Posts filed under 'College Craziness'
In college, finals time often is a caffeine-fueled, candy-hyped week, where students will wear anything, stay up all night, and study anywhere to get prepared for the end-of-the-semester exams.
We snapped shots of students attending the University of Georgia in Athens, from the start of finals week to the last night of tests this semester.
Studying at Starbucks
Athens has no shortage of coffeehouses, from chains like Starbucks to local ones, and they are packed during finals week because of the constant caffeine and cozy seats. It’s not surprising to see students coming in with PJs on, as they spread out with their laptops, textbooks, and other study materials, staying until the doors close.
In the Dorms
OK, so sometimes it’s easy for students to get lured from studying, even by making up games with a bag of party-sized M&Ms.
The mass of materials for just one class can be so much that some students need to spread it all out over their beds (but notice how they’re keeping organized, with red pens and green tabs so that crucial information is easy to access).
Study Rooms on Campus
During the height of finals week, on-campus study spaces are so crammed that classrooms are open to students
Sometimes working together with other students can help reduce the stress of tests. Prime places to study are glassed-in study rooms featuring huge wipeboards, Internet access, and doors to close off all the noise. Students can reserve them in some schools or get them on a first-come, first-serve basis, hunkering down in study rooms for hours.
Cramming on Floors and Hallways
It may seem uncomfortable, but for some students, the best spots are not cozy couches or seats, but the floors and wooden chairs where nothing else can distract them or make them think of sleep.
Goodbye to Finals Week
Look closely at this sign and you’ll see that the hangman phrase is written by students giddy that finals week is over. It says: No more studying!
–Lori Johnston
December 15th, 2011
Need a break from all those college or scholarship applications? Get in the holiday spirit by checking out our annual list of the coolest stuff, all with campus life in mind.
School Pride
Collegiate Beanbag Toss: Especially if you’re going to a school where tailgating before football games is a part of student life each fall, a beanbag toss game (also known as cornhole) is a must. Target is among the stores selling the games with school names and mascots on them; you can also find them offered by your potential school’s bookstore. $69-$99
Collegiate Wallet: One of the first thingscollege freshman was a faux-leather ID holder/keychain with my university’s logo on it. But the Pottery Barn Teen wallets are so much more stylish, with the logo and school colors stitched in needlepoint. $55.
Dorm Room Stuff
Door Organizer: In college, you’re going to be so busy that anything that can help you remember important items (like those keys!) is awesome. The Doorganizer from The Container Store is one of those items, staring you right in the face as it hangs from the door knob. It holds phones, keys, glasses, pens, flash drives, and other stuff that you need on a daily basis. $11.99.
Cool Tools: Show your independence by asking for some tools, even starting small with a hammer, screwdriver, and wrench set. But girls can still be cute, such as the Tools for Her set. $19.99.
Tech tools
Mophie Juice Pack Air: Here’s a common Facebook status update: “My battery died so don’t call me. Just FB me!” Don’t let your cell phone die and disconnect you from your friends and worried family. This iPhone case, available in red, black, and white, has a rechargeable battery. $79.95.
Pandigital Frame: Remember your high school friends – and have room for photos of new college friends, too – with a digital frame. There’s a ton on the market, but you’ll want to see how many images it stores (this one from Bed, Bath & Beyond can hold up to 4,000), the frame’s size, and if it comes with a remote (just in case you want to skip past any of those embarrassing photos). $59.99.
Traveling Around
KAVU Keeper: Look all laid back, but organized, with the five compartments in this slender bag to hold your cell phone, keys, and anything else you’re likely to lose while on campus or hanging out with friends. We love the pattern names, like Fireworks, Wallpaper Stripe, Licorice, and Arctic Bloom. $30.
Car Trunk Organizer & Cooler: If those busy weekend trips make it seem as if you are constantly living out of your car, you can get organized with this car trunk organizer. It may join the wooden bar you may have affixed in your car to hang up your clothes too. But this organizer also comes with a cooler, making you a popular person when on a road trip with friends. $49.95.
–Lori Johnston (Delaney Young contributed)
December 12th, 2011
When you’re on a campus tour, be sure to check out for yourself all the spots where college students spend time studying. Some stake their claim in spots for hours, preparing for big tests or writing major papers, while others grab theirs for just a few minutes to cram before a test.
Here are 11 spots where you’ll find college students studying – and you may be joining them soon!
