Year by Year - The Real College Life: Honest Advice from a Student's Point of View 9781605570709, 9781419635878

Citation preview

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Copyright © 2006 Kathryn F. Ledford All rights reserved. ISBN: 1-4196-3587-5

To order additional copies, please contact us. BookSurge, LLC www.booksurge.com 1-866-308-6235 [email protected]

2006

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Copyright © 2006 Kathryn F. Ledford All rights reserved. ISBN: 1-4196-3587-5

To order additional copies, please contact us. BookSurge, LLC www.booksurge.com 1-866-308-6235 [email protected]

2006

COLLEGE LIFE Intro

xiii

You’ve Been Admitted Paying for Tuition Where Are You Going to Live? Determining How Much Money You Will Need

1 1 3 4

Before Leaving Home Sweet Home Calling the Roommate Packing Up the Van… List of Things to Take

7 7 8

Before You Go, Things you Should Know Deciding which Classes to Take Buying Books Going TO the Classes How Not to be a Number Meeting Your Advisors

15 15 16 18 18 19

Freshman Year

21

Moving Into the Dorm

23

The People You Live With Roommates Suitemates The Hall

25 25 27 28

Food Meal Plans and the Cafeteria Dorm Room Recipes Freshmen 15 Eating Disorders

31 31 32 34 35

Homesickness

37

Extracurricular Activities Fraternities/Sororities Community Service Career/Major Activities Religious Organizations Activist Groups Sports

39 39 42 42 43 44 44

Day Planning and Studying Schedule and Time Management Taking Notes Studying in a Dorm Test Day

47 48 50 52 54

Stress Routine Getaways Senses

55 55 55 55

Subleasing

81

Not just the Freshman 15. Eating in an Apartment Recipes Going to the Grocery Store

83 83 91

Jobs On campus Babysitting Part time Clerical Restaurant/Retail

93 93 93 94 94

Second Semester- Deciding a Major Medical/Dental School Bound Law School or Graduate School No Clue of What’s to Come

97 97 97 98

Dating as a Sophomore On Campus The Basics Something Different

99 99 100 100

Relationships Already Committed Single

57 57 58

Finals A Glimpse at “Hell Week” Personal Stories

61 61 61

Summer Jobs

103

Junior Year

105

Summer Jobs

63

Sophomore Year

65

Home at College: Living in a House Pros and Cons of Living in a House Living with Three Roommates Living with Seven Roommates

107 107 108 108

Deciding Where to Live Dorm Apartment

67 67 67

Actually Turning 21 Tips

121 121

Dating in the Adult World New Opportunities Weekend Trips

123 123 124

House Parties and Other Get Together’s Occasions for Parties

127 127

Leaving the Dorm for the First Taste of Independent Living- An Apartment Costs Living Solo Living with a Roommate Living with Three Roommates

69 69 70 72 76

Extracurricular Activities Fraternities/Sororities Community Service Career/Major Activities Religious Organizations Activist Groups Sports

39 39 42 42 43 44 44

Day Planning and Studying Schedule and Time Management Taking Notes Studying in a Dorm Test Day

47 48 50 52 54

Stress Routine Getaways Senses

55 55 55 55

Subleasing

81

Not just the Freshman 15. Eating in an Apartment Recipes Going to the Grocery Store

83 83 91

Jobs On campus Babysitting Part time Clerical Restaurant/Retail

93 93 93 94 94

Second Semester- Deciding a Major Medical/Dental School Bound Law School or Graduate School No Clue of What’s to Come

97 97 97 98

Dating as a Sophomore On Campus The Basics Something Different

99 99 100 100

Relationships Already Committed Single

57 57 58

Finals A Glimpse at “Hell Week” Personal Stories

61 61 61

Summer Jobs

103

Junior Year

105

Summer Jobs

63

Sophomore Year

65

Home at College: Living in a House Pros and Cons of Living in a House Living with Three Roommates Living with Seven Roommates

107 107 108 108

Deciding Where to Live Dorm Apartment

67 67 67

Actually Turning 21 Tips

121 121

Dating in the Adult World New Opportunities Weekend Trips

123 123 124

House Parties and Other Get Together’s Occasions for Parties

127 127

Leaving the Dorm for the First Taste of Independent Living- An Apartment Costs Living Solo Living with a Roommate Living with Three Roommates

69 69 70 72 76

Social Events with Just the Roommates Spring Break and Other Vacations Spring Break Other Vacations

130 137 137 140

Internships, Cover Letters and Resumes Internships Cover Letters Resumes

143 143 146 148

Senior Year

153

Get Ready for the Ride

155

Is Life Outside of College the Same? Personal Story: Story of September 11 No More Allowance…

157 157 158

Self Reflection What do you want to do? Where do you want to go? Graduate School Professional School Working World Travel

161 161 162 162 163 164

Preparing for the Future Writing a Thesis and Graduating with Honors Getting Letters of Recommendation Taking Advancement Tests

165 165 166 167

Feeling out the Job Market If you don’t have a full time job right after you graduate…

169 169

Interviewing Tips Thank You Letters

171 171 172

Dating and Big Decisions

177

Thinking about Graduation

179

Pictures Ring Invitations Accommodations

179 180 180 180

Graduation Parties In Your Home At a Restaurant

183 183 184

Getting the Diploma and Moving On

185

Social Events with Just the Roommates Spring Break and Other Vacations Spring Break Other Vacations

130 137 137 140

Internships, Cover Letters and Resumes Internships Cover Letters Resumes

143 143 146 148

Senior Year

153

Get Ready for the Ride

155

Is Life Outside of College the Same? Personal Story: Story of September 11 No More Allowance…

157 157 158

Self Reflection What do you want to do? Where do you want to go? Graduate School Professional School Working World Travel

161 161 162 162 163 164

Preparing for the Future Writing a Thesis and Graduating with Honors Getting Letters of Recommendation Taking Advancement Tests

165 165 166 167

Feeling out the Job Market If you don’t have a full time job right after you graduate…

169 169

Interviewing Tips Thank You Letters

171 171 172

Dating and Big Decisions

177

Thinking about Graduation

179

Pictures Ring Invitations Accommodations

179 180 180 180

Graduation Parties In Your Home At a Restaurant

183 183 184

Getting the Diploma and Moving On

185

INTRODUCTION

W

hen I was about ten years old I decided that I was going to write a book. I remember how it was going to start, it was going to be about two teenage girls and the setting was Sunny dale California. I ended up getting to about page five and then I realized that it had become almost the exact same as Sweet Valley High. I guess that I had been taking in what I had been reading and was creating a book that already existed. That was the end of my book writing days, for the time being. As I got older I enjoyed writing but didn’t think about the idea of creating a book. As I went through college I found that I was really good at writing papers and enjoyed writing them. Still, I didn’t think about trying to write a book again until I was driving back to college my senior year after Christmas vacation. Like just about everyone in this particular time in college, I was struggling with the idea of what to do with my life. I have always heard, “find what you enjoy doing, and then figure out a way to make money doing it.” However, I must admit I didn’t think too much about this idea until this particular drive back to school. I have always thought that I would do something interesting in terms of a career, but I didn’t think about what that was. For me, the problem is that I think there are a lot of careers that sound like they would be great, but not one I could consider doing forever. That is, until I thought about writing. On that drive back to school I began to think, “What am I good at, and what have I enjoyed doing in school?” It may seem crazy, but the answer was writing. When I finish a project and have it all on paper, I feel good about myself and like the fact that I have a hardcopy package that sums up my efforts. I went back to thinking about writing as a career. I decided that I had always had a little voice inside of me, starting when I was a little girl, which wanted to become a writer. I never pursued the idea because I have always heard that it is impossible to get published and that it is a silly dream. I am not, however, the type of person who gives up that easily. In fact, the idea that this notion is a challenge and is a goal that I can work toward makes the task even sweeter. Maybe being a writer is what I was meant to be, the hints have been around, perhaps I have been so wrapped up in looking for the path that I didn’t realize what was best for me was right in front of me. On this trip back to college I began to think about life and what I wanted. I came to the conclusion right then and there that I was going to write a

INTRODUCTION

W

hen I was about ten years old I decided that I was going to write a book. I remember how it was going to start, it was going to be about two teenage girls and the setting was Sunny dale California. I ended up getting to about page five and then I realized that it had become almost the exact same as Sweet Valley High. I guess that I had been taking in what I had been reading and was creating a book that already existed. That was the end of my book writing days, for the time being. As I got older I enjoyed writing but didn’t think about the idea of creating a book. As I went through college I found that I was really good at writing papers and enjoyed writing them. Still, I didn’t think about trying to write a book again until I was driving back to college my senior year after Christmas vacation. Like just about everyone in this particular time in college, I was struggling with the idea of what to do with my life. I have always heard, “find what you enjoy doing, and then figure out a way to make money doing it.” However, I must admit I didn’t think too much about this idea until this particular drive back to school. I have always thought that I would do something interesting in terms of a career, but I didn’t think about what that was. For me, the problem is that I think there are a lot of careers that sound like they would be great, but not one I could consider doing forever. That is, until I thought about writing. On that drive back to school I began to think, “What am I good at, and what have I enjoyed doing in school?” It may seem crazy, but the answer was writing. When I finish a project and have it all on paper, I feel good about myself and like the fact that I have a hardcopy package that sums up my efforts. I went back to thinking about writing as a career. I decided that I had always had a little voice inside of me, starting when I was a little girl, which wanted to become a writer. I never pursued the idea because I have always heard that it is impossible to get published and that it is a silly dream. I am not, however, the type of person who gives up that easily. In fact, the idea that this notion is a challenge and is a goal that I can work toward makes the task even sweeter. Maybe being a writer is what I was meant to be, the hints have been around, perhaps I have been so wrapped up in looking for the path that I didn’t realize what was best for me was right in front of me. On this trip back to college I began to think about life and what I wanted. I came to the conclusion right then and there that I was going to write a

book and this time it was going to be all of my ideas, and it was going to be something that I knew. People say to write about what you experience. I thought nothing seemed more fitting than to write a book about school. A sort of “How To,” on college, but not an academic textbook written by someone who has not gone to school in thirty years, but a book about the “real college life.” Currently, I am a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I am graduating this year with a major in Communications and a minor in Sociology. It’s kind of funny that these are the majors I ended up in, for a couple of reasons. First, my mother was a double English/Anthropology major. I remember her saying that she really enjoyed her classes but that she majored in not one but two things in which there are no jobs. I laughed at her, at the time thinking I would be a pre-medicine Biology major, and announced that I was going to be a doctor and that I was going to major in something that “mattered.” I did start out with Biology as my major, but by my first college Chemistry class and lab, and ending with the Math class in which my first test grade was a 49, I decided that I needed to rethink my future. About five majors later, I sort of fell into the Communications and Sociology departments and this is where I stayed. While the job market descriptions that call for Communication majors or Sociology majors is quite slim, I discovered along the way that it really doesn’t matter what you major in (unless of course you are definitely deciding to go to Medical School, or Dental School, or something of that nature). Instead, I have realized that college, for me, was far more than what will be written on the college diploma. It was a time of learning, of growing up, of self discovery. The memories of coming of age will be what I think of most. This is why I am writing this book. First, I am a college student. I live and breathe college. I am not an adult having nostalgic memories about the past and trying to write about them, but am here. I know what it is like to have to pack for college. I know what it is like to be homesick, to wonder what to major in, to figure out where to live. This book will not only help take you through the steps of how to really do things, such as talking to your advisors and meeting your roommate for the first time, but it will also be a testament of the four years ahead. Starting from what to do when you get your acceptance letter all the way to finding a career and receiving the diploma, this book will help lead the way. ### I did complete my manuscript my senior year of college but it took me a year to figure out the best way to get it published. I didn’t give up, but I must admit I did put the book aside for a while. As fate would have it, I ended up as an “Academic Learning Specialist,” at the College of Charleston. It’s funny, the steps that direct you into your path (for me, the writing and publishing of this book and the career that has come out of it) are often right in front of your face, sometimes you just need a little nudge…

YOU’VE BEEN ADMITTED

C

ongratulations, the nightmares of having to live at home for the rest of your life are over- you’ve done it… you’ve been accepted! First of all, celebrate. The task of actually getting into a college is a hard enough feat in itself. The endless letters of recommendation, the SATs, the admission costs, the essays. You deserve to take pleasure in this accomplishment. Go out to a celebratory dinner. Bask in the praise of family and friends. What if you’ve been admitted to not one college, but two or three? How do you decide which school to go to? This calls for some self reflection. Where do you really see yourself? If you think that there are a few places that you would like, take some other factors into perspective. Think about location. Do you really want to be as far away from home as possible? Are you from the south and don’t really understand the meaning of freezing? You’ll soon realize that sometimes walking to class is a long way. No matter if it is freezing, or sleeting, or hailing, or a hurricane, you are going to have to go outside to get there. If you are not used to being cold or shiver inside when the temperature is on 80°, you may really need to take temperature into account. I know this from experience. Once I was captivated by the idea of a New England college. I pictured myself walking through the crisp air surrounded by a bouquet of fall colors. I didn’t really think about the fact that winter in New England is a heck of a lot different than in North Carolina. Even here sometimes walking to class is a frost-bite adventure. I am not saying that everybody should go to school in the south, but if you do decide to go to school where the winters are actually winters, just make sure you bring lots of warm clothes! Another factor involved in the decision making process may be the size of the school. Do you think that you would do better at a large University, or do you think that a small college is better suited for you? In a large school, such as a University, many freshman and sophomore classes are large; sometimes a single class will hold 500 students. On the other hand, many small schools will put a cap on their classes at around 35. Large Universities will be more easily recognizable to people outside of the University whereas a small school may not have much credibility with people outside of academics. These are just a few of the differences between a large University and a small education system. Since you may equate large schools with public education and small schools with private, the main difference in your mind may be money. Many

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

small schools are private and expensive. However, you may not realize that if a person goes to a University outside of their own state, it may be financially more expensive than many private schools. The cost of school has many factors, including whether it is public or private. Deciding between two schools may boil down to finances. Schools have a wide range of costs. Whether you are choosing between a public, State funded University or a private college, the difference in the cost of the education may or may not be a determining issue. However, whether you get accepted into college with early admissions, or you determine your school from a list of possibilities at the end of March, one of the main questions will be; how are you going to pay for it?

dual income household, whether your family owns their home, owns their cars, and how many other monthly payments they have. The answers play a factor in determining how much financial aid you qualify for. After the school determines how much financial aid per year you can acquire, this money is given out in a form of a loan, which unfortunately, has to be paid back. Many students come out of college with loans anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000. College is very expensive, but don’t worry too much yet. Many loans don’t require any form of payment until a few months after graduation. The best thing to do is study up on the financial aid information given to you by the college and go from there.

Paying for Tuition Many students have often heard their parents discuss the college fund. For some, college is something that their parents want and expect their children to do under the finances of them. This is wonderful for those that have this opportunity. Remember, this is the last time in your life that you may have a monthly allowance, so enjoy it. But for others, college is something that can be accomplished only through the partial support of their parents or by the student’s means completely. For those whose parents cannot afford to send them, there are a few options to help students deal with the financial costs: scholarships, grants, financial aid, and loans. Many communities give out scholarships to graduating high school students in forms of personal donations or through organizations such as the local Rotary Club. If you are still in high school and have not yet graduated, I encourage you to seek out and apply for as many of these scholarships as possible. Talk to your guidance counselor, there are many scholarships out there just waiting to be given away. Aside from community scholarships, look into those given by the school of your choice. The other form of “free money,” in terms of money that does not have to be paid back, is grants. When you apply for financial aid with the University, they keep all of the records and use them throughout your four years. Usually in the beginning, and sometimes throughout the year, the college will determine who is entitled to particular grants as they are given to the school and distribute the money to the students. Grants, like scholarships, can be renewable or a one time sum of money. Often they are credited straight to the University and are used to pay things such as tuition or high priced items you may need, such as a computer. Financial aid usually begins with a form that is sent out through the college. On this form, all income must be accounted for. There will be questions about your parent’s income- questions such as whether you live in a single or

Where Are You Going to Live? One factor that plays a role in figuring how much money you will need to take with you for your college budget is where you want to live. For most freshmen, there really aren’t that many choices. Most freshmen will live in a dorm. The good news for freshmen moving in is that most first year students live in dorms together or in dorms that are close in proximity. This helps students interact with other people who are in the exact same place as them. Many freshman dorms often have social activities and events designed to let freshman get to know each other. One of the most intimidating things about being a first year is that you don’t know anybody. The residence halls usually serve as a place for people with the same hopes and fears, anxieties, and feelings of excitement, to meet each other and share in their feelings. Assuming that you toured the school that you are planning on attending, you probably saw some of the dorms on campus. One word of the wise, don’t assume that the dorm you are going to be assigned to is going to look like the dorms you saw on the tours. A tour of most colleges and Universities will often show the very best dormitories. These are usually the dorms that only seniors, who worked their way up to this position through four years of living on campus, get to live in. If the dorm isn’t just for seniors, then the chances of getting into these rooms probably depends on a lottery system. Because of probability, this basically means what I mentioned before; don’t assume the dorm you are going to be assigned to will look like the dorm you saw on the tours. I am not trying to scare you; I just want you to be very aware of where you are going to be. Look at the brochures that are sent with your admission information and talk to people on campus to ask where the freshmen typically live. My mentioning of misguided tours is primarily a word of wisdom to those who are planning to attend the larger Universities. For the smaller schools, the campus is smaller and it will be easier to see where freshmen usually reside. However, still remember that when people visit the school, they are given the

2

3

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

small schools are private and expensive. However, you may not realize that if a person goes to a University outside of their own state, it may be financially more expensive than many private schools. The cost of school has many factors, including whether it is public or private. Deciding between two schools may boil down to finances. Schools have a wide range of costs. Whether you are choosing between a public, State funded University or a private college, the difference in the cost of the education may or may not be a determining issue. However, whether you get accepted into college with early admissions, or you determine your school from a list of possibilities at the end of March, one of the main questions will be; how are you going to pay for it?

dual income household, whether your family owns their home, owns their cars, and how many other monthly payments they have. The answers play a factor in determining how much financial aid you qualify for. After the school determines how much financial aid per year you can acquire, this money is given out in a form of a loan, which unfortunately, has to be paid back. Many students come out of college with loans anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000. College is very expensive, but don’t worry too much yet. Many loans don’t require any form of payment until a few months after graduation. The best thing to do is study up on the financial aid information given to you by the college and go from there.

Paying for Tuition Many students have often heard their parents discuss the college fund. For some, college is something that their parents want and expect their children to do under the finances of them. This is wonderful for those that have this opportunity. Remember, this is the last time in your life that you may have a monthly allowance, so enjoy it. But for others, college is something that can be accomplished only through the partial support of their parents or by the student’s means completely. For those whose parents cannot afford to send them, there are a few options to help students deal with the financial costs: scholarships, grants, financial aid, and loans. Many communities give out scholarships to graduating high school students in forms of personal donations or through organizations such as the local Rotary Club. If you are still in high school and have not yet graduated, I encourage you to seek out and apply for as many of these scholarships as possible. Talk to your guidance counselor, there are many scholarships out there just waiting to be given away. Aside from community scholarships, look into those given by the school of your choice. The other form of “free money,” in terms of money that does not have to be paid back, is grants. When you apply for financial aid with the University, they keep all of the records and use them throughout your four years. Usually in the beginning, and sometimes throughout the year, the college will determine who is entitled to particular grants as they are given to the school and distribute the money to the students. Grants, like scholarships, can be renewable or a one time sum of money. Often they are credited straight to the University and are used to pay things such as tuition or high priced items you may need, such as a computer. Financial aid usually begins with a form that is sent out through the college. On this form, all income must be accounted for. There will be questions about your parent’s income- questions such as whether you live in a single or

Where Are You Going to Live? One factor that plays a role in figuring how much money you will need to take with you for your college budget is where you want to live. For most freshmen, there really aren’t that many choices. Most freshmen will live in a dorm. The good news for freshmen moving in is that most first year students live in dorms together or in dorms that are close in proximity. This helps students interact with other people who are in the exact same place as them. Many freshman dorms often have social activities and events designed to let freshman get to know each other. One of the most intimidating things about being a first year is that you don’t know anybody. The residence halls usually serve as a place for people with the same hopes and fears, anxieties, and feelings of excitement, to meet each other and share in their feelings. Assuming that you toured the school that you are planning on attending, you probably saw some of the dorms on campus. One word of the wise, don’t assume that the dorm you are going to be assigned to is going to look like the dorms you saw on the tours. A tour of most colleges and Universities will often show the very best dormitories. These are usually the dorms that only seniors, who worked their way up to this position through four years of living on campus, get to live in. If the dorm isn’t just for seniors, then the chances of getting into these rooms probably depends on a lottery system. Because of probability, this basically means what I mentioned before; don’t assume the dorm you are going to be assigned to will look like the dorm you saw on the tours. I am not trying to scare you; I just want you to be very aware of where you are going to be. Look at the brochures that are sent with your admission information and talk to people on campus to ask where the freshmen typically live. My mentioning of misguided tours is primarily a word of wisdom to those who are planning to attend the larger Universities. For the smaller schools, the campus is smaller and it will be easier to see where freshmen usually reside. However, still remember that when people visit the school, they are given the

2

3

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

best show. No matter where you are going, check into the reality of where you will live. For many large schools and Universities, there are often other dorm options. These dorms may be directly affiliated with the college but do not have as strict of rules and may also have nicer accommodations. Such facilities are marketed to those who can afford to consider things such as location, the convenience of cafeterias within the dorm, and laundry and housecleaning services. These dorms are similar to those located on campus in that there are still rules and RAs present. They are not only good for freshmen but also for students who are not quite ready to take on the responsibilities of living in a house or an apartment. The main difference between living on campus and choosing to live in an off campus residence hall is, as you may have guessed, money. Sometimes the cost of these living facilities can be over two times the amount of living in a campus dorm. Some other options may be a house or an apartment, but I would not suggest this to freshmen unless it is with an older sibling or some other type of specific circumstance. Moving away from home is hard enough and learning how to deal with things like making rent each month and worrying about utility bills is something that can come later. Determining How Much Money You Will Need College is a very expensive endeavor. No matter where you go to school or where you are going to live, there are still a lot of costs to think about. One of the main things to consider is that tuition, for many, is only a small part of how much money you will spend on your education. For example, outside of tuition, there are many other expenses that you need to be aware of in order to determine a sensible budget. Here are some things to think about: • Initial Costs- These are the things that are one time only purchases for your first year that many have to make before leaving to go to school. Computer (some schools require incoming freshman to purchase laptops) Printer Television Small refrigerator Microwave Bedding • School Supplies Notebooks Book bag Pens Paper 4

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

-

Calculator Ink Cartridges Planner Certain classes have extra charges such as some physical education classes and labs. Books- Keep in mind that books can be very expensive. Typically the cost of books for a semester range from $300.00 to $800.00 depending on the course subjects. As a rule of thumb, remember that science classes tend to be the most expensive. • Personal Items Bathroom products including soap, shampoo, etc A shower caddy Shower shoes (A pair of water proof sandals works well) Medicine When I went to college I took a container filled with products such as Aspirin, cotton balls, and Tums. Having something like this is useful and cost efficient as well. Decorations Dorm Supplies • Food Meal plans Cash for food Stock items for the dorm like drinks • “Fun” Money Cash for things like going out to eat, unforeseen school costs, clothing, etc. Remember to add extra money into your budget when you are first setting up costs. Many things come up while you are away at school that cannot be taken into account. After the first semester it will be easier to determine the costs for the second semester. Also it is comforting to think that many of the purchases that you have to make before you go to school are one time things, such as a computer. These item costs will not have to be factored into the budget of the following years.

5

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

best show. No matter where you are going, check into the reality of where you will live. For many large schools and Universities, there are often other dorm options. These dorms may be directly affiliated with the college but do not have as strict of rules and may also have nicer accommodations. Such facilities are marketed to those who can afford to consider things such as location, the convenience of cafeterias within the dorm, and laundry and housecleaning services. These dorms are similar to those located on campus in that there are still rules and RAs present. They are not only good for freshmen but also for students who are not quite ready to take on the responsibilities of living in a house or an apartment. The main difference between living on campus and choosing to live in an off campus residence hall is, as you may have guessed, money. Sometimes the cost of these living facilities can be over two times the amount of living in a campus dorm. Some other options may be a house or an apartment, but I would not suggest this to freshmen unless it is with an older sibling or some other type of specific circumstance. Moving away from home is hard enough and learning how to deal with things like making rent each month and worrying about utility bills is something that can come later. Determining How Much Money You Will Need College is a very expensive endeavor. No matter where you go to school or where you are going to live, there are still a lot of costs to think about. One of the main things to consider is that tuition, for many, is only a small part of how much money you will spend on your education. For example, outside of tuition, there are many other expenses that you need to be aware of in order to determine a sensible budget. Here are some things to think about: • Initial Costs- These are the things that are one time only purchases for your first year that many have to make before leaving to go to school. Computer (some schools require incoming freshman to purchase laptops) Printer Television Small refrigerator Microwave Bedding • School Supplies Notebooks Book bag Pens Paper 4

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

-

Calculator Ink Cartridges Planner Certain classes have extra charges such as some physical education classes and labs. Books- Keep in mind that books can be very expensive. Typically the cost of books for a semester range from $300.00 to $800.00 depending on the course subjects. As a rule of thumb, remember that science classes tend to be the most expensive. • Personal Items Bathroom products including soap, shampoo, etc A shower caddy Shower shoes (A pair of water proof sandals works well) Medicine When I went to college I took a container filled with products such as Aspirin, cotton balls, and Tums. Having something like this is useful and cost efficient as well. Decorations Dorm Supplies • Food Meal plans Cash for food Stock items for the dorm like drinks • “Fun” Money Cash for things like going out to eat, unforeseen school costs, clothing, etc. Remember to add extra money into your budget when you are first setting up costs. Many things come up while you are away at school that cannot be taken into account. After the first semester it will be easier to determine the costs for the second semester. Also it is comforting to think that many of the purchases that you have to make before you go to school are one time things, such as a computer. These item costs will not have to be factored into the budget of the following years.

5

BEFORE LEAVING HOME SWEET HOME

N

ow that the decision has been made of which school to go to, where to live, and about how much money you will need before leaving home, it is time to really think about college. Many people find the summer before school a time to reflect on their lives thus far and look forward to the future. Many friends often sit and reflect on the possibilities of their lives ahead, as an adult. One of the main concerns that people have before leaving for school is who their roommate will be and what their roommate will be like. Unless you know your roommate before you go to school, getting to know your future roommate is an important next step. After a person has chosen whether to live in an on campus or off campus dorm, the housing department will send an announcement listing the name, hometown, and phone number of the future roommate. The best thing to do first is to call and meet him or her. The first time you talk to your future roommate may be a bit nerveracking. One of the most important things to remember in this situation is to keep it light. Don’t go into strong details about what you think is acceptable and unacceptable in dorm life. There will be plenty of time in the future to figure that out. Instead, focus on casual conversation. When you call your new roommate, talk to him or her about things like where you are from, what you want to major in, what you are involved in, and your family. Stay away from conversations that make you sound bossy. If you or your roommate start talking immediately about what time to go to bed, if night guests are allowed, and other rules, then it may start the year off on the wrong foot. If you or your roommate start spitting off lists of demands, neither one of you will appreciate it. Keep the conversation light and about yourself. You have the rest of the year to get to know this person so you don’t have to do it in one conversation. End the phone call with a suggested time for another phone conversation, or if it is possible, schedule a time and place to meet. If meeting is a possibility before moving to college, it would be worthwhile. For example, if both of you are from small towns and there is a city in between, it would be beneficial to schedule a time and place to meet there. I realize that this isn’t something feasible for everybody, but if it is possible I definitely suggest it. Meeting gives each person a chance to see and get to know the other before the stress of moving into the dorm. Move in day is one of the most hectic

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

of the year, and this is not the best of days to be getting to know the person you will be sharing a room with. If you can meet before move in, it will be easier to get better acquainted. Sometimes just putting a voice with a face will help alleviate some of the stresses before the big day. Finally, there are a few things that do need to be discussed with your roommate before college. Remember, don’t do this on the first phone call but after you have met or talked a few times. The two of you need to decide who will be in charge of a few things. For example, if there are large items to bring, it needs to be decided who is going to bring what. Decide who is going to bring the microwave, the television, the DVD player, the refrigerator, and couches. If you are not planning on having any or some of these items, don’t feel bad, I am just mentioning large dorm items. However, if you are going to bring a couch but you don’t have one, I have two suggestions. First, look at thrift stores and Good Will. People will be hanging out on these couches, eating on them, studying on them, and sleeping on them so don’t buy anything nice. Secondly, a good idea for seating, if you have room, is a futon. You can buy them relatively inexpensive and they also pull out into beds for those over night guests. Another event that often happens, with girl roommates in particular, is that they want to coordinate their dorm accessories such as bedspreads and curtains. This would obviously be something that needs to be discussed before you leave to go to school. If you and your roommate want to do this, go for it. Your dorm is your home away from home so make it as comfortable and inviting as possible. Packing Up the Van… List of Things to Take Although some of the items that you need to take were mentioned in the cost chapter, I think it is helpful to give a complete list, to make sure everything gets packed for the move. As you pack these things, put a check by the items you have packed and an x by those that do not apply. This will alleviate some stress about what has and has not been packed as well as keep things in a relatively orderly fashion. While this list may seem daunting, think about the fact that this is pretty much everything that is needed for the first year of school. Large Items: _ Microwave _ Toaster Oven _ Television _ DVD Player _ CD player

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

_ Play station/X-Box _ Refrigerator _ Futon _ Loft _ Computer Chair _ Computer Desk * Most dorms have computer desks built in _ Lamps _ Card Table Bedding _ Egg crate or featherbed _ Bed skirt _ Sheets - top, bottom, and pillow coverings * see if dorm has regular or extra long beds _ Pillows _ Bed Spread _ Extra Blanket Clothes: Shirts _ Collared _ Long Sleeve _ Short Sleeve _ Tank Tops _ Sweatshirts Sweaters _ Light for the fall _ Thick for the winter Pants _ Jeans _ Dress _ Sweat/ Pajama Skirts/Dresses _ Dressy Cool _ Casual Cool _ Dressy Warm

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of the year, and this is not the best of days to be getting to know the person you will be sharing a room with. If you can meet before move in, it will be easier to get better acquainted. Sometimes just putting a voice with a face will help alleviate some of the stresses before the big day. Finally, there are a few things that do need to be discussed with your roommate before college. Remember, don’t do this on the first phone call but after you have met or talked a few times. The two of you need to decide who will be in charge of a few things. For example, if there are large items to bring, it needs to be decided who is going to bring what. Decide who is going to bring the microwave, the television, the DVD player, the refrigerator, and couches. If you are not planning on having any or some of these items, don’t feel bad, I am just mentioning large dorm items. However, if you are going to bring a couch but you don’t have one, I have two suggestions. First, look at thrift stores and Good Will. People will be hanging out on these couches, eating on them, studying on them, and sleeping on them so don’t buy anything nice. Secondly, a good idea for seating, if you have room, is a futon. You can buy them relatively inexpensive and they also pull out into beds for those over night guests. Another event that often happens, with girl roommates in particular, is that they want to coordinate their dorm accessories such as bedspreads and curtains. This would obviously be something that needs to be discussed before you leave to go to school. If you and your roommate want to do this, go for it. Your dorm is your home away from home so make it as comfortable and inviting as possible. Packing Up the Van… List of Things to Take Although some of the items that you need to take were mentioned in the cost chapter, I think it is helpful to give a complete list, to make sure everything gets packed for the move. As you pack these things, put a check by the items you have packed and an x by those that do not apply. This will alleviate some stress about what has and has not been packed as well as keep things in a relatively orderly fashion. While this list may seem daunting, think about the fact that this is pretty much everything that is needed for the first year of school. Large Items: _ Microwave _ Toaster Oven _ Television _ DVD Player _ CD player

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

_ Play station/X-Box _ Refrigerator _ Futon _ Loft _ Computer Chair _ Computer Desk * Most dorms have computer desks built in _ Lamps _ Card Table Bedding _ Egg crate or featherbed _ Bed skirt _ Sheets - top, bottom, and pillow coverings * see if dorm has regular or extra long beds _ Pillows _ Bed Spread _ Extra Blanket Clothes: Shirts _ Collared _ Long Sleeve _ Short Sleeve _ Tank Tops _ Sweatshirts Sweaters _ Light for the fall _ Thick for the winter Pants _ Jeans _ Dress _ Sweat/ Pajama Skirts/Dresses _ Dressy Cool _ Casual Cool _ Dressy Warm

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KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

_Shower Curtain _Bath Mat

_ Casual Warm Shoes _ Athletic _ Comfortable (especially for walking to class) _ Dressy Cool _Sandals _Open toed Warm _Clogs _Closed toed Underwear _ Bras _Panties _ Stockings _ Undershirts

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

_Boxers _Briefs _Undershirts/ T-shirts

Socks _Thick Athletic _Thin Dressy

Personal: _Medicine kit _Headache _Stomachaches _Personal medications _Cold/Flu _Allergies _Hair brush _Hair products _Gel _Spray _Tooth brush _Tooth paste _Curling Iron _Blow Dryer _Makeup Including items such as cotton balls and tweezers _ Jewelry _Perfume/Cologne School Supplies: _Computer _Printer _Trashcan _Organizers _Calendar _Planner _Pencils/Pens _Notebooks _Paper _Printer Paper _Ink Cartridge _Color _Black _Book Bag _Calculator _Stapler _Staples

Outerwear _Jacket _ Scarves _ Hats _ Gloves _ Rain Coat _ Bathing Suit Shower: _ Shampoo _ Conditioner _ Soap _Sponges/Washcloths _Facial wash _Shaving Gel _Razor _Towels _Robe 10

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KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

_Shower Curtain _Bath Mat

_ Casual Warm Shoes _ Athletic _ Comfortable (especially for walking to class) _ Dressy Cool _Sandals _Open toed Warm _Clogs _Closed toed Underwear _ Bras _Panties _ Stockings _ Undershirts

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

_Boxers _Briefs _Undershirts/ T-shirts

Socks _Thick Athletic _Thin Dressy

Personal: _Medicine kit _Headache _Stomachaches _Personal medications _Cold/Flu _Allergies _Hair brush _Hair products _Gel _Spray _Tooth brush _Tooth paste _Curling Iron _Blow Dryer _Makeup Including items such as cotton balls and tweezers _ Jewelry _Perfume/Cologne School Supplies: _Computer _Printer _Trashcan _Organizers _Calendar _Planner _Pencils/Pens _Notebooks _Paper _Printer Paper _Ink Cartridge _Color _Black _Book Bag _Calculator _Stapler _Staples

Outerwear _Jacket _ Scarves _ Hats _ Gloves _ Rain Coat _ Bathing Suit Shower: _ Shampoo _ Conditioner _ Soap _Sponges/Washcloths _Facial wash _Shaving Gel _Razor _Towels _Robe 10

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KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

_ Paper Clips _Books such as dictionaries Food: (This may be something purchased after moving into the dorm) Snacks for the dorm _Drinks _Food Laundry: _Laundry bag _Quarters _Dryer sheets _Laundry Detergent Miscellaneous: _ IPod _Wallet/ Purse Make sure to have checks, ID, student card if available, and cash _Umbrella _Envelopes and Stamps _Calling Cards _Pictures _Camera _Film _Fan _Kitchenware Bowls, Plates, Cups, and Utensils _Decorations Room Organizers _Shoes _Food _School supplies _Other Entertainment _DVDs _CDs _Games _Sports Equipment

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

thing to do is pack it tight. If you can’t get all of the things into one car, you may have to take two if that is a possibility. Another suggestion is to rent a UHaul trailer. These are relatively inexpensive and can be attached to the back of your car. Although the list is long, remember that the space is pretty small. You shouldn’t be taking so much stuff that it won’t fit in a very small amount of room. Remember to take organizers and small storage bins. These items will help keep things in place. The best way to actually pack all of these items is a personal choice. What I did was get three extra large Rubbermaid containers. My mother and I packed things into these and then carried them together to the car. This was effective because it was easier to pack a lot of items into these storage units without taking up a lot of space with a bunch of small storage boxes. Also, many schools will have dollies to help move the students into the dorms and the containers can then be placed on them. Of course items that are already in large boxes, such as refrigerators, should just stay in the packaging. Empty spaces left in the car can be filled with soft items such as bedding and pillows.

After this very long and extensive list, you may be wondering how you are going to get all of these things to school. If you have a large car, the best 12

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KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

_ Paper Clips _Books such as dictionaries Food: (This may be something purchased after moving into the dorm) Snacks for the dorm _Drinks _Food Laundry: _Laundry bag _Quarters _Dryer sheets _Laundry Detergent Miscellaneous: _ IPod _Wallet/ Purse Make sure to have checks, ID, student card if available, and cash _Umbrella _Envelopes and Stamps _Calling Cards _Pictures _Camera _Film _Fan _Kitchenware Bowls, Plates, Cups, and Utensils _Decorations Room Organizers _Shoes _Food _School supplies _Other Entertainment _DVDs _CDs _Games _Sports Equipment

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

thing to do is pack it tight. If you can’t get all of the things into one car, you may have to take two if that is a possibility. Another suggestion is to rent a UHaul trailer. These are relatively inexpensive and can be attached to the back of your car. Although the list is long, remember that the space is pretty small. You shouldn’t be taking so much stuff that it won’t fit in a very small amount of room. Remember to take organizers and small storage bins. These items will help keep things in place. The best way to actually pack all of these items is a personal choice. What I did was get three extra large Rubbermaid containers. My mother and I packed things into these and then carried them together to the car. This was effective because it was easier to pack a lot of items into these storage units without taking up a lot of space with a bunch of small storage boxes. Also, many schools will have dollies to help move the students into the dorms and the containers can then be placed on them. Of course items that are already in large boxes, such as refrigerators, should just stay in the packaging. Empty spaces left in the car can be filled with soft items such as bedding and pillows.

After this very long and extensive list, you may be wondering how you are going to get all of these things to school. If you have a large car, the best 12

13

BEFORE YOU GO, THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

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efore the car rolls out of the driveway or you take your first step into the college dorm, I offer a few things to think about, in terms of college, before you get there. Some of these suggestions include: determining which classes to take, buying the books, how not to just being a number, going to the classes, and meeting your advisors. Determining Which Classes to Take Many colleges require incoming freshman to attend orientations. At these orientations students usually meet with advisors and pick classes. For many students, picking first semester classes is easy because it often falls in line with the standard of high school. For example, since most colleges encourage freshman to take a variety of classes for experience and for different perspective requirements, their schedule is very diverse. Often students will take a math, English, a language, a history, a science, or things of these core disciplines. The opportunity to branch out and take classes in particular areas of study usually comes later in the schooling experience. One of the exceptions to this would be if you are attending a technical school or are entering college in a very concentrated disciple. For example, I attend the University of North Carolina, a liberal arts school. What this means is that no matter what you decide your major will be, you end up graduating college having a well rounded education full of other courses outside of your disciple. On the other hand, NC State has many degrees that are very concentrated. One of my very best friends is a student of the College of Textiles within NC State. Her freshmen schedule, although still fairly planned out for her, contained many classes in the same area of study instead of a variety. The good thing for freshman at any school is that the schedule is pretty much determined for them. If there are some windows of opportunity in your first schedule, take a class in the major that you think you will choose. Very early this will let you know if you want to pursue this major or not. One aspect of deciding which classes to take is to determine how many hours of credit you are planning on pursuing. The nice thing about college that is different from high school is that you don’t have to be in class from eight in the morning until three in the afternoon. Most students take anywhere from twelve hours to eighteen in their first semester of college. Even if you plan on

BEFORE YOU GO, THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

B

efore the car rolls out of the driveway or you take your first step into the college dorm, I offer a few things to think about, in terms of college, before you get there. Some of these suggestions include: determining which classes to take, buying the books, how not to just being a number, going to the classes, and meeting your advisors. Determining Which Classes to Take Many colleges require incoming freshman to attend orientations. At these orientations students usually meet with advisors and pick classes. For many students, picking first semester classes is easy because it often falls in line with the standard of high school. For example, since most colleges encourage freshman to take a variety of classes for experience and for different perspective requirements, their schedule is very diverse. Often students will take a math, English, a language, a history, a science, or things of these core disciplines. The opportunity to branch out and take classes in particular areas of study usually comes later in the schooling experience. One of the exceptions to this would be if you are attending a technical school or are entering college in a very concentrated disciple. For example, I attend the University of North Carolina, a liberal arts school. What this means is that no matter what you decide your major will be, you end up graduating college having a well rounded education full of other courses outside of your disciple. On the other hand, NC State has many degrees that are very concentrated. One of my very best friends is a student of the College of Textiles within NC State. Her freshmen schedule, although still fairly planned out for her, contained many classes in the same area of study instead of a variety. The good thing for freshman at any school is that the schedule is pretty much determined for them. If there are some windows of opportunity in your first schedule, take a class in the major that you think you will choose. Very early this will let you know if you want to pursue this major or not. One aspect of deciding which classes to take is to determine how many hours of credit you are planning on pursuing. The nice thing about college that is different from high school is that you don’t have to be in class from eight in the morning until three in the afternoon. Most students take anywhere from twelve hours to eighteen in their first semester of college. Even if you plan on

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

taking eighteen, this would be approximately six classes. You would take three or four classes a day instead of the six or seven taken each day in high school. The catch behind this is that most teachers will tell you, as a rule of thumb, every hour in the classroom equals three hours of outside work. One tip is to sign up for one more class than you plan on really taking. Inevitably you will go to a class on the first or second day and find that either you just hate it, don’t like the time, don’t have a prerequisite, or something of that nature. Signing up for one extra class will give you the flexibility to get the amount of hours you wish in classes you like. Finally, perhaps one of the most important premises behind picking which classes to take has to do with what time the classes meet. I have mixed feelings about really early classes and think it would be best to give both the pros and the cons. Most freshmen end up taking classes early in the morning and often begin around eight. This usually happens for two reasons. First, many freshman do not have a choice in this matter because many of the introductory courses are only offered in the morning. Also, freshmen take earlier classes because the sophomores, juniors, and seniors, who got to register first, took all of the later classes. The second main reason freshman take morning classes is because in high school everybody starts at eight- it doesn’t seem that odd to start at the same time in college. Taking early classes can be good because it enables you to finish with class early, which can leave the afternoons open for studying, sports, and/or jobs. They can also be good because they often make the days seem more scheduled and planned. The reason why they can be bad is because, first of all, college is not high school. There is no longer a bed time, a no talking on the phone time, or a curfew. Many freshmen end up staying up late at night, chatting on Instant Messenger and Facebook, hanging out, or just testing the liberties of being on their own. In the morning, there is no longer anyone to make you get out of bed! Your mother is no longer making you go to school. Trust me; in the winter when it is freezing outside and it is a mile walk to campus and it is dark, it is very easy to turn the alarm clock off and role over. What this boils down to is a bit of personal preference and a lot of self determination. Make yourself go to the classes. Don’t just skip, because it is easy.

Sometimes your schedule changes after you start class. When you change your schedule, you also change the books you will need. This means that you will have to go to the bookstore and return the preordered books and buy new ones. If this is the case, it seems more convenient to wait and buy all the books that you know you need in one trip. The preordered books may save a trip to the store if you definitely keep the same classes, but there is also a possibility that preordering books may be more expensive. One reason preordering is a good option is because sometimes books sell out for a class, particularly introductory courses. In this case you have to wait for more books to come in which puts you behind before you start. There is good and bad to everything and buying books is just the same. There are a few other options of where to buy your textbooks. If you want to get the textbooks from the college, you can wait until you get to school to actually buy them. At the college bookstore you can buy books that you pick out. This way, for example, if you want used books, you can sort through the options and pick the books that don’t have highlighting marks or that have the least damage. If you preorder, someone else does the picking. Another option is a college bookstore that is located off campus. Prices for books here are usually about the same but the location tends to be more convenient. The lines at the college bookstore at the beginning of the semester can be unbelievable. Off campus bookstores are often more manageable. There are two other possibilities for buying textbooks. Sometimes students that took a particular course in the past will sell their book for a cheaper rate. This can be good, but I would not advise depending on this tactic. Finally, often textbooks can be bought online at the very cheapest rate of all. I suggest looking at amazon.com and half.com. The problem is that it takes a little while for the books to be sent. If it is a book that you can wait a few days for, or you preorder early, the internet is a great resource. However, if you need the book immediately, you may have to seek local options. Usually what happens is that you buy books in a variety of places. For example, you buy your textbooks at the bookstore, but they don’t have one of the books so you order it online. The next question is whether to buy new or used. One of the more obvious reasons in the difference is price. Like everything, there are pros and cons to each. Often this choice, like many other things, is simply that there isn’t a choice. Many textbooks used over and over come out with yearly editions. The professor has a right to choose the books and often the choice is to use the new edition. In this case, there are no used textbooks to buy so you have to choose new. Another reason to buy new books is because they are clean. Often used books will be full of highlights and notes that may be distracting. The cost

Buying the Books Books can be one of the larger expenses you face. As I mentioned earlier, sometimes they run well over $500.00. When I went to school, the University had a program where you could preorder your books before you actually went to school. All you had to do was choose whether you wanted new or used books. This sounds cheap and convenient right? Well for many, not actually. 16

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KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

taking eighteen, this would be approximately six classes. You would take three or four classes a day instead of the six or seven taken each day in high school. The catch behind this is that most teachers will tell you, as a rule of thumb, every hour in the classroom equals three hours of outside work. One tip is to sign up for one more class than you plan on really taking. Inevitably you will go to a class on the first or second day and find that either you just hate it, don’t like the time, don’t have a prerequisite, or something of that nature. Signing up for one extra class will give you the flexibility to get the amount of hours you wish in classes you like. Finally, perhaps one of the most important premises behind picking which classes to take has to do with what time the classes meet. I have mixed feelings about really early classes and think it would be best to give both the pros and the cons. Most freshmen end up taking classes early in the morning and often begin around eight. This usually happens for two reasons. First, many freshman do not have a choice in this matter because many of the introductory courses are only offered in the morning. Also, freshmen take earlier classes because the sophomores, juniors, and seniors, who got to register first, took all of the later classes. The second main reason freshman take morning classes is because in high school everybody starts at eight- it doesn’t seem that odd to start at the same time in college. Taking early classes can be good because it enables you to finish with class early, which can leave the afternoons open for studying, sports, and/or jobs. They can also be good because they often make the days seem more scheduled and planned. The reason why they can be bad is because, first of all, college is not high school. There is no longer a bed time, a no talking on the phone time, or a curfew. Many freshmen end up staying up late at night, chatting on Instant Messenger and Facebook, hanging out, or just testing the liberties of being on their own. In the morning, there is no longer anyone to make you get out of bed! Your mother is no longer making you go to school. Trust me; in the winter when it is freezing outside and it is a mile walk to campus and it is dark, it is very easy to turn the alarm clock off and role over. What this boils down to is a bit of personal preference and a lot of self determination. Make yourself go to the classes. Don’t just skip, because it is easy.

Sometimes your schedule changes after you start class. When you change your schedule, you also change the books you will need. This means that you will have to go to the bookstore and return the preordered books and buy new ones. If this is the case, it seems more convenient to wait and buy all the books that you know you need in one trip. The preordered books may save a trip to the store if you definitely keep the same classes, but there is also a possibility that preordering books may be more expensive. One reason preordering is a good option is because sometimes books sell out for a class, particularly introductory courses. In this case you have to wait for more books to come in which puts you behind before you start. There is good and bad to everything and buying books is just the same. There are a few other options of where to buy your textbooks. If you want to get the textbooks from the college, you can wait until you get to school to actually buy them. At the college bookstore you can buy books that you pick out. This way, for example, if you want used books, you can sort through the options and pick the books that don’t have highlighting marks or that have the least damage. If you preorder, someone else does the picking. Another option is a college bookstore that is located off campus. Prices for books here are usually about the same but the location tends to be more convenient. The lines at the college bookstore at the beginning of the semester can be unbelievable. Off campus bookstores are often more manageable. There are two other possibilities for buying textbooks. Sometimes students that took a particular course in the past will sell their book for a cheaper rate. This can be good, but I would not advise depending on this tactic. Finally, often textbooks can be bought online at the very cheapest rate of all. I suggest looking at amazon.com and half.com. The problem is that it takes a little while for the books to be sent. If it is a book that you can wait a few days for, or you preorder early, the internet is a great resource. However, if you need the book immediately, you may have to seek local options. Usually what happens is that you buy books in a variety of places. For example, you buy your textbooks at the bookstore, but they don’t have one of the books so you order it online. The next question is whether to buy new or used. One of the more obvious reasons in the difference is price. Like everything, there are pros and cons to each. Often this choice, like many other things, is simply that there isn’t a choice. Many textbooks used over and over come out with yearly editions. The professor has a right to choose the books and often the choice is to use the new edition. In this case, there are no used textbooks to buy so you have to choose new. Another reason to buy new books is because they are clean. Often used books will be full of highlights and notes that may be distracting. The cost

Buying the Books Books can be one of the larger expenses you face. As I mentioned earlier, sometimes they run well over $500.00. When I went to school, the University had a program where you could preorder your books before you actually went to school. All you had to do was choose whether you wanted new or used books. This sounds cheap and convenient right? Well for many, not actually. 16

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KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

between new and used is subject to the textbook; sometimes there is a large difference, but sometimes it is only a matter of a few dollars. Used books are, for the most part, bought because they are cheaper. Also sometimes the work is done for you, so to speak, in that you get the chance to see the notes and highlights of a student before. They are also broken in and may be easier to use. No matter where you get your books, no matter if they are used or new, just make sure that you get them as soon as possible when school starts so you don’t fall behind.

this may be the case, it really isn’t as bad as you may think. Yes, this is the number used to grade tests and yes, this is the number that gives access to all of my information, but in terms of other people in a face to face communication setting, the numbers simply are not used. Even in the very largest of schools, teachers still hold office hours. In most cases teachers do their job, even at the college level, because they are passionate about spreading information and care about the people that they are teaching the information to. Don’t be intimidated by your teachers. Sometimes they can seem intimidating, but they shouldn’t be. My experience has been that teachers are more than willing to try and get to know as many students as they can. If you have a class of 500 but you know the professor and the professor just knows your name, you have accomplished the first step of setting yourself apart from your peers. The internet is another aspect of communication that helps curb the fear of being a number. Email is the most frequent form of contact used at large schools -- sometimes it seems like everything is sent this way. It’s been my experience that if you have a question, comment, or concern and you email it to your teacher, he or she will respond in a reasonable amount of time. This is nice if you are either too shy to go to the office hours or you simply don’t have time. If you are going to miss a class or you are doing the reading and don’t understand something, it is nice to have an outlet to help solve problems. Many large classes have graduate students -- teacher’s assistants that act as mini teachers inside the large class structure. When a class has a large student base, the class usually has a recitation that meets once a week in place of the lecture. The size of the class is smaller and it is here that the TA acts as the teacher. Your teacher’s assistant is your primary teacher in the sense that the TA does the grading and will be the one that you contact if you have questions. This further helps alleviate some of the concern of being a number because you will be in a class of twenty where the teacher knows your name and expects interaction between the group and the lecture.

Going TO the Classes One of the main differences between high school classes and college classes is that high schools require that you actually attend school. Don’t get too excited, however, because many college classes do require that you go. The general rule tends to be that smaller classes do take attendance and larger classes don’t. This makes sense because it would be virtually impossible to take attendance in a class with five hundred students. In the smaller classes that do take attendance, it is usually a small percentage of the total grade. For the larger classes that don’t have attendance, obviously whether you are there or not has no direct effect on grades but indirectly there are consequences. One of the reasons many freshmen do not attend class is because attendance may not directly affect grades. This, as well as other factors, such as the walk to campus, the time of the class, and the weather, make going to class very difficult. The trap of not going to class is an easy one to fall in to but beware. College is harder than high school so “winging it,” is not quite as easy. Also, many people think that the tests will come straight from the textbooks. This is usually not the case. Often tests will be a combination of material from in class and outside of class. If you aren’t there to hear the lecture, chances are you’ll be behind. Some classes make it even easier to skip because the lectures will be placed on the internet. If the notes are online and you own the book, then the thought is that there is certainly no reason to go to class. Beware of this as well. If it seems just too easy, it probably is. This is college and your parents are paying by the semester hour for classes you are supposed to attend per week. Use the opportunity to listen to the lectures and learn from the professors instead of trying to learn everything on your own. While attendance grades may not be directly linked to final grades, indirectly they are. How Not to be a Number One comment that I always remember hearing about going to a large school was that you would always be a number. In a way, that is true. I am a nine digit number, and have been that same number for four years. While

Meeting Your Advisors Beside your professors, it is important to meet your advisor. All incoming students are assigned to an advisor who will serve as their guidance counselor until a major is declared. After you have decided on your major, you will get an advisor in that department. In addition, many schools also assign senior advisors, in your senior year of college, to make sure graduation is on track. Advisors have more power than I think they realize. Often the advisor can make or break you. For example, I was dead set on becoming a doctor when I first met with my undergraduate advisor. Without even looking at my grades or past history, the advisor immediately went into a speech about why I would not

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KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

between new and used is subject to the textbook; sometimes there is a large difference, but sometimes it is only a matter of a few dollars. Used books are, for the most part, bought because they are cheaper. Also sometimes the work is done for you, so to speak, in that you get the chance to see the notes and highlights of a student before. They are also broken in and may be easier to use. No matter where you get your books, no matter if they are used or new, just make sure that you get them as soon as possible when school starts so you don’t fall behind.

this may be the case, it really isn’t as bad as you may think. Yes, this is the number used to grade tests and yes, this is the number that gives access to all of my information, but in terms of other people in a face to face communication setting, the numbers simply are not used. Even in the very largest of schools, teachers still hold office hours. In most cases teachers do their job, even at the college level, because they are passionate about spreading information and care about the people that they are teaching the information to. Don’t be intimidated by your teachers. Sometimes they can seem intimidating, but they shouldn’t be. My experience has been that teachers are more than willing to try and get to know as many students as they can. If you have a class of 500 but you know the professor and the professor just knows your name, you have accomplished the first step of setting yourself apart from your peers. The internet is another aspect of communication that helps curb the fear of being a number. Email is the most frequent form of contact used at large schools -- sometimes it seems like everything is sent this way. It’s been my experience that if you have a question, comment, or concern and you email it to your teacher, he or she will respond in a reasonable amount of time. This is nice if you are either too shy to go to the office hours or you simply don’t have time. If you are going to miss a class or you are doing the reading and don’t understand something, it is nice to have an outlet to help solve problems. Many large classes have graduate students -- teacher’s assistants that act as mini teachers inside the large class structure. When a class has a large student base, the class usually has a recitation that meets once a week in place of the lecture. The size of the class is smaller and it is here that the TA acts as the teacher. Your teacher’s assistant is your primary teacher in the sense that the TA does the grading and will be the one that you contact if you have questions. This further helps alleviate some of the concern of being a number because you will be in a class of twenty where the teacher knows your name and expects interaction between the group and the lecture.

