5 Things Agriculture Students are Tired of Hearing

Here at my lovely, land-grant university we have an entire campus and a few hundred surrounding acres dedicated to research and education in agriculture.  Why? Well, because the AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT INDUSTRY- just in case that's not obvious. Not to discount the value of doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc., but without agriculture, those careers and those people's lifestyles wouldn't be possible. Bearing that in mind, for some reason, many people- my fellow classmates included- look down upon, scoff at, or don't understand people who study agriculture in college. So, whether you're one of those people, an agriculture major, or somewhere in between, here are the top five things I've heard when people learn that I am or my friends are pursuing a degree in Agriculture and why they're absolutely ridiculous. 

1. What are you going to do with that degree? Farm?
• While farming is a very respectable and underrated career, that's not what all agricultural majors aspire to do. Some of us want to be lawyers, scientists, business men and women, speakers, activists, teachers, leaders, veterinarians, game wardens, 4-H agents, food safety technicians, etc.- the list goes on and on. (Yes, you can be an agriculture lawyer.) 
• "But wait, most of those sounds like 'normal' jobs."
• Yes, we fill most career paths you could think of, but we focus on an industry that fuels, feeds, and clothes the world and is close to our hearts. 
2. Why can't you just take regular business, communications, writing, biology, etc.?
• On my campus, the college of agriculture is the fifth largest college in the university but gives out the second largest amount in scholarships. So, extra money is a plus, and many big agriculture companies give out thousands of dollars to agriculture majors. 
• I love agriculture and enjoy being around people who share the same passion. 
• Again, agriculture is the backbone of our world; I want to be a part of it.
3. Why would you need a degree to farm?
• Refer to #1.
• For those of us who do aspire to farm for a living, it is insanely more complicated than it sounds. Soil typing, hybrid selection, chemical usage, yield maps reading, business management, mechanic work, and basic medical care of animals are among the many facets of a farmer's job description.  A lot of knowledge of biology, chemistry, economics, and mechanics is necessary to be successful in farming, and the science of farming is always developing thanks to those of us described in #1. Therefore, farmers MUST be continually educated, and a formal degree can be quite helpful. 
4. Why don't you study something more meaningful, difficult, on your level, etc.?
• Hello! What could be more meaningful than feeding, fueling, and clothing the world? And, if you refer to #3 obviously nothing in agriculture is as simple as it may seem. I personally have had someone who knows I am an honors student discover that I am also an agriculture student say to me, " Oh, well you're not like most ag. majors." Really?! What is that supposed to mean? Many Ag majors are also honors students. Our Dean of the College of Agriculture even provides money for us to meet together, take retreats, and get help with our research projects.
5. Oh. (With a sideways look)
• I get this a lot. Mostly because the person doesn't understand what my major is, and that's OKAY! It's fine to ask questions, just don't undermine my degree or career goals. 

I hope this list helped if you were confused about us Ag people, gave you some laughs if you've had these things said to you, or answered some questions. Next time you eat, put on clothes, or fuel up your car, thank a farmer, an Ag teacher, a 4-H agent, a bio-technician, and a soil scientist. Also, consider majoring in Ag! It's one of the best decisions I ever made. :) 

How to Stay on top of Your Schoolwork

Okay, I know this sounds crazy because life happens, you get sick, new projects arise, work schedules change, etc. I know, I know, but trust me, there IS a way to stay on top of all your school assignments and avoid that drowning feeling mid-way through the semester. 

My secret weapon? Google Calendar! Now, you need a Google account, but once that is set up, you're ready to go! So, how do I use this tool to stay on top of things? It's easy with these 6 simple steps! 

1. Create a calendar based on various aspects of your life and choose a color for each one. For instance, I have a calendar for my classes, due dates and exam dates, my work schedule, and extra-curricular activities. You can have more or fewer, figure out what works for you. But, once you've created your calendars, you can adjust how many your view at one time. 
2. Collect all your syllabuses from your classes. Enter all your assignment due dates and exam dates for the whole semester. Yes, I know this takes a little time, but trust me, it's totally worth it. 
3. Next, if you have regular meetings or you work, enter that in too. I prefer to make separate calendars for these things so that I can make my work schedule a separate color from other parts of my day. When you create an event, you can click "Edit Event" to set your event to repeat and set specific times!
   
   
4. Now, you have a basic framework of your day, week, and month. Here comes the real task management, drowning prevention awesomeness. Now that you know when things are due, and about how much time you will have each day to do schoolwork, you can go ahead and plan your work! When you click on a date, the default is to create an event, but you can also create a task for that day. Just switch from Event to Task! I use this to make a tentative schedule of when I am going to work on assignments. 
   
5. Next, get the most out of this calendar! If you have an android phone, you can download the google calendar app to have your calendar on the go. If you have an iPhone, you can sync this calendar with your phone calendar by going into your phone settings and choosing "Mail, Contacts, and Calendars", signing into your Google account, and turning on your calendar syncing. 
6. Finally, use this tool and adapt it to fit your lifestyle. Lay things out early so that when your friend says, "Hey, let's go to the beach for a couple days!" you can know immediately if you're able to go without dismissing your commitments or what assignments you need to do on the way! And, if life happens, remember this is a framework. It is a way of managing what must be done so that you are less likely to forget things and can better adapt to the curve balls that life throws at you. If you don't do a task on the day you originally set, don't be discouraged. Just add it to your list for the next day, and keep going!