Design Your Dorm

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Re-Design your room with us!

Believe it or not, five months have now passed for most freshmen living in the dorms. After returning from a long winter break, many people find that their room is still very plain and not exciting. Others are extremely happy with their living environment and have fully decked out their room. Ultimately, you need to decide if you are both comfortable and happy in your room.  Don’t fret, if your dorm room still doesn’t feel like home, there is still time!

An article was recently posted about a student who added some ‘boom’ to his res hall room (see here). Whether you are entirely redesigning your room or doing some touch-ups, two things are essential: a theme and organization. Once a theme is established in your room, decorating your room will be a lot easier! By keeping things in a neat and organized fashion, you can reduce the clutter in your room and have it always looking clean. Below are some useful links that will help you to re-design your room and use your space most efficiently.

Ideas for Using Your Space Efficiently

Choose a Theme for Decoration a Dorm Room

Dorm Room Living: Unique Lighting Themes

What to Put on Dorm Walls

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For many people, 2009 was a great year and for many it was a bad year. Have you sat down and thought about how it could have been better or what you could do to make 2010 better?  Some questions to ask yourself might be: Did I work as hard in school as I should have? Did I get the grades I wanted to? Did I join some sort of organization/club? Did I make as many friends as I wanted to or put myself out there to meet new people? Did I save any money? Am I happy with what I did this year? These are just some of the many questions you can ask yourself.

Whether or not you like to set goals for yourself, it is helpful to sometimes take a look back on the past and see how you would like to see yourself progress into the future. The problem with many individuals is that they set unrealistic goals that are not practical to achieve. A great way to set goals is to use the “SMART” method. The website explains ways to achieve your goals by using the acronym Smart: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely.

Take the time to think of what you would like to do differently in 2010. Make the list as short or as long as you would like. You will find that once completing your goals, you will feel accomplished and at ease knowing exactly what you want to accomplish!

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The days of home cooked meals are over. Mom is no longer there to nourish you with the 5 daily food groups at every meal. The decision of what to eat is now in your hands and vegetables are no longer mandatory.  Are you going to choose to eat healthy, somewhat healthy, or abandon dietary restraints all together?

For many schools, the choices for what to eat are endless. You got your fast food like McDonalds, Burger King, Panda Express, Taco Bell and Subways, but then you are also provided with various Cafeteria options (and salad bars) where you can customize exactly what you want to eat.  While the choice seems to be easy if you are trying to eat healthy, you will be surprised how many times you are in a rush to class and choose the easy option like McDonald’s. It is also difficult to stick to “healthier” foods when all of your friends are eating whatever they please. The keys to eating well are also quite similar to doing well in school: time management and planning ahead.

Holiday Season: Buy a Healthy Care Package!

Every day for the most part you will have a pretty set schedule of classes. Try to structure your meals around your class and homework schedule. For example: If you know you have to wake up early and won’t have time to go and get food, plan a quick healthy breakfast¹². Realistically, you will spend a good amount of time on campus and be subjected to the dining facilities that the University provides. If you decide to have a sandwich for lunch, choose wheat bread instead of white and only add a very small amount of condiments if possible. These are just two small examples of the many things you can do on a daily basis.

Most kids these days have a decent understanding between what is healthy and what is not. Student’s go off to school and hear of the dreaded “Freshmen 15”, but don’t think it could ever happen to them. The truth is, it can happen to anyone! It’s completely normal to splurge once in a while, but as long as you follow some of these basic health tips you should be fine. Below are some helpful links that can guide you to a healthier lifestyle.