Going TO the Classes One of the main differences between high school classes and college classes is that high schools require that you actually attend school. Don’t get too excited, however, because many college classes do require that you go. The general rule tends to be that smaller classes do take attendance and larger classes don’t. This makes sense because it would be virtually impossible to take attendance in a class with five hundred students. In the smaller classes that do take attendance, it is usually a small percentage of the total grade. For the larger classes that don’t have attendance, obviously whether you are there or not has no direct effect on grades but indirectly there are consequences. One of the reasons many freshmen do not attend class is because attendance may not directly affect grades. This, as well as other factors, such as the walk to campus, the time of the class, and the weather, make going to class very difficult. The trap of not going to class is an easy one to fall in to but beware. College is harder than high school so “winging it,” is not quite as easy. Also, many people think that the tests will come straight from the textbooks. This is usually not the case. Often tests will be a combination of material from in class and outside of class. If you aren’t there to hear the lecture, chances are you’ll be behind. Some classes make it even easier to skip because the lectures will be placed on the internet. If the notes are online and you own the book, then the thought is that there is certainly no reason to go to class. Beware of this as well. If it seems just too easy, it probably is. This is college and your parents are paying by the semester hour for classes you are supposed to attend per week. Use the opportunity to listen to the lectures and learn from the professors instead of trying to learn everything on your own. While attendance grades may not be directly linked to final grades, indirectly they are. How Not to be a Number One comment that I always remember hearing about going to a large school was that you would always be a number. In a way, that is true. I am a nine digit number, and have been that same number for four years. While

Meeting Your Advisors Beside your professors, it is important to meet your advisor. All incoming students are assigned to an advisor who will serve as their guidance counselor until a major is declared. After you have decided on your major, you will get an advisor in that department. In addition, many schools also assign senior advisors, in your senior year of college, to make sure graduation is on track. Advisors have more power than I think they realize. Often the advisor can make or break you. For example, I was dead set on becoming a doctor when I first met with my undergraduate advisor. Without even looking at my grades or past history, the advisor immediately went into a speech about why I would not

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become that doctor I dreamed I would be. Being eighteen and scared enough about being in college, I took this information to heart. Although I think I decided not to be a doctor for other reasons, the initial words of my advisor cut deep. Another story I have to tell about advisors just happened a few weeks ago. Before Christmas I went into the advising offices to make sure that I was taking everything I needed to graduate. The counselor announced that because of some complication, I needed to take another non-western history. After I registered for classes for the spring, I met another advisor and he told me that I did not need the non-western history. Then, when I went back into the office to apply to graduate, they announced that I was short two classes. I knew this wasn’t right because I had checked and rechecked my schedule every semester. To make a long story short, it was their fault because the counselors had looked at my transcript wrong. This is where small schools are probably better because they have fewer students to keep track of. Don’t expect your advisor to have all of the answers for you. Research your major, and your future, on your own before you come to your appointment. This way, the meeting will be a form of checks and balances to make sure that you and the school’s requirements are on the same page. It is important to find a counselor you like and whom you feel works best for you, and it is nice to find a counselor whom you can work with for your four years of college. Having someone who understands the requirements and course abbreviations can be invaluable in keeping you out of trouble. They can help make sure you are on the right track and can clear up any complications that may come your way. In some schools you are required to meet with an advisor only your freshmen and sophomore years. I suggest seeing an advisor once a semester to make sure that you are on schedule, to discuss different major and career options, and to determine what needs to be taken in the following semester in order to stay on track. The car is packed up, you’ve talked to your roommate, you’ve figured out your finances, and you’ve thought about some important aspects of college before you even get in the car. The rest of the book is divided into the four years of college and discusses tips for each step of the way through college life.

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FRESHMAN YEAR

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

become that doctor I dreamed I would be. Being eighteen and scared enough about being in college, I took this information to heart. Although I think I decided not to be a doctor for other reasons, the initial words of my advisor cut deep. Another story I have to tell about advisors just happened a few weeks ago. Before Christmas I went into the advising offices to make sure that I was taking everything I needed to graduate. The counselor announced that because of some complication, I needed to take another non-western history. After I registered for classes for the spring, I met another advisor and he told me that I did not need the non-western history. Then, when I went back into the office to apply to graduate, they announced that I was short two classes. I knew this wasn’t right because I had checked and rechecked my schedule every semester. To make a long story short, it was their fault because the counselors had looked at my transcript wrong. This is where small schools are probably better because they have fewer students to keep track of. Don’t expect your advisor to have all of the answers for you. Research your major, and your future, on your own before you come to your appointment. This way, the meeting will be a form of checks and balances to make sure that you and the school’s requirements are on the same page. It is important to find a counselor you like and whom you feel works best for you, and it is nice to find a counselor whom you can work with for your four years of college. Having someone who understands the requirements and course abbreviations can be invaluable in keeping you out of trouble. They can help make sure you are on the right track and can clear up any complications that may come your way. In some schools you are required to meet with an advisor only your freshmen and sophomore years. I suggest seeing an advisor once a semester to make sure that you are on schedule, to discuss different major and career options, and to determine what needs to be taken in the following semester in order to stay on track. The car is packed up, you’ve talked to your roommate, you’ve figured out your finances, and you’ve thought about some important aspects of college before you even get in the car. The rest of the book is divided into the four years of college and discusses tips for each step of the way through college life.

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FRESHMAN YEAR

MOVING INTO THE DORM

O

n the day you arrive on campus you will probably be filled with excitement and anxiety, and moving into the dorm is no exception. One suggestion that I have is to arrive early. As the day moves on, so do the amount of people moving in, and by the afternoon the dorms are a zoo. Try to get there in the morning. This way you can beat the traffic and then be finished unloading before noon. When you get to the dormitory there will probably be unloading areas where you can put your things. For example, at some schools everything has to be unloaded from the car into a space in the parking lot while the car is then moved. Beware that finding a parking spot will be a long process. Make sure someone stays with the luggage and boxes while the car is being parked. The school often supplies volunteers and dollies to help move the boxes into the dorm room. Most of the time there is a check-in system used, to determine your room number and receive the keys, which takes place right when you arrive at the dormitory. Again, let someone stay with the boxes while you go and do this part of the procedure. The next step in the moving-in process is to actually go to the room. If you have not already discussed the sides of the room with your soon-to-be roommate, this is the time to pick! Usually the two options are either being close to the window or close to the door. Both have pros and cons. The window side of the room is often more quiet because you don’t get the noise from the hall, but is often on the side of the room that the sink is on and is going to be colder or warmer depending on the time of the year -- due to the probable lack of insulation. The side of the room closest to the door may be warmer or cooler but is often more loud and less private. If you choose the side closest to the door, realize that visitors will be walking directly into your space. The best thing to do is to look at the room and pick which side you think you would like the best. Another aspect of seeing the room is looking at how the furniture is set up. There may be some items that you cannot move, but there also may be some options for rearranging. Think about how the room would be the best for you and your roommate. If you want to open up the room, push the furniture to the walls. If you and your roommate want privacy, you may want to push some of the furniture, like the desks, back to back to create two separate living

MOVING INTO THE DORM

O

n the day you arrive on campus you will probably be filled with excitement and anxiety, and moving into the dorm is no exception. One suggestion that I have is to arrive early. As the day moves on, so do the amount of people moving in, and by the afternoon the dorms are a zoo. Try to get there in the morning. This way you can beat the traffic and then be finished unloading before noon. When you get to the dormitory there will probably be unloading areas where you can put your things. For example, at some schools everything has to be unloaded from the car into a space in the parking lot while the car is then moved. Beware that finding a parking spot will be a long process. Make sure someone stays with the luggage and boxes while the car is being parked. The school often supplies volunteers and dollies to help move the boxes into the dorm room. Most of the time there is a check-in system used, to determine your room number and receive the keys, which takes place right when you arrive at the dormitory. Again, let someone stay with the boxes while you go and do this part of the procedure. The next step in the moving-in process is to actually go to the room. If you have not already discussed the sides of the room with your soon-to-be roommate, this is the time to pick! Usually the two options are either being close to the window or close to the door. Both have pros and cons. The window side of the room is often more quiet because you don’t get the noise from the hall, but is often on the side of the room that the sink is on and is going to be colder or warmer depending on the time of the year -- due to the probable lack of insulation. The side of the room closest to the door may be warmer or cooler but is often more loud and less private. If you choose the side closest to the door, realize that visitors will be walking directly into your space. The best thing to do is to look at the room and pick which side you think you would like the best. Another aspect of seeing the room is looking at how the furniture is set up. There may be some items that you cannot move, but there also may be some options for rearranging. Think about how the room would be the best for you and your roommate. If you want to open up the room, push the furniture to the walls. If you and your roommate want privacy, you may want to push some of the furniture, like the desks, back to back to create two separate living

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

spaces. If you are going to have lofts, this would be the best time to set them up, before the rest of the boxes get unpacked. It is time to start setting up the living space after the sides of the room have been designated. This may be something that you want your parents to help you do or it may be something that you want to do on your own. When I moved in, my mother helped me do a few things like make the bed, but I decided that I wanted to unpack the boxes on my own, after they had left. It doesn’t really matter; it is just a personal preference. However, there may be some things to pull out so that other items can go back home with the parents. For example, I packed my stuff in three large Rubbermaid containers with smaller containers inside. My mom and I pulled these boxes out and then the larger containers went home with them. Other items that come in boxes such as refrigerators and televisions may be unpacked so that the trash can go with the parents as well. There are some other errands that may need to be run on move-in day. For example, if you want cable in your dorm room there will probably be people set up in the dorm to help with this. Also, this may be a time to go with the family to pick up last minute items needed for the room. One last trip to the store may be called for while the car is still available. If you haven’t bought your books yet, this may be the best time to get them. If you finish unpacking early, you and your parents may want to go have a nice lunch somewhere as a celebration, and toast to the years ahead. Take this time to leave your family on a good note. I think this is a better way to leave than immediately after the hustle and bustle of moving in. For many people, this is the first time they have left home for long periods. It’s nice to leave in a calm environment instead of a stressed one. If you tend to be the homebody type, like me, I admit, make the goodbye short and sweet. Don’t linger, saying goodbye over and over, this will only make it worse. The best thing to do is keep it light and simple. Remember, the future is an adventure, don’t get too upset thinking about the unknown; instead, think positive! It’s a journey waiting to happen.

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THE PEOPLE YOU LIVE WITH Roommates Discussions to Have in the Beginning You’ve said your goodbyes, the parents have left, and you have returned to your room to unpack. The first person you encounter in your room is, of course, your roommate. Hopefully this is not the first time the two of you have met, not to mention spoken. If it is the fist time you have either met or talked, try to talk about low key subjects. Perhaps, if he or she is just moving in, you could help move in some of the boxes. If you have met before, take the day to get to know each other a little bit better. Remember, everybody around you is feeling the same way you are, so at least you have someone to eat dinner with! After the first day has been accomplished and some of the anxieties are curbed, it is important to sit down with your roommate and discuss some of the more serious issues. It is really imperative to discuss things like what time your roommate starts class and both of your preferable bed times. If there is a problem, which there probably will be, don’t worry, sharing a room is a give and take experience. If you get up early and your roommate stays up late, maybe you can set some rules of how to be considerate. For example, maybe your roommate can use a small lamp instead of the overhead light so you can sleep, and then you can be quiet and use a small lamp in the morning. Two other primary issues that roommates need to discuss are boyfriends or girlfriends and overnight guests. The two, although they may be directly related issues, need to be discussed separately. Boyfriends and girlfriends can be a serious conversation for roommates. If neither one has a significant other, then the next thing to talk about is dating. Certain arrangements need to be made if both roommates have significant others. If one roommate is in a relationship and the other one isn’t, this is something to talk about too. If neither one of the roommates is in a relationship then there is, for now, not much to talk about. This is probably something that can be discussed if and when the situation changes. If both roommates have boyfriends or girlfriends, one of the first things to discuss is where their significant other’s are. If they go to the same college, you need to talk about how much time both of you expects the boyfriend or girlfriend to be in the room. Both of you need to be considerate of the space of the other roommate. For example, if your roommate’s or your boyfriend or

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

spaces. If you are going to have lofts, this would be the best time to set them up, before the rest of the boxes get unpacked. It is time to start setting up the living space after the sides of the room have been designated. This may be something that you want your parents to help you do or it may be something that you want to do on your own. When I moved in, my mother helped me do a few things like make the bed, but I decided that I wanted to unpack the boxes on my own, after they had left. It doesn’t really matter; it is just a personal preference. However, there may be some things to pull out so that other items can go back home with the parents. For example, I packed my stuff in three large Rubbermaid containers with smaller containers inside. My mom and I pulled these boxes out and then the larger containers went home with them. Other items that come in boxes such as refrigerators and televisions may be unpacked so that the trash can go with the parents as well. There are some other errands that may need to be run on move-in day. For example, if you want cable in your dorm room there will probably be people set up in the dorm to help with this. Also, this may be a time to go with the family to pick up last minute items needed for the room. One last trip to the store may be called for while the car is still available. If you haven’t bought your books yet, this may be the best time to get them. If you finish unpacking early, you and your parents may want to go have a nice lunch somewhere as a celebration, and toast to the years ahead. Take this time to leave your family on a good note. I think this is a better way to leave than immediately after the hustle and bustle of moving in. For many people, this is the first time they have left home for long periods. It’s nice to leave in a calm environment instead of a stressed one. If you tend to be the homebody type, like me, I admit, make the goodbye short and sweet. Don’t linger, saying goodbye over and over, this will only make it worse. The best thing to do is keep it light and simple. Remember, the future is an adventure, don’t get too upset thinking about the unknown; instead, think positive! It’s a journey waiting to happen.

24

THE PEOPLE YOU LIVE WITH Roommates Discussions to Have in the Beginning You’ve said your goodbyes, the parents have left, and you have returned to your room to unpack. The first person you encounter in your room is, of course, your roommate. Hopefully this is not the first time the two of you have met, not to mention spoken. If it is the fist time you have either met or talked, try to talk about low key subjects. Perhaps, if he or she is just moving in, you could help move in some of the boxes. If you have met before, take the day to get to know each other a little bit better. Remember, everybody around you is feeling the same way you are, so at least you have someone to eat dinner with! After the first day has been accomplished and some of the anxieties are curbed, it is important to sit down with your roommate and discuss some of the more serious issues. It is really imperative to discuss things like what time your roommate starts class and both of your preferable bed times. If there is a problem, which there probably will be, don’t worry, sharing a room is a give and take experience. If you get up early and your roommate stays up late, maybe you can set some rules of how to be considerate. For example, maybe your roommate can use a small lamp instead of the overhead light so you can sleep, and then you can be quiet and use a small lamp in the morning. Two other primary issues that roommates need to discuss are boyfriends or girlfriends and overnight guests. The two, although they may be directly related issues, need to be discussed separately. Boyfriends and girlfriends can be a serious conversation for roommates. If neither one has a significant other, then the next thing to talk about is dating. Certain arrangements need to be made if both roommates have significant others. If one roommate is in a relationship and the other one isn’t, this is something to talk about too. If neither one of the roommates is in a relationship then there is, for now, not much to talk about. This is probably something that can be discussed if and when the situation changes. If both roommates have boyfriends or girlfriends, one of the first things to discuss is where their significant other’s are. If they go to the same college, you need to talk about how much time both of you expects the boyfriend or girlfriend to be in the room. Both of you need to be considerate of the space of the other roommate. For example, if your roommate’s or your boyfriend or

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

girlfriend is practically planning on moving in to your room, this needs to be discussed. One of the main issues behind roommates is whether or not their partners will be spending the night in the dorm room. Talk about these issues with your roommate. If it isn’t okay, than other arrangements need to be made. If it is all right, than both of you still need to be considerate of each other. The rooms are not very big, so try to keep the space as comfortable for the other roommate as possible. If one of the roommates has a significant other and the other one does not, the consideration level needs to be raised even more than if both roommates had partners. Remember that the room is both of your home away from home. Try to be polite and courteous. Don’t let you or your roommate’s partner overstay the welcome and think about what your boyfriend or girlfriend or your roommate’s boyfriend or girlfriend may do that could make the roommate uncomfortable. Another issue involved with sleeping over and partners, is the door. Often many freshmen will leave their door open for their partner so that they can come in late at night. This is a bad idea. Dorms are not necessarily the safest places in the world. Leaving the door unlocked is not a good idea. If it is all right for the boyfriend or girlfriend to come over, make it at a time where someone will be there and be awake to open the door. The issue of how the boyfriend or girlfriend will access to the room is a discussion that will also come up when you move into a house or an apartment. Make sure you discuss whether the boyfriend or girlfriend will have a key, how much time the partner is planning on spending in the dorm/apartment, and whether or not he or she will contribute to bills. Along with boyfriends and girlfriends staying over, it is important to talk about other people spending the night as well. Many people will have guests come and stay with them for the weekends, overnight, or extended periods of time. Talk about any plans that may come up beforehand, to discuss how the roommate feels. Don’t just come in and announce that ten people are staying for the weekend without asking your roommate if this is all right. Problems often arise in the living situation when consideration towards the other person is not taken. No matter what the problem is, bedtime or boyfriends and girlfriends, just be considerate and this will end a lot of problems before they start.

but don’t fear. Don’t think that nobody likes his or her roommate; in fact some roommates become life long friends. If you like your roommate it is easy to use each other as a crutch. Instead of going out and meeting other people, often the two will stick together instead of getting out. While spending time with your roommate can be a great thing, especially in terms of having a buddy to eat with and to work out the problems of going to college with, it is important to go out and meet other people as well. This is the person that you live with, you eat with, and you potentially go to class with -- just remember there is a whole world outside of your dorm life to explore! There isn’t too much to say about roommates who like each other because this is the good conclusion. While I did say that sometimes freshman roommates become life long friends, for the most part it is only a year long acquaintance. There are some horror stories about bad roommates, but I will let you hear your own stories. If you happen to have a bad roommate, don’t worry because there is, like I just said, a whole world outside of your dorm room to explore. Whether you love your roommate, or can’t stand him or her, the reality is that this is the person who you will be coexisting with for the next nine months. If a problem does arise it is very important to talk about it as close to the time that the problem comes about as possible. Many freshmen say that they don’t get along with their roommates for certain reasons, but those reasons are never discussed with the roommate. Like any relationship it is important to have open lines of communication. If something is bothering you about your roommate, talk to him or her about it. Don’t just let the problem grow. Many problems can be corrected with compromise. Don’t be rigid on saying yes or no to anything. Instead, each of the persons involved needs to listen to the wants and concerns of the other. Sometimes, problems can arise that are beyond your control. If there is a problem you think you can’t handle in your living situation, don’t try to. Colleges have RAs and counselors to help solve problems. Use your RA if you feel that you need help. Sometimes, there can be situations with your roommates that are simply out of your control.

Issues Involving the Rest of the Year Your roommate is the person you will probably see the most your first year of college. This can be especially scary if you went pot luck because this means you didn’t even have any input on which person this is going to be! It seems like everybody has a horror story to tell about their freshman roommate,

Suitemates In many cases suitemates serve the same role as roommates. They can either be your support group or people you try to avoid. Some schools have the dorms set up so that two dorm rooms share a bathroom; there would be two suitemates. In other schools the dorms are set up so that the suite is comprised of four dorm rooms sharing a bathroom, which would mean you will have six suitemates. Sometimes, in an event where you don’t’ get along with your roommate, suitemates can be the saving lifeline. Since you still share close

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KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

girlfriend is practically planning on moving in to your room, this needs to be discussed. One of the main issues behind roommates is whether or not their partners will be spending the night in the dorm room. Talk about these issues with your roommate. If it isn’t okay, than other arrangements need to be made. If it is all right, than both of you still need to be considerate of each other. The rooms are not very big, so try to keep the space as comfortable for the other roommate as possible. If one of the roommates has a significant other and the other one does not, the consideration level needs to be raised even more than if both roommates had partners. Remember that the room is both of your home away from home. Try to be polite and courteous. Don’t let you or your roommate’s partner overstay the welcome and think about what your boyfriend or girlfriend or your roommate’s boyfriend or girlfriend may do that could make the roommate uncomfortable. Another issue involved with sleeping over and partners, is the door. Often many freshmen will leave their door open for their partner so that they can come in late at night. This is a bad idea. Dorms are not necessarily the safest places in the world. Leaving the door unlocked is not a good idea. If it is all right for the boyfriend or girlfriend to come over, make it at a time where someone will be there and be awake to open the door. The issue of how the boyfriend or girlfriend will access to the room is a discussion that will also come up when you move into a house or an apartment. Make sure you discuss whether the boyfriend or girlfriend will have a key, how much time the partner is planning on spending in the dorm/apartment, and whether or not he or she will contribute to bills. Along with boyfriends and girlfriends staying over, it is important to talk about other people spending the night as well. Many people will have guests come and stay with them for the weekends, overnight, or extended periods of time. Talk about any plans that may come up beforehand, to discuss how the roommate feels. Don’t just come in and announce that ten people are staying for the weekend without asking your roommate if this is all right. Problems often arise in the living situation when consideration towards the other person is not taken. No matter what the problem is, bedtime or boyfriends and girlfriends, just be considerate and this will end a lot of problems before they start.

but don’t fear. Don’t think that nobody likes his or her roommate; in fact some roommates become life long friends. If you like your roommate it is easy to use each other as a crutch. Instead of going out and meeting other people, often the two will stick together instead of getting out. While spending time with your roommate can be a great thing, especially in terms of having a buddy to eat with and to work out the problems of going to college with, it is important to go out and meet other people as well. This is the person that you live with, you eat with, and you potentially go to class with -- just remember there is a whole world outside of your dorm life to explore! There isn’t too much to say about roommates who like each other because this is the good conclusion. While I did say that sometimes freshman roommates become life long friends, for the most part it is only a year long acquaintance. There are some horror stories about bad roommates, but I will let you hear your own stories. If you happen to have a bad roommate, don’t worry because there is, like I just said, a whole world outside of your dorm room to explore. Whether you love your roommate, or can’t stand him or her, the reality is that this is the person who you will be coexisting with for the next nine months. If a problem does arise it is very important to talk about it as close to the time that the problem comes about as possible. Many freshmen say that they don’t get along with their roommates for certain reasons, but those reasons are never discussed with the roommate. Like any relationship it is important to have open lines of communication. If something is bothering you about your roommate, talk to him or her about it. Don’t just let the problem grow. Many problems can be corrected with compromise. Don’t be rigid on saying yes or no to anything. Instead, each of the persons involved needs to listen to the wants and concerns of the other. Sometimes, problems can arise that are beyond your control. If there is a problem you think you can’t handle in your living situation, don’t try to. Colleges have RAs and counselors to help solve problems. Use your RA if you feel that you need help. Sometimes, there can be situations with your roommates that are simply out of your control.

Issues Involving the Rest of the Year Your roommate is the person you will probably see the most your first year of college. This can be especially scary if you went pot luck because this means you didn’t even have any input on which person this is going to be! It seems like everybody has a horror story to tell about their freshman roommate,

Suitemates In many cases suitemates serve the same role as roommates. They can either be your support group or people you try to avoid. Some schools have the dorms set up so that two dorm rooms share a bathroom; there would be two suitemates. In other schools the dorms are set up so that the suite is comprised of four dorm rooms sharing a bathroom, which would mean you will have six suitemates. Sometimes, in an event where you don’t’ get along with your roommate, suitemates can be the saving lifeline. Since you still share close

26

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KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

quarters with suitemates, the bathroom in particular, suitemates are also people with whom you will get to know very well. While there might not be as many things to talk about with your suitemates in terms of ground rules, things that involve the bathroom should be discussed. One thing to discuss is who should be allowed to use the showers. If anyone has a boyfriend or girlfriend in the suite that is planning on using the shower, this is something that should be Okayed with everyone living in the space. Another fundamental thing to discuss with suitemates is whether or not to keep the doors between the bathroom and the rooms locked. Many roommates will keep the door unlocked, which means there is access to the other bedroom from the bathroom. This can be good or bad. It is good because if you get locked out of the room, you can go through your suitemates room to your own without having to go get another key. The bad thing is that there is access to your room from the other suite at all times. Sometimes there is a problem of items being taken from the dorm room either from the suitemates or guests when the suitemates are away.

strict rules. It’s kind of funny because these are the same rules that apply to everyone. As far as I know, the same rules that applied to noise curfews, the absence of substances, and the curfew for boys and girls to be together was the same in all dorms. At some schools the themed housing may be stricter and may or may not be something that you are interested in. As I mentioned before, some you can choose and some you are placed in by chance. If you have a specific preference, like living on a single sex hall, make this clear and the RAs will help make sure that happens.

The Hall Some schools have themed halls that you either choose to live on or are placed on randomly. Some themed halls are academic, substance free and single sex. When I first went to college I was placed on an academic hall. The difference in this hall was that there were twenty four hour study lounges and noise curfews. One floor above me was the substance free hall that had a strict forbiddance of drugs and alcohol. The single sex halls were not co-ed, like many halls in college, and only allowed one particular sex. All of the themed halls had strict rules but were essentially the same as other halls. The academic hall was just as noisy as any other residential hall. I don’t remember anybody using the study lounges and I know of at least a few students from this floor who failed out. The substance abuse floor was notorious for having some of the worst alcoholics. And there were often men trying to get onto the female-only halls. While themed halls may be a beneficial option, don’t think that these halls are going to be worlds different than the rest. Single sex themed halls are different than co-ed dorms. Many dorms in present day are co-ed. In this situation, men and women live on the same halls, often on the same floor. If this is something that you or your parents do not feel comfortable with, single sex halls are available. I lived on a co-ed hall and this didn’t seem to cause too many problems. But I do know many people who lived on a single sex hall and liked it better. One last word about the themed halls is the notion that they have more 28

29

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

quarters with suitemates, the bathroom in particular, suitemates are also people with whom you will get to know very well. While there might not be as many things to talk about with your suitemates in terms of ground rules, things that involve the bathroom should be discussed. One thing to discuss is who should be allowed to use the showers. If anyone has a boyfriend or girlfriend in the suite that is planning on using the shower, this is something that should be Okayed with everyone living in the space. Another fundamental thing to discuss with suitemates is whether or not to keep the doors between the bathroom and the rooms locked. Many roommates will keep the door unlocked, which means there is access to the other bedroom from the bathroom. This can be good or bad. It is good because if you get locked out of the room, you can go through your suitemates room to your own without having to go get another key. The bad thing is that there is access to your room from the other suite at all times. Sometimes there is a problem of items being taken from the dorm room either from the suitemates or guests when the suitemates are away.

strict rules. It’s kind of funny because these are the same rules that apply to everyone. As far as I know, the same rules that applied to noise curfews, the absence of substances, and the curfew for boys and girls to be together was the same in all dorms. At some schools the themed housing may be stricter and may or may not be something that you are interested in. As I mentioned before, some you can choose and some you are placed in by chance. If you have a specific preference, like living on a single sex hall, make this clear and the RAs will help make sure that happens.

The Hall Some schools have themed halls that you either choose to live on or are placed on randomly. Some themed halls are academic, substance free and single sex. When I first went to college I was placed on an academic hall. The difference in this hall was that there were twenty four hour study lounges and noise curfews. One floor above me was the substance free hall that had a strict forbiddance of drugs and alcohol. The single sex halls were not co-ed, like many halls in college, and only allowed one particular sex. All of the themed halls had strict rules but were essentially the same as other halls. The academic hall was just as noisy as any other residential hall. I don’t remember anybody using the study lounges and I know of at least a few students from this floor who failed out. The substance abuse floor was notorious for having some of the worst alcoholics. And there were often men trying to get onto the female-only halls. While themed halls may be a beneficial option, don’t think that these halls are going to be worlds different than the rest. Single sex themed halls are different than co-ed dorms. Many dorms in present day are co-ed. In this situation, men and women live on the same halls, often on the same floor. If this is something that you or your parents do not feel comfortable with, single sex halls are available. I lived on a co-ed hall and this didn’t seem to cause too many problems. But I do know many people who lived on a single sex hall and liked it better. One last word about the themed halls is the notion that they have more 28

29

FOOD

T

here are many options involving food your freshmen year. As for eating, you can either eat out of your dorm room, have a meal plan in the dorm, have a meal plan also on campus or only on campus, or just use cash to buy food along the way. In this chapter I will give you a few hints about these meal plans and then suggest a few recipes for dorm life. A very important issue involving food your freshman year is weight loss and weight gain. Have you ever heard of the freshman 15? Well I have and trust me it is easy to do. This is a very important issue to address. The abundance of eating disorders on campus is an important topic that will be discussed as well. Meal Plans and the Cafeteria Colleges typically offer a wide variety of meal plans. Often the cafeterias both on and off campus have meal plans that are broken into how many meals a student gets a week. Usually these range from seven meals a week, to fourteen meals, to twenty one meals a week, to unlimited. This is a cost that is sent home so you don’t have to worry about it. The meals are usually placed on your student identification card, and they are swiped as you go into the cafeteria. Another option that corresponds to meal plans is what is called flex money. This is money that can be put onto the ID card to buy things such as snacks throughout the day. What often happens is parents will put a certain amount of meals per week and a certain amount of money per month on the card for the student to use to buy food. The main difference to remember between meals and cash on the card is that unused meals at the end of the semester are lost. If you only end up using a percentage of the meals, your parents don’t get a refund. The missed meals are lost money. Cash on the card, “flex money,” usually can roll over to the next semester. Why do people buy meal plans? The reasons are convenience, and the per meal price tends to be less expensive with a meal plan than if just paying with cash. Sometimes the thought of the cafeteria can be a scary one for incoming freshmen. It goes back to that fear you had in elementary school of who you were going to sit with. This is often where, at least at first, the roommate comes into play. Usually, for the first few months, roommates and suitemates will go and eat together. This helps ease the tension while students are meeting other people. Often, there are many separate spaces in a cafeteria, including

FOOD

T

here are many options involving food your freshmen year. As for eating, you can either eat out of your dorm room, have a meal plan in the dorm, have a meal plan also on campus or only on campus, or just use cash to buy food along the way. In this chapter I will give you a few hints about these meal plans and then suggest a few recipes for dorm life. A very important issue involving food your freshman year is weight loss and weight gain. Have you ever heard of the freshman 15? Well I have and trust me it is easy to do. This is a very important issue to address. The abundance of eating disorders on campus is an important topic that will be discussed as well. Meal Plans and the Cafeteria Colleges typically offer a wide variety of meal plans. Often the cafeterias both on and off campus have meal plans that are broken into how many meals a student gets a week. Usually these range from seven meals a week, to fourteen meals, to twenty one meals a week, to unlimited. This is a cost that is sent home so you don’t have to worry about it. The meals are usually placed on your student identification card, and they are swiped as you go into the cafeteria. Another option that corresponds to meal plans is what is called flex money. This is money that can be put onto the ID card to buy things such as snacks throughout the day. What often happens is parents will put a certain amount of meals per week and a certain amount of money per month on the card for the student to use to buy food. The main difference to remember between meals and cash on the card is that unused meals at the end of the semester are lost. If you only end up using a percentage of the meals, your parents don’t get a refund. The missed meals are lost money. Cash on the card, “flex money,” usually can roll over to the next semester. Why do people buy meal plans? The reasons are convenience, and the per meal price tends to be less expensive with a meal plan than if just paying with cash. Sometimes the thought of the cafeteria can be a scary one for incoming freshmen. It goes back to that fear you had in elementary school of who you were going to sit with. This is often where, at least at first, the roommate comes into play. Usually, for the first few months, roommates and suitemates will go and eat together. This helps ease the tension while students are meeting other people. Often, there are many separate spaces in a cafeteria, including

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

rooms or separate sections with a television. It is important to remember that many students of all ages eat alone throughout the day. Remember that it has nothing to do with popularity; it is just that everyone has different schedules. It isn’t like in elementary school where everyone eats at the same time. Many students use their meal times to look over coursework or read the newspaper. Eating in the cafeteria is not as scary for freshmen as many may think. Often students form a network of hall mates to eat with, and for those times when they have to eat alone, it really isn’t that bad.

½ cup spaghetti Microwavable bowl ½ cup spaghetti sauce Place noodles in microwavable bowl and cover with water. Heats for a minute and a half or until noodles are soft. Drain and add spaghetti sauce.

Dorm Room Recipes If you are planning on eating in your room a lot, or even if you are just afraid of being hungry between meals, I have a few recipes to suggest. THE ESSENTIAL DORM BASICS Fixed Up Easy Mac 1 Package Easy Mac ½ t garlic powder Make instant macaroni and cheese and add garlic powder � Suggestion: To make macaroni and cheese more of a meal, add one can drained tomatoes or 1 package precooked chicken.

Tuna Salad 1 can solid tuna fish in water 1 T lemon juice ¼ t salt ¼ t ground pepper Up to ¼ cup minced celery 1 T onion 1 T sweet pickles A dash of garlic powder ½ cup mayonnaise ¼ t mustard Drain tuna and shred until no clumps. Transfer into bowl, mix lemon, juice, salt, pepper, celery, onion, pickles, and garlic. Fold in mayonnaise and mustard.

Cheese Quesadillas 1 flour tortilla ¼ cup shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese Salsa Place cheesed on open tortilla and cover with salsa. Microwave for 25 seconds and fold. Juice Cubes 2 cups Juice of Choice Ice tray Place Juice in Ice tray and freeze. Either eat as a cool snack or place in water to add flavored treat. Toaster Oven Pizzas 3 Mini bagels opened in half ½ cup Mozzarella cheese ½ cup Pizza Sauce Toppings Bake at either 250 or medium until cheese is melted and bubbly. Spaghetti 32

HEALTHY DORM “SALADS” To be prepared after a few months of eating ‘the basics’

Mozzarella and Tomato Salad 3 sliced Roma tomatoes ½ mozzarella ball sliced 2T balsamic vinaigrette Combine and toss ingredients Fruit Salad 1 banana 1 apple 1 orange 1 pear 1 can diced pineapple in juice ¼ cup strawberries ¼ cup raspberries or blueberries 1 T lemon juice Prepare fruit by peeling and slicing into small chunks. Place all fruit, including the berries and pineapple, in large bowl. Toss in lemon juice. 33

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

rooms or separate sections with a television. It is important to remember that many students of all ages eat alone throughout the day. Remember that it has nothing to do with popularity; it is just that everyone has different schedules. It isn’t like in elementary school where everyone eats at the same time. Many students use their meal times to look over coursework or read the newspaper. Eating in the cafeteria is not as scary for freshmen as many may think. Often students form a network of hall mates to eat with, and for those times when they have to eat alone, it really isn’t that bad.

½ cup spaghetti Microwavable bowl ½ cup spaghetti sauce Place noodles in microwavable bowl and cover with water. Heats for a minute and a half or until noodles are soft. Drain and add spaghetti sauce.

Dorm Room Recipes If you are planning on eating in your room a lot, or even if you are just afraid of being hungry between meals, I have a few recipes to suggest. THE ESSENTIAL DORM BASICS Fixed Up Easy Mac 1 Package Easy Mac ½ t garlic powder Make instant macaroni and cheese and add garlic powder � Suggestion: To make macaroni and cheese more of a meal, add one can drained tomatoes or 1 package precooked chicken.

Tuna Salad 1 can solid tuna fish in water 1 T lemon juice ¼ t salt ¼ t ground pepper Up to ¼ cup minced celery 1 T onion 1 T sweet pickles A dash of garlic powder ½ cup mayonnaise ¼ t mustard Drain tuna and shred until no clumps. Transfer into bowl, mix lemon, juice, salt, pepper, celery, onion, pickles, and garlic. Fold in mayonnaise and mustard.

Cheese Quesadillas 1 flour tortilla ¼ cup shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese Salsa Place cheesed on open tortilla and cover with salsa. Microwave for 25 seconds and fold. Juice Cubes 2 cups Juice of Choice Ice tray Place Juice in Ice tray and freeze. Either eat as a cool snack or place in water to add flavored treat. Toaster Oven Pizzas 3 Mini bagels opened in half ½ cup Mozzarella cheese ½ cup Pizza Sauce Toppings Bake at either 250 or medium until cheese is melted and bubbly. Spaghetti 32

HEALTHY DORM “SALADS” To be prepared after a few months of eating ‘the basics’

Mozzarella and Tomato Salad 3 sliced Roma tomatoes ½ mozzarella ball sliced 2T balsamic vinaigrette Combine and toss ingredients Fruit Salad 1 banana 1 apple 1 orange 1 pear 1 can diced pineapple in juice ¼ cup strawberries ¼ cup raspberries or blueberries 1 T lemon juice Prepare fruit by peeling and slicing into small chunks. Place all fruit, including the berries and pineapple, in large bowl. Toss in lemon juice. 33

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

Some ideas for pre-bought foods that work well in the dorm are: cereal, crackers, chips, Chef Boyardee, drinks, Hot Pockets, oatmeal, cereal bars, fruit cups, and canned vegetables. Freshmen 15 The “Freshman 15” is a common phrase used to describe the significant amount of weight many first year college students gain. While the above recipes are a few suggestions to foods that can be eaten in the dorm, often students combine eating in the dorm and eating in the cafeteria. When students stay up late, they get hungry and the easiest way to solve this problem is to order a pizza. Many students will admit that many cheese sticks and pizza slices are eaten in the first few months of college. It’s cheap, it’s easy, and no matter what time it is, it can be delivered to your room. There are many other reasons that cause the Freshmen 15, including the selection in the cafeteria. While living at home, many of you probably had a home cooked dinner most nights that consisted of a meat, a starch, and a vegetable. School cafeterias can be dangerous because it is all you can eat of whatever you want to eat. Often, there are pizza bars, grill stations with burgers and fries, ice-cream makers, and desserts -- anything and everything you could desire. While this is great, it can often add to a few more pounds than what was expected. Finally, another reason why freshmen gain weight is anxiety, depression, and homesickness. Comfort foods such as macaroni and cheese are often the culprit for freshman weight gain. When you get down and depressed, try other activities besides eating. Listen to music, chat on the internet, or meet some friends. The best thing to do is to stay out of the dorm room and away from all of those foods. When you go to the cafeteria for meals, think about what you are putting in your mouth at every meal. At breakfast, try to not always get eggs, biscuits, and bacon. It’s ok every once in a while, just not all of the time. Another thing to avoid is always eating on-the-run foods, such as bagels with cream cheese. You may think you are eating well if you eat them with light or fat free cream cheese, but bagels contain a lot of carbohydrates which, unused, turn to sugar and then to fat. Also, carbohydrates often make you hungry a little while later. Think about cereals and fruits for breakfast. Cereal has fiber in it, something many college students do not get enough of, and the fruit will help give you a fresh dose of vitamins. Also, drink juice to start the day instead of coffee. There are lots of germs floating around campus in the winter time and juice will help boost the immune system at the start of the day. As a rule for dinner, try to think about what your family would want you to eat. For example, when 34

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

you go to the cafeteria it may be beneficial to think about home dinners. Try to get a meat, a vegetable, a starch, and perhaps some fruit for desert. Try to avoid filling your plate with all carbohydrates or all fatty foods. Remember to eat fruits and vegetables. Often, it is hard to serve yourself something you don’t like, but at least try to eat a few bites. Besides staying away from particular foods, there are other ways to avoid the excess freshmen pounds. Many campuses are large and have bus systems that run throughout. If it isn’t too far, and isn’t raining or snowing, try walking instead of taking public transportation. The more you walk, the easier it will be to stay fit. Many colleges have gyms for students. If you don’t like to use particular equipment, try taking a class. Usually, there are great classes offered, such as kickboxing and cycling, that are fun and keep the routine a bit less mundane. If you sense that you are having difficulty staying on a routine, get a workout buddy. This way the two of you can push each other and stay on target. Eating Disorders Sometimes students go the opposite of gaining weight in college and fall into the trap of an eating disorder. Here at UNC a student once gave a presentation stating that one out of three women on this campus have an eating disorder. That is a lot of women. Many women say that they acquire an eating disorder because they are afraid of gaining weight. Often, however, the root of the problem for both men and women is more than just a fear of weight gain. College can be really hard for some people in the beginning. There are times when students feel alone and confused and unstable about the future ahead. For many people, college is the first time away from home and can be a rough adjustment. In addition, college is a time of growing up, of learning new things, of finding who you are. The time of uncertainty can cause some to hold on to control of food to find stability. Nobody goes to college thinking that they will have an eating disorder, but sometimes it does happen. If you find yourself having problems, most colleges have people to talk to. There are psychologists, counselors, and nutritionists at hand for all students to use. Talk to your friends, both new and old, if you are feeling like problems with food are occurring. RAs are there for support as well. All conversations are confidential and your RA has probably experienced this situation before and will be able to give some good advice. Another problem that often happens with college students is the misuse of diet pills. Diet pills are very dangerous and should be avoided unless they are prescribed by a doctor. Some pills are merely diuretics and don’t contribute to long term weight loss at all. Other diet pills are loaded with caffeine and thermogenics which speed up your body’s entire system, circulation, 35

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

Some ideas for pre-bought foods that work well in the dorm are: cereal, crackers, chips, Chef Boyardee, drinks, Hot Pockets, oatmeal, cereal bars, fruit cups, and canned vegetables. Freshmen 15 The “Freshman 15” is a common phrase used to describe the significant amount of weight many first year college students gain. While the above recipes are a few suggestions to foods that can be eaten in the dorm, often students combine eating in the dorm and eating in the cafeteria. When students stay up late, they get hungry and the easiest way to solve this problem is to order a pizza. Many students will admit that many cheese sticks and pizza slices are eaten in the first few months of college. It’s cheap, it’s easy, and no matter what time it is, it can be delivered to your room. There are many other reasons that cause the Freshmen 15, including the selection in the cafeteria. While living at home, many of you probably had a home cooked dinner most nights that consisted of a meat, a starch, and a vegetable. School cafeterias can be dangerous because it is all you can eat of whatever you want to eat. Often, there are pizza bars, grill stations with burgers and fries, ice-cream makers, and desserts -- anything and everything you could desire. While this is great, it can often add to a few more pounds than what was expected. Finally, another reason why freshmen gain weight is anxiety, depression, and homesickness. Comfort foods such as macaroni and cheese are often the culprit for freshman weight gain. When you get down and depressed, try other activities besides eating. Listen to music, chat on the internet, or meet some friends. The best thing to do is to stay out of the dorm room and away from all of those foods. When you go to the cafeteria for meals, think about what you are putting in your mouth at every meal. At breakfast, try to not always get eggs, biscuits, and bacon. It’s ok every once in a while, just not all of the time. Another thing to avoid is always eating on-the-run foods, such as bagels with cream cheese. You may think you are eating well if you eat them with light or fat free cream cheese, but bagels contain a lot of carbohydrates which, unused, turn to sugar and then to fat. Also, carbohydrates often make you hungry a little while later. Think about cereals and fruits for breakfast. Cereal has fiber in it, something many college students do not get enough of, and the fruit will help give you a fresh dose of vitamins. Also, drink juice to start the day instead of coffee. There are lots of germs floating around campus in the winter time and juice will help boost the immune system at the start of the day. As a rule for dinner, try to think about what your family would want you to eat. For example, when 34

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

you go to the cafeteria it may be beneficial to think about home dinners. Try to get a meat, a vegetable, a starch, and perhaps some fruit for desert. Try to avoid filling your plate with all carbohydrates or all fatty foods. Remember to eat fruits and vegetables. Often, it is hard to serve yourself something you don’t like, but at least try to eat a few bites. Besides staying away from particular foods, there are other ways to avoid the excess freshmen pounds. Many campuses are large and have bus systems that run throughout. If it isn’t too far, and isn’t raining or snowing, try walking instead of taking public transportation. The more you walk, the easier it will be to stay fit. Many colleges have gyms for students. If you don’t like to use particular equipment, try taking a class. Usually, there are great classes offered, such as kickboxing and cycling, that are fun and keep the routine a bit less mundane. If you sense that you are having difficulty staying on a routine, get a workout buddy. This way the two of you can push each other and stay on target. Eating Disorders Sometimes students go the opposite of gaining weight in college and fall into the trap of an eating disorder. Here at UNC a student once gave a presentation stating that one out of three women on this campus have an eating disorder. That is a lot of women. Many women say that they acquire an eating disorder because they are afraid of gaining weight. Often, however, the root of the problem for both men and women is more than just a fear of weight gain. College can be really hard for some people in the beginning. There are times when students feel alone and confused and unstable about the future ahead. For many people, college is the first time away from home and can be a rough adjustment. In addition, college is a time of growing up, of learning new things, of finding who you are. The time of uncertainty can cause some to hold on to control of food to find stability. Nobody goes to college thinking that they will have an eating disorder, but sometimes it does happen. If you find yourself having problems, most colleges have people to talk to. There are psychologists, counselors, and nutritionists at hand for all students to use. Talk to your friends, both new and old, if you are feeling like problems with food are occurring. RAs are there for support as well. All conversations are confidential and your RA has probably experienced this situation before and will be able to give some good advice. Another problem that often happens with college students is the misuse of diet pills. Diet pills are very dangerous and should be avoided unless they are prescribed by a doctor. Some pills are merely diuretics and don’t contribute to long term weight loss at all. Other diet pills are loaded with caffeine and thermogenics which speed up your body’s entire system, circulation, 35

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

and metabolism to unsafe levels. Also, don’t use prescription drugs, such as medications prescribed for ADD, to lose weight. There can be long term effects of the misuse of the drugs, and they can be very addictive. If you are a student who fears that someone you know is either having a problem with eating or diet pills, it is important to do something about it. These types of problems can take years to get over, and are often not situations that the person can completely fix on their own. If, for example, your roommate is having a problem, you may want to start by talking to her privately about the problem. Don’t interrogate her and don’t bring up the subject in front of other people. This can be a very uncomfortable situation for the sick student; drawing attention to her is one of the last things she wants to do. Talk to your roommate like she is your peer and your friend. If she wants to talk about it, listen. If she doesn’t, respect her wishes, for the time being. If things get worse, try talking to her about seeing a counselor. Suggest going with her because this may alleviate some of her fears. If things get out of control and you feel that they are above your head, don’t ignore it and don’t try to take on all of the problems yourself. If you feel comfortable, consider contacting her parents. Also, and finally, if this does not work or you cannot call the parents, go to an RA.

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HOMESICKNESS

H

omesickness, while many students may not admit it, is something that many freshmen experience. It’s hard leaving the nest and venturing out on your own, especially at such a young age. Many students often combat this feeling the first semester or so of college by going home every weekend. I don’t suggest this at all; in fact, I think it makes it worse. When you first go to school, try to determine the next time that you are going to see your family. This works well, both because it gives you something to look forward to, and also because it will stop some of the desires to go home as soon as possible. Try to wait at least a month before visiting your family. This will help you get situated on campus, and will also give you a feeling of what school is like on the weekends. Many resident halls have lots of activities for the weekends and often this is when people meet each other. If you go home, you will miss getting acquainted with your new home away from home and you’ll miss making some new college friends. Many schools are close together and friends from high school will either be at the same school or may be at a school nearby. Sometimes there are carpools or bus routes to the schools in close proximities. Staying close to high school friends may help ease some of the anxieties of being on your own. Remember not to use high school friends, like roommates, as too much of a crutch. It is great to have both of them around, but it is also important to make friends in the college setting. This is where you will be staying for the next four years and you want to feel comfortable in every part of it. Before you leave home make sure that you pack lots of calling cards or have a cell phone with plenty of minutes. Keeping phone contact with home and old friends will also help prevent homesickness. Another method of communication is the computer. Both IM, facebook, and emails can serve as forms of communication as well. Finally, while this may seem old fashioned, people sometimes express less anxiety when they write hand written letters home. This gives students a chance to write on paper how they are and know that same piece of paper will end up at home. This works both ways. Parents should send hand written mail as well. Getting things in the mailbox, such as letters and care packages, can make days seem fresh and brighter. Another way to prevent homesickness is to stay busy. Extracurricular activities are everywhere, so get involved!

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

and metabolism to unsafe levels. Also, don’t use prescription drugs, such as medications prescribed for ADD, to lose weight. There can be long term effects of the misuse of the drugs, and they can be very addictive. If you are a student who fears that someone you know is either having a problem with eating or diet pills, it is important to do something about it. These types of problems can take years to get over, and are often not situations that the person can completely fix on their own. If, for example, your roommate is having a problem, you may want to start by talking to her privately about the problem. Don’t interrogate her and don’t bring up the subject in front of other people. This can be a very uncomfortable situation for the sick student; drawing attention to her is one of the last things she wants to do. Talk to your roommate like she is your peer and your friend. If she wants to talk about it, listen. If she doesn’t, respect her wishes, for the time being. If things get worse, try talking to her about seeing a counselor. Suggest going with her because this may alleviate some of her fears. If things get out of control and you feel that they are above your head, don’t ignore it and don’t try to take on all of the problems yourself. If you feel comfortable, consider contacting her parents. Also, and finally, if this does not work or you cannot call the parents, go to an RA.

36

HOMESICKNESS

H

omesickness, while many students may not admit it, is something that many freshmen experience. It’s hard leaving the nest and venturing out on your own, especially at such a young age. Many students often combat this feeling the first semester or so of college by going home every weekend. I don’t suggest this at all; in fact, I think it makes it worse. When you first go to school, try to determine the next time that you are going to see your family. This works well, both because it gives you something to look forward to, and also because it will stop some of the desires to go home as soon as possible. Try to wait at least a month before visiting your family. This will help you get situated on campus, and will also give you a feeling of what school is like on the weekends. Many resident halls have lots of activities for the weekends and often this is when people meet each other. If you go home, you will miss getting acquainted with your new home away from home and you’ll miss making some new college friends. Many schools are close together and friends from high school will either be at the same school or may be at a school nearby. Sometimes there are carpools or bus routes to the schools in close proximities. Staying close to high school friends may help ease some of the anxieties of being on your own. Remember not to use high school friends, like roommates, as too much of a crutch. It is great to have both of them around, but it is also important to make friends in the college setting. This is where you will be staying for the next four years and you want to feel comfortable in every part of it. Before you leave home make sure that you pack lots of calling cards or have a cell phone with plenty of minutes. Keeping phone contact with home and old friends will also help prevent homesickness. Another method of communication is the computer. Both IM, facebook, and emails can serve as forms of communication as well. Finally, while this may seem old fashioned, people sometimes express less anxiety when they write hand written letters home. This gives students a chance to write on paper how they are and know that same piece of paper will end up at home. This works both ways. Parents should send hand written mail as well. Getting things in the mailbox, such as letters and care packages, can make days seem fresh and brighter. Another way to prevent homesickness is to stay busy. Extracurricular activities are everywhere, so get involved!

