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Lists

Best Study Spots On Campus

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Finals season is approaching and for many of us it is time to start putting our study plans into place. This time can be stressful and nerve-racking , but creating a schedule and sticking to it can help your grade. For me, I like to plan out when I will study for each of my exams. Another helpful tip I use is to make sure I am comfortable and focused  in the area I am studying. There are many different places to study and each of them have their pros and cons. Here is my list of the best places to study on campus.

  1. Study Rooms in the Residence Halls

Pros: These study rooms are very quiet and you also do not need to leave the comfort of your hall to trek to another spot. They also have whiteboards to help you study.

Cons: They are rarely empty because students fill them up real quick when no one is occupying them. 

2. Study Rooms on the 5th Floor in the Library

Pros: These spots are very private and provide a big area to study with friends. They also have TVs in the rooms incase you are working on something that needs to be presented.

Cons: These rooms are very hard to get and they are always taken by students. Also, there are not a lot of them.

 

This is a picture of my favorite study room. The room is very big, has a couch and many windows to look out!

3. Area Behind Starbucks

Pros: This is the perfect spot if you do not need to really focus on something. This area is close to Starbucks, so it is easy to get a pick-me-up while you’re studying. The big tables are also nice to spread your work on.

Cons: Sometimes this spot can get noisy because of its proximity to Starbucks. It also gets very busy around common hour.

4. The 6th Floor of the Library

Pros: This is the quiet floor of the library , so it is a very good place to go if you need to focus. There are also many individual desks.

Cons: Sometimes I feel self-conscious of the noise I am making which makes me uncomfortable. Many people go on this floor, so it is hard to find a seat.

5. Saxby’s

Pros: This is a great spot if you have work that does not require a lot of focus. This is also a good spot to meet with friends to get work done because of the large tables and location. It is also closer to the residence halls than the library or Starbucks.

Cons: It can get very noisy with people coming in to grab dinner or the music they play. During the day it gets very busy, so it is hard to study there.

If you have a favorite study spot, tweet us! Our username is @villehousing . Happy studying!

Cover photo courtesy of Canva. 

Lifestyle / Hall Life

Thanksgiving In the Halls

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Thanksgiving is right around the corner. This holiday celebrates thanking your loved ones and friends for everything they do and showing that you appreciate them. For college students, it also is a time to have a break from classes in order to celebrate the holiday. If you want to get a head start on the celebrations and create them here at Millersville, here are some ideas on how to kick off the holiday season with your friends.

  1. Host a “Friends-giving”

Use the kitchens in the residence halls to create a Thanksgiving dinner for you and all your friends!  Getting all your friends to pitch in to buy the supplies and actually cook the meal can be a fun and different way for you and your friends to spend a weeknight or weekend.  

2. Decorate Your Door For the Holiday

Decorating your door for the different holidays can get you into the holiday spirit and spread holiday cheer to the other residents. This can also give students time to be creative and show off their talents. You can see our Pinterest account for some ideas , our username is @villehousing .

3. Watch Your Favorite Thanksgiving Episodes of TV Shows With Your Friends

A bunch of TV shows have great Thanksgiving episodes. Every Thanksgiving, I make sure watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.  Also, I started a tradition with my college friends that we watch the Thanksgiving episodes of Friends and Gossip Girl together. This is a great way to relax and spend time with your friends while being festive. Here are the episodes incase you and friends want to watch them!

Thanksgiving episodes of friends

  • Season 1 episode 9
  • Season 2 episode 8
  • Season 3 episode 9
  • Season 4 episode 8
  • Season 5 episode 8
  • Season 6 episode 9
  • Season 7 episode 8
  • Season 8 episode 8
  • Season 9 episode 8
  • Season 10 episode 8

Thanksgiving episodes of Gossip Girl

  • Season 1 episode 9
  • Season 2 episode 11
  • Season 3 episode 11
  • Season 4 episode 10
  • Season 6 episode 8

4. Make a List of What You Are Thankful For

This may seem sappy, but at the end of the day this holiday celebrates all of the things we are thankful for. Taking the time to create a list, will make you realize all the great things and people in your life. You can even take it a step further and thank the people who mean a great deal to you.

