My College Guide fell in love with this video after it was released – but with one thing and another, somehow, we neglected to bring it to your attention! We love this insider’s view of Macalester College or, rather Macalester College President Brian Rosenberg’s view (yes, he did compare himself to Batman)! Now, if that doesn’t make you want to check it out…we just don’t know you at all!
We justhad to dig it up and bring it to your attention (just in case you missed it). As My College Guide has pointed out again, and again, and again – college is not just studying and seriousness. Sure, learning is important and you will need to work hard – but it’s not all work, work, work. As you can see in this video (and all over our blog) the people inside a college bring along personality, humor, and a zest for life. Watch President’s Day at Macalester College on YouTube (or below) for more proof!
For some of you, college will be the first time you will ever be away from home for any length of time – it might even be your first time out of state (or even abroad)! The University of Arizona developed the Faculty Fellows program back in 1984 in order to help students just like you make the transition to college a little less jarring.
Courtesy of University of Arizona
Of course, there are plenty of resources that can help you adjust to college (like our website, this blog, and annual magazine for starters) but we haven’t heard about such a comprehensive college program…until now! My College Guide thought you might like to know about this one – so we spoke with Lynette Cook Francis, the Assistant VP for Student Affairs, at the University of Arizona to learn more.
Why a Faculty Fellows Program? What is it? The Faculty Fellows program lowers the barriers between students and faculty by placing faculty in environments on students’ home turf: residence halls, athletics, cultural centers and Greek houses.
Faculty hold regular hours in these facilities, getting to know the students, mentoring, participating in events and hosting their own events. There are about 35 fellows in over 30locations.
What role do these faculty members play in helping a new student smoothly make the transition to college? Fellows often help make the transition from having a parent around all the time to having a caring adult who will listen and with whom they can check in with when they need to. The goal of the program includes helping students to make a smooth transition from high school to university, more effective decision making, an ever-deepening love of learning and, ultimately, graduation from the University.
Courtesy of University of Arizona
Do faculty fellows and their students take part in any activities or events? A key part of being a fellow is to bring a unique interest to the students, Fellows are famous for engaging in allkinds of activities. Some include cooking for their residence hall every month, engaging students in a semester-long mural project; working with students on sustainability projects; taking students to performances; and tutoring and doing study skills workshops or practice job interviewing.
There you have it! The University of Arizona’sFaculty Fellows program looks like a great way to incoming students successfully make the transition to college and so much more! And what college student can resist the offer of a home-cooked dinner?
You’ve probably heard about college pranks – and this one happens to be one of the best My College Guide has ever seen (we’ve been doing this for twenty years, so you know it’s a good one)!
baslow / Barry Solow
Sometime, in the dark of night, creative students at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota managed to drape and tape enough material onto the college’s Goodsell Observatory, to completely cover the front of the massive dome. Why? Well, only to create a giant-sized R2D2!
But it didn’t stop there – the Star-Wars loving pranksters went a step further – they added sound effects! Yes, for a very limited time, Goodsell Observatory, which houses various telescopes and other star-related stuff, bleeped and blooped – just like the “real” thing!
No one at home to take care of Fluffy when you head off to college? Does the thought of leaving behind Fido make you cringe? Some colleges understand that Spot and Princess are a part of your family – and they are welcoming your family pet with open arms. Who knew that the college search could also involve your cat and dog?
So they won’t play catch or cuddle, but many (or should we say most?) colleges and universities do let you have fish! At the University of Notre Dame students can keep fish in up to 30 gallon tanks – as long as they leave their Piranha behind. University of Georgia and Northern Arizona University are fish lovers too allowing residents a maximum 20 gallon aquarium.
Your gerbil or turtle can keep you company as you cram during finals week at Harvey Mudd College, with roommate and suitemate approval that is! Amphibian friendly Humboldt State University is okay with incoming students bringing in aquarium pets like lizards, snakes, or turtles – just keepthe tank under 10 gallons and you are in the clear! Principia College and Vassar College also allow caged animals, and Wellesley College has ten halls that allow pets like birds, fish, and rodents — though in some cases (depending on the floor) it may be put to a vote.
Bring in the bunnies at Case Western Reserve University – they approve small, caged animals, like guinea pigs and hamsters. Sororities and fraternities at Case Western Reserve University can even apply for a house “mascot, “ too. The Greek system at Lehigh University permits one registered cat or dog per Greek House!
But what about dogs and cats?
The fact is you don’t really need to narrow your selections to just the schools that advertise that they are pet-friendly. Many schools do accommodate pets, but you need to know what to ask and how to get the permission you need to bring YOUR pet to your school (even cats and dogs). We have put together a detailed guide on Pet-Friendly Colleges, which not only includes a comprehensive list of schools that provide accommodations, but also lots of tips and tricks to get the authorization you need to bring your pet to your school. Also, this guide provides the insight you need to not LOSE the privilege of bringing your pet to college, especially when roommates and neighbors may not be as happy about your pet as you are.
Learn:
About All The Schools That Allow Pets (even the ones who don’t advertise it)
What You Need To Know To Get Your School To Say Yes
What Mistakes To Avoid When Bringing Your Pet (the ones you wouldn’t think were mistakes!!)
