College Students All Wired Up

College students face high academic pressures set upon themselves by their professors. As a college student, you’ll have many late nights spent finishing those all-important essays. The feeling of accomplishment comes right after you are done, you click save and head off to class. But what would happen if you came back one day to resume page 12 of 15 in your research project, only to find your computer crashed or you forgot to save it? If you don’t know right away, then this blog is a must read!

The staple of college students nowadays is the portable jump drive. These small memory sticks are a life saver for students and allow them to carry countless essays and presentations to class or the library. Having one of these is a college life necessity. But flash drives are not meant to hold all your computers vital information, for that you should look into getting yourself an external hard drive. These backup memory drives are much larger in size, easily hitting 500 GB of storage capacity. You can store music, school work, movies and everything you can’t afford to lose in a compact design. New models can even mirror their backup, allowing you a third layer of protection. Backing up your important files is becoming more important in this digital age.

Newer computers may even include their own online computer memory backup. This is an all-digital solution with no cables to hook up. However, this service does require a constant internet hookup to be effective and usually has a cost associated with it.

One wise teacher told me to always have a backup plan for your presentations. Case and point, it was my time to present a research project I had compiled to the class. I got to the class room with my jump drive in hand. I was preparing for the presentation before class and noticed that the USB slot was not working on the computer. There I was set to present, bullets of sweat would have been running if it had not been for my teacher’s advice. So I booted up my e-mail and loaded the presentation all the way to an A+.

Electronic backup is a must for college students nowadays. Your parents had typewriters that produced physical copies, which were impossible to lose electronically. But with the blessings of technology, you have to prepare for some of its downfalls. Put these college computer dorm essentials on your supply list this summer and be prepared.

Stay Classy:

The Ideal Roommate – Be All You Can Be & Better!

Whether you choose to dorm with your best friend or are assigned at random, learning to live with another person is something you must do while at college. You will have disagreements, arguments and even compromising. From these experiences, you’ll grow and mature. But there are a few ideas and neat products that will lessen the “Collegural” shock. You may have read one of my previous blogs about Douchitis on April 4th. The act of being a jerky roommate is a prime root of many college conflicts. Fortunately for everyone, it’s very easy to avoid. I will share some things I learned, so you can learn through me, rather that firsthand.

No one goes to bed at the same time and that’s a fact. So the moment one roommate decides to hit the sack, the other roommate (which may be you) has two options. You can be “that student” and leave all the lights on to read. Secondly you might try and finagle some apparatus with your light bulb to read. I’ve learned that a clip on bed light or flex LED light is the most convenient solution. These little buggers give you plenty of light that is positional and movable, allowing you and your roommate more sleeping privacy.

Fact, college students live off of snack foods and pre-packaged goodies. A fashionable trash bin will keep all this clutter in one place where it belongs. As the semester progresses, mounds of papers and your cookies from Aunt Cindy will accumulate. Having somewhere to put all this junk will instantly spruce up both your areas. Your roommate might not say it, but he/she will appreciate having a cleaner dorm.

Bears, Beets, Battlestar Galactica & College Storage Organizers!!! Whether you choose closet, underbed or behind the door, storing all your dorm stuff is a college necessity. Without these clever storage ideas, keeping your room clean would be a much more difficult task with your shoes, notebooks and clutter taking over. Nobody likes a slobby dorm room. Avoiding this messy room in the first place will go a long way for preventing arguments and to help you to not forget that critical exam paper.

Your time dorming will be some memories that you always take with you. Let them be the right kind, both fun and challenging. You can avoid many of the common hiccups for new college students by paying a little diligence and getting a few dorm essentials. You can find these useful college accessories at great website like www.dormco.com


Until the next time:

Hot Wheels For College – Is A Car Necessary?

During the final few months before college, incoming freshmen and their parents often discuss the necessity of getting wheels for college. Incoming freshmen believe that they need to have a car, while their parents may question if it’s really necessary. The first year being away from college will be a test for many college students. To make sure it’s a success, you need to really examine why and where you will need one.

Most often, commuters will need a car. It is very difficult for two students to match up schedules perfectly. With night classes, early morning classes & large breaks during the day, commuting together can turn very inconvenient to say the least.  Short of having quick and readily accessible local transportation, a car is necessary.

If your college is far away, you must think how often you will return. If you’ll stay away until the end of semester or breaks, a car may not be necessary. If you return every other week, your parents may appreciate the break from driving you back and forth.

Employment is something more and more college students are looking for during college. If you plan on getting employment in a more rural or spacious college community, a car could be appropriate. Work study programs and close off campus employment in cities make it possible to get by without having a ride.

Personally, I believe that the few freshmen who enter college with a car are sometimes taken advantage of. It becomes really difficult the first 2 semesters to determine who your real friends are & who just needs a ride to WallyWorld (Wal-Mart).

You need to truthfully answer the question of “why am I getting this car?” If your reasoning is because everyone else will have one, think again. Car payments, insurance, gas and incidental charges like maintenance and parking permits will quickly add up to 1,000’s of dollars. If you are a cash-strapped student that lives in a city, on campus and is not employed, a car may not be advisable. If you are attending from out of state and have off campus employment, a car may be a great tool for you. These are just a few examples, to best apply to your case sit down with your parents and plan this out.

I Need A Gift Registry … Ooh, And A Featherbed!

Gift registries have become popular ways to facilitate gift giving. What was once secluded to Bridal and Baby occasions has now become a popular median for prospective college students. Some people question the principle of asking for specific gifts, but many more people believe registries provide a great way for college students to get exactly what they need for college. After all who needs three alarm clocks? In addition, many adults find these registries simplify a complicated process. Some adults are out of touch with modern college necessities and need a little guidance.

Some registries are administered exclusively by 1 site. These web sites maintain their database and constantly update when you add a new item to the registry, remove one or change a color or feature. This quick online feature means your entire family can browse what you need without asking you or blindly buying something. However, you may need to make a quite a few registries to cover all your dorm room necessities.

Covering everything you need, DormCo teamed up with a popular online gift registry, WishPot. This best of both worlds team up will let you get all your dorm room essentials in the same registry as the new shoes or clothing you would like as well. This ultimate convenience means family; relatives and friends can all search in one registry for dorm supplies you need. Best of all, you can avoid any of those lame Class of 20** picture frames.

Etiquette experts recommend that you avoid blatantly asking people to purchase you certain college supplies. A subtle way of introducing your registry would be to put it on a party invitation: gifts (optional) at ___ Registry.  In addition, the registry you give should be very practical college supplies and nothing too expensive or non-essential. Purchases like that will most likely be handled by your immediate family (They know what’s up). Now you are in the know about College Gift Registries.