Distance Learning Systems (DLSI)

Let’s be honest, the typical dorm room is bland, empty, and typically a mixture of beige tones. When moving into college, you want your room to be your safe space. It needs to be the place you can relax, unwind, and escape from the hustle and bustle of college life. Once you decorate your room to make it livelier, try adding houseplants to really give your room an extra pop of color. House plants are known to help increase productivity, lift your mood, and even purify the air (Lohr, V. I. (2010). Some houseplants are easier to maintain than others, especially when you’re a busy college student. If you’re a busy student, but want to liven up your living space, take a look at these three low-maintenance plants below:

1. Succulents are by far the easiest plant to maintain in a dorm room. Succulents are small, compact, and only grow as large as the pot they are in will allow them to. Needing full light, succulents will do perfectly on a window ledge. If this is not possible, purchase a small grow light. These small spiky plants only need to be watered once their soil is completely dry, so they don’t need constant attention. A fun fact about succulents is that if you add a drop of food coloring to their water, their petals will absorb it and change to that color!
2. Snake plants are a great low-maintenance option because they are extremely difficult to kill. These plants are slow-growing and don’t require much sunlight, so they can just hang out in pretty much any spot in your room. They don’t need to be watered often, just enough to keep their soil damp, so a cheap spray bottle is a great option to have on hand. If you’re limited on space in your dorm room, snake plants are a great option because they don’t grow at a rapid pace. Start off with a smaller plant to ensure it won’t cramp your space.
3. Aloe Vera is not only an attractive houseplant but serves many other purposes as well. This plant is another low-maintenance option that is great for dorm rooms. Aloe Vera only needs to be watered once the soil is dry, typically once per week. Indirect sunlight is best for this plant, so it can be placed almost anywhere in your room. If your plant becomes too big, that shouldn’t be a problem. After trimming it, the aloe plant can be used for skincare or even treat sunburns!

Succulents are a great way to liven up your bland living space at college. Houseplants are proven to help increase productivity, lift your mood, and even purify the air. Additionally, tending to your plants will give you something to focus on other than the stresses of school, and are a helpful little distraction. Buying a houseplant (or two, three, five, or ten!) is a great way to add color and life to your dorm room. The plants listed above are all pretty low maintenance and easy to care for. Once you get the hang of caring for them, feel free to move on to more advanced plants!

 

Citation: Lohr, V. I. (2010). What are the benefits of plants indoors and why do we respond positively to them? Acta Horticulturae, 881, 675–682.

Even before the pandemic, studying at home could be a major headache. A messy house, loud neighbors, and young children could all be distractions. Cellphones, gaming consoles, and even books may also be distractions. With the pandemic, students are spending an increased amount of time in their homes. Without a study space, your study time, and grades, may be affected. By just spending ten to fifteen minutes a day, you’ll be able to create the optimal study zone.

First things first, you’ll need to pick a room in your home to create your study space. If you can find a room without much foot traffic and distractions, then that’s the place to start. Oftentimes living rooms and kitchens have family members coming in and out, so these rooms are best to be avoided. A bedroom, study, sunroom, or basement are all great places to set up your study spot. Make sure you have a comfortable chair and be mindful to avoid your bed. You want to be relaxed but not so much that you’re able to fall asleep.

Next, make sure you have the perfect amount of light. Natural light will be best, so a spot near a window is a good choice. If you can’t be near a window, make sure your overhead light isn’t too dim or too bright. Lamps are also great additions if you need to add or soften the light in the room. Once your seating and lighting are arranged, you need to establish your desk. A real desk is optimum, but if cost or space is an issue, a lap desk or TV trays can be great alternatives.

Now it’s time to liven things up! You want your study space to be somewhere you look forward to going to, not something you dread. Customize your area to fit your personality. Hanging twinkle lights to soften the room, putting up posters with your favorite pictures or motivational quotes, and color coordinating the room with your favorite colors help the room feel relaxing rather than a simple, cold space. This is your opportunity to get creative and make this space your own.

