He called me the next day. During the conversation, he commented that he really liked my photos and asked if I could shoot the next two events. Furthermore, he asked if I was able to do a photo shoot for the winning models… I’ve never been paid for any of my photos. I would never have thought in a million years that I would have the opportunity to direct a photo shoot.

Some further updates on my college life: I recently got accepted to the Mayo Clinic’s Summer III nursing program. The Clinic traditionally takes two nursing students from CWRU to participate in this 10-week program. I will also be going to Africa this summer with a few friends. We will be doing some service work there, and because we’re all greek, the hours count towards Greek Life. I have also decided to go to China for my Capstone (CWRU’s version of a senior project). It’s just so amazing knowing that all these opportunities are out there. All you have to do is apply yourself, or in some cases, just ask about them.

Quite frankly, I had no idea what it was. I didn't know how to access legitimate research articles (for one thing, Case has an extensive database of articles with amazing search engines). And most importantly, I didn't know how to do it.

Thankfully, one of the classes that I'm taking actually teaches you how to do research by making you do a research study on yourself. They term it as a "Personal Quality Improvement Project" which I have decided to lose 10 pounds within the span of a month. So far, I have gained a pound and a half despite going to the gym 3-4 times a week. After Superbowl Sunday, I had gained three pounds. But anyway, what's cool about this class is the non-conventional way of teaching. Sure the professors go over the concepts like most classes do, but their belief in experiential learning has really helped us realize the different parts of research (the formation of concepts, the hypothesis, the data collection, etc.) through the use of this creative assignment.

Another cool thing about this class are the professors themselves. Of the four that co-teach the class, mine is a prolific researcher of kangaroo care (http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/kangaroocare.asp), a technique that is now used throughout the healthcare field (on a side note: my professor is the head author of manly resource cited by wikipedia). The fact that I get to learn from a prominent researcher twice a week makes this class pretty amazing. The best thing about it was I didn't have to compete against my fellow classmates for this opportunity.What this class also made me realize was how a simple observation could lead to a revolutionary change in a body of knowledge.

For many, undergraduate research becomes the first stepping stone on the journey to make a difference in the world. The great thing about Case is that you're not only surrounded by these opportunities, but you also have the opportunities to learn from the best.

SAGES classes at Case really are interdisciplinary. In the summer before freshman year, I put together my class schedule without SAGES, adding my biology classes, chemistry classes, and whatnot. Then, in the middle of August, I chose three SAGES classes that interested me from a set of classes that fit into my schedule. Then, one was assigned to me. This semester, I am taking a “Life of the Mind” seminar, which is what most seminars are generally called, with a concentration in music. We are currently studying Beethoven, his creativity, and the role that his impending deafness played in his music. I have been a piano player for the past fourteen years, and this really interests me, despite the fact that I am not an English or music major. For me, SAGES is a way to be able to take something different in an area that interests me but does not directly apply to my career goals. Next semester, I am hoping to take a class called “Nonprofit 101”, where I’ll get to learn about the administration and “behind the scenes” of both local and nationwide nonprofits. As a member of the planning committee of Relay For Life, part of the American Cancer Society, this is something that really interests me.

Another amazing part of the first-year SAGES classes is something called “Fourth Hour”. Generally, a SAGES seminar involves three hours of class a week (for example, my current class is from 8:30-9:45 on Tuesday and Thursday). However, the first seminar that a Case student takes, in their first semester as a freshman, involves a differently scheduled “Fourth Hour”. This is an opportunity for learning outside the classroom. It’s a way for professors to teach their students, many of whom are not from the area, about Cleveland and what it has to offer. For example, I have been to the Planetarium at the Natural History Museum in University Circle, something that is right on CWRU’s campus. Another “Fourth Hour” was reserved for a presentation on music and the mind, and yet another was for seeing a special performance of the Cleveland Orchestra in Severance Hall. It’s an amazing opportunity for freshman like me, not from the area, to learn some of the things that both Cleveland and Case have to offer, and to do some pretty awesome things along the way.

