Connect with us

Education

Before You Go: 5 Powerful Things You Must Know to Conquer College

Published

on

Communication is key in college, especially if you have multiple roommates. Photo of young people seated at a table typing on their laptops and taking notes.

College life can be rough, especially if you’re in a dorm or moved out on your own for the first time–that’s the hardest. College sounds really exciting until you realize your parents aren’t making breakfast in the morning or helping with laundry anymore. For some, transitioning from high school to college is difficult too–going from 7am-3pm classes to being able to choose your schedule. Or, simply being in a new school, new environment, with new classmates. It can all be a bit overwhelming. Think bullying stops in high school? It doesn’t, and that can add to the overwhelm. After two years of college experience, here are some college survival tips for you (or your friend, sibling, child, cousin or grandchild) that I wish I knew when I first started.

 

Campus Safety

Familiarize yourself with the layout of your campus. Some colleges have emergency phones for students to be able to quickly report an on-campus emergency. My school has a couple. I’ve never had to use them, but I’ve heard they come in handy.

Also familiarize yourself with emergency exits, which I know may sound silly, but in the event of an emergency it’s important to know a safe way to exit a building. Make sure you know about the security department and what services they offer. My school has an emergency system set up so that students get text message and email alerts on campus closings, weather updates, evacuations, etc.

 

Student Rights

Review your student manual–you know, that thing you shoved into a drawer in your desk or a shelf in your closet? Revisit that and look over your rights as a student, because those are important to know in order to spot and report any violations.

 

Transitioning & Coping

Transitioning to living on your own can be difficult, stressful and cause anxiety. I’ve been battling anxiety since high school so I understand it all, and I’ve learned several ways to cope.

1) Ground yourself. This is a tool I use in extreme cases of anxiety in which I start to feel the walls closing in.

The first thing to do is to drink water. This takes your focus off of the trigger and more on the water, which can help distract you.

2) Next, use your sense of touch or smell. Physically touch something solid so that you pull yourself back to reality. For smell, I recommend spraying perfume and focusing on the scent, or even aromatherapy. I carry a small capsule of lavender-scented oil that helps soothe me.

3) In less extreme cases of anxiety or nervousness in a new place, just slowly melt into it. Slowly allow yourself to get comfortable and take it day by day, because you won’t feel unsettled forever. I promise.

 

Overwhelming Workload?

Here’s my all-time favorite lesson and one of the most important when it comes to your workload: plan ahead. I can’t stress this enough–get a planner, a notebook, anything that works for you, and write down all of your assignments for the week. Take it one week at a time, and make sure to include the deadlines. When it comes to note taking, write key points, short summaries, important names, dates, and vocabulary. I suggest using highlighters and different-color pens because this helps you actually enjoy the note taking process and helps your brain actually want to read the material versus seeing the usual black and white.

 

Roommates

Having a roommate or multiple roommates can be challenging, especially when you don’t know each other. Therefore, try and establish some sort of communication to keep everyone in the loop with everything. I also recommend getting a calendar to keep in the common area so everyone can see if, for example, someone set a study time where they need to be alone. Maybe incorporate your class schedules into the calendar, and delegate different chores to everyone so the load is equal and fair. Create a group chat to keep everyone up to date on visitors, or if you need to have a meeting with everyone for any reason. It’s important to establish communication with the person or people you are living with in order to limit any issues that could arise.

 

Overall, college life is definitely difficult, but with time things will become easier and more comfortable. Just take it all one step at a time, stay motivated, put your best effort into everything you do, and you’ll conquer that degree before know it.

____________________________________________________

Raquel Paredes is a Florida National News contributor. | social@floridanationalnews.com

Articles

Mister Rogers’ Week of Kindness Coming March 2023

Published

on

WINTER PARK, Fla. (Florida National News) – Mister Rogers’ Week of Kindness, inspired by the children’s TV host and icon, comes to Orlando in March 2023. This week-long series of events was announced today at the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation in Winter Park.

“Fred McFeely Rogers devoted his entire life to reminding us of some of the most important ideas of what it means to be human among humans: love, respect and kindness,” explained Buena Vista Events & Management President & CEO Rich Bradley. “Many of us find that nearly 20 years after Fred’s passing, it is important to focus on his teachings once again, perhaps now more than ever. This is a week to re-engage with his massive body of work with some folks, and to introduce his teachings to others.”

