The following post is written by Altif Wyle-Brown from UCSB, one of our many friends at Uloop, a student powered marketplace. Read more great posts in their blog.

It is in human nature to steer away from things that make us feel uncomfortable or uncertain. However, when new to a college campus it can be hard to find one’s niche. And even for many that have been on the college campus for years, they find themselves meandering around with the same individuals that they were friends with Freshmen year.

It is important to step outside of these comfort zones in order to shape and create a larger friend base that can aid you in the future, especially when looking for work. It’s not hard to accomplish this; it just takes a few steps to succeed in being a social giant. Read More »

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? We’ve got the girls for you. Hit them up in the comments or shoot them an email with the subject “College Q&A”! They’ve got all the answers you need, no matter who you are.

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. Read More »

My first year of college is ending and it’s happening much. too. fast. in my opinion.  It feels like I just got here, just took my first public bathroom shower, just attended my first lecture, my first frat party. But at the same time, with the amount I’ve learned, seen and done in the past 8 months, I feel like I’ve been here forever.

My freshman year of college was a complete transition from life at home and as it’s drawing to a close, I realize that the girl taking her last final exam is very different than that girl who called her parents nightly when she first moved in. I’m an older, wiser, drunker more content version of myself, and I have my first year of college to thank for that.

Since I’ll be heading back to the parentals’ pad in a few short weeks, I thought I’d look back on everything I’ve learned during my freshman year. Turns out: I’ve learned a lot.

1. Colleges Aren’t That Giant After All
When you first arrive, your campus seems huge, filled with thousands of strangers that you don’t know, and navigating around it seems to require a GPS device.  After about a month, though, you’ll be zipping around like you’ve been there for years, and everywhere you go, you’ll see people you know.  Sometimes this is not the greatest thing, but I digress.

2. Papers will be the death of you.
Papers in high school were about the same length as papers in college for me, but for some reason, in college they are far more torturous.  For one thing, they are worth so much more of your grade and an afternoon spent in the library trying desperately to pound out the damn thing is more painful than the first time riding a spin bike.  Especially when you have distractions like Facebook, anything happening outside, and the fact that you are SO BORED YOU WANT TO FAKE A HEART ATTACK TO GET OUT OF HANDING IN THAT EFFING PAPER. Read More »

Got some college questions? Unsure of a decision? Debating nabbing a single or living with friends? Just wanna chat it up with some really awesome chics? We’ve got the girls for you. Hit them up in the comments or shoot them an email with the subject “College Q&A”! They’ve got all the answers you need, no matter who you are.

Question:
I really, reaaaaally want to study abroad in Spain next year. (I’ll be a Junior.) I’m just not sure if I should go for one semester or a whole year. Most students only go for one semester, but is there a reason they don’t do a whole year? Would you go for a whole year? I’m not sure if that’s an awesome idea (how else do you really experience the culture??) or if it’s a terrible idea (people are going to forget about me/I will miss out on a lot).

What would you do?

Party Girl:
Do the entire year. Trust me, by the end of the semester, you’ll be getting into your comfort zone, really picking up the language and connecting with new people every day. The only reason I would assume people don’t do the full year is because of money or that their graduation requirements won’t be filled in time. To truly experience your time abroad, you need the full year. I mean, would you rather have four months of drinking, partying, and flirting in another language, or nine months?? You are right about the culture – you’ll need as much time as possible for it to fully sink in. And no, nobody is going to forget about you (your friends aren’t goldfish, are they??). I can’t stress enough how epic an entire year in a foreign country is – get your butt over there and stay for as long as possible!!! Read More »

Got some college questions? Unsure of a decision? Can’t balance all those friends? Just wanna chat it up with some really awesome chics? We’ve got the girls for you. Hit them up in the comments or shoot them an email with the subject “College Q&A”! They’ve got all the answers you need, no matter who you are.

Question:
So I know that the year is nearly over but I thought I’d send this question anyway. I’m a sophomore and I had an awesome freshman year. I met a bunch of people, I had friends on my hall and it seemed like there was always something to do. And now it’s just not the same. My friends are spread all over campus, my classes are harder and it feels like I’m stuck in the middle: I’m too old to go to frat parties but I’m clearly not old enough to go to the bar. This year just isn’t fun. Is this just me? Do you guys know how to fix this?

GPA Girl:
I believe this is commonly known as the “sophomore slump,” girl. And I don’t want to judge, but it sounds as if your sophomore year isn’t turning out to be so great because you are determined to believe that it’s not as good as last year. I think you need to stop comparing and start considering things differently. The trick is to focus on what’s good and, if possible, to manufacture your own fun.  Read More »

Got some college questions? Unsure of a decision? Need to pad that resume? Just wanna chat it up with some really awesome chics? We’ve got the girls for you. Hit them up in the comments or shoot them an email with the subject “College Q&A”!

Question:
I don’t like drinking but I feel like that’s all there ever is to do in my college town on the weekends. What are people supposed to do in college who don’t like to get wasted every night? And how are we supposed to find friends when all they ever do is go out and get drunk?

