The Campus Companion » Chantal

10 Things You Should Do Before the End of the World

Chantal — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 18:11:32 +0000

Who knows, maybe those people who believe the Mayan Calendar predicts the end of the world are right, and the Apocalypse really is just around the corner. Whether it is a Viral Contamination, Zombies, Alien Invasion, Nature, or something else life as we know it could end in a few days. You wouldn’t want to regret doing something if this is really the last few days before the end of the world. So you should do everything you’ve always wanted to do, but have always been too afraid to try because it’s not like you will have much time to regret your actions.

Streak

What better way to celebrate the apocalypse than by streaking through the streets of your local town. It would definitely be a shock for everyone and at the end of the day what can the police do about it? They are going to be so busy dealing with looters, and maybe alien invaders, that they won’t care about a streaker. And who knows, maybe the sight of you streaking down the streets will cause mass panic and will start the chain of events that leads to the end of the world.

Tell Everyone How You Feel About Them

Tell them EXACTLY how you feel! Don’t hold back, it doesn’t matter if it is your best friend or your boss. What are they going to do? Fire you? With the freedom of knowing that there will be no consequences to your actions, just let loose. Especially tell your secret crush how you feel about them. If they don’t take it well, at least you tried and as the world is going to end it doesn’t matter anyway. At least you took a chance because they could secretly like you too.

Party Like There is No Tomorrow

For all we know, there might not be a tomorrow. You can bet that there are going to be some awesome parties going on all around the world as we wait for Armageddon. Get all your friends together and wait for the world to end together. So go crazy and drink everything you want because if there is no tomorrow, then you won’t have a hangover the next day.

Spend All Your Money

You can’t take any of your possessions or the contents of your bank account with you through the pearly gates, so you might as well enjoy it while you can. So go buy that karaoke machine, Jet Ski, or cool gadget that you have always wanted while you still have the chance. Enjoy your last few days in style and buy everything you’ve ever wanted because debt doesn’t matter if we are all dead in a few days.

Be Politically Incorrect

Being politically correct is so boring! It is so annoying having to watch every word that comes out of your mouth because no matter what you say, you will end up insulting someone. You shouldn’t spend your last few days worrying about insulting someone you don’t even know. Don’t bow own and watch everything you say – say Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah to every Jew, Muslim, Agnostic, Anarchistic, Buddhist, Jehovah’s witness, Christian even if they melt because of it.

Conquer Fear

What are you afraid of? Spider? Heights? Just look you fear head on and do something about it because the world is going to end anyway. So challenge yourself. The best thing about doing something that terrifies you is that if the world doesn’t end, you can totally brag about it. Nothing terrifies me more than spiders and that’s why tonight I’m going to find a spider and trap it in a cup and release it outside. Don’t let humanity be wiped out with the majority of people too afraid to put a spider under a glass and put it in the garden. Do what you fear most.

Eat Everything

The holiday season is typically a time of year where we let ourselves go and gorge ourselves with food. But if the world is really going to end, we might as well take this to extremes. Eat triple helpings of everything you like. Cookies and cake for dinner? Perfect! You know that big piece of cake that you’re supposed to leave on the plate because it is polite to take the smaller piece? Well eat it yourself. Why be polite about the last chance you will have to eat cake.

Be a Total Badass

Nothing you do now will matter in a few days if the world really does end. So do things you would have never done before. Make a lot of noise in the library. Wear your underwear on the outside of your pants – if Superman can pull it off, so can you! Touch everything that has a ‘Do Not Touch’ sign in the museum. Go through doors that say ‘Do Not Enter.’ Use the wrong bathroom. Go out without a jacket on – it’s not like catching a cold will matter. Just do the unexpected and have some fun!

Leave Some Evidence

Even if the world ends in a few days, some people could survive. Even if no humans survive, over the next million years, some other creature could evolve enough to become the next intelligent life to replace humans on Earth. If that’s the case, wouldn’t you want those things to know who you were and what you were all about? Grab a pen and some paper and write down your life story. Just in case we don’t survive the Apocalypse, it might not be such a bad idea to tell future generations that you lived, you were here, and how you were so awesome. Maybe you should write it on stone or something because that would make you look really important.