Mister Rogers’ Week of Kindness begins March 20, 2023, the date which would have been Fred’s 95th birthday, and concludes on Saturday, March 26 with the Red Sweater Soiree, a community dinner to recognize ten ordinary members of the community who inspire and exemplify the affinity that Fred Rogers had for showing kindness to our “Neighbors”.

Mister Rogers Week of Kindness coming March 20-26, 2023. Photo Credit: Mike Brodsky (Florida National News)

Activities planned for the week will include early childhood education activities and faculty training, as well as events open to the public.

“The events will be offered free or at low cost,” continued Bradley. “This week-long celebration is not a series of fundraisers, but rather about once again remembering and sharing some of the great work that Fred Rogers created, not only in early childhood education, but in reminding us that we are all part of one big ‘neighborhood’. Fred taught us the importance of accepting our Neighbors just the way they are and engaging in kindness with our interactions. I can’t think of another period in my lifetime where we needed to reflect on those messages again more than today.”

“There are three ways to ultimate success,” Fred Rogers was once quoted as saying. “The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind. Imagine what our neighborhoods would be like if each of us offered, as a matter of course, just one kind word to another person.”

Many of the activities of Mister Rogers’ Week of Kindness will be attended by members of the cast and crew of Mister Rogers Neighborhood, which ran from 1968 – 1975, and again from 1979 – 2001. David Newell, known as “Mr. McFeely,” the “Speedy Delivery” man, appeared at today’s media conference via video, and looks forward to visiting Central Florida next March.

David Newell, “Mr. McFeely.” Photo Credit: Mike Brodsky (Florida National News)

Mister Rogers’ Week of Kindness is supported by the McFeely-Rogers Foundation, the Fred Rogers Institute, and Fred Rogers Productions. Details regarding the specific activities and venues will be released over the next few weeks.

For more information on the events, visit https://www.BuenaVistaEvents.com or https://www.MisterRogersWeekofKindness.com.

Continue Reading

Education

Orange County Government, Rollins College Announce 3-Year, $4M Partnership to Provide Nonprofit Training Support

Published

on

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings (right) and Rollins College's Crummer Graduate School of Business partnered to announce the launch of the school's nonprofit assistance program. Photo: Harry Castiblanco/Florida National News.

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) – Orange County Government and the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College today announced a three-year, $4 million partnership to provide nonprofit training support through Crummer’s Edyth Bush Institute for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership, the region’s premier source for nonprofit education and management assistance.

Photo: Harry Castiblanco/Florida National News

Photo: Harry Castiblanco/Florida National News

Funded by the American Rescue Plan Act in Orange County, the program will equip local nonprofits with the tools necessary to succeed in the post-pandemic environment. Specifically targeting small, and diverse Orange County-based nonprofits, Empowering Good: A Nonprofit Capacity Building Project is designed to offer training in five key areas: impact measurement, innovation, financial management, fundraising, and risk management.

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings speaks during the press conference announcing Crummer's new program launch. Photo: Harry Castiblanco/Florida National News.

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings speaks during the press conference announcing Crummer’s new program launch. Photo: Harry Castiblanco/Florida National News.

“Nonprofits play a central role in the wellbeing of our community here in Orange County. Despite increased demand for their services during the Covid-19 pandemic, many of our community’s nonprofit organizations were being adversely affected by the pandemic in potentially devastating ways, directly impacting essential services in Orange County,” said Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings. “Deploying American Rescue Plan funds in partnership with Crummer’s Edyth Bush Institute will help us provide the resources necessary to ensure the long-term success of our nonprofit community.”

The cohort-style program administered by the Edyth Bush Institute for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership, will support up to 36 Central Florida nonprofit organizations every six months over the next three years as well as offer organizational assessments and coaching for up to another 15 organizations for a total of 261 nonprofits, starting in September 2022. Training provided by the Edyth Bush Institute throughout each year-long program will include workshops, assessments, coaching/consulting services, and custom programming to address organization-specific challenges.