Lastly, get organized and get rid of distractions. If you can find a room without a tv, that’s great! If not, remove tv remotes, gaming console controllers, and radios out of the room. Cellphones are one of the biggest distractions when it comes to studying, so place yours on silent and move it to a different room as well. If you live in a loud environment, noise-canceling headphones may also be a good investment. Organize your space by getting pencil/pen holders, sticky notes, folders, and binders. Labeling your items will allow you to know where your things are at all times and reduce clutter. Keep these items nearby so you don’t need to constantly leave the room to retrieve them.

Every student needs the perfect study space to achieve their optimal goals in school. Taking the time to create your perfect space, may help you study better and even boost your grades. Take these tips above and spend some time finding your space and making it your own. Study on!

Move-in day for universities is one of the most exciting days of the year. A new town, new friends, and a fresh start are all enough to get your heart racing. And while all these new things can be exhilarating, they can also be extremely stressful if not prepared for properly. Moving in will take more preparation than just throwing your clothes in your car and calling it a day. 

If you get a head start on planning your college move-in day, you’ll have less stress going into the year, more confidence since you’ll feel prepared, and more time to spend with loved ones before you leave for the big day. It doesn’t matter if your new school is ten minutes away from home, or ten states away, using a checklist like the one below will make move-in day a breeze. 

1. Make a move-in necessity list and print it out. Asking friends, siblings, or parents that have been to college is a great place to start. You can also find great resources on Pinterest.

2. Make sure your housing is finalized. Before you can begin to pack, you’ll want to make sure your living arrangements are set in stone.
   
3. Print out and read the Can’s and Can’ts of your living space. Many dorms and apartments will provide a list of rules upon finalization of your living arrangements. These will include rules on items that are and aren’t allowed, visitors, quiet hours, etc.

4. Find out if your living space will be furnished. Most dorms have a bed, desk, dresser, and closet included. However, many apartments do not come furnished at all. By reading this information ahead of time, you won’t accidentally bring a couch to an already furnished dorm room.
   
5. Ask if your college provides move-in assistance. Many schools will have older students and RA’s help bring items from your car to your room. Call your school ahead to see if this service is provided, or if you’ll have to find your assistance.
   
6. Once you’ve completed these steps and can move on to collecting boxes and packing your personal items, just make sure you don’t overpack! Remember, it’s always easier to pack light and go back for more. You can always go home on a weekend or holiday and bring back more of your things. Overpacking may result in a cramped and stressful situation.

7. Once clothes, shoes, bedding, toiletries, etc are packed, it’s time to go school shopping! Binders, folders, pens, pencils, a laptop, and a backpack should all be on your list to buy if you do not own them already. If you have a long trip to college, it may be smarter to hold off on purchasing these items until you get to campus.

8. Find out your move-in schedule. Call your school to see when move-in begins and how to receive your key. Getting an early start on the day and being one of the first to move in will lessen your stress. Being one of the first to the dorms or apartment will mean less foot traffic in the halls and a quicker move-in.

9. Coordinate with your roommate (if applicable). If you have a roommate, make sure you reach out to them in the days leading up to move-in day. You can agree on a time to meet at your living space and can help one another move your belongings in. This way, your move-in will be quick and you can spend the rest of your day settling in.

10. Say your goodbyes to friends and family. Even if you’re not moving across the country, you are still starting a huge new chapter in your life. Make sure you make plans to stay in contact with your loved ones, you’ll need their support during this new and exciting time! 

College move-in can be a scary and stressful time. However, if you make a list of everything you need to do and plan well, you can make move-in a stress-free day. Start planning right away, that way, your final days at home are spent having quality time with your friends and family, instead of rushing around grabbing last-minute items. 

It’s no secret, that deciding what to major in during your time in college can be hard. It may be even harder when you don’t know exactly what you want your career to be, or what field it will be in. Personally, during my time during undergrad, I didn’t know what I wanted my career to be, all I knew is that I had a passion for literature and writing. I felt as though this wasn’t enough for me to find a major or a job after college; I almost felt as though I shouldn’t even enroll in school until I figured it out.

Questions raced through my mind, “Should I major in something I know I’ll be able to find a job with right out of school? What if I do this and end up hating what I do for work? If I put off school, what will I do until then?” Before making a decision on my own, I decided to speak with an admissions advisor to figure out the best plan of action. She listened to my concerns and my interests and made a suggestion I hadn’t yet heard.

