Tag Archives: academics

GPA- Is it Worth the Struggle?

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Recently, I attended an award ceremony for seniors graduating from the language department with honors. The opening speech was delivered by the very charismatic German professor Sebastian Heiduschke discussing an article he had read enumerating the reasons why GPA doesn’t really matter to employers. You can imagine that this was a little bit of a controversial topic, since every student receiving an award had at least a 3.8 GPA, and had worked hard to make it that way. But as Heiduschke took us on a journey through the facts, it became clear that GPA truly does matter.richard post July 2014

Let’s start off where he did, taking a look at the things that employers might look at rather than GPA:

 

  1. Knowing how you learn— understanding how you learn is an integral factor in success in education and work environments
  2. Applying theory to real-life situations— we have spent a lot of time getting a degree, we need to know how to use it too
  3. Time management— balancing a work schedule with a healthy social life, as well as all the individual parts of your work life
  4. Relevant Professional Experience— internships you have held, volunteer work in the field, and jobs that can relate to your professional life
  5. Portfolio Work— don’t tell me that all of the work you have done in school is for nothing, you can take all those big projects that you were so proud of and put them into a portfolio
  6. The ability to give and receive feedback— a lot of times employers will want to know that you can give input into a situation just as well as you can receive input and reform your projects
  7. Presentation Skills— not all jobs require this, but being able to present yourself well as well as present in front of others will help you in the interview process at the very least
  8. Writing Skills— and just general communications skills are important if you are going to be working with/for anybody
  9. Your Network— the people that will really get you the job are the people that can attest to your qualities as a worker and person, building healthy relationships with people will come in handy
  10. GPA— finally the employers will look at your GPA as a factor in your prospects as an employee

Heiduschke went on to point out that all of these skills are taught through language classes at OSU, whether they are taken to be a Baccalaureate Core requirement, a minor, or if you are a fully-fledged language major, you will pick up all of these skills in language classes. It just goes to show that language can be a key in our education even if it is not the focal point of our studies.

But, if employers are so interested in all of these before our GPA, why should we even care? Well, the fact of the matter is that all of these points will reflect on your GPA and so if you have a good one, you should flaunt it. But that doesn’t mean that you are out of luck if your grade point is sub-par, you will just have to work hard to get that foot in the door. Remember that it is your job to make yourself look good on your resume, so if you are lacking in one of these ten categories, it’s not the end of the world— just highlight the other categories and be confident in portraying what will make you unique to employers.

We spend a lot of time trying to develop skills that we lack in, but at the end of the day: “If you’ve got it, flaunt it.” We don’t get jobs by telling an employer which skills and attributes we don’t have, or what we are working on. We get the job by showing them just how good we are at what we do best.

 

~Thank you to Sebastian Heiduschke for inspiring this topic, and providing a large amount of input for the post.~

 

by Richard Thomas, Career Assistant

How To Get Better At Wasting Time: Study Breaks 101

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adriana blog pic
Adriana Aguilar, our fantastic Career Assistant

As week 10 draws near (cue melodramatic music), the library gets dangerously close to reaching capacity, our eating habits shift from an occasional veggie to eating taco bell for dinner at 1 AM every night, Dixon becomes nonexistent along with sleep and our stress levels reach heights that parallel Simba’s when the stampede of wildebeests come careening for him. Before the all night cramming commences I thought it would be wise to revisit the idea of taking a study break to de-stress. In no way am I debunking the importance of a study break, because lets be real, you are some sort of superhuman if you have the ability to study for 8 hours straight without taking a breather. What I’m suggesting is that we rethink what is done during this precious time we set aside to reset our psyches.

More often than not study breaks consist of scrolling down our Instagram feed for “five minutes” which translates into going your celeb crush’s Instagram pics while we envision ourselves as their spouse for the next hour. Now, this may be a study break you’re perfectly OK with and every once in a while the occasional imagination of what it would be like to be Mrs. Efron is necessary. That being said, I’ve realized recently is that there are far better ways to spend a study break that may allow us to de- stress while we also take a break from finals studying. For instance, we all have a gazillion things on our weekly to-do lists, in which case very rarely do all of the tasks on our lists all get done. I bet you can guess where this is going. So, if you’re studying at home and can no longer rehearse the circulation of blood through the chambers of the heart, or whatever it may be, instead of giving in to the black hole we call Facebook, or better yet, Pintrest, try knocking out a quick task on your to-do list. Some ideas may include…

  • Putting a load of laundry in, or better yet, folding that already done load of laundry
  • Cleaning out the inside of your car
  • Cooking up those veggies before they go bad
  • Finally taking off that chipped nail polish that’s been lingering for weeks
  • Changing that hallway light that went out months ago
  • Cleaning your room
  • Weeding your front yard as you soak up some vitamin D the natural way
  • Unloading the dishwasher
  • Preparing library snacks and dinners for finals week

