Suddenly, College: Summer Stuff to Do

Alexa CherryBY ALEXA CHERRY
For the UAS Whalesong

It’s almost summer break, which for college students generally means finding a full-time job so that we can make the money to attend school for another semester. That being said, there’s more to summer break than working yourself to the bone – sometimes with summer classes on top of a job. Sure, it’s 3-4 months of making money, but (at least for some of us) it’s also 3-4 months where you don’t have homework. In the spirit of making the most of all that spare time, here is a list of things you could try out. Continue reading “Suddenly, College: Summer Stuff to Do”

Poetry: Why and How to Do It

Kaylyn HaslundBY KAYLYN HASLUND
For the UAS Whalesong

I am the “Queen of Comma Splices” within the confines of the Whalesong office. This is because I write poetry, which doesn’t require as many commas as you would think. The thing is, poetry is a great outlet and form of writing that often gets ignored for novels or essays, and everyone should try it out at least once. Fun fact: I actually used to hate poetry with the passion of a thousand tiny babies. I really hated poetry for no real reason. That is, until it magically became my main source of creative work, and hey, it’s panned out well for me. It’s also a lot of fun, despite what people may say about the forms, which are many. Continue reading “Poetry: Why and How to Do It”

Linked In (Ideally, To A Job)

Alexa CherryBY ALEXA CHERRY
For the UAS Whalesong

You know how, on that one show, that one guy probably says some other stuff, but is best known for saying “winter is coming?” This is like that, except that it’s a completely different season and I’m not Sean Bean.

Summer is coming, and that probably means that you’re looking for employment – whether it’s seasonal, “hoarding cash for next school year” employment, or “I’m graduating in 2 months and people won’t stop asking me what ‘my plans are’ and mostly they are to make money I guess??” employment. We all know that in order to get a job, you need a résumé – but that’s not what this article is about. Well, sort of – it’s about the online companion to your résumé, that you should probably start working on while you are busy being a good student, making future professional connections, and gaining job experience. Continue reading “Linked In (Ideally, To A Job)”

Suddenly, College: Anxiety Awareness

Alexa CherryBY ALEXA CHERRY
For the UAS Whalesong

There are lots of books, blogs, and articles out there in the world that talk about the detrimental effects that college can have on you as a person. They talk about stress and sleep deprivation and the importance of eating properly – but one topic that I think needs to be discussed more is anxiety. This can be a side effect of, and is often associated with, stress, but is also its own separate animal that ought to be looked at and treated as such. Continue reading “Suddenly, College: Anxiety Awareness”

Mornings: Awful, but Good for You

Alexa CherryBY ALEXA CHERRY
For the UAS Whalesong

I think it is safe to suggest that you as a reader are aware that “bedtime” is not necessarily a thing that happens among college students. At least, not in the way where it is the same every night, and it’s certainly not something pressed upon you by external sources (i.e., parents). And I am definitely a night owl over being an early bird any day of the week – which is why I decided to write an article on the subject of getting up early. It’s for my fellow night owls out there, who feel far more at ease staying up until 4 AM than you do getting up at 4 AM – which is only healthy, and natural, and the way that it should be, but is not always the most effective way to get things done. Continue reading “Mornings: Awful, but Good for You”

Suddenly, College: Money, Money, Money

Alexa CherryBY ALEXA CHERRY
For the UAS Whalesong

It’s just about that time of year again – the mildly passive-aggressive time of year when you are not-so-subtly reminded that it’s time to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) so that you can be eligible for as much free money as possible. Not that this is a bad thing at all; it’s just that it’s yet another deadline to add to your  already packed student calendar. But it’s an extremely important deadline, so make sure you remember it: have your FAFSA submitted by February 15th, or no free government money for you. Continue reading “Suddenly, College: Money, Money, Money”

They’re Holding Hands (I Want Them Dead)

Alexa CherryBY ALEXA CHERRY
For the UAS Whalesong

It continues to baffle me that there are people in this world who genuinely hate Valentine’s Day. I would understand if something really bad had happened to those people, but at least in the case of the ones I’ve encountered, they only hate it because it reminds them that they are single. “Singles’ Awareness Day,” my old suitemate used to call it, and she would go into a black mood and sulk for the entirety of the 14th. Other people murmur mutinously about St. Valentine and his beheading. Some refuse to acknowledge the holiday at all. I just enjoy the silly cards and the candy, but apparently I am one member of a very small part of the population. I haven’t got as much life experience as most people, but I’ve found that in general, if people aren’t out with their S.O. on Valentine’s Day, they’re at home sulking. Or, if they’re out and about, they’re quoting President Snow from the Hunger Games trilogy (specifically, the title of this article).

As someone who enjoys all holidays, I decided to compile a list of things that you can do on Valentine’s Day to entertain yourself and keep your mind off the people wandering the streets and holding hands. And while you read it, just remember that at least you don’t live in Paris. Imagine what *that’s* like on Valentine’s Day! Continue reading “They’re Holding Hands (I Want Them Dead)”

24, Or, How to Make the Most out of Your Day

Alexa CherryBY ALEXA CHERRY
For the UAS Whalesong

Whether you’re in college or not, sometimes it’s just really difficult to feel like you’re being a Productive Person. It’s also sometimes particularly demoralizing to feel unproductive, whether it’s because you know have a lot to do that you’re not getting done or because your friends are all really busy while you’re not. Either way, sometimes you just need an idea of things to do that will make you feel like an Effective Human Being – and which will hopefully kickstart you into gear to do the rest of the stuff you have to do. Continue reading “24, Or, How to Make the Most out of Your Day”

Suddenly, College: There’s an App for That

Alexa CherryBY ALEXA CHERRY
For the UAS Whalesong

When the end of summer and winter break roll around, the patterns in my internet history undergo an abrupt change. While I may have spent most of the break swapping back and forth between the same six or seven websites, the last two weeks find me zeroing in on multiple different websites that all have one thing in common: they’re related to studying. Whether it be study habits, cool stationary, or master lists of relaxing music and helpful web resources, I am on the hunt for anything and everything that can help me improve the upcoming semester over the previous one. As of this past winter break, I did some research, and found several apps that I plan to use over the course of this semester in order to try and keep myself more organized and better-scheduled. So, I thought I’d write an article detailing what I found and how I’m using them, and maybe do a check-in article later in the semester letting you guys know how and if they are working for me! Continue reading “Suddenly, College: There’s an App for That”

Take Care of Yourself!

Kaylyn HaslundBY KAYLYN HASLUND
For the UAS Whalesong

People often tell you that you should wait to enjoy something or that you should work hard before you let yourself just boondoggle – that you have to gain the right to something or earn it. But what they most often forget is that one’s mental health should come before anything else. If you’re not doing okay, then everything else in your life might suffer because of it. Instead, you should be enjoying life, (while being safe, admittedly) but not forgetting that you have wants and needs beyond education. You have to love yourself in equal turn. Continue reading “Take Care of Yourself!”