Category Archives: College Life
Making It Yours — Achieving Balance for a Better College Experience
Organizing your time, handling your finances, socializing and study are all part of college life. Add to this the experience of living away from home for the first time and college can seem like a daunting prospect to many. College life means that you’re now pretty much independent to make your own decisions and this includes your own lifestyle choices (no more “My roof, my rules”). Ordering your priorities during your first year will go a long way towards a more beneficial college experience. Here are a few tips for how to achieve balance in college and get the most out of it.
Get as much advice as you need
Choosing the right college course for you will be one of the most important decisions you can make. Colleges are set up to offer help and advice to potential students, and this includes decisions on your course. If you’re thinking of studying and are unsure about what’s involved in that chemical engineering degree course or that BSc in Data Science then ask for help. College support services will provide as much information as you need to ensure you make an informed decision on your course as well as providing practical help and guidance throughout your college years.
Don’t just study
Everyone knows that it takes a lot of hard work to obtain those qualifications, but you’ll enjoy college a lot more if you have an active social life. Your new ‘home away from home’ is the ideal place to meet new friends — some, if not many, will be in the same boat as you — and these friendships can last a lifetime. Socializing is an important part of life at college whether that’s meeting people with similar interests or trying out something new. One thing your college will have is plenty of different social scenes — join a few clubs in your first year and wider your circle of new friends.
Manage your time
Organizing your time efficiently is a skill and learning to do this should help you to strike the right balance between socializing and study. Time management will help to ease stress by evenly distributing your work-life and extra-curricular activities. This includes making sure you eat right throughout the day, exercising when possible and getting enough sleep. Getting used to managing your time properly is all part of the learning curve and should be a priority during your first college year.
Remember that you’re not alone
College life places heavy responsibilities on young shoulders and can get stressful. Everyone needs a little help at some point. Remember that you’re not alone in this and support, whether on finances, health matters, counselling or course work, is available. College support services are there to provide you with all the help that you need and the employees do understand the problems faced by students. Familiarize yourself your student support services so that, when life throws one of those curved balls at you, as it occasionally does, you know who to turn to and get through it.
The college years are an adventure. If you make the most out of them, you’ll learn and experience a lot, not all of which has to do with your course work.
Do you have any more tips on how to achieve balance in college?
Back to School Prep 10 Tips to Help College Students Ease Back into Dorm Life
Going back to school has always had a negative stigma. No student likes for summer to end; but taking a few extra days to prepare for the new semester can result in a smooth transition back into the school routine that will make it well worth it. The sooner you start settling into the new routine for the new school year the easier it is to get acclimated and off to a great start. Follow these 10 back to school tips to make life a bit easier for you.
- Move back to your dorm or off campus apartment a few days early. The compromise of moving back to school a few days early will pay off in the coming weeks and months because it will give you a big head start. Moving in early will give you the opportunity to reduce your stress and establish a routine before classes start. This way, when classes do begin, you can concentrate on your class instead of still needing to work on getting settled in
- Make Plans for the school year. Being back on campus helps you get back into the mindset for school, but now you have time to prepare for the year ahead without having to worry about any homework, studying, or reading assignments yet. This can include researching things you want to do, clubs you want to join, and events you want to attend. Marking these down ahead of time will help you with steps 3 and 4, which are setting up your calendar and making your schedule.
- Fill out your calendar for each semester and the school year. Take the time to fill out your calendar so that you can have all of your tests, events, days off, and anything else for the semester and then the year. This way, you will have everything ready at a glance. If you use a tool like Google Calendar, you can easily share events with friends and family and sync it to your smartphone. Be sure to make a habit of checking your calendar daily to see what is coming up.
- Make a daily schedule. Once your calendar is set up, you should also make a daily schedule. This will be especially helpful if you have different classes at different times each day, as most college courses vary in time, day, and even location. Having a daily schedule with reminders will keep you on track every day.
- Map out your classes. Being on campus early will allow you the luxury of finding your classes ahead of time and mapping them out. This way, you can time how long it takes to get to each class so that you can make sure that you have time and are never late for class.
