Archive for the ‘College Life’ Category

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What the Experts Have to Tell You About Selecting a College

Saturday, March 10th, 2012

Selecting the perfect college can be complicated.  The sooner you begin researching and thinking about you college decision, the better off you will likely be.  You may have read books on everything from financial aid for college tuition and private loans for college to test prep tutoring and college dorm life, but at the top of your college reading materials should be the guides that give you a better idea about what college is right for you.  Remember, however, that your time is limited, and that means finding the best books are key.  Let’s take a look at couple of available options and see how they stack up!

Students’ Guide to College: The Definitive Guide to America’s Top 100 Schools Written by the Real Experts, the Students Who Attended Them by Jordan Goldman and Colleen Buyers

Isn’t a book like this one outdated almost as soon as it is published?  Secondly, it is also important to note that these rankings are very arbitrary and a bit more ridiculous than it might seem at first glance.  After all, who are the people that really make the decision as to what are the “top schools” or the “top” anything.  You can see the problem.

Another issue with Students’ Guide to College: The Definitive Guide to America’s Top 100 Schools Written by the Real Experts, the Students Who Attended Them is that it by its very nature, it ignores career paths.  A given school may not be ranked in the top 100 per se, but it may have a great department that is ranked near the top and is respected in its field.  This does matter, especially if you are a student or the parent of a student that isn’t likely to get into a top school.  Or perhaps you just can’t afford to pay the ridiculous prices that many top schools are now requesting.

It would be easy to dismiss this book outright, but that would be a mistake.  Despite its flaws, it does have something to offer prospective college students.  There are lots of college guides on the market, and while this doesn’t go straight to the top of the list it is, nonetheless, a worthy entry, especially for those who dream of attending a top-ranked school.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to College Survival by Laurie Rozakis

Try and ignore the fact that a “complete idiot” should probably not bother with college and just go along with the Complete Idiot’s Guide on this one.  This isn’t a bad book; however, it lacks the punch and weight of many other college guidebooks.  The competition in this area is just too intense for this book to come out on top.  When contrasted against its competitors, it seems pretty average and perfunctory at best.  The Complete Idiot’s Guide to College Survival by Laurie Rozakis does cover some territory that other books might ignore, but it’s just not enough.  Further, many readers will likely feel as though the book is just a bit to fluffy to be highly effective.

Ultimately, there are many “guidebooks” on this topic, and one has to be careful as to how much weight to put into any of them.  The real point of this article isn’t that one guidebook is better than another, but that you shouldn’t treat any of these kind of books as a de facto bible designed to tell you which college or university that you should select.

Finding the right college or university for you is based on a variety of factors and you as a person.  In the end, you might have to use guidebooks like the two we examined here just to cover the basics, as your personal situation will obviously be more complex than what can be put in a guidebook.  Remembering this factor will increase the chances of getting into a college or university where you will be happy and this will, in turn, increase your chances of success.

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You Can Find a Great College Roommate!

Wednesday, March 7th, 2012

Much goes into having a great college experience.  Getting stuck with a bad college roommate is something that you want to avoid.  College dorm life can, of course, be tricky, and you might not have too much say over what kind of roommate that you might have.  However, if you are living off campus, then you may need to find a college roommate.  There is another question you need to ask first and that is, “Do I definitely need a roommate or even want a roommate?”  Whether or not you have a roommate during college is largely a matter of finances for most people.  Of course, if you are a freshmen living in the dorms, most schools will automatically assign a roommate to you.  In this case, you will most likely be living with someone you have never met before.

However, if you decide to live off-campus, you will be able to select who you live with.  If you are willing to travel more miles or more minutes to attend your college, you will be able to find cheaper rent in many locations.  This could translate into not having to have a college roommate.  Secondly, if you are willing to have a much smaller apartment, you may once again be able to avoid having a college roommate.  Thus keep in mind that you might have options where a college roommate is concerned.  So think over those options instead of just assuming that there is only one path.

