Get Involved with Club Sports

Josh Eversole, Marketing Intern

In SEC (South Eastern Conference) country, sports are king. Unfortunately, many high school athletes are not fortunate enough to play in big time college athletics. This was especially true for me. I was an average player in a sport with little varsity representation. Club sports gave me an opportunity to continue playing the sport I loved, rugby.

Club sports are University of Kentucky (UK) sponsored clubs that are operated by students. These clubs offer the opportunity to compete against other colleges in their sport. No matter what your favorite sport is, or what sport you want to try, here are some answers to frequently asked questions to help you learn about club sports.

How do club sports differ from varsity and intramurals?

Varsity

Varsity sports are governed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Club sports teams are governed by the Campus Recreation department of their university or by a national, sport-specific, governing body (i.e. USA Rugby).

Intramural

Club sports and intramurals differ in the amount of freedom offered to the students. Club sports teams have the ability to create their own schedules, recruit and travel. Intramural teams are also comprised of students, but their competition is limited to other students within their university and offer less diverse choices in activities offered.

Who can play club sports and how do I find the sport for me?

At UK, the club sports program allows students, faculty and staff the opportunity to play. UK offers a large variety of club sports from which to choose. The list of current clubs can be found at: www.uky.edu/studentaffairs/CampusRec/club-sports/current-clubs.

Can I start a club sport that isn’t offered?

The University of Kentucky encourages students to form their own clubs. The process is outlined on the Campus Recreation website: getinvolved.uky.edu/register/

Can I play a sport that I have never played before?

Many club sports encourage students to participate in sports they have never tried before, especially if it is a sport that is less prevalent in many schools (i.e. water polo, dodge ball). Some clubs require try outs, and will be straightforward in the recruitment and information periods on whether or not they are required. For information about requirements to join a club, check the contact information here: http://www.uky.edu/studentaffairs/CampusRec/club-sports/current-clubs

Are club sports expensive?

Club sports are student run and operated and will incur expenses in order to make sure that they are able to properly function. Most clubs require you to pay dues in order to participate, but are usually very affordable and offer discounted dues for first year participants. Contact the club you are interested in for more information about dues as they differ from club to club.

Do you travel with club sports and are there games during the week?

Club sports teams usually schedule their activities for weekends and save weekdays for practice. Your team will travel to other universities or locations for games, matches, tournaments, etc. You will be encouraged by your team to attend these events, but it is not mandatory that you travel every weekend. Travel also varies depending on the club. 

What are the benefits of playing club sports?

Joining a club sport gives you the opportunity to meet a new group of people with similar interests to yourself. Moving away from home can be scary, but placing yourself in a group that you can relate to can make it a more comfortable experience. Not only will your teammates share your interest in the sport, but expose you to a wide variety of different backgrounds and beliefs. Club sports offer you the opportunity to expand your horizons and learn more than just the game.

Finally, you will meet lifelong friends and gain memories that will last a lifetime. Through my club sports experience, I met some of my best friends and was able to travel across the country competing against other great universities. I encourage all students to join a club sports team. Not only will you have an amazing experience, but also you will learn valuable life skills and contribute to your organization and represent your university.

To Go, Or Not To Go

Alex Newby, Marketing Intern

In college, the first day of each semester is arguably the best. You’re finally ready to get back into the swing of things, you’re one more semester closer to finishing, and almost every class is short, sweet, and to the point. Syllabus Day, as students have deemed it, is a day to relax, make some friends in the class, and find out what the upcoming semester will hold for you—including how many classes you’re allowed to miss.

Each year, the attendance policy is one of the first things that students look at. Are the notes online? Will the class be hard? Do I have to come if its not? Depending on the answers, and your view on attendance, Syllabus Day could be the first and last day you attend. But is skipping classes justified? We took a look at the debate.

Excuse # 1 – “ The class is boring, and I can teach the material to myself a lot easier.”

