Declutter

Get the chaos of the first half of the semester under control by first organizing your desk. Filter though papers and assignments that might have piled up and determine what you need to keep. Make sure everything has a place by utilizing storage bins. If you share a dorm, divvy up responsibilities between you and your roommate. Empty the trash, dust, vacuum, sweep, and sanitize.

Re-arrange

Switch it up! Wait until the next school year to buy any new décor you might need; at no cost you can give your room a completely new look by rearranging the furniture. Coordinate with your roommate to change the location of your bed, desk, and wall décor.

Make the bed

Simply making your bed will give your room a cleaner appearance since it is the focal point of a small living space. Bedding can make a huge difference in the look and mood of your room. If you had a dark bed spread during fall and winter, spring is the time to liven it up with lighter colors. If possible, make use of any reversible décor.

Closet TLC

Now is the time to get that overflowing laundry basket in check, and get everything up and hanging in the closet or folded in drawers. Save space with closet organizers and identify clothes and shoes that you no longer wear and donate them to charity.

China

According to the annual Open Doors report, China ranks in at fifth as the most popular study abroad destination for American students. If your school offers a program to China, take advantage of the opportunity! You’ll be able to learn first-hand about China’s rapidly growing economy, history, and culture. Not to mention more than 885,000,000 people speak Mandarin Chinese – knowing this language will be incredibly marketable after you graduate. Fun fact: Despite its size, all of China is in one time zone.

Costa Rica

The diversity and beauty of Costa Rica provides students with numerous opportunities for learning and adventure. Those looking to perfect their Spanish-speaking skills will have access to top-notch language programs. The ecological diversity of Costa Rica’s landscape is sure to attract outdoors enthusiasts who will have the chance to explore rain forests, mountains, and volcanoes. In San Jose, the city’s capital, you’ll find tons of museums, theaters, restaurants, and many more unique cultural activities. Fun fact: In Costa Rica, the sun rises and sets at around the same time 365 days a year.

Japan

The most technologically advanced country in the world, Japan is a great place to study for any student interested in its language and culture. Its reputation as the leader in scientific and technological research makes it especially attractive for those studying science, technology, finance, economics, or industrial design. Equally important as its modern marvels, Japan’s rich history and heritage provide you the opportunity to learn about beautiful art and architecture; monuments, traditional houses, and temples are few of many historic must sees. Fun fact: More than 70% of Japan consists of mountains and hills.

South Africa

Home to 11 official languages, South Africa offers a truly diverse experience – from mountainous landscapes to subtropical climates, deserts, and exciting cities, this country has it all. Whether you choose to travel to the bustling city of Johannesburg or the waterfront city of Cape Town, you have opportunities to immerse yourself in cultural activities and interact with local students. Students also curious about the country’s complex political history will gain a first-hand understanding. Fun fact: The flight from New York to Johannesburg is 15 hours and 20 minutes non-stop.

Campus Events – Find out if there are any free student events happening on campus or around the community, such as a concert or comedy show. Music and laughter will do the trick for calming any jitters you may have.

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Coffee or Cupcakes – Who says that a Valentine’s date requires a three-course meal? Jump right to dessert and meet your date at a local coffee shop or bakery. For no more than five bucks each, you can enjoy a delicious custom cupcake or frothy cappuccino.

Game Night – If you’re looking for a great group date idea, look no further. Whether you bust out a classic like Scrabble or play word-guessing games like Catchphrase and Charades, you’ll have a lively atmosphere guaranteed.

Art Project – Create something together! Grab paints or pencils and exercise your creativity. If you love photography, take your camera(phone) and snap some candids of each other and your surroundings – it will definitely make the day memorable.

Movie Night – Stay in, grab a bowl of microwave popcorn, and watch your favorite movies together. Choose from DVDs you already own or stream online. You might also want to catch up on a few seasons of a TV series you have both wanted to watch.

Baking – Choose a simple dessert recipe like cookies or brownies; help each other mix the ingredients and toss them in the oven. If your dorm has no kitchen, try making a parfait (no oven required); all you need to do is toss together berries, yogurt, granola, and chocolate syrup.

Sledding – If you live in an area prone to winter snowfall, take a nostalgic trip back to your childhood: suit up, boot up, and slide down the biggest hill on campus you can find. You could also build a snowman or make snow angels.

Study Date – Tests and exams don’t stop in the name of love; remember, academics come first. If you’ve got a big test approaching or research paper due, hit the library together. Even if you don’t have the same classes, quiz one another or offer to proofread any essays.

