What to Take to University/College

This is the time of year (well at least in South Africa anyway) where endless crowds of students flock towards universities, colleges and other tertiary institutions for the first time in their lives to embark on their next – and perhaps their most exciting – chapter.

Many universities send out lists of things that you would generally need to buy or bring with you in order to survive the year. There are even some great websites that will help you out here. But I have put together a list of essentials that no one tells you that you will need, but that I can promise you that you will need along the way at some point:

1. A torch/flashlight: Don’t just think that your shiny new Smartphone will provide you with adequate light when you’re alone in the dark. What if there’s a power cut and your battery is flat? And what if you have a test the following day that you have yet to study for? Trust me, no matter where you are in the world – but especially in South Africa where power cuts are a normal occurrence – you will be grateful for a torch. 
2.  Highlighters: a ton of them! This is something that I can without a doubt guarantee you will need. And you will need a lot of them. This wonderful tool is useful in any learning environment, but particularly at varsity where the amount of content that you will be required to learn is exponential. And these sneaky little things have a habit of running dry at 2am when you’re desperately trying to cram an entire textbook into your cranium, so always make sure you have spares. 
3. A lighter: This is a little trick that I picked up in my first year. Lighters are the best conversation
   
   starters. If you’re at a party, in a club or at an event of some sort, there will always be someone looking for a lighter (especially if you live in the tobacco capital of the world like I do). It’s an excellent way to get to meet new people and learn a little bit about them. Lighters are also pretty nifty little tools and help a lot in many situations. 
4. A small first aid kit: this is something that you can either buy in its entirety, or put together yourself. Essentially you will need a few plasters/band aids, some antiseptic fluid or ointment and at least a bandage or two. Unidentified drunken injuries (UDIs) and a slip and fall on campus are almost inevitable at some point, it’s best to prepared. 
5. A card holder and lanyard: Some universities supply lanyards and card
   
   holders as a part of their orientation packs, others don’t. But these two things can be total life savers. You will have a student identity card of some sort that you will most likely need to have on you at all times whilst on campus. These slippery pieces of plastic are incredibly easy to misplace or lose. If you keep yours in a plastic card holder that you can either attach to a bunch of keys or a lanyard that you keep around your neck or in your pocket/bag, you will be less likely to lose your student card. I have put together a list of things that you will definitely need at University/College if you are of the female variety, check it out!

If you have yet to stumble across a general list of things that you should take with you to University, here is a quick one that you can build onto:

• Bed linen – it’s nice to have your own, even if they supply you with a set 
• Your clothes, obviously 
• Bath towels 
• A kettle, mugs, spoons and tea/coffee (depending on your living situation) 
• Pens, notebooks and files/folders 
• A 2014 diary (to keep track of deadlines and test dates)

Honey Boo Boo, all that bad?

As a current TV advert states Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is the “show that has divided America” (and the world let’s be honest). And it sure has! People are raging about how common, redneck, lowdown and disgusting the family are. And others are raving about how much they love the show, although I've noticed that not many people say why they love the show.

My opinion: I think Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is a fantastic show, I love it, and here’s why.

Here is a family of people who do not care one little bit about what others think about them. How amazing must it be to love yourself so much that you don’t care about how others perceive you? Should we not all strive towards such self-love? June or Mama, the mother of the family, weighs over 300 pounds and yet she thinks she is beautiful. But according to society’s definition of what is beautiful or desirable, she is not. I think it is amazing that she is so confident in herself and that she thinks she is beautiful no matter what.

Here is a family that is so close that they are comfortable being themselves around one another, to the point where they fart in front of one another, pick their noses, burp etc. Their display of this supposed socially unacceptable behavior around one another just shows how accepting they are of one another. Should we not all want to have relationships that close and that comfortable with our family members?

What I think is most successful about the show is how it highlights a huge problem in the way that we think. Yes, their behavior can be considered as common and lowdown, but according to whom? Yes, their accent is so southern that it is almost impossible to understand, but why do we think that that’s a problem? Yes, it’s gross that they fart, burp and pick their noses on camera, but gross according to whom?

I think what the show highlights most obviously is that we have this belief that our culture is what is right and acceptable, nothing else is. To them they don’t have an accent. That is our perception of them. And just because they don’t talk like we do doesn't make them any less common than the Geordies of Newcastle whose accent we don’t understand either.

Their behavior is perceived as socially unacceptable. But it’s unacceptable according to our culture, to them it’s perfectly normal. We think being that fat is ugly, we think behaving that way is unladylike and rude, we think what they are doing is wrong. We are so quick to make judgement based on the fact that we believe that what we do in our culture is right, and everyone else who doesn't do it our way is wrong, disgusting, controversial.

Depression Checklist for Students | Advice

Sometimes it's tricky to figure out if you're feeling sad or if you're genuinely depressed. Run through the checklist below, it may help. This is something I complied myself, it is not by any means a professional document.

1) Are you not feeling like yourself?

2) As students, we generally don’t have the healthiest eating habits, but have your eating habits changed drastically? Are you eating a lot more or a lot less than usual?

3) Do you find yourself either over-reacting to the smallest things or feeling numb when you should be reacting to big things?

4) Are you lacking motivation lately? Are you finding it difficult to get out of bed in the morning or battling to find the motivation to get things done?

5) Are you sleeping more than usual or than your should be? Or are you finding it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep? Do the words "I'm too depressed to sleep" make sense to you?

6) Do consequences not matter to you anymore? In other words, do you care if you miss an important class or not?

7) Are you more homesick than usual? Most students who are studying away from home experience homesickness at some point and some more than others, but are you missing home or your parents a lot more?

8) Do you feel like other people won’t/don’t understand what you’re feeling?

9) Do you feel isolated and alone?

10) Do you sometimes feel like you just can't do this thing called life?

11) Are you turning to alcohol, drugs or other substances to help you to forget about how you’re feeling or numb yourself?

If you've answered yes to a lot of the things above, you might be experiencing depression. It may be serious or it may be temporary. Depression can be caused by so many things and it’s important to know that a lot people suffer from depression every day...your problem is not unusual and you are not alone - as cliche as that may sound.

So what can you do?

• Fight! Don’t give in. I know it’s easier said than done, but find the strength within yourself to hold on.
• Seek help. Whether it be making an appointment at your campus counselling centre or seeing a private psychologist, there is help out there! You may not think that therapy is for you or you may be totally opposed to it. That’s okay too.
• Talk to someone. If you’re not into  going for some therapy, try to find a friend, family member or even a teacher to talk to. Sometimes opening up to someone and being heard can help in the biggest way. And don’t give up if you have a bad experience the first time you talk to someone.
• Look for support. Actively searching for support and information on online forums and communities can make you feel a whole lot better. MDJunction is a really great place to find support!
• Get active! Getting some exercise can do you a world of good. Getting those endorphins pumping will immediately feel happier. Go for a walk or a swim, play a game of tennis...anything that gets you moving and out of the confines of your bedroom.
• Make a list of things that you usually make you happy or that made you happy when you were a kid and do them! Whether it be baking, building puzzles, going to the beach, going out dancing, hiking, gardening, shopping, painting, volunteering etc.