Choosing the right college - Making the Grade
Making the Grade
Arriving at college is like visiting a new home on another planet. There are many sites geared toward helping in this transition. One of the best is CollegeClub.com. The site has 12 channels on topics such as money, jobs, love and others. Inside, you'll find advice and reflections on all aspects of college life.
When I visited, there were video clips illustrating things you should and shouldn't do in your first big job interview. I also found one student's testimony on the downside of attending a huge public university (the writer compares life there to time in the "big house" and is thrilled to have finally been "paroled" to a smaller school.)
Student Advantage.com. also offers insights into areas of student life such as academics, travel and dating. One writer argues that you can tell a lot about your date based on their ice cream preferences. (Beware potential flames who like frozen yogurt; the author warns "Someone who's unable to commit to the calories or fat involved with real ice cream might not want to commit to a relationship with you.)
Once new college students get into the swing of academic life, they're bound to develop a routine that includes bad habits that have plagued freshmen forever. Creeping weight gain is one of them. It all begins innocently enough - the late-night pizzas, the high-fat cafeteria food and the wonderful "care packages" sent by Mom. Pretty soon you're pinching your waistline and discovering the dreaded "freshman 15." You can avoid what some say is the unavoidable weight gain by scanning the tips from ehow.com
Many freshmen also acquire another habit that is potentially far more dangerous than overeating: Binge drinking. Drinking: A Student's Guide is divided into seven sections: Alcohol Facts, Binge Drinking, Alcohol and Health, Alcohol and Women, Alcohol and Drugs, Am I At Risk?, and Alcohol Help. The site's goal is to serve as a sobering reminder of the dangers of excessive drinking for those who view college as "just a four-year party with a $20,000 cover charge."
Unfortunately, even the perfect diet and complete sobriety won't keep you from getting sick. The first time you sniffle and Mom's not there to offer a tissue, you know you've stepped into a scary world.
Women can find virtual medical advice at Double Sunrise: Young Women's Health. The site recounts the most common viruses and also bacterial infections that can require antibiotics, and offers advice on how to confront such illnesses (such as using your student health center).
Young adults of both genders can find answers to health questions at the Consumer Health Information Service. The site features a series of articles and links to sites that address topics of concern to students including acne, STDs, tattoos and piercings, asthma, eating disorders and others.
The key to adjusting to college is to find the right balance. At the Studentadvantage.com site mentioned above, University of Minnesota President Mark Yudof offers some advice: "I'd tell freshman to make sure that they keep their lives in balance between their academic responsibilities and their social lives outside of the classroom."
That message of balance is a lesson that will serve today's students well when they graduate and enter the school of life.
Choosing a College (Part 1)
Test Taking (Part 2)
Making the Grade (Part 3)