We’ve all been in those classes that seem like they drag on forever. The professor has one pitch and the PowerPoint slides are filled from top to bottom with notes no one can understand. In these situations, especially if attendance isn’t taken, it’s hard to make yourself want to come to class. However, being there might just be what’s most important. Woody Allen once said,"Eighty percent of success is showing up." Learning real-life course material and hearing anecdotes in class may be even more helpful than facts found in textbooks or on PowerPoint slides.

 “The classroom is the easiest place for students to learn,” said UK 101 Peer Instructor Stephanie Anderson. ”It’s always hard to make yourself read or study during your free hours, but if you just go to class, your instructor tells you what’s important and what to expect on the test.”

Excuse #2 - “The professor doesn’t take attendance, he or she will never know I wasn’t there.”

It’s true that in large lectures, it can be difficult for professors to get to know students or know when they are skipping class or not. However, some professors use alternate attendance methods throughout the semester. For instance, my sophomore year Astronomy professor gave the class random quizzes throughout the semester using a clicker system. If you were there, the questions were easy and the quiz was virtually “unfailable”, if you weren’t, however, you missed the easy points. These points can add up and can sometimes be the difference between an A and B.

Excuse #3 – “This class isn’t even in my major so it doesn’t matter if I go.”

Each class, despite your major, will count towards your overall GPA. This can be a huge factor in determining whether or not you are even accepted into your future program and/or grad school. Plus, skipping class means that you have less of an opportunity to get to know the professor, and more importantly, for the professor to get to know you.  This may not matter much now, but in the future when you’re applying for scholarships, study abroad trips, or graduate school, you’ll need teacher recommendations. Making a connection with more teachers now will give you more options for great recommendations later. One of my greatest teacher recommendations came from my professor in a Gen Ed class that I struggled in. After visiting her in office hours, and attending every class, I was able to get to know her well and she could vouch that I was willing to work hard for a good grade. On the other hand, if you’re skipping smaller classes, the teacher will notice and will be less likely to want to tell others what a great student you are. 

Excuse #4 – “ I’m paying for school so I should be able to decide if I go or not”

Below is a chart of tuition rates for undergraduates at the University of Kentucky. Using the numbers that relate to your specific situation to calculate the cost of each class meeting.

1. Divide the tuition that pertains to your situation by the number of credits you are taking this semester to calculate per credit costs.

2. Multiply that number by 3 for the number of credits earned for any individual class.

3. Divide that number by the number of class meetings this semester.

            a. 30 for TR classe

            b. 45 for MWF classes

You’ve now found the amount of money you’re wasting for every class you miss!

Per Semester Full-Time Tuition and Fees
Undergraduate Lower Division
Resident	$4,838.00
Non-Resident	$9,932.00
Undergraduate Upper Division
Resident	$4,978.00
Non-Resident	$10,065.00

 This means, depending on your status, you’re spending between $18 - $82 per class. While it’s true that you have the freedom to decide whether or not you go, any excuse to miss class better be worth this amount of money to you. Somehow the nap you desperately desire or the lunch date with friends during class time seems a little less important.

Excuse # 5 – “I’m way too busy to go to class.”

You’re behind in another class, you need to go to the bank, and you really need to start on job applications for the summer. You’re just too busy today to go sit in class for a few hours. According to Timothy Kroboth, a student columnist for the Kentucky Kernel, students still have plenty of time. “You may protest that your time is too valuable to attend class, but consider that a week has 168 hours. If you carried 15 credit hours and went to every class, you would have 153 hours left to do whatever you wanted every week.”  That’s 153 hours to cram in all the “me” time any student could possibly want.
Also, consider the time that you would have to spend outside of class catching up on the things you missed. Skipping eventually can become a habit and students almost always have to expel more effort trying to recover and catch up then they would have if they had just gone to class.


Resources:
TimothyKroboth's Kentucky Kernel Article

Have YOU Taken the GRE Yet?

