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Were you born knowing what you wanted to be when you grew up? Have you always known what you wanted to major in when you got to college? If this is you, then the college selection process may be easier, but if you're undecided, don't worry, you're not alone. Nor are you alone if you change your major once you get to college (some sources report that, on average, students change their major three times before graduating). As to what's popular, the U.S. Department of Education reports that in 2007-2008, more degrees were conferred in the fields of business than any other program of study nationwide. Other top degree choices include: Social sciences and history, health sciences, and education. If none of these appeal to you, then consider some of the "weird" college majors provided by The Real College Guide below. |
By Nancy Mucciarone for The Real College Guide
After experimenting with different elective classes and talking over your goals with an academic advisor, it’s time to settle on that one major that will ultimately get you your dream job. Many college students choose the traditional route, such as accounting, engineering or pre-med, but others aim for more off-the-wall jobs. Pick up one of these majors to steer off the beaten path:
No. 10: Egyptology Offered at all Ivy League schools except Dartmouth, this Cleopatra-themed major will up your knowledge of the Nile, pyramids and all things mummified. Just steer clear of the asp.
No. 9: Bagpipes Head to Carnegie Mellon University to channel your inner Celt -- kilt and all.
No. 8: Viticulture and Enology At Cornell or UC Davis, stray from your classmates’ daily keg-stand activities, and instead focus your college years on making wine. Classy.
No. 7: Bowling Vincennes University offers a program in bowling industry management and technology. Learn how to use a Vacu-Jig drill and Kegel Sanction SE lane machine.
No. 6: Comic Art Always doodling during class? That’s the whole point with this degree from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Sketchy.
No. 5: Equestrian Studies Remember that childhood dream of owning a horse? Giddyup at William Woods University! Note to self: Pack riding gear.
No. 4: Wig and Makeup Design Hey, maybe Kim Zolciak of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” should have signed up for this program at Webster University before pretending to launch her line of fake hair.
No. 3: Nanoscience Studying normal-sized objects isn’t exactly your forte? Turn to Massey University to study matter and other stuff that measures out at one billionth of a meter. Don't forget your microscope.
No. 2: Bakery Science Who can resist a co-ed who smells like cookies? Maybe you can have a bake-off with the Cake Boss or Ace of Cakes after earning your degree from Kansas State.
No. 1: Sexuality Studies Further your (sexual) education with a master's from San Francisco State. Just tell your late-night hookup you're doing some extra credit.
Hottest Trends on Campus
By David Replogle for The Real College Guide
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The college campus is a quintessential hotspot for the latest trends among America’s youth. From fast food you can make in dorms, to the latest DVD that everyone is buying, to the best new place to score a pair of jeans, you’ll likely find out all you’d ever need to know just by taking a quick look at a freshmen suite or senior apartment. Here, we weed out what’s hot around college campuses as of late.
What’s Hot in ... Food
Sodexo, a food service provider to 650 different college campuses in the United States, just released its top 10 food trends list for 2011, featuring the most popular dining hall meals.
Global cuisine At the top of the list of faves are grilled chicken souvlaki, paella and spanakopita. Closer to the bottom of the menu are Spanish tomato bread with Manchego cheese, pesto pasta bowl, and wild mushroom risotto balls with pesto aioli. Global fare with a Mediterranean flare, it seems!
Stealth health Sodexo also labeled “stealth health” as a trend for 2011. Rounding out the list is couscous chicken stew, orecchiette with broccoli and garbanzo beans, pita bread salad with tangy dressing, and edamame and corn salad.
Local fare The company also looked at several specific schools to see how they liked to eat. Students at Seattle Pacific University love fresh local seafood and fruits, while those at Emory University are big fans of hummus made with locally grown chickpeas.
What’s Hot on ... TV
Comedies are big around campuses, of course -- veterans like “Family Guy” and “South Park” are still heavily viewed, and new contenders such as “Modern Family” are building fan bases. But with faves like “The Office,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “The Big Bang Theory” and “30 Rock” entering old age, college crowds are in search of new sources of hilariousness. We present you with:
“Archer” The animated show on FX, now in its second outing, centers on Sterling Archer -- a hilariously dim, chauvinistic playboy secret agent -- and his clandestine organization’s crew of equally absurd counterparts. The show has been a huge hit even after facing critical competition on Thursday nights at 10:30 p.m. from MTV’s juggernaut “Jersey Shore.” Considering its sarcastic banter and uproarious storyline, it’s no surprise watching the show has become routine in college dorms.
