Organization isn't OCD, its KEY

Do you ever feel like you don't know where you're at in your life? That is most likely because you are a little unorganized. Honestly, how do you expect to juggle everything you do in college without having some sort of a plan? Exactly, it's almost impossible. So here's an idea! GET ORGANIZED =) because organization is not being OCD, but rather the key to success.

Being in college, students are given the freedom that they have been longing for since, well...forever. But, with that freedom comes a whole boat load of responsibility (and no, I'm not just talking about doing your own laundry). It includes getting up and going to your classes every day, going to work, meeting with professors or students, making appointments, doing your homework, and everything else your mom and dad used to help you with. So, to keep it all together and mainly yourself together, here are a few tips I find helpful for staying organized:

• Use a daily planner to write down homework, appointments, special dates, events, due dates etc.
• Have a desk calendar that displays large events that you know ahead of time, as well as work days and times (this way you won't forget to show up to work!)
• Make a list of things that need to be done, but be specific. Use specific days Mon,Tues,Wed etc. and also make sure that you write down what you need to complete specifically.
• Once you have completed the work on your list, cross it out, highlight it, or do whatever makes you feel like you have accomplished something!

If you don't find these tips helpful, I found a few articles on-line that you may find useful.

1. Life Goals: http://www.simplify101.com/goals.php
2. Time Management: http://www.simplify101.com/time-management-productivity.php
3. Create a Change: http://www.simplify101.com/create-change.php
   

Getting Money for College

One of the most common questions asked when applying to college is: How can I get money to pay for this!?!?! (Well, that's probably your parents first question) Now, if you are applying to colleges or are already in college, I'm sure you know the #1 answer is... "fill out the FAFSA form." Well, here's the truth, not everybody qualifies for federal aid. Financial aid is based upon your parents income, how many children they have, if they are in college and so on. Even if you KNOW you won't qualify for financial aid, you still should fill it out...maybe they will make a mistake or something like that. Unfortunately, when that paper comes back from FAFSA with a big fat $0.00, its pretty frustrating, and then you (or your parents) continue to freak out about the financial cost of college.
But, don't give up just yet. If you don't receive any financial aid, it should give you more ambition to get every scholarship you can find. Thats what I did, and trust me, it's helping. Colleges offer solely academic based scholarships. Most of them you must have a certain SAT or ACT score as well as a minimum GPA and rank in your class when you graduate as a senior. I had all of these, but I didn't quite have the test scores I wanted to get the highest amount offered. But, I was determined (and so was my mother) that I could actually get my ACT score up, and we were right after a few times I finally scored above the required score and I was rewarded with a Presidential Scholarship from Brockport. My parents and I were so happy because it was going to pretty much pay for my tuition costs.
Each college is different when it comes to academic scholarships. They all have different requirements as well as how much they award you. Private colleges tend to give more money, however thats because it cost much more to go there than to a state school.
Academic based scholarships are not the only ones available though. Most high schools offer scholarships that come in from organizations in their community and even national ones. But, the only way you're going to receive these awards is if you apply for them. Apply for as many as you can, you most likely won't get all the one's you think you would but you'd be surprised at what you can get. I applied to so many and after a rough start of not getting any I ended up with quite a large list to incorporate into my résumé (which is an added bonus, because being a young student you don't have much to brag about).

Living Situations at College

When I first started looking at Brockport, I had decided right then and there I was going to live in a two person bedroom, and not a suite. I'd have to say I made a large mistake. Being an only child made this decision a lot more difficult, the way I looked at it was: I have to share a room either way, so I might as well only share with one other person. Plus the fact that while touring the campus I was shown the newly remodeled Freshman dorms (not the building which I live in). So at that point, my decision became easy... freshman dorm, corridor style, one roommate.
Does anyone have a time machine to quickly take me back to when I filled out my housing application!?!? I realized that even though I sent in my housing application the day it came out, I was still placed in the older dorm building that has retro looking beat up furniture. I was also placed in a ghost wing "academic floor" where a lot of the girls are into different things than I am. Not to mention the fact that the bathrooms are filthy looking (not because they don't get cleaned, but because they are just so worn down). The toilets don't flush properly, the doors don't shut, the lights go out all the time etc, etc. But I guess it's my fault that I chose this over having my own bathroom that I would share with only three other girls and be able to clean and make "girly". However, I may have made a different choice had I been shown the other possible corridor buildings that I might be placed in.
Even though I do not like my building simply for the fact that it is old and raggedy looking, I am glad I met the people I did. It set me up for my living arrangements for the fall. Three of the girls in my hall that I became close to will be living with me in a six person suite in the high rises. And this time, we did our research we looked in all of the high rises to see which one we liked best. So, my advice to anyone looking to live on campus, make sure you take your time to find out all of your options for living on campus.

