Be a Better Sickie

Mother nature has no idea how it feels about Cincinnati. It's December with spring temps, flash to 48 hours later and your face is freezing off in the cold. This leaves everyone who lives in the bi-polar river valley perpetually plagued with a head/chest/whole body cold. We are so often sniffling that it is socially acceptable to call anything that accompanies a sneeze allergies as opposed to facing the cold hard facts (hehe pun intended)...YOU ARE SICK.

I know... it's the worst. There is nothing less attractive than walking around red nosed and dripping sick. Especially when you are expected to carry on as if all is normal and your body isn't coping with the death bed tissue pounding aches. All sense of self preservation seems to fly out the window when it comes to being sick. After nights of sleepless mouth breathing it can be so easy to quickly surrender and become the snot ball that the season can turn you into.

We are here to say that there is a way to be a better sickie. Perpetual sneezing aside, you can maintain some shred of dignity despite the gorilla like cough that seems to flair up mid lecture. Instead of being consumed by your sickie ways try a few suggestions to manage the winter season sniffles in style...and by style we mean using a tissue instead of a paper towel.

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Chill out: your body is fighting foreign invaders out to steal your productivity. Cut your schedule back it really can wait! A day or two of rest beats a week of prolonged oozyness.

Liquids: guzzle that water like your life depends on it, because it does! Besides of the gazillion other water benefits flushing and fueling your body to rid itself of the sickness is the best policy. Hot water is even better. It can clear sinuses and stuffiness, add some lemon or honey for a homemade little brew of your own.

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Snooze: no matter how difficult it may be to actually sleep rest rest rest! Yes you sound like dehydrated moose who smokes a pack a day, but the more rest you manage the quicker you can get back to your adorable baby snore, as opposed to the mouth breathing sick gasps that you have been resorting to.

Stay Clean: When you are forced to keep dirty tissues and throat clearing water by your bed side table hygiene quickly dissipates. And then days later you are still rolling around in your germy room and surprisingly still sick.  Cleaning your sheets, tables, cups, walls etc. is an absolute must when trying to be a better sickie.

Be Fresh: all you want to do is hook yourself up to an IV of ice cream for a scratchy throat, and eat food that makes you feel good. Resist the urge to go for the warm comfort foods and keep it fresh. Your body needs fruits and veggies now more than ever. If juicy crunch veggies don't sound so tolerable because your stomach has been doing back flips for the past week, try soup or smaller portions of these fresh foods.

Vitamins: So vitamin loading is usually best served right when the sick symptoms begin to be noticed, but in terms of recovery it never hurts. Taking vitamin C and other immune boosting super naturals will leave you feeling a little less droopy.

When you start feeling sick don't give up hope, toss on the fat pants, and forgo showering. You can still remain a functional sickie, just be conscious of your body and what it takes to get back to feeling 100%

GOOD LUCK ON EXAMS

-RV

November Pep Talk

It is finally November and many of us are feeling like we have already been in class for a year's worth of time. About three weeks ago the world got confused and thought it was finally time for Christmas aka Kmart layaway. Last night it snowed with freezing temperatures. And today on campus people were handing out invites to holiday themed events.

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Because of these recent occurrences it is no wonder that you have to remind yourself there is still another month left until winter break. I'm not saying to take down your lights or cancel ugly sweater parties, but to spend this time finishing strong into the new year.

The stress of projects and exams have timelessly been far less appealing than laying in bed eating cookies with holiday socks on all day, yet this is the time when they are in full force. No this is not us ripping the ornaments and crock pot out of your grips, just kindly setting your planner down beside them. Here is your November pep talk.

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You've got this: it is finally over half way through the semester. The end is in sight, and that class that has been the burden of your existence is nearly in the past. With all of the fun holiday celebration coming up, this month is filled with tons of things to look forward to. Warm clothes, family time, etc. whatever it is for you this time is always exciting.

Stay Healthy: For many of us this so called "exciting time" can also be a reminder of how you will be chilly, sneezy, and congested for the next few months. Remember to maintain your health. The flu and colds are everywhere hydrate and sanitize. With the turn of every season the body has to adjust as well. Do yourself a favor and limit the all nighters, exercise, and keep in mind that toast does not qualify as dinner.