5. Create Thanksgiving Themed Crafts With Your Friends

Remember in elementary school when we would make hand turkeys?  Why not do it now? This can be a fun and nostalgic way to celebrate the holiday and have a good time with your friends. Also, these can include other crafts as well, not just the famous hand turkey.

6. Volunteer

Thanksgiving can also be a great time to show your community you are thankful for them by volunteering. Taking the time to volunteer or donate supplies to make Thanksgiving dinner is a great way to give back to the community and make sure others have a great holiday as well.

We hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Announcements, Lists

World Kindness Day

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November 13th, is World Kindness day! This is a day celebrated annually on November 13th and promotes making the world a better place by spreading kindness and participating in good deeds. On this great day, people are encouraged to participate in spreading love and kindness . Celebrate with these fun and easy random acts of kindness!

Picture source: https://www.ftd.com/blog/celebrate/kindness-quotes

  1. Compliment your friends or random people.

Tell someone you like their outfit, or they have a great smile or tell them they are smart and ambitious. Being complimented is one of the best feelings in the world and can make someone happy for the whole day.

2. Say good morning to people you see on your walk to class.

This is a friendly and easy way to make a stranger’s day.

3. Pay it forward at Saxby’s or Starbucks.

If you haven’t heard of this concept, it occurs when you pay for the person’s item or coffee behind you. It is a sweet little surprise.

4. Write a handwritten note to your friend or favorite professor.

This shows the person that they are appreciated and doing a good job or being a great person.

5. Say thank you to someone you appreciate.

Saying thank you is a kind and sweet way to show someone that you care for them and recognize how they impact your life.

6. Make someone smile.

Smiling is contagious and can make someone feel happy. This can happen by telling a joke, a story or just by talking to them.

7. Send an uplifting text to a friend or family member.

This is a great way to make someone’s day who you cannot see everyday. I like to send my best friend from home a small little text each day to inspire her to keep going and to show her my appreciation of her!

Let’s make kindness here at Millersville the norm. Being kind to those around you will create a fun and friendly environment. “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”

Health & Wellness

How To Avoid Catching Colds On a College Campus

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It is getting to the point in the semester when almost everyone is sick or you know someone who is sick. Getting sick is one of the most inconvenient things to happen to a college student because all you want to do is rest and lie down, but you have classes and assignments due all week long. No one wants to deal with a stuffy nose, loud coughing, stomach-aches, fevers or headaches. If you want to try to avoid all of these symptoms make sure to follow these tips.  

 

  1. Get a Good Amount of Sleep Each Night

Getting the right amount of sleep can benefit you in many ways. The recommended amount of sleep for a college students is 7-8 hours a night , but that is easier said than done. Not getting enough sleep on one hand,  can weaken your immune system.

2. Wash Your Hands Regularly

Washing you hands regularly and especially before eating, can kill germs and prevent you from getting sick. It will be especially worth it in the long run  when you do not get sick while everyone else on campus is.

3. Eat Healthy

In college, it is especially hard to eat healthy all the time. Students are often tempted by fried , delicious food the dining hall serves and often times they are not eating all of the nutrients they need. If you incorporate fruits and vegetables into your diet, it is easier to stay healthy and receive the daily nutrients your body  needs.

4. Wipe Down Surfaces in Your Room Everyday

Most college students do not wipe down their surfaces everyday which leads to germs building up. If you take the time to wipe them down, it can prevent you from catching a cold within your own room.

5. Exercise

Participating in daily exercise is not only good for your body, but it is also strengthens your immune system. It can also help you to breathe better, sleep better and create better circulation for your body.

6. Stay Hydrated

Staying hydrated can benefit you in many ways. It can make you less tired and create a stronger immune system.