“The League” Like “Archer,” this is one of FX’s newest experiments. It debuted in fall 2009 with a modest six episodes, and then came back again last fall with 13 episodes. While ratings haven’t been huge, the show has gained a cult-like following among young adult males, especially football fans. The show focuses on five lifelong Chicago buddies whose eventful lives intersect with the ruthless win-at-all-costs competition in their Fantasy Football league. The humor is outrageous -- with much of it improvised -- and the cast is spot-on. In January, it was announced that the show’s been picked up for a third season.
“Tosh.0” Even though “Tosh.0” has been on Comedy Central for a couple of years, students are just catching on to the bitterly sarcastic humor of Daniel Tosh. Much like Joel McHale has found a niche satirizing reality TV clips on E!’s “The Soup,” Tosh’s half-hour program takes advantage of the wealth of funny YouTube vids. It’s ripe with snarky one-liners, off-color commentary and a series of Tosh’s own personal video vignettes, like “Web Redemptions,” in which people famously humiliated on YouTube have a chance to redeem themselves.
What’s Hot in ... Fashion
Considering the fast-moving pace of fashion trends, it’s hard to pin down exactly what’s hot around campuses at any given time. But between comeback kicks and stalwart jackets, we’ve pretty much hit the nail on the head here.
Nikes “Nikes are making a big comeback,” says Harris Hudson, a senior at the University of Virginia. “You can dress them up or dress them down. It doesn’t matter too much, since they’ll get worn either way.” Yep -- flashy, colorful Nikes reminiscent of the late ’80s have become fixtures on the feet of campus crawlers. The company recently unveiled pics of its new SB Dunk Collection for March 2011 -- lots of suede and showy color. “They’re like pop art for your feet,” says Hudson.
Barbour jackets Mostly seen on sorority girls, but on a few frat boys as well, these have also become a campus staple. The throwback jackets, created by British clothing manufacturer J. Barbour & Sons, have recently become popular among the Greek populations. “I think, literally, two out of every three girls on my campus has a Barbour,” says James Madison University freshman Olivia Paulini. “It’s almost overkill, but hopefully once the weather gets nicer, they’ll be put back into storage!”
What’s Hot in ... Music
More and more often, college students are turning to the Internet for their tunes. Any music video you could ever want is on YouTube, while Pandora is a godsend for studying. Is the future of party playlists online? Looking like it ...
D.M.L. Want an easy way to find good remixes and mashups? Try DirtyMexicanLemonade.com, a hybrid of more established sites such as GottaDanceDirty.com and FratMusic.com. The site, founded last year by a couple college freshmen -- Conor Ambrose of Elon University and Ryan Gardner of Richmond University -- was a brainchild of a simple text message. “Ryan and I were always sending songs back and forth to one another,” says Ambrose. “It turned into the point where Ryan texted me and asked if I wanted to start a music blog. We have tons of playlists ready instantly whenever you’re in need of music for a party. We scour the Internet every day, review the submissions and put the best stuff in one place for college kids.”
What’s Hot in ... Video Games
You can’t enter a dorm without immediately feeling the warm blast of 100 different gaming consoles hitting you square in the chest. “Call of Duty” has become a dominant franchise, revolutionizing the way college dudes spend their free time.
Black Ops Last November, the seventh installment of the insanely popular “COD” series was released -- “Call of Duty: Black Ops” -- with sales exceeding $1 billion. “It’s addictive,” says Eric Lee, a freshman at the University of Virginia. “Before class, you play. After class, you play. You play with your entire hall, against strangers from all over the world -- it’s crazy.” To fuel the addiction, Treyarch released the “Black Ops First Strike Map Pack” for Xbox Live on February 1, with packs for PlayStation 3 and PC coming later. “My hallmates and I have already torn through the Map Pack,” says Lee. “Now we begin a long countdown until the next ‘COD’ game is released.”
This article is made available to SmartCollegeVisit through a partnership with The Real College Guide.
