It is important for Texas State students to utilize educational resources to keep from falling down academia’s slippery slope, especially with new guidelines in place.

According to a Sept. 13 University Star article, students at any public university will no longer receive financial aid while they are on academic probation, as of this past summer. To avoid academic probation, students must meet the minimum GPA requirements as well as completion and maximum completion rates. 

Since this change, on-campus student services are working to help students learn the new regulations. Texas State made a great move by hiring a coordinator to aid students in danger of academic probation.

According to the same article, 10 percent of undergraduate students were on academic probation out of the 25,277 enrolled last fall. The university should do everything in its power to provide outlets to assist those students in their academic careers.

Texas State should further embrace the digital frontier by continuing to bring many of today’s technological advancements into the classroom.

As college students, we are seeing firsthand the effect that the Information Age is having on the world around us. In recent years, some bosses have begun to require their employees meet an abundance of technology-related job expectations. Additionally, cutting-edge technology is starting to weave itself into the fabric of the classroom setting by showing up in everything from email to online textbooks.

Texas State offers several computer labs with high-quality machines for students to use throughout the day. With this level of technology, the campus computers run a variety of software and not just the basic programs like Microsoft Word and Paint.

Texas State prides itself on student involvement in campus clubs, especially with the university boasting nearly 300 registered organizations.

Coming from someone who has tried very hard to stay involved throughout college, the benefits of doing so outweigh any imagined negatives. The fall semester has just started, and now is the perfect time to join one of the many clubs Texas State has to offer.

Though sitting in a dungeon-like apartment and playing video games may sound stimulating to some, getting out and meeting new people is more rewarding in the long run. Texas State offers a variety of activities and lots of ways to get involved. Clubs may be a good opportunity for those looking to study and brush shoulders with like-minded students. There are a host of clubs on campus with a variety of themes, including academic, sports, specialty, recreational, religious, political and professional organizations, as well as fraternities and sororities.

With the fresh start of a new semester, students should begin a positive habit by setting aside time each week to hit the gym, exercise and have some fun as well.

Texas State has an incredible Student Recreation Center with a wide variety of extracurricular activities for students. Be- ing active while studying at school does a plethora of good things for the body and mind. When students begin to embrace exercise as a lifestyle, each and every day will become more manageable. There are positive correlations between physical activity and a higher grade point average for college students.

Exercise regimens can be fit into a busy schedule without implementing unnatural workout patterns. Just take 20 minutes to jog a little bit, lift some weights, play basketball, volleyball or go swimming. The hardest part is finding the motivation to get to the gym that very first time.

The freedom-filled summer months are coming to an end, and students will yet again start putting their noses to the grindstone as a daily ritual. For many of us, this routine has been a part of our lives for quite some time and we fully understand the steps we need to take in order to succeed each semester. On the other hand, there are several students starting college for the first time this fall and some helpful advice might be extremely useful.

Students appreciate the few months between semesters where they get to conveniently “lose” their backpacks. They toss their jeans in the darkest corner of the bedroom and spend more time applying sunscreen than scribbling words across notebook paper. Go take some extra classes and get a job instead of lying around the house in the same clothes for three days.

The summer months have been the longtime holy grail of relaxation and commitment to nothing but freedom and loud music. Though most people would not mind listening to the Rolling Stones while flipping burgers on a boat somewhere, some people simply understand that the summer can be just as productive a time as the spring or fall, in regards to school and work.

Students are fighting to keep their eyes from the digital clocks that line the classrooms on campus. As the sun hangs a little longer in the sky, the urge to spend time outside the classroom becomes nearly unbearable.

While students are forcing themselves to attend class, study hard and complete the final stretch of the semester, the parks around San Marcos are beginning to beckon hundreds of people every day. Make sure to explore what San Marcos has to offer this summer.

When classes finally wrap up in May, many students will stick around to squeeze in a few extra summer classes or log some work hours for spending money. It is during this peaceful time on campus students will have three months to bury their winter clothes deep in the closet catacombs, head outside and soak up some sun.