By Katy Krieger

As we get ready to take our finals there is always the thought about what to do with our holiday break. But then we start seeing money signs and want to throw in the towel, because after all, we’re poor college kids. Here are some tips for having a great break on a dime!

Gifts: We all want to give those around us a special something for the holidays, but how to do it when your piggy bank is super empty?

–          Channel your inner Martha Stewart. Look on Martha’s website, go on Pinterest, or ask a crafty friend. Making a gift can be just as fun as shopping for one and definitely wallet friendly. You typically only have to pay for materials and websites have step by step instructions to follow. Make your mom a blanket, paint a picture for your grandma’s living room, or make a special spice rub for your dad to use on his next BBQ creation!

–          Look at specialty websites. Websites like Open Sky offer website credit when you sign up that you can use on gifts. Some sites even offer free shipping around the holidays. Amazon is another great source to get items at a discounted price.

–          Write out a list of people you want to give gifts to and then budget for each gift. Stick to the budget and make a shopping plan so you don’t deviate.

–          Make yummy treats! Bake some cookies, put together a themed basket, or invite friends over for dinner (you provide the nibbles)

–          Wine! Yes, wine can be affordable and a great gift. Look for a specialty label that reminds you of a friend or get their favorite red blend.

–          Buy in bulk! Places like Costco offer great gifts that can be split up and given to a group of your friends. A set of 6 candles can be divided amongst your cousins or grocery stores offer a six pack deal on wine where six bottles can be purchased for one flat price no matter the brand.

–          Gift cards can be another great way to stick to a budget. Get various amounts on the gift cards and think of how each person may spend the card. Large grocery stores usually have an entire wall of gift cards to choose from so you can one stop shop!

Activities- We all want to go out with our friends and family and enjoy some time. But everything, even movies, can be expensive. Here are some cheaper alternatives.

–          Go ice skating! Local rinks can be cheap to go to and you can fall on your face for hours!

–          Potluck and game night- get friends together and have each one bring food/drinks/games and laugh the night away

–          Redbox night- rent a few flicks from Redbox and pop some popcorn (look for promo codes to get discounts or even FREE movies)

–          Groupon- look for deals in your area using this site along with many others

–          Holiday sales- a lot of stores have holiday deals (pedicures for a girls day can be half off during the holiday break!)

–          Sledding! is a great way to be outside and enjoy time with friends

–          Use happy hour! Cheap eats and half price drinks are ideal on a college budget

–          Bigger groups means bigger discounts, you can get group pricing on dinner or activities (like laser tag or visiting an exhibit). You can also split meals or appetizers with friends to share the cost

Holiday Travel- I’m from out of state and have to fly home. Most people are looking for cheaper ways to travel to see family for the holidays.

–          Look for deals in your inbox (sign up for your favorite airline to receive deals)

–          Fly Southwest, usually Southwest has a deal each week along with hot prices on certain trips

–          Book on Tuesdays as prices are usually at their lowest

–          Go for airlines with free checked bags or discounts for kids/seniors/students/round trip booking

–          If you’re travelling by car fill up on gas during the middle of the week because prices go up for the weekend

–          Go for off hours and off days to book flights or train tickets

–          Use train as an alternative or even the Greyhound for shorter trips

Even if you can’t afford everything you want to do, that’s not always the point of the holidays. Spending time with friends and family is the most important thing you can do. Enjoy your holiday season and stick to your budget!

By Casey Colvin

Thanksgiving break is almost here! Gobble, Gobble! But, that means that dead week and finals are right around the corner, eek!

Here are some tips for surviving dead week and making finals week a little less stressful.

First, enjoy your turkey day! Take the day to relax and not worry about classes. I find it important to enjoy this break and not think about school stresses at all. I used to kid myself and take a bunch of work home to do on Thanksgiving break, and it would never happen, then I would just feel guilty.  Now, I recognize how important it is to just enjoy the time off and the good food.  After the break is over, you can return to your school work feeling refreshed an energized!

Remember to not wait until the last minute to get projects, papers, and other finals done. If you want a less stressful dead week, don’t procrastinate! Time management is critical this time in the term, so start developing your priority list now! If you want to learn how to develop a priority list, come to the finals preparation workshop in Gilkey 100 on Monday, November 26th at 5:30.

Take food breaks! This sounds obvious, but it is easily forgotten when you’re studying for multiple finals and spend all day at the library. Try to eat healthy; having fast food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner is not a good idea. Trust me!

Know what works for you. By now, you should have an idea of where you study best, so go there and get to work!

Get plenty of sleep! Yes, I am telling you to sleep, do not pull all-nighters. That’s just not healthy and not a good study habit to develop. Sleep has so many benefits; so don’t deny yourself this necessity!

Be calm! It is not healthy for you to have high levels of stress. Find a way to keep yourself calm, whether that is yoga, going for a run, or watching your favorite show.

Go to study groups! Make sure you study alone first so you have knowledge of the topic and can contribute to the group.

Turn off your social media! Facebook, Twitter, iPhone, or whatever you have. Yes I said it!! Keep in mind I am a media communications major, so when I am suggesting this you know it’s a big deal. They are VERY distracting and easily take away from your studies. I promise you’ll survive a few hours without it.

