{End of the Year}

Your first year at UNI is coming to an end. With all of the wisdom you have gained throughout the year, what would be your advice for first year students entering UNI next year? Comment below to share!

{Poll: Where are you living next year?}

{What can I do with an interest in: Sports, Fitness, & Recreation}

Personal Characteristics: Enjoy helping people, have passion for movement, enjoy planning and motivating

Majors

• Health Promotion: Students will aspire to educate communities in the skills needed to maintain personal health. Students who take on health education as a career become familiar with the intricacies of physical health and the challenges of motivating a community or society toward awareness of health issues
• Leisure, Youth, Human Services: LYHS allows students to move from theory to
  
  application. The focus areas are: Nonprofit Administration, Outdoor Recreation, Community Recreation Services, Therapeutic Recreation, and Tourism
• Movement & Exercise Science: Students will learn how to teach others to improve their overall health and well-being through physical exercise. An exercise science degree program can include the study of kinesiology, exercise physiology, and biomechanics
• Athletic Training: Students will learn how to recognize, prevent, and assist with physical rehabilitation when there is physical injury caused by physical activity
• PE Teaching: Students will work with multiple students, teaching them the principles of health, fitness, and well-being, which may entail nutrition, exercise, and relaxation techniques. Students will also be responsible for planning activities and for instructing students in physical activity.

Minors: Coaching, Health Promotion, and Leisure, Youth & Human Services

Certificates: Aquatics Specialization and Outdoor Recreation

Career Possibilities: Personal Trainer, Nutritionist, Health Educator, Therapeutic Recreation, Prevention Coordinator, PE Teacher, Physical Therapist, Exercise Coordinator, Biomechanics

{Bedtime Basics: How to Establish Your Nightly Routine}

As college students, you are busy with a variety of things from homework to student organizations, so it might feel like sleep is optional. It's not! Getting enough sleep is key for a healthy body, optimal cognitive function, and a stable mood. In other words, it's a key to academic success.

WHY you need sleep:

• Energy: If you find yourself falling asleep in class or unable to concentrate, you're not getting enough sleep. Napping may seem like the answer but they are not a replacement for consistent nighttime sleep.
• Cognitive Functioning: As you sleep, you learn. Studies have shown that sleep-deprived students do not learn as well and typically perform lower on their school work than those who are getting enough sleep
• Healthy Body: Studies have shown that well-rested people maintain higher levels of leptin, the hormone that signals fullness, and lower levels of a hormone that indicates hunger. Being sleep-deprived actually switches these!

Here are some ideas to add to your bedtime routine to help you catch some more

zzzzzz's

• Wind Down: Create a relaxing routine for before bed. Some things you could include are
• Washing up
• Listening to relaxing music
• Stretching
• Dimming the lights
• Reading for pleasure - not a textbook!
• Power Down: Turn off your technology at least an hour before bedtime. The light from electronics suppresses the hormone that tells your body it's time to go to bed
• Get Comfortable: Your sleepy body needs quiet and darkness but many shared living spaces are the opposite.
• A small fan or recorded nature sounds can neutralize noise
• Earplugs
• Dark curtains or those with light-blocking layers can block light
• An eye mask can block out distractions
• Communicate with Roommates: Roommates may not share your schedule but here are some things you can talk about to help
• Ask that they avoid making noise or turning on lights when you're trying to snooze
• Establish quiet hours
• Set boundaries on social activities and visitors
• Communicate and compromise. If you aren't getting anywhere, consider getting help from your RA

Use these tips to start getting proper sleep. There is a lot going on at the end of the year and getting the right amount of sleep can help you power through!

Adapted from  Bedtime Basics: How to Establish Your Nightly Routine from Student Health: 101 at http://readsh101.com/l/uni.html?id=fccff37d

{What can I do with an interest in: Science and Environment}

Possible Personal Characteristics: Using critical thinking and being analytical and inquisitive

Majors

• Geography: Students will focus on place and space on the earth. Topics that are covered can include: globalization, pollution and disease outbreaks. Using cutting edge technology geographers are also able to analyze maps and representations of land and people.
  
• Health Promotion: Promotes the health of the general public using a wide variety of methods in a wide variety of settings. This major can cover women’s health, global health, environmental health or health promotion and education.
• Physics: Students will focus on the mechanics of our world looking at theories and then applying them in real time. Students will become involved in critical thinking about how things function in our world.
• Earth Science: Students will focus on the natural occurrences that happen on this earth. This can include a wide variety from volcanism to flooding to solar eclipses.
• Biology: Students will focus on the study of living organisms. Biology can focus into a wide variety of careers from being in the health field to field biologists.
• Chemistry: Students will focus on the fundamental building blocks of life and how they work. Students will also focus on how these materials function in the natural world.
• Science-Teaching: A career in science teaching will allow you to combine your enjoyment of science with the rewards of helping others learn new ideas and skills in the many areas of the natural sciences.

Minors: Geography; Nanoscience; Earth Science; Biology; Chemistry; Leisure, Youth, and Human Services

Certificates: Cartography; Outdoor Recreation; Environmental Health

Career Possibilities: Biologist, Geologist, Science Teacher, Chemist, Pharmacist, Doctor, Veterinary Technician, Cartographer, City Planner, Agronomist, Endocrinologist

{How to: Manage Anxiety for Any Assignment}

Exams, presentations, papers, and projects. The list of assignments goes on and on and can feel endless at time. How do you manage it all?! Here are some tips to keep you calm and help you get that homework done, and done well.

Taking an Exam
     Prepare
          - Outline what you need to study and break it into manageable pieces
          - Start studying way in advance. Reserve the night before for quick review and good sleep
          - Use the Academic Learning Center and other resources if you need support
          - Eat, hydrate, and relax a bit before the test
     Cope
          - Stop and breathe when you get the exam. Yes, you will have enough time
          - Focus. This isn't the time to judge your study habits or worry about your grade
          - Pace yourself. Skip tough questions and go back to them later
          - If you don't know an answer, let it go and move on to those you do
Finishing a Paper
     Prepare
          - Use an outline and gather all the information you need
          - Devote more time to the start of the writing process, and less as you go along
          - Work without distractions for 30-60 minutes. Then, take a 5-10 minute break
     Cope
          - Take a break if you get frustrated
          - Change locations. New stimulation at a cafe or the library can help shift your thinking
          - Avoid self-medicating. Excessive sugar and other substances will cloud your brain and prevent it from feeding you great ideas to write about
Giving a Presentation
     Prepare
          - Rehearse, to familiarize yourself with the flow of information and timing
          - Be humorous. Include a few (appropriate) jokes. This will set both you and your audience at ease
          - Make it a conversation. Create some questions for the audience, a quick poll, a volunteer demonstration, or an activity
     Cope
          - Wear your confidence, literally. Put on something special but that feels comfortable
          - Remember. Your nerves won't be noticed unless you point them out
          - Remind yourself that you've practiced and your ready.
          - Most people get nervous speaking in public, and that's okay. You'll get through it

Now you have the tools to ace that next test, paper, or presentation! Good luck!

Post adapted from "How to Manage Anxiety for Any Assignment" from Student Health:101 at http://readsh101.com/l/uni.html?id=75ae58a2