and to not try to overplan and over exhaust yourself. Always have 1 to 2 days a week where you are not actively doing work and can relax and do the things you enjoy. Remember to take study breaks every 45 min to 60 min and to sleep,on average, 7 to 8 hours a night.

Staying organized does not have to be a household chore and can actually make your life easier. Here are some tips for having a more organized living space.

1. Get rid of excess items. A lot of people bring more clothes than what they actually wear at college. This becomes a problem as many of us do not have a large closet nor large drawer space to put our items in. And in turn, this results in overstuffed closets and drawers and eventually to having clothes lying around our dorm rooms. Not only is this displeasing to face on a daily basis, it can also be an annoyance . All of this can be avoided if you only bring what you NEED for college. If you have an overflowing closet, bring clothes you don’t wear home during breaks. Keep note of what you wear and what you don’t wear, so next year (or break) you know what to leave home and/or what to donate.
2. Store items more efficiently. Instead of throwing your clothes into your drawer after you finish doing laundry, fold them. Not only does this look pleasing, it can actually create more space. Also, if you have bulkier items that you will not need/use soon, place them in an empty suitcase or backpack that is already taking space in your room.
3. Use small plastic/cardboard containers. If you have a lot of small items in your desk, it may be best to use small tupperware containers (or small upcycled cardboard boxes) to organize and hold them.
4. Purchase a standing book file. Using a standing book file or large plastic crate can help keep your textbooks and workbooks in one stable place without them always having to be in your backpack or scattered around your desk. You could also keep your textbooks stacked in one area on your desk as a “free” alternative.
5. Store loose cords. If you have Ethernet cords, cable cords, etc., tie them with twist ties and place them all into a plastic bag. Place the bag in a drawer, on a shelf, or in your suitcase. Since you are less likely to reach for these cords, you do not need to keep them out in the open.
6. Invest in an accordion file. At some point in time, we all we need to keep important files with us. A file folder is essential in making sure your papers are kept protected and at hand. A file folder can also be beneficial in certain classes to store worksheets, papers, and homework.

Well, it is about that time where most individual’s New Year’s resolutions have not stuck or were never feasible in the first place. If that includes you, its okay it happens to the best of us.  Just because you fell off of the bandwagon of New Year’s resolutions, doesn’t mean you need to wait until 2020 to get motivated and stay on track with your academic goals. Read below if you need some tips for motivation this 2019.

Create a vision board/goal list.

This isn’t some Youtube trend. It really works. Pick a day free day you have, print some pictures of the goals you want to obtain and plaster a piece of paper with them. If you are pressed for time (or the arts and crafts way isn’t for you) old school pen and paper will work. Just having your goals written/put down is the most important part. After finishing your goal board/list, post it where you can see it EVERYDAY! Looking at why you are working hard in the first place will remind you of what is to come after putting in all of your hard work. The reminder of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow will provide a motivating boost as you when you become unmotivated to work/study.

Watch motivating videos.

As a borderline beginner to intermediate musician, I constantly feel as if I need to be better yet cannot find the motivation to practice most days. What has encouraged and motivated me to work was watching videos of other musicians, particularly those detailing their musical journey. Every time I watch other musicians, I think,” Well, if they can do it, why can’t I?” This habit has encouraged me, without fail, to practice. If you feel as if you are in a runt, watch a video of a person from your future profession. Imagine yourself in their shoes. Watching them achieve and do your dream job will encourage yourself to continue working hard so you can do the same.

Prioritize

There are times where you will have to say no to a lot of things (be it another scoop of ice cream, staying out late, watching another Netflix episode/season) and some of them will be very fun things. But as young adults now, we have to be responsible for our own success. In the end, we will only have ourselves to applaud or to blame for our future lifestyle positions. Thus, make your decisions wisely. Do not over burden yourself with work but do not go out so much so that it hinders into your academic life.  Most of us are not playing $70,0000+ a year to not graduate.

Get back up

You will fail. It is impossible to succeed without failure. That doesn’t mean to say you should back down after every failure. Failing is a great way to reroute your goal plan and challenge yourself. If you don’t fail, you will never be able to unlock your potential and push against the limits you set for yourself. Remember, failing is opportunity.

I hope these tips will aid you in academic adventure.

1. Use a personal dry erase board. You can purchase these online from Amazon or at Walmart along with some dry erase markers. Dry erase boards can be used to practice problems, foreign vocabulary memorize equations and more. Plus, they prevent paper waste! Go green!

2. Handwrite your notes. If your lecturer speaks fast, try to print their PowerPoint slides with the 3 slides per page option that’s has the set of lines next to each slide. You can take notes as you go as well as mark the important info on the slides. If no Power Point is available, mind map your notes. Even if you write your notes sloppy, you can still rewrite them later. The more times you write and expose yourself to your notes, the better you will retain the information.

