Laker Guide: Part 1

This Laker Guide is for all the new, wonderful additions that will be joining the Laker family this fall! I will bestow upon you all the magical senior wisdom I have gained these past years at SUNY Oswego.  This first blog will be about coming to Oswego, dorm life, navigating the campus, stuff like that. Let’s get started!

What to Bring with You

Obviously, this is a very important part of moving into the residence halls. It all depends on a couple of things though, like how close you live to Oswego and if you and your future roomie want to share items. For instance, my first year in a residence hall my roommate was kind enough to share her mini fridge with me so I did not have to buy one. But that is all up to you!

Since my hometown is five hours away, I basically packed my entire wardrobe. So if you’re like me, be sure to bring along some storage containers!200w_d

Luckily, SUNY Oswego put together a Pinterest file of things to bring. You can check it out here:  https://www.pinterest.com/sunyoswego/what-to-bring-to-your-dorm/

There are a few items you should make sure to bring that aren’t on that list: a pair of waterproof shoes and a waterproof jacket. These will come in handy walking to class on rainy days.  Also, your room will be your home for the next year, I definitely recommend bringing along some decorations to personalize it. Things like pictures, posters and other wall decor.

Academic Buildings

So Monday morning arrives and it’s time to go to your first class. But wait…where the heck is Shineman Center room 114?

 

200w_d (1)

*Queue freak out*

No need to worry, you have a couple of options here. Incoming freshmen and transfers are required to come the Friday before classes start, so you’ll have all weekend to explore the campus and get familiar with it. Or if you’re like me and waited till the last minute to figure out where your classes are, there is a campus map to help you find your way: http://www.oswego.edu/about/visit/maps/campus/#placemarks//zoom/16/lat/undefined/lon/undefined

Getting #OswegoFit

200w_d (3)

There are two fitness centers located on campus. Cooper Fitness Center is located in the middle of campus between Hart and Funnel residence halls. Glimmerglass Fitness Center is located on West campus between Onondaga and Onieda residence halls. And during the first week of classes it’s FREEEE. Both offer group exercise classes like yoga, lifting 101 and zumba!

Most importantly, the food!

There are so many options all over campus to grab a bite to eat so you won’t have to deal with a rumbling tummy.

200w_d (2)

 

There are five dining centers across campus and they all have special quirks. Here are a few;

Cooper Dining Center- Smoothies for breakfast on certain days. Cooper also has an ice cream parlor serving delicious Perry’s Ice cream.

Pathfinder Dining Center- Quesadillas for lunch and ‘Kevin’s Grill’ for dinner where you can order burgers, phillies, grilled chicken, hot dogs and fries! Yum.

Mackin Dining Center-  Mackin is only open for dinner but serves diner style food that really hits the spot.

Whether or not you’re seeking a whole meal or just a snack between classes, there about 10 other cafes around campus. For all you coffee fanatics, Lake Effect Cafe in Penfield Library and F.A.N.S in the Marano Campus Center serve Starbucks coffee!

 

 

Well that’s all for this edition of my Laker Guide, I hope you will find some of this helpful as you begin your adventure here at SUNY Oswego!

Until next time!

-Shanna

 

 

 

NYC Career Connections 2017

Hi everyone!

Over winter break I had the opportunity to attend the NYC Career Connections through SUNY Oswego, like my fellow blogger, Ye Jin Lee (check out her bog post about her experience here https://blogs.oswego.edu/2017/01/16/2017-nyc-career-connections/ )

Let me start by saying there is nothing more inspiring than seeing alumni from your college who are so  talented and successful in their post-grad life. This was my first time ever attending this event and I was not disappointed at all. I took the leap of faith by registering for this event not knowing what to expect or if I would even enjoy myself. NYC Career Connections surprised me in more ways than one and I am so happy I had the chance to do something like this.

So, there may be many of you who were like me and had no idea what this event consists of so I’m going to explain my whole day to give you a bit of context:

The day is broken up into two portions: a day session and an evening session.

The day session I was selected for was NBCUniversal Studios with Jason Kornweiss, class of ’96 alum, who is the vice president. The NBCUniversal is located at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in midtown Manhattan. Luckily, I only live 30 minutes from the city so it was an easy commute. The building is absolutely stunning, inside and out, with state of the art technology throughout. My group was brought to the 9th floor to a conference room where Mr. Kornweiss greeted us with free hats and treated us to a full spread of food! The best type of welcoming if you ask me!

c2e8svvuqain_nx

Mr. Kornweiss gave us a quick presentation on his time at SUNY Oswego, giving a special shout out to the WTOP members in our group. He explained how WTOP allowed him to experience many different aspects of broadcasting, both behind and in front of the camera that ultimately landed him where he is today.

c2e8svwvqaal6cd

After his presentation our group was given a tour of the studios by 2015 alumna Bridget Jackson who is working for NBCUniversal in the Page Program! This part was really fun and definitely something I never would have done if it weren’t for this event. We explored many of the studios in the building from Late Night with Lester Holt, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, SNL and various control rooms. Although I am not a broadcasting major it was all very interesting to get a behind the scenes look at what it takes to run these sorts of operations.

