The stress of a new semester can sometimes be overwhelming. That being said, there are tons of campus resources to take advantage of! Here are just two to consider when planning out your time commitments at the beginning of the semester:
]]> 1. Make sure to find time to relax and ease back into the semester! Maybe sign up for a yoga class?Yoga to the People--This yoga studio is located on Shattuck avenue and is donation based. That means they recommend around $10 per class but if you don't the money, that is fine too! Check out the website for more details. http://yogatothepeople.com/berkeley/schedule-fees/
The RSF also has yoga classes you can check out. Look at their group exercise schedule for yoga classes as well as other fun fitness classes.
2. If you are interested in learning more health and wellness skills or meditation, check out the skills groups offered through University Health Services at the Tang Center. Most of the groups start meeting in early February and generally meet 8 times over the course of the semester. Check out the Tang center website for more details!
Make sure to take advantage of the resources Berkeley has to offer before midterms and finals kick in!
]]>Ever since my freshmen year, I have shadowed our Berkeley alumni every winter break. As an extern, it is the perfect chance to experience the job environment and to realize first hand whether that career is a fit for you. Hurry and check out all the externships at https://career.berkeley.edu/CareerApps/Externship/Students/ExternshipListing.aspx
If you are wondering what I did these past two years, feel free to swing by during my office hours and I would be more than happy to share my externship experiences.]]>
Now, you're probably wondering: "Elodie, why are you blogging on Thanksgiving day?" The answer is this: my mom is taking the opportunity of me being at home to work on my resume, which is especially important since I'll be graduating soon.
Now, I'm not saying that you have to work on your resume right now (because, really, you should be spending time with family, unless family is insisting on updating that resume of yours), but here are a few tips on how to start/improve your resume!
]]> 1. The first and most important tip is to take advantage of our own campus resource, (the Career Center)! Make sure to use the Resume and Letter Writing section of their Jobs & Internship guide because it will go a LONG way to helping you.2. Take advantage of resources at home! For me, it's my mom. For you, it could be anybody ranging from your parents to your cousins and siblings. They'll help you proofread and maybe they'll have connections that will give your resume a look-over. For example, my mom's cousin is in the pharmaceutical industry, so she can give my resume a quick look-over and see if the scientific techniques mentioned are relevant/worth being on my resume.
3. Take advantage of online knowledge! Certain websites can have really good examples of resumes, or they might just have templates that will make your resume look better.
In any case, good luck on writing your resume, and have a really good break!
]]>What I obsess over at the RSF are the classes. They're so great!! I don't know what it is about them, but going to the group exercise classes gives me such a better workout than if I had just done my own thing. Seriously!! Pilates is awesome anytime, and cardio kickboxing is a crazy way to end the day. And the toning express? My goodness is it intense. I'll confess that I've only been to the toning express class once; that was enough for a while. And, you know, if I were blessed with those elusive things called coordination and rhythm, I would attend more of the dance classes (sadly, my attempts at the dancing mostly just elicit giggles from my neighbors). You know what? Here!! Take the link and be happy: http://recsports.berkeley.edu/insidepage.aspx?uid=e228f552-e7f9-4797-af1c-bfc3ecd72594
Maybe it was the protein powder in my smoothie, but suddenly I feel an RSF urge. Maybe some mellow elliptical while I read a novel? Sounds excellent. See you there!!
]]>Get your letters early!!!
Depending on the program you usually need 2-4 letters of recommendation. Also make sure that the people that write your letter, especially if it’s a professor, can also write about other stuff besides your grade. Some people I know give their letter writer a copy of their statement or their resume as a way to show the writer what they have done or their passion.
Know the dates!!!
Mark all the deadlines in your calendar so you don’t forget ANYTHING. Also another important thing to remember is to mail in your transcripts! I had to express my transcripts in order to reassure myself that my transcripts would get to Pharmcas by Nov. 1.
Think about the prompts!!!
While the primary essay is usually something relating to how you got interested in pharmacy it is important to keep in mind the supplementary essays. For pharmacy (and other professional school) there is usually a main application and then each school has their own miniapp (though for UCSF it’s a monster app) with their own essays. The supplementary essays can be a beast so it’s a good idea to think about the prompts to give you an idea about to write since the supplementary essays are usually complex and nontraditional.
Be EARLY!!!
For some pharm schools they look at your apps in the order they are submitted so it’s a HUGE advantage to do the apps ASAP (UC pharm schools don’t thought). Also the apps for most schools is Nov. 1 and it’s really to your benefit to not send them in near the deadline. You know what is really sad???? Me finishing up my essays on Halloween night T.T
With just a little over a month left a school it is time to start thinking about winter break!