In assessing how to deploy its American Rescue Plan funding, Orange County Government sought to address needs in six key areas, with one of those areas being small business assistance. Alignment with the Crummer School’s mission to produce global, innovative, and responsible leaders who impact their organizations and communities, as well as the Edyth Bush Institute’s wide-reaching nonprofit network, provided an ideal partnership that would enable the County to bolster small businesses within the regional nonprofit community.

Crummer Graduate School of Business Dean Dr. Deborah Crown speaks during the press conference. Photo: Harry Castiblanco/Florida National News.

Crummer Graduate School of Business Dean Dr. Deborah Crown speaks during the press conference. Photo: Harry Castiblanco/Florida National News.

“This exciting partnership with the Orange County Government will reach beyond nonprofits to the many organizations and individuals who benefit from their programs and services,” said Dr. Deborah Crown, dean of the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College. “Our incredible staff at the Edyth Bush Institute embrace this opportunity to further guide our local nonprofit leaders to continue to spark innovation and create jobs for our economy.”

Demand for goods and services from nonprofit organizations soared during the pandemic. In April 2020, the Edyth Bush Institute conducted a survey to assess the state of the nonprofit community. The survey found 93.73% of the 287 participating nonprofits reported moderate to significant impact on programs, services or general operations. In addition, 194 nonprofit organizations reported an anticipated revenue decrease of $48 million to $54 million between February 2020 and June 2020.

Photo: Harry Castiblanco/Florida National News

Photo: Harry Castiblanco/Florida National News

“Nonprofits play a vital role in directly improving the lives of individuals. Their contributions to this community and our economy cannot be overlooked. Yet, the struggles with increasing demand for services and maintaining a robust workforce were real,” said Min Sun Kim, executive director of Crummer’s Edyth Bush Institute of Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership. “This program will allow us to address pandemic and post-pandemic challenges as well as to help leaders position their organizations for long-term success.”

For more information and to access the program application, visit empowering-good.org

Continue Reading

Education

Florida County Hurt by Pandemic Offers Tuition to Graduates

Published

on

Valencia College Osceola Campus. Photo: Valencia College.

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. (AP) — After two years of a pandemic that battered the workforce of this tourism-dependent county in central Florida, leaders had a gift for departing high school graduates this month: free tuition at either the local community college or the county technical school.

Osceola County commissioners announced earlier this year that they would set aside $12 million in federal COVID-19 funding to pay the tuition of any 2022 high school graduate who wanted to go to Valencia College or the county technical school.

“I didn’t have anybody to pay for my college,” Madilyn Hilder, an Osceola High senior who lives with her grandmother, told the Orlando Sentinel. “Money was always the thing that was going to keep me from going to college.”

Because of the program, Osceola Prosper, Hilder said she will now start her studies in elementary education at Valencia College in August, with plans to later transfer to the University of Central Florida.

The goal of Osceola Prosper is to boost education levels past high school and raise the prospects for better-paying jobs for Osceola residents, said Brandon Arrington, chairman of the county commission.

“I think a lot of people think, ‘If I go to college, I’m going to have $100,000 worth of debt,’” Arrington said.

Osceola County is home to large numbers of tourism workers for Orlando area hotels, restaurants and theme parks. During the early months of pandemic-related business closures, the county had the highest unemployment rate in Florida, reaching 14.4% in 2020.

The county previously had offered $500 scholarships to encourage students to study at Valencia College. The new program will cover the $3,000 a year costs of studying full time at the community college.

Because the available funds are limited, the program is only for 2022 graduates.

Guidance counselors at Osceola County’s high schools said they have been having more conversations with students about continuing their education.

Those conversations usually start with, “Now you have this option, what are your thoughts?” said Kendyl Bass, the college and career specialist at Osceola High. “It has changed a lot of people’s minds.”

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement Ticket Time Machine ad
Advertisement Orlando Regional REALTOR Association logo
Advertisement Parts Pass App
Advertisement Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando
Advertisement
Advertisement African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida
Advertisement FNN News en Español
Advertisement Indian American Chamber of Commerce logo
Advertisement Florida Sports Channel

FNN Newsletter

Trending