1. Outside on the quad
On sunny days, students gravitate outside to soak up some rays while hopefully also soaking up some knowledge. Nice grassy spots on campus, at your school’s intramural fields, or at local parks or nature trails help you make an afternoon of studying. Bring along a picnic and a Frisbee for (hopefully short) study breaks.
2. Bars
Before the music gets blaring at bars and clubs near campus, some students chill out midday with a textbook or their laptops. Some are 18 and up; others are 21 and up. Beverages and food are available, and some students of legal age choose to study with a beer or glass of wine, too.
3. Libraries
At your college, you’ll quickly learn which libraries are most conducive for studying and which ones are best for socializing. At some schools, even certain floors of a library have no-talking zones, while others are open to groups who need to discuss class notes or information for class projects. If you need to get some intense studying done, look for the libraries where graduate students hang out, like a school’s law library, and see if they allow undergraduate students in.
4. Gyms
Working out can be a great stress reliever, and it’s common to see students on treadmills and elliptical machines with reading materials or homemade flash cards in hand. If you’re into weights, reading a few pages also is a way to take a break between sets.
5. On the job
Some jobs in college offer environments where, when there’s no customer or work assigned by your employer, you can hit the books. Maybe it’s working at the library, a movie theater, or checking IDs at a dining hall.
6. Coffee shops
You may already be doing this as a high school student, but coffee shops remain one of the most popular spots for studying while in college. The java keeps flowing while you learn, and there’s often free wireless Internet access. But beware – it can be costly choice for endless lattes or frozen coffee drinks, so think about your budget. Also, seating can be limited, especially near all-important outlets for laptops.
7. Student centers
Although some student centers are tempting environments, with movie theaters, eateries, and video game and pool rooms, they also offer plenty of seating and big tables for studying, as well as rooms you and your study partners can reserve. Some student centers are open 24 hours a day, particularly during finals week.
8. Your dorm room
Sometimes you just want to stay put. So close the dorm room door, get away from Facebook, don’t worry about finally cleaning or making the bed, and see how much you can get done. Your dorm also may have study rooms for you to get away, if your roommate is keeping you from focusing on school, but make sure it’s not a party scene in those rooms.
9. Vacant classrooms
Some buildings keep their classrooms open for studying, even after class is over. Just make sure you’re allowed to be in the rooms before setting up for studying.
10. Near your professor’s office
Especially a good idea if you need help on an assignment, park yourself outside your professor’s office or in a study room nearby, timed when the professor has office hours.
11. Memorial gardens
Some campuses have designated gardens, chapels, and cemeteries in memory of former students and faculty. Although it may seem morbid, the spaces are created for reflection. So the more quiet, reserved settings are spots where studying happens too, especially since there’s often benches or seating.
–Lori Johnston
November 10th, 2011
One of the things we love about college is that when it comes to style, you can be yourself. But on college campuses this fall, some students are getting attention for their unstylish garb. It’s not just students’ gossiping, but enraged football fans complaining about some of these fashion faux pas. That’s because certain college football players are wearing new Nike and Under Armour uniforms with questionable color combinations and non-traditional designs.
In their defense, these players have no choice – it’s the decision of the school to have them wear the new jerseys, pants and helmets, sometimes for one game, but possibly throughout the entire season.
U-G-L-Y This ain't got no alibi. It's ugly!
The buzz about these college football uniforms is bringing even more attention to longtime college football powerhouses and nationally ranked teams. Boise State (a rare all-white look), Georgia (some said they looked like Power Rangers), and Oklahoma State (especially the all gray ensemble) are among the schools whose new uniforms caused negative comments from fans. Others, like Navy, Army, and LSU have avoided the same type of outrage.
Whether people love the uniforms or hate them for being so ugly, we love that the furor over football fashion is giving more attention to schools like Maryland, which isn’t known for their football programs. Some thought Maryland’s odd garb (see photo above), with the helmets and jerseys split down the middle to reflect the state flag, looked like the colorful attire of the knights at Medieval Times – the joust-filled dinner venue. The uniforms – seen during a nationally televised game in early September – was just one of 32 different combinations from Under Armour, and more than a few spectators got dizzy looking at them.
Of course, one would hope that you’re not going to choose a school based on a football uniform or even how fashionable students are on campus. But consider the fuss over football uniforms as just one more way to learn about more schools and college life.
What do you think? Offensively ugly or much ado about nothing?
