LiveWell UCSD Newsletter

Learn how to achieve a more balanced and healthy lifestyle in the areas of intellectual, physical, occupational, emotional, social, spiritual, financial, and environmental wellness through tips from experts and information about upcoming wellness events at UC San Diego!

Subscribe to our once-monthly listserv by clicking on the button!

If you missed out on our May and June newsletters, you can read them here:

June 2009 Newsletter (pdf)

May 2009 Newsletter (pdf)

Energy-Efficient Cooking in College

Why are microwaves and crockpots so good?
Courtesy of planetgreen.com


Cooking options like microwave ovens, toaster ovens, crock pots, and rice cookers concentrate the heat in the food, instead of heating extra air, or metal like conventional ovens and frying pans do.



Electric grills are also heavy-duty energy users because they operate at such high temperatures (this also makes them fire hazards, and banned by many dorms).



The lowest energy way to a meal is to think about what you need heated up, and what tool best to heat it with.



Microwaves heat evenly throughout the food, especially if it is wet, like mashed potatoes, boiling water, or meat.



Toaster ovens are really good at browning the surface of food (try cooking chicken or steak part way in a microwave and then browning in a toaster oven. It’s super fast, and delicious.).



Rice cookers are great for rice, or rice and frozen vegetables, and some of them come with attachments to steam veggies like broccoli at the same time.



Crock pots are a whole other kind of cooking, but with practice, and a good cookbook, they can be the easiest and tastiest kind of food preparation, especially for a time-crunched student.

Top Green Dorm Room Tips

Courtesy of planetgreen.com

Keep it local
Many college students want an "away from home" experience. Just don't make it a "shipping tons of stuff all over the country" experience. If it's your first year at school, try to obtain your furnishings locally when you get to school. If you're a returning student, think about local storage—many schools offer storage options.


Use the used
Sure, this may be your first home away from home, and we understand the urge to decorate with all the coolest new stuff from Target or WalMart. Just consider, for a second, how much waste that would mean, assuming most freshmen get relatively new stuff every year of school. See what we mean? Instead, why not check out great used sources of stuff, like local resale shops, eBay Local, and Craigslist. You'll be guaranteed to have a really unique room décor (see tip 10 to max this out), and you'll have money left over to throw wild parties (Um, we mean library study snacks).


Capture the free
Of course, while cheap used stuff is good, there is something better: Free used stuff. If you're a new freshman, check out Craigslist or Freecycle in your area to see if there are any items like beds, desks, or lamps that you can score for free. If you stayed at school over the summer for research or whatnot, your university may have a coordinated furniture recycling day. Or, you might just hang around during move-out and see what you can collect.


Condition yourself, not your air
One of the most eco-friendly things you can do as a student is to give up air conditioning. Many universities make it really easy for you to do by banning AC units in dorms. But that doesn't stop some crafty students from sneaking them in. The trouble is, there are millions of students all over the world, which means the potential for hundreds of thousands of energy-sucking AC units. Instead of AC, why not try opening a window, turning on a fan, taking a cold shower before bed, or studying outside. Of course, if you have to have AC for allergies or some other reason, be sure to get an Energy-Star rated low-energy unit.


Be sure your fridge is cool
Another big energy-sucker of dorms is the ol' microfridge. Of course, the best thing you can do is go fridgeless or check into a shared larger fridge (many dorms have shared kitchens with fridges). But if you must have a fridge to yourself, make sure it's energy-star or other low-energy certified. This can save you 50 percent of the energy use of regular appliances.

Need a Job?

Never had a job before?
Looking to make some money and meet new people?

Working on campus is a great option!
Flexible hours, competitive wages, close to classes and your dorm, meet new people!

There are TONS of places to get jobs on campus.

