Graduate School.. Worth the hassle?

Graduate school.. Is it worth it?

The number of people that are admitted into graduate programs has increased over the past few years in America. According to Prep Scholar, there are currently 1.4 million Americans that are enrolled in graduate programs, either online or in the classroom.

Is it worth it? Graduate students are required to jump through multiple hoops, just to get to the interviewing phase. Students are required to take and submit GRE scores, official transcripts, several letters of recommendation, personal statements, essays and resumes. The list goes on and on.

According to Life After College, the average college graduate that has received their bachelors makes $61,000 a year starting out, whereas the average college graduate receiving their masters makes $78,000 a year. This is a big difference between the two. But the question still stands, is it worth it to jump through all of these hoops?

The average salary difference between the two is $17,000. To some people, this can mean the difference between getting the nicer car, a family vacation, or being able to afford rent on a bigger house. On average, tuition for graduate school is 40,000 according to The Best Masters Degree. This amount of money can be hard to come by for many students. Luckily, there is help.

According to Morgan Boone, Resident Director in Garcia Hall and former graduate student, there is plenty of opportunity for grants and loans. Boone says that she paid her way through graduate school through an assistantship. She was able to work for the university, in her field, and instead of receiving a paycheck every two weeks, she was awarded with free tuition and an apartment. You Can Deal With it offers plenty of opportunities for grants, loans and assistantships.

Regan Welsh, a senior here at NMSU is in the process of applying to graduate programs, to receive her masters in students’ affairs. She is applying to Colorado State University, which is a very competitive graduate program. After doing her research, she discovered usually, only 30-40 of the applicants are accepted into the program, even though thousands apply. On campus, Welsh was very involved in student activities, and making other’s college experience the best. This is how she got interested in student affairs. Her love and dedication to ensuring that students have the best possible college experience is what is pushing her to apply to graduate programs. Check out the photo slide show interview here!

The average salary for this type of work is around $36,000, according to the glassdoor but because they have to live on campus to be close to the students, their housing is paid for too. Even though this is not the highest paying salary, becoming a resident director and working with college students is what will make Welsh happy.

One thing that is important to remember when applying to graduate schools is to do research.  There are many different recourses out there to help during the application process. It is important to make sure that the school in mind has the program in mind. It is also important to make sure that all of the required tests, letters, and documents are completed and revised before the due date. And the most important this is to keep deadlines in mind, to make sure the application is complete before the deadline.

Applying to graduate school can be scary and overwhelming, but keeping calm, staying focused and organized are the most important parts!

Immigration How it Affects Students at New Mexico State University.

The United States has always been considered a melting pot of people. People from all different races, origins, and countries come here seeking different things. Some immigrants in vision a better future for their children, or for themselves.

Sebastian Martinez came here from Guatemala, in South America. He has been living in El Paso since he was 2 years old, and recently came to Las, Cruces New Mexico to attend college. He says that his mom and dad came here to seek better opportunities for themselves and their family. His dad began working in the United States before Martinez was born. Once young Martinez was born, their family decided to pack up, and move to the United States to be together as a family.

Martinez is now studying Computer Science at NMSU, and one day hopes to attend a graduate school and peruse a job in Student Affairs. He is very thankful that is family decide to come here, because now he is able to receive a good education. Martinez is the first in his family to attend a University.

Since the Martinez family are all considered residents and have their green cards, the changes with DACA do not affect their family personally. However, Martinez and his family are still connected with people that it does affect. These families may be torn apart, because not everyone is a citizen in the U.S.

Through being a resident, Martinez is able to have a drivers license, work, go to school, and do almost everything that a citizen can.

As show by the chart on the left, immigration into the United States has increased rapidly since 1990, with a heightened spike in 2007 with 12 million immigrants. In 2009, immigration into the United States dropped down to 11 million, but after that continued to increase, currently at around 12 million again.

Check out the interview!

 

 

Opioid Usage in Native American Cultures

With opioid usage at an all time high, one cannot help but wonder how this problem started.According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, the overdose of drugs is the number one cause of an accidental death in the United States. In 2015, there were 20,101 opioid overdoses resulting in death. The United States Map shows the detail of opioid usage in the United States.

This epidemic affects all cultures, races, religions, and demographics, but is more vivid in certain cultures. Native Americans make up around 2.5 percent of Adults treated for substance abuse. The people admitted and treated for substance abuse were referred to treatment facilities from the criminal justice system, and are rarely self-admitted. In the chart, Native Americans were the largest demographic of people that used drugs at least 30 days before the survey was done.

Why is this such an issue in Native American societies? It comes down to three things. Recourses, accessibility, and trauma.

The education abilities and recourses are so limited in Native American cultures. According to state health advocates for drug use and abuse, no education is provide to teens on why the abuse of drugs is a problem and how it can impact one’s life. According to David Sprenger, chief medical officer for the California area Indian health service, “ More funding would be tremendously helpful in addressing substance abuse problems in the Native American adolescent population.

Another reason that Native Americans have such a high drug usage is because of the availability of the drug, and the sociocultural beliefs within the culture. Within Native American communities, there access to drugs. This is most closely associated with their native roots of farming, and their ancestors using drugs/ alcohol. According to an article, Cultural and Substance Abuse: Impact of Culture Affects Approach to Treatment, written by Psychiatric Times, initiation into excessive substance abuse often happens during times of quick social change. This type of initiation has happened for decades, and continues to happen to this day.

