The Rock Blog

As sad as it is naps are probably the only that can make a horrible day better.  They can make a slow day go fast.  They can make a sad day slightly happier and they can definitely make a sleepy day less sleepy.  However, sometimes naps can turn sour.

When we were younger most dreaded naps and would not want to take them, but as we have grown up and matured, sometimes naps are the only thing that help us through the day.  I am pretty sure that most of us college students would prefer to have nap time scheduled in to our classes each day, just so we could catch up on a little sleep.

Unfortunately, when we are overly tired, these naps tend to last a long time and it’s always when we don’t have the time for them to do so.  More often then not, laying down to take a one-hour long nap ends up turning into a sleeping fiesta and leaves you waking up four hours later.  The only excuse that makes one feel slightly better about the long lasting sleeping spell was the fact that you probably needed the extra rest.  However, after that it is always a mad-dash to get everything done in a small amount of time since most of it was spent asleep.

In the end though, you are able to power through because of the nap.  So hopefully, all of your naps to come are helpful in some way or another and are just as enjoyable and sleeping on a cloud.

Rest up SRU!!

-Stephanie-

I know in high school we all can’t wait to get done.  We all just want to be out and away from our home towns and our family supervision.  We want to be on our own and making our own decisions and not having to answer to authority.

At the same time though, there are those times when all we want is the comfort of our parents.  We all lean on them for the comfort and support that we all still desire no matter how old we are.

It is basically the same in college.  However, sometimes things tend to change a bit.  Instead of always relying on family, we all turn to our friends and loved ones.  Leaving college is just like leaving your family and friends in high school.  Instead of leaving your parents though, you are leaving your friends that made you feel as if you were at home.  They were your family away from home.  They were the ones that you stayed up talking to all night; they were the ones you turned to when times got rough; they were the ones you were with when the nights turned to mornings.

No matter where you may end up, even if it is half way around the word, you know that if you needed them, they would be there for you.  It’s times like these looking back on them, that makes it so hard to grasp that college does have to come to an end unfortunately.  It’s times like these that I don’t want college to end.

-Stephanie-

P. A. R. E. N. T. S. Sometimes this is a dreaded word, but at others it is your saving grace.

They can be the best people in your life and they can be the worst.  There are moments that you may wish you are on your own and then there are others that you do not want to leave your parents’ side.

Sometimes, you cannot stand their rules or their guidelines, but you have to follow them because you do not have a choice and no matter how grown-up and mature we think we are, we still need them in our lives.  Even being the self-sufficient college students that we are, it does not mean that we can go on living with out the most important people in our lives.

However, when we take a step out into the real world and turn back and our parents are not there it is a real wake-up with some undesirable side-affects.  It is one that can be quite difficult if it is not dealt with the right way.

So, keep your cool and try to work things out smoothly.  Keep a level head on your shoulders and keep pushing through.  You will make it and it can only get better as the time goes.

-Stephanie-

We are all at that point in time, where we all just want to be done.  No more tests, quizzes, exams, group projects, or presentations; we just want to be done.  Summer vacation cannot be soon enough.

There are so many activities going on and class work is the last thing we want to be doing.  I mean not only is Brantley Gilbert coming to campus, but also Big Sean as well.  Relay for Life is coming up and the sports teams are gearing up for the main part of their competition season.

Unfortunately, we are also at that point in the semester where this is when our efforts matter the most.  This is where your grades either make or break you.  So many times we study and study all night long for it to pay off, but then there are others, where no matter how long we study we are doomed for defeat anyways.  Hopefully, though, for everyone’s sake, it turns out positive.

So, as hard as it seems, buckle down for the last few remaining weeks and summer will be here before you know it!!

Good Luck Rock!!

-Stephanie-

So it is about that time again where everyone is running wild.  It is coming to not only the end of the semester, but also the end of an academic year.  People are trying to squeeze in time to meet with their advisors that always seem to busy, emails are not being returned, R-pins are getting lost, and schedules just are not working out the way we want them.  No one ever wants night classes or those dreaded 8 AM classes, but it seems more often than not that is just what we all are stuck with.

The older we get, the harder it is to maneuver our schedules and even though we may schedule first, we still get the typical dreaded classes since they are only offered at one time and it just so happens to be then.

Oh well, no use in complaining about it, we at least get a chance to make our own schedule.

As the years wear on however, it does seem a bit difficult to comprehend that the day will come when suddenly we are down with classes completely.  No matter how scary or how apprehensive one may be about that day coming, it will sure enough be here before you realize it.

So, live each and everyday to it’s fullest and cherish every moment.

-Stephanie-

We all think we are safe, but in reality we are not.  Our information, our profiles, our personal information is out there available for anyone and everyone to see.  It is amazing what you can find when surfing the web.