3. Complete practice problems ASAP. Especially in STEM courses,  the more you test yourself after learning the information, the better you will retain said information, which will help in the long run.

4. Find other teaching materials. Search the internet for other notes/problems. YouTube is free and full of helpful instructional videos.  If you want more practice, find a video solving a problem, pause it before the demonstrator finishes it, solve it on your own, and compare your answer. Also check VU’s library catalog for online practice workbooks such as “Chemistry for Dummies: 1,0001 practice problems.” 

5. Review material as if you are teaching a class/student. Convey the material you just learned as if you are the instructor. Go somewhere free of distraction and speak out loud, explaining the concepts you have retained. Use the dry erase board hack as your “chalk board” to write and explain equations/examples. Take note of sections where you feel you need improvement on as you continue to speak aloud.

Since I recently turned 19 years old and it is 2019, I decided what to commemorate my first semester at Vandy with 19 things I have learned so far:

1. Writing your notes is better than typing them. PERIOD. It will help you retain the information better and forces you to put the information you encounter in class in your own words.
2. Chemistry office hours are GOLDEN! Professors are there to help you, so if you have questions and are confused ask them. In my opinion, chemistry is one of the hardest courses at Vandy for freshmen and getting help as soon as possible will help you in the long run.
3. Doing ALEKS consistently ahead of schedule will save you. ALEKS is the current homework program used by the chemistry department as of the 2018-2019 school year. It is both a headache and blessing. It allows you to get ample practice however, will force you to practice more if you keep getting answers wrong. Take it from me, divide and conquer. If you have 12 topics due in 7 days, space them out. If you can work ahead and you see some topics you can do before lecture, DO THEM. You never know when your professor assigns 20 topics to be done in 4 days. It has happened.
4. Eat. Before. A. Three. Hour. Lab. You will regret not doing this.
5. If you don’t want to be placed in a triple, find a roommate before school starts! Triples can be great, however if you have a smaller triple, it can become a little claustrophobic (I still enjoy my roommates though. 🙂 )
6. Central Library is much more quiet and cozy to study in than Stevenson, and that’s the tea on that. It has window seats and the lighting is not as harsh as in Stevenson. I am much more comfortable and encouraged to study in Central then Stevenson, in my opinion.
7. The 2nd floor of Peabody Library is a great place to collaborate with peers (as most individuals seem to not know it exists). It has space for large groups to do work and study, as well as a computer lab and several EXPO boards. (P.S.: You can checkout expo markers and erasers at the library desk Stevenson and Peabody).
8. Study the first week of school. Even if you have little to no homework, it helps to become grounded in the basics before the real rigor begins.
9. Meeting new people is worth it. It may be easy to just shy away and not mingle but it may lead you to feel lonely. Go to Vandy events, ask to eat lunch/dinner with your hallmates or classmates. Just ask.
10. Go to sleep early if you have an 8 AM. This seems self-explanatory but I did not heed this advice and was miserable for my 8 AM chemistry class. You brain really CAN NOT focus with 4 hours of sleep. It just can’t.
11. Save the your all nighters for when you really need them. Again, pretty self-explanatory. All-nighters should only be used for projects that were forgotten or need finishing touches. If it’s just to get ahead, it is not worth. There is only so many all nighters you can accomplish before your body falls apart from exhaustion.
12. The weekend can be the best and worst time to catch up in classes. It can be the best if you plan ahead of time and prioritize/schedule your assignments. It can be the worst if you do not have a game plan, procrastinate, or just hang out all day and night with your friends. If you know you won’t do work on the weekends, plan to do all you work during the school week.
13. Use your Commodore Meal Money to eat off of campus. You paid almost $3,000 for a meal plan and get $200 of “free” money to eat off campus. Use it all.
14. Plan everything. You do not need to plan hour by hour, minute by minute. In all honesty, it is nearly impossible as things can change pretty quickly at Vanderbilt. Make a plan of attack, ordering your tasks from most urgent to least important and divide long-term projects up into manageable chunks.  
15. Expect your plans to fail/be altered. As mentioned in #14, things change quickly at Vanderbilt and never know what to expect.
16. Understand what you are about to get yourself into. It is going to be a challenge. It is going to boring at times. It is going to test you beyond your limits. But limits were made to be broken. Persevere.
17. Don’t do anything you wouldn’t normally do for the sake of fitting in. I have heard stories of individuals doing things they wouldn’t normally and what they shouldn’t be doing just for the sake of fitting itn. It’s not cool to put yourself in harms way or trouble just be cool. This isn’t high school and your parents can not bail you out now. Be you.
18. Soundproof earbuds/headphones may be necessary if you want to block out noise and get into a study bubble or exercise regularly. But the best music to listen to is one without lyrics or pop beats as they can distract you from the goal at hand.
19. Enjoy the process. There is going to be a point where you will look back at your undergraduate years and wish you could experience some things again. Enjoy it now, while you still can.