Monday, February 23, 2009

Sleep is Good. Really!


The past two weeks went by like a blur so sorry for the lack of updates. Works piled up like crazy and my job slammed me with some crazy hours. Can't say its been boring though!

Today marks day 17 of the Omega 3 Challenge and I have to admit, except for the fishy burps, not much have changed. Then again, these pills are more for a preventative purpose than healing or rejuvenating purposes. Its an investment in my future health. B12 vitamins, on the other hand, are the nifty little pink gelcaps that give me a little pep in my step in the morning. 5am wakeups are less and less difficult and I'm not passing out by 10am.

Also, I've given myself a curfew.
That's right. 21 with a sleep curfew. Sleep is so important for us college students. Sure, all-nighters are a common thing but man, a night without sleep stinks! Check out WEBMD.com's list of effects.

  • Decreased Performance and Alertness: Sleep deprivation induces significant reductions in performance and alertness. Reducing your nighttime sleep by as little as one and a half hours for just one night could result in a reduction of daytime alertness by as much as 32%.
  • Memory and Cognitive Impairment: Decreased alertness and excessive daytime sleepiness impair your memory and your cognitive ability -- your ability to think and process information.
  • Stress Relationships: Disruption of a bed partner's sleep due to a sleep disorder may cause significant problems for the relationship (for example, separate bedrooms, conflicts, moodiness, etc.).
  • Poor Quality of Life: You might, for example, be unable to participate in certain activities that require sustained attention, like going to the movies, seeing your child in a school play, or watching a favorite TV show.
  • Occupational Injury: Excessive sleepiness also contributes to a greater than twofold higher risk of sustaining an occupational injury.
  • Automobile Injury: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates conservatively that each year drowsy driving is responsible for at least 100,000 automobile crashes, 71,000 injuries, and 1,550 fatalities.

There' s a reason why the new couches in the student center as so comfy. That's right. ~ naps ~

Saturday, February 7, 2009

The Omega-3 Challenge!


According to good ol' WebMD.com, "...the benefits of omega-3s include reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke while helping to reduce symptoms of hypertension, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), joint pain and other rheumatoid problems, as well as certain skin ailments. Some research has even shown that omega-3s can boost the immune system and help protect us from an array of illnesses including Alzheimer's disease."

So I'm, participating in the Health and Fitness class challenge. A couple of people are doing in from the 8am class and the 9:30am class. It's the "Omega-3 Challenge!" All we have to do is take a supplement of Omega-3 once a day and jot down any positive or negative changes in mood or energy. This is my day one.


Day One: I burped and it tasted like nori (seaweed used on onigiri and sushi). That's it so far.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Tax Time


If you know what's good for ya, and you receive Financial Aid to go to school, you're going to get up and do your taxes right now.

I did my taxes this past Wednesday. It was pretty quick and painless. (And I'm not getting paid to say this or anything but Jackson-Hewitt has a pretty good student discount on filing taxes.)

All you have to do is make sure you have all your W-2's and school documents if you pay anything out of pocket. According to my tax guy, that's a big mistake a lot of students make. If you pay any part of your tuition out-of-pocket, bring it up during your tax filing! It's probably a good idea to google "college student tax filing" to see if you get any special deductables. C'mon. A little prep work can go a long way (especially if it means a bigger return.) Remember, this is your own money you're getting back. Why not try to get as much as you deserve?

Right now, I'm updating parts of my FAFSA online. That's another helpful hint, FAFSA online saves the info you put in last year to make filling it out this year a lot faster. All you have to do is update your income info, update scholarship info and anything else that's changed financial between this year and last year. All you need is your PIN and your 1040 (and maybe your parents' tax info if you're still living at home.)

Don't wait for your Advisor and Financial Aid Counselor hunt you down to file this stuff out. It's fast, it's simple, and it's a great way to get rid of that giant "finance for school" weight off your shoulders.