College Isn’t Just Classroom

It’s hard to believe that a year ago I had no idea what was in store for me at Purdue University. My freshman year has truly been a journey. I have acquired valuable friendships, priceless memories, exciting new experiences, and above all, insightful life lessons. I can honestly say it’s been the best year of my life.

I never truly understood the phrase “only half of college is taught in the classroom” until I came to Purdue. In high school, I was very involved in extracurricular activities where I could embrace my leadership skills and make a difference. When I first arrived on campus, I was afraid that at such a large university, I would not have the opportunity to be involved like I had in the past. I can remember writing my first resume thinking, “I have nothing to put on this except my high school activities!” It was this realization that motivated me to seek out opportunities for involvement on campus, particularly in the College of Health and Human Sciences. During my search, I happened to come across a callout for “Career Conference Hosts.” Unsure of what this was, I decided to attend the meeting to see what it was all about. This ended up being one of the best decisions I ever made. I came to find that “hosts” are responsible for working the Consumer Sciences and Retailing Career Conference, where they assist company representatives throughout the event. This immediately struck me as a valuable networking opportunity, and also a way to improve my professional skills. I applied, interviewed, and was selected to participate as a host. As a Retail Management student, I was incredibly excited to interact with the retail companies attending the conference. I ended up hosting one of my favorite stores, Von Maur, through which I made a valuable connection. Participating in this conference gave me the exposure I needed to become more visible in my college, and also to build my professionalism and confidence in a formal environment.

The Career Conference inspired me to pursue other leadership opportunities on campus as well. I was no longer intimidated by challenging goals at a large university, and I began applying for positions that may have overwhelmed me before. I was selected to be a Boiler Gold Rush Team Leader for Boiler Gold Rush 2013 after an intense interviewing process. I was also selected as Health and Human Sciences Ambassador and chosen as the Social/Fundraising Coordinator for Purdue Retail Organization. All of these things are valuable tools for growth both professionally and personally. Freshman year is a learning experience like no other, and if there is one lesson I have learned, it is to embrace the unknown and not be afraid of failure. Purdue values talent, and there are countless opportunities to improve it and showcase it. It is never too early to make your mark. Don’t wait. Your journey starts now.

– Christy Joehl, Sophomore, Retail Management

My Passion About Dentistry

I would like to start off by introducing myself. My name is Mike Schwuchow and I am one of the new student ambassadors in the College of Health & Human Sciences. I will be a junior going into the 2013-2014 academic year, majoring in Health Science/ Pre-Dentistry. Yeah, that’s right, DENTISTRY! I say that because whenever I tell someone I want to be a dentist, they look at me like I’m crazy and usually reply “Why?? I HATE THE DENTIST!”. Or “Everyone is going to hate you!”. I always smile and nod my head. The sad truth is, those people are right!

A very large size of our population do not enjoy going to the dentist office. I know this fact, first hand! This summer I am working as a dental assistant in Crown Point, Indiana. I am constantly exposed to people who come into the office, literally fearing for their life. Someone really helped me understand why people hate the dentist. There was an elderly woman who came into the dentist office last week to get some minor procedures done. I couldn’t help but notice how happy she was to be there. I just had to meet this lady! I introduced myself and told her I was going into dentistry. She about fell off her seat in excitement. She finally explained to me why she was so happy. She said, “Going to the dentist office used to be a very scary thing! They didn’t have the right tools, technology, and even lacked Novocaine. That’s why there is such a bad stigma about dentists! But now I love going to the dentist; it’s virtually pain-free. Don’t worry, people will eventually catch on and start liking the dentist”.

So there is hope! That lady’s little spark of light, inspired me about the future of dentistry. Perhaps one day, there will be more people like the lady I met, who enjoy going to the dentist office. Maybe I’m aiming a bit high, but there is nothing wrong with a little optimism. In the meantime, I will continue to spread my passion about dentistry, The College of Health and Human Sciences, and Purdue University.

Hail Purdue!

– Mike Schwuchow, Junior, Pre-Dentistry

LIFE IN COLOR Concert

The end of the semester is quickly approachnig and I had the chance to attend Purdue’s first ever LIFE IN COLOR concert through the Student Concert Committee &  Purdue Convocations. LIVE IN COLOR has replaced Day Glow and consisted of a giant paint party with high energy music that featured David Solano, Milk & Cookies and Krewella. It was my first ever paint concert and it was awesome! I’m so glad I had the chance to attend this amazing event and it was a great end to the spring semester.

 

Boiler Up!!

