Surviving A Serious Injury During Your College Years

Most of us think of our college years as some of our most physically vital. After all, many of us are young when we attend, as well as active in sports and fitness. However, if you are unlucky enough to sustain an injury during college, it can have a profound effect not only on your physical and mental well being but on your studies as well. For that reason we have put together the guide below that can help you survive a serious injury during your college years. Read on to find out more.

Notify all your teachers

One of the first things that you will want to do once the emergency itself has passed is to get in contact with your teachers and let them know what has happened. Luckily this isn't too difficult to do as most have direct emails now.

If possible, can give them so idea of how long you will be away and whether you will need to drop their class and pick it up next semester too. Although, you may be able to catch up with the work while you are recuperating, or even access an online study program that will make sure you don't get too behind.

It's also a great idea to CC in your department heads when letting people know of your predicament. Then they can record this as official absence and then there will be no confusion when it comes to matters of attendance on your record that could interfere with your graduation.

Speak to finance

Of course, if you do have to drop classes, then it's worth discussing this with the finance office, because you may be entitled to a refund for a discount off of next semester. There may even be financial aid available for students in your position as well as help with your housing costs, so it's always worth asking these questions.

Keep up your medical care.

Keeping up your medical care is vital.

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Next, although your injury may be preventing you from attending classes, it is vital that you go to your medical appointment and complete the treatment assigned to you by your doctor.

Of course, the cost of this may be concerning to you as a student, and this is why many people choose to check with a personal injury lawyer to see if they have a case for compensation. Something that can alleviate the financial burden on students that have suffered an injury and allow them to keep focused on getting well.

Don't let your social life fade.

OK, so if you are in a full body cast, then you probably don't want to be going to too many parties. However, there's a lot to be said for having a strong support network of friends, especially when you are living away from home and your usual friends and family group.

Your institution may even have a mentor program, or offer social and other support through religious groups on campus, so be sure to explore these possibilities and to help to stay emotionally and socially healthy as well.

Make Sure That Bump On The Head Doesn't Cost You Your Career

Our parents showed so much concern for our brains when we were kids. Too bad that concern was put in all the wrong places. From a young age we were told not to watch too much TV because it would rot our brains. Or not to play videogames as they would transform us into mindless zombies. Or not to read comics because they weren’t “real” books and that they would herald the slow but inevitable decline into cognitive deterioration. While these have all been proven to be beneficial (or at the very least not harmful) to our brains, the other more wholesome activities they may have suggested were fraught with danger. There’s far more danger of brain injury or head trauma on the football field or the baseball pitch or even in the park than in any comic or video game, however violent they may be.

Image by Flickr

Nonetheless, the simple truth is that a head trauma can result in a traumatic brain injury that has long lasting or even permanent effects. Your cognitive function could be impaired, you could lose your job or your career and even completely lose everything that makes you so special and unique and… you. But life’s for living and the risk of head trauma is by no means a good enough reason to shut yourself out from the world. When that occasional bump on the noggin does occur, however, knowing what to do can go a long way in mitigating its effects…

Get someone you trust on site

Brain injuries can be exacerbated when ignored or left unattended and there are are manifestations of brain injury that someone else may be aware of while you are not. Therefore it’s important to get someone you trust on site. If possible get them to take you home and spend some time with you while you convalesce. Don’t allow yourself to be left alone unless you are absolutely sure that you’re okay. Ideally, you should try and stay awake for as long as you can and avoid going to sleep alone if you can.

Look for signs of brain injury

There are certain signs that might indicate brain injury. If any of these manifest, you need to get to A and E straight away. These include:

• Loss of balance
• Weaving or wobbling when walking
• Hearing loss in one or both ears
• Bleeding from ears
• Clear liquid running from nose or ears
• Nausea and / or vomiting

Give it 48 hours

Ideally you should be under observation, either by a medical professional or someone else you trust for the next 48 hours. In that time you should stay out of work especially if you work in a hazardous environment. Avoid stress and physical exertion and certainly don’t even think about getting behind the wheel. If you experience headaches, take an anti inflammatory like Ibuprofen or paracetamol for pain. Do not take aspirin as this can thin the blood and exacerbate internal bleeding.

Very often a little caution and vigilance can mean the difference between a nasty bump on the head and a permanently debilitating injury.

What Is Hot In Science Right Now?

Trends and fashions seem to dictate everything that we do and experience in culture. After all, just look at how powerful fashion in clothing can be - when someone creates a new clothing fad, it can change the way everyone else starts to dress. You might think that these trends are only confined to a few sections of society and culture, such as music, clothing, and food. But that isn't the case In actual fact, trends are big news in almost every aspect of life - even in science and research!

Research in science is largely dictated by trends too. Sure, there are some fields of research, especially in healthcare and medicine, that won’t change as we are still striving to come up with new treatments and medicines. But in other fields of science, there are a lot of trends that drive the most popular research fields.

