Timing is everything

     As a college student I am constantly wrapped up with school, hanging out with friends, and various club meetings.  It is a wonder I ever have time for myself or any way to keep myself sane.  Thankfully, I have balanced my classes well enough to get homework done between and after, while still managing to make it to the gym and all my club meetings on a regular basis. 
     As a triathlete staying in-shape during the off-season is very important in order to be able to stay fit and ready to train when the season starts again.  For me to stay fit I must work in daily workouts at the gym and stay active even on days where I do not have time to workout (which honestly never really happens).  I make sure to schedule these workouts in time slots within my day where I have time to make it to the gym and back to the dorm in time to make it to my next class or meeting.  So far I have done a pretty good job of keeping up with this scheduling. 
     Not only am I concerned about staying in-shape, but I am also concerned with keeping up in my classes and making good grades.  That is why I typically do my homework on in a timely manner (2-3 days before it is due) in order to not get stressed out or overwhelmed.  This time management has helped me always stay ahead in my classes and do my best on each assignment given to me.
     The final major part of my college career is staying involved in various organizations.  Being in pre-pharmacy I am always thinking about the next thing in order for me to get ahead of my peers and look that much better to the admissions advisors for pharmacy college.  On top of my classes and working out I still manage to make it to all the meetings of the various organizations I am involved in. 
     The only thing I really wish I had more time for is to be able to hang out with my friends more often.  Being so busy leaves little room for hanging out with friends and having fun.  Many times when I am able to hang out I am really tired from that day's activities or am preparing for the next day that I just am not able too.  I think if I start hanging out with friends at a certain time each week I can make it more of a habit and not lose the friendships I have gained.  Hopefully adding in having fun to my schedule will allow me the time to be with my friends.

Healthy Time!

     Many issues facing college students these days centers around each student's health and wellness.  As obesity and laziness grows in America, it is becoming more and more necessary to get the younger population up and moving to prevent an obesity trend later in life.  For me personally I have grown up in a very athletic family where noone is overweight.  It is typical for everyone in my family to go to the gym together or workout together in some way.  I have grown up with a daily exercise regimen as a participant on my high school's cross country and track team.  I kept my exercise strong by becoming involved in triathlons throughout the years.  I still participate in triathlons now and continue to exercise daily to keep my stamina and strength for racing.  I maintain a pretty healthy diet trying to balance my diet with a lot of fruits and vegetables regularly.  I keep up with daily hygiene and avoid getting sick as much as possible by taking my vitamins and staying away from sharing food or drinks.  Overall I would say I am a very healthy person and very concious of my lifestyle. 
     When coming here to USC I knew it would be a challenge to continue staying healthy with my exercise regimen and eating habits but I have found a good group of friends who share the same interests as me in staying healthy.  We workout together and have meals on a regular basis.  We always enjoy each other's company and never feel inferior or uncomfortable around each other.  This comfortableness really helps me feel as if I can share anything I am struggling with with them and they can help me in the best way.  They support me in my classes and know when I get stressed and just need some motivation and I do the exact same.  We know each other's schedules and help each other study and understand concepts when we are confused and the other person can help.  We always support each other and strive to help each other succeed in whatever it is.

