Seeing the University of Virginia’s men’s basketball team make it to the second round of the NCAA tournament brought me back my own basketball career. Though it was short-lived, I made good use of my two-inch vertical leap and attained virtual stardom in my 175-person high school. Oh yes, my fingers were like the jaws of steel traps. My speed was ...

Jim Davis, creator of the Garfield comic strip, once wrote, “I could wallpaper a room with my rejection slips.” From an interior-design standpoint, not such a great idea. In terms of maintaining an optimistic viewpoint, also not the best plan. Yet, I think Jim’s on to something. There are always going to be times when things are … stacked against the ...

When designing this column, I aim to relate the peaks and pitfalls of my experience as an undergraduate in a way that will make you think, feel and laugh. I hope the information I’ve shared has been a help. As a grand finale and because I love compilations, I created this: a list of the Top 10 Things I Wish I’d ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

When you think of homecoming, what do you think of? The game? The parties? Alumni converging on their alma mater? Homecomings are all those things, and have been dating back to the early 19th century. While oft disputed, many scholars acknowledge the University of Missouri’s 1911 football game as the first official homecoming in the nation. How Did it Start? After ...

Where to Find the Hottest Homecomings Homecoming season is upon us. But which schools boast the biggest and best homecoming bashes around? Here are our top picks for Homecomings across the country. Howard University Homecoming There’s a reason Howard’s Homecoming is mentioned in the rap lyrics of hip hop stars like Ludacris and Biggie. And yes, it does live up to ...

It seems like the sophomore year is one that you don’t remember. It’s not like your freshman year when everything is new and exciting. It’s not like your junior year when you start the college search process. It’s not like your senior year that is fast-paced, application-crazed, and meaningful yet fun. It’s the often-overlooked sophomore year that isn’t given nearly enough ...

Life at a huge school is quite different than what I thought it would be. I went to an extremely small high school (approximately 800 students) and it got to be too small after four years. When I looked at colleges, I knew I wanted to go to a HUGE school. I pictured lots of school spirit, amazing football games, lecture ...

Ever look at successful people and wonder how they got there? Next Step asked five celebs their advice on how to have a successful college experience. Here’s what they want you to know. "I went to Indiana University at Bloomington. I wasn’t the first one in my family to go there—actually, my parents met there! Grades are so important, but if ...

While some students’ eyes may glaze over when their parents recall their college days, these students have an advantage. First-generation college students who are the first in their immediate family to attend college face a unique set of challenges. Challenges of First-Generation Students Without guidance from a parent who experienced college, first-generation students are at a disadvantage. From filling out applications ...

What was once a time to party and kick back with friends has now become a time to give back and serve others – at least if MTV has anything to say about it. The network that infamously hosts annual Spring Break specials has put the party agenda aside this year in order to encourage college students to make a difference. ...

Are you afraid of losing touch with the old high school gang? Don’t be! In this modern day, it’s easier than ever to stay connected to loved ones – no matter how close or far apart you actually are. Sure, you’ll make new friends but that doesn't mean you have to lose touch with your old ones as a result. You ...

Incoming college freshman, understandably nervous about their future living arrangements, learn their roommate assignments and promptly log on their Facebook accounts to investigate their future roommates. Upon finding information they find favorable or, perhaps even, unfavorable, they began to immediately build friendships or put in for roommate changes, often without even meeting the assigned roommate.[gate] While this may seem like a ...

The celebration of New Year’s Day began in Ancient Rome, during which the day was dedicated to the Roman god, Janus. This god had two faces, and one looked into the past while the other looked ahead to the future. New Year’s Resolutions transpired soon after, and the typical resolution was to simply be nice to others. Since then, New Year’s ...

In 2007, Richard Wiseman, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire, conducted a study to test the commitment to New Year’s resolutions. His study found that roughly 78% of all people who make New Year’s resolutions fail to keep them. So how can you make 2013 different from the past few years? How can you keep your New Year’s resolutions for ...

As of July, Facebook reported having over 800 million users, according to the LA Times, which means chances are, your teachers are on Facebook too. So what happens when you want to “friend” them on Facebook? Some teachers accept friend requests from students while others ignore them. But regardless of whether or not your teacher would accept your request, it’s best ...

The end of August invokes quite a bit of “back-to-school” nostalgia for me. From my elementary school days to my last year of college, I have loved this time of year. It meant new notebooks, a clean slate and reunions with friends who were long lost over the summer. Now that I’ve been out of school for a few years, I’ve ...

You've known Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, etc. since you we're just a kid, but do you know who you're most like? Take this quiz to find out which reindeer's personality suits yours the most! [gate] Quizzes by Quibblo.com