So You Made It Through Your 1st Week at College

So you made it through your 1^st week at College. That is a milestone for every student and signals the beginning of your independence and new life. But just as quickly as you left, your parents may be coming to see you after a week or two. They want to see how you’ve grown and that you’re enjoying college. You aspire to show them that.

Make the right impression and invite them into a clean dorm room. Nothing is more of a good surprise than to see your discipline and adjustment to College. Showing your parents a dirty room, especially one that’s worse that they are expected to seeing may give them the wrong impression. No, your room does not have to be immaculately clean. Rounding up dirty clothing and de-cluttering your study area sends the signal that you are serious about college. 

Almost always, your parents will want to go out for dinner/lunch. College students are broke and your parents don’t expect you to pay. But when you do head out, open the door for them. Tell them appropriate 1^st week funny stories about how you showed up to an algebra lecture instead of calculus and didn’t realize until 10 minutes into class. Tell them if you enjoy class. Let them know what you are thinking. Parents that see their children opening up about their experiences, both positive and negative see this as maturity.

Keep an open conversation. You may soon find your parents spilling their college experiences that are both hilarious and a great learning experience. They will see you as an adult and will start treating you as an independent. (They will however keep those cuddly hugs and embarrassing nicknames).

Best Until Next Time - Dylan

Getting the most ZzZzZz’s

If you want to be successful at college, as a student you will require commitment, perseverance and a quality night’s sleep. Historically, student dorming had to live with the sub-par living quarters given to them. Nowadays, college students have a plethora of viable ways to add comfort and style without taking out another student loan.

Blackout Curtains do exactly as their name suggests and cast a lightless environment into your dorm room. This helps to create the perfect atmosphere for tranquil sleep. (If you fell like taking a siesta after reading this, you are not alone). But not everyone’s personal style meshes well with black. DormCo heard this and now offers you a grand variety of colors such as red, gold, chocolate and blue.

Memory Foam products are a relatively new invention that has benefitted college students so much. Memory foam cradles your body and relieves uncomfortable pressure points. While most popular are mattress pads, I must comment on the comfort provided by memory foam pillows as well. Despite all the benefits provided by this heavenly foam and blackout curtains, the quality of your bedding sheets and Twin XL comforter are equally as important

Having a properly fit Twin XL Comforter goes a long way to having a quality night’s sleep. Plush Microfiber, Jersey Knit 100% Cotton and Microfiber Reversible Comforters are all examples of dorm bedding options that are a great value for college bedding. Extra Long Twin comforters give you that extra length to assure your feet aren’t left uncovered. 

While not the only ingredient in collegiate success, having a calm and comfortable to recharge your batteries will help set the stage. Quality bedding accessories are the key to having a good night’s sleep.

Until Then, Signing Off - Dylan

Morning Bird or Night Owl?

The old college curriculum used to entail classes from 8-3, Monday to Friday. Classes would run often on schedules like Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 8-9 or 10-11. The alternate offering, Tuesday and Thursdays would be scheduled 10-11:30. These small chunks of time are scheduled a few times per week, giving you great frequency and homework in smaller chunks.

As Universities attempt to attract lifetime learners of all ages, they are increasingly offering classes outside of this once rigid time frame. Night classes are becoming the norm for working individuals and students unable to enroll given time restrictions. These classes would be offered once per week for several hours often at times like 5:30-8:30 or 6:00-9:00.

Night classes offer the obvious benefit of being out of the way. Work commitments and class requirements may be scheduled during the day while these extra studies can be planned for the evening. Students looking to take advantage of niche or advanced classes find nocturnal classes advantageous. In addition for some classes, the offering may only be at 1 time per semester. This may make evening class your only option.

Night Classes are however not without their disadvantages. For college students, night time is when a majority of the socialization occurs. That 6-9 class might cut into the time that your friends head out. Consistently daydreaming about the fun your friends are having is neither beneficial for you or your classmates. Simply put, your head must be in the right place if night classes are going to work.

So are you a Moring Bird or Nigh Owl?

Commuter Preparedness: The value of Roadside Emergency and Car Comfort Kits

Winter is approaching. Almost every college student can feel it. Whether it is the brisk morning dew or falling leaves, the undeniable cold and eventual snow are approaching. For students that commute, this presents additional challenges. To prepare for the unexpected, I want you to prepare 2 different kits in your car. The 1^st is your Roadside Emergency Kit and the 2^nd is your Car Comfort Kit.

The Roadside kit has everything you need in the chance of an emergency; jumper cables, screwdrivers, clamps, etc. You will find these kits at any hardware store and they’re considered a car owners necessity. But beyond this, having extra lights for your Brake and Turning signals is a no brainer. In older cars these can be changed very quickly.

The 2^nd kit is designed for you. In my trunk, I keep a laundry sack with a few key items. The kit should have some extra non-perishable food. I prefer canned soup with a pull off tab and some paper plates/silverware. If you forgot to bring your lunch to work this comes in handy. There are also many different types of microwavable noodles that only require water.

This leads me to storing an extra water bottle. If temperatures fall below freezing, this definitely should be brought inside at night. Lastly snacks are another great idea. If you spontaneously decide to go to the movies, bring in a snack or two. Get hungry one day, grab a snickers. (lol). Some additional items you could include are a warm blanket, gloves and a hat. Surplus stores sell very warm wool blankets for cheap, so take advantage of that.

Leave me a comment if you have or can think of additional items to keep.

-Dylan