Blog

by Kayla Herrera, Scholarships.com Virtual Intern

As a soon-to-be college graduate, you are probably stoked to get the heck out of school but also a little scared to enter the sneering, looming workforce that will launch you into the rest of your life. This is it - the final draw before your life is dictated by 40-hour work weeks and mortgage payments - and there are some things I highly recommend you do before leaving your campus life behind:

• 1. Attend a rock concert somewhere. Sure, it’s not entirely school-related but you should still do it. The energy of the audience coupled with the chill atmosphere and good music is extremely uplifting – take a walk on the wild side!
• 2. Study abroad. I know this can get costly but a study abroad experience is remarkable and one you won’t forget. Ever. Plus, employers love someone who’s willing to go the extra mile...or 3,000.
• 3. Get on stage. Whether it’s to recite poetry, sing a song, participate in a debate or give a speech, having a stage experience can benefit you in so many ways. Once you stand back and see it didn’t kill you, you feel pretty good about yourself.
• 4. Get experience in your field. Whether it’s an internship or co-op, you are going to want to be able to say you’ve seen the inside of a newsroom, a trading floor or something related to your career. You've got to test out the waters before you know you want to dive all the way in!
• 5. Have your own first pet. This may sound weird but owning a pet at this age can really help us grow. Owning your first pet – it doesn’t have to be just a dog or a cat – is a remarkable feeling because YOU raise it and it is YOUR responsibility. And when it turns out pretty okay, it’s nice to know you’ve got what it takes to take care of something other than yourself.

What are some other experiences you think you should have before you graduate from college?

In addition to being a Scholarships.com virtual intern, Michigan Tech student Kayla Herrera is a media coordinator for the Michigan Tech Youth Programs and is a writer for The Daily News in Iron Mountain, Mich., Examiner.com and WHOA Magazine. She love a tantalizing, action-packed video game and can't get enough of horror movies (Stephen King's books always have her in their grip, though she prefers the old over the new). Writing is what she has always done and that is what she is here to do.

With college graduation just a hop, skip and jump away, graduates are filled with incredible hope and fear but whatever they’re feeling on graduation day, there’s the possibility that a celebrated commencement speaker could impart some words of wisdom their way. And while notable politicians, celebrities and artists are usually called upon to speak to a crowd full of fresh-faced 20-somethings embarking on the next chapter of adulthood, we couldn’t help but wonder who made the cut this year. Check out the list below, courtesy of the Huffington Post, of who’s speaking where:

• Cooper Union – Walter Isaacson
• Goucher College – Ira Glass
• Princeton University – Steve Carell
• Southern Methodist University – Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
• Stanford University – Cory Booker
• University of Delaware – Soledad O’Brien
• University of Pennsylvania – Geoffrey Canada
• Virginia Tech University – U.S. Sen. Mark Warner
• Yale University – Barbara Walters
• Tulane University and the University of Washington – Lisa Jackson
• Grinnell College – Jamaica Kincaid
• Sarah Lawrence College – Adam Savage
• University of Hartford – U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal

Who’s speaking at your school this year?

by Kayla Herrera, Scholarships.com Virtual Intern

For many college students, spring break is an adventure, a trip down memory lane or a challenge. Spring break will take some of you on the road and this could mean a challenge for healthy eating. You may be heading somewhere warm but eating nothing or very little is not the way to fit into that bikini you packed.

Is it possible to eat healthy while you’re traveling? Sure...it just takes a little more planning. Junk food is fun on car trips, I know, but since drinking pop all the way on my trip caused me to be very nauseated later on, it’s not a bad idea to explore healthier options. Here are a few tips for on-the-road dining:

