Say you make $2,000 over the summer. What are you going to do with that money? Will you buy some new jeans? Maybe an Apple watch? What if you invested this money? If you invest it, over the span of a few years, that $2,000 could turn into $15,000. Granted, money that you invest does grow slowly over time, which makes it less-desirable for college students, but you will really see large financial gains in the future.

Wouldn't it be great to invest enough money to eventually make $1,000,000? To the left there is a table to show how much you should invest to achieve this.

There are many places where you can invest and buy stocks for free! Betterment, for example, allows you to open your account with no money at all. As you make periodic contributions to your account, the money is automatically invested! This is an easy way to invest as a college student, because it allows for stock investment to become less of a task when there are things like schoolwork and assignments to worry about.

In summary, if you're interested in investing, here are the steps to take:

1. Open an investment account
2. Invest in low-cost index funds, because they will allow you to gain money over time. You will only need one or two to get started, so don't go all out.
3. Add risk gradually. Don't be nervous if the market goes down in the first few months of investing; rather, start with a balanced portfolio (60% stocks and 40% bonds). "The more bonds you hold, the less your account balance will fluctuate," (USNews).

Investing should be a habit, and the earlier you invest, the better. Money made through investments can even help students pay off student loans and help them start saving up for a family.

1. Bring a Healthy Lunch to Work

 By bringing a healthy lunch to work, you can avoid spending money and you will be able to know you are eating good food! Cafeterias and restaurants meals are often not as healthy as they might seem and can have a lot of added sugar and fats.

2. Walk During Breaks at Your Job

Find a nice sidewalk or trail by your place of employment. Take the time to de-stress during a long work day. It is a good mental break from work and a good way to burn some calories. Taking walks is an easy way to get started into a healthy fitness pattern.

3. Sign up for Workout Classes

So many fitness clubs have promotions and discounts for college students. These discounts are great and allow students to have gym memberships without breaking their bank. Taking workout classes are also a quick and easy way to get a good sweat in without putting much effort into planning.

4. Get a Workout Buddy

Accountability is key! Having someone who is always there to workout with you is helpful. Having a workout buddy is also good way to track progress and push each other to be the best you can be.

5. Find the Time

Finding time can be something that people struggle with most. Making health a priority is so important. Being able to be fit while juggling a busy schedule is a lifelong skill. Making time for fitness is also a good way to stay physically and mentally healthy throughout the summer.

By following these five tips, you will be able to have a fit, productive, happy summer!

Nature is an ideal setting for relaxation! Spending time outside decreases both psychological and 

physiological elements of stress by providing a calming effect.

Meditate

There's no better place to meditate than in nature. Finding a secluded, quiet, and peaceful location in a natural environment can encourage meditation, which is shown to relieve tension and lower your heart rate.

Recharge

Feeling drained, down, or unmotivated? Research shows that spending time outside can help you overcome mental fatigue. Additionally, increased feelings of joy and happiness are strongly associated with outdoor environments.

Reflect

Reflection is crucial to our spiritual health. Nature is associated with improved focus, increased creativity, and higher self-esteem. Take advantage of this and spend some time reflecting outside!

Mint

Securely connects your bank account and automatically organizes your spending into different categories. It also gives suggestions on how to budget the money and how to cut back in areas where spending is the highest.

Tiller

Automatically transfers all of your pending transactions and final balances into a Google Sheet and Excel spreadsheet by connecting all of your banks, credit cards and investments with the spreadsheets.

Left to Spend

Allows you to keep track of your spending habits in an easy and efficient manner. You can also create a "target allowance" that helps give you a set goal of how much money you should be budgeting on a monthly basis.

Personal Capital

Looks at financial investments based on general wealth management. It offers many benefits and has several features that can carry you toward adulthood.

YNAB

Stands for "You Need A Budget" and offers a free one month trial period. It caters to several budgeting tools including a debt repayment interface that sets up a payment plan based on your financial objectives.​

Impact on Cognitive Functioning

1. Allows you to pay more attention in class
2. Boosts academic confidence
3. Increases oxygen flow to the brain

Impact on Productivity

1. Improves time management
2. More motivation after working out
3. Allows you to prioritize your day with exercise

How to Reduce Test Anxiety

1. Try exercising right before
2. Acts as a positive distraction
3. Helps to calm nerves

1. You distract yourself as a way to keep yourself from reacting to a situation.
2. You avoid talking about the situation because you don't want to feel negative emotions.
3. You avoid places, people or objects that remind you of the negative emotion(s).
4. You use substances such as alcohol or other illicit drugs to numb the pain.

