10 Tips for Studying

Since we’re in the season of exams, here are some tips for studying.

1. Keep Track of Assignments

Try writing down your assignments in a planner or a to-do list in a simple notebook or even in your cell phone. It doesn't really matter what tool you use, just as long as you write down every single assignment, due date, test date, and task. It will help you stay on top of your game.

2.) Have the Right Attitude

Researchers have found that how you approach studying matters as much as what you’re studying. Being in the right mindset is important in order to study smarter. Sometimes you can’t force yourself to be in the right mindset, and it is during those times you should just simply stop studying. If you’re distracted by a relationship problems, an upcoming game, or finishing an important project, then you’re not going to be focused on what you’re studying. Come back to it when you’re not focused on something else going on. Also try to stay positive when you study.

3. Communicate With Your Professor

Every successful relationship is built upon clear communication. A student-professor relationship is no different. Miscommunication is a factor that can cause bad grades, despite your good efforts. At the end of the day, make sure you understand every assignment that's expected of you. Imagine getting a bad grade on a 10-page paper because you didn't understand the difference between an expository essay and a personal essay. Also, be sure to ask questions and find out all the details of your assignments. The more questions you ask, the more prepared you'll be.

4. Organize With Color

Try making your own color-coding system to keep your notes and thoughts organized. Use a single color for each category (like people or concepts) and use that color for everything related to that subject. You'll be surprised to discover how much strong organizational skills can change your life!

5. Establish a Study Area

Take some time to assess your individual style and needs to help plan for your perfect study place. After all, if you can’t concentrate, you can’t expect to learn anything. Everyone is different. Some people need a completely quiet room free from interruptions when they study, but others actually study better listening to quiet music in the background or taking several small breaks.

6. Prepare Yourself for Test Days

Of course everyone knows that it's important to study for the test, but there are other things to consider. What if you show up for the test one day and the room is freezing cold (like most rooms at SFA)? For some students, this would cause enough of a distraction to interrupt concentration. That leads to bad choices and bad answers. Plan ahead for heat or cold by layering your clothing. Also try using a stopwatch to help you with time management if you have to do timed essays.

7. Know Your Dominant Learning Style

Many students will struggle in a subject without understanding why. Sometimes this is because students don't understand how to study in a way that matches their brain style.

Auditory learners are people who learn best through hearing things. Visual learners learn better when they use visual aids, and tactile learners benefit by doing hands-on projects.

Everyone should examine and evaluate their habits and natural tendencies to decide which way works better for them.

8. Take Great Notes

There are a few tricks to taking great notes that really help when it comes to studying. If you’re a visual person, you should try to make as many doodles on your paper as you can (useful ones). As soon as you realize a topic has any kind of connection to another, draw a picture that makes sense to you. Sometimes the information will not sink in until you see it in an image.

There are also certain code words to look out for in a lecture that can indicate that your professor is giving you the context of an event. Learn to recognize key words and phrases that your professor deems important.

9. Conquer Procrastination

When you procrastinate, you take the chance that nothing will go wrong at the last minute, but in the  college world (or real world), things can and do go wrong. Make sure you have enough time to learn what you need to or completely the project.

So how can you battle the urge to put things off? Don’t listen to the little voice that tells you it would be more fun to play a video game, eat, or watch TV when we know better. It’s a trap!

10. Take Care of Yourself

Some of your personal habits might be affecting your grades. Are you always feeling tired, achy, or bored when it comes to homework time? You can change your grades by practicing a few healthy homework habits. Change the way you feel by taking better care of your mind and your body.

Find out how to avoid pain in your hands and neck by changing the way you sit at your computer. Also try nap times. Sometimes a good nap can refresh your body. Besides nap, you can also try working out before studying. It can boost your circulation in your brain and increase your energy level.

 -The News Reel from yo boy D.Hill

 

Resource: 

By Grace Fleming, About.com Guide

http://homeworktips.about.com/od/studymethods/tp/studyhabits.htm

Massage: The Missing Piece?

Massage: The Missing Piece to Your Workout and Health?

Some think massages are just for relaxing and feeling good, but they can be so much more. At the Student Rec Center, you have the great opportunity to dip into the other side of massage; massaging for fitness training. 

Therese Hostetter is a licensed massage therapist with a vast experience in weight training and massage. She has performed therapy for a variety of people of all shapes and sizes. She explained to me that massage can be the missing piece to most people’s training regimen. Massage can help reduce soreness, increase muscle blood flow and stretch and relieve muscles from lactic acid build up. Getting a massage can also help you understand your work out habits by exposing your body symmetry. If the massage therapist finds that one side of your body is more muscular than the other, that could mean that you are favoring one side of your body when you’re working out.

