Life Hacks

By Amelia Mezrahi

Student LifeHacks Series: 10 MENTAL HEALTH HACKS

1 EXERCISE. Exercise has long been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, or depression. For students spending hours studying in dorms and libraries as well as sitting in classrooms, getting exercise is critical to both your health and your mental state. Find whatever works for you – running, biking, a team sport or yoga. The key is to make it part of your routine so you are sure to get that break several times a week, ideally daily.

2 DIET. Just as exercise will improve your mental state, getting your diet right is also important. Avoid fatty or carbohydrate-heavy foods that will leave you tired and lethargic as well as lead to weight gain. Look for high fiber fruits and vegetables to be on your plate when in the dining hall. Stock your dorm room with healthy snacks, and as they always say – drink plenty of water. fight procrastination. This is important because if your mental state is distracting you from getting your work done, falling behind can easily put you into an even worse state. Second, those small pieces of joy throughout the day and week can add up and help bring you to the next level.

3 SLEEP. In addition to making you more productive and improving performance on exams, getting enough sleep will improve your mood. Ideally use your smartphone to try not only to get enough sleep but to keep yourself to as regular hours as possible. According to researchers at MIT and Harvard, getting consistent good quality sleep is responsible for as much as 25 percent of the variance on tests!

4 VOLUNTEER OR JOIN A CLUB. Clubs and volunteering offer several benefits. First, they offer regular structure to get you out and about. Second, they are a chance to meet and connect with people. Third, they allow you to feel good about yourself by helping others. Schools are ideal locations as you already have dozens of clubs #23418f #168fce or volunteering opportunities already set up around you. Just go to the student activities website or a bulletin board at the student center for a quick listing of clubs.

5 FIND A HOBBY. When it is a bad day, ask yourself what you enjoy. So many of the activities we do in school, especially before college, are about building a resume. By contrast hobbies are activities that draw us in and take us away from our troubles. Feeling anxiety, try arts and crafts, jigsaw puzzles or baking. Want something more physical, try dancing or yoga. What about writing? Many of the most successful writers have long channeled their emotions into their work to find release and respite.

6 REWARD YOURSELF. Rewards can be very helpful in supporting your mental health. First, we all know that small rewards Counseling is almost always free and available. It is also confidential. Your health is too important to risk. Millions of students talk to a counselor at their school each year and you should feel equally comfortable doing so as well. (e.g., a chocolate after every 5 problems, buying an app when you finish your homework) can keep you on track and

7 AVOID ALCOHOL AND DRUGS. Many people turn to a drink or drugs to self-medicate. This rarely solves your problems and instead is much more likely to aggravate them and create even worse problems. Take it easy on the alcohol. If you find yourself regularly binge drinking during the week, this is a warning sign.

8 TRY MINDFULNESS. Learning to quiet your mind is a great skill for reducing stress and escaping other problems. There are many free short videos online, apps you can download as well as programs offered through many schools. This can be as simple as saying 3 things you like about yourself every day. Want to try an easy one, set a timer and just focus on breathing for 5 minutes. Try to just think about breathing. Those minutes will go by fast and you may feel better faster than you think. Again, there are lots of resources online and at many universities (for example, https://bit.ly/3zWWpsp).

9 TAP YOUR SUPPORT NETWORK. It’s easy to cut yourself off from friends and family when you are in a bad state. But that is a terrible mistake as they are your best resource. These are the people that understand and will support you. And while texting a friend can help, also remember there is no substitute for hearing a human voice over the phone or meeting up face to face for coffee. You are never too busy to get help from a friend.

10 REACH OUT FOR PROFESSIONAL HELP. When other hacks aren’t working or you are in a really bad state, seek support from your school.

By Jori Hamilton

Preparing Yourself For An Independent Lifestyle In And After College (See also Life Hacks in this issue)

Life is full of responsibilities. Everything from your finances to your health and even protecting the planet may factor into your everyday decisions. This can feel overwhelming at times, especially if you’re living on your own for the first time.

Fortunately, most of the more intimidating parts of life aren’t that scary if you take the time to break down, understand, and prepare for them. If you’re getting ready to launch into life on your own, here are a few of the most important things to keep in mind to help you create a healthy, independent lifestyle.

BEGIN WITH THE BASICS

The first step in establishing yourself on your own is caring for your body’s basic needs. This may seem obvious, but there are many small details of basic self-care that can quickly be lost in the hubbub of school and work.

If you want to stay healthy, you need to tend to four areas in particular: eating, sleeping, exercising, and mental health.

EATING

Eating is a complex subject and hardly one that can be properly broken down in a paragraph or two. Each person’s body is unique and requires different considerations.