Nicole Brown, Marketing Intern

With the start of every new semester, students move closer to graduation and their future plans. Some have known what they’ve wanted to do since they were five, many have only discovered recently, and still more remain unsure.

Regardless of your plans or lack of plans, consider taking the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). The GRE is a standardized test required for admission into many graduate programs. It is intended to measure general verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, analytical writing and critical thinking skills and therefore gauge your level of preparedness for graduate level schoolwork.

As The Study’s GRE Prep Course Coordinator Jennifer Cook said, “The GRE is just one of the tools admissions committees use to make decisions about graduate school applicants.  However, having a great GRE score is one way to help you stand out against other students that may have a similar GPA or work experience. “

Reasons to take the GRE:

• The scores are good for 5 years. 
• You may not plan on going to graduate school right now, but you never know what the future holds. Taking the test while you’re still in school and are used to studying and test-taking will likely yield much better results than if you decided to take it 3 years after graduating.
• “Since getting tests scores back can take a while to receive and send to schools, it is great to have that done in case you decide later in a year that you'd like to apply to grad school.  
• So what kind of score should GRE takers aim for? Cook explained that score goals would vary from student to student and section to section. Those wishing to pursue a graduate degree in math, for example, will want a higher math score.
• The key number: 150 is the middle range for each subject score, so a good minimum score goal is usually an average between math and verbal of 300.
• Cook’s recommendations for setting a reasonable score goal: 
• Start by taking a free online practice test and seeing what range you score falls.  
• Then go to the website of schools you want to apply to and find out what their admissions standards are (some will give you no information, some will tell you minimum scores, and some will tell you the average score people who were accepted made; if you can find out the average score of people accepted that is the best).  
• Then, using your knowledge of your practice score and the scores of the schools you are interested in, set something reasonable for both sections.
• More and more schools are accepting it.
• Unlike more specific tests, the GRE is accepted by thousands of graduate and business schools. Whether you’re pursing a Master’s, MBA, or Ph.D., or applying for a fellowship, GRE scores are often part of the process. “Though some schools or departments may also accept other tests, the GRE is very widely accepted and typically the most popular test used for graduate admissions,” Cook said. 
• The things you learn while studying for the GRE can benefit you elsewhere.
• “I [don’t] remember all the words I studied preparing for the verbal part of the GRE, but I definitely improved my vocabulary and it has helped me in work and school,” Cook said.
• It’s not very expensive. 
• Though $160 is not cheap, it is significantly less expensive than many post-graduate admission exams. The MCAT and GMAT, for example, are each more than $200.

Spend a little time to take the GRE now, and save yourself a potential headache in the future. For more information or to register, visit the GRE website.

Other Common Graduate School Admission Tests and Abbreviations:

• GMAT: Graduate Management Admission Test
• Students that want to pursue an MBA or other management program may take this exam. However, the GRE is becoming more widely accepted and many of the schools that used to require GMAT scores now accept GRE scores.
• LSAT: Law School Admission Test
• MCAT: Medical College Admission Test
• DAT: Dental Admission Test
• OAT: Optometry Admission Test

Decided to take the GRE and keep your options open for the future? Take a GRE Prep Course at The Study! We offer one course for the math section and one course for the verbal section, for just $100 per class. For more information or to register, visit our GRE Prep Course page or contact Jennifer Cook by phone at 859.257.1356 or email at Jcook514@gmail.com. 

Fighting Boredom on a Budget

Kasey Prater, Marketing Intern

As humans, we are creatures of habit. If you are like me, I find myself shopping at the same grocery store, picking the same treadmill at the gym and doing my laundry on the same day each week. Most days just seems like one big routine. I often dream of having unlimited funds and being able to buy whatever I want. That would make life interesting. Unfortunately, that’ just a dream and my real life revolves around a budget. So what can we do to spice up out daily lives? Below are some tips on how to fight boredom on a budget.

