1. Money. Taking summer classes, especially at a community college can save you some big money when it comes to your overall tuition costs. Early graduation or part-time student status can make a huge difference at the end of the day.

2. Grades. As much as we don’t like to admit it, our grades are always higher when our social life isn’t so thriving. The week your favorite bar closed for renovations? Straight A’s. The week it re-opened? Not so much. With fewer people on campus, it’s almost like good grades are a certainty. Not to mention that if you take your summer classes at a local community college, it’s almost guaranteed that it will be easier than your regular classes.

3. Jobs.  As far as my experience has shown, all of my job interviewers have been super interested in the fact that I’ve taken summer and winter classes.  It showed them that I had taken initiative to better myself by sacrificing a summer for my own education.

4. Being on campus. So summer classes aren’t all study, study, study. Being on campus in the summer is great. Imagine being able to find a parking spot at the coffee shop every time. Or getting into the bar without a line. Or not having to wait to use the only color printer at the library. There are some major advantages to being on campus during the summer.

5. Friends. New or old, summer bonding is sure to occur when you’re the only ones on campus. You’ve got loads more time to hang out, plus you’ve got to get mighty creative in how you pass the time since there isn’t as much going on in the summer months. I’ve made some of my closest friendships from the one summer class I took.

So now stop dragging your feet about taking a summer class and sign up! It’s a totally different experience than you’re used to and one everyone should try at least once. And really, if you get some classes out of the way now, that 2nd semester of your senior year will be a total breeze. Done and done.

Come down week (more commonly referred to as “the start of winter semester”) was made a little more bearable by the fact that it actually wasn’t super-frigid this year….but let’s be real, the real thing getting us through this otherwise awful time is the fact that Jake Gyllenhal is back on the market!  Write a song about that, Taylor.

The second best way to get through this week?  Drink.  Since it’s syllabus week, aka the craziest, most party-rific week for college students, you can get really crazy.  Like, Snooki level crazy.  Here’s your guide to throwing the perfect Jersey Shore-themed party.

But if you’re not ready to get off the couch and get crazy just yet, there’s always extensive Facebook stalking.  It’s likely that people have uploaded tons of pictures from New Years Eve and the rest of the holiday season.  Feel free to stalk – I won’t judge (because that would be hypocrisy…)   I might, however, have to judge if you do any of the things that force us to wonder: has our Facebook obsession gone too far?

While we’ve been hauling our butts back to campus, some of our friends have had the luxury of staying in their own beds while noshing on home-cooked meals.  You know, sometimes I really wish I had gone to community college, and not just for the aforementioned reasons.  Recent evidence has made us question: is community college the better option?

Our community college peeps have the luxury of stretching out in front of a glorious TV every night, while most of us are slouched over computer screens, waiting for videos to load.   It’s kind of hard for me to fully admire Mr. Schue’s abs (uh…dance moves) when I’m doing that, so I took the time to do some research the Glee cast – here’s what I came up with.

One of our writers beat the Winter Break Boredom by conducting a little online experiment.  Luckily, this one is way more interesting than anything you’ll ever do in physics class.  Check out our sexy time experiment here.

Beating the holiday weight gain isn’t easy business – thankfully, slaving away on a treadmill may not be your only options.  Try these quickie workouts instead.

Death Cab For Cutie has been one of my favorite bands since high school, and this album doesn’t disappoint. It’s not exactly going to get you in the mood to rage all night, but it will get you through some otherwise unbearable study sessions.

Nothing says “festive” like some colored eye shadow – keep the spirit of the holiday season alive with this amazing palette – you’ll be the star of all the back to school parties on campus.

When it came time to pick a college, most of the guidance counselors at my high school pointed students in the direction of the local community college. Like most of my friends, however, I ignored that lady with the mustache and took my pretty little butt to a big, 4-year university. No offense, but I just felt that a four-year program would prove better for me in the long run; I’d get a better education, I’d have more resources, and I’d be more prepared for the job market come graduation.

Plus, well, college campuses are fun and I wanted two extra years of the fun.

But I’m starting to learn that I might have made the wrong choice. At least in terms of the whole “better job” thing. (Yeah, no matter what, there’s nothing more fun than a college campus.) According to some recent studies, community colleges are taking the lead when it comes to a cost, education and future earnings.