Massage is one of the most intimate therapies. The massage therapist must touch the client. Because of that, the massage therapist uses lotion to get the client accustomed to their touch. When you first arrive for your appointment, usually they will ask you where your problem areas are. Different techniques of massage are used for different situations. For stress or soreness, the therapist might use a deep muscle massage to relieve the build up of lactic acid in the stress points called “Knots.” If you need to be refreshed and rejuvenated, the massage therapist might employ a stimulus technique to activate your nerves. 

Massages have many purposes and benefits. You can get one to relax, but it’s even more effective if you’re working out and trying to stay fit. Sometimes exercise and a good diet aren’t enough, and maybe massage is your missing piece. 

Massage therapy at Campus Rec is by appointment only, so be sure to call the Rec Center at 936.468.3507 if you are interested. Massages also make great gifts! For more information visit the Campus Rec website at www.sfasu.edu/campusrec and click on the Fitness and Wellness page.

-News Reel from yo boy D.Hill

Devonte Hill

Homecoming!!

 This weekend is going to be packed with fun events and future memories! Here’s what’s going on:

FRIDAY OCT. 19

From 2p.m.–5 p.m. there will be the SFA Homecoming Disc Golf Tournament at Pecan Park. It’s $15 for non-students and $10 for students. To register, make a visit to the SFA Alumni Association Office located by the Student Center. You can register from now until Friday at Noon! Competition levels range from beginner, intermediate, to professional divisions. All proceeds benefit the Dr. Raymond Lee Worsham Scholarship for Campus Rec. 

 

At 9 p.m. There will be the Torchlight Parade at Surfing Steve (SFA statue) which will lead into the Bonfire (With actually fire this time) at the Intramural Fields

At around 9:30pm (After the bonfire) we will have a live performance from Aaron Watson! Aaron Watson is a successful country artist around the great state of Texas. Equipped with a knack for mixing great songs and unforgettable performances, Watson has grown into an unstoppable force in Texas Music with his sights firmly set on the national stage.

 



SATURDAY OCT. 20

Between 7:30a.m.–10 a.m. We will have the 3rd Annual Homecoming 5K Fun Run at the parking lot behind the Tennis Complex. To register for this annual event, go to the SFA Alumni Association Office by the Student Center from now until Saturday morning. All proceeds benefit the Dr. Raymond Lee Worsham Scholarship. Winners will receive medals! The prizes are given by groups of 8 and gender.

At 10a.m. We will have the Homecoming Parade in downtown Nacogdoches.

11:30 a.m will be the start of the Kickoff Tailgate. Around that time there will be the Duck Dash and Junior Jacks Duck Pluck at the Ag Pond.

At 2:30pm before the Homecoming game, OMA (Office of Multicultural Offairs) is hosting the Homecoming Jacks' Charge. The first 500 students to show up at the Spirit Rock by 2:30 p.m will get an awesome Jacks' Charge t-shirt for FREE!!!! The Spirit Rock is located near Hall 20 and the Ag Pond

3 p.m. Is the Homecoming game, SFA vs. Nicholls State at the Homer Bryce Stadium.

And finally, 8 p.m.–1 a.m. There will be a SFA Homecoming Concert at The Barn Bar and Grill. Proceeds benefit alumni scholarships.

Give your support of the Lumberjacks by being active in this year’s Homecoming events and show off your purple pride!

-News reel from yo boy D.Hill

What a Weekend !

What a Weekend !

Last weekend Campus Rec Sport Clubs were busy with Men’s Club Soccer, Women’s Club Soccer and the Rugby Alumni games. 

  The Men’s Club soccer team went against San Antonio College on Saturday and beat them 2-1. They also competed against UNT on Sunday and tied 0-0. The Men’s Club Soccer team will travel to UT Arlington on October 20th and TCU October 21st.  They will also compete in the Region IV Soccer Tournament in Richardson, TX, on October 26th.

Men's Club soccer contact: http://www.sfasu.edu/campusrec/506.asp

The Women’s Club soccer team played against Sam Houston last Saturday. In a close effort, they lost 1-2. After tasting defeat, the club team looked for revenge on that Sunday against Lamar. They crushed Lamar 4-0.

Women's Club Soccer contact:http://www.sfasu.edu/campusrec/514.asp

At the same time, Rugby had its annual SFA Legends Alumni Game at the Rugby pitch. Current players wore their pink uniforms in support of breast cancer as they faced the SFA Alumni. Since this is an annual event, many Rugby fans came with friends and family to see how the current team would fair against the seasoned favorites. Many of the Alumni team consisted of former Lumberjacks still competing in mens leagues around the state. 

