Posts from the ‘Student Tips’ Category

Feb 1

Balance, young grasshopper

So I’m sitting in class, and I have to admit that I’m a little tired. I had a late night last night, as I went out with some girlfriends for a couple of happy hour drinks and to catch up after classes and meetings and work. This doesn’t sound like the worst thing, at least to me, but I will sometimes find myself wondering how other people manage to come to class every day with the air of being so overly prepared. I know that I’m not able to dedicate that kind of time—life is a little busy at the moment.

Most of us are juggling school and homework, jobs, clubs/societies/Greek life/sports/insert-what-you-please-here. Not to mention a social life. Personally, maintaining the social relationships in my life—everyone from my mom to the residents in my hall—takes up just as much, if not more time than needed to feel caught up on school work.

I sometimes wonder how this all manages to get done. But then again, I remember being told that 90% if learning in college occurs outside of the classroom. Perhaps balance is just one of those things. If you’re too focused in one area, you’ll burn out and go crazy. No exaggeration. It’s important to take moments to recuperate from the madness of everything happening during the week, but it’s also important not to lose your motivation and drive to keep going. All I know is that if my life was a table, and any of the legs were removed, I would certainly crash. Balance, my friend, balance.

Nov 22

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When MAX introduced the neighbors

The MAX train.

About a week ago, my best friend and I were on the MAX riding back to Portland State. We had been in Milwaukie, and were coming back to get dinner at my place and then head to a concert that night at the Crystal Ballroom. We were excited to see Brandi Carlile live.

Sitting across from us on the MAX was a mother and two daughters. The youngest was fast asleep in her mom’s arms, but the other was busy asking questions and acting, shy as most little kids do. Eventually, she got up the courage to ask both us if we were Portland State students, since we were studying and talking about classes. We answered, and a conversation was born. The mother, my best friend and I all began talking and soon discovered that she too was a student. But more than that, she even lived in the same building as I do.

It struck me that night that we are all strangers passing each other by, and the community of Portland State is indeed wide stretching and very diverse. I think we take for granted doe faced youths as college students, and forget that we students come in all shapes and sizes and ages. So next time you are sitting on the MAX, keep in mind that maybe you are looking at your neighbor two floors down, or a future classmate. We don’t always have to be strangers on a train.

Nov 13

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On the Field

In my intramural soccer game last week, a player on the opposing team got into an argument with one of the refs over a foul and spat on my teammate. Everyone saw it.

This is not exactly surprising behavior when it comes to sports, but it was one of the tensest moments I have experienced in intramural sports at PSU. In club and professional soccer, the player would have been given a red card and immediately been taken out of the game. But since the incident occurred during halftime, our intramural referees had no power to remove students or give any fouls. So the argument escalated between the two teams and refs until it was time to resume play. The second half was an ugly dance between the two players with a few empty threats from the center ref.

I always thought intramural sports were a good way to exercise and meet some new friends. But I’ve found that intramurals are really competitive. To be honest, I am not sure if all intramurals are friendly to students who are new to the sport. This term I tried intramural volleyball and was taken aback by how competitive some of the other teams were! I still love to play and don’t plan on quitting any time soon, but new students may want to go watch a game before they sign-up to see if the level of play is right for them.

Nov 6

Commencement Conundrum

After four and a half years, two universities, two stints abroad, and hours upon hours spent pleading tearfully with academic advisers about my transfer credits, I am finally (FINALLY!) going receive my bachelor’s degree. I’ve fulfilled all of my University Studies and major requirements, done the proper paperwork and paid my “graduation fees” (since I haven’t poured enough of my money into educational institutions already, thank you very much). My GPA is even high enough to graduate with honors. All of this — and I still don’t know if I will graduate in the traditional sense.

You see, Portland State, unlike some other institutions, doesn’t offer a commencement ceremony in the fall term. Last summer, when I learned that finishing college was within the realm of possibility and I began envisioning my stylish cap/gown/diploma ensemble, I discovered that my only options were to walk at the summer commencement or wait until the spring ceremony. (Note to future graduates: I also learned recently that last summer was actually the last summer term commencement ceremony at PSU, so keep that in mind when making your own graduation plans!)