No matter how you choose to spend Valentine’s Day, try not to get too wrapped up in the idea of cards, chocolates, and candies. It’s the little things that count when you’re showing appreciation for the ones you care about the most!

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It’s the middle of winter, and for most of us, that means cold weather and lots of snow. Winter can make it hard to want to go out. Sometimes it’s best to stay warm and cozy inside with friends, but then the question is asked, what to do? Instead of just browsing the internet to waste time, here are other more exciting things you and your friends can do to avoid the winter blues.

Have a movie or TV show marathon. Maybe you have the whole series of Friends or Gossip Girl just waiting to be watched. What better time to watch them than now with your friends? Also, have all your friends contribute their favorite movies and have a movie marathon. Don’t have a DVD player? No problem! If you have a laptop, you can watch movies or TV shows on Netflix or Hulu. Whatever you do, don’t forget the popcorn!

Get crafty. Ever wanted to put those knitting skills you learned from your mom to the test? When you have some free time at your disposal, consider making crafts with your friends. You can knit, scrapbook, or decorate your dorm room. You’ll not only have fun, but you will have made something totally cool that you can keep forever.

Have a clothing swap. Does your wardrobe need a makeover? Clothing swap is when you exchange that sweater you only wore once for your friend’s cute scarf. This fun activity gives you the chance to get rid of clothing you just don’t wear anymore in exchange for something fun and new. Have your friends each bring over a few articles of clothing they’d like to trade and let the fun begin!

Throw a spa day. You might not be able to make it to an actual spa, but you can bring the luxury of relaxation and beauty to your dorm room. You don’t even need to spend money on buying a facial mask. Mash half of a banana with two tablespoons of milk and you’ve got an all-natural facial mask. Give each other manicures and pedicures. Sip on tea and play some smoothing music and you and your friends will turn your dorm into a hidden getaway.

Bring out the games. When was the last time you played a board or a card game? Skip playing Angry Birds for one night and play a Uno or Monopoly with your friends instead. It’ll bring back old memories and make you feel like a kid again, and what’s more fun than that?

Have any more fun ideas? Share them with us in the comments below!

Crime as a Selection Criteria

When you visit a college campus, your child will likely check out the dorm rooms, peruse the social scene, and scope out meal plans. What should you as the parent be looking for? Among other things, ask your tour guide about campus crime rates and safety services. For the most accurate figures, visit the Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education (DOE OPE) website to get the number of crimes reported on each campus for the past few years. You’d be surprised by how much crime rates can vary from one campus to the next. A high incidence of crime probably will cross one of your top picks right off the list.

Keep the Car at Home

One of the most common crimes on campus is the theft of a motor vehicle, with just under 4,000 vehicles stolen from college campuses in 2011. If your student is attending a college or university with a good public transportation system, consider leaving the vehicle home altogether and sending cab and bus fare. Not only can you avoid burglary and vandalism, but you can also sleep better knowing your child isn’t behind the wheel in the event of an accident. In addition, if your child isn’t driving during his or her college years, you could see your auto insurance rates decline drastically since most insurance carriers charge higher rates for college students driving for fewer than seven years.

Insure High-Value Belongings

College students these days take more expensive items to their campuses. At the same time, according to the DOE OPE, more than 20,000 burglaries were reported on campuses nationwide in 2011. If your student’s dorm room were to be burglarized and robbed, what would it cost to replace his or her possessions, including computers, electronics, jewelry, cell phones, clothes, and other personal items? The good news is that a standard homeowners insurance policy typically provides coverage for students living on campus, as long as your household still is considered his or her primary residence. If you don’t own a homeowners policy or would like separate coverage for your child, consider a renter’s insurance policy that usually costs less than $50/month.

Play Good Defense

What if your student is not the victim of a campus crime, but a perpetrator? Too often an innocent prank or fraternity initiation gone too far can end up in property damage or a bodily injury never intended. If you are still financially responsible for your children you can be held accountable for their poor judgment and sued for damages. Make sure your home and/or umbrella insurance policies extend coverage for your student in the event he or she becomes responsible for injuries or damages incurred by another student.

Talk…and Listen

Finally, talk to your child about on-campus safety resources and encourage safe practices, such as traveling with a partner after dark and avoiding binge drinking. Ask your child questions so you can gauge his or her understanding about avoiding crime. What might seem like common sense to an adult could be truly helpful information for a teenager. While much of what we say goes in one ear and out the other, something might stick that comes in handy at just the right moment.

This article was contributed by Carrie Van Brunt-Wiley, Editor of the HomeInsurance.com blog. Carrie has been writing insurance news and consumer reports for HomeInsurance.com since 2008. She graduated from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with a B.A. in Professional Writing and Journalism.

