Did I remember it all?!

So one of the things that was the hardest for me when moving into college was things that I was going to need to buy to live comfortably in my dorm room! So I put together a short list of things that I feel are essential, and a few other things that I have used over and over in my room to keep me organized and happy in my room!  

 - My Fridge, it is so handy to have in my room, for late night snacks, or to keep drinks and other things in, especially if you get a To Go meal from the Dining Center or Oakland Center!

 - My futon, has become my favorite place to study and my favorite place to take quick naps in between classes!

 -My coffee pot! During exams, midterms, or the even just for the morning, this is my best friend! It is nice to wake up in the morning and not have to go out and spend money on coffee, this saves you the 5 dollars each time you think to go to Starbucks

- My Desk Light, or a clip light for the side of your bed,  This is convenient especially when you have a roommate, and it is time for bed, you can continue to do that little extra studying without the large overhead lights on keeping the other person awake! 

 -  Ok for the girls, this is my shoe rack! (lol) talk about keeping yourself organized! You don't have them thrown all over the place, and you don't misplace them! this hangs up right on the back of your door or in your closet so it keeps your room a little more organized!

 - The microwave is also something that I use a lot in my room, keeping it in there to warm up some food, make popcorn or easy mac, it is a nice appliance to have in your room!

 - An Essential is next, the alarm clock Without the alarm clock, I would not make it to class on time 90% of the time, be sure to look into one of these!

- and finally a shower caddy.  Sharing a bathroom with other girls (or guys for the boy floors) can get messy, so if everyone keeps their stuff in a caddy and is organized the bathroom isn't dirty or doesn't cause any problems when leaving your stuff around! 

All of the things I have listed above can be bought at so many different stores, personally I go do a lot of my shopping at Target, they have really good deals and good supplies for all college dorm rooms. I also know that Bed, Bath and Beyond has many good sales, and other items for the college rooms! 

Goals, Stress, Time?

So some things that come to mind when I look back at starting college are some of the things I worried about the most. Am I going to accomplish my goals? how am I going to handle stress? and am I ever going to have time to do this all? Well the answer to those I found to actually be very simple.  College isn't as hard, or stressful or time consuming as it can appear when you first start. So here is what I did when I first started out, I really found it to help me! 

First was my goals, what do I want to do with my college career and how do I want to do it? I knew my end goal was to get my degree in Political Science and International Relations, and take my LSAT (law school admission test) and go to law school to become an attorney.  So with that in mind, I sat down at my desk as a freshman, and wrote down my goals. Now, obviously not everyone has the same goals, and some other people may not even be 100% (or any percent!) sure what they want to do in college, or in life yet.  This is where you set short term goals, to take classes and try things out, to join organizations that could help you find an interest, or to just get good grades in your classes until you find something that really sparks your interest.  It's the beginning of college, believe it or not, you still have time to decide what you want to do in life and you will succeed!!  One thing I found to be very helpful was to write down my goals, and post them somewhere I will see them everyday, so it reminds me and keeps me motivated to accomplish them.  This has helped me a lot, and I am now completing my degree (with an added minor!!) and taking my LSAT for the second time in October.  

Second thing is stress, I'm not going to lie, college can be stressful, IF you make it that way. It is completely your decision if you are going to make college a stressful experience or not.  There are plenty of ways to organize yourself, manage your schedule and live a stress free (and fun) college life! Some of the things I did was utilize my resources, for example, visiting the academic resource center, they have so much information on how to handle different kinds of stress, and how to manage the stress that you may be feeling.  This is a free service offered by the university and is one of my favorites to use! Also, when I feel overwhelmed or stressed out, I take advantage of the Recreation center (rec) on campus, we don't have to pay as students, and living on campus, its a 5 minute walk anytime of day! early or late you can enjoy the rec center! The free classes they offer have become my favorite for stress relief, yoga, zumba, and ab lab are three of my personal favorites. Overall, college does not equal stress, it is completely manageable and you will be able to handle it! 

Finally, the never ending question of how is there even remotely enough time in a day to accomplish the things that I want to do?! Well, its not that hard if you learn to manage time, and in college, you can learn quickly! one thing that really helps me, and that i would be completely lost without is my planner! You can get student planners at many places, at the Textbook Outlet, at our Student Barnes and Noble right in the Oakland Center, or even at your Walmart.  I put all my assignments and other obligations in there, so i know exactly when they are due, and when i have meetings, or events.  One thing that actually has helped me with time, is joining student organizations, i know it may sound weird because that actually takes more time, but it also helps me manage my time, it makes me set certain times to do certain tasks and accomplish them.  This has really helped me to accomplish setting times for different things and getting myself organized to stay on top of things.  

