Get Ready for Spring Cleaning!

Hey First-Years!

It’s that time of year to start packing up some of your belongings and bringing them home! Here are some tips on making your move-out day less stressful!

1. Bring items home in small doses.

If your like me and you visit home once a week, then this will be an easy process for you to start. Each time you go home, try taking 2-3 items back with you, so you aren’t stuck with bringing everything home at once. This way you can start unpacking the items you’ve brought home, making less work for yourself after move-out day.

If you are not like me, and you only go home every now and again, then here is a different tip to use. Try taking a trip home or making plans with your parents or friends over the weekend! I’m sure that they would love to see you, and spend some time with you! If someone does come visit, ask if they have room in their trunk to bring a few things home for you!

 

2. Start packing up your winter attire.

Although New England weather can be unpredictable, at this point in the year we can say goodbye to our winter boots and jackets. Thick snow coats, bulky snow boots, scarfs, and gloves can finally be taken out, leaving more room in your closet! Also, a majority of thick sweaters can be making their way home as well. You should keep a few sweaters for those windy days or chilly nights but as the weather gets warmer, you will want to have the right clothes.

3. Do your laundry before taking it home.

I personally have never met anyone who enjoys doing laundry, but getting it done before your move home will make unpacking so much easier. By making sure your clothes are clean before you pack them up, there will be less work to do when you get home! Unpacking is an annoying task that we all must do during the move-in and move-out process. Having clean clothes to take home means all you need to do is put them away! Nobody wants to go home for the Summer and have to wash their whole wardrobe, so try and get it done before!

4. Figure out what you use, and don’t use.

Over the course of the year, we all collect more items than we originally moved in with. For an easy, stress-free move out, start making a list, or packing a box with items you noticed you don’t use anymore. Small trinkets, notebooks, folders, and decorations are all items that you can start packing up to take home. I have already started filling a bin with my small decorations, extra school supplies, and dishes I don’t use!

5. Time to start cleaning!

Once you have packed away and brought home a majority of your belongings, it’s time to get cleaning! Break out your broom, swiffer, and clorox wipes! It is important to make sure your room is fully clean when moving out, and to make things easier on yourself, DO IT EARLY. Wash and wipe down every surface before your move-out day, this way you can have everything ready to take home in the morning. Spend your last day on campus having fun, not packing and cleaning!

 

You do not want to wait until the last minute to start packing and cleaning or else you are going to be stressed out. Make the end of the year easier on yourself by only worrying about finals, not packing. By spending a little bit of time each day packing your dorm, it will be done in no time. This will leave you with more time available to prepare for your finals, and say goodbye to your friends who live far away!

I hope you all enjoyed this blog, I know you’ll all do great! Don’t stress, and if you need anymore tips, feel free to contact the FYE office in Meier Hall 100A!

10 Tips to Take Advantage of Reading Day.

As finals are approaching us after the next four weeks, it is time to start planning out the rest of your semester. On your calendar or in your First Year Success Planners, mark the date May 4th. The day after classes end here at SSU, is a day we all love and need, READING DAY! This day is a great way for you to spend some time in the library working on or studying for your finals! Here are some tips on how to fully appreciate and take advantage of this day! Gather up some friends and classmates to head over to the library!

1. Write down ALL of your due dates.

In your planners or calendars, make sure to write down the dates and times of your final examinations. This is the key to figuring out what you should be starting with when it comes to studying. By knowing when you need to be prepared, it gives you plenty of time to ask your professors any questions you have before the exam.

2. Get a Good Nights SLEEP.

Since we will not be having classes on May 4th, there is plenty of opportunity to get a good nights sleep. Having plenty of rest for Reading Day will only help you be able to focus on getting work done.

3. Prep Your Backpack.

When you’re finally ready to tackle Reading Day, fill up your backpack with the books and materials you’ll need to get work done. Make sure you bring laptop chargers, phone chargers, snacks, drinks, tissues, pens, pencils, and more importantly, YOUR BOOKS!

