Never Graduate

How Do You Support A Losing College Football Team?

2009-10-02T09:05:00.001-07:00

Is college pride something that runs to your very core or are you a fair-weather fan? Do you cheer if your team is winning but shower them with boos at the slightest mistake? Here’s the deal, college football players are not like these overpaid, over pampered pros who could care less if they win are lose when it comes down to it, because the pros get paid millions no matter what the outcome.

College football players still have that dream of better days or simply just a true love of their game, but they are not perfect. They will make mistakes and they will lose a few games (if you’re lucky only a very few) and yes it is easier to cheer if you win, but it’s vital to support your team no matter what.

A college football game has ups and downs. The great ones leave you standing still, tense as the closing seconds tick away with your team either fighting to overtake the opposition and win the day, or hold on to the lead against a painfully slow play clock.

No matter what the close of the game brings either cheer to the point the stadium shakes or drown out the woes with applause for your team. Not every game can be a win but support for your team gives the average college football player a boost and reason to give even more in the next game.

Tufts University Dorm Room Sex Ban

2009-10-01T12:22:00.000-07:00

As reported earlier this week Tufts University has banned sex in the dorm rooms if your roommate is present. This raises countless questions like, was this a problem to begin with? Who does that? What’s the punishment? What if someone actually wants his or her roommate present? Okay, maybe not the last one, but this ban on sex in the dorms with a roommate present is something about which Tufts University is serious.

School officials say there have been a growing number of complaints over the last few years about roommates engaging in sexual acts with a roommate still in the room, so it was something they needed to look into (no pun). The ban is meant to invoke consideration for others in regard to the dorm room environment and simple respect for others.

What’s truly shocking is that sex in the dorm room with a roommate present is actually a problem. What happened to hanging something on the doorknob and your roommate simply finding somewhere else to be for an hour or two? Was it really an issue that while you were working on calculus or typing a paper you had the sounds of sex in the background as your roomie was just going wild on the bunk beds?

Obviously, some students are glad for the new ban on sex but others feel that roommates are the ones who should be making this call. Seeing as how Tufts University owns the dorm they can do whatever they want but what does it say about the new wave of underclassmen who forced Tufts University to have to publicly say, “Okay, no doing the naked dance with a roommate present.”

Despite this new decree on sex with a roommate around there is no mention of punishment if this rule is broken, nor any protocol to follow if your roommate starts breaking this rule (report it to the RA or call campus police?). Maybe this would be a good opportunity for all college students in the dorms to start practicing a bit of discretion in the matter.

Leisure Reading Helpful; Possible In College?

2009-10-01T11:35:00.001-07:00

Yes, to all of the above. Leisure reading is helpful and possible in college. College students will either say they love leisure reading but never have the time or they will blame college textbooks as to why books are their bane. Let’s think about it though; talk to a literature or creative writing major and see if they are ever stressed to the max wondering how they will ever get that literary analysis of Moby Dick complete yet still read the half a dozen poems and the copy of Dante’s Inferno before the week is out. Reading a good novel or work of non-fiction (notice the word “good”) is something that may seem like an impossible task, or a torturous one, but it actually will do more good than harm.

First, if you are hunched over notes and textbooks for hours at a time it’s stressful because your brain is in learning-mode and that is working your mind in an entirely different way than if you were leisure reading. While studying a subject you are either consciously or subconsciously thinking about the worries associated with that particular class, like your grades, tests, the cute guy/girl who sits in front of you and if you should ask him/her out. No wonder college students lose sleep and are overly stressed. Parties, drinking, napping in the library, and the like are no way to truly relieve stress.

Reading a good book, either for class or not, is an excellent way to expand your mind, relax, develop better writing and grammar skills, and simply escape from the hustle and bedlam of the college life. If you are reading a novel for class, just read it! Don’t highlight certain parts or commit passages to memory, enjoy the story. If you can explain your reasoning behind your answer on a test about that book then you are right. Reading is relative for the most part.

If you hate leisure reading then don’t go for War and Peace as a relaxing book, but look into young adult novels that are still great reads, but not overly complex or long. I guarantee if you sit aside a time in the day to just close the text books and become lost in the world within the pages of a novel it will melt the stress away and recharge your mind for another round of test prep and paper writing.

Common College Mistakes Part 2

2009-09-29T11:49:00.001-07:00

In regards to college mistakes and college courses, taking degree specific courses too early can get you off track. Take general education classes first because your ideal major may not be what you initially intended. If you focus on one set of classes each semester then decide to major in something completely opposite you’re going to spend more time than necessary in college.