Helpful Links:

1)   A Health Nuts Guide to a Quick and Healthy Breakfast – http://gomestic.com/cooking/a-health-nuts-guide-to-a-quick-and-healthy-breakfast/

2)   We Test it: Healthy Cereal – http://www.prevention.com/health/nutrition/smart-shopping/healthy-cereals-9-best-tasting-and-healthy-cereals/article/74f950d1fa803110VgnVCM10000013281eac____/

3)   College Eating and Fitness 101: A Guide for College Students – http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/college101.html

4)   Healthy Dining in the Dorms – http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1200&page=2

5)   5 Quick and Healthy Foods to Keep in your Dorm: http://www.healthcastle.com/newsrelease_2007-06-19-5-quick-and-healthy-foods-to-keep-in-your-dorm.shtml

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The typical “dorm” has changed quite significantly over the past two centuries. Previously, dorm rooms looked similar to jail cells and there only functionality was to sleep. Back in the early 1800’s, only men were in residence halls and had to follow a strict dress code, attend chapel service, follow a fitness program, and even adhere to a strict curfew! A century later, more and more women started applying to Universities and getting accepted. Soon enough, women only Residence Halls were built and the rules were twice as strict as the males’ halls.

In order to communicate, the men and women would often send messages in morse code through flashing lights back and forth throughout the campus. As time evolved, so did the dorm rooms. Now, there are Co-ed Residence Halls that have fitness centers, restaurants, tanning salons, and even rock climbing walls! Numerous schools offer “suite” style layouts that have a traditional bedroom, but also offer a living room and kitchen area.

In the past few decades, the dorms have evolved more into “living learning communities” where students can truly call their dorm their new home. Students bring all kinds of furniture items/decorations to make their new living environment as comfortable as possible. Student’s don’t just go back to their room to sleep, but go back to hang out and socialize with their friends. Due to the change in the living facilities, various school administrators have had a recent push to have students call their “dorm” their “residence hall room”, but students still continue to refer to living quarters as their “dorm”.

Living in the “dorms” is an integral part of the freshmen experience. You have the ability to make friends easily, study with large groups of people, stay up late eating, and always have someone to hang out with no matter what time it is. You can’t beat it! Throughout the course of the year, you will become close friends with everyone in your hall and even begin to know the names of most of the people in your building (depending on the size of the building). As always, you have to remember to balance your social life with your schoolwork. Many people that live in your building may eventually dwindle away because they couldn’t seem to find a balance. If you plan on attending college next year, you should definitely plan on living on campus in a dorm. If you’re already living in a dorm, make sure to: talk to anyone you don’t recognize coming in & out of the building, involve yourself in building activities, and make the most of every experience possible.

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You may think that college is all about studying and debating with professors in class. Well, let me tell you there’s more to that than you may think. I will always relish the social life in high school but college is in a world of its own! The social life is much different and much more fun. There was more to do socially here than ever before.

You’ve got your garden variety club activities and civic groups, if you’re into that kind of thing! However, dorm events and parties were always the best! They were wilder and more adrenaline-packed than high school. Not to mention that alcohol flowed like rivers at every party I went to and I’ve never seen people that thirsty before in my life! High school had kiddie parties compared to what we had now!
Being new to the state I was in, I made sure to grab every opportunity I had at an adventure which would help me warm up to my surroundings. I went hiking, kayaking and involved myself in other activities that would increase my familiarity with the state that would be my home for the four years. Adventures during the day and parties at night; what more could anyone ask for? Unfortunately, this was where my problems began. Too much play actually made me a dull boy!

Back then, I always had my parents around to remind me if I was partying too much and a dip in my grades was enough to have me grounded for a week or more. Now, I’m thousands of miles away from them and no one was going to tell me what to do! Despite that sense of bravado; my grades were taking a major hit! Suddenly, I was losing my zeal for knowledge and diverted my attention to everything else other than academics.

It was a hard lesson in responsibility that I learned! Keeping that balance was more difficult than I imagined! I certainly did not want to be called “the geek” who spent most of his time in the library; yet reading is, undoubtedly, the most essential part of a college education. It came to a point of time when too much partying actually made me feel bad! Call it guilt, if you want, but all I ever thought about from that point on was getting my grades back on track.

