Is College Affecting Student Health?

College, or, in other words, the sleep depriver. All of you who have experienced college life can relate to the "sleep late, rise early" motto because it is like the institution doesn't give us students a break! I feel that they make the work more extensive since we are in a higher level of education, but is it really necessary to assign assignments that take hours to do to become good at what you do? I know. Practice makes perfect, but a time restriction on your growth as you practice? It is NOT NECESSARY.

I usually stay up until one in the morning and wake up at six in the morning to get ready for class. It does take a toll on me because I always find myself nodding off in math class (and just to recap here, I used to NEVER sleep in class in High School. I just couldn't do it.) My High School days were almost the same as it is now. I would stay up very late and wake up at five forty-five to get ready to catch the bus. I still never had to force myself to stay awake. Today, I had to do exactly that for about three hours. As I was sitting in my math lecture, my eyelids became very heavy and I had to try to focus my vision so I could see the notes, but it was the most difficult thing in the world. It feels like you have been given drugs through an IV and you are slowly starting to fall asleep, but at the same time, you are fighting it because you don't know what the doctor is going to do to you while you lie there on that shower curtain plastic hospital bed. Just to say, nothing happens, but it is something to think about...

To make this story short, I could not keep my head up or keep my eyes open even while I was texting as I waited for my next class. I even debated with my cousin on whether I should have stayed in my dorm to rest.  The conversation went as follows:

Me: I am so tired. I didn't sleep good last night because I really thought my heart was slowing down. So, I tossed and turned all night freaking out a little until I finally became calm enough to sleep. I can't have caffeine anymore either because I think that is why I was feeling funny.

Danielle: Yeah u gotta let up on the coffee.

Me: This is so horrible. I can't even keep my eyes open while texting.

D: Aw :(

Me: I'm thinking about Emailing my UNIV teacher and telling her that I really can't come to class today, but I'm not sure if that is an excusable excuse?

D: Probably not :P

Me: Oh. Welllll, it sucks to be me I guess.

D: I mean u can just not go ur not gonna get in trouble.

As you can tell it was a big delima. I ended up going still because I gained some energy after lunch. You are probably wondering wait? Heart feeling funny? What are you talking about? Yes, I was born with Fetal Tachycardia (but it was only when I was an infant -- hence the fetal part) and now I have a slight heart murmur which is irregular heartbeat. It is very common for young people today, but it is still a scary experience because you never know if it is a symptom of a heart attack or just your mind playing tricks on you. This only happens to me at night and it has been since I was a preteen. They say that you tend to focus more on your heart beat when you are in a dark, quiet room. I know this is what I do, but I can't help it if it feels like my heart is stopping and I can't get enough air. 

I bring this point up about heart failure because I recently read an article about night shifts and their link to heart attacks and stroke. This article written by Jenny Hope on Mail Online states that irregular sleeping patterns mess with your body's overall health:

 "Shift work has long been known to disrupt the body clock and be linked to high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, but the overall impact on cardiovascular health has been unclear.

A team of international researchers analysed the results of 34 studies involving 2,011,935 people to investigate whether shift work was associated with major vascular events.

Shift work was defined as evening shifts, irregular or unspecified shifts, mixed schedules, night shifts and rotating shifts, and the studies also contained day workers or the general population for comparison.

Altogether 17,359 had some kind of coronary event, 6,598 had heart attacks and 1,854 had ischaemic strokes caused by lack of blood to the brain.

These events were more common among shift workers than other people.

Shift work was associated with a 23 per cent increased risk of heart attack, 24 per cent rise in coronary events and five per cent extra strokes."

 Although night shifts are associated with adults who have full-time jobs, college is still a full-time job and I believe this risk is also associated with college students (if my experience doesn't prove anything, then I have no reason to speak anymore, I swear.) Here is the link to the article "Night shifts can raise risk of heart attacks and strokes by more than 40%":

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2179572/Night-shifts-raise-risk-heart-attacks-strokes-40-cent.html

Our health is very important and is analogous to doing well on schoolwork. How is it possible to be the best you can be when your body is not? This should be put into consideration before something goes terribly wrong. This is a problem. We just don't know it yet.


*Hope, Jenny. "Night Shifts Can Raise Risk of Heart Attacks and Strokes by More than 40%."Mail Online.                                                  
     Mail Online, 26 July 2012. Web. 30 Oct. 2012.

Here We Go Again

I get on the topic of money a lot, but it is a big deal. I wrote a pretty hefty post, but I downsized it to only one paragraph because I felt that I wasn't being very accountable. I didn't want anyone to misinterpret what I was saying from my misuse of information. However, here is a snippet to get you going. Hopefully one day money won't be such a craze, but who am I kidding? That's never going to change.