Horde

Who knows, you could be one of the few people to survive the Apocalypse. It would be quite sad if you weren’t prepared after we have had all this notice. There is going to be some great demand for certain items. Food, water, weapons, cars…pick one thing as your focus and buy it all up. That way when everything falls apart you can be the person everyone wants to get with. You may not have been much in this life, but you will be a king or a queen of the dystopian world if you horde up on things you need to survive.

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Turn Off the Lights: Bright Lights and Depression

Chantal — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 15:19:33 +0000

From the dawn of time humans rose with the sun and slept when it set. However, with the invention of electricity, night became day which enabled us to work or play until the wee hours of the night. Electricity changed the way humans lived, however, there can be harmful side-affects to bright lights, especially at night.

According to a new study, the bright lights in your classroom at school could be harming your ability to learn and drive you to depression. Even reading on your iPad, surfing the web on your laptop and watching TV late into the night could be bad for your mental health.

The study, published in the scientific journal Nature, was conducted by Samer Hattar, a professor at John Hopkins University. Hattar subjected mice to 3.5 hours of light followed by 3.5 hours of darkness for a two-week period. According to Hattar, the mice in the experiment began to exhibit signs of depression as well as increased amounts of cortisol, a stress hormone, and showed difficulty in learning and information retention.

“Of course, you can’t ask mice how they feel, but we did see an increase in depression-like behaviors, including a lack of interest in sugar or pleasure seeking, and the study mice moved around far less during some of the tests we did,” Hattar said. “They also clearly did not learn as quickly, or remember tasks as well. They were not as interested in novel objects as were mice on a regular light-darkness cycle schedule.”

The study found that chronic exposure to bright light at night elevates cortisol, a stress hormone that can cause depression and reduce brain function.

“Expose yourself to bright light in the day and avoid it at night,” suggested Samer Hattar, “That will keep the ipRGCs that affect mood from being activated.”

The researchers created light-exposure patterns for the mice that allowed the scientists to rule out the possibility that circadian rhythm and sleep disruption were responsible for the changes in learning and mood that they observed.

While we may not be able to do much to get rid of the fluorescent lights found in most college classrooms and apartments, Dr. Hattar suggests using applications for your phone or laptop that allows you to lower the amount of blue light that is emitted. Also, something as simple as turning off the main light when you are studying and just keeping on a desk light can help.

“See how much you can lower the intensity [of the light] so you can still see comfortably, but you are not exposed to incredibly bright light,” Hattar said. “Get more bright light during the day and limit it at night. It is really actually quite simple. The discovery is quite interesting, but the remedy is quite simple.”

A similar study, conducted by Ohio State University researchers and published earlier this year in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, between bright lights and depression, except with hamsters.

Although it may not be conclusive information since the studies were performed on mice and hamsters, it is still good to consider the research. Bright lights could be the difference between passing a class or having better mental health.

For more information about Samer Hattar and this study, visit: The Hub

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Study Tips: A Guide to Acing Your Finals

Chantal — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 14:00:40 +0000

Finals can be super stressful and make you a little crazy. Sometimes you just put extra stress on yourself for no reason. The pressure of failure gets to everyone, and you need to learn how to best prepare for your exam. If you are hating your life getting ready for finals, try these study tips to help you pass your exams.

Study in Chunks

I’m sure everyone knows how easy it is to keep procrastinating until you have no choice but to cram. However, all-nighters take a lot out of you and make it harder to recall information. According to a study by Discovery Health it is better for your memory if you study in 20-50 minute increments and give yourself a 5 to 10 minute break between each session. You don’t want to tire yourself out by staying up at throughout the night or by relying on coffee or energy drinks to get you through your exam.

Alternate Study Spots

The New York Times published an article earlier this year about the importance of changing up your study area when studying for exams. Studies done by the University of Virginia, the University of California, and a few others explained that rather than sticking to one study spot, you should switch things up when reviewing for exams. Studying in the same spot can cause your brain to associate the information with the location, which will make recall harder when you get to your exam.