GPA Girl:

Wow, do I ever feel your pain. In my experience, there are lots of us non-drinkers out there, especially at the beginning of undergrad, but as time goes on, it becomes harder and harder to find people who want to do things other than get trashed. Not to mention that people who don’t like to drink are usually introverted, so it can be harder to find them and befriend them in the first place. Sigh. The deck is stacked against you, girl. But here is some good news: I managed to find amazing, incredible, awesome friends in college even though I didn’t drink a drop. Most of my friends did drink occasionally, but they shared my lack of interest in getting blasted at large parties every weekend.  Read More »

College. Sigh. It’s unlike any other time in your life. It has its own set of rules, its own unique circumstances. And it’s not always easy to navigate. Everyone needs a little guidance now and then (or always) so we’ve pulled together a variety of perspectives (the does-it-all girl, the party girl and Ms. Study Lounge) to weigh in on your life conundrums and give you the best advice we can.

Every week they’ll be tackling your questions about college. From classes to keggers to keggers before classes, they’ll do their best to respond and be your Pez dispenser of collegiate wisdom. Got questions? Unsure of a decision? Need to save some dough? Just wanna chat it up with some really awesome chics?

Hit them up in the comments or shoot them an email with the subject “College Q&A”!

Question:
I’m just about to transfer to a much larger school for the spring semester, after commuting to school for two and a half years (I’m a junior now) and I’m REALLY scared about making friends. I’ve always had some difficulty with making them, since I’m pretty shy and socially awkward. Having friends isn’t impossible, but now that I’m going away to a huge school of 44,000 students, it’s a bit intimidating. Do you have any advice on making new friends mid-year? I’m sorta freaking out. Read More »

Resolutions have never been my forte. The promise of a new year and a better me just isn’t enough to keep me from binge drinking and blowing off the gym every now and again in order to watch a full day’s worth of TBS. What can I say? Resolve just isn’t one of my stronger qualities.

But I think the real trouble with New Year’s resolutions is that I always make one, grand, swooping promise to myself. Let’s get real; swearing off carbohydrates just isn’t feasible. I must have been a full bottle of champagne deep when I came up with that one. I think the best way to go about this whole “new year, new you” idea is to come up with a few smaller resolutions that will keep you in line but won’t have you binge eating bread at the dining hall two weeks later.

Want to make some improvements to your already rockin’ life in 2010? Here are a few suggestions to help you be all you can be in 2010:

5. “I will go to class and stay awake.” Temptation to stay in bed is great in the winter months. There are few things I dislike more than walking to my 8:15 a.m. class in the bitter cold. But a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. You’d be surprised how much information you absorb just by physically being in the classroom. Next year we can work our way up to actually participating. Baby steps, ladies. Baby steps.

4. “I will become more involved on campus.” I know it’s hard when you have a steady schedule of class, food, booze and sleep, but you’d be surprised how much your quality of life will improve once you put yourself out there. Joining a group is a great way to make new friends, build up your resume and become a generally more productive student on campus. And besides, you never know who you might meet (wink, wink.) Read More »

College. Sigh. It’s unlike any other time in your life. It has its own set of rules, its own unique circumstances. And it’s not always easy to navigate. Everyone needs a little guidance now and then (or always) so we’ve pulled together a variety of perspectives (the does-it-all girl, the party girl and Ms. Study Lounge) to weigh in on your life conundrums and give you the best advice we can.

Every week they’ll be tackling your questions about college. From classes to keggers to keggers before classes, they’ll do their best to respond and be your Pez dispenser of collegiate wisdom. Got questions? Unsure of a decision? Just wanna chat it up with some really awesome chics?

Hit them up in the comments or shoot them an email with the subject “College Q&A”!

Question:
Help! It took me forever to choose a major and now that I have, I have a lot of catching up to do. Like, a lot. I’m reworking my schedule for next semester right now and I’m not sure if I should load on the classes (and take a full 18 credits) and really struggle through all the reading and writing (I’m a History major), or take an easier load and stick around for Spring/Summer term. I need to get these classes out of the way – I just don’t know if it’s better to struggle during the year or give up my summer to ease the load. Read More »

I remember going to college expecting to make some of the best friends of my life. It had always seemed that way — you have nice high school friends, but gradually they fade out of the picture and your college friends dominate your life. Wasn’t that the way it was supposed to be?

As I arrived at school and plunged into the rigorous academic environment that was promised in the Princeton brochure, the social scene surprised me in some way. There were the usual kinds of people I expected — the jocks, the preps, the econ majors — but not the friendships I was looking forward to.

I had dining hall buddies (people to eat and swap jokes with), and homework buddies (people to frantically share answers on problem sets with), but there was no gang of girls sharing secrets and supporting each other the way there was in high school. I compared notes with other friends and they agreed; for one reason or another, no one had as close friendships in college as they did in high school.

Why? Read More »