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LOOKING BACK AT MY SOCIAL MEDIA PRINCIPLES CLASS

Last semester I was looking for a class to take to fill my credit hours. I had no idea that this class would teach me so much more than I had ever expected. My first week back in class, some of my classmates told me that Dr. Aggie’s class was fun, but challenging. Along with that, this is the one class that I need to read the textbook. Although this was somewhat intimidating to hear, I stuck with the course and now I am so happy that I did. Along with learning about social media and how to run it from a business standard, I met some awesome people along the way. Having such a small class meant that we all got to know each other well. Along with this, even when we went to remote learning our class sessions were still fun! I am going to miss making Tik Tok videos in class before we start lecture and learning about my classmates and professor. Even though blogging was my least favorite part of this class, I feel like I learned so much about blogging over these past 15 weeks. M

WHY I WAS RELUCTANT TO GET A TIK TOK ACCOUNT

I first heard of Tik Tok from my younger sister last year. She would send me videos or tell me about Tik Tok all the time. I really did not know what Tik Tok was, other than it had videos on it. I felt like I did not need another social media app because I already spent plenty of time on Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Facebook. It was not until this year when I continuously heard about Tik Tok and how it was similar to Vine, that I decided to download the app. Even when I was hearing about how I should get it all the time; I was reluctant to download it because everyone said it was addicting. All things aside, I did not expect much from Tik Tok. I did not think it would draw me in, but I was definitely wrong! Tik Tok drew me in the same way that Vine did. It is so hard to stop scrolling! Tik Tok has such a wide range of content that it is easy to find something that you are interested in. Plus, it is a great way for people to express themselves and stay connected. The social

MY FAVORITE COOKIE RECIPE

I have been doing a lot of baking lately and thought I would share my favorite cookie recipe! There are so many cookie recipes it can be hard to find one that you will like. I love the classic chewy chocolate chip cookies, but my all-time favorite cookie is a monster cookie. I was always so excited when my mom would make these for me when I was little. What also is great about this recipe is that it does not require any flour, so they are gluten-free! MONSTER COOKIES Start to finish: 30 minutes Total: 3 dozen cookies Ingredients: 3 eggs 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 12-ounce jar creamy peanut butter 1 stick butter, softened 1/2 cup multi-colored chocolate candies 1/2 cup chocolate chips 2 teaspoons baking soda 4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant) Directions First you want to preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a cookie sheet with non

MARKETING ON FACEBOOK

For my social media class, we had to create Facebook Ad mock-ups. While creating my ad mock-ups for my assignment, I learned a few things about Facebook Ads. I thought I would share a few of those interesting things I learned about Facebook Ads. One thing I found was that Facebook Stories are becoming more popular and a great place to display ads because of its large reach. Along with this, adding an image helps the ads performance. You also should make sure that you follow all of Facebook’s Ad policies, to be certain that your ad is not denied. One policy, for video ads on Facebook, requires you to not have any flashing lights or rapidly changing bright colors. Another kind of confusing policy is that you can not target any personal attributes. This means you can not show users that you know anything about them that would relate to their race, ethnicity, origin, beliefs and so on. I found quiet a few interesting facts about Facebook when I was completing my assignment. The f

5K Training

I thought I would give you guys a little update on how Paige and I have progressed in our 5K training. We have reached week five in our training. We have been running consistently five days a week for five weeks! I did not realize how quickly our training would go by. We are now only 11 days away from running our own 5K! Paige and I have made it to 2.5 miles without stopping, which may not seem far, but it feels like a great accomplishment for us! We are a little over a half-mile away from our goal of doing a 5K. We plan on reaching our goal by the end of this week! Keeping motivated to run has been difficult some days. It is easy to make excuses of why not to run like it’s too cold or raining, so I thought I would tell you a few ways I stay motivated. The first way Paige and I stay motivated is by holding each other accountable. Paige and I find it best that we run together so we continue to keep up with our training. Plus, we get to get out of the house when we run! We

WHAT TO DO IN AN ONLINE INTERVIEW!