7. Get Vitamin C

If you get your daily intake of Vitamin C , you are way less likely to get sick. Vitamin C is linked to the protection against the immune system. Oranges are a great source of Vitamin C.

8. Get the Flu Shot

This is the easiest way to prevent the flu, but many students do not get it because they think they do not have enough time to, they are afraid of needles or they just do not feel like it. Health Services here at MU offer free flu shots for all students.

Make the time and effort to prioritize yourself and your health during the cold season!

Photos courtesy of Canva.

Events / Programs, Lifestyle / Hall Life

Halloween Door Decorating Contest

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With Halloween season coming to a close, West Village A picked a winner for their hall Halloween Door Decoration Contest. This year, the residence hall held a contest to see who can make the best door decoration and theme that was in the Halloween spirit. RA Cross and Rhys were the judges of this contest and they set out to find the best door. Many of the residents took the contest in many different directions. There were spooky, funny and very creative submissions. This contest was a great way for students to get into the Halloween spirit while creating some fun floor rivalry. Also, this was a great activity for roommates and suitemates to bond in order to make the coolest door. This activity was liked by many of the residents and allowed them to be creative and get their minds off of their load of schoolwork.

Although there were many awesome submissions, the judges picked the top door. The winners were Rebecca and Erin. Their door was very cool and the creators put a lot of attention on detail.

Here are some other great submissions for this contest.

This door was decorated by Christina, Elizabeth , Mya and Leticia.

This door was decorated by Hannah, Maggie, and  Bethany.

This door was decorated by Mark, Eric, Andrew and Leif.

If you decorated your door and want to show it off, share it with us on Instagram or Twitter. Our username is @villehousing . Be sure to see if your RA is having a winter themed door decorating contest!

Health & Wellness, Lifestyle / Hall Life

How To Decorate Your Room To Improve Your Mood

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The environment you live in can affect your mood and emotions in many ways. While you are in college and stressed by many classes and assignments, the last thing you want to worry about is a cluttered or stressful room. At the end of the day, you want to make sure that your room is relaxing to you and creates an environment where you feel safe. Throughout the years I have lived in the residence halls, I have discovered what types of things or decorations make me feel relaxed in my own room. Here are a list of helpful tips I learned about decorating a dorm room.

 

  1. Think about how colors change your mood.

Colors can be associated with different emotions and feelings. If you decorate your room to how you want to feel, it can create the type of environment you desire. For example, blues, greys and greens are naturally soothing colors and can create a relaxing environment. While on the other hand, rooms decorated in bright colors like pink, yellow and orange can lift your energy and your spirits. Try not to choose overly dark colors because they can translate into feeling gloomy and it also makes it hard to feel cheerful. I add bright colors to keep me energized and happy.

2. Clean up clutter.

If you have a cluttered desk or dresser, this can make you feel overwhelmed and stressed within your own room. By taking the time everyday to put items away, you can reduce the number of things that pile up over the course of the day. If you leave your items to pile up, this can also affect your sleep schedule and can lead to not getting a peaceful night of sleep.

 

3. Make your bed everyday.

I know that a lot of people say they do not have the time to do this, or think this is stupid, but doing this everyday can make you feel better. Along with making your room look nice and well kept, this can also prevent you from crawling back into bed after coming back from class. By doing this simple task every morning, you will feel more organized and keep you going all day long.

4. Decorate with items or pictures you love.

Create an environment with familiar faces and items . You will feel happy and more refreshed if you wake up to the sight of things you really love, like pictures of your loved ones or a poster of your favorite band or movie. I like to personalize my space by adding family photos and posters of my favorite bands.  

5. Decorate your mirror with inspirational quotes on post-it notes.

By displaying a few of your favorite inspirational quotes on your mirror, you will feel more confident and actually look forward to looking into the mirror. This is a simple trick to train your mind to experience more happiness and success.

