.:Budgeting your own money:.

For the first time in tour life you have to juggle all of your own finances. At first, student loans and financial aid makes it seem like you have a large amount of money. Added with the financial support from family and some students can feel like millionaires.

But, then there's the credit card offers that are suddenly coming your way. As if you've hit the lotto, you buy clothes, gas, pizza for all your room mates, and maybe even a new car! Before you know it, you find yourself unable to pay your credit card bills, or you have no money left to buy books for your classes. Learning the Hard Way

Students figure they can spend now and make up for it later, when they'll have a good job. But ironically, more students drop out of college because of credit card debt than bad grades.

The basics of budgeting are the same for students as they are for anybody else: list the sources of your income, such as savings from your summer jobs, financial support from your parents, financial aid from the school, scholarships, and income from your job (if you have one). Then list your expenses, such as tuition, books, food, gas, entertainment, etc.

If your expenses are less than your income, you're in good shape as long as you stick to your spending plan. If your expenses are MORE than your income, you need to find ways to cut spending or increase your income.

It takes effort and discipline, to properly manage your money, and the time to start is now.

.:Freshmen 15:.

Everyone has been warned about gaining those dreaded 15 pounds freshmen year of college. But many college students do not pack on 15 pounds during their first year at school.

Although, recent studies have shown that some first-year students are indeed likely to gain weight — it might not be the full freshman 15, and it may not all happen during freshman year.

Doctors are concerned that students who gradually put on pounds are establishing a pattern of weight gain that could be trouble if it continues.

College graduate, Marta Cole, remembers gaining "about 3 to 10 pounds during my first two years of college." She is now 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs 250 pounds.

Most weight gain occurs during the first semester of freshman year. Students can avoid gaining weight by developing good eating habits. A balanced diet, regular exercise, and getting enough sleep can (not only) keep weight down, but it also helps to avoid problems later on in life.

.:FAU Traditions:.

FAU has many traditions that students might want to check out. It gives students the opportunity to make new friends, have fun and show some school spirit.

• Hall Wars- are during the Weeks of Welcome for students that will be living in the dorms on campus. For 11-days, residential students compete in volleyball, tug-of-war and relay races in an effort to win the Annual Hall Wars competitions.

• Owl Prowl- is celebrated in the fall semester during Homecoming Week. Students can participate in themed, custumed dances, a football game with a tailgate party, and a comedy show featuring a famous comedian.

• Brain Bowl- held every spring semester by the College of Engineering and Computer Science, during Engineering Week. Free food is always available in addition to a "Brain Bowl" competition between the departments.

• Timucua Pageant- fondly named after the old dorms I lived in as a freshman that have been recently torn down. The pageant that was first held in the Timucua dorms, is actually a talent show. It is hosted by the FAU Department of Housing and Residential Life. Competitors model different outfits and winners are crowned "King" and "Queen."

• Night Breakfast- During Finals Week of both the Fall and Spring semesters, a free late night breakfast is held in the Centre Marketplace. The Student Government Program Board pays for the food, DJ, candy, giveaways and sometimes there are small carnival rides as well. This is a much needed reprieve to break up the monotony of studying for finals.

.:Post Partum College Woes:.

The time leading up to college graduation and the start of a first job is chaotic. Making a successful transition from college to career is vital. Overcoming senioritis paired with dealing with the demands of job-hunting, interviewing, and planning a future are jobs in and of themselves.

There are important transitional tools that seniors should be aware of. In order to segue from being a full time student to a full time employee, students should be prepared to handle any issue that may arise.

• Time- After college there are no more late afternoon or evening classes that allow you to roll out of bed at noon just in time to get there. Full time jobs require your attendance five days a week, as early as 7 a.m. or 8 a.m., until about 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. If you are late or just neglect to show up you'll eventually be fired.

The luxury of free time, summer/winter breaks will become a thing of the past. Employers require their staff year round with the exception of one, two-week vacation per year. Time management is extremely important once you get your first job. Working 40 hours a week is extremely different from managing time to work on college projects and studying for tests.

• Be Professional- Professionalism in the workplace is a key ingredient to a successful transition. Unlike your college days, you can't just put on flip-flops, board shorts, and a t-shirt and show up to work. Also, you must be dependable and reliable. You must motivate yourself to complete the tasks set before you. In the workforce, you must show yourself to be a valuable member of the team.

• Remember: Your first job doesn't have to be your dream job- After college you have to decide who you are and what job would best suite that person. A lot of recent college graduates switch jobs after the first year out. It sometimes takes a while to decide what you want to do with your life.