I think financial problem solving is a way to organize money (of course. Obviously), but it really is a big mess full of chaos. There are pros and cons to all of this, but I find that since everything revolves around money, then that just increases the likelihood of problems. Let's use food for an example: Lucy is very hungry. She has not had anything to eat at all today because she accidentally slept in from staying up all night to study for an exam. She misses breakfast and lunch. Knowing that she could have brought a little snack, she becomes helpless because she does not have enough money to buy something and her snack stash is running low. Lucy decides that food won't be an option today until she gets more money somehow. Lucy doesn't do well on her exam. See, this is the problem. Our lives are controlled by many different forces and we are stuck being helpless. This vaunerability welcomes judgments and assumptions that do not even make sense all because we are not living up to certain standards. If you are poor, then you ultimately suck at life. End of story.

Everyone deserves a better lifestyle. Systems need to improve. Okay, so maybe things can change, but it will take a while. When things turn complex, it's hard to accept the simple things. We all just need to adapt the simple strategies and incorporate them into the ones we already have to dilute them a little. SIGH. If only things were different, right? As long as you find a source of happiness, then no matter what happens, you will be all right. I guess we can keep crossing our fingers for adjustments.

Peace and love,
Tiffany

This is the Real Fairy Tale

A lot of things make me think. This, I know, is very vague, but I will zoom right into the big picture of the night: Family. Yes, the big fam and all things relative. What is better than that in this world? I really cannot come to another other conclusions. The driving force to everyday life and inspiration usually comes from your family and I think it has earned its spotlight for tonight.

I don't even know where to begin. I grew up as an only child with a mom and a dad. Very blase. I had a dog and a fish and everything was normal (as normal as one family can get). My family got torn apart one day and everything seemed to crash so suddenly. What was I left with? A soaking pillow and doubts for change. I didn't need to doubt, but I was young then -- still trying to figure out the meaning of things that were around me. It is hard for anyone to understand why people tear apart to be rejoined with another who can potentionally tear from them to reattach to someone else. It just didn't make sense and it was scary. We all know that "fairy tale ending" where we women are struck forcefully in the heart with feelings to thus be taken away by our lover to live a happy life until the end of time. Romantic, but obviously unrealistic. Things are difficult to understand and they don't work out right most of the time. When one comes to this thought, then how are they supposed to see that love and families work out?

I have no need to get into relationships here and now, so I won't get into it. Humans do need to socialize to live efficiently, so relationships do matter (this is all I will say about it). No matter what, we all will find that person that keeps us going every morning even if they are your partner or just someone you truly care about. Things work when you find the right person that can help you see a little better. I mean, come on, how is it possible to think clearly when you are bogged up with your own problems? Call that plumber quick before you explode into utter sadness! Don't get this far, okay?  Find that person that steers you in a different direction because, sometimes, you need a change.

My new direction takes me into my family. Although it is broken, I have found a plumber that has been able to tell me that my pipes were not damaged all along! I still have a family even though most of it is not even related to me. I have let in numerous people into my life because they love my family, so I will love them just the same. Bumps on this path have taken many tolls on me, but I have compensated. Over time, I have come to realize that everyone is family and that we are all just trying to socialize and live our lives. I cherish this most of all.

I was swept off of my feet by love. Remember, I am single, but, in my heart, I am taken: taken by my cousins, aunts and uncles, grandma, brother, sister, mom, dad, my dad's fiance's family, and my mom's boyfriend's family. Together, we have all created a fairy tale on our own. This story is the most realistic and I have come to enjoy it. My pillow isn't sopping wet anymore -- all of my doubts are gone. Things are changing everyday right in front of me. My problems will always be minor because I have my family in front of me, surrounding me with every step I take. I see how fast time goes by, but it doesn't feel like it is slipping away. I have all of the time in the world and with this time, I will spend it with my family.

If you can feel your heart beating, then you are alive. The risks, challenges, and changes do not work against you. For me, all of these have kept me strong enough to hold onto memories in the making. The biggest change is feeling stronger with your family. A simple "I love you" said first out of your own mouth can make the best impact; it can make those torn edges reattach with a firmer seam. This, right here, is what it is all about. This, right here, is something I can never doubt.

Money, You've Got Some Problems.

As I was sitting contently in a lobby of a nice hotel, watching well off people drink their drinkies and eat their nuts, I pulled out my composition notebook and started writing. I was waiting for my cousin and her cousin to get out of an AMWAY meeting. This company lets individuals sell their products to make profit for themselves and for the company. I sat in on the presentation, but the speaker wasn't very funny to me when he tried to be and this whole thing wasn't appealing. My cousin is eighteen, like me, and she goes to community college. Extra money is always good and with AMWAY you can earn up to $50,000 dollars if you get good at it. To me, the money really isn't appealing at all. I don't want that much money. What would you do with all of that money? Only a fraction goes towards bills, so we spend the rest on dumb shit that we think is important to us. This is why I wrote in my notebook that night because I was a little agitated; a little hot and bothered!

Without further adieu, here is my mystery "article" you have all been waiting for...
(I think I will call it, "Money, You've Got Some Problems").