After My College Guide saw the Students Helping Students YouTube video, we interviewed Anna Zeiger and Reed Pankratz, two co-chairs of the K-State Proud campaign in the hopes that it will serve to inspire and motivate you – and give you an idea of what you can accomplish if you have the passion and drive. This KSU student group has even been recognized on the floor of Congress by Representative Jerry Moran.
So — how and when did K-State Proud begin? Anna Zeiger: It began 4 years ago with a small group of K-State students. They came back from a national leadership conference with a lot of ideas and enthusiasm to start an all-student campaign on campus. Since then, students have donated over $345,000 (through K-State Proud) to give back to their fellow students.
How do students get involved in K-State Proud? Anna Zeiger:Anyone can donate to the campaign and they don’t just have to be K-State students; we receive significant support from family, friends, alumni, and fans. Students who want to volunteer to help work the booth in the Union during campaign week, etc. should just be on the lookout at the end of the fall/beginning of the spring semester.
As a member and co-chair of the group, what has been your most memorable moment? Anna Zeiger: What stood out to me the most this year was the people. We had an amazing team of leaders working on the campaign, and the sense of camaraderie that we had coming together not only as a group, but as an entire student body, was phenomenal.
Anything else we need to know? Reed Pankratz: The K-State PROUD campaign is more than a t-shirt and more than just raising money. It is a campaign that changes the lives of people who receive awards and also those who work with the campaign. This campaign is something truly special to our campus and reflects the type of student body we have at K-State.
Those college cafeteria horror stories must be true, just take a look at what’s on the menu at Purdue University: teriyaki meal worms, caterpillar crunch, and, for those with a sweet tooth — chocolate covered crickets on a stick and chocolate chirpy cookies. We’re only kidding – it’s all part of the fun at the Bug Bowl, a part of Purdue University’s annual Spring Fest.
“A radio guy came into my office to get the latest corn rootworm insecticide recommendations (I am a corn entomologist) and spied the marked cockroaches and asked what was going on. He went back to the radio station and announced that they were having cockroach races at Purdue tonight and invited the listeners to drop in. So to our surprise some 150 community members showed up.”
A year later it turned into a community friendly event with an “official” racetrack, the RoachHill Downs, and names for the racing cockroaches like “Fluttering Antennae” and “Seattle Sewer.” Insect displays, honey tasting, the caterpillar canter (a six legged race – how fun is that!), and insects as food demonstrations rounded out the event – and lured in 1300 people.
The Purdue Bug Bowl joined with the Department of Horticulture’s Hort Show and has since incorporated many other college departments, merging into what is now known as Spring Fest! Today, the Bug Bowl draws in 30,000 people – and has a host of activities: cricket spitting, robotic beetle battles, an insect petting zoo (haven’t you always wanted to hold an anthropod?), The Insect Follies, and street puppets.
Randy Cox
If insects are your “thing,” The Bug Bowl at Spring Fest sounds like a good time – and a great way — to check out Purdue University’s Entomology program, one of the few colleges that even offeran Entomology degree — and possibly grab something squirmingyummy to snack on.
College isn’t all fun and games…except when it is! The arrival of Spring on many college campuses isn’t just about the dreaded final exam and Spring Break – it also means Zombies! Yes, we mean zombies: brain eating, fast moving, zombies – and Nerf gun carrying, bandana-wearing human counterparts.
Urban Gaming Club
Humans versus Zombies or Zombies versus Humans, has one simple goal – outlast your opponent! Zombies have a specified pre-determined life span – it could be an hour, 48 hours, or an entire week, depending on your college. They can be as simple – infect as many human players as possible – or as complex, (plots, missions, scavenger hunts) as game organizers decide!
Zombies turn humans into zombies by tagging them – humans, however, can defend themselves: marshmallow guns, balled up socks, or Nerf guns, which stun a zombie for an agreed upon length of time (usually 15 minutes) before it’s back to the chase! If Zombies don’t tag a player within the agreed upon time…they die (again). Whichever side ends up with the most players…wins!
When all else fails – keep tabs on the bulletin board at your college for upcoming events. There might be a gaming or social club at your college of choice that is responsible for organizing large scale events – so be on the lookout and find out how you can get involved. Spring or Fall – colleges are playing and, thanks to social media, you might be able to find out easier than ever.
Have you played Zombies versus Humans? Do you know of other colleges or universities who play or are getting ready to begin a new game? Do you have any tips for new players? Share them in the comments section below!
Think of college life and you probably think of long philosophical talks in the common area or study groups at the local coffee shop. Think of college fashion and you might think of t-shirts and sweatpants or khakis and flipped up collars. But sometimes – the talks are less than academic and the fashion might start a funny debate – which sometimes turns into a blog, like UIUC No Pants — and you know we love those college blogs!
Photo Courtesy of UIUC No Pants
While not endorsed by the University of Illinois, the UIUC No Pants blog pokes fun at the wearers of “no pants” – otherwise known as tights or leggings. Oh, and yes – the Daily Illini, the student newspaper of the University of Illinois, took a different stance with, “Ladies, wear your no pants with pride!” We had to ask the anonymous creator a few questions!