This has been the dilemma of every student who ever wanted to succeed in college; when is too much fun actually too much? College life presents itself with its own set of temptations and challenges. It is the transition stage from childhood to adulthood. This is the time to determine your path and write your own destiny. Do you want to be remembered as someone who dropped out of school for partying too much or as the person who graduated with flying colors because he had the right balance in his life? That choice is ultimately yours.

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Making it though the first few weeks of my freshman year was harder than I thought. Sure enough, I was able to find my way around, eventually, but now a new challenge had sprung up before me. Classes and Professors! Gone are the days when I had to refer to my teachers as “Mr.” and “Ms.”. Now, it’s more like “Professor” or “Dr.” And to tell you the truth it took me a semester to figure out the difference! In my first day of class, I noticed another difference between my teachers in high school and the so-called professors I was now facing. What was that difference? It’s a fact that professors were much tougher than teachers!

They’ll never take “I don’t know” for an answer. If you don’t know something; try to guess. Just make sure it’s an intelligent one or else you’ll be ridiculed right out of class. I learned that one the hard way! Just to make sure I never had to go through such embarrassment again, I read every reading assignment given in class. It came to the point that I’d read a couple of extra chapters just to boast! Gone are the days where I would sit in class and float on cloud 9. Here in college, I had to be both physically and mentally present. Does that suck? If you think so, maybe college isn’t for you!
In high school, all we had to do was be present (sometimes just physically), write a couple of term papers (or copy off someone else’s) and take a few exams (copying was still an option here) and that was it. It’s a far cry from what college is now. Here, you are expected to have an opinion about everything! Have you ever challenged a teacher in high school? You probably ended up in the Principal’s office when you did. Here, professors actually provoke you to challenge them and doing so isn’t considered deviant behavior. So much for detention!

The one thing I liked most about college is the fact that professors made sure you don’t learn crap like you did in high school. Most of the learning was geared towards something to help you in your chosen field. Many professors, whom I knew, were great at motivating their students in ascertaining what information was vital and which bits was absolute trash! Almost nothing in class was irrelevant and everything seemed to revolve around healthy debate and discussion. We were expected to be analytical and critical of what was going on around us. In this sense, professors acted more as guides than teachers and almost every professor was open for consult about things we didn’t understand and some would even offer advice on what books to read to gain more information and insight.

For the first time in my life, my brain was active and it wouldn’t stop! I gained a great hunger for learning and spent every available time venturing on my newfound quest for knowledge. That’s the secret of success to college; you got to have that drive to learn. Participate in class, add in your own insights and perspectives and analyze everything possible. College isn’t cheap and you wouldn’t want to waste all that money on just partying and hanging out. This is your chance to set yourself up for the future so make the most of it while you can.

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No matter how popular you were in high school, going to college is a whole new ball game. Even if you were the star quarter back on your high school football team, that fame isn’t going to carry over to college. Face it, high school is over it’s time for a fresh start, back to the drawing board!

I’ve seen it all – geeks becoming cool and studs turn into drool! College is your chance to prove yourself., for the first or second time. Don’t get me wrong but your freshman year is not bad. It can be a lot of fun. It all depends on how you approach it.

The first thing you got to think about is hanging with the right company. This is no time to become a reclusive hermit! Get out and meet people! This is the first step to making your life easier in college. Remember that you are in a new place and as a newbie you probably don’t even know where the bathrooms are. Making some contacts that have been around the school long enough takes the guess work out of everything.

Another easy way to know more about what to expect is to attend your freshman orientation. For those of you who plan to skip the orientation; you’d better think again! I missed my orientation and spent the next few weeks getting lost. The college I attended seemed like a maze that went on forever. So, if you don’t want to go through the same ordeal as I did, attend your orientation!

The last thing I can remember about freshman year was that every subject seemed to be a lot harder than they were back in high school. It required more analysis and definitely a lot more thought. I never really studied hard in high school but here I was spending every last waking hour burying my nose in a text book. Professors can be tough and many will not hesitate to take a shot at you in class, especially if you don’t bother to do your reading!