Find Balance: a cinnamon candle can be an awesomely soothing holiday mind-trickery device. As you inhale the smells of Mom's kitchen and relaxing fires you can easily continue functioning in a way that allows you to finish your semester on top. The second we start seeing the snow covered commercials it's like all bets are off and the robotic holiday compulsions set in, the ones where everything becomes a craft or a gift idea covered in glitter.

Plan Ahead: You want to do it all get the right gifts, attend all the parties, and pass exams. The best way to accomplish as many of these things as you possibly can is to plan them out. The more organized you are the less stressful fitting it all in will be. A holiday party is no fun if you are frantically taking an online exam in between the festivities. 

For more healthful tips stop into the Wellness Center or schedule a program for a little health in the last half of your semester!

-RV

Liking it One too Many Times Dating in the Digital Age

We have had a lot of attendees at our Gottcha Covered sessions lately which is awesome on so many levels because it means students are being more proactive about their sexual health, and that students are also doing a lot of interacting with their peers and dating. If you don't know what Gottcha Covered is all about stop by and talk to us about it. You can never have too much information when it concerns your relationship and sexual health. This means that advice on relationships in these digital times and this environment has never been more appropriate.

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We live in a time when your interest in someone can be dulled down to one single word a "like." Whether you think they have a photogenic breakfast, or some awesome overly edited vacation pictures, all you have to do is hit it. Hitting that one button suggests possible friendly acquaintance status.  The thing is you can hit it as much as you want. Morning, noon, and night from multiple sources especially if you are working with what I like to call the double tri-fecta (laptop, tablet, and smart phone with unlimited wi-fi on top of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram). When working with the double trifecta you have the power to simultaneously like, #hashtag, and filter your life away. For the majority of us it is an inclination that is as natural as breathing. The modern day single 20 something is guilty of hitting it one too many times. 

Even in the past four years dating has evolved. We have online identities and social media obsessions that make it possible to not even be recognized in public due to misleading pictures and status updates. How on earth are you supposed to meet someone in person when you have spent your nights expressing yourself in 140 characters or less? There are new rules...if they don't have a profile picture that identifies who they are, they are clearly a criminal. If they are a serial politics perpetrator aka projecting their opinion of legislative leaders onto all of their friends, keep scrolling down. Because who doesn't want to spend their browse time enriching their intelligence with your boisterous and most likely  misinformed political opinions? And let's not forget the silent judgement that is passed on seflies captioned "no filter." Many times, all of these aspects are taken into account before even deciding to hit the like button, and you haven't even come close to meeting he or she in person yet! With this added dimension of human interaction here are a few tips for being a successful digital dater.

Are you a Facebook friend or a Twitter follower: I am convinced that Twitter gives people the false impression that because you accumulate x number of followers you are the equivalent of Justin Timberlake or something. Never before has it been possible to meet a potential significant other who was once a "follower" of yours.  If you are pursuing getting to know a person online forget the vanity of how they caught your eye, or how many likes they spared, and learn more to see if you are truly interested.

Leave a little out of the info box: It says here that you eat a peanut butter sandwich every day at 12pm, you have been riding horses since you were 5, and you have switched jobs 5 times in the past year. There is a reason why you can meet someone and feel such a strong desire to spend more time with them, because you don't know anything about them. Overly revealing social media sites make that awesome mysterious quality about meeting someone new a non factor and probably one of those people you un-friend on their birthday.

Use those profiles for good: This should be more obvious but clearly our age media users struggle with the concept of 'you are what you post.' There are hilarious pictures from that one weekend when...but if those are all that show up on your profile you can't get defensive when people begin to form their opinions.  Keep your profiles clean and the best representation of you.

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Like what you actually like: Yesterday I saw all of these people's profiles scrolling through the news feed, and it kept saying that everyone is suddenly liking Usher. Yes 2004 was one of the best years of your pre-teen life with the release of Confessions, but I highly doubt that everyone is genuinely interested in Usher as a tangible point of conversation. When was the last time you sat with your friends and talked about your common Usher interest? There are a ton of awesome things to actually like through social media sites, be selective and real about hittin' it.

Be social:  It is called social networking for a reason. If your sites are empty because you only created a page to stalk your fellow peers down to their hourly location, the social side of the networking may be losing it's value. All of these sites give us a way to connect and learn that can be extremely informative. Create a page that reflects who you are, things you want to do, achievements that have been made, and you can be sure your social media experience will be worth the hours of procrastination you use it for already.

