College Student Health Tips

Diet, Exercise, Sleep & Stress Relief for Students

Your college life will be more rewarding if you learn to work in healthy habits into your routine. Here are some basic students health tips to help you feel your best.

College is bad for your health! Students feel way too busy to eat right, exercise, and get enough sleep. On top of that, universities are jam packed with germs galore.

So how do you stay healthy on a college campus? You're busy, so if you're not the perfect model of good health, don't beat yourself up! The trick is to incorporate small, healthful habits into your campus life. By doing so, you'll feel better both physically and emotionally and will be better able to navigate the stressful college experience.

1.      Get enough sleep.

When it comes to balancing busy schedules, students tend to put sleep low on their list of priorities. Don't do this. Some people can function on three or four hours of sleep per night, but most people cannot. Without sleep, you're not going to be able to concentrate well enough to get the most out of your classes. If you can't always get a good night sleep, work regular naps into your schedule.

2.     Sleep on a regular schedule.

This can be hard for a college student. You may find yourself getting up early three days a week for your morning class and sleeping in until noon on the weekends. As much as possible, though, try to stick to a regular sleeping pattern. Also, try to go to sleep relatively early.

3.     Eat sensibly.

College students often gain weight due to late night eating and overindulgence of junk food. Here are some tips on how to avoid the Freshman Fifteen, and some college dining hall health tips.

4.     Eat breakfast.

Skipping breakfast contributes to weight gain. It also will make it hard for you to concentrate in class. You don't have to eat a big breakfast; a bowl of cereal or a cup of yogurt will make you a happier and healthier human being.

5.    Eat enough.

Many students have problems with eating disorders, which can be deadly. If you have serious issues with food, seek help at the campus counseling center immediately. Here is some information about college students and eating disorders.

6.     Drink water.

Most people do not get nearly enough water. Resist the lure of soda machines and the unlimited soda at the dining hall and get into the habit of drinking water. Get a water bottle and carry it around with you.

7.     Don't binge drink.

Excessive drinking can lead to addiction or alcohol poisoning. But there's one undesirable effect of binge drinking that doesn't get talked about as much: it makes you gain weight! Some students deprive themselves of food during the week so that they can binge drink on the weekends without gaining weight, which is a bad idea. Here is some important information about college student alcohol safety.

8.     Work in walking.

You're on a college campus, so take full advantage of walking opportunities! Even if you have a car, make walking your main form of transportation on campus.

 

9.     Get a bicycle.

If you go to school somewhere with a decent climate, travel around campus on a bike. Just remember: get a bike helmet and protective gear too, and ride with caution. Most college students ride bikes responsibly, but there's always a few that make drivers question the future of the species.

10.  Spend time at the student recreational center.

A big chunk of your student fees is going to the gym, so take advantage of it! Find an activity that you like, or take a class. You don't need to spend hours and hours working out to feel the benefits. Just remember: don't use the gym as a form of procrastination!

11.    Get regular checkups.

Your parents probably took care of this for you, but now it's up to you make sure you see a doctor regularly. You're probably entitled to an annual exam at the student health center. Ladies, you're probably entitled to an annual gynecological exam, which you need to start doing now, especially if you're sexually active.

12.   Get a flu shot.

Many schools offer them at low cost. College campuses are absolute cesspools of germs, so take this simple step to help protect yourself.

13.    Learn to relax.

This can be a difficult goal for a college student, but do your best. Learn to put things in perspective. If you get a C on that test you're freaking out about, nothing catastrophic will happen. If your school has a stress management course or exercise courses such as yoga, sign up.

14.   Get mental counseling if you need it.

Take advantage of the counseling services on campus. College students frequently suffer from anxiety, depression, eating disorders, addiction, and homesickness and student counseling services are usually well equipped to help with these issues.

Tips on Becoming a Teacher

G O O D   T E A C H E R S

Are good at explaining things.

Do you like to explain how something works, or how something happened? Being comfortable with explaining content to students is an essential skill for teachers, regardless of the subject or grade level.

Keep their cool.

There will be times when you will be tempted to scream or yell at your students, other teachers, parents, administrators, and so on. Good teachers are able to successfully resist this urge. 

Have a sense of humor.

Research has consistently shown that good teachers have a sense of humor, and that they are able to use humor as part of their teaching methods. Humor, used properly, can be a powerful addition to any lesson.

Like people, especially students in the age range in which they intend to teach.

