Posts Tagged ‘dorm life’

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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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5 Ways to Go Green When Packing for College

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

Getting ready to go off to college is one of the most exciting rites of passage in a young person’s life. College is the beginning of your independence, when choices and actions become sole responsibility of you. To start off your college career and life of independence on a green note, consider these tips for going green when packing for college.

Chemical-Free Cleaning Supplies
Of course you will want to keep your dorm room or apartment clean. Cleaning supplies can be very expensive, and they contain chemicals that are harmful to the environment and harmful to your health. Allergies, asthma and other respiratory conditions can be made worse by the chemicals in cleaning solutions. To avoid polluting water sources and keep your surroundings sparkling clean at the same time, consider homemade cleaning supplies, which are much cheaper than and just as effective as the expensive, ready-made kind. Instead of a variety of cleaning supplies, pack a gallon of vinegar and a box of baking soda and a couple of empty spray bottles and use these recipes for making your own cleaning solutions.

All-Purpose Cleaner
Mix 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup baking soda with 1/2 gallon of water in a spray bottle and store. Don’t worry that the vinegar will make your dwelling smell: once it dries, it’s odor-free. This cleaner is perfect for bathroom and kitchen fixtures, countertops, dining tables and virtually any other surface on which you would use a pre-made chemical cleanser.

Carpet Stain Remover
Mix equal parts vinegar and water and spray it on the spot. Allow it to sit for 5 or 10 minutes, and then scrub with a sponge or brush using warm, soapy water.

Wall Cleaner
Apply baking soda straight to a mark on the wall using a sponge. Scrub and rinse.

Deodorizer
To keep the air in your room smelling fresh and clean, mix 2 tablespoons of lemon juice with 4 tablespoons of baking soda and place in a small decorative dish on a table to absorb odors.

Dishwasher Soap
Dishwasher soaps contain phosphates, which encourage algae growth in fresh water sources and choke out the wildlife. An effective replacement for dishwasher powder is to mix equal parts of borax and baking soda. Use it as you would use any commercial product.

Warm Bedding & Clothes
To keep your heating bill in check over the winter and save energy, be sure to pack some warm lounging clothes to wear while you’re hanging out at home. A comfortable hat will keep body heat from escaping through your head, and a pair of wool socks under warm slippers will keep your feet toasty. Consider a set of high-quality thermal underwear to put on under your sweats for extra warmth, and then keep the thermostat at 68 degrees. A down comforter will keep you extra warm at night, allowing you to turn the thermostat down to 62 while you sleep. These strategies can save you 40 percent in heating costs, and a lot of natural gas to boot.

Rugs & Window Treatments
Rather than purchasing rugs and window treatments derived from oil-based materials, consider sisal, wool or cotton for your rugs, cotton for your curtains and wood for your blinds. Rugs will help keep your space warm in the winter. Open your curtains or blinds during the day to allow the sun to heat your space, then close them at night to keep the warmth in.

Take Your Bike!
Even if you have a car, be sure to take your bike to college. Campuses are generally bike-friendly, and urban college neighborhoods are usually packed with stores, shops and services that you can often more easily bike to than drive to. You’ll not only save on gas, but you’ll also combat the classic Freshman 15, a common weight gain that is widely seen during the first year of college.

Power Saver Electrical Cords
Many electronics, such as your coffee pot, computer peripherals and game consoles, continue to use electricity after you turn them off. Take a power saver cord with you and plug in your computer peripherals, such as your printer, modem, scanner and monitor into one power strip and turn it off when you’re not using your computer. Not only will you save energy, you’ll also extend the lives of your accessories.

Author Bio:  George Dennis is president of King Shade and Window, a home improvement company that carries a range of custom roller shades.

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Don’t Overlook These 4 College Issues

Thursday, January 12th, 2012

You probably realize that a multitude of factors go into having a successful college experience.  College and college life is complex, and you will want to prepare for that complexity to the best of your ability.  This article will take a look at some of the overlooked factors relating to college.  Thinking about these factors well in advance can make a positive difference in the quality of your overall experience.

Issue #1 Surviving Dorm Life

You might feel that your worries just go on and on.  After all, you have to find the right college, pick the right major, figure out what to take to college, find a college by major, etc.  Surviving dorm life is a mixed up soup of all of these concerns and many more.

Many of the variables regarding college life are, to an extent, out of your control.  For example, picking your roommate and deciding what your floor mates will be like is usually out of your hands.  This situation is one that is largely out of your control, as you are being given new friends (and potentially enemies) who are not even your choice.

Yet, learning to deal with all kinds of people, many of which you may never have dealt with before, is a major life experience.  One good way to survive dorm life with your mind and spirit intact is to embrace this as a learning experience, and make yourself scarce when everything becomes too stressful.