Have you ever taken the moment to google yourself, or locate your home on Google Earth?  Kind of creepy how a computer screen can locate your home.  Also, there are certain websites out there that somehow or another can possess your address and phone number without you activating an account with them.

So, how safe are these sites that we purchase items from?  Who else can see our credit card information?

We may never know, but one thing we do know is that the web can either be very hurtful or very helpful in numerous ways.  So, just be careful what you put up because once it is in the public view, does not mean that it will get the same reaction you thought it would.  Also, once something like a photo is released or a status is posted, even if deleted off of your profile, it can still be accessed by other means of the Internet.

So, the web can provide for useful information, but it can also be very damaging to a person’s reputation.  Be careful what  you put out there, what you make available, as well as what you go looking for in that spare time you spend browsing the Internet.

-Stephanie-

Sunshine.  Shorts.  T-shirts. Flip-flops.  Tan lines.  Summer is on its way and campus is alive again.  Everyone is out and about enjoying the weather and soaking up the sun.  I mean this weather is very unusual for the “Snow and Rain University” that we normally are, but no one is complaining by any means.

It seems like as soon as the weather breaks, everyone is outside and the people you haven’t seen since the beginning of school, you are seeing again.  It is almost as if over the winter we all go into hibernation and soon as nice weather comes around, we are all back out again.

Also, as the temperatures continue to rise, and the days last longer, it makes it harder and harder to stay focused.  It literally feels like summer-time now and that the semester should be over, but it is only March.  Kind of funny how things work.

No matter what the weather is though, we have to stay focused and push through the end of the semester.

Good Luck!! Finish strong and enjoy the weather while it lasts!!

-Stephanie-

So, sorry to vent, but it is at some point necessary.  There are some points where more time in the day is needed or less work needs to be assigned.  There are only so many things that us, as college students can fit into our schedules.  On top of work, sports, class, volunteering, working out, meetings, group meetings for clubs and organizations, as well as anything else we have to do during our days, the school work is just being piled on.

Literally, for all these requirements I need more time in the day just to deal with those subject areas let alone all the school work.  Personally, I do not understand why it is necessary to pile on all this work and projects and exams all before break.  I mean, yes it is okay because we get the assignments done, but just because we do, then we are assigned even more that is due when we get back from break.  I have had so much work lately, that I do not have time for anything, yet the work keeps coming.

I cannot wait until break because for once, it is vacation time!! Soaking up the sun and of course the required practices and meets and homework, but guess what?!?!?! I can do most of that on my own time.  No more classes for a week and no more exams for a little break.  Wow it is definitely needed after these last two weeks.  So, I hope that everyone is able to enjoy a little time away and is actually able able to enjoy themselves and the time that have to do so.

-Stephanie-

So, recently in one of my classes we had a discussion on attraction and what it means to be attractive.  Over the years, the view of how someone looks and fits in with society has changed dramatically.

In the 50′s and and 60′s both men and women preferred larger and more muscular of the opposing sex in terms of body type.  However, now-a-days the “in” look is thin and no curves.

This may be the societies preferred look for everyone, but according to my class here at Slippery Rock, that was not the case.  Actually, most preferred the looks and body types of the earlier decades, than what the public does today.

Also, its amazing what features are deemed attractive and those that aren’t.  Sometimes you might surprise yourself on how hard you are someone else, but take offense when someone is that hard you.  After all, it is very difficult growing up staring at billboards and having millions and millions of people expecting you to be perfect and only one size.

Even though we have that “dream” someone in mind, it is not all about the looks.  At first it might be, but after you get to know someone, its more about compatibility.

It is a bit strange though, that with the standards of society set to high and the pressure to be perfect, yet we are told to be unique and our own individual?  A bit hypocritical I would say.

-Stephanie-

Relationships are all around us.  They define who were are, yet they are not easily defined. 

We all have those relationships that are one-sided, hard to keep up with, and still there are the ones that we really are unsure why we still put effort into them.  On the other hand though, there are special kinds of bonds that are formed within relationships that take us to the next level from friends to lovers to life long partners.  There are also the relationships between coaches and athletes, professors and students, as well as parents and children.

Each are defined differently and are given certain characteristics.  There are certain standards that each want to live up to or are expected to maintain as well. 

The way a coach interacts with an athlete on his or her team is not the way a parent will handle the same situation given it involving their own child.  The same can be said that friends will even act differently towards one another as well.

We all expect that friends and family will always be there for us, but when it comes time to make a serious committment to someone that we truly love, that brings in more emotions and expectations.  When someone is ready to make this next step, it is important for each of the people involved to understand where they are coming from and the values and morals that they would each like to maintain.  In doing so, the relationship will last longer and will be more productive and enjoyable for both partners involved. 

So, chose your enemies and friends wisely and remember that we are the ones that engage in the types of relationships that we do and only can blame ourselves for our actions. 

-Stephanie-