There's no such thing as "the quintessential college experience." With all the generic portrayals of college in the media, it may sometimes seem that the only way to experience the “Best Four Years of Your Life” is by living on-campus. Luckily, you can be a commuter and still make the most of the years spent earning your degree! Here are a few tips I found quite helpful, especially when I was just starting out: Join a club Ever feel like this is the only thing you hear from college grads trying to bestow their wisdom on you? Well, it’s probably because it’s the best and quickest advice you can give that could potentially change the trajectory of a student’s college career. Once you find the one (or several) organization that fits, you’ll be introduced to a network of other fun and ambitious students like you looking to make the most of their four years at school. Finding your crew is the easiest way to find friends who are always willing to hunt down free food, get the inside scoop on events (while perhaps planning a few of your own), and who can help you grow your experience with leadership positions. Not to mention, most clubs have their own offices, so now you’ll have a place to keep some of your things you don’t want to keep lugging around campus all day! Visit your school’s Club Fair or Office of Student Life to get a list of active clubs. Get an on-campus job Being a student can get tough, but luckily your school has your back. Whether or not you have Federal Work-Study, you can search for a job and earn some extra money without ever needing to leave campus, all while benefiting from the additional perks they come with as well. Working on campus can make it easier for you to meet with professors and academic advisers without the need for an appointment (and standing on a crazy line), give you extra knowledge of on-campus resources, or simply provide the opportunity to work with other students! Some campuses may also offer jobs specifically for international students. The first step to building your resume is learning your options; check out your Office of Leadership Development or Career Services to start your job hunt. Explore your whole campus One of the most solid pieces of advice I give to students, especially first-years, is to spend some time exploring every inch of campus. In most cases, you can find study areas you never knew about, whether more comfy, quiet, or private. Some schools can house special rooms that are hidden on random floors, like photography dark rooms or piano areas. Discovering your campus could also lead you to new opponents to challenge in the game room, or just new places to relax. Awaken your inner explorer and get to know your new second home. Redesign your schedule Most likely your schedule was chosen for you your first semester, but after that, you’ll have complete control over what classes you take and when you’re on campus. Surely there are some limits to this with course requirements for graduation (make sure to meet with your adviser!), but there’s still freedom to customize your schedule. In most cases, colleges have set scheduling practices, such as having classes meet Mondays & Wednesdays or Tuesdays & Thursdays. This means you could potentially only have to commute to school twice a week! By doing so, you’ll be able to better balance other responsibilities like a job or your assignments. You can even think about taking hybrid or online courses, which meet even less, such as once a week or a couple of times a semester. Still, remember to schedule classes on the days most events are held on -- you don’t want to miss out on all the fun on campus! Being a commuter student can be difficult and draining, especially at times when you feel like you actually DO live on campus with the hours you spend at school. However, these are still your college years -- take advantage of everything your campus has to offer and make the most of “the best years of your life.” The experience you have is totally up to you! WRITTEN BY Emilia Kacperak Baruch College Emilia is a senior at Baruch College studying marketing management and minoring in philosophy. She spends as much time on-campus as she can, usually planning for the yearbook or hunting down the next free giveaway. ... View more

It's not always "sink or swim!" So, not to be that person, but college has pretty much been the best part of my life. However, it’s not for the reasons you might think. Within my first year, I got dumped, rejected from my dream school where I applied as a transfer, and had a complete crisis concerning my future. And I was supposed to deal with this while figuring out bus routes, frat parties, and shared bathrooms? Yeah, no thanks. I don’t think this whole autonomy thing is for me after all. At least, that’s how I felt at first. I think we’re all faced with a choice when we’re thrown into adulthood: sink or swim. At first, it feels easier to sink. I was stuck miles away from the only home I had ever known and struggling through things that I’d never had to deal with on my own. It was so tempting to let go, to settle comfortably into resignation. But that was until I realized that the solitude wasn’t suffocating. It was freeing. I wasn’t helpless without those things I had always depended on; in fact, I was more in control than I had ever been before. Away from the influences, I had known all my life, those of teachers, parents, and friends, I was finally able to ask myself what I wanted. And what I wanted, I realized, looked a lot different than what I was doing. So, I changed my major, pretty dramatically. I changed my goals, I made a plan, and I stopped pursuing things that I didn’t love. In other words, I started to swim. And this wasn’t easy-- it takes some guts to really listen to yourself. You realize that you can be the cause of your wildest successes, but also be held accountable for your failures. So, you can continue to fear responsibility, as I did at first, or you can embrace it. And the latter option, I have found, is enlightening, empowering, and above all, has made me happy. When you choose to take control of your life, choosing happiness comes intuitively. Now, I know that all sounds a bit lofty, but I promise you, it’s simpler than you think. The transition to college naturally introduces a degree of independence that you may not have gotten the chance to experiment with before. It comes with a lot of crappy stuff -- lots of worrying about rent and careers and scholarships -- but it comes with a lot of the good stuff I’ve talked about too if you open yourself up to it. And the other stuff, the devastating, stressful stuff -- it didn't become background noise. It was still devastating. But, I could see the other side. And with my new perspective, I realized that I had the power to make that other side better than this one ever had been. Now, I’m not super equipped to be providing self-help. I’m still figuring this out day by day. But it’s amazing how much a change in my outlook has helped me move forward, even when countless other things are dragging me back. So take some time to listen to yourself, undiluted by outside opinions. Figure out what you want. And choose it, every time. WRITTEN BY Izzy Taylor Michigan State University Izzy is a sophomore at Michigan State University studying philosophy and political science. As you can tell, she has a passion for those disciplines guaranteed to make prospective employers toss out her resume immediately. She somehow snagged a Student Ambassador gig at Macmillan Learning anyway. She is an avid consumer of vintage clothing and 80's music and has never met a cat she didn't love. ... View more