Classical Music

According to a study done by Missouri Western State University, listening to classical music while you study can help improve your memory. It was shown that classical music activates both the right and left sides of the brain in listeners. Stimulation of both sides is linked with increased recall, so listening to classical artists like Beethoven, Mozart or these, can help you with your exams.

Hot Chocolate

Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, is packed with antioxidants as well as cognitive and mood enhancers. Dark chocolate is a superfood, but not after it is processed into chocolate bars and other sweets. To take full advantage of the nutritious bean, dissolve a spoonful of cocoa into a cup of hot milk and you will have a healthy drink that will help you study. For an even better choice add cinnamon, espresso or cayenne pepper for optimal energy.

Study Groups

Study groups can motivate you to get started when it’s hard to motivate yourself. Study groups may not be for everyone, but it’s good to just be around people in your class in case you come across a problem. Sometimes, explaining difficult concepts out loud will help you figure out what you understand and what you still need to go over. You can even divide the information and have each member explain a topic to everyone else in the group.

Breathe!

If the mere mention of the phrase “final exam” makes your palms sweat and your heart beat a little faster, you could have more to worry about than just mastering a class. Sometimes, being overly stressed can cause you to blank out during an exam—which is the last thing you want to do. You just have to calm yourself down. Try positive visualization and picture yourself passing the test. Just take deep breaths and let yourself take breaks in between study sessions.

Manage Time

By the time finals roll around, your time is precious — every minute counts. If you can, start studying for your exams at least a week in advance so that way you don’t go totally bonkers during finals week. Finals are stressful to begin with; don’t make it worse by staying up late watching YouTube videos and looking at cat pictures. Decide on a schedule and stick with it, but make sure to leave yourself time for breaks and remember to prioritize according to which class you’ll need to study for the most.

Ask for Help

Nobody ever wants to go to office hours, which is why professors are so happy when a student actually show up. They are there to help and have to stay in their office even if no one ever goes. Even if you only have one question, feedback from a professor will help you figure out what they think is most important, and will help you figure out what to focus on while studying. Don’t be afraid, they won’t bite, and you could receive invaluable information.

Figure Out the Best Way to Study

Each class is completely different from the next so you can’t expect to study for all exams the same. If you try to study for your physics exam the way you would study for a literature exam, you probably won’t do very well. For some classes you need to memorize long formulas and for others it will be all about writing. If you are not sure how to study for a class ask for help or check out this guide to learn how to study for language, chemistry, math and essay-based exams.

Keep it Interesting

The brain work in some really strange ways. It’s hard to memorize a definition, but you can memorize lyrics of so many songs. Connect things you already know with whatever you are learning now. Try using memory techniques (like mnemonic devices) or connect things in a way that only you would remember.

Quick Tips:

Don’t overdose on coffee or energy drinks
Remember pens, pencils, Blue Books, etc.
Pack what you need the night before
For morning exams, get up a little earlier
Set more than one alarm
Pace yourself during the exam
Just breathe!

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StuDYING: Staying Alert Without Coffee

Chantal — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 17:07:19 +0000

If you are anything like me, you are a zombie in the morning without coffee. Staying awake is easy, take a few shots of espresso and an energy drink and you’re good to go. But you will also probably die from a heart attack. As much as you may like to drink coffee all the time, a lot of caffeine isn’t good for you, and there are healthier ways for staying alert. With exams right around the corner (or right in front of you) you should try and limit the amount of caffeine you consume through coffee and energy drinks. Try out some of these quick tips to stay awake without coffee.

Drink Tons of Water

Drinking water is one of the best things you can do when you are studying. Dehydration can make you tired, so if you keep your body hydrated you can stave off those symptoms. If you are really sleepy, drink a lot of ice cold water to jolt your senses. Plus, if you have to keep getting up to go to the bathroom, there is no chance that you will fall asleep.

Take Breaks

Your brain needs to rest if you want to study hard for a long time and do well on your test. Schedule out your time so you have 10 minute breaks every hour or so. Watch a TV show, talk to a friend, read a book, or listen to some music. It doesn’t matter, do whatever is best for you to unwind after a hard study session. A break will make it easier to focus after studying for a while.