Religion

     Religion and spirituality are two main topics most people try to avoid in any conversation.  Both ideas never lead to a common understanding unless you are discussing them with someone you know feels exactly the same as you.  Otherwise, the discussion of both topics can lead and typically does lead to a heated discussion where one person tries to dominate the other person's beliefs.  Yesterday in University 101 we had this discussion.  We mostly focused on the similarities between religion, spirituality, and faith.  The common understanding we came to as a class and that I believe is that spirituality is something you believe and feel, while religion is something you practice.  Religion and spirituality can be interchangeable based on what is is you are practicing, but both I believe depend on faith.  Faith gives you the trust and belief in what you know, whether it is the faith in your religion or the faith within your spirituality, whatever that may be for you.
     For me, I have a strong faith in my religion.  I believe strongly as a Christian that Jesus died for my sins and is my savior.  I trust wholeheartedly in whatever God has in store for my life and rely on his love to know that whatever occurs in my life is all apart of his greater plan.  I would say I have more religion in my life than spirituality although I cannot define a clear line between the two.  Religion is the organized idea that I believe in, while spirituality is the overall understanding and feeling I have towards this idea.  Both are supported my faith and strong belief.
     Coming down south for college it is evident that more people are open to sharing about their faith and it seems a lot more prevalent.  More people in the south seem to be believers in Christ and press the importance of religion and faith.  Spirituality outside of religion is not as openly discussed because many people see their spirituality based on their religion.  I do believe that the south and USC has a larger Christian population than I first expected, but personally I am extremely happy of this fact.  I love the idea that a majority of the people I encounter on campus have a relationship with God in some way and typically are open to having a one-on-one discussion about their faith in him.  The south as a whole seems to reflect more of a Christian atmosphere with an importance to religion and faith-based spirituality, which is what I strive to do in my own personal life.

Study Abroad

     A large opportunity when coming to college is the chance to study abroad.  Studying abroad is a great opportunity for every college student because it is a cost effective way to experience a different culture somewhere outside their college campus, while maintaining their studies.  The study abroad program allows students to continue working towards their major in the country or city of their choice.  On top of the opportunity to be able to study outside the United States, students are also given the option to study nationally.  The National Student Exchange (NSE) allows students to study at a different university within the United States and surrounding territories which include Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  This is a great opportunity for students who may not necessarily want to study outside the counrty, but expand their horizons to a different part of the country.  For me I think it would be great to study nationally or internationally.  Either opportunity appeals to me because it would allow me to move away from the southeast for a little while and experience a different culture, may it be in the northwest or another country. 
     If I were to study nationally I would like to study in Washington or Alaska because both states are uniquely different from South Carolina.  Each offers its own qualities that I cannot experience here at South Carolina and would really help me expand beyond my comfort zone and what I know. 
     If I were to study internationally I would choose to study in Italy or Greece.  Looking pictures from both countries really makes me excited and experience a strong urge to go there and really experience the culture.  My grandmother was Italian and my grandfather was Greek, so I think it would be great to get to really understand their culture and the type of environment they grew up in.  Also, studying in either country would fulfill my dream of going to the Mediterranean and enjoying all its natural beauty.
     On another note, I would like to give you an update on mentoring at Hand Middle School.  Currently I am beginning to really start to help mentee with her schoolwork and other day-to-day tasks.  We have made tremendous progress on her organizations skills which I think have really helped her improve her grades.  Currently she has made all A's on her tests and quizzes which is phenomenal!  The highlight of mentoring so far has got to be when I went to mentor earlier this week and she told me she made 100's on both of her tests last week, one of which being in Science which is a subject she tends to struggle in.  Hopefully maintaining the organization of her notes and her hard work will continue to show great progress in the future!

Leadership

     Many people define leadership in different ways.  A majority of the time these definitions vary based on the type of exposure each individual person has had to leadership.  For example, someone living in a Totalitarian-type government may assume leadership is full control of everyone with no room for freedom.  In contrast, someone living in a Democracy may assume that leadership is based on the majority's vote and insight, and that leader is put in place to serve and command according to how the majority wants them to lead.  For me, leadership is is someone who serves to please the majority, and does it willingly with an openness to criticism and change.  For example, I was one of three captains of my high school cross country team.  All three of us were willing to be captains and looked forward to the responsibility.  We made decisions for the group after hearing everyone's insight to make sure we were pleasing the majority.  We also listened to our coach and took control when she asked, as well as stepped down and supported when she asked.  We never controlled without consent and never made any decisions without talking with the rest of the team first.  We wanted to make sure that the group respected us and looked up to us without fear or disrespect.
     I fully enjoyed my time as a captain of my cross country team.  I miss that responsibility and hope to obtain a leadership role while on campus.  I am currently apart of Navigators.  Many of the small group student leaders are Sophomores or Juniors.  I hope that next year I can become a small group student leader for one of the Freshman Bible Studies.  I also hope to become more involved within the Triathlon Club.  Right now as a Freshman, it is very difficult to plan my schedule around group rides or runs because of my hectic schedule.  I hope that next year I can be one of the ride or run leaders and plan out times for training more fit to my schedule.  This way I can stay involved in the club as well as be a leader to those who are new to the sport or to the school. 

