TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF
By Rey Ruiz, Hixson-Lied Success Scholar
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The Academic Success Center offers a variety of programs meant to support the success of all UNLV students. One of the services that they offer is Academic Success Coaching. On March 10, 2020, Academic Success Coaches held a workshop called
Taking Care of Yourself.
The
Taking Care of Yourself
workshop provided helpful insight of different techniques of self-care and signs of burnout. Although some students may disregard their self-care during a stressful semester, it is essential to maintain self-care because it can impact every aspect of the student’s life, including academics.
Self-care can include any activity that improves one’s overall health. Whether the activity impacts mental health, emotional health, or physical health, all these activities are considered self-care. At this
workshop, the academic coaches had us self-evaluate our burnout level using a burnout scale. This scale ranged from having the results demonstrate no sign of burnout to having a severe risk of burnout. It was very helpful to the students who attended rank themselves on this scale and see what different techniques they can incorporate to lessen the signs of burnout. They also had a Wellness Wheel that consisted of physical, financial, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being. This wheel allowed students to visually see the areas in their life that might be neglected on a day to day basis.
The Academic Success Coaches went over various strategies that can improve your self-care in the different aspects of life, like physical and social. The first physical strategy, which may be a surprise, is having a better sleeping routine. The optimal number of hours of sleep a student should receive is between seven and eight hours. This drastically improves the energy in a student and improves the ability of a student to stay focused. Another strategy that improves physical health is exercise. At the time of this workshop, they also described different techniques that improved social life. The first one was not isolating from the world because some students when stressed tend to stop talking to people. The Academic Coaches recommended that students do activities that they enjoy with their friends. The last technique that they recommended for social improvement was relaxation. This is something very important in avoiding burnout and something that students can do in their homes. Lastly, in their workshop, they demonstrated a technique to improve spiritual wellness. There are many Mindfulness Apps that can be downloaded to improve spiritual wellness, and simply searching “Mindfulness” will give a vast array of results.
Lastly, burnout can impact us academically. Burnout can make students lose motivation in their courses, which can lead to receiving an unwanted grade. The most ideal scenario is avoiding burnout and developing self-care routines that improve aspects of your life. There are no negative impacts on using different techniques to improve your care. According to the Academic Success Coaching workshop presented at the Coaching Spot, there are only benefits associated with self-care. Self-care improves mood and reduces anxiety. It also benefits relationships with others and yourself. Of course, self-care is important, but it also important to keep in mind that there must be a balance between self-care and being productive. Most importantly, prioritization of events is key in striking a healthy balance between self-care and productivity.
In conclusion, the
Taking Care of Yourself
workshop was extremely helpful in providing insight into new techniques of self-care and the importance of having it. Students can avoid burnout by using self-care that has positive benefits.
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RESEARCHING YOUR RESEARCH
By Andrea Santillan, Hixson-Lied Success Scholar
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You sit down with a coffee and your laptop ready to begin research for an important paper for your major. You begin looking through the
UNLV University Libraries
search engine and soon find yourself lost in an abyss of scholarly research articles unsure of what to do next. Many UNLV students know this situation all too well.
Fret not, UNLV librarians are able to come to your rescue in times like these! Not only are they able to meet one-on-one, they also hold regular workshops such as,
Developing a Strategy for Your Information Search,
which are extremely informative. This workshop enlightened a group of UNLV students on methods of curating valuable sources to use in an important research paper by strategically using already existing research papers.
It is best to utilize a variety of sources while writing a research paper. In order to find which sources would be most helpful, students could use the method of reverse engineering another researcher’s sources. In order to use this method, a student should first search for a scholarly research article that is similar to the paper that they are writing. Once the article is chosen, a student should look at two places: the abstract and the reference page.
The abstract gives an overall idea of what the article is about and gives context to the sources on the reference page. Next, a student should look through the reference page by performing two steps: identifying the type of source and the purpose of the source. Researchers tend to use various types of sources in their work in order to effectively communicate their messages.
For example, an author may cite a book, a journal article, a white paper, or any of a wide variety of sources. It is important for students to first identify what type of source the researcher is using to see if they might want to use that type of source in their own paper as well.
It is also equally important to identify the purpose of the source. Authors of scholarly articles use a variety of sources in their work, each with their own specific purpose. The purpose of a source could be to add background, to exhibit evidence, to support an argument, or to show methodology.
