Now that Camp College and First-Year orientation week have drawn to a close, students are transitioning back to the daily grind of DePauw. It may be intimidating to see upperclassmen confident in their work ethic and study skills, while first-years may still have a lot to learn when it comes to balancing both their academic and social lives.
We asked six upperclassmen to share tips about staying on track academically, healthy ways to relieve stress, finding the right foods to eat for optimum productivity and innovative ways have fun on campus.
Stay on Track
Staying focused on assignments could be very overwhelming for some students. An overload of information could cause a person to stress out and cause them to abandon their work. According to many of our upperclassmen, recording assignments based on top priority is the key to staying organized.
Senior Shannon Crosby sticks to the traditional way of writing down her assignments and other plans in her planner.
"I do check boxes next to the stuff that I have to do," Crosby said. "So if I don't check off it bothers me so it makes me want to check it off."
Sophomore Gabrielle Duong also writes her events down, but prefers to see them everywhere she goes.
"In my room I have white boards and I write on my mirrors to remind me of things that I need to do or events that I have to go to- if I don't see it I forget," Duong said.
Duong also believes that study spaces and the people you work with play an important role in producing good work. Working alone may be best if you get easily distracted.
Feed Your Mind
There are a few essentials to create the perfect study conditions including noise-control, comfort and organization. But one important aspect can often make or break your study session: a satisfied stomach.
Junior Perry Grimwood and sophomore Michael Chavez both rely on fruits for simple yet healthy energy boost. Chavez recommends grapes, watermelon and pineapple, while Grimwood prefers his fruit dry.
"I'm a big fan of Craisins and dried mangoes," Grimwood said.
Senior Ben Hazen and Crosby use food as a way to stay focused and distracted.
"I like to snack on dry cereal because it gives me something mechanical to do while studying," Crosby said. Hazen uses sunflower seeds to keep himself occupied.
"It gives my mouth something to do, and it keeps me awake to help pass the time."
Have Fun
At times living within the confines of such a small campus and town can be somewhat limiting when it comes to finding things to do to keep entertained. Our upperclassmen suggest putting your creativity to the test in order to have fun.
As a previous resident assistant, Hazen is familiar with entertaining his first-year residents.
"My residents all went out and bought Nerf guns and we'd have Nerf gun wars in our dorms," he said. "It was so fun." Hazen also suggest going outdoors and playing campus golf with friends.
Duong uses a creative outlet to entertain herself. "I usually do art projects on my own," she said. She enjoys making decorations for her room.
Chill Out, Not Stress Out
Stress will inevitable be a part of every student's college career. Stress can be both positive and negative, but too much stress can have adverse effects on the body. It can diminish the way one performs in the classroom and negatively affect your relationships with others.
Chavez enjoys playing pool to reduce his stress level.
"When you're doing something that you're good at it will definitely take your mind off the work," Chavez said.
Hazen clears his mind by retreating to the Prindle Institute for Ethics to reflect.
"I go out there before every game for soccer," he said. "I find that it's very relaxing and it's very easy to just let the stresses of college melt away."
Crosby prefers to employ the "out of sight out of mind" theory by getting away from campus from time to time.
"I find someone that wants to leave campus and we go either to the Nature Park or to Plainfield to [see] a movie."
Crosby also suggests students to unwind at Cataract Falls, a recreation area in Owen County.
"There are rocks you can lay on...you could sit there or you could do homework there outside."