Wake Forest Class of 2017

Managed by the My Journey Initiative, a part of WFU Campus Life & Leadership

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Good luck on finals, Deacs!

Make sure to take care of yourself - it's never fun to be a sick deac, a grumpy deac, or an over stressed deac on finals week! 

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6 TIPS TO BEAT FINAL EXAM STRESS

1. Avoid stressful people.

Stress actually is contagious. During exam week, resist the urge to have a study session with your super-tense friend, especially if they are complaining about all the work they have to do and breaking pencils all over the place. Their stress will only add to your stress.

2. Eat healthy and exercise.

Skip the sugar, which will make you crash, and go for snacks like granola bars, healthy cereal or fruits and veggies to keep your blood sugar stable. If you’re studying for a long period of time, eat some protein too. Also, try to get some form of exercise. Even a 10 minute walk will leave you calmer and more focused.

3. Just say NO.

Say no to people who want to take up your time. There will probably be a friend who needs to talk to you for hours about their life the night before your final, and if you say yes, you’ll probably be tempted to blow off studying. Resist the urge. Say no to the distractions and be selfish for a day. 

4. Force yourself to take breaks.

For every hour or so that you work, take a 10 or 15 minute break. Let yourself do whatever you want (check Facebook, check out that guy sitting nearby, stare off into space,etc.) for those 10-15 mins, then start working again. This gives your brain a little rest and will help keep you more focused when you are actually doing work.

5. Visualize it all going right.

Imagine yourself taking the test and feeling confident that you know all the information. Picture getting all of the answers right, and focus on how relaxed you feel. Then picture the A on your test paper. When you imagine a happy ending, that’s often what happens, because you make the decisions that lead to it without even realizing.

6. If you’ve studied all you can, get up your confidence!

When test-time rolls around, it’s time to get yourself into confidence mode. You’ve prepared as much as you could, and now it’s time to ace the test. The tip here is to do whatever works to convince yourself you are going to do really well.

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Don't miss the upcoming Moravian Lovefeast! It's a unique and beautiful campus tradition. 

Get there early because seats get snatched up fast. 

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Welcome back, Deacs! 

Enjoy some time catching up with friends today! 

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Funny photos or not - we hope you've been able to enjoy some time with your family this week if you were able to travel home for the break.  

If you were on campus for the break we hope that you connected with some new folks and enjoyed some rest!

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Remember the day you moved in to your Residence Hall?  Seems like so long ago! 

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While most of us are away on break our Demon Deacons are gearing up for an away game on Saturday vs. Vanderbilt. 

Make sure you show your Deacon Pride this weekend by wearing your Old Gold & Black! 

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All in the Family

Fall is definitely in the air and it’s also likely that you are ready for some time at home with your family!

The semester feels like it’s flying by so you may be looking forward to a slower pace at home in your comfort zone and relishing in the familiar.  But to be honest – at times the journey back home for an extended period of time is, well,… not all we imagined it to be.

Keep these things in mind as you navigate this time at home with family:

You’ve changed – while in the Forest no one has been telling you when to get up, when you can hang out with friends, when to study, when to clean your room.  You have been exercising your independence.  That might be hard for your parents and it might be hard for you to acclimate to their rules. Our advice: talk to them about it!

Your family has changed – things surely weren’t on pause while you’ve been gone for the past three months.  Things in your house might be different – has your sibling taken over your room or your closet – there might be a different rhythm to life there now.  Things will likely be different but that doesn’t mean the end of the world!  Just be patient with yourself and your family and you both readjust to what life looks like now that you are an adult.

Your friends have changed – while you may have stayed connected via social media over the past few months it’s likely that your friends have changed too.  They are having new experiences just like you are! Make sure you leave room to hear each other’s stories and find ways to expand your friendships to not just be reflections of the “way things used to be.”

You may be tired – it’s perfectly normal to need to use this time away to rest.  Take advantage of a less hectic schedule (hopefully) and recharge while your away from the Forest. 

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To a helpful study workshop!

Study Smarter, Not Harder: Test Anxiety 

November 20th , 5pm, ZSR 404

** do yourself a favor- get the tips you need now so finals are so scary!

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Did you know that if you study abroad and start missing the sights of campus that Wake Forest has a webcam on the Quad?  You can check it out and see a little peak of Our Mother So Dear! 

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Check out these old photo contest winners from the Study Abroad Office! 

