10 Things I Am Thankful For This Year

With Thanksgiving around the corner, it’s time to take a moment to show appreciation for the things that we’re thankful for. The following are 10, of the many, things I’m thankful for this year.

Friends

I believe in having a few true friends, rather than many fake friends. It’s taken some time, but I’ve definitely found some real friends that I can talk to about anything, including my boyfriend. My friends and boyfriend help me relieve stress by encouraging me to laugh. They also listen, support and accept me for who I am. I know I can trust them to be there for me when I need them the most, unlike fake friends.

Family

My family is supportive of me financially, verbally, and physically. Unfortunately, I’ve gone through medical issues that’ve forced me to rely heavily on my family, especially my mom. Each time that I have, she’s adjusted her schedule so that she could be there to take care of me while my dad worked all day. Last time that I underwent a minor surgery, my younger sister came home with a balloon, flowers, and Häagen-Dazs ice cream for me, and my older sister sent me a get well letter from Massachusetts. Even though we do have our minor fights, we’re here for each other.

My dog, Chiquita

Chiquita is my favorite; she’s cuddly, warm, adorable, and soft. She’s the ideal cuddle buddy when I’m cold, sad, or tired, and she makes me laugh. We always say it’s a good thing she’s cute, because she isn’t smart. One day I came home from school and stood on the porch, while she was inside my house on the other side of the screened door. She knew it was me, so she was jumping at the door to see me. When I rang the doorbell, she started to bark at the potential intruder, even though she knew I was the one standing at the door. A few moments after I rang the doorbell, she’d stop barking. This happened several times, and she still didn’t realize that I was the one ringing the bell. We even used her paw to press the doorbell once, and she started barking at herself. Regardless of her lack of intelligence, I still love her.

The Sun

I really don’t like winter because of its lack of warmth and sun. I depend on the sun to create warmth and sunshine. In the winter, I miss the sun so much that I have a lamp that imitates sunshine for me (a worthwhile investment, by the way). In my opinion, sunlight results in the bright and cheerful days that I can’t live without. On a cool day, I love hopping into my warm car that’s been heated by the sun. Moral of this paragraph- I’m already missing the sun, making me even more grateful for it.

Health

When we’re healthy, we rarely take a moment to appreciate our health. I’ve had my fair share of surgeries and sickness, so I definitely appreciate when I’m healthy, even if I don’t always a moment to be thankful for it. If you haven’t yet, take a moment to appreciate your health- even if you have a cold, be thankful you don’t have a fever. Life could always be worse, so there’s always something to be grateful for!

Friendly, Understanding People

You can’t deny that cheerful, helpful people improve your mood. I appreciate when people smile, hold doors, and say hello. After an especially stressful week, I was behind on two of my online assignments, and my understanding teacher, Mary Sims, kindly extended the deadline for me. Before that week, I had been able to turn in all of the assignments days in advance, which may have been part of the reason she was willing to give me a break. Friendly, welcoming and happy people make the world a better place.

My Drive and Goals

Because I want to be an Entrepreneur, I have a drive to acquire as much knowledge and experience as possible so that I can use it when I open a business. To accomplish this, I make the most of my opportunities. In my mind, this is the time for me to ask questions before I’m in the real world by myself, opening a business. I try my best in and out of the classroom to achieve my goals, which has opened opportunities for me that wouldn’t have been an option otherwise.

Opportunities

By joining a club on campus and being a reliable member, the advisor, Kelly Peiffer, offered me an internship in the Marketing Communications department- where, as you know, I am happily interning. This internship is an excellent opportunity for me that I know will help me in the future.  By staying in contact with my teachers, I was able to find an internship with a start-up business (exactly what I wanted for the summer); without those connections, finding a business to intern with, that doesn’t exist yet, could have been impossible. (Thanks to everyone who told their friends and colleagues about my search!)

Sleep

I consider myself lucky that I’m usually able to get enough sleep every night, because who doesn’t love sleep? Sleep helps me stay healthy, focused, energized, and optimistic. Besides its obvious benefits, sleep is the epitome of comfortable, especially on a cold night, cuddled under a comforter. Naps are equally amazing, particularly when you’re exhausted, and your bed feels twice as comfortable as it normally does. (Learn more about getting enough sleep in my Organization and Time Management blog post.)