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When it comes to picking classes, one of the main things students have in mind is time. Not too many students like to have their classes early in the morning because it takes out a chunk of sleeping time. Sure, early bird college students do exist, but for many students, having to take an early morning class feels catastrophic. Here are some tips on how to survive your early morning class.

Go to bed early. I know this may sound a little crazy, but if you can somehow manage to get yourself to sleep even just one hour earlier than your regular schedule, you will be doing your brain and body a huge favor. Going to sleep early might be unheard of to some college students, but there comes a time when you have to. Have a night-owl roommate? Kindly ask them if they would be willing to work quietly after you go to sleep. Or you could always invest in some ear plugs and an eye mask. It’ll take time for your body to adjust to your new schedule, but once it does, you feel less groggy in the mornings.

Eat or drink something in the morning. Grab a cup of coffee or hot tea before class to help make yourself more alert. You may not feel hungry so early in the morning, but a small healthy snack like a granola bar or banana will get your metabolism going and give you the energy you need to concentrate and excel in your morning class.

Sit close to the front. You may be tempted to sneak your way to the back of the class and try to get away with not paying attention and maybe even snoozing, but that won’t help you get a good grade in the class. Push yourself to become involved in the class and stay aware of what’s going on. You can make a good impression with the professor by sitting towards the front of the classroom and participating in class. Being actively involved will also make the time go by much faster as opposed to continuously staring at the clock.

Have the rest of your day planned. As a college student you must always find ways to juggle school and other things, such as work or social activities. If you plan out what you’re doing for the rest of the day after your morning class, you’ll quickly realize that having a class early in the morning opens up your schedule to get a lot of things done throughout the day, whereas having a late class might drain you of such valuable time.

Take a nap. Don’t forget – arguably one of the best things about being a college student – you can always slip a little nap into your schedule later in the day to recharge.

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As winter blusters on, the flu is here in full force spreading across college campuses around the nation.  While you may have heard fellow students make boastful claims of, “I never get sick,” don’t make the same mistake of thinking that you are immune! Influenza – or flu – includes symptoms such as fever, headache, cough, muscle aches, sore throat, and runny or stuffy nose.  Many factors make college students especially at risk for coming in contact with germs: close living quarters, classrooms, shared restrooms, and social activities.

We often find ourselves unprepared for the worst, so take the time to set aside your very own flu survival kit to help you have a speedy and comfortable recovery.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Fever and pain relievers. Over-the-counter medicines such as Advil and Tylenol can help bring down a fever and reduce pain from body aches that can accompany the flu.

Cough syrups and drops. There are two types of cough syrups:  expectorants and suppressants. Cough expectorants should be used when you have chest congestion; cough suppressants should be used when your cough is dry and there is no mucus. Pop a bag of cough drops into your kit too as those can help with your cough and soothe your sore throat.

Nasal sprays. Breathe easier by using a nasal spray, which can help clear out all that stuffiness your nose may experience.

Tissues. Have many of these at the ready to keep your runny nose in check and to keep germs from spreading around your dorm room. When going to class, take a travel pack with you or stuff a handful in your pocket.

Thermometer. A temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher is generally considered a fever. Keep it monitored with a either a standard mercury thermometer or digital thermometer.

Fluids. Beating the flu is much more difficult when you are dehydrated. Be sure to include fluids to drink in your kit, such as good ol’ H2O, sports drinks, ginger ale, flat soda, and chicken soup.

Tea and Honey. Honey is known to soothe your throat and help your immune system; it goes down great when mixed in your favorite tea.

This survival kit should help to keep your sickness at bay, however, should any of your symptoms become worse, visit the doctor. Many college campuses have student health centers, so take advantage of services like these to stay happy and healthy!

A Chore Chart

It doesn’t have to be as formal as something that hangs on your fridge and collects gold stars, but having everyone in your living space agree on who does what and when from the beginning will save your group from a lot of frustrations and arguments! A pile of dishes in the sink for three days may not be a big deal to one person, but to another, it could mean the silent treatment. You don’t want your household cleanliness to come between you and your friends.

A Good Alarm Clock

When you lived on campus, waking up late meant throwing on your sneakers and running out the door, and within a few minutes, you were sitting in your lecture hall, dazed, but present and ready to turn in your paper or take your exam. When you’re off campus, it’s a bit harder to pull this off. Getting to class on time means walking up a few side streets, chasing after the bus, or driving and finding a parking spot in what is already a packed parking lot. Have a way to wake up that works so you’re not snoozing through your AM schedule.