Issue #2 Pet Friendly Colleges

Another overlooked factor is that of pet-friendly colleges.  If you are very attached to your pet, then you want to know that you can bring your little ball of furry happiness along for the ride.  This overlooked factor involves a little research and asking the right questions.  Just don’t wait until the last moment to find out policies at pet friendly colleges.

Issue #3 Should You Study Abroad?

Why study abroad?  This question is often asked too late in a college student’s careers.  The end result is that studying abroad turns out to simply not be on the table.  Financial and academic issues can sometimes interfere.   However, studying abroad can potentially be rather beneficial, as it affords considerable life experience and is a great way to improve your resume.  Is it worth considering?  You bet, just try and find an option for studying abroad that works for you.

Issue #4 What to Take to College?

Imagine showing up for college only to realize that you’ve left some very critical items off your list and out of your suitcase.  Feeling unprepared on this level never feels good.  However, the odds are that you will be able to replace what you forgot, with one notable exception.  If you have items of sentimental value or personal items that are not easily replaced, for example, a dental retainer, you might have a problem.  So think ahead about what items are essential and difficult to replace, and you will avoid some serious panic.

All of the points that we have discussed in this article have a common thread.  Pre-planning and organization stand as keys to making the transition from living at home during high school to living at college an easy and relatively painless one.

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Learn How to Survive College, It Can Be Done!

Tuesday, January 10th, 2012

Are you worried about surviving college?  You shouldn’t lose sleep feeling that you are somehow unusual for feeling this way.  Most people are worried about making the transition to college, especially if they are going away to school.  No matter what your relationship is with your family or what you think your relationship may be, the fact is that you know what to expect from your home life.  College, on the other hand, marks the transition into the unknown.

You can learn how to survive college, and the first step in the process is to realize that your college life experience will be different from high school.  This is true whether you go away to school or continue to live at home.

Your first survival tip is to realize that you are on your own. This means that no one will force you to study.  Many colleges and universities, particularly state schools, have high flunk out rates.  Now you can’t exactly learn how to survive college if you flunk out, can you?

Getting good grades is, of course, all about studying, but it is also about realizing that as a freshman in college you have to show that you have the discipline to get your work done on your own.  In short, one of the single biggest hurdles for learning how to survive college is to realize that you have to study and that it is up to you to make sure that it happens.

Surviving College Dorm Life

College dorm life can be complicated as well.  You should be open and ready to make new friends.  Yet, you have to realize that there is nothing magical about your college dorm life.  Regardless of what you’ve seen in the media, college dorm life is just like the real world.  There are good people, bad people, indifferent people and everything in between.  This means that the same logic and caution that you’ve used in the real world to date still applies in college.

You shouldn’t show up to college and think, “Wow, I am in college now I can trust everyone.”  That is a recipe for disaster.  You might get lucky, but you will be tempting fate.  A big part of learning how to survive college is keeping your brain turned on and making good decisions.  It is possible to still have a great time!

Financial Aid for College Tuition

Worrying about grades may seem like a full-time job, but you may also have no choice but to worry about other things.  One of the factors that you shouldn’t lose sight of is financial aid for college tuition.  If you can’t pay for college, then you certainly won’t be “surviving” college, as you won’t be there.  This means that you will have to keep an eye on tuition related issues.  College tuition is going up, and it is going up very rapidly.  A good part of surviving college is finding a way to keep your student loans under control so that you are not repaying these loans when you are 75 years old.

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Making the Mental Transition from High School to College

Thursday, December 8th, 2011

High school and college are not the same thing.  Whether you continue to live at home during college or move to another state (or even another country!), college is still different in a wide range of ways.  You’ve probably put a lot of work into getting ready for the SAT; perhaps you have taken test prep tutoring or maybe even pre college summer programs.  Taking these steps is definitely smart especially if you are looking for financial aid and grants.  Yet, it is also very important that you realize and make plans for the fact that high school and college are radically different.  Having the proper mental outlook will serve to make your transition from high school to college a smoother one.

Living On Your Own

Regardless of whether or not you are living at home or go away for college, in a very real sense, you will be on your own.  In high school, you may have had a degree of assistance in how you were performing.  Your teachers, parents and guidance counselors were all keeping an eye on whether or not you were “on track” or were having problems.  College comes with a newfound level of freedom, but that also means a degree of responsibility.  College professors don’t care if you pass their class or not.  In high school, you may have had teachers that wanted to pass you and wanted to see that you had good grades.  But don’t expect this to happen in college!  In college, you are expected to be an adult and look after yourself.

Another aspect of this new freedom is that you may not have the adult or parental supervision that you once enjoyed.  This can lead to all sorts of decisions that you might not otherwise have made in the past.  Understanding that you are entering a new phase of your life and mentally taking steps to keep your “wits” about you is something you need to do in advance.