Below, a list of surprising facts about community colleges. Warning: you might not want to show this to the parental units paying for your education….

Community College grads make more money:
Yes, even though we four-year college students are spending the big bucks for our education (Sigh. See below), according to Florida Employment data for 2009, community college grads earn an average of $47,708 versus $44,558 for private university grads and $36,552 per year for four-year public university grads. Ouch.

Community College students spend less money:
The average cost per year of a community college is $2,361, while the average cost for a 4-year public college is $7,020. That’s $4,659 that students at community colleges are saving, not counting the cost of living on a college campus, and they are still getting a pay raise of $11,156 over 4-year public college students. Starting to feel a little dizzy?

Community College students keep us safe:
I bet you didn’t know that close to 80% of US firefighters, law enforcement officers, and emergency medical personnel, and 59% of nurses are trained at community colleges.

Community Colleges have notable alumni:
Did you know Billy Crystal, Walt Disney, and Eileen Colling (an NASA astronaut and the first woman Space shuttle commander) all were community college graduates?   What about James Dean, Dustin Hoffman or Arnold Schwarzenegger? Yup, the Governator is a Community College graduate.

You can’t argue with stats like that – Community Colleges are a way for students to save money while still getting a great education. And if you decide you want to further your education, most community colleges have amazing transfer programs to four-year colleges. It’s a great place to get your GRE out-of-the-way, while deciding what you want to focus on. Oh, and for those of you who STILL haven’t gotten the memo…Community College isn’t “just like a vocational school.” Although most schools do offer a variety of vocational career routes, they also offer students a whole lot more, giving them a solid background into the field they wish to work in.

After hyperventilating about my growing student loans and mountains of debt, I have to say, I think these Community College students are on to something. No debt and bigger pay checks? Maybe I should’ve listened to my guidance counselor in high school…

Due to the exceptionally high unemployment rate and our falling world ranking concerning the percentage of college-educated adults, the Obama administration feels we need to focus on community colleges to provide a more affordable education for America’s youth. Obama is looking to improve the number of college degrees by 5 million before 2020.

Undeniably, a two-year, community college education would make many students’ resumes more appealing to any future employer than having no higher education at all. However, after already shoveling over $3 billion to help low-income students at colleges with an average graduation rate of 20% (versus the 58% rate career colleges boast), Obama’s plan is far from cheap.

The move toward this plan would attempt to partner community colleges with various businesses and focus curriculum on skills necessary for students’ desired career choices, making them more appealing to said partners. The plan has received some backlash, especially from for-profit career colleges. However, all-in-all, it hasn’t received much attention.

Education reform has been a minor, but much-buzzed about issue, for years in America. However, most legislation has been based on numbers – on measurable success, on the results of standardized tests. Now, since we’re not required to take some annoying, #2 pencil (and totally pointless) test at the higher level, the success of colleges is being evaluated based on their number of graduates… and, more importantly, their number of employed graduates.

Although it’s great that Obama is trying to make a college education a realistic option for many young Americans, I’m not sure this specific plan will be truly successful. Why? Well the fundamental issue Americans are facing is not a lack of education, but a lack of jobs.

Yes, it would be awesome to regain our spot as the leading country in the competition for “Who has the most college graduates?” However, what good is dishing out several thousands of dollars (or relying on Uncle Sam to foot the bill) when there aren’t any positions for you to enter into afterward.

Obama’s plan focuses on community colleges, “the unsung heroes” of America, and making students much more “hireable.” However, there are many students that went to prestigious, 4-year colleges that remain unemployed. I could provide various links to news articles attempting to support my point. But, as I’m sure many of you readers know, all you have to do is talk to your recently graduated friends or look in a mirror. Having a college education will not guarantee you a job.

Obama and Jill Biden’s proposal for Community Colleges is theoretically excellent. It provides education opportunities for under-privileged students that would otherwise not exist. But, it could potentially cause even greater problems, rather than solve them. It has already added to the deficit, it focuses on quantity over quality, and it would increase skilled American workers, but not the amount of jobs in the market. So, at the end of the day, would it really help American students?

What do you think? Should we focus on creating skilled workers, or on creating jobs?