Don’t Get Too Comfortable

You can’t lie out on your bed or chill on the couch if you expect to get through five chapters in your book. Getting too comfortable is a sure fire way to sleep through your study time. Go somewhere with good, strong lighting, a non-squishy chair, and a table or desk. Sit up while you study and change positions in order to keep yourself awake.

Shake it Off

Exercise can be a great way to wake yourself up when you’re tired. Take a short walk, dance like a crazy person, or head over to the gym for a little while. Moving around will release endorphins and make it easier to stay up. If you take a shower after you work out, especially a cold one, it will help you wake up even more.

Eat Right

Low blood sugar can cause you to feel tired, so getting your blood sugar up by eating a healthy snack is important. Apples, and other fruits, are a good food to help you keep your blood sugar stable so you can stay awake. Whole grains are also good to eat because they will make you feel full without making you tired. During exams you want to try and eat smaller meals because big meals take longer to metabolize and will leave you feeling sleepy.

Peppermint Gum

A study at NYU showed that chewing gum helps improve your memory, focus, and concentration. The chewing motion releases insulin into your bloodstream, which improves your memory. It also increases the blood flow to your brain cells to help you concentrate. According to the U.S. Armed Forces, chewing gum can also help relieve stress.

Keep Busy

If you physically write notes down instead of just reading your textbook, it will help keep your mind from wandering elsewhere. I’m sure that everyone has, at least once, reread a paragraph in a textbook over and over with no recollection whatsoever about the information. Write down key points or, at the very least, the titles because it will keep you focused on the task at hand.

Keep it Cool

If you are in a warm and stuffy room, you are just going to feel more tired and want to sleep. If you need to stay awake, pick a room that is cold because it will prevent you from wanting to sleep and slow down mental fatigue. It might be a little uncomfortable at first, but it is better than falling asleep while you are studying.

Laugh it Out

If you do something as simple as look up funny YouTube videos or pictures on the internet, it can help you stay awake when all you want to do is sleep. A good laugh will help stimulate your brain which, in turn, will help you stay awake longer. Just make sure you don’t get too distracted by the internet and forget all about studying.

Spice it Up

Warm and soothing drinks like chamomile tea are great if you want to sleep. Conversely, strong and spicy flavors are going to jolt you awake. If you feel like you are about to fall asleep eat something spicy like jalapenos or drizzle some hot sauce on your tongue. It is going to be brutal for a little there, but you won’t fall asleep after that. Exams are a battlefield. Be brave.

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Ten Easy Desk Exercises for the Busy Student

Chantal — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 16:39:27 +0000

Exercise is really important for a healthy immune system, but it is even more important in the winter during flu season. Between school, work, and studying it is sometimes really hard to fit in time to go to the gym and exercise. For the days you do not have time to go to the gym, try these easy desk exercises that will boost your immune system.

Neck

To stretch your neck most people rotate their neck in a circle, but that can cause damage to the joints of the neck. Instead, slowly flex your head forward and backward and side to side. This can be done pretty much anytime to relieve tension and strain. This is a desk exercise that is both simple and effective.

Shoulders

From being hunched all day over a desk or a computer screen, the tension in your shoulders will quickly grow and can get really uncomfortable. Roll your shoulders forward and backward at least ten times each way. Try and repeat this desk exercise at least twice every hour to best alleviate shoulder stress.

Arms and Shoulders

A good stretch for your arms and shoulders is to sit a foot away from the desk and to place your hands on the edge. Twist your hands in so they point toward your body and lean forward as far as you can go without hurting yourself. For a better stretch, push your shoulders and elbows closer to the desk.

Chest

Hunching forward over a computer can also cause stress to build up in your chest. To relieve the stress, you just need to perform a simple desk exercise. Open your arms wide (like you were going to hug someone) and rotate your wrists while pulling your shoulders back. This stretch moves your body in the opposite way that you usually sit, so you should feel a good stretch across your chest.

Upper Back Stretch

Tension can accumulate fairly quickly in your upper back throughout the day. By taking just a few seconds to stretch it out, you can release tension and get some exercise in. All you need to do is extend your arms in front of you and grab your wrist, gently pull your arms forward as you round your upper back. Hold it for around twenty seconds and alternate sides.