Money, You've Got Some Problems

     If we were made out of money, then I think we wouldn't have any friends or even family. Try and picture yourself randomly appearing on this planet with an epidermis of green paper and copper slices. It seems totally irrational, right? If you were covered in cash, then who would you only care about? Yourself. It would be you and only you (plus the world, a few birds, and some rasberrybushes). You would go insane from the amount of self-control you now have your hands on. There would be no one else to tell you what to do with your money because they would be too preoccupied with scratching the checks out of their ears. So, is money REALLY beneficial?

     We can all agree that money keeps us alive. Money buys our health, fitness, shelter, clothing, education, entertainment, and miscellaneous crapola. People who don't have money are homeless, starving, cold, depressed, and uneducated all because they don't have the "mulah," "the key to happiness " or "the big bucks." Our lives are precious and valuable, but should our lives be priced? Our lives do not have a noticeable price tag, but what if it did? The world would disregard the unfortunate and keep pushing them away until they are "so next season." "We the people, for the people" is an inappropriate paradox. Our big bowl of assets only matters to those who can afford a big, dammed bite while the others stare, feeling their pockets pang with emptiness. 

     Our world cares about world hunger, abuse, unclean water, and poor education, but what about just the POOR and the unprivileged? Those people who talk about caring for those who have less, in the end, end up talking about how lucky THEY THEMSELVES are for having what they have. There needs to be a stop in the fear of having personal financial problems. When someone sees another struggling, they end up focusing on what not to do to end up like the person who is drowning in problems. Then, they really do push the struggler right into the streets so they and their problems can be as far away as possible. Where do the pushers go, though? Right back to their down comforter beds with the sheets they got in a collection at IKEA. So, is money REALLY beneficial? Because as you can see, when you are made out of money, you become your own problem. Where is the self-control now? Let me know when you turn into a big IOU to tell me if money is really life. 

-TGC

Say it to My Face!

I wrote this earlier today as a Facebook status (funny how everything starts with Facebook) and I thought it shouldn't be restricted to only my FB friends. So, for my viewers (the few that I have), here is something to think about while you go on with your day and weekend:

"So, here's a thought of the day:
Who here has read or reads Seventeen magazine? A lot of people, I'm sure. We all appreciate their recognition of all sizes and shapes, colors, and articles about being LGBT, right? Their beauty standards though? Ridiculous. They are just like the rest of the media, proposing the idea that everyone (no matter what weight, color, or sexual orientation you are) can be

 pretty if you buy the products we advertise! Just. No. Hello. Here's a bug on my brain -- why not tell younger women that they are beautiful just the way they are? Take this for example, I have acne and acne scars (as well as a lot of other people), but does Seventeen magazine have spreads on accepting your biological face? No. All I see is a projection of mass advertisement on "becoming better." "You can have smoother and clearer skin if you use this product!" "Do you have oily, dry, acne-prone, or combination skin? Well, that's okay because we have something to make you look normal!"
Okay, Seventeen, we will change our appearance when we have a gun to our heads, but seriously. They need to let everyone know that having the faces they have and everything else is okay. Because, let's be honest, does anyone really like being subconsciously called ugly? This is why I don't like TV anymore or want to work for this magazine if I become an editor: their messages are just no good."

No matter what, I will still look at Seventeen magazine, but I won't fully delve into everything they say and show me. I love my face and I don't care if I am supposed to have great skin. In reality, this is hard! Not everyone can have the ideal face. I have come to accept that Mother Nature and Aunt Flo don't give the best presents, but I will show them off with pride because they love me the way I am! Zits don't kill anybody, so what's the big deal? Are they gross? Contagious? Full of demonic powers that can possess the person standing next to you at the crosswalk? Has it really come to despising acne so much that they make chemicals in cute little bottles to get rid of them? Actually, the cleansers are not fully effective because if they were, then who would get the profit? Not the companies.

Some cleansers do control the acne and I know that zits can actually hurt a lot if they are on a bone or if they are swelled to the core with puss and dirt. My rule of thumb is if they are hurting you or damaging your face, then look into a Dermatologist because they will give you medical treatments that will work and not ones that you can find at Big Lots on clearance that is probably expired. Love your acne, your acne scars, your blackheads, and your oils. This defines you as a human because it shows that your body is working properly. Skin can get better naturally with exercise and fluids, but zits are just a way to keep more dirt from entering your pores. And with that, I guess you can thank your blemishes.

I hope you all enjoyed this post as much as I did and I hope you all have a great weekend!

With all of her heart,

Tiffany G. Carwile

Update

I have to admit, I haven't been the best writer lately because I never keep up to date with my posts. Blogging frequently is supposed to be my goal, but it gets overshadowed. A lot. I am really trying -- all right. You caught me. I may not have been trying, but I should get back on that horse, ey?

Today, some things came up (out of my doing) and I just wanted to let you all know before I write any further is that this post will not be long. It is a sad, sad day when the writer cannot continue. There are some things that this little miss has to look past before bringing forth any new ideas. I don't want to twist your brains as I sit here and loathe.

On the bright side, the trees look pretty and I drew a wonderful picture on my computer. I think I may start my own little illustration album. I really follow in SHELS' footsteps (Shel Silverstein).  So, I'll let you guys end with that.

Happy Autumn! <3

-Tgc