Just look at how rude people can be at dinner. We’re ruining our own time with others by paying more attention to our phones than our friends across the table. Are we really more interested in taking a picture of our meal to post on Instagram than talking with our friends who are with us?

Many of us know we don’t have the best phone etiquette, but more importantly, have we ever stopped to think that we’re ruining our own life experiences by being consumed by a device in our hand?

People are not living in the moment, because they’re too busy trying to “share” the moment via their phone with others in ZIP codes far away.

I don’t know how many times I’ve been out with friends and it turns into them stopping every few seconds just to tweet a picture or check into Foursquare instead of just soaking in our time.

I’m sometimes guilty, too. The last time I went to a wedding, I spent the whole ceremony trying to capture the perfect photo to share on my networks and ended up not really paying attention to the actual ceremony. Pathetic, isn’t it? I definitely learned a lesson about paying more attention at ceremonies after that.

What makes us so obsessed with our phones and sharing information?

When it comes to using our phones, especially for social media purposes, I think it turns into more about what attention we can get rather than keeping in touch and communicating with others. It’s become more about how we want other people to perceive our life.

For instance, why would you post a picture of yourself at a county fair? Does anyone really care? What are you trying to communicate – that you rode on a giant Ferris wheel? Is it more of the fact you like your outfit and particularly like the scenery, too? I think it’s more of convincing people that you are happy and are setting a particular tone or even a style you want people to perceive you as.

Once that photo is posted on the Internet, we all just love the comments and attention that follow along with it. Right? That just feeds our addiction even more. It is one big cycle.

I have friends who say they hate their jobs — but they still share things on social media that try to make people think differently. I’m never surprised anymore to see them posting photos of catered food at work or some perk of the day with a caption such as: “My job rocks.” It all goes back to not letting people think their lives are less than spectacular.

Why can’t they just enjoy their free work lunch and move on with their lives?

From a business standpoint, smart phones and social networks help companies tremendously. The coming technology of social networks and phones astounds me, such as the way that “checking into” places one day will become reviews of places to go and things to do.

Businesses also get a lot of promotion from customers commenting on their services and sharing information with their social networks. A restaurant in Washington, D.C., called Rogue 24, used to make customers sign a contract pledging that they would not use their phones for conversation during their dining experience. The contract changed, however, because allowing social media capabilities in the restaurant became an important tool for drawing people to their business. It may help businesses, but it doesn’t help people to sit back and enjoy their time.

I am a fan of how social networks and phone capabilities have evolved in the past few years. They allow me to keep up with friends and keep in touch with family half way around the world. The way we so quickly share information amazes me –and every day it is becoming more expressive and creative. People should just take a step back, however, and not get so caught up in their phones and networks, and instead take the time to live in the moment.

It’s something I’m finding that helps me enjoy my time even more with others.

Other than the expected advice of “Don’t party too hard” and “Stick to the books” – which certainly are good things to remember – there are plenty of tips I wish someone would have shared with me four years ago.

So here are a few things I’d like to pass along that may help other students in their early years of college:

Keep in touch with friends and mentors

Freshman year is generally the time for meeting new faces and having fewer responsibilities compared to senior year. Every year will become busier and harder academically and extracurricularly. Make sure to keep in touch and make time for your friends and those who inspire you along the way. 

Just because you choose a major doesn’t mean you’re locked in to it

I’m not talking about the fact that students can switch their major at any time. I am talking about afterwards when getting out into the real world, and realizing that career is not what you want to do. Never feel like you might choose the wrong path. I know professionals who studied performing arts and eventually found their way to physical therapy graduate school. It’s never too late in life to make a switch. And it’s not impossible. So, as a freshman or sophomore, try not to freak out about finding the perfect study, because it probably doesn’t exist. Plus, how are you supposed to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life at 19 years old? Just try to focus on your interests and see where they lead you.

Ask for help and build strong relationships with professors and advisors

If you are having a hard time in a course, instead of resenting the professor, visit him or her during office hours and ask for help. I’m sure you’d be surprised at how willing they are to sit down with you. On another note, getting to know your professors and advisors in your major will help you stay on top of course material, stay connected to academic affairs, and open doors to opportunities. Sometimes the best way to build a relationship with faculty members is to join a club they advise, too.