Beware and be prepared! Whether you’re just starting college as a freshman, or are a rising senior like me, the summer is when we start thinking about what we will need on a daily basis once we return to campus. It’s like packing for a trip—you’re bound to forget something really important that you never realized you needed until you didn’t have it. Not to mention, forgetting things or bringing the wrong kind of item can lead to a lot of re-purchasing, which is hard on a college student budget. At least, that’s always how I feel. In order to prevent this, I created this survival kit of five things that I truly cannot live without in college. Gift cards Whenever I go back to school, I realize how expensive it can be to commute on and off-campus. Plus, not everyone is able to have a car at school, so in my experience, the college student Uber bill can become costly. This is why one thing that I cannot live without is Uber gift cards. You’ll never realize how much they come in handy until it’s 2 a.m. and you’re stuck on campus with your friend offering you a blanket to sleep on because you don’t want to spend the money to get back home. So, if you need any birthday, graduation, and celebration gift ideas, think about asking for Uber gift cards next time. You can use them in desperate moments without having to stress about transportation finances. Pro-tip: Always ride smart and safe with Uber, though! Starbucks. Gift. Cards. (Or, Dunkin’ Donuts, or really any coffee shop on campus or near your school). Pretty much every college student I know drinks coffee at some point during their college career. And, there isn’t always a cheap option on campus. At Wake Forest, I can visit Starbucks shops on campus and even in the campus library. As a result, a free mid-study pick-me-up is a necessary treat every now and then. Travel mug A medium-size travel mug can be your best friend in college. It’s such a simple idea and if you bring it around campus with you every day in a bag or backpack, you can fill it with coffee, water, tea, etc. This way, in a pinch, you can fill up and hydrate or caffeinate. Best of all, this is really great for the environment and your budget. By using, washing, and re-using, you can eliminate a lot of plastic waste and save money purchasing a one-time use cup or water bottle. The ultimate shoe Now, this may seem oddly specific, but it is something that every college student needs and rarely ever has. Rain boots and sneakers are great, but in my opinion, the ultimate shoe is a shoe that is: Comfortable: No exceptions! You should have a pair of shoes that look great but can also take you on a 25-mile journey in one day without hurting you. I know it sounds impossible, but you can find one that meets this requirement. It may take some digging in shoe stores, but you will thank yourself later.   Fashionable: This same comfortable shoe should also be cute in your opinion, so you’re more likely to wear them for both comfort and style. This pair of shoes should also go with a variety of colors, styles, and outfits. For example, for men’s clothing, they should match with shorts, pants, khakis, jeans, and sport shorts. For women’s clothing, they should work with a dress, pants, shorts, patterns, and plain fabrics. You will thank yourself during those early morning class wake up calls because you’ll have one pair of shoes to slip on without a second thought.   Relatively new: This is a really important aspect of shoes that people, especially college students, forget. Shoes are meant to support your feet! If the shoes are too old, they will no longer have the traction and support on the bottom of the shoe that keeps you pain-free. Even if your feet do not hurt, old shoes do not support overall foot health. As a result, you should replace shoes that you wear a lot, especially walk far in, after a couple of hundred miles or so because this will keep you moving strong.   Somewhat waterproof: While this “ultimate” pair of shoes doesn’t have to be waterproof, it is helpful to buy a pair that lends itself to bad weather. For example, if you find a cute, comfortable, new walking shoe that is made of suede then you probably can’t rely on them during a day with rainy weather and, therefore, you’ll either ruin them or wear them less frequently. All of these tips that create the “ultimate shoe” will keep you looking fresh, feeling comfortable, and moving fast on the day-to-day busy college schedule. These ideas will also help you save money because you have tons of variety in one shoe. Therefore, you won’t have to buy as many pairs to create outfits and won’t have to replace them as often. Best of all, though, the ultimate shoe makes you unstoppable and confident. An outdoor/indoor blanket I love this idea because it combines two uses into one, saving you space in the car or on the plane or train while en route to school. An outdoor blanket comes in handy if your friends want to hang out in the park, go to a concert, or do homework outside. It can also double as a yoga mat, sleeping bag, and regular blanket. Whether inside, outside, or both, you will always have a place to sit, which isn’t always a given in college. A top-notch umbrella & raincoat These two items are a little more practical for college, but they don’t come cheap. It’s worth it, though, seriously. I highly recommend buying a good quality umbrella and raincoat for college because there will always be those moments when you have to walk 10 minutes in the pouring rain to get to your next class on time. When that happens, you’ll realize that the extra expense was worth it because a cheap, “water-resistant” raincoat will not help you—at all. The same idea goes for a nice umbrella because the cheap ones that you can buy off of a street corner will break almost every time. As a result, one expensive umbrella purchase that lasts throughout your college career will actually save you money over the many cheap umbrellas you buy and then have to replace over time. If you bring these five must-have items to college in addition to your bedspread, books, and clothes, you will be moving quickly and easily while also saving money and keeping your body comfortable. These simple ideas are meant to keep you calm in moments when you could otherwise feel unprepared or exhausted because let’s face it, both are very common in college! WRITTEN BY Allison Curley Wake Forest University Allison is the Summer 2019 Editorial Intern for Worth Publishers (Psychology) at Macmillan Learning and a rising senior at Wake Forest University. When she’s not reading for fun or for her Bachelor’s degree in English, she’s probably spinning to the song “Move Your Feet,” a timeless classic. She also loves writing, especially about food and fitness, which you can find here or on Spoon University and Familyproof.com. ... View more

