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GRADUATION GUIDE / THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2011 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMS
Wide range of options available for new graduates
BY CLAIRE MCINERNY editor@kansan.com
As some seniors are preparing for jobs and planning their lives after school, some students are experiencing a different scenario: the end of college panic.
Four years of classes and one degree later, some students do not know what they want to do post-college, and instead of turning right to the work force find another
er. One opportunity that enables students to make that happen is through Teach for America. Teach For America is a program that allows recent college graduates to teach in public schools in low-income communities. The assignment lasts for two years.
Gina Littlejohn, the campus campaign coordinator for Teach For America, said the program accepts people of all majors, and applauds.
a way to prolong having to find a job, but rather look at it as a way to find new opportunities and new ways for students to use their passions. She said a lot of politicians who now work in Congress were in the program and are now fighting for education rights.
Wiechman spent his two years in Saint Lucia doing community development. He helped a farmers' cooperative develop a grant proposal to get funding for a composting project from the United Nations and also taught reading and music at a school.
Like Teach For America, the Peace Corps is another way for
PEACE CORPS
The Peace Corps was an attractive option for Wiechman because he did not have a clear direction for his future at the end of col-
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FINALS GUIDE
MUSIC
Music, muscle relaxation relieve tension and stress
BY CAROLINE ATKINSON
editor@kansan.com
With summer close and final exams even closer, feeling overwhelmed, anxious or stressed is a natural reaction to the heavy workload. According to stress.org, everyone defines stress differently, but it "involves a non-specific response of the body to any demand for change." To help prevent stress from taking the focus off of school work, here are some tips that can help you stay calm.
Music therapy, the use of music in interventions that alter outcomes that are nonmusical, is one way to reduce stress. Alicia Clair, professor of music therapy and division director for music education and therapy, said that listening to music can trigger happy emotions and develop change or mental rehabilitation.
"If a student listens to a certain kind of music when they feel really happy and positive about life, then they listen to that music when they become distracted, concerned or stressed, then that music might trigger some reactions that are similar to the ones they have when they are not stressed." Clair said.
one said that stress is a problem when it becomes so overwhelming that it starts to disturb function, such as not being able to focus while studying.
"Stress is a problem when it becomes distracting from good functions," said Clair. "If we can bring back familiar music and bring back that sense of calm that's a good thing."
Clair said that it does not matter what type of music you listen to, but it depends on your preference and familiarity with the music. However, she said that music can also be a distraction to some people.
Sans music, Clair said that stress management techniques, such as taking deep breaths and relaxing your muscles, help control the impulse to panic.
If swooning to tunes is not down your alley, art is also a therapeutic way to de-stress. According to the American Art Therapy Association, creating art helps people cope with stress and enhance cognitive abilities.
Kendall Adams, a freshman from Houston, is already feeling the stress of her final exams.
According to ezinarticles.com, coloring connects us to our childhood when we were not burdened by responsibility and expectation and helps calm us through repetitive hand motions and bright colors.
"It stresses me out having all my exams back to back. It's doubling having so many tests in a row."
According to the Office of the University Registrar, however, students have the option to take only two finals each day, so professors must be flexible to reschedule if needed.
Edited by Emily Soetaert
For more tips on how to reduce stress, visit
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, MAY 16, 2011