- Talk with administration, counselors, or professors about scheduling and seating. One of the perks of being on campus before the rest of the student body returns is that you can meet with your professors and other faculty. You can get to know your professors, maybe even get a head start on some reading and getting all of your books, supplies, etc. Find out about preferred seating in the dining hall, labs, and sign up for study groups before the times you want get filled up. Being back on campus early allows you to get a head start on all of the arrangements that are first come, first served.
- Set your goals for the year and for each semester. Take a few minutes to think about your goals for the school year and for each semester. Writing down your goals increases the chances of achieving them. Post them up in your room so that you can look at them regularly and stay on track to achieve them.
- Organize your dorm room or off campus apartment. Arriving early will allow you to take the time to unpack and get everything organized. If you will have a dorm mate or roommate, arriving before them can afford you some benefits as far as claiming your space. Getting organized in your room, closet, and bathroom will go a long way towards saving you time and energy down the road. Put your clothes for other seasons away or in storage so that they are not cluttering up your closet if you aren’t going to wear them yet.
- Stock up on supplies. Plan out your first week two of meals and snacks and fill your refrigerator and pantry. Get any other supplies you are going to need for the first semester, or at least the first couple weeks.
- Pat yourself on the back for being ahead of the game. Now it’s time to reward yourself for being prepared early. Go out to your favorite restaurant near campus or treat yourself to something special, a movie, or something fun that you couldn’t do if you stayed home. A great reward is some new clothes for the new school year. Try the convenience of ordering online from a site that specializes in comfortable yet fashionable clothes like NeverlandStore.
Summary
In addition to following as many of our 10 tips as you can, be sure to start waking up early enough for your first class two to three weeks in advance. Experts say it takes 21 days to make something a habit. Making a habit of waking up early and following your new school year routine will pay off when you start the school year strong. Since so many new clubs, groups, and events start or take place in the first couple weeks of school, being acclimated to your new routine will allow you to take advantage of as much of those groups, networking, and events to meet new people without being too tired or stressed out. The biggest benefit is that you won’t have to worry about these things when classes start so you won’t fall behind.
The Most Beautiful College Campuses in the US
While most of us try to evaluate schools on honorable criteria such as the quality of its academics, student to teacher ratio, the efficacy of student services and so on, let’s face it: we are inherently emotional creatures, and as such, we are ably seduced by beauty. In this light, the look and feel of a college campus, from the architecture of its buildings, to the natural setting that surrounds it all indelibly colors our perception of a school.
Most of us would love to spend our college years in a place that feels like being on the set of the Dead Poets Society or Good Will Hunting, rather than be trapped in an institution so ugly the pigeons won’t even crap on it. As such, even if you are strictly making your decision based on pure logic, it’s still fun to look at pretty pictures of schools that represent the collegiate ideal (… and there’s nothing saying you can’t visit them on a road trip with your buddies)!
With that sorted, here are five schools that have been the apples of our eye for some time here at College Blender…
5) Wake Forest University
Filled with structures constructed in the Georgian style, this private college in North Carolina blossoms with cherry, apple and dogwood blossoms in the spring, burns with bright orange, yellow and red colors in the fall … with the occasional sprinkling of toilet paper strands when one of their athletic teams wins a major championship. This school also ranks favorably in teaching surveys on an annual basis, making this southern college a solid choice all round.
4) United States Military Academy At West Point
Think that joining the army means you’ll be spending all your time in uninspiring barracks? If your training has you bound for West Point, you will be in for huge surprise. Situated in the picturesque Hudson River Valley in New York State, this imposing collection of neo-gothic buildings will imbue you with a sense of power and strength as you work your way through the intensive academic programs that are offered here.
3) University of Wisconsin-Madison
Sandwiched between two deep blue lakes in the Wisconsin capital of Madison, there is ample room for inspiration and recreation on the campus of U of W – Madison. As if this wasn’t enough, the buildings on campus exude a traditional feel, and student life on campus has long been regarded as some of the liveliest in the nation, as the University of Wisconsin – Madison has consistently ranked near the top of party school rankings by publications such as Playboy magazine.