Updating your apartment/home

• The least expensive way to update your home is to rearrange your furniture.  It’s like coming home to a different house.  If your budget permits, buy a new rug or a gallon of paint and add some color to home. If you have roommates, always check with them to see if they are open to your interior design ideas.
• Do some spring cleaning! A little cleaning can make your place look brand new.
• If your home is looking a little dull, try consignment store hopping. Most of the furniture or decorations are cheap and easy to refurbish. Visit your local Goodwill and hunt for gems that would fit perfectly in your home. Check out this Furniture Rehab and Repair website for some ideas and instructions on how to make old things look new again.

Changing your look/style

• Try changing your current hairstyle.  If you have always been a long haired kind of person, how about trying a shoulder length cut.  Or if you have dark hair, how about going blonde?
• Try going through your closet and donating unwanted clothes to charity. An empty closet calls for new clothes.
• Do you want a new wardrobe but can’t afford it? Follow these tips on how to shop for clothing on a budget.
• Pick up a hobby. 
• Do you enjoy reading or have always wanted to write your own short story?  Find a local writers club or sign up for a membership at http://www.writing.com which helps aspiring writers brainstorm and share their work with other writers. 
• Write in a daily journal. Letting out your innermost thoughts can be a great tool for managing stress.
• Love music? Learn how to play an instrument! Find a local music store and sign up for guitar lessons or find a piano teacher and tickle the ivories. 

Working out or Getting Fit

• Working out is a great way to spend your free time. Not only is it physically beneficial, in terms of losing weight or gaining muscle, but also it’s mentally and emotionally rewarding. You’ll feel healthier and more confident.
• Join a gym. By becoming a member of a gym, you also become a member of a community and meet new people.
• If you don’t have money for a gym membership there are many online sites that offer free workout videos that you can do in the comfort of your own home. Check out this article to find a site that suits you.

Shake up your system

• Try something different for breakfast or experiment with different recipes. Having the same things for dinner can get old. Trying new foods can be very exciting and fun to prepare. Read this article for 15 dinners under $1.50: cheap, easy and delicious.
• Take a different, more scenic route to school or work. A new course can be refreshing and rewarding.

Life can get boring, but we are capable of spicing it up in some very inexpensive ways. By not getting bored in our daily lives, we can be more productive and happier people in general. 

New Year's Non-Resolutions

Nicole Brown,  Marketing Intern

From weight loss to stress reduction to better money management, many people start each new year off with the same thing: a resolution. They resolve to improve something about themselves, sometimes in a major way. But rather than look at any change as a major overhaul, try breaking up every goal into manageable pieces and then creating a reasonable plan. Use any of the tips below, individually or in combination, to start your new year and new semester off on the right foot.

Organization:

• Use an agenda.
• Find an agenda you can carry around with you, be it your phone, your iPad, or a good, old-fashioned paper one, and use it. Write down tests, assignment due dates, appointments, social engagements, meetings and anything you need to remember.
• Make To-Do Lists
• A daily or weekly listing of all you need to accomplish not only organizes your thoughts, but also gives you the satisfaction of crossing items off the list as you finish them. Try making separate lists for school, work, and miscellaneous, and always choose a short enough time period to include that you won’t get stressed by the number of items on the list.
• Pick your method and stick to it
• Do you prefer to hand-write notes or type them? If you’re going to be hand-writing all of your class (or work) notes, use a color-coded binder or folder and notebook system to keep things straight.
• If you’re a computer person, make folders, and lots of them! Organize your documents by class, date, or subject, whatever makes sense to you. And keep a notebook and folder around for any loose papers, which you can then scan into your computer and save as a .pdf.
• Try tools like Dropbox or Evernote, whose online natures allow you to synchronize notes and files between any computer, smartphone, or tablet.
• Start with a clean slate
• A cluttered home or office can be distracting and even stressful. Go through your closet and donate the clothes you never wear, sort through any stacks of paperwork, and generally spruce up. 