–Lori Johnston
September 22nd, 2011
As a kid, you learned to look both ways before you cross the street, and it’s a guideline that shouldn’t be ignored once you’re in college. But year after year, students on campuses across the country are injured or even killed in accidents while walking on campus. Sometimes it is the drivers’ fault, but there are cases when students get in the way of danger by jaywalking, being distracted while texting and walking, or losing their focus when running into a friend on a busy street.
Being safe on campus is not just something that students attending college in a city need to consider. On suburban and even rural campuses, there are so many things that could put you in danger – buses, bikes, cars, scooters, and even other students rushing to get to class on foot.
You may have searched safety on campus when you were applying to colleges, but government data about crimes doesn’t include the incidents that happen when students are hit by vehicles. Last year, a student at UConn was killed by a campus bus. At a lot of schools, current students can easily pick out spots where jaywalking is common, which could lead to injuries. The tragedies are so common that some schools, such as Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY have had guards monitoring crosswalks to prevent jaywalking.
Police at Valdosta State University in Georgia this month are giving $112 tickets to students and other caught jaywalking in an effort to make the roads safer, according to WCTV.
The University of Minnesota in April ticketed more than 120 people (the fees were $100) for jaywalking on campus. One student told a TV station: “For me, it’s changed the way I walk. I used to just go when there weren’t any cars. Now, I look both ways and make sure there are no cops around.”
We’re proud, just as you are, that you are attending college, and we want you to have a safe and wonderful experience on campus. So while you’re rushing to reach class on time, or are ready to get back to your dorm room or apartment, don’t let a lack of focus on the streets keep you from being safe while on campus.
–Lori Johnston
September 19th, 2011
Dorms or residence halls are the most common living situation for students heading off to school. Both give you the opportunity to live among other students your age or with your same major. There’s no doubt the relationships you form in a dorm could last throughout your college career.
But not all schools guarantee housing for freshman, especially if on-campus housing is limited. And it seems like every fall you hear of schools who have overbooked their dorms, causing some students to live in the dorm’s student lounges or with resident advisors. Or some are sent to hotels. Students at New York University were sent to a hotel last year, and some may be doing the same year. Students at Daemen College in Amherst, NY can stay at a Homewood Suites near the school while waiting for a spot on campus or in a renovated housing development where students from a variety of schools live.
At Virginia Tech, some students were enticed by “buyouts” to cancel their housing contracts; the offer was guaranteed suite housing and early preferences for housing next year, plus $300 in dining dollars.
Consider these other college housing options:
1. Find a family setting.
Some families offer rooms in their homes for student during the academic year. It’s a good option for students who want to have a family environment and enjoy the home-away-from-home feel that a family setting provides. Sometimes these situations are connected with a nanny job opportunity, in which you could live rent free in exchange for watching the homeowner’s children. Some placement agencies can help connect students with families seeking child care; in other instances, it may be connected to relationship you have with a mentor or someone from a church. You will want to discuss upfront your required financial contribution and your responsibilities as a student in the home. Plus, will they set the dreaded curfew, or will you be able to come and go as you please?
2. Rent out a basement.
Rentals in a college town don’t just include apartments, but some professors and other homeowners offer a portion of their basement, or their entire basement, for students to live in. The setup typically allows students to have their own entrance in the house, so it’s not as close quarters as living with a family. You’ll want to find out about rent costs as well as what utilities are covered in the deal. Plus, you’ll want to make sure that the basement dwelling offers some type of security, as that part of a house can be a prime target for break-ins.
3. Lodge at the sorority or fraternity house.
This is not typically the option for freshman members, but is something that sophomores and upperclassmen do as part of their involvement in a sorority or fraternity. The fraternity or sorority will have requirements for living in a chapter house, which are located on and off campus at public and private schools. It’s a plus for students whose social life will revolve around activities at the house.
4. Live in a unique dorm community.
At some schools, students from the same major, such as engineering, all live together in a home offered on or near campus through particular programs, often with student advisers. Some religious organizations also have residences for students of the same faith to bunk together.
5. House sit, or swap houses.
If you find someone who won’t be living in their home for a year, offer to house sit (for free or at a reduced rate). This could be the case if a professor is going abroad to teach. You will need to be responsible about living in someone else’s home, especially if you have friends over. Or, you could swap your current place for a condo or home in your college town. Sites like Craigslist often advertise home exchanges.
6. Think outside the box.
When it comes to finding affordable housing, some students go with even more unique choices, such as living in trailers and RVs! Now that’s one way to break the ice during Freshmen Orientation!