You are so close to the finish line, so give the next couple weeks your best effort and it’ll pay off. I guarantee it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

By Angel Martinez

Hey ladies and gents. We’re in the middle of week 8, Thanksgiving is around the corner, soon to be followed by our first round of finals for the academic year. Whew! (Insert minor panic attack here). Regardless of how many credits you’re taking this term, or what classes you’re in, I’m sure we’re all going to be hit with some stressful moments prepping for the finals. Here are some tips that I’ve found helpful in my several years of experience at OSU for how I was able to study for my finals.

First, prioritize your studying. When you’re juggling several different finals, it’s important to know how to utilize your time in order to be ready for every final. I would recommend that if you’re not having trouble with any particular class then study for your finals in the order that you will be taking them in week 11. It wouldn’t make much sense to study all day on a Sunday, for a final that you have on Friday, if you have a different final on Monday.

Second, if possible try to find a study group or a study partner. The old saying goes “two heads are better than one”, and when you’re trying to ‘re-learn’ 10weeks of information this couldn’t be more accurate. It’s easier to remember more concepts and details from class when you have two people who may understand and remember different things. You can work together and teach each other what the other may have forgotten or not understood.

Third, if it is offered by your professor utilize the study guide. When using a study guide for your final make sure to remember that it is meant to be a tool, not an answer sheet. It’s a called a study guide for a reason. Make sure you review more than what is on the study guide, but prioritize the guide first.

Fourth, utilize campus resources to learn how to study for your finals. Going to the academic success center in Waldo 102 is really helpful for a number of different plans and strategies. Also, one of our Liberal Arts advisors, Kerry Thomas is offering a finals prep workshop on November 26^th at 5:30pm, in Gilkey 100. She will cover test anxiety, time management, study and test taking tips as well as help you make a study plan for each class.

Finally, take care of yourself. If you’re getting overly stressed out go to CAPS on the 6^th floor of Snell to de-stress. Make sure that you get enough sleep. There’s no point in staying up to the wee hours of the morning and not be energized and fully focused while taking your final. Also eat well. Make sure you have a good breakfast to get the brain churning.

Finals can get rough, but if you’ve been going to class, doing the assignments, and participating in class, then chances are, with some good studying, you’re going to do just fine on your finals.

Good Luck!

As the weather gets colder and each day there’s more rain in Corvallis, we all want to go on a nice little trip to someplace sunny.  At OSU there are some great opportunities to travel; most of which can provide other benefits too! Studying abroad, internships, club outings, and conferences are all great ways to go beyond Oregon and explore the United States and the world. I have compiled some travel experiences from a few of the CLA ambassadors in the hopes that you will all be inspired to take a trip!

Kendra Kintz

“When I came to Oregon State I hadn’t planned on studying abroad at all. It wasn’t until my Junior year that I realized I had this huge craving to travel, and more specifically I wanted to find my way to Ireland. I started researching internships and study abroad options, eventually finding a 5 week program over the summer where I took two classes on Irish culture at a college just south of Dublin. I fell head over heels in love with the country, lived with the greatest host family I could have ever imagined, and now have friends all over the world. One night I even camped under the stars on the Aran Islands, right across from the Cliffs of Moher. I also backpacked throughout Europe by myself for 5 weeks after my stay in Ireland, seeing five additional countries and learned what it takes to take care of myself in a completely foreign environment. There’s nothing quite like waking up from a nap on a train in Switzerland all by yourself, seeing waterfalls and mountains that have only existed in fairy tales, now in your face as reality. Every detail of my experience abroad was magical, and it’s still hard for me to believe it actually happened. I am beyond grateful for everything I was able to experience, and I encourage anyone to go see the world from a new place!”

 

Angel Martinez

“Going to Chile for fall term was one of the most amazing, unforgettable experiences that I’ve ever had. I lived with a host family with a very sweet mom that helped me ease into the culture who gave me advice on customs and food. My professors were very quick to help when we were struggling in class, despite the minor language barrier. I met wonderful Chilean friends that I still talk to, even though it has been almost a year since my trip. I was able to travel the country and experience things that I had never done before, like going to a hot springs, or zip lining in the forest. I grew so much as an individual while learning a second language. I loved everything about my adventure to Chile, and if I could do it all over again I would in a heartbeat!”

 

Morgan Willer

“Last summer I was offered an amazing opportunity to work with Camp Adventure and travel to Italy to work with kids on a U.S. Military base. Working with the kids was an amazing experience. Living on base gave me a new perspective on another way of life and I gained a lot of respect for these families. I left being inspired by these children and with more passion for my future career (a history teacher). Of course I was also living in Italy which was AMAZING! I was able to travel on the weekends and see things I never thought I’d see. I went canyoning in Switzerland, saw an opera in Vienna, and rented a boat off the Italian island of Capri. I have now seen places that I have only ever read about in my history texts like the Coliseum in Rome, the Parthenon in Greece, and the ancient city of Ephesus in Turkey. I was able to learn skills that I can apply to everyday life and I learned about other cultures. I cannot recommend studying or interning abroad enough!”

