where to live

View More

Leave a comment

Roommates: Whether you’re approaching your freshman or sophomore year, it’s time to think about roommates. What are your deal breakers and what have you learned? Here’s some advice on how to have a positive roommate experience:

The key to a successful relationship with your roommate is communication.

  • No one can read your mind, so communicate your wants and needs. Even if you think it is obvious that you would like all the lights to be off when you fall asleep, you can’t assume that your roommate knows that. Before you move in together or when you first meet, ask about his or her study habits, sleeping habits, whether they consider themselves a neat freak, etc. This way you understand how to be a respectful roommate. Passive aggressive hints are counterproductive so be open and honest about your pet peeves and deal breakers.
  • Some communication tips: use “I feel” so that statements do not come across as attacks or accusations. Also, stay away from definitive words such as “always” and “never.” For example, “you never take out the trash, its rude,” is an accusation. Whereas, “I feel like I take out the trash a lot, can you grab it this time?” is a more respectful request.

It’s all about compromise.

  • It is impossible for two people to completely agree on everything, especially when you’re stuck together in what seems to be a 2 by 2 cement box. Maybe you need to use your headphones instead of blaring music out loud. Maybe you need to kindly ask your roommate to talk on the phone in the longue while you are trying to sleep. Equal negations are key.

Have realistic expectation.

  • Let’s face it: even if your roommate is the perfect match, you may get on each other’s nerves. It is important to accept this fact or else things may snowball. If you are feeling frustrated about something, try to approach the issue and stay resolution focused. Some people may expect to be best friends with their roommate and that may not always happen. Regardless of whether you end up as BFFs or not, it is important to be a courteous living partner.

It takes effort

  • Living harmoniously with someone takes effort. Even married couples in the honeymoon stage struggle with it. We are all creatures of habit so be conscious of your habits and how they may affect a living partner. Communicate, compromise and have realistic expectations! Read chapter 3 of The Freshman Survival Guide for expert advise on navigating the roommate journey.

Leave a comment

It’s that time of year to start thinking about housing plans for next year! Are you going to live on campus or off campus? Do you have a friend in mind to live with, or are you searching for a new roommate? This is the perfect time to start making decisions about next year, especially if you are going to be signing a lease off campus.

Choosing a roommate is a very important task, but can sometimes be very tricky. It’s natural to think that you and your three best friends would have a blast living together, but living together is very different from just hanging out all the time. Does your best friend have an annoying habit that just drives you crazy? If so, living with them may cause you to notice that habit even more often, and can lead to fights. As Chapter 2 of the Freshman Survival Guide says, there are little things we ignore about our friends because we care about the friendship more, but when it’s a roommate doing something that bothers you, you need to feel comfortable speaking up.

With that in mind, think about how you’re going to choose a roommate. Does your university have a roommate matching service that you can use? Are you searching around on Facebook groups or planning to put an ad in the paper? Whatever method you use to find a roommate, remember that honesty is key. Tell your potential roommate things you do and don’t like, and what you’re like as a roommate. Don’t say that you keep your room spotless and like cleanliness when the truth is you clean your room once a week and let everything pile up in between. If there is something that makes you uncomfortable such as significant others spending the night or drinking in the room, say so! You owe it to both yourself and your potential roommate to be honest so that each of you can find a roommate that you will be happy living with, not one that will have you calling your mom every day complaining.

If you do end up living with someone you don’t already know, plan to get to know them before you move in together! If you live on campus, most universities will tell you your roommates ahead of time. Send them a message introducing yourself and asking about them. Plan together how you will decorate your room or which big items you will bring. If you have a fridge, could they bring a microwave? If they have a TV, could you bring your PS4? Having these conversations ahead of time will prevent an overcrowded room, and help both of you cut down on costs. Roommates are an important part of the college experience, so do your homework and plan ahead!