 

 You can see SFA Rugby in action again on Saturday, November 3 for Rugbyfest, an annual event that sees teams from around the region travel to SFA to compete in an all-day rugby tournament.  

If you are interested in joining any of the clubs mentioned, make sure to visit our website for contact information

Website: http://www.sfasu.edu/campusrec/510.asp (This is the link to the Rugby page)

You can also visit the Campus Rec website to get Officer Contact Information and see what the clubs are up to.  Or call the Sport Club Office at (936) 468-1434 for more information.

-News reel from yo boy D.Hill

You can eat healthy today!

If you’re like me, health is last on the list of priorities. You have so many things to worry about like tests, money, food poisoning or organizational projects. Although this way of thinking is common, it has to change. Food is your fuel. The foods you choose to eat can help you live a healthier life. So I decided to have a talk with one of the dietitians at the Rec Center. 

Joncece Writt gave me some great tips on eating healthy on campus. Just to give you some background info, she is a Nutrition Specialist with substantial knowledge and dietetic experience. She is also a member of the American Dietetic Association (ADA), which is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals.  She suggested the following:

Plan

·      Try planning your meals and snacks for the week. It will give you an idea of how much you’re eating during that week.

·      If you live off campus, make sure to check for sales and coupons in the local papers or online. Also check for quick, easy and healthy recipes. It’s amazing the different things you can find just from 5 minutes of surfing the web.

·      When you make meals, make sure you vary the colors of the foods on your plate. Different colors have different vitamins and minerals.

Purchasing

·      It helps tremendously if you buy groceries when you’re not hungry. When you’re hungry, you tend to over buy and over spend. 

·      Stick to your grocery list people! And make sure you stay away from aisles that don’t contain items on your list. Again, this will help you stay in your budget.

·      Buy store brands if they are cheaper. Most of the time the product quality is the same. It helps if you compare unit prices listed on the shelves to get the best price. Also, keep in mind that pre-cut fruits and veggies, individual cups of yogurt, instant rice and hot cereals usually cost more than those that require a little bit more prep time.

·      Most of the time, it is cheaper if you buy things in bulk. Try to go to the store with some friends that need the some products so you’re not obligated to eat the whole amount. 

·      If you can, try to buy fresh fruits and vegetables in season. Most of the time these options are healthier. If you have to buy canned goods, make sure to buy the ones with less salt (Sodium).

Preparing:

·      Some meal items can be prepared in advance like chicken or beef. Try to pre-cook on days when you have time. On these days try to double or triple up the serving sizes so you’ll have more of that meal. It’ll last longer.

·      To give your system a break once and a while, try eating a few meatless meals by substituting them with beans, peanuts or peas. Also try salads.

The biggest thing I took from her advice was to be creative with your meals. Eating is fun and you should have fun with it. Try using different food in different ways and see what you come up with!

- The News Reel form yo boy D.Hill

Tai Chi?

 

Martial arts can be both aggressive (kicking and punching) and non-aggressive (slow, rhythmic, and meditative). Tai Chi is designed to enhance relaxation, inner calm, and peace. Think of your body as a miniature version of the universe. In the universe there is a constant interaction of four elements; air, water, fire and earth. Imagine these four elements flowing in an interrelated manner throughout all the organs of your body. This would be considered your Chi. Chi is considered to be the life force or the intrinsic energy in the body that travels along pathways called meridians. Tai Chi is meant to help smooth and balance the interactions between these elements and cause your Chi to flow freely.

Types of Tai chi

The Yang style includes 24 movements in its simple form (108 movements in the traditional form). It is a challenging form because you must keep your stance wide and your knees bent most of the time. This form can also be used for self-defense. It utilizes -->low energy movements to knock the foe off balance. 

The Wu style includes 24 to 36 movements in its shorter form (100 movements in the traditional). It is easier because it uses a narrow, higher stance where the knees are not bent as much as the Yang style. This style would be ideal for improving balance.

The Tai chi chih style has 20 movements. It uses a higher stance, but with less transfer of weight from one leg to the other than the other two forms. 

No matter which style you practice, they all are performed slowly, deliberately, and gracefully, with each movement flowing seamlessly into the next without hesitation.

What are the benefits of tai chi?

In China, it is said that Tai Chi can:

·      Delay aging and prolong life

·      Increase flexibility and strengthen muscles and tendons

·      Aid in the treatment of heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, digestive disorders, skin diseases, and more.

Although there hasn't been a good deal of scientific evidence to support all of these claims, there are some documented cases of benefits (meta-analysis). If you're looking for a place to practice Tai Chi, the Rec Center is a good place to look. We have many rooms that are available to rent. Also you can use a room if it's not currently being used.

- News reel from yo boy D.Hill

source

http://www.medicinenet.com