Are You One of the Chosen?

Check your email to see if you’ve been selected to complete the National College Health Assessment (NCHA) or RIT Health Assessment (RITHA). If you were selected, you would have received an email to your RIT email address yesterday (Oct. 4).

Your participation is important, as your answers to this survey help to inform Wellness programming, services and other campus initiatives here at RIT.

Students who attempt or complete the survey will be entered into a raffle to win one of 70 total gift cards:

• 5 winners will win a $100 gift card to Amazon
• 25 winners will win a $50 gift card to the RIT Bookstore
• 40 winners will win a $20 gift card to the RIT Bookstore

Survey responses are confidential.

Academic Wellness

As we quickly approach the mid-semester mark, you may be feeling some digital overload. While google calendar may always be your go-to, to manage your academic workload, the Academic Success Center has some great tools when you need a break from your screen.

Try these popular time management tools to help prepare for your midterms this semester:

• Weekly to-do list
• Weekly schedule
• Study Tool Kit

Looking for more support? Check out RIT’s tutoring resources or drop in for a one-on-one appointment with an ASC peer mentor.

Walk-ins for on-campus Flu Vaccine Clinics

RIT is partnering with Wegmans to provide on-campus flu vaccine clinics for RIT students. Flu vaccine clinics will be offered:

• Wednesday, Oct. 6, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
  Student Alumni Union, Fireside Lounge
  
  
• Wednesday, Nov. 3, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
  Student Alumni Union, Fireside Lounge

If your insurance is not accepted by Wegmans, you can get the vaccine at the Student Health Center for $20.

Go vegetarian for ONE day!

Everyone can benefit from occasionally following a vegetarian diet, says Lalita Kaul, PhD, RN, LDN. Kaul notes that vegetarian diets are high in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals (things we all might need more of). Even if you eat veggies regularly, omitting meat from time to time means produce will be the main dish at mealtime, not just a side choice. To make the most of meat-free meals, strive for options low in starch. Look for dishes that have a balance of vegetables, legumes, fruits, and grains. Leafy greens are a good source of vitamin A, C, and K, and they contain calcium, folate, and fiber!

Knives down, forks up!

Each week, we are sharing a financial wellness tip to help you make the connection between financial management decisions, your overall wellness, and student success. Money touches every aspect of our lives, and a lack of financial literacy can cause unnecessary stress and negatively impact our mental and physical health.

Good Credit vs. Bad Credit:
Having good credit means you are making regular payments on time, on each of your accounts, until your balance is paid in full. Alternately, bad credit means you have had a hard time holding up your end of the bargain – you may not have paid the full minimum payments or may not have made payments on time. The good news is that bad credit can always be improved! Practicing good credit habits can raise a low score, as well as help maintain a good score.

Super Credit Tips:

• Pay your bills on time. The most important element in your credit score is whether you've paid your bills on time. Lenders want to know that you can be trusted to fulfill your debt obligations, and they consider payment history to be the best indicator.

• Assess your credit availability. Your credit score takes into account how much available revolving credit—primarily with credit cards—you're currently using. A low credit utilization rate shows you're using less of your available credit. Credit scoring models generally interpret this as an indication you're doing a good job managing credit by not overspending. For example, if you have a $5,000 credit limit across all of your credit cards, and you have $2,000 in debt on those cards, you're utilizing 40% of your total available credit.

• Monitor your credit report to ensure there aren't any mistakes. Visit www.annualcreditreport.com for a free report from each of the three major nationwide consumer reporting agencies once every 12 months. However, be sure to avoid too many credit inquiries in a short period of time. Try to limit checking your credit score to once per year.

• Protect your finances. Keep financial records in order and always watch for fraud and scams.

For additional events and event information, go to rit.edu/events.