It’s week five of the quarter, which means one thing and one thing only – I am questioning why I ever went to college. Every quarter during midterms and finals I have one to two weeks where I fall asleep counting the number of tasks on my to-do list and I wake up dreaming that I forgot something. 


All of this stress is not only horrible for my emotional well-being, it’s also wreaking havoc on my health (and I’m pretty sure my roommates’ patience). I can’t say I am amazing at keeping my stress at bay (if anything I would say I am the queen of making stress worse), but I have found some things to be helpful.


1. Lists. Once I write down all of the things I need to do it clears some space in my mind that had been constantly thinking about them, and lets me instead focus on each on individually until I get them all done (after I freak out over how many things are on the list of course). 


2. Take 20 minutes to just relax. I don’t care how much I have left to do in a day, 20 minutes isn’t enough to ruin your whole day, but it is enough to de-stress and return to all of the things you have to do refreshed. Surf the internet, have a cup of tea, watch a short TV show, whatever you need to do. Just don’t let your 20 minutes turn into 2 hours. Discipline yourself and set an alarm if you have to.


3. Breathe. It is so easy to forget to breathe or let yourself hyperventilate. Once you have your breath under control, you allow your mind and your body to relax. When I find I am getting really frustrated or my brain is moving way too fast I like to take a few, even breaths: 4 seconds in and 4 seconds out without a pause in between the inhale and exhale. If I do this for even just a minute I feel better. 


There are plenty more ways to de-stress, but due to my growing to-do list, that’s all for today. I’m off to take down my pesky list one item at a time. After I finish my tea of course. 

It seems like everyone around campus is sick right now, professors and students alike. All of my roommates are currently battling some illness or another, and I am trying everything I can to avoid getting sick. 

Some days I feel more like a Google search engine than a human being. Friends, family, coworkers and classmates pester me with constant questions: “How do I wash this stain out of my shirt?” “Do you think my finger is broken?” “What is Shingles? How do I spell…” But the most common question I get asked across all groups is “Can I recycle this?”

I have to say, although I enjoy answering all of the questions, this one I never get tried of. Yes, it would be nice if people could remember that the cereal box they asked me about yesterday is the same concept for all cardboard boxes, but at the same time I happy that they are 1. thinking about recycling and 2. taking the time to figure out how to do it right.

It shocks me how little my roommates and coworkers in particular know about recycling. But it’s not just them, across campus recycling is a struggle. Students don’t understand what they can and cannot recycle, and more often than not students give up and simply put everything in the trash.

So here it is Santa Clara students (and most other people), your guide to recycling:

Bins:
In Santa Clara and at SCU all recycling goes into one major bin to be sorted at a facility. This means you can lump all of your recyclables together and place them in the dumpster marked “recycling.”

Plastics:
All plastics with 1-7 on them in the arrows are recyclable. You can usually find this symbol on the bottom of the item.

Glass:
All glass, unless from a broken window or mirror, is recyclable.

Paper:
All paper, colored or plain white, written on or drawn on, whatever it may be, is recyclable. This even includes old books that are too trashed to be donated and the school refuses to buy back from you.

Cardboard:
All cardboard free of grease or wax can be recycled.

Aluminium and Tin:
Best if rinsed, just place it in the bin. This includes canned goods, soda cans, ect.

Don’t’s of recycling:
1. Do not put your recycling in a trash bag or a plastic bag and then place it in the bin. These bags cannot be recycled (if they have a number on them that signifies they are recyclable they are not actually recyclable at a regular recycling facility and you need to return them to the grocery store for proper recycling).

2. Pizza boxes cannot be recycled. They can be composted, but any cardboard with grease or wax on it cannot be recycled.

3. Water bottle lids cannot be recycled.

4. Just because it’s made out of plastic doesn’t mean it’s recyclable. That plastic chair or plastic container cannot be recycled unless it has a number 1-7 inside the triangular arrows on it.

5. Toilet paper, tissues, dryer sheets, and paper towels are not recyclable. If you couldn’t turn it in with your term paper on it, it’s not the “paper” that can be recycled.

6. “Plastics” that are compostable or marked with “other” are not recyclable. They either need to be composted (if it is compostable and available near you) or put in the trash.

7. Your milk carton is compostable, not recyclable. Either compost or trash it, preferably compost of course.

Bonus for students:
In your trash areas outside your dorm (or any dorm if you live off campus and want to take advantage) there is a section for e-waste. You can leave any kind of electronic, printer toner/ink cartridge, batteries, ect. there to be responsibly recycled.

Now you too can answer “Can I recycle this?”