Find ways to keep entertained on the subway! A key feature of moving to a city is learning and eventually mastering the subway system. It might take a week or two to figure out what uptown and downtown mean, and several years off your life to figure out the weekend schedule. But once the basics are behind you, you can begin figuring what you can achieve on your 45-minute or more commute -- more often than not, the journey between point A to point B is more meandering than rapid! Here are some ways to fill up the time and disembark at point B with your chin up. Reading One of the things we always hear about and never discuss in polite society (without sadness) is the lack of reading time in adulthood. Textbooks and readings take over every college student’s life as novels and mysteries get ignored for the most part. But no more! The subway is a great place to catch up on reading and actually meet your reading goals. It even encourages me to read more: at one point, I had a “subway book” and a “home book.” Listening to podcasts I love a good educational or history podcast, and it helps block out all the unpleasant aspects of riding the subway (such as the train coming to an abrupt halt or that one person who keeps playing their music loudly) -- and you get to feel productive and worldly, depending on which podcast is your poison. Playing games on your phone You will likely see far more people playing Candy Crush on the subway than you ever will in any other realm of your life. Playing games on your phone (or your Switch or electronic gadget of preference) will ensure that other people on the train leave you to your devices, pun intended. I try to solve Sudokus on the train now. It’s wild how many minutes pass in which I don’t know math or numbers or logic, but it’s a great way to make my commute shorter. Perusing ads or posters This one might sound a little bland at first glance, but there’s some real gold in the advertisements pasted inside subway cars. Depending on the train line, some brands like Casper leave behind riddles and brain teasers on their ads which are always weirdly satisfying to solve. Some subways also have little poems about the seasons posted on the wall. One of my favorite things to do is to brush up on the subway map if I am standing or sitting near one. When I first moved to New York, I was determined to become the reigning queen of navigation within days of arriving, and just poring over the map on the subway helped a lot. People-watching One of the most popular answers I get when I ask people what they do on their commute is people-watching. Whether you have lived in a city your whole life or arrived two minutes ago, you are always guaranteed encounters with some of the most interesting people in the city (and I promise that you will be trapped with some of those people underground in a train more often than not). Make hay while the sun shines! Take note of what books they are reading or if they are wearing a fascinating hat or T-shirt. Think about hats and T-shirts. Before you know it, you will be at your stop. Some other all-time winners include listening to music, of course, and napping. But once you find what works for you, you can begin looking forward to riding the subway and using the time to make the best of your commute. Happy travels! WRITTEN BY Divya Murthy Besides correcting people’s pronunciations and spellings of her name, this Syracuse graduate enjoys a morning cup of hot South Indian filter coffee and can’t wait for the day she finally spills it on some unlucky commuter on the subway. As a journalism graduate, she is a big fan of the Oxford comma and always looks for it in all the P.G. Wodehouse and Roald Dahl novels she reads. In her free time, she loves blogging about her mildest misfortunes under the pseudonym The Fourth PowerPuff Girl. ... View more

Make your college your home away from home. Starting college can be a turbulent, transitional period, and moving to a new campus always feels a little disorienting. You don’t have the streets memorized yet and you’re probably still searching for a good coffee shop. My personal advice for finding your fit in a new setting is to make yourself feel more at home. Get Cozy. It’s important to take control of your own environment. Whether it’s a dorm room, an apartment, or an art school locker, you’ve got to make your space into your space. Find out what you like and try out everything: put posters on the wall, tear them down, move your furniture, rearrange. Of course, if you share a space, you have to respect your roommate’s wishes too, but you can always personalize. When you make your space into something you enjoy, coming home will always be a break—the perfect place to go after a long day. Try, try, try. Feeling more at home on a new campus can be difficult if you’re not familiar with campus etiquette. Find out what’s going on at your university: what kind of events you can attend, how the buses run, and where your classes are. Don’t be afraid to try new things. When I was a freshman, I made the personal goal to walk through every building on campus at least once. You might get lost, but you’ll also get comfortable. A campus flourishes with opportunities only if you look for them. Push campus limits. It’s important to push those campus limits, too. Step outside the world of the university and explore the surrounding city. If you’re in a new state, take a look at the local grocery stores. Have you ever been to Meijer? Wander into new restaurants, coffee shops, and thrift stores. As a student, I always enjoyed exploring the local parks and animal shelters outside of campus. Wherever you go, there’s no shortage of community. Integrate. Exploring a new city or campus and understanding the local life is an important aspect of feeling more at home, but it’s also necessary to integrate things from your high-school life. Ask mom for your favorite recipes and make time with your new friends to cook them. Bring your favorite outfits and invite your old friends to visit you. Feeling more at home in a new space doesn’t mean you have to forget about your old space. Moving to a new campus or city can be a terrifying, yet thrilling experience. I found it hard to feel at home in a place I didn’t know, so my best bet was to get to know that new place. It was necessary to explore the local areas and push myself outside of campus to find out what was happening all around me. Only then did I find the place where I could fit in, like home. WRITTEN BY Sydney Bagnall University of Michigan Sydney graduated in May 2019 with a major in English Literature and a minor in Graphic design. She has a knack for all things creative. Originally from Pennsylvania, she enjoys biking on rolling hills and never misses an opportunity to stop and observe the sky. If you don’t find her vigorously typing, you can find her outside. ... View more