As for thec2e8sv1ucaepcam evening session, it began at 6 pm at the SUNY Welcome Center and once again we were treated to free pizza! After the pizza, the keynote speaker, Doreen M. Mochrie ’85, gave the crowd some advise as we prepare for the real world. She boiled it down to this phrase: “You’ve got to hustle.”

Following her speech, the 33 other alumni from 1978 to as recent as 2015 introduced themselves and their particular job field. Everyone then had the chance to individually meet with whom they wished to speak with.

I took away great tips on how to prefect and tailor my resume for certain jobs as well as my LinkedIn profile.

This was truly an amazing experience that I believe has shaped me that much more into the PR professional I wish to be.

Don’t Stress It

College is a once in a lifetime experience, and, of course, anyone would want to make the most of it. But a part of this experience, unfortunately, is stress.

I’m juggling a course over load (over load of homework too!), PRSSA meetings, a job and a social life, so I am no stranger to stress. I’ve had a pretty hectic week. This tends to happen occasionally, but I’m at the point in my collegiate career where I now know that not everything is going to be the end of the world and life will go on as it always does.

So, whether you’re a freshmen still discovering how this whole college thing works or a senior getting ready to graduate, I want to share with you guys some tips to manage stress!

Stay Organized! This is key! Professors give you a syllabus for a reason. Most tend to have a schedule of due dates for assignments and exams. Know what is coming up so you’re never caught off guard. I also recommend having a planner to stay on track.

Prioritize. Now that you know that your syllabus is your best friend, all you have to do it prioritize based on when assignments are due and roughly how long it will take you to finish the assignment, project, etc.

Use Free Time Wisely. I am more than guilty of scrolling through Twitter instead of reading a textbook chapter in between classes. Don’t be like me! Try to utilize free time wisely. This will benefit you in the long run and reduce the likelihood of you being stressed out. Future you will thank you.

Find Studying/ Work Habits That Are Best For YouWhat I mean by this is to immerse yourself in a setting that will allow for you to focus and perform to the best of your ability. For me, I need a quiet room that’s devoid of all distractions. I’m so easily distracted that it’s impossible for me to work with other people around me. It took me until my junior year to realize that I was actually hurting myself by studying with my friends because I would spend more time talking to them than actually studying! But if studying/ doing homework with your friends helps you and gets you motivated, go for it.

There’s Always Someone To Listen and Help. If you ever feel as though you are overwhelmed, talking through your issues is a great way to feel better. Fortunately, SUNY Oswego offers counseling services at the Mary Walker Health Center on campus. It’s free and confidential.

Decompress. This is the most important. Sometimes stress can be a little overbearing and I don’t know where to start first. When this happens take a deep breath, relax and do something other than work. Simply do things that make you happy. Trust me, this will go along way. If you’ve been cramming for an exam, take a nap. Your brain works a whole lot better when you’re not running on fumes. Hang out with friends. You’ll find they’re probably dealing with the same things you are and it’ll feel better talking about it.  Watch Netflix…Yes I’m saying it’s okay to ditch the homework for some House of Cards.

Hope these tips can help you guys in the future! Always remember that your mental well-being is more important than any grade on a test!

Image result for stress quotes

Better Late Than Never

Hi everyone! My name is Shanna (Shay-nuh) Mansfield, I am a Public Relations major with a minor in English. I’m from a town called Pearl River in Rockland County, just outside of NYC.

So, I’m going to take it back to my senior year in high school. Unlike most of my peers who had been applying to colleges since the beginning of the year I hadn’t applied to any. Nope, not a single one. I had absolutely no direction, no idea where I wanted to go, what I wanted to study or who I wanted to be.

A couple months before graduation, I applied to my local community college, RCC, and was accepted. Better late than never.

While at RCC my freshmen year I had tons of free time on my hands, which I used to visit friends who had been whisked off to different colleges. My first visit was to our very own SUNY Oswego! I fell in love, I’m talking head-over-heels love and there was no turning back for me.

I loved the atmosphere, the vibe, the campus, the beautiful and breathtaking lake. THIS. This is what I wanted. I couldn’t get enough and I never wanted to leave. But of course I had to, if I could’ve hid in my friends dorm room for the rest of the year, oh believe me I would have!

Throughout the year I had visited other schools, but nothing left me feeling the same way Oswego did. So I began my transfer application to SUNY Oswego and was accepted!

I transferred in my sophomore year (better late than never). However, I still lacked that direction that everyone else around me seemed just instinctively have. It wasn’t until last year that I had finally decided my major, once again, better late than never! It was with the guidance and help of a dedicated advisor and truly inspirational professors that I was able to find myself and my direction, and realize new dreams and aspirations.

It may have taken me longer than some to get to this point, but the best decision I have ever made was making SUNY Oswego my home away from home. Better late than never.