On February 16th, 2020, I flew to Senegal, Africa, and my time there was life changing. 

 

My high school had a club called “Students for Senegal” that I was a part of for three years. We did bake sales, fundraisers, all contributing to making a learning center for the children of Senegal to have access to an education. My junior year of high school, we got to see the learning center open.

 

I will never forget the warm welcome the children gave us. They would hug us and express their gratitude towards us. They looked at the learning center in awe like it was the best thing they have ever seen. It reminded me of how lucky I am to always have educational opportunities in my life. 

 

These students also taught me to appreciate the little things in life. I brought a soccer ball, old shoes, and some old clothes and gave them to the students. The excitement in their eyes was nothing I had ever seen before. Though I did not speak the same language as them, I could tell how thankful they were.

 

I handed one of the girls my age my phone for google translate. She wrote, “I am so thankful for you guys. One day I will go to America.” 

 

Every night I slept in a comfortable bed; they were sleeping on a crowded dirt floor. Every time I bought new shoes; they were wearing broken ones that did not fit them anymore. This trip made me realize my privilege has a responsibility to help others and use my resources.

 

If you ever have the opportunity to help others; do it. Helping others puts things into perspective and embrace a new mindset. Since this trip, I have kept a gratitude journal and written down all the things I am grateful for. It makes you realize that the things you consider small, others would consider large.

Eating disorders can affect individuals of all age groups and backgrounds. But it’s during college when young people, especially women, are more exposed to the possibility of an eating disorder. 

 

There are a lot more responsibilities and insecurities that a college student deals with. It is the first time many people are moving away from home and there will be nobody to keep an eye on your behavior. Although it’s a touchy subject people tend to avoid, it needs to be talked about. People are afraid to talk about eating disorders because it is so sensitive. It makes it seem like these behaviors are normalized and that nothing should be done. The most important thing to do is to open up those conversations and check in on your friends.

 

According to a 2006 survey conducted by the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), nearly 20% of college students indicated that they have or previously had an eating disorder. People need to look out for others struggling and seek professionals. This is a real issue that people struggle with every day and it gets brushed over as an issue for only privileged white girls. This issue affects everyone, and all kinds of people should feel support.

I do think that eating disorders are an issue at Lehigh and I have heard a lot of conversations about going to the gym just to lose weight or restricting themselves to food. I think this issue will continue to be prevalent if there is not more awareness spread.

Tips on how do help other people:
If you notice your friend barely ate anything, offer them some more food or tell them they shouldn’t leave on such an empty stomach. You should also encourage people that are putting themselves down that they don’t need to change themselves and look good the way they are. You should listen to them non-judgmentally and encourage them to talk to a family member or seek professional help. It’s hard to help someone with eating problems, but the first thing to do is to talk about it.

How to stay productive in college

 

The transition from high school to college is a big challenge for many people. Making time for a social life while attending all your classes and studying can be very hard to balance.

 

Through this adaptation, I have learned many ways to stay productive in college while having room for doing activities and hanging out with friends. One of the most beneficial things I started to do was making a list of everything I had to do and starting with the most important task. I used to have a lot of trouble with my time management figuring out where to start. In high school, everything felt a lot more spread out and I didn’t have to plan out my work as much. Now, I find it very helpful to not procrastinate and get the hardest thing out of the way.

 

Another thing that is really important is to find the right environment. In the beginning of my first semester, I thought I would be able to do work in my dorm. I later found out that I am much more productive in a study room at the library or sitting outside somewhere on a nice day. It is hard to focus with a roommate and staying in a dorm does not motivate someone to do work.I also make sure I bring a snack and water wherever I go so I am able to stay there for a long period of time. It’s also helpful to switch up where you are studying so you don’t get bored of that location.

 

Though all of these things are important for staying on task, I think the most important thing is to allow yourself to have breaks and not overwork yourself. If you are not eating a good breakfast or getting enough sleep your brain will not function properly and the work won’t even be good. If you feel something is off, it is most important to listen to your body and take care of it. It is important to make sure that you are not neglecting you friends and family and making room for things that you enjoy.

 

Having a dog is a lot of responsibility, but it comes with a cuddly companion and tool to alleviate stress and anxiety. Though many people love their dog, they are unaware of how it helps them have a better life. My dog, Blondie, provides me unconditional love and just the act of petting her makes me happier. Not only does my dog make me feel better, but having the responsibility of taking care of her can provide structure. Along with mental health benefits, there are also a lot of physical benefits. Since my family got my dog around two years ago, I have felt a lot more in shape and active. There are increased opportunities to exercise and forces me to go outside even when I don’t really want to. It also has more social opportunities like meeting other dog owners around the neighborhood. Dogs are not the only type of pet to provide emotional and physical support, all pets can make a family or individual happier. Ever since my family has gotten our dog around a year ago, she has provided so much happiness and uplifted me on my most stressful days. Whether I’m taking her on a walk or petting her I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. She gives me something to focus on, which distracts me from my personal stressors. The daily walking helps me organize my thoughts and when I am away from home I miss doing that. My dog gets excited over almost anything and appreciates the smaller things in life. The small tangible things my dog appreciates are a walk on a summer evening, a good meal, a swim, rest on the kitchen floor. The fact that we wake up every morning well and healthy is a good enough reason to be happy, and my dog reminds me of that. I encourage everyone I know to get a dog because of all the positive contributions I have gotten from one.