Diversity

     One of the main things that define any university is its diversity on campus.  Every person on the campus adds to this diversity.  Where they come from, what they look like, what they believe, and what they do adds to this diversity.  When I came to USC I thought diversity was stretched between race, gender, and looks to be honest.  I never considered background and beliefs to be apart of diversity.  To my surprise background and beliefs of a person truly makes them unique and diverse on campus.  No one person on campus comes from the same background or has the same belief.  Yes, it is possible two people have the same beliefs, but their commitment and the depth of their belief is very different.  For example, two people may both be Christian, but one may have a stronger desire to grow in their faith then the other.  Right there is an example of diversity in one component of any given person's life.  How I went through my life believing that diversity only compromised of race, gender, and looks, I do not know.  After being on campus for two months however, I clearly know more about diversity then before.  Just walking on campus at any given time of the day I run into someone who clearly is different from me.  They may be a different gender or race, or they may come from a different part of the country or world for that matter.  Diversity is everywhere at any given time.  It is truly impossible not to find someone uniquely different from myself.
     Finding diversity on campus is just as easy as finding diversity at my service-learning site.  As a mentor I am given a mentee who could come from any given home life or background.  For example my mentee is an only child while I have a brother.  Right there is diversity in itself.  Also, she is from South Carolina obviously since she is in middle school here, while I am from North Carolina.  She is also a different race then I am.  All three of those things add up to diversity that I experience at my service-learning site.  For me, diversity is everywhere.  It is at school, at mentoring, in my dorm, everywhere.  Diversity is so unique and so vast that everyday is a new day to experience it.

Traditions

     South Carolina is like any other university in having its own unique traditions.  Many of the traditions here are similar to the traditions at other universities, just unique to USC.  For example, at USC we have the Ring Ceremony held each year.  Upperclassmen who have acquired 60 hours of course credit are eligible to order their class ring and participate in the Ring Ceremony.  This tradition is similar to the Ring Dance at Virginia Tech.  At Virginia Tech instead of having a formal ceremony for the dispensing of class rings to their owners, they have a dance.  The student picks up his ring before the dance and wears it the dance.  The Ring Dance is essentially a cross between a ring ceremony and a high school prom. 
     Another tradition we have here at South Carolina is the annual Tiger Burn before the South Carolina-Clemson football game.  Many students gather on Greene street in the week before the game to get pumped up.  On top of other various activites they hold a "tiger burn."  The Tiger Burn is lighting a fake tiger similar to the Clemson mascot on fire in order to symbolize USC beating Clemson in the football game. 
     Many of the traditions held at USC do not tend to happen within the first couple months of a person's freshman year.  Most of the traditions are for upperclassmen or held later in the year during certain dates.  One tradition however that every freshman gets to participate in and that I was able to participate in was the First-Year Reading experience.  Every freshman is given a copy of the First-Year Reading at orientation and asked to complete it before move-in day.  The reading is typically used in English and University 101 classes so it is pretty much impossible to not read.  A few days after move-in day all the freshman get together at the Carolina Coliseum for a brief speech by the President and a chosen student.  After this gathering we are split up into our University 101 classes and moved to a different location on campus to discuss the book.  This year we had to read Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer.  The book was about surviving in the wild and on very little and how our society has made it impossible to live off the land like our ancestors did.  It was a statement to the damage we have done to ourselves as humans to not be able to live off what is around us, but rely on modern technology to survive.  Overall I quite enjoyed the book and the discussion I had with my University 101 class.  After enjoying this tradition I cannot wait to participate in more in the coming weeks and years!