Don’t Forget You Could Spend a Great Deal of Time with Your Roommate

If you do decide that you want a roommate or must have a roommate due to financial reasons, choose wisely and carefully if possible.  After all, you are getting stuck with the person (or people) you pick, potentially in close quarters and under a potentially stressful situation for weeks on end.  Having a stressful day only to know that you must go home and face a roommate that you hate is very unpleasant.

Keeping all of this in mind, don’t jump at the first person that responds to your ad for a roommate or jump at the first apartment or room that you see.  Like with most things, it will likely pay to shop around.

Also don’t be afraid to trust your gut instincts.  If you feel as though a situation is bad news, then go with that gut feeling.  If for no other reason imagine how horrible you will feel constantly telling yourself, “I knew better,” or “I had a bad feeling, why didn’t I listen to it?”

A great apartment or house can derail your judgment, and you need to be on guard against this happening to you.  Simply stated, a great space can make you overlook important other factors.

On one hand, you don’t want to behave as though your life depends on selecting your college roommate.  But on the other hand, you don’t want to get stuck with someone that is going to drive you crazy either.  Knowing your own limits, what you like and don’t like, and what you can tolerate are all essential pieces of information that will serve you well.  Listen to your gut, use your commonsense and, if necessary, get advice from other people as well.

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Can You Avoid the Freshman Fifteen?

Saturday, March 3rd, 2012

Gaining weight during your freshman year is simply unavoidable, right?  The answer is of course not.  Don’t believe people that tell you that you will gain fifteen pounds or more no matter what you do.  The truth is that there are steps that you can take to keep from gaining all that weight, and these steps might be easier than you think.  The first step, however, is to simply not listen to people who are treating your weight gain as a foregone conclusion.  Remember whether or not you gain weight is up to you!  Now, let’s look at a few of the ways that you can keep that dreaded “Freshman Fifteen” off your back.

Don’t Adopt Bad Health Habits

Just because you are in college doesn’t mean that you have to give up on working out and eating healthy meals.  If you were doing this before you went to college, then keep it up.  If you weren’t eating healthy food and getting at least a little exercise, then now is the time to start.

Don’t Trust Your College Cafeteria!

Here is a big point that you must treat seriously; don’t trust you college or university’s cafeteria.  They may be offering up low calorie meals that are low in trans fat, sodium, chemicals and preservatives, but you certainly can’t count on it.  Your on campus eating options might be your biggest obstacle in avoiding the Freshman Fifteen.  This means that you will have to be proactive about your food choices and seek out those choices that you know are good for you.

Always Have Your Own Snacks, No Exceptions

One of the easiest ways to gain a great deal of weight in college is to fall victim to the snack machines.  Snack machines rarely have healthy foods in them, and you should simply avoid them as much as possible.  Carrying your own healthy snacks isn’t just better for you, but it is also far cheaper as well.

Find Simple and Clever Ways to Get More Exercise

If you find that you just don’t have the time to exercise as much as you would like, there are so simple ways.  One way is to walk more and to walk at a brisker pace.  Another way is to carry an extra book or two in your backpack or other bag in order to burn off some extra calories.  This is a great trick, as no one will even realize that you are exercising!

Consider Giving Yourself a Reward-You Deserve It!

You know what you want!  Well, consider giving yourself a reward at the end of your freshman year when you manage to keep the Freshman Fifteen off your back.  Having a goal that you are working towards can make all the difference in the world.

Don’t assume that you will gain weight.  With some planning, effort and confidence, you can walk away from your freshman year without any extra weight.  In fact, you might even be able to lose a few pounds.

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Could Your Health Be Impacting Your High-School Grades?

Tuesday, February 28th, 2012

If you’re currently in high school and your grades are not living up to your expectations, then you need to take steps.  The grades that you receive in high school will play a vital role in the kind of colleges that will accept your application down the road.  Even if you are entering your senior year and have not received good grades so far, there is still time to turn things around.

Being able to point to the fact that you are more serious about your academic life, even at the last moment, is better than having poor grades throughout high school.  It is important to stop and consider that your health could be impacting your performance.