Get involved in your school's research opportunities! Research Opportunities Many universities have a multitude of research labs that look for students to act as subjects. Participation in studies is always completely voluntary and can range from simply filling out a questionnaire to spending time in an MRI scanner. Some studies don’t even require participants to visit a lab, instead of offering Amazon gift cards to go towards your mom’s birthday gift for filling out a survey in bed, at the gym, or on the way to class. More intensive studies require a bit of patience, such as the ones where a sticky, gel-filled EEG cap is placed on your head to measure your brain waves during a task. Long-term research often looks for a specific demographic of the population which you may belong to, from age and medical health to a particular hobby or skill set. Yet, no matter the type of study, there are so many benefits to participating in them as often as you can in college. Easy Money No need to delay the obvious: participating in research gets you money very quickly. It is one of the most time-effective, bang for your buck ways to bring in some extra income, especially if you don’t have a job. Many studies pay well over minimum wage while lasting for a fraction of an hour. My personal record is walking out of a study in 7 minutes and 24 dollars richer - that’s a pretty fast conversion rate. I’ve also participated in some longer MRI scans that were mildly uncomfortable, but walking out with 80 to 100 dollars soon after made me quickly forget about the cramped space and loud noises. Plain and simple, volunteering for a study takes very little time and can reap huge rewards. Advancing Scientific Knowledge Now onto the more selfless reason to participate in research: you are doing a good deed by helping a scientist answer his or her burning question about the world. For researchers, data collection can be a tiresome and tedious commitment, so any willing student who volunteers is very much appreciated. If a study you participate in leads to a massive scientific breakthrough that helps countless others, consider it an added bonus. Be careful, though, to only participate in studies that you feel absolutely comfortable with. Many, including myself, are perfectly fine with anonymous surveys but get a little nervous when dealing with more advanced methods that require some sort of pharmaceutical intervention or magnetic brain stimulation. Exploring Campus So much of our time on campus is surprisingly spent in only a few key locations, from our dorm rooms to the dining hall to class and back again. Seeking out research labs may lead you to some unfamiliar ground on campus, from the floors of the psychology building to the wings of the hospital. Seeking out studies can introduce you to all parts of campus that the tour guide doesn’t cover during the orientation week tour. Along with the change of scenery, you never know what people you might meet in this previously uncharted territory. Interacting with medical professionals, graduate students, and other research subjects provides ample networking opportunities to find those with similar interests. Lastly, getting involved on campus in this way can shed light on the larger mission and core values of your university other than simply providing students with excellent courses and a degree upon graduation. From Subject to Experimenter Many college students list their own research experiences as among the most meaningful during their time in college. Participating in a few studies as a subject can introduce you to exciting research opportunities that you can get involved in from the other side of the equation. If you take part in an especially interesting study, be sure to remember the name of the researcher and look him or her up later. The easiest way to find research opportunities is by looking at the subject pools for psychology and behavioral labs (or whatever discipline you’re interested in) and reaching out to the primary investigators stating your interest in their work. Sending the dreaded cold-email to professors is daunting, but fire off enough and you will eventually find a match. Being involved in research builds great collaborative and problem-solving skills, and can help you define what future career path you’d like to pursue. In all, being a research subject leads to many perks both for yourself and others. Try one or two out for size and see if you like it -- I’m confident you will become a research regular soon after. WRITTEN BY Ben Thier Duke University Born and raised a New Yorker, Ben studies neuroscience and education at Duke University in North Carolina. He is currently the Learning Solutions Intern for Macmillan and also serves on the Student Co-Design Group for the Learning Science department. His hobbies include listening to podcasts 24/7, scuba diving, collecting Snapple caps, and trying to get his friends to watch Survivor with him on Wednesday nights. ... View more