– Courtney Wisher, Junior, Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences

Purdue & Apparel Design & Technology – The Best Decision I’ve Ever Made

As I sit here on my last day of college classes, I think back to all the feelings I had as a senior in high school preparing all the possibilities at Purdue. I could have never anticipated the experiences of these four years or growing to where I am today. I walked into my freshman year intimidated by my chosen major, Apparel Design & Technology. I didn’t know how to sew or draw, never understood how to express my creative thoughts, and did not think it was possible to learn these things within just four years. Today I can confidently tell you, it is possible. Choosing to go to Purdue and major in Apparel Design & Technology were two of the best decisions I’ve ever made. For all the seniors in high school out there, I encourage you to take this risk.

On April 6^th, my fellow ADT students and I showcased our works at the Annual Purdue Fashion Show. As a senior, I showed my senior collection composed of nine looks which I have been working all year long to produce. It was a proud day of excitement for the 2013 seniors to share our collections with family, friends, and guests at the show.

– Kelsey Leliaert, Senior, Apparel Design and Technology

A photo taken at Horticulture Park of my senior collection titled “Let’s Adventure, My Friend…”

Myself with my models after the show

My senior exhibit table in the art gallery

My models on the runway in Mackey Arena

There ARE Scholarships Out There – Apply!!

Let’s face it…college is expensive! Luckily there are countless ways to earn scholarship money. I am very excited to say that I have received $34,800 from scholarship money so far!!!!! I started applying for scholarships early in high school. I was an avid 4-H member, and I applied for a lot of 4-H scholarships from the local to state level. My high school also offered several scholarships for seniors, my dad’s work sponsors a scholarship for students who have a parent working in their company, and I have applied for numerous scholarships through Purdue and the College of Health and Human Sciences. My most exciting way to receive scholarship money is through pageants! I mentioned in a previous post that I compete in pageants through the Miss America Organization, and this is a scholarship-based pageant. The pageant winners receive scholarships, and there are also scholarships that involve writing essays and submitting community service experiences.

My advice to everyone is that there ARE scholarships out there that you can apply for. It may take a little searching, and the application process can be annoying; however, if you stay persistent you can potentially earn thousands of dollars to help pay for your college education. If you are only a freshman in high school still look around to find scholarship opportunities. One thing that became very important to me was keeping records of my activities. Every time you volunteer, join a team, become a club officer in your high school pep club, keep a record sheet somewhere so you can write everything down. When you start applying for scholarships, applying to colleges, and creating resumes this will come in handy. You may think you can remember all of the activities you did throughout high school, but it’s very likely that you will forget something. Always remember that it’s always worth a shot. There have been a lot of times that I thought I had no chance at winning a scholarship, and I end up getting it! Even if you think you don’t need to bother with scholarships…your parents will thank you.

– Alyssa Slater, Junior, Dietetics

An Excellent Way to Take A Break From Studies

As if I hadn’t committed myself to enough with courses and organizations this semester, I introduced myself to the world of intramural sports at Purdue with our CoRec Sports Center. My roommate and I joined both a walleyball and sand volleyball league, and found the games to be an excellent way to take a break from studies and have fun with friends, while still being able to keep our busy schedules intact.  I learned that Purdue’s intramural system is truly flexible enough to accommodate most any schedule.

Games are typically held once or twice a week in the evening hours of your choice – my group chose an 11:00 pm time slot on Thursdays and an 8:00 pm slot on Sundays. The games last about 30 minutes and are played against other teams matching your competitive level. Depending on what you are looking for there is a league perfect for you! Men’s, women’s, co-ed, and Greek leagues are available for sports such as basketball, soccer, flag football, softball, badminton, ultimate Frisbee, tennis, and many, many more. Whether trying a new sport or wanting a competitive season, you will have a blast with Purdue’s intramural sports program.

Of course, I can’t close out this entry without mention of my most memorable intramural experience of this past semester. Although classified as a “spring” league, starting after Spring Break, our sand volleyball season began in 30 degree weather. We played in long Under Armour, hoodies, and layers of socks – I guess there’s a first for everything! Nonetheless, we enjoyed ourselves, played a great season and look forward to more leagues in the future!

Purdue Intramural sports – just another great way to stay active and enjoy the absolutely amazing new Rec Sports Center on Purdue’s campus.