2) Pepperdine University
In some respects, the west coast often has it so good that it simply isn’t fair. The physical surrounds of Pepperdine University is a perfect illustration of this, as its campus in Malibu has an unbeatable view of the Pacific Ocean, with the steep foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains acting as the backdrop behind it.
This institution has buildings that take inspiration from Mediterranean and modernist schools of architecture, and palm trees and other subtropical shrubbery is found in abundance here. One caveat: this private school has a Christian bent in its underlying philosophy, so the scenery might not be enough of a draw if you have views that collide with those held by the administrators.
1) Elon University
When it comes to channeling the collegiate experience via the exterior and interior design, the creators and builders of Elon University have accomplished this masterfully over the years, as they have crafted a school that has ranked at or near the top of beauty rankings for decades. Much of the flora on campus is actively managed as part of the academic curricula of its horticultural faculties, aiding its placement at the top of our list as well!
Have any other contenders for the most beautiful college campuses in the US? Share them below in the comments!
5 Fun Drinking Games Anyone Can Learn!
Disclaimer: College Blender.com does not promote or endorse underage or binge drinking. All of these games are intended for those of legal drinking age and to be done in moderation.
While drinking alcohol isn’t a prerequisite to having a good time in college, let’s be realistic: a comfortable majority of students enjoy a beer…or many on a semi-regular basis. It’s not hard to see why: freshmen are celebrating their liberation from their parents, sophomores and juniors are stress-balling about making the excellent grades they need to graduate with honors, while seniors are freaking the hell out about their pending release into the Real World … and the start of those dreaded student loan payments.
But let’s forget about all that tonight, as we are all collectively in the present moment … why not be one big happy drunk family together? As fun as normal socializing is while consuming your favorite alcoholic beverage, sometimes a little stirring of the pot is necessary to elevate a party from awesome to epic.
This is where drinking games come in, as it adds equal parts of social interaction, shared laughs, and most importantly, wanton consumption of alcohol! So get started on that hefty pre-game meal to soak up the punishment that your liver is about to take, because after playing one or more of the games below, your head will be feeling the effects the next morning if you don’t prepare properly (drink water regularly through the evening as well, and have fun!)
1) Flipcup
Beer pong is so ten years ago. The plastic drinking glass game that is sweeping the nation these days is the intense, fast-paced game of Flipcup. The object of this contest is simply this: you take two teams, and line them up down a table (3 per side minimum).
Filling the cups halfway (all the way if you’re truly ambitious) with beer, the first grouping of drinking combatants chugs their beer, placing the cup upside down on the edge of the table when finished. The player then has to flip the cup so that it lands on its proper bottom without falling over. When this task is successfully completed, the next person down the line can drink. First side to complete these tasks successfully to the end wins!
2) Card games
There are many card games that can be made into drinking games, or were invented with drinking in mind. Asshole is a prominent one, where the deuce is the trump card, with values descending A,K, Q through to the worst cards, 4 and 3. The first player can lead with any card (the worst one(s) they have is the smart play), and the next player has to get rid of the same card or better.
Combos add more excitement to the game, where a player getting rid of three 5’s for example would compel the next to play a three card combo or higher, lest they have to pass on their turn. The president is the one who finishes first, vice president is 2nd, and the last two players are saddled with the titles vice asshole and asshole, compelling them to drink half and chug their beer respectively.
3) Drinking games based on movies or TV shows
These types of games proliferate widely throughout the internet, with combos of drinks and chugging being assigned for the cliché actions and sayings that actors/actresses in common movies and TV shows perform on a regular basis. An example out of the infinite number that exist: In one particular Walking Dead drinking game, one of the cues to drink includes when Rick tries to restore hope to the group (all the time without success, it seems!), and chugging happens whenever somebody gets killed by a zombie (even if they are a redshirt).
4) Quarters
This game seems simple enough at the start, but the sorry state of most people’s coordination skills (made worse by all the drinks you’ll consume by losing to someone more experienced than you) and understanding of physics make this a challenging but fun contest.
