How to Successfully End the School Year

With the school year coming to a close stress levels can be pretty high. Schedules get busy with projects, homework, finals, Prom, and yes, State FFA Convention but the closer summer gets the less you want to do… am I right? Sadly, summer isn’t going to come any faster if we stop trying our best and ride the school year out doing little to nothing. So… here are of few T.I.P.S (Transitioning Into the Perfect Summer) to help you successfully end the year on top!

1.     Prioritize & Organize like Crazy

Two things everyone needs to learn how to do: Prioritize. Organize. The faster and easier each of us learn to do this two things in ways that fit our personality the easier life will be. When it comes to prioritizing and the end of the year its best to look at dates in my opinion. What needs to be done first? Is this project going to take more time than anything else I have to do? For me, a planner has always been the best way for me to prioritize what needs to get done when but that doesn’t always work for everyone. Some other T.I.P.S I’ve learned over the years include –

·      Texting Yourself Reminders/Notes: remember you have to do something? Text it to yourself and don’t open the message. If you’re (not) like me seeing that you have messages to answer with bother the living daylights out of you. By checking the message finally your reminded of what you need to do.

·      To Do Lists OR To Do Charts: Almost everyone has made a to do list at one point in their life right? What about To Do Charts though? Making a chart listing off classes or activities that you have to do and then breaking down the work you have into smaller sections makes things seem less taunting and gives you the excitement and added push to finish each item every time you cross one off.

These are only two ideas for getting your busy life in order. Try them out, figure out what you need in order to stay on top of things. Whether its texting yourself, writing in a planner or creating a To Do Chart the more effort you put into keeping your schedule and work load in order the easier it will be to get it all done and done on time.

Example TO DO CHARTS:

2.     Know where you stand BEFORE you take the final

As the school year comes to a close final grades are put in and the fate of our GPAs and report cards are determined. Now not everyone is the master of all trades when it comes to certain classes so well some grades may not be greatest there is still the potential to succeed! It may seem like more work but taking a good look at your grades and figuring out what you need to score on your final project or test in order to receive the best grade is so worth it. For example, say you are the master of all things English and no matter how bad you tank your final English test you will still have an A then maybe it’s best to really focus on studying for that Algebra 2 test that you need at least an 85% on to boost your grade from a C to a B. Looking at your grades from that perspective will help give put what your final grades will look like in perspective even before you they are in the grade book. *Note: I am not telling you to fail your English exam! Always try your best… these are just T.I.P.S

3.     Take Care of Y.O.U 

These are pretty much the basics that everyone and I mean EVERYONE says we need to do but quite frankly most of us fail to do.

EAT: Everyone loves food, right? I know I do but when we get stressed out or busy how many of us really remember to take care of ourselves and eat? Throughout this year and my high school experience I learned that an empty stomach doesn’t help with focusing and doing your best on anything.

STAY HYDRATED: Staying hydrating will help you stay awake and doing your best in everything you do. Keeping a water bottle close is a necessity!

SLEEP: When I get super stressed out and busy I never seem to get enough sleep which is NOT a good thing. It may seem like a good idea to cram all night for a test but in reality, nothing is gained by not resting your brain. When I was younger was stressing about not feeling prepared for a test, quiz, etc. my dad always told me to sleep on it. Literally. He would have me put my book and notes under my pillow and tell me to review what I knew or what I needed to know in my head until I feel asleep. (I think it’s called osmosis.) I don’t know if it can be scientifically proven but it seemed to work for me so take it for what you think it’s worth.

4.     De-Stress to do your BEST

This may seem completely contradictory to what you think you should do but at some point, when your super stressed and busy the best thing to do is to walk away. Do something fun for you. Certain people won’t understand it and that’s okay. Take a break… a nap, watch some Netflix (just don’t get sucked in #guilty), anything you like to do just to relax and step away from all the work you have to do. For me, I’ve found it helpful to work towards a goal and prioritize my de-stress time. If you know me you know I LOVE to ice skate. So… on Wednesdays no matter if I still have some work I haven’t finished I take the time to head to Ames and skate for two hours. Doing something that makes me happy and takes my mind off of everything that I have to do helps me feel better about myself and helps me focus on my work once I get back. What would your de-stressor be? Trust me, it’s important to have one.

5.     Random Study Tips from Carl(i)…

·      Be a Newscaster:

Now… this may sound crazy but it works for me so if that means I’m crazy I’ll save you the time and just agree with you there. All you need is a mirror, your notes, past tests or your project, and the best newscaster voice you can muster. Its rather simple. Simply read the notes to yourself as you look yourself in the eye in the mirror. Of course, don’t just read off the notes like they are written instead find a way to say them as if you were actually telling someone about them in order to inform them on the subject. I’ve found that the funnier or more serious you get into it (depends on your personality) the easier it is to remember what you reviewed when it comes to actually taking the test or giving the presentation.

·      Have a Conversation with yourself:

Did you know that people who talk to themselves are found to be scientifically smarter than people who don’t? If that’s true than I must be a genius! Going over what you need to know out loud either in front of a mirror or in the car (don’t study and drive) can help you to remember things.