To me, these are hardly satisfactory options. An early commencement would mean taking part in a ceremony celebrating an accomplishment that I hadn’t fully accomplished — the fact that I’d be returning to classes a few weeks later made the whole prospect seem rather anti-climactic. And as for waiting until next spring to walk, well, I don’t even know if I’ll still be living close enough to Portland to attend.

PSU seems to pride itself on being accessible to so many non-traditional students – I know I’m not the only student whose academic career has not fit into the standard four-year college plan. I just wish that our university was equally accommodating in celebrating the achievements of its non-traditional graduates.

Nov 1

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Japanese Mayonnaise and American Mayonnaise

One of the surprising things that I have encountered living the U.S. is the difference between the taste of Japanese and American mayonnaise. In Japan, mayonnaise was introduced by the Japanese food company Kewpie Corporation in 1925. Generally, Japanese mayo is made of egg yolk, rapeseed oil or soybean oil, and rice vinegar, which creates a soft and mild mayonnaise which is preferred by many Japanese. For me, American mayo tastes more sour and salty, and Japanese mayo is sweeter. I thought maybe Japanese mayo contained sugar, but I checked and there is no sugar. However, there is in some American mayos. So why does it taste sweeter? I guess that it is because American mayonnaise might use more salt and vinegar instead of rice vinegar, which is less sour.

Some of my American friends prefer Japanese mayo to American versions. In Portland, most Japanese markets, such as Anzen market and Uwajimaya in Beaverton, sell Japanese mayo. If you are interested, it might be fun to try a different culture’s seasoning.

Oct 30

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Portland’s Hopeful vs. Hopeless Musicians

I wish I was one of those lucky individuals who woke up one morning to say, “Hello world! I’m going to be a doctor. This is who I am, and this is what I want to do!” Unfortunately, I woke up from a dream of wearing purple bell bottoms playing an electric guitar that caught on fire: a female Jimi Hendrix. Of course this was probably due to the sounding of my last name, but guitar has become my love ever since I had that dream when I turned 11 years old. Why did I have to fall in love with one of the hardest passions to follow?

Let me start off by saying, I have immeasurable respect for music majors and teachers here at PSU. They are ultimately following their passions, and (from the ones I personally know) they are all ridiculously talented. Often I find myself envious, because I consider myself a hopeful musician as well. I play 12-string guitar, sing, write and record my own music, head to open mic-nights, and perform in venues around Portland when I have free time. But what can you do when you feel you cannot make a living off these passions?

I’ve gone through the process of contemplating majoring and minoring in music, but I’ve learned that it is not the path that I’m meant for. I feel that music majors are most applicable to teaching or performing, but I am (unfortunately) terrible at teaching and do not see the point in majoring in music when I can perform as I please at the level I am already at.

That is why I am glad that I have found a healthy balance for myself. I’m going to school to pursue a degree in business advertising and graphic design, where I feel confident I’ll find a job in, and I have my passions there to enlighten me on the side. I will keep music close to the beat of my heart during this entire journey, and that keeps me a hopeful musician and person in general.

Does anyone else feel the pressure of balancing work, school and passions? I’d love to hear about it in the comment section below.

Oct 9

Sunrise at the library

It’s one of those mornings that feels like every other morning. One of those mornings that becomes lost in the blur of your daily routine. But I’ve noticed something different on my way into work, something special, one of those little veteran “extras” that anybody who has been in the same place awhile learns.

I hold onto my secret and perform the opening duties of a library computer help desk person. I wash the computers down with a rag. I wipe the fingerprints off their screens. I make sure nobody has left their valuables behind the night before. Then, as I take my seat next to the window in the morning sunrise and watch the stream of morning patrons head into the library, I make my move.