Side Stretch

Are you eating too many snacks while studying and want to get rid of those love handles? There are some simple stretches that you can do just about anywhere that will work your sides. Raise your arms over your head and lean gently over to each side, just be careful if your chair has wheels.

Abdomen

Just contract your abdominal muscles (breathe in), and hold them there for a few seconds before you release. Try to repeat this every thirty minutes throughout the day while you are sitting at your desk. This will help build up your abdominal muscles and the deep breathing will help circulate the blood flow into your brain.

Wrists

For the most part, you probably do not sit properly at a computer and because of that you could be at risk for getting carpal tunnel syndrome if you spend a lot of time typing. Instead of trying (and failing) to use proper technique, exercise your wrists throughout the day. Around every hour or so try to roll your wrists ten times clockwise and counterclockwise.

Calves

Your calves are often forgotten about when you are exercising. While sitting down, lift your legs until you are on the balls of your feet and set them down. Repeat this until your legs start to feel tired. Repeat this a few times throughout an hour so that you get some results. This will not only exercise your calves, but it will help prevent blood clots from developing in your legs as you get older.

Ankles

As with your wrists, try and roll your ankles in a clockwise motion five times, then switch to counterclockwise. This helps improve the blood circulation through your feet and prevents the “pins and needles” feeling you get after not moving around for a while.

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5 Free GPS Apps to Replace Apple Maps

Chantal — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 15:40:36 +0000

There are a lot of free GPS apps out there, but the question is which ones are actually good? Many people use paid apps that are pretty popular, but there is no point in paying for an app when you can get a similar one for free. Here is a list of the best free iPhone GPS apps that work better than Apple Maps and those other apps you need to pay for.

Waze

Waze combines social networking and a GPS to create an app like no other. You can make an account or you can just connect through Facebook. This app lets you share your information with other Wazers and lets you see other people who are using the app by you. A really cool feature of this app is that you can report traffic, accidents, police, and other road hazards to any Wazer. It also shows you everything others have reported, and it is surprisingly really accurate. This app is great for getting you to a location in the fastest time possible. You can also connect with other Wazers through chatting, map pinning, and by personalizing your own Waze character.

MapQuest

With this app, you get guided, turn-by-turn, GPS navigation. Much like expensive GPS units or apps, this free app speaks to you so you know when to make each turn. It is user-friendly and you can search for restaurants and other popular places with a single tap. Traffic is updated every five minutes so you can stay on track and know exactly how long it will take you to get somewhere. The app has also been updated to make it easier to find the cheapest gas prices and show you pictures of live traffic cameras for traffic on your route.

AmAze

This app is pretty cool because you can view the maps in 2D or 3D. It boasts many features of paid GPS apps and has awesome graphics and satellite pictures. You can use the detailed driving instructions or the voice-guided GPS. This app would come in handy if you are doing study abroad because it has navigation for cities all over the world, instead of just the United States. AmAze also has some new cool features like speed trap and red camera alerts, real-time traffic conditions, and weather reports coming soon for free. A pop up comes up each time you start to purchase the full version, but just click out of it and enjoy the same thing for free.

iWant

iWant combines the yellow pages, restaurant reviews, movie show times, and directions all into one app. It’s really easy to use and you can find any place around you fairly quickly. It is good if you want to find new places or find out more information about places you already know. The free version and the paid version have the exact same information, except the free version has advertisements. The ads are just a ribbon on the bottom and are not distracting at all so there is no point in paying for the app.

TeleNav

TeleNav is a remake of the GPS system that used to be on Sprint phones before the iPhone and App Store. The original app for the iPhone had a lot of bugs, but they have updated the app and fixed the problems. This is a free app, but you can purchase components in order to get voice-over control and other features, but the free portion has what you need for a good GPS. The free version has detailed maps, turn-by-turn directions, a search feature for places in the area, and daily traffic reports.