These few little changes can affect your mood in the long run and help you stay more focused. If you follow any of these tips, let us know by tagging us on Instagram or Twitter. Our username on both of these sites is @villehousing .

Events / Programs, Lifestyle / Hall Life

‘Donut’ Stress Event

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On October 24th, West Village A hosted an event called Donut Stress. During this event, students were able to express their sources of stress and learn more ways to deal and cope with it. Along with learning about stress, students were offered free donuts and coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts.

Throughout the semester, it is very common for students to feel stressed and overwhelmed. This event showed students that many other students are feeling the same way and that they are not alone. At this event, students were asked to write down what was stressing them on a sticky note and then post it on a paper that had a tip for reducing stress for the students to try.

Many of the causes of stress for Millersville students include classes, exams, sleep schedules , registration for next semester, relationships, tuition, and class readings. Many of these subjects are very stressful for every student who goes here , but there are ways to cope with these concerns. For example, the RA who designed this event displayed coping mechanisms on the sheet where students wrote what was stressing them. These techniques included communicating, going for a walk, utilizing counseling services, taking a long shower, spending time with friends or family and taking deep breaths. Other examples can also be watching  a movie, listening to music, doing something that makes you happy, exercising and talking to professors.

This was a great event to help students destress and enjoy a treat they deserve. RA events can be a great way for students to meet new friends and have a great and fun time. Make sure you look for similar or other events that are going on in your residence hall!

Announcements, Lifestyle / Hall Life

Fall Hall Events

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Millersville Housing & Residential Programs love to show their fall spirit. With Halloween right around the corner, we are right in the center of the fall season. With fall comes along pumpkins and Halloween festivities. Within our residence halls, students have been celebrating the season by attending events held by our Resident Assistants , better known as RAs.

RAs try to create programs to help students celebrate the season and also have fun while doing so. One of the events that was held to aid in doing so was the Pumpkin Painting Party that took place in West Village A , but was also open to the whole West Village. During this event , residents were able to come out with their friends to paint a pumpkin which they could display outside of their door for decoration. This residence hall is having a door decoration contest, so many students were eager to create a great pumpkin to add to their door display. A pumpkin painting party was a perfect event for students to talk and meet other students as well as to get into the holiday spirit.

One resident , Allie, said,  “It’s relaxing.”

Pashence said , ” This activity brought out my Halloween spirit! It’s the season to paint pumpkins.”

Other great events have been held in other halls as well. If you live in the residence halls and want to gear up for the spookiest day of the year, see if your RA has any event flyers posted on your floor or you can ask them if any events are going on.

Many of the residence halls are having a door decoration contest, so make sure to decorate your door for a chance to win a prize. Also if you live in East Village B, there will be a Halloween Party on October 28th at 7pm , be sure to check it out because there will be food, music and plenty of fun. In South Village, there will be Halloween crafts on October 30th and a scary movie night and costume party on November 3rd, so make sure to check out these activities as well.

Events / Programs, Lifestyle / Hall Life, Social Advocacy / Justice

Social Advocacy Living-Learning Community

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Located in West Village Suites on Millersville’s campus is the Social Advocacy Living- Learning Community, which engages 20 undergraduate students. A living-learning community, also known as an LLC, is a group of students who live together in the same residence hall and share similar academic or other interests. These communities are designed to encourage student engagement through designed co-curricular learning activities.

Each community is themed and groups students with similar majors or interests together to create an environment that helps students gain skill sets such as effective communication skills, and networking skills among many others. These communities offer these students a unique residential experience that can provide them with skills inside and outside of the classroom. Within these living-learning communities, students may take advantage of tutoring, guest speakers, cultural programs, career workshops, community service, and research projects.

The Social Advocacy  Living-Learning Community that we have here on campus was created for Anthropology, Psychology, Social Work, and Sociology majors. According to Dr. Karen Rice, Department Chairperson for the School of  Social Work and adviser for the Social Advocacy Living-Learning Community, this LLC is centered around social advocacy and empowers students to be aware of  cultural and social diversity within our society. Students who participate are passionate about advocacy, equity, social justice, and inclusion.