Nevertheless, if you want to live a healthy lifestyle on your own, you have to take the time to figure out what your body needs. Start with a basic set of diet recommendations (https://bit.ly/3ysGy33). Then talk to your doctor and research how you can tailor your diet to help your body stay as healthy as possible.

SLEEPING

Getting adequate sleep is a constant battle. School, work, and personal life are always tugging at your time. This can make it challenging to get enough rest. With this in mind, make sure that you’re doing two things.

First, gauge your sleep habits to see if you’re getting — at the very least — seven hours of sleep each night. Then, consider your sleep environment. Is it dark, comfortable, and conducive to sleep? Remember to regularly address both the quantity and quality of your sleep when you’re living on your own.

EXERCISING

It doesn’t matter how old you are, your body also needs plenty of exercise. This can help both your physical body remain fit and your mind remain calm and focused. Always look for ways to

incorporate more exercise into your daily routines. This can include anything from a trip to the fitness center in the morning, to yoga in the afternoon, or even a jog after class.

MENTAL HEALTH

Along with the physiological basics, it’s also wise to take steps to safeguard your mental health. When you’re living on your own, it’s up to you to catch and diagnose unhealthy mental health habits.

Are you stressed out? Anxious? Depressed? Do you struggle with obsessive compulsive disorder? Consider reviewing a list of cognitive

distortions (https://bit.ly/3zzkCou)

every once in a while, to see if you’re slipping into any thinking patterns that need to be addressed.

REMEMBER YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

Along with the basics, it’s also important to keep tabs on your responsibilities. As an independent individual, there will likely be many of these. They’ll also probably involve a very diverse selection of activities.

For instance, if you don’t live on campus, you’ll need to pay your rent or mortgage. You’ll also need to shop for groceries, take your car in for repairs, maintain relationships, and possibly care for dependents. And that doesn’t even touch on any school and workrelated duties you may be given. To help you keep track of and come through on your responsibilities, consider utilizing a few different lifestyle tools, such as: • Routines: Routines can help you get up, go to sleep, get to work on time, and so on. They are also a great way to incorporate basic responsibilities into your daily life. • Schedules: School and personal schedules can both help you remember what is expected of you.

This includes everything from finishing a project by a certain deadline to setting up and sticking to a

house cleaning schedule (https://

bit.ly/3kyVacc). • To-do lists: To-do lists are a great way to remember one-off activi-

ties that aren’t worth including in a routine or schedule. Lists, schedules, and routines are all excellent ways to keep your life organized. They enable you to keep track of and tend to your various responsibilities without feeling overwhelmed in the process.

DON’T FORGET FINANCES

Your finances are another huge area of life that can run amok if left unattended. You can successfully gain financial independence by engaging in a few different monetary habits, such as: • Maintaining a steady income: Make it a priority to keep a job that provides a steady stream of income. • Avoiding cosigning: Whenever possible, dodge the need for a cosigner on your personal bank accounts and loans. • Accruing minimal debt: Eliminate as much of your debt as possible. • Creating a budget: Add up your income and expenses and ensure that you’re living within your means. By making basic fiscal moves like these you can establish yourself as a financially independent individual.

INVEST IN OTHERS

Most of the items on this list have been self-oriented. And within reason, that’s a good thing. If you can establish a healthy mind and body as well as good personal financial habits, it puts you in a strong place to operate independently.

However, a life lived in total isolation

is hardly one worth living (https://bit.

ly/3t4FfWV). If you want to establish yourself on your own, you should also consider how you can proactively give back to those around you in need. A few areas to consider directing your efforts include: • Your friends and family: Your friends and family are the closest community you’ll ever have. Don’t cut them off in your fervor to live

independently. On the contrary, use your independence to stay in touch and help them when they are in need. You may even find the favor reciprocated one day. • Your community: It’s easy to ignore the community that you live in.

However, as an independent individual, it becomes part of your responsibility to look out for those around you. Whether you’re helping at a local food bank, volunteering on a neighborhood watch, or even mowing a neighbor’s lawn, strive to stay aware of the needs of those that are geographically closest to you. • The Earth: Living sustainably isn’t just a trend. It’s a core responsibility of being a human. We all share the Earth, and as a fully autonomous individual, it partly falls to you to do your part in the battle for a brighter future. From creating less waste to using green cleaning products, there are many ways that

you can incorporate green living into your unique lifestyle (https://

bit.ly/2WBLNQP). Establishing your independence is primarily an introspective and personal experience. Nevertheless, there are many ways that you can use your independence for the greater good of your friends, family, community, and the Earth itself.

LEARNING TO LIVE A HEALTHY INDEPENDENT LIFESTYLE

Many factors go into living on your own. Everything from basic physiological needs to mental health concerns, financial considerations, tending to life’s responsibilities and giving back to others all factor into the equation.