Next: skipping class. Yes, everyone does it from time to time, like on the day of a big game or before spring break. My advice here is to NOT skip classes in college. Trust me. Two skipped classes a semester, to me, once seemed like nothing, but it is always in your best interest to show up every time, even when the professor is expecting poor attendance from the class. It won’t kill you.

Lastly, and this ties in with skipping class, the biggest mistake one can make is to party too much. Nowadays, that term falls under a broad heading, so let’s get specific. Don’t get addicted to video games and make them a priority. Don’t go to parties during the week or near test dates (Thursday night will be okay without you). It’s never a good idea to get drunk or experiment with drugs, despite the fact it’s always expected at college. It’s not the most intelligent of things to do and most of the stories I’ve heard (and lived) it’s always in excess and leads to the statement, “I don’t even remember last night.” Why participate in something when you’ll never remember what happened anyway? It doesn’t make for a good story.

It sounds like I’ve taken all the fun out of college but there are endless things to do aside from the stereotypical college pastimes. All you need do is look and you will find them.

Common College Mistakes Part 1

2009-09-29T11:45:00.001-07:00

College is the perfect place for learning not just in the class but also about people, society, ideas, or simply how to get along without parents over your shoulder. In summation, college can be a breeding ground for maturation. Yet, the culture shock for some is overwhelming when the dorm room closes behind your parents and the weight of freedom rests on the new college student’s shoulders for the first time.

Usually getting in to college is no big deal once you get the acceptance letter. You’re told when to attend orientation, sign up for classes, where you’ll live; you’re being led by the hand of the university and your parents that first semester. However, there comes the point where you’re in the driver’s seat and everyone else bails out of the car and common college mistakes are made.

One major mistake is registering late for your classes. I have seen throngs of students rushing to professors and the registrar’s office beseeching their aid in adding a class all because they couldn’t get in the class to begin with. Most of the time this sob story is rooted in procrastination and lack of planning. If you wait until a few days before class to arrange your college schedule then you will be faced with troubles. You also need to have a list of the classes you want/need, then backups, and backups for the backups. Underclassmen register last and a lot of courses are full, so sitting by the computer, counting down the seconds until you can create your college schedule is never a bad idea.

Studying for the Test: Does Cramming Work?

2009-09-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

Taking any test can stress certain people to the point of tears and all night benders of coffee and books. There are many methods to load up your brain with the facts and figures and to each his own. However, there are some universal test taking habits by which all should abide. No matter if you are a note card junkie, highlighter freak, or a king of cramming there are some techniques that will help anyone in their test taking endeavors.

To get the elephant out of the room, yes, cramming can work. If you’ve got a regular test during the semester cramming is going to work for most. However, when you are up against a cumulative exam, like a midterm or final, cramming can come back to bite you. If you’re always cramming for tests you’re storing information in your short-term memory for a while but it’s going to be of little use come mid-term or final time. So, again, you end up cramming even more information to pass the cumulative test.

What to do then? It boils down to common sense. First, plan and make time for your studying. Set up times when you will study and keep to it, but don’t block off a large chunk of time like five or six hours to study because study breaks are essential. Something as simple as a walk can help clear a cloudy mind. It is of great help to clear your schedule that week, which means no going out with friends, working fewer hours, and maybe missing a television show or two.

A good study group is helpful as long as it’s made of people who want to do well on the test and not just in the group for social reasons. Also, decide how much study time you want to devote to each subject. Are you positive you are going to pull an A on a particular test? Then devote more time to weaker subjects. Also, if you need help find a tutor or ask for clarity about certain lessons from your professor.

In the end realize that grades are not the end of the world. If you want all A’s that is fantastic, but when you seek perfection on all your tests then you are creating stress which will always hinder your performance. So, make a point to learn the material in the beginning, take time to review, and simply show up for the test ready to show what you know. You can’t do more then that.

Which College Major?

2009-09-28T08:51:00.000-07:00

The number of universities out there pales in comparison the number of college degrees one can pursue. A major is something that every college student must settle on and then devote their entire undergraduate career, and sometimes graduate career, toward obtaining. For new college students and some experienced students, the idea of zeroing in on one major seems overwhelming, but there is really no reason to let this life decision stress you out.

A college major isn’t like sticking a pushpin in a map but rather it’s like throwing a paintball. Granted some majors are very specific and there is little wiggle room; for instance if you seek to major in dentistry or gynecology you pretty much know what you’ll be doing. However, most college majors can lead to a variety of places, and since the average person changes careers up to four or five times in their lifetime don’t think of your major as walking into one prison cell, having the door shut behind you, and the key melted down. There is always wiggle room in your career as it relates to your college major, but don’t think that just anything will do. Take time to consider what YOU want and then research…a lot. Talk to people with the college degree you are thinking of pursuing and people with the job you may want and ask about their educational experience and what, if anything, would they have done differently.

