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by Radha Jhatakia

There’s one thing about living on campus that everyone always worries about and that is the roommate situation. Unfortunately, unless you have a friend that you plan on living with, you will have very little control over who your roommate will be. Sorry!

When it comes time to sign up for housing for the first time, most colleges will have incoming freshmen fill out a survey of roommate preferences. You’ll answer questions including sleeping habits and visitor preferences and be matched with someone who has similar answers so honesty is the best policy here. You could get lucky and have a fantastic roommate who you’ll become best friends with...or be unlucky and get stuck with someone who’s a nightmare. If you’re faced with the latter, you have limited options but one trick I’ve found is to make friends with your resident advisor early – he or she will help you get any issues resolved quickly and efficiently or act as a mediator to help negotiate differences.

Setting ground rules on the first day is also a must. It sounds strict and uncool but important to plan out study times, lights out, clean up schedules, etc. so you won’t step on each other’s toes later down the line. If your roommate still makes sharing a room difficult, you can try to switch rooms by contacting the housing office to file a formal complaint. Most schools will only let you change rooms if your roommate is hostile (think: stealing your things, displaying abnormal/aggressive behavior, drinking or doing drugs). If you are fortunate enough to get a new room assignment, remember to set those guidelines from the get-go...and pray to the housing gods that your new roommate is better than your old one!

Radha Jhatakia is a communications major who will be transferring to San Jose State University this fall. She’s had some ups and downs in school and many obstacles to face; these challenges – plus support from family, friends and cat – have only made Radha stronger and have given her the experience to help others with the same issues. In her spare time, she enjoys writing, reading, cooking, sewing and designing. A social butterfly, Radha hopes to work in public relations and marketing upon graduation.

by Agnes Jasinski

If you’re an incoming freshman new to the idea of communal living, there’s something you should know. You may not be instant best friends with your new roommate. Random pairings are just that: random. And a recent article in The New York Times describes just how bad new undergraduates have gotten at managing even the minutest problems. 

According to the article, students are getting more passive aggressive, using technology and social networking to vent rather than confronting an annoying roommate. One director of housing says students text one another while they’re in the same room rather than talking out a disagreement. Or their complaints will go “public” via Facebook, with the other roommate finding out on the website that there’s trouble brewing in their living space. Students won’t even tell noisy dorm-mates to quiet down, according to a recent focus group at North Carolina State University.

Another problem is more parents getting involved in the conflicts, rather than the students handling their roommate issues themselves, according to the article. Most colleges have mediation services or resident advisers at the ready to handle these problems, but few students take advantage.

But there are ways to make a mismatch work. If you’re aware of the common roommate problems before you move in, like borrowing personal items without the roommate’s permission or messy living habits, you may be more prepared to handle them. If you think you may be the problem, it may be time for a bit of self-reflection. It’s probably not a bad idea, for example, to learn how to not eat food that isn’t yours. 

If it gets really bad, most colleges have systems in place that allow students to swap out their roommates. At Loyola University in Chicago, students are able to move out of their rooms if they find other students to trade places with them, according to the Times article. The school gives unhappy roommates a little help with organized “swap nights,” where they are able to meet other students looking for improved living situations. The University of Florida has introduced the Facebook tool RoomBug as a move away from random assignments. The application allows students to give more detailed responses on what they’d like to see in a roommate, and to match themselves with profiles they feel may be a good fit. Whatever your situation, don’t take a failed roommate situation too personally. By sophomore year, more than 70 percent of freshman year roommates are no longer living together, choosing instead to bunk with friends they make freshman year.

by Anna Meskishvili

Ah, college living. Welcome to the life of Ramen, Groupon deals and at-home-manicures.

Attending school in a city, I have a lot of unforeseen spending like cab fares and impromptu coffee stops. Here are some tips on how to maintain a livable and realistic budget when you start school:

Eat at the dining hall. Dining halls don’t get enough credit. They are the best way to save at least $25 a week on one of the biggest areas of spending for college kids – food. To make a mundane cafeteria meal more fun, plan a dinner with your friends. If and when you do go out, get a doggy bag – great late-night snack or lunch the next day!