I have been interviewing a lot lately! Since interviews can not physically go on in-person due to the coronavirus limiting in-person contact, my interviews have been over the phone or through Zoom. Throughout high school and college I was always taught how to interview in-person. This has made job interviewing difficult for me. Here are a few things I learned while interviewing in a non-traditional way and some tips for you if you are in the same boat as me. The first thing I learned was that interviewers are learning how to interview in this way, just like we are. They are not use to this type of interview and they normally mentioned this in some way. They do not expect you to be an expert on interviewing over the phone or on video. Technical difficulties will happen no matter how much you prepare. Technical difficulties are bound to happen, and they may not always be on your end. If they do happen let your interviewer know and stay calm, it will be worked out. This is a gre

Apple and Google Helping to Contain COVID-19

You may have heard that Apple and Google have partnered together to help health authorities track COVID-19. The two companies that normally do not get along, have partnered together to help its customers in a new way. They have created a process that allows users to see if they have been in contact with someone that has tested positive with COVID-19. The process allows iOS and Android devices to be tracked based on their proximity signals using Bluetooth. The health authorities will be able to then create an app that tracks which individuals have come in close contact with another. An individual will have to download the app and opt-in. The user can then enter if they had COVID-19 by using a code from the health authorities. If a user comes in close contact with someone that COVID-19 the app will notify them. Here is a visual overview from google of how the process would work. This is a step in the right direction. Android devices and iOS devices account for the major

EASTER!!

This year Easter was a little different. Normally, Jordan and I go to each of our families Easter get together. We celebrate by going to church and spending time with our families. There always is an Easter egg hunt and a great meal at both of our family’s houses. Although, since the coronavirus is going around, our families decided not to have any family gatherings. Instead, our families made dinner and we ate together through Facetime. It was very difficult to not be able to be with our families over the weekend, but we were extremely grateful that we are all still healthy. Even though we were not physically with our families, Jordan and I still had a lot of fun together! This was our first Easter together as a married couple, so we were determined to make the best of it. On Saturday we made homemade pizza with our favorite toppings and rented a movie. It was so much fun to just sit and watch a movie with Jordan. Then on Sunday, we woke up and made a delicious breakfast. We had

PRECAUTIONS TO TAKE WHEN LIVING WITH AN ESSENTIAL WORKER

My husband, Jordan, is required to go into work after Ohio’s closure of all nonessential business. I know when most people think of essential workers they think of nurses, doctors, grocery store workers and truck drivers. When in fact there are many other workers that are still considered essential like construction. Jordan currently is working at an airbase and is exposed to numerous people from different areas. There have already been cases reported at his job site and it can be difficult to ensure that he stays healthy and does not bring the virus home. At the job site they are not able to stay six feet apart because they must all work together, so the virus could easily spread. Over the past few weeks, we have been taking some precautions at home. Before Jordan enters our home, he takes off all his clothes and throws them into the washing machine. I wipe down Jordan’s phone with a Clorox wipe and wash my hands after. Jordan always showers right when he gets home to wash o

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO MEASURE AND EVALUATE IN SOCIAL MEDIA

This week my social media class is reading about measurement and evaluation in social media. Measurement and evaluation are two of the final steps before you provide recommendations to clients. According to the International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication, you should cover a few key areas. You should be covering objectives, inputs, activities, outputs, outtakes, outcomes and impact. What I found most interesting about this chapter was the amount of information you must evaluate and how it helps you to measure the success of a campaign. The chapter also discusses the importance of SMART objectives. I have used SMART objectives before in my studies and although they can be difficult, they allow for a better end result. SMART objectives are extremely important when you are looking for a hard number and growth. So, why is it important to have all of this? Well, in the end you will know your target market better, create content that is effective and al

FREE FITNESS APPS AND PLANS

Lately there seems to be a lot of negative things happening in the world. Everything is closing, including gyms. I know a lot of people are struggling to keep up with their fitness routine while being stuck at home. Luckily, several highly recognized apps and programs are free for a limited time! This is making it easier for those stuck at home to get their workouts in! Beachbody On Demand has a free trial for 14 days! This is one of the largest streaming fitness companies. They offer multiple fitness programs like P90X, 21-Day Fix, Insanity and PiYo. You will easily be able to find your style of fitness with these programs. What makes these work outs great is that they require little to no equipment! Click here to visit their website. Along with this several celebrities, known for their workouts, are posting live workouts on social media. For instance, Ted McDonald is doing Instagram live yoga classes. He is the owner of 5 Point Yoga in Malibu, CA. Another great yoga site is