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

I

f you went to a small high school and there weren’t a lot of things to get involved in, chances are you will be amazed with all there is to do in college. It seems that no matter what you like or what you are interested in, there is a club or an organization that caters towards it at school. One of the best ways to curb homesickness and college anxiety is to get out and stay busy. Some examples of extracurricular activities to get involved in are fraternities/ sororities, community service organizations, career/major activities, religious organizations, activist groups, and sports. Fraternities/Sororities Most colleges and Universities have a lot of fraternities and sororities to choose from. There are Pan-Hellenic fraternities and sororities, career oriented fraternities and sororities, service oriented fraternities and sororities, and academic fraternities and sororities. One mistake many people have is that they think there is only one type of brotherhood and sisterhood organization. This is wrong; in fact, there are many different types to choose from. Most Pan-Hellenic fraternities and sororities are situated around the college campus. Each separate group has their own house, their own name, their own theme, and their own ideas of how the organization should run. These types of organizations most often center their goals on the community and community service. There is a selection process used to choose who will be inducted into the Pan-Hellenic fraternities and sororities. For example, at UNC there is a rush week for women who potentially want to join a sorority. Each night the prospective sorority members travel to each house and see the way the different groups work. Some example of rush nights include skits by the sorority members, a dessert and tea mixer, and an arts and crafts night. At the houses each hopeful will mingle and mix with sorority members of that house. Everybody wears nametags so the sorority members can choose who they like and who they dislike. After all of the houses have been visited, the selection process begins to take place. This is usually broken down into a few nights. For example, if there were eleven sorority houses, the first cut would narrow the houses down to five or six. The next day, only three potential houses would remain. The members of the sororities decide who they will allow to stay on until the next “round.”

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

I

f you went to a small high school and there weren’t a lot of things to get involved in, chances are you will be amazed with all there is to do in college. It seems that no matter what you like or what you are interested in, there is a club or an organization that caters towards it at school. One of the best ways to curb homesickness and college anxiety is to get out and stay busy. Some examples of extracurricular activities to get involved in are fraternities/ sororities, community service organizations, career/major activities, religious organizations, activist groups, and sports. Fraternities/Sororities Most colleges and Universities have a lot of fraternities and sororities to choose from. There are Pan-Hellenic fraternities and sororities, career oriented fraternities and sororities, service oriented fraternities and sororities, and academic fraternities and sororities. One mistake many people have is that they think there is only one type of brotherhood and sisterhood organization. This is wrong; in fact, there are many different types to choose from. Most Pan-Hellenic fraternities and sororities are situated around the college campus. Each separate group has their own house, their own name, their own theme, and their own ideas of how the organization should run. These types of organizations most often center their goals on the community and community service. There is a selection process used to choose who will be inducted into the Pan-Hellenic fraternities and sororities. For example, at UNC there is a rush week for women who potentially want to join a sorority. Each night the prospective sorority members travel to each house and see the way the different groups work. Some example of rush nights include skits by the sorority members, a dessert and tea mixer, and an arts and crafts night. At the houses each hopeful will mingle and mix with sorority members of that house. Everybody wears nametags so the sorority members can choose who they like and who they dislike. After all of the houses have been visited, the selection process begins to take place. This is usually broken down into a few nights. For example, if there were eleven sorority houses, the first cut would narrow the houses down to five or six. The next day, only three potential houses would remain. The members of the sororities decide who they will allow to stay on until the next “round.”

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

The night before “bid day,” each girl will rank their top three choices in order. While the prospective members are doing this, the members of the sorority houses are doing it as well. A secret process compares the two lists. If the house and the girl’s preference matches, for instance if the ΔΔΔ places “Jenny,” first and “Jenny” places ΔΔΔ as her first choice, then there is a match and she will be asked into the house. If they don’t match, then a more intricate process goes into deciding which house will ask which girl. On bid day, all of the sorority hopefuls gather to find our which house they are asked to join. After the names have been announced, there is a big rush to the house each girl has been asked to join and the celebration begins. For fraternities, the process is a bit less structured, but often more in depth. Most fraternities hold lots of events and parties during their rush week, that any student can attend. The guys who want to join a particular fraternity go to the events and mix with the fraternity members. After this happens for awhile, different guys are invited to other events outside of general public parties. The members have meetings to determine who they want to ask to join. The main difference between joining a fraternity and joining a sorority is the time after they have been asked to join the house. Most sororities take a weekend retreat to bond with the new members. There usually isn’t too much of an introduction process; it is the process of actually getting asked to join that is the difficult part. On the other hand, for fraternities, asking to join in the easy part; the month long process of initiation is the test. Although hazing has been outlawed in many states, initiation can often include lots of different steps. It can include being a personal slave to the joined members and can involve a lot of physical and emotional stress. Usually fraternities make members partake in all types of grueling activities. Some of the activities involve alcohol but other initiation demands may be made as well. If you are going to join a fraternity, just remember to be careful. Most of the initiation is all in good fun, but know that sometimes initiations can get out of hand. After the initiation process, you are officially a member of that PanHellenic group. One main difference between many fraternities and sororities is that these types of groups often require expensive membership fees. Usually sororities are more expensive than fraternities, but both can be financially burdensome. Look at the cost and discuss it with your parents before making this large step. The good thing is that many of the houses have a cook and the cost of the fee also includes a certain number of meals. Make sure to look at the paperwork to see exactly what you are getting. While fraternities and sororities can have high membership fees, there are other hidden costs that can also come into play. For example, most fraternities and sororities circle a lot of their social world around mixers. At these mixers, there is usually a dress code that requires nice clothing such as dresses and suits

to be worn. The clothes themselves can be very expensive. Also, most members of fraternities and sororities have particular clothing styles that they expect all in the group to wear. For example, some of the looks that have been expected by members are: Croakies, Rainbows, polo shirts, Northface and Mountain Hard Wear jackets, New Balance shoes, Seven jeans, and the latest trends as they come out. All of these items are very expensive and financially may be out of your budget. Don’t think that you can’t join a group if you can’t wear these clothes, but remember that these are some of the costs you may be faced with. Some other hidden costs that come out of the groups are the cost of parties, the cost of tee shirts and pictures taken by photographers, and the cost of cocktails and out of town trips. Many freshmen say they join these types of groups for friendships. PanHellenic groups may work well for this particular goal. The groups usually have weekly chapter meetings, in house eating, numerous events throughout the week and mandatory living arrangements for some. The groups force people to spend a lot of time together outside of school. For a number of people, these groups do a great job of getting them involved with other college students. Career oriented fraternities and sororities usually are similar to PanHellenic fraternities and sororities in that they often have a house, a cook, and membership dues. The difference is that instead of being a group of men or women, these are often co-ed groups. Students pick the particular career oriented fraternity/sorority based on their intended future. For example, some schools have a pharmaceutical fraternity, a medical fraternity, a business fraternity, etc. The dues are usually not as high as Pan-Hellenic and the focus is more on the goal of achieving one’s career. This can serve as a good resume booster and can also open some networking doors that may not have been opened otherwise. Service oriented fraternities and sororities are another form of group often found at college. Some schools offer service groups that do not require many of the same things as Pan-Hellenic societies. For example, a lot of service groups do not have a strict application process and do not require dues. Usually these types of groups do not have a house that members are supposed to live in and do not require or offer functions that occur outside of community service. Another type of fraternity and sorority that follows the same guidelines as service groups are honors groups. These are academically based groups that serve many of the same functions in the community as service based organizations. These types of groups can work well in getting similarly minded people together to meet one another and can also serve as a great resume booster. There are many different types of fraternities to choose from and the variety will be different at ever different school. The best thing to do is to see

40

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KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

The night before “bid day,” each girl will rank their top three choices in order. While the prospective members are doing this, the members of the sorority houses are doing it as well. A secret process compares the two lists. If the house and the girl’s preference matches, for instance if the ΔΔΔ places “Jenny,” first and “Jenny” places ΔΔΔ as her first choice, then there is a match and she will be asked into the house. If they don’t match, then a more intricate process goes into deciding which house will ask which girl. On bid day, all of the sorority hopefuls gather to find our which house they are asked to join. After the names have been announced, there is a big rush to the house each girl has been asked to join and the celebration begins. For fraternities, the process is a bit less structured, but often more in depth. Most fraternities hold lots of events and parties during their rush week, that any student can attend. The guys who want to join a particular fraternity go to the events and mix with the fraternity members. After this happens for awhile, different guys are invited to other events outside of general public parties. The members have meetings to determine who they want to ask to join. The main difference between joining a fraternity and joining a sorority is the time after they have been asked to join the house. Most sororities take a weekend retreat to bond with the new members. There usually isn’t too much of an introduction process; it is the process of actually getting asked to join that is the difficult part. On the other hand, for fraternities, asking to join in the easy part; the month long process of initiation is the test. Although hazing has been outlawed in many states, initiation can often include lots of different steps. It can include being a personal slave to the joined members and can involve a lot of physical and emotional stress. Usually fraternities make members partake in all types of grueling activities. Some of the activities involve alcohol but other initiation demands may be made as well. If you are going to join a fraternity, just remember to be careful. Most of the initiation is all in good fun, but know that sometimes initiations can get out of hand. After the initiation process, you are officially a member of that PanHellenic group. One main difference between many fraternities and sororities is that these types of groups often require expensive membership fees. Usually sororities are more expensive than fraternities, but both can be financially burdensome. Look at the cost and discuss it with your parents before making this large step. The good thing is that many of the houses have a cook and the cost of the fee also includes a certain number of meals. Make sure to look at the paperwork to see exactly what you are getting. While fraternities and sororities can have high membership fees, there are other hidden costs that can also come into play. For example, most fraternities and sororities circle a lot of their social world around mixers. At these mixers, there is usually a dress code that requires nice clothing such as dresses and suits

to be worn. The clothes themselves can be very expensive. Also, most members of fraternities and sororities have particular clothing styles that they expect all in the group to wear. For example, some of the looks that have been expected by members are: Croakies, Rainbows, polo shirts, Northface and Mountain Hard Wear jackets, New Balance shoes, Seven jeans, and the latest trends as they come out. All of these items are very expensive and financially may be out of your budget. Don’t think that you can’t join a group if you can’t wear these clothes, but remember that these are some of the costs you may be faced with. Some other hidden costs that come out of the groups are the cost of parties, the cost of tee shirts and pictures taken by photographers, and the cost of cocktails and out of town trips. Many freshmen say they join these types of groups for friendships. PanHellenic groups may work well for this particular goal. The groups usually have weekly chapter meetings, in house eating, numerous events throughout the week and mandatory living arrangements for some. The groups force people to spend a lot of time together outside of school. For a number of people, these groups do a great job of getting them involved with other college students. Career oriented fraternities and sororities usually are similar to PanHellenic fraternities and sororities in that they often have a house, a cook, and membership dues. The difference is that instead of being a group of men or women, these are often co-ed groups. Students pick the particular career oriented fraternity/sorority based on their intended future. For example, some schools have a pharmaceutical fraternity, a medical fraternity, a business fraternity, etc. The dues are usually not as high as Pan-Hellenic and the focus is more on the goal of achieving one’s career. This can serve as a good resume booster and can also open some networking doors that may not have been opened otherwise. Service oriented fraternities and sororities are another form of group often found at college. Some schools offer service groups that do not require many of the same things as Pan-Hellenic societies. For example, a lot of service groups do not have a strict application process and do not require dues. Usually these types of groups do not have a house that members are supposed to live in and do not require or offer functions that occur outside of community service. Another type of fraternity and sorority that follows the same guidelines as service groups are honors groups. These are academically based groups that serve many of the same functions in the community as service based organizations. These types of groups can work well in getting similarly minded people together to meet one another and can also serve as a great resume booster. There are many different types of fraternities to choose from and the variety will be different at ever different school. The best thing to do is to see

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KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

what is out there, see if there is anything that you may be interested in, and go to an interest group and find out if you want to join.

eight to twelve dollars an hour. This job can then have dual functions, it can help you figure out if teaching is the career for you and help pay some college expenses. Getting some hands on experience in the political world can be very helpful for many college students as well. Whether you are a political science major or if you just have a strong affiliation with a particular party, there are always political groups to join. Most often there is the Young Republican and the Young Democrat group, but there are also groups for other parties as well.

Community Service Organizations While fraternities and sororities often take up a large chunk of time, there are many other groups in school that can take up as little or as much time as you want them to. Community service organizations are a good place to get involved if you want to help the public. Community service organizations come in all different types. Some of the ones I can think of off hand are: A Helping Hand, Habitat for Humanity, UNICEF, and volunteering at a Rape Crisis Center. These are only a small fraction of all of the opportunities that are out there. Community service organizations are a great thing to get involved in. Many students express their frustration with living in a self centered environment when they are away at school. This makes sense if you think about it because college is an “I,” experience: “When am I going to study? How are my grades? Who will I work for? Who will be my friend?” Giving back to the community is a refreshing and a mind cleansing experience. This is something else that can help curb homesickness. I volunteered with an organization called CPALS, which stood for Carolina Pediatric Attention Love and Support. Once a week I would visit a four year old girl who was in the hospital, undergoing Leukemia treatments. This experience alone made me realize how lucky I was and humbled me to think outside of myself. If this seems a bit too heavy for you, remember that just a morning volunteering at a local shelter can help put the college experience into perspective. Career/Major Activities There are many activities on campus that will help give your resume a boost and will also give you a sense of whether your chosen major is right for you. If you aren’t sure whether the practical sides of your major are what you really want to do, I suggest trying out some of these activities to see if they spark your interest. There are many different activities that may suit your interests. If you are a news writing major, try working on the school newspaper. If you are a graphic designer, try working with a design organization that is on campus. If you are a photographer, work for the college newspaper…get the point? No matter what your career interests are, it is important to at least try to do something in the field of your intended major to see if you like it. Apart from media careers, anyone who wants to be a teacher or work with children could use some hands on experience. Elementary schools, in college towns, often recruit volunteers to help tutor. Also, tutoring for families outside of the school can serve as a pretty well paid job. Many tutors get anywhere from

Religious Organizations Many students who come to college were raised in a religious environment. A lot of students in high school went to worship at least once a week with their family. This routine is often broken in college and many find that they don’t pick up their spiritual practices until they leave school. This does not have to be the case. There are usually many places of worship within walking distance from campus and many organizations to take part in on campus. There are some organizations on campus that are religious and sports related, such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Intervarsity. In addition, there are usually an abundance of denominational and nondenominational groups. Some groups may be specific to the college, such as Campus Crossroads at UNC, or they may reach many schools, such as Campus Crusade. Some of the denominational groups work directly with the Church off campus. This is a group that joins together because of their unified faith. The activities on campus may be church related or service oriented. The worshiping for these groups most often takes place at the Church away from campus. These organizations tend to be like Young Life was in high school. They often do a lot of activities for the community, take trips together, and then worship at the Church of their choice. Nondenominational groups run a little differently on campus. Since there is no specific denomination, there will not be one particular focus of worship. Often, voluntary bible studies take place in these groups but they are always optional. Since there is no particular Church, often a pastor or some other leader will hold services somewhere on campus. This is the main difference between denominational and nondenominational. The nondenominational has worship on campus and does not cater to one particular denomination. Like the other religious organizations, these particular groups most often center their participation on community service. These groups take trips for holidays and breaks to do community service in other areas. One of my roommates is the President of a nondenominational organization here at UNC. She started the group as a freshman and went with them to San Francisco to do mission work and it has been a large part of her college experience. She has had the

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KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

what is out there, see if there is anything that you may be interested in, and go to an interest group and find out if you want to join.

eight to twelve dollars an hour. This job can then have dual functions, it can help you figure out if teaching is the career for you and help pay some college expenses. Getting some hands on experience in the political world can be very helpful for many college students as well. Whether you are a political science major or if you just have a strong affiliation with a particular party, there are always political groups to join. Most often there is the Young Republican and the Young Democrat group, but there are also groups for other parties as well.

Community Service Organizations While fraternities and sororities often take up a large chunk of time, there are many other groups in school that can take up as little or as much time as you want them to. Community service organizations are a good place to get involved if you want to help the public. Community service organizations come in all different types. Some of the ones I can think of off hand are: A Helping Hand, Habitat for Humanity, UNICEF, and volunteering at a Rape Crisis Center. These are only a small fraction of all of the opportunities that are out there. Community service organizations are a great thing to get involved in. Many students express their frustration with living in a self centered environment when they are away at school. This makes sense if you think about it because college is an “I,” experience: “When am I going to study? How are my grades? Who will I work for? Who will be my friend?” Giving back to the community is a refreshing and a mind cleansing experience. This is something else that can help curb homesickness. I volunteered with an organization called CPALS, which stood for Carolina Pediatric Attention Love and Support. Once a week I would visit a four year old girl who was in the hospital, undergoing Leukemia treatments. This experience alone made me realize how lucky I was and humbled me to think outside of myself. If this seems a bit too heavy for you, remember that just a morning volunteering at a local shelter can help put the college experience into perspective. Career/Major Activities There are many activities on campus that will help give your resume a boost and will also give you a sense of whether your chosen major is right for you. If you aren’t sure whether the practical sides of your major are what you really want to do, I suggest trying out some of these activities to see if they spark your interest. There are many different activities that may suit your interests. If you are a news writing major, try working on the school newspaper. If you are a graphic designer, try working with a design organization that is on campus. If you are a photographer, work for the college newspaper…get the point? No matter what your career interests are, it is important to at least try to do something in the field of your intended major to see if you like it. Apart from media careers, anyone who wants to be a teacher or work with children could use some hands on experience. Elementary schools, in college towns, often recruit volunteers to help tutor. Also, tutoring for families outside of the school can serve as a pretty well paid job. Many tutors get anywhere from

Religious Organizations Many students who come to college were raised in a religious environment. A lot of students in high school went to worship at least once a week with their family. This routine is often broken in college and many find that they don’t pick up their spiritual practices until they leave school. This does not have to be the case. There are usually many places of worship within walking distance from campus and many organizations to take part in on campus. There are some organizations on campus that are religious and sports related, such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Intervarsity. In addition, there are usually an abundance of denominational and nondenominational groups. Some groups may be specific to the college, such as Campus Crossroads at UNC, or they may reach many schools, such as Campus Crusade. Some of the denominational groups work directly with the Church off campus. This is a group that joins together because of their unified faith. The activities on campus may be church related or service oriented. The worshiping for these groups most often takes place at the Church away from campus. These organizations tend to be like Young Life was in high school. They often do a lot of activities for the community, take trips together, and then worship at the Church of their choice. Nondenominational groups run a little differently on campus. Since there is no specific denomination, there will not be one particular focus of worship. Often, voluntary bible studies take place in these groups but they are always optional. Since there is no particular Church, often a pastor or some other leader will hold services somewhere on campus. This is the main difference between denominational and nondenominational. The nondenominational has worship on campus and does not cater to one particular denomination. Like the other religious organizations, these particular groups most often center their participation on community service. These groups take trips for holidays and breaks to do community service in other areas. One of my roommates is the President of a nondenominational organization here at UNC. She started the group as a freshman and went with them to San Francisco to do mission work and it has been a large part of her college experience. She has had the

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KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

opportunity to travel to California, New York, and Brazil to help others, through this organization. She has used this activity to build a home away from home. For many, an organization like this can strengthen the college experience and help ease the pain of homesickness more than any other activity. The nondenominational and denominational groups usually have a Christian base. However for people of other faiths there are other religious organizations as well. There are usually groups for anybody who wants a particular one. Also, a good thing about college is that starting an organization is a relatively simple process. If there is not an organization that caters towards what you are looking for, you may want to look into starting one yourself.

Sports Playing sports in college does not have to mean full time “All-Stars.” Varsity athletics is an option in college but there are other options. There are different levels of participation in sports in college as well as different levels of skill. Whether you are that basketball Pro, or a busy person interested in learning a new sport, there is probably a group for you. For people who really want to get involved in sports, there is varsity athletics. Most people who come to college as varsity athletes are recruited in high school and may be on some sort of a scholarship. The student’s sport will be their main, maybe even only, extracurricular activity. A varsity athlete will have a regimented, blocked routine. For example, a typical varsity athlete’s day would consist of a workout at 6:00 am, school from 8:00-12:00, practice from 2:00-5:00 and then weights from 5:00 until 7:00. These days can be very long and rigorous but this is the price to pay to be the very best. The sport for the

varsity athlete is their life -- it may even be the sole reason why they are in school. Since most of them are on scholarship, the sport becomes one of their largest priorities. If you are interested in becoming a varsity athlete, it is comforting to know that not all of these students are on scholarship or came to college for this reason. Jeremy, my boyfriend, decided to try out for the Men’s Varsity Tennis Team, his junior year, and walked on. Even if you weren’t recruited to a particular sport, yet you want to be on varsity, go out and try -- nothing is taken away from you for taking a chance. Along with grueling practices, varsity athletes have other time commitments as well. Their academics are monitored by mandatory study halls. The pro for the athlete is that they often have tutors available just for them. One of the main reasons why the study halls come into play is because the athlete will miss a lot of classes for out of town games. The athlete must juggle the obligations of the sport and academics. In terms of obligations to the sport, the team becomes your family. Often you eat with them, share a room with them, spend hours a day with them, and often weekends and vacations too. Being a varsity athlete is a tremendous time commitment. This is one of the main things to consider when deciding if this level of competition is right for you. A step down from varsity athletes is club sports. In a club sport there are still practices every day but they are for a few hours in the afternoon instead of virtually all day. They still play games but their games are usually held with colleges close to theirs and are only on the weekends. Varsity athletes have games all week. If there is competition to get on a team, it is much less than a varsity sport, but club athletes are still strong players. They are usually skilled people who have played a lot of the sport in the past. Typically people who play club sports love their sport but either did not get recruited for the varsity team or they are not comfortable with the time commitment. The next level down from club is intramural sports. Typically intramural athletes practice once a week or have one game a week. If you want to play a sport but think you aren’t very good at it, intramural may be the way to go. Pretty much anybody that wants to play can play on intramural teams. Since there is only one game a week, it is easy to fit this type of organized sport into your schedule, along with any other extracurricular activities you may want to do. Finally, if you love to play sports but you are concerned about being on an organized team, there are usually times to use the sport’s facilities recreationally. Many pools, basketball courts, and fields have “open” times so others can use the space as well. This way, if you just want to go out there and play, there is a time and place for that to happen.

44

45

Activists Groups If you are interested in going to college and making a change, than an activist group may be the best thing for you. If there is a problem or an issue, chances are there is an organization to fight it. Here at UNC, there are many kinds of activist groups to get involved with. For example, there is the legalization of marijuana group, there is an organization to help get local workers higher wages, a feminist group, a gay activist group -- you name it and there is an activist group that fights for the cause. Activists groups often hold a lot of events to help raise awareness of their fight. There are marches, rallies, and awareness weeks. Volunteers are often needed to help stage these events as well as members to keep the cause going. Activists groups are for those politically minded. If you have a strong passion about a particular subject and want to do something about it, I encourage you to get involved. One person can make a difference in anything, especially if there are the resources to make that voice heard.

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

opportunity to travel to California, New York, and Brazil to help others, through this organization. She has used this activity to build a home away from home. For many, an organization like this can strengthen the college experience and help ease the pain of homesickness more than any other activity. The nondenominational and denominational groups usually have a Christian base. However for people of other faiths there are other religious organizations as well. There are usually groups for anybody who wants a particular one. Also, a good thing about college is that starting an organization is a relatively simple process. If there is not an organization that caters towards what you are looking for, you may want to look into starting one yourself.

Sports Playing sports in college does not have to mean full time “All-Stars.” Varsity athletics is an option in college but there are other options. There are different levels of participation in sports in college as well as different levels of skill. Whether you are that basketball Pro, or a busy person interested in learning a new sport, there is probably a group for you. For people who really want to get involved in sports, there is varsity athletics. Most people who come to college as varsity athletes are recruited in high school and may be on some sort of a scholarship. The student’s sport will be their main, maybe even only, extracurricular activity. A varsity athlete will have a regimented, blocked routine. For example, a typical varsity athlete’s day would consist of a workout at 6:00 am, school from 8:00-12:00, practice from 2:00-5:00 and then weights from 5:00 until 7:00. These days can be very long and rigorous but this is the price to pay to be the very best. The sport for the

varsity athlete is their life -- it may even be the sole reason why they are in school. Since most of them are on scholarship, the sport becomes one of their largest priorities. If you are interested in becoming a varsity athlete, it is comforting to know that not all of these students are on scholarship or came to college for this reason. Jeremy, my boyfriend, decided to try out for the Men’s Varsity Tennis Team, his junior year, and walked on. Even if you weren’t recruited to a particular sport, yet you want to be on varsity, go out and try -- nothing is taken away from you for taking a chance. Along with grueling practices, varsity athletes have other time commitments as well. Their academics are monitored by mandatory study halls. The pro for the athlete is that they often have tutors available just for them. One of the main reasons why the study halls come into play is because the athlete will miss a lot of classes for out of town games. The athlete must juggle the obligations of the sport and academics. In terms of obligations to the sport, the team becomes your family. Often you eat with them, share a room with them, spend hours a day with them, and often weekends and vacations too. Being a varsity athlete is a tremendous time commitment. This is one of the main things to consider when deciding if this level of competition is right for you. A step down from varsity athletes is club sports. In a club sport there are still practices every day but they are for a few hours in the afternoon instead of virtually all day. They still play games but their games are usually held with colleges close to theirs and are only on the weekends. Varsity athletes have games all week. If there is competition to get on a team, it is much less than a varsity sport, but club athletes are still strong players. They are usually skilled people who have played a lot of the sport in the past. Typically people who play club sports love their sport but either did not get recruited for the varsity team or they are not comfortable with the time commitment. The next level down from club is intramural sports. Typically intramural athletes practice once a week or have one game a week. If you want to play a sport but think you aren’t very good at it, intramural may be the way to go. Pretty much anybody that wants to play can play on intramural teams. Since there is only one game a week, it is easy to fit this type of organized sport into your schedule, along with any other extracurricular activities you may want to do. Finally, if you love to play sports but you are concerned about being on an organized team, there are usually times to use the sport’s facilities recreationally. Many pools, basketball courts, and fields have “open” times so others can use the space as well. This way, if you just want to go out there and play, there is a time and place for that to happen.

44

45

Activists Groups If you are interested in going to college and making a change, than an activist group may be the best thing for you. If there is a problem or an issue, chances are there is an organization to fight it. Here at UNC, there are many kinds of activist groups to get involved with. For example, there is the legalization of marijuana group, there is an organization to help get local workers higher wages, a feminist group, a gay activist group -- you name it and there is an activist group that fights for the cause. Activists groups often hold a lot of events to help raise awareness of their fight. There are marches, rallies, and awareness weeks. Volunteers are often needed to help stage these events as well as members to keep the cause going. Activists groups are for those politically minded. If you have a strong passion about a particular subject and want to do something about it, I encourage you to get involved. One person can make a difference in anything, especially if there are the resources to make that voice heard.

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

All extracurricular activities can serve as a strong foundation for your college experience. No matter what you do, it is important to build a community within the college. Be it community service projects or sports; having a family of people whom you relate to at school is fundamental for college stability.

DAY PLANNING AND STUDYING

M

any freshmen think that they have too much free time. The problem with this is that there really isn’t so much time; it’s just that students have not learned how much work outside of class, college takes. On top of coursework, many students participate in extracurricular activities. Also, many students get jobs in college. The demand of activities outside of school, added with coursework, can create a lot of things to do. Slowly, students begin to see all of their free time disappear and their lack of time becoming a problem. Where does all of the time go? Most freshmen end up wasting a lot of their time during the day and then stay up half the night trying to get the things finished. One suggestion is to use your daily planner to see what needs to be done for the day. Another suggestion is to make a list of things to do and either cross them off or put a check by them as they get accomplished. Finally, for the super organized or those of you who have a hard time with time management, here is a chart that can be copied and printed off daily or weekly. It is easy to make, just print it, and then discard when the tasks are complete. If you prefer looking at the day horizontally as opposed to vertically, simply flip the format and create your own personal planner. These are just two ideas; there are many ways to keep yourself organized and on track.

46

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

All extracurricular activities can serve as a strong foundation for your college experience. No matter what you do, it is important to build a community within the college. Be it community service projects or sports; having a family of people whom you relate to at school is fundamental for college stability.

DAY PLANNING AND STUDYING

M

any freshmen think that they have too much free time. The problem with this is that there really isn’t so much time; it’s just that students have not learned how much work outside of class, college takes. On top of coursework, many students participate in extracurricular activities. Also, many students get jobs in college. The demand of activities outside of school, added with coursework, can create a lot of things to do. Slowly, students begin to see all of their free time disappear and their lack of time becoming a problem. Where does all of the time go? Most freshmen end up wasting a lot of their time during the day and then stay up half the night trying to get the things finished. One suggestion is to use your daily planner to see what needs to be done for the day. Another suggestion is to make a list of things to do and either cross them off or put a check by them as they get accomplished. Finally, for the super organized or those of you who have a hard time with time management, here is a chart that can be copied and printed off daily or weekly. It is easy to make, just print it, and then discard when the tasks are complete. If you prefer looking at the day horizontally as opposed to vertically, simply flip the format and create your own personal planner. These are just two ideas; there are many ways to keep yourself organized and on track.

46

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

Schedule

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Week of _____________________________________________

Day of the Week _______________________________________

Aside from daily and weekly schedules, monthly calendars can be used to keep up with what is ahead. For the backwards calendar, fill in the blanks for the days of the month. Make a calendar for each month in the semester. After you have gotten all of your syllabi’s, sit down and work “backwards,” Write what is due on all of the necessary dates, then work backwards to figure out what you need to do, to keep yourself ahead.

48

49

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

Schedule

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Week of _____________________________________________

Day of the Week _______________________________________

Aside from daily and weekly schedules, monthly calendars can be used to keep up with what is ahead. For the backwards calendar, fill in the blanks for the days of the month. Make a calendar for each month in the semester. After you have gotten all of your syllabi’s, sit down and work “backwards,” Write what is due on all of the necessary dates, then work backwards to figure out what you need to do, to keep yourself ahead.

48

49

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

Month_______________________________________________

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

you feel the lectures go too fast to take complete notes, then you might consider tape recording the class. Many professors will allow lectures to be taped. This way you can listen to the lectures over again in the lecturer’s own voice. This can also be a helpful in your note taking. You can take notes during class, and then listen to the lecture again after class as you follow along with what you have already written. Note taking is a very important factor in college that is based on personal preference. In the first few weeks of college, figure out what works best for you and stick with it. Some people try to take notes verbatim, and some try to highlight the main points. Some students use bullets and others use complete sentences. Other students use creative ways to keep their notes organized such as using tabs and different colored pens. To take notes in the classroom, I have a few tips to suggest: •

•

• •

•

• Taking Notes It is very important to figure out what note taking strategies work best for you. The best way to start thinking about this is to think about how you learn best. Do you learn best when you listen to a lecture or do you learn best from your own personal notes? If you find that you learn best when you write the notes during lecture, you may want to re-write the lectures immediately after class. This way you can re-write what is fresh and the repetition can also be a strong studying strategy. If you do this after every class period, than you will be more prepared for the test and will be able to study less. If you are the type of person who learns best by listening to a lecture, or 50

•

Do not take notes verbatim. Listen to the lecture and write down key points. Use the time to understand the material presented and write down the main ideas. Also, write down any explanations of the material that the teacher may give that you could be tested on. Use short cut words such as i.e. for example, b/t for between, b/c for because, w/ for with, thru for through, etc… This will help you keep up with the teacher. Use symbols such as bullets and arrows anytime you can instead of writing complete sentences. If there are PowerPoint’s used during lecture, print them off and bring them to class. Then, you can jot down important points and highlight key concepts as you follow along. Pay attention to the lecture. Even if you are recording the class, at least write down the highlights so you will stay focused on the material. Keep notes neat and organized. If you cannot understand what you wrote, or can’t find the notes, then you won’t be able to use them to study. Keep a separate notebook for each class. That way you will have all of the material for your class in one place and separate from your other coursework. Also, keep a folder or use a binder so you will also have somewhere to keep handouts.

You will also need to come up with a system for how you take notes outside of the classroom. For example, you will need to be able to take notes as you prepare for class and as you study for a test. Just like lecture note taking, many people have different strategies for what works best for them. For instance, 51

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

Month_______________________________________________

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

you feel the lectures go too fast to take complete notes, then you might consider tape recording the class. Many professors will allow lectures to be taped. This way you can listen to the lectures over again in the lecturer’s own voice. This can also be a helpful in your note taking. You can take notes during class, and then listen to the lecture again after class as you follow along with what you have already written. Note taking is a very important factor in college that is based on personal preference. In the first few weeks of college, figure out what works best for you and stick with it. Some people try to take notes verbatim, and some try to highlight the main points. Some students use bullets and others use complete sentences. Other students use creative ways to keep their notes organized such as using tabs and different colored pens. To take notes in the classroom, I have a few tips to suggest: •

•

• •

•

• Taking Notes It is very important to figure out what note taking strategies work best for you. The best way to start thinking about this is to think about how you learn best. Do you learn best when you listen to a lecture or do you learn best from your own personal notes? If you find that you learn best when you write the notes during lecture, you may want to re-write the lectures immediately after class. This way you can re-write what is fresh and the repetition can also be a strong studying strategy. If you do this after every class period, than you will be more prepared for the test and will be able to study less. If you are the type of person who learns best by listening to a lecture, or 50

•

Do not take notes verbatim. Listen to the lecture and write down key points. Use the time to understand the material presented and write down the main ideas. Also, write down any explanations of the material that the teacher may give that you could be tested on. Use short cut words such as i.e. for example, b/t for between, b/c for because, w/ for with, thru for through, etc… This will help you keep up with the teacher. Use symbols such as bullets and arrows anytime you can instead of writing complete sentences. If there are PowerPoint’s used during lecture, print them off and bring them to class. Then, you can jot down important points and highlight key concepts as you follow along. Pay attention to the lecture. Even if you are recording the class, at least write down the highlights so you will stay focused on the material. Keep notes neat and organized. If you cannot understand what you wrote, or can’t find the notes, then you won’t be able to use them to study. Keep a separate notebook for each class. That way you will have all of the material for your class in one place and separate from your other coursework. Also, keep a folder or use a binder so you will also have somewhere to keep handouts.

You will also need to come up with a system for how you take notes outside of the classroom. For example, you will need to be able to take notes as you prepare for class and as you study for a test. Just like lecture note taking, many people have different strategies for what works best for them. For instance, 51

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

some students use highlighters when they read chapters; some take full notes from the book and some read the chapters over and over. Here are a few tips for taking notes outside of class.

bookstores. The bookstores work well because there is usually a café where you can get a snack and some stay-awake coffee, and there are tables to spread your things on as well. One problem with locations outside of the dorm is that if you forget something, you have to spend a lot of time going to get it. If you stay in the dorm, you will lose less time gathering all of the items you need. If you don’t feel like leaving the dorm, there are study lounges located within the residence hall. Many dorms have study lounges both on individual halls and in the basement. The nice thing about study lounges within the dorm is that if you forget something or need another study item, it is easy to pop back into your room and get it. The bad thing about studying in the lounges is that often friends will come in and distract you! One suggestion is to sit in the cubicle spaces. This will lessen the distractions and keep you focused on the studying at hand. After you have decided where the best place for you to concentrate is, you need to come up with a routine of where studying works best for you. It may be that for different types of assignments, you study in different places. For example, you may find that you like to read best in bed, you like to do math problems at your card table, and you like to study for tests away from the dorm completely. Finding out where you accomplish different tasks the best is important for setting up a routine that will keep you making the grades you want and prevent you from pulling constant “all nighters.” Important fact: I once heard that it is best to not do work in bed. If you only associate your bed with sleep, then you will more likely be able to go to sleep quicker and sleep harder. Try not to use your bed as a desk, but if reading in bed works best for you, then stick with it. When to study is an important topic in freshman academics. Most often the readings that occur on any given syllabus are the readings suggested to have been completed by that day. I understand that it is easy to get behind on the readings and that it is unlikely that you will have read every thing before every class. However, keeping as close to the readings as possible will significantly help the studying before a test. Many classes only have two tests in an entire semester which means that the amount of material on the test is huge. It isn’t like high school where you may have been able to do all the readings the night before. Trust me when I say, the less you have to do the night before a test, the better your life will be. The same suggestions apply to things such as math and science problems. Do the problem sets as they are assigned because this will help increase your grades and decrease the stress. Along with the broad terms of when to study, such as before a class, it is important to think about what time of day you work best in as well. Some of this will be tailored by your class schedule, work schedule, and extracurricular activities. Do your work in the morning if you tend to be more focused then. If the best time for

•

•

•

•

In order to get a better understanding of the written material, go though and read the first and last sentence of each chapter. This will give you a very specific explanation of the material that will be covered. You can also use this as a study tool when it comes time for the exam. Do not highlight any particular part of a paragraph until you have read the whole thing. Also, use your highlighter sparingly. Only highlight key points, concepts, and facts. You don’t want your entire book to be yellow! Read course material before going to class. This way you will be prepared for the lecture and will have a better understanding of what is going on. Take advantage of the study guides in the book. Use them as a way to study and to get a better understanding of what is important in the chapter.

Studying in a Dorm When your dorm room becomes your bedroom, your office, your kitchen, and your living room combined, it can often be difficult to get anything accomplished. When I went to college, one very practical item that I took with me was a fold away card table. This served primarily two purposes. First, it served as a table to eat on when I chose to eat in the dorm and second, it was a great space to spread my books out on and study. Often the built in desks in dorms are very small and hold little more than a computer. Having a separate space, in this case the table, helped keep my studying organized. Studying in the dorm room is, often, simply not an option. For instance, your roommate is doing something noisy, or someone is running around screaming in the hall, or the distractions of IM and T.V are just too much to get anything accomplished. There are always lots of interruptions. When this happens there are a few other places you can go to study. One option is to go to campus. Campus, being a place of education, is full of empty study lounges and libraries. When campus is just too far away, or you want to go somewhere fresh, but you don’t have a car, there are locations within walking distance from the dorm where you can study. Local coffee shops serve this purpose well and many have wireless hubs so you can be on the internet too. Another good place to study is 52

53

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

some students use highlighters when they read chapters; some take full notes from the book and some read the chapters over and over. Here are a few tips for taking notes outside of class.

bookstores. The bookstores work well because there is usually a café where you can get a snack and some stay-awake coffee, and there are tables to spread your things on as well. One problem with locations outside of the dorm is that if you forget something, you have to spend a lot of time going to get it. If you stay in the dorm, you will lose less time gathering all of the items you need. If you don’t feel like leaving the dorm, there are study lounges located within the residence hall. Many dorms have study lounges both on individual halls and in the basement. The nice thing about study lounges within the dorm is that if you forget something or need another study item, it is easy to pop back into your room and get it. The bad thing about studying in the lounges is that often friends will come in and distract you! One suggestion is to sit in the cubicle spaces. This will lessen the distractions and keep you focused on the studying at hand. After you have decided where the best place for you to concentrate is, you need to come up with a routine of where studying works best for you. It may be that for different types of assignments, you study in different places. For example, you may find that you like to read best in bed, you like to do math problems at your card table, and you like to study for tests away from the dorm completely. Finding out where you accomplish different tasks the best is important for setting up a routine that will keep you making the grades you want and prevent you from pulling constant “all nighters.” Important fact: I once heard that it is best to not do work in bed. If you only associate your bed with sleep, then you will more likely be able to go to sleep quicker and sleep harder. Try not to use your bed as a desk, but if reading in bed works best for you, then stick with it. When to study is an important topic in freshman academics. Most often the readings that occur on any given syllabus are the readings suggested to have been completed by that day. I understand that it is easy to get behind on the readings and that it is unlikely that you will have read every thing before every class. However, keeping as close to the readings as possible will significantly help the studying before a test. Many classes only have two tests in an entire semester which means that the amount of material on the test is huge. It isn’t like high school where you may have been able to do all the readings the night before. Trust me when I say, the less you have to do the night before a test, the better your life will be. The same suggestions apply to things such as math and science problems. Do the problem sets as they are assigned because this will help increase your grades and decrease the stress. Along with the broad terms of when to study, such as before a class, it is important to think about what time of day you work best in as well. Some of this will be tailored by your class schedule, work schedule, and extracurricular activities. Do your work in the morning if you tend to be more focused then. If the best time for

•

•

•

•

In order to get a better understanding of the written material, go though and read the first and last sentence of each chapter. This will give you a very specific explanation of the material that will be covered. You can also use this as a study tool when it comes time for the exam. Do not highlight any particular part of a paragraph until you have read the whole thing. Also, use your highlighter sparingly. Only highlight key points, concepts, and facts. You don’t want your entire book to be yellow! Read course material before going to class. This way you will be prepared for the lecture and will have a better understanding of what is going on. Take advantage of the study guides in the book. Use them as a way to study and to get a better understanding of what is important in the chapter.

Studying in a Dorm When your dorm room becomes your bedroom, your office, your kitchen, and your living room combined, it can often be difficult to get anything accomplished. When I went to college, one very practical item that I took with me was a fold away card table. This served primarily two purposes. First, it served as a table to eat on when I chose to eat in the dorm and second, it was a great space to spread my books out on and study. Often the built in desks in dorms are very small and hold little more than a computer. Having a separate space, in this case the table, helped keep my studying organized. Studying in the dorm room is, often, simply not an option. For instance, your roommate is doing something noisy, or someone is running around screaming in the hall, or the distractions of IM and T.V are just too much to get anything accomplished. There are always lots of interruptions. When this happens there are a few other places you can go to study. One option is to go to campus. Campus, being a place of education, is full of empty study lounges and libraries. When campus is just too far away, or you want to go somewhere fresh, but you don’t have a car, there are locations within walking distance from the dorm where you can study. Local coffee shops serve this purpose well and many have wireless hubs so you can be on the internet too. Another good place to study is 52

53

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

you is afternoon do it in the afternoon, and if you work best at night, do your work then. Use what works best for you and cater your schedule around what fits you best. Taking Tests Just like with taking notes, many students study for tests in different ways. As I mentioned earlier, one key point to remember is to prepare for a class earlier than the night before. The more you prepare before then, the less you will have to do the night before. Also, studying the night before can be more of a review instead of a lesson if you are prepared in advance. Here are some other tips you can consider. • Do not cram. If you have taken effective notes in and out of class, then you will use this night as a review. You have already grasped the difficult concepts, so now you can focus on the details. • Find what works best for you and do it. If you learn best by rereading your notes, spend the time doing that. If you learn best by re-writing them, then use this study technique. • Use the study guides in the book • Utilize any study guides that were distributed in class. If there was a study guide given for the test, make sure you have completed the guide in enough advance so you can spend the night before the test memorizing and learning the answers. • Read the first and last sentence of each paragraph, or go through the highlights in the book to refresh your memory. • Clear up any last minute questions you may have with the material. • If you can use a study group, find one and work together. Remember to also leave time to prepare by yourself. • Work problems, if applicable, to make sure you understand the formulas and the steps. On the night before, eat a good dinner and study in the evening before you go to bed. Go to bed early! I know this sounds crazy in college but it’s a proven fact that people who prepare in advance and go to bed early do better than people who cram the night before. When you get up in the morning, have a good breakfast and review if needed. Leave the dorm early so that you will not be rushed. Make sure you have all the necessary items such as pencils, scantrons, and bluebooks before you leave the dorm. When you get to the classroom, sit in the same seat that you sit in for the lecture. Don’t listen to people’s comments around you and try to block out the noise. Take a deep breath and stay calm. The worst thing you can do is start to get upset. You are ready and prepared and will do great. Trust yourself and things will work out fine. 54

STRESS

C

hances are stress is going to become a factor in your life when you go away to school. From problems with adjusting to college life to the schedule and rigor of academics, there are many times when you will feel anxiety. Rest assured that there are many ways to diverge from pressure. Routines Some people curb stress by activities such as extracurricular activities or exercise, but there are other options that you may want to consider as well. One strategy that often decreases stress is having a set routine. For example, if you like a particular show, then watch it regularly. If you enjoy taking a shower before you go to bed, then work this into your routine. It sounds ridiculous, but having a set schedule, full of things that you enjoy doing, will ease your tension. Getaways Students sometimes relieve stress by getting away from what is making them uncomfortable. If doing things you like makes you less stressed, than getting away from the things that makes you feel anxious makes sense. The “get away” may be as little as getting out of the room you are studying in, to a weekend vacation. The measure you need to take to feel less stressed depends on why you are feeling pressured. For instance, if you are trying to finish a problem set and you just can’t figure it out, stop doing the work for a little while. Take a break and relax. Do something that you enjoy doing for a short period of time and then go back to it and try again. If the problem is more serious, like you are having problems with your roommate, a weekend getaway from the dorm, or college in general, may put things into a better point of view. Senses Another way that people tend to relieve stress is to utilize their senses. For some, certain smells can help them relax, while for others, it may be music. Aromatherapy has become increasingly popular in the last few years, but the theory behind utilizing your senses has been around for much longer. For your sense of smell, typically scents such as lavender and chamomile tend to make people relax. There are hundreds of ways to use these smells throughout the

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

you is afternoon do it in the afternoon, and if you work best at night, do your work then. Use what works best for you and cater your schedule around what fits you best. Taking Tests Just like with taking notes, many students study for tests in different ways. As I mentioned earlier, one key point to remember is to prepare for a class earlier than the night before. The more you prepare before then, the less you will have to do the night before. Also, studying the night before can be more of a review instead of a lesson if you are prepared in advance. Here are some other tips you can consider. • Do not cram. If you have taken effective notes in and out of class, then you will use this night as a review. You have already grasped the difficult concepts, so now you can focus on the details. • Find what works best for you and do it. If you learn best by rereading your notes, spend the time doing that. If you learn best by re-writing them, then use this study technique. • Use the study guides in the book • Utilize any study guides that were distributed in class. If there was a study guide given for the test, make sure you have completed the guide in enough advance so you can spend the night before the test memorizing and learning the answers. • Read the first and last sentence of each paragraph, or go through the highlights in the book to refresh your memory. • Clear up any last minute questions you may have with the material. • If you can use a study group, find one and work together. Remember to also leave time to prepare by yourself. • Work problems, if applicable, to make sure you understand the formulas and the steps. On the night before, eat a good dinner and study in the evening before you go to bed. Go to bed early! I know this sounds crazy in college but it’s a proven fact that people who prepare in advance and go to bed early do better than people who cram the night before. When you get up in the morning, have a good breakfast and review if needed. Leave the dorm early so that you will not be rushed. Make sure you have all the necessary items such as pencils, scantrons, and bluebooks before you leave the dorm. When you get to the classroom, sit in the same seat that you sit in for the lecture. Don’t listen to people’s comments around you and try to block out the noise. Take a deep breath and stay calm. The worst thing you can do is start to get upset. You are ready and prepared and will do great. Trust yourself and things will work out fine. 54

STRESS

C

hances are stress is going to become a factor in your life when you go away to school. From problems with adjusting to college life to the schedule and rigor of academics, there are many times when you will feel anxiety. Rest assured that there are many ways to diverge from pressure. Routines Some people curb stress by activities such as extracurricular activities or exercise, but there are other options that you may want to consider as well. One strategy that often decreases stress is having a set routine. For example, if you like a particular show, then watch it regularly. If you enjoy taking a shower before you go to bed, then work this into your routine. It sounds ridiculous, but having a set schedule, full of things that you enjoy doing, will ease your tension. Getaways Students sometimes relieve stress by getting away from what is making them uncomfortable. If doing things you like makes you less stressed, than getting away from the things that makes you feel anxious makes sense. The “get away” may be as little as getting out of the room you are studying in, to a weekend vacation. The measure you need to take to feel less stressed depends on why you are feeling pressured. For instance, if you are trying to finish a problem set and you just can’t figure it out, stop doing the work for a little while. Take a break and relax. Do something that you enjoy doing for a short period of time and then go back to it and try again. If the problem is more serious, like you are having problems with your roommate, a weekend getaway from the dorm, or college in general, may put things into a better point of view. Senses Another way that people tend to relieve stress is to utilize their senses. For some, certain smells can help them relax, while for others, it may be music. Aromatherapy has become increasingly popular in the last few years, but the theory behind utilizing your senses has been around for much longer. For your sense of smell, typically scents such as lavender and chamomile tend to make people relax. There are hundreds of ways to use these smells throughout the

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

dorm room. There are air fresheners, plug-ins, potpourri, incense, candles, and sachets that you may consider using. If you enjoy relieving stress through the sense of hearing, try to find calming music that you enjoy. Stay away from loud music that quickens the heartbeat but instead choose music that calms. Dim the lights to utilize the sense of sight to relax. Harsh lights such as fluorescents (which are usually used in dorm rooms) can cause headaches as well as make you feel tense. Bring a lamp to college, which can be dimmed. The low lighting will help relax your eyes and make you feel better as well. Taste may not be something that you think of when you think of destressing, but it can help relieve stress. Remember when I talked about soul food in the freshman 15 chapter? This is why. Many people try and de-stress through food. While macaroni and cheese can indeed curb some stress, try not to always rely on eating. Instead of eating a bowl of pasta or a piece of pizza to relax, try something like a warm bath instead. Finally, the sense of touch can be used to de-stress as well. Many different organizations offer complimentary massages during midterms and finals. A massage can do a world of difference in easing your frustration. If you can’t get to a masseuse, a simple foot rubdown or a back scrubber for the shower can help relax muscles and keep you focused. Another option that incorporates both smell and touch that can curb anxiety is ointments that are supposed to go directly on pressure points. The rubbing sensation plus the effects of certain herbs such as eucalyptus and mint can help relieve stress as well.

56

RELATIONSHIPS

D

ating and relationships can be a very difficult experience for freshmen in college for many different reasons. One of the main reasons dating in college is so different from dating in high school is that this is the first time there are no rules, and no parents to set boundaries. For most, college is the first time when there is no calling home to ask if staying out is ok, and no asking if it is okay to go to a certain place. The sense of freedom can be scary because there is no family to give guidelines. Often the freedom can make relationships in college different, but also exciting and new. Already Committed Lots of freshmen come to college already in a relationship. Some date someone going to the same school, some date someone at other colleges, and some date someone in their hometown. One main difference between all of these scenarios is where the partner is. Long distance dating and short distance dating have significant differences. If you are dating someone local, staying committed may be a bit easier than if it were long distance. For partners who come to college together, the experience can be very different because there is no longer any parental input. Now that there are not any rules, the adjustment to freedom can be somewhat intense. For example, chances are, spending the night with one another in high school was not even an option, but in college it is. Staying out all night is fair game, as well as all of the other crazy things that college students do. It might be helpful to talk about the transition to college before you leave for school. Talk about things like how much time you plan on spending together, if you are going to eat together, sleep together, and take classes together. Some people go to college with the understanding that it is a new time and a place to meet other people. It may be that you decide to slow down on the relationship so that both of you have the chance to spread your wings. Don’t feel like you have to make the decision to slow down when you go to college. Many people come to college as a couple and leave that way too. Jeremy and I went to our high school senior prom together and have been together since. There is no reason to think it isn’t possible to make the relationship last in college, because sometimes college makes people even closer. I feel like I have grown up with Jeremy. Every part of college, every experience we have

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

dorm room. There are air fresheners, plug-ins, potpourri, incense, candles, and sachets that you may consider using. If you enjoy relieving stress through the sense of hearing, try to find calming music that you enjoy. Stay away from loud music that quickens the heartbeat but instead choose music that calms. Dim the lights to utilize the sense of sight to relax. Harsh lights such as fluorescents (which are usually used in dorm rooms) can cause headaches as well as make you feel tense. Bring a lamp to college, which can be dimmed. The low lighting will help relax your eyes and make you feel better as well. Taste may not be something that you think of when you think of destressing, but it can help relieve stress. Remember when I talked about soul food in the freshman 15 chapter? This is why. Many people try and de-stress through food. While macaroni and cheese can indeed curb some stress, try not to always rely on eating. Instead of eating a bowl of pasta or a piece of pizza to relax, try something like a warm bath instead. Finally, the sense of touch can be used to de-stress as well. Many different organizations offer complimentary massages during midterms and finals. A massage can do a world of difference in easing your frustration. If you can’t get to a masseuse, a simple foot rubdown or a back scrubber for the shower can help relax muscles and keep you focused. Another option that incorporates both smell and touch that can curb anxiety is ointments that are supposed to go directly on pressure points. The rubbing sensation plus the effects of certain herbs such as eucalyptus and mint can help relieve stress as well.

