Statz 4 Life

Columbia slows down a bit in the summer, as does our motivation to write truly awesome posts for the legions of adoring Praxis fans. So in the lazy spirit of summer, I thought I'd pass along a youtube link I was e-mailed by a friend in the Psych department. Statz 4 Life - enjoy. Note: This is probably less funny to those of you in the humanities. We'll take care of you guys next time.

Replacing Important Documents

Have any of you ever lost your passport? I have. Twice, actually: once, it was stolen in Mexico, and the other day I left it in a copy machine on campus (I did retrieve it from said copy machine three days later). Although most of you are probably more careful with your valuable documents than I seem to be, these things do still happen occasionally. Here is a useful list of procedures to follow when replacing important missing documents. It’s nice to have all of this information in one convenient location, because the actual replacement process is sometimes a significant hassle.

Not surprisingly, passports and birth certificates rank highest in the amount of time and trouble involved with replacement. Here’s hoping that you’ll never need this information, but hoping it’s useful if you do!

via the Consumerist

Budgeting for fuel on your summer adventure

Whether you’ll be hopping in the car to visit the family or to take the road trip you’ve been dreaming about since winter break, estimating your fuel costs with AAA’s Fuel Cost Calculator can help you figure out whether you’ll have money left over to splurge on something a little more fun.

Unfortunately, Columbia, Mo., is not on the drop-down list of starting cities, but St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield are, so you can still get a fairly good idea of your costs. For instance, a round trip from St. Louis to Chicago in my trusty Chevy Prizm would cost somewhere around $56.32.

via Lifehacker

This Summer, Why Don't You…

Because the semester is wrapping up and the last thing any grad student needs is study tips (they'd be too late at this point, anyway), here's a light-hearted list of things you should do regardless of your other plans.

…Take a Road Trip

Road trips are a great way to reward yourself after a strenuous week of finals, to get away for a weekend, or to celebrate an accomplishment. Plan a trip to visit one of the literally thousands of festivals around the country taking place this summer, and monitor the stops along the way with the cheapest gas using these five tips from LifeClever, a blog with tips for design and life.

…Organize your Workspace

Whether it is an office on campus, at home, or at another location, chances are it could use some organization. Use your workspace overhaul as an opportunity to make your working and studying hours more productive with these ten tips for keeping your desk clean and tidy from LifeClever. A good workspace could even have positive health benefits—see how to set up a healthy, usable workspace in this post from Lifehacker.

…Destress your Life

This one is particularly useful after a rigorous round of finals or comps. Although few of us are lucky enough to have time off from work and classes simultaneously, there are still things to do that can help you feel mentally refreshed and ready to take on another semester. Texas Women's University offers 52 Stress Reducers by way of this Lifehacker blog post. There is also a stress management clinic at Mizzou run by the Counseling Center and, of course, don't overlook the power of a little self-indulgence (spa treatment or massage, anyone?) here in town.