Twenty-five members of the Future Teachers’ Society and their faculty advisor, Dr. Linda Karges-Bone, participated in the 10^th annual Walk for Water March.  

 Bone’s team raised $5,200 for the charity. The Walk for Water is held annually by the nonprofit group, Water Missions International, a Charleston-based charity that builds and places sustainable water filtration and sanitation systems in developing countries and areas hit by disaster.  

 The organization is known for bringing safe water and the living water of the Gospel to those in need.  Worldwide, one out of eight people lack access to clean water and 1.8 million children die each year from illnesses related to contaminated water or poor sanitation.

 Left to right: Michael Silvestri, Allison Hamlet, Dr. Bone, Lindsey White and Courtney Stone celebrate after completing the 3.5 mile walk and raising $5,200 for Water Missions International.

 1.  Look at your syllabi.  To prepare yourself for the last half of the semester, you must get together a game plan.  More papers will be due and tests will come quickly.  If you look at each syllabus from each class, you can know what is coming up.  A week off has a way of helping you forget all of the assignments in your future.  Your syllabus is there to help you, and if you are aware of upcoming work, you won’t feel such a shock by the end of the first week back.

 2.  Pace yourself.  Sometimes, the last half of the semester can be the most challenging one.  Tests are more cumulative and paper requirements are longer.  If you look over your syllabus (see number 1), you have the opportunity to work a little bit at a time rather than all at once.  When you space out your work, it’s not as stressful nor is it as big of a load to handle.  When you pace your schoolwork, you have more breathing room.

 3.  Remember to breath.  This step only comes if you’ve followed the first two.  If you are doing your best, making yourself aware of what needs to happen, and getting things done on time (or ahead of time), your work will pay off.  Class and homework are both important, but your well-being is vital to watch out for.  Make sure you are getting enough sleep and even some time to do something you enjoy.  The end of the semester will inevitably come, and you can only do your best.  Don’t forget yourself in that priority list.