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 [...]
Surviving Finals
Three tips for surviving final exams in college.
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 [...]
Alternative Weekend Activities
In the spirit of Friday, I believe that it is only appropriate to discuss other fun things you can do during the weekend instead of partying like a rock-star :) 1). Get to know your local community: There is always something fun and exciting happening on a Friday night within your college’s local community. In Eagle Rock, CA, there was a fantastic farmer’s market with delicious fruits and vegetables, and some of the best floral arrangements I had ever seen. There were plenty of times where I purchased the raw ingredients that were soon to become part of scrumptious dinner dishes later that night. Research whatever it is that your future school’s community specializes in, and take advantage of the opportunity. On a similar note, take advantage of the your community’s cultural offerings. Perhaps there is a huge Lebanese population and there are a plethora of delectable Mediterranean restaurants surrounding [...]
Questioning the questions–on college tours
When I went on college tours, I asked a lot of questions—just not always the right ones. We spend so much time discussing majors and minors, perks and places that it’s easy to miss some crucial details of a college visit. Here are some aspects of college life that I hardly thought about but are really worth considering: Laundry facilitiesContrary to popular belief, college students actually do laundry (sometimes). And when they do, it’s helpful if the facilities are easily accessible, clean, in good working order, and do not require 17 quarters to do a single load of laundry. On-campus academic supportI only thought to ask about the professors, but they’re not the only ones doing the teaching on college campuses these days. Upperclassmen are frequently employed as tutors in their areas of strength and can be a real life-saver the night before an exam or while you’re struggling with [...]
