I remember my first time doing yoga -- in the middle of my living room on a mat, flailing to imitate the moves on Jillian Michael’s "Yoga Meltdown." Little did I know that this was a super-intense form of the art, and I didn’t have to strain, but could delight in the movements. I have since been faithfully practicing yoga of all sorts with help from YouTube, DVDs, and books. I really do love it, and I have discovered a passion for it that I plan to keep for the rest of my life. In order to understand what’s so great about yoga, I’ve compiled a list of reasons why I do it.
1. It helps build flexibility (you’ll be a gymnast in no time).
2. You’re moving which means it’s good for your body in general.
3. Yoga helps relieve all of the stress you carry throughout your day.
4. It can be practiced literally anywhere and everywhere. Yoga Girl has been known to post photos of herself doing handstands and other poses on city streets and beaches. Cool!
5. You gain friends who share the same desires as you.
6. You find a lifelong passion.
7. You become tempted to adopt a healthier lifestyle (drinking more water, meditating and eating more fruits and veggies). Your pediatrician would be proud!
9. You establish a routine in your otherwise chaotic world, and thus feel more in control of your life.
10. You get stronger -- both physically and mentally. Think about it: you’re pretty much benching your weight every time you hold a pose, and you become more in control of yourself and your mind.
Time to go do some pigeons, cranes, downward dogs and ice cream cones...
As college students, we are all familiar with the horror show that is course registration week. Whether you are an incoming freshman or selecting classes for your last semester, I am certain that you can relate to how traumatic this can be.
1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.
Bonus points if it is more than two.
2. When there is only one section of a popular course.
Seriously though, why would you squeeze all 2000 people who need this course into two sections?
3. Receiving the 18,000 emails reminding you to register ASAP.
We get it - there is no reason I need the same email in my personal, university, and computer science emails. I have already checked my enrollment date, and I'm all set, chill.
4. When you need to see an advisor, but they are too busy/unresponsive.
Especially when the advisors have "walk-in hours" instead of appointments, and you get stuck behind the person who insists on carrying 24 credits next semester.
5. Trying not to dress like a bum for your appointments with your advisors/department heads.
I basically live in pajamas, sweatpants, and leggings. Wearing real clothes is completely foreign at this point.
6. When you have a perfectly planned out schedule, and one class ruins it.
Bye-bye Fridays off!
7. Carefully moving things around to accommodate a different class/section.
Pivot!
8. Waking up at 6:00 a.m. for your enrollment time.
It should be common knowledge that computer science majors are nocturnal creatures that should not be bothered prior to 11:00 a.m.
9. Concocting a new schedule at your enrollment time after your original plan gets changed.
After seeing that three of the classes you planned to take were filled by "reserved seats for incoming students," it is a race against the clock to get a new schedule together that has no time conflicts, fulfills at least some major requirements, and has an appropriate amount of credits.
10. Getting into a class and filling the last available seat.
One of the few perks of having college credit from high school is the slightly earlier registration time.
11. When all of your classes finally go through.
Even though it is not what you originally planned, this hellish week is finally over.
12. Realizing that you forgot a class that was a pre-requisite for everything else.
Whether you're commuting or dorming, your first year of college is a huge adjustment. The transition from living with parents to being on my own was an experience I couldn't have even imagined- both a good and a bad thing. Here's a personal archive of a few of the things I learned after going away for the first time.
1. The Freshmen 15? It's real.
WARNING: The buffet style campus dining spots are a TRAP. If you're eating and out drinking on the weekends, it is EXTREMELY LIKELY that you're going to gain a little bit of weight. Gaining weight isn't really a bad thing, but staying healthy is definitely important. Take a walk or a run to even out that junk food intake, but feel free to sneak that late night five-cheese panini at 1AM.
Your first year of college is arguably the most memorable time of your college life. You live with your floormates for two semesters, and you see them in the hall all the time. Make it a point to say "what's up", it'll definitely make your year more fun.
3. College is hard. Don't sell yourself short.
Higher education. It's not high school, your professors are a little less prominent than your HS teachers. This being said, you are responsible for your own eucation. It's a little hard having all this freedom and responsibility for (probably) the first time in your life, but it's important to realize that it's a little harder because you're sort of on your own.
4. You don't HAVE to have sex to "get it over with".
This is IMPORTANT. Deciding to have sex when you get to college? Cool. Deciding you want to wait? Awesome. Having sex because you just want to get it over with? Hm, think about that. Your decision is your decision, but if you're iffy about entering the "college hook-up culture", PLEASE really think about how important it is for you to have sex.
5. Be careful who you hook up with and who you open up to.
As I said earlier: beware of the infamous "college hook-up culture". IMO, it's a chance for college guys or gals to lead the other on (the majority of the time). It's not possible to control your feelings, but it's possible to cut a hook-up off/talk about how you feel. Better for you in the long run, trust me.
You might have the idea that, "Oh, I got up at 8AM in high school. I can do it again." No. No, you can't. I have very little explanation for this. You'll enjoy the extra sleep. If you don't believe me, schedule a morning class, and see how you feel.
7. Dress how you want to dress.
You wanna dress up? Slap on some make up, put on some heels, and head to your lecture. You were up late last night? Roll out of bed in what you fell asleep in last night. The good thing about college? You realize that no one is really focused on you, so it's a good time to just "do you" and rock it.