This morning while I was eating my breakfast and staring at the table I stumbled upon this:

I couldn’t believe that this company that sells nuts was honestly trying to say that their new plastic package was better and greener because it’s LIGHTER than glass. Seriously? So instead of sticking with one of the greenest packaging materials (based on the ease of recycling and the creation of the material), they decided to switch to a petroleum based substance full of toxic chemicals. Just what I have always wanted, peanuts with a hint of plastic.

It’s no secret that college students across the nation are acquiring what seems like an endless amount of debt. Outstanding student loans are set to reach $1 trillion this year, a number I can barely wrap my mind around. With the rising expense of college and the challenge of not only getting a job in the first place, but also finding time to work while going to school, money is tight for many college students. 


In an effort to keep more of my money in my savings account, I have started doing a piece of Good‘s 30 day challenge: Financial Fitness Task. I have decided to adopt day 25 for the rest of the year: “Make a Wish List to Curb Impulse Buys.” Instead of letting myself buy things on the spot I will take a picture of them with my phone and add them to my list. At the top will be necessities – things I truly need to survive or that will make my life easier like textbooks or socks – and at the bottom will be clothing and other items I can easily live without. 


In doing so I have learned that after a few days I don’t want the item anymore and I end up deleting it off my wish list, and the items that do end up staying are the ones that I should spend my money on anyways. By making a list I also spend more time thinking about if I really need the item, where the item comes from, and if it would help or hinder my goal to live more sustainably. This means that most superfluous items get crossed off real quick. Do I need the beautiful print that reminds me to mend my own clothes? No. Do I need another shirt? No. 


Making a list allows for contemplation and it gives me more time to consider if these items fit in with my overall goals and beliefs. In doing so I not only save money, but I live more sustainably. 


Need a little more motivation? Alissa from Good said:

“Be wary of the buy one, get one free deal. Were you really intending to purchase it in the first place? Don’t be tempted to throw a few needless things into your cart to reach $100 just so you can get that 10 percent off. Stay strong, stand your ground, and remember your goals!

It takes nothing more than a split-second burst of willpower. Gather your courage and walk away, knowing every bit saved is a step toward getting what you really desire. And when the time comes to check something off your wish list, you can make the purchase guilt-free. You’ve earned it!”

I was asked yesterday if I ever felt guilty for how long I spend in the shower. Aside from being a weird, personal question, it is one of those questions that comes up whenever I am around other environmentally minded people. But it is also one of those complicated questions where if you say “no” you obviously don’t care about the environment or your impact and if you say “yes” you are supposedly a whining environmentalist who is never happy and can’t even shower without complaining. 


Blogs and television personalities joke about this guilt, but I think it’s actually important. All over green blogs people talk about bringing timers into the bathroom to cut down their showers, and it has become this challenge or competition to see who can have the shortest shower the least often. And I am certainly not saying that this is bad – conserving our water is incredibly important and every drop counts, but where does this leave those of us who have significantly shortened our showers but just can’t make it to that three minute mark or who are just too cold to rinse, turn off the water, soap, and rinse again?

It leaves us with guilt. 


So yes, I am an environmentalist, a hippy, a greenie, a whatever else you want to call me who feels guilty about the length of my shower. But I am alright with that. That guilt reminds me every time I turn on the water to shower as fast as I can and waste as little water as possible. Some days I really need that extra push to get in and out in a record breaking time, and other days it just doesn’t happen. 

I know I have said it before, but I am going to say it again – I am so tired of people asking me how I get my protein. But at the same time I understand why people are curious, so today I will honestly answer the question. 


Many vegetarians and vegans get a boost of protein from nuts, but I am unfortunately allergic to all tree nuts, so I have to be even more creative to get my protein. Soy and whole grains on the main ways I get my protein. I eat some form of tofu or edamame, pasta with added protein, quinoa or brown rice, oatmeal, whole wheat bread, and soy yogurt daily. 


Most Americans eat too much protein, and many think that the more protein you eat the bigger your muscles will be. While to a certain degree this is true, research has shown that too much protein can damage your kidneys and does not necessarily lead to larger muscles. Women should get about 46 grams of protein per day and men should eat about 56 grams per day. As a vegetarian or vegan it’s important to count your protein carefully and be sure you are getting enough. Don’t forget to leave enough room for your fruits and vegetables. 


Need some ideas on some ways to get more protein? This website provides a reference for some foods. I also read the nutrition information on foods or look them up individually when I am curious. I recommend keeping a food journal for protein until you are able to easily eat the proper amount of protein daily. It took me about two weeks of calculating my daily protein intake and measuring out my portions until I got where I needed to be.