·      Mnemonic Devices are EFFORT…

E asy to remember

F un to come up with

F or real though… isn’t this fun!

O r not… it depends on who you are as a person

R eally an easy way to help you remember large amounts of information!

T ricky to come up with at times but so helpful when you do!

Using acronyms and coming up with sayings are great ways to help you remember important information. For me, I’d always review mine right before going into the test and then they would be the first thing I wrote on the top of my paper. That way I’d already have them down and out of my head so I could really focus on the test as a whole.

Don’t let this be you…

The year is almost over!

Just Remember…

“It’s Fine… Everything’s Fine. It’s Fine” – Quote me literally anytime I’m stressed

Trust me…

 

Carli Grau

Northwest State Vice President

Top 10 Ways To Make Your Message Stick on a Legislative Visit

Recently, my teammate Zach Hamilton and I made a visit to our nation’s capital to meet with our legislators and advocate for agricultural issues important to our state. We started with a day-long training to help better equip us with the tools and knowledge we needed to be successful on our visits. We started the next morning in the wind and rain for our visits on Capitol Hill! While the weather was less than desirable, we will were able to make the most of our visits and share the messages of National Ag Day with our legislators. We met with Senator Joni Ernst and discussed how the Iowa FFA was doing and some of our recent happenings. She was happy to see familiar faces from home, and was very welcoming and receptive to our request for her continued support of agriculture. Later that morning, we walked over to Congressman David Young’s office. While he was in a hearing, we still got to meet with a member of his staff and pass our message along! Between a couple of flights and long layovers, I had the chance to reflect on just what makes a visit with our legislators successful. Having worked in state government, I have had the chance to see a lot of successful visits, but also quite a few visits that didn’t pan out as well. As the legislative session in the Iowa General Assembly is wrapping up, there still is time to reach out to your legislators and advocate for your message! Here is a list I compiled of the top ten ways to make your visit to the Iowa State Capitol worthwhile! 

1. Contact your legislator or their clerk beforehand to set up a time for your meeting.

 

Your legislator’s email and phone number should be listed on the Iowa Legislative website. You can start at this link here: Contact your legislator! 

Keep in mind that our legislators have extremely busy schedules, and it may be difficult to find a time that works! The next week’s schedule often does not come out until Thursday of the previous week, but do not let that stop you from emailing them a week to two weeks ahead of time to make sure you are on their radar. Once they have their official schedule for the next week, they will often try to reschedule if a conflict as come up. 

2. Give them your name AND where you are from! 

One of the most important things to tell your legislator is that you are a constituent! Especially when session is in full swing, they always appreciate seeing friendly faces from their home district. 

3. Be flexible!

It is hard for legislators to gauge exactly what their schedule for the given day will look like. Sometimes they will have free time in the day either earlier or later than expected. Plan to spend a bit more time at the Capitol than just your scheduled visit. While you are there, don’t be afraid to schedule a tour to see all of the beautiful parts of the building! 

4. Once you have a scheduled meeting, plan out what message you would like to share.

Knowing exactly what you want to share with your legislator ahead of time will be extremely helpful when it comes time for your visit. They hear from a lot of different people about a lot of different issues! Make yours stand out. Be sure to include why it matters to them and the people of their district. Prepare your “ask”, which is the one thing or idea you want to leave them with. 

5. Make your message thorough, but brief. 

Time is precious, and so are your words. Make sure that you can come up with a good balance of the two! Most of the time, your legislator may only have five to ten minutes in between meetings or voting. Make the most out of the time that you have to meet with them!

6. Add a personal touch to your message. 

Telling your legislator that you would like something to change is nice, but you want your message to really resonate with them. Do you know someone that has been impacted by the issue you are bringing up? Does it personally affect you? How many of their constituents are affected by it? This can help make your message much more effective. 

7. Wrap it up and reiterate your ask. 

Summarize up your message before you get ready to leave. Reiterate what your “ask” is, and remind them how it applies to their district! 

8. Leave behind some useful material.

Infographics, annual reports, or important facts are all information sheets that you can pass along. More often than not, they already have a folder in their desk made for the given topic you are there to discuss. They can hold onto this material and reference it as needed. That being said, make sure that the information you pass along is accurate and fairly portrays your topic. 

9. Thank them for their time. 

Our state legislators have a short amount of time to get a lot of legislation researched, proposed, and passed. Thank them for their time and ask for their business card so you can keep in touch in the future. If you have a business card, it would be a good time to give it to them! 

10. Follow up after your visit.

Send them a thank you card. A handwritten note goes so far! That applies for not only a legislative visit, but for so many other circumstances in FFA. True thanks can be shown through a handwritten note, and they will appreciate the effort you took! 

Cassie Bond

SC State Vice President

Lessons Learned

Spring break- a time when every student becomes giddy about summer and decides to spend what little money they have traveling  the world. However, for me it meant spending a few quality days at home on our family farm! Although this might not sound like the greatest spring break trip ever, it was for a few good reasons. They are as follows: friends, dogs, family, dogs, good food, and again seeing my lovable furballs, my dogs.