56

RELATIONSHIPS

D

ating and relationships can be a very difficult experience for freshmen in college for many different reasons. One of the main reasons dating in college is so different from dating in high school is that this is the first time there are no rules, and no parents to set boundaries. For most, college is the first time when there is no calling home to ask if staying out is ok, and no asking if it is okay to go to a certain place. The sense of freedom can be scary because there is no family to give guidelines. Often the freedom can make relationships in college different, but also exciting and new. Already Committed Lots of freshmen come to college already in a relationship. Some date someone going to the same school, some date someone at other colleges, and some date someone in their hometown. One main difference between all of these scenarios is where the partner is. Long distance dating and short distance dating have significant differences. If you are dating someone local, staying committed may be a bit easier than if it were long distance. For partners who come to college together, the experience can be very different because there is no longer any parental input. Now that there are not any rules, the adjustment to freedom can be somewhat intense. For example, chances are, spending the night with one another in high school was not even an option, but in college it is. Staying out all night is fair game, as well as all of the other crazy things that college students do. It might be helpful to talk about the transition to college before you leave for school. Talk about things like how much time you plan on spending together, if you are going to eat together, sleep together, and take classes together. Some people go to college with the understanding that it is a new time and a place to meet other people. It may be that you decide to slow down on the relationship so that both of you have the chance to spread your wings. Don’t feel like you have to make the decision to slow down when you go to college. Many people come to college as a couple and leave that way too. Jeremy and I went to our high school senior prom together and have been together since. There is no reason to think it isn’t possible to make the relationship last in college, because sometimes college makes people even closer. I feel like I have grown up with Jeremy. Every part of college, every experience we have

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

had, I have been there for him and he has been there for me. Commitments can work. Remember it is important to understand the expectations of each other, especially in your freshman year. Things are different; the world is open. It is important to be on the same page when it comes to understanding the direction the two of you are planning to take. Long distance relationships can often be difficult in college. The two most common forms of long distance relationships that freshmen have is, either they still are dating someone in their hometown, or they are dating someone else who has gone to college at a different school. When freshmen date someone in their hometown, they often spend the first semester of weekends at home. This can very difficult for the person in college because they are tied between high school and college existence. This can be hard because during the week there are certain types of rules and expectations and on the weekends, there are others. If you are planning on pursuing this type of relationship, try not to go home every weekend. Maybe consider spending more time on the phone and going home every other weekend, or see if it would be possible for your partner to come to the school on some weekends. There are always lots of options, just remember to consider them all. If you are in a relationship where the partner is at another school, try to consider some of the same suggestions for people dating someone in their hometowns. Spend one weekend at your school and the next weekend at theirs. This way, both people get a chance to acclimate into their college setting. For the time that the two of you can’t be together, try setting a certain time of the day, or every other day, to talk on the phone. Another good thing to utilize is free communication; IM, emails, and facebook are free, so use them often. The constant communication will help shorten the time until the two of you can be together again. Single Many freshmen don’t come to college in a relationship but come single and ready to start a new life. College is a great place to start fresh because everything is new. The people, the experiences, the rules; everything about college is different, and finding boyfriends or girlfriends can often happen in college too. Do you want to get to know people of the opposite sex but you don’t know where to meet them? If you go to a small school it is possible that you might meet people in the college classes. It is also possible to meet people in a large college classroom but it is a bit more unlikely. For the most part, people who are going to date in college don’t meet in the classroom but somewhere outside of the academic setting. Bars and parties are good places to meet lots of people. They are often

full of single people looking to meet each other. However, often people who meet in these types of settings are looking for short term relationships. This, in itself, is something new to college. It isn’t unusual for college freshmen to experience new things with members of the opposite sex without looking for a commitment. One night stands start happening freshmen year and are apparent throughout the dating experience in college. Extracurricular activities often give people a chance to meet each other. Whether it is through fraternities and sororities, sports, or clubs, this is a great place to meet people who share common interests. It is also a good place to meet people because a lot of time is invested in extracurricular activities. This gives you plenty of time to meet and get to know potential partners. Mutual friends are often a good way to find members of the opposite sex. One good thing about college is that it is one giant network. It seems no matter how big the school, indirectly, people know each other. This is the way most people, who have a more long term relationship, meet. Use your friends and acquaintances to meet lots of new people. Where to go on dates can be an issue for people who have been dating for a long time as well as people going on first dates their freshmen year in college. One of the main obstacles for freshmen in the dating world is that most don’t have a car. Some events on campus can be fun to do on a date. For example, sometimes there are movies shown on campus as well as outside on the campus green. This can be a nice date and is usually free. Also, there are often restaurants in walking distance from campus. Combine the dinner and a movie and you have a night of inexpensive entertainment. Another idea is that there are usually gardens on or around college campuses. If you want to go on a day date, pack a lunch, take a blanket, and go have a picnic. This is very romantic and can be cheap too. Hiking and bike riding may also be options on your campus, or trips to the beach. A lot of choices depend on the location of the college. Colleges and Universities often boast about the activities available to non-driving students. Look into the options and be creative. Finally, the last matter to discuss about dating and relationships for single freshmen, is the topic of commitment in college. As I mentioned earlier, many people date casually in college. This can mean going on a date with one person one night, and another the next. This seems to be the norm in fraternities and sororities. Functions such as mixers and cocktails happen regularly in the PanHellenic setting and require dates. Also, since there is so much freedom in college, it is typical for people to date lots of other people. If you are interested in having a relationship with someone new in college, it is important to understand what both of you want. Talk about the commitment level that both of you want to have. Also, and importantly, talk about past relationship history. It is imperative to know about each other’s experiences, such as sexual

58

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KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

had, I have been there for him and he has been there for me. Commitments can work. Remember it is important to understand the expectations of each other, especially in your freshman year. Things are different; the world is open. It is important to be on the same page when it comes to understanding the direction the two of you are planning to take. Long distance relationships can often be difficult in college. The two most common forms of long distance relationships that freshmen have is, either they still are dating someone in their hometown, or they are dating someone else who has gone to college at a different school. When freshmen date someone in their hometown, they often spend the first semester of weekends at home. This can very difficult for the person in college because they are tied between high school and college existence. This can be hard because during the week there are certain types of rules and expectations and on the weekends, there are others. If you are planning on pursuing this type of relationship, try not to go home every weekend. Maybe consider spending more time on the phone and going home every other weekend, or see if it would be possible for your partner to come to the school on some weekends. There are always lots of options, just remember to consider them all. If you are in a relationship where the partner is at another school, try to consider some of the same suggestions for people dating someone in their hometowns. Spend one weekend at your school and the next weekend at theirs. This way, both people get a chance to acclimate into their college setting. For the time that the two of you can’t be together, try setting a certain time of the day, or every other day, to talk on the phone. Another good thing to utilize is free communication; IM, emails, and facebook are free, so use them often. The constant communication will help shorten the time until the two of you can be together again. Single Many freshmen don’t come to college in a relationship but come single and ready to start a new life. College is a great place to start fresh because everything is new. The people, the experiences, the rules; everything about college is different, and finding boyfriends or girlfriends can often happen in college too. Do you want to get to know people of the opposite sex but you don’t know where to meet them? If you go to a small school it is possible that you might meet people in the college classes. It is also possible to meet people in a large college classroom but it is a bit more unlikely. For the most part, people who are going to date in college don’t meet in the classroom but somewhere outside of the academic setting. Bars and parties are good places to meet lots of people. They are often

full of single people looking to meet each other. However, often people who meet in these types of settings are looking for short term relationships. This, in itself, is something new to college. It isn’t unusual for college freshmen to experience new things with members of the opposite sex without looking for a commitment. One night stands start happening freshmen year and are apparent throughout the dating experience in college. Extracurricular activities often give people a chance to meet each other. Whether it is through fraternities and sororities, sports, or clubs, this is a great place to meet people who share common interests. It is also a good place to meet people because a lot of time is invested in extracurricular activities. This gives you plenty of time to meet and get to know potential partners. Mutual friends are often a good way to find members of the opposite sex. One good thing about college is that it is one giant network. It seems no matter how big the school, indirectly, people know each other. This is the way most people, who have a more long term relationship, meet. Use your friends and acquaintances to meet lots of new people. Where to go on dates can be an issue for people who have been dating for a long time as well as people going on first dates their freshmen year in college. One of the main obstacles for freshmen in the dating world is that most don’t have a car. Some events on campus can be fun to do on a date. For example, sometimes there are movies shown on campus as well as outside on the campus green. This can be a nice date and is usually free. Also, there are often restaurants in walking distance from campus. Combine the dinner and a movie and you have a night of inexpensive entertainment. Another idea is that there are usually gardens on or around college campuses. If you want to go on a day date, pack a lunch, take a blanket, and go have a picnic. This is very romantic and can be cheap too. Hiking and bike riding may also be options on your campus, or trips to the beach. A lot of choices depend on the location of the college. Colleges and Universities often boast about the activities available to non-driving students. Look into the options and be creative. Finally, the last matter to discuss about dating and relationships for single freshmen, is the topic of commitment in college. As I mentioned earlier, many people date casually in college. This can mean going on a date with one person one night, and another the next. This seems to be the norm in fraternities and sororities. Functions such as mixers and cocktails happen regularly in the PanHellenic setting and require dates. Also, since there is so much freedom in college, it is typical for people to date lots of other people. If you are interested in having a relationship with someone new in college, it is important to understand what both of you want. Talk about the commitment level that both of you want to have. Also, and importantly, talk about past relationship history. It is imperative to know about each other’s experiences, such as sexual

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KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

encounters, before getting intimately involved. STDs in college run rampant and it is important to understand your potential partner’s past. Also, if you are planning on having sex with someone, you may want to think about getting tested for STDs and HIV. Birth control is an important topic for sexually active college students. At every college there are student health services. These services can be used for anything from colds to severe illnesses. Student health services can also be used to get birth control. All meetings with student health nurses and doctors are confidential. You can go and talk to your health care provider about anything, from getting tested for STDs, to discussing birth control pills and other preventive pregnancy options. If you are going to be sexually active in college go to student health and protect yourself.

60

FINALS

I

would like to start by telling you a little bit about my very first impression of “Hell Week” at UNC. The week begins with a mad rush to finish all of the final projects for all of your classes. At some schools, there is a “dead week” before there is a “hell week” where no teachers can expect major projects due. Personally, this is a wonderful idea but I’m not sure how many colleges actually have that option. The beginning of the week (no dead week for me) started with a scramble to finish up five projects, three papers, and a presentation. This was all in the week before finals actually began. By the end of “hell week,” I had just finished all of the projects that were assigned four months in advance, and then I had two days to study for the beginning of “finals week.” Finals week can either be a quick blur where you don’t sleep for seventy two hours and take all five exams in three days, which it was for me, or it can be a long drawn out process that can take the whole final schedule. Either way, preparing for finals and taking finals in college can be quite an experience. One place to truly study the habits of college final’s takers is to go to any college library at around 12:00 at night. For many college student’s, this is when the studying extravaganza starts. During this week, coffee shops have people in them all hours of the night. You can walk around campus at 3:00 a.m. and think its 8:00 p.m. No college student sleeps in their bed and the campus stays alive 24 hours a day. In the library at 12:00 a.m. you will find people frantically studying, or taking naps on the plastic chairs. There is no room -- chairs and books are spread all over the place, and there are people in their pajamas on the biggest caffeine highs of their life. Remember how I told you it is better to study in advance and get plenty of sleep the night before a test? During finals week, that doesn’t apply to about 99% of college students. Another interesting thing about taking finals is that finals stop for nothing. I have two personal stories to explain this point. First, my freshman year, December 15th (I remember because it was my birthday) I was taking a math final in the gym with all other college students taking this same introductory course. It was snowing outside, freezing, and about 8:00 at night. For some reason, the construction crew was still working at this hour (the everlasting struggle to improve the campus) when one of the crewmen hit a transformer and blew out the power across the entire campus. The test didn’t stop. Instead,

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

encounters, before getting intimately involved. STDs in college run rampant and it is important to understand your potential partner’s past. Also, if you are planning on having sex with someone, you may want to think about getting tested for STDs and HIV. Birth control is an important topic for sexually active college students. At every college there are student health services. These services can be used for anything from colds to severe illnesses. Student health services can also be used to get birth control. All meetings with student health nurses and doctors are confidential. You can go and talk to your health care provider about anything, from getting tested for STDs, to discussing birth control pills and other preventive pregnancy options. If you are going to be sexually active in college go to student health and protect yourself.

60

FINALS

I

would like to start by telling you a little bit about my very first impression of “Hell Week” at UNC. The week begins with a mad rush to finish all of the final projects for all of your classes. At some schools, there is a “dead week” before there is a “hell week” where no teachers can expect major projects due. Personally, this is a wonderful idea but I’m not sure how many colleges actually have that option. The beginning of the week (no dead week for me) started with a scramble to finish up five projects, three papers, and a presentation. This was all in the week before finals actually began. By the end of “hell week,” I had just finished all of the projects that were assigned four months in advance, and then I had two days to study for the beginning of “finals week.” Finals week can either be a quick blur where you don’t sleep for seventy two hours and take all five exams in three days, which it was for me, or it can be a long drawn out process that can take the whole final schedule. Either way, preparing for finals and taking finals in college can be quite an experience. One place to truly study the habits of college final’s takers is to go to any college library at around 12:00 at night. For many college student’s, this is when the studying extravaganza starts. During this week, coffee shops have people in them all hours of the night. You can walk around campus at 3:00 a.m. and think its 8:00 p.m. No college student sleeps in their bed and the campus stays alive 24 hours a day. In the library at 12:00 a.m. you will find people frantically studying, or taking naps on the plastic chairs. There is no room -- chairs and books are spread all over the place, and there are people in their pajamas on the biggest caffeine highs of their life. Remember how I told you it is better to study in advance and get plenty of sleep the night before a test? During finals week, that doesn’t apply to about 99% of college students. Another interesting thing about taking finals is that finals stop for nothing. I have two personal stories to explain this point. First, my freshman year, December 15th (I remember because it was my birthday) I was taking a math final in the gym with all other college students taking this same introductory course. It was snowing outside, freezing, and about 8:00 at night. For some reason, the construction crew was still working at this hour (the everlasting struggle to improve the campus) when one of the crewmen hit a transformer and blew out the power across the entire campus. The test didn’t stop. Instead,

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

we all took our final to the light of the emergency exit sign and the flashing light of the emergency escape route. The grades of this test still counted. Even though there was not any power on campus, the tests were still on for the next day. Most freshmen on campus spent that night studying huddled by candlelight in multi-million dollar libraries. My second story happened again at the Christmas break finals, but this was my junior year. It was the night before the first set of scheduled exams and the ice storm of the century blew through town. Trees were down, power was out, and the whole city was like a block of ice. Everything, literally everything, was covered in ice. The trees, the cars, and the roads were all ice and virtually impossible to travel. I had an exam the next day at 8:00 a.m. I walked to my exam, stumbling though the dark as tress fell all around me. I finally made it to campus, where there was no power, and again took my test to the light of emergency exit signs. While this may seem like a rare event, it happened. During that storm a girl was killed by a falling tree on her way to an exam. I think the school, and many others, took this lesson to heart and have since become more tolerant of canceling and rescheduling exams.

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SUMMER JOBS

Y

ou’ve made it through your first year of college. Now you have to decide what you want to do with your summer. It seems that most freshmen go back to their hometown for the summer. In your sophomore year, most either go home for the summer or stay at school, and most juniors spend their summer at an internship. The most obvious reason why most freshmen leave campus for the summer is because they are living in a dorm and have to move out. I believe a lot of freshmen go home in the summer to reflect on what life was like at home. A lot of freshmen spend their first year at college thinking about why high school and living at home was so great and go home for the summer to reach out for those memories. Many people I have talked to, who did go home their freshman summer, find that home is different than when they left it. Life at home “feels” different than when you actually lived there. Things change when you go to school and the effects of this can be felt a year later. Don’t feel too badly because you are different too. While it may seem that everything at your house has changed, chances are that you have too. Think about it, you have been away at college for a whole year without any of the things that you had at home, such as rules, parents, guidelines, and stability. In this year you have probably grown up more than you did in the last four years of high school, and going back to where you were in high school will reflect this. You are an adult. You have been living on your own. To go back and live with curfews, set meal times, and things that once seemed so simple and common, will be different. For some, this experience is exhilarating because it makes you realize how much you have changed. For some, the experience can cause a lot of reflection. If you are in the latter, just remember that things do change, but you change with them. As for jobs, it seems to be fairly common for freshman to have jobs that they would have had in high school. For example, a lot of kids go back and become lifeguards, or work at camps. I think this is great. Do what you think is fun. You deserve it. Your first year of college can be very stressful. Don’t worry so much about doing something to “boost your resume” because there will be plenty of time for that later. Instead, do something fun and light. Take this as a time to rekindle old friendships, to get to know your family on a different level, and to make some spare money to take back to school.

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

we all took our final to the light of the emergency exit sign and the flashing light of the emergency escape route. The grades of this test still counted. Even though there was not any power on campus, the tests were still on for the next day. Most freshmen on campus spent that night studying huddled by candlelight in multi-million dollar libraries. My second story happened again at the Christmas break finals, but this was my junior year. It was the night before the first set of scheduled exams and the ice storm of the century blew through town. Trees were down, power was out, and the whole city was like a block of ice. Everything, literally everything, was covered in ice. The trees, the cars, and the roads were all ice and virtually impossible to travel. I had an exam the next day at 8:00 a.m. I walked to my exam, stumbling though the dark as tress fell all around me. I finally made it to campus, where there was no power, and again took my test to the light of emergency exit signs. While this may seem like a rare event, it happened. During that storm a girl was killed by a falling tree on her way to an exam. I think the school, and many others, took this lesson to heart and have since become more tolerant of canceling and rescheduling exams.

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ou’ve made it through your first year of college. Now you have to decide what you want to do with your summer. It seems that most freshmen go back to their hometown for the summer. In your sophomore year, most either go home for the summer or stay at school, and most juniors spend their summer at an internship. The most obvious reason why most freshmen leave campus for the summer is because they are living in a dorm and have to move out. I believe a lot of freshmen go home in the summer to reflect on what life was like at home. A lot of freshmen spend their first year at college thinking about why high school and living at home was so great and go home for the summer to reach out for those memories. Many people I have talked to, who did go home their freshman summer, find that home is different than when they left it. Life at home “feels” different than when you actually lived there. Things change when you go to school and the effects of this can be felt a year later. Don’t feel too badly because you are different too. While it may seem that everything at your house has changed, chances are that you have too. Think about it, you have been away at college for a whole year without any of the things that you had at home, such as rules, parents, guidelines, and stability. In this year you have probably grown up more than you did in the last four years of high school, and going back to where you were in high school will reflect this. You are an adult. You have been living on your own. To go back and live with curfews, set meal times, and things that once seemed so simple and common, will be different. For some, this experience is exhilarating because it makes you realize how much you have changed. For some, the experience can cause a lot of reflection. If you are in the latter, just remember that things do change, but you change with them. As for jobs, it seems to be fairly common for freshman to have jobs that they would have had in high school. For example, a lot of kids go back and become lifeguards, or work at camps. I think this is great. Do what you think is fun. You deserve it. Your first year of college can be very stressful. Don’t worry so much about doing something to “boost your resume” because there will be plenty of time for that later. Instead, do something fun and light. Take this as a time to rekindle old friendships, to get to know your family on a different level, and to make some spare money to take back to school.

SOPHOMORE YEAR

SOPHOMORE YEAR

DECIDING WHERE TO LIVE

W

hile many students didn’t have too much of an option of where they were going to live freshmen year, there are more options your sophomore year. Typically the choice is either to stay in the dorm, or to move off campus. There are pros and cons to both. The best thing to do is weigh what is most important to you and decide from there. Dorm If living in a dorm your freshman year was comfortable and convenient, then it might be a wise decision to stay right there. Meals are accounted for, it is usually close to campus, it can be cheaper than an apartment, there is a possibility of becoming an RA, there is no moving heavy furniture, and there are no bills. Since you probably have been living in a dorm for a year, there isn’t really a reason to go into the detail of what living there is like. However, the one difference from freshman year that can be significant about living in a dorm is the chance of a job. RAs are usually sophomores who want to continue living in a dorm. The nice thing about becoming an RA is that it pays for your room, you get a single, and you get a meal plan as well. The expectations of a residential assistant are to maintain the rules of the dorm hall and be there for the students. As well as being a counselor, RAs have to take care of the office of the residence hall. Sometimes this means a few hours a day of running the office, or sometimes it means being on call in case you are needed. Also, if you need to make spending money, many RA programs offer extra hours a week for a wage. The bad thing about living in a dorm is that you have to deal with all of the things from the year before that you didn’t like. This may include not having a car, the noise, no privacy, suitemates, and no space. Make a list of the things that you liked and didn’t like about living in a dorm and compare that to a similar list about living in an apartment. Apartment If you are one of the many people who didn’t like living in a dorm, your sophomore year is a good chance to make a move. Here are some good things about an apartment: there is a sense of freedom, you have the opportunity to

DECIDING WHERE TO LIVE

W

hile many students didn’t have too much of an option of where they were going to live freshmen year, there are more options your sophomore year. Typically the choice is either to stay in the dorm, or to move off campus. There are pros and cons to both. The best thing to do is weigh what is most important to you and decide from there. Dorm If living in a dorm your freshman year was comfortable and convenient, then it might be a wise decision to stay right there. Meals are accounted for, it is usually close to campus, it can be cheaper than an apartment, there is a possibility of becoming an RA, there is no moving heavy furniture, and there are no bills. Since you probably have been living in a dorm for a year, there isn’t really a reason to go into the detail of what living there is like. However, the one difference from freshman year that can be significant about living in a dorm is the chance of a job. RAs are usually sophomores who want to continue living in a dorm. The nice thing about becoming an RA is that it pays for your room, you get a single, and you get a meal plan as well. The expectations of a residential assistant are to maintain the rules of the dorm hall and be there for the students. As well as being a counselor, RAs have to take care of the office of the residence hall. Sometimes this means a few hours a day of running the office, or sometimes it means being on call in case you are needed. Also, if you need to make spending money, many RA programs offer extra hours a week for a wage. The bad thing about living in a dorm is that you have to deal with all of the things from the year before that you didn’t like. This may include not having a car, the noise, no privacy, suitemates, and no space. Make a list of the things that you liked and didn’t like about living in a dorm and compare that to a similar list about living in an apartment. Apartment If you are one of the many people who didn’t like living in a dorm, your sophomore year is a good chance to make a move. Here are some good things about an apartment: there is a sense of freedom, you have the opportunity to

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

have a car, there is more space, and more privacy. Some of the bad things about an apartment that may be new from living in a dorm are that it can be more expensive, and there can be a larger sense of responsibility. One of the main differences is that all expenses that were paid for in the dorm are not paid for in an apartment. Paying bills and rent has to become part of the budget of your money and part of your routine of paying them on time. The best thing to do is to make a list of what you like and what you don’t like about living in each place. Take all factors into account, such as whether your friends want to live on or off campus, and make a decision. If you are going to live in an apartment your sophomore year, this needs to be decided by February, your freshman year, so that leases can be signed and arrangements can be made.

LEAVING THE DORM FOR THE FIRST TIME OF INDEPENDENT LIVING- AN APARTMENT

Costs If the dorm is not for you and you have decided to move to an apartment, one of the first things you need to think about is how much you can afford. It isn’t like the dorm where $300.00 covers everything. For an apartment, $500.00 may only be the cost of rent, not including expenses. Look around and see what types of apartments are available. Factors such as location and safety, and the number of bedrooms may play into the decision. Sometimes there are furnished and unfurnished apartments to choose from. Most apartments are empty and the cost of the rent is merely the cost of the space. Some apartments offer package options that may be convenient for college students. If you choose an unfurnished apartment, then the cost of getting furniture and moving in has to be included. Some apartments are furnished so these factors do not have to be included. Another difference between unfurnished and furnished apartments is that some furnished apartments include bills such as water, electric, cable, and phone into the rent. If you choose an unfurnished apartment, those bills may have to be added in. While the cost of living changes, depending on the amount of people living in the house, here are some examples of monthly costs, to give you an idea of how much money apartment living takes per month. These rounded examples come from my sophomore year when I lived with one other girl in an apartment, which was walking distance from campus. Rent Phone Cable Internet Electricity Water Total Per Person

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1000.00 30.00 30.00 50.00 150.00 0.00 ________ 1, 260.00 630.00

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

have a car, there is more space, and more privacy. Some of the bad things about an apartment that may be new from living in a dorm are that it can be more expensive, and there can be a larger sense of responsibility. One of the main differences is that all expenses that were paid for in the dorm are not paid for in an apartment. Paying bills and rent has to become part of the budget of your money and part of your routine of paying them on time. The best thing to do is to make a list of what you like and what you don’t like about living in each place. Take all factors into account, such as whether your friends want to live on or off campus, and make a decision. If you are going to live in an apartment your sophomore year, this needs to be decided by February, your freshman year, so that leases can be signed and arrangements can be made.

LEAVING THE DORM FOR THE FIRST TIME OF INDEPENDENT LIVING- AN APARTMENT

Costs If the dorm is not for you and you have decided to move to an apartment, one of the first things you need to think about is how much you can afford. It isn’t like the dorm where $300.00 covers everything. For an apartment, $500.00 may only be the cost of rent, not including expenses. Look around and see what types of apartments are available. Factors such as location and safety, and the number of bedrooms may play into the decision. Sometimes there are furnished and unfurnished apartments to choose from. Most apartments are empty and the cost of the rent is merely the cost of the space. Some apartments offer package options that may be convenient for college students. If you choose an unfurnished apartment, then the cost of getting furniture and moving in has to be included. Some apartments are furnished so these factors do not have to be included. Another difference between unfurnished and furnished apartments is that some furnished apartments include bills such as water, electric, cable, and phone into the rent. If you choose an unfurnished apartment, those bills may have to be added in. While the cost of living changes, depending on the amount of people living in the house, here are some examples of monthly costs, to give you an idea of how much money apartment living takes per month. These rounded examples come from my sophomore year when I lived with one other girl in an apartment, which was walking distance from campus. Rent Phone Cable Internet Electricity Water Total Per Person

68

1000.00 30.00 30.00 50.00 150.00 0.00 ________ 1, 260.00 630.00

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Also, it is important to factor in other personal bills as well. For me, some examples of bills to include were:

Bills If these are not all the bills that you have in an apartment, or if some of these bills do not apply, feel free to change the template so that the table will work for you. These bills are the most applicable for apartment living. In the columns under the utilities, write when the bill is due in the first column, and when it was paid (or just simply a check to show that you mailed it) in the second. This will keep your bills in order as well as prevent them from being late. Also, it’s a good idea to take this table and write it on a poster board that can be displayed. This will make it easy to see what needs to be paid, and will serve as a reminder as well. Due Date and Paid

Cell Phone Car Gas Groceries Miscellaneous Extra

40.00 50.00 150.00 100.00 __________ 340.00

You can have an apartment and bills that are less expensive, but this is a good guideline to give you an idea of how much things may cost for an unfurnished apartment walking distance from campus. One way to cut costs is to look for an apartment on the bus line. It seems that apartments away from campus tend to be just as nice and about half the price. Options need to be weighed when deciding where to live, including how much location is worth. Living Solo While the above list gives you an idea of how much things may cost, the next section divides living scenarios into three broad sections: living solo, living with a roommate, and living with three roommates. Although this doesn’t cover all possible apartment living options, it gives a broad idea of what living with different groups of people is like. Living alone can be good if you enjoy your own personal space. It is nice because you don’t have to worry about asking other people for bill money, the mess in the apartment is yours alone, and you can do whatever you want, whenever you want. You can go to bed when you want to, get up when you want to, watch television, or be as loud or as quiet as you want as well. Sometimes living on your own is a good idea after living in a dorm because you can have as much space as you want. However, sophomores typically do not live on their own because of their age and because of financial expense. This does not mean that you should be steered away from the option. If you are the type of person who likes to have your own schedule and independence, living on your own might be right for you. If you are living on your own, it is important to remember that you are in charge of everything. There isn’t a division of chores or who is going to pay what bills -- you will do it all. Even if you live on your own, it is nice to make lists of what chores need to be accomplished and bills need to be paid, and when, in order to stay on track. 70

Chores Like the bills, it is important to keep an organized schedule of chores that 71

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Also, it is important to factor in other personal bills as well. For me, some examples of bills to include were:

Bills If these are not all the bills that you have in an apartment, or if some of these bills do not apply, feel free to change the template so that the table will work for you. These bills are the most applicable for apartment living. In the columns under the utilities, write when the bill is due in the first column, and when it was paid (or just simply a check to show that you mailed it) in the second. This will keep your bills in order as well as prevent them from being late. Also, it’s a good idea to take this table and write it on a poster board that can be displayed. This will make it easy to see what needs to be paid, and will serve as a reminder as well. Due Date and Paid

Cell Phone Car Gas Groceries Miscellaneous Extra

40.00 50.00 150.00 100.00 __________ 340.00

You can have an apartment and bills that are less expensive, but this is a good guideline to give you an idea of how much things may cost for an unfurnished apartment walking distance from campus. One way to cut costs is to look for an apartment on the bus line. It seems that apartments away from campus tend to be just as nice and about half the price. Options need to be weighed when deciding where to live, including how much location is worth. Living Solo While the above list gives you an idea of how much things may cost, the next section divides living scenarios into three broad sections: living solo, living with a roommate, and living with three roommates. Although this doesn’t cover all possible apartment living options, it gives a broad idea of what living with different groups of people is like. Living alone can be good if you enjoy your own personal space. It is nice because you don’t have to worry about asking other people for bill money, the mess in the apartment is yours alone, and you can do whatever you want, whenever you want. You can go to bed when you want to, get up when you want to, watch television, or be as loud or as quiet as you want as well. Sometimes living on your own is a good idea after living in a dorm because you can have as much space as you want. However, sophomores typically do not live on their own because of their age and because of financial expense. This does not mean that you should be steered away from the option. If you are the type of person who likes to have your own schedule and independence, living on your own might be right for you. If you are living on your own, it is important to remember that you are in charge of everything. There isn’t a division of chores or who is going to pay what bills -- you will do it all. Even if you live on your own, it is nice to make lists of what chores need to be accomplished and bills need to be paid, and when, in order to stay on track. 70

Chores Like the bills, it is important to keep an organized schedule of chores that 71

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

need to be accomplished. Typically, there are chores that need to be done daily and then there are weekly chores that need to be accomplished. If you are living alone, a good thing may be to make a list all the things that need to be done for the week and then check them off at the end. There may not be as much of a need for a checklist if you live alone, since you will be doing all of the chores, but it may be beneficial to keep yourself on track.

with a lot of people. I lived with one other person my sophomore year and it worked really well for both of us. Living with one other person alleviates the fear of being alone, works better financially, and also sparks better friendships. The good thing about getting an apartment, unlike the freshman dorm year, is that you are in control of who you are going to live with. Like the roommate situation your freshman year, it is important to get to know your apartment roommate. Talk about your likes and dislikes, your schedule, partner issues; all the things that you discussed with your dorm roommate. Talk about who is going to bring what furniture and general house items. If you are going to share a room, things like when you like to go to sleep should be discussed as well. Also, you need to talk about expectations for the house and how you want to live. Talk about house responsibilities such as who is going to be in charge of what bills, how you want to keep your house functioning, if you are going to split the grocery bill or have separate foods. These are important delegations to keep the apartment working. One suggestion that I have if you are going to live with one other person is to split grocery duty. For my roommate and me, one of us would go to the grocery store and then the other one would go the next time. We would split the bill if we went to the grocery store together, but besides that, we didn’t keep money tabs. This works well if you trust your roommate. If you don’t feel that you can trust your roommate, you can both keep a record of the receipts and then divide it at the end of the month, or you can buy separate groceries. If you live with a lot of people, buying separate groceries may be a good idea. If you live with only one other person, then this might not be very economical. Another suggestion is to buy separate foods, but buy staple foods such as milk, bread, and orange juice together. You may want to consider getting a joint checking account. This way, both of you can put money into this account for bills, and then pay out of this. This prevents one person fronting the rent bill, or any of the bills, without the other person being accountable. In terms of bills, divide them up equally and also by cost. If you aren’t going to get a joint account, make the bills as close to equal as possible. You may want to write the rent check separately and then divide up the rest of the utilities. Since water is usually paid for by the landlord, give one of the roommates the electricity and phone bills, and the other roommate the cable and internet bills. This usually works for balancing out the bills because phone and cable are relatively low, and internet and electricity are usually high.

Living with a Roommate Living with a roommate tends to be more of a common trend for sophomores. A lot of apartments have two bedrooms and this works well for students. It is nice for people who don’t want to live alone, but don’t want the drama of living 72

Bills For the bills, make sure you designate who is paying which bill. For this table, also include who wrote the check for the bill as well as the amount. At 73

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

need to be accomplished. Typically, there are chores that need to be done daily and then there are weekly chores that need to be accomplished. If you are living alone, a good thing may be to make a list all the things that need to be done for the week and then check them off at the end. There may not be as much of a need for a checklist if you live alone, since you will be doing all of the chores, but it may be beneficial to keep yourself on track.

with a lot of people. I lived with one other person my sophomore year and it worked really well for both of us. Living with one other person alleviates the fear of being alone, works better financially, and also sparks better friendships. The good thing about getting an apartment, unlike the freshman dorm year, is that you are in control of who you are going to live with. Like the roommate situation your freshman year, it is important to get to know your apartment roommate. Talk about your likes and dislikes, your schedule, partner issues; all the things that you discussed with your dorm roommate. Talk about who is going to bring what furniture and general house items. If you are going to share a room, things like when you like to go to sleep should be discussed as well. Also, you need to talk about expectations for the house and how you want to live. Talk about house responsibilities such as who is going to be in charge of what bills, how you want to keep your house functioning, if you are going to split the grocery bill or have separate foods. These are important delegations to keep the apartment working. One suggestion that I have if you are going to live with one other person is to split grocery duty. For my roommate and me, one of us would go to the grocery store and then the other one would go the next time. We would split the bill if we went to the grocery store together, but besides that, we didn’t keep money tabs. This works well if you trust your roommate. If you don’t feel that you can trust your roommate, you can both keep a record of the receipts and then divide it at the end of the month, or you can buy separate groceries. If you live with a lot of people, buying separate groceries may be a good idea. If you live with only one other person, then this might not be very economical. Another suggestion is to buy separate foods, but buy staple foods such as milk, bread, and orange juice together. You may want to consider getting a joint checking account. This way, both of you can put money into this account for bills, and then pay out of this. This prevents one person fronting the rent bill, or any of the bills, without the other person being accountable. In terms of bills, divide them up equally and also by cost. If you aren’t going to get a joint account, make the bills as close to equal as possible. You may want to write the rent check separately and then divide up the rest of the utilities. Since water is usually paid for by the landlord, give one of the roommates the electricity and phone bills, and the other roommate the cable and internet bills. This usually works for balancing out the bills because phone and cable are relatively low, and internet and electricity are usually high.

Living with a Roommate Living with a roommate tends to be more of a common trend for sophomores. A lot of apartments have two bedrooms and this works well for students. It is nice for people who don’t want to live alone, but don’t want the drama of living 72

Bills For the bills, make sure you designate who is paying which bill. For this table, also include who wrote the check for the bill as well as the amount. At 73

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

the end of the month it will be easy to tally up how much the other person owes to make the debts balanced. You may want to have two separate charts to keep up with these matters. This way one will take care of scheduling payment, and the other one will keep financial records straight. The second chart comes into play if you and your roommate decide to keep separate checking accounts and settle the debts at the end of the month. Put the due date of the bill in the first box and the date paid in the second, just like if you were living solo.

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Month__________________________________ Rent (Divide by two and pay together. Remember the Due Date!) Paid by _____________________________ How Much __________________________

Due Date and Paid

Electricity Paid by ____________________________ How Much__________________________ Water Paid by_____________________________ How Much__________________________ Phone Paid by____________________________ How Much__________________________ Cable Paid by_____________________________ How much__________________________ Internet Paid by_____________________________ How Much__________________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate One _________________ Total Month Payment for Roommate Two___________________ 74

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KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

the end of the month it will be easy to tally up how much the other person owes to make the debts balanced. You may want to have two separate charts to keep up with these matters. This way one will take care of scheduling payment, and the other one will keep financial records straight. The second chart comes into play if you and your roommate decide to keep separate checking accounts and settle the debts at the end of the month. Put the due date of the bill in the first box and the date paid in the second, just like if you were living solo.

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Month__________________________________ Rent (Divide by two and pay together. Remember the Due Date!) Paid by _____________________________ How Much __________________________

Due Date and Paid

Electricity Paid by ____________________________ How Much__________________________ Water Paid by_____________________________ How Much__________________________ Phone Paid by____________________________ How Much__________________________ Cable Paid by_____________________________ How much__________________________ Internet Paid by_____________________________ How Much__________________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate One _________________ Total Month Payment for Roommate Two___________________ 74

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KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

Work out differences in debt from the final amount. Settle differences. Chores For chores, it is a good idea to alternate who is in charge of what weekly. This prevents one person from doing all of the work as well as keeps the chores happening. Obviously, some chores, such as cleaning one’s bedroom and doing laundry, are individual tasks, but the other chores listed for living solo need to be accomplished by both roommates. Alternate who does which chore each week. For 1, have roommate 1 do those chores and for 2, have roommate 2 do those chores. Alternate each week who does 1 and who does 2.

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

There are often a lot of four bedroom apartments and also some who rent two bedroom apartments with two people per room. The nice thing about living with four people is that the bills are divided by four. This significantly reduces the amount of bills as well as the cost of rent. However, the more people you add into a mixture, the more complications can occur. If you are planning on living with four people, make sure all of the four have seen the apartment and Okayed things with the parents. Have everyone look at the apartment and agree on the costs. Usually, the rooms are the same square footage in an apartment but sometimes they are different. If this is the case, use square footage to determine each roommate’s monthly rent. After all four people have seen the apartment and discussed the living arrangements with their families, you need to sign the lease. If there are four people, and the apartment is a four bedroom or allows four occupants, then have all four people sign the lease. This way everyone is legally bound to the agreement rather than just one person being bound by the contract. In terms of the grocery store with four people, it is probably best if everyone is in charge of their own food. While it may work to share the grocery duties with two people, I think this is pretty much impossible with four. You may want to consider having “bread money” to buy things such as orange juice, milk, and bread. Another costly expense that comes from living with more people is general household items such as toilet paper, dishwasher detergent, and cleaning supplies. You can estimate how much per person per month these type of expenses cost, individually take turns buying these products, or have each person buy the products as they are needed, keep the receipts with a signature of who bought what, and settle the differences at the end of the month. Like living with anybody, the four of you should discuss some general rules outside of general supplies. Who is going to be in charge of what bills? What are the rules on guests, etc? Also, discuss issues such as who is going to bring what pieces of furniture and appliances. For four people, it might be a good idea to get a joint account and pay the bills out of that. Split the bills amongst you if you don’t want to have a joint account. Don’t let one person, or two people, handle all of the bills. What happens is that these people end up fronting all of the money for utilities for the month and then spend the rest of the month trying to collect what they are owned. Instead, either divide them up equally or have a joint account.

Living with Three Roommates The last example of living in an apartment is if you live with three people.

Bills The more people you have living together, the harder it becomes to keep track of chores and bills. I suggest keeping the same checklist as before, with

76

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KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

Work out differences in debt from the final amount. Settle differences. Chores For chores, it is a good idea to alternate who is in charge of what weekly. This prevents one person from doing all of the work as well as keeps the chores happening. Obviously, some chores, such as cleaning one’s bedroom and doing laundry, are individual tasks, but the other chores listed for living solo need to be accomplished by both roommates. Alternate who does which chore each week. For 1, have roommate 1 do those chores and for 2, have roommate 2 do those chores. Alternate each week who does 1 and who does 2.

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

There are often a lot of four bedroom apartments and also some who rent two bedroom apartments with two people per room. The nice thing about living with four people is that the bills are divided by four. This significantly reduces the amount of bills as well as the cost of rent. However, the more people you add into a mixture, the more complications can occur. If you are planning on living with four people, make sure all of the four have seen the apartment and Okayed things with the parents. Have everyone look at the apartment and agree on the costs. Usually, the rooms are the same square footage in an apartment but sometimes they are different. If this is the case, use square footage to determine each roommate’s monthly rent. After all four people have seen the apartment and discussed the living arrangements with their families, you need to sign the lease. If there are four people, and the apartment is a four bedroom or allows four occupants, then have all four people sign the lease. This way everyone is legally bound to the agreement rather than just one person being bound by the contract. In terms of the grocery store with four people, it is probably best if everyone is in charge of their own food. While it may work to share the grocery duties with two people, I think this is pretty much impossible with four. You may want to consider having “bread money” to buy things such as orange juice, milk, and bread. Another costly expense that comes from living with more people is general household items such as toilet paper, dishwasher detergent, and cleaning supplies. You can estimate how much per person per month these type of expenses cost, individually take turns buying these products, or have each person buy the products as they are needed, keep the receipts with a signature of who bought what, and settle the differences at the end of the month. Like living with anybody, the four of you should discuss some general rules outside of general supplies. Who is going to be in charge of what bills? What are the rules on guests, etc? Also, discuss issues such as who is going to bring what pieces of furniture and appliances. For four people, it might be a good idea to get a joint account and pay the bills out of that. Split the bills amongst you if you don’t want to have a joint account. Don’t let one person, or two people, handle all of the bills. What happens is that these people end up fronting all of the money for utilities for the month and then spend the rest of the month trying to collect what they are owned. Instead, either divide them up equally or have a joint account.

Living with Three Roommates The last example of living in an apartment is if you live with three people.

Bills The more people you have living together, the harder it becomes to keep track of chores and bills. I suggest keeping the same checklist as before, with

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living solo and living with two people. Also, keep track of who paid what and the amount, so that the bills can be settled. Due Date and When Paid

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Month________________________________ Roommate One Rent How Much________________________________ Roommate Two Electricity How Much________________________________ Roommate Three Water How Much_________________________________ Phone How Much_________________________________ Roommate Four Cable How Much_________________________________ Internet How Much_________________________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate One__________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Two__________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Three________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Four_________________ In this case, the first roommate will not have any debt paid to him or her but will be in charge of making sure everyone gets their rent in on time and paid on time as well. This is, in itself, a large chore. For the other three roommates, there will be an amount of monthly money they have paid. Add up the total debt differences and settle. As you can see from the charts, the best thing to do is to get a joint checking account. Usually, you can only have two names on the account, but you can still make all roommates accountable. Determine who is going to pay which bills, average out how much per person each month’s bills are, and have them each put the money into the account. This way the money for the next month’s bills can be put in with the rent and will be there when the payments are due. Also, each person only has to write one check a month instead of four. While the only two people who can sign the checks are the two whose names are on the account, it is a good idea to put each of the bills in a roommate’s name so all of the bills are not in the name of the two people who have the account. Even though the two people whose names are on the account can

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living solo and living with two people. Also, keep track of who paid what and the amount, so that the bills can be settled. Due Date and When Paid

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Month________________________________ Roommate One Rent How Much________________________________ Roommate Two Electricity How Much________________________________ Roommate Three Water How Much_________________________________ Phone How Much_________________________________ Roommate Four Cable How Much_________________________________ Internet How Much_________________________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate One__________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Two__________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Three________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Four_________________ In this case, the first roommate will not have any debt paid to him or her but will be in charge of making sure everyone gets their rent in on time and paid on time as well. This is, in itself, a large chore. For the other three roommates, there will be an amount of monthly money they have paid. Add up the total debt differences and settle. As you can see from the charts, the best thing to do is to get a joint checking account. Usually, you can only have two names on the account, but you can still make all roommates accountable. Determine who is going to pay which bills, average out how much per person each month’s bills are, and have them each put the money into the account. This way the money for the next month’s bills can be put in with the rent and will be there when the payments are due. Also, each person only has to write one check a month instead of four. While the only two people who can sign the checks are the two whose names are on the account, it is a good idea to put each of the bills in a roommate’s name so all of the bills are not in the name of the two people who have the account. Even though the two people whose names are on the account can

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sign the check for the bill, the name that appears on the bill can be another roommate. For example, “Sarah,” can call and set up the cable-the cable bill will be in Sarah’s name. However, when the bill comes, the check will be written by “Jane,” and “Sue”, whose names appear on the bank account check. It doesn’t matter if the name on the bill does not match the name on the check; just make sure to write the account number on the check. This is a good practice because it holds each roommate accountable for making sure utility money goes into the joint account because other people’s credit, besides “Jane” and “Sue’s” will be on the line. Chores Just as living with two, it is important to delegate chores amongst all of the roommates. Alternate each week which roommate does what set of chores. Just like before, have roommate one do the chores under the 1, roommate two do the ones under the 2 and so on and so forth.

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ne of the headaches that often go along with leasing an apartment is that you have to sign a twelve month contract. If you and all of your roommates are planning on staying in your college town for the summer this is ok, but if you aren’t then it is a problem because you still have to pay rent. Often, what happens is that you have to sublease. If you are planning on subleasing your apartment, start working on it early. The first thing that you and your roommates can do is to talk to your friends and acquaintances about what their plans are for the summer. The best people to sublease to are people that you already know. This is because you may run into less trouble and you don’t have to pay for advertisement. Also, college is a place of networking. If your friends don’t need an apartment for the summer, they may know someone who does. The other option, if you need to sublease, is to advertise. The two best ways to do this are to hang fliers and put an ad in the college newspaper. Both of these ways can be relatively inexpensive but can get great results. If you are going to do a flyer, make sure you make it aesthetically appealing. For costs reason, however, it is probably better to make them black and white. Use catchy phrases that will catch the attention of the possible renters. For example, here are some of the main captions to include if these are relative to your apartment: walking distance to campus, on the bus line, washer/dryer, great rent, great room, fully furnished, deck, parking, availability, vaulted ceiling, AC, and views. Anything that makes your apartment different from others and appealing should be included on the flyer. One tip is to make the flyer so that your name and number are written over and over in columns at the bottom so that they can be torn off. If there is something the reader can take with him to remember how to contact you, the chances are greater for a response. If you decide to place an ad in the newspaper, ask the paper about the best time to start running the ad. Also, ask if there are any specials, such as, if you place your ad for so many days then you get an ad free. If you can only afford to run the ad for a few days, run the ad earlier in the week. Often many students don’t go to class on Friday and are more likely to pay attention to the advertisements earlier in the week. Just like in the flyer, make sure to include anything that makes your apartment stand out.

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

sign the check for the bill, the name that appears on the bill can be another roommate. For example, “Sarah,” can call and set up the cable-the cable bill will be in Sarah’s name. However, when the bill comes, the check will be written by “Jane,” and “Sue”, whose names appear on the bank account check. It doesn’t matter if the name on the bill does not match the name on the check; just make sure to write the account number on the check. This is a good practice because it holds each roommate accountable for making sure utility money goes into the joint account because other people’s credit, besides “Jane” and “Sue’s” will be on the line. Chores Just as living with two, it is important to delegate chores amongst all of the roommates. Alternate each week which roommate does what set of chores. Just like before, have roommate one do the chores under the 1, roommate two do the ones under the 2 and so on and so forth.

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ne of the headaches that often go along with leasing an apartment is that you have to sign a twelve month contract. If you and all of your roommates are planning on staying in your college town for the summer this is ok, but if you aren’t then it is a problem because you still have to pay rent. Often, what happens is that you have to sublease. If you are planning on subleasing your apartment, start working on it early. The first thing that you and your roommates can do is to talk to your friends and acquaintances about what their plans are for the summer. The best people to sublease to are people that you already know. This is because you may run into less trouble and you don’t have to pay for advertisement. Also, college is a place of networking. If your friends don’t need an apartment for the summer, they may know someone who does. The other option, if you need to sublease, is to advertise. The two best ways to do this are to hang fliers and put an ad in the college newspaper. Both of these ways can be relatively inexpensive but can get great results. If you are going to do a flyer, make sure you make it aesthetically appealing. For costs reason, however, it is probably better to make them black and white. Use catchy phrases that will catch the attention of the possible renters. For example, here are some of the main captions to include if these are relative to your apartment: walking distance to campus, on the bus line, washer/dryer, great rent, great room, fully furnished, deck, parking, availability, vaulted ceiling, AC, and views. Anything that makes your apartment different from others and appealing should be included on the flyer. One tip is to make the flyer so that your name and number are written over and over in columns at the bottom so that they can be torn off. If there is something the reader can take with him to remember how to contact you, the chances are greater for a response. If you decide to place an ad in the newspaper, ask the paper about the best time to start running the ad. Also, ask if there are any specials, such as, if you place your ad for so many days then you get an ad free. If you can only afford to run the ad for a few days, run the ad earlier in the week. Often many students don’t go to class on Friday and are more likely to pay attention to the advertisements earlier in the week. Just like in the flyer, make sure to include anything that makes your apartment stand out.

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

The next step in finding someone to lease your apartment is to talk to the potential renters. You may have a list of expectations that you need to discuss. For example, you may only want a certain sex, or you may not want smokers. After you talk on the phone, it is important to meet them face to face. If you talk to the person and feel comfortable, let them come over and see the apartment. Make sure there is more than one person there at the time. In fact, if this is for an interview, it is important that all the roommates are there to meet the potential subleases. After you have decided on someone and they have decided on the apartment, you need to have them fill out a sublease contract. This will be just like the lease that you and your roommates signed, but this will be a written contract for you and your roommates to keep. This will bind the renters to the rent as well as protect you from certain damages. Even if the renters are your best friends, make sure a contract is signed. Finally, make sure the duration of time that they will be leaving in the apartment is clear. If they are planning on moving in or out in the middle of the month, a prorated rent for that month should be considered.

NOT JUST THE FRESHMAN 15: EATING IN AN APARTMENT

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ometimes people end up gaining more weight when they move to an apartment than when they lived in the dorm. The reason for this is that in the cafeteria there is selection. You may be more inclined to eat the meat and fruits and vegetables when they are cooked for you than if you have to cook them yourself. The trap of apartment life seems to be what is quick and easy. When you go to class, or are working until late, it is hard to come back to an apartment and cook a full dinner. This is when things such as pasta and instant dinners come to be a big factor because they are quick and easy. My warning is to stay away from these kinds of foods as much as possible. It is very easy to eat a big bowl of pasta, but trust me, try to avoid these types of things as much as you can. Of course there are many recipe books that can be bought to help you through the college apartment life, but here are a few that might be helpful to give you a few ideas. Breakfast Frothy Orange Drink 1 can (6 ounces) frozen orange juice concentrate 1 cup water 1 cup milk ½ cup sugar 1 t vanilla extract 8 to 10 ice cubes Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Bran Muffins 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour ½ cup sugar ¼ teaspoon salt 1 T baking powder 1 ½ cups bran cereal 1 ¼ cups milk 1 egg ¼ cup vegetable oil

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The next step in finding someone to lease your apartment is to talk to the potential renters. You may have a list of expectations that you need to discuss. For example, you may only want a certain sex, or you may not want smokers. After you talk on the phone, it is important to meet them face to face. If you talk to the person and feel comfortable, let them come over and see the apartment. Make sure there is more than one person there at the time. In fact, if this is for an interview, it is important that all the roommates are there to meet the potential subleases. After you have decided on someone and they have decided on the apartment, you need to have them fill out a sublease contract. This will be just like the lease that you and your roommates signed, but this will be a written contract for you and your roommates to keep. This will bind the renters to the rent as well as protect you from certain damages. Even if the renters are your best friends, make sure a contract is signed. Finally, make sure the duration of time that they will be leaving in the apartment is clear. If they are planning on moving in or out in the middle of the month, a prorated rent for that month should be considered.

NOT JUST THE FRESHMAN 15: EATING IN AN APARTMENT

S

ometimes people end up gaining more weight when they move to an apartment than when they lived in the dorm. The reason for this is that in the cafeteria there is selection. You may be more inclined to eat the meat and fruits and vegetables when they are cooked for you than if you have to cook them yourself. The trap of apartment life seems to be what is quick and easy. When you go to class, or are working until late, it is hard to come back to an apartment and cook a full dinner. This is when things such as pasta and instant dinners come to be a big factor because they are quick and easy. My warning is to stay away from these kinds of foods as much as possible. It is very easy to eat a big bowl of pasta, but trust me, try to avoid these types of things as much as you can. Of course there are many recipe books that can be bought to help you through the college apartment life, but here are a few that might be helpful to give you a few ideas. Breakfast Frothy Orange Drink 1 can (6 ounces) frozen orange juice concentrate 1 cup water 1 cup milk ½ cup sugar 1 t vanilla extract 8 to 10 ice cubes Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Bran Muffins 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour ½ cup sugar ¼ teaspoon salt 1 T baking powder 1 ½ cups bran cereal 1 ¼ cups milk 1 egg ¼ cup vegetable oil

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YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cereal and milk. Let stand about three minutes or until cereal softens. Add the egg and oil and mix well. Add the flour mixture, stirring only until combined. Portion the batter evenly into 12 lightly greased 2 ½ inch muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Shape the dough into a ball and knead 10 times. Roll out ½ inch thick. Cut with a 2 inch biscuit cutter dipped in baking mix. Place on a greased baking sheet. Brush the tops with butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Chocolate Chip Scones 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour 3 T sugar 2 ½ t baking powder ½ t salt 1/3 cup butter 2 eggs, slightly beaten, divided ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips 4 to 6 T half and half Heat the oven to 400 degrees In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles fine crumbs. Stir in 1 egg, chocolate chips, and just enough half and half so the dough leaves the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently 10 times. Roll the dough into a ½ inch thick circle and cut into 12 wedges. Place the wedges on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush with the remaining beaten egg. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from the baking sheet. Serve warm.

Tomato Tortellini Soup 1 can condensed tomato soup ½ soup can water ½ soup can milk 1/3 t dried Italian seasoning ½ cup frozen cheese tortellini 2 T grated Parmesan cheese In a 1 ½ quart saucepan, stir the soup. Gradually add the water and milk. Add the Italian seasoning. Heat to simmering over medium heat. Add the tortellini. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the Parmesan cheese. Serve.

