Big, bad finals week

Hey you! HAPPY FINALS WEEK! Aren't you just SO excited to take your first ever final exam as a college student?!?!

Just kidding... obviously.

Finals week is seemingly a time that every college student absolutely dreads. It's that moment when you put all of your hard-earned knowledge to the test (literally), and pray that your grades come out okay. It can be horrifying-- especially when you listen to all of the negative hype from students in grades above you:

"Finals week is literally torture." "I'm gonna fail all my exams." "It's like my teachers want to screw me over."

Chances are, you are listening to over-dramatic procrastinators and you shouldn't believe everything they are saying. Does that mean finals will be easy-peazy and you don't need to study harder than you would for any other exam? Not necessarily. It's true that some professors make final exams more difficult than other exams that are given throughout the semester, just because they think a final is supposed to be that way. You should handle final exams with a little more care. However, there are so many ways to beat the finals-brain-blues and manage stress. So have no fear, I am (finally back) and here with some tips on how to have a successful final exams week.

1. Do not procrastinate. Say it with me now: DO. NOT. PROCRASTINATE.
That is how students do poorly on exams, or simply just stress out beyond what is necessary. Open up that Lily Pulitzer planner of yours and set tangible goals for the day. Ex-- Study: 9-11, Gym: 11:30-12:30, Lunch: 12:45-2, Facebook stalk cute guy from Psych: 2-2:05. (You get the gist.)
Creating specific goals and allowing yourself plenty of time to organize your studying will help you to not procrastinate. I must also add that using the application "Self Control" helps immensely-- it blocks your computer from using distracting social media websites for a set period of time. The app can be downloaded for free on the iTunes app store and is seriously a miracle worker. It will definitely help you concentrate and prevent distractions and procrastination.

2. Take breaks 
Nothing will stress you out more than studying all day without taking some time for yourself to do something enjoyable. Even if you think you are screwed for a test and that studying non-stop will help, I'm telling you that taking short breaks every couple of hours is necessary in controlling stress levels, and frankly, preventing temporary insanity. Even if it's just a 20 minute break to call a friend or watch a tv show, doing something besides studying will absolutely make you feel better and reduce your stress.

3. Get sleep
For those of you who are crammers and think that staying up all night before a test studying is going to benefit you, I'm sorry my friend, but you have been very misinformed. Studies actually show that you retain more information if you get a good night's sleep than if you stay awake studying all night. Staying awake awake for a long period of time is equivalent to the effects of a high blood-alcohol concentration on your body (weirdly enough). So, taking a test on no sleep is pretty equivalent to taking a few vodka shots before a test. I guess what I'm saying is to try to get at least 6 hours of sleep the night before a final, and you will be surprised at how much more you remember than if you were to stay up all night cramming.

4. Breathe for 10 minutes
I'm not kidding. I know it sounds weird. I'm in an industrial/organizational psychology class right now and we just learned that taking ten minutes out of your day to close your eyes, relax, and just breathe can greatly enhance test-taking performance. There was actually a study where students who were taking the GRE (the exam that you take to get into graduate school) had to take the exam after a couple of weeks of meditation for ten minutes per day, and those students averaged 75 points higher than those who did not meditate for ten minutes per day. Again, I know it sounds weird, but it's worth a shot.

So, don't worry so much about big, bad finals week. They'll be over in a blink, and before you know you will be home snuggling with your dog on your favorite living room couch, drinking hot cocoa and watching Spongebob.... TMI?

Good luck with finals! Until next semester...

Xo,
Maddy

It's that time of year: RUSH

The time has come, the moment you've all been waiting for, or maybe dreading, or maybe extremely nervous and excited and overwhelmed about, or maybe you could care less and you're just doing it because everyone else on your floor is and you thought, "why the hell not?": sorority recruitment.

Whether you have always dreamed about being in a sorority or you last minute decided to sign up because, really, you've got nothin' to lose, recruitment is a once-in-a-lifetime (or twice, if you decide to rush as a sophomore) opportunity that I am so happy I was able to experience for myself. I'm sure you've all been intently listening to your Rho Gams on types of outfits to wear, different conversation topics, directions and quickest routes on how to get to each house within 20 minutes... the list goes on and, well, it all may seem very overwhelming. It's like you have no idea how you're supposed to remember all this stuff and still be able to have 3 different 5-30 minute conversations at all 21 sororities. But trust me, it's not as scary as it sounds.

If I could give any advice to a freshman girl about IU rush, I would say do not worry so much. Be yourself. SMILE. Show the girls that you are here because you want to share a sisterhood, be philanthropic, make new friends,

Bid night!!

and most of all, find a part of yourself that you didn't know you had. The leader in you, or the kind friend in you, the girl who all her friends come to when they're upset, or the girl who is able to raise over $1,000 for Riley Children's Hospital for Dance Marathon. Maybe in high school you were the girl who was a varsity athlete or maybe the girl who hated sports but was a phenomenal student or artist or volunteer. Whatever it may be, those personal qualities are the things that you want to shine during rush, and trust me, they will be noticed if you let them.