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Healthy Soup Recipes for the Flu Season

Chantal — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 14:06:03 +0000

Cold weather is the perfect time for hot soups and warm beverages. However, it is also the perfect time to get sick. Although eating soup from a can is easy, it is just not the same as freshly made soup. With simple and healthy soup recipes you can make soup that tastes good and is even better for your health during this cold season.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

½ cup onion; chopped
Oil
1 cup carrot; sliced
1/3 cup celery; sliced
½ pound chicken breast; cubed
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups uncooked noodles
Salt and black pepper

Directions:

1. Sauté onions in oil until translucent

2. Add carrots, celery, chicken, chicken broth, and noodles

3. Bring to boil and let simmer for 20 minutes; season to taste

Tomato Soup

Ingredients

2 (15-ounce) containers, chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can concentrated crushed tomatoes
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and black pepper
Optional: Soup toppers

Directions

1. Combine broth and tomatoes in a medium saucepan over medium heat

2. When soup bubbles, stir in heavy cream; reduce heat to low

3. Season with a little salt and pepper

4. Simmer for 15 minutes; stirring occasionally

5. Optional: Puree soup and serve with toppers of choice

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

1 cup onion; diced
Oil
1 medium butternut squash; cubed
6 cups chicken broth
Salt and black pepper

Directions:

1. In a large pot sauté onion in oil; about 8 minutes

2. Add squash and chicken stock; bring to boil

3. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, or until squash is tender

4. Puree squash with immersion blender or regular blender

5. Add salt and pepper to taste; simmer for 5 minutes

Egg Drop Soup

What you need:

1 tablespoon ginger; chopped
3 scallions; chopped
Sesame oil
6 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 eggs

Directions:

1. Sauté ginger and scallions in sesame oil

2. Add chicken broth and soy sauce; bring to a simmer

3. Slowly pour in beaten eggs and cook 2 minutes; Serve

Clam Chowder

Ingredients:

4 strips bacon; chopped
Oil
2 cups clam juice
2 cups water
1 ½ cups cream
3 potatoes; chopped
Cayenne
2 cups canned (or fresh) clams

Directions:

1. Sauté bacon in oil

2. Add clam juice, water, cream, and potatoes

3. Bring to boil than simmer until tender

4. Add clams right before serving

Check Out These Sites For More Easy Soup Recipes:

Food Network – 50 Soup Recipes

Busy Cooks – 30 Minute Soup Recipes

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10 Tips That Will Make Cleaning Your Apartment 1 Million Times Easier

Chantal — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 15:12:02 +0000

No matter how many times you wash your hands or eat healthy, you can still easily get sick if you do not keep your room clean. School, work, and fun often take precedence over cleaning and sometimes you just cannot find the time to do it. Cleaning can be a lot of work, but you can use some quick cheats in order to cut down your cleaning time.

Cutting Board: Lemon

Lemon peels have antimicrobial characteristics so you can use them to clean your house without all those harsh chemicals. Cut a lemon in half and scrub the lemon on the cutting board. The lemon juice and peel can kill a large portion of germs on the cutting board. This scrubbing will break up small bits of food, and even help kill bacteria left over by raw meat or poultry.

Kitchen Surfaces: Rubbing Alcohol

Instead of purchasing expensive sprays that have many strong chemicals with harsh smells, you can make disinfectant sprays that are a lot cheaper. In a spray bottle, mix together one part bleach to three parts water. It will remove stains from the kitchen, or bathroom, and make surfaces whiter.

Removing Odors: Vanilla

Sometime, no matter how much Febreze you use, stubborn smells just won’t go away for long. Try soaking pure vanilla on a cotton ball and place it in a saucer in the room that has a foul odor. Instead of a room, you can also put the saucers in a car or refrigerator has a strange smell. Just make sure to replace the cotton ball every few weeks.

Dishwasher: Vinegar

If you live in an apartment or on campus you probably have a dishwasher that doesn’t clean very well no matter how much detergent you put in it. Just add a few tablespoons of vinegar along with the dishwasher detergent before you start the machine. The vinegar will cut the grease easier and leave your dishes sparkly clean without any scrubbing.