For more insights about college life and preparing for college, join us each Wednesday night, at 9PM Eastern for CampusChat on Twitter. To join or follow the chat, simply add the hashtag phrase "#CampusChat" to every tweet. For more information, please read: Twitter Tools for #CampusChat.
Other articles related to our College Life series include:
- 10 Easy Tips to Avoid the Dreaded Freshman 15
- Freshmen: Should I Bring My Car to Campus?
- Beyond Tuition - the Add-ons to College Add Up
Bounce Back From Spring Break
By Nicole Frie for The Real College Guide
Spring break might be behind you, but reminders of it are everywhere -- a stinging sunburn, exhaustion from late-night parties and maybe even a beer belly where that beach body used to be. With some tips from the experts, your transition from hitting the beach to hitting the books will be an easy one!
Skin Damage
Sunburn is probably the most prevalent of your concerns -- not just because it’s painful and makes skin red and peeling, but because, well, everyone can see it. So even if you resemble Malin Akerman in The Heartbreak Kid, there is still hope! Dr. George Kuffner, a dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Wooster, Ohio, explains the varying intensities of sunburn:
- First-degree sunburn: Peeling or discoloration of skin
- Severe first-degree sunburn: Redness, tenderness and often more pain
- Second-degree sunburn: Small water blisters or large blisters
To alleviate symptoms, Kuffner recommends the following:
- Steer clear of the sun. “If you do get a sunburn, take some time out. Try to calm it down and not keep exposing the area, until the redness and tenderness are gone.”
- Soak. Kuffner prescribes drawing a tub of tepid water, adding mineral oil or Epsom salt, and soaking for 10 to 20 minutes.
- Slather it on. Aquaphor or anti-inflammatory creams help soothe and heal skin.
- Pop some pills. Taking over-the-counter medications like Ibuprofen or Tylenol can help ease pain.
- Wrap it up. “The skin is so tender it’s hard to put stuff on. But it’s important to keep sores from blisters open,” says Kuffner. He recommends nonstick sterile pads covered with gauze to protect these areas.
Weight Gain
You know all that hard work you put into getting your body beach-ready? Don’t stop just because spring break is over. Work your way back into an exercise routine and remember: You are what you eat! So ...
- Be patient. A safe and effective way to lose weight is to eat 300 to 500 fewer calories than you normally do. This should result in a 1- to 2-pound loss per week. Don’t go for the “quick fix” by depriving yourself! Losing weight gradually will allow you to keep it off.
- Pay attention! Knowing which fats you’re putting into your body can reduce further weight gain, particularly in that troublesome tummy area. “There is a lot of good reason showing us that saturated and trans fats may promote abdominal fat more than [do] healthier fats,” explains Liz Weinandy, a registered dietitian at the Ohio State University Medical Center. “There definitely are good fats and bad fats,” she adds. Good fats like avocados and olive oil come from plant sources, and bad fats like dairy products typically come from animal sources.
- Avoid the drive thru. Fast food was probably a spring break staple, but don’t let it become a habit. Weinandy suggests avoiding it -- and its trans fat (bad fat) content -- regularly. Giving up soft drinks is another great way to cut substantial calories.
- Snack smart. Weinandy recommends eating three small meals and a snack or two a day. Always on the go? Pick snacks like fruit, cut-up veggies or homemade trail mix. Making healthful choices fills you up and helps you avoid junk food.
Fighting Fatigue
After a wild spring break, it’s time to catch some z’s instead of catching rays. Acute fatigue results from short-term sleep loss or short periods of heavy activity, and it can lead to reduced productivity. Some studies even show that reduced reaction time caused by fatigue is like being legally intoxicated. Here’s how to get back on track:
- Have a routine. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. If you can’t sleep, get up and do something until you can.
- Eat brain food. “Omega-3 fatty acids are really good for brain function,” says Weinandy, who names fish as an excellent source. She also recommends foods high in antioxidants, like berries, to boost brainpower.
- Eat for energy. Increasing energy is all about how you eat. “One of the worst things I see people do is skip breakfast,” says Weinandy. She suggests nuts as great snacks for energy but warns against eating too many: “Limit it to a small handful.”