• The first place you should look for current job openings is Port Triton. It's a free service of Career Services Center that lists jobs on and off campus. If you are a work-study student, you can look for jobs here too. career.ucsd.edu

Here's a list of just some of the places you can work on campus (NOT EXTENSIVE!!!):

• Housing*Dining*Hospitality: work at any of the dining halls or for catering. hdh.ucsd.edu

• University Centers: Work at the bookstore, box office, or a retail store. universitycenters.ucsd.edu

• Library: libraries.ucsd.edu

• Recreation: Are you really good at gymnastics (or any sport)? You might be able to teach a recreation class! Recreation also hires students to work at one of the 3 gyms on campus. recreation.ucsd.edu

• Parking and Transportation: Be a shuttle driver! parking.ucsd.edu

• Mail Services: blink.ucsd.edu, search Mail Services

• Community Service Officer (CSO): blink.ucsd.edu, search Police Services
  
  
  
  

Save Your Money!!!

In our current economic situation, saving money is important to everyone.
Here are some easy ways for you to cut down on the amount of discretionary money you spend.

If you live on campus, utilize your Dining Dollars! Since you've already paid for them, you might as well spend them! If you get bored of the food at your dining hall, take a walk and try out the food in another dining hall. Don't forget you can also use your points at Earl's Place or Plaza on the Side (POTS) to buy food. You can make your own sandwiches or snacks.

Don't smoke! If you don't smoke now, don't start! It's an expensive and unhealthy habit. It may look cool, but you won't get many friends when you smell like a cigarette.

Don't bring your car! Having a car on campus is unnecessary. UC San Diego students have a wonderful resource: the Free Bus Zone and campus shuttles. Buses go to all the major areas in San Diego and La Jolla: the beach, Ralphs/ Vons, Pacific Beach, Hillcrest, and Mira Mesa.

Use student discounts and get a UC San Diego Green Card: New green cards are available each year and have discounts to many places students frequent in La Jolla/ San Diego. Using student discounts cuts down on the cost of entertainment. The UC San Diego Box Office has discount tickets to the movie theatre, and Balboa Park has free museums every Tuesday.

Freshman Success!

Freshman Success:
This workshop provides strategies for successfully transitioning to college.
Discussion topics include:

• getting to know resources on campus


• juggling priorities


• transition issues


• managing stress


• and success strategies

This workshop is offered by Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS).
For more information, call 858-534-0252 or check out the CAPS website.

Homesick??

Right now, you might be too excited about starting college to even consider getting homesick at some point next year.

The fact is, this will probably be your first time living away from home, away from the support of family and friends, and away from the foods and environments you are used to. Getting homesick is normal; even expected. Homesickness provides an opportunity to learn, grow, and mature into an adult.

Here are some ways to minimize your homesickness:

Get involved on campus. There is so much to do on campus! Join a club or an organization, see events at The Loft or Price Center, join a campus community center, or volunteer. All of these things will introduce you to new friends who can become your new support network if you ever feel alone.

Talk to CAPS. Getting your feelings out by talking is a great way to cope and sort through all the emotions you might be feeling. CAPS is free and confidential. There are psychologists in each of the college's dean offices, as well as at the CAPS central office in Galbraith Hall (Revelle).

Get out of your room. It's easy to hide in your bedroom. Get out!!!! Hang out with your suitemates; invite them to dinner if you don't like to eat alone. Ask them to introduce you to some of the new friends they've made. Living with other people in a suite is a great foundation for a strong support network.

Call home. Talking to your parents every now and then is a good way to still feel connected to what may be going on at home. Don't use this as a crutch, however. You still need to make friendships here at school.

Stay at school. Going home at every opportunity won't allow you to make connections on campus and feel as if you really belong. Try and spend your weekends at school doing something fun with suitemates or friends. Pretty soon you won't need to go home as often.

Don't bury your feelings. Partying and drinking are not healthy ways of dealing with your emotions. Instead of going to a party, get your suitemates together and have a spontaneous night out in La Jolla- dinner, movie, whatever comes to mind! There are lots of things to do in San Diego that are healthy (and won't get you in trouble).