I am the biggest. idiot. ever. Why? Because I will be spending one dreaded semester at home. That’s right, I gave up my freedom so that I could come home to spend a little extra time with the ‘rents. No, I’m not one of those people who can’t bear to spend time away from my parents, I just made a couple of mistakes…well, let’s call them choices…

Rewind to the end of senior year when a certain girl was debating between College A and College B. College A is the largest school in North Carolina, is very serious about their sports program (which means tons of fans to party with, plus I love college football) and just happens to be an hour from my boyfriend. College B is a smaller but well-known school located right in the middle of a booming city not to far from my home in Virginia that also happens to house an insane Arts/Fashion program.

Of course, naive senior Amber picked College A so she could get a degree in Fashion but still tailgate, party like crazy and spend time with her beau.

One cringe-worthy break up, one failed class, dozens of racial/socioeconomic clashes and too many drunken nights later I decided that it was time to transfer. My decision was a good one, but was made too late; by the time I submitted my application to another school (College C, I guess), it was impossible to receive housing and a decent financial aid package. Then I remembered good ol’ College B with the awesome Fashion program and decided going there was worth spending one semester at a sh*tty community college while having to obey Mom and Pop’s rules.

Some of you may have decided (or been forced) to stay at home too, or maybe I’m just hoping I’m not the only one that gets upset when I see those back to school commercials with all the cute dorm furniture and kids running through campus. Either way, there are pros and cons to movin’ back in with the rents and I know all about them: Read More »

College is kind of a weird place, isn’t it? You’re pretty much dumped in an environment where you’re told to think and act like an adult, but I don’t think I’ve seen anything more childish than some of the crazy stuff my fellow school buddies come up with.

Now, I’m not complaining; nothing helps paper stress like just sitting around and watching a Disney movie. I won’t disclose how many kids movies I watch on a weekly basis at school, but…well, it happens a lot.

Some time last semester, when I had so much work to do that I felt it was more productive to do nothing, I hunkered down with my girlfriend to watch some good ol’ Disney. And I was utterly horrified. This was a movie I adored as a kid, and now I could barely go a few minutes without hearing or seeing something I knew must’ve gone over my head. And the more I thought about it, the more I wondered…

Why did my mom let me watch this stuff?!

Honorable Mention: The “Night on Bald Mountain” short from Fantasia. I still have problems watching this.

5. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Really, contextually, there’s nothing bad about this movie. Certainly an evil madman who wants to melt all the cartoons into nothingness isn’t that bad, and no one questions why a rabbit who’s weird even by cartoon standards is married to a chick who’s hot even by human standards. At least, I never thought anything of it. It’s a damn good movie, don’t get me wrong! It’s just…weird. Read More »

The University Experience sure has changed. It’s now normal to take longer than four years to complete your degree; students are known to switch majors repeatedly (and often at the last minute); and transfer admissions offices are swamped with applicants who realize that the college they chose senior year of high school just isn’t making the grade.

I know all about the stress of transferring and adjusting to a new school. When I began my undergraduate career, I wasn’t content with attending the state university that 83% of my classmates were enrolling in. Oh, no – I had to get away. So I enrolled in a small private school in London, England.

My freshman year was a blast– I was in a major city, surrounded by hot men with hotter accents, and I didn’t even need a fake ID. But eventually, reality sank in, and I opted to transfer back to the same state school that I’d once adamantly rejected in order to prevent graduating with student loans up the wazoo.

My first semester at the state university was miserable. I’d missed out on all of the freshman year bonding, got stuck with a lame random roommate, and when I did go out, it was because one of my high school friends was kind enough to let me tag along with her group. It was so bad that I took a semester off to figure out if I wanted to go through the transfer process again. I ended up going back to the state school, and – thankfully – things got better. In fact, college kicked some major ass.

So, having been on the Maybe-I-Should-Transfer fence and a member of the Transfer Students Association, I thought I’d share some pro’s and cons with anyone who isn’t quite sure that they are attending the right school. Read More »

So you’ve finished your first year of college! You’re relieved, excited, and filled with pride (hopefully) at your academic accomplishment. You say goodbye to your friends at school, and make the journey home.

