Mount Hood

An ongoing quest for confidence

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

Previously, for this publication, I described the struggle I had with finding self-confidence. After ups and downs, and years of self-discovery and finding faith within myself, I was finally able to come to an acceptance of who I am, who I want to be and who I will choose to be. I was able to find techniques that made this an easier task, such as exercise. Working out greatly improved my self-esteem. I thought I had figured it out. However, this wasn’t necessarily true.

After publishing my original article “Searching for self-confidence” in issue 2, I reached a new obstacle: my workload was so heavy that finding time to work out was almost impossible. Again, my confidence plummeted. It was then that I realized: confidence cannot be rooted from only my actions, but from my perception of myself. Of course, actions are a large reflection of who a person is, but ultimately, I wanted to be confident in myself without having to justify it with my actions.

My confidence is something that is now greatly improving with a simple act: reassurance. Telling myself that I am able and that I am worth it can be greatly useful. It can feel uncomfortable to speak this way, or to have to reassure yourself of these things, but by forcing myself to repeat it, I slowly began to believe it.

By no means is confidence something that comes easily to me. It’s a daily struggle. However, it’s a struggle that I grow from everyday. Slowly, I can feel myself becoming more confident in situations where I normally don’t feel this way.

I know that I am not the only student at Western who can relate to this feeling. It’s overwhelming, daunting and can make the simplest tasks feel difficult. Clearly, I don’t have an exact, specific answer for anyone who is in need of one, but I urge those in need of answers to look for it through your own experiences. No two journeys to self-confidence are going to be identical; each person will have their ups and their downs.

My advice to anyone struggling with this is to look to those they care about for support. Sometimes, moments of reassurance can be found from those we love, if it’s too much of a difficulty to find it in yourself. For many, there’s nothing easy about getting to a point of high self-confidence, but with the help of others, it can certainly ease the hardships.

 

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

Resume organization made simple

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

As the year comes to a close, the search for the ideal summer job begins. Wherever students may look, there’s one component that is almost always needed: a fine-tuned resume. An applicant’s resume is often the first thing an employer will see, therefore, it’s necessary that it’s well put together. This first impression could be the difference between whether an applicant does or doesn’t get a position.

When putting together a professional looking resume, there are some tips students should keep in mind.

“Choose a different font from the defaults,” Dr. Lars Soderlund, professor of technical and workplace writing, commented. He added that the basics are all too familiar “and may make it more likely for your resume to be overlooked.” Instead, opt for a less popular font that might help you stand out.

Soderlund also added that students should “choose a resume template that you like, and make sure it fits with what career you’re pursuing.”

Junior communication studies major Karina Lopez, a Student Learning and Career Development employee, noted that students should “definitely keep it to one page. Add in any current involvement or work experience.” For those who have a lot of experience and are unsure what to include, she added that students should come into the office with a master resume and they will help ween it down to the important items.

On the other hand, some students may struggle and feel as if they don’t have enough to include — however, there are options.

“Focus on education,” Soderlund said. “Students forget that they’re very qualified for a lot of jobs merely by virtue of being in college … if you don’t have a ton of work experience, I recommend starting your resume with Education and having (Western) at the top.”

Soderlund also noted that it’s important to “make the most of your experience … whatever you’ve done, find a way to generate bullets about it that reflect its importance.”

Whether a resume has been edited several times, or it hasn’t even been started, a good place to go for some extra advice or help getting started is the SLCD office. Once there, it’s important to keep an open mind.

“Sometimes students want it to look one way, but at the same time we know what will be most effective,” commented Lopez.

Even if a resume has been checked, edited and reworked time after time, it never hurts to get another set of eyes on it again.

“I would definitely recommend coming in as many times as you can … coming in and polishing it off is great because feedback is always helpful,” Lopez mentioned.

Especially for graduating seniors, having a fine-tuned resume is of the utmost importance.

It should be written with care, and reviewed as frequently as possible to make sure it matches the job and hits all of the main points.