8. The drinking every chance you get? Not healthy. Stop that.
Check your drink, make sure you're pacing yourself, don't wander home by yourself, etc. The essentials.
10. Spend your money frugally.
Living the ramen/ easy-mac life is a real thing. There's a reason why it's a college student's go-to: it's easy to make, and it's cheap as heck. It's important to practice money saving tips- even though it seems almost impossible.
11. Those events your RA hosts? Go to them. Some of them are awesome, some offer free food.
As a poor college student, the word free resonates in all of our ears. RA events are not only a gateway to free food, but are also a way to meet more people on your floor/ in your building.
12. It's not all about school- enjoy yourself.
College is a new time in your life where you're working towards your future, but it's also a time where you meet people and have experiences like no other. Let yourself breathe sometimes, and just enjoy this experience.
Raising the minimum wage to a livable wage would not only benefit workers and their families, it would also have positive impacts on the economy and society. Studies have shown that by increasing the minimum wage, poverty and inequality can be reduced by enabling workers to meet their basic needs and reducing income disparities.
I come from a low-income family. A family, like many others in the United States, which has lived paycheck to paycheck. My family and other families in my community have been trying to make ends meet by living on the minimum wage. We are proof that it doesn't work.
What about combined income from two minimum-wage workers? Wouldn't that put them above the poverty line? In a nuclear family with two working parents and two children, their combined yearly wage would be about $30,160. That's only $7,846 above the poverty line. Now, let's take into account rent, food, gas, utilities, car insurance, health insurance, school supplies, clothes, and tuition. Try and see how $30,160 would cover all those expenses in a year – it doesn't. The minimum wage is not a living wage.
The minimum wage is not a living wage.
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Here are some myths that I would like to present and debunk:
Raising the minimum wage will kill jobs. This is false. In a March 2011 report, the Center for Economic and Policy Research concluded that raising the minimum wage would not only help workers but actually have the possibility of increasing job openings. Better pay leads people to spend more money, and the cycle repeats.
"Nobody living in one of the most influential nations in the world should be worried about making ends meet."
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On June 2, 2014 , Seattle changed the city's minimum wage to $15 dollars. Following that procedure, unemployment decreased 17.46 percent – falling from a previous 6.3 percent to 5.2 percent.
Raising the minimum wage will hurt small business. Not only has a higher minimum wage worked in cities across the United States, but a 2006 study by the Center for American Progress and Policy Matters compared small business performances and found that the small businesses who paid the higher wages were more profitable.
Mostly teenagers work minimum-wage jobs. Again, this is false. Half of minimum-wage workers are 25 years old or older. Most minimum-wage workers support their family on this income – and 28 percent of these individuals have children.
Raising the minimum wadge
The minimum wage is not sufficient to uphold and support an individual, especially individuals with families. I've often heard: "It isn't fair that someone working in a fast food restaurant will get paid the same as a college professional!" If we raise the minimum wage to, let’s say, $11 an hour, it would still be a lower amount than that of a college professional. Even so, someone not having a college degree doesn't make their worth any less valuable. Nobody deserves to live in poverty. Nobody living in one of the most influential nations in the world should be worried about making ends meet. We are a nation of equality and opportunity – it's time to let some of that opportunity flow.
What is the current minimum wage at the federal level?
Federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour. Many states also have minimum wage laws, and the employee is entitled to the higher of the two minimum wages. (U.S. Dept. of Labor)
What are the benefits of raising the minimum wage?
A higher minimum wage means less workers living below the poverty line, more workers being able to make ends meet and potentially spend beyond that, and workers would be more productive upon the increase.
What are the states that have set a $15/hour minimum wage?
California is at $15.50 per hour, Washington is at $15.74, and Massachusetts is at $15. These are the only states to have a $15 minimum wage as of Jan. 1, 2023. (The Economic Policy Institute Tracker)
As an English Major in college, I have a lot of writing and especially creative writing pieces that I work on throughout the semester and sometimes, I'll find it hard to get the motivation to type a few pages and the thought process that goes behind it. These are eleven thoughts that I have as a writer while writing my stories.
1. Man! This character would be cool! I'm writing fast now!
5. Well, I don't want cheesy romance, it can't be uncomfortable like 50 Shades of Grey, painful like Twilight but faint and fake like Katniss & Peeta...hmmm.
Every college student knows and understands the struggle of forcing themselves to continue to care about school. Between the piles of homework, the hours of studying and the painfully long lectures, the desire to dropout is something that is constantly weighing on each and every one of us, but the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel helps to keep us motivated. While we are somehow managing to stay enrolled and (semi) alert, that does not mean that our inner-demons aren't telling us otherwise, and who is better to explain inner-demons than the beloved April Ludgate herself? Because of her dark-spirit and lack of filter, April has successfully been able to describe the emotional roller-coaster that is college on at least 13 different occasions and here they are.
1. When you have to provide an "interesting fact" for your first day ice-breaker.
While the struggle is so intense that it tends to bring out the dark side in all of us, just remember that the pain is temporary. Also, remember that you probably won't see most of these people again after you graduate, so that's always nice.
The minimum wage is not a living wage.
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