I know what you’re thinking: Why would I want to read a book about paying for college when I’m already in college and I’m getting by with student loans/ my parents’ generously footing the bill /or a scholarship?

Well listen up, pretty lady – whatever your situation is you will absolutely get some insight about paying for college that will, without a doubt, help you make better decisions when it comes to financially making it through four years, as well as helping you protect your future post-grad life.

Throughout history, paying for college has been a major issue on everyone’s minds. But although it’s something everyone always seems to talk (and worry) about, it is one thing that usually gets pushed to the side in the application process. Students send their applications out, they get their acceptance letters back, and then – and only then – the question of paying for that highly accredited university to which they’ve been accepted pops up. But with the cost of a college education rising at a pace in polar opposition to our economy, financial disaster is almost inevitable.

Without a lot of financial planning, people turn to student loans, which, as any college student who has taken them out knows, are a major stress-factor that can impact the rest of your life. Not only do students feel like they have to take out more and more loans to supplement an income during college, they feel utterly lost, especially in a world where financial aid offices will tell you anything. In Debt-Free, Zac explains “The role of the financial aid office to make sure that the students the school has admitted are financially able to attend – through whatever means necessary.” Because colleges don’t work as financial advocates for students, more and more students are falling down the rabbit hole of student debt. However, consider Debt-Free as a personal guide that will walk you through all things financial in the college world, by whatever means necessary.

What makes Debt-Free so rich is that in a world where colleges and universities will blatantly lie to prospective and current students about financial options, Zac is here to dispel every rumor, every faulty piece of advice, and to actually help you out. While many financial books promise to get their readers on the right track to becoming millionaires, Debt-Free looks out for its audience by giving the cold, hard facts and a dose of reality with a bit of humor and a lot of helpful tips peppered in.

Especially in this recession, it’s hard for students not to become emotional or enraged about their college financial situations. While some students feel incredibly strongly about student loans (how else would they have gone to college without them?) and others are more indifferent, a growing number of students interested in having more financial autonomy, especially in college, is growing. Regardless of your opinion on student loans or the means to paying for a college education, Zac’s advice will cover everything you need to know to make good decisions with your money (or lack thereof).

Debt-Free covers everything and anything related to paying for college. From the beginning of the application process and how colleges reel students in with promises of scholarship money and financial aid, all the way through the hidden facts regarding student loans. Not only does he offer advice on how to pay for college without making your parents go bankrupt or ruining your financial future with monthly loan payments, Zac offers clarity about whether paying for a private college instead of big public university is worth it. He even addresses the financial situation as a whole – and offers his personal take on how they should improve and what needs to change. Instead of complaining about financial aid issues such as FASFA, Zac is outspoken about the system and how it can be more effective and fair.

All in all, what makes this book refreshing is that Zac practices what he preaches. He’s not some spoiled rich kid with parents paying his way at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst while spouting fake advice. He’s putting his money where his mouth is, and he’s advocating for students across the nation.

And considering the hundreds of thousands of dollars we’re spending on our college educations, it might be a good idea to listen.

[Debt-Free U: How I Paid For An Outstanding College Educaiton Without Loans, Scholarships, or Mooching Off My Parents hits bookstores on August 31^st. A special thanks to Maureen Cole at Portfolio/Penguin Publishing for providing a press copy.]

Got some college questions? Unsure of a decision? Don’t know what to do this summer? Just wanna chat it up with some really awesome chics?

Question:
You girls seem to know what’s up with college. I’m transferring from a community college to a big college. I start with the summer term in a few weeks (I thought it would help me with my transition if I gave myself some extra time.) I’m really scared because I’ve never lived away from home and this is very different from what I’m used to from my current school. I want to know if you have any advice? Like, if you could tell me 3 things I should know, what are they?

Party Girl:
First of all, congrats on leaving the nest! That’s a big step and it definitely takes some balls. As for the advice, I can only say that going to a “big” college after community college is going to be like life in technicolor after living in black & white (a la Dorothy). Everything is going to be more intense: the classes, the drinking, and the lifestyle. There will be more opportunities to party and make friends at every turn – take advantage of them!!  If I have to funnel my advice into three bullet points, it would be these:

1) Fight the urge to hermit. Get a drink in your hand and your ass on a dance floor.
2) Study. I frequently forget to do this myself, so it’s good to remind yourself that going to a big college is more than just a huge 4-year speed dating event.
3) Live on campus. Even if it’s just for a semester, to really experience your new school you have to live on campus. Plus, you get an automatic in for any campus parties that most people living off campus don’t even hear about.