Happy networking! If you are interested in becoming a Gottcha Covered Volunteer stop by 675 Steger to learn more.

-RV

The Rules of Application-ship

Like many college seniors, I have spent much of my time recently exploring the world of the job application process. Once that year you never thought would arrive decides to show up, your time goes from being a member of clubs and socializing to drafting the perfect resume, saving  100 different versions of cover letters for future use, and browsing LinkedIn for days on end. Unless you are one of those lucky people who somehow already found post college employment that doesn't include your manning a drive through window, the job process is a very real obligation.  I have been trying to write a blog for a while now, but for some reason after applying for jobs all evening all you can think to write ends up sounding like a letter of interest.

What I have learned so far about the process is that you must try to remain as uniquely you as you possibly can.  After filling out more applications than you probably want to admit it can be easy to forget what you really bring to the table, instead you have resorted to what I like to call 'employ me auto pilot' We all want to be proficient in computer coding and fluent in 5 languages, but on paper you will look like the millions of other applicants checking 'yes I'm awesome' in every starred mandatory must complete application box. 

I decided to think of how to connect this process to something we actually recognize after three years of not looking at these applications. The job hunting process can be emotionally draining.You so desperately want a call back, you want them to like you, you want to like them, you want to feel valued and full filled. Hmm... like dating?! That is a language most college students can understand. Even if you haven't jumped into that pool of socialization yet, you have watched your friends deal with it. Like all things, especially dating, they take time. Here are a few ways you can combine your dating strategies with your job seeking strategies which can basically make you the ultimate dateable-hireable-post-grad ever...or maybe just make you a little more confident in your search whether it is for love or employment.

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1. Be available but not too available: If you confirm yes you'll be there in 5 minutes to both a call back from a potential employer or your date who was actually trying to ask you out next week, you appear what many daters would describe as desperate. You may also struggled with the concept of a personal life and maintaining dignity. This one may be a bit of a reach, but the idea is to diplomatically schedule yourself out to future opportunities.

2. Can you casually date? This one may be a little more applicable to jobs than real life dating. In real life this generally leads to unintended drama and feelings being hurt from one of the involved parties.  Unlike dating, your job hunt will be enhanced by this networking experience.  Forbes recently posted that 90% of people find jobs through connections they already have.  Would you date a complete stranger? Let’s hope not. You also wouldn’t go to the same bar everything night hoping to scope out a new love interest (at least I hope not for your sake. No one needs to be recognized on a first name basis at the karaoke lounge). Network yourself in the best way. Keep in mind that concept of maintaining dignity as you reach out to other professionals for guidance and advice.   

 3. Be in a relationship with yourself first: Every newly single person has been reminded of this lesson and may have even vowed to an overly specific time frame of this.   I find that you are always left thinking “if I wanted to date myself then I wouldn’t have just spent three years of my life not dating myself.” There is nothing worse than feeling inadequate after a breakup, the same thing goes for an interview. If they ask you what your biggest accomplishment is be ready to elaborate on it.  If you can’t think of a response as to why you deserve whichever job, it is time to take a step back and understand what you really want.

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4.Build the perfect resume: As you embark on job searches it is an inarguable necessity to have the most amazing resume you can possibly compile.  You want to be colorful, innovative, and credible. No one wants to date the scrapbooker, and by scrapbooker I mean literally all you do is glue pictures to paper, eat and sleep. Yes it is a highly creative hobby, but if all you can talk about beyond work is the latest deal on stickers at Michael’s you may want to consider expanding your horizons. This will only make you more enticing to both potential employers and your potential craft lovin’ new friend. 

5. Persistence is key: With most things in life if you aren’t actively seeking it, you probably won’t get it.  If only everything could fall into your lap like the pre-recorded list on your DVR. You leave all day, come home, and BAM 5 hours of laying around can commence. 

6. Learn from your past: You probably don't want to get back with the girlfriend who planned your wedding on the first date, or the guy who chose to go dutch on every date. The same thing goes for your resume and future job search. You applied for 30 jobs with the same resume and didn't hear back from a single one? Change things up, jobs are looking for new material from you as person, it is your responsibility to give them that newness through your applications. It takes commitment to stand out on the job search, and to dodge the Ex's persistent phone calls.

