College Invasion Today

Do you remember when you were absent back in high school, how your teachers or classmates would help you out? In college, it’s very different. Professors rarely check attendance, and your dorm mate probably has different classes. So what are you supposed to do when you miss classes?

Check your syllabus
Read the class syllabus first. Most contain details such as date of lectures, textbook pages to be tackled, additional reading materials, etc. Catch up on those, and if possible ask your classmates if the professor skipped or added material.

Borrow and copy notes
If you know that your professor hands out notes, contact a classmate of yours you can get it from. If it’s printed, get it photocopied. If it’s handwritten, borrow your classmate’s notebook and copy the notes. If it’s on a flash disk, copy it into your laptop. Be courteous enough to say thanks or give a token of appreciation just to show that you’re grateful.

Ask your professor for anything else you’ve missed
Talk to your instructor and ask what you’ve missed, but make sure you do it in a respectful way. Do not ask if you “missed anything important,” as this sounds like the rest of his or her lessons are unimportant. A nice way of putting it would be: “Dr. Crenshaw, I missed class last Friday. I read the chapter on the Victorian era of literature and got notes from Missy. Is there anything else that you discussed in class that I should read about?”

Remember: it’s not important to your professors why you missed class. They would rather know that despite missing class, you’re willing and eager to learn about what you’ve missed.

College life is indeed a lot of fun. But even the most “at-home” students tend to feel homesick every now and then. You can only imagine how hard it is for some freshmen to be so far away from home. Here are a few tips on dealing with homesickness in college:

1. Keep in touch
It sounds simple, right? Many college students feel homesick because they don’t call home enough. With gadgets like mobile phones and laptops readily available, there’s almost no excuse to call home, or send messages to your parents and hometown friends. No, it doesn’t mean you have to call them all the time. Once or twice a week is fine. Having timely conversations with people you love can make things all better.

2. Visit home once in a while
Visit your home whenever you can. Be it once every two weeks or once every two months, do it. It’s better than keeping in touch through phone or the internet, because this way you get to see and talk to them physically. Spend dinners with them over the weekend, or rant about a professor or annoying classmate as much as you want. It’s home, after all.

3. Go out with your college friends
Spend time with your favorite roomies or classmates. Watch a concert, see a new movie, check out a restaurant or diner, or go dancing in clubs. Drinking while socializing is okay, just be careful about drunkenness and drugs. Going out with your college friends will help you forget about homesickness for a while, and it can build and strengthen friendships!

4. Get out of your dorm room
Sure, staying in your room all the time can help, but it’s also preventing you from experiencing the wonderful world that is college. Go meet new people, hang out at the quad, check out a local coffee shop or book store, join a club, or whatever. Whether by yourself or with a few friends, getting yourself out there will make you experience new things and make college feel like your second home.

5. Make your dorm room feel like home
Bring a little something from home that will make you feel comfortable. Whether its the comforter your siblings gave you for your birthday, a stuffed toy your dad gave to you, or a photo album of your memorable moments, bring it along. If you want, you can even create a “mix tape” for your CD or iPod, or a PC playlist containing songs that remind you of home. You can even learn a recipe your mom makes for dinner, like her world famous meatloaf!

6. Vent out your feelings
There are many ways to let your feelings of homesickness go away. You can chat with your roommate, talk to a guidance counselor, or write in your diary. For the more creative ones out there, you can paint, write a song or poem, or do works of art that can express your homesickness.

However you deal with homesickness, always remember that it is only temporary. Eventually, you’ll feel comfortable in college. Just, be sure never to forget home and the people you love.

Gone are the days when a computer was a want rather than a need. These days, a computer is a very necessary item in a college student’s life. The question here is which kind to get: a personal desktop computer or a notebook or laptop computer? There is no right or wrong answer here—just a few facts to consider in order to see which type suits you best.

First, consider the budget. How much are you willing to spend (or your parents, or even your student loan)? For a laptop, about $600 to $1200 is alright. Desktops are cheaper and usually come with more features, except for portability, of course. Typically, desktops have more speed, memory and storage space for a lot less.