You Will Likely Be Studying More

Every college experience is different, but one common discovery among college freshmen is that there is more work involved.  The odds are excellent that you will be studying more hours in order to get good grades.  You may have found that you were able to get through high school with a modest level of work, but in college this may not be the case.  This means that you might not have as much free time as you once enjoyed.  However, over time, you will learn new time management skills, which will help take some of the stress out of your college workload.

Being mentally prepared for a new situation can be difficult, but working to prepare yourself ahead of time can serve to reduce the stress level.  Every new situation comes with a degree of stress, fear and confusion, but taking the time to simply acknowledge and realize that college will be different from high school is one of the best steps you can take to ensure a smoother transition.

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What is a Resident Assistant?

Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

When it comes to college housing, and all the joys and concerns that go with it, the Resident Assistant is someone you want to get to know! For learning how to get around on campus or info on academic policy at your school, your RA is always in the know.

What is a resident assistant?

What is a resident assistant?

What is a Resident Assistant?

In your dorm room or residence hall, you will have a Resident Assistant, or RA, who lives in the dorm or residence hall just like you. Unlike you, He or she will live there for the majority of the year (including weekends). Your RA is there to enforce the rules, mediate disagreements, and provide general support for students!

Your RA will also try to create a sense of community and ensure that everyone obeys the college or university’s rules (including what to take to college, so don’t try to sneak in Fluffy or Fido unless your school is a pet-friendly college). Here are three great reasons why the resident assistant is an important part of the dorm housing experience.

You Know You Could Use Somebody

Neutral Party – It happened. You neglected to heed any of My College Guide’s tips for how to get along with your college roommate and now: Things aren’t going so well. When you need a neutral party to help you sort things out, the Residential Advisor is just the person to talk to!

New Kid on the Block – Your resident adviser is someone who knows the ropes. If you need help with anything, like getting from Point A to Point B, figuring out a homework assignment, or you just need to know about on-campus resources, the resident assistant is just the person you need! Your RA can help you learn the lay of campus or help you deal with a troublesome professor. The resident assistant has the answers to your college questions!

Relationships 101 – Sometimes, your resident assistant is like the big brother or sister you have always wanted (or left behind 4 states away). When you have relationship squabbles or a big break-up, your resident assistant is someone that you can talk to about anything—and receive helpful, friendly support.

Code of Conduct

The job of a resident assistant varies from college to college but for the most part, the above remains true. Your residential adviser is your easy connection to college life. She or he can help you make the transition to college–and will also help see you off when you leave for the summer!

Image Courtesy of Flickr, Thomas Huston / Thomas Huston.

Who We Are: Information you can trust. For 20 years My College Guide has produced an annual magazine chock full of free college info for high-achieving high school sophomores. Check out our participating colleges. Subscribe to our blog via RSS or email and stay on top of everything college!

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Creating Community: Living and Learning at the University of Texas Dallas

Thursday, December 9th, 2010

On-campus housing is no longer synonymous with no terms like “cramped” or “crowded,” the new residence halls and, more specifically, learning and living communities, offer college freshmen a totally unique college experience (and a chance to fill a resume)! My College Guide talked  to Cynthia Jenkins, the assistant vice president for human affairs, at the University of Texas Dallas, about their fantastic college housing.

Viva Volunteerism at Jubilee Park in Dallas - Energy Audit

Courtesy of the University of Texas Dallas

So, at the University of Texas Dallas, all students live in the residence halls, but a select group of Freshmen have the option of also participating in a living and learning community?
This has been the model to this point. Beginning Fall 2011, all Freshmen who live on campus will be part of a living learning community. The freshman housing application has students select their top 3 choices for the communities they would like to join.

What is the living and learning community like at the University of Texas Dallas?
Living learning communities (LLC) at UT Dallas enable students with similar academic majors or personal interests to share the same living space (they occupy suites that are adjacent on the same floor of the residence hall),  and they provide them with numerous opportunities to connect based on the community theme, such as:

They enroll in the same First Year Experience course in the Fall semester, taught by an LLC faculty or staff partner (for example, students with a major in the School of Management share the class and are taught by an Assistant Dean in the school.)  Some communities have special courses created for them for the Spring semester.

Residential Life programming developed by the students’ Peer Advisors (our equivalent of Resident Assistants) often focuses on the theme of the community: upperclassman- led study sessions, pizza party for planning out course schedules before registration & discussing course content/format/professors in their areas of study, faculty members invited to speak on their research, etc.

Living Learning Community staff develop programs that further the learning experiences outside the classroom: movie nights showing documentaries reflecting the community theme followed by a panel discussion, faculty dinners where faculty dine with student in the campus Dining Hall, field trips to local industries (the Art & Technology community visited the Janimation Studios in Dallas), guest speakers (such as a panel of medical students from UT Southwestern who spoke to members of the Pre-Health LLC.)