Negative Effects of Bottling Up Emotions

1. Increased intensity of existing emotions.
2. Less aware of social cues present in daily conversations.
3. Experiences of high anxiety and depression.
4. Increased physical stress in your body.
5. Communication skills often decline, resulting in unhealthy patterns in relationships.
6. More misunderstanding in conversations with others.

Benefits of Crying

• Imroves your mood
• Increases bonding and connection
• Relieves stress
• Flushes out toxins and bacterias
• Helps you grieve
• Lowers blood pressure

I always knew I wanted to be in a profession where I could help people. At the time, I didn’t realize everything that went into becoming a practicing RD. Most people don’t realize that you need a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics, complete a dietetic internship, pass an exam and THEN apply for your state's licensure to be eligible for hire.

My education started at a community college in upstate New York. I transferred to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where I finished my bachelor’s egree. Soon after, I completed my dietetic internship through the University of Delaware. I began my journey at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ Dining almost exactly 3 years ago.

Traditionally, dietitians are employed in the clinical world, helping manage diseases and working with other health care professionals. This position is unique in that I’m in an environment with chefs and food service professionals and typically not working with people who have chronic diseases. Instead, I’m working to help students create healthy habits they can take with them after they leave ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ.

In this position, I work mostly in food service management and community-based nutrition. I analyze the menus for nutrition and allergen information, I work with students individually, create and implement health and wellness events and help to educate and train our associates.

The most important and most time-consuming part of my job is analyzing our menus. I make sure all of our menu items are transparent for our students. If you haven’t already noticed, we flag for the Top 8 allergens, provide calories and full ingredient listings, which can all be found on our website. Did you know that we have an allergy and a preference filter? If you choose to eat vegan or have an allergen, for example, you can quickly identify certain menu items.

Another important task is making sure I am constantly training and auditing our associates on the accuracy of nutrition and allergen information. I look for things like accurate ingredients, accurately measuring ingredients and the correct serving sizes. We also constantly train and educate our employees about the importance of minimizing cross-contamination, especially at made-to-order stations if a student makes a special request.

Another important part of my job is nutrition consults. For the most part, I typically meet with students who are on the meal plan and need help navigating the dining halls, specifically if they are new to ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ, have food allergies or intolerances, GI disorders, or just simply want to learn how to eat a balanced meal.

On a larger scale, I create and implement health and wellness events. This is probably my favorite part. I get to be creative, get out of the office, be nerdy and talk to students about a certain health and wellness topic I am passionate about. Typically, it’s a table with samples, an engaging activity and swag.

If you would like to know more information about any of the above or just want to sit and chat nutrition with me feel free to check out elondining.com or e-mail . I look forward to meeting you!

Social Health is a person’s ability to interact and develop relationships with others. Social Health is an important dimension of wellness because human connection improves overall health. Isolation takes a toll on both our physical and mental health.

Why are Supportive Friendships Crucial for College Students?

1. Supportive friends ease the difficult transition from high school to college. Finding supportive friends can assist students in coping with these drastic life changes.
2. Positive relationships can lead to academic success. According to NPREd, a close group of friends can act as academic motivation and support.
3. A support system can help you handle difficult situations. A supportive and close group of friends will be there for you when these pressures become too much.
4. A healthy social life can act as a stress relieving outlet. Spending time with with friends is a positive way to relieve stress and take a break from academic obligations.
5. Friends can act as a resource on a college campus. The more relationships you build, the more likely you will be involved in campus activities.

1. Makes You Happier: Many studies find that consistent yoga practice improves depression, increases serotonin levels, and decreases monoamine oxidase – the recipe for a better, happier mood.
2. Perfects Your Posture: Did you know that your head weighs 10 to 11 pounds? It can even feel heavier when you are tired, leading to slouching and back pain. Yoga works to perfect your posture and therefore relieve your back pain.
3. Helps You Focus: Yoga stresses focusing on the present. Practicing yoga regularly improves coordination, reaction time, and memory, leading to more successful study periods.
4. Helps You Sleep Deeper: Yoga provides relief from the stress and anxiety present in daily life. A by-product of this is better sleep, and you'll notice you'll be less tired and stressed throughout your day.
5. Improves Flexibility and Builds Muscle Strength: Taking yoga classes will simultaneously improve flexibility and build muscle strength. Tight muscles can strain joints and cause pain. As yoga increases your flexibility, less stress will be placed on your joints. Building muscle strength is essential as it protects us from conditions like arthritis and back pain.