 

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

 

Showcasing creativity

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

Savannah Kumar, Biology Major

“It comes from the show ‘Parks and Recreation.’ It is one of my favorite shows and I feel like the quote is really applicable to anyone who is graduating, myself included. The things that we achieve in life are not only a testament to our own hard work, but also to the people who support us, love us and root for us along the way, and I really wanted to make sure that I highlighted that in my cap.”

Photo by: Savannah Kumar

Victoria Edwards, Biology Major
“I chose to decorate my cap with the iconic statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse at Disneyland and one of Walt Disney’s famous quotes. My parents have been bringing me (to) Disneyland since I was a little girl, so it has a special place in my heart. And I find Walt Disney’s story very inspirational, so I thought it would be the perfect representation of myself and my college experience.”

Photo by: Victoria Edwards

Jessica Freeman, Community Health Major

“There are a few reasons why I decorated mine the way I did. First, I have always been fascinated by the human heart, and my career will be based around cardiothoracic surgery — open heart surgery and the chest cavity. Also, while at (Western), it was the first time that I was willing to accept that I have very high anxiety … I learned that mental health is a very real and very important aspect of life. I have spent the last four years accepting that notion and working  on finding ways to manage my anxiety as I get closer to adulthood.”

Photo by: Jessica Freeman

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

 

Studying tips to help material stick

Rebecca Meyers | Freelancer

Students may have just finished midterms, but finals are fast approaching. The last few weeks of the term can be the most stressful — even more so when feeling underprepared. Having a study system can not only help combat this stress, but also ensure that students don’t sit down to a test and find themselves staring blankly at the first question.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind as students countdown to summer break.

 

Repetition

Repetition works wonders for retaining information. For those who look over notes every day, even if it’s only for five minutes, it will help information stick much better than cramming the night before. For those who find it difficult to read their notes without their mind wandering: try writing the important parts out again, as the act of writing forces the brain to process the information again. This works for memorizing anything: from vocabulary words and definitions, to formulas and equations.

 

Note Sharing

For those not feeling confident about the thoroughness of their notes and the lectures aren’t on Moodle: invite other classmates onto a Google Doc so everyone can compile notes. This allows students to go over them when they have time, rather than trying to coordinate a study group. Google Docs allows for comments to be made in the margins, and can be used to ask questions if someone needs clarification on a certain topic.

Of course, studying in a group in person works best for some people. However, everyone has different schedules to work with and if meeting before a test is not possible, it’s still an option to help each other out.

 

Environment

Students should be aware of the environment they study in and whether it’s helping or hindering their efforts. When studying at home, sometimes students don’t realize that a cluttered desk is adding to their stress. Those like me probably have trouble keeping everything nice and organized. This means that every so often it’s helpful to make a reminder to do some simple adjustments, even if it’s just tidying up a bit. It will relieve a bit of stress that some students carry without even realizing it.

 

Contact the author at rmeyers17@wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

Getting crafty with grad caps

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

When taking the step from being a Western student to a Western graduate, adding flair to a graduation cap to display during commencement can be the ideal way to stick out from the rest of the class. It gives graduating students one last opportunity to showcase who they are, whether it be through humor, a memorable quote or simply a design they think represents them well.

For those considering adding some style to their caps, it’s not too late. Designs can be intricate, simple or anything in between. Here is a quick description on how to form an idea and get going on making yours look distinguished from everyone else’s.

 

Find inspiration:

For some, their caps are a dedication to those who helped them get to this point; for others, it can simply be a statement of pride they have in themselves; and, of course, for some, graduation caps are based on a show, movie, book or other quotable material. To get inspiration on what to base a graduation cap on, students should think of what would best represent them. For those struggling to come up with something, a good idea would be to watch a movie that has meaning for them or to speak with someone of importance to them.

 

Purchase supplies:

The basics for decorating a graduation cap include colored or designed paper and cut out letters. This will ensure that it looks well put together and the letters are evenly sized. Anything beyond that depends on the cap; sparkles, studs or other fun flair are worth looking at to see if it might add to the look. Head to a craft store such as Michael’s or JOANN stores to look at all of the options.