Second, find which one suits your needs better. If you’re in an always-on-the-go course like journalism, you probably are better off with a laptop. You can take notes using a laptop, and with a wireless card installed, do online research with it. In a course like architecture or design though, a desktop computer might give you fewer crashes and more stability with your layouting and graphics work.

Third, consider the operating system (OS) and other software. A purchase of an Apple computer comes bundled with the necessary operating software, as well as other useful programs. Whereas in PC and PC-based computers, the Windows operating system and other software required are sold separately. Some programs you will use in school require a Mac OS while others require Windows. But also note that Windows and those programs can be installed in an Apple, in addition to the Mac operating system. It will cost you more, but will surely go the distance.

Fourth, figure out the space it will take, as well as other benefits (or lack thereof). If you live in a cramped dorm, a desktop computer probably isn’t the best idea. If you have all the space in the world, go for it! Also note that a laptop computer is more prone to being stolen or dropped. But then again, a desktop is easier to repair. The parts needed to upgrade or fix it are much cheaper and easier to find.

Whichever would suit you, only one tip is foremost in my mind: love your computer! No matter what kind, no matter what brand or OS, no matter what size, love it. Take good care of it, and it will last you through all your years of college, or even longer!

Have you ever heard of credit crunch? Basically it means that there is a sudden reduction in the availability of loans (including student loans), or the sudden high cost of getting loans from banks and lenders.

Now, are you aware that the credit crunch in the United States is affecting college students everywhere now? Banks have been abandoning student loans, and a lot of remaining lenders are raising the bar when it comes to student loans as well. What are people going to turn to now to get quality education?

The reason why banks have backed out or have become reluctant to offering private student loans is because of credit conditions are deteriorating. This means that they can’t package up the loans to sell them on to their consumers.

Another big problem for many students who availed of loans is that many of the lenders that students used from last year are probably no longer in business. What’s worse is that sometimes, these lenders literally abandon their clients, leaving no notice whatsoever.

In fact, of the 100 largest private lenders, about 27 representing more than 12 percent of last year’s Stafford and Plus loan programs have already left the market according to Mark Kantrowitz, publisher and founder of FinAid.org, a Web site that offers information about student loans.

In addition to that, when it comes to lenders who offer consolidation loans (which students use to wrap up multiple debts after they graduate), the departure from the loan business is even worse. 41 of the 100 biggest lenders, representing 85 percent of last year’s consolidation loan volume, are no longer in the student loan market.

Of course, there is always the option of getting a scholarship, but imagine how much hard work that would be. It’s not impossible, but you have to be the best at something to obtain a scholarship in college, especially in prestigious universities.

There are still government grants available for students. It’s just a matter of knowing where to look and finding out which ones you qualify for. All one can do now is hope the credit crunch eventually fades away so that a better, brighter future can be seen.

Skateboarding is the act of riding and performing stunts or tricks on a skateboard. It has been a popular recreational activity, sport, job, and method of transportation worldwide. But who knew it could grant scholarships to those who are qualified and lucky enough?

The Patrick Kerr Skateboarding Scholarship, the first of its kind in the United States, can give up to $5,000 dollars for school to students who apply and are chosen. The Patrick Kerr Skateboarding Scholarship Foundation says that their mission is “to help skateboarders pursue their dreams and attain their career goals by providing college scholarships.”

To enter, a candidate must submit the information required, a typewritten essay on how skateboarding has been a positive influence in your life, letters of recommendation, your high school transcript proving you have at least a 2.5 GPA, and information relevant to your skateboarding activism.

Applications will be reviewed by the scholarship selection committee, and the top ten will be sent to each member of the Board of Trustees for final ranking. Four winners will be chosen.
One will receive $5,000 while three others will receive $1,000 each. The money will go towards a 2- or 4-year course scholarship in the school of their choice.

The Patrick Kerr Skateboarding Scholarship was named after Patrick Kerr, who was then a 15-year-old skater and honor student. He was very active in helping to raise funds for non-profit skateboarding organizations and for raising support for public skate parks.