It can be easy and fun to fit some exercise into your hectic day! Everyone wants to look and feel their best. But often, college life can get in the way of staying healthy and happy through exercise. Too busy to go to the gym regularly this semester? No worries. With a little patience and determination, you don’t have to sacrifice your health because of your busy college life. Here are a few simple ways you can stay healthy and happy without making massive changes to your daily schedule. Make the Most Out of Your Commute For many students, commuting is a major element of college life. From making your way to your internship’s office to traveling from your dorm room to your next class on the other side of campus, movement is the key to keeping your heart rate pumping. Start by making subtle changes to your daily commute to maximize your activity and stay moving. No matter how luxurious that elevator looks, try taking the stairs. Give yourself 30 extra minutes and take the long walk to class. Have an old bike at home? Bring it to campus and enjoy the ride. Push yourself to incorporate a bit of extra activity into the things you do daily. Free Gym? Yes, Please! If your campus has a gym that’s free and open to students, taking advantage of its services and programs can go a long way in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Never been to the gym before? No worries. Many schools even offer fitness classes and personal trainers to help ease you into working out in a way that is best for your body’s needs. Start slowly by taking a few laps around the track. Once you feel warmed up, gradually increase your activity with gentle cardio on the stationary bike or the treadmill. If you feel even more confident, test out some light weights and strength exercises. If you’re too busy during the week to hit the gym, take 30 minutes to an hour out of your weekend to dedicate to learning the ropes. Sweat the stress away! Stay Accountable and Bring Friends To stay motivated, invite a friend or two to join you as you work out. Not only will you keep yourself accountable in your workouts and dedicated to personal growth, but you’ll also build a stronger friendship with your workout buddies! Set up a date and time to meet up with one another, and plan for a workout that suits your individual bodies and goals. Test the boundaries of your comfort zone and try new exercises together. Your relationship with your friends (and your health!) will thank you for it. Keep Your Heart Ticking with Tech One of the best ways to stay motivated to work out is by using apps to remind you to exercise, monitor your food intake, and track your progress. Seven, for example, offers users a simple guide to exercising by helping you reach your fitness goals with just a seven-minute workout per day. To eat healthier, Lose It! helps users count calories, plan meals, and even keep track of workouts, water intake, weight, and more. Maximize the effectiveness of your workout plan with the technology you use every day! Feeling pumped up? Check back here at College Quest for more ideas on how you can make the most out of your college experience… the fun way! WRITTEN BY Samantha Storms Hofstra University Despite her last name, this senior journalism and publishing student doesn't have dreams of becoming a weather forecaster upon graduation from Hofstra University. She is currently exploring her love of language as a Media Editorial Intern for the psychology team at Macmillan Learning. A true Pittsburgher through and through, Samantha enjoys knitting, listening to eighties pop, and searching for the best pho spots. ... View more

How to be responsible for other students while also taking care of yourself. Real talk -- when I was an RA, some days were pretty overwhelming. Between my residents going through issues, keeping up with RA duties, writing papers, working an internship, hosting a radio show, and having a personal life, my ability to juggle my time was falling apart before me -- and my health with it. I thought I was superwoman; I had pushed myself to the point where I was skipping meals, sleeping four to five hours a night, having major headaches, and taking very few breaks. One day, all of my decisions caught up with me and my physical and emotional health began to suffer, and unfortunately, crash. This can happen if you don’t take care of yourself! This experience made me reevaluate a lot of my choices. Where did I go wrong? What could I have done differently? Who could I have talked to? Just like the saying “a therapist has their own therapist,” an RA is entitled to their own resources just like any other student. RAs should not be expected to be superheroes, to put out all the fires, or to maintain a facade of perfection. RAs are real students, working just as hard as any other student to graduate. Sometimes expectations befalls us and it doesn’t match reality. So, with that in mind, here are a few things you need to understand: You Are NOT Anyone’s Mom or Dad Did you raise them? Do you pay their tuition? Do you mark them down on your taxes? No. You are an RA. This means you’re a mentor, guide, friendly face, community builder, and confidant. When your residents need your help, be there for them, especially in an emergency. Do not hover over them and cater to their every whim (especially freshmen). Give them the tools they need, but let them grow. When you notice a pattern where they are asking more from you than you have to give, talk to your Resident Director (RD) about the matter. Your RD can intervene in these situations. If the issues are not urgent, ask the student to meet you during your office hours. Campus Resources Are There for You Too You’d be surprised how often RAs forget about this. All of the resources that offer assistance on campus are available to ALL students, including yourself. If you’re an RA going through something difficult, seek out a professional if your school offers mental health services such as a Counseling or Wellness Center! Their job is to help. Your RD and your fellow RAs might also be great confidants as well. They might understand better than anyone what you are going through, especially if you feel like your days are one balancing act at a time. All RAs have the same job. Who better to understand door tag deadlines, duty woes, and 4AM lockouts better than a fellow RA or RD who has done the same before? Make Time for Yourself Even if you have to pencil it into your schedule, give yourself time to do WHATEVER you want. Watch TV, read a book, write in a journal, play a game, exercise, or anything else! My RD gave me this advice and it definitely helped keep me sane during a rough semester. Sleep! (Or Sneak In A Power Nap) It’s not uncommon to pull an all-nighter in college (especially if you’re an RA) but try to give yourself enough sleep time. It’s also important to note that for those who dorm or live close enough to campus (RA or not), 20 - 30-minute naps are AMAZING and do wonders*. Try not to exceed 20 - 30 minutes though or you may end up feeling groggier than before. “Doritos Are Not Lunch” This is an actual quote from my fellow RAs on my staff. Please make sure you’re eating substantial meals and not chips out of a vending machine. If this becomes an almost regular occurrence, it’s time to make some changes ASAP. Clarke University highlights 10 Healthy Eating Tips for Busy Students that you may want to check out! Embrace the Good Stress, Evict the Bad Stress can be awesome (said no one ever) but it’s true! Some stress can bring out the best in people and push them to do great things. Everyone’s stress levels vary, but a little stress can be enough of a push for you to take charge, handle yourself, and exceed your expectations. When stress