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"I need to take all of my stuffed animals with me!"

"'Cause I’ll need them!

This was an actual conversation I had with my friend when I was packing for my freshman year of college. I was absolutely convinced that I would decorate my bed with the stuffed animals I had collected since childhood; after my first few days at school, however, they were shoved in bins under my bed to make room for my new friends to hang out.

Dorm rooms are always smaller than you anticipate. Your storage space is tiny, especially when you’re sharing one room with two to three other students, and bringing unnecessary knickknacks along becomes a hassle. Entering college can be frightening because you’re leaving so much behind and starting a whole new chapter of your life but remember, you’re going to be making memories along the way.

When packing memorabilia, keep it simple and sweet: one or two things you absolutely can’t leave home without. Most students don’t move out of their family homes permanently when leaving for college so leave the family scrapbooks and little league trophies at home. Look forward to the stuff you’re likely to collect along your journey through college. Look forward to the change of lifestyle when you move away from home. But mainly look forward to the change you’ll grow into as you become a better version of yourself.

Nowadays, my bed at school is decorated with one stuffed animal: my school mascot. As for the rest of my cuddly companions? They’re at home whenever I need to visit them.

Abby Egan is currently a junior at MCLA in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, where she is an English Communications major with a concentration in writing and a minor in philosophy. Abby hopes to find work at a publishing company after college and someday publish some of her own work. In her spare time, Abby likes to drink copious amounts of coffee, spend all her money on adorable shoes and blog into the wee hours of the night.

I had my freshman year of college perfectly planned and one aspect that was going to make college the ultimate experience for me was to join a sorority. During rush, I found the sorority I wanted to join as well as an equally awesome backup and when the second round came along, I was ecstatic to find out that I was asked back by my top two choices. Then, third round I was extremely disappointed that neither sorority chose me. A sorority I knew I didn't want to join requested to see me during the third round, but I was too upset about getting rejected by the houses I was most interested in so I dropped out of rush entirely.

I felt alone because all of my friends from home and the friends I made at school got into their first choices. I thought there must be something about me that the women in the sororities didn't like and instead of being happy I made great friends at school who accepted me, I became extremely insecure. Looking back, I wish I had rebounded quicker. Honestly, it took me almost four years to accept that not getting into a sorority was best for me but now I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Going Greek wasn’t in the cards for me and if I were in a sorority, I would not have had time to join other extracurricular activities that I love and I also might not have reached out to people who are now great friends.

The lesson here is to not let disappointment affect your college life. The seemingly bad things that happen to us can secretly be the best things so move on and accept that better experiences are ahead of you. You’ll see!

Carly Gerber is majoring in journalism at Columbia College Chicago. She loves fashion and hopes to cover the topic for a Chicago-area magazine. In her free time, she focuses on her blog, loves making jewelry and spending time on Pinterest and Pose. She hopes to use this blog to guide and relate to its followers: college students like herself!

With college on the horizon for high school seniors, students with political aspirations should understand that it's never too early to start making the right connections. And what better place is there to start than by attending the college that boasts 47 elected officials currently on Capitol Hill? (Curious as to which school I’m referring? None other than Harvard University, of course.)

With twice as many members of Congress counted as alumni, Harvard just might be the college for those with governmental ambitions. Georgetown University scores a distant second with 20 current members of Congress, followed by Yale University with 18. Check out the list below to see what other colleges might better your chances at making your political dream a reality:

• Harvard University – Members of Congress: 47
• Georgetown University – Members of Congress: 20
• Yale University – Members of Congress: 18
• The University of Texas at Austin – Members of Congress: 14
• George Washington University – Members of Congress: 12
• University of Georgia – Members of Congress: 10
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – Members of Congress: 10
• University of Virginia – Members of Congress: 10
• Stanford University – Members of Congress: 10
• Pennsylvania State University – Members of Congress: 9

For the complete list, head over to FindTheBest.

If you’re a high school senior, you’ll be faced with a major decision in the coming months: choosing the right school. And while there are myriad factors to consider when making your decision, campus housing can be a crucial piece of the puzzle. For the most part, students are required to live in campus housing during their freshman year while upperclassmen tend to live off-campus in apartments. The reason: Most larger universities just don’t offer enough on-campus housing to accommodate their entire undergraduate populations. Yet, that’s not always the case because some prominent institutions with large endowments offer housing for all undergraduates.

