Your Student Guide to College Life

January 5th, 2009

Best College Board Games

Playing board games is something that many college students do—it’s a great way to pass a few hours while you’re avoiding homework. Having weekly or bi-weekly game nights is a great way to spend time with your friends and get to know other people. Playing games is also inexpensive—once you’ve purchased a game, you won’t need to spend any more money on it, and it can be used as many times as you’d like. With all of the board game options around, however, it can be difficult choosing which ones to play. Try out some of the following to get you started.

Scrabble

Scrabble is one of the best college board games because it’s very easy to play, can be played by up to four players, and is a lot of fun. Games can quickly get ridiculous if your friends start trying to sneak in made-up words without you noticing, and you’ll be surprised at how many words you’ll plan on the board that you would never say in public! You can learn more about Scrabble by visiting the official website.

SceneIt? Squabble

Most people have played some version of SceneIt? and are familiar with its format, which includes both a board and a game DVD. The Squabble version pits guys against girls and aims to see who has a better knowledge of movies, TV shows, and pop culture. Having guys answer girls’ questions and vice versa can be a source of never-ending entertainment. You may be surprised how many chick flicks one of your guy friends has seen, or how much your girlfriend knows about sports. Check out the SceneIt? Squabble site for more information, then get a bunch of friends, form guys’ and girls’ teams, and prove once and for all who’s smarter!

Scattergories

Another word game, Scattergories requires you to come up with words related to specific topics that start with a specified letter. You’ll have to be creative, though, because if you come up with the same words as someone else, neither of you get points for it! This game can be extremely entertaining late at night (or when slightly intoxicated), as the words get more and more comical. Visit Scattergories for additional information.

Wise and Otherwise

This game is less well-known than the above games, but nonetheless is one of the very best college board games out there. Similar to Balderdash, one player will read the beginning of an ancient saying, such as “The ocean cannot be emptied . . .”, and the other players will write how they think the saying should end. All of the answers are collected and read aloud with the correct saying—players then guess which is the correct answer. It’s easy to get the hang of it after a couple rounds, and it’s extremely fun! Head out to your local game store to check it out. (note: the correct answer to the above example is “with seven spoons.” Seriously. People actually said that).

There are hundreds of other board games that are great fun, and this guide hasn’t even mentioned card games. You should have no problem finding games to play with your friends—trying a new game every month can be a way for you to figure out for yourself which are the best college board games!

December 23rd, 2008

Where Presidents and Famous People went to College

It’s always interesting to see where certain Presidents and famous people attended college.  Here’s a list of where some of our fearless leaders and great entertainers went to school:

Where did Bill Clinton go to college?  Yale University.

Where did Oprah Winfrey go to college? Tennessee State University

Where did President Ronald Reagan go to college? Eureka College

What college did Theodore Roosevelt graduate from? Harvard University

Where did Steven Spielberg go to college? California State University Long Beach

Where did Brad Pitt go to college? University of Missouri

What college did Dennis Rodman attend? Southeastern Oklahoma State University

What college did Bill Belichick go to? Wesleyan University

December 19th, 2008

Dating on a Student’s Budget

One of the best things about going to college is the amount of people that you meet when you get there. And when you meet a large number of people, you’re bound to meet many of the opposite sex . . . which, of course, inevitably leads to dating. Unfortunately, many of the traditional options, such as dinner and a movie, can be quite expensive. When you get a date, follow this guide to dating on a student’s budget.

The first way to make dating more financially feasible is to go on dates on weeknights instead of weekends. Activities are cheaper, and many restaurants and bars have weeknight specials. Because your date is (most likely) also a college student, they’ll understand and appreciate your reasoning for going out during the week. There are many websites that can assist you in your search for affordable weeknight dating: Minneapolis’s Thrifty Hipster is a good example. Look around your city and you’re bound to find a number of places that offer deals on weeknights.

Living in a college town has benefits for college daters: because the local businesses know that a lot of their business will come from students, you can often get special deals with your student ID. By showing your ID at your local pool hall or bowling alley, you may be able to get reduced prices. Many college towns also have second-run movie theatres that sell tickets for three or four dollars, and many bars have student nights, when cover charges are waived or drinks are cheaper. Your school’s website may have information on deals like these; if not, you can usually find them in local newspapers.

One of the more fun ways to be financially efficient when dating is to get creative. There are plenty of activities that aren’t very expensive that you can do with your date. Many cities have free concerts during the summer; heading down to a park to see one of these followed by stopping by a local bar is a lot cheaper than going out to dinner and then going to a concert. Winter can be a great time to get outside with your date; you can usually go ice skating for under $10, and sledding is free. Even if you have to go buy a sled, you’ll still probably spend less than $5. These provide great alternatives to things like skiing, which can be quite expensive. Local events websites are great sources for finding free and cheap dates.

