FIRST YEAR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

The former basketball coach and television commentator Al McGuire reportedly said, "I think everyone should go to college and get a degree and then spend six months as a bartender and six months as a cabdriver. Then they would really be educated." McGuire's comment can be extended to your time out of the formal classroom as well. What you do outside the classroom makes an important contribution to your education. One researcher estimates that 70% of student learning in college takes place outside of the formal classroom. Consequently, you want to ensure that you plan your campus activities so that you get the most out of your experiences.

The Out-of-class Experience Planning Map is a tool designed to help you make informed and intentional decisions about your out-of-class activities while at Truman. The Planning Map consists of four quadrants: Cultural Exploration and Community Engagement; Intellectual Competence and Reflective Judgment; Healthy Habits and Balanced Living; and Effective Leadership and Responsible Citizenship. The quadrants represent areas you can use to set goals regarding your out-of-class activities to maximize the benefits of your Truman experience. The quadrants are based on values and principles espoused in the Truman State University Mission Statement, skills and knowledge of value to future employers and graduate schools, and needs and attributes of college-aged students identified by various theories of development.

There are many ways to manage unhealthy stress in your life. As you begin to understand more about how stress affects you as an individual, you will develop your own ideas to help relieve tension. Remember, some of these stress management strategies will be new skills and require practice to be effective. With some coaching and practice, stress management, like bicycling or any other skill, becomes easier.

Take a Deep Breath! Stress often causes us to breathe shallowly, and this almost always causes more stress! Mentally scan your body for physical tension. Does you chest feel tight? You may be holding your breath without even knowing it! Shallow breathing puts less oxygen in the blood stream, producing an increase in muscle tension. You may experience headaches; you may feel more anxious and uptight. The next time you feel "uptight," try taking a minute to slow down and breathe deeply. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Try to inhale enough so that your lower abdomen rises and falls. Count as you exhale - slowly!
Connect with Others. Being by yourself is fine, but being lonely is different. A good way to combat sadness, boredom and loneliness is to seek out activities involving others. Consider being a participant!
Take a "One-Minute" Vacation. Create a quiet scene. You can't always run away, but you can dream. Imagining a quiet country scene can take you out of the turmoil of a stressful situation. When you have the opportunity, take a moment to close your eyes and imagine a place where you feel relaxed and comfortable. Notice all the details of your chosen place, including pleasant sounds, smells, and temperature. Or change your mental "channel" by reading a good book or playing relaxing music to create a sense of peace and tranquility.
Get Physical. Physical activity plays a key role in reducing and preventing the effects of stress. Academic life is often sedentary, and sitting around can mean letting stress accumulate in your body. When you feel nervous, angry or upset, release the pressure through exercise or physical activity. Try to find something you enjoy and make regular time for it. Remember, your body and mind work together.
Laugh. Maintain your sense of humor, including the ability to laugh at yourself. Rent or take yourself to a funny movie: the sillier the plot the better. Laughter is good for you!
Must You Always Be Right? Do other people upset you; particularly when they don't do things your way? Consider cooperation or compromise rather than confrontation. A little give and take on both sides may reduce the strain and help you both feel more comfortable.
Have a Good Cry. Big boys and girls do cry. A good cry during periods of stress can be a healthy way to bring relief to your anxiety, and it might prevent a headache or other physical consequences of "bottling" things up. If, however, you cry daily, consult a counselor or a physician since regular crying can be a sign of depression.

Before the Thanksgiving vacation, you will have the opportunity to register for spring classes. In order to register for spring semester classes, you must speak with your academic advisor to obtain a RAC code and have no holds that prevent registration. You can use TruView to see if you have any holds that will prevent you from registering. To see if you have any holds, click on the "Check my registration status" link in the "My Registration" box and select Spring 2006. In order to register for spring classes, you want to see a check mark in the box next to the line, "You have no Holds which prevent registration." If you see "You have Holds which will prevent registration," you will not be able to register for spring classes. Click on "View Holds," to see a list of all the holds on your accounts. You need to resolve any hold that affects registration in the column labeled, "Processes Affected." The most common holds include:

If you resolve all of your holds and see your academic advisor prior to your registration time, you will be able to register for spring classes using TruView at your assigned time.