Midterms

As the school year progresses, midterm exams begin to ensue... Luckily enough, I find myself facing only one of these monsters, though it alone seems quite daunting. How will I tackle it? First, starting from the day that is one week away from the exam, I have been studying each night for the exam. I have found that the practice midterm questions that my professor posted online are quite helpful in determining what to study. Also, I plan to continue my normal sleeping habits, so that I don't get too stressed and worn out. Part of the most stressful part of midterm exams is the weight that they carry in the course. If you familiarize yourself with the syllabus of each of your classes on scholar, you can calculate how your midterm score will affect your final grade. After beginning studying for my midterm, I realized exactly how much I have been hurting myself by not reading the textbook thoroughly. In order to improve over the second half of the semester, I am setting aside time each day to read my textbook so that I don't fall behind on the reading and don't have to cram it all in before the test.

Marine Band Concert

 Marine Band Profile Picture from Facebook

October 3 was my father's birthday. I really wanted to be able to see him, but since I'm going home next weekend for fall break, I wanted to determine if there was anything that we could do as a family here at Tech. I wasn't very sure where to look, but one of my professors mentioned that the Marine Band would be performing on the third. Upon returning to my dorm room, I searched the Virginia Tech website, and discovered that not only were they playing, but all that was necessary to get tickets was to go and request them from Squires. So my family came up from home and we all attended the concert, then went out to supper for my dad's birthday. We had a great time, and Dad really enjoyed it.
So what is there to learn from this situation?
Know what's going on. Check the website fairly frequently so that you don't miss out on any chances. There is always something going on, so you should never feel like there is nothing to do but sit in your dorm room all day. There are opportunities waiting, and you don't want to let them slip by simply because you didn't look.

Chi Alpha

My Chi Alpha Small Group (Bible Study)

Having been raised in a Christian household that attended church every sunday, my religion has always been an important aspect of my life. I come from a very small town, and my church only has about 70 members in attendance on any given Sunday. When I arrived at Virginia Tech, I was overwhelmed by the amount of people on campus. I felt like I was lost in a sea of people. I felt the need to find a Christian group to associate with, and though I attend a Baptist church at home, the days the Baptist Collegiate Ministry meet did not seem to be working with my schedule. The second week of school, I went to Campus Crusade for Christ, and I really enjoyed the service. I had truly missed the fellowship and corporate worship, but there were still so many people. How could I ever find a church "family" when all the groups at Virginia Tech are so big? One of my friends from high school had been attending a small group Bible Studay with Chi Alpha, and she asked if I wanted to go watch the Boise State football game at her group leader's appartment. I agreed, and when I went, the girls I met were really nice. We decided to attend the Chi Alpha worship service the next week, and upon doing so, I knew that this was the place for me. There were about 50 people in attendance, and after the service, people talked to me and genuinely cared about who I was and how I was doing. I have since continued with both Bible Study and worship services at Chi Alpha, and this weekend I went on the Chi Alpha retreat in Gore, VA. Over the past couple of days I have not only strengthened my faith, but also met so many wonderful people in Chi Alpha that are a sort of family for me at Tech. I know that I can depend on them for anything I need.
What does this mean for anyone else? Find a group you identify with. Whether it's a religious group, a club, or a sports group, find a core group of friends. You can make friends in your classes, but often the best friends are those who have something in common with you. Also, don't settle with the first group you find. You may find the perfect one first, or you may not. Make sure. Try a few different groups you think you'll like, and then pick the one that suits you best. With so many different clubs and groups on campus, there's no reason not to have a part in at least one of them.

Animal Vegetable Miracle: Food Origins

In the first chapter of Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, she writes:
"We don't know beans about beans. Asparagus, potatoes, turkey drumsticks - you name it, we don't have a clue about how the world makes it."
This is an astonishingly abundant truth in America today. Children grow up knowing only that vegetables come from the grocery store, oblivious to the fact that they were grown out of the ground prior to being sold. Even if people do realize that vegetables are grown and farmed, they often have misconceptions as to how the friut or vegetable is grown.
"I'll encounter an editor ... who's nixing the part of my story that refers to pineapples growing out of the ground. She insisted they grew on trees." (Barbara Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle)
People don't know how things are grown simply because they have not been exposed to them, and they don't feel the need to inquire as to how it came to be. A shopper may know what time of year fruits are more expensive than others, but never understand that the reason these prices fluctuate is because the fruits aren't in season and must be imported. These facts of life are accepted, without being understood.
As someone entering the Agricultural Science field, one must understand that many people don't know these things. Those who are aware must make efforts to educate the general public. As people gain more information, they can make better decisions. As agriculturalists, it is up to us to ensure that they are well informed.
How to make this happen?
1. Be educated yourself. You can't very well advocate that everyone should know where their food comes from if you don't know where yours did.
2. Understanding what additives are in store-bought items are also important. Know what you're letting enter your body.
3. Do something about it. Buy locally grown food items, or in groups that allow you to "put your money where your mouth is."
4. If and when you have your own family, educate your children on where food comes from. Ensure that they are not part of the American public without a clue.