4. Eat a Healthy Breakfast.

Starting off the day with a nutritious breakfast is what will give you the energy you need to focus on school. Loading up on sugary breakfast foods will only make your energy crash in the middle of working. Start the day off right with a healthy meal from the dining hall, there are plenty of great options available!

5. Wear Comfortable Clothing.

For me personally, I cannot study if I’m wearing uncomfortable clothing. I mean who really wants to be studying while wearing tight uncomfortable clothing? I find that I get more work done when I’m wearing something comfortable and loose fitting. Most of my study time is spent in sweatpants and big t-shirts, this way I’m not focusing on how uncomfortable I am.

6. Find a Study Space That Works For YOU.

Everyone is different when it comes to where you like to study. If you can’t get work done in your room, don’t worry there are plenty of options!

• Utilize the lounges in your Residence Hall.
• Go to the Bertolon Building.
  • There are study rooms, the cafe, and open computers!
• Sit at Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts.
• THE LIBRARY!!!
  • Utilize study rooms
  • Pick which floor is best for you!
    • (If you need silence like me, head on up the the third floor).

7. GET RID OF ALL DISTRACTIONS!

One of the biggest reasons students cannot get work done is because there are so many distractions. I know that studying is not what some people want to be doing on their first day off from classes, but Reading Day is only here to help you!

• Turn off your phone.
• Log Out of Social Media.
• AVOID NETFLIX.
• Don’t bring friends that will distract you.

8. Figure Out What Needs to be Done First.

Since you already wrote down your due dates, you know exactly where to start studying! Knowing that a project or exam is coming up soon helps guide you in how you need to go about preparing yourself. Also, for more difficult work, you know how long you have to get the help you need!

9. Start/ Join a Study Group.

Starting a study group with your classmates is a great way to help each other study for exams. If you do not know the answer to a certain review question, one of your classmates is bound to help explain it to you. Although this method may not work for everyone, it has helped me a lot through my college career!

10. TREAT YO’ SELF

After all of the hard work that you accomplished today, it is finally time to relax. Treat yourself to some junk food, time with friends, Netflix, or go downtown for a night out!

YOU’VE EARNED IT.

The Art of Self-Care Event

Hey First-Years!

The stress of registration is soon to be behind us, but I know many of us are starting to feel stressed about our upcoming final exams. If you or anyone you know is stressing over school, come to the Art of Self-Care Event!

This event will help students realize and learn about self-care through creativity. Art therapy is a wonderful way to relieve stress, be creative, and express your feelings in ways other than words. Making art a new hobby can help you feel like your life is more balanced, therefore helping you with self-care!

On Tuesday April, 11 from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM, join your fellow Vikings in the Ellison Campus Center, Metro Room, for an event all about showing off your creativity! Have fun with friends coloring, drawing, and having a few laughs! You’ll also be making your very own self-care kit for finals week!

Self-Care is super important for your success, especially when dealing with the stress us college students have. Take some time in the next few weeks to take care of yourself, like going to this event! If you know any of your friends that need some time to unwind, please spread the word about this awesome event coming up!

You DO NOT need to be an artist, because this event is for all levels of creativity! If you have any questions, please contact Christine Williams.
cwilliams@salemstate.edu

**Most importantly, don’t forget to TREAT YO’ SELF!**

FYRE Reveal Party!

Calling all First-Years! Every year during the Spring Semester, it is time to pick and reveal our new First Year Reading Experience Book! To kick off this awesome news, what better way to celebrate than to throw a reveal party!!

Join us after the Women’s Leadership Conference on Monday, March 6th at 1:30pm in the Ellison Campus Center, MLK Room. The party will last roughly an hour and will be filled with sparkling cider, desserts, and the chance to win a few raffles! We really hope to see you all there to support the books you voted for!

If you have any questions at all, feel free to contact the FYE office located in Meier Hall 100A, or message us on our social media!

Here is a refresher on the competing books!

