10 Ways to Make it to Class

5. Count down! Think to yourself, "Okay, after today there are only 15 more times I have to come to this class." Then be positive. "I can do that. Only 15 more." And so on. It will give yourself less of a hopeless "I can't do this anymore!" kind of attitude.

4. Motivate yourself: Think ahead. You are at college for a reason. This is a great opportunity. Think about your future and what you will do with your degree. Is it worth it? In order to get there, you must actually go to class. Then go.

3. Enjoy class: Find something, anything, about each class that you enjoy. Maybe it is a friend in there with you. Maybe it is the access to computers. Maybe it is the subject matter or class discussion. When you think you just can’t go to another one of these classes, remind yourself there is at least something small you don’t hate about it. And go for that.

2. Imagine the big picture: It may seem like forever away, but for most you have about four years before you graduate. That’s not forever, at least not in the long run. Just tell yourself that this is a small season of your life. It will pass. The days where you have to drag yourself to class will soon turn to days where you get up to go to that job you love every day. Just remember, it isn’t forever.

1. Your money: You are paying for an education. Or at lease someone is. Don’t waste those funds. If it is scholarship, think of how hard you worked to get it and how there are some who didn’t receive it and are paying out of pocket. Either way, it is expensive. So get the best out of it! Seek your education with a whole heart. Go to class!

10 Reasons to Befriend an International Student

5. Help them out: If you are familiar with how things work around the college environment, you know that it would be tough to survive without friends. Think about how often you call on others for help with school, rides, problems, etc. This is the case for internationals too. They have a lot of adjusting to do once they arrive at Astate. Be a part of helping them out.
4. Learn something: There are students from all over the world at our school! That is so cool. Think of all the things they know about that we don’t. Or even just interesting things that occur in their culture, but not ours. Not only small interesting facts, but true life lessons. These students have a lot to share.
3. Share your beliefs: Ever have the desire to take your thoughts or beliefs to the nations? You don’t have to wait until you can hop on a plane and travel world-round. Strike up a conversation with a Chinese or African student. You’ll be amazed at how interested they usually are in what Americans believe. Good luck finding an American that interested in what you have to say.
2. They are a big portion of our student body: How can we just ignore such a great percentage of our student body!? They are in the cafeteria, in your classes and maybe even your roommates. We have a multi-cultural population here. That is a really great thing. Don’t consider them the minority. Consider them your peers.
1. Why wouldn’t you?...: Finally, what is stopping you? These are real people. Do you intentionally exclude other American peers? If so, that seems very…high school. We are adults now. Chances are we are going to be working with a vast variety of cultures in just a few years in our full-time jobs. Embrace it. What are you waiting for?

Top Ten Time Management Skills

To see 10-6 check out The Herald at www.asuherald.com

5. Write things down: Make sure you write down any assignments or appointments. It is a lot easier to forget things than we let ourselves think. This is especially problematic as the semester goes on and our workload increases significantly. Don’t let yourself get behind because you relied on your memory. And once you write it down…remember where you wrote it!

4. Prioritize: Think about what is most important. Is it school? Which class? Which assignment? Then what? Work? Friends? Make sure you are not leaving the most important responsibilities for last, but also make sure they are orderly first. This helps a lot with school. I suggest doing what is hardest first. Next, move on to your major and minor work. Finish with the small assignments. There’s not much more stressful than having your biggest assignment left to do and not enough time left to do it.

3. Sleep counts: Don’t leave sleeping out of your schedule. Get rest. And make sure you are getting enough. More than that, it should be quality rest. Get on a healthy sleep pattern and adjust to it. This will be easier to do if you are managing your time wisely! Then, you will feel more refreshed and be more physically and mentally able to do what you need to do.

2. To-do lists: Most people have mental versions of these at least. Try to put it on paper. Not your schedule, but your tasks. Where you need to go, what you need to start and finish, etc. This will also help you put better thought into prioritizing things. For satisfaction sake, check off the tasks you complete. You will feel mightily rewarded when you fill in that last check!

1. Have you-time: Save time for you! Even if it seems like you are wasting time, make sure you have at least an hour a day to just chill. Read a non-academic book or go for a run. Just do something alone that you enjoy. It will give you the break you need to get everything else done. While it may seem like it is giving you less time in a day, it is actually enabling you to finish out the day feeling like you accomplished all you should.

10 Reasons Not To Go Home So Often

To read 10-6, read The Herald at www.asuherald.com

5. Expensive: Making the drive home, even if it is only an hour, can take up quite a bit of funding if you make a habit of it. Not just the obvious gas expense, but also the money spent on snacking, packing and any other additional attention your trip may require. If you can just stay put and have a great time on a cheaper budget, why wouldn’t you?

4. Academic strain: Studies also show that students can make a lot better improvements on test scores and assignments if they are completing their work in the same atmosphere that it was assigned, as long as the same place where peers and tutoring sessions are offered.