Three Cheese Biscuits 2 ½ cups biscuit baking mix ½ cup milk ¼ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (1 ounce) ¼ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (1 ounce) 1 T margarine or butter melted Grated Parmesan cheese Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine the baking mix, milk, and cheeses until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough onto a surface well dusted with baking mix and gently roll in the mix to coat. 84

Lunch

Peppy Pasta Salad 8 ounces penne or elbow macaroni 1 ½ cups pepperoni slices 1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped ½ cups pitted black olives, sliced ½ cup sliced green onions ½ cup creamy Italian dressing Cook to the pasta according to the package directions. Slice the pepperoni in halves or strips. In a large plastic or glass bowl, combine the pepperoni, pasta, artichoke hearts, olives, and green onions. Add the salad dressing. Toss to coat all ingredients. Chicken Salad 1 to 2 cooked chicken breasts cut into cubes ¼ T lemon juice ¼ t salt ¼ t pepper ¼ cup celery minced ½ cup mayonnaise 85

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YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cereal and milk. Let stand about three minutes or until cereal softens. Add the egg and oil and mix well. Add the flour mixture, stirring only until combined. Portion the batter evenly into 12 lightly greased 2 ½ inch muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Shape the dough into a ball and knead 10 times. Roll out ½ inch thick. Cut with a 2 inch biscuit cutter dipped in baking mix. Place on a greased baking sheet. Brush the tops with butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Chocolate Chip Scones 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour 3 T sugar 2 ½ t baking powder ½ t salt 1/3 cup butter 2 eggs, slightly beaten, divided ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips 4 to 6 T half and half Heat the oven to 400 degrees In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles fine crumbs. Stir in 1 egg, chocolate chips, and just enough half and half so the dough leaves the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently 10 times. Roll the dough into a ½ inch thick circle and cut into 12 wedges. Place the wedges on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush with the remaining beaten egg. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from the baking sheet. Serve warm.

Tomato Tortellini Soup 1 can condensed tomato soup ½ soup can water ½ soup can milk 1/3 t dried Italian seasoning ½ cup frozen cheese tortellini 2 T grated Parmesan cheese In a 1 ½ quart saucepan, stir the soup. Gradually add the water and milk. Add the Italian seasoning. Heat to simmering over medium heat. Add the tortellini. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the Parmesan cheese. Serve.

Three Cheese Biscuits 2 ½ cups biscuit baking mix ½ cup milk ¼ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (1 ounce) ¼ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (1 ounce) 1 T margarine or butter melted Grated Parmesan cheese Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine the baking mix, milk, and cheeses until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough onto a surface well dusted with baking mix and gently roll in the mix to coat. 84

Lunch

Peppy Pasta Salad 8 ounces penne or elbow macaroni 1 ½ cups pepperoni slices 1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped ½ cups pitted black olives, sliced ½ cup sliced green onions ½ cup creamy Italian dressing Cook to the pasta according to the package directions. Slice the pepperoni in halves or strips. In a large plastic or glass bowl, combine the pepperoni, pasta, artichoke hearts, olives, and green onions. Add the salad dressing. Toss to coat all ingredients. Chicken Salad 1 to 2 cooked chicken breasts cut into cubes ¼ T lemon juice ¼ t salt ¼ t pepper ¼ cup celery minced ½ cup mayonnaise 85

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YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Stir the cornstarch mixture and add to the vegetables. Cook until the mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Return the beef to the pan. Heat through. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Combine ingredient and chill. Dinner Beef Stroganoff 1 package beef stroganoff mix 1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms ½ cup green onions chopped 2 T butter 1 cup sour cream ¼ t salt ¼ t pepper 1 lb cubed sirloin 1 package egg noodles Heat butter in a saucepan and add onions and mushrooms. Cook down for 5 minutes. Add meat and brown. Mix package of sauce mix with 1 cup water and add to mix. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Cook egg noodles. Add sour cream to mix and place on top of cooked egg noodles. Serve. Beef Stir-Fry 1 pound boneless beef sirloin ½ inch thick. 2 T cornstarch 1 can condensed beef broth 2 T soy sauce 1 T orange juice 1 t hot pepper sauce 2 T vegetable oil, divided 1 bag frozen Oriental vegetables combination (broccoli, carrots, water chestnuts, and red bell pepper) ¼ t garlic powder 4 cups hot cooked rice. Slice the beef into very thin strips. In a medium bowl, mix the cornstarch, broth, soy sauce, orange juice, and hot pepper sauce until smooth. Set aside. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat half the oil. Add the beef in two batches and stir fry until browned. Set beef aside. Heat the remaining oil. Add the vegetables and garlic powder. Stir fry over medium heat until crisp-tender. 86

Ranch Crusted Chicken 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts ½ package dry ranch seasoning ¼ cup olive oil ¾ cup bread crumbs Heat oven to 375 degrees. Pour olive oil on one plate and bread crumbs on another. Add ½ package dry ranch seasoning to the bread crumbs and mix. Rub the chicken breasts in olive oil, and then cover with bread crumbs. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve. Salsa Chicken and Rice 1 package Mexican shredded cheese 1 cup salsa 1 small package yellow rice 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast ½ package dry taco seasoning Heat oven to 375 degrees. Rub chicken in taco seasoning and place in a baking dish. Pour salsa over the chicken and cover with cheese. Cook rice according to the package. Bake chicken, uncovered, 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve Chicken Primavera 1 T vegetable oil 12 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips 1 small onion, chopped 1 cup broccoli florets 1 cup frozen green peas thawed 1 carrot cut into julienne strips 1 can (13 ¼ ounces) chicken broth ½ teaspoon dried basil pinch of pepper 1 ½ cup instant brown rice 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese In a large skillet, over medium high heat, cook and stir the chicken in 87

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Stir the cornstarch mixture and add to the vegetables. Cook until the mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Return the beef to the pan. Heat through. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Combine ingredient and chill. Dinner Beef Stroganoff 1 package beef stroganoff mix 1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms ½ cup green onions chopped 2 T butter 1 cup sour cream ¼ t salt ¼ t pepper 1 lb cubed sirloin 1 package egg noodles Heat butter in a saucepan and add onions and mushrooms. Cook down for 5 minutes. Add meat and brown. Mix package of sauce mix with 1 cup water and add to mix. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Cook egg noodles. Add sour cream to mix and place on top of cooked egg noodles. Serve. Beef Stir-Fry 1 pound boneless beef sirloin ½ inch thick. 2 T cornstarch 1 can condensed beef broth 2 T soy sauce 1 T orange juice 1 t hot pepper sauce 2 T vegetable oil, divided 1 bag frozen Oriental vegetables combination (broccoli, carrots, water chestnuts, and red bell pepper) ¼ t garlic powder 4 cups hot cooked rice. Slice the beef into very thin strips. In a medium bowl, mix the cornstarch, broth, soy sauce, orange juice, and hot pepper sauce until smooth. Set aside. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat half the oil. Add the beef in two batches and stir fry until browned. Set beef aside. Heat the remaining oil. Add the vegetables and garlic powder. Stir fry over medium heat until crisp-tender. 86

Ranch Crusted Chicken 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts ½ package dry ranch seasoning ¼ cup olive oil ¾ cup bread crumbs Heat oven to 375 degrees. Pour olive oil on one plate and bread crumbs on another. Add ½ package dry ranch seasoning to the bread crumbs and mix. Rub the chicken breasts in olive oil, and then cover with bread crumbs. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve. Salsa Chicken and Rice 1 package Mexican shredded cheese 1 cup salsa 1 small package yellow rice 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast ½ package dry taco seasoning Heat oven to 375 degrees. Rub chicken in taco seasoning and place in a baking dish. Pour salsa over the chicken and cover with cheese. Cook rice according to the package. Bake chicken, uncovered, 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve Chicken Primavera 1 T vegetable oil 12 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips 1 small onion, chopped 1 cup broccoli florets 1 cup frozen green peas thawed 1 carrot cut into julienne strips 1 can (13 ¼ ounces) chicken broth ½ teaspoon dried basil pinch of pepper 1 ½ cup instant brown rice 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese In a large skillet, over medium high heat, cook and stir the chicken in 87

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

hot oil until browned. Add the onion, broccoli, peas, and carrots. Cook and stir until the vegetables are crisp-tender. Add the broth, basil, and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice. Return to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve. Chicken Enchiladas 1 small onion chopped 1 T vegetable oil 2 cups chopped cooked chicken 1 can cream of chicken soup 1 can green chilies 8 flour tortillas 1 package Colby Monterey Jack cheese 1 can cheddar cheese soup Sauté onion until tender. Stir in chicken, cream of chicken soup, and green chilies. Spoon 1/3 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Roll in a jelly roll fashion and place in a flat pan. Top with cheddar cheese soup and remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Server with salsa and sour cream Crunchy Biscuit Chicken Casserole 2 cups cooked cubed chicken 8 ½ ounce kitchen sliced green beans drained 1 can cream of chicken soup 1 can mushrooms drained 4 oz (1 cup) shredded cheddar cheese (keep ¼ cup) 1 t lemon juice 10 oz. can of biscuits (flaky layered) 1 or 2 t margarine or butter melted Heat oven to 375 degrees In medium saucepan combine chicken, chicken soup, green beans, mushrooms, cheese, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Heat until hot and bubbly. Pour hot chicken mixture into ungreased shallow 2 qt casserole dish. Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Arrange biscuits over hot chicken mixture. 88

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Brush each biscuit with margarine, sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a deep golden brown. Spicy Shrimp Pasta 1 T olive oil 1 cup sliced onions 2 t minced garlic 1 lb large shrimp shelled and deveined 1 can chunky tomato sauce ¼ t Italian seasoning 1/8 t red pepper flakes 8 ounces pasta, cooked according to package directions. In a large skillet, in hot oil, sauté the onion and minced garlic until tender. Add the shrimp. Cook, stirring constantly, until the shrimp is pink and cooked through. Stir in the remaining ingredients except pasta. Heat through. Serve over pasta. . Desserts Chocolate Chip Cookies ¾ cup granulated sugar ¾ cup packed brown sugar 1 cup butter or stick margarine softened 1 t vanilla 1 large egg 2 ¼ cup all purpose flour 1 t baking soda ½ t salt 1 bag (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips Heat oven to 375 degrees Beat sugars, butter, vanilla, and eggs in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough in rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown. Cool 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. 89

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

hot oil until browned. Add the onion, broccoli, peas, and carrots. Cook and stir until the vegetables are crisp-tender. Add the broth, basil, and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice. Return to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve. Chicken Enchiladas 1 small onion chopped 1 T vegetable oil 2 cups chopped cooked chicken 1 can cream of chicken soup 1 can green chilies 8 flour tortillas 1 package Colby Monterey Jack cheese 1 can cheddar cheese soup Sauté onion until tender. Stir in chicken, cream of chicken soup, and green chilies. Spoon 1/3 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Roll in a jelly roll fashion and place in a flat pan. Top with cheddar cheese soup and remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Server with salsa and sour cream Crunchy Biscuit Chicken Casserole 2 cups cooked cubed chicken 8 ½ ounce kitchen sliced green beans drained 1 can cream of chicken soup 1 can mushrooms drained 4 oz (1 cup) shredded cheddar cheese (keep ¼ cup) 1 t lemon juice 10 oz. can of biscuits (flaky layered) 1 or 2 t margarine or butter melted Heat oven to 375 degrees In medium saucepan combine chicken, chicken soup, green beans, mushrooms, cheese, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Heat until hot and bubbly. Pour hot chicken mixture into ungreased shallow 2 qt casserole dish. Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Arrange biscuits over hot chicken mixture. 88

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Brush each biscuit with margarine, sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a deep golden brown. Spicy Shrimp Pasta 1 T olive oil 1 cup sliced onions 2 t minced garlic 1 lb large shrimp shelled and deveined 1 can chunky tomato sauce ¼ t Italian seasoning 1/8 t red pepper flakes 8 ounces pasta, cooked according to package directions. In a large skillet, in hot oil, sauté the onion and minced garlic until tender. Add the shrimp. Cook, stirring constantly, until the shrimp is pink and cooked through. Stir in the remaining ingredients except pasta. Heat through. Serve over pasta. . Desserts Chocolate Chip Cookies ¾ cup granulated sugar ¾ cup packed brown sugar 1 cup butter or stick margarine softened 1 t vanilla 1 large egg 2 ¼ cup all purpose flour 1 t baking soda ½ t salt 1 bag (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips Heat oven to 375 degrees Beat sugars, butter, vanilla, and eggs in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough in rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown. Cool 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. 89

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YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries 1 pint medium to large strawberries ½ cup semisweet baking chips or white baking chips 1 t shortening or vegetable oil. Gently rinse strawberries and dry on paper towels (berries must be completely dry) Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. Heat chocolate chips and shortening in 1 qt saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, until chocolate is melted. Dip lower half of each strawberry into chocolate mixture, allow excess to drip back into saucepan. Place on cookie sheet. Refrigerate uncovered about 30 minutes or until chocolate is firm and ready to serve.

2 eggs ½ cup all purpose flour 1 t baking powder 1 t vanilla extract ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional) Heat oven to 350 degrees In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugars, and cocoa until well blended. Beat in the eggs one at a time. In a small bowl, mix the flour and baking powder together. Stir into the cocoa mixture. Stir in the vanilla and the nuts. Pour the mixture into a greased 8 inch square baking dish. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely. Cut into 2 inch squares and serve.

Apple Cobbler 1 ½ sticks butter divided 4 cups peeled and sliced tart apples such as Granny Smith 1 cup sugar divided 2 t ground cinnamon 1 cup low fat milk 1 egg 1 ½ cups all purpose flour 2 t baking powder ½ t salt In a small saucepan, melt ½ stick butter and pour into an 8 inch square baking pan. In a medium bowl, toss the apples with ½ cup sugar and the cinnamon. Spread evenly on the bottom of the prepared pan. In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 1 stick of butter. Add the milk and egg and beat well. Heat the oven to 375 degrees In a large bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients. Add the milk and egg mixture and beat until smooth. Spread the batter evenly over the apples. Bake 40-45 minutes or until nicely browned on top. While still warm, spoon only plates, fruit side up and serve. Brownies 1 stick butter melted ½ cup sugar ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar ½ cup unsweetened cocoa 90

Going to the Grocery Store While it may seem a bit odd to have a section on going to the grocery store, this is actually a pretty important topic. The two main issues that I want to discuss are, staying out of a “food routine,” and how to budget your expenses. When you start going to the grocery store yourself it is easy to fall into a routine of always buying the same products. For example, if you go to the store and buy spaghetti noodles and pasta sauce every time, this is what you are going to eat. The same thing goes for junk food. If you always pick up certain items such as chips and soda, you will always eat them because they are readily available. The first hint when staying away from a routine is to try not to always buy certain junk food items. This will help you not gain a bunch of weight because, simply enough, if you don’t have it then you won’t eat it. The second important factor behind staying away from a routine is if you always buy the same things, there is no variety. Chances are, you don’t cover all of the food groups and don’t get all of the vitamins you need if you don’t try new things. My suggestion is to make a list of the basics that you need, such as bread and milk, but then try different recipes each week. The recipes that I have given you are just a few of the examples of foods easy to make and good for college students. Try looking on free recipe websites to get ideas before you go to the store. If you make a list of the items you need for the recipe, you are more likely to make the food. Also, if you have the items you need at hand to make a good, healthy dinner, you are less likely to just stick to instant dinners or take-outs to conserve time. When you budget your expenses, there are a few helpful tools that can help keep you on track. Make a list of what you are planning to eat for the 91

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries 1 pint medium to large strawberries ½ cup semisweet baking chips or white baking chips 1 t shortening or vegetable oil. Gently rinse strawberries and dry on paper towels (berries must be completely dry) Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. Heat chocolate chips and shortening in 1 qt saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, until chocolate is melted. Dip lower half of each strawberry into chocolate mixture, allow excess to drip back into saucepan. Place on cookie sheet. Refrigerate uncovered about 30 minutes or until chocolate is firm and ready to serve.

2 eggs ½ cup all purpose flour 1 t baking powder 1 t vanilla extract ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional) Heat oven to 350 degrees In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugars, and cocoa until well blended. Beat in the eggs one at a time. In a small bowl, mix the flour and baking powder together. Stir into the cocoa mixture. Stir in the vanilla and the nuts. Pour the mixture into a greased 8 inch square baking dish. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely. Cut into 2 inch squares and serve.

Apple Cobbler 1 ½ sticks butter divided 4 cups peeled and sliced tart apples such as Granny Smith 1 cup sugar divided 2 t ground cinnamon 1 cup low fat milk 1 egg 1 ½ cups all purpose flour 2 t baking powder ½ t salt In a small saucepan, melt ½ stick butter and pour into an 8 inch square baking pan. In a medium bowl, toss the apples with ½ cup sugar and the cinnamon. Spread evenly on the bottom of the prepared pan. In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 1 stick of butter. Add the milk and egg and beat well. Heat the oven to 375 degrees In a large bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients. Add the milk and egg mixture and beat until smooth. Spread the batter evenly over the apples. Bake 40-45 minutes or until nicely browned on top. While still warm, spoon only plates, fruit side up and serve. Brownies 1 stick butter melted ½ cup sugar ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar ½ cup unsweetened cocoa 90

Going to the Grocery Store While it may seem a bit odd to have a section on going to the grocery store, this is actually a pretty important topic. The two main issues that I want to discuss are, staying out of a “food routine,” and how to budget your expenses. When you start going to the grocery store yourself it is easy to fall into a routine of always buying the same products. For example, if you go to the store and buy spaghetti noodles and pasta sauce every time, this is what you are going to eat. The same thing goes for junk food. If you always pick up certain items such as chips and soda, you will always eat them because they are readily available. The first hint when staying away from a routine is to try not to always buy certain junk food items. This will help you not gain a bunch of weight because, simply enough, if you don’t have it then you won’t eat it. The second important factor behind staying away from a routine is if you always buy the same things, there is no variety. Chances are, you don’t cover all of the food groups and don’t get all of the vitamins you need if you don’t try new things. My suggestion is to make a list of the basics that you need, such as bread and milk, but then try different recipes each week. The recipes that I have given you are just a few of the examples of foods easy to make and good for college students. Try looking on free recipe websites to get ideas before you go to the store. If you make a list of the items you need for the recipe, you are more likely to make the food. Also, if you have the items you need at hand to make a good, healthy dinner, you are less likely to just stick to instant dinners or take-outs to conserve time. When you budget your expenses, there are a few helpful tools that can help keep you on track. Make a list of what you are planning to eat for the 91

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

week and go to the grocery store only once in that period of time. If you buy as you go, things will be significantly more expensive. For example, if you are planning on having chicken three times in a week, you can buy the chicken in bulk. If you buy the chicken as you go, the cost will be higher. When you actually go to the grocery store, there are also a few things that you can do to help cut costs. Two simple measures are to take a calculator and have a membership card to whatever grocery store you end up using. If you take a calculator and have a set amount of money budgeted for the week, it will be easier to stay in range. As for the card, all grocery stores have cards that allow their customers to save money on particular food products. If you need vegetables, buy the one that is on a discount rate at the grocery store. This is an easy way to save money if you don’t have the time to cut coupons. The cards serve as coupons readily available to you when you go. Also, unless there is a specific brand that you like for a particular product, the grocery store brand usually tastes the same. Even if it isn’t on a discounted rate, the price of the grocery store brand is usually significantly cheaper than the rest. In short, if you need a particular good, buy the best deal, whether it’s through the generic brand or what is on a discount card member rate. If you live with other people, you may want to consider making some dinners together as a house or have different people in charge of dinner on separate days. It may be easy to buy your own individual breakfast and lunch items, but then combine the shopping list for dinners. If you and your roommates do not want to have a set menu for the week, at least discuss general ideas for the week about what to eat and go to the store together.

JOBS

I

t seems to be fairy typical that students get their first jobs in college during their sophomore year. I think there are a few reasons most freshmen don’t have jobs. For one, freshman don’t usually have cars, and two, freshman are not as aware of the job opportunities as sophomores are. There are often tricks to getting particular career opportunities in college, such as knowing the right people, or signing up at particular times. These are tricks that sophomores are more aware of. After about a year in school, students begin to feel comfortable enough in their surroundings, as well as in school, to dedicate some of their time to a part time job opportunity. Some of the most typical jobs that undergraduates hold are jobs on campus, babysitting, part time clerical work, and working at restaurants or retail stores. On Campus Jobs on campus are often the most popular opportunities for students. They are easily accessible, you don’t have to have a car, and often school work can be done at the location. Some examples of jobs on campus are, working in the library, being in charge of particular computer labs, working at the student store, working at the student gym, and working at the student Union. Typically, these jobs pay a decent wage (around 7.00/hr) and are tax free. Since they are created by the school, they tend to be more flexible to student’s needs and schedules. If, for example, you work in a computer lab, usually 90% of your time can be spent on your own homework and 10% is focused on helping students with particular computer problems. Since the time is not demanding, it offers students a way to get ahead on their studies and get a jump start on bills. Some other nice benefits of working on campus are that campuses usually work on at least twelve hour days. Since there are times available that are not in the typical eight to five work week, this also offers flexible time options for busy students. Babysitting Babysitting in or around a college town can bring far more financial benefits than perhaps you gained babysitting in high school. Usually, babysitting jobs range anywhere from eight to twelve dollars an hour and are also tax free. Since babysitting is tax free, a large amount of money can be made in this position.

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KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

week and go to the grocery store only once in that period of time. If you buy as you go, things will be significantly more expensive. For example, if you are planning on having chicken three times in a week, you can buy the chicken in bulk. If you buy the chicken as you go, the cost will be higher. When you actually go to the grocery store, there are also a few things that you can do to help cut costs. Two simple measures are to take a calculator and have a membership card to whatever grocery store you end up using. If you take a calculator and have a set amount of money budgeted for the week, it will be easier to stay in range. As for the card, all grocery stores have cards that allow their customers to save money on particular food products. If you need vegetables, buy the one that is on a discount rate at the grocery store. This is an easy way to save money if you don’t have the time to cut coupons. The cards serve as coupons readily available to you when you go. Also, unless there is a specific brand that you like for a particular product, the grocery store brand usually tastes the same. Even if it isn’t on a discounted rate, the price of the grocery store brand is usually significantly cheaper than the rest. In short, if you need a particular good, buy the best deal, whether it’s through the generic brand or what is on a discount card member rate. If you live with other people, you may want to consider making some dinners together as a house or have different people in charge of dinner on separate days. It may be easy to buy your own individual breakfast and lunch items, but then combine the shopping list for dinners. If you and your roommates do not want to have a set menu for the week, at least discuss general ideas for the week about what to eat and go to the store together.

JOBS

I

t seems to be fairy typical that students get their first jobs in college during their sophomore year. I think there are a few reasons most freshmen don’t have jobs. For one, freshman don’t usually have cars, and two, freshman are not as aware of the job opportunities as sophomores are. There are often tricks to getting particular career opportunities in college, such as knowing the right people, or signing up at particular times. These are tricks that sophomores are more aware of. After about a year in school, students begin to feel comfortable enough in their surroundings, as well as in school, to dedicate some of their time to a part time job opportunity. Some of the most typical jobs that undergraduates hold are jobs on campus, babysitting, part time clerical work, and working at restaurants or retail stores. On Campus Jobs on campus are often the most popular opportunities for students. They are easily accessible, you don’t have to have a car, and often school work can be done at the location. Some examples of jobs on campus are, working in the library, being in charge of particular computer labs, working at the student store, working at the student gym, and working at the student Union. Typically, these jobs pay a decent wage (around 7.00/hr) and are tax free. Since they are created by the school, they tend to be more flexible to student’s needs and schedules. If, for example, you work in a computer lab, usually 90% of your time can be spent on your own homework and 10% is focused on helping students with particular computer problems. Since the time is not demanding, it offers students a way to get ahead on their studies and get a jump start on bills. Some other nice benefits of working on campus are that campuses usually work on at least twelve hour days. Since there are times available that are not in the typical eight to five work week, this also offers flexible time options for busy students. Babysitting Babysitting in or around a college town can bring far more financial benefits than perhaps you gained babysitting in high school. Usually, babysitting jobs range anywhere from eight to twelve dollars an hour and are also tax free. Since babysitting is tax free, a large amount of money can be made in this position.

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YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Babysitting, like on campus jobs, is not always just available in the eight to five work time. This can be helpful for students who have busy school schedules because it gives them flexibility in the time they can have a job. Babysitting jobs are abundant in college towns, and are usually easy to find. Often there are at least ten positions posted in the college newspaper every day. If you are interested in babysitting, it is pretty easy to find a job. However, since the availability of babysitters is high, make sure you have at least two references that can be called by the parents. It is also a good idea to consider becoming First Aid and CPR certified. While this may not be a demand of all babysitting jobs, it is something that can put you ahead of the rest, as well as make the parents more at ease.

lunch, or have schedules in which students only work on the weekends. This may be a better strategy to take as a sophomore in college. This way, you can be in the restaurant field and make money but also stay on top of your studies. Retail stores are also good places for college students to work. Typically, there is either a main street close to campus or a mall nearby. Working at a retail store can be convenient because they usually have flexible schedules. One thing to be wary of in these jobs, however, is that many fashion stores only pay minimum wage and also require their employees wear clothes that are on the floor. Be careful because you may end up spending more money on the gas and the clothes than you get in your paycheck! Finally, like part time clerical work, use this job opportunity to boost your resume. If you are a manager, or you earn a raise for your particular achievements, be sure to include these items on your resume. Having a job shows dedication, time management, and the achievement of goals.

Part Time Clerical Part time clerical work usually goes well for students who have a particular career in mind. For example, if you are interested in becoming a lawyer, working part time at a law office may bring about opportunities for internships as well as jobs. Many students do office work in college as a way to make money. It is helpful if you can find a job in a field where you may consider working in the future. If you can’t find a job that is in your particular field, don’t worry, any part time clerical job can bring in a nice amount of money. If you decide to have a part time clerical job, use the time to learn as much as you can. You may think it is just a job to make some money, but there may be many resume boosters hidden in the position. For example, learn how the company works. If you have a better understanding of how the particular organization functions, you will be learning what does and what does not work in a company. If you are in charge of things on the computer, you may learn a lot about particular programs that may be useful for your resume. Also, if you do anything with marketing or public relations, be sure to include that on your resume as well. In all jobs, lessons can be learned from the life experience. Restaurants/ Retail Finally, many students choose to work in restaurants or retail stores to make extra money. Both of these jobs are service oriented and typically are jobs that are meant to make money, but not as a way to advance career goals. Working in restaurants, as either a hostess or a waitress, can bring a student a significant amount of money. However, be careful if you are planning on being a waitress during college. Often, many restaurants serve dinner and waitresses end up having to work until around 11:00 p.m. on weekdays. This may be acceptable, but remember that you are first and foremost a college student. If having a job that keeps you up late interferes with your school work or studying, it may not be worth the cash. There are many restaurants that either only serve 94

95

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Babysitting, like on campus jobs, is not always just available in the eight to five work time. This can be helpful for students who have busy school schedules because it gives them flexibility in the time they can have a job. Babysitting jobs are abundant in college towns, and are usually easy to find. Often there are at least ten positions posted in the college newspaper every day. If you are interested in babysitting, it is pretty easy to find a job. However, since the availability of babysitters is high, make sure you have at least two references that can be called by the parents. It is also a good idea to consider becoming First Aid and CPR certified. While this may not be a demand of all babysitting jobs, it is something that can put you ahead of the rest, as well as make the parents more at ease.

lunch, or have schedules in which students only work on the weekends. This may be a better strategy to take as a sophomore in college. This way, you can be in the restaurant field and make money but also stay on top of your studies. Retail stores are also good places for college students to work. Typically, there is either a main street close to campus or a mall nearby. Working at a retail store can be convenient because they usually have flexible schedules. One thing to be wary of in these jobs, however, is that many fashion stores only pay minimum wage and also require their employees wear clothes that are on the floor. Be careful because you may end up spending more money on the gas and the clothes than you get in your paycheck! Finally, like part time clerical work, use this job opportunity to boost your resume. If you are a manager, or you earn a raise for your particular achievements, be sure to include these items on your resume. Having a job shows dedication, time management, and the achievement of goals.

Part Time Clerical Part time clerical work usually goes well for students who have a particular career in mind. For example, if you are interested in becoming a lawyer, working part time at a law office may bring about opportunities for internships as well as jobs. Many students do office work in college as a way to make money. It is helpful if you can find a job in a field where you may consider working in the future. If you can’t find a job that is in your particular field, don’t worry, any part time clerical job can bring in a nice amount of money. If you decide to have a part time clerical job, use the time to learn as much as you can. You may think it is just a job to make some money, but there may be many resume boosters hidden in the position. For example, learn how the company works. If you have a better understanding of how the particular organization functions, you will be learning what does and what does not work in a company. If you are in charge of things on the computer, you may learn a lot about particular programs that may be useful for your resume. Also, if you do anything with marketing or public relations, be sure to include that on your resume as well. In all jobs, lessons can be learned from the life experience. Restaurants/ Retail Finally, many students choose to work in restaurants or retail stores to make extra money. Both of these jobs are service oriented and typically are jobs that are meant to make money, but not as a way to advance career goals. Working in restaurants, as either a hostess or a waitress, can bring a student a significant amount of money. However, be careful if you are planning on being a waitress during college. Often, many restaurants serve dinner and waitresses end up having to work until around 11:00 p.m. on weekdays. This may be acceptable, but remember that you are first and foremost a college student. If having a job that keeps you up late interferes with your school work or studying, it may not be worth the cash. There are many restaurants that either only serve 94

95

DECIDING ON A MAJOR

A

round February of your sophomore year, you will have to decide on a major. While some schools make students determine their majors early on in college, liberal arts colleges are usually not this way. If you go to an arts and science (liberal arts) school, you can’t decide your major until sophomore year, and then must come to a decision by the middle of the second semester. What are you going to major in? Medical/Dental Science School Bound If you are planning on going to a professional school, such as medical, dental, pharmacy, or veterinary, then what you major in is important. Most likely you knew that you were going to go on to these schools when you came to college and are already taking the correct math and science. Make sure to stay on track if you are planning on going on to one of the science based professional schools. Medical schools have strict prerequisites that are hard to accomplish in four years unless you have a set schedule of which maths and sciences to take each year. These schools require a structured schedule of certain coursework. While you still have to fulfill certain perspective requirements in school, make sure to stay on top of your professional school schedule. Law School/ Graduate School If you are planning on going to a professional school outside of the sciences, such as law school, then a certain curriculum path may be important but is not as specific. Most law school students tend to major in areas such as political science, history, or international studies. Now, law schools are looking for students of all majors. If you do plan on going to law school, it may be a good idea to take some pre-law courses to see if this is what you really like. The good thing about college is that you get to experience lots of different areas of academics. Use it as a time to see what interests you and what does not. If you are planning to go on to graduate school, either in something like business or the core arts and science classes, it is important to take some classes in this field to see if you really like the curriculum. It may be wise to choose a major as an undergraduate in what you are looking to go to graduate school in. This may be a good idea because it lets you get a background for graduate school as well as exposes you to a lot of classes in what you like. It is acceptable

DECIDING ON A MAJOR

A

round February of your sophomore year, you will have to decide on a major. While some schools make students determine their majors early on in college, liberal arts colleges are usually not this way. If you go to an arts and science (liberal arts) school, you can’t decide your major until sophomore year, and then must come to a decision by the middle of the second semester. What are you going to major in? Medical/Dental Science School Bound If you are planning on going to a professional school, such as medical, dental, pharmacy, or veterinary, then what you major in is important. Most likely you knew that you were going to go on to these schools when you came to college and are already taking the correct math and science. Make sure to stay on track if you are planning on going on to one of the science based professional schools. Medical schools have strict prerequisites that are hard to accomplish in four years unless you have a set schedule of which maths and sciences to take each year. These schools require a structured schedule of certain coursework. While you still have to fulfill certain perspective requirements in school, make sure to stay on top of your professional school schedule. Law School/ Graduate School If you are planning on going to a professional school outside of the sciences, such as law school, then a certain curriculum path may be important but is not as specific. Most law school students tend to major in areas such as political science, history, or international studies. Now, law schools are looking for students of all majors. If you do plan on going to law school, it may be a good idea to take some pre-law courses to see if this is what you really like. The good thing about college is that you get to experience lots of different areas of academics. Use it as a time to see what interests you and what does not. If you are planning to go on to graduate school, either in something like business or the core arts and science classes, it is important to take some classes in this field to see if you really like the curriculum. It may be wise to choose a major as an undergraduate in what you are looking to go to graduate school in. This may be a good idea because it lets you get a background for graduate school as well as exposes you to a lot of classes in what you like. It is acceptable

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

to major in one concentration and go to graduate school in another. It may be that you decide you want to go to graduate school in your minor or in another subject completely. Many graduate programs do not require that you get an undergraduate degree in the subject, but there may be placement tests in the graduate subject that have to be passed in order to enter. No Clue of What’s to Come If you are not sure what you want to do with your life after college, which is how many people feel, take your first year and a half to explore. Take lots of different classes in all different subjects. If you like a class, then take the next level and see if you like that one too. The nice thing about a liberal arts education is that you have to take many different disciplines. Use your perspectives to see what you like and what you don’t. If you are not going into the medical sciences, don’t worry about the decision of what you are actually going to major in too much. From the time I came to college I switched from biology to marketing, to public relations, to interpersonal/organizational communications, to rhetorical communications. As for my minor, it had the same type of history. The major you pick your sophomore year is not necessarily set in stone, however, majors usually require eight or nine courses in that field and this can take a few semesters to accomplish.

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DATING AS A SOPHOMORE

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f you are like most students your sophomore year, dating as a second year college student is different than it was as a freshman because, chances are, either you or your date will have a car.

On campus The things that you liked to do on dates last year should definitely continue this year as well. As for things on campus, such as free movies and entertainment, keep doing these things! College campuses rarely do the same events twice, so it can be easy to do lots of great, inexpensive dates right on campus. Some ideas of things on campus that you can do, that you may not have checked out last year are, going to plays, dramatic art performances -such as chorus, opera, and dance groups -- and seeing guest performers. Most colleges have many, very talented choral groups that give shows. They are usually inexpensive because they are student run and can be very entertaining. Sometimes, the groups on campus will come together, often with groups from other colleges, and put on a large production. These are really good to go to because you get to hear and see lots of different groups. Often they sing contemporary, popular culture pieces that members in the audience will enjoy listening to. Dance groups put on very entertaining productions as well. Like choral groups, colleges usually have different groups that specialize in specific forms of dance. These can be anything from ballet to African tribal dance groups. Often, campuses will have different ethnic groups that perform specific types of dance as well. These can be very entertaining and may give you and your date a chance to see something that you have never seen before. Like the music groups, usually the dance groups will come together with other colleges and put on large productions. These are great, inexpensive date ideas that may be a bit different than the movies at the Campus Union that you went to last year. One of the best date ideas on campus usually come in the form of guest performers at the school. Keep an eye out on campus for flyers about people who are coming to the area. Also, another good place to look to see who is coming to the campus is in your college newspaper. One fact you may not know, about many schools, is that they pay large salaries to guest speakers and performers who come to the college. This can be a wonderful date adventure, and for the

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

to major in one concentration and go to graduate school in another. It may be that you decide you want to go to graduate school in your minor or in another subject completely. Many graduate programs do not require that you get an undergraduate degree in the subject, but there may be placement tests in the graduate subject that have to be passed in order to enter. No Clue of What’s to Come If you are not sure what you want to do with your life after college, which is how many people feel, take your first year and a half to explore. Take lots of different classes in all different subjects. If you like a class, then take the next level and see if you like that one too. The nice thing about a liberal arts education is that you have to take many different disciplines. Use your perspectives to see what you like and what you don’t. If you are not going into the medical sciences, don’t worry about the decision of what you are actually going to major in too much. From the time I came to college I switched from biology to marketing, to public relations, to interpersonal/organizational communications, to rhetorical communications. As for my minor, it had the same type of history. The major you pick your sophomore year is not necessarily set in stone, however, majors usually require eight or nine courses in that field and this can take a few semesters to accomplish.

98

DATING AS A SOPHOMORE

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f you are like most students your sophomore year, dating as a second year college student is different than it was as a freshman because, chances are, either you or your date will have a car.

On campus The things that you liked to do on dates last year should definitely continue this year as well. As for things on campus, such as free movies and entertainment, keep doing these things! College campuses rarely do the same events twice, so it can be easy to do lots of great, inexpensive dates right on campus. Some ideas of things on campus that you can do, that you may not have checked out last year are, going to plays, dramatic art performances -such as chorus, opera, and dance groups -- and seeing guest performers. Most colleges have many, very talented choral groups that give shows. They are usually inexpensive because they are student run and can be very entertaining. Sometimes, the groups on campus will come together, often with groups from other colleges, and put on a large production. These are really good to go to because you get to hear and see lots of different groups. Often they sing contemporary, popular culture pieces that members in the audience will enjoy listening to. Dance groups put on very entertaining productions as well. Like choral groups, colleges usually have different groups that specialize in specific forms of dance. These can be anything from ballet to African tribal dance groups. Often, campuses will have different ethnic groups that perform specific types of dance as well. These can be very entertaining and may give you and your date a chance to see something that you have never seen before. Like the music groups, usually the dance groups will come together with other colleges and put on large productions. These are great, inexpensive date ideas that may be a bit different than the movies at the Campus Union that you went to last year. One of the best date ideas on campus usually come in the form of guest performers at the school. Keep an eye out on campus for flyers about people who are coming to the area. Also, another good place to look to see who is coming to the campus is in your college newspaper. One fact you may not know, about many schools, is that they pay large salaries to guest speakers and performers who come to the college. This can be a wonderful date adventure, and for the

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YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

most part, is usually relatively inexpensive as well. For example, when I was a sophomore, Bill Cosby came to UNC. Jeremy knew that I loved Bill Cosby and surprised me with tickets. This was one of my favorite dates in college and it was right on campus. Other large performers that come to college campuses are singers and musicians, comedians, guest lecturers, authors, and other famous notable persons. Other categories of performers on campus, that don’t fall in the dance or music category, are groups such as stand up comedies and hypnotists. These are great date ideas as well and are usually lots of fun.

going into the city for a date. Usually there are many things to do in cities that there might not be in the location of your college. There are concerts to attend, or festivals, or events, such as the circus, that can be something different to do and are often held in cities. If you are going on a day date, one of the best ideas is to do something that can revolve around a picnic. One good idea is to pack a lunch and go to a park, or local gardens. This can be very romantic and inexpensive. If you have more funds to work with, something fun that you can do after a picnic is to go to an interactive life museum. These are always enjoyable and take up a large chunk of time. Another good idea, if it is warm, is to take your picnic to a lake or a beach. This way you can eat and then do something in the water. Depending on where you go to school, there may be many attractions close by that can be utilized as well. Some colleges are close to the mountains and if they are, then a great day trip would involve hiking or swimming. If you are close to the beach, then of course days on the beach can be a wonderful date. If you live close to a city, a day in the city is a great idea. If you live close to an attraction such as an amusement park, then a day at the park can be great as well.

The Basics If you are itching to get off of campus, there are many great things that can be done on dates outside of your four blocks of school. To start off with the basics, some good things to do are to go to dinner and the movies. These may be things that you did your freshman year, but now you can go to restaurants off campus and go to better movie theatres that are not walking distance from the dorm. Branch out and try something new this year in terms of restaurants. If last year you went to a few specific restaurants close to campus, get in your car and go someplace different. Dinners are always good things to do on dates because you get a chance to talk, enjoy good food and atmosphere, and get to know each other better. Ask your friends about different restaurants in the area or just get in the car and go! Another good thing about some restaurants is that they are forms of entertainment as well as a place to eat. For example, you and your date may want to go somewhere like a Japanese steakhouse where they cook the food right in front of you. These places can be really fun as well as have great food. Another idea of a restaurant that is also interactive is one that serves fondue. In these restaurants, you and your date cook your own dinner. This can be a great date adventure as well. If you are interested in something like dinner and a movie but either you or your date are low on cash or you just want something a little personal, take advantage of living off campus. One of the greatest date ideas is to cook dinner and rent a movie in your own home. This can be very romantic or laid back. Depending on what you cook or order, and what movie you rent, you can change the atmosphere and the mood of the date to be as casual or as romantic as you and your date wish. Something Different If you want to try something new that isn’t the usual dinner and a movie, I suggest looking in the newspaper, or on internet web sites, about the area around your college and do things outside of the school setting. For example, if your college is in a small town or a suburb that is close to a city, then consider 100

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most part, is usually relatively inexpensive as well. For example, when I was a sophomore, Bill Cosby came to UNC. Jeremy knew that I loved Bill Cosby and surprised me with tickets. This was one of my favorite dates in college and it was right on campus. Other large performers that come to college campuses are singers and musicians, comedians, guest lecturers, authors, and other famous notable persons. Other categories of performers on campus, that don’t fall in the dance or music category, are groups such as stand up comedies and hypnotists. These are great date ideas as well and are usually lots of fun.

going into the city for a date. Usually there are many things to do in cities that there might not be in the location of your college. There are concerts to attend, or festivals, or events, such as the circus, that can be something different to do and are often held in cities. If you are going on a day date, one of the best ideas is to do something that can revolve around a picnic. One good idea is to pack a lunch and go to a park, or local gardens. This can be very romantic and inexpensive. If you have more funds to work with, something fun that you can do after a picnic is to go to an interactive life museum. These are always enjoyable and take up a large chunk of time. Another good idea, if it is warm, is to take your picnic to a lake or a beach. This way you can eat and then do something in the water. Depending on where you go to school, there may be many attractions close by that can be utilized as well. Some colleges are close to the mountains and if they are, then a great day trip would involve hiking or swimming. If you are close to the beach, then of course days on the beach can be a wonderful date. If you live close to a city, a day in the city is a great idea. If you live close to an attraction such as an amusement park, then a day at the park can be great as well.

The Basics If you are itching to get off of campus, there are many great things that can be done on dates outside of your four blocks of school. To start off with the basics, some good things to do are to go to dinner and the movies. These may be things that you did your freshman year, but now you can go to restaurants off campus and go to better movie theatres that are not walking distance from the dorm. Branch out and try something new this year in terms of restaurants. If last year you went to a few specific restaurants close to campus, get in your car and go someplace different. Dinners are always good things to do on dates because you get a chance to talk, enjoy good food and atmosphere, and get to know each other better. Ask your friends about different restaurants in the area or just get in the car and go! Another good thing about some restaurants is that they are forms of entertainment as well as a place to eat. For example, you and your date may want to go somewhere like a Japanese steakhouse where they cook the food right in front of you. These places can be really fun as well as have great food. Another idea of a restaurant that is also interactive is one that serves fondue. In these restaurants, you and your date cook your own dinner. This can be a great date adventure as well. If you are interested in something like dinner and a movie but either you or your date are low on cash or you just want something a little personal, take advantage of living off campus. One of the greatest date ideas is to cook dinner and rent a movie in your own home. This can be very romantic or laid back. Depending on what you cook or order, and what movie you rent, you can change the atmosphere and the mood of the date to be as casual or as romantic as you and your date wish. Something Different If you want to try something new that isn’t the usual dinner and a movie, I suggest looking in the newspaper, or on internet web sites, about the area around your college and do things outside of the school setting. For example, if your college is in a small town or a suburb that is close to a city, then consider 100

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any sophomores end up staying at school for the summer because they can’t find people to sublease their apartment. If you end up staying at school, you may want to consider taking some classes in summer school. This may be a great time to work on the side and to pick up some extra classes as well. Even if you only end up taking three hours the entire summer, this will help you considerably in the future and will let you have a lighter academic course load later. If you do end up going home for the summer after your sophomore year, be prepared for living at home again. Don’t feel too badly if you end up using this summer to either take classes, or do something other than pursuing a career goal. For most, your junior and senior years tend to be the time to really boost that resume, so focus on other aspects, like academics, this summer instead.

SUMMER JOBS

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any sophomores end up staying at school for the summer because they can’t find people to sublease their apartment. If you end up staying at school, you may want to consider taking some classes in summer school. This may be a great time to work on the side and to pick up some extra classes as well. Even if you only end up taking three hours the entire summer, this will help you considerably in the future and will let you have a lighter academic course load later. If you do end up going home for the summer after your sophomore year, be prepared for living at home again. Don’t feel too badly if you end up using this summer to either take classes, or do something other than pursuing a career goal. For most, your junior and senior years tend to be the time to really boost that resume, so focus on other aspects, like academics, this summer instead.

JUNIOR YEAR

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ongratulations! You are half way through your college life. Does this seem scary to you? I remember that it definitely startled me a bit. By now you are probably pretty settled into your college career. Chances are you have your set group of friends, your set extracurricular activities, and your intended major. However, while your junior year may seem to be breeze, it can be fundamentally important for your future. This is the year of firsts in that most move out of the apartment into their first house, and also the first time that many hold internships and jobs relevant to their life after college. Also, another important aspect of your junior year is that this is when most turn 21 and pass out of their youth into being adults.

JUNIOR YEAR

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ongratulations! You are half way through your college life. Does this seem scary to you? I remember that it definitely startled me a bit. By now you are probably pretty settled into your college career. Chances are you have your set group of friends, your set extracurricular activities, and your intended major. However, while your junior year may seem to be breeze, it can be fundamentally important for your future. This is the year of firsts in that most move out of the apartment into their first house, and also the first time that many hold internships and jobs relevant to their life after college. Also, another important aspect of your junior year is that this is when most turn 21 and pass out of their youth into being adults.

HOME AT COLLEGE: LIVING IN A HOUSE

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he trend seems to be that after a college student’s sophomore year, many move out of their apartment and into a house, with more roommates. One of the reasons behind this is that by your sophomore year you have an established group of friends that stem from both you and your apartment roommates. My sophomore year roommate and I decided to get a house with two of our friends. However, more and more of our friends expressed a desire to live with us as we began our search for a house. (Important point: You should begin looking for a house around Christmas of your sophomore year because houses rent fast.) While this is a bit rare, by the time we finally found a house, we had seven total roommates. By my senior year, my roommates and I picked up one more friend to have a house of eight people. This is, I think, the most I have ever heard of and will work well to explain living in a house with a large group of people. I am going to break living in a house into two distinct categories: living with four and living with eight. First, it is important to discuss the pros and cons of moving out of an apartment into a house. Pros and Cons of Living in a House Why do people tend to move out of an apartment into a house? For starters, you and your sophomore roommate may decide that there are other people that you want to live with. This is usually one reason why a house is better because you can have more people living together. The second reason living in a house is better is financial. The more people you have living together, the less expensive utilities are. However, be wary of how much less living in a house will actually be. Often, the costs of renting a house are high and utilities, because of the square footage, are high as well. Living in a house can be a benefit because you can have a yard, which may be nice for grilling or if you want to have pets. Another reason many people like houses better is because houses feel more like a home away from home, as opposed to the temporary feel that many apartments have. Personally, I have loved living in a house and recommend it. However, it is important to point out that there can be some cons. Since houses are expensive, you usually have to live with at least three other people. Some students don’t like to live with many others and this may make living in a house unappealing. Another reason a house may not be a appealing is because it can potentially

HOME AT COLLEGE: LIVING IN A HOUSE

T

he trend seems to be that after a college student’s sophomore year, many move out of their apartment and into a house, with more roommates. One of the reasons behind this is that by your sophomore year you have an established group of friends that stem from both you and your apartment roommates. My sophomore year roommate and I decided to get a house with two of our friends. However, more and more of our friends expressed a desire to live with us as we began our search for a house. (Important point: You should begin looking for a house around Christmas of your sophomore year because houses rent fast.) While this is a bit rare, by the time we finally found a house, we had seven total roommates. By my senior year, my roommates and I picked up one more friend to have a house of eight people. This is, I think, the most I have ever heard of and will work well to explain living in a house with a large group of people. I am going to break living in a house into two distinct categories: living with four and living with eight. First, it is important to discuss the pros and cons of moving out of an apartment into a house. Pros and Cons of Living in a House Why do people tend to move out of an apartment into a house? For starters, you and your sophomore roommate may decide that there are other people that you want to live with. This is usually one reason why a house is better because you can have more people living together. The second reason living in a house is better is financial. The more people you have living together, the less expensive utilities are. However, be wary of how much less living in a house will actually be. Often, the costs of renting a house are high and utilities, because of the square footage, are high as well. Living in a house can be a benefit because you can have a yard, which may be nice for grilling or if you want to have pets. Another reason many people like houses better is because houses feel more like a home away from home, as opposed to the temporary feel that many apartments have. Personally, I have loved living in a house and recommend it. However, it is important to point out that there can be some cons. Since houses are expensive, you usually have to live with at least three other people. Some students don’t like to live with many others and this may make living in a house unappealing. Another reason a house may not be a appealing is because it can potentially

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YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

be more dangerous. Break-ins occur more often in houses than in apartment complexes. A lot of this has to do with location as well as steps you take for security. I recommend having something like an ADT system in your home. Most real estate agencies will have these put in, or they may be installed already. Finally, a house may not be the best outlet if and your roommates do not want to be in charge of a lot of bills. While living in an apartment has a lot of expenses, typically a house will have even more. For example, a house will also have costs such as: security system bills, garbage and recycling pickup, and two utility bills, such as power and gas. The typical breakdown of monthly house expenses is: Rent 2000.00 Phone 30.00 Electricity 200.00 Water 50.00 Gas 100.00 Garbage/Recycling 25.00 Security System 30.00 Internet 50.00 Cable 30.00 _____________ Total 2515.00 House of 4 Per Person 628.75 House of 8 Per Person 314.38

Living with Three Roommates Many houses located around campus tend to have four bedrooms. For many, sharing a house with three other people makes the most sense. If you tend to be the type of person who needs private space and doesn’t want to live with a bunch of people but likes the idea of living in a house, then a four bedroom might be the key. This way, rent will be reasonable, utilities will be reasonable, and you won’t have to feel like you are living in a mini dorm. In

some school settings, living with four people works best for the realtor as well. Some cities have passed laws where the maximum number of unrelated people living in a house is four. Living with four allows you to stay within the rules laid out by the city. While I seriously doubt this ordinance is strictly enforced, it makes matters, such as leasing, easier because you don’t have to lie to the realtors, and all people living in the house can have their name on the lease. One nice difference that you may find if you end up living with three people is that bills become cheaper and the chore load for each person becomes less. A word of caution, this is not always the case. Many of my friends have told me that when more than two people live together, it ends up being just a few who do the household chores. Since there are more people making a mess, the workload actually increases. This may also be true with the utilities. If you lived alone or with someone and were careful about bills and then you move into a household where the heat is set on 83°or the lights are kept on all night, then your bills may be more per person. While it may be that the workload in a four person house is more than before or your bills are higher, this isn’t usually the case. First of all, bills that don’t change, such as phone and cable, will indeed be less expensive. Water, gas, and electricity tend to have a set rate for the month and then go up exponentially less per quantity used. This means that the bill for two people living in a house may be very similar to a bill with four people living in the house. As in all living situations, it is important to determine who is going to be in charge of what before you move in. This includes who is going to be responsible for getting the rent to the bank, which person will pay what bills, who is going to bring what furniture, etc. It is important to have all of this settled before actually moving into your new home. The good thing about living with more people is that there is usually more stuff, because there are more people to bring things. This means that many items, such as things for the kitchen and living room, will not have to be purchased. The more people you bring together, the more chance of conflict there will be. When you live with more than one other person, it will be important to set up times for house meetings. My suggestion is to try to have a meeting once a month to talk about various issues that may be going on in the house. Whether there are conflicts going on in the house between roommates, bills that need to be figured out, or a weekend getaway that needs to be planned, it is important to have some time set aside to discuss these issues. It seems that one problem that tends to come up in houses is that small groups of roommates end up discussing house problems, but they do not come together as a whole. This causes conflict because either nothing gets accomplished, or people feel like the house is dividing up into “sides.” The best way to eliminate this is to have scheduled meetings.

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Other individual expenses to consider: Grocery Store 150.00 Personal Products 50.00 House Supplies 10.00 Cell Phone 30.00 Gas 50.00 Miscellaneous 100.00 _________ Extra 390.00

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YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

be more dangerous. Break-ins occur more often in houses than in apartment complexes. A lot of this has to do with location as well as steps you take for security. I recommend having something like an ADT system in your home. Most real estate agencies will have these put in, or they may be installed already. Finally, a house may not be the best outlet if and your roommates do not want to be in charge of a lot of bills. While living in an apartment has a lot of expenses, typically a house will have even more. For example, a house will also have costs such as: security system bills, garbage and recycling pickup, and two utility bills, such as power and gas. The typical breakdown of monthly house expenses is: Rent 2000.00 Phone 30.00 Electricity 200.00 Water 50.00 Gas 100.00 Garbage/Recycling 25.00 Security System 30.00 Internet 50.00 Cable 30.00 _____________ Total 2515.00 House of 4 Per Person 628.75 House of 8 Per Person 314.38

Living with Three Roommates Many houses located around campus tend to have four bedrooms. For many, sharing a house with three other people makes the most sense. If you tend to be the type of person who needs private space and doesn’t want to live with a bunch of people but likes the idea of living in a house, then a four bedroom might be the key. This way, rent will be reasonable, utilities will be reasonable, and you won’t have to feel like you are living in a mini dorm. In

some school settings, living with four people works best for the realtor as well. Some cities have passed laws where the maximum number of unrelated people living in a house is four. Living with four allows you to stay within the rules laid out by the city. While I seriously doubt this ordinance is strictly enforced, it makes matters, such as leasing, easier because you don’t have to lie to the realtors, and all people living in the house can have their name on the lease. One nice difference that you may find if you end up living with three people is that bills become cheaper and the chore load for each person becomes less. A word of caution, this is not always the case. Many of my friends have told me that when more than two people live together, it ends up being just a few who do the household chores. Since there are more people making a mess, the workload actually increases. This may also be true with the utilities. If you lived alone or with someone and were careful about bills and then you move into a household where the heat is set on 83°or the lights are kept on all night, then your bills may be more per person. While it may be that the workload in a four person house is more than before or your bills are higher, this isn’t usually the case. First of all, bills that don’t change, such as phone and cable, will indeed be less expensive. Water, gas, and electricity tend to have a set rate for the month and then go up exponentially less per quantity used. This means that the bill for two people living in a house may be very similar to a bill with four people living in the house. As in all living situations, it is important to determine who is going to be in charge of what before you move in. This includes who is going to be responsible for getting the rent to the bank, which person will pay what bills, who is going to bring what furniture, etc. It is important to have all of this settled before actually moving into your new home. The good thing about living with more people is that there is usually more stuff, because there are more people to bring things. This means that many items, such as things for the kitchen and living room, will not have to be purchased. The more people you bring together, the more chance of conflict there will be. When you live with more than one other person, it will be important to set up times for house meetings. My suggestion is to try to have a meeting once a month to talk about various issues that may be going on in the house. Whether there are conflicts going on in the house between roommates, bills that need to be figured out, or a weekend getaway that needs to be planned, it is important to have some time set aside to discuss these issues. It seems that one problem that tends to come up in houses is that small groups of roommates end up discussing house problems, but they do not come together as a whole. This causes conflict because either nothing gets accomplished, or people feel like the house is dividing up into “sides.” The best way to eliminate this is to have scheduled meetings.