Because of the assignments, I was forced to go out around campus to find specific angles and objects to photograph. For one assignment, my friend suggested that we go to Wade Lagoon in front of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Of the three years that I’ve been here, I’ve never once set foot there. Once I got there, the sun was just setting or the “golden hour” as we photographers call it. I had never seen University Circle look so pretty before and to think that I’ve been missing out on this for more than half of my time at Case.

The same could be said for the classes here. It’s college! You don’t have to stick to the academic classes anymore. If you have the time, you can always take classes that aren’t part of your major. Often times, these classes will be required for you to graduate (For me, photography fills my arts & humanities requirement). So go out there and explore. You’ll never know what you find, and maybe it might be something that you’ve been looking for.

That is why I’m here, 2034 miles away from home in Los Angeles, CA. Case has such a unique nursing program that allows students to enter the clinical setting on the first week of class. We get twice as many clinical hours than the average nursing student from the best nursing program in the state of Ohio.

So that was my Wednesday. I was able to give my patient’s baby girl a Hepatitis B shot in the thigh and give her mother the immunization card that her child will have throughout her childhood. Let me tell you, this completely beats sitting in lectures and falling asleep.

Not today, however. Because today is May 2nd, I know all of you graduating high school in 2011 have made your final decisions for the years to come, whether that will lead you here or elsewhere. So today I dedicate my post to you, the Case Western Reserve University class of 2015.

Two years ago, I was in your shoes. It was the last month of my high school career, and though I loved the time left to spend with friends, I was dying to graduate and finally go to college. I felt so ready and so excited. I had picked my housing, I was looking around for a roommate, and I spent endless hours thinking about all of the new experiences I would have after finally leaving the bubble I'd lived in for the past four years.

Two years later, I'm immeasurably different. I have grown as a person, a student, a leader. I am so very grateful for all that Case has given me. I'm sure that in two years, you'll be able to say the same. So here is my advice to you, class of 2015. I hope that you can take something away from it that will make the months to come that much easier, more fun, and more meaningful.

1. Treasure summer. If you're like me, it will be the last time things really feel the way they did throughout grade school or high school. Some of you may be desperate for high school to be over, but enjoy summer anyway. You'll be surprised what you miss when you leave it behind.

2. Come to Orientation with an open mind. It's one of the first times you'll truly get a feel for what CWRU is like. At this point, it doesn't matter if you feel insecure or unsure, or if you're afraid you won't like Case. This is your opportunity to make your time here whatever you want it to be. Your best friend could be someone you never would have talked to in high school. Who you are at CWRU starts now.

3. When you get here in the fall, leave your comfort zone. At least once a day, make sure you get out of your room and hang out in a common space or find someone to talk to. It might feel uncomfortable at first -- I know it did for me. But friendships start when you say hello to people, and it's a good chance to start all that growth and change the moment you get here.

4. Take chances. Do something you might not have in high school. This doesn't have to be anything crazy or off the wall. It might just mean that when people from your floor say they're going out to eat or to explore Coventry or Severence or Downtown, you tag along. Ultimately, you'll probably regret much more the things you didn't do than the things you did.

5. Remember: this experience is what you make it. It's true of college, it's true of CWRU, and it's true of life. You can sit back and let things happen to you, or you can make things happen. Who says you can't do everything you ever wanted to? This is college. The possibilities are pretty much endless.

I'm sure I'll see some of you come July for Orientation, so feel free to say hi! I get kind of excited in the dorkiest way when people mention that they read the blog, and one of my goals for Orientation is to meet as many of you awesome people as I can. In the mean time, enjoy graduation. Make your goodbyes honest and heartfelt. Let this summer be a time for freedom. See you in the fall!

Apparently, there’s a website that Case has that tracks where everyone is from. You can find it by going to case.edu and searching for “Where in the World 2015” or, if you’re lazy, click on this link. I was mind blown! Since I’m from pretty far away, I’m always on the lookout from people near my hometown on the off chance that we have mutual friends.