Leave a comment

You may think that flu season is gone, but don’t be too sure. Allergies and colds can still come around, even as the nice weather comes back. Don’t forget to check in with the health center on campus if you feel you’re getting sick. Getting enough sleep and eating enough during the day will help you stay healthy too. A good way to stay healthy and relieve stress is by working out. Take a yoga class, do Zumba, lift weights or run. Grab a friend and take a walk around campus. Any little step, is a step in the right direction.

Leave a comment

Now that the weather is starting to get better, and the semester seems to be nearing its end, it is easy to think that we have everything figured out. It is extremely hard to get out of the funk we may have had when winter hit us all hard. The work seems to never end, snow days pile up, and who could resist staying inside your comfy, warm bed on a cold day? Even as the nice weather comes, and the end of Freshman year heads your way, don’t forget to take advantage of the support groups you have. Your family and friends are always there for you, even if you fight now and again. There is always a counseling center on campus that has trained counselors willing to listen to whatever you have to say. Sometimes, just saying your stresses out loud, helps relieve some of the stress.

We, the iRA team, are also here for you. Feel free to contact us with any questions you have.

 

Leave a comment

I could sit here and write a huge blog on the importance of having a good resume when looking for summer jobs and internships, but I’m not. I could post my resume and say “these are the things you NEED to do in order to get your resume noticed”, but that won’t help you either. I am a firm believer in getting your resume done as soon as you can, and constantly editing it. Keep a few different variations of it, and ALWAYS have someone look at it. Have 5 people look at, if you want. Each person will have their own opinions on your resume, and take their advance as you see fit. Don’t forget that your college career center is a GREAT resource for getting your resume looked at, and for giving you interview tips.

Here is an article I found that I thought was EXTREMELY helpful to me as I continue to tweak my own resume.

Leave a comment

Is your workload too much? By this point in the semester, it may be too late to drop a class, HOWEVER that doesn’t mean that you can’t fix it. You can always withdraw or take an incomplete. There are always other semesters and time to take classes. Your advisor is always there for you. Don’t be afraid to talk to them, or any professor you trust, with any questions you have.

Leave a comment

As most colleges and universities Greek Life will be starting, or have started, their Spring recruitment, it is important to keep in mind some aspects about going Greek or not going Greek in college. I asked some of my friends what they thought about pros and cons were about going greek. These stories are from men and women who are proud Greeks. Hopefully their stories will help you see if going Greek is right for you. Whatever the decision, do what feels right and not what someone says you should do.

 

“I went greek back in Spring 2011 during my freshman year and since then, there has been a lot of pros and cons that I face in greek life. Pros: Ive met so many people when I joined my fraternity that over time I just keep meeting more and more. Being in a fraternity also gives you a connection with tons of other people from around the country in other colleges, active members and alumni. This depends on if the fraternity is national. Other pros about greek life is that it gives me stuff to do around campus such as community service, greek events, and even parties. For cons: Pledging sucked and I hated it. Also, there is alot of stupid drama in greek life which I personally hate. Lastly, dues are way too expensive and you have to pay them every semester.”

“Not only did I choose to go greek, greek life chose me as well. I never thought of myself as a sorority girl but seeing the amazing women of AOII changed my mind. I decided AOII was right fit for me. It had a lot to do with fate and just plain luck. I am so glad I went greek.”

“I didn’t want to be Greek at first. A friend dragged me to meet the Greeks freshman year. I didn’t have any reason as to why I was against it; I just thought Greek life wasnt for me. But when I met the sisters of Tri Sigma, I felt so comfortable around them..And now, I’m proud to call them my sisters. Going Greek was probably the best decision I’ve made at college.”

“I debated going Greek for a while in my first years at school. I know my friends all enjoy their experiences but going Greek just didn’t seem to fit my already busy lifestyle. While it would have looked great on my resume and have been the “icing on the cake”, I realized I did just as much to make my resume stand out without being Greek, than some students do by being Greek. My decision was right for me.”