So, what exactly is hot in science right not? Read on to find out more!

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Xenografts

You will have no doubt already heard about organ transplants. This is when an organ from one body is taken out and transplanted into another body. The organ donors can be living when donating some organs, such as a kidney, but in most cases the donor is deceased. Well, have you ever heard of xenografts? If not, you need to listen up as it looks like these are set to be the next big thing. Right now, contract research organizations are looking into how xenografts can help cancer patients. These are basically cell, tissue, or organ transplants taken from a different species. The current tests are taking place on rats and mice, but this research looks set to develop soon, and it could be tested on humans before too long.

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Research Into Uploading Consciousness

If you keep up to date with news from the tech world, you might have heard about a new startup that is letting people join a waiting list to upload their consciousness to the cloud. This way, their whole consciousness will be able to, in theory, live on forever. However, there is just one problem - the whole process of preserving the consciousness is 100% fatal and isn't guaranteed to work. Regardless, there are still already a few people listed on the waiting list. There is a new branch of science interested in preserving life for the future and it is looking into whether or not we can code our consciousness and preserve is on the cloud forever. Is this really possible? It’s hard to tell right now, but there are lots of people who have faith in the science. This field of research is still in its infancy, so who knows where it will end up over the coming decades? It could be very exciting to watch!

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Anti-Aging Technologies

As well as trying to live forever by preserving our mind on the cloud, there are other scientists who are trying to research new anti-aging technologies. And by “anti-aging technologies” I don’t mean just applying some serums and anti-wrinkle creams to their skin, although there are of course some scientists who do look into that. Instead, there are other scientists who are looking into other more scientific-focused treatments. Many believe that the key is in our diets, and there are those who believe that an exceptionally restrictive diet can help us live for a  lot longer. There are also some scientists who believe that the key to anti-aging is locked in some treatments that are traditionally used for other ailments. One example of this is the group of scientists who are convinced that the treatment usually given to diabetic patients could help others live for longer while also preventing the aging process for as long as possible.

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Nanotech

Scientists have been researching the field of nanotechs for quite some time already, but now it looks like it is all set to get very exciting indeed! Not too sure what nanotech is exactly? It’s the study of structures at their atomic level. Basically, just looking at the smallest parts of things. One of the most exciting things about nanotech is that it affects almost everything on the planet. After all, everything is made up of atoms that we can take apart and look at and study. Everything from toilet cleaner to newly discovered elements could be studied through nanotech and its exact impact on us and the world in which we live.

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Robotics and AI

It’s impossible to write a blog post about the current biggest science trends and not include robotics and AI. This is likely to be the biggest scientific news of the century! It is now believed that robots will soon be able to join us in the workplace and help with all manner of tasks and responsibilities. Even though basic robots have been used in factories and warehouses for some time already, it is thought that they are going to become a lot more important and more sophisticated robots will be able to take care of more important jobs in dangerous workplaces. It is even thought that they will be able to take on creative tasks as well, which was once thought of as impossible as we previously thought it not possible to code creativity and imagination into robots. AI is also set to come on a long way. In fact, it could enter the mainstream a lot sooner than robotics. After all, just take a look at Tesla.  Elon Musk’s famous company that is developing self-driving cars uses advanced AI in its autos. So, the next time you need to buy a new vehicle, you might want to invest in a self-driving auto. You’ll have some very sophisticated AI at your fingertips!

There are always new trends and fashionable research areas that are popping up in the world of science. If you ever want to find out more, it’s worth googling some research areas to see what you can find out. There are lots of papers and news articles that break everything down so that the facts are easy for all us non-scientists to understand!

Can The New Year Bring In A New You?

The new year is a time of fresh beginnings, and there’s a whole year ahead of opportunities and unknown ventures. Yet, we often want to start the new year off with a bang and then keep the creative energy flowing by sticking to a few resolutions. So after the party is over, and you’ve cleaned up and had a few glasses of water, it’s time to start in on your plans. So if you know you want to make a change for the new year, but you just don’t know what you’d be able to keep up with, here are some ideas for you.

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Read More and More

Reading can do a lot for you, such as help you better your memory retention and practical knowledge. It can just teach you more in general! So, if you want something manageable for the new year, pick up a book on the first of January and don’t put it down again until you’ve read at least 3 chapters. Continue in this habit every day, and make some effort to grab yourself a bit of spare time.

If you’re the type of person who exhausts your eyes staring at screens all day, this is a good way to rest them without closing them and taking impromptu naps all the time. Similarly, you can also unwind from busy days at work or your new workout routine by settling in with a good story.

Getting into a Workout Routine

Instead of spending your time scrolling through the are they on steroids blog and comforting yourself that you don’t have to look like that (which you don’t!), you could instead use of a little of that inspirational energy to work on yourself! Even the feeling can be a step towards self improvement after all.

