Friday, May 24, 2013

15 Tips for Keeping Yourself Healthy While In College

College is an experience unlike any other. For traditional students, it is the first time away from home and an opportunity to experience a new life, new friends, new surroundings, and a new set of obligations and increasing personal responsibilities. Non-traditional students, such as the many students in our Continuing Education and Distance Learning programs, simultaneously juggle the responsibilities of family, employment, and studies. In both scenarios, whether you attend courses on a campus or virtually, college can be stressful. 

Adaptation to any new environment can wreak havoc on the body, so remember to take care of yourselves. Focusing on your health while attending college is imperative. Poor health can severely affect your college experience. Here are 15 Everyday Health Tips for College Students, taken from Hive Health Media, to get you started:


  1. Eat breakfast. Choose a meal that includes whole grains, some protein, fruits or vegetables, and low-fat dairy products for a balanced meal.
  1. Drink water. Many people don’t drink enough fluids through the day and misinterpret signs of dehydration as hunger. Carry a water bottle with you and refill it as needed.
  1. Include fruits and vegetables in your diet regularly. These healthy foods are packed with vitamins and are a good source of fiber, so be sure to include a few servings in your diet every day.
  1. Don’t skip meals. It can be tempting to forget to eat when you are busy, but your body needs fuel if it is going to have enough energy to help you get through the day.
  1. Go to sleep at the same time each night. It can be challenging to try to get to bed at the same time each night, but if you can stick to a regular routine you will have a better chance of getting a good night’s sleep.
  1. Avoid all-night study sessions. While you may think cramming for an exam or working to finish a paper at the last-minute is the right thing to do, not getting enough sleep will have a major impact on your performance in the morning.
  1. Stop drinking coffee and caffeinated beverages well before bedtime if it tends to keep you awake at night. Switch to decaffeinated tea or have a glass of milk before bed to help you relax and get the rest you need.
  1. Take a nap. If you find yourself feeling listless during the day and you have some time in your schedule, take a short nap. It will help you to reset your internal energy clock and give you the boost you need.
  1. Wash your hands. Making a point of washing your hands after using the washroom, before eating, and after you have been around someone who has been ill can prevent illness.
  1. Wear flip flops in the shower. Even though shared facilities are cleaned regularly, it’s still possible to pick up bacteria and viruses that can cause athlete’s foot and warts.
  1. Go to the gym. Take advantage of on-campus recreational facilities. Here at Saint Leo, we offer a fully equipped fitness center, Olympic-size swimming pool, and other recreational facilities. Getting regular exercise is a great way to stay fit, make friends, and deal with stress.
  1. Sign up for a fitness class. Many schools offer on-campus fitness classes. The cost is already covered as part of your tuition, so you may as well take time out of your schedule to enjoy some regular physical activity.
  1. Create a schedule for yourself. Set aside time each day for sleep, study, writing papers, working out, meals, and breaks. It will be easier to manage college life if you have a plan for your day set out in advance.
  1. Plan to spend time with friends. It’s important to have some “down” time in your schedule so that you can have a meal together or just hang out. Make plans to go for a walk, see a movie, or watch television together. Everyone needs to do something other than focus on school for a time each day.
  1. Ask for help. If you feel overwhelmed while at college and a good night’s sleep and discussing the situation with a friend doesn’t help you to feel better, don’t hesitate to reach out for assistance. There are services available on campus to help. Make an appointment to see a doctor, nurse, counselor, or tell a trusted instructor about how you are feeling.
One of the most essential and rewarding things you can do for yourself as a college student is take care of yourself, and there are many resources on the Saint Leo Campus to help you keep on track. Many of these services are available to our off-campus and online communities as well. Just ask.

-Aimee Graham, Online Librarian-





--Edited by S. Hawes, 5.29.13



Tuesday, May 21, 2013

New University Portal

https://portal.saintleo.edu
You may have received several messages lately announcing that the current university portal will be replaced with a new one beginning May 20th. 

All of the features of the current portal will be available, as well as additional ones including the integration of your calendar, email, and to-do list. The first time you log in, you will need to enter your username and password on the main page to synchronize these with your Outlook/Outlook 365 account in response to a gray error message asking you to log in.  

As the portal matures, many new features will become available, such as “Team” and “My Sites.” Additionally, a new eLion self-service finance view for students will soon be available. This will enable students to view account activity, make a payment, and view student statements  via the new portal interface.  Your current username and password will work with the new portal.

The new portal is constituency-based, meaning it shows you options based on your status as student, alumni, faculty, or staff.  If you belong to more than one of these groups (e.g. student and alumni or student and staff), your primary group will be your default (e.g. student if you are both student and alumni).  When you log in to the new portal page, you will see the Constituency tab located near the top left of the page under the university logo. Click on the constituency name in the drop-down list to choose your constituency.  We expect the portal home page to default to the user’s primary constituency in the near future. 

Note that several versions of the Chrome browser yield unexpected results when using the new portal, so we recommend not using that browser until those issues have been corrected by the vendor. Currently supported browsers include:  IE7; IE8; IE9; Chrome 9.x; Chrome 10.x; Chrome 20; Firefox 8.x; Safari 4.0; Safari 5.0; and Safari 5.1. 


