"Won't You Be My Neighbor?"

It's a beautiful day in the J-Borhood!  As you know, we're living the good life in J.  Convenient parking.  Great location.  Convenience to meetings in the community center.  Computer lab steps away.  I could go on and on.  This month, I would like to encourage you to appreciate another aspect of living in J-your roommates and your neighbors.  


Please also enjoy the Mr. Rogers' intro song clip for inspiration to be awesome neighbors.  I may or may not have taken my shoes off like him for part of my childhood.

Some of you may not know who lives beside/above/below you, and so I would encourage you to be assertive neighbors and introduce yourself...it's never too late!  And if I haven't met you personally yet, I hope to soon!  Developing meaningful relationships can be as easy as saying good morning as you head out to class in the morning, or dropping off a few extra cookies you have from the batch you just made (cough, remember I'm J-104 cough).  


Are you a good neighbor?  Being conscious of those around you is the easiest way to be a good neighbor!  Your CHALLENGE: be a Mr. Feeney and not a Kramer/Steve Urkel (I couldn't decide who was the better of the worst)!


    Do you...
       Greet one another?
       Keep your music low?
       Avoid leaving trash outside your front door?
       Walk gently?
       Avoid slamming your front door?
       Engage in conversation?
       Know each other's names?


In addition to your neighbors, strive to be the best roommate you can be!  You may not be rockin' in the cramped Blackwell dorms any more, but it's just as important now as it was freshman year to be a great roommate.  Don't hesitate to have open communication, and develop relationships.  There is no other place like college for such a strong sense of community, and I would encourage you to really take advantage of that whether you are best friends with your roommates, or still getting to know each other.


Thank you for being such amazing residents.  With that, I want to remind you all to contact me at any time if there is anything that I can help you with-noise complaints, random housing questions, or even if you just need a listening ear!


**Be on the lookout in the near future for a drop-in I'll be hosting with free food where you can meet more of your J-neighbors!**

Fall Fest!

Heller Service Corps' Fall Fest is this Saturday!  It is an awesome on-campus volunteer opportunity with local elementary children coming for an afternoon of fun.  E-mail me (katelyn.ammons@furman.edu) if you would like to volunteer!  Thanks!   :)

FREE CHICK-FIL-A BREAKFAST !

Grab a free Chick-Fil-A biscuit on the way to class next Wednesday, the 26th!  Yay!

Healthy Behaviors Month !

Hello All!  
Hope everyone had a wonderful break and is adjusting back well!  October is Healthy Behaviors Month, so the programming post for this month sheds some light on some easy ways to make your life better on a daily basis!  The focus?  Snacks and Naps.  Quintessential college life, right?  







NAPS:
Though it seems cruel, did you know that shorter naps are much more effective and healthier?  Read below for some more napping tips! 

Sleep comes in five stages. If your nap takes you from stage 1 sleep (just drifting off) to stage 2 (brain activity slows), you will wake up feeling energized and more alert. If your nap takes you into stages 3 and 4 (deep sleep), you will not wake easily and will feel groggy and tired. Sleep stage 1 typically lasts about 10 minutes and stage 2 lasts another 10 minutes. That makes the 20-minute nap ideal for most people (your time will vary to some degree, experiment to learn what works best).

How to Nap Effectively

There is some controversy in the best way to take a nap. It may be that different people have different nap styles. You can experiment with some of the napping techniques below and see what works for you. The best nap is the one in which you fall asleep quickly and stay asleep for the shortest amount of time, while still waking refreshed. Napping too long may actually leave you feeling more tired. Read more about napping techniques below:

• Nap Time: Prime nap time is from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., when your energy level dips due to a rise in the hormone melatonin at that time of day.
• Darkness: Use a face mask or eye pillow to provide daytime darkness and make your nap more effective.
• Not Too Late: Napping within three hours of bedtime may interfere with nighttime sleep.
• Quiet Place: Assure that you will not be disturbed for the duration of your nap.
• 30-Minute Maximum: When taking a nap longer than 30 minutes, you run the risk of heading into deep sleep, which will leave you feeling tired and groggy. Naps as short as 1 to 2 minutes could be effective for some people.
• Set an Alarm: You will eventually train yourself to nap for the amount of time you set aside. Until then, set an alarm or ask someone to wake you up.
• The Caffeine Nap: Some people claim that drinking coffee and then taking an immediate nap works well. The caffeine kicks in somewhere between 10 and 20 minutes, waking them up. They feel extra energy from both the nap and the coffee. Researchers in Japan found that subjects using a caffeine nap rated highest in decreased sleepiness and increased productivity when compared to subjects taking a nap and washing their face, or taking a nap and being exposed to bright lights.

