Although entertainment preferences vary widely between campuses and individual students, there seem to be some things that are popular at almost every college. Popular college movies have been discussed at length, so I thought I’d do something a little different and tackle some of the TV shows that are most popular with college students. This list is in no particular order, and by no means complete.

1) Grey’s Anatomy. This sitcom is very popular with college students (especially girls), and, if it comes back for another season, will probably remain so for quite a while. The show follows a group of surgical interns as well as several hospital physicians through the ups and downs of their daily lives. The comedy, romance, and high drama make this a favorite of many students.

2) Scrubs. Another show that concentrates on med students, Scrubs is a perennial favorite of college students for its slapstick comedy and ridiculous dialogue. Although this season’s May finale may be the series finale as well, this show will forever remain a favorite of students and will be around forever in DVD collections. Zack Braff’s slightly immature humor appeals to a very large audience, and it’s probably a pretty good bet that someone you know (and maybe even live with) has at least one season of this show in their collection.

3) CSI. CSI (“Crime Scene Investigation”) is a forensic science—crime drama/thriller that is closing in on its tenth year of production and showing no signs of slowing down. Because each episode contains a complete story, it’s not necessary to have seen the rest of the season to enjoy the show (though there are some longer-running story lines behind the main stories of each episode). Mystery, suspense, and the occasional romance or sarcastic comedic remark makes this show very appealing, especially if you aren’t into the popular sitcoms.

4) Family Guy. One of the few animated TV shows geared towards young adults, Family Guy is ever-present on college campuses and ranks among the most popular TV shows for the college students. The rude, sarcastic, and low-brow humor makes for a show that you don’t have to think about to enjoy—which you’ll come to appreciate around the end of your semesters.

5) The Office. The American version of the British mockumentary is hugely popular among students, and you’ll probably hear quotes from it fairly often. The dry humor is reminiscent of other British classics.

6) House. Yet another medical drama, House presents a main character who, instead of being heroic and admirable, is really kind of a jerk. He belittles his colleagues and constantly expresses cynical, “downer” views of life. Somehow, all of this comes together to form a very entertaining show that also manages to be funny at times. House is refreshing, if nothing else, because of how different it is from most of the other shows out there.

Whether you’re in high school, just out, in college, or a recent graduate, it’s quite likely that you’ll be going through the job interview process in the near future. Whether you’re interviewing to become a research chemist at a pharmaceutical firm or a cashier at the local pharmacy, you’ll have to be well prepared if you want to have a shot at getting the position. Careful mental preparation (and a little bit of fashion sense) will ensure that you make yourself as appealing as possible to your potential employer.

Before doing anything else, it’s important to begin by doing some research on the company that you’re interviewing with. Many employers will ask a question or two to see how much research you’ve done; something like “Tell me how you think you will be of value to our organization.” This gives you the perfect opportunity to talk about how your goals and skills align with the mission of the company.

Once you’ve learned enough about the company to talk about it comfortably, it’s time to start thinking about yourself. An interview is really just a conversation about you, so it’s imperative that you’re prepared to talk about yourself. You are, in effect, telling your interviewer why you are smarter, more skilled, and better prepared to complete the duties of your job than all of the other people that he or she might be interviewing. Sound like a pretty self-involved thing to do? Well, it is. But that’s what needs to be done. To differentiate yourself, you’ll need to emphasize the skills and experience you have that make you a good fit for you job. Because every job is so different, the way you go about this is going to be different every time, so it’ll pay off to spend some time thinking about it.

Lastly, you should prepare a few questions to ask to your potential employer. It’s good to let your interviewer know that you’re very interested in the company. By asking questions about your potential position or the company itself, you show your interviewer that you’re serious about the job. If nothing else, it’ll make it a lot less awkward when you’re asked “Do you have any questions for me?”

Once you feel like you’re ready to take on the interview, it’s time to start planning what you’re going to wear. It’s really important to make a strong, positive first impression, and the best way to get off on the right foot is to be dressed professionally. It’s pretty near impossible to be over-dressed for an interview, so get out your best jacket and pants, suit, or dress, and show up looking like you mean business.

This is just a quick primer on the steps required to prepare yourself for a job interview. You can find many more complete guides online or through your high school or college. This should give you some idea of what you’re looking at, though. Now get out there—there are hundreds of other people getting ready to interview for the job you want. Don’t get outdone!

Because of recent events at a local college, I feel compelled to write a bit about safety for college students. College campuses are usually very safe places, even those in very urban areas, which may have a reputation for not being the safest places. Regardless of the location of your campus, being safe is a good thing to keep in the back of your mind, just to be sure.