Dehydration
So you traded the water bottle for a lot of coffee, energy drinks and other libations during break? According to the University of Illinois Medical Center, it only takes a small drop in water level to cause dehydration. When fluid intake drops below fluid loss, feelings of lightheadedness and a dry mouth ensue. Here’s how to make your body H2O happy:
- Drink up! The eight-glasses-of-water-per-day rule is kind of a myth, but “it’s a good estimate,” according to Weinandy.
- Cut out caffeine. The University of Illinois Medical Center recommends avoiding caffeinated beverages if you need to rehydrate, since caffeine promotes more fluid loss through urination.
- Eat water-rich foods. Cantaloupe and watermelon have a high water content.
Campus Visit Tip: For high school students planning to visit colleges instead of lounging in the sun and sand, keep in mind that colleges are typically on spring break, usually for a week at a time, during March and early April. If you visit campus when classes are not in session, you'll see a completely different view than if you visit during session. So, plan accordingly and be sure to check campus tour schedules for changes during spring break.
College-age EntrepreneursBy Lauren Joffe for The Real College Guide
Dreaming of becoming the next Steve Jobs? You’re not alone. College students and recent graduates alike are putting on their entrepreneurial caps and setting forth on a mission to start something of their own. These entrepreneurial kids are saying “no thanks” to boring 9-to-5 desk jobs and setting new standards.
Coo-coo for Chocomize
Eric Heinbockel, managing partner and one of three founders of Chocomize, had just graduated from Columbia University when he co-pitched the idea to create an online-based customizable chocolate company. At Chocomize.com, customers can choose from 90 ingredients to make their ideal candy bar. With $100,000 to get started, Chocomize officially became profitable in March 2010 after its 2009 inception. Heinbockel expects the company will reach $1 million in sales this year.
The Real College Guide: How did you come up with the premise?
Eric Heinbockel: Even before we all started looking for jobs, we had talked about the idea of co-creation and customization. We saw this as being the food wave of the future. We had seen customized cereals doing very well, but they were already established in the marketplace. Through research, we found that chocolate was recession-proof and still a growing market. Taking an older, more stable market and combining it with our new concept allowed us to take advantage of these two different worlds.
TRCG: How did you raise money to start the business?
EH: We originally sought to get a bank loan, but there were rules that no startups were allowed when it came to bank lending. So we pitched the idea to venture capitalists, family and other potential investors. My grandparents put up some of the initial capital, and the other guys found investors as well. It worked out in our favor because now Chocomize is an entirely private company, and we maintain 100-percent ownership.
TRCG: What has been the most rewarding aspect?
EH: There are a lot of hours of work with not much to show. You spend so much time talking about the company and telling people what you’re doing, but no one really expects you’ll go through with it. Getting past that point and making it actually happen is tremendously rewarding -- a dream come true.
TRCG: How can current students take advantage of their resources now?
EH: Universities offer a ton of resources for students. Alumni networking, for example, can be key -- especially in terms of getting advice from others in similar industries. It’s remarkable what alumni connections will do.
Peace, Love and Great Design
It’s now been two years since The Bearon’s Caroline Rooney founded her startup T-shirt company. Currently a student at the University of Michigan, Rooney specializes in peace- and love-themed screen-printed tees in a variety of designs, each benefiting a specific philanthropic organization. The company is being repositioned as a lifestyle and culture blog with an online shop component.
TRCG: What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs?
Caroline Rooney: Find people you trust and ask for their input. Make sure you are actually listening and don’t get offended. It is easy to be defensive of your idea -- it’s your baby! You have so much personally invested in it. But use all suggestions to help you create a better company, idea, brand. Oftentimes, you can’t see what is glaringly obvious to others.
TRCG: What was your biggest challenge?
CR: Honestly, the biggest challenges for me are more personal and situational. As a college student balancing a full course load and running a company, it can be really difficult. There is a lot of picking and choosing to make both work. Thankfully, if you really love what you’re doing, balance comes a little easier.
TRCG: Where do you see the company going?
TRCG: How do you hope The Bearon will impact other students?
CR: I understand how difficult it is to be a creative young person with a less-than-normal major or career plan. I have had an unbelievable amount of support and encouragement, and I want to help provide that for other creative young people --whether that means interviewing new musicians and offering links to download their EPs, or blogging about another blogger, or doing a partnership with an art school student.
TRCG: How do you see the company contributing to society?