Here are some interesting ideas to make your winter break useful:
Check out this website for more information: https://career.berkeley.edu/externships/externships.stm
2) Informational Interviews: These are a great way to engage in conversation with a professional about their career, training, responsibilities, what they like about their jobs etc. The idea is that you are not asking them about job prospects but rather getting an idea of their particular career field.
3) Explore the Career Center Website. If you have free time, instead of going on Facebook, check out the different services the career center offers. They have databases of different career fields and lists of what alumni of different majors are doing now. Explore!
https://career.berkeley.edu/default.stm
4) Also check out local volunteering options in your area!!
5) HAVE FUN! AND RELAX! Winter break is also a time to de-stress from the semester so make sure you find time for fun and relaxation :-)
]]>Similar to how a declared student would go to a major advisor for advising, an undeclared student in CNR would talk to a CNR college advisor for advising.
I know that some majors do not have a faculty advisor, but for Nutritional Science our major does have a faculty advisor and I visit my faculty advisor if I have questions about research in general. I also see my faculty advisor for Tele-Bears before I see my major advisor.
]]>My statement you ask? Ironically, it's hard to put into one sentence, but if I could, and mind you I hardly think this is complete, it would be this: to live, learn, and inspire in order to create a more sustainable world. What exactly that entails, I think, could change. Right now, I'm toying with the idea of becoming a city planner and traveling to do research in communities in order to help them manage local environmental issues. Peace Corps is definitely very very high on the list and who knows, perhaps even grad school for environmental policy. My point though, is that there are options, that the future isn't one track where you move from point A to point B to point C. Up until this point, I suppose it seems that way, but especially after you graduate, especially then, it's not linear, it's not even necessarily fluid. It's where the sidewalk end. It's just life, I guess, and out of that huge mess you have to fashion some kind of road. I haven't gotten there yet, so I can only imagine what it must be for the seniors. But I also think that it's amazing, this chance to choose who to be, what to do, and how to do it. Best of luck to you all!
]]>1. Sleep at least 8 hours every night. It is way harder than it should be to get a good night sleep, but if I do not procrastinate my homework and studying, it is defiantly possible. Sleep deprivation suppresses our immune system because our T-cells go down and inflammatory cytokines go up. This means that the more all-nighters you pull, the greater your chances are of getting a bacterial or viral infection. I am very proud to say that I have never pulled an all-nighter.
2. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. It is important to have a diet rich in antioxidants which are able to neutralize free radicals harmful to our body. I always think that the darker the leafy green, the healthier it is. Kale tastes so bitter and gross by itself, but it has the highest ANDI score (meaning it is the most nutrient dense). I make a berry smoothie every morning but add in a little bit of kale in it so that I can get those vitamins without actually tasting the kale. Other great fruits and vegetables with high ANDI scores include: spinach, arugula, broccoli, carrot, strawberry, tomato, blueberry, and orange. Also, fresh garlic supposedly has antiviral and antibacterial properties. Garlic is great for cooking – in salad dressing, marinades, sauces and so much more.
3. Exercise regularly. I try to work out five days a week, but even three days of 20 minute exercise is associated with a healthier immune system. This is because regular exercise increases the level of leukocytes, which an immune system cell that fights infection. Also, the endorphins boost your mood, well being, and quality of sleep – which ultimately lead to a healthier body.
4. Have fun with friends -and I don’t mean going out until 2am drinking. Hang out with friends that make you laugh! Laughing is so good for us that it decreases our levels of stress hormones and increases a white blood cell type that fights infection. Breaks from stress are always good.
2. Sleep! Unfortunately, time is short and fast, so we often find less time on our hands to do the many things we want to do. However, reducing sleep is, ultimately, going to affect your performance in all your assignments. Your brain does not compute well without sleep. Pull fewer all-nighters, and try to have 8 hours of sleep every night.
3. Have a nutritious diet! In other words, try to eat less junk food. A healthy diet=a healthy body!
4. Exercise! You'll keep your body fit and going! This can also be a stress reliever and make you feel good about yourself. Honestly, here at Cal, exercising can get pretty awesome. Stop by RSF for one of their classes, anywhere from Cardio Hiphop to Core Blast, the latter of which I can attest to being super intense.
5. Stay clean and maintain good hygiene. This doens't just apply to your own, personal health. This also refers to your dorm room or your apartment- clean where you live on a regular basis! I've heard horror stories about friends in Microbiology who had to leave a Petri dish in a living area and see what microbes grew on them... and let me tell you, not exactly the most pleasant thing to hear!
6. Get your flu shot/MMR shot/etc. That'll just be an additional defense against all the microbes in our environment.
As a final note, if you do get sick, be thoughtful of other people and stay at home when your symptoms are at their worst! Hope everyone remains healthy!
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