7. Try new things: Whether it is joining the yoga class to land a date with that girl who goes every Tuesday, or you exchange numbers with the owner of so and so corp, you can use your interests to connect with potential employers. Both your extracurricular activities and your part time job are amazing outlets for networking. This is one of the few rewarding aspects of working a retail job, you are servicing the people you could be working for someday. So even if the customer thinks you are the one who strategically told the store not to carry mediums in that top, provide the best experience you possibly can, you never know who you are talking to.

Staying focused on your goals for whatever you wish in the future is the best way to pursue a job. With that in mind, the rest of the technical formalities will fall into place. You will figure out a way to make it work, and what you seek from employment will begin to make sense.

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-RV

Simplicity without Sacrifice

I am convinced that the idea of simplicity has taken a turn for the worst. When I was reading through articles for a stress program yesterday I was getting more stressed out when I came across 500 different articles about how to simplify things from your life to your sock drawer. You feel like you have to read every single one and then just when you think you have found the answer to minimizing the excess, another one pops up that says you are doing it wrong. The simplification process suddenly becomes complicated, leaving you even more stressed out than before as your computer crashes from too many 'how to' tabs open and your planner self combusted from having too much in it.  

In our 'gotta be the best' hungry society we somehow managed to turn a very wonderful and amazing sense of clarity into something that is regimented and defined by all of the millions of 'how to do ya-de-da in 5 easy steps.' Hate to get all philosophical here, but if everything involved 5 simple steps we as intellectual human beings would be as complex as an Easy Bake Oven.You want to keep it simple but not too simple, freeing yet not too freeing.  We have somehow managed to construct this belief that to live simply you must be either a Ken Westerfield (the 1960 hippie who invented freestyle Frisbee) or a participant on Discovery Channel's Naked and Afraid.  Either way you are left somewhere in the middle wondering which direction to go (I vote Ken's team but that's just me).  No one wants to feel as if they must flip their life when it starts becoming too chaotic.  It is universally understood that there will be ups and downs, so instead of fighting for perfection embrace your current situation and address the aspects that are dissatisfying. 

After reading through...I kid you not...15 different 'How to simplify' or similar articles, I decided to try thinking of less invasive techniques. Since not all of us have time to meditate for an  hour every day or pre-make a weeks worth of kale smoothies that supposedly calm your mind, here are a few smaller less aggressive suggestions on embracing the simplicity of life…without giving away all material possessions and denouncing processed food. 

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Keep an empty shelf: No matter how messy your room gets, an empty shelf is like a beacon of hope that you will some day see your floor again. When your personal space starts getting cluttered, the same feelings translate into other aspects of your life.  

Stop avoiding: The trash is piling up, you still haven't studied, the last time you went to the gym there was snow on the ground, all because you got sucked into another Netflix series.  There is nothing worse than sitting on Facebook and agonizing about all of the things that need to be done.  Just go do it! 

Go to bed: I know this is the universal cure all for anything health improvement related but that's because it is!  Things don't seem nearly as unbearable when you are well rested.

Have scissors around: There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to open something. I went a whole three weeks without scissors in my apartment. You have no idea how necessary those bad boys are until you try to open a bag of carrots with a knitting needle.  

Do your dishes when you use them: For both you and your roommates sake keep a clean sink. Visitors don't want to feel like they are going to catch scurvy if they get too close to your sink and neither do you. Any chaos you are feeling can immediately be calmed by doing dishes I promise. 

Are you the bag lady/man?  Remove one item from it every day. When you are constantly on the go and trying to simplify it can sound like a good idea to just pack everything into one big bag. This ultimately leads to you accumulating everything from empty gum wrappers to a million different charger cords.  If you chose to be a bag lady/man try to clean the bag at least once a week and it won't take you a half hour to locate your keys.  

 I hope this made your 'how to' search a little easier to understand. When you are dissatisfied with how your days are going take a minute to step back and consider what ways work best for you and live simply.  

-RV

If Mark Twain was Your Roommate

You have been getting all the emails about career fairs, resume help, and the overall agonizing feeling that you aren't doing enough to secure success in the future.  It doesn't necessarily mean that you aren't doing enough, but you live in an environment that is geared to nudge you in that direction whether you want to or not.  It is times like these when some life advice actually sounds less like a lecture and more like something you should take seriously.

