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College is basically High School the Sequel: In the words of the immortal Elle Woods (“Legally Blonde”), “It’s gonna be just like senior year, except for funner!”
Continue Reading Add comment November 15th, 2010
Turn up the volume and tune in to the coolest college YouTube channels and viral videos.
Continue Reading Add comment November 1st, 2010
The tours happening on some college campuses this week are not your typical college tour. Instead, these often-unofficial tours at schools such as College of Charleston, University of Houston, and others tell spooky tales of haunted halls and paranormal activity.
The ghostly spirits that some believe linger at colleges and universities are part of legends that you’re likely to hear about during a campus tour. These eerie events are often part of the school’s past and even current reputation.
Do you get the creeps easily? Check out what some believe makes these five campuses haunted.
This Southern school has plenty of reports about spooky campus events. The ghost of the school’s founding president, Sidney Gilbreath, is believed to still watch over Gilbreath Hall (think doors mysteriously shutting closed and lights being turned off). Then there’s the story of a former professor, Christine Burleson, who committed suicide in the 1970s but is believed to inhabit a portrait of her father in Burleson Hall. The eyes in the picture appear to follow students at this Johnson City, Tennessee school as they walk past.
The Athens, Ohio, school is believed to be one of the most haunted campuses in the country. Here’s just one of the stories: 
Room 428 in Wilson Hall, which might have been built on top of a cemetery, has been closed and sealed off. The legend is that the room wasn’t used anymore after students reported objects flying off shelves and smashing into walls and doors opening and closing. There also were sightings of the ghost of a female student who once lived there and “died violently after using the energy of the room to practice astral projection, a method where the human spirit separates from the body and travels on its own,” according to the local visitors bureau.
One of many ghost stories about this Chicago school is about the “Greenhouse Ghost.” The school’s Shaffer Dance Studio used to be the pool, with a glass roof, hence the nickname “The Greenhouse.” The ghost is believed to be a Kenyon student who died there in a diving accident. A school publication reports that “one version has him bouncing too high, shattering the roof, breaking his neck, and drowning.”
University of Minnesota, Crookston
Reports of doors and windows opening on their own and students feeling like they’re being followed may not just be paranoia but paranormal activity in this school’s oldest student residence hall, McCall Hall. Author and researcher Chad Lewis told a local newspaper that the legend is that hall is haunted by the ghost of a young woman who simply refuses to leave the building.
The Ringling College of Art and Design
The legend at this Sarasota, Florida school is that a young woman met an untimely death in the stairwell of what now is the school’s Keating Center, a residence hall created out of a restored 1920s-era hotel. The ghost of the woman, who had been staying at the hotel, is believed to stir the paintbrushes in rinse cups on art students’ desks and walk the halls, according to the Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau.
–Lori Johnston
Add comment October 28th, 2010
I’m heading out to Las Vegas this week with my CBN editor, Gina LaGuardia, for the much-anticipated BlogWorld Conference. I’m hoping that the event organizers keep us really busy during the day, because I hear Vegas can be pretty lame at night.
Just kidding. I have been counting down to this conference for months. We are going to be very busy—seriously, I took one look at the agenda and needed to take a nap—but I’m sure there will be plenty of time in the evening to soak up some of the Vegas atmosphere.
For instance, the generous people at Cirque du Soleil have given me a ticket to Saturday night’s performance of LOVE, knowing full well that I will share the experience with you, gentle readers. What does Cirque du Soleil have to do with college? Don’t worry, I’m not comparing this French Canadian circus extravaganza to dorm life or anything like that. I have a legitimate reason to write a college-themed blog about LOVE, so please, stay tuned…
You might still be thinking what else would bring The CollegeBound Network to Sin City. Las Vegas might be known for the shenanigans that happen on the strip, but did you know that there are also plenty of people who head out to there to study? Yes, you read that correctly. Study. Las Vegas is home to various colleges and vocational schools, and the University of Nevada Las Vegas is the most noted among them. UNLV is home to more than 28,000 students and is considered to be a top research university, so I think Gina and I will be in good company when we get out there.
Follow Gina and me on Twitter this week at @CollegeBoundNet, @TheWriteWoman, and @GinaLaGuardia. While Paris Hilton might be persona non grata in Las Vegas, there’s room for new VIPs, so follow us and the hashtag #bwe10 and come along for the wild ride!
–Barbara Bellesi
Add comment October 12th, 2010
You may be counting down the days until you head off to college (even though you don’t know where you’re going yet), but one huge thing I learned as a college student was that it was up to me to survive.
Mom wasn’t there to do my laundry, although I tried to always bring it home and hold off on using the dorm washer and dryer until I had nothing left to wear. I had to learn to clean up after myself and my roommate, who sometimes left dirty dishes in the sink for days. I had to wake up early and get myself to class and work on time, whether by driving, walking, or taking the bus.