Off to the front of Hoffman Hall, where the new students are standing in line to get their transcripts and materials for their orientation. And more importantly, where catering has set up a table of coffee and bagels and muffins.

Score! I grab some for my coworker too.

So, my question to any readers out there, have you ever happened to score some free food on campus, and more importantly, would you care to share your secret with the world?

Oct 4

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The Beginning of Sophomore Year

“Wow Haley! Haven’t seen you all summer. How’s it going?”

I had taken the long way home back to my dorm, holding a large stack of community posters to decorate my halls, when I ran into an old friend from my first year in the dorms. We held a quick/friendly conversation in the middle of the street.

“I’m doing just fine what about you?”

He and his girlfriend had just gotten back from a concert, all bubbly and tired from the show.

“So what’s new with you? Where are you living this year?” he asked.

“Oh, I became an RA. I live in Stephen Epler now.”

That’s when the conversation changed. The street suddenly became silent. I felt a tiny shiver from his spontaneous speechlessness. With TV-series-like drama, he uttered the words, “Oh, an RA? …We’re enemies now.” And simply walked off into the night. No goodbyes were given. His girlfriend gave me a heinous stare before whipping her head around to join him.

It never hit me till walking home that Wednesday night. This is now my life. My name is Haley Heynderickx, and I decided to become a Resident Assistant (RA). I live on campus and try to build community in our residence halls. I introduce students to other students, listen to their problems, and try to make a difference in their lives. I am a good person. I go to school full time, record and play music around Portland, make time for my friends and, to top this off, work.

How am I supposed to feel like a normal student, though, when I have this “RA Sticker” permanently stapled to my forehead? Every day I make an effort to prove to the world that RA’s have feelings and emotions like normal human beings. Our jobs are not to “go and get you in trouble” when the opportunity arises. Our jobs are to keep the peace! We do not seek for drama. We just fix it when it arises.

Please on-campus readers, if you have any space in that Portland-loving heart of yours, take this desperate plea to respect us RA’s. We put time into those posters, don’t rip them down. We make time to get to know you, not annoy you. RA’s are friends, not fiends.

Jun 13

Learning About My Culture In English

This term, I am taking a Japanese Modern Literature class in English. I am enjoying it, and getting more confident about studying in the U.S. Before I registered for this class, I was concerned about what it meant to take a Japanese class in America as a Japanese person. Also, I thought, “I love reading Japanese literature. But I know most of the literature in Japan, so why should I have to take this class?” In the Masters in Studio Art program, all of us are encouraged to take an elective class (above 300 level) outside of the Art Department. I looked at many classes that interested me, then decided to check the details of this class, Japanese Modern Literature. I contacted the professor, and found out which books would be used in the class. Suddenly, I found myself at the bookstore reading a Japanese book in English for more than an hour with deep joy. I realized that I enjoyed reading books written in my language, even when they are translated into English.

In this class, I have learned about the development of democracy in Japan after the late 1800s, through both Japanese literature and English writing. I can see both Japanese and American perspectives, and although sometimes there are huge gaps, the issues Japan has faced are similar to America as well as many other countries. I am learning about not only literature and English, but also about the differences and similarities between countries.

Jun 9

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Love waits til the end of the term

In high school, if a guy liked you, he came up and asked you out for coffee or lunch. In college, it’s more likely that he’ll send you a friend request on Facebook. What’s interesting is the timing of it all. At the end of each term I get bombarded with friend requests from guys in my classes. Some were guys I talked to throughout the course, and others I had no idea were in my class. Either way, it’s interesting that the requests come in on the last day of class.

Some of my friends who also attend PSU have come across the same situation. They can’t tell if a guy in their class likes them, until the end of the term when they get asked out on a Facebook message or in-class on the very last day. My friend, Ryan Smith, explains it this way, “It’s like they’re trying to save face. If they get shot down at the beginning of the term, then it just makes the rest of the term awkward, but if they wait until the very last day, they have nothing to lose because they will probably never see you again.”

What do you think about this dating fad?