Be Creative

Being a Science major, everything is very by the book.  With all the studying I do of laws and theories, it’s very easy to lose my creativity.  I find myself thinking of all things as black or white.. When I doodle in my notes, it’s never cute.. It’s always just like cursive writing or something boring.  So lately, I’ve been trying to rediscover my creative side.  I found a chart of 29 ways to stay creative.. It’s really been helping!  But then comes the question, if I’m always studying and preparing for school, how often do I get the chance to be creative?  At WT, ALL the time!  This week their was a pumpkin carving contest! I also went to a Pinterest Party at Shirley Hall tonight! There were all kinds of crafts that could be made with the objects they had available! The residence halls are always have crafty programs. Also, many groups are looking for people who are artsy to help out with advertising.  If you are needing some inspiration for your artistic side, next week there is a Trombone Choir Recital, a Wind Ensemble Recital, a Horn Choir Recital, and the WTAMU production of Iphigenia 2.0.  Sometimes, it’s so easy to get caught up in school.  And, yes, that is what we are here for, but remember that it’s okay to be a little artsy every once in a while and use the other side of your brain!  It’s actually good for you! So go to the events that WT offers for you!  They are free!!! Trust me it’s always fun!

Smart students with Smart phones

So who has the iPhone 5??? I’ve seen a few people around campus sporting their new gadgets! I have to say I’m a teensy bit jealous.  I have the iPhone 4, and I love it.  I used to be the kid with the old school phone that didn’t have any apps or games. But when I got the iPhone, I realized what I’d been missing out on for so long. If you have a “smart” phone, but haven’t tested what it can do…. What are you waiting for? I had a friend that got an android phone last year. He played games on it and stuff, but one day he came in and he said, “I’ve decided that if I’m gonna have a SMART phone, I’m gonna use it to be smart.”  So he downloaded a news app, and he tries to stay up to date on everything going on in the world.  Some good apps to help you get through college? I’ve got it down to 3.

1. WTmobile – This is WT’s own app! You can check your BuffAdvisor, the student directory, and campus news all on this app.  You can even look at what’s going on with WT sports or calculate your tuition costs for next semester.

2. Gas Guru – This app shows the best, good, and worst gas prices in your area.  Don’t spend 10 cents extra per gallon when you can go to the Pak-a-Sak two blocks away and pay less!

3. Pandora – This app is the mobile version of http://www.pandora.com And it’s great! Just make sure you are using wifi or it will use your data very quickly.  I like to listen to certain upbeat stations while I workout.  Then I’ll listen to a classical music station while I study, and while I clean I have a quick mix of all my favorites!

An App with great potential that didn’t make the cut?

UpTo – This app connects to you personal calendar on your phone and to Facebook.  You can choose to share facebook events that you are attending or share what you have planned in your calendar with you r friends.  This way you can see what is going on in your circle, and make plans to meet up accordingly! It really is a great idea, but right now they have some bugs to fix.  Anytime you try to invite friends via facebook, it shuts down.  I would recommend downloading it, so that when it is updated with bug fixes, you can use it immediately.

Another app that I just discovered that didn’t make the cut?

Snapseed – This is a just for fun photography app.  It really goes beyond any app I’ve seen. You can layer effects, or choose a certain area of the picture that you want to have the effect.  I’ve yet to discover all of its secrets! The ONLY reason it didn’t make the cut was that its $5.  A little pricey for a college student. But if you love photography, this is a must have!

So be smart with your smart phone.  Please stay up to date on news! Get a dictionary app, so you can look up words that you don’t know in class. The opportunities are endless!

Happy Late Labor Day!

I know this is a little late, but I hope you all had a great holiday!

How did you spend your labor day??? From what I’ve heard, people either enjoyed their days off or were mad that they were working.  I belong to the second group.  I wasn’t scheduled to work but Sunday night they asked if I would come in at 7 AM on Monday.  Last time they asked me to come in, I didn’t really want to so I said no, and now I felt like I owed it to them.  So I went in Monday, it wasn’t a bad day at work at all, and then my boss told me I was getting paid time and a half! Woohoo! I got off at 3 PM so I still had time to come home and relax (:

It’s so nice that we didn’t have to go to school! Especially if you have labs!  Most labs for the week were completely cancelled because the professors don’t want one lab to get ahead of the rest! So if you have a lab, you might want to double check that you still have class this week before you go!  But don’t assume you DON’T have lab! I still had a Geology 2 lab, because there is only one on Tuesdays

I really hope all of ya’ll got at least some kind of break from the everyday rush of things! I also hope your semesters are going great! So far, so good for me! (:

Have a great short week!

Finding the Money for College

It’s that time of year again… School’s starting.  Which means your tuition is due next week, your books look like they are going to cost about $500, and you can’t find the money to pay for everything.  Don’t worry, you will get by.

I just recently got married.  I was told not to fill out my FAFSA until after the wedding.  Soooo, I filled mine out last week.  I have no scholarships, and I’m waiting on my loan from a separate company to come through.  How am I going to get by?

First things first, Tuition is due the 13th. But don’t freak out, only 25% HAS to be paid by then.  If you think you have any financial aid coming in, go to MyBuffPortal and click on buff adviser.  Click on Log In, then on Students at the bottom.  Now find the button that says “Accept/Reject My Awards.” Accept anything you have.  If you don’t have anything, keep checking.  If you were able to accept a grant or loan.  You will probably be fine for this first payment.  If you didn’t have any rewards to accept (that’s okay, I didn’t get any financial aid my first 2 years) you need to look into getting a loan.  Either through WT or an independent company.  Canyon has a company called OPI which is great for giving loans to students. Their website is http://www.opportunityplan.com.  If your loan isn’t going to be processed in time.  WT has emergency loans which are great for this first payment.  Go to BuffAdvisor and click the Emergency Loan button and then hit submit.  This will get your 25% paid and when aid or a loan comes in, you can pay back your emergency loan and whatever is left on your bill.

DON’T use lack of money as an excuse to drop out.  I have had to take out loans every semester. It’s life.  Once you have your degree, you can work on paying back that loan, and someday you will be making the big bucks. It’s worth it.

Now to see what books you need and how much they will cost, go to buff adviser and click “Schedule and Reserve/Buy Books.” This will give you a list of all the books you need for your classes.  Most books will have a New price and a Used price.  Some you can rent through WT for even cheaper.  Most of the time you DON’T need a brand new book.  As long as its not falling apart, its FINE.  Now, if it’s a workbook, it probably needs to be new.

My advice on buying books is to use CampusBooks.com. Some people will tell you to use Chegg.com.  And I’ve used them before, they are GREAT! But CampusBooks takes prices from Chegg, Amazon, Ebay, etc. and compares them for you so you can see the honest lowest price.  It’s saved me thousands of dollars already.  My books last semester were supposed to cost aroun $700, I paid about $200.  This IS the way to go (:

I hoped this has helped you.  Don’t stress out too much about finances.  If there’s a will, there’s a way.

Now, AFTER you have everything paid for, work on your grades! Good grades means more scholarships, which means less worry for money!!!