Stay in. It’s the seventh Friday of the semester and you and your friends are getting ready to cab your way ($6 each way per person) to the frat house ($5 at the door) to have a mediocre time...like you’ve been doing every week. The whole night will cost you about $20 and a jungle juice stained top, so why not save some cash and stay in? I’m not saying don’t be social but one night in with a movie and a $10 pizza for you and three friends can be a good time for less.

Make trades. Imagine having access to 10 fully-stocked closets. That’s the beauty of living in a dorm: You have the ability to share clothes and make new friends. If you’re nice about it, that cute girl down the hall will let you borrow that expensive top for your hot date. Take advantage but be responsible!

Living on a strict budget is not easy but grinding through it can be fun! Every time I make myself a bowl of Ramen, I am happy to know it only set me back $.19.

Anna Meskishvili is a rising senior at Boston University pursuing a degree in public relations at the College of Communication and hopes to someday work in healthcare administration communication. She is part of Kappa Delta at BU and has loved every second of it. She is also involved in Public Relations Student Society of America and Ed on Campus. Anna was born in the Republic of Georgia and considers herself a citizen of the world because she’s lived in Russia, England, France, Brooklyn and Connecticut. She loves to travel, run and learn.

by Alexis Mattera

You’ve been accepted. You’ve paid your deposit. You’ve stocked up on apparel emblazoned with your future school’s name. What’s next? For many students today, it’s joining their new school’s Facebook page to share their excitement, concerns and any other feelings about their upcoming postsecondary experience. Sure, some students think that what they say or do on this page won’t matter because it’s “just Facebook” but others – like incoming Wake Forest freshman Nicole Echeverria – will tell you that being “that guy” or “that girl” won't help your cause.

Echeverria recently penned a piece for USA Today Education detailing her experiences on her school’s Class of 2015 page and the recent high school graduate has created some pretty good guidelines for other incoming freshmen to follow online. Metaphorical pinkies up!

• Introducing yourself with a few simple facts (name, hometown, prospective major, interests, etc.) and initiating conversations with other admitted students is a great way to make friends before setting foot on campus in the fall. Meeting new people can be difficult for some; breaking the ice online makes the process that much easier.
• Asking questions about anything and everything can bring about some excellent insight about the coming year. You could find a mentor on campus, seek out help filling out housing forms or see who else is going to a meet-up for students in your major.
• Limit your comments and likes to a reasonable amount. Chances are, other members of the group have notifications sent to their inboxes and if they see your name on each and every one, you can bet they’ll want to delete you from all friend lists – virtual and real.
• Feel free to friend others, but don’t do so with reckless abandon. If you notice you and another person have been commenting on all the same threads, send them a friend request with a short message noting this. Who knows...you could have just met your new roommate!

First collegiate impressions are no longer made on move-in day but instead in the months leading up to it. How are you putting your best foot forward online?

by Jacquelene Bennett

Packing for college can be stressful and frustrating. You buy something you think you are going to need and end up never using it or you forget to buy something and end up making 20 trips to the store on the already crazy move-in day. But fear not, I am here to help.

Now I know that colleges give students lists of things to bring with them but those lists can be wrong. Below, I have provided you with some helpful tips on what and what not to bring with you to college that I have learned myself over the last few years.

What to Bring

• Extra linens. A few towels and an extra set of extra-long twin sheets go a long way when you’re out of quarters for laundry.
• Mattress pads. If you are able to get several of these for your bed, DO IT – you back will thank you later on because you will be sleeping on an old, used mattress that will be very uncomfortable otherwise.
• Pictures and decorations. Being away from home for the first time sucks. Bring lots of pictures and familiar stuff to make you feel more comfortable.

