Freshman Guide Mk 3

Designed by Greta Hayden-Pless and Cody Wilson

Table of Contents Time Management ……………………………………………….. pg. 2-3 Cleaning ………………………………………………………………… pg. 4-7 Cheap and Easy Meals …………………………………………… pg. 8 Staying Healthy ……………………………………………………… pg. 9

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Time Management Time management is one of the most important skills that students must learn. Juggling classes, extracurricular activities, and a job can be tough, but doable. Here are some tips for how to best manage your time: 

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Get a planner or calendar, and USE IT. Buying a planner or downloading a calendar app on your phone is easy—the hard part is actually remembering to use it. Whenever your professor gives you a due date, or your coach gives you the practice schedule, write it down in your planner. As long as you keep your planner up-todate, you won’t have to worry about due dates sneaking up on you! If you’re in need of a planner, head to Headwaters in the basement of Ellis to pick one up for free! Spread out your classes. While bunching up your classes on one or two days of the week might sound tempting, it is a bad plan. It’s better to spread your classes out evenly through the week, so you can develop a routine. Spend at least eight hours per weekday working. While you might not be paid for it, being a student is a fulltime job! Even if you have days where you’re only in class for one or two hours, you can use the rest of that time to work on assignments for other classes, so you don’t have to worry about it on days when you have less time.

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Get tutoring help early. Most people are under the impression that tutoring is strictly for remedial help— that’s not always the case, though! Getting a tutor early on in the semester can help you better understand concepts that you might struggle through on your own. Study smarter, not harder! Avoid procrastinating. Waiting until the night before a big assignment’s due might sound tempting, but it will only lead to suffering. Plan out your assignments, dividing them into manageable chunks, so you don’t have to tackle them all at once. Start easy. You can start with a 15-16 credit course load for your first semester. There’s a lot of new things happening, and it can be overwhelming—no need to take on the extreme demands of an 18-credit course load while you get your footing. Know your limits. For some, taking 18 credits, having a job, and playing a sport is no big deal. Others might only be able to manage taking 14 credits per semester. That’s ok! It’s better to know your limits than overextend yourself and burn out.

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Cleaning Keeping up with cleaning can be a struggle as you go through your first semester with work, classes, and clubs. These tips can help you maintain a clean environment: 

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Clean after you eat. College life is busy—especially when you’re constantly in and out of your room. One of the best ways to ensure that your dishes don’t stack up is to clean them right after you use them, or at the end of the day. Size matters. No matter what dorm you live in, the closets are going to be small. The best way to utilize the space is to only bring clothes you wear most often, and are appropriate for the season. Take your summer clothes home during winter break, and your winter clothes home during spring break. Break it down. Doing your laundry more often than not makes life easier in general. It is easier to do a small load every so often then a giant load that takes multiple washers and hours of time you don’t always have. Plus your room will smell better! To each their own. Everyone has their own preference for how their living space should be—whether that be clean, messy, organized or some version in-between. Since you’ll most likely live with a roommate, it greatly helps to come to an agreement about how the room is to be kept in general.

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Maintaining a schedule or a routine for cleaning can help to make it a habit. Here’s a simple schedule you can follow to maintain a clean room: Everyday:   

Put dirty laundry in a designated place (i.e. a laundry basket) Wash dirty dishes Throw away garbage

Once a week:  

Wash laundry Change bedsheets and towels

Once a month:  

Swiffer or vacuum (ask your RA if there’s a vacuum you can use- there usually is on each floor!) Wipe down surfaces (like your counter or desk). Clorox wipes are handy for this!

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How to do Laundry! 1. Figure out where the laundry room is in your dorm. It’s ok to ask your RA if you’re unsure! 2. Check to see if there is an available washer before you drag your laundry all the way there. 3. If you have “delicates” (clothes made of lacey or thin, silky fabric), consider washing these in a separate load from the rest of your clothes. 4. Colors will fade faster in hot water, so if you separate your colors and whites, make sure to wash colors in warm or cold water. 5. Check your detergent for the amount you should add. Detergent “pods” are handy because you can just throw it in with your clothes and forget about it. 6. Set a timer so you don’t forget about your clothes! Washing machines usually take about 45 mins. 7. Move your clothes to the dryer when they’re ready. Make sure to check the lint trap before you start the dryer—sometimes people forget to empty it after they’re done. Cotton-based fabrics should be dried on high, but wool and knits will shrink on high. Again, if you’re confused, check the tags on your clothes and they’ll usually have instructions. 8. Make sure to remove the lint from the lint trap when your clothes are dry.