begins to feel suffocating, that’s when you need to take a step back, evaluate, and come up with a different way of handling it. Remember some stress-relieving techniques including exercise, meditation, and breathing exercises. You are your most important self. Though being an RA is a flexibility act, stretching yourself too thin won’t support you or your residents. If I had known then what I know now things would have turned out differently for me, but going through this made me realize and appreciate my limits, my options, and the value of taking care of myself. Source: "Napping." National Sleep Foundation, https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/napping. Accessed 12 Mar. 2019 WRITTEN BY Alyssa Del-Valle Macmillan Learning With a BA in Communications and Music and a "Mouseters" in all things Disney, when not writing fabulous articles this native New Yorker is either making up songs in her head about her daily interactions, practicing voice overs for the next hair care commercial, or munching on Doritos she couldn't resist grabbing at her local bodega. The purple bag is hard to resist. ... View more

You're a celebrity! You're a star! You're a...fish? "Life in a fishbowl" is a common phrase known among the Residence Life departments all across the nation. The phrase encapsulates the kind of life a Resident Advisor/Assistant (RA) experiences in their college career. "Life in a fishbowl" means that as a leader and representative of the school, your words, actions, and decisions are noticed by everyone on and off-campus. To a degree, it's like being a celebrity; you're well known, looked up to, and highly recognized among your peers. As mentioned in a previous article in this series, RAs wear many hats, the most valuable of which is being a role model and following through on the policies they enforce. Personal Life and (Para) Professionalism When living in a fishbowl everything you do in public will be noticed, but you also need to remember that you're in college too! So long as school and legal policies are followed, living in a fishbowl does not mean your personal life is non-existent. However, because you are "on" almost 24/7, you need to find a yin and yang balance between your personal life and *paraprofessional one. If there is a party in a freshman dorm with alcohol, 9 out of 10 times it's a dry hall (dry meaning no alcohol is allowed in the building) and therefore you should not attend. If you are out dancing, have a great time! Just make sure you're not sloppy by the end of the night. If you had a bad day, don't start giving your residents' attitude or ignoring them when they really need help. You're their leader and resource, and helping your residents is the genesis of your whole job. There will be situations that are tougher calls but if you feel unsettled by the idea, more than likely you may want to go with your gut or ask your Resident Director (RD) for advice! Your Social Media Footprint Being conscientious of your social media profiles is exponentially important. In an age where social media can sometimes make or break a person's career, it is highly important your profiles are held to a certain standard as you represent yourself and your thoughts online. This is true for everyone, RA or not; if you are not wary of what you post on social media it can be used against you. In my experience, 90% of the RAs fired during my time in Residence Life were fired because of something they posted or someone else posted of them on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, or Twitter. There are always people watching and the reality is that there can be one person who will take an incriminating post you made and send it to your boss whether in Residence Life or later in your professional career. Here are a few tips to staying social media savvy: If it's a personal account, put your settings on private. Do not bad mouth your institution online (and quite frankly, not allowed either). Whether you agree with a policy or not, as an RA you represent your institution. You are entitled to your own opinion, but voice it in a respectful, eloquent manner. Do not put yourself in an incriminating position. In the age of camera phones, anything can be caught on cam. Think before you post. If you're a selfie queen, by all means, do you. But be aware of your background and anything that could arouse suspicion. Admittedly, being an RA is not your "average" college experience but it better prepares you for your post-graduate career and can even put you ahead. While it does sound overwhelming (and sometimes it is), remember that your staff is going through the same thing; you are not alone. Being an RA at a college institution is a safe environment to learn and make a few mistakes. You will be just fine if you follow your own common sense. Even if you're not an RA, the advice in this article will still apply to you too. When applying to jobs, an unflattering social media footprint can be damaging or hurt your chances. Though it is important to be aware of your actions and posts, mistakes come and go. The metaphor of "life in a fishbowl" is just a warning label to proceed with caution. At the same time, no one can expect perfection and a mistake isn't a period nor an ending; it's a part of growing and learning which is what college is all about. *RAs are considered paraprofessional trained student leaders. WRITTEN BY Alyssa Del-Valle Macmillan Learning With a BA in Communications and Music and a "Mouseters" in all things Disney, when not writing fabulous articles this native New Yorker is either making up songs in her head about her daily interactions, practicing voice overs for the next hair care commercial, or munching on Doritos she couldn't resist grabbing at her local bodega. The purple bag is hard to resist. ... View more