Like I said, be yourself, relax, and have fun with it. Get excited because you are about to witness 21 different organizations that are filled with unique personalities and lifelong friendships. It is so true that you will see some trait in at least one sorority that reflects your own personality and if it's meant to be, you will call that house home soon enough.

With that said, get excited because RUSH IS 3 DAYS AWAY!!

Good luck with recruitment ;)

xx, Maddy

Party Do's and Don'ts

This one's self explanatory. I won't begin with a lengthy anecdote on the joys of going to a party. You know it's fun.

Instead, I'll cut to the chase.

Do's
Do go to parties in college. You only have this experience once in your life, and you don't want to have regrets on missing out when you're old and wrinkly and going to bed at 8:00 pm. I'm not telling you that you have to drink if you go out. I'm just telling you to go out.
Do go to parties with friends/people you trust and know will help out if any dangerous situation were to arise.
Do try to look cute... you never know who you're gonna meet!
Do be extremely careful if you decide to drink. Keep your cup with you at all times!
Do have a plan of action: how you're going to get home/where you're going to sleep if you're not going home.
Do know your limits. I can't stress how important this is in college. It's the people who don't know their limits that end up in dangerous situations/ruin relationships with people/go way overboard or black out.
Do make sure that if you're going to drink, you stay hydrated and eat a meal before going out to prevent getting a hangover/getting dehydrated and sick.
DO EDUCATE YOURSELF ABOUT THE HOOSIER P.A.C.T.
--->http://iusa.indiana.edu/current-initiatives/hoosier-pactlifeline/
Do have fun and be the life of the party!

Gettin ready to go out with some of my girls! #hoedown

Don'ts
Don't go to a party alone. Make sure you will know at least one or two other people there.
Don't EVER get into a ride with a driver who has been drinking.
Don't drink from a cup that has been unattended/ one that you have set down.
Don't be afraid to ask for help in a dangerous situation... whether that be with alcohol, a friend, or someone who is making you feel uncomfortable.
Don't let partying get in the way of schoolwork. Know your priorities, and don't go out if you're gonna be stressed out later about all of the work you should've gotten done over the weekend.
Don't go to a party if you're in a bad mood/know you're not going to have fun. You'll bring others down around you... and noone wants a party pooper! But that being said...
Don't be the girl who's having so much fun that you get sloppy or annoying. Keep yourself in check.
Don't ignore the person at the party who looks too drunk to function/is by herself. Help them out or at least call for someone else to help. Even though he/she may not be your direct responsibility necessarily, when you knowingly leave someone alone who is in danger of blacking out/ getting alcohol poisoning, it becomes your responsibility. If you end up saving a life, it is worth your time.
Don't ignore a sober monitor. In other words, if someone tells you that it's time to go home.. listen to them. For your sake, and for everyone else's.


Like I said, having the opportunity to go to endless parties is something you really only get the chance to do once in your life. Go to parties, but don't overdo it. Have fun, but be smart and know your limits.

Party on, people.

xx, Maddy

Finding Your Niche

Can you believe that Summer is officially over and Fall has finally begun? I think it's about time. I don't know about you, but I'm ready for cute boots, colorful scarves, apple picking, and hot coffee. 

With the arrival of Fall comes the overwhelming realization that you are officially a full-fledged college girl.  You've hopefully started to adjust, found a cool group of friends who you feel comfortable with, and are getting used to the way classes work. But there's something that might be missing from this life you've started to form here that is essential to the college experience: campus involvement. Coming from someone who took a semi-long time to find her place here on campus, I can assure you that joining clubs, organizations, and a sorority have absolutely resulted in IU becoming a home for me. Not only is becoming involved in campus activities a resume-builder, but it helps you to discover what exactly it is that you like and want to do with your life and/or future. On top of that, you meet so many other students who are interested in the same things you are, which creates meaningful friendships and connections.

First off, if you've already declared a major or know what specific school you're applying to or have been accepted to, check out the website that correlates with your school. Most of the time, you will find a list of ways to get more involved with activities specific to your major. If you're anything like how I was as a freshman, and have no idea what your major is going to be or even what school within IU you want to apply to, you can go to http://www.iub.edu/student/activities/index.shtml. Through this website you will find a list of several different organizations, volunteer opportunities, and clubs on campus. Keeping tabs on the IU website is definitely a great way to get informed on different involvement opportunities.

And then there's all of the chalking that I know you've noticed around campus. A successful marketing technique that clubs have been using to reach out to students is through chalking around campus and passing out flyers in high-traffic areas. Although it can kind of get annoying to constantly have other students handing you flyers as you walk through the arboretum, it can't hurt to take one or ask a question. You might just find the club that becomes a huge part of your life here at IU.