 

Putting it together:

It’s important to take time on the project. Keep in mind, this is the cap that will be featured in every graduation photograph; when thinking back to commencement, this will be an image that will reappear. Take the time to fix up the small details, and have fun with it. Ultimately, all that matters is that the one who is wearing it is happy with the final product.

 

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

Take a bite out of these bagels

Zoe Strickland | Editor-in-Chief

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar

1 ¼ cups warm water

3 ½ cups flour (you can use bread flour, but regular flour is more useful to keep around)

1 ½ teaspoons salt

Any toppings you desire — I recommend Everything but the Bagel seasoning from Trader Joe’s

Extra flour for creating a non-stick counter surface

 

Adapted from sophisticatedgourmet.com

 

Directions:

This recipe takes around two hours, so it isn’t for those with scarce time but these bagels are pretty great, once prepared.

In a bowl with ½ cup of the warm water, add in the sugar and yeast — but don’t mix it. Let it sit for about five minutes, or until the mixture has become frothy.

In a separate large bowl, mix the flour and salt together. After it’s mixed, pour in the yeast mixture and the rest of the warm water. Combine into a rough dough.

Once combined, place the dough on a floured countertop and begin kneading it with your hands. After about 10 minutes, the dough should be able to form a smooth and firm ball.

Put the dough ball in a lightly oiled bowl and cover it with a damp towel for an hour. The dough should double in size. Once doubled, punch the dough down and let rest for around ten minutes.

While the dough is resting, bring a pot of water to a boil. Take the dough and place it back onto a counter, dividing it into eight evenly-sized pieces — or 12 to 16 if you want to make mini-bagels.

Take each piece of dough and roll it into a ball. Some people prefer to form the balls by pressing and rolling the dough against a counter, others prefer to roll the dough in between their hands.

Once the dough balls are formed, use your finger to punch a hole in the center of the ball, spinning the bagel around your finger to make the hole larger.

After all of the bagels are formed, put groups of them in the boiling water, flipping them over after a minute. Once all of the bagels have been boiled, place your selected toppings on them and put them on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Bake them in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until the bagels are golden.

Contact the author at journaleditor@wou.edu

Photo by: Zoë Strickland

Money management made simple

Lake Larsen | Digital Media Manager

There are a lot of lessons to be learned in college, but one of the most important is how to navigate the world of finances. I’ve laid out five simple things everyone should do to point themselves in the right direction financially.

 

1.Start a checking account

Starting a checking account is as simple as going to the local bank and speaking with a teller about how to start one and what fees are involved. Having an account is practically mandatory in today’s world.

  1. Develop a budget

Every person needs to know how much they should be spending on different bills and other random expenses. There’s no need to be exact on every cost estimate but, a general rule to follow is to always assume the expenses will spend a little more than they normally are. It allows some wiggle room in case something has gone up in price.

  1. Get a credit card

While most people think they don’t need one because they can just use their debit card, it is immensely more difficult to build credit without one. Owning and using a credit card is much easier to grow credit with as opposed to any other options. It’s not so much the card that matters as the credit score that someone develops with the card. An easy way to start and grow a credit score is to get a credit card (there are a lot of cards that have great benefits for students) and use that card to pay a small subscription fee then immediately pay off the balance.

  1. Get a checkbook

This is a simple thing that most young people overlook. While it’s not as common to see people pay for things with checks, everyone still needs a checkbook whether it be for paying rent, setting up direct deposits, a vast array of other reasons. They usually cost around $30 from a bank — and there are fun designs available for them.

  1. Balance your checkbook

This goes hand and hand with developing a budget. When ordering a checkbook, they usually come free with a Check Register, or they can be ordered online. Balancing a checkbook is easy; when something is bought, write down where they money was spent and for how much. Then, at the end of the week or month, add it all up and make sure it matches what your account says. This is an easy way to make sure there are no overcharges on a bill or account overdraws.

Contact the author at llarsen13@wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

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