This advisor recommended that I select a major with a spectrum of diversity, such as English. By earning an English degree, I could take coursework I was interested in and have a wide variety of employment options after graduating. Majors with employment diversity include Business, English, Health Care, and Psychology. Let’s take a look at the career opportunities for these majors below.

• Business •

Did you know there are subcategories, or specializations, of business degrees? These subcategories include Accounting, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Human Resources, Healthcare Management, International Business, Marketing, and Public Administration. You can think of each of these subcategories as an umbrella. Each umbrella covers multiple careers of its own.

For example, accounting is a general category that includes jobs such as a Budget Analyst, Management Accountant, Loan Officer, or Auditor.

• English •

Did you know English majors do more than just read novels and poetry? They also focus on research, critical thinking, creative writing, grant writing, project management, and public speaking. These are just a few skills an English major will master while earning their degree. If they minor choose a complementary minor, they will be even more well-rounded.

Careers with this degree include, but are not limited to, Technical Writer, Lawyer, Public Relations Manager, English/Language Arts Teacher, Librarian, Editor, Paralegal, and Freelance Writer.

• Psychology •

The coursework you’ll experience while earning your bachelor’s degree in psychology will cover topics such as the clinical practice of psychology, biology, ethics, anatomy, life span development, and social psychology.

Careers with this degree include but are not limited to Clinical Psychology, Social Work, Forensic Psychology, Human Resources, Health Psychology, Guidance Counselor, Industrial-Organizational Psychology, and Criminal Psychology and Forensics.

• Any/All Healthcare Related Programs •

When most people think of a healthcare degree, their first thought is usually an RN degree. But did you know there are hundreds of different types of healthcare degrees out there? These include Dentistry, Biomedical Engineering, Physical or Occupational Therapy, Health Administration, Nursing, Community Health and Preventative Medicine, Medical Billing and Coding, and the list goes on and on. Each of these majors provides a wide range of employment opportunities, so upon graduation, you won’t feel stuck while applying for jobs.

As you can see, there is a great variety of job opportunities with diverse majors. Just because you are unsure of exactly what you want to do in life, doesn’t mean you need to push off earning your degree. If you want to incorporate your interests into your career, speak with an advisor. They will be able to listen and guide you in the right direction. And if your interests change? You can always switch your major and try something new!

Have you ever considered earning an accelerated degree? It may sound intimidating, but take it from me, it’s not as scary as it sounds! I earned an accelerated Bachelors of Arts in English in the Spring of 2019 after starting school in the Fall of 2016. Since finishing school a year early, I’ve experienced quite a few advantages. These include earlier entrance into the workforce, less student debt and oftentimes being seen as a more impressive candidate for job interviews. Some stipulations come along with an accelerated degree that some may see as not so favorable, such as increased workloads, longer days of class, as well as a diminished social life. However, in my personal experience, the accelerated degree I earned was well worth it!

After graduation, as I started to apply for jobs, I made sure that my college experience and the time in which I earned my degree, were at the top of my resume. By earning an accelerated degree, potential employers were often given the impression that I was a hard-working and motivated individual. These qualities are often valued by employers, and it wasn’t as if they asked for a description of myself and these were the terms I used. They were able to take into account the hard work and dedication I had toward earning my degree and made their assumptions. This often allowed me to receive more job offers and interviews during my job search after graduation.

Another benefit of earning my accelerated degree was the extra student debt I was able to avoid. I attended a private school, whose tuition was almost double the state average. By cutting down my time in undergrad school by a year, I was able to save around $40,000. This was truly the best benefit of earning my accelerated degree. My student loan payment would have been significantly more per month had I not graduated early. Also, being able to enter the workforce at a younger age, allowed me to get a head start on paying off my student debt.

Now with all these advantages also came some disadvantages. An earlier graduation date also meant a heavier workload. I had an above-average amount of credit hours I took per semester, more homework and projects, and longer nights spent studying. All of this also added up to a less than active social life. However, by communicating with my friends and family, they were able to understand my goals, and what it would take to meet them.