– Sarah Godbold, Junior, Dietetics/Nutrition, Fitness, and Health

Graduation In A Couple of Weeks

So, I graduate in couple weeks and I can definitely say it has not kicked in. It still feels like I am coming back next year.  I have officially accepted the offer to attend Duke University for graduate school and I am actually very scared. I went to their open house and the group of students I will be studying with seem to be so much smarter than I am. And so it is decided that over summer, my ultimate goal will be to do nothing as much as possible. The four years I have spent here at Purdue was absolutely amazing. I live in California and people would always ask why I chose to go to Purdue. As a freshman, I didn’t know and had a lot of doubts. After four years here, I WAIT for people to ask me so that I can prove to them that you are actually missing out by not coming to Purdue or even just any new environment. I love California and it will always be my home but there are so many things to experience and to learn.

– Daniel Lee, Senior, Medical Laboratory Sciences

Nursing Students Without Borders

It’s crazy to think that in two short weeks I’ll be on my way to my senior year of college! Final exams, projects, and meetings are sure keeping me grounded, though. With clinicals ending at the beginning of April, I’ve had a lot of time to catch up on my other responsibilities and organizations on campus. A few weeks ago, I went with Nursing Students Without Borders to Lafayette to help give cholesterol and blood sugar screenings. The event was at LARA, Lafayette Adult Resource Academy. This center serves as a school for adult education, especially English as a second language. Many other organizations were involved with this health fair, including a group from Purdue’s Pharmacy school who were giving blood pressure screenings. I had never performed cholesterol screenings before, so the process was very interesting to me. It also gave me an opportunity to learn more medical Spanish words. It was a great way to spend an evening, helping others in the community!

– Mary Jacobs, Junior, Nursing

Spring At Purdue

So this past month of April has been extremely busy! It seems like every week and weekend I have some sort of event going on around campus. This month has included things like registering for fall 2013 classes, preparing for my summer, as well as attending so many events! In the past two weekends I have been able to attend some really big events. A couple of weeks ago I helped out at the Spring Fashion Show that the Apparel Design and Technolgoy students coordinate and put on each year. It was amazing to see the extensive runway, as well as some amazing pieces of clothing I’ve ever seen. It’s really cool to think that students on Purdue’s campus designed those clothes!

Last weekend my residence hall had a big celebration as well. I live in Windsor and have for three years. Windsor Residence Hall consists of over five buildings all connected by tunnels. Over the last five years Windsor has been undergoing some serious renovations that they’ve been doing one building at a time; I have lived in Windsor for two years of those renovations. This year all the buildings have been completed! It was the first time in five years that all of Windsor has been completely open. To celebrate, Windsor staff put on a big event that was open to all students and alumni associated with Windsor. I was able to attend a brunch on Saturday morning in the dining court; let me tell you, there was some amazing food! They also had some speakers and presentations as well as tours of the residence for those visiting. I was unable to attend the events after brunch for I had another event to attend.

I also had an awards ceremony on campus called The Black Caucus Awards. This ceremony is for African American students who have been awarded for having a certain GPA as well as being nominated for different service and leadership awards. I also attended Spring Fest last weekend on campus, which is a campus-wide event. All over campus there were different booths and tents set up featuring different activities. The highlights of my time at Spring Fest including going to the Bug Bowl, watching a cricket spitting contest (no lie!), and getting to hold a baby chick!

Needless to say it’s been a very busy past month here on campus and it’s not over yet!

–Alyssa Major, Junior, Psychological Sciences

Springitis

Every college student knows what Springitis is. You wake up on a beautiful April day at 8:00 and walk out the door with SHORTS AND A T-SHIRT ON! It’s a wonderful feeling, especially after 4 months of near-freezing cold. Then you get home from class and all you want to do is spend every minute of your free time enjoying the weather. Whether it be running, shooting hoops outside, getting your tan on, or going for a drive, great weather is studying’s Public Enemy #1. It’s one of the greatest internal conflicts you’ll ever have to force yourself to sit inside and study. Here’s a few tips for conquering Springitis:

1) Intersperse studying with outside time. Go shoot hoops for an hour, then come inside and tackle a homework assignment. Repeat. If you have Irish blood like me, this process will keep you from getting to sunburnt too.

2) Study in a place with no windows. Hick’s may feel like a dungeon sometimes, but when you can’t see the blue sky, it’s a little easier to focus on your homework, as long as Youtube isn’t your web-browser home page.

3) Study at night. If you don’t have too much to do, spend the day outside enjoying yourself, but when the sun goes down: hit the books.
Inevitably, everyone falls prey to Springitis year after year. Hopefully you can figure out your own way to tackle it, but just remember: good grades are a by-product of hard work, and after all, that’s what college is all about.

– Patrick Davis, Junior, Movement & Sport Sciences