Your Student Guide to College Life

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 17th, 2008

Meeting New People on Campus

It can be a slightly unnerving experience getting to school for the first time and not knowing anyone. While a few other students from your high school may be attending the same college, you’re still going to need to step outside of your comfort zone and start meeting new people. Even though it can be difficult at first, making friends is an acquired skill and something that you’ll feel more comfortable with over time. It’s a skill that you should invest some time in; you don’t want to be the weird kid in back of the class with no friends, do you?

Even though it takes some effort, you don’t have to go far to start meeting new people. Getting to know your neighbors in the dorm building that you live in is a great way to start making new friends. Many people make friends that they have for the rest of their lives right in their dorms. Most dorm floors will have social events, but you don’t have to wait for these. Just stop by some of your neighbors’ rooms and introduce yourself. Leave your door open to encourage others to stop by. You can even plan a floor party-put a sign up in the hallway inviting anyone on your floor to come over and bring a couple sodas or a bag of chips. Not only will you meet a bunch of people, but you’ll also help generate a sense of community on your floor, which will make your year a lot better.

Another place to meet people is in class. If you’re sitting next to someone that you don’t know, introduce yourself and strike up a conversation. You may find that you have a lot of things in common. If nothing else, you can try to scope out cute guys or the really smart girls that will make good study partners. A lot of professors use “ice breaking” activities during the first week of classes; instead of acting cool and avoiding these (sometimes very cheesy) activities, take advantage of the chance to talk to people that you may not have otherwise. If your professor doesn’t give you an opportunity like this, you’ll just have to make your own.

Because of the rise of social networking websites, you now have another option for meeting new people. While this shouldn’t be your primary method, you can use one of these sites to help you in your quest to make friends. Facebook is extremely popular with college students and is used by many people to organize parties and outings. You can meet a large number of people through your friends this way. It’s also very useful for finding people that have similar interests; you’ll be able to find people who listen to the same music, like the same movies, and spend their Friday nights doing the same things.

There are as many ways to meet people as there are people . . . you’ll come up with methods of your own soon enough. Just be confident and be yourself and you’ll have tons of friends in no time!

November 20th, 2008

Student Reviews of Colleges and Universities at StuVu.com

The ultimate source for student reviews of colleges and universities is now live at StuVu.com!  The recent release of our website has been exciting, especially with the timing for high school students.  November is the month where most colleges have their deadlines for applications, and it’s also the month where college bound high schoolers are thinking about which college they want to go to.

That’s where StuVu.com comes in.  StuVu.com is a place for high school students to research schools that they want to attend, and get an idea of what being a student at that particular campus is like through the eyes of a student.  All of the videos, photos and reviews on the site are created by students at those universities, which ensures that everyone gets an authentic view of a “day in the life” of a university student at that particular college.  College bound high school students, and even undergraduates looking for grad schools can base their decision on student reviews of colleges and universities rather than statistics and guide books written by people who haven’t been in college in years.

StuVu.com is also a place for current college and university students to share reviews, photos and videos of all kinds of facilities, restaurants, services and events around campus with their fellow students.  As a newer student on campus, you may not be familiar with certain campus services, or hot spots in town that other students may know about. StuVu.com can bridge that gap of knowledge and make sure that everyone on campus knows where to go and what things they should avoid.

The bottom line is that most high school students currently base their college decision on top 100 lists, statistics and pamphlets created by the schools themselves.  StuVu.com provides a community that allows college students to be the voice that directs college bound students to the right colleges based on what’s important to them, because in the end, there’s a lot more to college than just statistics.

November 13th, 2008

Campusbooze.com - Boozing on a Budget

If you’re like most college students, you probably don’t have a stash of cash just ready to go when you feel like partying.  When throwing a party, problems tend to rise when you start to plan what kind of alcohol you’re going to have and who’s going to pay for it.  Thankfully the people at campusbooze.com took care of all of our problems.  Campusbooze.com shows you which stores have the cheapest alcohol, with prices updated 3 times a week.  This way you know you’re always getting the most bang for your buck, which is hugely important when you’re living on a college student budget.

Let’s pretend like we learned something in that economics class and breakdown why campusbooze.com is a MUST when throwing a party.

1. Stretch you dollars

In this gloomy economy, college students need to pinch every penny they earn whether it’s earned through a job at Starbucks, or by turnin’ tricks on the streets.

2. Know who’s paying what, before you go on a beer run

Someone always gets shafted when one person goes on a beer run for a group of stingy college students.  With campusbooze.com, you can figure out exactly how much money you’re budgeting for your party, and split up the cost BEFORE you go out and harvest your beer crop.

3. Maximize your keg stands to dollars ratio

If you’re working with a fixed budget for a party, you can go to campusbooze.com and figure out how much money you want to devote to beer, and blow the rest on handles of your favorite liquor.  Everyone wins!

The bottom line is, campusbooze.com can take any budget you have for a party, and maximize the alcohol potential in about 3 minutes flat.  Check it out.