Linking it Up One Last Time

In light of the Swamp Survival Blog coming to a close, we decided to leave you with one last round of links. This time, we’ve collected a few more links about the setting and achieving long term goals, which could be some food for thought this summer.

Personal Goal Setting - This website provides an abundance of information about setting goals. It addresses the “why” and “how” of goal setting, in addition to giving you a lot of areas of your life to consider setting long term goals in. One of my favorite parts of the article is the section on setting SMART goals. Check it out!

How to Stay Committed to Long Term Goals- After you’ve set your goals, it becomes more and more difficult to keep up with them and successfully complete them. This website provides some excellent tips on how to stay focused and committed to the goals you set, even as time separates you from the initial, exciting moment of setting the goal.

When to Give Up on Your Goals- Although we hate to do it, sometimes it’s best to let things go. This article takes an interesting look at how you can figure out whether you need to give up on some of your goals, and why it’s okay to do so from time to time.

One last thing… if you haven’t read Swamp Survival Blogger Danielle’s post on 10 Thing to Add to Your “UF Bucket List”, you should take a look. There’s ten ready-made goals that every Gator should enjoy!

Now that we’ve taken you through the whole spectrum of goal setting, we’ll be signing off for good. We hope that the advice about goals in these links stays with you long after we stop blogging here on the Swamp Survival Blog. Thank you, again, for reading, and have an excellent summer!

Farewell, Friends

They say that all good things come to an end, and this Swamp Survival Blog is no exception.  When I was told that I was to write the very last post, I was filled with a strange mixture of emotions — sadness that this blog’s time had come, happiness that I was the one who got to end it on a good note, amazement at how fast this past year has gone by, and an overwhelming sense of excitement about the future.  Thus began the daunting task of figuring out how to end such a great blog.  We’ve already talked about resumes, internships, advice of every sort, and even the best breakfast diners around, so what’s left?  As I was reflecting on the long history I’ve had with this blog, reminiscing about all the different ways it’s taught us to be successful, the idea hit me.

We need to talk about happiness.

I want to start out by saying that I don’t like Hilary Duff’s music, but one verse from one of her songs that I heard over 10 years ago has been stuck in my head ever since.  It goes: “So walk a little slower, and open up your eyes.  Sometimes it’s so hard to see all the great things passing by.  There may never be a sign or flashing neon lights telling you to make your move or when the time is right, so why not — take a crazy chance.”

It’s so easy to get caught up in being successful, to focus on getting the grades and the research and the internships and the test scores.  It’s so easy to find yourself at the top of the pre-whatever food chain, only to find that college has gone and passed, and your fondest memory of it is sitting at your desk studying.  Now, I want to emphasize that all the things I just mentioned are important, but so is taking a day off every now and then and just relaxing with your friends.  I know we’ve blogged about happiness before, so I won’t go into detail, but I wanted to make sure you guys all heard it again before we sign off of this blog once and for all.

With that being said, I want to thank everyone single one of you that’s read this blog over the years.  Whether you’ve just skimmed one article that had a cool title, or you’ve been a religious reader since day one, you guys helped make the Swamp Survival Blog into what it is today, and for that, all of us here at Swamp Survival Headquarters want to extend our deepest gratitude.

We wish you all the best of luck as you continue with your college careers and beyond.  I’m going to leave you with one final piece of advice before I go: remember to make time for the things — and people — you love most.  You’ll thank me for that one later.

Sincerely,

The Swamp Survival Team

(c) Brotips.com

Election Day – Student Organizations

It’s that time of year again – elections for next year’s officers in student clubs and organizations are upon us. Whether you’re planning on running for a first-time position or finishing up several years with an organization, these helpful tips can apply to everyone.

Want to run for a position?