Freshman year is going to be an adventure. My best advice is relish every moment of it. Before you know it, it’ll be summer vacation and time for the sophomore year. Your first year in college can either be dreadful or the most enriching experience of your life. It all depends on how you plan to tackle it. Think of this as a fresh chapter in your life and a chance for a new beginning!

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College admission may sound easy but it’s no walk in the park! There’s a ton of work to be done and a mile of paperwork to fill out. Not to mention college prep companies constantly bugging you! Take some stress out of your life by knowing what to do during the college admission period.

Do the PSAT

You may have heard people saying that college application starts during freshman or sophomore years. If your child thinks he or she is done with Math and English; well they’re in for the shock of their life! English requires four years, three or four for math, two science, three history, and two years of a foreign language, and depending on the college, a year of visual or performing arts. The rest of the schedule can be filled with things he enjoys, whether it is wood shop, music or more of any of the above courses.

Make a list of Colleges

It’s not advisable to just check the school based on personal wants. Chances are, your child might not get in and run out of options in the end. Try researching for at least 6-8 universities your child likes and gather information about them. This is best done during their late junior or early senior years. Just keep in mind to make your list realistic; something you know you can afford or is easy to go to.

Exams

Some colleges still requires SAT or ACT exams for entry. At least let your child take these exams during their junior year. That leaves extra time to retake this in the fall, if necessary.

Write essays

Since colleges require students to write essays as part of their exam, the summer between junior and senior year is the best time for your child to practice his or her creative writing skills.

Application Time!

This is actually the most taxing part of college admission process. Just make sure that your child has fulfilled all the requirements and their high school grades are good. Try to be a sort of “stage mom” during this time, as not to make the process intimidating for your child.

Wait for the results

Nothing stresses anyone more than waiting and here you’ll learn that patience is a virtue! Most college applications are due between mid-November and January 10. So while waiting for the results, try to make your child’s time productive and ensure that all requirements have been completed.

The Decision

There are times that he might be accepted to more than 2 colleges at once. If this happens, the important thing is to acknowledge your child’s decision. After all, they’re the ones who’s going to be stuck there for four years; not you! Once everything is all set, your child must notify the school of his or her choice by the deadline, typically May 1, in writing. Also be courteous enough to inform the others schools your child decided not to go to. Then, just write out a deposit check and there you are!

Congratulations! Welcome to college life!

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Now that you’re free from parental control, you’re on your own to make sure your money gets you through the semester. How are you going to do that?

Marshall Loeb of MarketWatch.com shares five guidelines for managing your money:

1. Budget your money by semester. Calculate all of your expenses, from food to books and supplies. Once you’ve outlined a budget, keep careful track of all of your payouts. This will give you a clear idea of how much mad money you have to play with, and ensure that you won’t spend the final days of the semester living on rice and beans.

2. Start saving. If you don’t have a savings account yet, open one. Even if you don’t have to contribute to your own expenses, it’s important to get into the habit of saving for a rainy day. You don’t have to save much. Just commit to putting away a portion of any earnings or gift money you receive.

3. Beware of credit cards. Credit-card terms and conditions are so complicated that working adults even have a difficult time grappling with them. If you have a credit card, use it sparingly so you don’t end up over your head. Remember: Those early missteps will stay on your credit report for years to come.

4. Learn to cook. Preparing meals at home is one of the easiest ways to cut your spending, so learn to cook a few simple dishes that can sustain you throughout the semester. If you have roommates, you may want to consider buying food staples such as rice, cereal and pasta in bulk and splitting the costs.

5. Drive less. Instead of hopping into the car when you need to get to class, try relying on public transportation or simply hoofing it. This will save you much needed money on gas and parking.

College should be fun as you march your way to that dream job. So save yourself from the stress of college debts with this smart money saving tactics. As the saying goes, “Do what you love, the money will follow!”