The Undeclared Student

Its normal

Article by: Lexi Clary

Credit: Quickmemes

Here in the U.S. more times than not we are expected to figure out what we want to do with our lives eventually. But Being a student who has an undeclared major can be a scary thing, especially when you aren’t exactly sure as to what you want your career to be in. I think that it is totally normal not to have a clue as to what you want to do, I personally know people in their junior year still switching majors and trying to decide what career path to take.  According to an article written by Gianna Sen Gupta, about 20 – 50 % of students start out as undeclared.

I think figuring out what you want to do is something that you learn as you get your basics out of the way. As we make our journey through the grueling hours of course work, it is only helping develop the passion that we can use out in the real world.

Blank slates are a great start 

Pay attention to what motivates you to do better in a class and learn to harness that energy into a passion that could possibly propel you into a career. Sometimes its good to reflect on past experiences: jobs in the past, subjects you love, to help determine a career path.

It’s also good to evaluate some of your core beliefs, for example, do you like helping people? Are you good at speaking in public?

The decision on your career path is ultimately up to you, but its never a bad idea to get input from advisors, professors, and the academic affairs. “Find teachers that inspire, motivate, and encourage you to work hard and be passionate about your academic experience,” says Timothy O’Donnell, who is a professor at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia.

https://youtu.be/cDPSWBt7PTk

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Exploring your way into a better future

Article by: Lexi Clary

Browsing on the internet I found a few people who keep themselves busy with personal projects on a daily basis. Every day, they are able to set aside time for themselves to spend outside away from the constant buzz that school, social media and sports takes away. I always thought that I didn’t have the time to do that: too busy with school, too busy with sports. But I tried and I have managed to do it. I just had to work against the clock, meaning that no matter how much I wanted to not go out and get away from my everyday schedule, I did it anyways. 

I think one of the most fatal flaws in our generation and American culture is our obsession with comfort. We strive so hard to achieve a level of comfort, insulating and protecting ourselves from the challenges that surround us, that we forget to be aware of the world we live in.

Going outside and being surrounded by nature opens up a whole new world of creativity, which in turn can also help bring new creative ideas to the classroom. According to an article by Abigail Wise, getting outside can help improve brain function and help make you a healthier individual. I strongly recommend setting aside some time during the week to get out and explore what’s outside around us, plus all of the fresh air is a good way to get your brain in gear and ready to learn. 

https://youtu.be/GlVdSWorq2k

Becoming Your Better Self

As people every where prepare for the hotter months the thought of getting back into shape springs to mind. As college students, it can be hard to get started and balance working out and eating healthy with our busy school and work schedules, on top of running to and from practice for those who are athletes. It is important to realize that all body types are very different and unique from each other and require different things. So something that may work for someone else may not work for you. Although frustrating, this is the fun part. discovering what works for you. Below are a few tips to help you achieve your goals.

Health Tips:

·             Portion Control: I can not stress this enough! Half a plate of fruits and veggies, half a plate of grains and protein.

·             Get active: Even if it’s just for 10 minutes everyone has to start somewhere. Go walk outside or play basketball in the gym, anything to get up and moving.

·             Know your food labels: Read nutrition facts. Food marketers are notorious for making you think you are eating healthy when in reality you are not. For example, usually if something says “fat free”, that doesn’t make it healthy, it usually means that they added more sugar.

What Gym?

Here at Avila we have a gym that is open for anyone to use. But for those who are gym shy, I want to first say that it is so awesome to see new people at the gym trying to better themselves and I know that gyms can be scary BUT seriously, if you are struggling with something or you just want more advice, just go ask somebody you see that has the look you want and more times than not they will be honored that you even asked and be more than happy to help. Here are tips for the gym shy that you can do in your room:

·             Yoga: most of the time you can find 25 minute videos on You-tube.

·             Cardio: you can also find short cardio workouts online, some as long as 10 minutes

·             Pushups:

·             Legs: Lunges, squats, side leg raises,

·              Abs: Leg raises, flutter kicks, scissor kicks, mountain climbers, Russian twist, planks

Staying Motivated:

It is easy to lose motivation for working out and eating healthy, especially when you don’t see results or if your schedule just doesn’t allow it. To help motivate yourself and stay on track here are a few tips.

·             Log your workouts: what you did that day

·             Log what you eat (even snacks) and calories: this will help you stay aware of what you are consuming.

·             Have one small goal for your workout: keep it simple bruhhh

·             Bring a friend: it’s always better to have someone there to keep pushing us.

Grinding It Out

When the Going Gets Tough 

As Spring quickly approaches and weather starts to change and turning our clocks forward, it is now time for hibernating golfers to step back out on the course.

Although the Avila Golf team is struggling to keep afloat, that is not stopping them from preparing for their first spring tournament on March 13-14 in Lawrence. The men’s and women’s team started preparing for their spring season as of early February, and although coach less, have proved to be self willed, disciplined people with an excellent work ethic. Both teams have rallied together to continue to challenge, thrive, and grow as golfers as a team. One of the hardest and best things about golf is that it is an individual sport, so you don’t necessarily need a coach, they are essentially just there to provide structure, but what this team is doing is adding a team aspect to golf, which is something that is rarely seen unless you are watching the Ryder Cup. 



As a team who has had to face a lot of adversity over the past years, for example having 5 coaches within the last 4 years, this team of underdogs has proved to be no quitters and quite frankly an example of persisting in the face of adversity, both teams attain a sense of self pride and motivation to continue to prove to other programs that if you are willing to put in the work, you will continue to see positive feedback.

Even though the men’s golf team consist of two players, Taylor Livingston and Tommy Edwards, they still plan to go out and give it their all.

The women’s golf team consists of Corey Cochran, Grace Miller, Abby Clark, Kailey Fraher and Lexi Clary.

The Road Less Traveled

A Personal Journey

Everyone has their own personal story of how they got from one place to another; each just as unique as the individual on that journey. My story of how I came to Avila, like many others, is quite different. Most people ask me why I came from Dallas, Texas to Kansas City, and to be honest, I am not quite sure. All I can say is I know for the moment this is where I need to be. It just feels right. Intuition or discernment is what some call it.

Before coming to Avila, my journey starts at a small community college in Lubbock, Texas where I was majoring in the music business. I completed one full semester before returning home to help care for my grandmother who was going through her third battle with cancer (thankfully she is now in remission). During this time, I did not go to school but worked in the pro shop at a local golf course, as well as a recruiter in an IT recruiting company and helped my mom where ever I could. After having almost two years off, I honestly didn’t think I would ever go back to school, I woke up with the most pressuring urge to go back to school to pursue my education. I am so thankful I did. 

This is when I decided to play golf while attending college. During the recruiting process I had numerous offers from other schools, but I chose Avila. Avila not only met my expectations with the golf program but it also rose above the rest of the schools academically. While the academics have continued to be a useful aid in helping me obtain a degree and never ceases to disappoint me, it is unfortunate to say that the golf team, both men’s and women’s, continues to be neglected.

 https://youtu.be/UNUCZStOPiU