Farewells

It's been quite an enjoyable experience blogging for La Roche. Hopefully my entries have been at least a little helpful to at least a few people. The most important thing to sum up all of my blog entries is probably the topic of communication. Communication is necessary in everyday life, but it also helps you succeed, take new chances, gain opportunities, and get further ahead in life. Communication can range from asking someone at La Roche where to find something to networking for an internship or job. While you want to be sure to have fun in college, remember that the day after graduation, you're thrown out into the real world. If you don't have a job lined up or at least some kind of plan, it can be very daunting. So for a long lesson turned short: play hard and work harder because the harder you try to succeed, the more things will go your way.

For anyone with questions about La Roche, graphic design, or life in general, who may have been reading this blog or just caught one post, please feel free to contact me. My student email is sarah.egolf@stu.laroche.edu and I would be more than happy to talk with you.

To those who have just finished their first week at La Roche, good luck and best of wishes for a fun and successful school year!

First Week on Campus

In the first week of college, it's important to get involved and get routines down. More than ever it's important to meet new people and make as many friends as you can. La Roche may be a small school, but at lunch time, the cafeteria is almost always packed. If you always recognize a friendly face, you'll always have a place to go at lunch or dinner. Breakfast is a good idea, but not many people take advantage of it. Not only will making friends help with seating situations but it will also give you someone to hang out at events with, to talk to in classes, to ask about homework, to get a ride somewhere for groceries or other supplies, and to just generally hang out with so life isn't boring. The first week on campus is also a good time to figure out when the dining hall is least crowded, when your friends eat, and when the best time to do laundry is. Of course, the first week can also be for more mundane things like getting a schedule established. Make the most of your first week and be sure to have some fun.

Caffeine

Caffeine is an unfortunate necessity of college life. I went into college hating coffee and I came out with an addiction to it. It's extremely important to keep good hours in college in order to stay healthy. However, at some point, most of us realize that it just isn't going to happen that way. A lot of people's immune systems take a beating while they're trying to establish a schedule and they end up getting sick. If you're surviving on coffee and energy drinks, there's a strong possibility that this could be you. Try not to depend on caffeine too long. Set a limit for yourself of one energy drink and two cups of coffee a week. The important thing is to not become dependent on caffeine to keep you awake and functioning, although most of us make that mistake at least once. Caffeine can also cause serious health problems itself. Some people are caffeine intolerant. For my aunt, consuming too much caffeine affects her vision. Caffeine can also affect your heart rate. Because it is acidic in nature, too much coffee (or too many energy drinks) on an empty stomach can result in not feeling well. If you suddenly cut back on your caffeine intake, you can get bad headaches. For some people, it doesn't take much difference to start experiencing caffeine withdrawal.

That being said, coffee is useful and it's good. The cafeteria and cafe at La Roche have coffee and the cafe keeps stocked up on energy drinks and canned coffee drinks. There is also a coffee machine underneath the library that offers coffee, hot chocolate, and cappuccino. If it's late and you're in your dorm room, you might have your own coffee maker. Another quicker alternative is instant coffee. There are many brands from the expensive Starbucks Via to the inexpensive Nescafe. Additionally, there is a Starbucks on McKnight Road. With all of these options, you're sure to always have quick access to coffee and other forms of caffeine when you need it most.

Work Study Jobs

If you need a work study job while you're at La Roche, don't fret. Many of them are really easy and can be really fun. A work study job is a form of financial aid and it entails that you do a few hours of work each week. Every semester there is a work study job fair in CC Square. This is a great place to go and learn about all of the opportunities that are open. However, if you don't want to wait that long before you get a work study job, you can go see the people at financial aid. They will give you a list of departments looking for work study students. Depending on your aid, a work study job can consume 2 to 12 hours or so per week. The library has work study positions available. Here you do typical library duties such as checking people's books out, assisting people with finding library items, and organizing books. The interior design department has a work study position available where a student organizes all the resources in the resource room and does other small tasks, especially like helping to set up for events. Several of the offices (like Registrar) have work study positions where you go and take phone calls and file things to fill your hours.

Probably one of the best jobs, in my opinion, is to have a work study job with the I.T. department. Especially as a graphic design student, this position gives you a lot of useful experience. If you prove to be responsible, you will be trusted with jobs like fixing paper jams in the printers instead of having to call I.T. You learn how to change the toner cartridges and do basic printer and computer maintenance. Making sure the printers are always stocked with paper and the supply cabinets are full is probably the most important part of the job. One of the other great things about this job is that you get to do your homework while you supervise the lab as long as no one needs assistance and you've performed all of your other duties. Again, especially in graphic design, this is very beneficial.

Another important part of a work study job is to make and maintain relationships. I was able to keep the same work study job for all four years because my supervisor liked me so much. He gave me a lot of room to hand pick my hours and was always there to talk to. He even enthusiastically agreed to be a reference for me when graduation approached and I was sending out resumes. All in all, a work study position is really what you make of it and it can be boring and useless, or it can be fun and even pay off in the long run.