These are just a few ideas, but I think you get my drift. In the end doing tasks that require little to no brainpower instead of lifelessly feeding into Facebook is a win-win for you. Your brain gets a break from cramming while you free up some time in the future by doing a task or two you would have had to do later. And honestly, it feels better. It feels better to transform your jungle of a yard overgrown with dandelions (into something that resembles an actual yard) than it does to browse your Facebook timeline to find out that your friends in California are already on summer break… It feels better to know that you have dinners prepped for finals week than it does to tweet “sleep is for the weak.” In addition, when you take a study break in the wee hours of the night, getting up and doing something will most likely have a greater affect in waking you up and recharging your battery than sitting and staring at a computer screen would.

We have a tendency to procrastinate in ways that are essentially dead ends and instead we could be using that same time to procrastinate in ways that are beneficial to other areas of our lives. Imagine that, there is such a thing as positive procrastination, so long as it doesn’t end up fully distracting you from your studying altogether. As a rule of thumb, your study break should take no longer than an hour max. That being said, these things may seem mundane, but one of the biggest struggles college students have is managing their time which is arguably one of, if not, the biggest contributor to stress. There is so much on our plates, one too many things we’re trying to juggle, but if we simply change the way we “waste time” by habitually taking study breaks that incorporate brainless tasks, I think it’s possible to be less stressed and more satisfied people as a result. So here’s to cleaner rooms, shiny cars, library snacks and clean socks (for once)! Let’s show week 10 what we’re made of!

posted by Adriana Aguilar

Staying Healthy Through Finals Week (and beyond!)

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Welcome to the end of the term, OSU Beavers!! The term is almost over with (phew), and hopefully you’ve finally acclimated yourselves to the academic agenda of your life! Today, I want to give you a few tips on how to continue on the path to a successful year – whether it be academically, professionally and evenhealthy during finals personally.

Establishing healthy habits can protect you from the harmful (dreadful, really) effects of stress. As students, we know, first hand, the potential brutal effects of stress – so here are a few tips on how to curb those effects!

1. Keep in touch with family and friends!

A daily dose of personable socializing is a great remedy for the ‘blues’. Even if you aren’t feeling up to the socializing aspect of things – do it! Ever heard of the saying “a smile is contagious” – it’s true! The more you surround yourself with productive positivity, the more you’ll personally feel the positive effects.

The benefits of staying connected can range from feeling supported, staying mentally sharp, developing a more active lifestyle, reducing (overall) stress, and finally enhancing your sense of well-being and happiness. Woo Woo.

2. Engage in physical activity – DAILY

This is something I cannot emphasize enough!! Consistent daily activity will make a world of a difference, literally! It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant, just 30 minutes a day of some light-moderate cardio will make a difference. I know most of you walk to and from campus multiple times of day – this is fantastic (and counts as light cardio), but setting aside 30 minutes a day (or even every other day) to do some moderate to rigorous exercise (cardio) not only accelerates your metabolism, but it also gives your entire body a chance to revive itself – leaving you feeling ‘pumped’ and ‘refreshed’!

3.  Accept the things you cannot change – Take Deep Breaths

Easier said than done. I know – but nevertheless, make a conscious effort to ‘chill’. Remember to take a few deep breaths, breath in through your nose, and out your mouth – this contraction of the lungs strengthens the respiratory muscles and improves the oxygen supply to your body. JUNK food consumption and erratic lifestyles end up causing lower oxygen supply within the body – which ends up making you feel tired and restless.

Deep breathing can – wait for it… DETOX the body. This one has been a head turner (lately) due to all of the detoxifying fads. How? A good supply of oxygen to your body helps flush out all of those toxins, which then also stimulates healthy and efficient body functioning. Woo Hoo!

One last thing on deep breathing (although I could go on forever) – regular deep breathing can actually help to reduce hypertension, fatigue, headaches, feelings of depression, panic, anxiousness (testing anxiety eh??), tension, hyperventilation etc.! I lied – one last thing; interested in sleeping better? Try taking a few prolonged deep breaths prior to sleeping. It relaxes the tension throughout your body, and slows the heart – enabling you to finally feel relaxed.

So, how does this help boost your performance academically and professionally?

There are a number of ways – but for the sake of length I’ll only list a few I find appealing:

*  Being able to manage stress enables you to take on more projects (because you’re completing previous projects) confidently, and execute them in an efficient and timely manner.

* It allows you to perform more efficiently – engage more effectively and empower others around you, thus creating a more productive working environment.