So it’s interesting to see a recent Associated Press story titled, “Are You Raising a Generation of Nincompoops?” make that point of calling out “college kids who’ve never done laundry, taken a bus alone or addressed an envelope.” If any of this is new to you, ask your parents or friends now to help you get used to being on your own when away at school. They want to help, and some realize that it’s not all your fault.
Diane N. Quintana, author of Flying Solo: A Guide to Organizing Your Home When You Leave Your Parents’ Nest, writes: “I have found that while [my children] have lived in an organized and well-thought-out household, they were clueless as to how to set themselves up,” she writes. “Then I realized much of the problem was of my own creation. You see, this generation has had so much done for them.”
The Atlanta-based certified professional organizer recommends four things students can start to do this year to get ready for college life.
1. Spend an hour on the weekend thinking ahead. This short-term planning for the next week could include jotting down appointments you have, errands you need to run, special events you want to attend, and even chores, such as laundry and dusting, that have to get done. Knowing what absolutely has to be done in the coming week will help you figure out how to do them at convenient times, Quintana says.
2. Create an emergency card. That small item in your wallet or purse should include essential details such as any allergies you might have, doctors’ names and phone numbers, major surgeries you have had, contact numbers for you and your family, and a list of prescriptions and vitamins you take.
3. Discuss chores and expenses with your roommate. This is a step you can do well in advance, if you’re planning on living with a best friend or high school classmate. You’ll want to divide the chores and expenses, so make sure you know how to handle the chores you’ve agreed to do.
4. Keep track of your food. We’re not talking about making sure your roommate doesn’t drink the last of your milk (bought with your money), but making sure you’re not keeping outdated items in the refrigerator. If the date isn’t written on the item, use a permanent marker to note when it was opened on the bottom of cartons, bottles, jars, cans, and other items. Referring to a food storage chart can keep you from getting yourself sick at school, too.
What other ways do you feel unprepared for college? How can CBN help you figure it out? Leave us a comment below or tweet us at @CollegeBoundNet.
–Lori Johnston
1 comment October 7th, 2010
I just got back from a wonderful vacation, and I’ll freely admit that I lost a few bucks in the resort casino. “All in good fun,” I told myself—though I can definitely appreciate the fine line between “fun” and heading off to rehab for a gambling addiction.
That said, I’m on the fence about Ultrinsic, a website that allows college students to gamble on their GPA. College students can create their own monetary incentives by logging on, setting a GPA goal, and then studying hard so that they can cash in at the end of the semester. It sounds cool at first, especially if you’re one to set your sights on a high GPA, but it does make me wonder: Whatever happened to old-fashioned hard work?
Students at Rutgers and Princeton are already using Ultrinsic. Many are intrigued by the idea, especially since they have a lot more control over their grades then, say, blackjack or roulette. But with the crackdown on credit cards for college students, it seems that Ultrinsic could fuel other bad financial habits. Not to mention, of course, that college is a pretty expensive enterprise in itself, and college students aren’t known for rolling in extra pocket money.
What do you think? Is your GPA worth a gamble? Let us know.
–Barbara Bellesi
2 comments August 18th, 2010
The World Cup is in full swing in South Africa, and even if you are not a soccer fan, chances are you’ve heard something about the rather controversial object that has been found amongst rabid fans in the stands—the vuvuzela.
Ah yes, the vuvuzela. The vuvuzela is a plastic horn that is popular at South African football matches (that’s soccer to us Americans) but has caused considerable consternation among fans from other countries, as well as among doctors, who say it could be detrimental to one’s ears. I’ll admit that while a single toot on a single vuvuzela is okay, the drone in the background of the World Cup matches has had me diving for the remote on several occasions. Seriously—an obnoxious air horn is like a sweet symphony to me now.
I won’t begrudge rabid soccer fans their right to have fun, but I do reserve the right to watch the rest of the World Cup on mute. And for those of you college-bound fans who are wondering what to do with your vuvuzela after the final kick of the World Cup, here are some options for putting it to good use at college:
1. Use it as a mating call. Whistling is so 20th century. If you pull out your vuvuzela, you can get the attention of that hot guy or girl, even if they are way across campus. Of course, you will also get the attention of everyone else in your immediate area, but when it comes to true love, don’t hide your affection.
2. Consider it your key to financial success. Some people just can’t wake up to their alarm clock. Armed with your trusty vuvuzela, you could start a dorm-based wake-up call business. By charging a small fee per toot, you could rack up some serious dough, especially on Monday mornings.
3. Use it as a tension breaker. Bring your vuvuzela to class and blow on it during those awkward moments during a class discussion when no one has anything to contribute. It will also help to keep people awake during a lecture, for which your professor might grant you some extra credit as thanks.