Disinfect Sponges: Microwave

Sponges are constantly wet, and it is much easier for bacteria to grow on wet surfaces. Instead of buying a new sponge, disinfect smelly sponges by putting them in the microwave. Wet the sponge thoroughly and place it in the microwave for about a minute. When you see steam coming from the sponge, the bacteria in the sponge will be dead so you can stop the microwave. Just make sure to remove it carefully, because it will be really hot.

Dusting: Dryer Sheet

Instead of using your expensive Swiffer rags to dust counters or the floor just whip out a few dryer sheets. Just dust as usual, but use the dryer sheet instead of the Swiffer sheets. You’ll be amazed by what clings to the dryer sheet; you can even use some used sheets instead of new ones.

Cleaning Coffee Maker: Vinegar

Most people don’t think about cleaning the coffee maker, but germs can get caught in places you can’t reach. Just pour straight vinegar into it as if you are making the coffee. Turn the coffee maker on and just let it run as normal. Just repeat the process with new vinegar until the vinegar comes out clear.

Stove Top: Salt

Cleaning the stove top can be really hard because spilled food will get burnt-on and is almost impossible to clean. To make it easier to clean up spills on your stove, sprinkle the spills immediately with salt. When the oven has cooled, the burnt-on food will come off easily with a damp sponge.

Mirrors: Coffee Filters

Paper towels are soft and can leave a lot of fuzz behind when you are trying to clean mirrors or windows. Try cleaning your mirrors with coffee filters because you can feel any particles stuck to the glass and easily scrub or scrape them off. They are much cheaper and more effective than paper towels, and won’t leave any fuzz on the glass.

Couches: Rubbing Alcohol

If you live in a dorm or apartment that is furnished, you probably have couches with some questionable stains. First vacuum the couch, then spray a mixture of rubbing alcohol and water onto the area and rub with the scouring side of a new scrubbing sponge. This will remove stains and make your couch look new and fresh.

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How to Survive Getting Sick in College

Chantal — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 18:22:32 +0000

Getting sick is horrible, especially when you are on your own in college. Many college students are used to having someone at home take care of them when they have even the slightest cold. It’s a huge change when you have to take care of yourself when you are sick, especially when you don’t know the proper way to take care of yourself. Learning how to take care of yourself when you are sick is the best way to have a fighting chance against a cold.

Make a Sick Kit

Even before you get sick you should make a “sick kit” just in case you get sick, because chances are you will. Prepare a box with medicine, tissues, soup, cough drops, and other things that you may need when you get sick. If you don’t do it before, you are not going to want to go out and get it when you are sick. Being prepared and starting to take care of your cold before it progresses can help shorten the time you are sick.

Rest, Rest, Rest

With a busy schedule, loud roommates, and an exciting social life, it can be hard to know when to slow down and take a breather. If you don’t rest you aren’t going to get any better, or it is just going to take a lot longer. Your body needs to recuperate when it is sick and rest is the best thing you can do for yourself. It’s not worth going to the party or class if you are going to get worse or fall asleep.

Drink Plenty of Fluid

Fluids hydrate your body, which helps to keep it healthy. Be sure to drink nourishing fluids like water, chicken soup, or real fruit juice. When you are sick you may go for some warm milk, but you should try to limit your dairy intake because it can form mucus in your throat. And I know it might be hard, but you should stay far away from alcoholic beverages when you are sick because it drains your body of the fluids that will help you get better.

Eat Right

Eating healthy is always important, but it is especially important when you are sick. If you live in a dorm it can be hard if you don’t have a kitchen, and a lot of college kids don’t know how to use a kitchen even if they have one. The campus dining hall isn’t much better, because they have a lot of quick foods that aren’t too healthy. Try to go for some fruits, vegetables, or soups because they have the vitamins that will help you get healthier faster.

Take Your Meds

I’m not saying to take a lot of medication because you think it will get you better faster, but be smart and safe about it. If you have aches and pains you could try taking Tylenol or Advil, but make sure you follow the directions on the bottle or consult a doctor. Take the medicine that will cure your symptoms, not just some random medicine you have laying around. If you do go to a doctor and they give you a prescription, make sure you take the entire dose even if you start to feel better. The last thing you want is to get sick again because it didn’t entirely go away the first time.

