Roost Readings

You're moved in, classes have started and life has begun at BGSU... but you keep thinking about home. Some students feel right at home when they first move-in and others take a little longer to warm up. No matter where you fit into this, how you are feeling is normal.

One of the most important keys to academic success is starting strong. BGSU has a lot of resources to help you start strong and prevent academic stress later on in the semester.

March can be a very busy and stressful time that a lot of students are not used to dealing with. Spring Break and warmer weather are a couple things to look forward to, but the stress of midterm exams, filling out Financial Aid, taking Summer classes and only being halfway through the semester can really wear down on someone's mental health causing distress and someone to be disruptive. At BGSU, a community of care means that Falcons do not struggle alone. To achieve and sustain this community, it is essential that its members feel a responsibility for the well-being of others within the community. Faculty and staff are in a unique position to do this given the amount of interaction they have with individuals throughout the campus community. To learn more about distressed and disruptive behaviors, visit BGSU Cares.

If you are staying on campus or returning home over break, please do something relaxing and restful. Taking a break from your fifteen week routine is important, and a staycation can be just as enjoyable as an expensive trip. Here are some ideas to consider. And if you are going home for the week, remember the hints from our Stress Management Roost Reading located under the second tab on this page. 

Free Application for Federal Student Aid

Winter is almost over, but tax season has just begun. One of the most important tax related topics for students is filling out the FAFSA. If you haven’t already provided an estimate or completed your FAFSA, you should do so immediately. It may help you get additional financial aid to alleviate some of the cost of attending BGSU. Learn more:

• BGSU File Your FAFSA
• Official FAFSA Website

Sign-Up for 2019 Summer Classes

Join more than 7,000 BGSU students who take advantage of Summer Session to speed up completion of their degree, ease their course load, become familiar with campus, and benefit from smaller classes. 

Summer Session provides you with the flexibility and variety you need to stay on track—online, on campus or abroad. Choose from the extensive schedule of undergraduate and graduate courses offered in 3 to 8 weeks. Learn more:

• 2019 Summer Classes
• Official Registration and Records Website

Fall Registration begins at 7 a.m. on April 8 runs through April 19, 2018, and the Fall Schedule of classes is now available! Check your MyBGSU account for the specific date/time you are able to begin registering for classes. You can view all of your options here! And as always check your degree audit and confer with your academic advisor before registering.

After break, you may find yourself mentally at home, lounging on the sofa with a home-cooked meal. Or you may be daydreaming about the beach and the sunshine. For some, coming back for the last half of the semester can be a challenge, but finishing the semester strong is really important. Refocusing on your goals requires that you remember your purpose and that you maintain your motivation. Here are some tips to help you:

• "Tips for Staying Motivated"
• "7 Tips for College Students to Stay Motivated after Spring Break"

Important Date to Remember: April 6 is the last day to drop a class or change your grading option with college permission

So far this year the CDC reports that 15 states have high flu activity and 12 states have reported moderate flu activity. What can you do to protect yourself? Here are some tips for fighting the flu before it starts:

1. Wash your hands. Frequently. If it is inconvenient to wash hands, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
2. Avoid close contact with those who are sick
3. Clean and disinfect your phone, desk, steering wheel and other areas you touch frequently
4. Try not to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, especially after touching a surface that hasn’t been disinfected
5. Stay healthy: sleep, eat well, exercise, minimize stress, don’t smoke/stop smoking, etc.
6. It’s not too late to get the flu vaccine

With less daylight and more cold, the Winter Blahs are a very real thing for many people. It could be a letdown after all the excitement of break, or it could be your body trying to go into a hibernation-type state. The Winter Blahs (also called the Winter Blues) are not the same thing as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD has major depressive episodes with specific medical and psychological diagnostic

criteria, while the Winter Blahs are more of a milder depression that don’t interfere with daily functioning. These links will give you tips for fighting the winter blahs and provide you more information about SAD:

• Tips for Dealing with the “Winter Blues”
• 14 Effective Ways to Beat Winter Blues
• 8 Scientifically-Backed Ways to Beat the Winter Blues
• Winter Blues? Try These 10 Food Tips to Help Ease Symptoms
• 8 Ways To Survive The Health Minefield That Is Winter

Campus Health Resources
Don’t forget that as a student you have access to wide variety of resources to help with both physical and mental health. BGSU offers the Counseling Center which can help if you’re feeling down. BGSU also offers the Falcon Health Center. Here students can meet with a Doctor, fill prescriptions, and have certain testing done.

The weather this time of year may not allow students to get out and be active. For this reason, you may also want to take advantage of the Student Recreation Center to stay healthy and fit. And if you’re worried about your dietary health, don’t forget that BGSU Dining offers a dietician who can talk with you about your dining options on campus.