What Not to Bring

• Desk lamp. The light is too bright to have on while your roommate is asleep and the overhead light you have in your room is good enough while you are doing homework.
• Printer. More than likely, your school has a printing quota that allows you to print from the school’s computer labs that rather than buying your own paper and ink.
• Every article of clothing you own. When you move in, it’s still summertime. Bring only seasonal clothing with you and switch them out when you are home for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Jacquelene Bennett is a rising senior at the University of Redlands where her areas of study are creative writing, government and religious studies. When she is not studying or working, you can usually find her eating frozen yogurt or blogging about her day. She has a cactus named Kat and believes that Stephen Colbert is a genius. Jacquelene works hard, laughs hard and knows that one day you’ll see her name in lights.

by Angela Andaloro

Everyone has a complaint about the high school they attend. Maybe your school is too small. Maybe it isn’t in a “cool” area. Maybe you think it’s simply boring. Whatever the case, the schools we see on television and in movies seem so much better than our own. They may seem perfect but every high school has as cons as well as pros.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

The pros: Where better to study magic than in a castle? At Hogwarts, your staircases move, you get to have pets in your room and gym class consists of flying around on a broomstick. Plus, face it - you’d love to hang out with Harry, Ron and Hermione!

The cons: Crazy teachers, severe punishment (hello, Professor Umbridge?!) and fierce competition between houses.

Rydell High School

The pros: Rydell looks like just about the greatest high school in the world and not just because of all cool ‘50s fashion. There are laid back teachers, sick pep rallies and an end-of-the-year carnival like no other.

The cons: The singing. It totally works in "Grease" but imagine if every time one of your friends got dumped, they burst out into a musical number about it. Yuck.

Rosewood High School

The pros: The newest on the list and home to the "Pretty Little Liars" crew, Rosewood High School has attractive students and even more attractive teachers. It also has the most lenient cell phone policy I’ve ever seen and the only class anyone has is English.

The cons: There’s a small matter of a pesky murderer on the loose that seems to get into and out of the school with ease...

All that glitters isn’t gold. Next time you’re lusting after another school, remember all the things you love about your own!

Angela Andaloro is a rising 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.

by Suada Kolovic

With just over a week left to enter our “You Like Me…You Really Like Me” Facebook Scholarship, we wanted to remind our fans of a key piece of the judging criteria: The person who best describes how Scholarships.com is helping them prepare for and afford college will win the $1,000 prize. So, while we love hearing that you heart us, we’d much rather have you detail how, for example, our blog post on standardized testing helped prepare you for the dreaded SATs or how our College Prep section gave you a jumpstart on your college planning. Remember, the more you share, the better your chances are at winning.

If you’re new to Scholarships.com and unfamiliar with its contents, take a tour and check out everything we have to offer. Our site is teeming with info – from figuring out the puzzle that is the FAFSA and strategies for winning scholarships to living with a roommate and preparing for an internship – so if you like us (really like us), tell us why. Just be sure to do it soon: The deadline to “like” and leave your thoughtful comment is March 31st. For more details, check out our Facebook page. Good luck!

by Darci Miller

Have you ever watched “MythBusters,” the show that scientifically tests myths and urban legends, like are elephants really afraid of mice or is it possible to walk on water? Now, I may not have a crash test dummy named Buster, but I do have two years of dorm life, on- and off-campus adventures and brutal assignments under my belt. Therefore, I bring to you "MythBusters: The College Edition."

Myth 1 – College is a constant party. Thirsty Thursday is a very real phenomenon. There are people that go out partying on Mondays. Some students come to class still drunk from the night before. But if you venture into the library on Friday evening, there are people there. College is hard work, it’s not all “Animal House.”

Myth 2 – Dorm life is disgusting. Yes, the toilets and sinks may clog occasionally and your roommate could be a vile person who steals your food and leaves garbage on your bed. But if everyone’s respectful, bathrooms are honestly fine and you may end up loving your freshman roommate and living together for multiple years...like me and mine!

Myth 3 – Professors don’t care. High school teachers beat this one into your brain, right? College professors may not remind you about daily readings but they will let you know when a test or big assignment is coming up and are happy to answer questions about them.

Myth 4 – You’ll gain weight. Eat normal-sized portions, throw in a vegetable here and there and hit the gym. This very simple recipe will ensure the Freshman 15 doesn’t even cross your mind...or waistline.