Visit the Campus Heath Center

Yes, it is going to really suck getting out of bed and getting there, but it will be worth it down the line. It would be worse if you have something more serious than you thought and had to miss more class waiting for the medicine to work. Also, most health centers will provide you with a note that verifies that you are sick—and professors really like the physical evidence that you were actually sick.

Email Your Professors

If you are going to miss class it just looks better if you email them instead of showing up two days later asking for help. A note from your doctor will look good and you should get one, but just sending them a quick email will make it look like you really care about the class. You don’t want to make it look like you just wanted the day off and were skipping. They will be much more willing to help you if you reach out first.

Try to Study

It seems that you always get sick at the worst possible time. You want to get enough rest, but you don’t want your grades to suffer just because you are sick. Not all professors will be understanding and grant you leeway because you are sick, especially if it is during exam time. Try to fit in small study periods where you just read over a section in a book or a few pages of notes. You don’t want to exhaust yourself, but you also don’t want to get too far behind everyone else.

Tips to Avoid Getting Sick

Wash your hands frequently
Disinfect your room often
Try to get 8 to 9 hours of sleep per night
Don’t share cups or utensils
Stay away from sick friends
Stay hydrated

The post How to Survive Getting Sick in College appeared first on The Campus Companion.

Napping, It’s Not Just For Little Kids

Chantal — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 18:23:59 +0000

If you have ever pulled an all-nighter, you know how it feels to be really tired and have a lot of work to do. All you want to do is nap or sleep, but you also want to get good grades. Now you can do both. According to researchers at the National Sleep Foundation, and many notable universities, taking naps is beneficial to not only your health, but also your grades.

However, researchers define napping a little different than most students. For a nap to be beneficial they should be a 20 to 30 minute power nap, or as some researcher call it, a NASA nap. A NASA nap is a 26-minute nap and it increases performance by 34% and alertness by 54%.

Here are reasons why you should avoid the dreaded all-nighter and take some naps to break up the late night of studying:

Better Memory

Have you ever gone to sleep after watching a scary movie only to wake up in the middle of the night thinking that the same thing is happening to you? What happened is that your brain takes freshly stored information and incorporates it into the dream. Your brain rolls around all of that new information, and stores it in your memory while you sleep, which makes it easier to recall later. If you sleep right after you study, your information retention will soar. A nap after an intense study session will not only rejuvenate you for the rest of the day, but also help your brain absorb all the new information you have learned.

Judgment

Have you ever made a decision after a long day of studying that you later regretted? In college you are faced with hard decisions every day. If you are tired, your brain doesn’t process information well and you end up making a decision that you would not normally make. Taking naps will make you feel rested and make better decisions. Taking naps also leaves you in a better mood so you won’t get annoyed with people if they are trying to help you reach the right decision.

Stress Management

Stress is often caused by exhaustion and is a reflex from a tired brain. When you force yourself to finish your homework or study for an exam when you are passed the point of exhaustion, you are only increasing the stress on our bodies and minds. The stress hormone, cortisol, is higher when you are exhausted than when you are well rested. Just a quick, thirty minute nap can make you well rested and less stressed.

Increased Productivity

You feed your body when it is hungry, so why not rest your brain when it is tired? While caffeine can certainly help you wake up when you are tired, it can also block some important cognitive function. Caffeine is good to wake up your body, but it doesn’t do too much for a tired brain. Just take a quick power nap, it is cheaper and will help you so much more throughout the day. Some studies show that napping helps your brain learn to activities easier, so you should try a quick power nap throughout the day.

Motivation to Exercise

It’s too easy to come up with reasons not to exercise, and being tired probably tops the list. We’re always too tired to exercise, but it is just an endless cycle. Exercise leads to better sleep and more energy through the day, while sleep leads to better exercise sessions and more energetic days. If you are a night owl and can’t sleep at night, don’t force it. Just take a short nap in the afternoon to get you through the day. If you have more energy throughout the day, you will be more likely to use some of that energy to exercise. Reaching for coffee is too easy, but reaching for your pillow will give you the energy you need to get more things done.

For more information on napping visit: National Sleep Foundation

The post Napping, It’s Not Just For Little Kids appeared first on The Campus Companion.