Get involved. At the same time, don’t get too involved

Joining an organization is an easy way to meet new friends, give back to the community and feel a part of something extraordinary. I recommend getting involved in two organizations at a time, and do them well. Maybe choose one related to your studies and one related to a campus organization. If you are someone who tends to overwhelm yourself — don’t push your limits. Try to only take on as much that won’t spread you thin. Find only a few leadership positions and put 100 percent effort into them. Mental breakdowns are not worth the stress.

Apply for scholarships each semester

There are many scholarship opportunities just waiting for students to claim. And I’m just talking about the ones offered by individual universities — not even those offered by other organizations on a national level. I suggest keeping a list handy of scholarships available and their deadlines. Even if you don’t have time to apply to all, make it a goal to apply to at least one scholarship each month. I wish I had started trying to find as many scholarships as I could earlier on.

Don’t stress over that one bad grade

You are either the student who obsesses over grades or doesn’t care at all. I’m sure if you are part of the “don’t care” group, you probably wouldn’t even stumble upon this article in the first place. So for the ones who are perfectionists when it comes to schoolwork, if you are worried about an upcoming test and feel like the world is going to end, just remember that in a year, you won’t even remember stressing over that midterm. Take a deep breath, study hard and try your best. I promise you will still be breathing in a week.

I don’t expect my advice to apply to every college student, but I hope there is a message to guide at least someone.

And just remember: We’re all at school to learn, whether it’s academically or personally.

Now if only someone would tell me how to survive after graduation in a few months!

When asking my friends a simple question – “Are you getting the flu shot this season? They are free on campus today.” – not a single one of them answered yes.

Whether you are someone who fits into that category or are someone who gets the flu shot every season, have you ever considered the most vital reason to get one? By not getting the flu shot, people endanger others around them whose bodies may not stand a chance of surviving the flu: people who suffer immune diseases and other health risks.

The reasons students say they do not want to get the flu shot are irritating and selfish excuses. Some of the common excuses are: “I don’t like needles,” “I’ll be fine this season, I never get sick,” or “The flu is not that bad.”

People often do not realize that even though they are healthy and their bodies can fight the flu, there are people whose bodies cannot. Think about how many people you are in contact with on a daily basis who are diabetic, have asthma, elderly, pregnant or have heart disease.

Individuals with these health conditions are at higher risk from flu complications than the average person. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 90 percent of deaths during a regular flu season are 65 and older. The center has estimated that an average of 36,000 people die each year from the flu.

It is important to not only protect yourself, but to also protect others around you. Giving someone the flu is not the best gift.

There also are individuals who cannot receive the vaccination. People with egg and vaccine allergies, Guillain-Barre Syndrome and infants are a few groups that have no pre-protection to the flu.

By getting the flu shot, people are limiting the ability for the flu virus to transmit, especially to those who don’t have access to protection. In other words, the more people who get the vaccination, the less the flu virus can spread. 

It is never too late to get the flu shot. The season starts in October, peaks in January and lasts until May – so we’re in the middle of that right now.

Flu shots are inexpensive. Students can receive free flu shots at the Health Center on campus. The Health Center also hosts events in the Student Union to make access to the shots easier for students.

Faculty and staff can receive vaccines for as low as $20, the average price at most walk-in clinics. 

Don’t like needles? People can also receive a nasal-spray vaccine that replaces the shot.

So there is no excuse to avoid a vaccination.

Some people believe that getting the flu shot will give them the flu — which is a myth. The vaccination contains a “dead” influenza virus that doesn’t cause the flu. The only time someone can get the flu after receiving the vaccination is if they catch a different virus than what was predicted in the prepared vaccinations that flu season. 

I think the largest reason why people do not get the flu vaccination is because they are not educated on the effects of the virus. Yes, it is important to be vaccinated to prevent yourself from getting sick, but it is also important to save others.

If students knew how much they can harm others by not getting the shot, maybe they would not hesitate to receive the vaccination. And since campuses provide free flu shots for students, then why wouldn’t they take the offer?

Perhaps if they see no personal benefit, then they don’t feel the obligation to go out of their daily schedule to get a vaccination.

But the person who may most need you to be vaccinated could be right next to you.

To schedule a flu shot at the UCF Health Center, go to .

UCF Forum columnist Heather Waymouth is a şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą senior majoring in advertising/public relations and English writing, and can be reached at hwaymouth@knights.ucf.edu.