SPARC-Ceremony-03-24-2010-1122

Courtesy of the University of Texas Dallas

What communities are available to Freshmen?
For Fall 2011 we will offer the following communities:

Academic: Engineering and Computer Science, Art & Technology, School of Management, Pre-Health
Special Interest Theme – Music, Global Awareness, Wellness, Sustainability, Pathways to the Future

So, the residence halls are a little different from the 8 x 8 boxes for a room, aren’t they?
Our residence hall consists of 3-room suites. There is a common living area, common sink area with 3 sinks and storage space for each student, single shower and toilet, and 3 individual lockable rooms.

What activities are living and learning students involved in outside of the classroom?
Some are listed above. Others include: special projects for Engineering students (creating a ‘machine’ of some sort, displaying in the lobby of the residence hall and judged), Art & Technology students produced a video on living in the ATEC LLC and worked with faculty and grad students to learn techniques, Management students had a residence hall room cooking contest which was  judged by the Dean of the School of Management, Music students went back stage with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.  Students in the communities also engage in service projects and in Spring 2010 there was an Alternative Spring Break trip to Heifer International Headquarters for just LLC students. There are lots of study sessions and socializing with community members and their Peer Advisors as well.

Why should a student consider a living and learning community?
Living learning communities enable students to connect with peers who share their interests and meet faculty who can help them develop their college path. The special opportunities afforded students in living learning communities can enhance their experience of the university and put them on the fast track to getting involved in meaningful ways. Events and programming are designed specifically to engage students relative to their community interest, offering both academic, career-focused, and social events that are more meaningful.

Viva Volunteerism at Jubilee Park in Dallas - Energy Audit

Courtesy of the University of Texas Dallas

What makes a living and learning community a good choice for some students?
Students can gain from being in an LLC in different ways, which makes the experience beneficial to all students. Those who come to the university not knowing anyone will have an instant connection with students who share their academic goals or other personal interests. Students who hope to be campus leaders and build strong college resumes for graduate /med/law school have opportunities to get to know faculty outside of the classroom setting and discover very quickly how they can make an impact. Students who want to learn how to connect their passions (for environmental issues, global causes, physical/spiritual/mental wellness) to a major and career have university faculty and staff who can help them do so.  Living learning communities enable students to engage with their academic and personal interests beyond what their individual classes offer.

If a high school student likes the thought of the living and learning communities at UT Dallas, what can they do to boost their chances for getting chosen?
Beginning in Fall 2011, all students who wish to live on campus will now have the opportunity to experience being part of a Living Learning Community.

Who We Are: Information you can trust. For 20 years My College Guide has produced an annual magazine chock full of free college info for high-achieving high school sophomores. Check out our participating colleges. If you’re a student, enter for a chance to win an Apple iPad or iPhone or cash!

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Connecticut College Camelympics or Why You Should Consider On-Campus Housing

Friday, December 3rd, 2010

There’s quite a few reasons why you might want to consider living on campus (we’ll be exploring that topic in an upcoming article) but until then, here’s one of the obvious reasons: a chance to meet new people and make new friends easily!

Take a look at the fun-packed Camelympics competition pitting dorm against dorm at Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut. The grueling, 36 hour long event includes highly competitive events like floor hockey, Wii Golf, dodgeball, Scrabble, and Quidditch (yes, you read that right) and, yes — it looks like a ton of fun! The goal here for many students wasn’t to snag first, but to keep from snagging last! Watch Camelympics Connecticut College on YouTube or below. Commuter students just don’t have it as good.

Who We Are: Information you can trust. For 20 years My College Guide has produced an annual magazine chock full of free college info for high-achieving high school sophomores. Check out our participating colleges. If you’re a student, enter for a chance to win an Apple iPad or iPhone or cash!

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How to Live With Your College Roommate: Student Thoughts From Michigan State University

Friday, October 8th, 2010

Chances are you have been stressing about living in a college dorm. You may have decided to room with your BFF from high school or maybe you have been keeping your fingers crossed that you will end up in a single dorm room, anything than have to live with a complete stranger! My College Guide wants you to know that, just as college housing is probably not what you are expecting, there are also far fewer “dorm roommate nightmares” than you’d think.

Need more convincing? This video from Michigan State University features many dorm roommates – and they have plenty to say on the subject of college housing. College housing is not going to be as bad as you keep thinking it is – and hopefully watching this video will leave you feeling a bit more confident about the college housing process as a whole. Now, if only you can figure out what to take to college (or at least narrow down your massive college packing list), you’ll be doing fine! Watch How to Live with Your Roommate by Michigan State University on YouTube or below.

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