4. Carry it as self-defense. Yes, you could wear a whistle around your neck when walking back to the dorm late at night. But with the vuvuzela, you could also bonk a would-be assailant over the head, then blow loud and hard to alert others as you run away.
5. Rely on it to get you out of awkward situations. Is your boyfriend or girlfriend trying to break up with you? One toot on your vuvuzela and you will stun the person you are conversing with long enough to run away or, at the very least, change the subject.
I do agree with those who have dubbed the vuvuzela “the most annoying sound in the world,” but thanks to my mute button and perhaps a good pair of earplugs, I can also see the plastic horn as being a cool accessory to have by your side at college.
–Barbara Bellesi
2 comments June 22nd, 2010
We’re almost halfway through May, and we think it’s safe to say that from now until the end of the month, there’s probably at least 20 college commencements happening every day across the country. And it’s also safe to say that there are some really cool celebrities gearing up for their commencement speech. Just to name a few: Alec Baldwin is speaking at NYU, Meryl Streep will be at Barnard, Lisa Kudrow is headed to Vassar, and Wyclef Jean is slated for Western Connecticut State University.
A Washington Post blog today discussed the upcoming celebrity commencement speakers, as well as a wish list of speakers for 2011. Wouldn’t you know who topped the list? Betty White, and the blog even linked to our humble little Facebook group page.
While we don’t know Betty personally, we really think that she would make an excellent commencement speaker for some lucky graduating class, as well as a very worthy recipient of an honorary doctorate that usually comes along with the speaking gig. Hey, if it worked for SNL, we think her fans can make it work for the Class of 2011, too.
–The CollegeBound Network
Add comment May 13th, 2010
Betty White has garnered a lot of buzz these days, and unlike some other “celebrities” that are constantly in the news, we’ll never be tired of reading about this former Golden Girl.
Even though she is 88 years young, Betty White has fans across multiple generations. Perhaps you were a part of the successful Facebook campaign to get her to host “Saturday Night Live.” Our DVRs and TiVos have been set for days now, ready to catch every single hilarious word that comes from her lips this Saturday night.
But then we got to thinking—what else would we love to see Betty do? Considering that we are The CollegeBound Network, it didn’t take us long to determine that we would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see Betty as commencement speaker at some lucky college. If anyone deserves a podium, if anyone deserves an honorary doctorate, we think it’s Betty White.
We know we’re too late for the 2010 grads, but listen up, Class of 2011: We’re rooting for you. We’ve started our own Facebook campaign to get the attention of college administrators around the country that Betty White is THE person to have for graduation. Imagine the words of wisdom she would have for your graduating class!
If you are on Team Betty, then go to our Betty White page and click “like.” Spread the word to your friends. What school wouldn’t want her as guest of honor at commencement? We can do this! Go Team Betty!
–The CollegeBound Network
Add comment May 6th, 2010
The Chronicle of Higher Education reported yesterday that a study at the University of Maryland suggests that students are rather fond of Facebook and their cell phones.
Hold on. Before you roll your eyes and say “duh” to that groundbreaking piece of news, it gets better. The research also indicates that when students are denied technology and social media, some will exhibit similar withdrawal symptoms to those of drug and alcohol addicts. I guess they don’t call it a Crackberry for nothing!
Joking aside, this is pretty crazy news. The Chronicle states that students showed “withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, misery, and being jittery.” One student said that texting was a “comfort” and when the ability was taken away, the student felt “quite alone and secluded from my life.”
I myself have become rather attached to technology. Just yesterday, I IMed a colleague who sits five feet away from me. I realized how absurd that was, then got up and walked around the wall of my cubicle to speak with her. That said, my entire office had to shut down their computers for an hour this morning while a crew worked on the electrical system, and I was fine. And yes, my Blackberry stayed untouched in my desk drawer–no jitters or symptoms of withdrawal, either.
As a blogger, I know that I rely on the fact that people like to stare at computer screens, but then again, I don’t want to be responsible for sending people to social media rehab. Social media and technology is awesome, but getting addicted to it to the point that you actually feel like a limb has been amputated? Not so awesome.
There’s got to be some sort of happy medium here, especially if you are a student about to go off to college. The next four years will be full of new faces and new friends, and you should be interacting with them in person, not via text or the odd Facebook wall post. I calls to mind the very sad image of everyone walking on my college campus on this beautiful spring day, heads down and thumbs working like mad to get out one more text before class.
Now that’s something that gives me the jitters.
–Barbara Bellesi
Add comment April 29th, 2010
Follow our smart and savvy CBN bloggers as they guide you through every step of your quest to find the right college. Whether it’s figuring out that FAFSA, making sense of the SAT, or simply dishing gossip about celebrity smarty pants, they’ve got you covered. But be warned—these bloggers are fully caffeinated and know how to use their social media powers for both good and evil! So, whaddya’ say — do they get an A+?
