Your Major, Your Decision | Lexi Cortes

It is not unusual to change your major. Or to change it again… and again. Studies show that the majority of college students will change their major at least once.

When a student begins schooling at the college level they are around the age of 18, usually. I haven’t come in contact with many 18-year-olds who know exactly what they want to do with the rest of their lives.

I started out my freshman year as a nursing major. Then I entertained the idea of physical therapy, then occupational therapy. I researched art therapy. As of right now, I am happy with mass communications – pretty big jump from something in the medical field to journalism. But that’s okay.

My ideas about what I wanted to major in changed as I took different classes. I may decide mass communications isn’t for me the longer I study it.

If you’ve gone back and forth with your major, don’t worry. Eventually you will find something that interests you. Some programs may be competitive, like nursing, and people will tell you to get an early start and take all the classes you can so you can apply early to get into the program.

I don’t see the need to rush. Take your time and don’t stress. Academic advisors are there to help, but every one of them will tell you something different – a different route to take, different classes, it’s all just an opinion. Ultimately it has to be up to you. That’s the cool thing about college: you choose.

You make your own schedule, you choose your classes, you choose your professors, etc. If you find a class you think might be interesting, but it doesn’t go toward your “expected major,” take it anyway! It could always be an elective. And who knows, it might end up being the thing you love and decide to do with the rest of your life.

As long as you enjoy what you’re doing, it doesn’t really matter if it is a popular degree. The crossword puzzle editor of the New York Times, Will Shortz, majored in enigmatology, the study of puzzles, at Indiana University. That’s just one example of somebody taking what they like and what they’re good at and making a career out of it. It can be done.

The Value of a Thrift Store | Lexi Cortes

You never know what you might find. It might be an old Polaroid camera, a cozy sweater or two, vintage furniture or that record you’ve been searching for. All at a thrift store like Goodwill, The Salvation Army, Avalon Exchange, Thrifty Threads and the list goes on.

I know people who often get discouraged because they never find anything good when they visit a thrift store. I’ll tell you the secret: You have to dig. Dig through the racks of clothing and you might be surprised. What you thought looked like a pile of junk may actually contain something special. That’s the beauty of a thrift store.

If second-hand clothing or shoes isn’t your thing, there’s something for you at a thrift store too. Goodwill, for example, frequently has clothes with the price-tags from other retailers still on them and shoes still in their boxes –brand new, but much cheaper.

That price-tag will sometimes be three times the price the thrift store is asking, which is another very appealing aspect. I would say 40 percent of my closet is second-hand clothing and I have saved tons of cash because of it. And it’s funny, it seems like I get the most compliments from wearing the clothes I get from Goodwill and Avalon Exchange. I don’t have to sacrifice fashion at all to save money.

Given the state of the economy, people are constantly looking for ways to cut costs, especially college students. We need to save money whenever possible and those ominous student loans breathing down our necks regularly remind us of that. Thrift stores are possibly the greatest way to find discounted merchandise.

Aside from the clothing, thrift stores have a lot to offer from artwork and furniture to DVDs, CDs, cassettes and records. I bet most college students could find something that interests them. Next time you’re driving past one, stop in and take a look around. You won’t be sorry because you never know what you might find.

Taxes are due when?

Rosie Githinji, Alestle Opinion Editor

by Rosie Githinji, Alestle Opinion Editor

It’s tax time, and everyone is scrambling to make sure they get everything turned in by Thursday. For those who did not receive extensions, it could get a little overwhelming.

My favorite part about tax time is all the people who do not seem to realize you can file your taxes as early as January.

Each year, as soon as my W2s arrive, my mother and I sit down so that I can get my taxes done and filed. My only reason for bothering with it or even remembering is that the earlier I file my taxes the sooner I can get all my financial aid paperwork done. And, especially at SIUE, I have found the earlier I file paperwork, the better.

One day, I will not have my mother to remind me to make sure that my taxes are done. And hopefully, one day, I will not have to worry about getting them done early to get my financial aid paperwork done early either.

I am going to have to start educating myself on what I need to know to do my taxes. Since there are all kinds of programs to do it yourself, it should be pretty easy. Still I am always terrified that I am going to do it wrong, thanks to the commercials talking about all the different tax law changes and and that I could be getting more money back than I thought.

I can only hope that it will either become easier or cheaper to do taxes, because I am not a number-oriented person.

If the government has the time to find all the mistakes I made when I filed taxes, they should think about implementing some kind of program to make sure that its citizens are at least marginally educated in the whole tax filing process.

A PC sings iPhone’s praises

Sean Roberts, Alestle Photographer

by Sean Roberts, Alestle Photographer

Yes, I’m a PC, but that doesn’t mean all Apple products are dead to me.I recently tried out the iPhone 3G, now it’s my primary phone. I chose the iPhone because I was  looking for a fast and reliable phone from AT&T, this seemed to be the pick.

The iPhone was surely an innovative leader in the market when it came out. Right now it is still one of the best phones on the market. However, it has been lagging behind as of recently. With few real innovations in the past few years, Apple will have to start innovating again or fall behind.  Apple will announce its iPhone OS 4.0 on May 7, and I hope for its sake that major changes are made. A new iPhone is also in the works, but I do not suspect that very much is going to change as compared to what we have now.

That being said, the iPhone is one of my favorite devices thus far. While I haven’t tried any Android phones (There are only two that I know of for the market right now for AT&T) it is far superior to what Windows Mobile or RIM has to offer so far (See my post about Windows Mobile 7.) The speed and Web browsing capabilities are second to none, and the app store has personally helped me wake up and track my running.

Along with the iPhone, I had a chance to check out the iPad and determine if my review from the past was correct. It was.

The iPad is sleek, I admit that. It’s sleek and fast like the iPhone. Still I see it as completely useless, especially at the price point. The typing is awkward, and carrying around such a large device with an unprotected screen seems like a recipe for disaster.

Can’t we just get a dog?

Karina Swank, Alestle Editor in Chief

by Karina Swank, Alestle Editor in Chief

There are major life events that usually follow a certain order.

Meet soul mate … check.

Get engaged … check.

Get married … check in 40 some days.

Have children … um ….

I know that having children is supposed to come after getting married, and it will eventually, I think. However, I have no plans for children in the foreseeable future, but everyone seems to think I should.

I have been asked more times than I can count, “When are you going to start having children?” How about 2017? Sounds good to me, but for many people, some of which have been almost complete strangers, that’s not soon enough.

Maybe for them and their lives having children, and multiple of them, is important before the age of 30. For my fiancé and I, we’re thinking a few other major life events like get a few jobs, buy a house, get a car or even get a puppy are higher on the list than children.

That’s not to say this decision should be the same for every couple my age that is getting married. Maybe children will come nine months later for some couples or have already come, but the point it, go at your own pace.

Your life will never be like anyone else’s and you have to make decisions accordingly. Life events have a common timeline, but there is no set schedule everyone has to go by. Talk with your fiancé and make those big decisions together. Don’t feel rushed to speed life up because it already goes by fast enough. I can’t believe 400 some days have already past since I said yes to my fiancé’s question, and I’m sure the years between today and when I have or adopt a child will fly by just as fast.