SNACKS:

With Halloween around the corner, there is a lot of candy within reach.  Snacking is an easy way to improve your health, and is definitely an area where I am striving to improve!

A list of the 13 Healthiest Snack Foods (from Yahoo.com)  Some are more practical (ie dried fruit) than others (ie Wild Boar Salami).

1.  Dried Fruit

2.  Onion Garlic Pistachios

3.  Wild Boar Salami

4.  Smoked Sea Salt Popcorn

5.  Sunflower Crunch

6.  Organic Potato Chips

7.  Kale Chips  (YUCK!)

8.  Snack Mix

9.  Sacha Inchi Roasted Seeds

10.  Pork and Beef Stick

11.  Seaweed Snacks

12.  Pumpkin Chips

13.  Salmon Jerky

BLOCK PARTY this Friday!

Friday (tomorrow) 6-8pm

Free music, games, and food!

In front of J and on the G field.

See you there!

A few things for your calendar...

Hope everyone enjoyed Labor Day weekend!


1)  Thanks to every single person for signing the roster!!!


2)  Don't forget about the Block Party, coming up September 16th from 6-8 !

3)  Stop by to hang out with Eddie Young, Assistant Director of North Village and Greek Life, this Friday and ask any questions you may have!

Back to school...and studying....

Hello residents!

September's passive programming is Intellectual Growth.  With the beginning of a new school year, it's easy to start up new beneficial study habits.  Check out some of these tips found below to make your life less stressful!  There are also resources on campus that you can take advantage of.  The website for Academic Assistance has a lot of information-including a form where you can sign up to receive FREE tutoring-an opportunity a ton of students take advantage of!  Happy studying and see you around James B. Duke!

Link for academic assistance!

http://www2.furman.edu/sites/aa/Pages/default.aspx

COLLEGE STUDY TIPS

Create Mnemonics

Mnemonics are devices that can help you memorize formulas, key concepts, definitions, etc. A really basic example of a mnemonic is “Please excuse my dear Aunt Sally” which stands for parenthesis, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction.

Make a Study Guide

Whether or not your professor gives you a study guide for an exam, making a study guide is very helpful when studying for tests. Go through the textbook, notes, and any other material and write down any information that you think may be on the test such as important concepts, definitions, and formulas. Reading and writing the information will help you memorize it faster. If your professor gives you a study guide, make sure to cover all the points listed.

Make Flash Cards

Making flash cards can be a bit time consuming, but flash cards are helpful tools in remembering vocabulary, formulas, and key concepts. They are also easy to carry around with you so you can review them anytime.

Quiz Yourself

To ensure that you are prepared for your test, make a mock quiz to test how well you know the material. Write down a list of keywords or questions and make sure to leave room underneath each one. Then, pretend that you’re taking the test and write down as much as you can.

Set Time Goals

Setting time goals for yourself will help make sure that you stay on track especially when you have time constraints. You’re more likely to be productive if you have goals to achieve.

Remember to Take Breaks

Studying is hard stuff. You need to take short breaks to allow your brain to process and retain the information. Otherwise, you may confuse yourself or forget something you have already studied. Be sure to take only a short break, otherwise, it may be hard to go back to studying. When you begin studying again, review the material you have already studied, then, move on to something new.

Don't Study Alone

Studying with other people is always easier, because you are all there and you know nothing else is going on. If possible convince your college friends to meet at the library at a specific time on a regular basis. If you and your friends have different schedules, do your best to find time when at least two of you are able to meet. This will also help you and your friends develop good study skills, keep tabs on your friends, and make sure they will be with you on graduation day.

Welcome to the J-borhood!

Welcome Back!  Hope y’all had a great summer and are ready to kick off another incredible school year.  My name is Katelyn and I will be your Community Assistant in North Village J this year, and I’m here to help you with anything to make your life easier!

As you move in, please notice the sheets of information that were in your room.  Additionally, you should have received a pack of T-pins to use to hang things on your walls.  Lastly, the room condition system this year has gone paperless!  Please go to the link below shortly after moving in to report any damages and the condition of your room so that you are not charged for preexisting conditions at the end of the year.

https://furman.wufoo.com/forms/north-village-room-condition-report/

Again, don’t hesitate to contact me throughout the year with anything I can help you with!  I look forward to seeing you around the J-borhood!  Good luck moving in!