Myth 5 – You’re going to change your major numerous times. It’s fine if you do but if you know what you want to study and still love it after taking a few classes, you probably won’t. Don’t feel weird about not changing your major: Some people are just focused...you’re lucky if you’re one of them!

Darci Miller is a New Yorker studying journalism and sport administration at the University of Miami. When she’s not writing for the school newspaper, you can find her at the gym, either working or working out. She loves all ‘80s pop culture (the cheesier the better!), and glues herself to her TV when the Olympics are on. She dreams big, and believes the sky’s the limit!

by Radha Jhatakia

We’ve all heard that we should be careful of the information we put on the Internet but how many of us actually listen to this advice? There are news stories and movies made about what can happen when we put our personal information online, yet many people believe that nothing bad will happen. The truth is that it can be quite dangerous to share private information in any setting; the Internet just makes it easier.

Social networking sites have changed the modern generation. We put up tweets and Facebook statuses about every minute thing we do. Every picture taken at a party goes up on the web (whether the subjects are mentally stable or not) and every gripe about a job or professor is tweeted or turned into a status message. These things can affect you in many ways...if not now, then in the future: They can prevent you from getting a job or getting into school and people who post their addresses, phone numbers and emails are not only at risk of identity theft but could be stalked...or worse.

If you have not adjusted the privacy settings on your personal profiles, change them immediately. When someone friends you and you’re not sure you know them, decline the request or message them to get more information. Don’t volunteer private information about where you live or work to anyone, including using “check in” applications like those on Facebook and foursquare. Sure, it’s fun to let your friends know you’re using your hard-earned work-study dollars to treat yourself to a meal outside the dining hall but if your privacy settings are too low, everyone with access to your pages will know where you are at any given time. You could return to your dorm to find your laptop missing.

In the most basic of terms, when it comes to sharing information online, be cautious and trust your gut.

Radha Jhatakia is a communications major who will be transferring to San Jose State University this fall. She’s had some ups and downs in school and many obstacles to face; these challenges – plus support from family, friends and cat – have only made Radha stronger and have given her the experience to help others with the same issues. In her spare time, she enjoys writing, reading, cooking, sewing and designing. A social butterfly, Radha hopes to work in public relations and marketing upon graduation.

by Radha Jhatakia

In life, keeping things in order, having a set schedule and planning ahead will truly save you time and keep you on track. In college, staying organized is even more important.

When making your shopping list for college, put a planner at the top. I have been using one since I was in elementary school and it has always helped me stay on top of my stuff. It came in handy most in college, though, and helped me to stay organized from the very beginning. The best kind to buy is one that has slots for individual days as well as a monthly calendar. This will allow you to keep track of all your classes, assignments, meetings, work schedules, extracurriculars and will prevent you from forgetting about something important. As soon as you get an assignment, write it down and remember to check your planner every day. You will have far fewer scheduling conflicts and will become adept at managing your time and keeping a healthy balance between work and play. You can also incorporate Post-its to keep track of tentative times and dates while keeping your schedule looking neat.

There are also other tools you can use like Microsoft Outlook or Google Calendar, which help sync media from different sources to keep track of all appointments. If you have a cell phone – and these days, who doesn’t? – use its alarm feature and tack a calendar up on your bulletin board as a backup (maybe even share it with your roommate and color coordinate your to-dos). Whatever your choice, make sure it’s something you are comfortable using and will remember to continuously check so that you don’t forget anything.

By staying organized all throughout college, you’ll be well-prepared to enter graduate school or the job market. College professors and potential employers appreciate organization: You will be a perfect TA candidate or employee if your superiors know they can depend on you. Be smart, be organized, be successful. It’s as simple as that!

Radha Jhatakia is a communications major who will be transferring to San Jose State University this fall. She’s had some ups and downs in school and many obstacles to face; these challenges – plus support from family, friends and cat – have only made Radha stronger and have given her the experience to help others with the same issues. In her spare time, she enjoys writing, reading, cooking, sewing and designing. A social butterfly, Radha hopes to work in public relations and marketing upon graduation.