Several Cal Poly students are interviewed about the pressures they face each day from society and how they themselves participate in social and gender norms. Pressures to look and act a certain way can be extremely stressful and often detrimental to our health. In college especially, both men and women are under an extreme amount of pressure by their peers regarding gender norms.
Since my last evaluation I believe I still need to improve on a few things. After speaking to several of my peers, it is clear I need to improve the quality and composition of my photos in order to receive more hits. Several students claimed the majority of their hits came from photos and photo captions on their blog. One of my classmates, Rachael Davison said, ” i think you could include more photos in your posts. Most of my hits come from photos of the places I visit when writing my posts like Mustang Lanes for example”. While I included photos relevant to my blog posts throughout the quarter, I could have included more to make posts more engaging.
For example, in a article we read entitled, “The Nine Commandments of Caption Writing”, the article mentions, “don’t state the obvious”. If I focus on stating the important information while providing something the reader doesn’t know, photo captions can bring in more hits.
Peers, as well as myself were surprised by the small amount of hits my blog has received so far. Several of my posts, especially the most recent, are relevant to students and anyone looking for new ways to relieve stress. I thought my more recent posts about sex and shopping would receive more hits.
While more photos and relevant captions would help bring in views, I think adding more tags and simple titles would help as well. I am still under 100 views which is hard to believe since I feel like my posts have a lot of helpful and interesting information and reliable sources.
None the less, I am proud of my work so far and feel it is a successful collection of works that I could use in a portfolio. In an article entitled, “Why Journalists Need to Build Their Own Brands“, it mentions, ” it is up to people to who want to be journalists to take affirmative action to promote their work to build audiences they can monetize so they can have satisfying and remunerative careers.”
Shaun Kahmann, another classmate, had some encouraging thoughts saying. “I like how you touched on current events here at Cal Poly. Your more recent pictures are great because they include people.”
For future posts I plan to improve by:
- Adding more photos
- Interesting and relevant captions
- Add tags
- Simple Headers
Stress Less With Better Sleep Cycles
iPhone Sleep Cycle App
A new kind of alarm clock that goes beyond waking you up; it tracks your sleeping patterns
8 Reasons to purchase the Sleep Cycle App for your iPhone
1) Sleep quality: track the quality of your sleep each night
2) Full Background Support: Set you alarm and exist sleep cycle-sleep analysis will continue in the backround
3)Sleep Notes: See how events such as drinking coffee, eating too much or having a stressful day effect your sleep quality
4)Long term graphs: track you sleep quality over time, see which days of the week your sleep best and much more
5)Wake up mood: track how you feel each morning
6)Uses the accelerator in you iPhone to monitor movement and determine which sleep phase you are in
7)Uses a 30 minute alarm window that ends at your set alarm time and wakes you in your lightest sleep phase
8) Only costs 99 cents
This past thursday, George Lewis spoke about the evolution of the media at Cal Poly’s Alumni Center. Phi Beta Delta put on the event welcoming students, alumni and faculty to enjoy wine and appetizers before hearing Lewis speak.
Phi BEta Delta is an organization that recognizes the academic achievements and collaboration with international students. Phi Beta Delta has made it possible for international students to take a course at Cal Poly without having to enroll or get a degree. Promoting international education is important to this organization and is supported by big names in the media like George Lewis who has covered stories around the world.
Lewis got his degree at SDSU many years ago as well as his sense of humor, as he says, ” I attended SDSU back when the earth was still cooling and we handed in our assignments on stone tablets”.
Lewis begins his speech discussing his experience covering war and traveling to report on foreign affairs. Lewis says, ” I got into journalism because i wanted to help people”. International affairs is important to Lewis who has been with NBC news for over 30 years now dealing with foreign crisis.
Lewis covered the Iran hostage crisis in 1979 ” I was dispatched by NBC news 4 days into the crisis… naturally I have very vivid memories of that entire period.” Lewis says his suspicions back then about the hostage crisis that could not be discussed in order to protect lives would be harder to keep secret in this new age of social media, ” I just wonder given todays new journalistic climate…bloggers and tweeters, it would be a lot harder to keep secrets like we could in those days”.
The most inspiring aspect of Lewis’s speech was his discussion of the “new” media. For a man who has been in media for close to fifty years, it is hard not to listen to his opinion on the evolution of social media and power of the internet.
Lewis has a positive outlook on the future of journalism saying, ” there have been a lot of changes in the media. I think of it as Darwin said, to survive you adapt…the news organizations will do that”.
Lewis makes a valid point discussing the polarization of American media influencing the next generation. Lewis says, “People consume their media when and where they want it”. Still, Lewis remains optimistic saying, ” Its an exciting time to be involved in media. I play with social media and have a lot of fun with it. ”
For a man with a full head of grey hair and enough stories to write a book, Lewis is hip on the new age of social media and journalism. As a journalism student his speech was inspirational and as he says after receiving his gift bag from Cal Poly alumni, “Swag!”.