According to an analysis of student housing data provided by the U.S. News & World Report, students at many of the country’s top ranked schools opt to remain on campus until they graduate. Of the top 10 national universities with the highest percentage of students living on campus, five are Ivy League institutions. Check out the complete list below (schools are ranked by the percentage of their undergraduate student body living on campus).

1. Harvard University
2. Princeton University
3. California Institute of Technology
4. Columbia University
5. Stanford University
6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
7. St. Mary's University of Minnesota
8. Yale University
9. Dartmouth College
10. Vanderbilt University

With college on the horizon for high school seniors, those with lofty political aspirations should understand that it's never too early to start making the right connections. And what better place to start than by attending the right college that already boasts a total of six presidents and four vice presidents. Which university is that, you ask? None other than Harvard University. Considering their reputation as one of the most prestigious institutions in the country, producing the most commanders-in-chief may not be the shock of the century but you might be surprised by the fact that Allegheny College in Pennsylvania and Eureka College in Illinois produced as many presidents as Georgetown University and the United States Naval Academy. Curious as to what other colleges might better your chances at becoming the next POTUS, check out the list below:

• Harvard University – Total Presidents: 6
• College of William and Mary – Total Presidents: 3
• Yale University – Total Presidents: 3
• Princeton University – Total Presidents: 2
• United States Military Academy (West Point) – Total Presidents: 2
• Columbia University in the City of New York – Total Presidents: 1
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – Total Presidents: 1
• Texas State University - San Marcos – Total Presidents: 1
• University of Michigan - Ann Arbor – Total Presidents: 1
• Union College – Total Presidents: 1

For the complete list, head over to FindTheBest.

In general, college is viewed as the sacred time in your young adult life where you make connections that will last a lifetime, take part in heavily heated debates on issues you're passionate about and play games where you're rewarded with a $25 gift card to the Olive Garden for “catching” illegal immigrants. Wait...something about the latter statement seems WAY too terrible and offensive to be true, right?!

The Houston Chronicle reported that students from a conservative student group at the University of Texas planned to stage a “Catch an Illegal Immigrant” game on Wednesday with the hopes of sparking a campus-wide conversation about illegal immigration. The game involves participants “capturing” volunteers masquerading as undocumented immigrants. The group took to their Facebook page to defend their event and Lorenzo Garcia, the chairman of the university’s Young Conservatives of Texas (YCT) chapter, reiterated that the purpose of the game is start a debate and not to promote prejudice. We should note that YCT is no stranger to controversy: In September, they held an “affirmative-action bake sale” where there sold treats to students at prices that varied depending on their race and gender. Yikes!

University leaders have been quite vocal about condemning the planned immigration game. UT Austin President William C. Powers, Jr. said the proposed event was “completely out of line” with the university’s values. “Our nation continues to grapple with difficult questions surrounding immigration. I ask YCT to be part of that discussion but to find more productive and respectful ways to do so that do not demean their fellow students,” he added.

As this blog post was being written, the event was cancelled but what do you think about this “game” proposed by YCT? Do you find it offensive and disrespectful? Let us know in the comments section.

Four decades after Title IX was enacted, many colleges and universities across the country still struggle with the gender-equity requirements. If you’re not familiar with Title IX, allow me to give you a brief synopsis: The law states: “no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” While Title IX has had obvious positive effects on women’s education, we most often associate this law’s success within athletics but compliance with Title IX isn’t always a clear task. Take for instance what’s happening at Colorado State University: The school plans to add scholarships through a new women’s soccer team but are doing so at the expense of the women’s water polo team. If you’re scratching your head in confusion, join the club.

According to reports, the complaint against the university filed in July 2012 alleged that CSU discriminated against female athletes by falling to provide opportunities equal to those afforded to their male counterparts. The university agreed to a turnaround plan that will bring it into compliance by September 2016 but many individuals have pointed out the odd juxtaposition of a women’s sport being eliminated to comply with gender-balance guidelines. “It definitely shows that they didn’t take our sport as seriously as maybe men’s basketball or football, because they definitely wouldn’t have eliminated them,” said Alexzandrea Daley, a 19-year-old junior and water polo team member at CSU. Officials at the university have sympathized with their outrage but reaffirm that the university could not afford to keep both sports. (For more on this story, click here.)