Background sources serve the function of giving the reader a fundamental understanding of the topic in order to better grasp more advanced ideas in the field.
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They allow the reader to gain context by defining terminology and relaying relevant facts. Exhibit sources are used when the author is making an argument by showing the evidence that the author is interpreting. These sources serve to legitimize the argument that the author is making by showing that the author is not making an empty claim, but rather including sound reasoning behind their ideas.
Argument sources are used in order to show other researcher’s arguments and conclusions on the same or similar topics that the author is writing on. Authors are able to use this to their advantage by showing that other researchers have made the same argument or come to the same conclusion they have. This shows the reader that the author’s ideas and findings are commonly accepted in the field, something that adds credibility to the author.
Method sources are used to explain how the author is reaching their conclusion by detailing the theories and procedures being used. It is a way of introducing commonly accepted tools that the author will be using for a variety of reasons, such as to make an argument. This method of finding sources to use for a paper is most helpful when utilized for important papers, such as those that are for a student’s major or of the area of interest of the student.
It is a bit time intensive so it is not recommended for every paper that a student may be assigned. While this method does take time, the results are worth the effort, as this method helps students in a variety of ways. Carefully looking through scholarly research articles in a chosen field helps students to curate a larger breadth of understanding of the research that is out there. A student better understands what types of sources researchers already practicing in the field typically pull from, which will then help the student when they join the field as well.
Using this method of reverse engineering another researcher’s sources also helps students to create more thoughtful, diverse papers that utilize a variety of sources with a range of purposes. Since the ways of implementing this method vary depending upon the field, or major, it is advisable that students meet with a subject librarian to guide them in the pursuit of finding sources for their papers. This method can also give a student something to bring into their meeting with a subject librarian so that they have something to go off of.
Furthermore, if you would like help with seeing what different types of sources look like in a reference page, the
UNLV Writing Center
offers a variety of resources online. You can also find several reference pages that show examples and a formula for different types of sources, including an article in a newspaper, a review, and so much more.
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WRITING WITH STYLE
By Paige Burns, Hixson-Lied Success Scholar
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The UNLV Writing Center is a great resource to use when formatting any piece of writing. The Writing Center holds multiple workshops each semester while offering appointments and drop-in hours to help with your work. Now that campus has transitioned to online instruction, workshops will continue to be posted on their
website
. UNLV’s Writing Center held the
Writing with Style
workshop this past March. While attending this workshop, they gave many pointers when it comes to formatting, use of grammar, and keeping writing concise. This workshop provided attendees with important information to help them succeed when writing academic pieces. There are multiple points to consider when formatting any piece of writing. Every person has their own unique style of writing, but it is important to go back to the basics when creating a formal writing piece.
Redundancy is something many people often struggle with. In order to write a concise yet accurate piece of writing, it is important to eliminate redundant words. Contrary to popular belief, length and wordiness does not always correlate with accurateness and conciseness. Remember, a word or phrase is redundant if it does not serve a real purpose or add to the sentence’s meaning. This being said, it is still important to restate your ideas, but do so without repeating yourself. The elimination of “empty words” will help keep your writing piece concise. Common "empty words" seen in writing are "very," "a lot," and "really." Eliminating these words will not take away the meaning of the sentence but it will keep your writing neat and concise. Instead of using these “empty words,” try using specific language. For example, being more specific can create a better image in the reader’s mind and keep them interested in your work. The more specific, the better! Checking for redundant phrases or words while writing with specific language will ensure you have a strong piece of writing.
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Parallel construction is another great tool to use when forming a piece of writing. Parallel construction is the use of the same form of grammar for ideas that are similar or put in a list. Using this tool is very beneficial. Parallel construction is used to add clarity by showing a relationship between your ideas, gives your writing a better flow, and adds style through repetition of similar constructions and parts of speech. Making your writing more clear and maintaining a consistent flow in your writing is beneficial to both you and the reader; a clear idea will keep the reader’s attention. Utilizing parallel construction in your writing will help connect your thoughts and ideas in a clear manner and maintain your reader’s attention.