Utilize your campus’ resources and make a visit to the health center. Counselors are available for all students who want professional help and talk about tools to manage stress. All fees are included in our tuition so why not take advantage of this awsome opportunity.
Juggling the numerous responsibilities of being a full time student is difficult. For those transferring from the semester system at a junior college to the more fast paced quarter system at Cal Poly, life can become extra stressful.
Current and prospective transfer students talk about their experiences transitioning from the semester systems at their junior college to the quarter system at Cal Poly.
Emma Patterson, 22, transfer student at Cal Poly and Journalism major, talks about her response to the quarter system after growing accustomed to semesters at Hancock College in Santa Maria. Patterson discusses the importance of prioritizing and organization while balancing your school work with fun activities outside of academics.
Alicia Cocks, 21, server at Cliffs in Shell Beach, transfer student at Cal Poly, and Parks and Recreation major, is also accustomed to semesters and discusses her struggles getting used to a more fast paced schedule.
Emma Alita, 22, and full time server at Hulas and Harbor Cafe in Santa Cruz, talks about her worries transferring into the quarter system after having not been a student for a year and only having experienced semesters.
They call it “retail therapy”
entrance to Jay’s clothing store, downtown San Luis Obispo
Believe it or not, shopping can be a successful way to reduce stress. After a long week of school, work, and every day life, treating ourselves to something new is a way to reward and unwind.
In a consumer society, retail stores, shopping malls, and price tags surround us. With a guilt-free conscience, spending limit, and a little extra money in pocket, shopping can be a calming exercise when done in moderation.
Click here to identify healthy versus excessive shopping habits
Students’ thoughts on shopping
Brock perfecting her store’s displays at Ambiance downtown
Frequent shopping is generally more common among women compared to men. Many young women, including Cal Poly students, consider shopping a great way to unwind and boost morale.
Paige Brock, 20, student at Cuesta for nursing and sales associate at Ambiance downtown, believes being fashionable with your wallet is an immediate stress reliever.
Brock explains, “If something bad is happening to me in my life it is always nice to make myself feel pretty.”
Brock says juggling work and being a student is stressful: ” I either turn to working out or shopping to manage my stress. Shopping is a great way to distract myself and get out of the house”.
Zara Khan, 20, biomedical engineer major at Cal Poly, and sales associate at Crazy Jay’s Clothing store downtown aggress that a shopping spree here and there is a great distraction.
Khan says, ” I love shopping because it is fun and it is girly. It also has nothing to do with engineering.”
Brock organizing a new shipment of jewelry for the Ambiance store counter
Retail Managers relieve stress in and out of the shop
shirts on sale displayed outside Jay’s clothing store in downtown San Luis Obispo
Monica Crow, store manager of Crazy Jays downtown, and veteran of the retail business, knows her shopping. For Crow however, being surrounded by new clothes at work draws her away from shopping.
Crow says, ” I’m here 40 hours a week. When I get done I just want to be outside because I am inside so much. I relieve stress by hiking and going to the beach.”
Still, Crow mentions she is well aware of the stress relieving benefits of shopping just by talking to her customers and fellow co-workers: “I shop less now that I work in retail and am in shop management. You can ask anyone else in here and they will tell you why shopping relieves their stress.”
Tips for healthy shopping habits
While shopping every once and a while can be a healthy way to relieve stress, compulsive consumerism can have the opposite effect. Here are a few tips on how to shop to ease the mind and not burn a hole in our pockets:
- Have a budget: Don’t spend more money than planned to avoid guilt and panic
- Plan ahead: know what item you want to buy before going shopping
- Don’t let the SALE fool you: don’t exceed your budget and feel inclined to buy sale items that exceed your budget
- Window Shop: there is no harm in looking and not buying; get some exercise while pleasing the eye
- Get organized: organize and purge your closet of items you do not need anymore to get a sense of what you may want to buy or not buy
For more information on how and why to reduce stress by shopping click here
In regards to reducing stress, guilt-free and moderate shopping is key. Too much shopping can have the opposite affect resulting in more anxiety and stress. Still, while cheaper alternatives to managing stress are available, there is nothing wrong with treating ourselves every now and then.
Burn calories while shopping
If money is tight, window shopping is a cheap and effective form of exercise. Two hours of walking can burn up to 300 calories. Add some weight to your workout with a few shopping bags after purchase. For more statistics about shopping as a form of exercise click here.
Progress and plans for future blog posts
Blogging these past six weeks has been a fun and challenging experience. After consulting my peers, professor, and myself about my progress I am proud of my accomplishments but realize I still have a lot to improve on.