College campuses, like most places, are almost completely safe during the day. While classes are going on, people are all over the place, walking to class, heading to the cafeteria, throwing a Frisbee, studying outside, and doing any other number of things in public. After dark, there are usually a few less people about. It’s almost impossible to be completely alone outside, even if it is dark (especially if your campus has night classes, or it’s a weekend). During the day, however, safety is one of the last things you’ll need to think about.

One of the foremost safety rules on campuses, as with anywhere else, is to always travel with a friend. Whether you’re walking home from a really late class, heading to your car to make it to a party, or just getting out to stretch your legs before a long study session, don’t go alone. Invite someone to go with you, or meet someone and go together. It’s just a good practice to get into. In a similar vein, make sure that when you go to a party, both you and a friend are accountable for each other. Make a deal before you get to the party—if one leaves, so does the other. Stay together and watch out for each other (especially if one or the other gets especially intoxicated).

In addition to practicing good safety habits, it’s important to know your college’s campus safety practices. Does your public safety department offer off-campus escorts? This may be really useful if you’re a long way from home and you need a ride—just call public safety, and they’ll often come pick you up. The same goes for leaving campus; if you parked a few blocks away, you can usually get a ride out to your car. Many campuses also have emergency stations in some form or another—they often look like light poles with large blue lights on top of them. In case of an emergency, you can set off an alarm and call for help from one of these stations.

Safety on college campuses is rarely a major concern, but it’s important to keep it in mind. Bad things can happen anywhere, and it’s a good practice to start picking up good habits early. You shouldn’t be afraid of travelling in the dark, or nervous that you might be a victim of a crime if you leave a party, but you should be aware of your surroundings and what’s going on around you.

Be safe!

One of the greatest obstacles for job-seeking recent college graduates is their lack of work experience. This is extremely frustrating, because you can’t get work experience without getting a job . . . and it’s really tough to get a job without work experience. So what do you do? You can rely on an impressive academic record (which helps a great deal), or you can try to get some work experience in college.

Most college students work-study program, and many also offer on-campus jobs for students. Whether or not you can get a position that is related to your ideal career, you should look into these options—working in an academic or research setting can be very valuable experience.

Another common way for college students to gain work experience before they graduate is through internships. Internships are different than jobs in that they emphasize learning and preparation for entering into the field in which you intern. This experience is very valuable, and can often lead to job offers with the company for which you intern, sometimes even before you graduate. Seems like a good way to go, right? Well, there is a down-side to interning. First, the competition for internships is very intense; a great number of students will be applying for every internship, so you’ll have to work very hard to make yourself stand out. In addition, many internships are unpaid, meaning that you’ll be volunteering your time at your host company. It’s definitely worth it to gain the valuable work experience, but it can be financially taxing.

No matter how you gain work experience in college, it will benefit you. Whether or not you work or intern in your intended field or hold a stereotypical, menial, “college student” job, you’ll be much better off when you graduate. Attending school should definitely be your highest priority, but the work experience you gain in college (even if it is just mopping floors) can be almost as valuable as your degree.

Many college students lead double lives: that of the student as well as that of the athlete. Being a student is definitely a full-time occupation. And, depending on your school, athletics can take up almost as much time as academics (especially at Division I schools). So how can you make it work? How do student-athletes make it through college without neglecting either their studies or their sports? It’s all about balance and priorities.

Every student, no matter if they’re heavily involved in extracurriculars or focus only on academics, has a difficult time balancing the different parts of their life. Social events, family visits, and relaxation time are all integral parts of the college experience, and they all take up time. It’s the same with sports. Whether it’s DI football or intramural broomball, you have to balance the time spent playing your sport with the time that you spend doing other things. Focusing only on one part of your life is not a good way to go, no matter which part that may be. Make sure that you aren’t spending too much time doing any one thing, and you’ll be fine. Yes, athletics do require a great deal of time and dedication—but if you’re focused only on sports, you’ll find that you’ll burn out quickly. And not only that, but your studies will also suffer. So make sure that you’re looking for balance in all sectors of your life.

Priorities are similar to balance—every student has to deal with them, and they’re especially important for college student-athletes. Your primary objective while you’re in college is to do well in your classes. Even if you’re an elite athlete and you plan on entering a professional sport, it’s important to realize that path can only take you so far. It’s never a sure thing, and you may be looking for another job sooner than you think. No matter what, your top priority while you’re in school is your studies. Athletics can certainly be a second priority (which is still very significant), but it’s important not to let it encroach upon your studies. There are times, such as finals weeks, in which you may have to make some tough decisions. Maybe you have to skip a practice so that you can study for a difficult test. Or maybe you’ll have to stay up much later than you planned because you had a long practice and you still need to write a paper. These things happen, so you need to be prepared to make some sacrifices.

Being a college student-athlete is very rewarding, but it can also be stressful. Make sure that you have the right mindset going into it and you’ll join the ranks of the thousands of student-athletes who have had fulfilling collegiate academic and athletic careers.