Don’t Overlook Warning Signs Such as Eye Problems

First, we must start with the basics, and some of these points are easy to overlook.  For example, are you having trouble reading or seeing the blackboard in class?  Vision problems are routinely overlooked when it comes to academic performance, but issues such as dyslexic can greatly interfere with learning outcomes.  Yet, there are steps that can be taken to address this issue, and it’s never too late.

Issues, such as unexplained headaches, are another issue.  This could mean that you need eyeglasses or need your eyeglass prescription changed.  Again, this is also more common than you might suspect.  Likewise don’t ignore eyestrain and eye fatigue, as they could negatively impact your ability to study.

Sometimes Fatigue Could Be More Than Just Being Tired

If you feel mysteriously tired a lot, then you should take into consideration that often fatigue is tied to a diet that is high in processed foods, fast foods or excess consumption of starchy foods.  If your diet is horrible, your academic performance will suffer, as a poor diet causes inflammation in your body.  No one feels like studying when they are in pain!  In short, before you begin looking in detail at what you are “doing wrong” where your academic performance is concerned, you should first make sure that you address any health issues.

Your Health and the SAT

Your grades are one factor that will determine what college you will attend, but there are other factors as well, such as the SAT.  If you are lacking in energy, you will not feel up to studying for the SAT.  Of course, that will impact your test score.  Additionally, fatigue, general health issues or eye related issues could negatively impact your taking of the actual SAT exam itself.  This exam is important- be prepared in every way possible.

There are Rewards for Proper Health

Taking care of yourself will pay rewards.  Getting enough sleep, eating the right kind of food, getting at least a moderate amount of exercise and keeping track of your own health is a step towards the future you want.  Being healthy means feeling better, and that means getting more of what you want out of life… such as going to one of your top college picks.

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Books on How to Survive College and Show Up Prepared

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

If you are worried about college life and college dorm life, don’t worry, as so is everyone else.  This even includes the people that are sure they are flawless and perfect in every conceivable way!  After all, determining how to survive college is about more than just college dorm life, or figuring out how to find a college roommate or the best ways to eat healthy at college.  Let’s take a look at a couple of books that can help you be better prepared for college.

Getting Ready for College: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go from Bike Locks to Laundry Baskets, Financial Aid to Health Care by Polly Bernet

The title alone is enough to make you tired.  Getting Ready for College is a useful book that turns out to deviates less into being like a grocery list of things to bring to college than one might initially think.  This book makes for a nice secondary guide to college life.  In general, you will want to check this one out after you have read some of the denser, meatier books on how to get into college and college life, such as Crazy U and Don’t Stalk the Admissions Officer.

However, once you know what college you will be attending, this is a nice book to sit down with on a Saturday afternoon and flip through.  It is an easy and light read but is packed with good information.  However, reading this book a year or two before you get into college doesn’t make much sense, as you will forget many of the basic, but very useful, tips that it contains. While the term “financial aid” is in the title, don’t rely on it too much as there are much better books on this topic. But it is virtually guaranteed that there will be some tips in Getting Ready for College that you would have missed without reading it.

90-Minute College Major Matcher: Choose Your Best Major for a College Career by Shatkin

My, my- if college isn’t expensive these days.  This fact has many ramifications.  One of the most significant ramifications is that you want to get the most you can for every dollar that you spend.  This means that you want to pick the college that is right for you.  90-Minute College Major Matcher: Choose Your Best Major for a College Career by Shatkin is a book that wants to help you and fast.  It is important to state that you should certainly feel free to spend more than 90 minutes on choosing your career.  In general, this is a helpful tool to use for thinking about your future.  While this book does have something to offer, it should not be the only tool that you use in selecting your career or major.

Keep in mind that the more you prepare for college and think about a variety of college related issues, the better off you will be.  No one can prepare you for college if you, yourself, are not invested in the process.