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10 Experiences You May Have Abroad...

At Wake Forest, we believe international learning experiences can significantly impact your intellectual, personal and professional growth. When studying abroad, book knowledge comes alive. You experience culture and history firsthand. Your perspectives broaden. You leave a student and return a global citizen. Here are some top moments that the WFU Study Abroad Peer Advisors experienced while they were living abroad...

1) I visited a friend one day while her host mother was being featured for a South Indian cooking show.  When the camera crew found out that there were Americans present, we were ushered into the filming room, where we got to taste the dishes and play games with the host.  We pretended to understand Telugu for three hours while the cameras rolled.

Laura Simpson- India

2) Having class in the heart of Old Town in Prague.  Everyday, hundreds of tourists would gather in the square and I was lucky enough to walk through it everyday to my classes.

Emily Colby- Czech Republic

3) Taking a long weekend trip to Melbourne and getting to see penguins! There's this site where the penguins come in from the sea at night and run up the beach to reach their burrows. I think we saw over 500! They were adorable and surprisingly loud.

-Tory Harney- Australia

4) Visiting the house of C.S. Lewis. The tour guide provided helpful information and the grounds around his house reminded me of Narnia.

David Inczauskis- England and Spain

5) Bargaining with Shanghai shopkeepers. I would try to only pay 30% of the original price they requested.

Jessica Argenti- China

6) Attending the World Cup Qualifier game of Argentina vs. Venezuela.  The atmosphere in and around the stadium was incredible and unlike any other sporting event I had experienced before.  I will never forget when a local tried to teach me the words to their fight song.

Caroline Lippold- India, Argentina, and South Africa

7) The local pub. Pubs are a huge part of living in England, and my friends and I gravitated to an eclectic old pub steps away from our building. They had a dj that played the most random assortment of music, and served awesome fish and chips.

-Ben Haley- England

8) Skype calling my friends who were home in the snow while I made plans to go to the beach.

-Brendan McLafferty- Australia

9)  Petting a cheetah! The cheetahs were fed large chickens before we entered their cage so they wouldn’t be interested in having us for dinner. They purred so loudly as we pet them!

Emily Breiter- South Africa

10) Floating in the Dead Sea with friends. Since I don’t know how to swim, I really enjoy “swimming” in the Dead Sea.

Chi Zhang- Jordan

Make your own memories abroad! Go to https://studyabroad.wfu.edu/ to browse programs and start your study abroad application.

This post was written by our friends in the Study Abroad Office!

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Don't miss Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit, in Broyhill Auditorium - Farrell Hall on November 13th at 8:30pm!  Check-in for Awakenings credit! 

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Beyond the Gates of the Forest

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller

Where have you traveled to?  Where would you like to travel to?

It’s not a requirement to study abroad at Wake Forest; however, each year we have a large section of students opt to spend a semester or part of a term abroad.  In fact over 60% of Wake students choose to study abroad in some form during their undergraduate experience.

Studying abroad can really broaden your horizons.  You get to experience a new culture, see new sights, learn about global issues, and even develop your problem solving skills.  When you select the right program you’ll find that your education can really “come to life.”

Wake Forest offers you the chance to study abroad with a WFU program or an affiliate program! Find out more information here: http://studyabroad.wfu.edu/

We fully acknowledge that studying abroad isn’t for everyone -  maybe your course load won’t allow for it, maybe you have other obligations that don’t have the flexibility to be gone for a long period, or maybe it’s just an expense you can’t carry.

If you can’t commit to an entire semester – consider an international service trip during your undergraduate journey.  You can still get an experience of traveling to another country but for a shorter period of time.  Check out details here:  http://service.campuslife.wfu.edu/wake-alternative-break/international-trips/

What if that doesn’t work for you either – how can you still work to develop your global citizenship?  Talk with your advisor about courses that are offered that might challenge you to think about global issues or stretch your understanding of the world around you. 

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Do you remember the first time you heard this song? 

We hope you're as happy about Friday today as you were then! 

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The Biggest Myth in Time Management

Time management isn't something that only college students struggle with. What skills can you develop now to help you manage time better for the long-term?!

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You and your hallmates can work together to earn points towards a move up in the room selection process by attending these programs!

At the end of the year the RA's residents with the highest percentage of attendance at Awakenings programs will be rewarded by getting a little boost in the order for which you register for a room for your sophomore year! 

Be smart and be there!