What’s the most unique college housing situation you’ve heard about or experienced? Let us know in the comment section below.
–Lori Johnston
August 17th, 2011
I never really wanted to even so much as mention Casey Anthony on this or any of CBN’s blogs, even though I strongly believe that if anyone can benefit from education at this point, it’s her. I’m breaking my silence on this issue, however, to simply say this: Don’t worry, Ohio State University. No one will hold it against you that Casey Anthony is wearing your baseball cap.
Some news outlets like TMZ have been following the freed woman around the country as she attempts to assimilate herself back into regular life. Recent photographers have spotted her in Ohio, and in some of the photos, she is seen sporting Buckeyes regalia.
OSU issued a statement: “We are never surprised to see Buckeye pride displayed across the world. Buckeye hoodies and hats have traditionally been spotted across the world, and we understand that as a result, our logo will be seen in a wide range of news situations, whether positive or negative.”
Somehow, I don’t think Ohio State fans are exactly celebrating.
–Barbara Bellesi
August 4th, 2011
From June 24th to June 26th, while an estimated 75,000 people danced and sang along to the musicians of the Dave Matthews Band Caravan in Atlantic City, NJ, I did about 75,000 squats picking up garbage. Plastic cups, aluminum cans, paper plates, and more. I felt a little like Templeton from Charlotte’s Web (except I didn’t dare eat any of the remains) and a lot like Servo, the maid-robot in the Sims computer game, picking up every piece of trash within my reach.
I was among seven people volunteering with Clean Vibes, the North Carolina-based company that recycles and disposes of trash for outdoor festivals like Bonaroo, the four-day-long music festival in Tennessee, and the three-day-long Dave Matthews Band Caravan. The idea was to help improve Atlantic City’s Bader Field and the environment, but really, my friends and I were willing to do anything for a free concert (the reward of volunteering with Clean Vibes).
I learned a few lessons during my trip—and none of them had to do with garbage. A lot of the “follow your heart” advice friends, parents, and teachers give to students like myself came to life for me while volunteering on the 143 acres of Bader Field during those three hot summer days. With a garbage bag around my waist and latex gloves on my hands, I walked around the garbage-ridden land, observing the people that surrounded me. The concert-goers. The security guards. The food vendors. The volunteers. And, of course, the band members. I wasn’t so philosophical at the time, considering I was covered in dirt and sweat and tired from lunging all day, but I noticed how many different types of people made their way to the Dave Matthews concert that weekend and began to finally understand two concepts I’ve been hearing from people for years: 1) You should only do what you’re passionate about and 2) It is OK to not know what your passion is just yet.
1. You should only do what you’re passionate about. Having finished my first year of college without coming any closer to deciding a major (something I have to do by the end of next year), this idea means a lot to me. And if you’re a college-bound student, it probably means a lot to you, too. While big-time newspapers and businesses around the world continue to roll out lists of “The Most-Wanted Degrees for 2011” and “The Top-Paying Jobs of the Future,” it is important to keep in mind that the facts and statistics these articles contain cannot pressure, prevent, or prescribe your dreams. Though I usually devour these articles the second they come out, looking for signs that I will not be poor and unemployed when I get out of school, from now on, I will be slower to ingest these stories and instead contemplate how I can fit myself into this predicted success—whether I see my potential major or job on the list or not.
After seeing how dedicated Clean Vibes is about taking care of the earth, how moved by their music the Carolina Chocolate Drops are, and how committed the security and health officials are to keeping people safe, I know that passion is what makes the difference between picking a can up or leaving it there, putting feeling into a song or faking it, and providing quality care to other–or simply not caring enough.
2) It is OK to not know what your passion is just yet. While sayings like “Do what you love” and “Don’t settle for anything less” are helpful in steering many people in the right direction, they do almost nothing for the people who are unsure of their passions. While I smiled and squatted wholeheartedly for the entire length of my five-hour shift at the Dave Matthews Caravan, many of my co-volunteers hid, or tried to hide, their contempt towards working the night shift (from 6 to 11 P.M.) when The Flaming Lips and the Dave Matthews Band were set to perform. These people had come for the music—that was what they loved and that was what helped dictate their summer plans. I, on the other hand, knew none of the 41 bands save for Dave Matthews, and agreed to this volunteer gig with the hopes of finding new music, meeting new people, and contributing to a cause–and deciding what I thought about all of the above at a later date.