* Being healthy reduces physical and mental stress – reducing stress enables you to take on a whole new refreshed look at things going on in and around the workplace. It sparks creativity, innovation and advancement!

* Prepping for an interview?? The less stress you are feeling mentally and physically, the better the result will be for that interview – not only will you feel great, but the employer(s) will notice too.

* Studying away for an exam (or 5)?? Get ACTIVE. The more physical activity (and sleep) you pursue, the better memory recall you’ll have – that my friends, is a fact. That’s not to say go to the gym for hours on end and sleep the other part of the time – you have to actually put in the study time.

 

Happy Finals Week! Good luck and stay warm!

posted by Sydney Veenker, Career Assistant

Academics, Career and Life: Putting It All Together

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lifeIt’s your first year of school. Or your fifth.  The academic year begins after you’re fresh off of a summer of interning, vacationing, working or continuing education in a myriad of ways. Campus explodes with returning staff and students, skateboarders, bikers and pedestrians vying for space, and you step into another new schedule. Between the 15 credits you’re taking, you’re handed an armload of other expectations: make friends, keep friends, find a job on campus or close enough to bike, do EVERYTHING social that comes your way, join a club or three, meet with your advisor, take weekend trips, call your mother, study abroad, and keep your grades up. Oh, and work out. Students who are also parents, older than 25, first generation or otherwise considered “non-traditional” typically face even more demands for a successful blending of academics and everything else. It sometimes seems that everyone on campus is under pressure to do everything, be everything and be GOOD at everything, regardless of the personal toll.

Blending career with the rest of your life outside of school doesn’t get any easier, but the climate around what constitutes a “successful” career is changing.  Currently, the United States is dismal in terms of providing support and resources for the easy integration of work and life: we as a nation rank 28th, only 9 from the bottom, of advanced countries in terms of successful work/life integration. Conversations, though, in the past few years have shifted significantly toward figuring out how to redefine success in life, including career, and I do believe we will get better as a nation in taking care of each other.

While greater governmental and policy change is needed to implement support at a larger scale in the work/life integration, it is up to us now to manage our own balance. During school is a good time to practice. Here are a few tips on how to get started:

1.      Know yourself.

No other person will be able to tell you what is best for your life. You must do this work on your own. Take each day as an opportunity to learn about who you are, what you prioritize and how you see the best version of yourself in your community. Are you exhilarated by good grades? Does the happy exhaustion of a long trail run outweigh the extra hour of time spent talking on the phone with a friend? Is quiet time something that allows you to do well in other areas and, if so, how are you scheduling quiet time into your days? Unless you know where you are starting from, it is going to be extremely challenging to define where you’d like to be, and much easier to take on everything without intention and forethought.

2.      Redefine what is valuable.

The world will attempt to define this for you on a daily basis. At any turn, it is easy to allow another person or entity to tell you what holds the most value in your life. If this is a system that works for you, go with it. But if not, take a step back and analyze it for yourself.

3.      Welcome reality.

If you consider yourself on a budget of sorts, you may be able to better welcome and adhere to reality. With a strict budget, there is only so much money to spend. The same goes for your personal energy and engagement: once you’re tapped out, it is hard to refill and start over. Figure out ahead of time what your require in order to be the student you want to be: study groups, tutoring, time alone, breaks, staying busy, etc.  If you are a parent, an employee, a friend, a partner, decide what of your personal energy is required to be the kind of (insert role here) you want to be, and then stick to your budget. Set boundaries respectfully, with yourself and others and practice enforcing them.

4.      Adjust.

Work on your flexibility and forgiveness, with yourself and others. Recognize that it is easy for other people to place demands on you because it is their job to do so: your employers need your time and energy, your professors need your time and energy, your family needs your time and energy, your friends need your time and energy and all of this is okay. When you create expectations for yourself and others that are rigid and resentful, the stress will only increase. When you aren’t good at something, adjust. When a schedule changes that is out of your control, adjust. When life doesn’t happen exactly as it was supposed to, adjust. And then, when you figure out how to do that easily, write down a how-to and send it my way . .

5. Sleep.

Often for people, physical/mental health and sleep are the first things to go when life balance is out of sorts. Recognize now that none of the above practices are going to be possible for you if you are an exhausted, sick and emotional wreck 24/7. Be stingy with your time for rest.

Oh, and work out.

Thoughts on what helps you achieve balance and wellness in your own life? Please comment!

Conversations/resources/articles on this topic:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ronashkenas/2012/10/19/forget-work-life-balance-its-time-for-work-life-blend/

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/03/a_key_to_us_competitiveness_wo.html

http://www.iwpr.org/initiatives/work-family

Posted by Malia Arenth, Career Services Counselor