Bad Habits That You Need To Stop This Semester
By Lauren Brose ‘15
We’re all guilty of these college sins and we know all too well that we are better off without them. Take a leap of faith and demolish these nasty habits one by one with me.
All-nighters: Just because us youngsters can pull an all-nighter doesn’t mean its encouraged. Instead of staying up all night cramming and losing 6-8 hours of valuable sleep, consider splitting your study day into two and opting into sleep instead! Sleep deprivation causes short term memory loss and studies have shown that our brain doesn’t retain as much information when we cram last minute. Cramming + no sleep = seriously blanking out during the midterm and having the answer at the tip of your tongue. No one wants that. And no one wants to see bags under your eyes either.
Procrastinating: I enjoy pressure. It’s thrilling to know that my deadline is in less than an hour and I still have work to do. Maybe that’s why I frequently put my homework off for the last minute. Procrastination causes just the right amount of pressure that leads to optimum performance. However, procrastinating also leads to some nasty unforeseen stress that may arise if you hit a bump in a road. There were a couple close calls last semester when I told myself “phew! Never again.” There’s no guarantee that it’s all smooth sailing when you put off work for the last second.
Binge drinking: I know, I know, what do I know about not binge drinking. Actually, a lot. I've got one valuable word for you: blackouts. Blackouts are literally a guarantee if you binge drink and did I mention that it’s also really really scary to blackout in the middle of a party? You might get lucky and have friends who are looking after you but there’s no promise that'll happen every time. There’s two types of blackout drunk people: those who cannot walk straight without assistance and those who are able to form coherent sentences, hold conversations and greet Big Shawn with a “hello!” as they stroll into the 9-0. The best way to prevent blacking out is to pace yourself while drinking. The trick is to take a shot and allow your body to digest it into your bloodstream for a solid 10 minutes. In the mean time, sip on a glass of wine, beer or—if you want to prevent hangovers— water. Don't feel rushed to down 5 shots in 30 seconds. You will regret that in the morning.
Shacking (a lot): Due to a totally unfair double standard, this one is mainly for the ladies. If you’re spending more nights in a week in someone else’s bed than in your own, be careful. Guys gossip much more than girls do. They’re not going to pry; they’re going to be direct and brutally honest. If you’re trying to befriend members of the opposite sex, I’d consider avoiding hooking up with his friends. It could affect the fluidity of the social circle when you all hang out and to be honest, they will all know the intimate details of your one-night-stand. I found that my best guy friends are in fraternities with members I’ve never made a pass at. I think they like it better that way—everything is fun and tensions run low.
Midnight snacking: Health connoisseurs insist that we stop eating at approximately 7pm each night in order to allow food to metabolize before bed. I firmly believe that 7pm is demanding way too much out of me and I will have to compromise on this rule just a little bit. I am a sucker for Hot Cheetos, Easy Mac and Instant Noodles but let’s face it, its all terrible for my health. The only time it is okay for me to engage in post-dinner snacking is under 2 unique conditions:
- I’m not suffering from drunchies (drunk munchies)
- It is before 12am
I don’t care if it’s 11:59pm and I am practically inhaling my ramen, these are the rules I’ve set for myself and I am satisfied with the results (aka the size of my belly in the morning lol!). It’s better than eating at 3am when we could be instead using that time catching some z’s and frying up an epic breakfast the following morning.
Making excuses: I love blaming other people/things for my life’s problems because for a moment I feel Beyoncé Flawless but then I realize that I am a realist not an idealist and that perfection does not exist (darn). Plot twist: despite excuses being the tool for placing blame away from oneself and onto another, it actually hinders growth. It has been a large goal of mine to accept responsibility for things more often and to own up to my mistakes. I try not to accept excuses and ask myself what could I have done differently in that situation. This is so I can rise from the ashes of my failures in the hopes that it turns into a success in the future. Find your silver lining!
Streaming > People: Friends is the best and worst thing that’s ever happened to me thus far this year. I finally understand Phoebe’s character (I once thought she was the most superfluous character on the show and that she needed to go) and now she’s one of my favorite fictional television characters ever. House of Cards is also returning in February, The Interview is being streamed on Netflix—oh, and did I tell you that I no longer have a life (or a tan)? If I had a dime for every friend I have that shamelessly chooses Netflix over going out then I would be able to afford Bacaro for a week. After blasting through 4 seasons of Suits in 2 short weeks, I decided that I needed to give myself an intervention. Streaming services aren’t going anywhere—your undergrad years are! This week I am celebrating wine Wednesday and am going to two concerts (USC’s Matt DiMona this Thursday and Thomas Jack on Saturday!). The tan will come later.
Not career planning: Maybe it’s because I am a first semester senior, but I am starting to really freak out about my future. The eternal question: what am I gonna do with my life after college?! If I could turn my clocks back to the early days of my college education, I would have taken advantage of my sophomore year for gaining internship experience (even if it’s unpaid!). Internships are key for nearly all majors and serve as references in the future as well as potential employment after graduation. Imagine locking in a job before you even finish school. That is so possible through taking advantage of the resources USC offers to all students and also the resources specific to your concentration.
Skipping out on required readings: A mixture of joy and fear washes over me when I see a class with my entire course grade being based on a midterm, a final and attendance. Joy because I wont be burdened with weekly assignments and group projects. Fear because if I fail my midterm I have to ace my final if I want to pass the class. The best part of these classes is the fact that everything you will need to know for the exams is in the assigned readings. They’re assigned weekly and can pile up if left for last minute. Instead of waiting for the week of and being faced with 300 pages of assigned reading, consider knocking them out one by one each week. You’ll only require brushing up on the material prior to your exam.
Staying confined to The Row: Frat Row aka 28th St. is a mythical place where parties are seemingly being shut down right around midnight. The problem is that everyone is pre-gaming the pre-game and they won’t be at the parties until around 10:30/11:00pm. When a party is shut down what are we left with? Especially if you’re under 21, there isn’t too much to do around USC. Consider hosting at your apartment instead of dealing with the devastation and overflow of students flocking Row every weekend. If you’re over 21, the world is your oyster my friend. Downtown LA and Hollywood are sweet places to be for the nightclub and bar scene as well as for live music.
