Hi guys, my name is Dustin Lind and I’m the newly elected Chairman of the Graphite Group. I joined Pomona Ventures in my first semester of freshman year, and it has been quite the ride. Especially at CMC, there is a huge push to join a professional club, so I spent my first few weeks of college frantically looking for something. After being denied from the Student Investment Fund, I put my faith into the Graphite Group, which thankfully had a spot for me. My experience in Graphite Group and Pomona Ventures as a whole has been absolutely terrific. I’ve learned so much and developed so many great relationships. I can’t wait for the years to come.
Now that I have the spotlight, I must admit that I have always been infatuated with webpages that promise things like “7 exercises to get good abs” or “11 strategies to boost your ACT score.” So when Mimi approached me asking me to write a blog post for PV I knew exactly what I was going to do…..7 Steps To Get the Most Out of Your Day. I promise you, no wasted time here.
1. Read a daily briefing
This is one of the best ways to learn what is going on in the world around you. Whether you are a science or government major, reading a daily briefing expands your knowledge and allows you to engage in interesting conversations. Ever since my junior year of high school, I have subscribed to the New York Times Daily Briefing. Since then, I have coupled my daily briefing with a subscription to The Wall Street Journal. The WSJ has great student discounts, and I strongly believe that it has some of the best journalism in the US.
2. Listen to podcasts
I absolutely love podcasts. Believe it or not, I actually wrote my college essay on how much I love podcasts. Weird topic eh? But seriously podcasts are the best ways to hear quirky and unique stories that are going to differentiate you from an ordinary person. I’ve learned about the history of government shutdowns and everything to know about horseshoe crabs. Trust me when I say that you will sound like a genius when you start talking about how horseshoe crabs save thousands of lives.
3. Get a whiteboard
Especially in college, a lot of people struggle to stay on top of their assignments and goals. Most of the time, it’s because people forget about these tasks. To fix this problem, I decided to install a large whiteboard on the wall of my room. When I wake up, I usually write down everything I need to get done that day, as well as any long term goals that I have in mind. You can put inspiring quotes on your whiteboard to motivate you, or if an unfamiliar idea pops up in your head, you can write it on the whiteboard to research it for later.
4. Use the Pomodoro Method
I started using this way of doing homework during the second semester of my freshman year. To summarize this technique, it means switching between 25 minutes of work and 5 minutes of break. I often have trouble sitting still for long periods of time to grind out an assignment, so this method motivates me to stay productive while the timer is on. Thanks to this, I have been able to crank out many assignments more efficiently.
5. Pick up a hobby
I was a pretty boring kid in high school. The only interesting things I did was cross country and track and field—if you even call that interesting. I would always get jealous of the people who knew a lot about magic, or of those who were good at making robots. I decided to pick up the ukulele a little over a year ago, which you could consider basic, but it’s been a great experience for me. Engaging in a hobby is a great way to effectively ease stress while also engaging your mind in learning a new skill.
6. Exercise
As you probably know exercise is a great way to get your mind off of school, feel great about yourself, and be more energized. I know we all have busy lives, but finding at least 4 days a week to hit the treadmill or the weight room will do you wonders in the long-term. Just remember to stretch or overdo a workout or you’ll end up in an ankle brace like me ; )
7. Do something sporadic occasionally
I’m going to throw you the cliché saying, and tell you that life is too short to waste. But it’s true. Some of the most memorable moments in your life will come when you decide to do something without second-guessing yourself. This semester, my friends and I decided to buy a tandem bike because we thought it would be funny. We are also planning on going to Iceland this upcoming summer! Obviously, you can’t always act spontaneously —don’t steal a car just because—but if something sounds interesting an exciting, just do it *Shia LaBeouf voice*