Dr. Karen Rice has provided some information about the program and activities her students have been participating in . She said, “Since our inception this fall, our students have engaged in team building exercises learning ways to communicate and enhance trust. They have explored their own identities and that of others and identified ways to foster change and build capacity. ”

She also touched on the specific activities her students are participating in. “Some of our students participated in the United Way Day of Caring.  Additionally, our students had the opportunity to learn, first-hand, from a Syrian refugee the challenges faced in obtaining employment and ways others are assisting in overcoming those hurdles. Our students participated in a cooking class led by one of the Syrian refugee women. This experience not only fostered compassion but allowed our students to explore their own assumptions by trying something new and hearing personal stories .”

Overall, this program is very important and is a great way for students to be able to build a positive community, and positive social change. To find more information about living-learning communities, check out our website .

Lifestyle / Hall Life, Lists

Barista Picks My Drink for a School Week

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I am a coffee-addict and coffee has become a staple in my everyday routine. But, sometimes I never know what to get, so I resort to buying the same drink every time. So instead of trying new things, I buy a medium , hot or iced depending on my mood, vanilla latte with almond milk. This week I wanted to experiment with one of this season’s trends on Youtube, so I asked the baristas everyday of this week to make me their favorite drink or a random drink and to see what I would be given. These drinks can range from any type meaning they could be a latte, frozen drink, hot chocolate or iced coffee and so on.

This is a fun and different experience that opened me up to trying new drinks and seeing what other people like to drink. So every time I bought coffee during this week, I documented the name of the drink I got and I also took a picture of the drink. I went to the Starbucks on campus and Saxby’s so, I will also say which place the drink is from.

Day 1 – White Chocolate Maple Pecan Latte 

Starting the week off, I went to the Starbucks in McNairy Library. When I ordered the drink, I asked the student worker what her favorite drink was and she said she recently has been getting this drink because the Maple Pecan is a seasonal flavor. My first sip of this drink was interesting. Overall, the drink was delicious and tasted like a french toast hot chocolate. I would definitely recommend trying it.

Day 2 – Raspberry Caramel Macchiato

The next day, I went to Starbucks once again. This time it was a different barista that gave me a drink idea. This time I was recommended to try a caramel macchiato but add in a few pumps of raspberry. This was a unique drink because it tasted like a fruity dessert. I thought it was delicious and it was also a cool experience because the raspberry syrup tints the drink a pink color.

Day 3 – Iced Chai with Almond Milk and a Pump of Caramel

This drink may seem complex ,but it was worth the lengthy order. I went to Saxby’s for this drink. The barista said that she liked this drink a lot and that it was good iced or hot. Once I tried this, I loved it. I usually love chai, so it was a great twist and added an extra nutty taste from the almond milk.

Day 4 – Vanilla Iced Latte with Almond Milk

I thought that it was ironic that the drink that was recommended to me because it just so happens to be my favorite drink to order. I ended up getting this drink from Starbucks. I recommend this drink to anyone because it tastes good hot or iced and has a very unique taste! I was also very excited that our library had the new cup lids that do not need straws.

Day 5 – Marshmallow Mocha

On the last day I went to Saxby’s. I asked the barista to make me her favorite drink. She had to think about that , but then asked another barista what her favorite drink was. The second barista said her favorite drink was a marshmallow mocha. I thought this drink sounded so good and interesting. As soon as I tasted the drink, I loved it! It tastes just like a s’more in my opinion, I would definitely give this one a try .

Overall this has been a very cool experience and I recommend trying it for yourself. My favorite part about doing this experiment was seeing what someone else’s favorite drink was and seeing them get excited about it. If you try any of these drinks, make sure to share it with us on Twitter or Instagram. Our username is @villehousing.

Happy sipping!