Applying to colleges can be quite the juggling act; you are torn between senioritis and an astonishing amount of homework, commitments to your social life and family obligations, work, sports, extracurriculars, and the favorite among high school (and even more so college) students: sleep. [gate] On top of all those things, there is also so much that you have to consider ...

The SAT, or as I like to call it, the Mother of All Tests, looms over every high school student's academic career. It's loyal counterpart, the ACT or, for our purposes, The Father of All Tests, is just as intimidating. These two tests mark the passage into academic adulthood, and can make or break a student's ambitions. Now that we have ...

I've previously written here on Fastweb about the importance of borrowing student loan funds wisely. I am also an advocate for students pursing scholarship opportunities that they qualify for in order to offset the cost of a college education. There are, however, other ways that you can gain an education without going into debt. [gate] Do you want to know more ...

I can never again poke fun at the cliche concept of girls locking themselves in their bathrooms and crying until they feel better. That was me, minutes after reading my decision letter from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: waitlisted. All I could think was, "I'm not even good enough for a rejection." Looking back, it seems really silly. ...

It is that time of year again. College students from all across the country converge on sandy beaches in Florida, or California for a week of sun, fun, and partying. Spring break—a time for rest and relaxation away from the rigors of college life- can be a great time. It can also lead to some tough life lessons if a student ...

I’m going to give a little back-story on my experience with the fantastic test that everyone dreads – the SAT. I took it for the first time in the fall of my junior year and for the second time in the spring of that year. I did relatively well the first time I took the test, but it wasn't good enough ...

Internships are the cherries on top of the resume sundae. They can make any student stand out to colleges, future employers, and boyfriends’ parents (just as a cherry stands out to a starving young child in a brightly colored ice cream store, or excuse me, froyo—the new trend). Internships are quickly becoming essential for any job and can offer a lot ...

It has been said that college is like any relationship: after some wonderful months in the honeymoon stage, reality comes crashing down. Suddenly it really bothers you that football weekends get so crazy or that occasionally you have to walk to class in the pouring rain. That’s okay. In fact, that’s normal. The trick is using this new perspective to jump ...

With over 3,000 colleges and universities in the United States alone, there’s a pretty good chance you’re going to find one that fits your personality perfectly. With so much enormous variety, it might seem difficult to narrow down exactly which one that is. One of the most important factors in your school experience can be its location – you’ll get a ...

“What is the best piece of advice you can give a freshman?” It was a question that popped up over and over again during my time at Dawg Camp, an optional weekend retreat in the summer for incoming freshmen to the University of Georgia. Some of the answers were predictable, like make a lot of friends or don’t forget to call ...

Kristen has been contributing to Fastweb since August 2011 and has garnered a lot of attention from our readers for her personal and prolific pieces, like Accepting Rejection (or a Deferral or Waitlisting). So we thought it would be nice to introduce you all to even more of Kristen! What are you studying in school and what are the biggest challenges ...

There is nothing that so cements in the mind how amazing an experience college is as one's first steps onto a college campus. As brochures and scheduled tours would have us believe, the university is at all times a dynamic place, and in a lot of ways that’s very true. But viewing a college entirely through the lens the university represents ...

I wonder what I should sign up for this year? Oh, wait. I’m a transfer student, and this is my senior year in college. What am I thinking? I quickly look up the general education courses for my current university. I’m pretty sure I am not the only transfer student with these thoughts right now. Although this is my senior year ...

I am lucky to have found my dream school as quickly as I did. I am lucky to have been accepted into that college. I am lucky that my school is cheap and close to home. I am lucky in so many ways, but not necessarily in the ways I expected to be. When I first visited Truman State a year ...

One thing I wish someone had told me is that social networking is even more popular in college than it is in high school. Seeing the college brochures of students playing frisbee, lying on the grass, studying in libraries, and hanging out at coffee shops had given me this mental image of the college student who is so busy living her ...

For those who are about to take finals, we salute you. The few weeks between Thanksgiving break and the heavenly month-long winter break seem to be some of the most stressful of the college school year. [gate] The eight days I spent at home for Thanksgiving was the longest period of time I had been there since summer, and, as much ...

Many college students have a small budget for purchasing gifts. What can you do to get your loved ones gifts they will love, while remaining economical? [gate] The holiday season probably snuck up on you this year. Busy with classes, studying, and a part-time job or internship, you may not have gotten around to doing any shopping. Here are some ideas ...

As exciting as college is, it was extremely difficult for me to leave my mother, father, older brother, younger sister, and dachshund. I had never been to camp or away from home for longer than three days, yet I was determined to go to college out of state. I searched for colleges that offered my potential majors, but mostly I looked ...

Being away at college has changed pretty much everything for me. Some things for the worse, some for the better, but mostly I think it’s just different. For example, I no longer have curfew, I’m living in one tiny room with another person, I don’t have a car at my disposal anymore, classes are shorter, and the burden of all responsibility ...

This is the time of year that is often most nerve-wracking for high school seniors: on top of all the school stressors that have been fairly consistent over the past three years, we have to consider where we’ll be a year from now. For the majority of us, that place will be on a college campus. Thinking about college, while a ...