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Other individual expenses to consider: Grocery Store 150.00 Personal Products 50.00 House Supplies 10.00 Cell Phone 30.00 Gas 50.00 Miscellaneous 100.00 _________ Extra 390.00

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

Along with meetings, it is also important to set aside time for the house to interact together. For some reason, when roommates move into a house they end up spending less time together. I think some of this has to do with the age of the people who live together, the fact that most roommates have their own room, and that the houses are larger, which make not seeing people easier. Whatever the reason, it is important to maintain friendships with those you live with. You and your roommates do not need to stick together 24/7 but I do think it is important to set aside time to come together as a house. You may want to go to a movie together, or make one night out of the month a night for a sit down dinner. Whatever you do, just make sure to set aside this time on your calendars as well. There are a few bills that may be different in a house that were not included in an apartment. These bills include garbage/recycling, and security system fees. The chores may also be a bit different than in an apartment because some chores in a house may not be applicable to apartment living are. For example: taking the trash to its pick-up point, cleaning the yard, and weekly dividing up who buys household products may be a part of house living.

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Due Date and When Paid

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KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

Along with meetings, it is also important to set aside time for the house to interact together. For some reason, when roommates move into a house they end up spending less time together. I think some of this has to do with the age of the people who live together, the fact that most roommates have their own room, and that the houses are larger, which make not seeing people easier. Whatever the reason, it is important to maintain friendships with those you live with. You and your roommates do not need to stick together 24/7 but I do think it is important to set aside time to come together as a house. You may want to go to a movie together, or make one night out of the month a night for a sit down dinner. Whatever you do, just make sure to set aside this time on your calendars as well. There are a few bills that may be different in a house that were not included in an apartment. These bills include garbage/recycling, and security system fees. The chores may also be a bit different than in an apartment because some chores in a house may not be applicable to apartment living are. For example: taking the trash to its pick-up point, cleaning the yard, and weekly dividing up who buys household products may be a part of house living.

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YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Month________________________________ Roommate One Rent How Much________________________________ Security System How Much________________________________ Roommate Two Electricity How Much________________________________ Garbage/Recycling How Much________________________________ Roommate Three Water How Much_________________________________ Phone How Much_________________________________ Roommate Four Cable How Much_________________________________ Internet How Much_________________________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate One__________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Two__________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Three________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Four_________________

Each week, alternate which roommate does what set of chores. Just like before, have roommate one do the chores under the 1, roommate two do the ones under the 2 and so forth. Living with Seven Roommates If you think you are the type of person who will never live with this many people, let me be the first to tell you that this is what I thought too! However, I am eating my words right now as I sit in a house with seven roommates! Let me tell you how I ended up with this many. At the end of my sophomore year, my roommate and I decided that we wanted to move out of the apartment 112

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Month________________________________ Roommate One Rent How Much________________________________ Security System How Much________________________________ Roommate Two Electricity How Much________________________________ Garbage/Recycling How Much________________________________ Roommate Three Water How Much_________________________________ Phone How Much_________________________________ Roommate Four Cable How Much_________________________________ Internet How Much_________________________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate One__________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Two__________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Three________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Four_________________

Each week, alternate which roommate does what set of chores. Just like before, have roommate one do the chores under the 1, roommate two do the ones under the 2 and so forth. Living with Seven Roommates If you think you are the type of person who will never live with this many people, let me be the first to tell you that this is what I thought too! However, I am eating my words right now as I sit in a house with seven roommates! Let me tell you how I ended up with this many. At the end of my sophomore year, my roommate and I decided that we wanted to move out of the apartment 112

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YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

into a house. We felt that a house would feel more comfortable and would make us begin to think of our residence in college more like a home. We happened to be good friends with a set of twins that lived down the street. I had met one of the twins in a freshman chemistry lab (which we both were HORRIBLE at) and then met her sister from there. We loved them and loved hanging out with them, and thought getting a house with two others would be ideal. So, the four of us went looking for a house. We found the greatest house that was even within walking distance to campus. The rent was great, the location was great, and obviously the word got around. At this point, the transition only went from four to five. Some things are too good to be true, and the house was one of them. After that house fell though we found a four bedroom duplex, in an ideal location that was $2,600.00 a month. However, our saving grace was that the two bedrooms upstairs were huge. We decided to take the duplex and ended up putting three girls in one bedroom, two in another, and then there were two singles. This ended up working well for our junior year because it kept our bills and our rent low. For the sake of the roommates who had to share bedrooms, we decided that we wanted to move to another house our senior year. We found a great house that had six bedrooms, which we thought would work out great because one of the roommates had decided not to live with us. As time passed on, word got around again about the house and we ended up with a total of eight people for our senior year. It worked out well for “The Green House” because the home was large, and we ended up making two more bedrooms, one in the basement and one in the mud room. I know that living with four, or so, can easily transition into a whole lot more. In retrospect, I would say if you have the opportunity to live with a bunch of people, go for it. While some things seem more stressful the more people you live with (like the amount of dishes) it is the only time in your life when you may have the chance to live and get close to so many. If you have decided to live with a large group of people, just like if you are going to live with four, it is very important to set aside time for things both good and bad. For bad, it is very, very important to have house meetings. The more people you put together, the more tension there can be. If a problem occurs, address it with everyone as soon as possible. Don’t just let it go and let the house divide and whisper. Get together and work it out! Of course, there aren’t always bad things happening, but it is still important to have monthly house meetings. For the good, make sure to do things together as a whole house as often as possible. Like I mentioned in with living with four people, try to set aside a dinner or an event a month that everyone can do as a house. Make sure everyone agrees that these things are important and try to stick to it. Having things set in a schedule makes it easier for everyone to commit. There are many good things about living with a bunch of people. First of

all, the bills (hopefully) will be less expensive. Rent, as well, should decrease with this amount of people. Another good thing about having a bunch of people around is simply the notion of having a bunch of people around. Sometimes, if you live with only a few, you may run into the problem of being the only person in the house. This can happen for a number of reasons. Three common ways in which you would be alone in the house would be if you and your roommate’s school schedules do not go along with each other, if your roommate spends the night at her partner’s house most of the time, or your roommate often leaves for the weekends. Sometimes, being alone in an apartment or a house can be very scary and uncomfortable. In order to help prevent this from happening, the more people you have in a house, the less likely it will be that no one is there. Another good thing about living with lots of people is that you accumulate good friends. The people you live with are the closest people to live with you; often your family away from home. You live with these people, you sleep in the same house, and you do many things together. If you live with someone, hopefully, they will not just be an acquaintance, but will be someone you keep in touch with for years to come. Living with a bunch of roommates can cause different problems, depending on the people in the house. There can be some cons that are relatively universal when it comes to living with a large group. As I mentioned earlier, the more people, the more clutter. Having designated chore lists is imperative to living in a large group atmosphere. The clutter, like trash, will accumulate faster than you would imagine if there is not some semblance of order. Another thing that can be troublesome is the designation of bills and how they will be paid throughout the month. As I suggested earlier, one of the best ways to deal with bills is to set up an account for the house. This way, people can put their rent and utility money into the account and then checks can be written from there. One good thing that we did as a house was determine an estimate of about how much our bills would be per month, divided that by eight, and then placed that money into the bank, with our rent money, to be used for the utilities for the month ahead. This seems to have worked really well. Make sure you over-estimate a bit for the cost of the bills. This way it works out that the month the bills are lower, the extra money accumulated takes care of the month of bills that run slightly above average. While this may not work for every month, it usually works pretty well. There was one month that our gas bill was $410.00 and our electric was $353.00 in the same month. Because both were so extreme, each roommate had to put in an extra $15.00. If you are aware of being conservative, you shouldn’t have such high bills. Since bills can be very high when there are a lot of people, it is a good idea to keep in mind some simple rules that will help lower your monthly bills.

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YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

into a house. We felt that a house would feel more comfortable and would make us begin to think of our residence in college more like a home. We happened to be good friends with a set of twins that lived down the street. I had met one of the twins in a freshman chemistry lab (which we both were HORRIBLE at) and then met her sister from there. We loved them and loved hanging out with them, and thought getting a house with two others would be ideal. So, the four of us went looking for a house. We found the greatest house that was even within walking distance to campus. The rent was great, the location was great, and obviously the word got around. At this point, the transition only went from four to five. Some things are too good to be true, and the house was one of them. After that house fell though we found a four bedroom duplex, in an ideal location that was $2,600.00 a month. However, our saving grace was that the two bedrooms upstairs were huge. We decided to take the duplex and ended up putting three girls in one bedroom, two in another, and then there were two singles. This ended up working well for our junior year because it kept our bills and our rent low. For the sake of the roommates who had to share bedrooms, we decided that we wanted to move to another house our senior year. We found a great house that had six bedrooms, which we thought would work out great because one of the roommates had decided not to live with us. As time passed on, word got around again about the house and we ended up with a total of eight people for our senior year. It worked out well for “The Green House” because the home was large, and we ended up making two more bedrooms, one in the basement and one in the mud room. I know that living with four, or so, can easily transition into a whole lot more. In retrospect, I would say if you have the opportunity to live with a bunch of people, go for it. While some things seem more stressful the more people you live with (like the amount of dishes) it is the only time in your life when you may have the chance to live and get close to so many. If you have decided to live with a large group of people, just like if you are going to live with four, it is very important to set aside time for things both good and bad. For bad, it is very, very important to have house meetings. The more people you put together, the more tension there can be. If a problem occurs, address it with everyone as soon as possible. Don’t just let it go and let the house divide and whisper. Get together and work it out! Of course, there aren’t always bad things happening, but it is still important to have monthly house meetings. For the good, make sure to do things together as a whole house as often as possible. Like I mentioned in with living with four people, try to set aside a dinner or an event a month that everyone can do as a house. Make sure everyone agrees that these things are important and try to stick to it. Having things set in a schedule makes it easier for everyone to commit. There are many good things about living with a bunch of people. First of

all, the bills (hopefully) will be less expensive. Rent, as well, should decrease with this amount of people. Another good thing about having a bunch of people around is simply the notion of having a bunch of people around. Sometimes, if you live with only a few, you may run into the problem of being the only person in the house. This can happen for a number of reasons. Three common ways in which you would be alone in the house would be if you and your roommate’s school schedules do not go along with each other, if your roommate spends the night at her partner’s house most of the time, or your roommate often leaves for the weekends. Sometimes, being alone in an apartment or a house can be very scary and uncomfortable. In order to help prevent this from happening, the more people you have in a house, the less likely it will be that no one is there. Another good thing about living with lots of people is that you accumulate good friends. The people you live with are the closest people to live with you; often your family away from home. You live with these people, you sleep in the same house, and you do many things together. If you live with someone, hopefully, they will not just be an acquaintance, but will be someone you keep in touch with for years to come. Living with a bunch of roommates can cause different problems, depending on the people in the house. There can be some cons that are relatively universal when it comes to living with a large group. As I mentioned earlier, the more people, the more clutter. Having designated chore lists is imperative to living in a large group atmosphere. The clutter, like trash, will accumulate faster than you would imagine if there is not some semblance of order. Another thing that can be troublesome is the designation of bills and how they will be paid throughout the month. As I suggested earlier, one of the best ways to deal with bills is to set up an account for the house. This way, people can put their rent and utility money into the account and then checks can be written from there. One good thing that we did as a house was determine an estimate of about how much our bills would be per month, divided that by eight, and then placed that money into the bank, with our rent money, to be used for the utilities for the month ahead. This seems to have worked really well. Make sure you over-estimate a bit for the cost of the bills. This way it works out that the month the bills are lower, the extra money accumulated takes care of the month of bills that run slightly above average. While this may not work for every month, it usually works pretty well. There was one month that our gas bill was $410.00 and our electric was $353.00 in the same month. Because both were so extreme, each roommate had to put in an extra $15.00. If you are aware of being conservative, you shouldn’t have such high bills. Since bills can be very high when there are a lot of people, it is a good idea to keep in mind some simple rules that will help lower your monthly bills.

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YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

You may want to keep this as a chart on your note board, or at least discuss the rules at a house meeting.

frustrating trying to collect rent. If you are not in charge of the bills, get them in on time and thank whoever took over the responsibility. To keep life more organized, just like in any apartment or house, keep track of the bills, who paid them, when they came, and when they are due. Due Date and When Paid

Just like in any living situation, it is important to decide who will be in charge of what bills. Remember that the bills are going to be big. Also, the more people you have to collect from, the harder it is. Since there are so many people living together, you can either delegate each person to be in charge of a bill, or let a few take charge of all of them. Although it seems more fair to let each person take a bill, it usually ends up that a few take care of it all. It may be that the two person’s names that are on the joint account write all of the checks, or they can sign checks for other people. No matter who is in charge of what bills, respect the person who has taken control. Trust me; it can be extremely 116

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KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

You may want to keep this as a chart on your note board, or at least discuss the rules at a house meeting.

frustrating trying to collect rent. If you are not in charge of the bills, get them in on time and thank whoever took over the responsibility. To keep life more organized, just like in any apartment or house, keep track of the bills, who paid them, when they came, and when they are due. Due Date and When Paid

Just like in any living situation, it is important to decide who will be in charge of what bills. Remember that the bills are going to be big. Also, the more people you have to collect from, the harder it is. Since there are so many people living together, you can either delegate each person to be in charge of a bill, or let a few take charge of all of them. Although it seems more fair to let each person take a bill, it usually ends up that a few take care of it all. It may be that the two person’s names that are on the joint account write all of the checks, or they can sign checks for other people. No matter who is in charge of what bills, respect the person who has taken control. Trust me; it can be extremely 116

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Month________________________________ Roommate One Rent How Much________________________________ Roommate Two Security System How Much________________________________

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

You may want to let each roommate be in charge of actually writing the bill for each utility, but make sure to write all of the bills out of the same account. This way you don’t have to worry about reimbursing each roommate. Instead, use the above chart as a way to keep track of how much you spent that month to make sure each person put enough utility money into the bank. This leads to the next chart that may be important if there are a bunch of people. This can be placed monthly on a poster to keep track of the money. Simply put a check by your name when bills have been paid.

Roommate Three Electricity How Much________________________________ Roommate Four Garbage/Recycling How Much________________________________ Roommate Five Water How Much_________________________________ Roommate Six How Much_________________________________ Roommate Seven Cable How Much_________________________________ Roommate Eight Internet How Much_________________________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate One__________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Two__________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Three________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Four_________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Five__________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Six___________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Seven________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Eight_________________ 118

The final table that needs to be addressed is, of course, the chore list. As I mentioned earlier, this is perhaps one of the very most important chore lists you will have. One good thing about this list is that since there are so many roommates, each person only has to do one chore per week. The bad thing about this list is that since there are more people, the actual chores will be more demanding. Chores

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KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

Month________________________________ Roommate One Rent How Much________________________________ Roommate Two Security System How Much________________________________

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

You may want to let each roommate be in charge of actually writing the bill for each utility, but make sure to write all of the bills out of the same account. This way you don’t have to worry about reimbursing each roommate. Instead, use the above chart as a way to keep track of how much you spent that month to make sure each person put enough utility money into the bank. This leads to the next chart that may be important if there are a bunch of people. This can be placed monthly on a poster to keep track of the money. Simply put a check by your name when bills have been paid.

Roommate Three Electricity How Much________________________________ Roommate Four Garbage/Recycling How Much________________________________ Roommate Five Water How Much_________________________________ Roommate Six How Much_________________________________ Roommate Seven Cable How Much_________________________________ Roommate Eight Internet How Much_________________________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate One__________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Two__________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Three________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Four_________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Five__________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Six___________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Seven________________ Total Monthly Payment for Roommate Eight_________________ 118

The final table that needs to be addressed is, of course, the chore list. As I mentioned earlier, this is perhaps one of the very most important chore lists you will have. One good thing about this list is that since there are so many roommates, each person only has to do one chore per week. The bad thing about this list is that since there are more people, the actual chores will be more demanding. Chores

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KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

ACTUALLY TURNING 21

P

erhaps one of the most exciting events of your junior year is that you will turn twenty one. Even if you have felt like you were twenty one for some time, actually turning legal can be a big deal. I am a student, so unlike adults who may write a book like this, I know what college students do. Therefore, I realize that drinking might not be anything new to your junior year of college, but the creative schemes of how to get alcohol or how to get into the bars, can stop. This can relieve quite a strain. Often people get in a lot of trouble for drinking underage, and actually being able to use your own ID can be quite a relief. However, if you do choose to enter the social world of bars and clubs, it is very important to keep some things in mind. Tips

Chores, such as the lawn, should be done by all roommates when necessary. For this chart, place the names of the roommates as I have demonstrated. For example, “1” would be roommate 1, “2” would be roommate 2, and so on. Each week, initial your name after completing the chore. Make sure you have it complete by Sunday, and then move on.

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One tip that is very important is to always go out with a big group of people. Things can get crazy and it is always important to have friends with you. This becomes particularly important when leaving to go home after your night out. Don’t ever walk home by yourself late at night, this is simply dangerous. Another reason it is important to go with a group of people is to keep an eye on your friends. If they get sick or get into an uncomfortable situation, there will be people to help them out. When you are at a bar or a club, try not to set your drink down. If you have to put it down, make sure it is in front of you, or somewhere that you can easily watch the glass. The abundance of date rape drugs is more staggering than you may think, and someone slipping something into your drink is a very common occurrence. If you are going to use a credit card, if possible, don’t open a tab. As the night progresses, you may forget that you have opened an account and leave your credit card behind. Another reason using a credit card may not be a good idea is that you may end up buying more drinks for yourself or for others than you intended. It may be better to bring a set amount of cash and leave the credit cards behind. If you can avoid taking items such as purses or jackets, then do not take them. It is very easy to lose stuff when you go out on the town so not taking excessive items may be a good idea. Use moderation when you drink. If you decide to drink liquor remember

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

ACTUALLY TURNING 21

P

erhaps one of the most exciting events of your junior year is that you will turn twenty one. Even if you have felt like you were twenty one for some time, actually turning legal can be a big deal. I am a student, so unlike adults who may write a book like this, I know what college students do. Therefore, I realize that drinking might not be anything new to your junior year of college, but the creative schemes of how to get alcohol or how to get into the bars, can stop. This can relieve quite a strain. Often people get in a lot of trouble for drinking underage, and actually being able to use your own ID can be quite a relief. However, if you do choose to enter the social world of bars and clubs, it is very important to keep some things in mind. Tips

Chores, such as the lawn, should be done by all roommates when necessary. For this chart, place the names of the roommates as I have demonstrated. For example, “1” would be roommate 1, “2” would be roommate 2, and so on. Each week, initial your name after completing the chore. Make sure you have it complete by Sunday, and then move on.

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One tip that is very important is to always go out with a big group of people. Things can get crazy and it is always important to have friends with you. This becomes particularly important when leaving to go home after your night out. Don’t ever walk home by yourself late at night, this is simply dangerous. Another reason it is important to go with a group of people is to keep an eye on your friends. If they get sick or get into an uncomfortable situation, there will be people to help them out. When you are at a bar or a club, try not to set your drink down. If you have to put it down, make sure it is in front of you, or somewhere that you can easily watch the glass. The abundance of date rape drugs is more staggering than you may think, and someone slipping something into your drink is a very common occurrence. If you are going to use a credit card, if possible, don’t open a tab. As the night progresses, you may forget that you have opened an account and leave your credit card behind. Another reason using a credit card may not be a good idea is that you may end up buying more drinks for yourself or for others than you intended. It may be better to bring a set amount of cash and leave the credit cards behind. If you can avoid taking items such as purses or jackets, then do not take them. It is very easy to lose stuff when you go out on the town so not taking excessive items may be a good idea. Use moderation when you drink. If you decide to drink liquor remember

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

that it takes a little while to begin to affect you. Be wary of taking multiple shots in a short period of time, this is a sure way to get drunk too fast and ultimately get really sick. The best thing to do if you are going to drink is to try to drink a glass of water for every alcohol serving you have. If you can’t do this, try to drink slowly over a period of time instead of a lot in a short amount of time. Transportation is a big deal when you, or the group you are going to be with, will be drinking. If you live walking distance from where you will be going, for example if you live on campus right across from the Main Street, then there are a few rules to follow: make sure to have buddies to walk home with, never, ever, walk home from the bars to your house alone, it is very dangerous; always have a group or at least one other person to walk with; stay in areas where there is substantial lighting; and try to carry some type of protection with you at all times. For example, many Universities offer discount rates on pepper spray. Another good idea is to walk with your house keys in your hand with the point facing out. This prevents attackers because it shows you have some sort of weapon, and also that you are assertive and know directly where you are going. It is good to hold your keys like this when you are walking to your car as well. Many attacks happen when people are trying to find their keys to get into their car. If you have your key out and ready it shows that you will not have to stall and can directly enter the car without hesitation. If you don’t live close to wherever you are going out, then there are two options. The first is to have a designated driver. This only works if someone in your group says they will be responsible and sticks to it. If the designated driver has one drink, you can’t rely on this type of transportation. Drinking and driving is extremely serious. College students get hurt or killed, or they hurt or kill others when they drink and drive. Being young and just turning 21, you don’t understand how alcohol affects you or how much is too much. Although you can drive with an alcohol level of 0.08 in most states, you or the driver may not really know how much alcohol, for your body, that is. The best rule is if you drink, at all, don’t drive. Taking a taxi is far less expensive than the consequences that go along with drinking and driving. This leads to the second alternative of finding transportation; riding home with someone besides who you came with. Whether you have to call a friend or call a cab, if the person you rode with is drinking, don’t get in the car and don’t let them drive either.

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DATING IN THE ADULT WORLD

W

hat may be different about dating someone your junior year, as opposed to your previous years of college, is that now virtually all doors to what the two of you can do are open. For example, instead of going out to a dinner and a movie, you and your date may decide to “go out for drinks.” Of course, really, the only difference between this and other dates is that alcohol may be involved. This may mean that you and your date loosen up more, and it is easier to break the ice, or it may not mean anything at all. New Opportunities While it may seem that dating in the “adult world,” is no different than before, one significant difference is that you will be able to go to places that were not options before. For example, some places that serve alcohol will not allow admission to minors. One particular example that I can think of is a comedy club. This can be a great dating opportunity, but since they serve alcohol, something only available to adults. Another example of a place that may be somewhere you have always been, but now can stay, is restaurants that are also breweries. Some restaurants will not allow customers under the age of twenty-one to come after nine o’clock. A new option may be that you and your date have a nice, leisurely dinner, and then stay to enjoy the evening atmosphere of the restaurant. Of course, places such as bars and clubs may now also enter the dating world, because now you can legally go! Most people go to bars to find dates, but sometimes people do go out together as a social affair. I highly suggest not going to a bar or a club on one of your first dates with someone. These environments are loud and can often get crazy; they are not the best place to get to know your potential soul mate. Something, a bit different from routine dating, that you can now do in the adult world is rent cars and hotel rooms. This can be great if you and your boyfriend or girlfriend want to get out of town for awhile and do something a bit different. This, just like bars and clubs, would not be something you may want to do with a new partner, but rather, may be something fun to do when in a long term relationship.

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

that it takes a little while to begin to affect you. Be wary of taking multiple shots in a short period of time, this is a sure way to get drunk too fast and ultimately get really sick. The best thing to do if you are going to drink is to try to drink a glass of water for every alcohol serving you have. If you can’t do this, try to drink slowly over a period of time instead of a lot in a short amount of time. Transportation is a big deal when you, or the group you are going to be with, will be drinking. If you live walking distance from where you will be going, for example if you live on campus right across from the Main Street, then there are a few rules to follow: make sure to have buddies to walk home with, never, ever, walk home from the bars to your house alone, it is very dangerous; always have a group or at least one other person to walk with; stay in areas where there is substantial lighting; and try to carry some type of protection with you at all times. For example, many Universities offer discount rates on pepper spray. Another good idea is to walk with your house keys in your hand with the point facing out. This prevents attackers because it shows you have some sort of weapon, and also that you are assertive and know directly where you are going. It is good to hold your keys like this when you are walking to your car as well. Many attacks happen when people are trying to find their keys to get into their car. If you have your key out and ready it shows that you will not have to stall and can directly enter the car without hesitation. If you don’t live close to wherever you are going out, then there are two options. The first is to have a designated driver. This only works if someone in your group says they will be responsible and sticks to it. If the designated driver has one drink, you can’t rely on this type of transportation. Drinking and driving is extremely serious. College students get hurt or killed, or they hurt or kill others when they drink and drive. Being young and just turning 21, you don’t understand how alcohol affects you or how much is too much. Although you can drive with an alcohol level of 0.08 in most states, you or the driver may not really know how much alcohol, for your body, that is. The best rule is if you drink, at all, don’t drive. Taking a taxi is far less expensive than the consequences that go along with drinking and driving. This leads to the second alternative of finding transportation; riding home with someone besides who you came with. Whether you have to call a friend or call a cab, if the person you rode with is drinking, don’t get in the car and don’t let them drive either.

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DATING IN THE ADULT WORLD

W

hat may be different about dating someone your junior year, as opposed to your previous years of college, is that now virtually all doors to what the two of you can do are open. For example, instead of going out to a dinner and a movie, you and your date may decide to “go out for drinks.” Of course, really, the only difference between this and other dates is that alcohol may be involved. This may mean that you and your date loosen up more, and it is easier to break the ice, or it may not mean anything at all. New Opportunities While it may seem that dating in the “adult world,” is no different than before, one significant difference is that you will be able to go to places that were not options before. For example, some places that serve alcohol will not allow admission to minors. One particular example that I can think of is a comedy club. This can be a great dating opportunity, but since they serve alcohol, something only available to adults. Another example of a place that may be somewhere you have always been, but now can stay, is restaurants that are also breweries. Some restaurants will not allow customers under the age of twenty-one to come after nine o’clock. A new option may be that you and your date have a nice, leisurely dinner, and then stay to enjoy the evening atmosphere of the restaurant. Of course, places such as bars and clubs may now also enter the dating world, because now you can legally go! Most people go to bars to find dates, but sometimes people do go out together as a social affair. I highly suggest not going to a bar or a club on one of your first dates with someone. These environments are loud and can often get crazy; they are not the best place to get to know your potential soul mate. Something, a bit different from routine dating, that you can now do in the adult world is rent cars and hotel rooms. This can be great if you and your boyfriend or girlfriend want to get out of town for awhile and do something a bit different. This, just like bars and clubs, would not be something you may want to do with a new partner, but rather, may be something fun to do when in a long term relationship.

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Weekend Trips Whether it’s an actual weekend getaway or even just a day drive to the beach, sometimes getting off campus and away from school can be a great refresher to get you back into what needs to be accomplished at school. Take it from me, I understand that sometimes you can get trapped or bogged down in the school experience. Sometimes, all it takes a little chance to get away from it all, to breathe and relax, so that you can come back and get to it! On a lighter note, getting away for a trip with your boyfriend can be a great way to get to know each other a little bit better, or just to escape for awhile.

with your boyfriend or girlfriend. I should mention, however, that if you are either in a fraternity or sorority, you probably have been taking overnight date trips to cocktails and functions ever since college life began. Nonetheless, overnight trips for dates should only be with either a group of people (like the fraternity and sorority functions) or with someone you have been dating for a long time. The reason I bring up overnight trips in your junior year, and in the section of dating in the adult world, is because if you plan on getting a hotel room, chances are you have to be twenty-one to do so. If you are going to stay with friends or family then great, but if you are going to get a hotel, make sure you shop around before you leave for the trip. Sometimes, cities or areas around attractions can book up quickly. It isn’t wise to leave on a trip without hotel reservations being secured. When you decide that you want to go on an overnight trip in a specific location, check around to find the best hotel price. Either through credit card discounts, or through internet websites, make sure you get the best deal your money can buy. Internet searches can be very helpful and give you an idea of what is around your desired location. They can get you a good deal on a hotel and also allow you to see things such as how far away the hotel is from the attraction. Dates on overnight trips can be very different than a date to the restaurant or to the movies. I, being a student, understand that you have probably slept with your boyfriend before, but staying in hotel can be both exciting and scary. As an adult, you have the choice to do whatever you choose with your boyfriend or girlfriend. Just make sure you and your date are on the same page before you leave for the weekend. The great thing about overnight trips is that you can go somewhere a little bit out of your day driving range. For example, Jeremy and I sometimes go down to Charleston for the weekend, just to get away. Since it takes five hours to get there, it is hardly possible to do in a day, but is ideal for a weekend.

Day Trips One of the best examples of a day trip is, if possible, a mini vacation to the beach. If you live within a few hours of a beach, then this can be a great idea of how to get away. If you are going on a beach trip, one great thing about it is that it can be a relatively inexpensive mini vacation. If you leave early in the morning and come back late at night, the cost of such items as a hotel can be avoided. Also, something that can be both romantic and practical is to pack a cooler full of drinks, snacks, and lunch items. This way you don’t have to buy a meal and also get to have a romantic picnic on the beach! Thus far you have eliminated the cost of food, and lodging. The getaway will only cost you and your date gas and perhaps dinner. The beach is free, so if it is a possibility, use it. This is a great day trip, inexpensive, and romantic. On the inverse of the shore, if you don’t live right on the beach, then take a day trip to whatever natural resource is within a few hours drive. One example would be a trip to the mountains to either go hiking, or swimming, or any of the other activities that the area has in store. This can be a great date day trip as well. Just like the beach, you can leave in the morning, come back at night, and pack a picnic to share with someone in a beautiful location. The mountains can be a great place to get away. They offer lots of mini day adventures that will be sure to ease the pressure of school as well as bring a different element to the dating world. Some other ideas of day trips are: adventure trips such, as adventures to the amusement park, or to places of attraction such as lakes, ball games, concerts, etc. The great thing about places of attraction is that they can be someplace different, other than places such as restaurants or movie theatres. They are great ways to either spend a lot of money, or just a little, and skip out of town… if only for eight hours. Overnight Trips By your junior year of college, it may be all right to take overnight trips 124

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YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Weekend Trips Whether it’s an actual weekend getaway or even just a day drive to the beach, sometimes getting off campus and away from school can be a great refresher to get you back into what needs to be accomplished at school. Take it from me, I understand that sometimes you can get trapped or bogged down in the school experience. Sometimes, all it takes a little chance to get away from it all, to breathe and relax, so that you can come back and get to it! On a lighter note, getting away for a trip with your boyfriend can be a great way to get to know each other a little bit better, or just to escape for awhile.

with your boyfriend or girlfriend. I should mention, however, that if you are either in a fraternity or sorority, you probably have been taking overnight date trips to cocktails and functions ever since college life began. Nonetheless, overnight trips for dates should only be with either a group of people (like the fraternity and sorority functions) or with someone you have been dating for a long time. The reason I bring up overnight trips in your junior year, and in the section of dating in the adult world, is because if you plan on getting a hotel room, chances are you have to be twenty-one to do so. If you are going to stay with friends or family then great, but if you are going to get a hotel, make sure you shop around before you leave for the trip. Sometimes, cities or areas around attractions can book up quickly. It isn’t wise to leave on a trip without hotel reservations being secured. When you decide that you want to go on an overnight trip in a specific location, check around to find the best hotel price. Either through credit card discounts, or through internet websites, make sure you get the best deal your money can buy. Internet searches can be very helpful and give you an idea of what is around your desired location. They can get you a good deal on a hotel and also allow you to see things such as how far away the hotel is from the attraction. Dates on overnight trips can be very different than a date to the restaurant or to the movies. I, being a student, understand that you have probably slept with your boyfriend before, but staying in hotel can be both exciting and scary. As an adult, you have the choice to do whatever you choose with your boyfriend or girlfriend. Just make sure you and your date are on the same page before you leave for the weekend. The great thing about overnight trips is that you can go somewhere a little bit out of your day driving range. For example, Jeremy and I sometimes go down to Charleston for the weekend, just to get away. Since it takes five hours to get there, it is hardly possible to do in a day, but is ideal for a weekend.

Day Trips One of the best examples of a day trip is, if possible, a mini vacation to the beach. If you live within a few hours of a beach, then this can be a great idea of how to get away. If you are going on a beach trip, one great thing about it is that it can be a relatively inexpensive mini vacation. If you leave early in the morning and come back late at night, the cost of such items as a hotel can be avoided. Also, something that can be both romantic and practical is to pack a cooler full of drinks, snacks, and lunch items. This way you don’t have to buy a meal and also get to have a romantic picnic on the beach! Thus far you have eliminated the cost of food, and lodging. The getaway will only cost you and your date gas and perhaps dinner. The beach is free, so if it is a possibility, use it. This is a great day trip, inexpensive, and romantic. On the inverse of the shore, if you don’t live right on the beach, then take a day trip to whatever natural resource is within a few hours drive. One example would be a trip to the mountains to either go hiking, or swimming, or any of the other activities that the area has in store. This can be a great date day trip as well. Just like the beach, you can leave in the morning, come back at night, and pack a picnic to share with someone in a beautiful location. The mountains can be a great place to get away. They offer lots of mini day adventures that will be sure to ease the pressure of school as well as bring a different element to the dating world. Some other ideas of day trips are: adventure trips such, as adventures to the amusement park, or to places of attraction such as lakes, ball games, concerts, etc. The great thing about places of attraction is that they can be someplace different, other than places such as restaurants or movie theatres. They are great ways to either spend a lot of money, or just a little, and skip out of town… if only for eight hours. Overnight Trips By your junior year of college, it may be all right to take overnight trips 124

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few great things about house parties are that 1) The house is bigger than an apartment so it is easier to have people over, and 2) There are more people in the house, so even having a party with just the roommates can be a great event. No matter what the occasion, having guests at your house can be a great time to get a group of people together and have a great time. These are some examples of parties that my roommates and I had at our house. Of course, these are not the only reasons to have a get together, but they are good examples of activities that can be done with either a large group of friends, or an intimate get together with just the house. Occasions for Parties Two examples of parties that my roommates and I gave for people outside of the house were when there was a birthday or an important athletic event. Birthdays are a big deal, but turning twenty-one is the biggest in college. If you choose not to have alcohol at this party, that is completely fine. However, since it is the first time that people are legally able to drink, most people choose to have alcohol at this event. If you are going to have alcohol, you have a few choices. You can either tell people to bring their own, or you can supply drinks, such as either having alcohol and mixers, or you can get beer. For drinks such as P.J, you will need to buy some sort of container, the alcohol, the fruit, and the punch. This drink is a relatively inexpensive drink to have, but remember it won’t be cheap. If you are going to supply the liquor for the party, be prepared to spend some money. However, making a mixed drink will be less expensive than if you just supply the alcohol and the mixers. Most liquor is going to run around fifteen dollars per bottle, and if you want fifths or a higher grade of liquor, the cost will be more expensive. You and your roommates may want to meet and discuss what you want to drink, what the birthday boy or girl would want, and how much you want to spend. If you are going to have beer at your party and you are planning on having a big group of people over, you may want to consider getting a keg. Kegs range anywhere from $50.00 to over $100.00 which usually supply about 120 cups of beer. However, there are also pony kegs available which hold about 60 cups instead. If you want to get a keg, you and your roommates will have to put down a security deposit. Usually the deposit is pretty steep, somewhere around

HOUSE PARTIES AND OTHER GET TOGETHER’S

A

few great things about house parties are that 1) The house is bigger than an apartment so it is easier to have people over, and 2) There are more people in the house, so even having a party with just the roommates can be a great event. No matter what the occasion, having guests at your house can be a great time to get a group of people together and have a great time. These are some examples of parties that my roommates and I had at our house. Of course, these are not the only reasons to have a get together, but they are good examples of activities that can be done with either a large group of friends, or an intimate get together with just the house. Occasions for Parties Two examples of parties that my roommates and I gave for people outside of the house were when there was a birthday or an important athletic event. Birthdays are a big deal, but turning twenty-one is the biggest in college. If you choose not to have alcohol at this party, that is completely fine. However, since it is the first time that people are legally able to drink, most people choose to have alcohol at this event. If you are going to have alcohol, you have a few choices. You can either tell people to bring their own, or you can supply drinks, such as either having alcohol and mixers, or you can get beer. For drinks such as P.J, you will need to buy some sort of container, the alcohol, the fruit, and the punch. This drink is a relatively inexpensive drink to have, but remember it won’t be cheap. If you are going to supply the liquor for the party, be prepared to spend some money. However, making a mixed drink will be less expensive than if you just supply the alcohol and the mixers. Most liquor is going to run around fifteen dollars per bottle, and if you want fifths or a higher grade of liquor, the cost will be more expensive. You and your roommates may want to meet and discuss what you want to drink, what the birthday boy or girl would want, and how much you want to spend. If you are going to have beer at your party and you are planning on having a big group of people over, you may want to consider getting a keg. Kegs range anywhere from $50.00 to over $100.00 which usually supply about 120 cups of beer. However, there are also pony kegs available which hold about 60 cups instead. If you want to get a keg, you and your roommates will have to put down a security deposit. Usually the deposit is pretty steep, somewhere around

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

$100.00, but this is given back to you when you return the keg. The reason there is such a large security deposit is not for the keg, but is to insure that the tap is returned. If you don’t’ have a tap, then you have to pay a little extra for it and there’s a security deposit. If you are going to have a lot of people over for the birthday party, then you may want to consider charging $5.00 per cup. My roommates and I did this a couple of times (when we had people outside of our close friends) and ended up making money. However, if you are having party where only friends of you or your roommates are invited, then you probably will not want to charge. This is where having a lot of roommates comes into play because splitting the cost will make it easier. A lot of college students throw twenty-first parties for their friends or roommates and buy the drinks as a form of birthday present. Remember, it is up to you and your roommates whether you want to have any alcohol at all. You may want to have snacks for people to eat at the birthday party. If it is going to be a large party with a lot people, the best thing to do is just get chips and dip or finger sized snacks. Unless you are having a small party, don’t put a lot of money into the food because it will be eaten quickly; it is better to just get some chips and desserts. If you are going to have a large group, make sure to try and keep it relatively quiet. If you live around neighbors, you might want to ask if it is ok for you to have the get together. If you don’t want to do this, just keep in mind that a lot of towns have noise ordinances, and the police will come. If you are going to have a party with alcohol, make sure everyone is overage or you could get into serious legal trouble on top of the noise problems. A second example of a get together that you and your roommates may want to host is a party for a sport occasion. The most obvious example would be a Super Bowl party, but there are other examples of parties you could do, like a cookout before a football game. Unlike the twenty-first birthday party, this is probably an event that will occur earlier in the day or evening, and the focus will probably be on food and the game as opposed to drinks. If you and your roommates want to have a party of this kind, depending on the sporting occasion, decide whether you want to have a meal, or just heavy appetizers. Since it is a game and there probably will be guys there, make sure there is a lot of food to eat. If you do a cookout, I suggest doing the basics: hamburgers and hotdogs. If you have a grill, this is the perfect time to put it to use! If you are going to have heavy appetizers, think about having mini meal items, and not just chips and dip. Here are some examples of recipes that you may want to consider: Party Foods

¼ cup butter 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, partially thawed. 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese softened 2 (16 ounce) containers sour cream 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese Garlic salt to taste 1 box crackers of choice Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the spinach and artichoke hearts. Cook until tender, about five minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Cook on low for about 5 minutes or until the dip is a smooth texture. Serve warm with crackers.

Spinach Artichoke Dip 128

Nachos 1 can chili with no beans 1 8 ounce bag of tortillas ½ cup shredded cheese such as Monterey Jack or Cheddar Heat the chili according to package directions. Arrange the chips on a microwave-safe dish. Spoon the chili over the chips and sprinkle with cheese. Heat in the microwave oven or broil until cheese melts, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and serve. Rotele Cheese Dip 1 can original rotele 1/2 lb Velveeta cheese. Cut the cheese into cubes and place in medium saucepan. Pour in rotele and heat over medium heat until smooth. Serve with tortilla chips. Crock Pot Meatballs 1 lb precooked meatballs 1 container of barbeque sauce ¼ cup ketchup. Place ingredients in crock pot and cook 4-6 hours If you are going to be watching a game, make sure there is lots of seating in front of the television. If you don’t have a large couch and chair space, put pillows and cushions all over the living room. Make this an event to lounge, eat, and enjoy the game. If you are going to a game outside of the house after the food, you may want to consider putting up some decorations. Some accessories supporting your school or the favorite team may be all you need to have a great 129

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YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

$100.00, but this is given back to you when you return the keg. The reason there is such a large security deposit is not for the keg, but is to insure that the tap is returned. If you don’t’ have a tap, then you have to pay a little extra for it and there’s a security deposit. If you are going to have a lot of people over for the birthday party, then you may want to consider charging $5.00 per cup. My roommates and I did this a couple of times (when we had people outside of our close friends) and ended up making money. However, if you are having party where only friends of you or your roommates are invited, then you probably will not want to charge. This is where having a lot of roommates comes into play because splitting the cost will make it easier. A lot of college students throw twenty-first parties for their friends or roommates and buy the drinks as a form of birthday present. Remember, it is up to you and your roommates whether you want to have any alcohol at all. You may want to have snacks for people to eat at the birthday party. If it is going to be a large party with a lot people, the best thing to do is just get chips and dip or finger sized snacks. Unless you are having a small party, don’t put a lot of money into the food because it will be eaten quickly; it is better to just get some chips and desserts. If you are going to have a large group, make sure to try and keep it relatively quiet. If you live around neighbors, you might want to ask if it is ok for you to have the get together. If you don’t want to do this, just keep in mind that a lot of towns have noise ordinances, and the police will come. If you are going to have a party with alcohol, make sure everyone is overage or you could get into serious legal trouble on top of the noise problems. A second example of a get together that you and your roommates may want to host is a party for a sport occasion. The most obvious example would be a Super Bowl party, but there are other examples of parties you could do, like a cookout before a football game. Unlike the twenty-first birthday party, this is probably an event that will occur earlier in the day or evening, and the focus will probably be on food and the game as opposed to drinks. If you and your roommates want to have a party of this kind, depending on the sporting occasion, decide whether you want to have a meal, or just heavy appetizers. Since it is a game and there probably will be guys there, make sure there is a lot of food to eat. If you do a cookout, I suggest doing the basics: hamburgers and hotdogs. If you have a grill, this is the perfect time to put it to use! If you are going to have heavy appetizers, think about having mini meal items, and not just chips and dip. Here are some examples of recipes that you may want to consider: Party Foods

¼ cup butter 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, partially thawed. 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese softened 2 (16 ounce) containers sour cream 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese Garlic salt to taste 1 box crackers of choice Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the spinach and artichoke hearts. Cook until tender, about five minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Cook on low for about 5 minutes or until the dip is a smooth texture. Serve warm with crackers.

Spinach Artichoke Dip 128

Nachos 1 can chili with no beans 1 8 ounce bag of tortillas ½ cup shredded cheese such as Monterey Jack or Cheddar Heat the chili according to package directions. Arrange the chips on a microwave-safe dish. Spoon the chili over the chips and sprinkle with cheese. Heat in the microwave oven or broil until cheese melts, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and serve. Rotele Cheese Dip 1 can original rotele 1/2 lb Velveeta cheese. Cut the cheese into cubes and place in medium saucepan. Pour in rotele and heat over medium heat until smooth. Serve with tortilla chips. Crock Pot Meatballs 1 lb precooked meatballs 1 container of barbeque sauce ¼ cup ketchup. Place ingredients in crock pot and cook 4-6 hours If you are going to be watching a game, make sure there is lots of seating in front of the television. If you don’t have a large couch and chair space, put pillows and cushions all over the living room. Make this an event to lounge, eat, and enjoy the game. If you are going to a game outside of the house after the food, you may want to consider putting up some decorations. Some accessories supporting your school or the favorite team may be all you need to have a great 129

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YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

themed sports party. Also, get your friends to wear accessories for the team, and remember to have a camera!

½ t salt 1 cup milk Once you have the macaroni cooked and drained, place in a large bowl and while still hot add cheese. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and add to the macaroni mixture. Pour macaroni mixture into a casserole dish and bake for 30-45 minutes. Top with additional cheese if desired.

Social Events for Just the Roommates Just like I mentioned with events that you host for people outside of your house, there are many reasons you can have events for just the roommates. Two particular social events that my roommates and I had were a Thanksgiving Dinner and a Valentine’s Cocktail. The holiday season on a college campus can be extremely crazy. However, usually most students don’t celebrate until they return to their home. Since you live with a group of friends who are your home away from home, it makes sense to do some celebrating with them as well. Since all of the roommates will probably have finals at different times and will leave to go home for Christmas on different days, it is logical to celebrate the season with Thanksgiving. One thing that my roommates and I did was to celebrate Thanksgiving after the actual holiday, and did a Secret Santa at the same time too. For the food, we ended up splitting the cooking between the roommates and then everyone brought their dish to the dinner. This was nice because it gave the dinner more of a “pot luck” feeling, which goes along with the giving feel of the holiday. Some of the items that we had were: Broccoli Casserole with Almonds 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese 2 (10 ounce) packages chopped broccoli cooked and drained 1 (10 ¾ ounce) can cream of mushroom soup 2 eggs 1 t grated onion 1 cup mayonnaise 1 (3 ounce) package slivered almonds ¼ cup buttered bread crumbs Combine cheese with hot cooked broccoli. Mix soup, eggs, onion, mayonnaise, and almonds. Pour over broccoli and mix. Place in a 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake at 375 degrees for thirty minutes until firm throughout, serve. “Family Reunion” Macaroni and Cheese 4 cups cooked elbow macaroni, drained 2 cups grated cheddar cheese 3 eggs, beaten ½ cup sour cream 4 T butter, cut into pieces 130

Seven Layered Salad 6 cups bite sized pieces mixed salad greens 2 medium stalks celery, thinly sliced 1 cup radishes, thinly sliced 8 medium green onions, sliced 12 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled 1 package (10 ounce) frozen peas, thawed and drained 1 ½ cups mayonnaise or salad dressing ½ cup grated shredded cheddar cheese Place salad greens in a large glass bowl. Layer celery, radishes, onion, bacon and peas. Spread mayonnaise over peas, completely, to edge of bowl. Sprinkle with Cheese. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Candied Sweet Potatoes 6 medium sweet potatoes 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 3 T butter or margarine 3 T water ½ t salt Place sweet potatoes in a 2 quart saucepan; add enough water just to cover potatoes. Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until tender, drain. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, slip off skins, cut potatoes into ½ inch slices. Heat remaining ingredients in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth and bubbly. Add potatoes. Gently stir until glazed and hot. Southern Buttermilk Corn Bread 1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal ½ cup all purpose flour 1 ½ cups buttermilk 131

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YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

themed sports party. Also, get your friends to wear accessories for the team, and remember to have a camera!

½ t salt 1 cup milk Once you have the macaroni cooked and drained, place in a large bowl and while still hot add cheese. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and add to the macaroni mixture. Pour macaroni mixture into a casserole dish and bake for 30-45 minutes. Top with additional cheese if desired.

Social Events for Just the Roommates Just like I mentioned with events that you host for people outside of your house, there are many reasons you can have events for just the roommates. Two particular social events that my roommates and I had were a Thanksgiving Dinner and a Valentine’s Cocktail. The holiday season on a college campus can be extremely crazy. However, usually most students don’t celebrate until they return to their home. Since you live with a group of friends who are your home away from home, it makes sense to do some celebrating with them as well. Since all of the roommates will probably have finals at different times and will leave to go home for Christmas on different days, it is logical to celebrate the season with Thanksgiving. One thing that my roommates and I did was to celebrate Thanksgiving after the actual holiday, and did a Secret Santa at the same time too. For the food, we ended up splitting the cooking between the roommates and then everyone brought their dish to the dinner. This was nice because it gave the dinner more of a “pot luck” feeling, which goes along with the giving feel of the holiday. Some of the items that we had were: Broccoli Casserole with Almonds 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese 2 (10 ounce) packages chopped broccoli cooked and drained 1 (10 ¾ ounce) can cream of mushroom soup 2 eggs 1 t grated onion 1 cup mayonnaise 1 (3 ounce) package slivered almonds ¼ cup buttered bread crumbs Combine cheese with hot cooked broccoli. Mix soup, eggs, onion, mayonnaise, and almonds. Pour over broccoli and mix. Place in a 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake at 375 degrees for thirty minutes until firm throughout, serve. “Family Reunion” Macaroni and Cheese 4 cups cooked elbow macaroni, drained 2 cups grated cheddar cheese 3 eggs, beaten ½ cup sour cream 4 T butter, cut into pieces 130

Seven Layered Salad 6 cups bite sized pieces mixed salad greens 2 medium stalks celery, thinly sliced 1 cup radishes, thinly sliced 8 medium green onions, sliced 12 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled 1 package (10 ounce) frozen peas, thawed and drained 1 ½ cups mayonnaise or salad dressing ½ cup grated shredded cheddar cheese Place salad greens in a large glass bowl. Layer celery, radishes, onion, bacon and peas. Spread mayonnaise over peas, completely, to edge of bowl. Sprinkle with Cheese. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Candied Sweet Potatoes 6 medium sweet potatoes 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 3 T butter or margarine 3 T water ½ t salt Place sweet potatoes in a 2 quart saucepan; add enough water just to cover potatoes. Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until tender, drain. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, slip off skins, cut potatoes into ½ inch slices. Heat remaining ingredients in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth and bubbly. Add potatoes. Gently stir until glazed and hot. Southern Buttermilk Corn Bread 1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal ½ cup all purpose flour 1 ½ cups buttermilk 131

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

¼ cup vegetable oil 2 t baking powder 1 t sugar 1 t salt ½ t baking soda 2 large eggs Grease bottom and side of 8x8 square pan. Mix all ingredients. Beat vigorously 30 seconds. Pour into pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. To save time, get together with your roommates and BUY A PRECOOKED TURKEY. Remember you are at school and probably don’t have time to bake this one. Pumpkin Pie 1 Flakey Pie Crust 3 eggs ¾ cup sugar ½ t ground cinnamon 1/8 t freshly grated nutmeg ½ t ground ginger Pinch ground cloves Pinch salt 2 cups canned or fresh pumpkin puree 2 cups half and half, light cream, or whole milk Prebake the crust and start the filling while the crust is in the oven. Beat the eggs with the sugar and then add the spices and the salt. Stir in the pumpkin puree and then the half and half. While the crust is baking, warm this mixture in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stir occasionally until it is hot to the touch; do not boil. Place the pie plate on a baking sheet. Pour this mixture into the still hot crust and bake 30 to 45 minutes, until the mixture shakes like Jell-O but is still quite moist. Cool on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature. The Secret Santa part of the event was something that I thought was really great. We placed everyone’s name in a bag and then all drew a name. For one week, you would give your Secret Santa little gifts to remind them that you were thinking about them. Since many of us were finishing up projects and starting to study for exams, this was a nice little treat. We left small gifts 132

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

such as candy, flowers, candles, bath products, and small items that did not cost too much but were thoughtful. At the end of the week, each Secret Santa got a $20.00, maximum, present for their person. After the dinner, we all sat around with a glass of wine and opened up our gifts to each other. This was a great way to do a little bit of holiday celebration at school. It was nice because we didn’t have to worry about getting each roommate a present, and we got to spend a great evening together before we began the final exam stress. This was my favorite event my roommates and I ever did. It gave us a chance to cook for each other, to share little gifts with each other, and really just to spend some memorable time together. If you live with a group of people, I highly recommend having an evening like this before leaving for the holidays. The second event that my roommates and I did for the house was a Valentine Cocktail that was only for the girls in the house. Since some people in the house had boyfriends and some didn’t, this was an opportunity for us to do something together. We didn’t have it on Valentine’s Day, but did it very close to it. This was so couples could go out on Valentine’s Day, but those that did not have dates, had a date with the house instead. Two of my roommates put this occasion on and they did it really well. One thing they did that was neat was to make invitations for the roommates and then place them in their bedrooms. For the event, my roommates decided to have small finger foods and cocktails. Here are some examples of appetizers that may be good for an event such as this: Cheese Straws *This recipe requires a food processor 1 lb cheddar cheese 2 cups all-purpose flour pinch cayenne 8 T chilled butter, plus a little more for greasing the baking sheet Course salt (optional) Grate the cheese, and then place cheese in the bowl. Add the flour and cayenne to the bowl and pulse. Cut the 8 T of butter into pieces, and then toss it in. Process until flour and butter are combined. Remove the dough from the bowl and stir in the cheese. Knead by hand until it sticks together. Roll out into a rectangle about ¼ inch thick, then cut into strips about ½ inch wide. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and sprinkle with the optional salt. Bake until golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature. Hot Crabmeat Dip 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese 133

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

¼ cup vegetable oil 2 t baking powder 1 t sugar 1 t salt ½ t baking soda 2 large eggs Grease bottom and side of 8x8 square pan. Mix all ingredients. Beat vigorously 30 seconds. Pour into pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. To save time, get together with your roommates and BUY A PRECOOKED TURKEY. Remember you are at school and probably don’t have time to bake this one. Pumpkin Pie 1 Flakey Pie Crust 3 eggs ¾ cup sugar ½ t ground cinnamon 1/8 t freshly grated nutmeg ½ t ground ginger Pinch ground cloves Pinch salt 2 cups canned or fresh pumpkin puree 2 cups half and half, light cream, or whole milk Prebake the crust and start the filling while the crust is in the oven. Beat the eggs with the sugar and then add the spices and the salt. Stir in the pumpkin puree and then the half and half. While the crust is baking, warm this mixture in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stir occasionally until it is hot to the touch; do not boil. Place the pie plate on a baking sheet. Pour this mixture into the still hot crust and bake 30 to 45 minutes, until the mixture shakes like Jell-O but is still quite moist. Cool on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature. The Secret Santa part of the event was something that I thought was really great. We placed everyone’s name in a bag and then all drew a name. For one week, you would give your Secret Santa little gifts to remind them that you were thinking about them. Since many of us were finishing up projects and starting to study for exams, this was a nice little treat. We left small gifts 132

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

such as candy, flowers, candles, bath products, and small items that did not cost too much but were thoughtful. At the end of the week, each Secret Santa got a $20.00, maximum, present for their person. After the dinner, we all sat around with a glass of wine and opened up our gifts to each other. This was a great way to do a little bit of holiday celebration at school. It was nice because we didn’t have to worry about getting each roommate a present, and we got to spend a great evening together before we began the final exam stress. This was my favorite event my roommates and I ever did. It gave us a chance to cook for each other, to share little gifts with each other, and really just to spend some memorable time together. If you live with a group of people, I highly recommend having an evening like this before leaving for the holidays. The second event that my roommates and I did for the house was a Valentine Cocktail that was only for the girls in the house. Since some people in the house had boyfriends and some didn’t, this was an opportunity for us to do something together. We didn’t have it on Valentine’s Day, but did it very close to it. This was so couples could go out on Valentine’s Day, but those that did not have dates, had a date with the house instead. Two of my roommates put this occasion on and they did it really well. One thing they did that was neat was to make invitations for the roommates and then place them in their bedrooms. For the event, my roommates decided to have small finger foods and cocktails. Here are some examples of appetizers that may be good for an event such as this: Cheese Straws *This recipe requires a food processor 1 lb cheddar cheese 2 cups all-purpose flour pinch cayenne 8 T chilled butter, plus a little more for greasing the baking sheet Course salt (optional) Grate the cheese, and then place cheese in the bowl. Add the flour and cayenne to the bowl and pulse. Cut the 8 T of butter into pieces, and then toss it in. Process until flour and butter are combined. Remove the dough from the bowl and stir in the cheese. Knead by hand until it sticks together. Roll out into a rectangle about ¼ inch thick, then cut into strips about ½ inch wide. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and sprinkle with the optional salt. Bake until golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature. Hot Crabmeat Dip 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese 133

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

1 small onion, grated ½ cup mayonnaise ½ t garlic powder ½ t salt ¾ t pepper ¼ cup dry white wine 1 T prepared mustard 1 T horseradish 1 lb lump crabmeat, drained 2 T chopped fresh chives 2 T chopped fresh parsley Combine first 9 ingredients into a saucepan; cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until cream cheese melts. Stir in crabmeat, chives, and parsley; cook, stirring constantly, just until crabmeat is heated. Transfer to a chafing dish. Keep warm. Serve with dressy crackers.