CR: Ten percent of profits are donated to a variety of nonprofit organizations. Right now, we are working on some great projects to support Alzheimer’s-related organizations. We understand the importance of being a socially conscious business and we try to get involved through partnerships, sponsorships and events.
A Is for Accessories
Lauren Kessler is receiving plenty of buzz about Lauren Nicole Accents, her expanding online accessories venture. As a fashion design student at Syracuse University, Kessler began her business utilizing on-campus resources. With positive feedback and growing popularity, Kessler now has a functioning website where customers can place orders for custom-made headpieces ranging from $32 upward.
TRCG: Once you realized your designs were catching on, what was the next step?
Lauren Kessler: When my friends and other people at my school began to want to buy my designs, I decided to create a Facebook page. It was an easy way I could keep everyone updated on my new designs and for them to view different styles and prices. As I began to get attention from the press, I needed a website to legitimately display my work.
TRCG: How do you stand apart from other companies?
LK: There is a massive amount of competition in the fashion industry. When I started promoting my accessories, I realized how many other startup accessory and clothing lines were out there. I began to think about how my product was inherently different than my competition, and had to learn a lot about marketing and promoting my product so it would stand out.
TRCG: What is the most rewarding aspect?
LK: It’s exciting to see people interact and enjoy my accessories. The feedback I have received and the lessons I’ve learned are invaluable. My experience has taught me a lot about myself and where I want to direct my future.
T-shirts for a Cause
Giovanni Manella is only 20, but this current Georgia Institute of Technology student launched GivingThanks, which gives a T-shirt to a child in need for every T-shirt purchased online. With over 100,000 Facebook followers and a growing consumer base, Manella’s company hand-delivers donated shirts by strategically partnering with mission teams. That’s right: For a mere $17.95, anyone can order a GivingThanks shirt knowing they are helping to clothe underprivileged children.
The Real College Guide: How did you come up with the idea?
Giovanni Manella: It was designed to aid a Coalition for the Homeless event. Yet after months of work, it turned into a charitable organization for children across the globe.
TRCG: How did you raise enough capital to get it off the ground?
GM: Being prideful of starting my own company and never having a real job before, I funded GivingThanks with my saved Christmas and birthday money and used my life savings to apply for my copyrights and trademarks, and to hire a Web developer who still works with me today.
TRCG: How did you gain recognition?
GM: At first, sales were very few -- close friends, neighbors and family. I had to branch out and get my name on the vast marketplace. To do so, I became an official sponsor of the YMCA Scholarship Foundation, helping to provide children with the opportunity to go to camp, and sponsoring the Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation. These events helped spread the word. I also sponsor events at my university.
TRCG: What unexpected challenges have you encountered?
GM: Well, I had forgotten to thoroughly research when creating the name. I was contacted a few months ago by St. Jude’s Hospital because they felt GivingThanks and their subsidiary company Thanks and Giving was a conflict of interest. After having my lawyer mediate with them, it became apparent that even though they did not have a substantial case against me, they had more money and power. The new name and new designs are coming soon.
TRCG: What has been the most rewarding aspect?
GM: Reading about myself in the media! My favorite was an article written by lifestyle magazine Central Florida. Not because of the article, but because I had forgotten to tell my parents about it. My dad was floating in the pool relaxing while reading the September issue -- he turned the page to see his son’s face front-and-center as the featured article and young entrepreneur of the month.
Image: Screenshot from http://www.thebearon.com
Thinking entrepreneurship may be in your future? Check out these articles so when you're visiting colleges, you'll know what to ask about how college will prepare you should you decide to become an entrepreneur.
- Women Entrepreneurs on College Visits - 10 Questions to Ask
- Smart Learning at University of Rochester - the Kauffman Entrepreneurial Year
- Smart Learning at the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University
- Smart Learning at Millikin University - Where Entrepreneurs Begin
During the college visit and application phase of the admissions process, parents and students are often focused on admission requirements and figuring out which schools are likely to be the right fit. The emphasis is on getting in. Staying in comes later, but it never hurts to ask a few questions about college academics while on your campus visit. Try these out: What happens if I fail a class? At what point can I drop a class? Does your school have a "freshman rule" about dropping a class without penalty? Once enrolled, it's good to know there are options if things don't go the way you expected as Lauren Joffe describes below.
