Ball State Bucket List

Happy New Year Ball State! With the dawn of 2014, and the start of another semester, we all reflect on past years’ events, create resolutions, and plan for a better future. As students at Ball State, our time here is limited. It is important to make the most of the experience. Below is a compilation of events that everyone should participate in at least once before graduating Ball State; consider this a Ball State Bucket List.

FALL:

• Welcome Week Magician
• Quad Bash
• Rock the Halls
• Rocky Horror Picture Show
• Air Jam
• Amazing Taste

SPRING:

• Riley Dance Marathon
• Hall Wars
• University Singers Spectacular
• East Side Bash
• Late Nite Carnival

YEAR ROUND:

• Carter’s Hot Dogs
• ARF
• See a show at Emen’s
• Friday Night Filmworks
• Late Nite
• Minnetrista

Haven’t had a chance to check these all off yet, no worries! 2014 seems like a great year to get started. So get some friends together and paint Ball State Red!

Fall Break Ideas

Fall break this year is October 21 and 22. It’s a nice weekend break to get out and enjoy the weather. Here are some ideas of places around Muncie to check out!

One place to check out is the Muncie Haunted Forest. It’s a venue that spans two miles long. Along the way visitors can expect to encounter scary creatures and at the end of the trip you can pick up some food.   It’s open on weekends from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. and its address is 6490 Cornbread Rd. Muncie, IN 47396. For more information check out there website at: http://www.hauntedforestmuncie.org/

Another idea to check out this break is Indy Scream Park. This venue contains six different scary houses for you to visit at one low price. It’s got a new house this year called “The Asylum.” It’s located at 5211 S New Columbus Rd, Anderson, IN 46013

. For more information check out their page at: http://www.indyscreampark.com/?gclid=CKWL_5TyiboCFYxcMgodIi0ABg#sthash.lGc5bMMI.dpbs

 

Muncie Greenway is another great idea, this trail spans over 62 miles! It’s a great path for biking, walking or running. It’s full of beautiful vegetation and old bridges. For more information check out their website at: http://cardinalgreenways.org/?doing_wp_cron=1381326568.7220969200134277343750

Learn more about Muncie culture this break by visiting Minnetrista. Minnetrista is a Muncie museum devoted to a variety of different exhibits on Indiana and Muncie. It’s a great start to getting more about the region where you live and to check out artwork by local artists. For more information check out their event page at: http://www.minnetrista.net/

Fun Snack ideas!

Sometimes we want to throw a party or just feel like cooking. Instead of spending more money, consider using your dining meal swipe. Among all the amazing food prepared for you in Dining they have cooking items you can purchase as well. Places like Noyer, Woodworth, and LaFollette have grocery items like cake and brownie mix, even pasta. So it doesn’t matter what you feel like - you have to option to mix things up and get cooking.

Try Deep Fried Oreos! Need to cut loose and answer a chocolate craving? This recipe combines the chocolate cookie with a pancake coating that is sure to thrill you taste buds.  You’ll need 1 package of Oreos, 1 box of fast shake, and vegetable oil.

Instructions:

1.       Heat your oil in a frying pan

2.       Dip the Oreos in your bisquick mixture

3.       Let Oreos fry 60- 90 seconds on each side

4.       Remove, let cool and enjoy

Chocolate Nutella Muddy Buddies put a new spin on the classic puppy chow. This snack combines Hershey chocolate with the nutty chocolate of Nutella and for the really adventurous you can add peanut butter to the mix.  Works great as procrastination cure; just bribe yourself to do a math problem ever now and then. You’ll need a Hershey bar, a jar of Nutella,a jar of peanut butter and box of Corn Chex.

1.       1 Hershey bar

2.       ½ cup of Nutella

3.       ½ cup peanut butter

4.       4 cups of Corn Chex

Oreo brownies/ peanut butter Oreo brownies are the chocolate galore for those of us in need of a real pick me up or a wonderful celebration treat. Oreo or peanut butter Oreo brownies look as good as they taste which is insanely wonderful. Chocolate covered in more chocolate followed by peanut butter and frosting, genius.  This treat requires package of Oreos, a jar of peanut butter and brownie mix.

Instructions:

1.       Stack two Oreos and place peanut butter on top and in the middle

2.       Place each stack in a cupcake paper in a cupcake pan

3.       Cover in brownie mix

4.       Bake till brownie is done

5.       Enjoy

Spaghetti Party! You can buy and cook up spaghetti to spice up your normal routine and put your cooking apron on. It’s the perfect way to make a dinner date with the girls legit while still utilizing your swipe. Or if you have a date night it makes showing off your cooking charm easy and cheap.  You’ll need angel hair noodles and Pergo’s meat sauce.

Feel like Devil’s Food cake? Or have a floor mate with a birthday coming up? Save money and spend some of your swipe on a Devil’s Food cake. It’s a mouthful of chocolate and you can choose vanilla or chocolate frosting to top it off.  You’ll need a box of Devil’s Food cake mix, 1/3 Cups Water, 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil, and three Large Eggs.

                               

What to do during Family Weekend

What to do during Family Weekend

With Family Weekend coming up on September 28^th you may be wondering what to do. Many parents choose to come down on Friday evening after you’re finished with classes. This is a great day to grab something to eat and catch up! Scotty’s Brewhouse and Amazing Joe’s are two great restaurants with great burgers. Scotty’s is located in the village just a short walk away from campus.  Amazing Joe’s is located on Riverside facing the White River.

