Always Register with Friends

One of the BEST pieces of advice I could offer to any college student is to REGISTER for classes WITH FRIENDS.  I figured out this helpful little tip during my sophomore year after I had made some friends that were studying the same concentration.  I used this tip religiously, and always tried to have at least 2-3 friends taking the same classes each semester.  When registration week rolls around have a group of friends come over to your apartment or dorm to hang out and suffer through the registration pain together (Trust me when I say this is one of the best tips out there).  There are so many benefits from registering this way:

1. It makes homework assignments much easier:  When you have several friends in the same class together you all can organize homework groups to get through difficult problems and make the assignment more enjoyable.
2. It makes test time much more bearable:  Testing and exam time is always a difficult period for most students, but when you have friends to suffer through together, it helps to take the edge off.  You and your friends can organize study groups together (I always found this to be very helpful because you can bounce information off of each other and have a laugh or two while studying).
3. Taking notes:  When you register for classes with friends, you now have a backup plan if you miss a class and need to catch up on some notes, or if your teacher does not take attendance, you and your friends can take turns going to class while the others skip (of course I do not recommend this but it is possible).
4. Carpooling:  Parking was always a problem on campus, and  TTU was only a medium sized school, I am sure it is much worse at larger universities.  The good news though is, if you have registered for classes with friends you all can rotate on carpooling to help save on gas, and beat the parking lot madness.
5. Safety in Numbers:  Safety has now become an issue on many campuses, with the rise in rape cases on campus across the nation.  I would advise any ladies out there who are having to take a night class to please register for it with a friend.  The reason being, when class is over you and your friend can walk back to your cars together to lessen the chances of an incident occurring.  

These are just a few of the benefits of registering for classes with friends, try this tip out for yourself and maybe you can add a few more benefits to the list.  Again if any of you have any tips or topics you would like to share then please comment on them or send me an email.  Also if any of you need one on one advice feel free to email me at ANYTIME.  jthpitcher34@gmail.com or jordanthalliburton@gmail.com

Benefits of Exercise

Ok, so it is no surprise to anyone who is breathing that exercise is good for the body.  Doctors, tv personalities, radio hosts they all inform us of how beneficial exercise is for our overall health, but so many of us miss out on this wonderful opportunity to invest in ourselves.  College students especially, are at greater risk of weight gain with the added exposure to junk food, stress, irregular schedules, and inadequate time to cook proper meals.  I along with a great majority of other college students are all to familiar with this downside of college and the dreaded "Freshman 15" which is very common for most students.  The good news is this does not have to be the case for you as long as you try to incorporate some healthier eating habits and movement into your daily schedule.  These steps do not have to be dramatic, they could be as simple as replacing that milkshake with an apple, or taking a nice long walk around campus on an Autumn evening.  These steps, though small at first, can have great effects on your overall health while in college.  There are MANY MANY MANY benefits to exercise that so many people miss out on.   Some of these benefits include:

• Better Memory (While in college I noticed my memory was much greater when I was exercising regularly and eating healthy.  I did not have to study as long for tests and could retain that knowledge so much easier.)
• More Self Confidence (Another wonderful side effect of regular exercise is the boost in self confidence that it can generate.  When someone is working out regularly their body releases more of the hormones responsible for the feeling of confidence, not to mention fitting back into your favorite pair of jeans.)
• More Energy (Exercising has a HUGE effect on the amount of energy you have throughout the day, I always had much more energy on days that I was exercising instead of days that I would skip.)
• A Chance to Meet New Friends (The gym is a GREAT new place to meet new like minded people, you are all in there for the same reason, to get better.  I met several of my friends while being in the gym, not to mention quite a few first dates as well.  If you are generally a shy person then take a friend along with you so you do not feel quite as awkward.  I promise after a few days the awkward feeling will disappear if you are a shy person.)
• Clearer Thinking (When I was regularly exercising I always seemed to think much more clearly when doing homework or writing papers.  Exercise dramatically increased my cognition, and mental thought process while also decreasing the foggy feeling many people get when trying to sit through an 8 a.m. or a late night class.)
• Overall Health Benefits (This one is pretty self explanatory, exercising has enumerable benefits.)

These are just a few of the SEVERAL benefits of exercising while in college.  I challenge you this coming semester to get out and get active and see for yourself how much better you will think and feel if you implement some daily exercise and healthier eating habits into your daily schedule.  If you need help getting started with some general regimens, nutrition advice, or exercise plans then feel free to email me at jordanthalliburton@gmail.com do not be shy.

The Power of a Mentor

One of the most crucial tools to have while pushing through your college career is a good mentor to turn to when times are tough or when you need a question answered.  This mentor could be almost anyone from friends, classmates, siblings, professors, or even co-workers.  Your mentor needs to be someone you can trust and also someone who has been in your position before.  My personal mentor was actually my manager, which some might find unusual. His name was Rusty and I could turn to him for help with ANYTHING, and consulted with him for help several times while in college.  Rusty was my manager at work, an early 30’s, open minded fun loving man who would help anyone if at all possible at any time.  Rusty was the manager of Hyder Burks Agricultural Pavilion and was a Tennessee Tech School of Agriculture Alumni so he had been in my shoes, he actually had held the same job as I and lived in the same exact apartment.  Rusty had this confidence and charisma about himself that was hard not to like.  At one point in my college career I was double majoring in Agricultural Engineering Technology and Mechanical Engineering and had registered for a very tough semester of Mechanical Engineering classes.  After three days in these classes I quickly came to realize that M.E. was not for me, ha ha like what I did there.  So what do you do when you are three days into a semester and realize that you completely messed up your class schedule and want to completely drop a major?  You freak out, or at least that was the case for me.  By the end of the third day I was sweating bullets and immediately turned to Rusty for help. He calmed me down and told me that we could get the situation worked out, he made a phone call to my advisor Dr. Baier and we were able to get all of my classes changed and drop my major.  I also turned to Rusty for more than just school related topics, I frequently asked him for advice on relationships throughout school, which can be a difficult topic for almost anyone.  From asking him about his thoughts on a new girlfriend to heartaches and breakups he was there for me day and night and had a solution for anything I could throw at him.  The lesson from this is find that one special person you can trust and turn to for advice or when you are in a difficult situation.  Find that person for you and never be scared to ask them for help, it is always easier for two people to figure out a problem than one.  The old phrase “two heads are better than one” comes to mind, if you can find this person you will have one of the most valuable tools of your college career.