Xatal

One thing I’ve been loving lately about my college is that we have wireless Internet at most places on campus. This has shown to be intensely useful, whether for casually browsing Facebook while in class or as a tool to study somewhere other than my room.

Back home, we only use wireless Internet, and I’ve grown very fond of moving my laptop from room to room, rather than limiting me to one desk in the house. Using wireless Internet is great.

However, I’ve found that there are some trade-offs when I choose wireless over Ethernet:

Keep reading »

At every college I’ve ever taken a tour of, there’s always been several ongoing construction projects on the campus.

For high schools, construction projects are typically a large deal, since the school is small and the construction crew interferes a lot with the day-to-day hustle and bustle of the school. Projects are also usually limited to a renovation, though in cases of large expansion, new wings or buildings may be built.

But at colleges, construction is pretty much ongoing. Due to the larger income from tuition and possibly state funds, colleges have a lot more money at their disposal to keep the campus up-to-date and, as necessary, expanded. This keeps the school modern, attractive, and accommodating for everyone. You know that well-known fact about how the Golden Gate Bridge is always being painted because it’s so large? Think of your college like that: when one project is finished, another project will be needed.

Currently at UCSC, several of the ten colleges are under expansion, a new biomedical building is being built, the library is being renovated, and a dining hall is being redone. Other schools I had seen through tours always had construction going on in some form.

Although the construction can be a bit aggravating (if you’ve never woken up to jackhammers at 7 AM, you are lucky) and a bit of a hassle to have to navigate around, the end product is just about always better than the way things. Whether it’s a whole new building or an improvement to an existing one, be happy to see that your tuition dollars are being well-spent.

Playing guitar is a fun hobby, and nobody wants to give up playing just because they’re leaving for college. It’s very possible (and easy) to take your hobby with you when you leave for school, but you want to be smart about it.

Choosing which guitar to bring, what kind of guitar to bring, and (possibly) what kind of an amplifier to bring can be tough choices. If you want to make sure that you can safely bring your hobby with you, make sure you choose carefully.

Should I bring an acoustic guitar or an electric guitar to college?

First, choose between bringing an electric and an acoustic guitar.

In deciding what kind of guitar to bring with you, you should first consider the type of music you like to play. That should matter first. If you normally only play with heavy distortion, you won’t really get any satisfaction out of bringing just an acoustic. Your choice should come first and foremost down to what kind of music you’re into playing.

Acoustic guitars tend to be more “social” in a college setting… it’s not uncommon to see students outside playing their guitar on a bench. Acoustic guitars are louder and more portable. If you’re interested in playing with people in a casual setting, an acoustic guitar would be wonderful.

Electric guitars are more of a hassle, since you need to bring an amplifier to make them worth taking… an electric guitar that’s unplugged won’t be much use. Electric guitars aren’t quite as social as acoustic guitars since you’re limited to where there is an electric outlet, so for the most part your playing will only be indoors. But you may find other students with electric equipment, and if you’re interested in starting a band, an electric guitar will come in handy.

You could, of course, bring both, but be aware that you’ll now have two guitars to keep an eye out for.

Keep reading »

On the list of college dorm necessities, I mentioned that you might want to bring a pair of flip-flops to college for the showers. There’s a pretty good reason for this, and if you don’t have a pair of flip-flops for showering, you should really get one.

Showers are a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi.

College dorm showers are an ideal place for bacteria and fungi to grow. Showers are moist environments, and all it takes is one person with athlete’s foot or some other foot condition to make life worse for everyone on the dorm floor.

You aren’t at home, and there’s no way to know what other people do in the shower. Chances are you don’t want to know: some people have really disgusting shower habits. Believe me — I’m male, we talk about these things from time to time. With as many as 10-20 people using the same shower daily, things can get gross fast. Even if the common bathroom showers are cleaned daily, you do not want to shower barefoot. In fact, you should never even enter the dorm bathroom barefoot. Always go in with socks, flip flops, shoes, or some sort of protection for your feet.

The best way to solve this problem is to go to Wal-Mart or some other store that sells very cheap shoes. You can buy a cheap pair of flip-flops for only a couple of bucks. Don’t worry about style or if they aren’t the most comfortable things ever — you’re not going to wear them around while walking nor in public. Plastic ones are especially nice (as opposed to very foamy ones) because they’ll dry much faster. Keep reading »

Before leaving for college, I remember telling my mom, “I won’t get sick at school — I have a great immune system!” I honestly believed it too — I rarely ever get sick, and when I do, it’s usually nothing more serious than a cold.

But sure enough, within only two weeks of moving in I started to feel my first illness coming on. With so many people around, it becomes incredibly easy for diseases to spread. My disease, however, didn’t come from contact with anybody at school — I actually contracted it while at home, and it was hitting me for the first time. And, unfortunately, this was no common cold: this was mono.

Being sick at college can be pretty miserable

As I’m writing this, I’m finally getting over my illness, and it’s not a moment too soon. I’d like to share a few things that I’ve learned firsthand about being sick at college that might help you if you ever find yourself in a similar position as I was in (let’s hope not!).

Being sick when you’re away at college is completely different than being sick back home while you’re in high school. Back home, Mom could take care of you and you could more easily afford to miss several days of school in order to regain your health.

But when you’re sick at college, you’re on your own, and you have to manage on your own. When you first discover that you’re sick, this is definitely a bit daunting — it’s really tough being sick when you’re alone and away from home. But there are ways of managing! This post contains some pointers about how to manage both your health and your schoolwork while sick, as well as some other general tips to keep in mind while sick.

Keep reading »

It rained for the first time of the school year on Friday here in Santa Cruz. This was a rather… interesting event.

At UC Santa Cruz, the tradition is known as “First Rain”: on the first major rain of the year, kids run through campus naked (streaking).

It started raining fairly late at night (about 10 PM), and the general rule is that it has to be a GOOD rain — sprinkles don’t count — and it has to last a while.

My roommate and I ventured outside at around midnight to see just how much truth there was to the tradition. We walked up part of campus to see what the hubbub was, but there wasn’t too much. The rain was pouring down hard and it was very chilly, so we decided to head back in.

Just as we’re nearing our dorm, we hear cheers off in the distance, steadily growing louder. We decided to wait a bit, and then… Keep reading »

Typically, colleges will divide the academic year using either the semester system or a quarter system. The two are very different, and if you’re not ready for the switch, it can be very tough on you.

Most high schools use the semester system: you receive one set of permanent grades after the first semester ends (around Christmas) and one set of permanent grades at the end of the school year. Between semesters, you might switch a few classes around.

However, some colleges opt for what’s known as the ‘quarter system’ instead. The quarter system is far more fast-paced than the semester, and getting used to the difference can be a bit tough.

So what’s the essential difference between the two? Is one better than the other? It really comes down to your study habits as a student and your own preferences. Keep reading »

If you’re leaving for college soon for the first time, chances are you’re keeping a close watch on that calendar and watching the days tick away. As it gets closer and closer, the reality that you’re going to be leaving home will start to sink in. Already you’re probably feeling the excitement increasing.

But admit it, you’re probably a bit nervous too. For the first time, you’ll be on your own. If you’re used to your parents constantly being there for you and hawking over you, this is going to be quite the new experience. It’s definitely best to start fending for yourself. Becoming more self-reliant now will save you a lot of hassle of having to learn it later on.

Keep reading »