HOW TO MAKE BUFFALO CHICKEN PASTA BAKE

I have two questions for you! Are you struggling to find something to make? Do you love buffalo chicken dip? If you answered yes to these questions, then I have the perfect recipe for you to try at home! Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake is great for all sizes of families because you can easily modify the recipe. Another reason I love this recipe, is because it uses ingredients that are almost always in your kitchen. It only takes 30 minutes to make, so it is a quick and easy recipe to make, that everyone will love.   Another perk of this recipe is that you can easily make it gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta and ranch dressing. I used canned chicken because of how convenient it is, but you can also use left over chicken or rotisserie chicken! Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake Start to finish: 30 minutes Servings: 8 Ingredients 12 ounces of pasta of choice, normally 1 box (I use rotini pasta) One 8-ounce package of cream cheese, softened ¾ cup of ranch dressing

THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTENT CALENDARS

This week my social media class was reading about content marketing. The social media industry has a growing need for content marketing. One of the best ways to keep track and plan your content is through a content calendar. A content calendar is a way to share, plan and organize content going out for a company, brand or individual on social media. If you like to be organized and plan things out before hand, this is a great way to keep everything organized in one document.   Also, by having everything in one document you are able to compare content to make sure all content coordinates with how you want the company/brand to be perceived. Here are a few examples of content calendars. As you can see, content calendars can look different for every organization and individual. In general, there is no right or wrong way to organize a content calendar, as long as it works for you and your team. Some individuals like having more information on the content cale

TRAINING TO RUN A 5K

Running use to be something I always enjoyed doing. I was in cross-country, track, and always liked the conditioning part of basketball. Even after I was out of sports, I continued to run consistently up until last year. I am not sure why I stopped running I just ended up not running anymore. So, since my classes are all online now, I have no more excuses to not run. In order to keep motivated, I am running with my sister Paige and we set a goal that we want to complete a 5K without walking. Since we do not know when the next 5K will be because of COVID-19, we decided we would have our own 5K on May 1 st . We are training five days a week, Monday through Friday. We also made challenges for different days of the week, so we continue to challenge ourselves. One of our challenges is that we run as far as we can in one direction without walking. Then we are forced to either walk or run all the way back. This is something my coach use to do when I was in cross country, so that we

THE TIGER KING IS TAKING SOCIAL MEDIA BY STORM

Have you heard of Netflix series “Tiger King”, with Joe Exotic? The likelihood of you seeing a Meme or GIF about the documentary on social media is extremely high. If you have not already watched “Tiger King”, I highly recommend doing so soon! “Tiger King” is a documentary about a redneck zoo owner that spirals out of control. This documentary has so many twists, it is hard to keep track of them all. Just when you think you know how the plot is going to end, it takes another turn. I wanted to share some of the more popular memes about “Tiger King”. Everyone on the internet has been going crazy about the new documentary. This includes making memes about the craziness that happens in the documentary. If you still have not watched “Tiger King”, I recommend doing so before looking at the memes below! These memes are not solely for entertainment. The extra attention that these memes are drawing to the series, brings even more awareness to the fact that ther

Social Media Influencers

In my social media class, we are reading about audience segmentation. In this chapter in talks about using influencers to target your audience. This reminded me of some of my favorite social media influencers and some of the brands that they promote. Doug the Pug. Normally when you think about an influencer you think of a person, not a dog. Doug the Pug is on Instagram and Tik Tok. He is a cute, friendly pug that along side his owner, Leslie Mosier, promotes brands like Bogs and Skechers. I love this account because of the original content that is posted and the adorable pug pictures! Kiersten Rich or The Blonde Abroad. Kiersten is a travel blogger that use to work in a corporate wealth management firm. What I love about Kiersten is that she does not stay in expensive hotels when she travels. Instead, she stays at less expensive places and often volunteers when she travels abroad. Kayla Itsines. If you are into fitness you likely have seen her a few times on Instagr