Any who, why is this important for you as a Freshmen? Well, it’s that time of the year to go online and start selecting where you live and who you live with. I resorted to the Facebook group by filling out a brief questionnaire and looking at other potential roommates. But that was when I didn’t know about this awesome website. Now, you can look on the map, see who is near you, and message them to see if you can meet up over a cup of coffee and see if you would want to room together. Well that’s what I would have done if I knew this existed.

But yeah.. Class of 2015 you guys should be pumped! Orientation is just around the corner, and you’re going to be here before you know it. Orientation and welcome days are probably the best days you’ll remember from your freshmen year. You’ll meet more people than you can remember, and the days will past in a heartbeat. Cherish the time you have now because once you set foot in college, life will seem to be on steroids, and you’ll be in a graduation cap and gown before you know it.

If you're still unsure about coming to Case, here are a few photos to familiarize yourself with the campus. I also highly encourage you to plan an overnight stay. There's one left: April 21-22nd. Go to http://admission.case.edu/visit/options.aspx to schedule it.

Top of the Hill: South Residential Village (click for a higher-resolution photo)

Church of the Covenant




Kelvin Smith Library




First Floor: KSL



Top of the Hill: Entrance to the "Elephant Stairs"




The View From the Top of the Hill

The campus is actually quite pretty during sunset, but don't take my words (or photos for that matter) for it. Come experience it for yourself!

It's a fair expectation that everyone will suffer from a little bit of burnout eventually. Students at CWRU are notorious for being awesomely overinvolved, often to the point of sleepless nights and jam-packed days. For many of us, this kind of scheduling offers an adrenaline rush that can only come with doing things you like, doing them well, and doing them with great people. Every now and again, we even like the things that drive us nuts (super difficult classes or extracurriculars that ask more than we expected, etc.) because getting through them proves to us that we can survive and come out better for it.

Eventually, though, there comes a point when intrinsic motivation runs out. You know you need to complete X, Y, and Z because you want the good grade, but the study schedule you stuck to for the first couple months of the semester has fallen through and you've resorted to doing only the work that needs to be done tomorrow. This is a slump I am all too familiar with. I haven't quite figured out how to master the slump yet. But a few things do keep me on track.

The first is reminding myself why I'm doing the things I'm doing. If it's schoolwork, I remind myself that I really want to get into a Senior Year Professional Studies program and finish a Master's in five years. It's a big dream, and it keeps me pushing even when I don't think I have it left in me to push.

The second is reevaluating the extra stuff. I love my extracurriculars. Nine days out of ten they keep me from going crazy. They give me something besides papers to write, info to burn into my brain, and projects to complete. I appreciate them because they're fun; let me do things purely for the sake of doing them. At the same time, every now and then I get in over my head. When I take on too many leadership roles, I have to step back and ask myself why I'm doing each activity. If something has lost its luster for me, I know I have to cut it out. It can be hard when it means explaining to friends or giving up hobbies I used to love, but there comes a time to focus on what's important for the long term.

Finally, I really have come to appreciate relying on friends for accountability. It's a two-way street: I remind them to get working on their poster, they remind me that I have a paper due in week. I let them know that the notes are up for a class, and they give me times they're available for studying together. This has gotten better with time as I know more people in my classes and I build friendships that help us both keep school in mind.

It can be tough to find motivation, especially when you know that the next week or two is all that's standing between you and a few months of freedom. Hopefully, though, it will be enough to remind yourself why you're here, and you will be able to look back with pride on the work you did, even when it was tough.

As the deadline to enroll (May 1st) quickly approaches, most students have to start thinking about which university they’re going to spend their next four years of academics to. For me, it was quite easy. I already had my eyes set on being a health science major (specifically nursing) and I only had to choose between 4 schools. Through some research, I found out that of the four schools, Case had the best nursing program, not to mention the close proximity to one of the best hospitals in the nation. So, I was thinking, what better way to tell others about the perks of being a health science major at Case than to list them out... With photos!
1. Lots of unique opportunities to work in world-renowned facilities such as the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals, whether it be research or practice. Plenty of opportunities also exist to shadow professionals.