Also, think about your abilities. If you hate math in all its forms perhaps engineering isn’t the way to go. If you love to learn and share knowledge (and you like kids or young adults) then teach. You have to examine where you want to be in ten or twenty years, generally speaking of course. Think about your interests, hobbies, and wants then blend that with what you’re good at and you’ll be closer to a college major. From there you just have to narrow down your options and see which shoe fits.

Again, picking a college major is very important but it’s not a gun-to-the-head situation. What it comes down to is what you like and want along with what you can do. Some people seek to make millions in a fast paced career, while others seek the stability of a routine lifestyle. Personally, no matter what path you choose, I feel that peace of mind outweighs any amount of pay or position that the job world can give, but in the end the choice is yours.

College Football: Just As Important As Class

2009-09-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

Saturday is a holy day or sorts when it comes to college football. No matter if you attend a university with tens-of-thousands or hundreds-of-thousands of students there is that intangible buzz in the air before a game. Tailgating, which is truly an art form, sets it all in motion hours before the players even arrive at the stadium. School colors blanket the area and like ants marching toward the mound, people run to the college football stadium, which calls with a familiar voice.

Some college students don’t even know there are sports at their university, let alone what college football is all about. However, now is the time to get taken in by the sport. College football is one of the oldest traditions at the university and without it no one would have a healthy hatred of a rival college, which deepens the love for your own team just for the sake of loyalty. Sports may not be high on your list of to-dos but the college football game, unlike pro ball, is more than just men making millions to play a game. Rather, pride is all that is on the line and college football can offer so much to the college student.

What can college football offer? The food, gathering with friends around the television, sitting in a packed stadium, hearing that unique cheer of every student and alumni all rising at once, the hope at the kickoff that no matter who you’re playing you’ve got a chance at victory, or is it a mixture of innumerable aspects that all make College Football Saturdays the best day of the week? No matter what your reason nor your level of love for the sport take time for just a few short hours, close the books, shut down the laptop, and just sit and watch the team (or teams) of your choosing and become completely absorbed in the joy that is College Football.

College Textbooks: Used, New, or Useless

2009-09-24T16:37:00.000-07:00

College textbooks are to a university what air is to your lungs: just one of those things you got to have. Perhaps, that was a bit overstated, but textbooks go hand-in-hand with class but there are a few things you may need to know before you run off to the bookstore.

First, go to ALL of your classes before you buy a textbook. Okay, some classes you know you’ll need the textbook for sure, but there are always changes or problems with the professor ordering the books or the college bookstore getting them, so it’s best to just go and see if the textbook on the shelf is the one out of which the professor is preaching.

Yes, the first day of class should be just an intro but there are some psycho PhDs out there who sit in their office, rocking back and forth in a squeaky chair, just waiting for classes to start. Don’t worry though, even the looniest of lecturers understand sometimes you need to wait for a paycheck to buy college textbooks priced more than they’re worth.

Now, I used to reach for the freshest, newest, most unopened college textbook I could find, but there is really no reason. They all have the same words and say the same thing so why pay more? All you need to do is flip through and make sure it doesn’t look like someone put a pack of leaky highlighters between the pages and then stomped on the textbook. Simply put, if you don’t go for top shelf college textbooks or buy the textbooks that will just be sitting on your desk all semester then you may save enough money to treat yourself to more than just Ramen Noodles for dinner.

Wii Price Drop Makes Vital College Tool More Available

2009-09-24T15:28:00.000-07:00

Everyone from freshmen to police officers who just raided a house loves the Nintendo Wii. While the Wii possess far fewer quality games than its counterparts it is leaps and bounds above the rest when it comes to interactive game play. So, be it grabbing a quick workout or challenging a friend or your dorm floor to a contest in archery, bowling, golf, basketball, or just beating each other’s character down with sticks the Wii can liven up any campus.

Wii has gone longer than any other console without lowering its price but on September 27th a Wii will leave you with $50.00 more in your pocket than if you purchased one just a few days ago. Nintendo has new Wii games on the horizon, including a new Super Mario Brothers game, so why would they lower the price, especially with Christmas just a few months away?

Playstation 3 lowered their price and saw a 300% increase in sales and overtook the Wii as the best selling console. However, now with the Wii still being on the low end of the cost scale it may be the choice for buyers this Christmas season and since it is promotes activity and actually moving around it would be a great addition to the life of any college student. Honestly, after sitting in class all day and reading books that seem to be endless, no one would be against a bit of competition with a friend (or enemy) to unwind especially if the furthest you have to travel is the television screen.