Using Social Media to Find Gluten Free Recipes

Being gluten free can be difficult as it is, so why struggle to find things to make or eat. One of the most challenging things about being gluten free is finding a place to go out to eat at. Therefore, I often decide to stay in and make my own meal. Luckily, there are so many gluten free baking blogs and accounts on Instagram and other site, that it makes making your own meal so much easier. The thing about baking gluten free is that gluten free flour does not have the same elasticity as flour with gluten. When you look at a gluten free recipe you will likely see Xanthium Gum or other additives that create the elasticity, so your bread does not crumble as easily. Recently, companies have started to make gluten free flour that you can replace regular flour with one-to-one. This make a world of difference when you are converting a recipe to gluten free. I follow quite a few gluten free baking accounts on social media. Below I have compiled a list of my favorite accounts to find g

FOREVER A POLAR BEAR

Everything has been changing so quickly in the world lately that at times it seems overwhelming to keep up with it. This past week all students were required to move out of their college housing and return home. I have seen a lot of seniors post about their senior year getting cut short. Several seniors were angry, sad, and hateful towards the announcement. Although, I truly loved ONU and my experiences I had at ONU, I do not feel angered or upset that I will be finishing classes online. Although it is strange to think that I may not be back on campus for a long time, I know this is not the end. The friendships I have made while at ONU will not end after I graduate. I realize now, growing up means that you will not spend every minute with your best friends. Instead, you spend it growing your career and spending time with family. Your true friends will not disappear because you do not talk to them every day. Even though I will not experience a lot of things seniors typically do; I am

Types of Writing Styles for Social Media

In my textbook that I am reading for my social media class, it talks a lot about your brand voice and writing style. There are so many different types of writing styles for social media. The first is a professional writing style. Brands that use this style treat social media like other traditional communication channels. There is normally clear information for the audience and an opportunity for them to interact. The second style is snarky and spunky. These brands want their consumers to see their attitude in the messages that they post. They are more likely to reach out and reply to customers and their messages are generally more informal The third style is product and brand focused. Brand that use this approach are more focused on portraying messages that help their bottom line. The fourth writing style used on social media is audience focused. These brands use story telling to convey a message to their audience. These brands are looking for the best way to reach th

COMPANIES HELPING DURING THE CORONAVIROUS OUTBREAK

I know all people are talking about it the coronavirus, but I thought I would talk about a few good things that companies are doing in the midst of the pandemic. Many companies and schools are pushing towards going online and working from home. This can create some challenges if you do not have a way to access the internet or device to use at home. Below are just a few examples of some great things’ companies are doing to help their employees and customers! Facebook is pushing their employees to work from home and with that they are giving away free portal video chat devices to employees that request one. Portal comes in several models that allows you to video chat and can even project through their TV sets. Fossil informed all customers through social media that they will be closing all stores until March 28th. The good thing that they are doing is guaranteeing that their employees will be paid while the stores are closed. I thought this was such a great thing to hear becaus

WHAT TO DO DURING SOCIAL DISTANCING

Numerous campuses are moving to online classes and practicing social distance because of the coronavirus pandemic. Social distancing is when you avoid large crowds and try to keep six feet in between you and other people whenever possible. Ohio Northern University asked for all large events to be cancelled and to reduce the number interactions between people. Everything has changed so quickly over the past few days that it is hard to keep up with all the changes. With most sporting events, concerts, and forms of entertainment closed now, it can be hard to find way to stay entertained. Below are three activities you can do while social distancing is still going on! Take a walk or run! Getting outside and enjoying the fresh air can be helpful when you are feeling locked up. You can either take a gentle stroll and enjoy the fresh air or go on a run to get your blood moving and heart pumping. Stretch or do yoga at home! When you want a break from watching your favorite season on

THE CORONAVIRUS AND SOCIAL MEDIA

Lately, all you hear about is the coronavirus and how it is spreading across the world. All news updates are about the coronavirus and where it has spread to. During times like these social media can be both good and bad. It can be a negative thing because people spread incorrect facts across social media platforms and escalate the seriousness of the outbreak. On the other hand, it is easier to find out information about the disease and ways you can prevent it. Luckily, several social media sites have started to get involved with stopping the spread of inaccurate information. Twitter has come out with a new advanced process to protect conversations around coronavirus. The social media site is trying to make sure users are getting correct information about the disease. They are also trying to prevent the spread of inaccurate information. Along with this Twitter has added a new search prompt so that it will guide users that search for the coronavirus to official resources and acc

WHAT YOU CAN DO IN OHIO OVER SPRING BREAK!