Most teachers choose an area of specialization such as elementary education, special education, secondary education, or higher education because they have a temperament for students in those age ranges. If you are not comfortable working with young children, don't major in elementary education!

 

Are inherently fair-minded.

They are able to assess students on the basis of performance, not on the students' personal qualities.

Have "common sense."

It may sound a bit corny, but good teachers are practical. They can size up a situation quickly and make an appropriate decision. Whether managing a classroom, leading students on a field trip, seamlessly shifting from one instructional procedure to another, assigning detentions, supervising an intern, or dealing with policy and curriculum issues in the school, there is no substitute for common sense.

Have a command of the content they teach.

For elementary school teachers, that means having knowledge of a broad range of content in sufficient depth to convey the information in meaningful ways to the students. For secondary school teachers, it usually means having an in-depth command of one or two specific content areas such as mathematics or biology.

Set high expectations for their students and hold the students to those expectations.

If you are thinking about becoming a teacher, you should set high expectations for yourself, and demand excellence not only of yourself, but your students as well.

Are detail oriented.

If you are a disorganized person in your private life, you will find that teaching will probably be uncomfortable for you. At the very least, teachers must be organized in their professional and teaching duties. If you're not organized and are not detail oriented, teaching may not be the best choice of a profession for you.

Are good managers of time.

Time is one of the most precious resources a teacher has. Good teachers have learned to use this resource wisely.

Can lead or follow, as the situation demands.

Sometimes, teachers must be members of committees, groups, councils, and task forces. Having the temperament to function in these capacities is extremely important. At other times, teachers assume leadership roles. Be sure you are comfortable being a leader or a follower, because sooner or later, you will be called on to function in those roles.

Don't take things for granted.

This applies to everything, from selecting a college or school of education to filing papers for certification. Good follow-through habits should be cultivated throughout life, but they are never more important than during your teacher education program. Read the catalog, know the rules, be aware of prerequisites and meet deadlines. In one sense, you don't learn to teach by getting a degree and becoming certified. You learn to teach in much the same way you learned to drive -- by driving. You learn to teach by teaching, by making mistakes, learning from them and improving. The purpose of a teacher education program is to get you as ready as possible to learn how to teach by subjecting you to a variety of methods and experiences that have a basis in tradition and research.

Teacher

What Works in Teaching

Teachers, especially new teachers, are always on the lookout for ideas and practices that actually work and are not just passing "fads.". In the course of a career as a teacher, you will discover many things that work for you, but maybe not for your fellow teacher down the hall. You will also, if you get really good at teaching, invent things that work, and that is what this little page is all about -- what works.

Not everyone agrees on the most effective ways to teach content to all children or to motivate them. Much depends on variables over which the teacher has little, if any control. However, there are a number of principles that have nearly universal agreement. Below are a number of these.

Writing

An effective way to teach writing is to teach it as a process of brainstorming, composing, revising, and editing.

Having a clear sense of purpose for any writing assignment helps students become more interested in writing and the quality of their writing.

Children learn vocabulary better when the words they study are related to familiar experiences and the knowledge they already possess.

Reading

When reading is taught by someone who reads a lot, and who has skills in both whole language and phonetics instructional techniques, student achievement in reading increases significantly.

Children are more likely to derive meaning from a reading assignment if the teacher precedes the lesson with background information about the topic and follows it with discussion.

When students work in a cooperative learning situation that involves reading, possibilities exist for increases in self-esteem and the responsibility they take for their own work.

When students hear good readers read, and when the teacher encourages students repeatedly to read passages aloud, they are more likely to become good readers.

Telling young children stories can motivate them to want to read. Storytelling can also introduce them to different cultures and literary traditions before they can read, write, and talk about such stories themselves.

Science and Mathematics

Children in the early grades learn mathematics more effectively when they use physical objects in their lessons.

Children learn science best when they are able to do experiments and see "science in action."

In addition to leaning how to solve mathematics problems to derive an exact answer, children also learn mathematics by learning to estimate answers.

Social Studies

Social studies encompasses a wide range of content. It is not learned by memorizing facts - there are just too many.

Having students construct their own knowledge by making connections about facts and ideas reinforces and deepens understandings about the content.

Simulations, games, and role playing can be one of the most effective techniques for teaching social studies, but require the teacher to be a good explainer of the background information and manager of the activities. 

Student Motivation

When teachers explain exactly what students are supposed to learn and demonstrate the steps needed to accomplish a particular academic task, students learn more.