3. Fun: There will always be stuff going on at home that you can return to, but here, there are great new opportunities to get involved! Typically, your adjustment at school and the amount of fun you have while on-campus will directly correlate to how often you stay and how often you leave. So stay! Or else you will never have time to adjust and learn to love the good times at your school.

2. Growing up: Going home all the time is going to keep you from experiencing the most important aspect of going off to college. It is growing up. You quickly learn how to make it on your own and how to be your own person. While this process could still occur with a person who frequently goes home, it will probably be much slower and less effective.

1. Missing the point: The whole idea of going away to college is to step out of the box and take that next step in life! Get away from what you are use to and embrace the point of the college experience! It is well worth the discomfort!

Ten Fitness Opportunities

To view 10-6 check out Campus Catalists in The Herald at www.asuherald.com

5. Fitness Assessment: (October 13 and 15; December 1 and 3) Participants are given a fitness assessment including testing of their flexibility, cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and body composition. The assessment is followed by recommendations on how to improve or maintain their fitness level.

4. Bench Press Challenge: (October 20) A weight is assigned and participants are to bench press this as many times as possible. Men will be assigned to bench press their own body weight and women will be assigned half of their own body weight.

3. Get-A-Grip Challenge: (November 10) This entails hanging from a chinning bar for as long as the participant can with arms straight and hands not touching. This must be done without the use of artificial support such as chalk or wrist straps.

2. Fitness Challenge: (December 1) This challenge will include bar hanging, bench pressing and stretch running. Points for participation are accumulated for completing each activity. Performance points are also awarded for placing in the top five of each activity.

1. Daily Fitness Center Access: (DAILY) The fitness center is open often. Find a time in your schedule to visit and utilize the equipment. Just a little while a day can make a huge difference in your overall fitness and health.

Eight things to do on your day off...

This is inspired by the beauty of Labor Day. No school, no work...What do we do with it?

1. Sleep in.
This is a must. And on this labor day, I put this into action. Most days, we wake up for class or work and head out for the day. Oh the beauty of not having to set an alarm!

2. Veg out.
Who wants to head out as soon as you role out of bed on your day off? Take some time to sit on the couch, let your brain do nothing while you stare blankly at the t.v. and stuff your mouth with whatever snack food you choose from your cabinet for breakfast.

3. Catch up.
This isn't as fun, but it's a good opportunity to catch up on some homework. Just take an hour to focus on catching up or even getting ahead in class so that you won't have that lingering tomorrow.

4. Work out.
A great way to start off your free day is to work out. Get your blood flowing so you can feel good. Plus, I often use business as an excuse to avoid this. Days off are great opportunities to actually do that thing you never have time for.

5. Hang out.
Just spend some time with friends. If it is also a day off for your closest buddies, head over to their place and sit and chat for a while. Maybe get a group together to play some games. This is something that makes a good day off worth-while.

6. Read up.
Yet another thing we tend to put off. But there are great books out there. Probably one or two sitting in your drawer half-read. Take a little time to fill your mind with knowledge or adventure in a good book.

7. Go out.
If you are looking for some serious entertainment on this day, try going out to a movie or go bowling or to the mall. Do something! And have fun doing it that you couldn't or wouldn't have on a normal work and school day.

8. Turn in.
When the day it ending and your day off coming to a close, you don't have to burn out in the late hours of the night. Maybe turn in a little early and catch up on some sleep or just enjoy the stress-fee feeling of laying in your bed and not having to be anywhere else.

Ten Benefits to Living On-campus

See 10-6 in THE HERALD at www.asuherald.com
5. Gas: This is another common complaint from off-campus residents. Even if the drive is short, in the long run gas can add up. Making trips back and forth from campus each day can become expensive. Also, on-campus residents seem to use their vehicles less altogether, walking to meals, entertainment, and classes that are all located on ASU’s grounds.

4. Cafeteria: If you eat in the Caf often, you probably think this isn’t much of a benefit. True, the food can get old quick, but the money spent on food off-campus adds up. Also, much between-class hanging out is done in The Acansa Dining Hall. This is yet another way to get connected by living nearby.

3. Campus Involvement: Again, being involved is not dependant on living on-campus, but it does make it easier to initiate participation. Many club and organization meetings are also held at ASU and much of the efforts made by these associations are connected to on-campus life.

2. Roommates: Being stuck with a random roommate from a town you have never heard of can be one of the best things to happen in college. Many students meet life-long friends by living in the dorms with someone they barely know at first. Being in such close quarters forces students to bond with other people and create new friendships faster.

1. Social Opportunities: Finally and most importantly is the social aspect of living on-campus, simply hanging out with people. So often do spontaneous get-togethers happen at any hour of day or night, both in the dorms and around campus. This is where lasting memories are made. If you came to college looking for that “college experience,” campus residency is your first and greatest step in making it happen in the best possible way.