Lifestyles The TOWER6

By JAMES REEVESTOWER contributor

As young adults between 18 and 29, we do not get the eight hours of sleep that we need to function at our best between classes, and in studies, sports, work and hav-ing a social life. Not getting an ad-equate amount of sleep can have a lot of negative effects, including death.

Each year 100,000 traffic ac-cidents happen on our nation’s roads, killing 1,500 people and in-juring 71,000 more. Young adults are responsible for half of these accidents. Studies by the National Sleep Foundation found that 36% of 18-to 29-year-olds had trouble getting out of bed and due to that , 22% are late to class or work.

An even more astonishing num-ber of 40% sleep in class or at work twice a week. Tiredness can also lead to irritability, frustration, stress, laps in abstract thinking and an inability to control emo-tions. So to help you better your sleep habits and your life, here are some tips.

First, get into a daily/weekly routine for each week. Do some-thing relaxing and be sure to go to bed at the same time every night. This does not mean you should go to bed at nine, but instead a time that you are comfortable with. To relax, I suggest reading a book, listening to music or taking a bath or shower. In order to allow your-self to relax, make sure your work

is done for the night early; i.e. do not procrastinate, which forces yourself to pull all-nighters later in the week.

My second tip is having a com-fortable sleeping area. Adjust the bed the way you like it and make the room dark and quiet. Our bod-ies react to the darkness, releasing chemicals in our brain that make us tired. So turn off the TV when trying to sleep.

Third, avoid using your bed for studying or watching TV; do your studying at a desk or library. Your body will get used to being in bed and doing work or entertainment and won’t see it as a place for sleeping.

Fourth, avoid naps. I know that there is nothing better than lying down after three long classes, but staying awake studying or being productive will help you fall asleep later. You’re only making those tired feelings worse by lying down.

Fifth, avoid eating heavy meals or snacks before bed. Your body will start the digestive process causing an increased heart rate and an inability to relax. Also, people that suffer from heart burn or indigestion will feel these ef-fects even more.

Finally, we are all very busy and have a lot on our minds so making a to-do list for the next day. This will help eliminate some of the stress and help you relax. I hope you find these tips helpful and sleep better, and longer, at night.

Sleeping Schedules Affect GradesBy NICK WIERYTOWER staff writer

We all know most college stu-dents are on tight budgets. Know-ing this and getting a job while attending college, students may sacrifice crucial study times to earn money. Depending on one’s finan-cial aid, some students are forced to work, while others choose to have some extra money. The supplemen-tary earnings are nice, but are they worth sacrificing study time that may negatively affect your grades?

The reason for attending college is to achieve a degree in a specific area. If you are going to get a job while attending school, you need to make sure your work sched-ule doesn’t counteract with your schooling. For example, if you have an exam to study for but are un-able to due so because of work, the outcome will most likely be a poor grade. Graduating means a high-er paying job (some stats say as much as $2 million over a lifetime); therefore, it is important to place your priorities on studying before work. If you need a day off because you feel your grades are slipping, don’t lie to your boss. Tell the truth and do it as early as possible; most of the time, the boss should under-stand.

Finding a job could be tough while attending school. If possible, try to find a job that is closely re-lated to your major and something you enjoy. By doing this, you’re not only getting experience in your

field, but also networking with people who may be able to help you once you graduate. Equally impor-tant, find something you enjoy. If you’re constantly working a gruel-ing shift that you despise, this may result in a build-up of unneeded stress on top of the stress of your schoolwork.

Senior Carly Pavlecic says she works because she has to pay off her school bills and to have spend-ing money. During the school week, she maintains a work-study job working a couple hours each day in the mail room at Bethany Col-lege. On the weekends, she serves and bartends at Wheeling Country Club for extra money. When asked if her job relates to her Communi-cations and Media Arts major she said, “Yes, because the people at the Country Club are very wealthy, well-rounded people and it’s nice to network for the real world and still maintain time for school.”

Having a job while attending col-lege can work out, as long as your schedule favors schooling. Sev-eral pluses are if you are able to do something that’s enjoyable and you’re doing something that may help out with your college degree.

Time management and priori-tizing are big factors in being suc-cessful with handling your job and school. Always remember, the rea-son for attending school is to earn a degree to have a better chance at an enjoyable and well-paid job.

By NICK WIERYTOWER staff writer

As midterms approach at Betha-ny College, a sense of anxiety be-gins to set in for many students. To do well on college exams, stu-dents must buy text books, read text books and have a grasp on the material for their intended courses. In order to “grasp” the most, both out of class and college in general, a student must learn how to study. To insure a passing grade on exams

and to graduate on time, students should learn to retain what they study and have good note-taking and time-management skills.

An important part to passing exams and doing well in college is to retain what you’re studying. To learn material, students vary in preference. Some students need dead silence, while others have trouble studying without music or television playing in the back-ground. Overall, it’s important to

find out where and what type of atmosphere you need in order to retain the course’s material.

Once you know where you want to study, it helps to know what to study. Taking good notes in class is an important part of knowing what to study. When taking notes, do not write down the lecture word-for-word. Instead, focus on applicable key points and phrases your pro-fessor repeats. Also, writing down questions asked in class (and the

answer, if given) is a good note tak-ing mechanism. Performing these tips with note-taking can help im-prove your study habits.

The most important element to be successful in college deals with time management. Reading the text a night before the test will cause more anxiety, rather than studying and looking over your notes a little each day.

An example of poor time manage-

Students Need to Revamp Their Study Skills in Order to Succeed

Advice on Working While in School

See Study Skills, page 8