By Lauren Joffe for The Real College Guide
First semester didn’t go so well? You’re not alone. Getting in the swing of things whether you’re fresh meat or an aged senior can be rough. From bad grades to bad roommates to bad dates, don’t discount the second part of the semester as being the perfect opportunity for an impressive rebound. Need some help making the ultimate comeback? Read on....
$@^!#%* Roommate
Roomies can often be more of a burden than a blessing. “Freshman year, my roommate and I were like oil and water,” says Stephanie Shaw, a Dickinson College senior. “She would leave open bottles next to my computer, eat nuts in the room when she knew I had a bad allergy to them, and brought her loud, obnoxious friends into our room when I was napping.” Don’t let a less-than-perfect roommate dampen your once-in-a-lifetime college experience.…
Create a contract. If you’re in a dorm, you likely had to fill out a roommate contract the first week of school. But be honest -- the first week you and your roomie were still being polite. Contract? Ha, why have a contract? Two months later... Talk to your RA about editing your contract or creating a brand new set of guidelines. Because dorm living is regulated by campus officials, breaking a contractual agreement could mean trouble for the offending party. If you’re living in off-campus housing, create your own contract to formalize the living experience.
Tell your RA what’s going down. Aside from requesting a written contract, have a discussion with your RA. Having an authority figure in the loop will help should your roommate situation escalate. Since your RA is trained in conflict resolution, he or she might have some advice on how to minimize disagreements. Not to mention...if another dorm room opens up, it could be waiting with your name in big, sparkly letters.
Get creative with avoidance strategies. While you can’t move your roommate out, you can remove yourself from the room whenever possible. “Avoidance was key,” says Shaw. “I purposefully avoided the room when I knew she’d be there and reduced our time together to the absolute minimum.” This means doing your homework in the library instead of your bed and pre-gaming in a friend’s room instead of your own. Suggest posting both your schedules in a common area so you’ll know when the other is in class. Some separation might just make the time you do spend together less irritating.
Hold your ground. Make sure you both adhere to any parameters, rules and regulations you set. And since you aren’t exactly friends, common courtesy likely doesn’t rank high on your roommate’s checklist. “I had constant conversations with her about how if she wanted me to respect her space, she needed to do the same for me,” says Shaw. Treat your living situation like a professional relationship to emotionally distance yourself.
GPA = Awful
Living away from home for the first time or returning to the party scene you sadly left behind last year can spell out trouble for your GPA. First semester can sometimes be a kick in the butt for students who forget how demanding a college course load can be. While you can’t take back your grades from September, you can drastically improve your GPA and balance out the semester. This means that if you got a D on your last bio test, the pressure is on to score an A on your final exam. You might not end the semester with a 4.0, but a 3.0 is way better than a big, fat fail.
Start by evaluating what you did wrong. Was procrastination your enemy or did you not comprehend the material? Says Kimberly DaCosta, associate dean of students at New York University, “Follow up with your professor to see exactly why you didn’t do well. So few students actually do this and they don’t ask their professors for practical feedback on how to improve. Don’t ask for extra assignments because it only creates more work for the teacher. Instead, ask if it is possible to redo the past assignment and ask for advice on how to improve the next time around.”
Here’s a list of common mistakes students make to mar their academic success:
• Not leaving enough time to study (you put the “pro” in procrastination)
• Reading comprehension (or lack thereof)
• Messy, careless work
• Poor study habits or note-taking
• Lack of class participation
• Fatigue from all-night partying
Whatever vice was holding you back from getting a good grade, figure out how to combat your weakness… and fast! Once you nail down the problem, seek help from a teacher or advisor -- or your student union can help point you in the right direction, be it through tutoring or smart-study tips. The clock is ticking, so get on it!
Dry Spell is Hell
A little tense, eh? That dry spell sure isn’t helping. With hours upon hours spent in the library and your subsequent lack of energy to hit up the social scene, did you expect anything other than a big, fat gap in your hookup history? Lucky for you, dry spells (unlike roommates and grades) are almost immediately fixable with a few minor tweaks.…
Tweak No. 1: Don’t brood. A male University of Maryland senior Brett Stone* advises that when going through a dry spell, the best thing to do is not dwell over the fact that you aren’t getting any. “If all I think about is that I am in a dry spell,” says Stone, “I end up getting so nervous and anxious, I can’t do anything productive to get out of it. My best advice would be to forget about whatever slump you are in.”
