When you went off to college, chances are you didn’t live a block away from Mom and Dad. Even in cases where the trip home was do-able on weekends, rarely did family fun time rank higher than a Sigma Chi mixer. Sure, you made sporadic phone calls to the people who gave you life, and they were always your family, but it didn’t take long to realize you needed a family on campus, too. Roommates, hallmates, your pledge class, a study group (see: Community)…these became the people who held your hair back when you puked in the street, who crawled in your bed to watch tv marathons, who knew your favorite pregame songs and would always let you borrow their notes when you slept through class.

Graduation threw you all into a whirlwind of separation anxiety, with promises to call and visit and text and Skype and… Yeah, that didn’t really happen as planned.

Living on your own in the real world (“real world”), you won’t find pledge classes or study groups. Your roommate will be someone you found on Craigslist. Your hallmates will be invisible, except for the 87 year-old woman who owns six cats and listens to Wheel of Fortune on blast. At 5 am. Family, of the non-blood variety, is hard to come by. Nights eating mediocre take out alone on Ikea furniture while Netlfix plays in the background becomes the new norm. (Sorry to go all graphic, Bridget Jones-style on you there.) Just when you think you can’t possibly take it anymore, a funny thing happens. Read More »

There are some things you learn in life (and in textbooks) that you never forget.

We went to the moon in 1969.
Plants live by converting sunlight into energy through the process of photosynthesis.
Cows have four stomachs.

All of those things are important to know if you want to pass that middle school test, but when it comes to the real stuff – the life lessons – textbooks don’t hold a candle to TV. Yes, I’m serious.

TV – even the crappiest of the crappy reality shows – has taught me some invaluable lessons about life and the world. Things you can’t get from a 2 hour Intro to Biology lecture or a 4-credit History of English course. Below are a few of the greatest lessons I’ve learned from my nights spent on the couch, chips and salsa in hand. Read More »