Overall, I have no regrets about earning an accelerated degree. I’m fact, I often recommend that others do the same! If you’re interested in cutting down your time spent in school, an accelerated degree might just be a good fit for you! Before you enroll, make sure you set your goals and expectations and make sure that they fit your availability and lifestyle. Talking with an advisor is also a great idea. You never want to take on too heavy of a workload and bite off more than you can chew. Take your time, decide what is best for you, then go get started!

An ongoing habit of examining your resources and financial obligations and your financial obligations and taking purposeful actions in order to protect your reputation, mental health, and relationships. 

 

Smart Financial Moves

● Limit your debt

● Maximize your income (how to get the most with your money, look for waste)

● Naming and claiming your priorities regularly

● Identify both short-term and long-term goals

 

Credit Cards – Trap or Tool?

● Using credit cards to build up your credit score

● Maintain one credit card with a low credit line

● Choose a card with a low-interest rate and/or cashback rewards program

● Exercise restraint and discipline

– Pay off your balance every month to avoid interest charges

– Use a credit card only for purchases that you could pay for with cash or your debit card and then pay the balance on or before the due date

 

● Abusing credit with impulse buying – being a slave to immediate gratification

– Shopping sprees

– Expensive gifts for other people

– Impulsive road trips you cannot afford

– Entertainment experiences that offer short-term or temporary satisfaction

 

● Digging the debt hole

– Pay the minimum payment each month

 

Renters Insurance 

● Protects all of your personal possessions located within an apartment that you are renting

● Negotiate a policy with the company where your parents already have homeowners or life insurance policies

● Affordable protection for things you can’t afford to replace

● The average policy premium for renters insurance is less than $200/year

 

Student Loan Debt

● Income-Driven Repayment Plan – apply for this at StudentLoans.gov

● Direct Consolidation Loan – apply for this at StudentLoans.gov

– Additional information at StudentAid.gov

● Deferment vs Forbearance

– Push off payments, more interest, but you get more time to pay

● Delinquency (when you are late) and Default (when you stop paying) 

– Both affect credit score

 

Making a Plan

● Use the worksheet to begin assessing your assets, liabilities, income, and expenses

Did you know?

Individuals that are interested in an Aviation degree are more than likely interested in becoming a pilot. However, did you know that there are other career opportunities associated with aviation degrees? Career opportunities also include Air Traffic Controllers, Flight Instructors, Airline Managers, Aviation Managers, etc. Students earning their aviation degrees will spend time in the field, as well as in the classroom. Students may need to pass certain certifications and tests in addition to earning their degree, in order to secure one of these career opportunities. Let’s take a deeper dive into aviation career paths.

Job Spotlight: Pilot

Students interested in aviation and flying may choose an aviation major to become one of the many types of pilots. There are multiple different types of pilots, including military, corporate, and commercial airline pilots. Different pilots are usually trained on different kinds of aircraft, including planes, helicopters, and military-grade aircraft. Pilots typically perform job duties such as:

• Evaluating the condition of the aircraft prior to takeoff
• Ensuring the aircraft is properly weighted and has enough fuel
• Controlling and navigating the aircraft during flight
• Communicating with air traffic control
• Monitoring aircraft systems during the flight for safety

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the median annual salary for airline and commercial pilots in 2018 was $115,670. The BLS also reported that the job outlook for these professionals from 2018 to 2028 was 6%

Job Spotlight: Flight Instructor

Much like a driver’s education instructor, pilots need to be taught how to fly planes by a flight instructor. Flight instructors educate future pilots on safety measures, protocols, and the main skills that are required for flying an aircraft. Flight instructors are critical in maintaining the future of pilots and aircrafts alike.

As of September 2019, flight instructors had a median annual salary of $64,075. While the BLS did not report a specific job outlook for flight instructors, the BLS did report a general 7% outlook for all occupations within the field of air transportation workers.

*Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook

Is an Aviation degree a good fit for me?

Did you grow up playing with toy planes, or always looking up at the sky, waiting for a plane to fly by? Were you torn between going into the military and becoming a pilot? With an aviation degree, you don’t have to pick between the two. Becoming a pilot may be the perfect career for you! Your first step? Earn that Aviation Degree!