FIND A WAY TO RELAX!!!

       It is no surprise that college can become very stressful at times.  Whether it is stress from an overbearing homework assignment, frantically cramming for an 8a.m. final, or fighting with your current girlfriend/boyfriend it inevitably happens to everyone.  The key to dealing with that stress is finding a place "your special place" to unwind and let your hair down.  When I was going to TTU there were 2-3 places I could always go to unwind.  One of those spots was the gym of course!  Exercise always helped me relieve stress and get my mind back on track.  There have been numerous research studies that have proven this to be a successful way to relax and reduce stress.  Another favorite spot of mine was almost anywhere I could hang my hammock.  TTU had a great spot for this on their 300+ acre research farm, it was a small picnic area at the entrance to the facility with beautiful tall oak trees, and cattle in the background.  My all time favorite spot though was a  hill on the back of that farm where you could look down across the fields and see cattle grazing at sunset, or see the rows of field corn waving in a slight wind.  This was "MY SPOT"  and it never let me down, when something was troubling me, or when I was arguing with a current girlfriend I would hop on the "Gator" (a utility type ATV that we had on the farm) travel across the pastures and perch myself up on top of that hill to watch the sunset for the evening and clear my mind.  After watching the sun paint a beautiful picture across the sky as it was settling in for the night I would say a little prayer and almost instantly I would begin to feel better and whatever was ruffling my feathers at the time would drift away.
      A relaxing spot can literally be almost anywhere, as long as it helps you relax.  The spot could be a quiet corner on the third floor of the library where you put your headphones in and forget about the day.  It could be a blanket laying in the soft grass of the quad courtyard as you read a favorite book or watch the squirrels run from tree to tree.   It does not matter where it is as long as it is YOUR spot and it helps you unwind.  College is to short to sit there and let the stress carryover day to day and make you miserable!  Most people only get one chance to make the most of their time at school so why waste it by overly stressing, find your spot, relax, and then move on to more enjoyable things with your new state of mind.  I hope this small piece of advice helps one of you out there like the many times it has helped me.

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.