February’s Lunch ‘n’ Learn

I had just enough time between classes to go to this month’s Lunch ’n’ Learn about relationship wellness at Moraine Park Technical College. These Lunch ‘n’ Learns always include a discussion about a topic that pertains to college students, but this time we also got to do something a little extra in honor of Valentine’s Day.

Kathy, who leads these events, brought colored paper, markers, and envelopes so we could make valentine cards. It was fun and surprisingly relaxing to work on a project like that after being in class. We talked about the different kinds of love, including friendship, so I decided to make a valentine for my former roommate.

We also talked about what makes a healthy or unhealthy relationship. It’s important to realize the difference, because negative relationships can have a negative impact on your life. It’s good to talk about these things to bring awareness about unhealthy relationships.

On the other side, it’s important to be thankful for the people in your life that are supportive of you and make your life better. One good and simple way to show how much you appreciate someone is to tell him or her. I think sometimes we don’t show enough love and gratitude towards people in our lives, especially those relationships that are not romantic relationships.

So, even if you’re single this Valentine’s Day, don’t forget to tell your family and friends how much you love them because they love you.

Lunch ‘n’ Learn: “Should-less” Holidays

Before I went to this month’s Lunch ‘n’ Learn at MPTC’s West Bend campus, I wasn’t really sure what “should-less” holidays was suppose to mean. Special events, especially the holidays, come with a lot of seemingly obligatory activities. This Lunch ‘n’ Learn was an open discussion about things we feel obligated, or “should-do,” during this time of the year.

Something us college students are faced with each year is the busy end of the fall semester running concurrently with the busy beginning of the holiday season. It can be challenging to get shopping, decorating, and baking done between final assignments. There can be a lot of pressure to find the right gifts for the right people. It’s great to see family members you haven’t seen in a while, but it can be difficult to find common ground if your lives have gone in different directions.

Besides all the “shoulds” there are also things to look forward to. Traditions like baking certain foods this time of the year can be fun. Our family tradition for the last few generations is making butterhorns. Everybody looks forward to eating them, and it wouldn’t quite feel like Christmas without this tradition.

I like that we always seem to end the Lunch ‘n’ Learns on a positive note after getting a few things off our chest that cause us anxiety and frustration. We all shared something we liked about this time of the year, and it’s good to focus on those things.

Lunch ‘n’ Learn: Self-Maintenance

Since October is Emotional Wellness Month, this week’s Lunch ‘n’ Learn at Moraine Park Technical College West Bend campus was about self-maintenance. This is something college students struggle with at times. We are busy, hardworking people juggling lots of different things. We’ve got classes, homework, clubs, work, family, friends, and other commitments. Where does time for us fit in? What can we do to make sure we take care of ourselves while we take care of everything else?

During our conversation we talked about all the things we do or don’t do to take care of ourselves. Things like sleeping, eating, fitness, time management, and stress management are all factors that influence our wellness. Stress and time management always seem to be big issues.

One thing I have learned, and need to remind myself periodically, is that I need to not take everything too seriously. Sometimes things just aren’t as important as I make them out to be, and some things are beyond my control. These are the things I can let go, because all they’re doing is taking up my time and energy. I could be focusing on something more productive instead.

We were able to share our methods of winding down at night and turning off our minds at the end of a long day. It was a good reminder that we need to take care of ourselves, too, and that’s a good thing not a selfish thing.

Lunch ‘n’ Learn: Get Psyched

In honor of International Enthusiasm Week, this Lunch ‘n’ Learn for September was about enthusiasm -- what does it mean and how do you get enthusiastic about your education and life?

We were to choose one quote about enthusiasm from the pile on the table in front of us to read aloud. One quote that really stuck with me was by Maya Angelou:

“Seek patience and passion in equal amounts. Patience alone will not build the temple. Passion alone will destroy its walls.”

What a fitting quote for us MPTC students. College requires both passion and patience. Earning a certificate, diploma, or degree does not happen overnight. It requires patience. It requires going to class each week, working on homework everyday, and this is all done through the course of several months or several years.

Being patient, however, will not earn your degree alone. It takes passion and motivation to get to class each week, to work on homework each day, and maintain that enthusiasm for several months or several years. Too much passion can lead to impatience, I think. So many of us want that degree and we cannot wait until it is in our hands and written on our resumes. It may lead us to become too impatient and loose our enthusiasm.

So how do we maintain our enthusiasm and patience in equal amounts? This makes me think of another quote I’ve heard before, but I’m not sure who originally said it:

“Invest in the process, not the outcome.”

The actual paper known as your certificate or diploma does not give you the knowledge or power you need to make your career happen. The knowledge and power to succeed in your chosen field comes from the classes you go to each week and the homework you do each day. Everything you do at school or for school is another step towards your goal. Each day is a brick you lay down. Keep working and you will build that temple.