• Gas stations: When choosing a snack at a gas station, stay away from pork rinds and greasy potato chips. If you are craving salt, get a can of Pringles – they’re better than your typical bag of chips. Search for Nutri-Grain bars, Fig Newtons, trail mix and fruit snacks and pick up some chewable stomach-soothing tablets or antacids just in case you start feeling sick.
• Fast food restaurants: Subway always has pretty healthy choices but if you must eat at McDonald's or some other fast food joint, look for something with fruit. I feel better eating a fruit pie, fruit cup or oatmeal with fruit than I do consuming fries or a loaded burger. Salads are also a good option depending on where you go: Wendy's has great salad selections and even a decent baked potato.
• Snacks in the car: Bring a cooler and pack it with water bottles, apples, sandwiches and other foods that will help keep you feeling fuller for longer. Though I do not condone unsafe driving, I can tell you it’s very easy to eat an apple as you cruise if you must drive and eat at the same time.

In addition to being a Scholarships.com virtual intern, Michigan Tech student Kayla Herrera is a media coordinator for the Michigan Tech Youth Programs and is a writer for The Daily News in Iron Mountain, Mich., Examiner.com and WHOA Magazine. She love a tantalizing, action-packed video game and can't get enough of horror movies (Stephen King's books always have her in their grip, though she prefers the old over the new). Writing is what she has always done, and that is what she is here to do.

by Kayla Herrera, Scholarships.com Virtual Intern

For many college students, spring break is an adventure, a trip down memory lane or a challenge. Spring break will take some of you on the road and this could mean a challenge for healthy eating. You may be heading somewhere warm but eating nothing or very little is not the way to fit into that bikini you packed.

Is it possible to eat healthy while you’re traveling? Sure...it just takes a little more planning. Junk food is fun on car trips, I know, but since drinking pop all the way on my trip caused me to be very nauseated later on, it’s not a bad idea to explore healthier options. Here are a few tips for on-the-road dining:

• Gas stations: When choosing a snack at a gas station, stay away from pork rinds and greasy potato chips. If you are craving salt, get a can of Pringles – they’re better than your typical bag of chips. Search for Nutri-Grain bars, Fig Newtons, trail mix and fruit snacks and pick up some chewable stomach-soothing tablets or antacids just in case you start feeling sick.
• Fast food restaurants: Subway always has pretty healthy choices but if you must eat at McDonald's or some other fast food joint, look for something with fruit. I feel better eating a fruit pie, fruit cup or oatmeal with fruit than I do consuming fries or a loaded burger. Salads are also a good option depending on where you go: Wendy's has great salad selections and even a decent baked potato.
• Snacks in the car: Bring a cooler and pack it with water bottles, apples, sandwiches and other foods that will help keep you feeling fuller for longer. Though I do not condone unsafe driving, I can tell you it’s very easy to eat an apple as you cruise if you must drive and eat at the same time.

In addition to being a Scholarships.com virtual intern, Michigan Tech student Kayla Herrera is a media coordinator for the Michigan Tech Youth Programs and is a writer for The Daily News in Iron Mountain, Mich., Examiner.com and WHOA Magazine. She love a tantalizing, action-packed video game and can't get enough of horror movies (Stephen King's books always have her in their grip, though she prefers the old over the new). Writing is what she has always done, and that is what she is here to do.

by Angela Andaloro, Scholarships.com Virtual Intern

The college student population in the United States prides itself on its diversity. While no two students are alike, we have some similarities that bond us together and the common experiences and feelings related to college are the ones that we’ll never forget. Still, sometimes the stereotypes that come along with being a college student are just that: stereotypes. With that in mind, I bring you “Stuff College Students Say.”

• “I’m so broke.” I can sympathize when this lament is shared over Ramen noodles late night in the dorms but when it’s tweeted from your iPhone 4S while you’re shopping for a new outfit for tonight’s house party, it’s a little harder to accept.
• “I’m not going to class. It’s way too early.” I love to sleep in as much as the next person, but “early” is a relative term in college life. Remember high school, where you knew you had to be in class by 8 a.m., no excuses? That 12:30 p.m. lecture doesn’t seem so early anymore.
• “Are you going to that event later?” I’d bet $5 that you can’t tell me what organization the event is for or what it’s about. You’ll be there though because there’s free food and free food tastes so much better than food you have to pay for.
• “I’m going to take a nap.” Yes, you are...on the quad, in the student union, in the library, etc. Anywhere but your dorm, though, because you have class in an hour.
• “I’ve got to register for classes.” After making sure that none of your classes start before noon and that the professors all check out on RateMyProfessors.com, then you might schedule an appointment with your adviser to make sure you graduate on time. Maybe. If you have time after your nap.