Click on the image to have a closer look!

2. Case’s main health science disciplines: Medicine and Nursing are all ranked very highly among graduate schools. Coming here for undergrad give you the unique opportunity to get acquainted with professors as well as the program.

Frances Payne Bolton: Ranked 4th among private universities

Case School of Medicine: Ranked 22nd

3. Case has many pre-professional programs that allow students to be directly admitted to one of Case’s many professional schools upon admission into the program.

4. There’s a lot of money students can get for research, an important aspect for admission into a graduate program.

Intersections: a poster symposium of research projects held by SOURCE: support of undergraduate research and creative endeavors. They fund undergraduate research projects.

5. Study space: Health Science majors get exclusive access to the Health Center library and Allen memorial Medical library.
Read more here: http://www.case.edu/chsl/library/index.html

As I mentioned, this past week was Greek Week, and I was so proud not only of my own chapter, but to be Greek. The unity, sportsmanship, and general fun and awesomeness that happens every year is one of my very favorite things about the Greek community. It was awesome to place in events like Greek Sing, Banner, and Rope Pull, and even more wonderful to cheer on all the incredible men and women who worked so hard for this week.

Speaking of Rope Pull, we took third place! It's been a great season, with injuries, jokes, nicknames, a whole lot of squat jumps, some new friendships made and old ones strengthened. I love Pull. So much. I can't wait until next year when hopefully I'll be a captain and lead my team to victory! But that's another story.

I'm also delighted to announce that I am an Orientation Leader for the Summer of 2011! I am so so excited to meet the class of 2015 and welcome them to CWRU, and also to make new friends in the Orientation family. Contract signing was on Friday, and the first training session is this weekend. I am so inspired by the amazing people on the OL team, and it really reminds me why I came to Case and why it's so phenomenal to be a Spartan.

So if you're coming to CWRU this fall, I just may see you in a couple months! I hope you're as excited as I am.

Needless to say, this can get a little stressful. I'm running on a lot less sleep than I would like, I'm not entirely sure I can remember all of the things I've applied for, and generally speaking I would like nothing more than a nap and maybe a massage.

All that being said, however, there are some ways to ensure your survival during the maelstrom that midterms can be. While everyone else is running themselves ragged, you'll have something keeping your sanity in place, and trust me, that makes all the difference. Here are a few quick tips, before I get back to finishing that paper:

1) You'll probably know your midterm schedule beforehand, so plan ahead. Make sure you know which chapters will be covered on the exam, and give yourself plenty of time to get cracking on that paper. Procrastination may work out for your average homework assignments, but when an exam can be a hefty chunk of your grade, you really want to stay on top of it. Which leads me to #2...

2) Make a study schedule. Give yourself time every day to prepare for the exams you have coming up. It's no secret that studying a little each day works way better than cramming, so make sure you have time by writing it all down. This works for papers, too. Give yourself a goal for each day, whether that be writing a couple pages, a couple hundred words, or the first part of your thesis.

3) Prioritize (you had to know this was coming). Fact of the matter is, you know which exams will be easy for you. Some of them will test your sanity, but some you could probably ace in your sleep. Don't get complacent and neglect easier exams, but make sure that your focus is on the tests that will be more difficult, or the ones that will affect an important grade.

4) Make time for eating, sleeping, and exercising. This is the easiest thing to let go of during midterms. My diet in past years has consisted of Oreos, microwave burritos, and Goldfish. Not exactly the breakfast of champions. If you eat better, get sleep, and keep up your activity level, you will probably do better on your exam than if you neglect your hunger, sleep deprivation, and general well-being just so you can study for a few extra hours. So not worth it.

5) Relax. One midterm does not determine your ultimate success in the class, in college, or in life. You will be fine, even if you don't do as well as you would like to. Seriously. Life goes on.