Sure, repeated failures to comply with Title IX can jeopardize a university’s federal financial support but do you agree with Colorado State’s solution? Do you think it fair to the female athletes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

When discussing the art of nailing your college admissions interview, it’s important to talk strategy. Every Tom, Dick and Harry will stress the importance of dressing professionally and the value of asking questions but did you know that over rehearsing your responses is a big no-no, too? Well, it is! If you’re starting to prepare for your college admissions interviews, check out U.S. News & World Report’s top five mistakes to avoid below:

• Showing immaturity: College is about learning to live independently and your admissions interview is partially about proving that you are prepared to do just that. They suggest not having your parents drop you off or, worse yet, bringing them along.
• Acting disrespectful or rude: While this should be obvious, do not check your cellphone during the interview for any reason. Just don’t. They suggest turning if off completely or switching it to silent (not vibrate) before even walking into your interview.
• Skipping school research: Before your interview, research the school and prepare a few questions to ask at the end. Remember, they shouldn’t be questions that can be easily answered by perusing the school's website for a few minutes. Asking a question that's too simple can be just as bad as giving a blank stare.
• Being shy: It's difficult for an interviewer to get to know you if you don't share enough information. And if you appear timid, it can leave the impression that you might have difficulty adjusting to new social settings in college and actively participating in class discussions.
• Bragging too much: While you shouldn't be so humble that you don't say anything positive about yourself when asked about your accomplishments, be careful not to go overboard. Going on for too long about how great you are and how many amazing things you've done can be off-putting. It's okay to let some of what you've done speak for itself.

For those who have been through the interview process before, do you have any other helpful hints? If so, please share them in the comments section!

Six years after the recession began, the stock market is officially recovering. And while that’s great news for investors, it hasn't translated into a thriving work force for recent college graduates. In fact, the unemployment rate for millennials ages 18 to 29 in the U.S. has remained in the double digits and the percentage of young workers without employment is close to double what it was when the recession first hit. But why?

The New York Times reported that with millions still out of work, companies face little pressure to add employees while productivity gains allow them to increase sales. The result: a solidified golden age for corporate profits. So while buoyant earnings are rewarded by investors and make American companies more competitive globally, they are not converting into additional jobs at home. It’s also important to note that the Federal Reserve has played a crucial role in propelling the stock market into record heights, even if that wasn’t the intention. The Federal Reserve has made reducing unemployment a top priority but in practice, its policy of keeping interest rates low and buying up the safest assets to stimulate the economy means that investors are willing to take on more risk in search of better returns. “The Federal Reserve has done a good job stimulating financial conditions and lifting the market,” said Ethan Harris, co-head of global economics at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. “It’s been less successful in stimulating job growth.”

What are you thoughts on the unemployment rate among recent college graduates? What can be done to change the not-so-current trend? Let us know in the comments section.

Acceptance letters should be rolling in for the majority of high school seniors and the pressure of deciding where to go is definitely on. A lot goes into deciding what school is the right fit for you, but if you’re interested in what schools have the highest graduation rates...then boy do we have the list for you. And sure, these institutions do have quite impressive graduations rates but keep in mind that high graduation rates don’t necessarily translate into a surefire path to success. It’s also important to note that the majority of schools that made the cut are prestigious and students accepted to the likes of Harvard aren’t likely to dropout.

The study, conducted by College Results Online, a website which uses data from the National Center for Education Statistics and Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, ranked U.S. colleges in terms of 6-year graduation rates. Check out the top colleges and universities with the highest national graduation rates below and click here for the full list as well as profiles of each school.

• Northwest Christian University
• Northern New Mexico
• Baker College of Allen Park
• Harvard University
• Yale University
• Chester College of New England
• Amherst College
• Stanford University
• University of Notre Dame
• University of Pennsylvania
• Princeton University
• Pomona College
• Williams College