Take a sneak peek into the life of an RA. You're decorating your dorm room with some cool new posters you just bought at a poster sale when you hear a knock on your door. A total stranger (who probably has a basket of cookies or some kind of treat) introduces herself as your RA. Your first thought — what the heck is that? When she begins to explain you get the gist, but do you actually know what being an RA entails? As a 3-year freshman RA at my college, I'm here to explain our truths, debunk our myths, and tell you what's really going down in your residence halls. But first... What is Residence Life? Residence Life (or affectionately shortened to Res Life) is an on- or off-campus living resource with a primary focus on community building through programming, personal growth, academic integrity, and safety in the residence halls. See signs for an ice cream social? Most likely an event hosted by your RA! All these acronyms! What do they mean? There are different variations across schools, but they generally mean the same thing. The structure in some schools in the Residence Life department may differ, but I'll cover the universal ones. DORL - Director of Residence Life As the title suggests, a DLOR is the big cheese of the department and makes major departmental decisions from hiring to housing selections. RD/RHD - Resident Director/Resident Hall Director Your RD is responsible for your building(s). Though an RD is not the director, he or she has the most influence on the buildings they reside in. Should any incident occur that you are a part of, you will certainly be meeting with your RD. RA/RHA - Resident Advisor (Assistant)/Resident Hall Advisor (Assistant) RAs are students just like you! RAs are student leaders who get the most interpersonal time with their residents through daily interactions such as programming, roommate contracts, incidents, community building activities, or sometimes even sharing the same class! Naturally, RAs get the most face time with residents. The Many Hats Your RA Wears Your RA has chronic hat hair. RAs are mentors, resources, artists, conflict resolvers, peacekeepers, problem-solvers, administrators, leaders, decision-makers, event-planners, and most importantly, STUDENTS. When residents need advice, RAs are usually the go-to person. They make your door tags and bulletin boards. They go into each and every room to file room condition reports before and after residents move in and out. They document situations that occur in the building. They make periodic rounds around the halls to make sure nothing is amiss. They know who enters and leaves the building. They answer 3 AM lockout calls (this happens more often than you think). They produce and host the events that bring students together where unlikely friendships bloom. They change lives, including their own. There is a lot that comes with being an RA but to me, being an RA meant that I was ready to face the world with a newfound confidence I would have never had without the good and the challenging days. Be nice to your RAs. They work hard to make sure you're having a comfortable, safe, and fun Residence Hall all the while finishing their 15-page psychology paper in the library alongside everyone else. WRITTEN BY Alyssa Del-Valle Macmillan Learning With a BA in Communications and Music and a "Mouseters" in all things Disney, when not writing fabulous articles this native New Yorker is either making up songs in her head about her daily interactions, practicing voice overs for the next hair care commercial, or munching on Doritos she couldn't resist grabbing at her local bodega. The purple bag is hard to resist. ... View more

The best way to combat homesickness (and less-than-favorable dorm conditions) is by personalizing your space. Whether you're going to school out-of-state or out of the country, living in a dorm room away from home can be challenging. The biggest way to combat homesickness (and less-than-favorable dorm conditions) is by personalizing your space. Keep reading to find out ways to transform your dorm! Hang up pictures of your home, friends, or family from home Coming back to your dorm after a rough day of classes or an impossible exam and seeing a picture of your group of friends at the beach is guaranteed to brighten your day. Decorate your bed with pillows or blankets from your bed at home Using pillows and blankets from home can make you feel as if you are at home even though your real bed is hundreds of miles away. A DIY version is stacking up blankets and pillows in a corner of your room for lounging, doing homework, or napping! Buy/bring a comfy chair If you have friends over or want another place to hang out other than your bed, then bringing extra seating is necessary. To save money, blankets, and pillows in a corner of your floor can serve as an easy lounge area. Use a rug to warm up your floor Stepping out of bed early Monday morning onto a cold, usually concrete, the floor is the worst way to wake up before a long day of classes so fuzzy rugs can keep your feet warm while adding some fun to your dorm. Buy a mattress topper As someone who suffered from back problems after my freshman year mattress, the best purchase you can make for your dorm is buying a comfortable mattress topper to combat the (often horrible) dorm mattresses. Hang up curtains Curtains that block out the sun when you're trying to regain those precious few hours of sleep on the weekends are extremely worth it and make while your dorm is homey! Lights Dorms usually have overhead lighting that resembles prison cells and that is headache-inducing so setting up lamps or string lights around your room can brighten your once cave-like atmosphere. P.S. you are never too old to bring a teddy bear to college! WRITTEN BY Rebecca Connolly Hofstra University Rebecca is a senior marketing major at Hofstra University.  Originally from Colchester, Connecticut, she loves exploring New York City and finding all the best food. You can usually find her anywhere that serves pizza, buffalo wings, or chocolate milkshakes while panicking over her post-graduation future. ... View more

Commuting can be a challenge, so here are a few tips to make it easier. Commuting to campus every day is a completely different experience than living on campus. You have the benefits of spending significantly less on housing, hopefully, no 3-am fire alarms, and not having to share a bathroom with 20 floormates. Commuting can also be challenging so here are a few tips to make the experience easier: Plan out your commute before classes start If you're starting at a new school, practice your commute by driving to school a few days before classes start. Try driving during similar times when you would be for classes to give yourself an idea of traffic patterns and how to adjust accordingly. Also, plan in time for parking because most campuses have a limited amount of spots so fighting for a spot can potentially make you late to class. Know alternate routes If you find out that the major highway you take to school is closed, you have three options: panic, skip class, or find another way to school. Having a backup route eliminates the stress if your normal route is not accessible due to traffic or weather. Check your email College professors often cancel classes the morning of the class so always check your email before leaving for a class; you don't want to drive to campus and then find out that your class was canceled. Bring a lunch Instead of spending an obscene amount of money on fast food or on-campus dining, bringing lunch is a cost-saving alternative. Yes, it probably will feel like you're in elementary school again but your wallet (and body) will thank you for not spending $10 on a slice of pizza and a cookie. Be prepared Since you don't have the luxury of being able to run back to