This year I decided not to travel anywhere over spring break. Instead I am going to relax at home with my dogs and cats over the next week. I am also going to be job searching some more! Since Ohio can be a little gloomy this time of year and several of my friends are traveling to places warmer, I thought I would put together some things you can do in Ohio, that are relatively inexpensive and fun! Glass Art Workshops I have heard of several of my friends going to these workshops and loving them! You can get tickets for $42 if you are a member and $52 if you are a nonmember, these classes allow you to make your own glass project. You can make things like an apple, blown ornament, donut, pumpkin, or more! They also have monthly projects that cost $30 for members and $40 for members. The workshops last for about an hour and you get to keep what you made! Here is a link to their website! https://tickets.toledomuseum.org/Info.aspx?EventID=11 Murder Mystery Dinner Theater

ALUMNI BASKETBALL GAME AT BUCKEYE CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL

On Feb. 24 th , I live-tweeted the boys alumni basketball game. There were two teams playing. Since the players only play for fun, they do not have actual team names. Instead they wore red and white shirts to distinguish themselves. I referred to the teams based on their shirt color throughout my tweets. The game was held at Buckeye Central High School in their gym.   It was a close game for most of the game, with lots of back-and-forth. The final score was 86 to 82, with the red team coming out on top! Both teams did an excellent job and had a great game! Congratulations to the Red Team! You can check out my live tweet by searching #AlumniBBall2020 on twitter or by following me on twitter @Lydia74353175.

SHOULD YOU JOIN A PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION?

Professional organizations give you several opportunities to network and test your professional skills. Some professional organizations that you can join at Ohio Northern University are the Society for Advancement of Management, the Student Investment Group, American Marketing Association, PRSSA and many more. Some organizations even allow you the opportunity to travel and attend conferences. I was lucky enough to attend several conferences with the Society for Advancement of Management. For these conferences, each school that attends brings teams of five. The team receives a case that they analyze. Then they decide how they can improve the company based on information they research on the industry and company. You then put together a 15 minute presentation about your idea. Over the three years that I attended, I had the opportunity to analyze Facebook, Ryder, and the Hard Rock Café. They also record your presentation and send it to the company, and you can send your resume d

SPORTS AND SOCIAL MEDIA GO HAND-IN-HAND

While reading chapter four of, “Social Media for Strategic Communication”, I started to think about some of the experiences I had while I was an intern with the Galion Graders. The Galion Graders are part of the Great Lake League in Ohio. The League is a type of summer ball for collegiate players. In the book, “Social Media for Strategic Communication”, it mentioned that sports teams have found that they need to use social media to promote, give in-game insights, and recap the game. While I was working for the Galion Graders, I was in charge of their social media platforms. It was so much fun to engage with the Galion Graders community and promote the team. The main way we communicated with the team’s fans and community was through Facebook and Twitter. This was how many people found when they were playing and any events we were having. I also helped answer any questions that individuals had about the team or upcoming events. Social media was a great way to reach the commun

THE DAYTONA 500

The Daytona 500 is a huge race in Nascar. Millions of people view the race each year. In fact, about 9 million people viewed the race this year. This year the president started off the race and made a lap around the track. All of this means that many companies are on the hunt to advertise during the race. The Daytona 500 was full of action. That is, once the race could actually begin. The race was originally supposed to be completed on Sunday, Feb. 18 th , but was eventually rescheduled for Monday because of several rain delays. This allowed companies to get even more view time of their advertisements on the cars and track! Many people view the Daytona 500 because of the fast speed and potential for wrecks to happen. Last, night was not different, there were multiple wrecks and one happened the last lap of the race, when the leader, Ryan Newman flipped and totaled his car. Ryan Newman was rushed to the hospital and luckily, he did not have any life-threatening injuries! Nascar e