A workout routine doesn’t have to be hard to stick to when you enjoy it, and plan out what you want to do from the beginning. Something different works for everyone, so whether it’s kickboxing or a bit of zumba, try out a bunch of classes before you settle.

Try a Lower Calorie Diet

Calories are easy to ingest and they’re in everything, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make an effort to chow down on the low cal foods we always see on the market. However, instead of just choosing to lose weight, aim to make yourself just a little bit healthier.

First of all, make a conscious effort not to squeeze in that last cookie, and save it for someone else or another time. Similarly, you can eat smaller portions at dinner and still feel full and energized by the end of it. Probably even more so, as your digestion isn’t taking up all of your energy anymore!

The new year is a perfect time for you to start working on yourself. Don’t let yourself put it off, and make it easy to stick to. Remember: you can always try out multiple things to see what works, and make it fun!

Book Review: A Year of Nothing New

I was really excited to check out the book, A Year of Nothing New, when the author, Kristin Skarie, sent me a copy recently. I interviewed her recently for The Student Affairs Collective podcast and we talked about the book and sustainability in higher education.

The book, as the title implies, follows Kristin's journey as she ventured on a year of nothing new. This took different shapes throughout the year, such as minimizing plastic, electricity usage, buying local goods and food, and trying to grow her own food. She shares the ups and downs of this endeavor, which was really refreshing that she was so candid about it. She acknowledged her privilege and authentically shared her failures.

I got some great insights from this book and even got some tips for things to buy to be more sustainable (like this set of "To-Go Ware" reusable utensils). The insights that were especially useful were how it is okay to not be perfect, how important it is to live your values, as well as that we can all have an impact on ourselves and the world around us.

With sustainability stuff, many people don't see the point since they themselves won't make much of a difference. The thing is, if we all did our part to waste and use less, we'd save money, be healthier, and save the planet all at the same time. While some of the things we all should be doing are a little less convenient, it's worth it in the end to do the right thing.

I'm a big fan of this book and I definitely think everyone should read it. You can check out more of Kristin continuing efforts as well as everything as she does at her blog and her site respectively.

Thanks for stopping by!

Movie Review Monday: Food, Inc.

Welcome to another awesome edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's movie the 2008 documentary Food, Inc.

I've heard about this film before and just never got around to seeing it. It got into my Netflix queue recently and I decided to finally just sit down and watch it. Focusing on the production of food in our nation, it is a harsh critique of the machination of the whole process, which has negative consequences for our health, our planet, and our collective souls.

What I appreciate about the points made in the film is that it isn't a movie trying to make you into a vegetarian or vegan. It showcases how we can responsibly raise meat as well as how all vegetables aren't created equal either. We should be conscious of what vegetables and fruits are in season locally as well as how animals are treated and raised. A big takeaway from the movie on this is encouraging people to go to their local farmers' market for more natural, wholesome, and responsibly raised food (and make sure they accept EBT!).

Our diets are a major aspect of our wellness and more people should have access to nutritious sustenance. Fast food and other artificial, empty meals are easier and cheaper for people to obtain. You should also make sure to drink plenty of water (get a glass refillable bottle!) and avoid things like high fructose corn syrup (it is in a lot more than you think). Vote with your dollars to support local, natural, and sustainable food options.

If you're looking for another good documentary about food, diet, and weight loss, check out Hungry for Change, which is a great look at our eating habits and how we can make simple, powerful, positive changes for ourselves and our families.

You check out Food, Inc. streaming right now on Netflix!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hack Your Life & Make The Most of the Next 30 Days

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnfBXjWm7hc] I was just talking about this video and sentiment the other day, in the context of my personal wellness journey. While I'm not quite where I want to be (I need to get a more consistent workout routine), I'm much better than I was a few years ago, mostly with better eating habits.

A major way I changed some of my bad habits was by undertaking several "30-Day Challenges", which are detailed in the short, engaging, fun video above. Whether you want to start going to the gym or stop drinking soda, write every day or stay off social media, doing something for 30 days is just about the right time to form a habit and pattern in your life. At the very least you'll sort of do a cleanse if you don't imbibe in junk food for a month, for example, and you can sort of ween yourself back in so you don't feel like you're depriving yourself.

Making small, incremental, sustainable changes in our lives is how we're able to become more healthy, productive, and positive. A line I like to say is that you can't get fit in a week, but you also can't get unfit in a week. Change takes time so get out there and start working on your goals, whatever they may be, since, like the video says:

"The next thirty days are going to pass, whether you like it or not. So why not think about something you have always wanted to try, and give it a shot, for the next thirty days."

"there are a fe...

"there are a few key nutritional habits that can boost your energy levels, keep your appetite and cravings under control, and help you feel more focused"

via Inc.com (Can't Focus at Work? Your Diet May Be to Blame)