Hidden America by Jeanne Marie Laskas

In Hidden America, award-winning journalist Jeanne Marie Laskas dives deep into her subjects and emerges with character-driven stories about the people who make our lives run every day- and yet we barely think of them.

Take the men of Hopedale Mining Company in Cadiz, Ohio. Laskas spent several weeks with them, both below and above ground. By the end of this book, you will know not only about their work, but about Pap and his dying mom, Smitty and the mail-order bride who stood him up at the airport, and Scotty and his thwarted dreams of becoming a boxing champion.

This is only one hidden world. Others that Laskas explores: an Alaskan oil rig, a migrant labor camp in Maine, the air traffic control center at LaGuardia Airport in New York, a beef ranch in Texas, a landfill in California, a long-haul trucker in Iowa, a gun shop in Arizona, and the Cincinnati Ben-Gals cheerleaders, mere footnotes in the moneymaking spectacle this is professional football.

The Fire This Time by Jesmyn Ward

In response to recent tragedies and widespread protests across the nation, National Book Award-Winning writer Jesmyn Ward looked into James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time for comfort and counsel. In the essay, “My Dungeon Shook,” Baldwin addresses his fifteen-year-old namesake on the one hundreth anniversary of the emancipation Proclamation. He writes: “You know, and I know, that the country is celebrating one hundred years of freedom one hundred years too soon.”

Jesmyn Ward knows that Baldwin’s words ring as true as ever today, and she has turned to some of her generation’s most original thinkers to write short essays, memoirs, and a few essential poems giving voice to their concerns. The Fire This Time is divided into three parts that shine a light on the darkest corners of our history, wrestle with out current predicament, and attempt to envision a better future. Of the eighteen pieces, ten were written specifically for this volume.

In the fifty-odd years since Baldwin’s essay was published, entire generations have dared everything and made significant progress. But the idea that we are living in the post-civil rights era-that we are a “postracial” society-is a callous corruption of a truth that our nation must confront. Baldwin’s “fire next time” is now upon us, and it needs to be talked about.

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

A collection of essays spanning politics, criticism, and feminism from one of the most-watched young cultural observers of her generation, Roxane Gay.

“Pink is my favorite color. I used to say my favorite color was black to be cool, but it is pink—all shades of pink. If I have an accessory, it is probably pink. I read Vogue, and I’m not doing it ironically, though it might seem that way. I once live-tweeted the September issue.”

In these funny and insightful essays, Roxane Gay takes us through the journey of her evolution as a woman (Sweet Valley High) of color (The Help) while also taking readers on a ride through culture of the last few years (Girls, Django in Chains) and commenting on the state of feminism today (abortion, Chris Brown). The portrait that emerges is not only one of an incredibly insightful woman continually growing to understand herself and our society, but also one of our culture.

Bad Feminist is a sharp, funny, and spot-on look at the ways in which the culture we consume becomes who we are, and an inspiring call-to-arms of all the ways we still need to do better.

Life Lessons: When In Doubt, Take the Next Small Step.

College is one of the biggest journeys of my life so far, and trust me I’ve had my fair share of doubts. When the road gets bumpy, its hard not to doubt your path and think about giving it all up. You must remember, that success comes in small steps, and it comes with finding yourself. Do what you love, and do not make life choices based on what others tell you to do. At one point my mother told me that I should go to school to be a radiologist, but I always knew I needed to make strides in becoming who I want to be, a teacher.

If you’re confused on what comes next in your life, don’t worry about making some big leap of success. Pace yourself, through time and effort you’ll get to where you want to be. If you are not sure of what you want to do next, start with taking small steps. For instance,  if you love to paint like me, start painting more. Whatever career you want to achieve, have a strong mindset, learn a lot, and practice what you know. Regardless of if you want to be a teacher, journalist, actor, lawyer, or nurse, take every step possible to become the best at what you want to do.

Take advantage of resources on campus, there are plenty of people at Salem State that would love to help you. For instance, there is the annual Career Fair coming up, read FYM Mikaela’s blog about it Career Fair 2017!