Tweak No. 2: Take a break. Your studies are important, but you aren’t going to meet anyone if you’re buried in books. “Focus on having a good time with your bros,” says Stone. “Sooner or later, something will happen. Just get out there, and don't hide in your room.”
Tweak No. 3: Be confident! The opposite sex can smell a dry spell like a dog can smell fear. Shake that stank. Says NYU senior Samantha Doherty*, “When I get into a dry spell, I usually feel that it’s because of my own lack of confidence, so I start to make an extra effort to pamper myself and try to regain my confidence, whether its going to the gym, buying an outfit I feel great in, or just spending some time working on myself.” Feeling good about yourself is a one-way ticket to sucking face with someone by night’s end.
Tweak No. 4: Relocate. For freshmen, the scene is getting stale, and for seniors, the selection is quickly drying up. Changing locations is a great way to shake it up and meet new people. If Greek socials have been your thing thus far, maybe it’s time to hit up a pre-game party. Or vice versa.
* Due to the risqué subject matter, students’ names have been changed.
This article is made available to SmartCollegeVisit courtesy of The Real College Guide. To read more articles, click here.
They're Back: Home for the HolidaysBy Lauren Joffe for The Real College Guide
Fall and winter breaks are fast approaching. And transitioning back home after a full semester away can serve up a chock-full of challenges .…
No biggie, right? You just left the home front a mere few months ago, so you should know what to expect upon your return. Well, not so fast. You might be in for a few, uh, surprises. Before you go assuming everything will be business-as-usual, check out what some college student vets have encountered, and learn how they managed their sticky situations. You can thank us later.
“The folks still want me on curfew!”
As an independent college student, you might think 4 a.m. is the new midnight. Meanwhile, your parents believe the old-school rules still apply. Syracuse University junior Kallen Smotzer laments going home each break, when her parents enforce rules she’s no longer accustomed to following. “The second I walk in the door, my mom wants to know where I’m going, who I am going out with and when I’ll be back. And when I tell her to chill out -- whoa -- that makes things even worse,” says Smotzer.
How to Deal
To offset a shouting match with Mom or Dad, be sure to keep your cool. If you lose it, they will perceive you as immature. And let’s be real: That won’t support your I’m-in-college-and-can-do-what-I-want stance. Calmly tell the parentals you would like a few minutes to discuss some things. (BTW, you might want to avoid disclosing beforehand that curfew is your discussion topic so they don’t immediately shut you out before you even get a chance to make your case.)
Once you have their attention, explain how you feel. Acknowledge that you see the validity in their POV and suggest a compromise. For example, you can promise to check in with them if you plan on staying out past a certain time.
“Eventually, my parents and I came up with a situation where I have a more reasonable curfew,” says Smotzer, “but it isn’t set in stone. I call home if I am going to sleep out or come home late. This gives my mom, especially, some peace of mind. This way, she isn’t up waiting for me to return, and I don’t have to hear about coming home late in the morning.”
Chances are that if you keep them in the know by volunteering information about your activities and whereabouts, they will ease up on the strict policy and let you come and go more freely. Demonstrating a little consideration and sense of responsibility goes a long way in the art of renegotiating house rules.
“My little brother has taken over my car!”
“I remember coming home to find my car absent from the driveway, so I was stranded at my house,” says Michelle Wallace, a junior at Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania. “The biggest problem was that because I was home for a full month, the day-to-day expectation that I could get where I wanted when I wanted didn’t exactly pan out as I had imagined.”
How to Deal
Keep in mind that you did leave for college, and your younger sib needs a way to get around. Do not have a fit about how it’s your car, because frankly, it’s not if your parents are footing the bill. Unless you bought it yourself with all the money you earned working part time at Dairy Queen (and are continuing to pay for the auto insurance and car maintenance), you really don’t have much of an argument here.
Yes, you just got home and want to socialize or whatever -- but the fam’s life has to go on while you’re away. So, again, keep your cool. Explain to your sibling that it’s important you have a way to get around and that you’d appreciate it if you two could work out an arrangement to share the vehicle while you’re home.