Student understanding increases and achievement rises when teachers ask questions that require students to apply, analyze, synthesize and evaluate information in addition to simply recalling facts.

When teachers set high expectations for students, communicate those expectations to the students and hold the students to them, student achievement rises.

Students are more motivated if they perceive value in what they are supposed to learn

When students connect success to personal effort, rather than ability or luck, they are more likely to be motivated to learn.

Young children, ages four through eight, attend more to social reinforcement and praise than to feedback about performance.

Older children are more extrinsically motivated and are more likely to engage in appropriate activities to get a good grade.

Inappropriate or indiscriminate use of extrinsic rewards has a long-term negative effect on student motivation to learn.

There are, of course, hundreds of other little gems about teaching and motivating students that could be added here. Those above represent only a small portion of what teachers have found to be effective. One caveat must be mentioned. Sometimes, a teaching method that works for one teacher will not work for another. The reason has to do with temperament and personality. It's perhaps not so much to do with the mechanical components of the method as much as the way they are implemented.

Plan for Great Oral Presentations

If you are like most people, you feel anxious about making oral presentations. With a few strategies and a bit of practice, however, you can gain the confidence you need to make a great presentation.

Before

• Organize your talk with a few main points and use them as prompts.
• Prepare an introduction (an anecdote, a question or some other device) that will immediately get your audience's attention.
• Practice your talk in front of a mirror and/or before a few friends.
• Time yourself to make sure you keep within the time limit.
• Do not memorize or read your text.

During

• Overcome nervousness by
• -telling yourself it's okay to be nervous,
• -taking a few deep breaths before you begin to speak,
• -establishing eye contact with a friend or looking just over the heads of those in the back row.
• Speak clearly and not too quickly.
• Begin by telling your audience what your talk is about and identifying the main points.
• Summarize your main points at the end of your talk.

After

• Invite the audience to ask questions.
• If you can't answer a question, don't bluff; tell the audience that you will find out.
• Distribute handouts after, not before, your talk unless you want your audience to use them as guides.

SmiLe, SmiLe, and SmiLe.........

 Smiling is a great way to make yourself stand out while helping your body to function better.  Smile to improve your health, your stress level, and your attractiveness. Smiling is just one fun way to live longer read about the others and try as many as you can.

1. Smiling Makes Us Attractive

We are drawn to people who smile. There is an attraction factor. We want to know a smiling person and figure out what is so good. Frowns, scowls and grimaces all push people away -- but a smile draws them in.

 

2. Smiling Changes Our Mood

Next time you are feeling down, try putting on a smile. There's a good chance you mood will change for the better. Smiling can trick the body into helping you change your mood.

3. Smiling Is Contagious

When someone is smiling they lighten up the room, change the moods of others, and make things happier. A smiling person brings happiness with them. Smile lots and you will draw people to you.

4. Smiling Relieves Stress

Stress can really show up in our faces. Smiling helps to prevent us from looking tired, worn down, and overwhelmed. When you are stressed, take time to put on a smile. The stress should be reduced and you'll be better able to take action.

5. Smiling Boosts Your Immune System

Smiling helps the immune system to work better. When you smile, immune function

improves possibly because you are more relaxed. Prevent the flu and colds by smiling.

6. Smiling Lowers Your Blood Pressure

When you smile, there is a measurable reduction in your blood pressure. Give it a try if you have a blood pressure monitor at home. Sit for a few minutes, take a reading. Then smile for a minute and take another reading while still smiling. Do you notice a difference?

 

7. Smiling Releases Endorphins, Natural Pain Killers and Serotonin

Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, natural pain killers, and serotonin. Together these three make us feel good. Smiling is a natural drug. 

8. Smiling Lifts the Face and Makes You Look Younger

The muscles we use to smile lift the face, making a person appear younger. Don't go for a face lift, just try smiling your way through the day - you'll look younger and feel better.

9. Smiling Makes You Seem Successful

Smiling people appear more confident, are more likely to be promoted, and more likely to be approached. Put on a smile at meetings and appointments and people will react to you differently.

10. Smiling Helps You Stay Positive,

Try this test: Smile. Now try to think of something negative without losing the smile. It's hard. When we smile our body is sending the rest of us a message that "Life is Good!!!" Stay away from depression, stress and worry by smiling.

Where are you???
 

Happy???

 

Sad???

Shy???

                                                          

Gloomy???

 

Last but not least, don’t forget to SMILE !!!!!!!!!!!!