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How to Prepare for Your First College Football Game

Thursday, February 9th, 2012

Going to a college football game is just one of the many experiences associated with going to college. If your only football experience is the typical high school football match-ups, you should realize that the college football experience isn’t exactly the same. Sure, the basic concept of supporting your home team doesn’t change, but there is more to a college football game than cheering after every touchdown, pass or interception. Bring your enthusiasm and college team gear and get ready for a day of fun and team spirit.

Tailgating

The biggest difference between a high school football game and a college football game is the pre-game activities in the parking lot. Most high schools do not have organized tailgating activities. On the other hand, most college games unofficially start hours before kickoff with well-organized parking lot activities.

The most cherished of these activities is the vast amounts of food being prepared as the players go over the playbook one last time. The exact type of food varies by college and region of the country, but generally you will find burgers, hot dogs, chicken, wings, corn on the cob and a variety of local favorites among the culinary delights ready for consumption.

Some colleges have a long history of tailgating parties starting early game day morning and continuing right through the actual game. Tailgating at a college game always draws a crowd. Some of these crowds range in the thousands, especially on game day. At Penn State, the population of the State College, Pennsylvania more than doubles on most game days just from the sheer volume of fans.

Traditions

The biggest tradition for most college games is wearing team colors. This may have been a part of high school games, but if you go to a college game it is almost a requirement to wear some form of the team colors. Another common college football tradition involves the mascot. This is usually not just somebody in a mascot costume. Sometimes it is an actual animal.

Sometimes, traditions involve the cheerleaders saying a certain cheer or even the band performing in a certain way. When Ohio State’s marching band takes the field to spell out “Ohio,” in cursive no less, it is considered an honor to be the dot on the “I” after the word is spelled out. Before each Colorado University home game, it is a tradition for select students to run Ralphie the buffalo (some guy in a buffalo costume) around the field.

At Clemson University in South Carolina, students rub Howard’s Rock, named for a former coach, for good luck before the start of each home game. The bigger the school, the more elaborate the traditions tend to be, from the marching in formation before the Army-Navy game to the elite Irish color guard in authentic Scottish kilts before Notre Dame’s games.

Cheering

Instead of cheering for individual players, the focus among the crowd at a college game is the team as a whole. The one exception to this rule is the quarterback. Just like in high school, the QB gets plenty of love from the home team fans. However, the general atmosphere is more team-centered than high school games. Most fans at a high school game tend to be family members of the team players.

At a college game, the mix of the crowd is different. The crowd is mostly made up of students, with faculty and alumni members sprinkled here and there throughout the masses. Some schools have specific cheering traditions, with others just doing some variation of the wave. You will likely see a team mascot encouraging the crowd for the duration of the game.

Be prepared to leave the game with a sore throat from the struggle to be heard among a crowd of thousands. In high school, game day is a regular weekly gathering of the faithful. In college, it is an event.

Author Bio:
Nancy Zimmer writes for TicketLiquidator.com, a website dedicated to helping event-goers find the best college football games.

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Saving Money on Your College Books and Supplies

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

You’ve probably spent a good deal of time worrying about everything from how to survive college to how to find a college roommate.  It is easy to lose sight of money related issues.  No one has to tell you that college is expensive, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t find ways to make college a little less painful on the pocketbook.  This topic is more important than many people might believe.  Every cent you spend at college really adds up.  Let’s face it; the price of college textbooks alone can be nothing less than extremely comical!

In this article, we will look at some of the ways you can keep your college book fees as low as possible.  It should be stated that no matter how hard you try, there will be times that you will have no choice but to give in and buy your textbooks from your college bookstore.  However, most of the time, you will be able to find an alternative path and save money in the process!

Consider downloading your books from an online digital bookstore.  There are many companies that specialize in selling not just books online, but also online textbooks.  Often you can save a great deal of money in this fashion.  Additionally, e-readers have become increasingly inexpensive and lightweight, and that means you might not even have to use your laptop.  Many people find that e-readers can also be a little easier on the eyes as well.