For me, that journey home was pretty long: 1330.45 miles, if we’re being exact. And after two weeks at home, and that initial joyful reunion with my friends from high school, I am suffering from a major case of reverse homesickness.

During my first semester of school, all I wanted to do was go back to Florida, transfer to a school where academics are often neglected for tanning and water sports, despite the fact that I had come to Boston to get away from such a scenario. Nonetheless, I was ready to throw in the towel and head back home.

Second semester, however, I really began to find my footing at school, and I had a wonderful time. I did well in all my classes, fell into a groove that enabled me to balance my academic goals with some semblance of a social life, and participated in our school’s spring musical. My last night in Boston was the night of our cast party, which was not short on the debauchery or tearful goodbyes.

Suffice it to say, when I arrived home, I was feeling a little morose. I wasn’t going to see anyone from Boston until September! And now, as a couple weeks have passed and it’s getting stiflingly hot here, I miss Boston and my school friends like nobody’s business. I’ve even come to miss the simplicity of my tiny freshman double, the greasy food at our dining hall, even the drunken frat boys screaming outside my window at 3 in the morning on a Thursday night…I could go on, but I’ll spare you.

So, partly for my sanity, and partly for yours, I’m come up with a few ways to avoid, or at least diminish, that reverse homesickness. Read More »

[So I took a small hiatus. And by small I mean a couple of months. I had to. Writing it all down…I became increasingly nervous someone would find out. And nothing is more endangered on a small campus than a secret you want to keep. If you’re new to all of this, check back at everything here.]

Mood: a little antsy

Currently listening to: Black Cat by Janet Jackson

“Have you come up with anything?” Rebecca walked into our room, dragging her bulging laundry bag behind her. “Heard back from any of those internships?”

“Not yet.” I clicked through webpage after webpage, my eyes already watering and blurry from one too many hours staring into the glowing screen of my laptop. I had spent all afternoon sitting on my bed, willing my inbox to fill up with internship opportunities and summer job offers. So far…no one had complied with my wishful ESP.

“I have no idea what I’m doing this summer either,” Rebecca dumped her still wet laundry onto her bed. “So don’t feel so bad. Maybe we can just go on a three month long road trip. See every single weird thing the United States has to offer.”

Our bedroom door opened again, and Stacey walked through, freshly showered and clad in her furry pink bathrobe. As soon as she stepped into the room, I was hit with the power of flowers and sugar and tropical sunsets. Stacey had about 4 different kinds of scented soaps in her shower caddy, and made a point to use every single one whenever she showered, causing all the scents to collide into some kind of overbearing perfume of femininity.

“Someone left a used condom on the bathroom floor.” Stacey dropped her shower caddy on her bed and reached for a towel. “That is seriously disgusting. I mean…it’s a Tuesday. Who’s having shower sex on a Tuesday?” Read More »

Let’s face it; life when you’re in school can be lonely, whether you’re on or off campus. It can be hard, coming back to an empty dorm room or apartment. It can be especially hard when you’re someone like me, who always has an animal around when you’re at home. What’s a pet lover to do?

No fear; Olua is here with five of her favorite small-space-safe pets. I have owned or currently own all of these critters, so you’re getting stuff straight from the source here. I’ll lay out the setup, cost, and some of the infinite wisdom I’ve gained dealing with these little critters.

1. Betta (Siamese Fighting Fish): These are probably the most low-maintaince, toughest pets you could ever own, and come in about every gorgeous color of the rainbow. They’re easy to care for; all you need is a tank a MINIMUM of one gallon (contrary to popular belief, bettas don’t like living in small containers and enjoy having space to spread out their fins) and some fish food. I recommend Hikari’s Betta Bio-Gold.

You don’t need a filter, because bettas aren’t crazy about moving water, but you will need to change the water about once a week. Never ever use water straight from the faucet, since it has chlorine and that will give you a very dead fish. Collect water in a gallon bottle and keep open and it to the side, refilling it every time you change the water. A week is enough time for the chlorine to safely evaporate.