So — what do you have against leggings and tights? There’s nothing wrong with leggings or tights in and of themselves — it’s how people choose to wear them that bothers us over here at UIUC No Pants. As one reader of the blog pointed out early on, almost everyone in our photos is wearing Ugg boots and a North Face jacket. Everyone wearing the exact same outfit — boring!
Is this written by a group of students? How do you obtain photos, etc? The blog itself is authored and published by me, an anonymous UIUC student — plus constant input from a couple of close friends. When I put up the first post, I IMed a few people about it…and suddenly a group of people were talking about us on Twitter and we had over 1000 visits to the site. The amount of response to this site has really been shocking. It’s a great feeling, like the people have spoken, and they, too, are against nopants!
Photo Courtesy of UIUC No Pants
What would your fashion advice be to an incoming college freshman? College is this weird situation in which you’re surrounded by thousands of people your own age, who are inherently very interested in what everyone else is doing, or wearing, as the case may be.
Depending on the size of your school, you can remain pretty anonymous while experimenting with a crazy outfit for one day, so give it a shot. (The worst thing that might happen is that you’ll be featured on a blog!) Oh right, and don’t wear tights as pants.
Admit it: have you ever worn a pair of leggings/tights out in public?
Proud to say I haven’t! I probably own over a dozen pairs of leggings/tights, which might surprise a lot of people. However, I always wear a skirt, dress, or long tunic over it. Some people have told me now that I’ve made the blog, it’s my duty to try out the nopants fashion for a day, to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes (or tights). Hmm, we’ll see about that…
University of North Carolina Wilmington – Community oriented. A student body of 12,000 students, bachelor’s degree-seeking UNCW Seahawks can choose among 52 majors. When not hitting the books, join other UNCW community oriented students, all 4,700 of them who volunteered over 51,000 hours of service! Save some room for the 200+ student groups and events!
Texas State University – Everything’s bigger in Texas. At least, that’s true for the large TSU student body: over 30,000 students call the 457 acre San Marcos campus “home.” There aren’t only a lot of students – there are also a lot of undergraduate degrees to choose from: 101 of them, in fact! Great news for those undecided major types!
Oregon State University – Clean energy using treadmills? OSU students are all about “going green” – check out the Powered by Orange video series. We’re talking renewable energy, local food, and innovation. The 400 acre Oregon State University is one of only two universities in the country to hold land, sea, space, and sun grant titles (which means lots of research funding dollars flow in).
University of Central Florida – Everyday is a vacation! Okay, maybe not but with 1,400 acres making up UCF’s main campus in sunny Orlando, Florida, it might feel like it is. Check out the 225 degree programs and more than 350 student clubs and organizations — the $4.4 million of academic scholarships for new students is just a fun little bonus.
When you head off to college, it’s the place you’re going to be spending the next four years of your life living, studying and making new friends. With thousands of colleges to choose from, you may be finding it hard to pick the one that is right for you. So when it comes down to making a final decision, it’s really about where you’ll feel the most comfortable. Use these five ways to help you pick the college that best fits your personal needs and wants.
Class size
Everyone has a different learning style and while some thrive no matter how many people are in their classes, others need smaller classes in order to receive the right about of attention to foster learning. It’s not only about the size of individual classes either. It may be more about the size of the college in general. If you feel the need to be a part of tight-knit community with smaller classes then you may want to consider smaller private schools. If big city living is more your style and class size isn’t an issue for you, then bigger colleges and universities may be right up your alley.
Location, Location, Location
It’s important to remember that the college you choose is located in a city, town or geographic area of the country. The community that surrounds the college is just as important as the campus itself because you will have to live and interact beyond the confines of the campus. How close a college is to your hometown or where you have family, the weather and the geographic area of the country where the college is located are all factors that play in the decision making process.
Academic Programs
While most colleges and universities offer similar academic programs you should make sure that the colleges you are considering offer the area of study you’re interested in. There are schools that are rated higher than others for certain areas of study so this is something else you’ll want to consider when reviewing academic programs. For example, if you want to study international business, then you’ll want to consider the colleges that have the most graduates in the U.S. from the college of business.
Campus Life
College life isn’t all about the academic programs offered and how many graduate from its classrooms each year. College is also about the extracurricular activities, social events and clubs that make up the social side of college life. If you’re a competitive swimmer, you may want to consider colleges that have swim teams that you can try out for. If you’re a movie buff then it may be important to you that there is an on-campus theater.
Comfort and Safety Level
Before making a final decision on which college you’ll attend, you’ll need to visit each campus. You can take a guided tour with a peer advocate or walk the campus on your own with your parents. Pay close attention to how you feel during your visit. Do you feel comfortable and safe like you fit right in? Can you see yourself living in the community, going to classes and participating in the college life that surrounds you? Your comfort level with the college will play a key role in the decision you make.
Every college has pros and cons associated with attending it. When you’re comparing colleges, be sure to use these ways to help you create a list of your own pros and cons for each institution. The school that has all or most of the characteristics that are important is probably the one you’ll end up attending. In the end, when you find the school that is right for you, you’ll know it.