My college experience has not been the easiest, but with learning how to manage time and set goals, and managing your stress, your experience can be fun and go a lot smoother than you expect!    

Who Wants to be a Rockstar?

The past three years at Oakland University have been nothing short of an amazing ride full of the best experiences and opportunities I have ever encountered.  One of my favorite experiences is the opportunity that I have received with becoming a student leader on campus in residence life.  It is not something hard to do, and it is an opportunity that you don't want to pass up. So let's start with my experiences and the programs that I went through with my student leadership journey. 

The first step I took with this opportunity was deciding to apply for a Vandenberg House Council.  This is what I saw as a sort of "student council" (if you will) for college and the residence halls.  There is a president, vice president, Secretary, treasure, historian, and then different committee chairs.  I applied by filling out the application available all over Vandenberg, (EVERYONE is eligible to apply for a position!) and went to the first meeting, where we gave a little speech and talked about why we wanted the position.  After trying for president, and not getting it, I decided I wasn't going to give up, and got back up and gave another speech to run for Vice President.  I was elected in as vice president and was really excited.  Now, house council is responsible for a lot of different things, mainly fun programs for the residents to partake in.  Some of the things we used as programs included a huge Halloween party, a carnival for change (carnival games collecting spare change to donate to a certain cause), a grocery bingo (play bingo win free food!!!!) p.s that was my favorite :) and other programs as well.  These were just some of the events we hosted.  Beyond the fun and games we also had to work with closing procedures for breaks, hold monthly building meetings for the residents, and other duties that went with our prospective offices.  This was the first leadership opportunity I experienced, I loved it, and I wanted more!

After first semester of my sophomore year, and doing a full semester of Vandenberg House Council, A position for our Nightwatch program opened up.  Nightwatch is our security program on campus.  The nightwatch stations are set up in every residence hall, and they run from 8pm to 5am (unless your in small halls where they run from 10pm to 3am) and it is used to make sure that the residents that live there are safe, and that no one that isn't suppose to be in the halls are. I filled out the application, and went to the interview process, (which isn't as nerve wracking as it seems) and two weeks later I got the position! I used the Vandenberg House Council leadership experience, to help me build to get the position of nightwatch.   In Nightwatch, I learned different leadership skills, and other responsibilities that prepared me for other positions I was considering on campus. 

Working with Vandenberg House Council, then Nightwatch, I wanted to take my student leadership to another level and go for a resident assistant (RA) position for my junior year of college.  A resident assistant job is a huge commitment in many ways, the experience is amazing, but the time, effort, and responsibility that comes with the position can be overwhelming. The application process for this position is a little bit harder than the others, you attend an information session, fill out a more extensive application, and go through an interview process with a board of three other student leaders interviewing you.  I successfully earned a position working in Hill House (small halls) as a resident assistant my junior year of college! This experience is something I will never forget, the bonds you create with your staff, the hard times you go through, the fun times, are all 100% worth every moment.  The responsibilities that come with being an RA are making door tags and bulletin boards every month, planning so many programs a semester (some being social, educational and others) and having one duty night a week, where you hold a "duty phone" and respond to any calls if something happens in the halls.  Overall, this experience is one that has completely changed my life, and made me a much different person.  The friends I have gained from working this are lifelong, and the experience is unforgettable. 

Last but certainly not LEAST, is the current position I am working right now! :) Housing Ambassador, I went through the same application process, and interview, but this position is a summer commitment.  I get to work at new student orientations, and be one of those people who convinces others to live on campus (because who wouldn't want to right?) and experience some of the awesome opportunities that we have to offer.  Giving tours of the residence halls, and working orientations is a lot of fun!

These experiences are open to all students, WHO LIVE ON CAMPUS :) totally a wonderful perk of living here, and some of these pay for your room, and board, and others pay additional as well. 

There are other additional opportunities available of there as well, some that I have not mentioned are
- Desk workers (in the residence halls)
- Academic Peer Mentor (APM)
- Center for Multi Cultural Peer Mentor (CMI)
- Orientation Group Leader (OGL--summer position)
and probably many more that I have not listed!

OH Who? OU!!

In thinking about one of my favorite parts of being a Golden Grizzly, (and living on campus for that matter) My mind immediately jumped to the Grizz Gang.  For those of you who are not familiar with the grizz gang, the people at many sporting events like soccer, volleyball, and basketball, you know the students wearing obnoxious amounts of black and gold and screaming at the tops of their lungs? Yeah that's us! :) The Grizz Gang is Oakland's spirited, and pride filled student section.  There is not a sporting event that you will not see many of us at.  The Grizz Gang is a FREE organization that allows all Golden Grizzlies, to cheer on their sports teams, and lead us to victory. Whether it is in the pouring rain at a soccer game, or in the final seconds of a Summit League championship for the basketball team, the Grizz Gang is there supporting everyone of our athletes at all times.