When you think about it, It’s actually kind of funny,  in high school all you want to do is leave and go to college but when you’re going to school 3 hours away from your  best friends and family all you want to do is spend one more day at home. During my time at home I spent time with my family but I also got to reminisce about the good ole days with my pals Mallory and Lucy. As we sat and chatted for hours about life It got me thinking about our “neighborhood” when I was younger. Growing up in rural Iowa was a treat and as I grow older and experience more of life it becomes easier to acknowledge how great the lessons I learned on the farm were.

So,  here is my rendition of the five best lessons I learned while growing up on our family farm.

1. Being a female does not limit you.

Growing up with no brothers meant that pulling the “I’m a girl” card was out of the picture. Whether it was scooping poop or stacking bails my sisters and I never limited ourselves based on our gender. We simply did as we were told (most of the time without trouble) and never thought much about it.  As I experience life at college it becomes evident that not everyone understands this. Whether it’s someone who suggests I cannot do as great of a job because I’m a female or another woman who I see limits herself because of her gender, it’s something that is very evident in our society today.

2. Take the time to do it right the first time.

Washing tractors was not a chore but an art form on the Zumbach farm growing up. And, if you didn’t do it right the first time, you must have time to do it twice.  My dad not only instilled in my sisters and I a hard work ethic but the idea that you should ALWAYS do things right as well. We knew that we were better off to wash our tractors thoroughly because if we missed even the smallest spot we were going to be redoing it later that afternoon, and ain’t nobody got time for that!

3. Your livestock come first.

Whether it was Saturday night or Monday morning we always fed our livestock before ourselves. Papa Louie always said my stomach may be grumbling but my animals were hungry too and it wasn’t fair to keep them waiting when they can’t feed themselves. My livestock taught me the difference between involvement and commitment.  To be involved was to own them but to be committed was to take care of them to the best of my ability, even if that meant being hungry till after chores were done.

4. Always have fun!

Between picking up sticks in the yard to pulling volunteer corn in the field,  my sisters and I made everything into a competition. This made the long days and hot summers worth it and some of my favorite memories growing up. Chores became more enjoyable and they quickly became activities of fun rather than a drag.

5. Build a strong foundation.

There is nothing quite as special as the bond I had with my animals or the love I have for my family and friends. These relationships instilled in me the drive to do what I do and support system I need to keep going. Thanks to all of them I am able to be Independent as I thrive at college because of the strong foundation and support system I have at home. Wherever you go know that connecting with others and asking for help enables you to build a strong foundation.

These lessons I learned growing up may be different than yours. However, they helped make me the person I am today. I encourage all of you to write down a few lessons you’ve learned over the years and reflect on how they have shaped who you are!

Rachel Zumbach

Northeast State Vice President

How to (Try to) Survive College

Whether you’re ready for it or not college is coming up. If you’re like me I ALWAYS over pack or forget something. Here is a short list of some things that I found have been important to me throughout the year:

·      You do not need all 75 t-shirts that you have in your closet…trust me you don’t!

·      Try to avoid eating your weight in ice cream at the dessert bar.

·      Hangout with your parents now, you’ll miss them next year.

·      Hit the gym, the freshman 15 is real.

·      SCHOLARSHIPS, SCHOLARSHIPS, SCHOLARSHIPS

·      Meet with your academic advisor! They are super cool people and care about you and your future.

·      Thermometer- lots of people=lots of germs

·      Coordinate with your future roommate. See what you guys are okay with sharing and who needs to buy what.

·      TVs are optional, some of my best memories are hanging with people on my floor as well as watching the Bachelor with my roommate (ugh Arie).

·      Only keep in season clothes. When it turns to fall take home your shorts over Thanksgiving Break and bring back the warm clothes!

·      Water proof gear! You will be caught in more than one rain storm.

·      Wait to buy your books. On the first day of class you will find out from your professor if you actually need it or get the correct book.

·      Make sure to check out what clubs your college has. There are some awesome things to get involved in.

·      GO TO CLASS…

·      Extra seating in your dorms is optional such as bean bags or futons, but remember you have a small space to live in and you have a roommate so keep that in mind when looking at furniture.

·      Come with an open mind, there are going to be a lot of new experiences throughout your time in college.

·      Professional clothes- there are several times where business attire is required, it’s easier to bring it from home than going out to buy new dress pants, shirts, and blazers. (I know from experience)

·      Try to attend some sporting events throughout the year! The atmosphere is welcoming and who doesn’t love to rock their school colors.

·      Check out an intramural! 

·      Take a fun one credit class

·      See if your dorm air conditioning, if not you might want a fan. Even if so you still might want a fan.

·      Bring office supplies, you actually have a desk! (that includes beet jokes…ha ha)

·      Meet your CA! They are there to help you succeed and make your transition from home to college easier.

·      Seriously you don’t need all of your T-shirts!

College is incredible and I hope this list not only helps you but also excites you! Don’t forget to get out of your comfort zone and try new things. There are so many opportunities offered and people to meet!

Annie Wallin

State Reporter