So you’ve heard it said a hundred, maybe even a thousand times. One of the toughest challenges of going to college is the transition. As you’ve been at school you have recognized that college really is different from high school. You have had to structure your day, your study time, and your social time in different ways. You’ve had to adjust to making decisions on your own, getting to class without someone checking up on you. The biggest difference is, you’ve gained some level of independence. You’ve gotten used to setting your own schedule. You come and go as you please. You don’t have anyone you have to check in with. You’re decisions are your own.

Fall semester is in the books. Maybe this is your first fall semester at school, or maybe it’s your fourth and final. The start of a school year always brings a new set of expectations and goals. For many students, these expectations and goals are built around academic performance. The goals my relate to the amount of time set aside for study, how many classes or credits one will take, or even the final grade points average for the semester. For some these goals become a reality and a reason for celebration with parents and family during the break period. For others, these goals become a source of frustration or disappointment. You might even question whether your goals were achievable at all.

If you would like some one-on-one assistance in thinking through your academic goals, consider visiting an Academic Peer Mentor (APM) in your hall. They are conveniently located in the Residential Resource Center (RRC) in every residence hall from 6 - 10 p.m., Sunday - Thursday. 

Your APM can assist you with rethinking your study goals, scheduling a meeting with your academic advisor, assisting you in reviewing your course syllabi, reviewing your Degree Audit (DARS), providing time management techniques and so much more! No appointment needed, just head into your closest RRC.

Find your RRC

Additional Resources

• Chicago Tribune - First trip home from college: How parents, students cope
• USA Today - Winter break means adjusting to life back home
• The Odyssey - Things Every College Student Feels When Coming Home
• College Parent Central - Returning Home from College: Reverse Culture Shock

So now, maybe for the first time ever, you have a roommate. You may have discovered that things you “thought” wouldn’t bother you actually do. This is perfectly normal when living with someone, and so are disagreements about how to manage your shared living space.

Whether you are in a serious relationship, dating casually, or just hooking up, making sure your intimate relationships are healthy is important. Although communication is essential in any relationship, one other area is also crucial: CONSENT. It is absolutely critical to have verbal, expressed consent at every phase of intimate contact.

You may not be interacting with others in your life the way you used to. Maybe you have changed -or- maybe they have. Whatever the case, it is important to keep communicating with one another and working on the relationship.

It’s easy to jump ahead to summer—the weather is getting nicer, the days are getting longer, and you can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. The temptation to just have fun and to think only about your summer may be intense, but it is important to stay focused, continue to study and do your academic best. Refer to the past Roost Readings tab for advice on staying motivated and for academic performance tips. Also, see our helpful hints on stress management and final exam preparation.

IMPORTANT UPDATE | Aug. 26 is the first day of Fall Semester. You may be required to return sooner if you are part of a Learning Community or have an on-campus job that requires you to move in early. Make sure you check the move-in guide page this summer and reach out to the organizations you are a member of so you know when you are supposed to move back. 

Have a great summer, and we’ll see you Fall Semester!

Maybe it’s a trip with friends to Cedar Point or Kings Island. Maybe it’s a family vacation. Maybe it’s studying abroad. Maybe it’s taking classes or participating in academic programs or research. Or maybe it’s working now so that you can ease up during the academic year. Whatever the case, if you haven’t already, you should start making plans. Here are some links to help you plan out your summer:

• 12 Summer Bucket List Ideas for College & Grad Students
• 7 Things to Do If You Don’t Have Summer Plans

If you haven’t figured out your summer plans and aren’t sure where to start, the BGSU Career Center is a great resources that is free for you to use! Whether it’s through WorkNet, talking to their incredible staff, or all the great links on their website, the Career Center can help guide you to your future success.

The Career Center availability include: Drop in hours are on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 1 - 4 p.m., and hour-long one-on-ones can be scheduled Monday through Friday and every third Saturday.

Many students take summer classes. They are a great way to improve your academic progress and it can cost $300 less than it does during the academic year. Learn more here.

And don’t forget to check into Summer Financial Aid!

Taking Summer Classes somewhere else?

If you are thinking about taking classes somewhere else over the summer, the Transfer Credit Evaluation Office can help you complete your documentation and ensure that your credits transfer back smoothly to BGSU.

If you want to see which courses will count beforehand, Transferology is a course equivalency site that allows you to compare classes at BGSU with institutions across the country. Please be aware of the restrictions that impact transfer credit: general education courses may be treated differently than major classes; classes you retake have very specific guidelines; and some classes must be taken here at BGSU. Consult with your academic advisor about the rules before transferring classes or about any action that may impact your academic progress or graduation.