Getting Involved

In high school I was one of those girls who was always trying to get involved into activities in school. I was in student government, national honor society, sports, and all the community service opportunities that I could get my hands on to. I was one of two leaders who worked to earn Batavia High School a performance from Boy's Like Girls through the 98PXY Penny Challenge. Through enormous efforts to create ways for kids to donate their money for the cause (proceeds benefited the Hillside Secret Santa Program), a few other students and myself came up with a couple of ideas to raise money, collecting loose change during lunch hours, having a gift certificate raffle for the teachers as well as having two teachers sit on the roof of our high school for 24 hours to raise money while kids were allowed to camp out over night.
After raising over $8,600 and winning the contest, our school had never been so proud. However, we didn't stop there, we decided to visit Hillside Family of Agencies in Rochester to personally present them their check of the total monies collected. Needless to say, I was proud of myself to know that my hard work and dedication (where my afternoons rolled into nights just rolling change) had actually made a difference in someone else's life.
I guess my point of that story is the fact that you should really get involved someway in school. I thought that because I was so involved in high school programs I would continue that trend in college as well, and I certainly intended to. However, I quickly realized that taking 15 credit hours and having a job where I work 12 hours a week was easier said than done. I have a daily routine, classes then work or work then classes, go to dinner, go to a work out class, then do my homework. Most of my days I leave my room for at least 7 1/2 hours at a time. Where do your favorite t.v. shows fit when you barely have time to blink, never mind having an extracurricular activity! It's strenuous, but I do it and I survive.
Even though I have extremely long days I really wish that I would have got more involved in the beginning of the year. I love to dance, and I know Brockport has a great dance team, but I never tried out, and I am upset at the fact I didn't, so next fall I've decided to try out. I also attend some work out classes, specifically Hip Hop Hustle (a good cardio workout while learning some new dance moves). The instructor informed a friend and myself that we could get certified to teach the class for next year, and my eyes lit up. I've decided to pursue that idea, and hopefully will be able to take a class soon to become a teacher.
In the end, you should really think about getting involved into things on campus. It keeps you busy, but busy in a good way. If you are doing something that you enjoy, it's a nice break from your daily classes. Clubs and activities help you meet new people, and oh yeah, it helps build your résumé! Because honestly, what employer is going to want to hire someone who has no motivation to do anything out of the box?

Adjusting to College

Starting college is probably one of the most emotional times in a young adult’s life. I know that was certainly the case for me, especially because of the fact that I was an only child. My family is very close and I see all of them almost every single day. I was excited about starting my first semester all the way up until a few weeks before I came. Then reality hit me, I was going to be away from my family for a while, something that I had never experienced before.

August 25 came rather quickly this past summer, and to be perfectly honest... I was not one bit ready for it. I cried pretty much that whole day that I had to move in to my dorm, lets face the facts when you become comfortable with something its pretty hard to break your habits. The first few weeks were rough for me, I barely ate because I didn't have an appetite and I went home every weekend.
As the weeks went by I slowly became more adjusted to my new living situations (like walking down the hall to the bathroom and sleeping in the same room with someone). I started to make more and more friends as I became more comfortable in my classes, and you can make great friends with people in your dorm halls even if you don’t live in the same room as them.

Finding a job is something that I would really encourage students to pursue. Many freshman students think that getting a job in college is a bad idea because they won’t have enough time to do their school work, have a social life and so forth. I feel the total opposite. My job gives me so many benefits, not to mention the obvious ones like building my resume and getting paid, but also it keeps my mind off of being at home, you meet great co-workers, and you’re not constantly bored in your room. However, it is recommended that you do not work over twenty hours a week. I currently work twelve hours which I think is a great amount. Most on-campus jobs are very flexible to work around your class schedule

If you find that you are having a hard time with adjusting to college life, I really suggest finding something that you can busy yourself with other than just going to class. Whether it’s getting a job, joining a sport, or participating in an on-campus activity it’s something everyone should really look into. At Brockport, the Recreational Services department holds group exercise classes throughout the week usually in the late afternoon and evening. These are a great way to stay in shape and keep busy. (Turbo kick is a personal favorite!)

Not everyone has trouble getting used to college, and some students enjoy being away from home. However, if you’re one of those students that find themselves struggling, try and take some of the advice that I’ve offered. It really does help!

This being my first blog ever, its a little intimidating. However, I am excited to share my experiences and knowledge with other freshmen students and upcoming freshmen. But first, I'll start with some background information about myself. My name is Amanda and I'm a first year student at The College at Brockport. Even though I do not play sports here at college, I was a 3 year varsity member of my high school soccer team and also a member of the volleyball team. I was involved in Student Government as a secretary, class officer positions as a secretary, the National Honor Society for 3 years, as well as being an active volunteer within the school and community. Although this is my first semester at college, I am technically considered Sophomore status because of the classes I took through my local community college and AP courses that easily transferred as credit here.
Since the summer of my junior year I have been working part time jobs to start saving for college. I worked at a mini golf course, CVS Pharmacy, and I worked as an office assistant at Graham Corporation. Needless to say, when it came time for college I knew that I would have to get a job just to keep up with saving money. I was fortunate enough to land a great job at the Career Services Office right on campus working as an office assistant. Being a Business Administration with a Management Specialty major I knew this job would hopefully help my future career. Career Services at Brockport is a great place to obtain student employment, internship opportunities, and simply be advised on where the next step in your career path should be. We are constantly promoting and hosting events for students and alumni to find jobs.