Food

I truly appreciate food, and I’m grateful that I’ve never had to go hungry at a meal, unlike so many others. (While we’re on the topic, make sure you donate non-perishable food to the Preston and Steve Campout for Hunger drive on campus to benefit Philabundance- place your food items in the boxes around campus.) Some of my favorite food is my family’s Thanksgiving meal- turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pies, etc., and I can’t wait until Thursday to stuff myself!

What are you thankful for? Comment below, and Happy Thanksgiving!

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10 Best Apps for Manor College Students

When you wake up in the morning, most likely, the first thing you do is check your phone. Everywhere you go, your phone is probably right by your side. Hopefully this blog entry will help you optimize your phone for productivity!

1. The Manor College Events App is definitely one of the top two apps to have! Simply search for “Manor College” in the App Store, and you’ll have exam schedules, meetings, days off, sports games, and more, all at your fingertips! With all that information, you won’t miss another exam, meeting, or game, and you won’t show up to campus for class when you should have slept in! The Manor College App is available for Apple and Android!

2. Tied for the most important app to have would have to be an email app– personally I use the email app that came on my iPhone. Having my email on my phone allows me to check it daily, thus keeping me in the loop. Honestly, I love having my email on my phone so that I can be productive while relaxing (and otherwise procrastinating) on my phone. To add your Manor email on your phone, simply select Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Add Account > Google > Enter your information. Now with one simple tap you can check if you have a new email

3.  As you may have read in my organization and time management blog, I love to-do lists. Therefore, it shouldn’t be a surprise that I picked a Notes/To-Do’s app for my third most helpful! There are an endless amount of list apps out there: Any.do, Todoist, and Evernote, to name a few free ones. Personally, similar to my email, I use the Notes and Reminders apps that came on my iPhone. The Notes app is my best friend when I remember something I need to do, but I don’t have time to pull out a piece of paper to write it down. On the other hand, the Reminders app is my favorite when I’m making a list- specifically, a list of items I need to pack for a vacation. Regardless of which app you decide to use, pick one that works best for you to manage your busy life

4. Whether you like to study in silence or while listening to music, a music app will come in handy! If you prefer to study in silence, like I do, listening to music while cleaning your room, doing the laundry, or working out will enhance the experience- as much as cleaning and laundry can be enhanced, anyway. iHeartRadio, iTunes Radio, and Pandora are my favorite (and free) music apps to improve the mood, regardless of the occasion

5. If you’re grocery shopping, the Checkout 51 app probably has something to offer you! Each week, they list a variety of grocery store items that you can receive money back on (in the form of a check), simply by uploading your receipt! This week, a few of the items that they offer money back on ar
e granola bars, butter, soft pretzels, multipurpose cleaner, cough drops, and black beans. My secret: I upload my mom’s receipts because she does the grocery shopping for our family, including myself. We agreed that each of us would get half of the money that the app sends us

6. When it comes to being prepared for the unexpected, Circle of 6 is definitely at the top of the list! Circle of 6 is a safety app that allows you to enter up to six family members/friends; with one tap, a message will be sent to everyone in your circle. The message sent can either request that they pick you up or that they call you.  After I filled my circle, I informed each person about the app, so that if they ever receive a message from it, they understand what it is. The app also offers an emergency button that provides two national hotlines and one emergency number of your choice. Circle of 6 is available for iPhone and Android.

7. As you’ve probably heard, LinkedIn is an important website in regards to making professional connections, but did you know that they have an app? I appreciate LinkedIn so that I can keep in touch with my professors and other adults on campus in a professional manner. Honestly, I only visit LinkedIn.com about once a month,
but the app allows me to keep my connections up to date by accepting them on the go. If you aren’t on LinkedIn, I suggest it, especially if you’re having positive interactions with your instructors and advisors. After all, having these connections in your future can only help! Sometimes it really does come down to, “It’s who you know, not what you know”.