Did I love music the way these concert-goers, volunteers, and bands did? Did I love Clean Vibes’s mission to “actively encourage and promote… proper waste disposal” as much as the Clean Vibes employees? Did I see myself as fitting into any of the job classifications I noticed on site? I’m not entirely sure, but I saw myself as a volunteer. And for now, that is all I know.
While I did not enjoy the music as much as my friends, or share the same experiences many of the Clean Vibes employees and volunteers had, hopping from state to state and even country to country, following bands and trash-dumping people, I did enjoy spending my weekend in a way I had never done before. I got to reunite with my college friends and camp out at Mays Landing, the family-friendly camp ground just along the Egg Harbor River, complete with pool and shower house. I got to build a fire and help my fellow campers start their own since they were having some difficulty. And I got to sit around the fire and in my car, covered in dirt, and later, much cleaner, at my desk, reflecting on my summer experience and planning for the future.
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” That is what Howard Thurman, famous author, educator, and civil rights leader said. It is the quote I was introduced to during my Freshman Orientation at Boston University last year and it is a quote that right now means more to me than “follow your heart.” Whether or not you know your passion, I think it is a quote that anyone who is trying to glean the treasures from the trash during their college search, their college experience, and then the post-college years can understand.
–Alivia Ashenfarb will be starting her sophomore year at Boston University this fall.
July 26th, 2011
We know it’s tempting to update your status or post photos from your summer vacation on Facebook or other social media sites to share your fun and even your slightly crazy side, but whether you’re in high school or college, you need to think about holding back from making all your escapades public. Hasn’t former Congressman Anthony Weiner taught us anything?
We love being your source of information and discussion about going to college and surviving in college, and we want to caution you about how actions during summer vacation or beyond could impact your college experience or career decision.
Keep Your Shirt On
Cathie Black, former president of Hearst Magazines (who was also chancellor of NYC Public Schools briefly this year) gives this frank advice in Ivanka Trump’s book The Trump Card: Playing to Win in Work and Life:
“If you’ve put up pictures of yourself [on social media] dancing topless and drinking your little head off, they’re out there for all to see. You can’t get all indignant if a professor or a potential employer seeks out your Facebook or Twitter or MySpace account. You can’t say, ‘Well, you shouldn’t be looking at that.’ If you’re an employer and you have a choice of ten applicants or one hundred and ten, you’re going to choose the one who keeps her shirt on. End of story.”
Well said, Ms. Black!
Pause Before Your Prank
During my freshman year of college, my friends and I constantly drove past a gas station and convenience store in our town bearing the name of another friend – Sam’s Gas. One night, we decided that we wanted to remove the store’s sign from the road, throw it in our trunk and put it in his apartment. I had never stolen anything, and I remember driving to the store thinking it was ridiculous that we were going to do it, but I wasn’t bold enough to say no to my friends. Thankfully, the sign was too heavy and large to fit into our car, saving us from stealing the sign, which could very well have turned a harmless prank into possible arrests.
If you’ve been known as the class clown or are a little mischievous, realize that the pranks you’re involved in during your senior year of college could get you involved with the police. Even if they don’t involve illegal activity, it could tarnish your reputation. Save your cash for books (and beer if you are of age), not bail.
Remember: A Tat Can’t Be Easily Erased
Some students have turned getting a tattoo a college rite of passage, as it symbolizes your independence and a right to express your personality. While some professions are a lot more accepting, others want tattoos to be covered up, regardless of whether you’re working in a part-time job, as an intern, or after you graduate. So in making this decision (especially if it’s made spontaneously and late at night), try to remember that you need to consider where it is placed.
Case in point: A basketball player for UC-Irvine, Darren Moore, got a Spiderman tattoo that covers most of his upper body. Good luck to him with that! Remember, an image that’s important to you in college may not reflect your interests and personality after you graduate, but you’ll still have to bear it unless you pay for its–ouch!–removal.
–Lori Johnston
June 30th, 2011
Want to get a sense of the highs and lows about being a college student? You’ll find realistic insight–in real time–on Twitter. Students’ comments capture the college experience – so here’s some of the honest truth about academics, relationships, money, and more.
Now’s the time to read all the comments – good and bad – because #incollege is trending on Twitter this week. Here’s a few of our favorites. If you’re on Twitter, go on and add some words of wisdom of your own.
–Lori Johnston
May 26th, 2011
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