Cherry Crowns 1 cup butter or margarine, softened 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 cup sugar 1 large egg, separated 1 t almond extract 2 ½ cups all purpose flour 1 cup finely ground blanched almonds 30 red candied cherries, halved Beat butter and cream cheese at medium spread with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolk and almond extract, mixing well, gradually stir in flour. Cover and chill 1 hour. Shape dough into 1 inch balls; dip tops of balls into lightly beaten egg white and then in almonds. Place 2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Press a cherry half in center of each ball. Bake at 350 degrees for fifteen minutes. Remove to wire rack and cool.

Pear-Pecan Appetizers 2 ripe pears 1 quart water 2 T lemon juice ½cup butter or margarine, softened 2 T crumbled blue cheese 1 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted Cut each pear into thin slices. Combine pear slices, water, and lemon juice in a bowl. Beat butter and blue cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Drain pear slices on paper towels. Dip bottom half of pear slices in butter mixture; coat with pecans and place on a serving plate. Serve immediately or cover and chill 30 minutes. Coconut Macaroons 1 ½ cups flaked coconut 1/3 cup sugar 2 egg whites 2 T all purpose flour ½ t vanilla extract 1/8 t salt Combine all ingredients, stir well. Drop by level T onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for twenty minutes. Remove from wire rack to cool. 134

Non-Alcoholic Cocktail: Berry Punch 1 (10 ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed 1 (12 ounce) can frozen cranberry juice cocktail concentrate, thawed and undiluted 1 (12 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed and undiluted 2 (1-liter) bottles club soda, chilled 1 (1-liter) bottle ginger ale, chilled Process strawberries in container of an electric blender until smooth. Pour into punch bowl; add cranberry juice cocktail and remaining three ingredients. Alcoholic Cocktail: Valentini’s Combine 2 ¼ cups currant vodka, 1 ¼ cups champagne, ¾ cup raspberry schnapps and ¼ cup lime juice in an ice-filled shaker. Shake well and strain into prepared glasses. Garnish with thin lime rounds. For the table decoration, my roommates used things around the house to make a beautiful presentation. First, they took a floor mirror and wrapped it in ribbon. They then placed it on the table and sprinkled it with rose petals. They placed different items on the table such as candles and flower vases filled with Valentine’s candy. Finally, there were flowers spread throughout. As a housewarming gift, I bought a pink rose for each of my roommates and created name tags, which I attached to the flower with ribbon. This was a nice, inexpensive gesture to show them how much their friendship was valued. 135

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

1 small onion, grated ½ cup mayonnaise ½ t garlic powder ½ t salt ¾ t pepper ¼ cup dry white wine 1 T prepared mustard 1 T horseradish 1 lb lump crabmeat, drained 2 T chopped fresh chives 2 T chopped fresh parsley Combine first 9 ingredients into a saucepan; cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until cream cheese melts. Stir in crabmeat, chives, and parsley; cook, stirring constantly, just until crabmeat is heated. Transfer to a chafing dish. Keep warm. Serve with dressy crackers.

Cherry Crowns 1 cup butter or margarine, softened 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 cup sugar 1 large egg, separated 1 t almond extract 2 ½ cups all purpose flour 1 cup finely ground blanched almonds 30 red candied cherries, halved Beat butter and cream cheese at medium spread with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolk and almond extract, mixing well, gradually stir in flour. Cover and chill 1 hour. Shape dough into 1 inch balls; dip tops of balls into lightly beaten egg white and then in almonds. Place 2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Press a cherry half in center of each ball. Bake at 350 degrees for fifteen minutes. Remove to wire rack and cool.

Pear-Pecan Appetizers 2 ripe pears 1 quart water 2 T lemon juice ½cup butter or margarine, softened 2 T crumbled blue cheese 1 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted Cut each pear into thin slices. Combine pear slices, water, and lemon juice in a bowl. Beat butter and blue cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Drain pear slices on paper towels. Dip bottom half of pear slices in butter mixture; coat with pecans and place on a serving plate. Serve immediately or cover and chill 30 minutes. Coconut Macaroons 1 ½ cups flaked coconut 1/3 cup sugar 2 egg whites 2 T all purpose flour ½ t vanilla extract 1/8 t salt Combine all ingredients, stir well. Drop by level T onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for twenty minutes. Remove from wire rack to cool. 134

Non-Alcoholic Cocktail: Berry Punch 1 (10 ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed 1 (12 ounce) can frozen cranberry juice cocktail concentrate, thawed and undiluted 1 (12 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed and undiluted 2 (1-liter) bottles club soda, chilled 1 (1-liter) bottle ginger ale, chilled Process strawberries in container of an electric blender until smooth. Pour into punch bowl; add cranberry juice cocktail and remaining three ingredients. Alcoholic Cocktail: Valentini’s Combine 2 ¼ cups currant vodka, 1 ¼ cups champagne, ¾ cup raspberry schnapps and ¼ cup lime juice in an ice-filled shaker. Shake well and strain into prepared glasses. Garnish with thin lime rounds. For the table decoration, my roommates used things around the house to make a beautiful presentation. First, they took a floor mirror and wrapped it in ribbon. They then placed it on the table and sprinkled it with rose petals. They placed different items on the table such as candles and flower vases filled with Valentine’s candy. Finally, there were flowers spread throughout. As a housewarming gift, I bought a pink rose for each of my roommates and created name tags, which I attached to the flower with ribbon. This was a nice, inexpensive gesture to show them how much their friendship was valued. 135

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

This event was a great way for the house to get together, relax, get dressed up, and make some memories. If you live with people whose friendship you value, then this is a great event to consider.

SPRING BREAK AND OTHER VACATIONS

B

esides mini vacations with your boyfriend or girlfriend, there are other types of trips that you should definitely take while in college. By your junior year you are probably settled, have your friends, are an “adult,” and are ready to spread those wings just a little bit farther. If you have a bunch of roommates or a good group of friends, try to get out and go on some adventures. This is the best time in your life to do these types of things before the “real world” hits. However, there are also other vacations that everyone looks forward to, for example, summer and Christmas. While I would like to talk about these trips and what you can do, I primarily want to focus on trips that take place while at school. For example, the supreme college vacation that I feel needs its very own section is spring break. Spring Break By your junior year, if not before, you have probably decided to go on a real spring break vacation. Spring break for college students has been notorious for one of the experiences that all college-goers must take place in. Whether it’s a drunken haze trip to Panama City, or a crazy cruise, or even a romantic trip with your boyfriend to the tropics, it is a time for every college student to go as south as they can go, and take place in adventures that require lots and lots of film. Usually, schools have travel agencies that specialize in spring break deals. This is one of the best places to start when looking for an ideal trip for you and your friends. Often they know of cheap flights as well as vacations that cater towards spring breakers. If you decide to go on a trip such as a cruise, make sure you look into all of the fine print of the trip. Usually, if things seem like too good of a deal, they may really be. Make sure you understand exactly what your living quarters will be like, any extra expenses that the trip may have, transportation, food, etc. If you want to go on a trip, but are worried about expenses, try to find package deals that include drinks, food, and transportation. These are the items that most spring breakers spend the most money on, so buying a package where they are included may be the best bet. Another good place to look for good deals is on the Internet. It may be a good idea to look at specific websites that cater towards vacations, such as cruise lines, if you want to see if they have certain deals. Make sure to start

136

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

This event was a great way for the house to get together, relax, get dressed up, and make some memories. If you live with people whose friendship you value, then this is a great event to consider.

SPRING BREAK AND OTHER VACATIONS

B

esides mini vacations with your boyfriend or girlfriend, there are other types of trips that you should definitely take while in college. By your junior year you are probably settled, have your friends, are an “adult,” and are ready to spread those wings just a little bit farther. If you have a bunch of roommates or a good group of friends, try to get out and go on some adventures. This is the best time in your life to do these types of things before the “real world” hits. However, there are also other vacations that everyone looks forward to, for example, summer and Christmas. While I would like to talk about these trips and what you can do, I primarily want to focus on trips that take place while at school. For example, the supreme college vacation that I feel needs its very own section is spring break. Spring Break By your junior year, if not before, you have probably decided to go on a real spring break vacation. Spring break for college students has been notorious for one of the experiences that all college-goers must take place in. Whether it’s a drunken haze trip to Panama City, or a crazy cruise, or even a romantic trip with your boyfriend to the tropics, it is a time for every college student to go as south as they can go, and take place in adventures that require lots and lots of film. Usually, schools have travel agencies that specialize in spring break deals. This is one of the best places to start when looking for an ideal trip for you and your friends. Often they know of cheap flights as well as vacations that cater towards spring breakers. If you decide to go on a trip such as a cruise, make sure you look into all of the fine print of the trip. Usually, if things seem like too good of a deal, they may really be. Make sure you understand exactly what your living quarters will be like, any extra expenses that the trip may have, transportation, food, etc. If you want to go on a trip, but are worried about expenses, try to find package deals that include drinks, food, and transportation. These are the items that most spring breakers spend the most money on, so buying a package where they are included may be the best bet. Another good place to look for good deals is on the Internet. It may be a good idea to look at specific websites that cater towards vacations, such as cruise lines, if you want to see if they have certain deals. Make sure to start

136

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

planning your spring break months in advance. The earlier you book vacations, the cheaper they are. This is an easy way to help get things together, give your group more time to get their money together, and significantly cut costs. If you are dedicated to getting a good spring break, that won’t cost a fortune, simply plan ahead.

to have a good time. While some hot spot spring break locations are a long way away from your college, you and your friends may decide that taking a trip to somewhere closer may be a good idea. I think this is a wonderful idea as well. Apart from not spending lots of money that you and your friends may or may not have, a close trip may be a good time for you and your friends just to relax and get away as well as share each other’s company. Even if you don’t decide to go anywhere, you and your friends can take some time on spring break just to relax and hang out. It may just be a week of renting movies and ordering takeout. Whatever you and your friends decide to do or wherever you decide to go, as long as you have some people that you enjoy being with, use the time away from school work to relax and have a good time.

Single Many people use spring break time to do things individually. For example, some students stay at school and work to earn extra money, some go on a “mini trip,” or go home to visit family. If you decide to do your own personal thing for spring break, don’t feel bad. While a lot of people do go on big trips, probably more don’t. Sometimes it can seem like everyone around you is going somewhere exotic, especially if you go to a predominantly upper middle class school, but don’t feel bad. Spring break, first and foremost, is a break from class. What you decide to do with your time is up to you. It may be a great opportunity to make some extra money, save money, catch up on school work, or go home. For my spring breaks, I went home for two years, went to see my father one year, and went on a vacation with my step-mother the other. Spring break does not have to be a crazy drunken experience, use your time to do what you wish, and enjoy it. All Boy or Girl When I mentioned that single sex vacations can be something great to do in college, one of the ideas I was thinking about was the idea of a spring break “just for the boys,” or “just for the girls.” These trips can be ideal for really having some “bonding time.” One of the reasons they are good for bonding is because it usually takes a long time to get to your spring break destination. Whether it’s a drive to Miami to get on a cruise boat, or even a flight to Cancun, the trip itself can often be a large portion of the fun. Since you are in close quarters, if for example you have an 18 hour drive in a car, the trip can be used as a time to really get to know one another. After you get to your destination, single sex vacations can be nice because you can choose whether or not to be with the opposite sex. For example, if a bunch of girls decide they want to spend the day at the pool lying out, that isn’t a problem because they don’t have to worry about finding things for the boys to do. Similarly, at night if you and your group want to go to some clubs or bars and meet some boys or girls, then you can do this too. Some great destinations for single sex trips would be the same great destinations as for anyone. Assuming you are probably going to want to go out and meet other people other than who you went with, going to where the people are is a good idea. Of course, you don’t have to go on an expensive trip 138

Co-Ed It seems that most people who go on crazy spring break vacations, either travel together as a co-ed group or end up that way. If you are going to go on a co-ed vacation, hold on to your seats and get ready to have a crazy trip. Whenever you put boys and girls together, things get crazy, and when this is in the context of spring break, these times can turn to wild. Spring break is notorious for being known as a drunken haze. If you are with a group of guys and girls, these times will be all the more interesting. A word of warning, while it is more interesting when trips are co-ed, they often can be over the top of interesting, resulting in drama. If it is couples that are going together on a trip, then things will be easy because each boy will (hopefully) hang out with their respective girl. If the group does not divide into set romantic couples, then at least try to make the group equal amounts of boys and girls. Sometimes if the groups are not divided equally, problems can arise. Just to keep things relatively smooth, get the group that is traveling together to have an equal amount of boys and girls. Couple Many people go on co-ed spring breaks because for some reason or another, they cannot go on spring break with only their partner. If you can go on a spring break trip with your partner, spring break may be one of the greatest ways to relax and enjoy vacationing with the person you enjoy spending time with. Unlike the co-ed spring break, there will not be as much drama, but you will be able to spend quality time with either your boy or girl. This may be a matter of weighing what you want. If you want to spend time with your friends, then you and your boyfriend may decide either to do your own spring breaks, or do something with a group of people. However, if you want to spend some special time with that special person, then go do something great. Make this not just a “mini vacation,” but a great trip you can always remember. 139

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

planning your spring break months in advance. The earlier you book vacations, the cheaper they are. This is an easy way to help get things together, give your group more time to get their money together, and significantly cut costs. If you are dedicated to getting a good spring break, that won’t cost a fortune, simply plan ahead.

to have a good time. While some hot spot spring break locations are a long way away from your college, you and your friends may decide that taking a trip to somewhere closer may be a good idea. I think this is a wonderful idea as well. Apart from not spending lots of money that you and your friends may or may not have, a close trip may be a good time for you and your friends just to relax and get away as well as share each other’s company. Even if you don’t decide to go anywhere, you and your friends can take some time on spring break just to relax and hang out. It may just be a week of renting movies and ordering takeout. Whatever you and your friends decide to do or wherever you decide to go, as long as you have some people that you enjoy being with, use the time away from school work to relax and have a good time.

Single Many people use spring break time to do things individually. For example, some students stay at school and work to earn extra money, some go on a “mini trip,” or go home to visit family. If you decide to do your own personal thing for spring break, don’t feel bad. While a lot of people do go on big trips, probably more don’t. Sometimes it can seem like everyone around you is going somewhere exotic, especially if you go to a predominantly upper middle class school, but don’t feel bad. Spring break, first and foremost, is a break from class. What you decide to do with your time is up to you. It may be a great opportunity to make some extra money, save money, catch up on school work, or go home. For my spring breaks, I went home for two years, went to see my father one year, and went on a vacation with my step-mother the other. Spring break does not have to be a crazy drunken experience, use your time to do what you wish, and enjoy it. All Boy or Girl When I mentioned that single sex vacations can be something great to do in college, one of the ideas I was thinking about was the idea of a spring break “just for the boys,” or “just for the girls.” These trips can be ideal for really having some “bonding time.” One of the reasons they are good for bonding is because it usually takes a long time to get to your spring break destination. Whether it’s a drive to Miami to get on a cruise boat, or even a flight to Cancun, the trip itself can often be a large portion of the fun. Since you are in close quarters, if for example you have an 18 hour drive in a car, the trip can be used as a time to really get to know one another. After you get to your destination, single sex vacations can be nice because you can choose whether or not to be with the opposite sex. For example, if a bunch of girls decide they want to spend the day at the pool lying out, that isn’t a problem because they don’t have to worry about finding things for the boys to do. Similarly, at night if you and your group want to go to some clubs or bars and meet some boys or girls, then you can do this too. Some great destinations for single sex trips would be the same great destinations as for anyone. Assuming you are probably going to want to go out and meet other people other than who you went with, going to where the people are is a good idea. Of course, you don’t have to go on an expensive trip 138

Co-Ed It seems that most people who go on crazy spring break vacations, either travel together as a co-ed group or end up that way. If you are going to go on a co-ed vacation, hold on to your seats and get ready to have a crazy trip. Whenever you put boys and girls together, things get crazy, and when this is in the context of spring break, these times can turn to wild. Spring break is notorious for being known as a drunken haze. If you are with a group of guys and girls, these times will be all the more interesting. A word of warning, while it is more interesting when trips are co-ed, they often can be over the top of interesting, resulting in drama. If it is couples that are going together on a trip, then things will be easy because each boy will (hopefully) hang out with their respective girl. If the group does not divide into set romantic couples, then at least try to make the group equal amounts of boys and girls. Sometimes if the groups are not divided equally, problems can arise. Just to keep things relatively smooth, get the group that is traveling together to have an equal amount of boys and girls. Couple Many people go on co-ed spring breaks because for some reason or another, they cannot go on spring break with only their partner. If you can go on a spring break trip with your partner, spring break may be one of the greatest ways to relax and enjoy vacationing with the person you enjoy spending time with. Unlike the co-ed spring break, there will not be as much drama, but you will be able to spend quality time with either your boy or girl. This may be a matter of weighing what you want. If you want to spend time with your friends, then you and your boyfriend may decide either to do your own spring breaks, or do something with a group of people. However, if you want to spend some special time with that special person, then go do something great. Make this not just a “mini vacation,” but a great trip you can always remember. 139

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Just like I mentioned with the all boys/girls trips, this doesn’t mean you have to go somewhere exotic or spend lots of money. Whether you do go on a big vacation, or you just go home to your family’s house, make spring break a time to bond.

celebrates the fall. For example, a trip to the mountains to see the colorful leaves may be a good idea. Fall break may be a good time to go home and take your summer clothes with you. This way you can bring back your winter clothes and be ready for the cool weather ahead. In the spring semester, the first holiday that occurs is Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. This, sort of like summer, is a good chance to do something to kick off the new semester. However, instead of saying goodbye to summer, this vacation may be taking advantage of what is left of winter and looking forward to the spring ahead. Many people around North Carolina like to travel to the mountains and do some skiing around this time of year. Of course, this depends on your location and what is available. If you live somewhere where snow might be around, do something that takes advantage of it! Go tubing, make some snow cream, and enjoy the weather! If you don’t live anywhere around snow, take advantage of whatever the climate is where you are, and do something with it. It seems that the vacations that occur during the school year are times to leave campus and take advantage of the weather. School requires a lot of time indoors and sometimes a vacation is needed to relive spring fever, winter fever, and fall fever. No matter what season it is, a little time outdoors and out of the classroom can be the key to rejuvenation.

Other Vacations Besides Spring Break, some other vacations to consider are mini vacations on holidays such as Labor Day, Fall Break, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, and Easter. These breaks may not be as long as summer, but they are certainly longer than a weekend and may be a perfect excuse to leave school. For the major holiday vacations such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, most people go home and spend that time with their families. Of course, not everybody can, or does, do this. Unfortunately, Thanksgiving and Easter at most schools end up being a three day weekend, and if you go to a school far away from home, this may not be enough time to go anywhere. If it isn’t, don’t stress, usually there are people on and around campus during short holidays. Another suggestion is that you may want to try and go to a friend’s home for the vacation. If you can’t go to your own house for a little rest and relaxation, try to go home with somebody else! Another reason this is good is because you can see a side of your friend you may not have seen at school. Getting someone off the campus and into their family environment will hopefully give you a chance to bond with your friends in a way that you would not have been able to do otherwise. Labor Day is usually a good time to kick off the school year because it happens in the first few weeks of school. You and your friends may want to take a short trip to either the mountains or the beach and celebrate your new year of college. This is also the time that many campus organizations, such as Christian organizations, go on retreats. Retreats can be great way to break the ice between members early in the school year. Most often organizations take retreats away from civilization, such as to a mountain cabin, where the distractions of such things as phone and Internet can’t get in the way. For many places, the beginning of September is beautiful and can be a great time to spend a vacation outdoors. No matter where you go or who you go with, this is a vacation that can let you hold on to the last part of summer and look forward to the semester ahead. Fall break, which is a little bit longer than Labor Day weekend, is also a time used by many organizations to go on retreats. The great outdoors is a location to consider utilizing during the vacation. Fall break is usually at a time when the climate may begin to become a bit chillier. If you live somewhere that tends to be cooler, Fall Break may be a good time to go somewhere that 140

141

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Just like I mentioned with the all boys/girls trips, this doesn’t mean you have to go somewhere exotic or spend lots of money. Whether you do go on a big vacation, or you just go home to your family’s house, make spring break a time to bond.

celebrates the fall. For example, a trip to the mountains to see the colorful leaves may be a good idea. Fall break may be a good time to go home and take your summer clothes with you. This way you can bring back your winter clothes and be ready for the cool weather ahead. In the spring semester, the first holiday that occurs is Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. This, sort of like summer, is a good chance to do something to kick off the new semester. However, instead of saying goodbye to summer, this vacation may be taking advantage of what is left of winter and looking forward to the spring ahead. Many people around North Carolina like to travel to the mountains and do some skiing around this time of year. Of course, this depends on your location and what is available. If you live somewhere where snow might be around, do something that takes advantage of it! Go tubing, make some snow cream, and enjoy the weather! If you don’t live anywhere around snow, take advantage of whatever the climate is where you are, and do something with it. It seems that the vacations that occur during the school year are times to leave campus and take advantage of the weather. School requires a lot of time indoors and sometimes a vacation is needed to relive spring fever, winter fever, and fall fever. No matter what season it is, a little time outdoors and out of the classroom can be the key to rejuvenation.

Other Vacations Besides Spring Break, some other vacations to consider are mini vacations on holidays such as Labor Day, Fall Break, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, and Easter. These breaks may not be as long as summer, but they are certainly longer than a weekend and may be a perfect excuse to leave school. For the major holiday vacations such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, most people go home and spend that time with their families. Of course, not everybody can, or does, do this. Unfortunately, Thanksgiving and Easter at most schools end up being a three day weekend, and if you go to a school far away from home, this may not be enough time to go anywhere. If it isn’t, don’t stress, usually there are people on and around campus during short holidays. Another suggestion is that you may want to try and go to a friend’s home for the vacation. If you can’t go to your own house for a little rest and relaxation, try to go home with somebody else! Another reason this is good is because you can see a side of your friend you may not have seen at school. Getting someone off the campus and into their family environment will hopefully give you a chance to bond with your friends in a way that you would not have been able to do otherwise. Labor Day is usually a good time to kick off the school year because it happens in the first few weeks of school. You and your friends may want to take a short trip to either the mountains or the beach and celebrate your new year of college. This is also the time that many campus organizations, such as Christian organizations, go on retreats. Retreats can be great way to break the ice between members early in the school year. Most often organizations take retreats away from civilization, such as to a mountain cabin, where the distractions of such things as phone and Internet can’t get in the way. For many places, the beginning of September is beautiful and can be a great time to spend a vacation outdoors. No matter where you go or who you go with, this is a vacation that can let you hold on to the last part of summer and look forward to the semester ahead. Fall break, which is a little bit longer than Labor Day weekend, is also a time used by many organizations to go on retreats. The great outdoors is a location to consider utilizing during the vacation. Fall break is usually at a time when the climate may begin to become a bit chillier. If you live somewhere that tends to be cooler, Fall Break may be a good time to go somewhere that 140

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t is probably a good time to start thinking about your future career by your junior year of college. Up to this point you may have been focusing on keeping your grades on track and settling into college life; now your college experience is half over. You may consider that the ultimate reason for going to college is to get a good job afterwards. Internships Whether you decide to do an internship during the school year or the summer, paid or unpaid, it is a wise decision to have at least one internship during your college career. I did not have one until my senior year, but it made a world of difference having it on my resume. Employers like to see internships on resumes because they signify your desire to find out more about whatever industry you plan on entering. Also, since most internships are unpaid; they show your desire to enhance your career objective as opposed to just making money. Where to Find One When you are ready to have an internship, the first thing you must do is find one. This may seem easy since they are unpaid, but surprisingly, finding an internship can be as hard as finding a job. In a time of a competitive job market, college students need to concentrate on what they can do to separate themselves from the competition. An internship can help do this if you can find one that fits your desired career. A few places that might be good to look for possible internships are career services, your academic department, specific corporations, and friends and family. The first two places to look for internships are right on campus. One of the best places to start looking for an internship is at career services. Colleges want to give as many internship opportunities to their students as possible. Also, corporations that have had success with your school before will use the campuses to offer internships that may ultimately turn into full time jobs. Whether you go to career services in person or use the website, try to use as many available outlets for resources as possible. For example, if you go to see a counselor, he or she may also be able to direct you to other resources. If you use the website, you will be able to see what opportunities there are as they become

INTERNSHIPS, COVER LETTERS, AND RESUMES

I

t is probably a good time to start thinking about your future career by your junior year of college. Up to this point you may have been focusing on keeping your grades on track and settling into college life; now your college experience is half over. You may consider that the ultimate reason for going to college is to get a good job afterwards. Internships Whether you decide to do an internship during the school year or the summer, paid or unpaid, it is a wise decision to have at least one internship during your college career. I did not have one until my senior year, but it made a world of difference having it on my resume. Employers like to see internships on resumes because they signify your desire to find out more about whatever industry you plan on entering. Also, since most internships are unpaid; they show your desire to enhance your career objective as opposed to just making money. Where to Find One When you are ready to have an internship, the first thing you must do is find one. This may seem easy since they are unpaid, but surprisingly, finding an internship can be as hard as finding a job. In a time of a competitive job market, college students need to concentrate on what they can do to separate themselves from the competition. An internship can help do this if you can find one that fits your desired career. A few places that might be good to look for possible internships are career services, your academic department, specific corporations, and friends and family. The first two places to look for internships are right on campus. One of the best places to start looking for an internship is at career services. Colleges want to give as many internship opportunities to their students as possible. Also, corporations that have had success with your school before will use the campuses to offer internships that may ultimately turn into full time jobs. Whether you go to career services in person or use the website, try to use as many available outlets for resources as possible. For example, if you go to see a counselor, he or she may also be able to direct you to other resources. If you use the website, you will be able to see what opportunities there are as they become

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

available. If you are going to use the website, I strongly suggest checking it regularly. Opportunities become available on a daily basis and are taken up just as quickly. Check in regularly to stay on top of what is open. The second place to find internships on campus is through your academic department. If, for example, you are a Communications major, than simply walking through the Communications building may help you find a job. Often there are postings throughout the department which list internships that are relative to a student majoring in Communications, and to their future. Use the sources that are on or near campus first. These can be great places to start to see what possible opportunities there are. The two main ways to find internships off campus are directly through different corporations and through family and friends. If you know where you want to find an internship, one suggestion is to go directly to that company. For instance, if the company has a website, you may want to go to that site and see what career (internship) opportunities are available. This can be a great way to find an internship. This is a good place to start, particularly if you want to find an internship with a large corporation. If you want to work for a small, local company, this probably won’t be the best way to start; in this case, one on one contact may be your best option. Finally, one of the best ways to find a job or an internship is to get help with your friends and your family. Don’t be too modest to get help from whatever resources you have. If you know people who may be a great contact, then definitely use them. Getting jobs as well as internships has a lot to do with contacts and networking.

unpaid, many students end up having to have paid jobs as well. If you need to have a paid job, you play on an athletic team, or you are involved in a lot of extracurricular activities, you may want to consider putting in less time or having an internship during the summer. No matter how much time you can put into the job, make sure this is clear in the beginning of the internship. Often, many students take internships because of how they will look on their resumes without considering how much time they have committed. Some ultimately let their academics or other activities slack off, and others just end up either quitting or not giving the internship experience 100%. Since an internship is a gateway into the working world, you do not want to leave it on a bad note. Ultimately it serves as a way to get experience, network into the working world, and get you a letter of recommendation that you can use to gain better jobs. If you leave the internship in bad terms, these goals will not be met and the experience will be wasted. So instead of taking an internship just to take it, make sure you have used good time management and the expectations for you and your employee are the same.

How Much Time You Should Give When you find an internship, one primary factor that you will need to determine is how much time you should give to the process. If you are going to do an internship during the summer, they are usually three months, full time. However, if you are planning on having an internship during the semester, there will be other factors influencing how much time you can give. For example, during the school year you will be going to school. If you have a pretty routine schedule and are taking five semester hours, you will be spending approximately fifteen hours per week on school. If you are not involved in a lot of extracurricular activities or athletics, then you may want to consider putting more time into the internship. A lot of internships want students to work fifteen to twenty hours per week. Typically, internships want people to either work a) full time for the summer, b) fifteen to twenty hours a week or c) eight to ten hours a week. If you go to school, but also take part in other activities, you may want to consider having an internship that doesn’t take up as much time. Since internships are

Applying an Internship to Your Future I have hinted at why an internship is important to your future before, but I feel that it is important to reiterate why they are a good thing to do. First, an internship can get you into the door of a company that just applying for a job with them would not. Second, internships can help you get jobs outside of the company that you interned with that you might not have been able to get otherwise. Finally, internships give you valuable experience that can be applied to jobs in the future. First, if you work for a company as an unpaid intern, the free time you have put in for them will be appreciated. This is a sure way to get your name to stand out in the piles of resumes that companies get. If you can have their company name under work experience, and in a position that you didn’t get paid for, your resume will put you on top of the pile. If you are working at an internship outside of a company that you intend to work for in the future, the experience can still yield relevant information. For one, a letter of recommendation from your employer may be a great way for your references to stand out. If a potential employer sees that whomever you interned for in the past spoke highly of you, this will be an indicator of what type of worker you are. A good letter of recommendation is something very valuable in the career world. Having a letter from an employer that may be similar to a place you are looking for a job will be a great addition to your references. Some other letters of recommendation that you may want to consider having are letters from your teachers, other employers, and family friends. Also,

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available. If you are going to use the website, I strongly suggest checking it regularly. Opportunities become available on a daily basis and are taken up just as quickly. Check in regularly to stay on top of what is open. The second place to find internships on campus is through your academic department. If, for example, you are a Communications major, than simply walking through the Communications building may help you find a job. Often there are postings throughout the department which list internships that are relative to a student majoring in Communications, and to their future. Use the sources that are on or near campus first. These can be great places to start to see what possible opportunities there are. The two main ways to find internships off campus are directly through different corporations and through family and friends. If you know where you want to find an internship, one suggestion is to go directly to that company. For instance, if the company has a website, you may want to go to that site and see what career (internship) opportunities are available. This can be a great way to find an internship. This is a good place to start, particularly if you want to find an internship with a large corporation. If you want to work for a small, local company, this probably won’t be the best way to start; in this case, one on one contact may be your best option. Finally, one of the best ways to find a job or an internship is to get help with your friends and your family. Don’t be too modest to get help from whatever resources you have. If you know people who may be a great contact, then definitely use them. Getting jobs as well as internships has a lot to do with contacts and networking.

unpaid, many students end up having to have paid jobs as well. If you need to have a paid job, you play on an athletic team, or you are involved in a lot of extracurricular activities, you may want to consider putting in less time or having an internship during the summer. No matter how much time you can put into the job, make sure this is clear in the beginning of the internship. Often, many students take internships because of how they will look on their resumes without considering how much time they have committed. Some ultimately let their academics or other activities slack off, and others just end up either quitting or not giving the internship experience 100%. Since an internship is a gateway into the working world, you do not want to leave it on a bad note. Ultimately it serves as a way to get experience, network into the working world, and get you a letter of recommendation that you can use to gain better jobs. If you leave the internship in bad terms, these goals will not be met and the experience will be wasted. So instead of taking an internship just to take it, make sure you have used good time management and the expectations for you and your employee are the same.

How Much Time You Should Give When you find an internship, one primary factor that you will need to determine is how much time you should give to the process. If you are going to do an internship during the summer, they are usually three months, full time. However, if you are planning on having an internship during the semester, there will be other factors influencing how much time you can give. For example, during the school year you will be going to school. If you have a pretty routine schedule and are taking five semester hours, you will be spending approximately fifteen hours per week on school. If you are not involved in a lot of extracurricular activities or athletics, then you may want to consider putting more time into the internship. A lot of internships want students to work fifteen to twenty hours per week. Typically, internships want people to either work a) full time for the summer, b) fifteen to twenty hours a week or c) eight to ten hours a week. If you go to school, but also take part in other activities, you may want to consider having an internship that doesn’t take up as much time. Since internships are

Applying an Internship to Your Future I have hinted at why an internship is important to your future before, but I feel that it is important to reiterate why they are a good thing to do. First, an internship can get you into the door of a company that just applying for a job with them would not. Second, internships can help you get jobs outside of the company that you interned with that you might not have been able to get otherwise. Finally, internships give you valuable experience that can be applied to jobs in the future. First, if you work for a company as an unpaid intern, the free time you have put in for them will be appreciated. This is a sure way to get your name to stand out in the piles of resumes that companies get. If you can have their company name under work experience, and in a position that you didn’t get paid for, your resume will put you on top of the pile. If you are working at an internship outside of a company that you intend to work for in the future, the experience can still yield relevant information. For one, a letter of recommendation from your employer may be a great way for your references to stand out. If a potential employer sees that whomever you interned for in the past spoke highly of you, this will be an indicator of what type of worker you are. A good letter of recommendation is something very valuable in the career world. Having a letter from an employer that may be similar to a place you are looking for a job will be a great addition to your references. Some other letters of recommendation that you may want to consider having are letters from your teachers, other employers, and family friends. Also,

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the knowledge that you gain from the internship will be information that you can apply to other jobs in the future. The saying, “You learn something new everyday,” applies to jobs as well. No matter what you do at your internship, you will take information from that experience into the career world. For example, if you are interested in starting your own small business, being in a business setting will give you hints on how people do this. An internship can help give you necessary experience for another job’s application as well. For example, if you want to get a job in marketing, having an internship in marketing will help give you an edge. There are many people graduating from college and trying to get jobs. There simply aren’t many good, “entry-level, no experience, college degree required” jobs. However, if you are that same student, but have some relevant job and internship experience, you will be a step ahead of the rest. Cover Letters The cover letter can be the most simple, yet stressful part of the entire process of trying to get a job or an internship. Your cover letter is your chance to sell yourself and your qualifications. A cover letter can be more important than your resume because it is the first thing that the company sees. Before they see your perfect GPA or your extracurricular activities, the person in charge of hiring will sit down and read this profile. Use your cover letter to reach out to the employer. This is your chance to highlight your knowledge of their company, your desire to work for them, your skills that make you a perfect candidate, and the ways for them to get in touch with you. There are many ways to write a cover letter but there are usually similarities between the ones that sell. When making your own letter, use this template to help get you on your way. This template can be used for jobs, internships, or merely query letters. Below the template is an example of a cover letter you may want to use as a guideline as well.

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the knowledge that you gain from the internship will be information that you can apply to other jobs in the future. The saying, “You learn something new everyday,” applies to jobs as well. No matter what you do at your internship, you will take information from that experience into the career world. For example, if you are interested in starting your own small business, being in a business setting will give you hints on how people do this. An internship can help give you necessary experience for another job’s application as well. For example, if you want to get a job in marketing, having an internship in marketing will help give you an edge. There are many people graduating from college and trying to get jobs. There simply aren’t many good, “entry-level, no experience, college degree required” jobs. However, if you are that same student, but have some relevant job and internship experience, you will be a step ahead of the rest. Cover Letters The cover letter can be the most simple, yet stressful part of the entire process of trying to get a job or an internship. Your cover letter is your chance to sell yourself and your qualifications. A cover letter can be more important than your resume because it is the first thing that the company sees. Before they see your perfect GPA or your extracurricular activities, the person in charge of hiring will sit down and read this profile. Use your cover letter to reach out to the employer. This is your chance to highlight your knowledge of their company, your desire to work for them, your skills that make you a perfect candidate, and the ways for them to get in touch with you. There are many ways to write a cover letter but there are usually similarities between the ones that sell. When making your own letter, use this template to help get you on your way. This template can be used for jobs, internships, or merely query letters. Below the template is an example of a cover letter you may want to use as a guideline as well.

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Resumes Where cover letters let you personalize your application, resumes remain unchanged for every position you apply for. Resumes are a cumulative reflection of your experiences, summed up on one piece of paper. It’s funny; a lot of people do tons of extracurricular activities and projects to put on their resume.

However, when you only have one page to work with, it is often hard to put everything you want to into that little bit of space. The best thing to do is to maximize the space by keeping the bullets short and sweet, highlighting your most impressive accomplishments. Like cover letters, there are many different templates that can be used. Here is the template that I have always used and gotten complimented on. One important point about my template that you may want to change is that I don’t have an objective line. Some people prefer to have an objective line at the beginning of the resume that specifies the desired position they are applying for. Also, some people place the phrase “References available upon request,” at the bottom of the page. If you don’t have a bunch of information on the page, then go ahead and put the objective and reference line on your resume as well. It is better to have a full looking page than an empty one for your resume. Employers often look at thousands of resumes a day. You don’t want yours to get short handed because it is not a full page. Take advantage of all the skills and talents, experiences and honors you have accomplished. If you are creating your first resume, the first thing you may want to do is sit down and make a list of all of the important things you have done in your college experience. If you make a resume before your junior year, it is okay to include a few things from high school. However, after your sophomore year, only include information from college. First, make a list of the jobs you have had. Think about what you did there, what you learned, and any particular bonuses you had. If you had any type of high level position or were rewarded, make sure to include this in your notes. After you have completed a list of your job experience, think about extracurricular activities and honors that you have accomplished. In your resume, you may want to add bullets under your activities suggesting what you did, what the organization was about, etc. If you have received any honors, such as Dean’s List, make sure to include this on your paper as well. For skills, jot down some skills that you have that you may want to include on your resume. If you have taken a few years of a foreign language, include this. Write down any computer skills that you have. Don’t worry about any particular format in your brainstorming process. Just try to think of as many things you can think of that you have accomplished, which may be good to put on your resume. Also, as you are thinking, try to keep a timeline of when, where, and for how long you did the activities. Just like the cover letter, there is a basic template that can be used to create your resume. If you take a look at all of the information that is out there on resumes and how to write one, you will realize that there are lots of different styles. For example, some people make the fonts different, or include different categories. This is just one of many examples. For a college student, this template seems to work well. However, there is always room for personal

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Resumes Where cover letters let you personalize your application, resumes remain unchanged for every position you apply for. Resumes are a cumulative reflection of your experiences, summed up on one piece of paper. It’s funny; a lot of people do tons of extracurricular activities and projects to put on their resume.

However, when you only have one page to work with, it is often hard to put everything you want to into that little bit of space. The best thing to do is to maximize the space by keeping the bullets short and sweet, highlighting your most impressive accomplishments. Like cover letters, there are many different templates that can be used. Here is the template that I have always used and gotten complimented on. One important point about my template that you may want to change is that I don’t have an objective line. Some people prefer to have an objective line at the beginning of the resume that specifies the desired position they are applying for. Also, some people place the phrase “References available upon request,” at the bottom of the page. If you don’t have a bunch of information on the page, then go ahead and put the objective and reference line on your resume as well. It is better to have a full looking page than an empty one for your resume. Employers often look at thousands of resumes a day. You don’t want yours to get short handed because it is not a full page. Take advantage of all the skills and talents, experiences and honors you have accomplished. If you are creating your first resume, the first thing you may want to do is sit down and make a list of all of the important things you have done in your college experience. If you make a resume before your junior year, it is okay to include a few things from high school. However, after your sophomore year, only include information from college. First, make a list of the jobs you have had. Think about what you did there, what you learned, and any particular bonuses you had. If you had any type of high level position or were rewarded, make sure to include this in your notes. After you have completed a list of your job experience, think about extracurricular activities and honors that you have accomplished. In your resume, you may want to add bullets under your activities suggesting what you did, what the organization was about, etc. If you have received any honors, such as Dean’s List, make sure to include this on your paper as well. For skills, jot down some skills that you have that you may want to include on your resume. If you have taken a few years of a foreign language, include this. Write down any computer skills that you have. Don’t worry about any particular format in your brainstorming process. Just try to think of as many things you can think of that you have accomplished, which may be good to put on your resume. Also, as you are thinking, try to keep a timeline of when, where, and for how long you did the activities. Just like the cover letter, there is a basic template that can be used to create your resume. If you take a look at all of the information that is out there on resumes and how to write one, you will realize that there are lots of different styles. For example, some people make the fonts different, or include different categories. This is just one of many examples. For a college student, this template seems to work well. However, there is always room for personal

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choice. Just remember, try to fill up the page. If it looks a bit bare, stick to a 12 point font. However, if you have a lot of information to include, then you may want to go down to 11. If you don’t have a lot of information, certainly include an objective and reference line. Keep in mind that employers look at hundreds of these a day. Make it look good, clean, and something that takes up the whole page. Finally, have a guidance counselor look over your resume at least once. They will be able to give you some helpful suggestions, and also to edit it. The worst thing you can do is make a grammatical error on a resume. Have it read before you send it out to an internship or a job. This is what represents you, and just like yourself, you want it to express your goals, your talents, and your character. If you send a resume that looks like it was put together in a hurry, employers will see this and may take it as a sign that you don’t care much about yourself. This is your gateway, let it be a reflection of who you are: talented, organized, and focused.

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choice. Just remember, try to fill up the page. If it looks a bit bare, stick to a 12 point font. However, if you have a lot of information to include, then you may want to go down to 11. If you don’t have a lot of information, certainly include an objective and reference line. Keep in mind that employers look at hundreds of these a day. Make it look good, clean, and something that takes up the whole page. Finally, have a guidance counselor look over your resume at least once. They will be able to give you some helpful suggestions, and also to edit it. The worst thing you can do is make a grammatical error on a resume. Have it read before you send it out to an internship or a job. This is what represents you, and just like yourself, you want it to express your goals, your talents, and your character. If you send a resume that looks like it was put together in a hurry, employers will see this and may take it as a sign that you don’t care much about yourself. This is your gateway, let it be a reflection of who you are: talented, organized, and focused.

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t seems fitting to start off your senior year by suggesting you step back and take a deep breath. Your final year of school may seem like a trip on a roller coaster. There will be good times, bad times, happy times, and sad times. There will even be points where you feel every single one of these emotions all at once. Just remember, almost everybody at school is feeling the way you are. In your senior year, you will be both rejoicing and dealing with the anxieties of graduation. This can be a great time in your college career because you may be both ready and scared to get out and start “life.” Graduation, and the future beyond, may be both an exhilarating and a frightening process all at once. As you go through your final year of college, there will be a lot of things on your schedule. First, you will be finishing up your academic requirements for graduation. Some of you will be lucky and will be able to take fewer classes than what is required for undergraduate students. Some students will finish college with the exact amount of required hours and some will be ahead of the requirements for graduation. Remember that grades are still important your senior year of college. This may seem obvious, but by spring of your final semester, it is going to be increasingly harder and harder to want to go to class. A word to the wise, make sure you keep up with your academic studies your senior year. It can be very hard to stay on track, but don’t let all of your hard work from the other years of college go to waste. Your senior year is your last chance to alter the GPA that will end up being your final score. Also it may be very possible to fail a class when you have “senioritis.” The worst would be if you could not graduate because you had failed a class, so make sure to keep those grades up. For most schools, passing requires a “D.” Coursework in your major may require a solid “C.” Talk to your advisor at least twice during your senior year (once in the fall and once in the spring) and have all of your academic problems and questions in order. Another reason your senior year will be different than the others is that unlike the other years where your biggest career concern was getting a job for the summer, now it is a question of what you will do after graduation. Trying to interview for jobs, figuring out where you are going to live, etc., can be very stressful and will require a lot of time and attention. Senior year is a time of saying goodbye to your time at college and moving

GET READY FOR THE RIDE

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t seems fitting to start off your senior year by suggesting you step back and take a deep breath. Your final year of school may seem like a trip on a roller coaster. There will be good times, bad times, happy times, and sad times. There will even be points where you feel every single one of these emotions all at once. Just remember, almost everybody at school is feeling the way you are. In your senior year, you will be both rejoicing and dealing with the anxieties of graduation. This can be a great time in your college career because you may be both ready and scared to get out and start “life.” Graduation, and the future beyond, may be both an exhilarating and a frightening process all at once. As you go through your final year of college, there will be a lot of things on your schedule. First, you will be finishing up your academic requirements for graduation. Some of you will be lucky and will be able to take fewer classes than what is required for undergraduate students. Some students will finish college with the exact amount of required hours and some will be ahead of the requirements for graduation. Remember that grades are still important your senior year of college. This may seem obvious, but by spring of your final semester, it is going to be increasingly harder and harder to want to go to class. A word to the wise, make sure you keep up with your academic studies your senior year. It can be very hard to stay on track, but don’t let all of your hard work from the other years of college go to waste. Your senior year is your last chance to alter the GPA that will end up being your final score. Also it may be very possible to fail a class when you have “senioritis.” The worst would be if you could not graduate because you had failed a class, so make sure to keep those grades up. For most schools, passing requires a “D.” Coursework in your major may require a solid “C.” Talk to your advisor at least twice during your senior year (once in the fall and once in the spring) and have all of your academic problems and questions in order. Another reason your senior year will be different than the others is that unlike the other years where your biggest career concern was getting a job for the summer, now it is a question of what you will do after graduation. Trying to interview for jobs, figuring out where you are going to live, etc., can be very stressful and will require a lot of time and attention. Senior year is a time of saying goodbye to your time at college and moving

out into the world as a graduate. For me, graduation was both exhilarating and a time for reflection. It took awhile to get adjusted to college life, and the fear of adjusting to what was in the future was nerve racking as well. I used the end of college to look at who I had become as a person and how I got there. No matter how you feel about college, or how your experience in college was, your senior year is going to be a time of reflection and looking forward; of being scared and being happy. Your senior year is a time of opposites. You may feel relaxed and confident one minute, and tense and anxious the next -- your emotions will be taken on a ride. In the end, the nerves will all be worth it because you will be able to hold your head up high when you look back at what you have accomplished and who you have become, and ahead to the possibilities in your future.

IS LIFE OUTSIDE OF COLLEGE THE SAME?

F

or many, college is a chance to spread your wings and fly, but with a safety net to catch you if you fall. For example, most college student’s parents give them some type of allowance. This can be one of the largest safety nets there is. If you needed money, you could just call home. The other type of safety net that college gives to its students is that it puts them in a sort of utopia setting. The academic world can be somewhat different than reality. I am not at all trying to say that the world outside of the academic walls is necessarily harsh or much worse than it was at school; I’m just saying the world outside of college and the world in college are not the same. Personal Story When I came to college I absolutely thought that the academic setting was different than “real life.” For example, on the Main Street of Chapel Hill there are rows of coffee shops lined with people spending all day and all night pouring over books. You can walk around and listen to people debate philosophy, science, math, any type of academic discipline, almost as if the world outside of the University did not exist. Life on and off of a campus, or in a campus community is different than life not there. One striking example of how I realized that college can be a place separate from life off of campus came on September 11, 2001. Just as generations before remember where they were when the Challenger went down, or what they were doing at the exact time they found out that John F. Kennedy had been shot, our generation will most likely remember where they were or what they were doing on the morning of September 11. It was about 8:00 in the morning when I was getting ready to go to school that I turned on the television and saw the towers. I remember watching the second plane hit the second building and thinking it seemed unreal. I was glued to the television as I watched history unfold; but then I had to go to campus. I remember thinking about what campus was like and how it was different from the world around us. As millions of people were trying to contact their families to make sure everyone was all right, I was sitting in a classroom. No, classes were not cancelled and I had to go. If you think we were going to at least talk about what was going on that day, we didn’t. I had a world history class to attend, and then political science. In my world history class, the professor lectured

out into the world as a graduate. For me, graduation was both exhilarating and a time for reflection. It took awhile to get adjusted to college life, and the fear of adjusting to what was in the future was nerve racking as well. I used the end of college to look at who I had become as a person and how I got there. No matter how you feel about college, or how your experience in college was, your senior year is going to be a time of reflection and looking forward; of being scared and being happy. Your senior year is a time of opposites. You may feel relaxed and confident one minute, and tense and anxious the next -- your emotions will be taken on a ride. In the end, the nerves will all be worth it because you will be able to hold your head up high when you look back at what you have accomplished and who you have become, and ahead to the possibilities in your future.

IS LIFE OUTSIDE OF COLLEGE THE SAME?