Relaxation:

• Breathe
• When you feel yourself become stressed, pause, close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths to clear your mind. Then, reassess whatever was making you stressed as calmly as possible.
• Yoga
• The combination of stretching and breathing is a good way to relax as well as good for your body! Drop in on a class or try Yogatailor. It’s $8/month for customized yoga workouts whenever you want them.
• Meditation
• The power of our thoughts can be amazing. Take a few minutes every day to reflect, think on your life, and focus on a goal. Envision yourself reaching your goal and it might just become easier to get there.
• For more stress relief tips and ideas, check out our relaxation story. 

Health:

• Physical:
• Make small changes
• Replace one can of soda per day with a glass of water, and you can cut out roughly 50,000 calories per year. That’s a small change with a big impact.
• Set your utensils down between each bite you take at meals. This forces you to eat more slowly, allowing your body to process and realize when it becomes full, helping you avoid overeating.
• Set fitness goals
• Set small goals. For example, start out doing ten push-ups every morning, then build when that becomes easy for you.
• Find an exercise that you enjoy. Working out suddenly becomes a lot easier when it includes friends and dancing! Not sure where to start? Find something here.
• Mental:
• Tune up your brain
• Make a free account with Lumosity. After a quick customization process, they’ll recommend brain training games and a training program, just for you. To unlock full access, you need a paid account, but the free one provides access to a decent number of games.
• Play games with your friends! Popular free games like Words with Friends and Ruzzle make you think. Just download them in your smartphone’s app store and play away.
• Stay positive
• This goes hand in hand with meditation: your thoughts have a big impact on the way each day goes. Thinking positively helps you keep a positive attitude, which keeps you ready to tackle new challenges.
• Surround yourself with positive people. As humans, we mirror those around us. So by surrounding yourself with positive people, you make it easier on yourself to keep a positive attitude.

Connections:

• Network
• Every day is a chance to make new connections. Classmates, teachers, the people working job fair booths: they are all potential members of your network. The more people you connect with, the easier a job search becomes and the larger your support network becomes.
• Join LinkedIn and actively participate. Connect with friends, family, classmates, and colleagues, virtually. You can even recommend people. It’s a simple way to find internships or jobs. Learn the ins and outs of LinkedIn by reading our LinkedIn story.
• Find a mentor
• As you face challenges at any point in your life, it’s important to remember that others have faced similar challenges. Finding a mentor is a great way to find inspiration, a springboard for ideas, and a glimpse into your possible future. Use these tips for finding the mentor or mentors that are right for you.
• Reconnect with old friends
• Going away to college, moving for a job, or any other big changes often result in leaving friends behind. Just because you aren’t physically there with these people, doesn’t mean you can’t reach out. Call or email an old friend and see how they’re doing. Still in the same area? Set up lunch to catch up. Our connections with people are so key to a fulfilled life. Don’t let those you care about slip away. 

Budget:

• Set a budget
• It’s easy to overspend at the mall or while you’re out with your friends, but you’re more likely to stay money savvy if you set a budget in advance. Figure out how much money you have coming in, what your expenses are, and how much money you have left over. Decide how much you’ll save and how much you’ll spend.
• Try bringing the amount you’ve budgeted to spend with you in cash when you go out. Once the cash is gone, you’re done spending.
• Keep a close eye on your account
• Write everything down. Keeping track of your spending serves a dual purpose: it shows you when and where you tend to spend the most and verifies that there are no unauthorized transactions.
• Most banks have an online access portal, including a smart phone app. Use these for easy tracking! They also often come with spend analyzers to tell you where all your money goes. Notice you’re spending way too much money eating out at restaurants? Start choosing more budget friendly options and see how it changes your analysis.
• Open a savings account
• It’s always great to save money, but especially while you’re in college, your saved money might become emergency spending money. Open a high yield online savings account. That way, your money is making a decent interest rate but is still easily accessible. Try one of these accounts.
• For more budget tips, read our budget story.

The important thing to remember is that everybody is different—you have to figure out what will work for you in order to be successful.