Busy Bee:
Know that the first few months will definitely be the hardest. You will feel tempted to call your mom every single day, book a flight back to your hometown every other weekend, and flood your friend’s walls with, “OMG IMY!” It’s normal, but you’ll get over this phase as soon as you start meeting new people and finding fun things to do.

Which brings me to my second point: busy yourself! I guess that only sounds right coming from me, but it really works. To get your mind off of homesickness, don’t be afraid to hang out with new people, find out which eateries are the local hot spots, or get involved with this new community. Go ahead and explore this new territory! That also includes scouting out some hotties around town.

My last piece of wisdom would be to take this time to learn more about yourself. Seeing that you might not hit it off with every new friend you meet, you’re going to have to be very independent. That means going grocery shopping by yourself, making your own dinner, and finding out what’s cool in town. If you’re not one to enjoy alone time, then take every opportunity you have in class to meet new people! Scary at first, but all you gotta do is say hi and ask them where they got their cute shirt from. Have fun, be daring, and enjoy the “big college” experience!

GPA Girl:
Girl, it sounds as if you are totally prepared! You’re giving yourself extra time to adjust and everything–very responsible. I know how you feel because I was also very scared and overwhelmed when I left home for the first time. If I had to give you three pieces of advice, I think these would be it:

1. Just because you’re living away from home doesn’t mean you can’t be connected with home anymore. Call your parents and your siblings, visit every month or two, and stay in touch with your friends from home and your community college. Write them e-mails and letters (yes, the old-fashioned kind). Send packages and cookies.
2. Take advantage of what your new, big school has to offer. I bet your community college didn’t have as many opportunities for fun extra-curriculars and places to bond with other students. Join any activity that looks interesting, even if you know next to nothing about it (there’s no obligation to keep going, after all), and try to find people with whom you have things in common.
3. Don’t neglect your classes. It’s possible that the work at the big college will be tougher or more time-consuming than it was at your community college, so it’s great that you’re trying to prepare now. I really believe that a solid academic foundation will also provide you with a solid foundation in other aspects of your life, so work hard and do well. Ask questions, review the material, go to office hours, and be really interested and engaged in what you’re learning. Good luck!!

That is the question that I am usually greeted with when I  walk out of the  building where I take most of my classes in my college. For some reason, that is the “smokers’ hang out spot” where the smokers gather to share a cigarette  and basically fry their lungs while the rest of the non-smoking population is forced to breathe in their second-hand smoke. And then smell like it so their friends, parents and teachers think they have picked up a new extra curricular activity.

So when I read an article about Rockland Community College, a school that has totally banned smoking both indoors and outdoors starting September 1st, I kinda sorta considered transferring. A school that is completely smoke-free? A school where I can go anywhere on campus and not have to worry about coming home smelling like an ashtray? Heaven!

But is that really possible?

I can see this ban working at community colleges, as students don’t live on campus and can light up as soon as their car leaves the campus lot. But what about a regular university? Could a school really enforce that rule? And would banning smoking on campus really promote a “healthy environment,” (the goal of the ban) or are students just going to get in their cars, drive to the edge of campus and enjoy a cigarette over there?

Even more, is this really fair? I am all for a place where I don’t get smoke blown into my face, but is it really fair to take away a legal individual’s right to smoke when they have the urge?

What do you guys think? Would a ban work at your college or university? Would this ban help the nearly 30% of  American college students who smoke?

Of course I am excited that I will no longer have to wake up 2 hours before my class to get onto 2 over-crowded and always-late buses to get to school. I will finally get to move out of my parents house and have what most people call the “real college experience.” I will, at last,  get to prove to my parents that I can survive away from home.

However, I can’t help but be consumed by thoughts about various things relating to this upcoming experience.

First, there’s the whole roommate situation. I’ve never lived out of my house, let alone in a small room with a stranger. Thankfully, my friend who is transferring to the same uni as I has agreed to be my roommate. But I’m still a little nervous. I’m not used to sharing my space with anyone and I’ve heard that it is unwise to be roomies with your friends, as you may end up hating each other in the end. Will I end up calling my mom in tears after a giant fight with her over using up the milk?

