Kalysha Clark: March 2012

I've decided that I want to start working out for two reasons: 1) General fitness/wellness and 2) To flatten my tummy.

I know absolutely NOTHING about working out, so I talked to my boyfriend and he also enlisted the help of a classmate/friend who is a personal trainer. I'm officially start next Monday, according to the chart my boyfriend made. As of now, my only requirement is to take the stairs- which is challenging because my dorm is seven floors up. But I'm trying.

I also signed up for step aerobics for next fall, so that'll hopefully keep me in shape!

Here's my schedule:

Monday:

30 Tummy Tucks at 10 seconds
10 Sit Ups
15 Curls per Hand
5 Hammer Curls per Hand

Tuesday:

30 Tummy Tucks at 10 seconds
5 Push-ups
15 Squats

Wednesday:

50 Tummy Tucks at 10 seconds
10 Sit Ups

Thursday:

30 Tummy Tucks at 10 seconds
5 Push-ups
15 Squats

Friday:

30 Tummy Tucks at 10 Seconds
10 Sit Ups
15 Curls per Hand
5 Hammer Curls per Hand

Saturday:

50 Tummy Tucks at 10 seconds
5 Push-ups
15 Squats

Sunday:

30 Tummy Tucks at 10 seconds

I'm going to be worn out!

EDIT: I added a PE and rearranged some classes to be with friends (because that's always fun and lovely). Now I'm taking 15 hours and my classes go from 10-3 with the exception of my two labs on Tuesday and Wednesday, which run from 3-5:45. I can still deal with that, though!

I've officially enrolled for my classes next Fall! I'm only taking 14 hours, which is a happy place for me. It'll enable me to have my work study job and possibly a second job in addition to babysitting. Plus, I need time for academics and clubs!

Here's what my classes are looking like:

History of Nonprofits
Animal Anatomy and Physiology
Organic Chemistry II
Introduction to Companion Animals
Step Aerobics
Anatomy Lab
Chemistry Lab

Looks like with the exception of labs, my days (as far as classes) will last from approximately 10-3!

This morning (at 6:30 AM) I caught a flight back to Raleigh from Boston, MA. (Pictures and details coming soon!) I had a wonderful time during my 3 days there and I wanted to share with you guys some important traveling tips no matter what your destination.

If you've never flown before, don't be nervous. Just be alert and informed. There are a lot of things to know.

Print your boarding pass at home. It makes getting to your terminal faster. The pass is available 24 hours before your flight.
If you are not checking a bag, make sure you only have two carry-ons. It's technically one and a personal item, but they usually don't discriminate against whatever your "personal item" is. If you carry a purse, put your purse inside one of your carry-ons.
Make sure your carry-on fits the size requirements. And just because you get it through one airport doesn't mean it'll get through another. One of our group members' carry on bag was too big, but was allowed on the plane at the Raleigh airport. He wasn't so lucky coming through Boston and they made him check the bag.
Make sure all of your fluids are 3 oz. or less (even if the bottle is 10 oz. but only has 3 oz. in it, they WILL confiscate it.) Be sure that your liquids are in a quart-sized zip-lock bag and that you can take them out and put them in the bin for security.
If you have a laptop, you must put it in a bin by itself. Typically, they tell you to take it completely out (which is what I do to avoid hassle).
You will need to remove your shoes and any sweatshirt/jacket/hoodie/coat and put it in the bin as well.
Most importantly, if you're lost/confused, just ask! That's what the people are there for!

If it's available, utilize public transportation. When I was in New York and Boston, I used the subway. For the most part, they're easy to navigate, cheap, and faster than walking.
Try to have some cash on you. When you travel away from your typical region, the bank(s) you use may not have available ATMs and there WILL be fees for withdrawing money.
Remember that it's not always possible to eat cheap. We ate at Quincy Market, which is this cute little shopping/food court area next to Fanieul Hall. A corn dog alone was six dollars. Try to find whatever you can for the best deal.