In order to play, start with a glass in the middle of the table. You then take a quarter and attempt to bounce it off the table and into said glass. A successful shot means you get to pick who takes a drink. The shooter keeps taking shots at the glass until they miss, whereupon the quarter goes to the next player. If you wish to try again after your first attempt, some versions allow you to declare “chance”. Hitting this shot allows you to keep going as per usual, but missing results in a penalty of at least two drinks.
5) Century Club (attempt with beer ONLY)
Also known as Power Hour in a toned down version of this game, players attempting to join the Century Club bring a shotglass and at least eight beers with them to the event. A song list with splits that occur once every two minutes needs to be prepared beforehand, as when the song switches, a drink of beer from their filled up shotglass must be taken. A fun thing to do during this 3+ hour boozefest is to pass around a pen and a large notepad/scribbler, noting the thoughts of participants as they descend the downward spiral into excessive drunkeness!
What other fun drinking games do you know? Share them in the comments below!
When Dining Hall Food Fails: 3 Easy Recipes For Students!
For all the thousands of dollars that college students around the world pour into their respective schools, it can be quite appalling when the quality of meal hall grub at these institutions barely rank above prison food at times. The similarities on a numbers level are startlingly similar, as line cooks scarcely making above minimum wage prepare three meals daily for thousands of people, day after uninspiring day.
As such, a certain level of care is missing in its preparation, but you’re a busy and cash strapped student … so what is one to do? Most dormitories and fraternity/sorority houses have basic kitchen facilities located on site, allowing for their occupants that wish to freelance with their food preparation to do so to their heart’s content.
By combining the creative use of cheap(ish) base ingredients, spices and condiments, you can fill your face with culinary creations that stand head and shoulders above the slop that is barely edible down at the meal hall, without costing you too much of your scarce cash reserves (alcohol doesn’t buy itself, after all!)
In this spirit, here are three recipes that will rescue you from the peril of a meal hall travesty in under 30 minutes and at minimal cost to you…
1) Next Level Macaroni And Cheese
OK now … I know what you’re thinking. MAC & CHEESE?! How uncreative and depressing!
Don’t despair though young man/woman, as macaroni and cheese dishes are all the rage these days, and with a little thought and creativity, it can become a dish that is truly the comfort food that it was meant to be, instead of a yellowish orange pasta that exists solely to fill a hole in your stomach. The most expensive investment is a bit of cheese (the real stuff), which can be bought in small chunks (buy cheese strings if you have to) to conserve your cash.
Apart from the macaroni itself, get a hold of some milk, butter, garlic powder, onion or shallots, and ritz crackers. If you’re doing this on the stove top, boil up the pasta, and then in a separate pan, fry up the onions, seasoned with garlic powder, in some of your butter. Mix together the milk and the rest of the butter according to instructions on the mac and cheese box, adding it to the fried onions.
After the pasta is done, add the shredded cheese to the pasta and stir, integrating it with the pasta. Top the pasta with the onion/milk/butter mix, top it with crushed ritz crackers and serve!
2) Pumpkin Spice Hot Oatmeal
Sick and tired of rubbery pancakes? So are we. You can take breakfast into your own hands as well, and kick butt in the process! For this, we’ll invest in some proper oatmeal instead of the overly sugary processed stuff, but everything else is very affordable compared to this crucial ingredient. Start by heating up your oatmeal and water in the microwave for about two minutes.
After taking it out of the oven, stir in some milk, followed by canned pumpkin puree, a few dashes of cinnamon, and even some pumpkin pie spice for that added kick of fall flavor. Hey, if it worked for Starbucks, why can’t it work for your breakfast?
3) Super Easy Asian Stir-Fry
Love the convenience of ramen noodles, but shudder at getting 150% of your daily dose of sodium in a single serving? Toss the flavor packet out and freestyle your own taste experience! Take your ramen brick and soften it up in the usual manner, all while pre-heating a frying pan on the side. Get an assortment of veggies from the market and chop them up, and get the cheapest cut of your favorite meat from the grocery store and do the same to it.
After the noodles have gone soft, strain’em and throw in the pan with some soy sauce, your veggies and your flesh/tofu. After 5-10 minutes, you’ll have a much healthier meal than 80% of what your meal hall has to offer.