If you're wondering how I've gotten involved on campus, which you're probably not, I'll tell you. I'm a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and am interning as a campus representative for Fluent representing Macy's. I also worked at the Indiana Daily Student (the school newspaper) for two years as an Advertising Account Executive, and am currently a member of Gamma Phi Beta Sorority. Starting in a few short days, I will also be a contributing writer for HerCampus.com, a website specifically for college girls. Lastly, in a few weeks I will be announcing a brand new Food Recovery Network chapter on our campus that is getting started by yours truly. This organization's goal is to take all of the leftover food from on-campus dining halls and greek houses and donate it to homeless shelters and soup kitchens. If you're at all interested in joining my Food Recovery Network team, you can shoot me an email at msweil@indiana.edu or at brandnewatiu@gmail.com.

My coworkers from the IDS. Aka my second family

Joining these activities, clubs, and organizations on campus has definitely helped shape the person who I am today and has allowed me to meet the people who are now my closest friends. Remember how it felt to have that special bond with the people on your sports teams in high school, your friends from camp, or just those people who understood you? You get to have that all over again in college. I truly believe that sharing interests with people and having that unique connection is the root of all friendships.

Me and a couple of close friends who I met through my sorority 

I seriously recommend-- actually, no, I insist-- that you take a few minutes out of your day to look up something that interests you and send an email to the person in charge. You won't regret it.

Like always, if you have any questions, please shoot me an email! I have enjoyed chatting with the few of you who have reached out :)

xx, Maddy

The College Fifteen

Why did I title this the "College Fifteen" as opposed to the obvious "Freshman Fifteen?" Because the "fifteen pounds" that you gain during freshman year doesn't just evaporate after the year is over. It will stick with you and make you wish you could get your high school body back every day until you do something about it. Luckily, it isn't too difficult to avoid the dreaded fifteen and stay healthy and in shape, if you know how to do it.

First of all, you might wonder why it is that all of a sudden you gain weight when you enter college. IU is known for being one of the greatest party colleges in the whole country. Well, with parties comes alcohol, with alcohol comes lots of calories and hangovers, and with hangovers comes being too lazy the next morning to get your butt out of bed and to the gym. Not a drinker? You're already a step ahead of the game. But also remember that you aren't getting mom's home cooked dinners every night, and as deliciously greasy and amazing the IU food court food is, it's no secret that it's not the healthiest. Unless you're munchin' on salads every day, (which, if you are, you are doing something wrong), you might notice that you've packed on a few pounds after being here for a while. On top of all of that, you are probably so caught up in the new academic and social life that you are beginning to create here that sometimes, going to the the gym might get shoved to the farthest back burner in your mind.

So what can you do about it? Exercise, portion control, water.

Tip # 1: Schedule time every week to get to the gym, go for a run, go play tennis, really anything that will get you up and moving. And don't just tell yourself you'll squeeze it in; actually add it to your planner. What helped me freshman year was finding a few girls on my floor who also wanted to work out, and making a weekly schedule of days and times that we all had free time to head to the SRSC. Going with friends honestly motivated me to go so much more than if I would've had to motivate myself every day. Even just 30 minutes of exercising per day, or every other day, is enough to stay physically fit.

Tip # 2: Portion control is everything. In our buffet style food courts, it's so easy to go back and take more and more helpings of food, and we don't even realize that the calories just keep adding up. I am not at all a believer in calorie-counting... it's way too much work, and I've seen friends become obsessive to the point where it affects their quality of life. If you just manage your portions, you will notice a difference.

Tip # 3: Drink a lot of water. A lot of times when you feel like snacking, it's triggered by emotions, and causes you to have cravings, more specifically, salty or sugary foods. When you feel like snacking, try drinking a glass of water. If you are still hungry after you drink the water, chances are you are actually hungry and should have a snack. But if you are feeling satisfied after a glass of water, chances are you weren't actually hungry, and just wanted to fulfill a craving. You can also tell the difference between actually being hungry and not by if you even have a craving. If you are truly hungry, most any type of food will sound satisfying, as opposed to one specific food group like salty or sugary snacks. If you want that specific type of snack, drink a glass of water instead.

Tip # 4: If your jeans aren't zipping up as easily and you're not feeling so hot in your yoga pants anymore, cut back on or eliminate processed foods and starch from your diet: pasta, potatoes, white rice, corn, cereal, cookies and anything made with flour and/or sugar.  Simple carbs are a gut bulker and do nothing more than increase our cravings for more of the same.  So many of us are used to eating bread and starchy foods with our meals, but our bodies really don't need them.  Choose carbs with a high thermic effect, or complex carbs that require our bodies to burn calories just to metabolize them.  Some examples are steel cut oatmeal, quinoa, flax seeds, nuts, brown rice, actual whole grains (instead of "whole wheat bread," which can be very misleading). The less a food item has been processed or handled, the better.