• Do: Have some background knowledge of the organization or group. If you’ve just recently joined but really want to be more involved, consider running for a position with less responsibility – this will give you some time to learn the ropes.
• Don’t: Tell everyone how awesome you are. In my experience, the best way to get selected or elected is to be honest. That may sound corny, but sharing your genuine reasons for why you care about an organization is one of the best ways to get votes. People will know that you’re in it for the long haul, and not just to pad your resume.
• Do: Present specific ideas that you have for the next year. Something as simple as a new social activity or place to volunteer can really get people interested in what you have to offer.
• Don’t: Try to get elected by bashing the outgoing officers. While not everybody may have done as great a job as you would have, broadcasting that information just makes you seem arrogant.

Congrats! You’ve been elected for a position.

• Do: Get in touch with the person who held the position this year. Ask them to meet up on campus one day so you can ask questions and get advice. People usually don’t remember their most useful tips until they have to sit down and reflect on their year.
• Don’t: Be pushy. Let the outgoing officers finish off the year  – don’t try to take over their spots immediately.
• Do: Get in touch with your new team before everyone leaves for summer. This will allow you all to exchange contact info and get to know each other better, which will make the transition in the fall go a lot smoother.

Ready to retire?

• Do: Offer help to the “newbie” coming in to replace you.
• Don’t: View the incoming officers as your competition. While you may want to be remembered as the best (insert position here) that your organization has ever had, part of your job is the help the new officers out. So…
• Do: Help the new officers to do an even better job than you. While it may make you uncomfortable, your job is to do what is best for the organization that you are all a part of.

Linking It Up – Part 11: Achieving Your Goals

Hey there everyone! As another part of the series of Links Blogs, I bring to you my other awesome mentee, Rohini! Together, we have created a list of some pretty helpful blogs that can serve as a guide to achieving your goals, whether it is for the end of the semester or just planning ahead.

1. These first two links provide different methods of both creating and achieving goals. As you approach the end of your freshman year, many of you will be thinking about the major you want to pursue, the clubs you plan to interview with, and eventually the jobs you hope to qualify for. Check these out for some simple steps to making that happen:

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/01/the_7-step_process_to_achieving_your_goals.html

http://www.ineedmotivation.com/blog/2008/05/5-easy-steps-to-help-reach-your-goals/

2. This last link is a lecture that many of you may already know, but for those of you who do not, this lecture is given by Randy Pausch who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and decided to write “The Last Lecture” for both his students and his young children. Yes, I know what you’re thinking, “I’m not going to watch an hour long lecture…” But trust me on this one, I’ve seen it more than once and have even read the book, and I still can’t get enough! So, when you are stressed out from finals and studying, take a few minutes (or 60) and watch this lecture!

In the end, do not stress yourself over achieving these goals by the end of the semester. Focus on what you can accomplish now and then look to the future to complete the others. Whether that means getting good grades or doing well on one of the graduate school entrance exams, you can do it! (And if you seem too stressed, scroll down the page to Linking It Up – Part 10 for some helpful ways to de-stress!)

Weathering the Storm: Finals Week

As the semester comes to an end, the one topic on everyone’s mind is finals and the preparation that will come with it. Some might prefer to live in the library for a few days, and some may prefer to find ways of de-stressing before the anxiety that comes with finals. Either way, there are several ways of making sure you are as prepared as can be for the upcoming exams!

1. Focus on the exams you know you want/need to do well on. For many of you, I am almost positive that will mean biology, chemistry, physics, calculus, etc. Then, make sure you are caught up on the lectures/homework and have a fairly decent understanding of what is going on in class. If that means going to a few Study Edge/Tutoring Zone/other tutoring services, then definitely check them out!

2. Next, plan out some study times. This is where those time management skills will definitely be put to the test. As classes come to an end next week (and some even before that), start thinking about some of the free time you might have and devote that to the beginning of studying.

3. For the science/math classes, I have found that practice problems are really the best way of making sure I know what I am doing. As for the humanities/social sciences, I like to make fun ways of memorizing the information whether it means a song, anagrams, or drawing it out!