SURVIVING SENIOR YEAR OF COLLEGE

Now that it is February, and I am only a few short weeks away from graduating college, I realized what is and is not important when going through college. I also, realized how awful, but manageable capstone is. Since every underclassman worries about their senior year and what they plan on doing after, I felt I could give some tips and advice to help you through your senior year. Senior year can be stressful enough by itself! During your senior year of college, you are expected to do so much, including finding a job. So, my first tip is to not stress over your grades. This does not mean to fail all your classes but realizing that grades do not mean everything will benefit you a lot in the long run. Capstone will take over your life but is manageable. During my freshman year of college, I remember hearing about the horrors of capstone and how it was a nightmare. Now that I am in my last semester of capstone, I realized that the main reason so many people have problems with c

INSTAGRAM BLOGGER MEGGAN GRUBB

While reading, “Social Media for Strategic Communication”, I thought about one of my favorite fitness models and blogger, Meggan Grubb. I was reading about identifying your relationship with your audience and determining which platform(s) work best for you and she immediately came to mind. Meggan has her own fitness plan and post work outs on her Instagram. She lives in the UK, recently got engaged and is a very uplifting person to follow. She also is a blogger and posts videos about her life on Youtube as well. Along with this, she launched her own clothing line. Meggan has multiple platforms and although I love that she is bubbly and outgoing, I do not follow her on all my social media platforms. I follow her mainly for the workouts she posts and occasionally I will watch or real one of her blogs. This means that I have no need to follow her on every social media platform. Meggan does a good job at linking her platforms together so that she reaches everyone. She often posts a

REMODELING YOUR HOME WITH PINTREST

Home remodeling and redesigning parts of your home can be tricky. Luckily, we have apps like Pintrest to help us along the way! Pintrest is a great tool to find new ideas. You can easily browse through the app and find different ways of remodeling home and even narrow it down to what style you are trying to achieve. Jordan and I started to remodel an old farmhouse, that use to be my grandparents, about a year ago. We are almost completely finished with the downstairs, but still have most of the upstairs to finish up.   When looking for new ideas I often turn to Pintrest to find something that I like, and I feel like I can do. One of the main things I found out while using my Pins as a guide to my next project, is that as hard as you try you can never make your project look exactly like your pin.   This is not necessarily a bad thing though, sometimes it turns out even better than what you had hoped and strikingly unique! Pintrest Idea Jordan and I's Island Jordan

NETFLIX SERIES TO BINGE WATCH IN YOUR DORM ROOM

If you have some free time and are looking for a new series to watch, consider watching one of the following series. If you are like me, when you find a good series it is hard to stop watching it and you may end up staying up all night! After watching numerous series on Netflix, I have compiled some of my favorite Netflix series below! My favorite Netflix series to date, which I am sure it is many others as well, is “Stranger Things”! The series is a science fiction horror series, that has several twists in turn to its three seasons. This is my favorite series because of the strong connection the friends have and the craziness they go through together. Luckily, “Stranger Things” is coming out with a fourth season! My second favorite series on Netflix is “You”. This series involves, what seems to be a charming and trusting young man, that obsesses over a woman. The first season is my favorite! The second season is still great, but nothing can beat the first season of “You”. The

PLANTERS’ BABY NUT COMMERCIAL

Planters’ started their marketing campaign for the Super Bowl in late Jan. by releasing a commercial. In the commercial Mr. Peanut sacrifices himself to save his friends. Many other companies joined in on twitter to mourn the loss of Mr. Peanut. Many people anticipated what the company was going to do next with Mr. Peanuts death.  During the Super Bowl the answer to everyone’s questions finally came. Planters' ran a commercial about what happened after Mr. Peanut’s dramatic death. In the commercial many other famous company icons like Mr. Clean and the Cool Aid man were at Mr. Peanut’s funeral. Mr. Peanut was buried in his grave and the Cool Aid man shed a tear on his grave site, which made a baby nut grow. This is when we find out the Mr. Peanut is back! He is now a little baby nut! This was by far one of the best marketing campaigns of the Super Bowl. The only downside I can see from the two commercials, is that they did not show the first commercial at all during t