Center for Academic Enrichment and Excellence

Going to college and getting off on your own is nice, but it is important to realize that the reason you're going to college is to get an education. While college can be expected to be harder than high school was, there's no reason not to do well, especially when there are a wealth of resources at your fingertips.
One of these resources that is particularly useful at Virginia Tech is the Center for Academic Enrichment and Excellence, or CAEE. The CAEE operates to help students be successful throughout their college career. They offer many helpful programs, such as the Majors Fair, for students who are considering changing majors or deciding on which to declare, and Academic Recovery Programs for those students who are returning from Academic Suspension or are on Academic Probation.
If you are struggling in a class, you can sign up with the CAEE for tutoring free of charge. The important thing to remember here is to get help when you first realize you are struggling in the class, not after you bomb your first major test.
CAEE also offers many Seminars for Academic Success to "jump start" your college career and start you on a path of success. They offer seminars such as Time Management, Test Taking: The 3 Steps to Success, Procrastinating Holding You Back?, and many others. These seminars can help you learn techniques in order to maximize your potential and make your college experience successful. They are offered many different times and days, so there will always be at least one offering that will fit your schedule. Since they are one-time only seminars, there is no commitment to come after your seminar is complete. For sacrificing a couple of hours one day, you will gain so much to be used in the many days ahead.

Parking

Sticky-Noted Door

The other day, my roommate put sticky notes all over the door to the dorm room of one of her friends. Her friend vowed to "get her back," so for the remainder of the week, she was walking on eggshells, worried about what her retaliation might be. She slipped into town one night, and Friday morning, she remembered that she may have forgotten to hang her parking pass back on her rearview mirror. Unfortunately for her, the friend down the hall optimized on her situation: she crafted a fake parking ticket and left it on the windshield of the car as a nasty suprise for my roommate to find. My roommate was rather flustered that she recieved a $150 fine for not hanging up her parking pass, and as she pondered how to break the news to her parents, we finally told her that it was all a joke...She wasn't too pleased.

Fake Parking Ticket

Lessons learned: (1) Always make sure to hang your parking pass up before you leave your car. (2) Don't sticky-note a friend's door, you never know what they'll do in return.
How to make sure you don't get a parking ticket (or don't believe you deserve a fake one):
1. As stated above, make sure to hang your parking pass up before you leave your car. Make it a habit to check for your parking pass before you lock your car and leave the parking lot.
2. Know where you can and cannot park, and when you need to move your car. If you've paid for a parking pass, know how to use it so that you don't have to pay additional fines.

3. Make a mental note of where you park. Walking around a parking lot for 20 minutes just to find your car isn't a productive use of time. If the space has a number, jot it down as soon as you can so you don't forget it. Don't try and remember what you parked beside, because it may not be there when you return.

Laundry

So college finally got here. I moved in all of my things, got through my first week of classes, and survived communal shower rooms. With the end of week one came my first encounter with doing the laundry.
I was actually looking forward to doing my laundry. After getting out on my own, taking care of myself, and setting my own schedule without my parents, the laundry would be the final accomplishment for the week.
Saturday morning I came down the stairs, and the washers were all full. "Not a big deal," I thought to myself, and I resolved to come back after lunch. Lunch came and went, and the status on the washing machines remained the same. Finally, after supper, a washing machine was available. One of my high school friends saved the washer for me while I darted upstairs to grab my laundry basket and quarters. I loaded up my laundry, started the cycle, and proceeded to bide my time in the dorm lounge. Meanwhile, two of the four dryers were taken out of commission, as people didn't follow the directions posted on the wall. Our already long line to dry clothes just doubled. Two hours later, I am finally finished washing and drying my clothes. Isn't this the Saturday night that most kids dream of at college? (I didn't think so either)
Lesson learned: Don't do your laundry on Saturday. No one has class on Saturday, so that is the day that is most available for everyone to wash clothes.

Tips to make your laundry day a success:
1. As stated above, don't do laundry on Saturday. Find a day in your schedule during the week that you have enough time to do your laundry.
2. Make sure you know how to wash your laundry before you come. Some people have never done their own laundry before they go off to college. Do a couple of "test runs" at home to make sure you know the ins and outs before leaving home. Check out this webpage for detailed instructions. http://www.ehow.com/how_46_laundry.html
3. Find laundry detergent/fabric softener/dryer sheets that you like the smell of and that you know you aren't allergic to. You can always continue using what you typically use at home. I have foud that Purex 3-in-1 laundry sheets are very convenient, as they serve as all three: detergent, fabric softener, and dryer sheets in one convenient sheet. No measuring and pouring, and they're pretty compact, so they make the most of the limited space in your dorm room. (Check out http://www.purex.com/purex-3-in-1/ for mor info)
4. Save your quarters! It takes a lot of quarters to wash and dry a single load of clothes. At $1.50 for washing and $1.25 for drying, that's $2.75 for a single load...if they dry completely. It's a good idea to have a change jar specifically for quarters so that you can save them to use on your laundry.
(Laundry picture found at http://www.laundrybasketcork.com/IMAGES/stock/bigmixedbasket.jpg)