Females can be kept together, but males will fight like Britney cornered by paparazzi. Take good care of your fishy and he could be with you from four to five years. Tank and food included, these guys will run you a very affordable $20 – maybe a little more if you want to give them some decorations. BettaTalk is a great site run by an awesome girl who will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about bettas. Read More »

January may be almost over, and February may have nothing for you to look forward to except Valentine’s Day (which, for a lot of us, is less a holiday and a more a day spent buying ourselves candy and throwing the wrappers at all the happy couples on TV), but March is certainly coming, and it’s bringing with it two of the most amazing words in the English language: Spring Break.

Now, a lot of you out there may associate Spring Break with places like Cancun, Florida, the Bahamas, and other tropical paradises where there’s nothing to do except drink weird fruity things with tiny paper umbrellas floating in them.

And while I have nothing against fruity drinks and paper umbrellas (not to mention scantily clad people lathered up with suntan lotion), Spring Break can be a time for more than just getting a tan and having seven nights of hook-ups you regret later. It can be a time to actually do some good.

The Isabela Oceanographic Institute (IOI), a Florida-based non-profit organization that deals with both American and European study abroad programs, has one of the most amazing Spring Break opportunities around: spend a week in the Galapagos islands while researching ways for them to stay self sufficient. Read More »

Days as a Freshman: 143

Mood: Weirded out

“So you know what I was thinking?” Sasha pushed his empty coffee cup across the table. “I was thinking you should come to a party we’re having this weekend.”

Sasha, Justin and I had spent the last 20 twenty minutes making more small talk than I had ever made in my entire life. Sports, weather, school, assignments, the holidays, favorite cookie flavor; anything small and miniscule, we covered it. Or rather, Sasha and I covered it. Justin spent most of the time staring at Sasha with a frustrated expression, turning it up into a cheap imitation of a smile whenever his friend looked his way.

“It won’t be one of our famous ragers”, Sasha grinned and flicked his cup even farther away from him, “just a bunch of us guys and some other lucky people spending their January breaks in front of books.”

“I don’t know if she’ll like it, dude.” Justin was doing his best impression of easy going. “She’s kind of low key. Right, Grace?”

“Of course she’ll like it! It’s a party, dumb ass. Who doesn’t like parties?” Read More »

Days as a Freshman: 125

Mood: Rested. Finally.

“What are you planning on doing today?”

My mom flitted around me, putting silk napkins down at the empty place settings and touching the pine branch centerpiece. She was anxious. I can always tell when my mom is anxious because she hovers, does everything twice, and buzzes around a space without sitting down for hours.

Her parents were coming up, driving all day from Pennsylvania. They had been driving all day yesterday too. Their long journey meant that as soon as they got here, my grandparents would drive my mom insane. It wasn’t that they weren’t nice people. They were very nice; they just had a habit of making everyone feel like they should be praised for the sacrifices they made for their child. A lot.

“I’m not sure what I’m gonna do. Probably nothing.” I took a bite of cereal and watched my mom touch the tablecloth for the seventh time. It was only 9:30 in the morning, and she was already up and showered and in full hostess mode. I was still in my pajamas. I had been in my pajamas for the last day and a half. It was great.

“You should really get up and get out.” She frowned at an invisible stain on one of the napkins. “Being inside all this time isn’t good for you.”

“Mom. I just got home.”

“So? Vacation doesn’t mean you hibernate for weeks. Sometimes you can be quite lazy, Miss.” Read More »

Days as a Freshman: 23

Current Mood: Lovesick

“Hey guys!”

Stacy’s voice was too loud for the library, and much too loud for my ears. Plunking herself down at our table, she made sure that she was sitting opposite Sasha, and leaning close enough to almost touch his forehead with hers.

After bumping into him in the dining hall, I had somehow miraculously started a conversation about Chemistry—the class we had together—and mentioned that I was headed to the library to study for the chapter quiz. I was just going to do the same thing, he said, smiling in a way that made me feel like I was having a mini heart attack. Wanna study together?

I knew full well studying with Sasha meant studying his face, not our notes, but in the scope of life, I figured one failed quiz was worth a few hours next to the cutest boy I had ever seen. Read More »