Used bookstores are your friend!  Go off campus and look online for used books, as paying full price your textbooks increasingly makes less and less sense.  Sure someone has to pay full price, but that doesn’t mean it has to be you (or at least not all the time).

Of course, finding your books either online or at a used book store will take a little planning, and that means not waiting until the last second.  While you might have to put in more effort by working to find your textbooks in this fashion, the upside is that you can not only save hundreds of dollars, but literally thousands over the course of a four-year degree!

Other supplies can be found cheaper online and in other stores too.  Simple, but very necessary supplies such as pens, markers, notebooks and a range of specialty supplies are marked up in a dramatic fashion in the college bookstores.  Again, these small saving steps can really add up.

You likely spent a good deal of your time researching financial aid and grants, private loans for college and even college saving programs.  But that doesn’t mean that the “financial side” of college is over and done with in the least.  You owe it to yourself to reduce your amount of student debt if possible.  Remember that there are people only slightly older than you are now suffering tremendously with student loan burdens that they can’t repay.  Many of these students were very bright and even received what was deemed the “right” degree at the time.  Stay sharp and think through all of your college related decisions, financial and otherwise.

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The Importance of Great Organizing

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

As you look to make the transition from high-school to college, you are probably feeling as though there is a never ending and maybe even growing “checklist” of things you need to worry about or check off your list.  Don’t worry if you feel this way, as it is very normal and quite common.

When it comes to getting into one of your top college picks, you might not think much about your level of organization, but it is actually of paramount importance in the process.  The more organized you are, the greater your chances of getting into one of your top college picks.  The odds are higher for ultimate success in college as well.

If you haven’t been “much for organizing” in the past, now is definitely the time to change that.  Studying for the SAT, meeting deadlines, writing essays, taking practice tests, evaluating your different college options, investigating financial aid for college tuition and direct federal student loans takes a lot of time, and that means a lot of organization is essential.

One of the single largest steps towards great organization is being willing to prioritize what is important and what is not important.  Tackle this step first, and getting organized will become a great deal easier.

Sacrificing things that you enjoy doing in order to do something that you don’t like or find unpleasant is easier said than done.  One trick is to start small with small sacrifices of things that you enjoy.  Instead use that “recovered time” for something that relates to getting into the school of your dreams, or at least one of the schools that you like the idea of attending!

You could tackle this issue on a week by week basis.  Here is an example of how you could structure your college prep organizing.  You don’t have to use this exact model, but instead you can adapt this strategy for whatever works for you!

Week One-Spend more time studying for SAT

Week Two-Research colleges

Week Three-Get College applications

Week Four-Research financial aid related issues

Week Five-Make list of relevant deadlines

Week Six-Think about ways you can become more efficient and effective in how you use your time and make a list!

Each week look for ways that you can set time aside so that you can apply that time towards getting into college.  As a result, you will become far more organized and also far calmer!  Being organized has a benefit that few consider; being organized means less panic and that means better decision-making.

Many students “end up” at universities and colleges that were nowhere near their top picks for no other reason that a failure to get organized in advance.  They had all the tools, the necessary grades, good letters of recommendation and maybe even good SAT scores, but they lacked proper preparation.

Think of getting into college like you would think about starting a business.  You wouldn’t just try to open a business without preparing in some fashion, would you?  You instinctively understand and know that a business, at least one with any chance of success, needs work and planning.  If you invest your time in this fashion, you will be surprised by what you can accomplish.

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Posted in Choosing a College, Choosing a Major, College Admissions, College Life, College Search, Paying for College | No Comments »

Should You Stay on Campus or Rent an Apartment?

Saturday, January 28th, 2012

You’ve probably given at least a little time to thinking about how to survive college, and if you haven’t, you should start doing so.  One of the major decisions that you will need to make regarding college is whether or not you will stay in on campus or rent an apartment nearby.  A lot goes into this decision.  In this article, we will look at some of the pros and cons of each path.