The great thing about us college students is that we have awesome senses of humor. We know that we can be a little ridiculous sometimes, but we can laugh at that ridiculousness. What kind of stuff are the students on your campus saying? Let us know in the comments!

Angela Andaloro is a junior at Pace University’s New York City campus, where she is double majoring in communication studies and English. Like most things in New York City, her life and college experience is far from typical – she commutes to school from her home in Flushing and took nearly a semester’s worth of classes online – but she still likes to hang out with friends, go to parties and feed her social networking addiction like your “average” college student.

March is one of my favorite months of the year: Not does it include the start of spring, my birthday and a seemingly endless amount of scholarship deadlines but it’s also chockfull of college basketball. With Selection Sunday right around the corner, pools are starting to form with all participants aiming for the same goal – the creation of a perfect bracket. What’s the likelihood you’ll be the one to achieve this feat? Pretty dang slim, says Jeff Bergen.

According to the DePaul University professor of mathematics, you technically could select the correct outcome of every single game but before you get too excited, the odds of picking that perfect bracket are less than one in 9.2 quintillion. “You basically have no chance,” he says as he calculates, but does note that if you have a solid knowledge of NCAA tournament history, your odds increase to 1 in 128 billion. Score!

So to those planning brackets, be sure to have your favorite rabbit’s foot, four-leaf clover or horseshoe handy...and just have fun! Remember, says Bergen, “When your bracket goes down the tubes, don’t worry: so is everybody else’s.” Will you be creating a NCAA tournament bracket this year? If so, how will you go about making your selections?

There could be a 15-page research paper deadline, a monster exam and an internship shift tomorrow but if you think a college student isn’t going to take even a few minutes to destress or have a laugh, you’re crazy. My go-tos were Peanut Butter Jelly Time, Snood and UCTV but today, it’s all about college-centric memes.

According to Time (and Richard Dawkins), a meme is essentially an idea that replicates and evolves through imitation – a process the Internet makes almost too easy. Since October, schools like Florida International University, McGill, Appalachian State, UT, Duke, Northwestern and BU have all jumped aboard the meme train and the viral school spirit shows no sign of slowing: More student-created takes on Success Kid, Uber Frosh and others keep popping up on Facebook every day.

Have you caught college meme fever or do you think the meme trend has already worn out its welcome?

Bill Cosby was right: Kids really do say the darndest things. Sometimes, they’re awesomely hilarious but at other times, they’re horribly inappropriate and then there’s that awkward moment when a child first discovers profanity. (Oh, fudge.) Once this happens, fingers are generally pointed at a rowdy uncle, that unruly park down the street or the classic scapegoat…television. And while most adults accept that a child parroting naughty words is a part of the language learning process, others disagree, like the college anti-profanity crusader who asked ABC to pull this week’s “Modern Family” episode featuring a toddler using a bleeped curse word.

The child, played by Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, actually said the word “fudge” during taping but because her mouth was obscured by pixilation, viewers got the impression that her character used the actual F-word. This isn’t good enough for the founder of the No Cussing Club, though. "Our main goal is to stop this from happening," said McKay Hatch, an 18-year-old Brigham Young University student who founded the club in 2007. "If we don't, at least ABC knows that people all over the world don't want to have a two-year-old saying the `F-bomb' on TV." Hatch is insisting his 35,000 club members complain to ABC.

Meanwhile Steven Levitan, creator and executive producer of the sitcom with Christopher Lloyd, told the Television Critics Association last week that he’s “proud and excited” about the F-word plotline. "We thought it was a very natural story since, as parents, we've all been through this," Levitan said to EW.com, but added, "I'm sure we'll have some detractors."

