In as tempting as it may be to completely move away from your parents – both geographically and emotionally – the time you spend at college can often be very hard for them. While they probably won’t say anything (since they don’t want to ruin it for you), chances are they are suffering somewhat from empty nest syndrome. Of course, college is a time for you to really enjoy your independence and you should definitely make the most of that. Still, there are some easy ways you can keep your parents in the loop without divulging too much information that will stab at that first taste of freedom. Here are some basic tips:
1. Tell them your weekend plans; if you are planning an interesting excursion, this might be something that they will enjoy hearing about.
2. Let them know about your lectures; talk to them about the subject matters and what is most interesting to you.
3. If you’ve started a new sport since you began at college, talk to them about that.
4. Ask them what they’ve been up to over the weekend; if you still have siblings at home, make sure to keep up the connection with them too. Despite any sibling rivalry you’ve experienced in the past, there is a good chance that now you’re out the house they’ll be missing you.
5. Tell them what you miss about home; home cooking, chatting to them, it doesn’t matter what it is.
Remember to keep it vanilla. You don’t want to rock the boat. The beginning of your college experience can certainly be fun and exciting for you but at the same time, it can be a rather difficult transition period for all those you’ve left behind.
Category: Lifestyle
Computer Games for Your Health? Indeed.
Certainly, when most people think about computer games, they don’t equate them with health and fitness. Some academic institutions like Champlain College are trying to change that. Computer gaming designers are looking to develop games aimed at helping people to improve their health.
For instance, one company, Hoozinga Game Media, is working together with the Vermont Health Department to promote a new game that is intended to help smokers to quit. As Amanda Crispel, the program director of game design, game art and animation at Champlain and the CEO of Hoozinga Game Media, explained, “Khemia, which is Latin for “alchemy,” is designed to give smokers looking to kick the habit something to do with their minds and hands for the five to ten minutes a cigarette craving typically lasts.”
Similarly, at Columbia University’s Teachers College, a team of professors and students has developed a game to stop smokers. The game, for mobile devices, has players breathing into the device’s microphone to mimic smoking.
One researcher, Debra Lieberman, from UCSB agrees that computer games can become valuable tools for dealing with health problems. She cautions, however, the games need to have a strong backing in research both in the design and in the follow through to see if they are working.
Supplementing Your Income
If you are like many other students in that you do not have enough disposable income for your college days, then it is important to plan ahead. This means probably getting some kind of gainful employment. Of course, in an ideal world, this would be in the field in which you are studying. But, unfortunately, in the real world, this might not be so realistic. So your next criteria should be at least doing something you enjoy. Try and find a place of employment that has a good reputation for treating their staff well. Make sure you have a contract that specifies your terms as well as your pay, sick days, etc. The more that is written in black and white, the better off you will be. Do not let yourself get taken advantage of; too often students are desperate for money and employers know this. Stand up for yourself and your rights; you are offering them a service as much as they are helping you out with employment. No one is doing anyone any favors here.
Managing Your Finances
Sometimes, finances can be a real strain on a college student. The trick is of course to budget well. But what about those less fortunate students who simply don’t have any money with which to budget? There are loans. But you have to be careful…very careful. You want to take out a legal loan with good terms and this requires significant research. Try to look at the loans that are most popular with students like yourself; check out the reputation of the companies first. Also make sure you can speak to other students who have used this loan company in the past – word of mouth is probably the best PR. In addition, have a lawyer friend look over the terms and conditions before you sign anything. You should definitely research getting the best deal before signing anything.
New Religions
As a student you will come across a lot of new religions and cultures. Campuses are full of them and they all want your attention. There is nothing wrong with finding out about these – in fact, that is part of the whole educational process. But while you make your discoveries, don’t let yourself get sucked in. There are a lot of dangerous cults out there and students are some of the most vulnerable people where these are concerned. So a few cautionary words of advice: never hand over money (religion is about being spiritual, not material); if you go away with a group, make sure you know at least one other person and also the location that you are visiting; don’t spend too much time with the group at the expense of other things; if they start trying to convince you to change your clothes or your way of life, get out and get out fast. In other words, exercise caution and common sense at all times.
Being a Mama’s Boy May Have Health Benefits
Time.com reports that boys who have close relationships with their mothers may have better mental health than do those with more distant relationships. A recent study, presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, found that boys who maintained close emotional connections to their mothers were more emotionally available as they aged, and had better mental health ratings.
The study, conducted by Carlos Santos, a professor at Arizona State University School of Social and Family Dynamics, surveyed 426 boys through middle school. He found, interestingly enough, that the father-son relationship does not have the same effect.
Santos described his findings as such, “If you look at the effect size of my findings, mother support and closeness was the most predictive of boys’ ability to resist [hyper-masculine] stereotypes, and therefore predictive of better mental health.”