Katy Krieger

“Working in a psychology research lab has allowed me to travel to conferences and either hear from other researchers or present my own work. I have created a wide social network within the social psychology research field and plan to use this network when I apply to graduate school. The conferences are also a way to see the United States and what it has to offer. Each year our conference moves to a new state (usually somewhere warm). Last year I went to San Diego in January and was able to fit in lectures, poster sessions, shopping, and eating out! This January I plan to go to New Orleans where I will present a poster at the conference. The great thing is that Mardi Gras season will have just started and there are some great New Orleans traditions and cultures to experience firsthand!”

After hearing all of these travel stories, all I want to do is book a flight ASAP! Look into studying abroad or maybe an internship in your major. Perhaps your club has an annual get together or there is a conference you can attend in your field of study.  If you are interested in study abroad, International Programs has first steps meetings every Monday through Friday at noon and at 4:00 pm in Heckart Lodge. Whatever it is you want to do, or wherever it is you want to travel, scratch it off your bucket list and think “YOLO”!

By Kendra Kintz

When I was deciding where to go to college, I was torn between focusing solely on my education and choosing a school where I would be able to play soccer. I was committed to playing soccer for another college in Oregon, but the summer before I left for school I had a huge change of heart and decided Oregon State was the better fit. Because I decided to go to Oregon State, I was worried I wasn’t going to be able to continue to have soccer be part of my life; it had been in my life for years, how would I function without it?! Luckily, within two weeks of coming to Oregon State, I had tried out for the Women’s Club Soccer team and found a fit that was absolutely perfect for me, and still is four years later.

What I love about being part of a Club Sport team here at OSU is that it is the perfect balance of competition and fun. I’ve played competitive soccer my entire life and whether it was with my high school team or a club team, year round I had something to rely for a break from school. For me, soccer is an outlet to not only get a great work out, but to also clear my head and focus on something other than school for a change. I encourage you to find some sort of activity that is nonacademic so that you can give yourself a break every now and then to refresh and take a step back from the daily grind of school work. Very easily school can become your entire focus, and if you let it consume you too much, you’ll forget how great it feels to indulge in the hobbies or interests that can rejuvenate your soul and make you feel alive again! Soccer is that spark for me, and practicing three days a week gives me the perfect break from homework that I need.

If sports have never been your idea of a good time, I still encourage you to try something new! Anyone can attend club sport practices, many of them free of charge. For soccer, even if you aren’t on the traveling squad that plays in games we still encourage you to come practice with us just for a good work out and to have fun with some girls you might not otherwise meet. Other sport clubs include Ultimate Frisbee, Triathlon, Volleyball, Racquetball, and many more.

During the upcoming winter months the clouds and rainy weather can wear on you if you aren’t careful about adding endorphin rushes to keep up your mood! Find something that you know you can count on to lift your spirits on those days when you need an extra boost. I really do think it is important to make time for your hobbies, even if you need to plan them into your schedule so you are guaranteed to not forget about them.

If you aren’t interested in committing to a team, I definitely recommend trying a PAC class winter term! My personal favorite is kickboxing; I had never tried it before, but last winter term I took my first class and besides soccer it is officially my favorite workout. It was also nice having extra physical activity built into my schedule on those cold winter days when going for a run or playing outside wasn’t an option!

Whatever it is, I hope you find something that works for you to help keep you happy! If you are interested in playing soccer, let me know and I would love to give you our contact information. Otherwise, happy hobby hunting!

By Ashleigh Stubblefield CLA Advisor

It’s that time of year again. We just began week seven which means that the S/U and withdrawal deadlines are this Friday and registration is right around the corner.  So, whether you love your classes, hate your classes or some mix of both, it’s time to choose new ones for next term!

This term priority registration for winter term starts on November 11^th. If you haven’t made an appointment to talk with your advisor, you should do so soon. Don’t forget to log-in to your online service menu and check your registration status! Students with the most credits will register first, but don’t worry everyone will have the opportunity to register for a full-time course load. The registrar’s office has created some great video tutorials on adding, dropping, and waitlisting courses.

Registering for courses is a great way to increase your familiarity with the catalog and the new Bacc Core Playlists. The Bacc Core Playlists were specially designed to allow students to focus on a specific interest while meeting their Bacc Core requirements. These playlists are great opportunities to explore areas that compliment your major, align with personal interests, or try something totally new.

Some of the playlists include: Truly Global, Americas, and Sustainability. Each playlist has different options for most of the Bacc Core requirements. For example, the Truly Global playlist focuses on exploring and developing a better understanding of different cultures and people around the world. If you have questions about the Bacc Core Playlists you can always ask your advisor.

Every student has two registration windows, Phase 1 and Phase 2 registration. In phase 1 you can register for up to 16 credits beginning with your specified priority registration time. Starting with Phase 2 you can register for up to 19 credits and begin waitlisting courses.

Priority registration is a busy time for students and advisors so make sure to schedule an appointment before your registration time. The best ways to schedule an appointment with a central CLA advisor are to call 541-737-0561 or to drop by Gilkey 213 and make an appointment.