Students blog

As college students, we all have busy lives. From preparing exams, writing papers, working a job, maintaining an active social life, many of us have a hard time maintaining our health and wellness. College is a place where you get to experience things you couldn't do anywhere else. People are moving away from their homes and practicing true independence. While college life can be an amazing experience, it comes with its challenges and difficulties as well. Our mental and physical health may decline, which is why it’s necessary to practice beneficial habits. Here are four actions you can take to help you maintain your health and wellness in this new environment.

1. Get enough sleep

Sleep is one of the most essential things a college student needs. It allows your body and mind to recharge, leaving you refreshed and alert when you wake up. Healthy sleep also helps the body remain healthy and stave off diseases. Without enough sleep, the brain cannot function properly. This can impair your ability to concentrate, think clearly, and process memories. It often feels like we don't have enough time to sleep, but we need to make the time. Get at least 7-9 hours of sleep. Go to sleep and wake up at the same times every day, avoid napping during the day, don’t drink caffeine too late at night, and use your bed only for sleeping.

2. Exercise Regularly

Regularly exercising has a ton of benefits from helping with your sleep, moods, stress, and overall fitness. Exercising has been shown to improve your mood and decrease feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress. Additionally, exercise can increase the production of endorphins, which are known to help produce positive feelings and reduce the perception of pain. You can do a variety of things as going to your university’s gym, taking a long walk, playing a sport, and so much more. The main thing is do something you enjoy doing and make sure you’re having fun.

3. Eat a balanced diet

We all have resorted to ramen breakfast, lunch, and dinner at least once in our college life. But there are significant implications of unhealthy eating habits on overall long-term health and many college students have poor dietary habits from high intake of fast food, and other foods high in fat, low intake of fruits, vegetables, and dairy, and erratic eating behaviors such as meal skipping. Eating a balanced diet has a variety of benefits from improving the ability to cope with stress, increasing performance and concentration in school, increasing energy levels, and promoting a better immune system. The main thing is to eat different combinations of dairy, fruits, grains, healthy fats, meat, and vegetables throughout the day. Also, cut down on foods high in solid fats, added sugars, and salt.

4. Make time for self-care

With so many things happening in college, it’s easy to forget to take care of yourself in college. But no matter how busy you may be, you need to make time to do something you like or that relaxes you. You may enjoy getting massages, seeing movies, or engaging in a hobby. Others may prefer performing yoga or practicing mindfulness. My ideas of self-care are working out, eating some of my favorite foods, and hanging out with my friends. You can greatly benefit from focusing on what you can control and not on what you can’t, particularly when anxious or stressed.

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When you Google your name, what comes up? If the answer is 'nothing' you probably haven’t spent much time developing your personal brand. Everyone today is marketing something. It could be a product, a service, an idea, or even a person. In today’s increasingly virtual world, it's important for college students to take the time to establish and pay attention to their online personal brand.

Here are 5 tips for you to keep in mind when creating an online personal brand to promote or market yourself as you embark on your career.

Be genuine and authentic

The easiest way to have an original and unique personal brand is to be genuine and authentic. Not only will this make it much easier to manage your personal brand on a daily basis, but also differentiate you from others in the long run. Millennial influencer and head of marketing at Popular Demand, Monica Lin, says “People can see right through a disingenuous act.”

Tell a story

People are more likely to remember a story than just stating facts. Create a story around your personal brand that the audience can engage with. Your story should show a clear understanding of who you are, what you’re passionate about, and your strengths. This will help you make you more human and authentic which will enhance your chances of establishing an emotional connection with the audience. There is no better spokesperson for your journey and mission than you!

Review and clean up your social media accounts

Your online past can come back to bite you. Take the time to review all of your social media accounts. This will allow you to find things you posted that “seemed like a good idea” and make you say, “I posted/said that?!” now. You can control what your reputation is online, so make changes to ensure all of your visible content is in line with the brand and persona that you want to present. You wouldn’t want anything you posted or said on social media to negatively impact your presence.

Be consistent

It will be easier for you to get recognized if you consistently create content and brand voice around that content. Something consistent visually or personality wise helps people associate with your brand and know it’s you. Secure your name, social media handles, emails, and website addresses. Having a consistent name/brand across all media can help the audience find you.

Write your bio & take a professional headshot

Your bio should answer the question “Who am I?”. It tells your audience who you are and will help them to get to know you, what you stand for, and why they should contact you. Your bio should tell your story quickly. Think of it as a 15-second commercial.

Having a professional headshot shows you at your best, conveys your professionalism, gives people an idea of your personality, and the way you want your audience to see you.

I hope these tips help you to create a personal brand. Creating a personal brand has a ton of benefits, both personally and professionally, and it can help open many doors for you in the future.