Positions of emphasis are also important to consider when making your points throughout your piece. When creating a list, try to present your ideas in an increasing order of importance. This will help the reader follow the importance of the list. When stating your initial thought, consider where it is most important to place your emphasis. The end of the sentence allows for the greatest emphasis of your point; the beginning of a sentence allows for the second most emphasis.In order to keep your reader engaged, sentence variety is an important component that should not be underestimated. If your sentences are using the same syntax repetitively, the reader could lose focus on your work. Also, using sentence variety will keep your flow of writing consistent, which is also an important point to keep in mind to ensure that you keep your audience engaged. Including sentence variety can be achieved in multiple ways, including mixing up the length of your sentences, using compound and complex sentences, alternative sentence openers and closers, and by changing the standard order of clauses. As previously stated, each writer has their own writing style, so sentence variety can be achieved in many other ways and may vary between writers. Every writer has their own unique style when forming a piece of work; however, going back to the basics and considering the audience is important when writing. These tips are a great reminder to help maintain a strong writing style and a consistent flow.
The UNLV Writing Center offers many beneficial tips and pointers when it comes to any form of writing. The “Writing with Style” workshop gave many points that will help keep writing concise, maintain a steady flow, and keep an audience’s attention. The Writing Center will post future workshops on their website discussing formatting, grammar, and structure. For further information, the Writing Center’s
website
has more pointers, tips, and general help when it comes to your work. Happy writing!
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TO THE LIMIT: UNLV INTRAMURAL SPORTS
By Sean Wadsworth, Hixson-Lied Success Scholar
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If you’re like I was before coming to UNLV, your idea of college sports probably consisted of college football championships and basketball games inside of packed arenas. However, UNLV offers a great deal more, and not just for people that epitomize the word, “athlete;” the school’s intramural sports programs are open to all students, faculty and staff. What’s more, there’s something to interest almost everyone. UNLV’s Intramural Sports Program offers the chance to play in both individual and team sports, including badminton, billiards, racquetball, flag football, soccer, volleyball, and dodgeball. One particularly note-worthy offering that UNLV has is Esports; interested participants have the chance to compete against each other in a variety of video game tournaments. Although the individual sports are typically offered over a shorter period of time, both individual and team sports are offered in the fall and spring semesters, with tournament competition serving as the season’s conclusion.
Those interested in signing up are required to complete a registration form, which can be found on the first floor of the SRWC at the membership desk. From there, participants need only fill out the form, pay the registration fee, and register their team on imleagues.com to participate. If you’re interested in intramural team sports but you don’t have a team, that’s okay too! UNLV provides the opportunity for interested individuals that are looking for a team to sign up for these sports. To do so, you just sign up as a free agent through the same website,
imleagues.com
. This gives everyone a chance to participate in their favorite sport without feeling excluded. It also presents a unique occasion to meet new people and make connections with individuals that share common interests and hobbies. It should be noted that all participants assume personal liability for their participation.
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In addition to the seasonal sports, UNLV also offers a number of annual sporting events. Perhaps the most famous of these is Oozeball, a tournament volleyball competition played in a pool full of mud. If volleyball, mud, or any of the above doesn’t exactly sound like your cup of tea, UNLV also accepts requests for annual sporting events, which means that your idea for a great sporting event just might become UNLV’s next tradition. More information on the UNLV Intramural Sports Programs can be found on UNLV’s
Campus Recreational Services page
. As with all other in-person activities, it is highly unlikely that there will be offerings for the rest of the semester, but there’s always next time.
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Interested in becoming a 2020-2021 Hixson-Lied Success Scholar? Application is now open! Please visit this
website
for more information!
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Ms. Christina M. Hixson graduated from high school in Clarinda, Iowa and moved to Omaha, Nebraska to attend business school. She later went to work for Mr. Ernst F. Lied , a car dealership owner in Omaha and in 1960 she joined Mr. Lied in Las Vegas, Nevada as his assistant. After Mr. Lied’s death in 1980, Ms. Hixson became the sole trustee of the Lied Foundation Trust and turned the Lied Foundation Trust into one of the largest foundations in the state of Nevada at that time. Ms. Hixson has a special understanding of young people who, like her, came from a challenging family background and are willing to work hard.
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Mr. Ernst F. Lied was born in Columbus, Ohio and attended the University of Kansas for two years, where he played on the golf team. He ultimately graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1927. Mr. Lied became a Buick dealer in Omaha, Nebraska and later his dealership was ranked third in the country for the number of cars sold. Mr. Lied established his charitable foundation in 1972, and upon his death in 1980 at age 74 nearly his entire estate funded the Lied Foundation Trust. Lied Foundation Trust has enhanced the capabilities of many schools and enriched the quality of many lives!
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*All photos used are original, can be found on unlv.edu, UNLV social media or have references indicated
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