4. Lastly, and possibly most importantly, make sure to keep the stress levels to a minimum. If you find that you just cannot understand a certain problem, ask a friend or even email the TA/professor. This is probably one of the best advantages to starting to study early. Everyone will still have some time to help out and study for themselves, because we all know that when it comes to the final days before exams, everyone is cramming. And if you find yourself a bit too stressed during that week, check out the De-Stress Study Fest (details found below in a previous post).

As an ending note, this may sound overwhelming and many of you probably do not want to think about finals just yet, but as the saying goes, “the early bird gets the worm!” I hope studying goes well for everyone and that you all do amazingly on your finals! Have a great rest of the semester!

Using Your Summer Productively

Ahh, summer break. So long awaited after those hards months of studying! However, as tempting as it may be to simply lay on the couch, catch up on TV, and do absolutely nothing else for three months, resist the urge, because summer is actually a great opportunity to explore without the stresses of fall and spring. There are numerous productive ways to spend your summer while still being able to have fun:

1. Take classes. Summer A and B courses are only 6 weeks each, leaving the rest of your summer free. Consider taking fun classes you wouldn’t normally, or classes for a minor to get them out of the way early. However, think twice before taking core courses required for your major — some majors (as well as medical schools) don’t like to see core courses, including pre-med core courses, taken over the summer, so save those for later.

If you want to take classes but don’t want to stay in Gainesville, check out the online courses available (http://registrar.ufl.edu/soc/201206/web/), or take classes closer to your hometown (again, check your major/minor requirements). To take classes at another Florida institution, you must first check with your college and then apply as a transient student through facts.org. The credits will transfer, but the actual grades won’t be calculated in your overall UF GPA.

Remember, if you entered UF with fewer than 60 credits (and AP/IB are capped at 45), then there is also a nine hour summer requirement you must complete. This can be fulfilled at UF, another public Florida university (not a community college), or through a UF-approved study abroad program. Also keep in mind that Bright Futures does not cover summer, and that a full time courseload is 6 credits for summers A and B and 12 for C.

2. Explore. If you’re exploratory or even already know what you’re interested in, summer is the perfect time to solidify your interest. Try to volunteer, shadow, do research, or get a job or internship in a field you’re looking at. This will help you gain real life experience, which is great for both your resume and deciding if that’s what you actually want to pursue. You may find that the real life aspects of a career are quite different from what you expected in class. Take summer as a time to explore your interests, and if that includes traveling, look into one of the plethora of study abroad programs available (http://www.abroad.ufic.ufl.edu/). Summer is a great time to travel abroad and knock some classes out of the way without leaving your friends or workload during the fall and spring semesters.

3. Relax! The school year is stressful enough as it is, so use summer as a time to let go and recuperate. For tips on summer logistics or how to find a job, check put the previous posts “What to do over Summer” and “Steps to Beat Unemployment.” The bottom line? Relax and enjoy your summer but also remember it is a precious commodity to be spent wisely. Happy exploring!

De-Stress Study Fest

Happy Friday everyone! With finals week rapidly approaching, today’s blog post is all about how to make your last few weeks of school as stress free as possible.  With these helpful tips and resources, we hope that you can find finals week a little less painful and that instead of stressing over tests, you can spend more time planning your upcoming 3 months of summer adventures!

1. Even though you might be familiar with some of these common stress busting tips, they  are classic and effective ways we can refresh ourselves when we are feeling overwhelmed.

http://www.wholeliving.com/135884/10-best-stress-busters/@center/144798/whole-body-action-plan#/95937

2. This article looks at stress from a slightly different point of view, but also has some great de-stressing tips. (I especially like the one about eliminating negative thoughts!)

http://wakeup-world.com/2012/01/21/tips-how-to-de-stress-the-brain/

3. Each semester during finals week RecSports hosts a full day of yoga where students can pop in and out throughout the day for a bit of mind and body relaxation.

http://recsports.ufl.edu/fitness/group-fitness/special-events/finals-week-relaxation/

4. Finally, the Reitz Union has a whole calendar full of “de-stress study fest” events for students. (Check out the free massages!)

https://www.union.ufl.edu/Resources/DeStressStudyFest

Good luck!