Getting Religion – part two

A while back I shared my own experience exploring religion in college. This article by the Huffington Post’s religion editor provides excellent insight into how and why college can be such a breeding ground for religious exploration. With issues such as the proposed Islamic center near Ground Zero dominating the news and national dialogues these days, now is as good a time as any to discuss religion as it pertains to today’s college students. So what do you think?What has been your experience with religion in college–or lack thereof? What was the spiritual and/or religious culture like on your campus? Share your thoughts below!

An Alternative Spring Break

If you’re a high school junior, chances are your inbox and mailbox have been filled with letters from the marketing departments of colleges across the country. I also received those one page letters. And if you do not feel like waiting until the summer before your senior year to figure out whether you should apply to these schools, even better. And so it was during the spring of my junior year in high school that My Dad and I decided to take a road trip and visit some schools in the area who had been so kind to send us boiler-plate introduction letters. This time, “in the area” referred to schools beyond the city limits of Los Angeles, namely UC Berkeley, UC Davis, Sonoma Sate, and UC Santa Barbara. Below you will find some observations and tips from our trip should you choose to visit some schools during your spring [...]

When disaster strikes: connecting college campuses to the rest of the world

A college campus can also feel a bit stifling at times, especially when compared with significant real world events that put things into perspective. Many U.S. universities are taking action to aid the people of Haiti in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake.

COLLEGE IS HOGWARTS!?

College reputations are never a reality – or never a complete reality, at least. Prospective college students would be very well advised to spend less time “drink[ing] in the tour guide’s every word” – on claims of Hogwarts or otherwise – and more time asking tough questions, doing extensive research and introspection, and, most importantly, engaging as many current college students and young professionals for their insights and actual experiences as they can.

Majoring in Halo!!!??

Toward the tail end of my senior year, I would end most weeknights with the following ritual: Around 11:00 PM, I would climb a flight of stairs up to Jason’s suite, and would engage in a 30 minute session of playing one of Electronic Arts’ best selling video games, FIFA 2009 on Jason’s XBox. I went through a long and embarrassing newbie curve. Jason, and his suitemate, Josh, would select the worst teams imaginable while I would try my best with FC Barcelona, (the equivalent of the Los Angeles Lakers, in terms of talent, but in the world of soccer). It was not until the third or forth week when the 10-0 drubbings turned into tight, 2-0 losses or, if I got lucky, a 1-0 win! Jason and Josh are skilled gamers. Their talents were not just limited to sports video games. They could hang with the best of them [...]

Love/Hate Relationships…with college

I caught this “13 Things Students Love to Hate About College” article on the excellent Professors’ Guide page on USNews.com. They pick up on several common complaints that students have in college and I thought I’d offer my two cents on a few that resonated the most with me. 3. My professor is unbelievably boring. What you can do: Drop the course and find another one with a better professor. Every college has its duds, but there’s no reason why you have to get stuck with one. Even if the professor is the only person teaching a required course, there are always possibilities of getting the adviser or the department chair to authorize a substitution for a requirement. Or just wait until the course is next offered, ideally with an instructor who at least makes a minimal effort to keep you awake. Okay, now this is a bit extreme…I didn’t [...]

Rock Bottom to Rock Solid: How I Learned to Love College

A Wonderful Beginning When you start college, it can be easy to lose track of why you went there and what you’re really there for. Starting in college across the country, either I lost sight of that for a little while, or the reasons I went cross country weren’t the right ones. I was a freshman at Occidental, who was going to be a Political Science major in pursuit of a Law degree down the line because a law degree, even if I didn’t want to be a practicing lawyer, would be good graduate degree to have. It made sense on paper and when I answered my family and other adults with what I’d be doing at college. I thought it made sense to me. The problem was, I didn’t give half a damn about politics. I found it difficult to care about an American political system whose rules, classifications [...]

Academic Support

When struggling with a subject in high school, you might have looked for a local tutor to help clear up the confusion. And it was safe to say that the tutor was either a local college student, or recent college graduate. So, what happens in college when you are struggling with your coursework? Who tutors the college kids? Who offers to the opportunity to proofread your 20-page research paper a few days before you need to turn it in? Who offers the opportunity to take un-timed exams if you have a documented learning disorder? All of these things happen when you take advantage of your college’s Center for Academic Excellence / Writing Center. These places are usually located somewhere within the caverns of your school’s library (which should become one of your top-5 places you could be found, during any given day, while in college), and should be put to [...]

Don’t Worry, Be Happy :)

What is it that makes you feel down sometimes, or perhaps more times than usual these days? Although college can be one of the most fun experiences of your lifetime, it can also be one of the most challenging. Now, you have probably heard of that before, but if you really think about it, such obstacles or even lack of obstacles can altar your mood. You’re also at a unique place in this time of your life as a student in this recession. This is quite a challenging time for all of us, but within these times, lays many opportunities that can allow ourselves to seize the control of the tools available for our success. You literally have the world and such a vast amount of information at your fingertips. You can find out about anything within a click of a button. And yet, with all this available to us, [...]

The semester’s started; now get to work!

10 reasons to get an on-campus job