Career Services:

Ellison Campus Center, North Campus
Room 105
978.542.6406
career@salemstate.edu

Academic Advising:

Frederick E. Berry Library
Learning Commons, first floor
North Campus
advising@salemstate.edu
978.542.7049

Student Navigation Center:

978.542.8000
71 Loring Avenue
Central Campus
Classroom Building, second floor
navcenter@salemstate.edu

-FYM Ashley

Ski, Snowboard, Tubing, and Coaster Trip!

Hey First Years!

Are you in need of a weekend getaway with your friends? Well look no further!

TOMORROW , Saturday, February 4th, Salem State is doing a trip to Killington Resort in Vermont!

Grab your tickets quick before they sell out!

 

Enjoy tubing, snowboarding, skiing or their giant mountain coaster!

Important Information:

• 25 Tickets are on sale for $15 at the Info Desk in the Ellison Campus Center starting Tuesday, January 17, 2017.
• Maximum 3 tickets per purchase, Clippercash and Cash is accepted – exact change only.
• Transportation is required, please bring your Clippercard. Students that are going must take the bus provided to this trip. No one is allowed to bring their own vehicle.
• Shuttle will depart from the Central Campus Bus Stop (in front of Marsh Hall) at 9 am, the shuttle will depart from the Killington Ski Resort at 6 pm going back to Salem State.

The trip is from 1pm-5pm and buses leave Marsh Hall at 9am!!

A Little About the Resort:

Killington Resort is known for its diversity of terrain and grooming expertise, providing skiers and riders of all ability levels a choice of wide-open groomed cruisers, narrow classic New England runs, moguls, steeps and gladed skiing areas. Killington also offers multiple terrain features for snowboarders and free-skiers. This includes Bear Mountain’s signature terrain parks. Off-mountain activities include cross country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and ice skating, combined with more than 100 restaurants and bars and shopping options throughout the area!

 

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS:

Please contact: Jamal Lawson
978.542.2874
jamal.lawson@salemstate.edu

Surviving the Add/Drop Period.

Hey First Years!

Welcome back to another fun semester at Salem State University!

Just a reminder, the ADD/DROP period ENDS on January 23rd!! I cannot stress that enough so if you are going to change your schedule around you should try and do it by midnight on this date!

I know the first week of classes can always be tough but now that you know what is expected of you, it is time to decide whether to stick with your classes or to change them. Try to go over the syllabus of the classes you’re thinking of dropping because you may just end up liking it.

The add/drop period also includes if you think you may be taking too many classes and you want to drop one, or if you want more of a challenge you can add one to your schedule.

To add or drop a class, you will need to sign into your Navigator Account using your Student ID and password information.

Once you are in Navigator, click on Registration from the menu on the left, then you can search for classes to add.

To drop a class, on the top of the same page under registration, you will see a “Drop” button/tab. Click on that and once you are there just select the classes you want to drop.

 

**Contacting your adviser before making schedule changes can be a big help because they can lead you in the right direction of classes to take for your major.

I hope that this blog was helpful and of course if you need any help or have questions, please stop by the FYE office in Meier Hall 100A or email us at firstyear@salemstate.edu!

5 Activities to do With Your Family Over Winter Break!

1. Make A Gingerbread House!

It’s time to get creative! If you do not want to bake your own gingerbread, go pick up a kit at your local grocery store! This is a fun way to get creative and messy with your family members, while spending time with them over winter break!

 

2. Go Hunting for Holiday Lights!

Driving around in my moms car with hot chocolates is one of my favorite ways to kick off the holidays! We always crank the radio to our favorite Holiday songs and enjoy the wonderful light people have put out. Check your area for some truly amazing light shows!

3 .Holiday Movie Marathon!

Here is a list of the Holiday movies that will be playing on ABC Family!! Hopefully you and your family members can take some time together to watch some of them!! Holiday movies are a great way to have a nice quiet night at home with your loved ones!

4. Go Sledding!

Although there is no snow on the ground just yet, I’m sure we will be getting some soon enough! Going sledding is a great way to stay active during the winter time, and a great way to spend time outside with your family!