Then there’s the thing about making new friends all over again. When you enter a new school as a transfer student, I feel like it’s more difficult than entering as a freshman because people will already know each other. They will have their friends already and I’ll just be that weird new girl that no one knows.

And then there’s the downside of living on campus. At a commuter community college, it doesn’t really matter if you hate your lab partner or classmate because you just have to deal with them for about three hours a week. But when home is the same place as school, there is no getting away. What if I have to live on the same floor as that annoying classmate and see them all. the. time?

Then come the parties and night life. Living with my kinda strict parents means that I don’t get to party as often as I can, and I definitely cannot stumble in after 4am reeking of a brewery and leading some drunken stranger from the bar into my room. Will I be able to handle the freedom that comes with leaving my parents? Or will I end up being labeled the “crazy-always-drunk-transfer-girl?”

There is so much going through my mind right now and I’m really freaking out. Anyone got any tips? Anyone else dealing with the transfer blues?

But if you’ve got The Itch, then we’ve got the remedies. College Candy prescribes a heavy dose of mindless entertainment. This week, we got all the facts on the hottest celebrity cat fights, contemplated the progression of Disney starlets to Hollywood harlots, and watched some real heavy drama on The Biggest Loser.

After a few good laughs (and maybe seeing Amy Winehouse look like a hot mess), it was time to spruce up. We relaxed our wild tresses with these tips for curly hair care, raided our closet for high-waisted pants, and upgraded our wardrobe to be sexy for winter. And once we got the dirt on down-n-dirty hookups, we were all prepared for a night on the town.

If all this hasn’t relieved that Fall Semester Itch, this week we also looked longingly to Thanksgiving (with this pumpkin pie recipe) and brainstormed ideas for holiday gifts! With this week in the books, the excitement of the holiday season lurks right around the corner!

The Good:

Free parking! - I was pumped about this, since parking at my last college (NC State) was about 200 bucks. This is also a bad thing because everyone can afford to park, so I have to leave my house 40 minutes before class (and I live 15 minutes away) to beat traffic and find a spot next to my building

The Fests - Back to School Fest, Fall Fest, Latin Fest, Halloween Fest….there’s always some type of “fest” going on….and they all involve a DJ, a moon bounce and loads of free food!

Online classes with NO extra fees - Most colleges label online classes as Distance Education and slap a few extra fees on the courses so that you’ll actually come to campus and not sit in your dorm/apartment/parent’s house watching your lecture via laptop wearing your your favorite tee and a pair of sweats (heaven!). Well, because so many people go to good ol’ community college (mine has 4 campuses total and is 40,000 strong), they actually prefer if you take a class or two online. But be warned: most online classes don’t have deadlines and it can be tempting to slack off. I’ve been taking Ethics since August and haven’t taken any tests just because I don’t feel like it!

Cute guys - I saw more cute guys on the first day of class than I did my whole first year at State. And not only are some of these guys hot, most of then can actually carry on an intelligent conversation… and still look hot doing it.

The Price - Year of tuition at State = $16,800. Semester at CC (14 credits) = $1,480, and that’s without financial aid.

Awesome Teachers/Lax Classes - Community College has some of the most laid back professors I’ve ever seen. In my Sociology class, my professor talks about how circumcision affects a guy’s sex life (he even quoted Sex and the City!), and my Public Speaking class is filled with debates about government corruption and interracial dating. I’ve actually started to enjoy going to class.

The Bad/Ugly

The People - Between the immature post-high schoolers who try to look cool by skipping class and sitting in the hallway/lounge, to the overabundance of soccer moms who always try to assert themselves as top dog in class, going to school here can be a bit of a drag.

No Sporting Events/Homecoming – I jealously watched State’s homecoming game on TV this year, and even more jealously saw my friend’s pictures from the NERD/Common homecoming concert. Did I mention CC has intramural sports?

Even with the few minor downsides, community college really is a win/win. If you’re thinking about transferring schools or coming home for the summer, I would definitely recommend looking into community college. You could end up in an cool Bio Lab with a hot lab partner like myself (without taking out a billion dollars in student loans!).