Who am I to always be giving you these tips, you might ask? You're right, personal experience really is my prominent outlet for giving you advice. But for this blog post, I have had help from my mom, whose expertise is health and wellness, as she is a personal trainer and fitness instructor. 

Anyways, it's obvious that being in college can be stressful. That stress alone can definitely contribute to weight gain, but being proactive about staying in shape and eating the right foods will not only help you stay healthy, but will take away some of that stress, as endorphins are released through exercise. So you'll start lookin' good and feelin' good. 

Well that's all I have for now. Hope I wasn't being too preachy... I guess I got it from my mama ;)

Until next time!

xx, Maddy 

The Roommate

One of the most exciting, nerve-racking, and unique parts of freshman year-- something that can be wonderful and frustrating at the same time-- is living with a roommate. You might have experience with that sort of thing, if you've shared a room with a sibling before. But even that is extremely different than sharing a room with a friend, or in a lot of cases, a complete stranger. You might end up leaving freshman year as best friends, worst enemies, on good terms, on bad terms, with a whole new outlook on life, with a whole new wardrobe of your roommate's clothes or with tons of clothes missing... whatever it may be, living with a roommate is great practice for the future, because let's face it, you are probably going to live with someone at some point in your life. And also, you don't really have a choice as an IU freshman ;)

I'm lucky to have had these amazing roommates for my past two years here at IU.. Lauren and Taylor ♥

Things that are very important to keep in mind for the next few years as you live with roommates: First off, respect your roommate's space and personal items. My freshman year roommate and I made an agreement on how we want to share/borrow each others' stuff. First off, we were both pretty good about letting each other borrow clothes and other things, but our number one rule was to ASK FIRST. No matter what the item is, or for however short of a time you need to borrow it, it will save you a lot of trouble if you just ask your roommate first. "You weren't there when I needed to borrow it" is not an excuse. Welcome to the 21st century. We have cell phones. Text your roommate, call them, etc. That was just a super basic ground rule that worked really well for my roommate and me and saved us from getting into petty arguments.

Secondly, COMMUNICATION IS KEY. We've learned this concept since we were in kindergarten. If you are having a problem with something your roommate is doing, let them know! Chances are they do not know that they are doing anything wrong, so nothing can be changed if they do not know something needs to be changed. Make sure you are rational and level-headed so not to come off sounding rude. In most cases, if you talk to your roommate about how you're feeling, she will understand and try to fix the problem. If nothing is fixed after several attempts at talking to your roommate, that's when it's time to take the situation to a Residential Assistant. But like I said, if you just communicate with your roommate about the situation, 9 out of 10 times it can be resolved.

Another thing that you really should do as a roommate is watch out for each other. I know you may think you're being annoying and don't want to act like you roommate's mom by bombarding her with texts, but honestly checking in with your roommate every once in a while is really a good idea, and can prevent dangerous situations. Even if you know you are going to go out and not be back till morning, let your roommate know so she doesn't worry that you're in trouble. If your roommate is gone for more than 24 hours, definitely text or call her to make sure everything is okay. On such a huge campus, she could be anywhere, safe or unsafe, so checking in every once in a while is really essential.

My freshman year, my mom bought me a novel called "The Naked Roommate," written by Harlan Cohen, and I was hesitant to read it because, honestly, the name just sounded weird... but one day when I was bored and nervous about going away to school, I decided to open it up and WOAH was it a good book. It is absolutely loaded with tips on how to live with a roommate and stories about crazy situations that might come up, and plus, it was really funny. I would definitely recommend checking it out if you want some advice from a professional!

Anyways, like always, please e-mail me if you need any advice or have any comments about anything I've mentioned, at BrandNewatIU@gmail.com.

Until next time!

xx, Maddy

Looking Forward

Since I'm completely new to blogging, I thought I'd put together a list of ideas for future posts and show you guys ahead of time, so you can let me know if there's something that you'd like to read about that's not on my list. Obviously there will always be something to write about-- I mean campus has more going on in a day than I will in my entire life...okay hopefully not-- but anyways, this is just what I've thought of off the top of my head for my next few posts.

Introducing...

1. How to live with a roommate
2. Beating the Freshman 15
3. Getting involved on campus
4. Party Do's and Don'ts
5. Study tips
6. To Rush or Not to Rush
7. Top 10 spots for date night, girls night, coffee, studying, etc..
8. Getting off of campus
9. Fall trends on campus

Shoot me an email at BrandNewatIU@gmail.com if you'd like to see something else on this list. I'm always open to suggestions!

xx, Maddy

Some friends and I enjoying the beautiful colors of Fall in B-town