A Weather Forecast

Students who live in the dorm will find themselves coming back to their rooms between classes, meals, and library study sessions. But living off campus usually means that you’ll leave your house or apartment before your first class, and return after your last one. You could be gone a couple of hours, or you might be gone the entire day! You don’t want to walk out the door in your flip flops, only to have it snow a foot in the six hours you’re in lectures and labs! You also don’t want to leave your kitchen window open, and come home to a puddle of rain on your floor. Know what the weather will be like for the entire day so you can plan effectively!

A Detailed Lease

Your lease is a very important document. It will detail how much your rent costs, when it’s due, what happens when it isn’t paid, whether or not you can paint and hang pictures, if items are allowed on porches and hallways, if pets are permitted and if so, what kind, what you should do when your toilet breaks, when you will receive a security deposit back, how you can break your lease in certain events, and so on. Get to know your lease well. You don’t want to find yourself paying fines because you broke a rule you didn’t know was described in your signed lease.

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You have begun another year at college, or perhaps this is the first one! Most people would agree that while learning more about your major and being closer to your field is an incredibly rewarding experience, it’s life outside of academics that really makes these days some of the best of your life! To ensure that this semester meets that tall order, you may want to have these things as part of your survival kit.

Free Time

In order for you to enjoy everything college has to offer, you’re going to need to invest some of your time in things other than your academics and trips home. There are clubs and activities to take part in and new friends to meet. You just need to have the time to venture out!

A Good Friend

If all of your good friends are at home, you’re going to need one in college! This is the person you will rant to when your professor adds two pages to the requirements for the paper you have already written. This will be the person who, when something ridiculous happens on your way to class, you cannot wait to tell him or her. Having someone to share your experiences with on campus will be crucial to your college life!

A Set of Personal Guidelines

While college is certainly the place to try new things and explore new ideas, most people with open minds still have some personal rules they would rather not break for one reason or another. Familiarize yourself with what some of these rules might be. There will be situations where these personal guidelines are challenged, and you don’t want to find yourself in an uncomfortable position.

A Taste for Interior Decorating

If you ever want to feel like college is your home, you’re going to need to spice up your dorm room a little bit. Cute, artsy wall decals, a poster of your favorite sports team, a giant TV, or a couple of plants will all help you to feel comfortable with where you’re living. You will also want to include photos of family members and friends back home. When the holidays come around, feel free to decorate for those, too!

The Ability to Put Your Needs First

Part of becoming an independent adult in college is being able to decide for yourself when it’s time to focus on academics, when it’s time to party, and when you’re better off curling up in your bed and reading a book, Friday night or not! You might have a friend who doesn’t care one bit about schoolwork and wants to hang out 24/7. You’re going to need the ability to say no when you have a cold or a test the next day. Doing so will make college life yours and nobody else’s.

Counseling Center Information

Sometimes, the drama in college life is too much for any one person to handle. Even if you never use it, it helps to have the counseling center information on hand. Know the number, and where it’s located, just in case.

It’s a Time Commitment

Being a member of a fraternity or sorority means quite a bit more than attending a weekly meeting. As a member, you will be expected to take part in the numerous events that are held, which can be anything from volunteer work off campus, to attending a ball put on by other members of the group. It means giving up some of your nights, and sometimes chunks of your weekend. While this can be a great way to become involved in your campus and community, as well as make friends, it also means less time to work on your academics, and fewer opportunities to join other groups, visit family members, and see friends outside of your fraternity or sorority. If you’re not willing to give up this much of your own time, you may not want to take part in Greek life.

Membership is a Long, Selective Process

As you probably already know, fraternities and sororities don’t take just anyone. There is usually a week or so (a process called “rush”) where interested students go through a series of activities to get to know one another and current members of Greek life. At the end of this recruitment process, they will pick a certain number of students to “advance.” It might be a semester of trying to prove yourself before a decision is made about your membership. Once you’re a member, you are expected to pay dues initially, and every semester following. This amount can be anywhere from a hundred dollars, to a thousand. While this process might be exciting and motivating for some, for others, this is just way too much work when so many other college groups will take anyone.

Membership is an On-Going Process

Once you have been initiated and have pledged to the group, staying in the group is still an on-going process. You may have to attend a certain number of events each month to avoid suspension. Failing to pay dues, or just not getting along with everyone else might also lead to suspension. In addition, your grades usually have to be above a 2.5 to stay in the group. For many students, none of these factors will ever become an issue, but for some, having your social life directly depend on your GPA or your financial situation can be a bit of a drag.