Some of you may remember Sky Cowans for her time involved on Elon’s campus in Elon Local News, or for her creation of SkyLife, a video content provider dedicated to sharing a mindful approach to health and wellness. She is also a certified Yoga instructor, and was involved in Greek life during her time at Elon. She currently works in the Video department at Buzzfeed. After graduating from Elon last spring, Cowans had time to reflect on her four years under the oaks, and felt she had wisdom to share with students who may be just receiving their acorns at convocation. Her lifetime dedication towards living a healthy life in all aspects of the saying led to the publication of her e-book, “The College Guide,” which aims to help students make the most out of college and the opportunities provided to them while living a healthy life.
While the e-book mentions Elon frequently, it’s definitely a great read for anyone just entering or trying to figure out how to balance the social aspects of college with academics and personal health.
It’s an incredibly honest account of how balancing those three big aspects of college is hard, and how for some people it’s impossible. Cowans is candid about her experiences abroad, where she learned that the party lifestyle isn’t really one she felt fit the type of person she wanted to become. On the other side of the spectrum, she opens up about the pressures college students can feel to be the most involved, have the most leadership positions and the highest GPA. Especially at Elon this rings true, but if you do what you are passionate about and what you are interested in, there are so many ways to succeed at your fingertips.
Her advice isn’t preaching though, because she’s stood in the shoes of college students. Her wisdom comes from trial and error, and shows that you can take control of your college experience by staying grounded in who you are, in your health, and by focusing on what you are passionate about.
The book is split into “Mind,” “Body,” and “Soul,” where Cowans breaks down the steps by which readers can find inspiration or ideas to live a healthy lifestyle. She offers scheduling tips, mindfulness practices, and recipes that are easy enough to add to your daily routine. Meditation is a practice Cowans feels can help every student as it provides brain power, helps you focus, creates intuitive power, and promotes overall health in the immune system, sleep, and inflammation.
“The mind is powerful. It can either be your friend, or your enemy. Respect it. Learn to train it through meditation and by creating good habits that will serve you well for the rest of your life.”
The main takeaways from her guide are that balance is possible, and there are so many ways to find a solid ground to stand on even when it seems like your planner has not one inch of room left for another task. Going into a new semester, having a guide like this one, especially from an Elon alum, is such a great tool to have at your disposal. It’s available on her website for only $4.00, and honestly, for less than one specialty latte it’s an investment that’s well worth it.
Sky’s book, “The College Guide,” is available here: http://www.skylife.tv/the-college-guide-1