College: Good for Your Health

Ask your classmates why they've come to college and you'll probably hear the words "to get a better job" over and over.  And why not?  There's a definite link between education and earning power.  While a college degree won't guarantee you'll be a millionaire, college does indeed pay off in the dollars and cents department. 

But that's not the only benefit of higher education.  Earning a college degree can also be good for your health.   

A recent study by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that people with college degrees were less likely to be overweight than non-college graduates.  It also found that kids whose parents held college degrees were less likely to be obese as well.

In addition, the study noted that people with more education have a greater life expectancy.  A person holding a bachelor's degree, for example, could be expected to live (on the average) nine years longer than a high school dropout. 

The reasons for these differences?  Several, probably.  But one is that college often makes people more health conscious, which in turn leads to healthier choices. 

"Highly educated people tend to have healthier behaviors, avoid unhealthy ones and have more access to medical care when they need it," wrote Amy Bernstein, a health researcher and the CDC study's lead author.  "All of these factors are associated with better health." 

Of course, just attending college--or even graduating--is no guarantee of better health.  Life's about choices, after all.  College can give you information and insights, but it can't dictate behavior. 

That's where you come in.

Help is Here

Stressing about classes yet?  Hope not (especially during a week off!). 

But just in case you're already realizing that your____________ (fill in the blank) class is going to be tougher than you expected, now's the time to do something about it.

You've probably heard that Nassau offers all kinds of academic services: labs, tutoring, videos, computer programs, and so on.  It's true: there's extra help available in almost every subject and department.  And these services are free--no fees or hourly rates, which you'd definitely pay if you hired your own tutor. 

What's more, you can go for help more than once, so if you really need to work on math or writing or whatever, you can make follow-up visits to the office or center that offers the service.

If you're feeling funny about asking for extra help, don't!  There's absolutely NOTHING weird or dumb about taking advantage of Nassau's resources.  In fact, the best students--people who routinely do well in their classes--are quick to seek help when they need it (which maybe explains why they get A's).

So if you think you could use a helping hand this semester, get it.  Check page 11 in your NCC planner for details about tutoring and other help services.  Or go directly to academic departments' home pages, www.ncc.edu/programsandcourses/academic_departments, and find out what's available.  

Don't wait until you've gotten bad grades or warnings from your professor.  Don't wait until the walls have closed in and your only choice is to withdraw.  Step up and take care of yourself--now.  You owe it your future.  

 

Creative Voices Wanted!

Are you a poet, a painter, a playwright, a filmmaker, a photographer, a composer, a musician, a dancer, a sculptor, a singer, a storyteller, a digital artist--or anyone else with artistic talent and vision? 

If so, show off your creativity in NCC's 2013 Student Multimedia Arts and Writing Competition.

The competition is sponsored by NCC 101: The College Experience, the NCC Foundation, and the College bookstore in cooperation with the First-Year Experience Committee and the Center for Arts & Humanities.  It's open to all current NCC students--full-time or part-time, day or evening, first semester or last.  Between now and the April 15 deadline, you can submit an entry in one of three categories: Performance, Writing, or Visual Art.

The only requirement (well, almost the only requirement) is that your submission respond in some way to the college-wide theme of "Journeys" or to this year's common reading, "Enrique's Journey."  There are a few other competition requirements, which you can learn about by visiting
ncc.edu/studentlife/first_year_experience/creative_competition.shtml and downloading an entry form.

In case you're wondering, students submitting winning entries will receive prizes, including gift cards and some neat merchandise.  They'll also have the opportunity to see their work displayed on campus. 

So don't wait--start writing/filming/composing/painting/performing, etc. etc.   We know you're busy and have lots of other things happening in your life.  But Art matters.  And so does your voice.  Share both with the campus. 

  

Second Term Blues

So you studied hard in your first semester, got good grades, and finished the term a lot more confident than you started.  Now you're beginning your second semester and are thinking that college isn't so hard after all.  You're even thinking that maybe you can work more hours and spend more time with friends on weeknights (something you didn't do much last semester).  You're still serious about your classes, but you figure you can kick back a bit now that you know what college is all about.

Be careful.

Over the years I've met a lot of students who had a good first semester only to crash and burn in the second.  The reason: they became too comfortable in college and started to slack off--miss classes, skip readings, push off assignments, etc. etc.  By the time they realized their situation and tried to get back on track, they'd fallen too far behind and couldn't catch up.  A good first semester was followed by a bad second one.  And a good grade-point average was now just so-so. 

Don't do this to yourself.

No matter how you slice it, college is challenging.  It's demanding.  It asks a lot.  While you may have some courses--and even some semesters--that are easier than others, nothing much good will happen if you don't put enough time and effort into school.

That means this semester--and every other, without exception.

Because if you felt proud after having done well in your first semester, think how good you'll feel when you follow it up with another terrific one. 

Be part of the Nassau COMMUNITY

Friendly people, music, snacks, balloons, banners, giveaways--they'll all be part of next week's Activities Fair, scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 5 at club hour (11:30 a.m.) in the College Center's Multipurpose Room.

If you want to see campus life up close, the Activities Fair is the place to be.  Of the 70+ clubs on campus, most will be there, eager to tell you all about themselves (and recruit you!).

Putting your name on a club's sign-up sheet doesn't mean you have to join or even go to a meeting.  But it's a good way to find out what's coming up and to see what a group is all about.

So shop around on Tuesday--the AF is like a flea market, with lots of tables, each occupied by a different group.  Talk to people.  Ask questions.  Have some food.  And sign up for a club or two.

Remember: Nassau's "middle name" is COMMUNITY--a word implying togetherness and connection.  Joining a club is one of the best ways you can make those connections and find your place in this large and diverse campus community.