Ever wonder what those mysterious symbols on the tags of your clothes mean? Check out the next page for a guide to laundry care symbols!

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Cheap and Easy Meals Never underestimate how quickly the school meal plan gets old. While the menu rotates daily in Baker and you have options in Muddy there is only so much you can take and sometimes you just want something new. Being a broke college kid here are a few cheap easy meals that take little effort and money. 

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Michelina's frozen entrees. Most of these run for $1 an entree and the options range from stir fried rice, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, to my personal favorite of fettuccine alfredo. Most of the meals take about 3 minutes to cook in a microwave. Instant noodles. They might be the most stereotyped broke college meal, but they’re cheap, quick, and have a variety of flavors. Thursday meat deals at Weis. If you want a little protein, or to actually cook, every Thursday Wise marks down some of the meats to a dirt-cheap price, normally the different chicken products. Knock-off cereals and milk. Most of the store brand cereals are extremely like the name brand ones, so much so that the difference is mostly covered up when the milk is added. It’s easy, quick, and you can bring the bowl to class if needed.

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Staying Healthy Juniata College is like any school: if one student is sick, then it’s only a matter of time until the entire campus is sick. Trying to maintain your schoolwork or campus job while getting over an illness can feel impossible! Here are a few tips to stay healthy while at school: 

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Watch who you share drinks with. Whether it is over lunch, a quick sip from a friend’s water bottle, or sharing drinks at a Saturday night party. It’s best to ask if they are feeling well beforehand. If an illness is going around, it’s better to not share at all. Take immune-boosting supplements. Taking supplements to boost your immune system is a fantastic way to get ahead of the curve. Look for something that has Vitamin C. It can be anything you prefer—Airborne is one of our personal favorites. GO to Health and Wellness. When you start to feel sick it can be highly beneficial to go to health and wellness for a quick and free visit. They provide you with medications to battle whatever illness you are dealing with from cold, strep, to mono, and pneumonia. Drink plenty of water and exercise. Water helps to keep you hydrated and flush out the toxins in your body. While Juniata is a beautiful campus, it is small and doesn’t give us much of a work out walking it. Find an activity that is fun yet also works as exercise. It helps physically and mentally.

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Resources The Writing Center Staffed by trained peer writing tutors, students can get assistance on everything from the organization of lab reports to draft rewrites for the College Writing Seminar portfolio. Faculty from all disciplines often recommend work be brought to the Writing Center for refinement because writing proficiency is a foundation of Juniata’s curriculum. Location: The Beeghly Library basement Hours: Sun-Thurs, 4-10:30 pm Contact: 814-641-3457

Student Services Staff members assist students in their personal and social adjustment and development, making referrals when appropriate. The Dean of Students office has a special interest in first-year students, their transition and retention, and staff will work to address a student's particular needs. Location: 1st floor of Founders Hours: Mon: 8:30am-7pm Tues-Fri: 8:30am-5pm Contact: 814-641-3150

Registrar The Registrar is where you go if you need help registering for classes, need a specific form to register for a class, need a copy of your transcript, need information about graduation, or require anything else with regards to your academic standing at Juniata. Location: 1st floor of Founders Hours: 8:30am-5pm Contact: 814-641-3165 10

Counseling Center The connection between academic difficulty and personal difficulties is well documented. The Counseling Center offers personal, confidential counseling, as well as assistance with stress and anxiety management, effective confrontation skills, and other issues that relate to the college experience. Location: Stone House (located behind TnT) Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-4pm (by appointment only) Contact: 814-641-3353

Health and Wellness The Health Center is for the care and treatment of routine illnesses and minor injuries. Appointments are strongly encouraged, but walk-ins will be seen as soon as schedule permits. Location: On Moore St between 16th and 17th Hours: Mon: 9am-12pm ; 1-4pm Tues: 9am-12pm ; 6-8pm Wed-Fri: 9am-12pm ; 1-4pm Contact: 814-641-3410

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