Also, your major does not decide the type of job you can work. Although there are some specialized fields like engineering, where you need to have a degree in that field, most jobs in business simply require a college degree. So your focus should be on the type of job you desire, not the types of jobs you think you have to apply for.

• Changing Careers- College graduates today will change careers (not just jobs) many, many times. Keep track of the skills you acquire from each job so that you can apply for better jobs in the future.

• Challenges after College- College does not prepare you for everything. After college, graduates must learn the importance of teamwork on the job, dealing with all types of people and personalities, budgeting and personal finances, living on your own or staying with family, balancing work, family and a personal life, networking, interviewing, and negotiating salary.

• Shocking but True- College graduates get entry-level jobs too. Unfortunately, even with a degree, if the job market is not doing well many jobs available for college graduates are entry-level. Entry-level positions usually require long hours, low wages and a lot of hard work.
  
  Sometimes these entry-level positions have the potential to advance your career. Employers want you to start on a certain level in order for you to learn the business. With a degree under your belt, usually, you can advance quickly.

.:Senioritis:.

Senior year is the most difficult year--hands down. The classes are harder, and laziness begins to rear its ugly head. At the tail end of college, seniors are so worn down from their previous years of education and newfound pressures.

Pressures that include but are not limited to full time jobs. Many seniors find full time jobs in their field before they graduate. They can't afford to leave the job and often find themselves with less time to study, which negatively affects their grades.

" I had a solid C average my senior year because I was working at least 40 hours a week, and going to school full time," said Shondra Castiano.

Other seniors that don't have career-oriented jobs yet, are even more stressed. These seniors are coming to the realization that they will soon be thrown into the real world and do not yet have a way to support themselves. "I question whether or not these years in school were worth it," said college senior Janene Shell. "I mean, what job will I end up with," she added.

In the end, with a lot of discipline and effort, senioritis can be overcome, allowing students to go on and walk proudly across the stage at graduation to recieve their degrees.

.:How long does it take to graduate?:.

Most college students can be compared to turtles because of the length of time it takes them to actually graduate. A four-year degree seems to be a thing of the past. Less than 35 percent of students at four-year colleges actually get their degree in four years. According to a study done in 2006 by the National Center for Education Statistics, about 56 percent get their bachelor's degree in six years.

Although, some might say it is a lack of motivation to finish, Princess Williams, an FAU alumni, begs to differ. "In the College of Communication, there are a lot of requirements and classes get filled up too quickly," Williams said. It took Williams a total of five years to earn her bachelor's degree.

Many students are stunted by a lack of courses being offered. Often times, students who fail to register early don't get to enroll in some courses at all. Those courses that are mandatory for graduation, seem to fill up rather quickly and no additional courses are offered. This dilemma causes some students to have to wait to enroll until the following semester. Some courses don't have enough classes scheduled or enough professors to teach the additional classes.

.:Average Age of FAU College Student:.

Hollywood has a tendency of depicting college students as young, wet-behind-the-ear, wild, party-seekers. While in reality, "nothing could be further from the truth," said Tonya Ware. Ware, 26, is a sophomore and political science major. "I thought I would be too old because I decided to go to college after my second child was born," she said.

Of about 18,000 students, the average age of an FAU student is 26. Like many others, Tonya saw what the job market had to offer people with high-school diplomas and decided to further her education. "In order to support myself, and my family, I have to have a degree," Ware said.

Ware is not alone, many of the students at FAU share her story. They either started out at a trade or technical school, and (for what ever reason) decided to change careers. Some students start out older, like Janeice Howard, 32, who, "used to be elementary school teacher." After five years she decided teaching wasn't for her. Now she is a "freshman, hoping to build a whole new career in fashion and design," said Howard.

.:Clubs and Organizations at FAU:.

FAU has a wide array of clubs and organizations on campus. These clubs serve the interest of many students. The Association for Computing Machinery, American Medical Student Association, the Pre-Dental Society, FAU Film Production, Geology Club, FAU Linguistics Society, National Society of Black Engineers, Philosophy Club, Pre-Law Fraternity, Caribbean Students Association, Japanese Animation and Multimedia Society, and Fencing Club, just to name a few.

Overall, FAU has 40 academic organizations, 19 Honor Societies, 18 Religious Organizations, 16 Diversity Appreciation Organizations, five Service Organizations, 25 Personal Interest Organizations, 12 Club Sports and seven Student Government Agencies.

For those interested, FAU also allows students to participate in creating the student newspaper; the University Press. Students can DJ for the student radio station (Owl Radio) or help produce film/TV for Owl TV. Intramural sports are also available.

.:Fraternities and Sororities:.