I have recently been reading the biography of Mark Twain. I know right...me and every 7th grade middle schooler picking up The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn for the first time. This isn't a quarter life crisis or anything, but really he was an incredibly interesting and entertaining person. I bet if you had to pick from the majority of autobiographies his would easily be one of the funniest and most entertaining to tackle.  Anyone with an interest in writing or overall humor of life should consider giving his life a read.  He was a poor college aged student, discovered his passions, failed, succeeded, and ultimately became one of the most renowned Americans of the 19th century.  While the later half of his life is far less encouraging, his years that the majority of us are in right now are downright inspiring. We spend a good part of our 20s sifting through hopes, dreams, and people.  Surprisingly enough that's exactly what we young adults were doing in centuries before us, except our mode of transportation isn't rafting down a swampy river and they weren't able to update their location through 5 social networking sites simultaneously.  I promise this isn't about to be another summary of his life, but reading the book got me thinking...What if Mark Twain was your college roommate?  Maybe you haven't considered much about your future yet, a live life in the now kind of person, and you probably haven't thought about Mark Twain since you were 12.  Regardless of your status Mark Twain offers some advice that may be helpful to anyone not sure about what to do next. Below is the nicest looking Twain picture I could find, if you look more into his life you will see that the seems to be on the verge of growling in almost every other shot of him. 

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After reading hundreds of noteworthy quotes from this book I have come to realize that if I should ever be so lucky to have a roommate as wise as Mark Twain at the age of 21, the world would make much more sense. 

If Mark Twain was your roommate he would probably say:

1. You will not get everything you want.  

Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.-MT

With everyone in your academic life telling you how incredibly intelligent you are because you bought their textbook for $80 at the bookstore, and a GPA to prove it, it is no wonder that we go into the world excepting the very best.  Throughout college you are surrounded by opportunity that was designed for you to help cultivate skills and passions that will serve you for the long term. Consequently, this generation has been labeled as having an extreme sense of entitlement. When you get into the world take a step back and realize that this isn't the same environment you have grown used to.  Use your intelligence and talents to reach your goals being mindful of the fact that it may take more time and you don't know everything yet (believe it or not).

2. If you don't want to be treated like a 12 year old, then don't act like one. 

Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.-MT

The majority of us probably associate this quote with inter-generational relationships like the kind you see on TV where she's 20 and he's 40, but I am talking social standing.  There is nothing more intimidating than going into you first interviews, or upper level classes and realizing you are the youngest person in the room. Know that you are smart enough, mature enough, and motivated enough to go after whatever it may be for your future. 

3. Shut your pie hole.

It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.-MT

We have endless ways to speak our minds these days. Your mouth, computer, cell phone, tablet etc. are just a few of the many modes of communication.  With all of these great intellectual ideas flying around it is no wonder the college students feel empowered to speak their opinions.  Where we are known to fall short is where our information is coming from. I'm not saying go fact check the chemical content of your breakfast to ensure that it was 100% gluten free so we will believe you, but speak with an informed perspective.

4. So you were up on Facebook until 2am? Sounds productive...

A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read.-MT

Take advantage of the resources at your finger tips.  There is so much more to learn than the prescribed reading from your syllabus. I get it, times one syllabus by 6 and you've got enough reading to last you until next year. While there is an overwhelming amount of mandatory reading going around making time to learn what you want to learn makes things a little more exciting.

5. I doubt that 'lose 10 pounds in three days' thing you've got going is effective. 

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.-MT

While we are a huge and diverse resource on campus the best thing you can do is educate yourself on a variety of resources and health opinions. Health and the information available on similar topics are as diverse as the countless pre-made budget pushing grocery lists that you search on Pinterest, go read about it.

6. It's not the end of the world if you can't get into the bars yet.     

Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of eighty and gradually approach eighteen.-MT

Mark Twain and every adult in your life will tell you to not rush this time, these are the best years of your life. While many of us probably don't disagree with this, it is never settling to think that you are quickly running out of this awesome time of young-ness. According to everyone else, everything that comes afterwards is far less exciting. Use this time to your advantage and enjoy as much of it as you can. The rest of your life will incorporate different lessons and stages, worry about those when you get to them.  

7. Reading a how to text book can't solve all of your problems.  

Don't let schooling interfere with your education.-MT

There are many components to learning and how you develop as an individual. Finding balance between work and play, book smarts and street smarts, etc. will get you far. Luckily for all students the world does not hinge on your memorization of all of the bones in the human body.  