Community College vs. University (pt.2)

2009-09-23T14:06:00.000-07:00

So, you can get a quality education from community college and universities alike and both can challenge you on many levels. However, one area where the university destroys the community college in most cases is the environment. There are countless experiences to be had on the university campus; and I’m not talking about sex, drinking, and parties.

Dorm life is a culture shock to everyone, the club and intramural sports are a great break from the books, there are countless opinions to be heard and debated, plays, musicals, food, and too much more to list. Or if you want to study all the time then university libraries are overflowing with assets that are yours to use.

Oh? You have all this were you live? Try going to a smaller school away from the big city, or vice versa. The point is not to have every experience you can squeeze into a lifetime but to simply expand your horizon and know that a new world waits just over the next hill. These experiences can be done at the community college level in some cases but it’s guaranteed at the university.

Do the research, ask the questions, but most community colleges and universities will allow credits to transfer. So one could get any general education requirements out of the way at the community college while zeroing in on a major then make the switch to the university and complete your degree and experience the best of both worlds. Most people don’t wake up knowing what they want to do for the rest of their lives so taking community college courses for two years allows you to grow and mature outside of the faster paced university world. Once your path is chosen contact the university of your choice, ask about financial aid, transfers, requirements, etc. and be on your way.

Community College vs. University (pt.1)

2009-09-23T14:03:00.000-07:00

High School is nearing an end or you’ve reached a point in life where you want to further your education but what to do and where to go is always a complex question. Universities and community colleges both have reputations of good and bad repute so it is vital that the student look at his/her goal before proceeding to the community college or university of their choice.

College tuition is a big factor as well as location and curriculum when comparing educational institutions. A community college is cheaper on the bank account and in this economy not many people can look to a high dollar university for education. However, there are grants and scholarships to be had for universities if you do the research on sites like www.fafsa.ed.gov among others. Also, they aren’t plentiful, but community colleges offer financial aid too for those who are in need.

Let’s say though, money isn’t the issue. You have grants, scholarships, loans, and rich relatives throwing money your way so the field is wide open. Some might say this isn’t even up to question; university it is! I’ll be honest some community colleges are truly just open to all forms of life that seem to want to enroll so they are viewed as a lower quality of educational system but this is not the case across the board. There are universities out there where the students are basically buying a degree. In both cases the professors are just there to make a buck and don’t want to rock the boat by failing people or waste time teaching. So, university will not always mean quality. On this subject you must research, research, and research to find what’s best for your wants. You wouldn’t buy shoes two sizes too small just because you like the color would you?

Student Loans: Consolidation & Repayment

2009-09-23T08:20:00.001-07:00

You made it through college and now the world stands open before you but there’s that little student loan that just won’t stop following you. You could repay your student loans with the sweet job you just strolled into or if you have a number of loans you can journey into the world of student loan consolidation. However, not everything is peaches and cream for the average college graduate who will leave college with a bare minimum of $20,000 in student loan debt if not more.

There are forgiveness programs that will adjust payments based on your income, but a lot of those require you to make a minimum of ten years worth of payments and will ultimately forgive the remainder of the loan after 25 years. If you were to pay one thousand dollars in student loan repayments over 25 years then that would be well over the original 20,000 dollars worth of loans and that isn’t counting the fact that interest on student loans is the true killer and any student loan repayment program isn’t going to let you get away with just paying one thousand dollars a year.

So, the bottom line is the loan repayment is as sure as sunrise but there is hope. Jobs are beyond difficult to find for most graduates these days so a decision must be made on the part of you, Joe (or Joy) College. Do you want to scratch and claw for that dream job while swimming or even drowning in debt or will you choose practicality over playtime for a while? Government jobs, the military, volunteering, teaching, or working in low-income areas offer deals on paying back those pesky loans. Some programs pay back thousands or even tens-of-thousands of dollars per each year of employment.

Refinancing student loans is also a smart idea when exiting college. That first job you walk in to may not cause dollars to start raining from heaven so loan consolidation is a way to group all of those little student loan interest payments attached to the variety of student loans into a single payment with a single interest rate. Watching the federal interest rate also helps too because in some cases you can refinance to get an even lower interest rate, which is what you need to worry about during your student loan repayment period.

If worse comes to worse go into deferment. Call up your loan consolidation company and just be honest with them about your money troubles. If you get an unhappy, grouch of a representative, hang up and call again until Susie Sunshine answers and helps you with your questions and concerns. Don’t worry though, most companies will allow you to defer payments for one to two years. Just try to make those interest payments if you can so your student loan doesn’t grow into a monster. Job sites like usajobs.gov or college financial aid sites like studentaid.ed.gov offer loads of information about repayment benefits or options.