Because of the differences in scheduling between college and high school, it’s possible your sib is still going to school during the day. Offer to drive him or her to school in the morning and to do a pickup at dismissal time. Sure, it’s annoying that you’ll have to wake up when you’d rather be sleeping in … but, hey, you get the car for most of the day.
“Who is this stranger, and where did she hide my BFF?”
Yikes! Your bestie since pre-K is now sporting a ton of piercings, a new neck-tattooed boyfriend and a passion for strictly vegan cuisine? Coming home to find your old confidant knee-deep in a completely new lifestyle can be somewhat of a shock. But remember that while your friend has undergone significant life changes, so have you.
How to Deal
Remind yourself why you two became buds in the first place. If going to Barnes and Noble to read magazines was your Saturday afternoon routine, try hitting up the bookstore again to catch up and reminisce. And leave your judgmental ways at the door, please.
Your pal’s new persona can be tricky but is acceptable; however, some friends may morph into something you no longer want to be associated with. Unfortunately, drugs and alcohol are common plights college students face … and there are those who get caught up in that world.
“All of a sudden, my friend Mark* became way more involved with drugs,” says New York University junior Danielle Mandel. “I guess his friends created an environment where he could be lazy and not ambitious. He got accustomed to living this way and now lives this life surrounded by drugs.”
The best you can do in this case is express some concern to your friend, but let it go at that. You can’t control how another person leads his or her life. What you can do is decide whether you’re willing to spend time with that person. You can choose to discontinue the relationship or to get together only occasionally. While it is painful to accept, not all friendships last forever. That’s life.
“My house just doesn’t feel like home.”
Regardless of how great college might be, you still dream of your queen-sized bed and other familiar comforts of home. But whether your parents completely relocated or turned your bedroom into a gym, office or naked room (you’ve seen Failure to Launch, right?), going “home” just doesn’t seem quite right. “My friend’s parents decided to move out of Manhattan to the suburbs while she was away,” says Stephen Smith*, a senior at University of Michigan. “Luckily, she was a quick train ride away, but I remember her feeling so out of place in her new house.”
How to Deal
Smith’s friend had the right idea: “To make things better, she focused on things like decorating her new room and discovering new restaurants in the area,” he explains. Focusing on the positives of this new situation will hopefully remedy some of the letdown you feel.
If you still have your own room, giving it your personal touch is a great way to spend your time. If you’ve been relegated to a guest room or the sofa bed in the den, sulking about it won’t do any good.
Instead, get out of the house and clock in some quality time with your parents or siblings, who’ve undoubtedly missed you while you were gone. Hit up a local cafe or take a stroll around your new hood. You’re an adult now, so act like one. And that means learning to adjust to new situations.
“I ran into my ex and her new squeeze.”
The ’90s boy band 2Gether (remember them?) got it right when they sang, “Breaking up was hard enough.” Yeah, and running into your hometown ex with his/her new BF/GF is even harder. Recounts Melissa Witkin, a junior at The New School in New York: “Carl and I dated for a little over two years, and when the relationship ended, it was an out-of-sight-out-of-mind type of thing. So when I ran into him at a restaurant over break, I was totally annoyed that he had found someone else while I was still alone. All I can say is that the encounter was a train wreck … and my awkwardness definitely didn’t help.”
How to Deal
While we’d usually tell you to express yourself with integrity, here we’re going to highly recommend that you feign happiness. When having a run-in with an ex, you want to adopt an in-and-out type of policy. The quicker it is, the more painless it will be. So flash your best smile and engage in a little small talk before saying you have to be somewhere else.
And as soon as you get home, feel free to cry along to Taylor Swift’s “Love Story.” But hold it all in until you are officially in the clear.
*Some names have been changed by request to respect the privacy of those involved.
This article is made available to SmartCollegeVisit through a partnership with TheRealCollegeGuide.
Parents and college students are invited to join us Wednesday night, December 22, 2010, for CampusChat on Twitter. The chat begins at 9 pm Eastern. To join the chat, simply add the hashtag phrase "#CampusChat" to every tweet. For more information, please read: Twitter Tools for #CampusChat.
Other articles related to our College Life series include:
- 10 Easy Tips to Avoid the Dreaded Freshman 15
- Freshmen: Should I Bring My Car to Campus?
- Beyond Tuition - the Add-ons to College Add Up