We hope this Mark Twain reading was a little more exciting than the ones you watched in history class!

-RV
 

Don't be that College Student

One of the most exciting parts of coming to college is the point where you begin to feel as if you have found your niche. You found a cool club, the boyfriend/girlfriend of your dreams, new friends, and not to mention you are a pro at grabbing a cone to go from the dining hall.  Even though there are so many groups in your college community, students in general are lumped into numerous stereotypes that ultimately lead to those pictures you will look back on and physically cringe as you wonder who on earth let you walk around in that ironic t-shirt and 3 sizes too small pants. There is absolutely nothing wrong with finding your group among your peers, but there is such thing as taking it too far. 

Let your niche be more like a foundation and develop your own sense of self along with it.  I feel like clubs and organizations are so much more sophisticated now than they were during my freshman year. With social media and a growing interest from students to get involved, it is like campus organizations compete through all of these outlets to build the biggest following possible.  This results in you the student feeling frenzied to find out which one or five you should be joining.  As you begin to feel out where your interests fall during your college career take a moment to read through some of the stereotypes you definitely don't want to take too far.

Don't be that:

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Greek star: Greek life is an amazing opportunity on campus, and is an extremely beneficial organization in terms of networking and meeting new people. Of course there is a laundry list of other rewarding aspects about going Greek, but it seems that with the size of the organization comes the opportunity to take your role a little too seriously.  Use your Greek experience to seek out leadership roles on campus, find that sense of community, and engage in your community, not holler out your house letters every time you cross the street while disregarding others who may not be a part of your organization.  Let Greek life be a part of you, not become you.  

  

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'Yes' student: of course you will be exposed to new things. This is an amazing time to get away from the sheltered experience of your high school parental smothering and give a sport like bike polo a shot or check out a study abroad. Once you hit up the involvement fair it's hard not to go on a yes saying spree. Of course I want to join knitting club... Absolutely I will volunteer to clean the park this weekend...Yes I will come slack-lining today in the park.  Saying yes to everything eventually becomes more of a problem than good.  You may find yourself over booked and with too many responsibilities.  Your planner will begin to look unidentifiable calligraphy from a pyramid tomb, and worst of all you aren't able to participate in what you actually desire due to the fact that you volunteered to have absolutely no time for yourself.  

Raged so hard I forgot about everything else student :With all of these new people and things you are interacting with chances are your social opportunities will become a little more eventful. But when your weekends start carrying over from Thursday through Tuesday we may need to take a step back and re-evaluate.  If you are spending more time deciding which pizza to order at 3am than on your class obligations you may be this student.  While some miraculously can handle a relatively sleepless lifestyle the majority of us need a little more structure and routine. Those two words may be the most un-fun sounding lifestyle aspects you can think about at this point in time when there is a blacklight party next door, but evaluating your day to day will only make things less stressful.  

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Pajama Perpetrator: I realize sometimes it is just too much to put on a pair of actual pants. How can they expect you to put on real clothes when you were forced to be up at the crack of dawn to sit and listen to the genius who decided to give a 2 hour lecture at 8am? While comfort is always important in your daily college routine you should also consider how you are coming off to others. No professor is going to even consider taking you seriously when you go to ask for help in your alligator pajama pants.  Try putting a little effort into getting ready to start your day it will help develop a routine and keep you from being labeled a pajama perpetrator.   

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Class Skipper: Easily identifiable as that person who only tries to be your friend in order to get the notes they missed...and did they mention he/she needs all 15 weeks of notes? Unless they are your sibling or other blood relative no one wants to sit through hours of European history and just hand you the outline for the course while you got to go do things that were actually enjoyable.  Class is part of why you are here if not the most important part of this experience.

  

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Hit the town like it’s mating season student:There is a reason why sexual health programs are some of the most popular we do in our office. College kids love talking about it, and many are expanding their horizons in that category.  Just because you enjoy this new freedom doesn't mean you have to experience it as much as possible with as many people as possible. A night out with friends really can be just a night out with friends. With so many new people eligible in the same place, a basic dinner outing can end up looking like a pack of wild animals competing out on the Savannah. Finding balance among all of these new circumstances will make for the most rewarding experience. 

When you are feeling out your on campus life a great strategy is to notice if it compliments your personal life.  These new opportunities and situations will be amazing, but as you are navigating through it all try not to be that college student.  

-RV