Native American peoples have always been subject to trauma. According to an article from the professional counselor, written by Kathleen Brown- Rice, Native Americans are more likely to experience feelings of distress and that distress is more likely to contribute to negative affects of their mental health. This trauma may be a result of a legacy of trauma that has been unsolved from generations to generations.

opiod pdf

 

Jim Griego- Making a Difference One Meal at a Time

Food is health. Executive Chef of Presbyterian Hospital Jim Griego works to provide that health to the patients in the hospital. Jim Griego does a Variety of things every day in order to serve the patients and to provide the best experience to people visiting patients in the hospital.

As the Executive Chef, Jim Griego supports every member of his staff in a unique way. He supervises a staff of over 30 people, including line cooks, room service staff, prep cooks, and cleaning staff. Some things that he does to support the cooks are cut up fruit for the breakfast service, prep pizzas for the hot line, or taste different foods that are prepared.

Another important aspect of Jim Griego’s job is talking with food vendors, answering phone calls, and meeting with dietitians of patients, so the patients can get the right food to heal faster. “Food is heath, the better my food looks and tastes, hopefully the faster my patients will heal and get better. There is nothing worse that being sick and not wanting to eat”, states Jim Griego.

Managing a staff is a hard enough task as it is, but Jim Griego is able to maintain a positive relationship with his staff members. One employee said, “Jim Griego really makes the staff feel like a family.”

The Best Places at New Mexico State University.

Living on campus attending classes and working at my on campus job, it seems that I am on campus almost 24 hours a day! Being on campus so often, has really helped me to appreciate the college campus culture and the campus vibe. Because I am on campus so often, I believe that I have found some of the best places on campus. Some of my favorite places are places to relax and take a break, and some are places to study. I would like to share a few of my favorite places on New Mexico State University’s campus with you. 

Farmers Market: A Locals Favorite!

Attending the Farmers Market on Wednesdays and Weekends in down town Las Cruces is one way that locals and people from out of town  are able to get fresh produce and neat finds. There are a lot of different vendors at the farmers market, selling everything from paintings, to jewelry, and woodworkings.  Brothers Woodworks is a groups of local brothers who create beautiful and rustic looking things like tables, and wine bottle racks.

Brothers Woodworks is a group of 3 brothers that work together to make rustic pieces. They started this hobby because it was a fun hobby for them and their father, but when their father became too old, they turned their hobby into  a side business. Now they come to the market every Wednesday and every Weekend to sell their products. They say that the market is a fun atmosphere to be in, and they like the energy of their customers.

A Day in the Life at New Mexico State University

New Mexico State University is a campus filled with diverse students. Attending a university is an amazing way for students to explore who they are as a person and grow. One way that students get involved on campus is with on campus jobs. An on campus job is a great way for students to be involved on campus, while also earning some extra cash. Some things that student employs do during their typical day at work at New Mexico State University are tabling to spread awareness about their organization, hosting photo booths, and checking the organizations mail box. 

September 11, 2016; A tragic 15th anniversary

Fifteen years following the tragic events of September 11, 2001, millennials are still able to remember even the smallest of the tragic details.

Mariah Reimer, a Journalism student at New Mexico State University was 9 years old when 9-11 happened, just in 4^th grade.  Although she was young, Reimer was able to remember what happened that day. “There were t.v’s in every classroom playing what was happening to the towers. I remember that no school work was done that day, we just sat there and watched the t.v’s, it was a very sad day.” According to Pew Research, 97 percent of Americans that were age 8 and older, remember exactly what they were doing, and where they were on 9-11. Although the events of 9-11 did not directly affect Reimer, she still remembers it as a tragic event in American History, and a day to honor all of the individuals that stepped up to help. 

Mariah Reimer, a Journalism student doing research on September 11, 2001

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although a lot of millennials are able to remember specific details about September 11^th, some are not. Victoria Castro, a Journalism student at New Mexico State University, was just 4 when the events took place. “ I remember that school was let out early that day. When I came home, my parents were both home sitting down watching the t.v. I couldn’t read yet, but I saw fire and smoke and I knew that something bad was happening.” For younger millennials like Castro, the events of September 11, 2001, shaped the way that they grew up. Millennials grew up in a world where airport security was tight, terrorist attacks happen often, and safety is not guaranteed.According to history.com, over 3,000 people were killed in the attacks in both New York City and in Washington, D.C. Among the 3,000 business people, restaurant workers, children, and families, 400 of them were firefighters and police officers.

Victoria Castro, a Journalism Student at New Mexico State University learning more about 9-11-2001

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Is your bag too heavy?

New Mexico State University is implementing various different health initiatives to encourage students to pay more attention to their health. The average student is very busy in the months of September and October, with midterms, the clubs and organizations they have joined, roommate conflicts, and class projects. The Campus Health Center has been conducting various different initiatives to promote student health. In September, the Health Center held an event on Backpack Awareness Day.

On Backpack Awareness Day, the Campus Heath Center tabled outside of Corbet Center Student Union from 11-3 on Thursday September 20, 2016. Staff from the Health Center weighed backpacks and calculated if the backpack was too heavy for the student, or just right. A backpack is not supposed to weigh more than 10 percent of the student’s body weight. After the students backpack was weighed, they were given some candy, and a few extra facts about keeping their bag light and their back healthy.