University Technology Services (UTS) has extended testing of the new portal for at least seven days, so please make sure to give your feedback!

For more information, contact the Help Desk at (352) 588-8888 or help.desk@saintleo.edu.

--Edited by S.Hawes, 5.29.13

Library Closure (Memorial Day Weekend)

Good morning Saint Leo Family, I hope the summer is treating you well thus far!

The Daniel Cannon Memorial Library will be closed on Monday, May 27, in observance of Memorial Day, and May 28 for maintenance. However, the staff and faculty of the library will still be on hand on May 28th to answer any of your questions, concerns, and research help by calling (352)588-8477 or emailing us at reference.desk@saintleo.edu.


While Memorial Day is traditionally celebrated on the fourth Monday in May, the official holiday is Thursday, May 30.  All faculty, staff, and students are asked to wear red, white, and blue on Thursday, May 30, to honor the men and women who serve our great nation.

This year, Saint Leo University celebrates our 40-year anniversary of providing educational services to the military, veterans, and their families. This significant milestone is being commemorated through Veterans Day 2013 with special programming including lectures, films, and related events that educate the university community and general public about the role the military has played in American life. 


On behalf the Daniel Cannon Memorial Library, I would like to thank all who have served, are serving, and those who gave their lives for this nation. Enjoy the long weekend!


-Aimee Graham, Online Librarian -



Wednesday, May 15, 2013

10 Digital Skills to Know Before You Go


St. Edward Hall, SLU Campus, FL
As readers of this blog know, the content is provided to help you along your journey at Saint Leo University. Whether it is information regarding a particular subject, writing skills, or just tidbits of general interest, we want you use the information to succeed in academics and beyond. 

So with graduation ceremonies concluded, summer session underway, and preparations for the fall semester being made, it is time to think about additional tools and skills to help you succeed, either as a student or a recent graduate.

Most Saint Leo University students are fairly tech-savvy, but with today's dependence on technology, particularly in the employment sector, there are several key skills you should know before you start sending out your résumé. 

For example, Mat Patronzio at Mashable.com suggests that you "Don't Leave College Without These 10 Digital Skills" (May 6, 2013). He gives a brief overview of why you need these 10 digital skills: setting up a Wi-Fi network, backing up to the Cloud, basic photo editing, basic video editing, Google Drive and Microsoft Office, HTML and basic coding, setting up a website and domain, converting file formats, online banking, and branding yourself. 

If you look at the list and feel overwhelmed, have no fear! There are plenty of online tutorials to show how to develop these skills and many can be found on Youtube. Of course, you can simply fool around with some products, such as Adobe Element for basic editing skills, to acquire the suggested skill set. 

As always, feel free to contact us here at the Daniel Cannon Memorial Library with your questions. We are here to assist you. Happy Exploring!

-Aimee Graham, Online Librarian-

--Sandra Hawes (ed.)

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Monthly Movie Page

Hello Saint Leo Family, I hope are enjoying this beautiful spring weather we are having this week and embarking on some entertaining (yet educational) activities while out in the bright sunshine!

One of the biggest activities of summer is the release of major blockbuster films, but did you know that many of Hollywood's best pictures are based off of literature? One of the most anticipated films helping to kick off the summer season is "The Great Gatsby", starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire, based off of F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece of the same name. Filled with intrigue, scandal, parties, politics, suspense, and romance, it is the perfect text for summer reading. Did you also know that we hold several copies of this masterpiece in the Daniel Cannon Memorial Library?

If not, now you know! So before you race to the theaters to see the film, why not stop buy, check-out a copy, and make sure you're in the know before you go! Set to release on May 10th, there is still time to get your copy here at the library!


Being as the "Monthly Movie page" will now be a monthly submission, comments and suggestions are strongly welcomed! How do you feel the book compared to the film and vice versa? Did the film live up the expectations of the literature? Favorite parts? Answers to these questions and more are greatly encouraged! Remember to come in and get your copy of the novel today, the Daniel Cannon Memorial Library is open until 5:00pm tonight.


Until Next Time!


-Aimee Graham, Online Librarian -

Monday, May 6, 2013

Getting Some Help With Windows 8

If you've purchased a new computer or laptop lately, or intend to buy one in the near future, you're going to end up with the latest version of Windows, Windows 8.

Since it's summer (except for those taking summer courses), there is no better time to refresh or learn new skills for the operating system than now! Courtesy of MakeUseOf (a fantastic site for reviews on new technologies, products, and just overall 'geek-i-ness'), there are 'cheats' you can download to your computer to better operate the system.

The 'cheats' are for both keyboard shortcuts and touch and mouse gestures (so both preferences are fulfilled), but the best way to get the full gamete is to go the site and download the cheats to your personal computer; instead of having to memorize them all, they are easily accessible at your disposal whenever stumped.

For those of us who have yet to use Windows 8, we can note this information for when the inevitable does happen and we will have an easier transition. In the meantime if you've got an older edition of Windows, there are cheats for them as well!

MakeUseOf also has 'cheat' codes for smartphones, iPads,  Wikipedia, Outlook, and so many other websites and tools we all use on a nearly daily basis! To get the full experience, please visit the MakeUseOf Cheat Sheets page and download the appropriate ones!

Happy Monday Everyone!

- Aimee Graham, Online Librarian -