THREE WAYS TO STAY FOCUSED WHILE STUDYING

Studying can be difficult, especially when there are countless distractions around you. When I am studying, I often find myself picking up my phone or searching on my computer for something unrelated to my studying. Over the past four years at Ohio Northern, I have picked up tips and found what works for me when studying. Below are three tips that will help you stay focused when you are studying! Set a timer! One way I stay focused while studying, is by setting a timer for when I need to take a break.  By setting a timer, I stay more motivated to continue studying because I know I will have a break. I normally study for 20 minutes and then take a break for five minutes. By having a timer, I also know when I need to start studying. Eliminate distractions! Distractions can be anything from your phone, to your friends. One easy way to eliminate distractions or at least reduce them is to go to a quite place like a library or one of the many buildings on campus. This can help you

“Above and Beyond” Podcast

This week I did my first Podcast! My podcast is called “Above and Beyond”.   It is about how to make it to the next level in professional sports and the mentality it takes to get there.   I interviewed Art Warren, who is a pitcher with the Seattle Mariners Baseball team.   I did a short interview and discussed the following questions with him: When did you know you wanted to go to the major leagues? Can you walk me through how you got to the major leagues? How did you keep a good mindset through challenges and hardships? Do you have any advice for someone that wants to go to the next level in sports? If you want some advice or to find out what it takes to become a professional athlete the click the link below to listen to “Above and Beyond”. Here is the link to my podcast: https://lydiaherrnstein.podbean.com/e/above-and-beyond-the-beginning/

THREE MEAL PREP TIPS FOR A BUSY SCHEDULE

Being in college is tough! You are constantly juggling homework and extracurricular activities.   I recently started meal prepping and it saved me a lot more time during the week now that I have my meals made for me.   Below are a few tips I have learned along the way, on how to make meal prepping flow better. Keep it simple. At first, I wanted to make the most complicated recipes and it just made things difficult.   Meal prepping is simple if you keep it simple. You do not have to go crazy on spices to make a good tasting dish. If you really want to make it simple at first, buy precut vegetable or fruits. Although, if you are on a budget, I would recommend buying whole vegetable to save money. Lists are important. Always plan out the recipes you want to meal prep before you go to the grocery store. I also always double check my grocery list before I go shopping. I do this so that I make sure I get everything I need from the store. Multitasking will be your best friend. You wil

“The Art of Social Media” and Twitter Chats

After reading “The Art of Social Media” this week, I discovered something I never knew about Twitter.   Twitter chats are a thing! If you are like me and do not use twitter often, then you may also be thinking “what is a Twitter chat?”. So, after reading the book and exploring Twitter a little more, this is what I concluded about a Twitter Chat. A Twitter Chat is scheduled and hosted by company or individual.   In order to be part of the Twitter Chat, you must use the hashtag that was created for the chat. In the chat the host posts questions to lead the discussion.   These chats normally only last an hour and have less than ten questions during it. So, if I were the host of a Twitter Chat about dogs, one of my tweets might look like this, “Q1.) What is keeping you from adopting a dog? #AdoptaDog”. Then someone could reply, “A1) Dogs from the pound can be viscous and you do not know what they have been through previously. #AdoptaDog”. People do not have to reply to every ques

BINGE WORTHY TRUE CRIME PODCASTS

Are you obsessed with everything true crime? True crime shows like, “Making a Murder” and “The Staircase” on Netflix, have gained a lot of attention since being released. If you truly love true crime and want to learn about some of the most notorious crimes, consider listening to some of the following podcasts.   I know what your thinking. “A podcast? That sounds boring!”, I would have completely agreed with you a little over a year ago, but after getting curious and indulging in my first podcast, I can’t get enough! Podcasts are especially great when you are driving! So, if you want to get hooked on true crime podcasts like I have then check out the following podcasts! The first true crime podcast you should check  out is “Crime Junkie”. “Crime Junkie” is my absolute favorite true crime podcast. Every Monday they release a new episode. “Crime Junkie” is a little different than most true crime podcasts. Each of their podcast are about 40 minutes and cover an entire crime in one