your dorm in between classes, your car will be your second home during the semester. Keeping snacks if you get hungry, a change of clothes in case the weather changes, chargers, and even a pillow to take a nap will prepare you for any situation. Additionally, keep a spare set of keys with you or someone you know just in case you lock yourself out of your car! Schedule carefully I would recommend scheduling your classes back-to-back and try to schedule them at non-rush hour times to prevent getting stuck in traffic on your way to class. Gaps may be nice to have some lunch or cram for an exam but they'll prolong your day. If possible, scheduling your classes for only 2-3 days per week will limit your trips to campus and give you time to work on off-school days. Get involved One challenge of commuting is the difficulty of making friends. Joining clubs specifically for commuters, club sports, or major-related clubs are easy ways to get involved on campus and find your community. Even though as a commuter you aren't at the school as much as residents, commuters should always commit to being apart of campus life to maximize the college experience. Commuting doesn't have to be so scary! Many people prefer commuting from home or from an on-campus house with friends to save money or gain independence. Make sure you are still involved on campus so you have a well-rounded college experience. WRITTEN BY Rebecca Connolly Hofstra University Rebecca is a senior marketing major at Hofstra University.  Originally from Colchester, Connecticut, she loves exploring New York City and finding all the best food. You can usually find her anywhere that serves pizza, buffalo wings, or chocolate milkshakes while panicking over her post-graduation future. ... View more

Be Proud, be yourself, be honest! My biggest recommendation when you are asked to fill out information about yourself so your school can connect you with a potential roommate (or mentor or study group) is, to be honest about who you are. Don't answer based on who you want to be or how you hope to act, but think about what your life is like. If you're messy, admit that. If you like to study with lots of noise in the background, confess. If you love video games, say that. If you love to read, but think that accounting is going to make you more money, think about your future. You are much more likely to have a good experience in education if you are honest about who you are. This applies to numerous other aspects of school as well. If you join a morning study group because you want to be a morning person, but you have trouble getting to the session, that does no one any good. If you sign up for the once-a-week class because getting it done seems like a good idea, but you know you can't pay attention for 3 hours straight, then look at a different class. If you have a group project and volunteer to do the first part, but know that you have to work that weekend and you won't make the deadline, either don't sign up for that part or be honest with your group about your time pressures. Like you've always heard, honesty really is the best policy--and this applies when talking to your professors as well. If you messed up, admit it. If you need help, ask for it. If you don't understand, raise your hand; don't assume you will magically understand the concepts later...Be honest now and the rewards will pay off with a more successful academic career. WRITTEN BY Becky Anderson Macmillan Learning Becky Anderson graduated (some number of years ago...more than two hands worth) from Dartmouth College with a degree in English, and then went on to Trinity College to get a Master's in American Studies. She currently resides in Maine (where her roommate/husband is also messy, but he was honest about that from the beginning) and has worked at Macmillan Learning, in two separate stints, for about ten years. ... View more

Design your dorm to be as unique as you are! There are so many dorm hack blogs around but I've discovered a few original ideas that blogs don't usually mention. Need some ideas for how to make your dorm room more fun and entertaining while remaining practical? Here are a few tricks that my friends and I used to to help us survive college: Projectors Instead of TVs One question in many college students' minds is whether or not they should buy a television for their dorm room. Though TVs are great additions to the college lifestyle, I have discovered a better alternative: projectors. The first advantage of projectors is that there small size and lightweight makes them easy to pack away or travel. Though projectors can get expensive, there are projectors that are just $100 (cheaper than an average television) and are reasonable in quality. Also, you can make the screen take up an entire wall or ceiling for movie nights with friends! Projectors allow advanced multitasking so you can watch TV while using the projector as a second monitor. Multiple Whiteboards to Fill the White Spaces in Your Life The first whiteboard I used was for the front door of my freshman year dorm. This board helped me facilitate friendships with my dorm-neighbors and communicate with my friends. This facilitated surprise meetups that fostered friendships that have remained beyond college. The large whiteboard in the common room of my dorm room was shared between my suitemates and me. We had quotes of the day, random drawings, a chore chart for the suite, and schedules of the roommates/friends. I also recommend a whiteboard calendar to keep track of your schedule to help plan out life events, assignments, and club meetings. Mini Extra Table and Small Lamps This final one is less obvious but surprisingly helpful: buying your own small desk and lamp. Most dorm rooms come with a free light and desk, but they may not fulfill one's individual needs. The lights are often very dim and desks are far from the bed. Where do you put your late-night snack as you squint at the textbook under the light of your cell phone, your computer after watching just one more youtube video? How can you concentrate on the cheap light in the ceiling glaring at you to get back to work? Buying a small, portable table and a small lamp can help solve some of these problems! WRITTEN BY Nalini Rajan New York University Hello! My name is Nalini, but most people call me Lena. I graduated from New York University's College of Arts and Sciences in May of 2018 with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, as well as Minors in both Computer Science and in Web Programming and Applications (an absurdly long title). I was an intern at Macmillan Learning as the Learning Solutions Intern within the Customer Experience department (also an absurdly long title). I am now a Junior Product Support Analyst for Macmillan Learning (a slightly shorter title). ... View more