When all else fails, look to the internet. Go to sites like Cheap Dating Ideas or just Google “cheap dates” and the name of your city or university. It’s more than likely that you’ll find a plethora of ideas. You’re certainly not the first person that’s dating on a student’s budget; take advantage of the wealth of information that others share on this topic. And if you come across a good free or cheap dating opportunity, post it online and share it with others!

December 18th, 2008

Free Activities on Campus

Even though you know you probably shouldn’t, there will be some nights where you will shirk your homework responsibilities and go out to do something fun. This, as long as it doesn’t happen too often, is totally fine. Instead of going out to a club or bar, though, why not stay on campus and do something for free? You’ll be able to save money, as you won’t be driving or spending money on covers or drinks. You’ll also be able to include all of your friends, even if they aren’t 21 yet. Next time you’re looking to avoid homework, check out some of these free activities on your campus.

Depending on the size of your campus, you may have any number of free activities happening on any given night. Many schools have on-campus hangouts like cafes or small restaurants that offer free arcade games, pool tables, or dart boards, just like those you’d find at a bar or pool hall. Having weekly or monthly competitions between your friends can provide many hours of entertainment . . . and a little extra cash if you’re really good and your friends are into betting! These hangouts also often host local musicians; students from your university or others from the surrounding community will come to sing or play an instrument. You can actually hear a surprisingly large amount of good music in places like these. Campuses that have larger venues will also host regional or national bands with free or very cheap admission. Take advantage of these opportunities and avoid shelling out $50 for a concert ticket.

Movies and films are often shown on campuses, as there is little cost to the university and students really enjoy not having to pay to go out to see movies. Whether in an on-campus movie theatre or in a classroom on a projection screen, you can see a lot of movies that you wouldn’t have thought to rent or may not even have heard of; you can also see some major releases before they come out on DVD. Microwave a bag of popcorn, bring a can of soda, and enjoy a free movie!

Whether or not you’re a big sports fan, going to your team’s games can be a lot of fun. Even if you don’t enjoy watching the sport all that much, taking part in cheers, singing, jumping, and watching various antics performed by other students can be very entertaining. Try watching sports you’ve never watched before, like lacrosse, diving, field hockey, or ultimate. You may like it so much that you decide to play!

If you’re into playing sports more than watching, joining an intramural league is another good option. Basketball, flag football, soccer, tennis, wiffleball, racquetball, and broomball are all popular intramural sports. Try something new and get some friends together to form or join a team. You may find that you have a much more competitive personality than you realized!

Every school has different free activities on campus. Check the school website, student newspapers, and bulletin boards to see what’s going on and don’t be afraid to try new things—you’ll be glad you did.

December 16th, 2008

Ways to Save Money in College

If you’re already in college, you already know, and if you’re a high school student, you’re sure to find out, that college students will try just about anything to save money. The time that you spend in college will probably be one of the more financially difficult times of your life; because of this, you’ll be looking for ways to save money, too. Try not to get roped into your friends’ harebrained strategies—just take some of the following advice.

One of the most expensive purchases that you’ll have to make on a regular basis is your books for the semester. It’s not uncommon to spend several hundred dollars on your books; certain degrees often require up to $500 in books. Buying books can be a great opportunity to save some cash. By buying used books, you can often cut your costs in half. Most university bookstores buy books back at the end of the semester and re-sell them; sell your books back, then buy used books, and you’ll end up saving a lot over your four years. Amazon.com and Craigslist are also good places to find used books. Social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook can be used to set up book exchanges where you can give someone one of your old books in exchange for one of theirs.

Changing your food buying habits can be one of the best ways to save money in college. If you have roommates, buy groceries in bulk and split the bill—getting a membership at Costco or another discount bulk store can pay off very quickly if you split it between several people. Make your own food as often as possible—frozen pizza doesn’t count. If you spend a couple hours on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon preparing a large amount of food, you can put it in containers, freeze them, and microwave them for meals during the week. Things like stews, chilies, hot dishes, and stir-fries are great for this. If you buy ingredients and make food in bulk instead of going out to eat or buying pre-prepared foods, you’ll save a significant amount of money.

The cost of living can be very high on and near college campuses. Many universities require that students live on campus for their first year of classes, but after that, you can do whatever you’d like. When this becomes an option, it’s often worth looking into an apartment or a house. Houses tend to be cheaper, because you can split rent between more people; some houses are large enough for five to six people to live in. Even if you have to drive to campus to get to your classes, you may find that this is one of the more effective ways to save money on room and board. Remember to factor in things like utilities, gas money, and time spent in travel between your house and campus; these can have a major impact on whether or not it will be worth it to rent. If none of your friends dig the idea of moving into a house, you can use social networking sites (and local newspapers) to find other students looking for roommates.