The most important things to remember is: have fun and don't worry if things don't go 100% as planned. That's hard for me sometimes because I am definitely definitely DEFINITELY a planner. I like to know exactly how and when something is happening. But that can't always happen, so just try to go with the flow!

A lot of the people who I've been around in college have said that they never had to study during high school but are having to now that they're in college. If that's the case, it can be really tough to figure out the right way to study.

I usually studied before tests and assignments in high school, but college is another level. The classes are harder and the professors usually expect more from you.

After being here for almost an entire year and taking advice from my professors, I've got a pretty good basis on how to study for tests.

Firstly, you have to know your professor. This is hard sometimes, but it is very important.

I highly suggest going to your professors' office hours. If you know your professor, you're more likely to know what to expect from their tests. For example, my chemistry professor hates nomenclature (naming molecules). On our first test, I expected a decent amount of nomenclature questions. Wrong. Had I known that he didn't like nomenclature, I would've known not to spend a lot of my time studying that.

Rewrite your notes!

This process will be different for each class, but you just have to learn how to do it. For my chemistry class, my professor writes his notes completely on the blackboard and seldom uses powerpoint for images from the book. For that class, I write my notes on notebook paper, including the outline for the lecture (which he provides at the beginning of class). After class, I staple each lecture separately and rewrite them into my notebook. I get tutoring twice a week for an hour for chemistry, so I typically wait to rewrite my notes until after I meet with my tutor. She can usually put things into simpler terms, which I can write in the margins and add to my rewritten notes. For my biology class, the professor provides skeletal notes which we fill in during class. To rewrite these, I usually reprint the whole outline, rewrite everything I already had and put things in my own words. It's really important to put things into your own words because you need to be able to actually understand what is happening. For my nonprofits class, we take notes on our laptops in a powerpoint presentation. After each class, I transfer my notes into an online flashcard maker. (I highly recommend online flashcards. Making regular ones takes so long and they're so bulky to carry. I recommend www.flashcardmachine.com. It's free and you can get the app for your phone as well.)

Another important thing about rewriting your notes is that you write down any questions you have after class/lecture so you can ask your professor/neighbor/tutor. You also need to supplement your notes. Whether you go back and read the book, watch online videos, draw diagrams, whatever helps you.

Set aside permanent time in your schedule to study.

I made an entire weekly schedule in excel that includes my classes, extracurriculars, work and study times. If something comes up and you can't study during the designated time, make sure you make up for it before it's too late!

When you're studying for a test, set aside one day of studying per topic.

That doesn't mean you have to study all day. It just means you only study that topic on that day. For example, my last biology exam consisted of Photosynthesis, Detailed Cellular Respiration and Nervous System/Communication. In that case, I set aside three days to study. One for each topic.

Bonus: Record your lectures on your phone or a tape recorder of find a good professor online who posts their lectures.

We can check out voice recorders from my school library and my biology professor lets me leave it on her desk while she lectures. She even presses the record button for me! As far as online lectures, www.kahnacademy.org is a good one that covers many subjects.

Hopefully you guys can utilize these tips to help you review your notes and study for exams. Good luck!

That's right, I'm going to Boston. In two days!

I'm going with the Diversity Committee on my side of campus in order to learn about diversity and bring our knowledge back to NCSU so we can help educate others. The entire trip is 3 days (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) and it was only $100 plus a few meals! That is a deal!

Our tentative itinerary includes things like a Russian food tour, Les Miserables, visiting Emerson College, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Quincy Market and so much more.

I've never been to Boston so I'm excited to have been given the opportunity. Around 50 students applied and only 25 were chosen.

I'll be sure to post after each day if wireless is available.

Until then,

Hi!

My name's Kalysha and I typically go by Kaly for short (which is pronounced Callie). I am a 19 year old zoology student at North Carolina State University. I have one declared minor in Nonprofits Studies and an intended major in German Studies.

My career goals involve working with animals, hopefully at a nonprofit animal rehabilitation or an animal preserve. I also would like to incorporate conservation education in my future as well!

Kalysha Clark

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