Wise words form Professor Howe
My profesor suggests I improve my images and tighten-up my writing. Compared to print style writing, web-style writing requires quick and to-the-point paragraphs. Some of my past posts have begun with stylistic writing that could be great for a magazine or paper article but for the web, getting to the point of the post right away is very important. I can lively up my writing by:
- letting the reader know what the article is about in the first few sentences
- having “clickable” links
- more specific headings
- improved images with people in them that relate to the post
Constructive criticism from peers
My peers had a lot of positive feedback regarding the content of my blog but thought I could improve my images and headings. Including images with different types of people and students instead of myself would be much more interesting to the reader. A great example of blogging images is this blog. My headings illustrate what my post is about but could be even more specific and descriptive. It would also be helpful to find some “hidden secrets” on campus or in town that many do not know about to make my blog even more interesting and worth visiting. Heres an example
Increasing traffic
My blog contains a lot of helpful information and interviews from specialists regarding stress management. Students interested in learning about fellow students struggling from stress and helpful tips and resources from experts would enjoy my blog. However, when it comes to hits and stats my blog is struggling. I only have about 50 views all time from the United States and Alaska.
I could increase traffic by:
- Changing my blog’s URL to a more searchable title such as “SanLuisObispoStudentHealth” instead of my name
- including more tags for each post
- Clear and specific headings instead of witty and funny: ex. “How music reduces stress” instead of “Tune out stress”
- engaging photos: include different people, improve composition
- cover “hidden secrets” to engage readers, ex. the stress relieving message chair at the Cal Poly health Center
- posting my blog on my face book page
- be more active on twitter
- blog more frequently
- name location in headers
Improving future blog posts
While my writing continues to be bright and conversational, my stats prove that I could be more specific with my headings to get more searches and clicks. I would like to get even more feedback from my peers to find what students are searching for on the internet. While i believe my topics are interesting and newsworthy, I could look into topics that students are googling weather it be bacon or health.A few blogs that i think are interesting and inspiring to me are this one.
I want to increase traffic on my blog. In the future I plan to take more time shooting blog worthy photos, use simple and informative headings, and find topics that people want to search online.
An interactive map to help reach your fitness goals locally
Exercise is a healthy and effective way to release endorphins, improve mood, and manage stress. Here is an interactive map to explore some different places to work out in San Luis Obispo. Enjoy the outdoors with a hike to Bishops Peak, take a jog on the track, or stretch it out at a local yoga studio.
Taking a music break
Practicing, experiencing, or listening to music can alleviate stress. Students at Cal Poly and professors at the Cal Poly music department encourage students to incorporate more music into their lives to ease the mind. Put down those books for a moment, plug in the ipod, and relax.
Professor David Arrivee speaks out about student stress
Professor David Arrivee, professor in the Cal Poly Music Department, director of the Cal Poly Symphony, and musical theory teacher, discusses positive affects of music on the mind. Arrivee explains, ” Performing music is a “flow experience”. This term describes the mental state of losing oneself, concentrating deeply on a single task, and best of all, experiencing genuine happiness.”
Arrivee describes how making and listening to music are two very different things but both provide stress relieving benefits: “Listening doesn’t necessarily require skill, unless you’re analyzing the music you hear, and is thus open to everyone.” Arrivee explains that taking a music class can be a welcome escape from other stressful tasks: “Studying music is fun and the challenge is equal to [the student’s] newly acquired skills.”” Some of music’s stress relieving benefits include:
- regulating mood
- remembering positive past experiences
- Using different types of music for different moods: for example, listening to aggressive music while working out or listening to calming music when wanting to relax
- learning new things outside of one’s major
For more healthy benefits associated with listening to music from about.com click here
Students stray outside their major for musical relaxation
University Choir Song Set
Brandon Colona, 21, a mechanical engineering major and a member of the University choir speaks out about the benefits of incorporating music into student life. Colona says, “The main reason I take choir is something as a stress reliever. Singing is a great way to express yourself. I really enjoy doing it. I have always been involved in music and its always been something that is present in my life.” Tim Ambrose, 21, a computer engineering major, and also a member of the University choir agrees with Colona saying, ” its a good break from all the engineering stuff.”
Music majors live out their passion
Rubell preparing for choir class
Students majoring in music experience just as much stress academically as anyone else. Still, performing and expressing oneself through music can be a helpful way to relax and ease the anxious mind. Shaina Levin, 21 and a music major here at Cal Poly says her major can take up a lot of time but in the end is all worth it. Levin explains, ” Once all the practicing is over and I get a chance to perform the music I have been working on its incredible, there is no other feeling like it.” Levin urges students to bring music into their everyday lives as an outlet, ” If someone is feeling stressed they can listen to a specific genre or type of music to calm them down.” Alexis Rubell, 20, and music major here at Cal Poly agrees that her Major can be overwhelming. Still, Rubell believes the end result is what keeps her going: ” I’m one of those people that freaks out and would definitely consider myself a stressful person. Sharing music with others is rewarding and I really think it helps me.”
So whether a student plans to join the choir and venture outside of their major, find reward in performing, or just sit back and listen to some tunes, music can be a great way to ease tension. Finding our own ways to experience music can be a great way to refocus, relax, and rejuvenate.
Slo Student Health 