F

or many, college is a chance to spread your wings and fly, but with a safety net to catch you if you fall. For example, most college student’s parents give them some type of allowance. This can be one of the largest safety nets there is. If you needed money, you could just call home. The other type of safety net that college gives to its students is that it puts them in a sort of utopia setting. The academic world can be somewhat different than reality. I am not at all trying to say that the world outside of the academic walls is necessarily harsh or much worse than it was at school; I’m just saying the world outside of college and the world in college are not the same. Personal Story When I came to college I absolutely thought that the academic setting was different than “real life.” For example, on the Main Street of Chapel Hill there are rows of coffee shops lined with people spending all day and all night pouring over books. You can walk around and listen to people debate philosophy, science, math, any type of academic discipline, almost as if the world outside of the University did not exist. Life on and off of a campus, or in a campus community is different than life not there. One striking example of how I realized that college can be a place separate from life off of campus came on September 11, 2001. Just as generations before remember where they were when the Challenger went down, or what they were doing at the exact time they found out that John F. Kennedy had been shot, our generation will most likely remember where they were or what they were doing on the morning of September 11. It was about 8:00 in the morning when I was getting ready to go to school that I turned on the television and saw the towers. I remember watching the second plane hit the second building and thinking it seemed unreal. I was glued to the television as I watched history unfold; but then I had to go to campus. I remember thinking about what campus was like and how it was different from the world around us. As millions of people were trying to contact their families to make sure everyone was all right, I was sitting in a classroom. No, classes were not cancelled and I had to go. If you think we were going to at least talk about what was going on that day, we didn’t. I had a world history class to attend, and then political science. In my world history class, the professor lectured

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

for the full hour and a half about warfare in Rome. I remember thinking this was the most ridiculous thing. While people were huddled together with their families all over the U.S, I was learning about Roman war tactics. It didn’t get any better. In my political science class (where we had to keep up with current events) we talked about the political system, with only a brief mention of the world outside of campus. This day was a shock to my awareness of the college experience. It was as if our campus was an island isolated from the rest of the world. For us, the day went on like any other, until we stepped off campus and turned on the television. Life off campus is extremely different than life on it. Where people sit around and discuss philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato, there are those a hundred yards away working in the court system. Your day may begin at twelve, and you may or may not go to class. When you graduate and enter the job market, your mornings will start early everyday, not just some days, and you will have to go to work whether you feel like it or not. Senior year is a time of realization; realizing that life is very different out of college. Exciting or scary as it is, college is a special place for a special time in your life, and the adventure of “real life,” is only about to begin. No More Allowance… One other thought to ponder before you graduate is that for many, after college the allowance stops. However, one of my Sociology classes told me that “today’s thirty is like yesterday’s twenty.” What this means is where in the past most children stopped receiving financial support from their parents and turned into adults at twenty, now it is common for parents to help their children financially until they turn thirty. If you are one of those who is not getting an allowance anymore, or at least if the allowance is not as big, there will be many things that you will have to pay for that you may not have thought about in the past. This is where the salary of your future job counts. If you are like me and have always had low paying summer jobs, even the idea of making $25,000.00 sounds like a lot of money. However, this is because I currently pay for expenses such as gas and clothes, but I do not pay for items such as rent or healthcare. Rent and healthcare are two bills that may begin to affect your spending when you graduate. Most parents pay rent in college, but once college is over; people pay for it on their own. You will have to include a large portion of money a month to this bill. The second issue that I want to discuss is insurance. You can be considered a dependent under your parents either until you get out of school or are in your mid twenties. If you are not planning on going to a graduate school, this means that you will be officially considered an independent after graduation. The good news is that many jobs include a portion of insurance expenses into the salary, but the bad news is that many do not. If you have a job that does not 156

include healthcare, then you will have to think about things, such as medical insurance, dental insurance, etc. On top of this, there may be other types of insurance, such as car insurance, that you have never paid before. The cost of these depend on a lot of different factors, such as what type of coverage your parents have, what type of car you have, etc. Here are a couple of things to do before you graduate. 1. When you are interviewing for jobs, see what type of benefits the salary includes. 2. Sit down and discuss these future bills with your parents. On top of these new expenses that you may never have thought about before, there will still be the basic bills that you have had in the past. For example, you will still have electricity, water, phone, gas, cable, internet, garbage, and personal bills such as car gas, cell phone bills, and groceries. Just keep in mind that these bills may be different than they were in college as well. Depending on where you live, and how many people you life with, including if you live alone, your bills will vary. One thing that my mom and I did a long time ago was to sit down and discuss how much money one needs to make to pay for certain things. We made a list of all of my bills, plus things such as how much money I would need for activities, clothes, etc. When we did this I realized that I may want to live a lot better than what I might make. Even though this activity was a little depressing, it is a good way to break items down and see what type of salary range you may be looking for. Here’s a spread sheet you and your parents may want to sit down with and think about.

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

for the full hour and a half about warfare in Rome. I remember thinking this was the most ridiculous thing. While people were huddled together with their families all over the U.S, I was learning about Roman war tactics. It didn’t get any better. In my political science class (where we had to keep up with current events) we talked about the political system, with only a brief mention of the world outside of campus. This day was a shock to my awareness of the college experience. It was as if our campus was an island isolated from the rest of the world. For us, the day went on like any other, until we stepped off campus and turned on the television. Life off campus is extremely different than life on it. Where people sit around and discuss philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato, there are those a hundred yards away working in the court system. Your day may begin at twelve, and you may or may not go to class. When you graduate and enter the job market, your mornings will start early everyday, not just some days, and you will have to go to work whether you feel like it or not. Senior year is a time of realization; realizing that life is very different out of college. Exciting or scary as it is, college is a special place for a special time in your life, and the adventure of “real life,” is only about to begin. No More Allowance… One other thought to ponder before you graduate is that for many, after college the allowance stops. However, one of my Sociology classes told me that “today’s thirty is like yesterday’s twenty.” What this means is where in the past most children stopped receiving financial support from their parents and turned into adults at twenty, now it is common for parents to help their children financially until they turn thirty. If you are one of those who is not getting an allowance anymore, or at least if the allowance is not as big, there will be many things that you will have to pay for that you may not have thought about in the past. This is where the salary of your future job counts. If you are like me and have always had low paying summer jobs, even the idea of making $25,000.00 sounds like a lot of money. However, this is because I currently pay for expenses such as gas and clothes, but I do not pay for items such as rent or healthcare. Rent and healthcare are two bills that may begin to affect your spending when you graduate. Most parents pay rent in college, but once college is over; people pay for it on their own. You will have to include a large portion of money a month to this bill. The second issue that I want to discuss is insurance. You can be considered a dependent under your parents either until you get out of school or are in your mid twenties. If you are not planning on going to a graduate school, this means that you will be officially considered an independent after graduation. The good news is that many jobs include a portion of insurance expenses into the salary, but the bad news is that many do not. If you have a job that does not 156

include healthcare, then you will have to think about things, such as medical insurance, dental insurance, etc. On top of this, there may be other types of insurance, such as car insurance, that you have never paid before. The cost of these depend on a lot of different factors, such as what type of coverage your parents have, what type of car you have, etc. Here are a couple of things to do before you graduate. 1. When you are interviewing for jobs, see what type of benefits the salary includes. 2. Sit down and discuss these future bills with your parents. On top of these new expenses that you may never have thought about before, there will still be the basic bills that you have had in the past. For example, you will still have electricity, water, phone, gas, cable, internet, garbage, and personal bills such as car gas, cell phone bills, and groceries. Just keep in mind that these bills may be different than they were in college as well. Depending on where you live, and how many people you life with, including if you live alone, your bills will vary. One thing that my mom and I did a long time ago was to sit down and discuss how much money one needs to make to pay for certain things. We made a list of all of my bills, plus things such as how much money I would need for activities, clothes, etc. When we did this I realized that I may want to live a lot better than what I might make. Even though this activity was a little depressing, it is a good way to break items down and see what type of salary range you may be looking for. Here’s a spread sheet you and your parents may want to sit down with and think about.

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

SELF REFLECTION

A

s I have mentioned before, your senior year is a time of self reflection. Some of the things that you may want to consider are: What do you want to do? Where do you want to go? Do you want to go to graduate school? Do you want to go to professional school? Are you ready to enter the working word? Are you going to take a break after college, and travel? What do you want to do? Where do you want to go? Deciding what you want to do and where you want to move after you graduate may be the most important questions facing you at the present moment. It seems that before you decide anything about your future, one or both of these questions need to be answered. For instance, one of my roommates had no idea what she wanted to do, but she knew she wanted to stay in the Chapel Hill area. By deciding where she was going to live, the job search became more narrow and easier to manage. I have been in a similar position because I want to move to Charleston. For me, the job search has been tailored towards finding a job in that area as opposed to picking the profession first. On the other hand, I have a roommate who really wants to enter the consulting area. For her, she has picked her career and is finding a job first. She will then move to wherever the job takes her. For all of my roommates, one or both of these factors has been the key issue of self reflection. In order to decide anything about your future, you need to sit down and think about what matters the most to you. If you really want to go to medical school, then chances are you will be applying to many schools and will move to wherever you get accepted. On the other hand, if you are planning on following your boyfriend and his job offer, then the location will matter the most and finding either a job or career that is right for you will happen wherever you end up. If you know where you want to live, the best thing to do is to go there and feel out the area. It is impossible to find a job in a certain location when you don’t know what is there. Looking on the internet for jobs in a specific location may be a good place to start, but it probably is not going to get you the career of your dreams. Instead, use the Internet to find particular business industries. If there is somewhere you really want to work, go there and walk in the door. If you can meet face to face with someone, then the chances of getting a job are far greater than if you just simply submit your resume. 158

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KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

SELF REFLECTION

A

s I have mentioned before, your senior year is a time of self reflection. Some of the things that you may want to consider are: What do you want to do? Where do you want to go? Do you want to go to graduate school? Do you want to go to professional school? Are you ready to enter the working word? Are you going to take a break after college, and travel? What do you want to do? Where do you want to go? Deciding what you want to do and where you want to move after you graduate may be the most important questions facing you at the present moment. It seems that before you decide anything about your future, one or both of these questions need to be answered. For instance, one of my roommates had no idea what she wanted to do, but she knew she wanted to stay in the Chapel Hill area. By deciding where she was going to live, the job search became more narrow and easier to manage. I have been in a similar position because I want to move to Charleston. For me, the job search has been tailored towards finding a job in that area as opposed to picking the profession first. On the other hand, I have a roommate who really wants to enter the consulting area. For her, she has picked her career and is finding a job first. She will then move to wherever the job takes her. For all of my roommates, one or both of these factors has been the key issue of self reflection. In order to decide anything about your future, you need to sit down and think about what matters the most to you. If you really want to go to medical school, then chances are you will be applying to many schools and will move to wherever you get accepted. On the other hand, if you are planning on following your boyfriend and his job offer, then the location will matter the most and finding either a job or career that is right for you will happen wherever you end up. If you know where you want to live, the best thing to do is to go there and feel out the area. It is impossible to find a job in a certain location when you don’t know what is there. Looking on the internet for jobs in a specific location may be a good place to start, but it probably is not going to get you the career of your dreams. Instead, use the Internet to find particular business industries. If there is somewhere you really want to work, go there and walk in the door. If you can meet face to face with someone, then the chances of getting a job are far greater than if you just simply submit your resume. 158

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KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

If you know what type of job you want, and where you live comes secondary, target the companies you like. Go to their websites and see if they are offering positions. This is a scenario where career services on campus will come in handy. Usually career fairs offer lots of job positions in particular fields. I suggest going to these fairs and talking to representatives of the companies that you are interested in. Also, searching for a particular job in any location is easier than looking for a job in one location because there are more options. Use the Internet and particular websites targeted towards recent college graduates to see what job opportunities are available. Graduate School Graduate school is something many students choose to do when they want to pursue more education but they don’t want to go to professional school. There are many things that you can do in graduate school. For example, you can enhance a business degree, you can get an educational degree, or you can go to graduate school in one of the core disciplines. Another interesting thing is that there are many career options within particular graduate school disciplines. For example, if you decide to go to graduate school in English, you can work towards becoming a teacher either on the Community College level, receiving your PhD and teaching at the college level, or you can do things other than teaching such as becoming an editor, or a publisher. If you are passionate about a particular subject, you may want to see what doors a master’s degree in that major can open. I heard once that today’s bachelor’s degree is like the past’s high school degree and that the only way to get a good job in today’s job market is to get a master’s. There may be a very large grain of salt to this truth. As the number of college graduates increases, the only way to decipher ranking and eligibility towards certain jobs is higher education. Professional School If you are planning on going to any sort of professional school, you have probably applied to many places and are waiting for replies. In this case, you may be waiting to see where you get in, and then will go to your top choice. This is a great plan and probably all you can do at this point. However, in your senior year’s self reflection, I want to suggest you think about a few things. First, ask yourself why you want to go to the particular professional school you are applying for and two, make sure you have a plan B. If you are the type of person who has practically known you were going to be a doctor since the time you were born, you can probably skip over this section and move on to the next. However, if going to professional school was an idea that came about in college or in the recent time period, then at least do yourself a favor and think about why you are planning on attending professional school. 160

First, the time commitment of a professional school is extremely demanding. If you are not ready to spend another four plus years in college, then going on to one of these schools may not be right for you. If you are going on to one of these schools because you want to make lots and lots of money, you may want to reconsider your plans as well. Yes, professionals do make a lot of money, but they put in a lot of time and commitment to earn their salary. Another thing, since the job market is so competitive, a lot of people are entering professional school as a plan B. One particular school that many people, who may not have thought about entering this profession before, are applying to is law school. Since your major does not matter for entrance into this field, anyone who has good grades and scores well on the LSAT can go. While this may not matter right now, in a few years there will be so many lawyers that the demand will not be as high, and lawyers will not be guaranteed to make a lot of money. I am not saying that you should not be a lawyer if that is what you want to do, I am just suggesting that you look into your heart and make sure you are entering whatever school you are planning on entering for the right reasons. Finally, I want you to think about whether going to a professional school is something you are doing for yourself, or something that you are doing for your family. Many people enter medical school, etc, because it was what their parents wanted them to do. Medical school is not something that you should pursue if it isn’t something you are passionate about. Whatever your career is, it needs to be something that you love and you will love doing everyday. If you become a doctor for somebody else, then you won’t be happy. “Find what you love to do and find a way to make money doing it,” is the quote to always remember. If you love helping others and want to be a doctor or a lawyer, go out there and be the best one you can be. Just remember, don’t do anything just because someone else wanted you to. The last suggestion I have before going to professional school is to have a plan B; this does not mean applying to two schools. In a time when the competition into professional school is so steep, there is a chance that you may not get in. If you don’t get in, remember, it isn’t the end of the world; you can always apply in a year. However, you need to have options of what to do, either for that year while you are waiting to apply again, or for a career if you decide not to go at all. No matter what you do in your life, it is always great to know that there are other paths to follow and other options to take. Working World If you are tired of classes and you are ready to make your own money and stop sponging off your parents, you are probably ready to enter the working world. Another reason you may be ready to get a job is that you simply don’t

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

If you know what type of job you want, and where you live comes secondary, target the companies you like. Go to their websites and see if they are offering positions. This is a scenario where career services on campus will come in handy. Usually career fairs offer lots of job positions in particular fields. I suggest going to these fairs and talking to representatives of the companies that you are interested in. Also, searching for a particular job in any location is easier than looking for a job in one location because there are more options. Use the Internet and particular websites targeted towards recent college graduates to see what job opportunities are available. Graduate School Graduate school is something many students choose to do when they want to pursue more education but they don’t want to go to professional school. There are many things that you can do in graduate school. For example, you can enhance a business degree, you can get an educational degree, or you can go to graduate school in one of the core disciplines. Another interesting thing is that there are many career options within particular graduate school disciplines. For example, if you decide to go to graduate school in English, you can work towards becoming a teacher either on the Community College level, receiving your PhD and teaching at the college level, or you can do things other than teaching such as becoming an editor, or a publisher. If you are passionate about a particular subject, you may want to see what doors a master’s degree in that major can open. I heard once that today’s bachelor’s degree is like the past’s high school degree and that the only way to get a good job in today’s job market is to get a master’s. There may be a very large grain of salt to this truth. As the number of college graduates increases, the only way to decipher ranking and eligibility towards certain jobs is higher education. Professional School If you are planning on going to any sort of professional school, you have probably applied to many places and are waiting for replies. In this case, you may be waiting to see where you get in, and then will go to your top choice. This is a great plan and probably all you can do at this point. However, in your senior year’s self reflection, I want to suggest you think about a few things. First, ask yourself why you want to go to the particular professional school you are applying for and two, make sure you have a plan B. If you are the type of person who has practically known you were going to be a doctor since the time you were born, you can probably skip over this section and move on to the next. However, if going to professional school was an idea that came about in college or in the recent time period, then at least do yourself a favor and think about why you are planning on attending professional school. 160

First, the time commitment of a professional school is extremely demanding. If you are not ready to spend another four plus years in college, then going on to one of these schools may not be right for you. If you are going on to one of these schools because you want to make lots and lots of money, you may want to reconsider your plans as well. Yes, professionals do make a lot of money, but they put in a lot of time and commitment to earn their salary. Another thing, since the job market is so competitive, a lot of people are entering professional school as a plan B. One particular school that many people, who may not have thought about entering this profession before, are applying to is law school. Since your major does not matter for entrance into this field, anyone who has good grades and scores well on the LSAT can go. While this may not matter right now, in a few years there will be so many lawyers that the demand will not be as high, and lawyers will not be guaranteed to make a lot of money. I am not saying that you should not be a lawyer if that is what you want to do, I am just suggesting that you look into your heart and make sure you are entering whatever school you are planning on entering for the right reasons. Finally, I want you to think about whether going to a professional school is something you are doing for yourself, or something that you are doing for your family. Many people enter medical school, etc, because it was what their parents wanted them to do. Medical school is not something that you should pursue if it isn’t something you are passionate about. Whatever your career is, it needs to be something that you love and you will love doing everyday. If you become a doctor for somebody else, then you won’t be happy. “Find what you love to do and find a way to make money doing it,” is the quote to always remember. If you love helping others and want to be a doctor or a lawyer, go out there and be the best one you can be. Just remember, don’t do anything just because someone else wanted you to. The last suggestion I have before going to professional school is to have a plan B; this does not mean applying to two schools. In a time when the competition into professional school is so steep, there is a chance that you may not get in. If you don’t get in, remember, it isn’t the end of the world; you can always apply in a year. However, you need to have options of what to do, either for that year while you are waiting to apply again, or for a career if you decide not to go at all. No matter what you do in your life, it is always great to know that there are other paths to follow and other options to take. Working World If you are tired of classes and you are ready to make your own money and stop sponging off your parents, you are probably ready to enter the working world. Another reason you may be ready to get a job is that you simply don’t

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

know what you want to do with your future. If you are not sure what you want to do, then going to a professional school or graduate school for no particular reason is not a good idea. Instead, you may want to take some time away from school, save up some money, and then decide what your next step will be. If you are ready to enter the working world, your time of self reflection will probably be spent on the first questions that I raised. What do you want to do? Where do you want to go after you have graduated? Travel Some people, who are very lucky, get to take some time after college to travel. Usually, people who do this travel for the summer and then start a job in August. If you get to travel after the school year, you may need to think about whom you want to take and where you want to go. Another reason you may get to travel is with graduation money. If you get a lot of money to travel, then a trip after graduation is probably the most fitting time. When you either enter your next level of education or you join the working world, you won’t have time to be taking month long trips. Also, if you wait until you have saved up enough money to go when you get older, you may have other responsibilities, such as children, and your opportunities may be more limited. If you get to take a trip, courtesy of either savings or your parents, then do it! You may never have the same freedom and opportunities again, so don’t regret the missed opportunity. Of course this is easier if you can either find a job or a school that starts in August. This way, you will have a full summer just like the years before to do as you choose.

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YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE

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fter you have decided what you want to do, the next step is to figure out what you want and go get it. No matter what your future holds, your senior year will be a time to prepare for what lies ahead. If your future has to do with academics, there will be tests to take and preparations to be made. If you are planning on entering the working world, you will begin the job search. No matter what you do you will have to prepare. Writing a Thesis and Graduating with Honors Some people help prepare for their future by writing a thesis paper and graduating with honors. If, for example, you are trying to get into graduate school, or if you want to conquer all of your academic goals, then writing a thesis may be something you want to consider. Writing a thesis usually begins at the start of your senior year when you declare a topic and find advisors to sponsor you. Since this is a type of research paper that requires a lot of time and in-depth knowledge on the subject, you will have to have a team of professors who will help guide you through the thesis process. For most students this happens around September. However, most people who plan on writing a thesis know that they will take on this endeavor way before their senior year and may even have spent time before their senior year researching their particular topic. Nevertheless, if you are just starting the thesis process in September, don’t be discouraged, there is still plenty of time. When you are deciding what topic to take on, remember that you can’t do a thesis paper on anything that anyone at your school has done before. This is also why you have to have a team of advisors to help you, because they also approve your topic. Usually, at most schools you have to write a thesis under the topic of something that pertains to your major. Therefore, if you are an economics major, your research paper has to have something to do with economics. Since thesis papers have to be done on something about your major, it is uncommon for majors such as Biology and Math to have students write thesis papers, and is more common with majors such as Communications and Sociology. At many schools, such as UNC, the only way to graduate with honors is by writing a thesis paper. Of course, you do graduate with different types of honors such 163

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

know what you want to do with your future. If you are not sure what you want to do, then going to a professional school or graduate school for no particular reason is not a good idea. Instead, you may want to take some time away from school, save up some money, and then decide what your next step will be. If you are ready to enter the working world, your time of self reflection will probably be spent on the first questions that I raised. What do you want to do? Where do you want to go after you have graduated? Travel Some people, who are very lucky, get to take some time after college to travel. Usually, people who do this travel for the summer and then start a job in August. If you get to travel after the school year, you may need to think about whom you want to take and where you want to go. Another reason you may get to travel is with graduation money. If you get a lot of money to travel, then a trip after graduation is probably the most fitting time. When you either enter your next level of education or you join the working world, you won’t have time to be taking month long trips. Also, if you wait until you have saved up enough money to go when you get older, you may have other responsibilities, such as children, and your opportunities may be more limited. If you get to take a trip, courtesy of either savings or your parents, then do it! You may never have the same freedom and opportunities again, so don’t regret the missed opportunity. Of course this is easier if you can either find a job or a school that starts in August. This way, you will have a full summer just like the years before to do as you choose.

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PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE

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fter you have decided what you want to do, the next step is to figure out what you want and go get it. No matter what your future holds, your senior year will be a time to prepare for what lies ahead. If your future has to do with academics, there will be tests to take and preparations to be made. If you are planning on entering the working world, you will begin the job search. No matter what you do you will have to prepare. Writing a Thesis and Graduating with Honors Some people help prepare for their future by writing a thesis paper and graduating with honors. If, for example, you are trying to get into graduate school, or if you want to conquer all of your academic goals, then writing a thesis may be something you want to consider. Writing a thesis usually begins at the start of your senior year when you declare a topic and find advisors to sponsor you. Since this is a type of research paper that requires a lot of time and in-depth knowledge on the subject, you will have to have a team of professors who will help guide you through the thesis process. For most students this happens around September. However, most people who plan on writing a thesis know that they will take on this endeavor way before their senior year and may even have spent time before their senior year researching their particular topic. Nevertheless, if you are just starting the thesis process in September, don’t be discouraged, there is still plenty of time. When you are deciding what topic to take on, remember that you can’t do a thesis paper on anything that anyone at your school has done before. This is also why you have to have a team of advisors to help you, because they also approve your topic. Usually, at most schools you have to write a thesis under the topic of something that pertains to your major. Therefore, if you are an economics major, your research paper has to have something to do with economics. Since thesis papers have to be done on something about your major, it is uncommon for majors such as Biology and Math to have students write thesis papers, and is more common with majors such as Communications and Sociology. At many schools, such as UNC, the only way to graduate with honors is by writing a thesis paper. Of course, you do graduate with different types of honors such 163

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

as cum laude depending on your GPA, but the only way to officially graduate “with honors,” is through a thesis. After you have picked your topic, you will begin the research process. For some, the research process is a compilation of years of studying, and for others, only a matter of months. However, when you pick your topic, finding research will probably come from suggestions from your advisors. Since most of the information will come from academic resources, be prepared for heavy reading -- some that will need the assistance of professors to decipher. Usually, you will have a timeline of getting research, with weekly or monthly checkups with your advisors. The actual writing of the thesis paper is usually the easiest part. For most, the papers end up being anywhere from fifty to one hundred pages. However, the amount of pages that are text will depend on your subject. For example, if you are an English major, then the majority of your paper will be text. However, if you are a Psychology major, it is very likely that your text will only be around thirty pages and the rest will be charts and graphs. After you have completed your thesis, the last part will be defending it to a board of thesis “judges.” The board will decide if your thesis is acceptable, and also whether it, as well as your GPA, will allow you to graduate with either Honors or Highest Honors. When you have completed your thesis, your academic goals will be achieved by the recognition you will gain. If you decide not to write a thesis, do not feel too badly. Many people say that they write a thesis for personal satisfaction. Most jobs don’t ever ask if you graduated with honors, so it may not help you get a job. However, if you plan on pursuing a higher academic career, it may come in handy. Did I write a thesis paper? No. I thought about it but then decided that I probably was not going to go to graduate school, and didn’t feel that the time it would take was worth my concentration. This is another reason I decided to write this book. Instead of writing about social justice or oppression, I decided to write a book that would sum up my college career. This, in a way, is my thesis paper. When I graduate I will have a written work summing up my research of being a student. This is my opinion of the real college life and how it is lived. Getting Letters of Recommendation One main, easy way to prepare for the future is to get letters of recommendations. These letters can come in different forms depending on what you want them for. Some examples of reasons you should ask for these letters are if a) you want to get into either a graduate school or professional school b) a particular job you are applying for requests them or c) you want general letters of recommendation to have on file. For reasons a) and b) you will want to talk directly to the people writing 164

the letters and tell them what the letter is for. If you are going to a school or a job that requires letters of recommendation, they may have specific qualifications of who they want the letters from. For example, when Jeremy was trying to get into dental school, the school required two letters from his natural science teachers, as well as letters from other particular people. Obviously, if you are in this situation, you will pick people who fit these qualifications. Whether you have a full choice of whom to pick from or a limited one, make sure you ask people who know you well enough to write the letters and people who either respect or like you. If you have to have letters for particular jobs or schools, make sure you make at least one appointment to talk with the person writing the letter face to face. You need to have a meeting with him or her so that they know exactly who they are writing the letter to, what they want, and what particular qualifications you have that the person should include in the letter. If you just want to get general letters of recommendation, you should ask the people you are getting to write the letters if they wouldn’t mind writing a general letter of reference. In this case you will not have to give them specific details, but you should still meet with them in person to show them your resume and discuss your general interests. If they are going to be considerate enough to write a letter out of good faith for you, you should at least have the courtesy to meet with them and discuss your future. In either case, make sure you are considerate of the person writing the letter. For example, don’t just have contact with them over email, but have enough respect to stop by their office. Also, if you are asking for a recommendation that needs to be sent by a certain date, make sure you ask them far enough in advance so that they will have plenty of time. Remember that your professors are very busy people and cannot stop their schedule at a moment’s notice to write a letter. Also, there are many people in school that need letters of recommendation, and when there are specific requirements, few people to ask. It may be that your professor has to write many letters, not just yours. So, just make sure you are considerate when you ask a person to vouch for your credit. Taking Advancement Tests If you are planning on going into graduate school, then one big thing you will have to do your senior year is to take tests for advancement into higher education. For example, if you are planning on going to graduate school in an academic discipline, then you will take either the GRE or the GMAT. If you are going to medical school, you will take the MCAT, dental school requires the DAT, law school applicants take the LSAT and the list goes on. The first thing you have to do to take an advancement test is to sign up! If you are planning on taking a preparatory class, make sure to sign up for a test far enough away so that you can take the class as well. However, if you are

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

as cum laude depending on your GPA, but the only way to officially graduate “with honors,” is through a thesis. After you have picked your topic, you will begin the research process. For some, the research process is a compilation of years of studying, and for others, only a matter of months. However, when you pick your topic, finding research will probably come from suggestions from your advisors. Since most of the information will come from academic resources, be prepared for heavy reading -- some that will need the assistance of professors to decipher. Usually, you will have a timeline of getting research, with weekly or monthly checkups with your advisors. The actual writing of the thesis paper is usually the easiest part. For most, the papers end up being anywhere from fifty to one hundred pages. However, the amount of pages that are text will depend on your subject. For example, if you are an English major, then the majority of your paper will be text. However, if you are a Psychology major, it is very likely that your text will only be around thirty pages and the rest will be charts and graphs. After you have completed your thesis, the last part will be defending it to a board of thesis “judges.” The board will decide if your thesis is acceptable, and also whether it, as well as your GPA, will allow you to graduate with either Honors or Highest Honors. When you have completed your thesis, your academic goals will be achieved by the recognition you will gain. If you decide not to write a thesis, do not feel too badly. Many people say that they write a thesis for personal satisfaction. Most jobs don’t ever ask if you graduated with honors, so it may not help you get a job. However, if you plan on pursuing a higher academic career, it may come in handy. Did I write a thesis paper? No. I thought about it but then decided that I probably was not going to go to graduate school, and didn’t feel that the time it would take was worth my concentration. This is another reason I decided to write this book. Instead of writing about social justice or oppression, I decided to write a book that would sum up my college career. This, in a way, is my thesis paper. When I graduate I will have a written work summing up my research of being a student. This is my opinion of the real college life and how it is lived. Getting Letters of Recommendation One main, easy way to prepare for the future is to get letters of recommendations. These letters can come in different forms depending on what you want them for. Some examples of reasons you should ask for these letters are if a) you want to get into either a graduate school or professional school b) a particular job you are applying for requests them or c) you want general letters of recommendation to have on file. For reasons a) and b) you will want to talk directly to the people writing 164

the letters and tell them what the letter is for. If you are going to a school or a job that requires letters of recommendation, they may have specific qualifications of who they want the letters from. For example, when Jeremy was trying to get into dental school, the school required two letters from his natural science teachers, as well as letters from other particular people. Obviously, if you are in this situation, you will pick people who fit these qualifications. Whether you have a full choice of whom to pick from or a limited one, make sure you ask people who know you well enough to write the letters and people who either respect or like you. If you have to have letters for particular jobs or schools, make sure you make at least one appointment to talk with the person writing the letter face to face. You need to have a meeting with him or her so that they know exactly who they are writing the letter to, what they want, and what particular qualifications you have that the person should include in the letter. If you just want to get general letters of recommendation, you should ask the people you are getting to write the letters if they wouldn’t mind writing a general letter of reference. In this case you will not have to give them specific details, but you should still meet with them in person to show them your resume and discuss your general interests. If they are going to be considerate enough to write a letter out of good faith for you, you should at least have the courtesy to meet with them and discuss your future. In either case, make sure you are considerate of the person writing the letter. For example, don’t just have contact with them over email, but have enough respect to stop by their office. Also, if you are asking for a recommendation that needs to be sent by a certain date, make sure you ask them far enough in advance so that they will have plenty of time. Remember that your professors are very busy people and cannot stop their schedule at a moment’s notice to write a letter. Also, there are many people in school that need letters of recommendation, and when there are specific requirements, few people to ask. It may be that your professor has to write many letters, not just yours. So, just make sure you are considerate when you ask a person to vouch for your credit. Taking Advancement Tests If you are planning on going into graduate school, then one big thing you will have to do your senior year is to take tests for advancement into higher education. For example, if you are planning on going to graduate school in an academic discipline, then you will take either the GRE or the GMAT. If you are going to medical school, you will take the MCAT, dental school requires the DAT, law school applicants take the LSAT and the list goes on. The first thing you have to do to take an advancement test is to sign up! If you are planning on taking a preparatory class, make sure to sign up for a test far enough away so that you can take the class as well. However, if you are

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

planning on entering post college school right after undergraduate, keep in mind application deadlines as well as the amount of time it takes to get test scores processed and sent. I recommend taking these tests either in the summer before your senior year or when they are offered in October. If you take the test in October, you have the beginning of the semester to study or take preparatory classes and then you will have your scores back for the first round of application deadlines. When you take the advancement tests is directly linked to when applications are due. I know that many people who take the LSAT take it in October, but October may be too late for application deadlines in professional schools such as dental school. Make sure you are aware of the due dates and plan accordingly. If you are going to take a preparatory course, keep in mind that there are pros and cons to this decision. On the bad side, these classes consume a lot of time and can be very expensive. On the good side, the class can significantly help prepare you for taking the test and increase your score as well. As teachers have probably always told you, there are some good rules of thumb to remember the night before the actual test. Have everything prepared and ready to go before you go to sleep. Have your two forms of ID ready, your pencils, some money, keys, and directions to the testing site; all in a specific spot so that you won’t have to search for them in the morning. Make sure to have a nutritionally balanced dinner. After dinner, you may want to have some final study time but make sure to get to sleep early. Avoid caffeine later in the evening, and do whatever relaxes you the most right before you go to sleep. Whether you decide to take a hot bath or read a book, do something besides studying right before you go to sleep so that your mind will be relaxed. When you awake in the morning, leave yourself plenty of time to have a nutritious breakfast, and time to get to the testing site and settled. Make sure you arrive at the testing center in enough time so that you don’t feel rushed when the testing begins. Be prepared to be there awhile so go to the bathroom, get some water, and sit back and relax. You have done everything you can do for the test and now you are ready, it’s almost over -- sit back and show off your skills.

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FEELING OUT THE JOB MARKET

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ll of the preparation you have done up until this point will play a factor in determining your future. For example, if you score a perfect score on your MCAT then you know your options are unlimited. The same goes if you have signed a contract with a particular job after school. Everything that you have done thus far will come together to play a factor in deciding your future, whether it is facts on your resume, internships, grades, scores, or writing a thesis paper. Even though all of your pre-academic experience can be a factor in your post-academic future, sometimes you may not have a specific future laid out for you come time of graduation. If you don’t have a full time job right after you graduate… Before you even begin to look for jobs, it is important to think about what you really want to do. If you have no clue, then don’t be afraid to try lots of different things. This may become a big option if you don’t get offered a full time job directly out of college. If you don’t get a life altering offer, don’t feel bad, I don’t think many people do. Instead, take the beginning of your out-ofcollege career to try different things and decide what jobs you really want to pursue.

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planning on entering post college school right after undergraduate, keep in mind application deadlines as well as the amount of time it takes to get test scores processed and sent. I recommend taking these tests either in the summer before your senior year or when they are offered in October. If you take the test in October, you have the beginning of the semester to study or take preparatory classes and then you will have your scores back for the first round of application deadlines. When you take the advancement tests is directly linked to when applications are due. I know that many people who take the LSAT take it in October, but October may be too late for application deadlines in professional schools such as dental school. Make sure you are aware of the due dates and plan accordingly. If you are going to take a preparatory course, keep in mind that there are pros and cons to this decision. On the bad side, these classes consume a lot of time and can be very expensive. On the good side, the class can significantly help prepare you for taking the test and increase your score as well. As teachers have probably always told you, there are some good rules of thumb to remember the night before the actual test. Have everything prepared and ready to go before you go to sleep. Have your two forms of ID ready, your pencils, some money, keys, and directions to the testing site; all in a specific spot so that you won’t have to search for them in the morning. Make sure to have a nutritionally balanced dinner. After dinner, you may want to have some final study time but make sure to get to sleep early. Avoid caffeine later in the evening, and do whatever relaxes you the most right before you go to sleep. Whether you decide to take a hot bath or read a book, do something besides studying right before you go to sleep so that your mind will be relaxed. When you awake in the morning, leave yourself plenty of time to have a nutritious breakfast, and time to get to the testing site and settled. Make sure you arrive at the testing center in enough time so that you don’t feel rushed when the testing begins. Be prepared to be there awhile so go to the bathroom, get some water, and sit back and relax. You have done everything you can do for the test and now you are ready, it’s almost over -- sit back and show off your skills.

166

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

FEELING OUT THE JOB MARKET

A

ll of the preparation you have done up until this point will play a factor in determining your future. For example, if you score a perfect score on your MCAT then you know your options are unlimited. The same goes if you have signed a contract with a particular job after school. Everything that you have done thus far will come together to play a factor in deciding your future, whether it is facts on your resume, internships, grades, scores, or writing a thesis paper. Even though all of your pre-academic experience can be a factor in your post-academic future, sometimes you may not have a specific future laid out for you come time of graduation. If you don’t have a full time job right after you graduate… Before you even begin to look for jobs, it is important to think about what you really want to do. If you have no clue, then don’t be afraid to try lots of different things. This may become a big option if you don’t get offered a full time job directly out of college. If you don’t get a life altering offer, don’t feel bad, I don’t think many people do. Instead, take the beginning of your out-ofcollege career to try different things and decide what jobs you really want to pursue.

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INTERVIEWING

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hether you are interviewing with a graduate program, for a full time professional career, or just a job that you plan on having for a short period of time, it is imperative to go into the interview prepared and ready to make a great impression. Tips Here are some tips that you may want to consider when you are preparing for an interview:

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INTERVIEWING

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hether you are interviewing with a graduate program, for a full time professional career, or just a job that you plan on having for a short period of time, it is imperative to go into the interview prepared and ready to make a great impression. Tips Here are some tips that you may want to consider when you are preparing for an interview:

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Another hint to think about is that your thank you letter is like a post cover letter. You can use this as a time to highlight your qualifications, interests, specific points from the interview, etc Just like the cover letter and the resume, there are different ways to write thank you letters. Here is a template that you may want to consider.

Thank You Letters There are many things that you can do to set yourself apart from the competition, but one small strategy that will be give you an advantage as well as foster appreciation, is a thank you letter. When you sit down to write the letter, make sure to keep the audience in mind. Keep their issues and concerns on the forefront of your thoughts. Make sure that the letter is typed. While it may seem nice to send a hand written card, generally, professional is better. However, this depends on the interview. If it was a formal, professional interview, then the tone should reflect this. If the meeting was lighthearted and informal, a hand written letter may be fine. One important suggestion is to write a thank you letter even if you do not want the job you interviewed for. You never know what your future may hold, and it is always nice to leave jobs/people/etc on a good note.

Another hint to think about is that your thank you letter is like a post cover letter. You can use this as a time to highlight your qualifications, interests, specific points from the interview, etc Just like the cover letter and the resume, there are different ways to write thank you letters. Here is a template that you may want to consider.

Thank You Letters There are many things that you can do to set yourself apart from the competition, but one small strategy that will be give you an advantage as well as foster appreciation, is a thank you letter. When you sit down to write the letter, make sure to keep the audience in mind. Keep their issues and concerns on the forefront of your thoughts. Make sure that the letter is typed. While it may seem nice to send a hand written card, generally, professional is better. However, this depends on the interview. If it was a formal, professional interview, then the tone should reflect this. If the meeting was lighthearted and informal, a hand written letter may be fine. One important suggestion is to write a thank you letter even if you do not want the job you interviewed for. You never know what your future may hold, and it is always nice to leave jobs/people/etc on a good note.

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

Thank you letters should be sent preferably within twenty-four hours, but certainly no later than one week after the interview. Remember to read and proofread a few times before you send the final copy. This is your last chance to make an impression, so make it one that mirrors you.

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Thank you letters should be sent preferably within twenty-four hours, but certainly no later than one week after the interview. Remember to read and proofread a few times before you send the final copy. This is your last chance to make an impression, so make it one that mirrors you.

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DATING AND BIG DECISIONS

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ating during your senior year can be different than dating during any other year because it will be a time when you have to make some decisions in your relationship. If you have been dating for a long time, some questions that you may begin to think about are: Where is the relationship going? Are we going to move to the same place after graduation? Are we going to be apart? For many people, graduating from college is a big step in a relationship because both people are becoming more like adults and their relationship is becoming more like an adult’s relationship as well. Some of you might have parents that are asking, “So, when are you getting married?” If you are planning on getting married right after college, that’s great. But, if you don’t feel quite ready for that next step, some other types of decisions will have to be made. If you and your partner are not planning on getting married, are you going to live together or are you even going to move to the same place? If you and your boyfriend or girlfriend are both graduating at the same time, are you going to try and find jobs in the same location? Where you are planning on moving is important. You have been at college for four years so that you can get a job. What if you get a job offer in one place and your boyfriend or girlfriend gets a job in another? Who is going to forego their offer? Are you going to be apart? Another reason you might not be together after graduation is because one of you is not graduating. If this is the case, it might be a good idea to talk about how not being together is going to work out. Are you going to have a long distance relationship for awhile? What happens after graduation? These are some of the big decisions your senior year may entail.

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YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

DATING AND BIG DECISIONS

D

ating during your senior year can be different than dating during any other year because it will be a time when you have to make some decisions in your relationship. If you have been dating for a long time, some questions that you may begin to think about are: Where is the relationship going? Are we going to move to the same place after graduation? Are we going to be apart? For many people, graduating from college is a big step in a relationship because both people are becoming more like adults and their relationship is becoming more like an adult’s relationship as well. Some of you might have parents that are asking, “So, when are you getting married?” If you are planning on getting married right after college, that’s great. But, if you don’t feel quite ready for that next step, some other types of decisions will have to be made. If you and your partner are not planning on getting married, are you going to live together or are you even going to move to the same place? If you and your boyfriend or girlfriend are both graduating at the same time, are you going to try and find jobs in the same location? Where you are planning on moving is important. You have been at college for four years so that you can get a job. What if you get a job offer in one place and your boyfriend or girlfriend gets a job in another? Who is going to forego their offer? Are you going to be apart? Another reason you might not be together after graduation is because one of you is not graduating. If this is the case, it might be a good idea to talk about how not being together is going to work out. Are you going to have a long distance relationship for awhile? What happens after graduation? These are some of the big decisions your senior year may entail.

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THINKING ABOUT GRADUATION

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y your senior year, thinking about graduation becomes as common as thinking about brushing your teeth. You may think I am over exaggerating, but I’m not. Everything you do your senior year reminds you that this time is your last. The last time you register for classes, the last year of this, the last time for that…. Everything becomes a signal that your college days are almost over. One thing that struck me the most about thinking about graduation was how quickly my senior year went. I began the months thinking, “I have time to take this class, or this test, or write this thesis,” and progressed to “I have to look for a job, I have to interview for a job, Oh My God I’m about to hit the real world!” The progression from school to reality comes faster than you think, so take advantage of every last opportunity, do everything you ever wanted to do while you can because school will be over before you realize it. In terms of the actual day of graduation, thinking about these matters probably won’t happen until the spring, but when they do, some of the things that you will need to think about in advance are: pictures, rings, invitations, and accommodations. Pictures In the beginning of the spring, you will probably take your graduation pictures. Even if you don’t plan on buying any of the pictures, it is good to go to the free picture taking session so that you can have your picture in the yearbook. For my school, the photography session consisted of five or so regular head shots and then two pictures in cap and gown. The caps and gowns are provided at the session, so don’t worry about having to buy them in advance. After the session, the pictures were sent home and my parents had the chance to pick out which ones they wanted to order and then pick out which picture would go in the yearbook. While it may not be this way at every school, at mine, you had to send the proofs back within fifteen days or you were charged fifty dollars. My mother did not realize this; I just discovered this piece of information myself. The lesson here is to read the fine print. If you do get graduation pictures taken at your school and the proofs are sent home, make sure to read the information so that you don’t get stuck with a bill.

Rings Even though you can order a class ring any year you are in college, most often people buy them their senior year. This is something you can wear to remember your “good old college days” and to think about your alma mater. College rings can have a wide range of price value, so make sure you look at all of the rings and the prices before you make your purchase. Another thing that you may not know about college rings is that they are not all the stereotypical style you may be thinking of. College rings now come in all shapes, styles, and sizes. In fact, many college rings look similar to rings you would buy at other jewelry stores. Invitations One of the most important material items that you need to think about for graduation is the invitation. These are what you are going to send to family and friends to either announce your graduation, invite them to the actual graduation, or both. Colleges and Universities carry a large selection of invitations, envelopes, stamps, etc. commemorating your school. The best thing to do is to buy the invitations through your school so that you can have letterhead that shows the school emblem. The invitations you can choose from can vary in as many choices as the rings. You can include photos, money holders, anything. Also, like the rings, the price of different invitations can vary drastically, so make sure you determine your price range before you make your purchase. When sending invitations, sit down with your family to make sure you include everyone who needs to be included. Graduations are like weddings; if people get left out their feelings are going to get hurt. Double check and make sure everyone is covered before the letters go out. While many people send invitations to get presents, many send them as literal invitations to graduation. Depending on your school, you may or may not have a set number of people you can invite to the actual event. When I graduate, I can invite as many people as I want to because the graduation is held in the football stadium. At small schools, there may be an individual limit where actual tickets are distributed. An important note: even if you go to a school where the inviting is unlimited, keep in mind that certain situations may arise. For example, while I may be able to invite as many as I want if the weather conditions are good, I only get two guests if the ceremony has to be moved indoors. Accommodations The last factor that you need to think about in preparation for graduation is where your guests are going to stay. For some, this may not be too much to

think about -- you just call a hotel. However, for others whose schools may be close to other schools graduating at the same time, making arrangements in advance may be extremely important. You should find out when you are graduating sometime during the first semester of your senior year. This will give you plenty of time to figure out what hotel plans you need to make.

Rings Even though you can order a class ring any year you are in college, most often people buy them their senior year. This is something you can wear to remember your “good old college days” and to think about your alma mater. College rings can have a wide range of price value, so make sure you look at all of the rings and the prices before you make your purchase. Another thing that you may not know about college rings is that they are not all the stereotypical style you may be thinking of. College rings now come in all shapes, styles, and sizes. In fact, many college rings look similar to rings you would buy at other jewelry stores. Invitations One of the most important material items that you need to think about for graduation is the invitation. These are what you are going to send to family and friends to either announce your graduation, invite them to the actual graduation, or both. Colleges and Universities carry a large selection of invitations, envelopes, stamps, etc. commemorating your school. The best thing to do is to buy the invitations through your school so that you can have letterhead that shows the school emblem. The invitations you can choose from can vary in as many choices as the rings. You can include photos, money holders, anything. Also, like the rings, the price of different invitations can vary drastically, so make sure you determine your price range before you make your purchase. When sending invitations, sit down with your family to make sure you include everyone who needs to be included. Graduations are like weddings; if people get left out their feelings are going to get hurt. Double check and make sure everyone is covered before the letters go out. While many people send invitations to get presents, many send them as literal invitations to graduation. Depending on your school, you may or may not have a set number of people you can invite to the actual event. When I graduate, I can invite as many people as I want to because the graduation is held in the football stadium. At small schools, there may be an individual limit where actual tickets are distributed. An important note: even if you go to a school where the inviting is unlimited, keep in mind that certain situations may arise. For example, while I may be able to invite as many as I want if the weather conditions are good, I only get two guests if the ceremony has to be moved indoors. Accommodations The last factor that you need to think about in preparation for graduation is where your guests are going to stay. For some, this may not be too much to

think about -- you just call a hotel. However, for others whose schools may be close to other schools graduating at the same time, making arrangements in advance may be extremely important. You should find out when you are graduating sometime during the first semester of your senior year. This will give you plenty of time to figure out what hotel plans you need to make.

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

YEAR BY YEAR: THE REAL COLLEGE LIFE

GRADUATION PARTIES

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ost people celebrate their graduation from college. College can be hard and finishing, no matter how long it took, is a great accomplishment. Whether you are going to have a big celebration or small, with lots of friends, or just with family, there are some things that you may need to think about beforehand. In Your Home The very first thing that I want to say about throwing a graduation party in your home is to remember that the party may very well be right before or right after you moved out. While this may a good thing, for example, there will be plenty of space to move around in; it could also have its negative side. For instance, it may be difficult to host a celebration in your home if you are packing up or have finished packing up to move out. There may be boxes all over the space, or some of the important items you need for the party may be boxed. After the party you may have to clean up a huge mess, and you simply may not have time to do this while also trying to move out. One of the main considerations of whether or not to have the party in your house may be a matter of the amount of people you are inviting. If it is only close family, you may want to have a small get together in your home, but if it is a large group, you may want to consider either having food catered or going to a restaurant. If you are going to have food catered in your house, one of the main reasons you should do this is because you may not have time to cook for a whole lot of people. Sometimes graduation comes right at the end of exams, and you will not want to have to worry about cooking during them! Also, graduation is about you. I strongly suggest letting someone else do the pampering. There are catering services for practically any kind of food you could imagine, and can range in price from as little or as much as you want to spend per person. One thing to think about is what places have good food near where you live. What type of food will your friends and family like? How much do you want to spend? What types of drinks do you want to include? After you have thought about these questions, sit down and call some places. The best thing to do is to call around so you have some comparisons. Remember, just 180

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like with everything else, things book up fast, so if you are going to have food catered, make sure to make the reservation early! At a Restaurant Having a graduation party at a restaurant is a great idea because you can let someone else cook the food and clean up afterwards. The other great thing about restaurants is that they have packages for small and large parties. This way, whether you are having a large celebration with roommates, friends, and family, or a close few, you can pick a package at a restaurant you like that is suitable for the occasion. Make sure to call early, especially if you want to host the event at a local hotspot or somewhere close to campus.

GETTING THE DIPLOMA AND MOVING ON

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ongratulations on graduation! What once seemed like a goal impossible to touch has come and gone -- you are a college graduate. Deciding whether or not to walk can be a big decision. For me, the decision had a lot to do with the school. My graduation was huge. There were thousands of people graduating all at once. There was no name announcement and no walking across the stage. Instead, it was everyone squished into the football stadium where a historian gave the commencement in 100° heat, everyone sat up, “graduated,” and then sat back down. The significance of actually walking wasn’t important for me, but it may be something very important to you. For some, walking is an experience that lasts a lifetime. It is a memory that can always be looked back on and is an achievement that marks a significant accomplishment. Even with every negative aspect of graduation I cited, graduation, even at the large Universities, can be a moment that lasts a lifetime. Whether you go to a large University or a small school, your graduation commencement will be significantly different. For example, at the College of Charleston all of the girls wear white dresses, instead of the traditional gowns, and all of the guys wear white tuxedos and carry roses for the girls. Their graduation is very intimate and personal. The College of Charleston has made graduation very special for its alumni. The actual ceremony of walking to receive your diploma can be big or small, significant and meaningful, or just a stepping stone into the future. No matter what the actual ceremony means to you, the bottom line is that you have completed your degree and now are ready to leave college life and enter adult living. Moving on is something that causes a lot of conflicting emotions. Just about everyone I knew responded the same way about graduating from college. We all experienced a mix of negative and positive emotions, all at the same time. On one hand, it is exciting. You have been looking forward to graduation and the time has finally come. No more classes, no more roommates, meal plans, tests, etc. You can finally start making a name for yourself as an “adult,” and not just a “student.” On the other hand, leaving college can be sad as well. You have to leave a nest that it took you four plus years to finally build. You have to leave college, and the safety that it holds, and fly out on your own. This can be scary and sad as well. To sum it up, many college students feel happy, excited, sad, and nervous all at the same time. Just realize that most people are

like with everything else, things book up fast, so if you are going to have food catered, make sure to make the reservation early! At a Restaurant Having a graduation party at a restaurant is a great idea because you can let someone else cook the food and clean up afterwards. The other great thing about restaurants is that they have packages for small and large parties. This way, whether you are having a large celebration with roommates, friends, and family, or a close few, you can pick a package at a restaurant you like that is suitable for the occasion. Make sure to call early, especially if you want to host the event at a local hotspot or somewhere close to campus.

GETTING THE DIPLOMA AND MOVING ON

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ongratulations on graduation! What once seemed like a goal impossible to touch has come and gone -- you are a college graduate. Deciding whether or not to walk can be a big decision. For me, the decision had a lot to do with the school. My graduation was huge. There were thousands of people graduating all at once. There was no name announcement and no walking across the stage. Instead, it was everyone squished into the football stadium where a historian gave the commencement in 100° heat, everyone sat up, “graduated,” and then sat back down. The significance of actually walking wasn’t important for me, but it may be something very important to you. For some, walking is an experience that lasts a lifetime. It is a memory that can always be looked back on and is an achievement that marks a significant accomplishment. Even with every negative aspect of graduation I cited, graduation, even at the large Universities, can be a moment that lasts a lifetime. Whether you go to a large University or a small school, your graduation commencement will be significantly different. For example, at the College of Charleston all of the girls wear white dresses, instead of the traditional gowns, and all of the guys wear white tuxedos and carry roses for the girls. Their graduation is very intimate and personal. The College of Charleston has made graduation very special for its alumni. The actual ceremony of walking to receive your diploma can be big or small, significant and meaningful, or just a stepping stone into the future. No matter what the actual ceremony means to you, the bottom line is that you have completed your degree and now are ready to leave college life and enter adult living. Moving on is something that causes a lot of conflicting emotions. Just about everyone I knew responded the same way about graduating from college. We all experienced a mix of negative and positive emotions, all at the same time. On one hand, it is exciting. You have been looking forward to graduation and the time has finally come. No more classes, no more roommates, meal plans, tests, etc. You can finally start making a name for yourself as an “adult,” and not just a “student.” On the other hand, leaving college can be sad as well. You have to leave a nest that it took you four plus years to finally build. You have to leave college, and the safety that it holds, and fly out on your own. This can be scary and sad as well. To sum it up, many college students feel happy, excited, sad, and nervous all at the same time. Just realize that most people are

KATHRYN F. LEDFORD

feeling the same way that you are. Savor every minute of those last few days of college because they are the final chapters of your “real college life.” As you leave college and enter the real world, take some time to look back over your past few years. As I sit here and write this final chapter, I am a recent college graduate. Even though I have only been out of school for a month, I already realize how much the past few years have impacted me. I am a different person than I was when I entered school. I have gained so much just from the experiences that I had. As I step out into the world outside of school, I, like you, am preparing myself for the next stage of life. I will always hold college, and the times that I had, as an experience that has shaped me, pushed me, and molded me into the person that I am. I can only look forward to the years to come and the chapters ahead.

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