If you want to truly set up on your own, you must take each of these areas of life seriously. If you can do that, then you won’t just be able to survive the adventure called life. You’ll be able to thrive in it.

Jori Hamilton is a writer and journalist from the Pacific Northwest who covers social justice issues, healthcare, and politics. You can follow her work on twitter @HamiltonJori or through her portfolio

https://writerjorihamilton.contently.com

By James Paterson

Demystifying AWARD LETTERS

Obtaining college financial aid is already often confusing and challenging, but sometimes just understanding the award letter and other communications from institutions make the process even more difficult. However, there are efforts underway to change that, and there are things that students and their parents can do to make that part of the process easier.

“Simplifying the award notice would be a major step to reducing the confusion families experience when pursuing financial assistance,” says Rick Shipman, executive director of financial aid at Michigan State University. “In the end, the student should know how much they are expected to borrow or work. And if there is a gap between what the school costs and the total aid, that should be expressly noted so the student can look for additional funding or consider other schools.”

Shipman and others believe that colleges should independently make their award letters and other information related to financial aid simpler and clearer, but there also are moves to improve the communications on the part of organizations that oversee financial aid and among legislators.

The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) and the National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) received a Lumina Foundation Grant to “reimagine the college admission, financial aid processes”, including the award letter. The goal is to get college officials to make them as transparent as possible.

Also, legislation has been introduced in the Senate that would require more accessible communications from colleges, including “Understanding the

True Cost of College Act (https://bit.

ly/3jtr8rg), that would do what its name implies – set standards for award letters to make them easier to understand.

Beyond that, education policy groups have come out in support of simplification and standardization, noting that the complexity of the process often harms students who are the first in their families to attend college. The Education think tank New America has developed a paper called Decoding the

Cost of College: The Case for Transparent Financial Aid Award Letters (https://

bit.ly/38tOgPW).

ACTION BY COLLEGES

“A lot of institutions are working on them right now,” says Megan Coval, vice president of policy and federal relations for NASFAA. “I don’t believe the intent of colleges is to be unclear or nefarious, but there is a lot of information and it hasn’t always been presented in the most clear and accessible way.” Her organization has revised its code of conduct to promote clearer communications about aid. Brent Benner, assistant vice president for enrollment management at the University of Tampa, who has spoken to higher ed groups on the topic, says his institution has over the last few years simplified its communications with students about financial aid, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill also significantly changed its award letter. “It is something that has been buzzing around a lot lately – this idea that the offer should be more clear and easier to understand. We have been working over several years to redesign ours so that it accomplishes that,” says Jackie Copeland, interim association provost and director for the Office of Scholarships and

Student Aid at the university.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Colleges and universities may be spelling out financial aid options more clearly and other resources are becoming available from the federal government (https://bit.ly/3DxGNhc) and organizations such as NACAC and NASFAA to help families understand the financial aid that is available. NASFAA has laid out some standards for its members in its recently updated code of conduct:

• A breakdown of estimated individual

Cost of Attendance (https://bit.

ly/3Bt2qxj) components, including which are direct (https://www. nasfaa.org/glossary#edc) (billed by the institution) costs vs. indirect (https://bit.ly/3jubCLJ) (not billed by the institution) costs. • Clear identification and proper grouping of each type of aid offered indicating whether the aid is a grant/ scholarship (https://bit.ly/3DBI3zJ), loan (https://bit.ly/2WKnW1H), or

work program (https://www.nasfaa.

org/glossary#fws) and a listing of them separately. • Estimated net price

(https://bit.ly/3kMaAKC).

• Standard terminology and definitions, using NASFAA’s glossary of terms (https://bit.ly/3yzYybX).

Experts say too often a Parent PLUS loans and Federal work-study support are mixed in with other scholarships, grants, and student loans. The “free money” should be clearly separated from loans and money that can be gained from employment. Rachel Fishman, a researcher with New America, who has studied the process and co-authored a report (https:// bit.ly/2WHT9Cc) in 2018 about the issue, says students should understand the actual cost of attendance.

“From our research (https://bit. ly/3kHAtuY), many colleges and universities whose financial aid offers we reviewed – over a third – did not include any information on costs. A $40,000 financial aid package could sound amazing, but if you have a cost of attendance of $70,000, that will still be a large gap that you have to cover.” Even if a financial aid offer provides cost information, she says, students should make sure it includes the full cost of attendance which is not only tuition and fees and room and board, but also other living expenses such as books and supplies and transportation.

“Even though these living expenses are only estimates, they are critical for understanding how much money you’ll need to stay in school and being successful academically.”

Finally, experts say, ask questions. Don’t be a afraid to have a college financial aid expert to spell out the details about precisely what is being offered, what the terms are and how much it will benefit the student.