Do you think having a two-year-old swear like a sailor is a bit much for network television or is the No Cussing Club overreacting to what’s really nothing more than the implication of a cuss word? Let us know where you stand in the comments section.

by Katie Askew, Scholarships.com Virtual Intern

The zombie obsession has exploded! Zombie pub crawls, zombie Halloween costumes, zombie movies and now, even a massive zombie-infused days-long game of tag on your college campus. That's right, can you say best extracurricular ever?

So what is this craze and how does it apply to college students? Well, it’s called Humans vs. Zombies (HvZ for short) and was invented by Brad Sappington and Chris Weed at Goucher College in 2005. The idea of the game spread virally across Facebook and it’s now played at more than 650 college campuses on every continent (except Antarctica, of course). HvZ is basically a massive game of tag that is moderated by the few people who first initiated the game at your school. All players begin as humans except for one Original Zombie chosen that starts to tag human players to turn them into zombies. Players are signified as a human if they carry an index card with an ID number and a bandana around their arm or a zombie if they wear a bandana around their head. The zombies have to tag and “eat” a human every 48 hours by reporting the ID number to the website run by the game admins or they starve and are out of the game. The rules state that the zombies win if there are no human players left or the humans win by starving all the zombies to death.

Usually NERF guns or rolled up socks are sufficient for tagging but since the game has exploded into a worldwide phenomenon, you can purchase specific HvZ gear, “guns” and bandanas online. To find out more about how to start your own game of HvZ at your college or to watch the documentary, click here...then to decide if you’re playing for the living or the undead!

Katie Askew is a sophomore at the University of Minnesota pursuing degrees in journalism and English. At school, Katie can be found reading, drumming or working in the Office of Admissions. Outside of school, she enjoys traveling, teaching and performing music and spending time outdoors with friends and family. Katie loves all things zebra and has a necessary addiction to coffee. Her iPod is perpetually playing Death Cab for Cutie or classical music because she truly believes that when words fail, music speaks.

by Kayla Herrera, Scholarships.com Virtual Intern

Once that last Scantron sheet is bubbled and that last paper is submitted, the freedom of winter break beckons us happily. Suddenly, the stress is gone and we have all the time in the world (aside from work and family obligations) so what kinds of fun things can you do during hours you’d otherwise be studying?

I made a promise to myself to read all of winter break and I’ve found Amazon’s Kindle app to be a fantastic way to do so. It works on your smartphone, iPad, iPod or computer – I had to get it for my netbook for school – and have access to countless free or 99-cent Kindle books! I want to recommend Destination Truth: Memoirs of a Monster Hunter. If you have ever seen the show on SyFy, it is worth checking out. For those who haven’t, author Josh Gates is witty, sarcastic and adventurous – a modern Indiana Jones! All of the paranormal shows are coming out with their own books and though I have yet to check out Ghost Hunters or Ghost Adventures, this one just drew me in.

If you are into video games, you cannot go wrong with Skyrim. Hundreds of hours can be poured into this game, where you create a character to battle dragons and complete quests in an entirely different world. This is one sure way to survive your winter break...if you can defeat the dragons, of course.

And finally, The Adventures of Tintin looks like an incredible movie for all ages. The story is courageous, mysterious and unexpected – out of all the movies coming out over break (yes, even including Spielberg’s other film, War Horse), I would say this looks like the most thrilling and worth my 10 dollars.

Whatever you choose to do, may your winter break be as adventurous as you can make it!

In addition to being a Scholarships.com virtual intern, Michigan Tech student Kayla Herrera is a media coordinator for the Michigan Tech Youth Programs and is a writer for The Daily News in Iron Mountain, Mich., Examiner.com and WHOA Magazine. She love a tantalizing, action-packed video game and can't get enough of horror movies (Stephen King's books always have her in their grip, though she prefers the old over the new). Writing is what she has always done, and that is what she is here to do.