One of the things that surprised me most about this weekend, however, was a program that I went to on Friday night put on by our chapter's Risk Manager. As an officer, she makes sure we're safe, whether by educating us on university alcohol policies, making sure we're aware of all of the resources available, or organizing programs to improve our healthy living.

Friday was a SMARRT presentation that she organized on Health and Wellness. The Students Meeting About Risk and Responsibility Training (SMARRT) program is one which allows students to receive education on issues relevant to the average college student through peer education and discussion. They offer programs on Policies and Procedures, Alcohol and Drug Education, Sexual Assault Prevention, and Health and Wellness.

Health and Wellness is their newest program, and I wasn't sure what to expect. What we got was awesome, informative, and open to discussion. The program taught us about appropriate exercise, sleep, and eating habits, providing us with info on everything from sleep patterns to proper nutrition. Additionally, the leaders handed out sheets for everyone with info to keep in mind, as well as contact info for on-campus resources. I learned a lot, including that we have a campus nutritionist at health services and even that the CWRU mattresses have different firmness sides.

I've had a lot of fun experiences in my first year and a half at Case, but I often forget just how much of what I learn in college will stay with me throughout life. Hopefully good habits that I start now will stick, and I'll be able to make the most of all the fabulous opportunities ahead.

This week, for example? Three philanthropy events. Yes, three. DG is holding a pancake breakfast benefiting Service for Sight, Alpha Phi is holding APhitness, where you donate in order to enjoy a workout class for relatively cheap (if you're a member of a gym, you know $5 isn't all that bad. And for charity!), and Phi Delta Theta is holding their second annual Food Fest, where groups cook and guests vote for the best in each category.

All this, plus I'm going to Sigma Nu's formal on Saturday, I have a couple of papers, quizzes, and an exam, I'm attending our annual faculty luncheon where we meet with different professors and deans for some conversation about scholarship, and somewhere in there I need to remember to breathe and sleep.

As busy as spring semester always seems to be, I keep remembering how much I love it. So many exciting things are coming up! Springfest, Greek Week, and spring sports to name a few. (Pitchers and catchers report to spring training on Tuesday! Hooray baseball!) Generally speaking, I'm stoked. Hopefully I can keep all my school work up to date without missing out on any of that awesome.

As a freshman, I rarely spent any time in Thwing. My classes were usually within reasonable distance from my dorm, and if I had free time between classes, I was more likely than not going to go back to my room and do work while the dorm was empty, or grab a quick lunch in Leutner. Neither of those things were bad ideas, in fact I kind of miss the availability of "free" food that comes with being on a university meal plan. But I was missing out on some of the coolest free stuff available to Case students.

This semester, I have two huge two hour breaks in the middle of my Tuesdays and Thursdays. Since my top-of-the-hill dorm is so far away from every classroom ever, I got lazy and decided to hang out in Thwing between classes and get some work done. That plan was good in theory, but then I discovered that a whole group of my friends also hang out in Thwing. Now I get pretty much nothing done, but I do have a whole lot of fun with them.

Perhaps the even bigger surprise find, though, was a whole mess of free food, swag, and events put together by University Program Board, fondly known as Thwing Tuesdays. I somehow totally missed the memo last year and never knew such a wonderful thing existed. Now I'm here every week, snagging everything from a free Easy Bake Oven (I am so excited about this. Baked goods with a light bulb!) to delicious free Qdoba, to free spin art...you're probably noticing a trend here, and that's the word "free"! Free is possibly the best thing ever for a college student, and there's something for everyone every week? Why didn't I pay attention to these emails sooner?!

Lesson learned? Read the UPB emails! They put together a whole lot of other cool programs besides Thwing Tuesday, from concerts like this winter's concert with Big Boi, to ski trips to Holiday Valley, to other trips here in our own back yard. And remember, if you ever think that there's "nothing to do" here at Case -- there are more events than you ever imagined. It's all about paying attention.