Ali is finishing her freshman year at a large state university in the Midwest. The envelope with my roommate assignment arrived before my high school graduation and suddenly, college was a real thing. When Haley (Ed. note: names have been changed) first called me, she seemed like a nice girl. She was excited for us to be great friends and for ...

Earning and saving money as a student can be difficult. But with some research, you can get smart about your spending. "Now is the best time in your life to live cheap," says MSN Money columnist Liz Pulliam Weston. "If you learn how to save money you will be ahead of 90 percent of your peers. You will build wealth." Below, ...

Several weeks ago, a guest speaker in my “publishing your writing” class shared his insights regarding creativity and the writing process. He surprised me when he admitted that becoming a father was one of the best things that had ever happened to his writing. “From that point on,” he said, “it was the end of narcissism.” Unexpectedly, his vantage point changed ...

Whether it's your first dorm experience or your grad school apartment, college pads are the epitome of self-expression. But, as a student, you probably need to discount your interior design dreams with practical décor. "Since you are probably going to enter a small room with stark white walls, your goal is to decorate and save space," says Marie Bailey, Office Depot's ...

Late one night, as I bent bleary-eyed over my sewing machine, I was feeling the pressure that comes from taking on more than one can handle. With the foot pedal pressed to the floor, I sewed seam after seam, intent on finishing my family’s seven costumes for the church Nativity pageant. As I stitched, the thought of my unfinished book proposal ...

If you've never filed taxes, it can seem pretty intimidating. But it's really not as bad as you think. Arm yourself with some basic information before reporting to Uncle Sam. Learn the Language Before you dive in, master some of the terms you need to read IRS documents: Earned income - Salaries, wages, tips and professional fees, including taxable scholarships ...

My rosy outlook on avoiding senioritis has been smashed. Second semester has been completely different than first semester (when I wrote that column). At the beginning of senior year, you're still in high school mode. Nothing about the pattern has really changed, so aside from the fact that you're called a "senior" instead of something else, there's not really any ...

No sooner do you enroll in classes than you realize you have to actually find time to do the work. Many nontraditional and distance education students face the challenge of balancing study time with daily responsibilities. Let’s face it: We all have very full lives and sometimes carving out time for studies can seem impossible. For me, making a study schedule ...

Did you always long for field trips when you were a kid? I did. It seemed that field trips took too long to come around and never lasted long enough. When I was younger, my favorite field trips were the ones that sparked my imagination for weeks. As nontraditional students, we can take advantage of learning opportunities all around us. It’s ...

My first day of college, just over 20 years ago, was filled with the anticipation and excitement of every other college freshman. I was on my own and preparing for success in my double majors of education and business. Months of preparation and planning culminated in the moment I sat in my first college class, Business 101. Perhaps it was the ...

When you're in college and dating the same person you did in high school, you have two options: break up or stay together. Of course, staying together may call for committing to a long-distance relationship (LDR) which can be difficult. How do you go from seeing each other almost every day to seeing each other only once every two months? ...

“As you walk across the stage—take a bow and hear the applause. And as the curtain falls, just know you did it all the best that you knew how. You can hear them cheering now, so let a smile and show your teeth because you know you lived it well.” – This is Not an Exit, by Saves the Day I ...

As a resident assistant (RA), I have to craft a bulletin board theme for my floor. My very first theme was "Finding Nemo." Nemo was smack dab in the middle of the board, with the words, "Small Fish, Big Pond" surrounding him. Looking back, it was my fave board that I've done. "Small Fish, Big Pond" speaks multitudes because everyone is ...

In high school, I went to tennis camp for three years. I figured I'd come out with a sweet backhand but ended up coming out with better sportsmanship, while my form stayed the same. In other words, I expected one thing and ended up with something else. Here are a few unexpected things I got out of each of my important ...

The economy may be in a funk, but it would appear career expectations are still flying high. According to a study of college students at the Ernst and Young International Intern Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida, in August 2002, 59 percent of these young leaders expect to be millionaires within their lifetime. What's more, five percent of them expect to ...

You’d think we would have been over it by the time we got there. My university orientation class was already so intellectually, academically, athletically and artistically accomplished. We had friends we were close to, families we cared about. Put together, we’d performed thousands and thousands of hours of service to church and community. This, you would think, was an emotionally and ...

To achieve success and become a leader, it is important that you believe that your dreams can become a reality. First, you must believe that you are a future leader. You must believe in yourself and your abilities. Leadership starts with confidence, a vision and an idea. People of all ages, races and genders need role models. Seek a role model ...

You don't have time to read this. You should be squeezing in 20 minutes of study time before you punch in at your part-time job. And after your shift ends you'll have to hustle if you want to make it to practice on time. Sound familiar? Then you ought to make time to read this. Some stress is a natural part ...

Starting college is your time to move away from home, but the location of your dream school may have unexpected costs. Not all campus locations are created equally. How far your dollar will stretch could depend on the cost of living at your college’s location. For example, the cost-of-living calculator on Salary.com shows that living in San Francisco, costs 93.3 percent ...

You're getting the most out of your education and job preparation by doing your best in class. But you can continue your education outside of class as well by volunteering. Volunteering teaches you more about yourself and your world while preparing you for the future and connecting you to your community. Community Service for Career Building You'll get more than just ...