Faculty Mentors are a huge help

Here at Iowa State college life can be overwhelming if we don't have people here to help us along the way. While at college we all need to make friends and to network not only in our field of study, but also with the faculty here on campus. All students here on campus have an advisor or faculty mentor. These advisors are able to help us in my ways. Some of these ways are simply knowing the ways of Iowa State, advising, supporting, and just being there as a friend. This only happens though if you are willing to meet with and get to know them.

Over my time here at Iowa State so far, I have gotten to know my advisors and they have been able to help me in many walls already. Before I switched majors my advisor was Dr. Bain. The first time I met with her this summer she already started sharing her knowledge about classes, want kind of studying needed to be done and studybroad. Her knowledge of classes and studying really came in handy already this semester because I was able to make a schedule that was/is challenging but not to challenging. I have also known how to study for my classes, so I should be able to full off pretty good grades this semester.

After switching majors I got a new Advisor, Doctor Kenealy. Even thought I have only had him as an advisor for a short time. He has been able to help me make decisions about intern choices and how to make a schedule that will help me be as ready for a career in the area I want, as possible. He not only has been advising me, but has also supported me in my change of majors and is helping me figured out how to work the minor I want to add.

Even though an advisor's may purpose is to advise us and support us in the classroom, they are also there to be a friend. Every time I meet with my advisor we talk about what is going on in the classroom, but we also talk about life and how things are going. Having a person on campus that can do all of that for us can be a lot of help. I guess I would just say that faculty mentors or advisors are a huge help to the success each one of us are going to achieve here at college for all of the above reasons.

Block and Bridle

There are many different clubs at Iowa State, there is one for every type of person. When I started to look for clubs to be apart of I decided I wanted to be apart of an agriculture/livestock based one. I started looking and was lucky to find out about Block and Bridle right away.

Block and Bridle is a livestock based club that has about 300 members. Once a month there is a big meeting that everyone wears business clothes to because a business person comes and makes a presentation about there business. So far I have found these presentation to be very informative, they have really opened my eyes up to what animal science has to offer. These meetings are held the second Wednesday of every month. Also each month there is an active that everybody can take part in. For example in October there is Little North American, a showmanship show.

When you join Block and Bridle you also join interest groups, there are six interest groups you can pick from. The six groups are swine, beef, meats, horse, sheep, and companion animals. Each of these groups also has a meeting each month and take an educational trip usually in the fall to teach members about there interest, the markets and economy involving their interest, and the jobs that are available in that area. These groups are a great way to get to know people that enjoy working with the same things as you and can teach you different ways to interact and work with your interest.

This group is a great way to gain leadership and make to friendships. Leadership is a big deal to this club, which is why there are many leadership position open for members. These position include the usual offices along with event chairs/committees and interest group leadership. Friends are easy to make because with around 300 people interested in the same things as you it is easy to interact and find others to hang-out with and talk too.

In closing Block and Bridle is a great club for me because I can interact with livestock (which is something I missed a lot when I left home), make new friends, and develop a better network and education in the animal science world.

Time is something that is never on our side it seems. Having experienced my first three weeks at college, that is actually how I feel. However, I have realized I have to try and use the time I have wisely. I realized right away the "fun time" I wanted to have was slipping away because I had classes to attend, flag routines to get down, studying, band practice, sleeping, and practicing baton all to get done. I started to think wow how am I going to handle this. Then I started to realize it was just like spring of senior year, I was able to excel then, so I became determined I was going to now.

I love to be involved that was shown last spring when I had myself going a thousand directions a minute I had school, studying, baton to practice, district and chapter officer things to get done, all those last minute senior activities to do, and scholarships to fill out. When I had all these activities going on I never once let myself off the hook. I went to school and studied enough to end high school with honors, practiced baton enough to win five state titles and Miss Majorette of Iowa. Myself along with one other girl organized a district basketball tournament and I helped put on district convention and a chapter banquet. My graduation and everything to do with it was a success and I won thousands of dollars in scholarships.

One thing, that made it possible for me to be so success in everything I did was being organized and making good use of my time all the time. I always kept a planner and didn’t spend time messing around very often, unless time permitted. Knowing what the outcomes are when I do get down to business, made it that much easier for me to do so this year because I knew I would have time for work and play if I was responsible with my time and stayed organized.

Having had the spring I did last year, made it that much easier this year. I know that if I stay organized and make good use of my time, I will be very successful. Every person has to figure out for themselves how to use there time best, I have, have you?