Jessica Stringer

A blooming social life, half a dozen club meetings and a full schedule of classes can keep a girl pretty busy. However, it’s important to remember to take care of yourself and fit (at least) a bit of exercise into your schedule. You’ll be able to clear your head, release a little stress and keep yourself in shape (not to mention avoid the Freshman 15)  if you create a fitness plan. Whether you don’t think you’ve got the time or you just can’t get out of bed, you won’t have any excuses after Her Campus helps you out. Here’s to getting off on the right foot NOW with your exercise plan this semester, so that finals week isn’t the first time you venture to the gym.
 

Step 1: Tour the gym
 
It’s easy to be intimidated by those mammoth senior guys weightlifting in the gym. But the more you get to know your school gym, the more you’ll go. If the gym has an open house during the first few weeks of school, grab some hallmates and go. This will be your chance to tour the locker rooms, try out a yoga or Zumba class, and locate the row of trusty ellipticals. Once you know where the gym is, when it’s open, and how to navigate inside it, going will feel that much less intimidating.
 
Step 2: Make a plan
 

Jennifer Kleiner has always felt passionate about medicine and helping animals. But the Cornell University graduate knew science was not her strength, and in college she shied away from a major that required pre-med classes. Instead Kleiner pursued a double major in English and anthropology, but with the economy in shambles, she soon found finding a job to be near-impossible. “I was forced to take a step back and really think about what I wanted to do with my life,” Kleiner said. “I realized the only thing that I truly felt passionate about was medicine.” That’s when she remembered a John Hopkins School of Medicine article about post baccalaureate programs she’d read as a sophomore.

If, like me, you stay as far from science courses as you can, you may have never heard about these “post bacc” programs. Post baccalaureate pre-medical programs assist students in pursuing a medical career after they have already earned their undergraduate degrees. So fear not political science, psychology or even music majors: you, too, can be a doctor. These one to two-year programs allow you to take the required undergraduate level science courses for medical school in an extremely condensed period of time. Burton Hui Shen, a graduate of Harvard College doing a post bacc program, says he considers post bacc programs valuable because they let students pursue humanities or social science degrees and then a career in medicine, leading to a more balanced education.  

Mr. Braddock: What is it, Ben?  
Benjamin: I'm just...  
Mr. Braddock: Worried?  
Benjamin: Well...  
Mr. Braddock: About what?  
Benjamin: I guess about my future.  

Though the words were part of a screenplay and were said more than 40 years ago, they still resonate today with new graduates. If you can relate to Ben and his uneasiness about graduating, you are not alone, and HC is here to help.

Thinking about the Future

The uncertainty of the future after graduating can be nerve-wracking to some students. Caitlin Hardgrove, a senior at JMU, says she feels like she’s come to the edge of the cliff and has no clue where she’ll land. “I think what makes it so hard is that ever since I can remember, there was always some sort of "next step." After elementary was middle, after middle was high school, after high school was college, and after college is.... I have no idea!” says Hardgrove. Avery Cook, a clinical social worker at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill says you should view the future with curiosity and as an adventure in order to take the pressure off.

Leaving Friends Behind

There’s nothing like the excitement of a first date with someone new. All week you feel giddy, nervous and your stomach is in a knot. You prep for hours before the date, consulting with your friends about what to wear and making sure your hair is perfectly flat-ironed. 7 p.m. comes around and as your date picks you up, you finally feel ready. But your date’s success or failure could be resting on the location you two choose. We’ve got you covered with the pros and cons of possible spots – the rest of the date is up to you!

First Date Spot: Movies

You can’t go wrong with a visit to the local multiplex and a box of Sour Patch Kids. It may be hard to compromise on the movie but UNC-Chapel Hill graduate Gloria Holbrook says if it is meant to be, you’ll peacefully decide what to see. Make sure you fit time in before and after your date to talk because you’ll certainly get shushed if your date should whisper sweet nothings in your ear during the film.

Pros: What guy doesn’t like watching movies? He gets to sit close to you and have the chance to slyly reach for your hand. A movie is a shared experience and after the credits roll, you’ll have tons to talk about. Impress him with your movie critic skills or try to one-up his jokes at the movie’s expense. His wallet will be happy after the movie because compared to the price of dinner, two movie tickets are a bargain.