 

5. Have a Hot Chocolate Bar!

Hot chocolate is always a holiday favorite in my family. A fun way to spice up your regular mug, is to create your own Hot Chocolate Bar! During this holiday season, a fun way to spend time with your loved ones is to make your own fun cup of hot chocolate. You can add things like peppermints, caramel, marshmallows, cookies, or any other toppings you can think of!

I hope everyone has a fun and safe winter break! Enjoy your time off and we already can’t wait for everyone to be back! Happy Holidays from the First Year Experience Office!!

Staying Organized During Finals!

As we all know, finals are coming up in the next few weeks and it is never too early to start preparing. By starting to study and plan your next few weeks now, it could really help reduce some of the stress and test anxiety that is creeping up. Let’s take a look at a few different ways you can help make your finals go a bit smoother!

Planning Ahead:

One way that we can all start to plan our next few weeks ahead, is by utilizing your First Year Experience Academic Planner. By using this great resource, it is a simple way to keep yourself organized, and a great way to keep track of all your due dates. Another great way to plan ahead, is to start your assignments and studying early! Doing your assignments earlier than they are due, can help give you more time in the future for studying.

Using Your Planner:

• In your Academic Planners, make sure to write down when your last few assignments are due! Getting good grades on your last assignments and participation grades can really help your overall score in classes you may be concerned about.
• Make a note of the days you have extra free time so you can schedule some study time in!
• Write down the days, times, and classrooms of your finals! This is a great way to make sure you don’t miss your test or important deadlines!

Start NOW:

I know as college students, we all have the tendency to procrastinate and wait until the last minute, but with finals coming up, this is your chance to break that habit! Do your assignments early, and start reviewing course materials so you have time to ask plenty of questions.

• Try not to stress once you see all of your due dates and assignments in your Academic Planner. Now, it is time to start knocking those assignments off of your to-do list.
• Don’t procrastinate, work on your assignments as early as possible to get them out of the way. This will not only help to give you more time to study, but will always allow you time to ask your professors any questions you may have on certain topics.

 

Go To Class!

I absolutely cannot stress this enough. Especially in these last few classes, you do not want to miss a minute. Professors are going to start finishing up their units and discussing their finals. Make sure that you go to class, and prepare yourself to ask any questions you may have. Your professors are here to help and answer your questions, so utilize your time with them and even visit them during their last few office hours!

 

Good luck everyone with your finals and I really hope you all stay organized during this stressful time!!! If you need any help please contact us in the First Year Experience Office in Meier Hall 100A or email us at Firstyear@salemstate.edu!!!!

Why YOU should go to the “Nutrition and Stress Management” Panel!

As a college student, handling stress is always something on our agenda. No matter where the stress is coming from, it is always important to learn ways to relieve this stress. If you are dealing with a high level of stress, you can ALWAYS stop by the First Year Experience office for help and advise. Don’t hesitate to ask us for help! We are located in Meier Hall 100A or you can email us at firstyear@salemstate.edu.

There are plenty of health risks that are an effect of stress, especially in college students.

Some of these negative health effects are:

• Headaches
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Anxiety

Nutrition is also a very important aspect for college students. Making sure to eat healthy and exercise can have so many positive affects on your body and school performance.

Some of these positive effects are:

• Better Focus
• More Energy
• Good Sleep
• Improving academic performance

 

Now these are only a few examples of how stress and nutrition can effect your body. In this panel, Dr. Steven Dion will be leading a discussion on how eating right and how manage your stress, and the effects it can have on your body.

Where can I find this event?

Ellison Campus Center, North Campus

ECC- Veterans Center, Room 220

1 Meier Drive, Salem, MA 01970

 

When is it?

Tuesday, November 22 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Who can I contact in case I have a question?

Samuel Ohannesian

(978) 542-6085

sohannesian@salemstate.edu

 

Have fun folks and I hope that some of you can make it out to this panel!!