Chase Charlie

On Saturday morning you can attend or participate in the Chase Charlie 5k Run/Walk. This is an annual event Ball State holds during Family Week so start a tradition with your family or, continue on an old one.

Ball State vs. Toledo

Most importantly don’t forget about the football game! Kick-off is at at 3 p.m. and tailgate starts three hours before then game.

Here Come the Mummies

On Saturday night Here Come the Mummies are coming to Emens Auditorium. Get tickets and enjoy a good family show! 

Golf Outing

Sunday morning Ball State will be hosting a Golf Outing at the Muncie Elks Club. The proceeds will help the Student Center development programs. So get your golf clubs ready!

Between all these events you and your family should have a great time! Don't forget to set aside time to do homework, all the events can be distracting so stay focused! Email familyweeknd@bsu.edu for more information on ticket purchasing and registering for events!

Organization and Time Management Redifined

Tips for your success!

With school just beginning everyone has a fresh start to the year. Everyone wants to improve their time management, organization, and grades. All that is easier said than done! If you want to succeed this semester and every one after you need to make a plan - AND STICK TO IT! Your plan is only as good as your ability to follow it. So be real with yourself and decide what you are actually capable of sticking to.

TIP 1: Manage Your Time

Get a planner or calendar! Write down what you need to do as soon as you get the task or assignment. Then skip to a few days before the assignment is due and rewrite it in different color ink to remind you of the due date. When working on large projects set goals that reach up until the due date and keep those in your planner too!

TIP 2: Stick With Your Routine

Getting into a new routine can be a difficult task, especially when you have an 8 a.m. class. You have to utilize your self-control. Sure it may be easy to skip your scheduled library time and promise yourself you'll go later, but lets be honest, that usually never happens. Plan to do your studying at an appropriate time, and stay on a regular studying schedule. After 3 weeks your routine will become a habit instead of a hassle!

TIP 3: Make Plans With Friends In Advance

If you are the kind of student that finds themselves leaving in the middle of studying to hang-out with friends, make arrangements in advance. Communicate with your friends earlier in the week or day to plan out times to hang-out, get lunch, or even study together. It's always good to have a study partner to keep you on track when you're feeling distracted!

Organize Your Residence Hall Room

                  With move in right around the corner it is time to start thinking about how to organize all of your belongings into your residence hall room. As college students, we must find ways to use space creatively in order to maximize our storage. Below are some suggestions to help keep your room orderly and organized.

                  I would highly suggest finding some way to organize your desk drawers. Find different dividers that allow you to separate desk supplies such as paper clips, staples, pins, etc. This will make things easier to find as well as providing more space to fit as much as possible into the drawers. Apply this concept to your dresser drawers and even for under your bed. Storage containers provide order to space that may otherwise be wasted. Consider putting shoes or clothes that you may not wear regularly under your bed, to make more space in your closet or wardrobe.

                 Another option is if your residence hall room comes with loftable furniture, consider lofting your bed to add more usable space below it for your desk or dresser. Although you may not store your things under it, this provides you with more room to add a storage unit somewhere else in your room. If you cannot loft your furniture consider renting a bed loft from bedloft.com.

                 Looking for a way to keep cords from TVs, DVD Players, chargers, and other electronics from getting tangled? Try using binder clips to give each cord its own holder and prevent them from getting mixed up.

            If you want to add seating to your room, but do not want to lose valuable storage space, then find ottomans that have a double purpose. Many cubes can be used as ottomans or seating, and still have a hollow space inside to hold blankets or video game controllers. Want to be a bit crafty? Transform an egg crate storage bin into a seat. Cover a wood frame with padding on it with fabric of your choice to create a half seat/half crate.

            Another great idea for storage is to utilize your wall space. Instead of putting picture frames and other décor on your desk or dresser, taking up work space, consider hanging them on your wall. You can also repurpose an old drawer that is not too deep. Add door knobs, or hooks along the outside so you can hang things from it. You can also put picture frames and other small items inside of the drawer. This way, you can still display your items, without taking away usable area from your desk.

             Along with these ideas, please view our past blog posts for more suggestions on how to organize and decorate your room. Good luck with move in and I hope we have been able to help you create your home away from home. 

Life is Like a Blank Canvas

Using blank canvas is a great way to show off your creativity and pizazz to your room. There are an infinite number of possibilities that can show off your interests and pull together a room. Below are some great and easy ideas on how to use canvas.

            One idea is to using painters tape to create an abstract design. One way is to tape the canvas and paint each shape created with different colors. Another idea is to paint to canvas in one color, apply the tape, and paint over the canvas again in a different color. Use multiple colors to add even more dimension and create a color explosion.

            Like superheroes? Use canvas to show off your favorites. If superheroes are not your thing, consider displaying your favorite CD artwork or characters.

            Ever wonder how to apply photos to canvas; it’s easier than you think. All you need to do is print your photo on to a piece of tissue paper. Cover the canvas with a solid layer of Mod Podge and adhere the photo to the canvas. If you’d like, paint the edges of the canvas prior to using the Mod Podge. Once dry, wet the tip of your finger with water and drag it along the edge of the photo and the excess tissue paper will come off more easily.

            If you want to make the canvas more functional, try painting it with chalkboard paint. This was you can write different notes, reminders, and quotes. You can also add string or ribbon in order to hang pictures from them or create a bulletin board design. Other options include displaying quotes, designs, and abstract designs.

            You can find canvas at a number of different stores including Wal-Mart, Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, Jo-Anne’s, and Target. Hopefully these ideas can help you add color to your life and create your home away from home.