8. This app, Rain, Rain Sleep Sounds, I actually haven’t used yet, but I can’t wait to use it tonight! It’s an app that plays the sound of rain, waves, wind, etc. to help you fall asleep. It has a timer, so that it will shut off after you fall asleep. Even though I’m usually very tired when I finally get in bed, there are some nights (often when I need to get up early in the morning) that I can’t fall asleep. Let me know if this app helps you fall asleep! (Shout out to Ali in Student Activities for telling me about this app!)
9.   If you’re looking to be productive on the go, the Google Docs app is for you. The Google Docs app allows you to view and create documents on the go (but make sure you triple check for spelling and grammar mistakes when you’re using your cell phone). I love that documents made in Google Docs are available on my computer as well as my phone, so that wherever I am, I can access them. As an added bonus, you can share documents with your peers, making Google Docs ideal for group projects!
10. Even though working out may not be considered directly related to school, I’m going to include the Fitocracy app on this list. Fitocracy is my favorite workout app because on top of keeping track of my progress, it encourages me to work out. Each completed exercise awards points, and when a certain amount is reached, you level up. The app also contains challenges and quests for its members to complete. Fitocracy allows its members to follow and encourag
    e each other through comments and “props”, or thumbs up. To make Fitocracy even more fun, invite your friends to join and challenge them.

Hopefully this list will help you be as productive as possible with your phone! What are you favorite apps for college? Comment below!

Tips for Transferring

Regardless of whether you’re a Freshman or a Sophomore, your time at Manor College will fly by! It’s important to plan ahead when it comes to transferring to the next college.

I think the best thing to do when it comes to transferring is to have good grades and be involved outside of the classroom. Together, these will promise you acceptance and scholarships to most colleges! By being involved in clubs, you’re more likely to make a connection with an advisor who will be able to write you a stellar letter of recommendation! If you don’t think a professor knows you well enough to write you a letter of recommendation, the advisor of a club will probably suffice. From my experience, transfer admissions counselors tend to be more flexible for transfer students than for traditional students; but of course, always check with the college(s) you’re applying to!

When it’s time to look at colleges, your first stop should definitely be our Transfer Center on the second floor of the Academic Building, or by email at transfercenter@manor.edu. There, you can learn what colleges will accept all of your Manor credits (so that you don’t lose any!), who Manor has agreements with (if you finish with certain grades, I believe you’re promised entry into some colleges), get a free unofficial transcript (I’ll talk about this again later), and acquire general knowledge you need about transferring. It’s important to visit this office early in your college search so that you fill out any forms that may be required for the colleges you’re considering.

Personally, I visited our Transfer Center several times before the end of my Freshman year. I planned ahead because I couldn’t see myself having the time to worry about colleges during the school year. Due to this fact, I researched and visited the majority of my colleges over the summer. In general, I cared about location, campus size, quality academics, total enrollment, and obviously whether or not they have my desired major. To compare myself to the college’s academics, I compared my SAT scores to those of their incoming Freshmen class. I also compared colleges to each other using that method, as well as used rankings from sites like U.S. News. Even though I did note how expensive each school was, I didn’t use that as a deal breaker because I can’t predict how much scholarship money they will give me. You can, however, estimate based on the scholarships listed on their website. As I researched, I kept a Word Document of what I thought was the most important information (which is currently 42 pages long), for easy access in the future. I admit that I went overboard on my research, but I’m determined to find the perfect fit for me. 

When you visit colleges, make sure you take an unofficial transcript (which you already picked up from our transfer center), so that the counselors can evaluate your classes. By doing this, the college can estimate which classes will or won’t transfer, so that you can either change your schedule accordingly, or decide how important it is that they accept your credits. If you aren’t able to visit the campus, they might perform an unofficial credit evaluation for you through email.

By narrowing down my college search over the summer, I was able to take classes in my Sophomore year that my top colleges will accept. Each time that I change my schedule or pick a class, I check that the new classes will transfer. For example, I visited a college over the summer, and they approved my Fall class schedule. When it was time to sign up for my Spring classes, several people told me that I should take Finance as my business elective, but it didn’t fit well with my schedule. Another class, Sales Strategies, fit perfectly into my schedule, but I didn’t want to take a class that wouldn’t transfer. I contacted my top two colleges, one of which actually said that Finance never transfers in, and therefore I would need to retake it. In this and most cases, it pays to have some idea where you want to go next so that you don’t need to retake classes or lose credits!

I really planned to apply to colleges over the summer, but unfortunately most universities didn’t want me to apply that far (a year) in advance, so I will apply to my top three or four colleges over Christmas break. I suggest this, because most of the deadlines are in January or February, and I haven’t had the time to apply yet this semester.

I’m glad that I spent quality time over the summer to narrow down my college choices. Doing so has allowed me to take the best classes for my situation, and allowed me to feel confident and excited for the next step in my education!