One of my favorite memories from being in the Grizz Gang was my opportunity to go to the Summit League Championships in South Dakota my sophomore year.  This was the first year that our men's basketball team had made it back into the NCAA tournament in years.  As the week progressed, and our grizzlies went from winning one game to the next, and then to the semi-finals and finals, the Grizz Gang's spirit was pouring out and not a  single fan (or person for that matter) in South Dakota did not know who we were cheering for. From our black and Gold T-Shirts, to our obnoxious chants, to our "war paint" and Grizzly Tattoo's, everyone knows that everyday is GREAT TO BE A GRIZZLY!   The night we won the big game, our section flooded the floor and celebrated a huge victory with our athletes. The experience was unforgettable, and is something I will always remember!!


Grizz Gang is very easy to get involved with, you can find them at a table the day you move in to the Residents Halls, or around the Oakland Center for the first month or more of school.  It is as easy as signing up for the emailing list, getting the information, getting a T-shirt, and going to the games (for free) and cheering on our Golden Grizzlies as we play our way to victory.  There are so many fun opportunities with this group! The best part, is if you live on campus, you can walk to every game, and get an awesome seat everytime!

Grizz Gang is the place to be for any sports fan, and Oakland fanatic, to cheer on our athletes, and show your OU Pride at it's fullest!

Welcome Week at OU

          When I was thinking about what to write about in my blog, I was completely unsure how or where to start, I got thinking about the things that I began to do as a freshman, and what got me involved.  One of the many things that comes to my mind is welcome week at Oakland University.  I remember walking on to campus, and moving my stuff in, unpacking and having my Resident Assistant (RA) telling us about all these fun activities for us to do and all the events that were going on.  Bonfires, BBQ, a big athletic spirit "assembly" if you would like to call it, and all of this in the first week!! So much free stuff, and so many opportunities to become involved on campus!! It was overwhelming, but the second I opened up and began to go ask questions, and look into organizations I thought would be good for me, I really got excited and met some life long friends.  The welcome week activities are run by a group of student leaders called the "Grizz  Pack" who help you move in and really give you opportunities to get out of your room when you move in, and meet people! Some of the activities are so much fun, like the huge welcome BBQ, the on campus scavenger hunt, and the awesome bon fire at the end of the night.  I remember there being so many ways to get to meet people and become involved on just the first day!

      When classes start, the Oakland Center (OC) is full of tables waiting for incoming freshman, and transfer students to join their organizations!! There is everything from sororities, to intramural sports, to organizations that are specifically for your major! This is one of the best ways to just get involved and meet people who have interests that are the same as yours.  Two groups that I became involved with were the Inter varsity Christian Assembly, and the Intramural Sports.  The variety is so large there is something for everybody.  Not only are there campus wide organizations that you can join, but there are organizations for just residents too! This helped me to meet people who lived on campus! I joined Vandenberg House Council (a group of residents whom live in East and West Vandenberg who are the "voice" for that building) and ran for vice president and got it.  Each building has house councils, Hamlin,Vandenbergs, and Small Halls.  Working with these people gives you the opportunity to network, create programs for the residents, and learn some really cool leadership skills.  The programs and activities include things like movie nights, a big Halloween party, and lots of other really fun programs.  Getting involved on campus and not just sitting in my room was the best decision that I could have ever made when moving to Oakland.

All about me

So, blogging isn't something I have not really done, so this is all new to me,  and I think I am
going to give it a fair shot. My name is Abbey, and I am officially a senior at Oakland University! I study political science and international relations for my major, and writing and rhetoric for my minor. I am taking the LSAT in June (yikes!) and am beginning the law school application process shortly after that! If I am not studying, or working on campus, or at my other job at a local tanning salon, usually I am visiting friends, running, or just enjoying time with my family (mom, dad, sister, and pets of course). My family and friends are who I spend most of my time with, I enjoy traveling, or going on random road trips with them! I have recently acquired a taste for running, and traveling. Lately, I have gone on random trips across the United States just because I can, and hope to make some trips out of the country in the very near future.

I am busy all the time (and I love it), but love being able to hang out with my friends on campus. My favorite college experience is definitely living on campus; our on campus life is the best! http://www.oakland.edu/housing. There are so many opportunities and advantages to it, but we will get to that throughout the summer with my various blogs. Working for Oakland University’s housing program has been the highlight of my college career so far. I have been a member of various programs here like the Night Watch Program, a Resident Assistant for the resident halls, and now a housing ambassador!

There ya’ have it, a little about me, and some of the things I will be blogging about this summer on another adventure at Oakland University, follow me, and get the scoop about the awesome experiences and opportunities here!