Staying on campus means that you get the full college dorm life experience with all of its ups and downs and pros and cons.   There are many good aspects regarding opting for dorm life, as you will be able to meet a lot of new friends, pseudo-friends, future enemies and acquaintances more readily than you would living in an apartment off campus.  No doubt, adjusting to living in a new city or state can be a little bit easier if you are constantly surrounded by people that you might have something in common with, or at least in theory.

Yet, college dorm life can have a lot of downsides.  One major downside is that it can be difficult to focus on your studies.  Now if you are going to college to mostly appease your parents, and have opted for what you feel will be a pretty “easy” major, then college dorm life could very well be the way to go.  This is even truer if you are mostly concerned with having a good time and partying.  However, if you are considering a difficult major or want plenty of time to study, then you will want to reconsider living in a dorm.

Students who want to be able to study in peace may not find that living in a dorm is the best place to do this.  No matter how studious you may, be there is no way to ensure that your dorm mates or floor mates will share your perspective on the value of peace and quite.  The fact that people will surround you who have different majors and different course loads, means that they will have different study habits too.  No matter what your perspective, this is a good point to keep in mind as it could influence your success level in college.

Renting an apartment gives your more control over your environment, and you may also enjoy more creature comforts.  On the downside, you won’t enjoy the instant access to the campus and instant access to classmates.

Opting for an apartment doesn’t necessarily mean the end of your social life.  In fact, depending on your personality, having an apartment of your own may actually help your social life.  After all, college students love trashing other people’s places during parties!

If you do choose an apartment, you may have to find a college roommate and that can be a tricky proposition (but so is potentially getting “stuck” with a dorm roommate that you hate!)  The bottom line is that there are pros and cons to both of these options.  Ultimately, you need to think long and hard about what kind of person you are, how easily you make friends and what you want out of the college experience.

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Two Books With Great Titles About Transitioning From High School to College

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

If you’ve ever been tempted to ask tell someone “Find a college for me, so I don’t have to think about it!” you are not alone.  Millions of high-school student apply to college every year, and the process can be bewildering.  Whether its worrying about finding the best SAT practice test online, how to find scholarships or just how to survive college, transitioning from high-school to college can at times be daunting.  Yet, with a little bit of research, you can take some of the sting out of this process.  Let’s take a look at a couple of books that can help make the process of going from high-school to college a bit easier.

Crazy U: One Dad’s Crash Course in Getting His Kid Into College by Andrew Ferguson

Crazy U was a very clever title.  This title immediately makes you think that this book is going to be all about the crazy fun that people have while at college.  Well, that isn’t exactly what this book is all about.  On the contrary, Crazy U is all about a dad working to get his kid into college.  Here is why this is a good book and a worthwhile investment; author Andrew Ferguson does a good job of reminding parents how intense, stressful and, to be blunt, ridiculous the entire transition from high school to college actually is in the modern academic system.  Having a book that takes you by the hand and helps you through this highly irritating and frustrating process is worth the asking price and the time invested in reading it.

Don’t Stalk the Admissions Officer: How to Survive the College Admissions Process Without Losing Your Mind by Risa Lewak

Don’t Stalk the Admissions Officer: How to Survive the College Admissions Process Without Losing Your Mind by Risa Lewak is a good book and it also has a very amusing title.  However, this offering it doesn’t measure up in terms of information or value to Crazy U by Andrew Ferguson.  Both are good books, but Crazy U is better.  Now with that stated, that doesn’t mean that you couldn’t benefit from reading both.

Don’t Stalk the Admissions Officer does a very good job of attempting to dissect the college admissions process.  It should also be stated that this book is more geared towards than Crazy U as well.  Lewak understands the process of getting into college as she was involved in the process “from the other side.”  As a result, she has a wealth of insight and tips in the process.

Overall, there are an abundance of insightful tips and you will definitely feel as though you have a better handle on what to do and expect where applying for college is concerned.  Parents and students looking to understand the process better will like that this book is easy to read, clearly laid out and gives many straightforward answer instead of stating repeatedly, “it depend,” which is so common in books in this genre.

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