Fraternities and Sororities (for some) are an integral part of the college social scene. For some, joining the greek family enables them to have friends and affiliations that they would not have had ordinarily. Upon exiting college life, greek affiliations can even land members high-paid positions.

Although there are no "oncampus frat houses" currently, FAU plans to build eight Greek Houses within three years. "I think this would add a lot to the school spirit and many more students would be interested in attending the university and becoming a greek," said Vanessa Charlott.

Every year FAU's fraternities and sororities hold "Greek Week". This is an entire week of competitions for FAU Greek organizations to interact with one another. Greek week usually happens during the Spring semester. This year the competitions included flag football, basketball, skit night, volleyball, tug-of-war, three-legged race, swim relay, obstacle course, a talent show, a dance marathon and a Greek Awards Banquet.

FAU's Fraternities consists of:

• Alpha Epsilon Pi


• Alpha Nu Omega


• Alpha Tau Omega


• Beta Chi Theta


• Beta Theta Pi


• Kappa Alpha Psi


• Pi Kappa Alpha


• Lambda Theta Phi


• Phi Beta Sigma


• Sigma Alpha Mu


• Sigma Phi Epsilon

However, the National Panhellenic Sororities consists of:

• Alpha Kappa Alpha


• Alpha Nu Omega


• Alpha Xi Delta


• Delta Phi Epsilon


• Delta Sigma Theta


• Lambda Theta Alpha


• Phi Sigma Sigma


• Theta Phi Alpha


• Zeta Phi Beta

.:Living at Home while in College:.

" I just could not afford keeping up my own apartment on a minimum wage job," says Grace Kelly of Nova Southeastern University, that seems to be the general consensus of most first and second year college students (especially). New students have yet to learn how to manage their own money in order to financially support themselves. While living on her own, Kelly remembers, "Sometimes I wouldn't have anything in my refridgerator but baking soda!" she said.

Living at home and saving money on rent seems to be the way to go, especially with the cost of gas and commuting on the incline. The average rental is at least $800. Even studio apartments are expensive. With the cost of books, tuition, food, and gas you can almost forget about recreational activities such as movies, clubs, and just hanging out with friends.

Although college is a time when one struggles to find their own independence, many college students find themselves very dependent on their families and supportive friends to help them get through the college phase. Even a simple thing like laundry can become a major financial burden, which is why many students find their way to their parents house to wash those dirty clothes.

When money is low, Kelly tends to "bum food off my parents. Whatever's in the refridgerator can become a meal. You know how many egg sandwiches I've had," she says with a smile. These times I'm sure will be looked upon fondly. The harder to endure, the sweeter to recall.

.:Making New Friends:.

Packing up and leaving behind everyone you know to go off to college can be devastating. All your high school friends, your family are long gone leaving you all alone in a sea of unfamiliar faces. In all the excitement getting to college, students rarely think of the potential loneliness once they get there.

Not to worry though, college campuses are usually bustling with people so it really isn't that hard to make new friends. Besides, there are other students in your same situation that are eager to make new acquaintances too. Here are some tips for making new friends in college:

• leave your dorm room door open when your in there. (Lock it when your not!) This will show people that you are friendly and approachable. Pop some popcorn and allow the scent to travel down the hall. Inevitably, someone will pass by to say hello, giving you an opportunity to strike up a conversation.

• Particularly, FAU students that are interested in finding new friends should participation in major events and activities around campus. Comedy Clubs, Karaoke nights, Step Shows and Workshops are just a few of the events that are available on campus. At the Boca Raton campus in particular, the cafeteria, the Breezeway, the University Center (UC) and Wackadoos Grub and Brew are great hang out spots. Some students prefer keg parties and clubs.

Rebecca Willis remembers her freshmen year as being, "scary, I didn't know anybody and I felt like an outsider. But I met a lot of my friends in the dorm and in the Breezeway." She is now in her senior year and quite popular. Her tip for students wishing to make friends, "Just be friendly," she said with a smile.

Most of all, just have fun and enjoy your college experience! It's the last time in life that you'll ever be free, so live it up! Go out there and make life-long friendships.

.:Commuting:.

Commuting to the various Florida Atlantic University campuses can be a real hassle. What with road rage, bumper to bumper traffic, finding parking, and the rising gas prices, most students know all too well how much of an inconvenience traveling back and forth to school can be.

I recently caught up with Sherbi Dubois, 21 who used to travel 45 to 50 miles each way to the Boca Raton campus. She has now graduated and she is "extremely glad I graduated when I did, gas is like $4 a gallon now! And I live in Miami!"

For other students like Christopher Wilkes, the problems of commuting are compounded by the simple fact that he "has no air-conditioning in my car. So I get angry every time I have to stop at a red light. By the time I get to class I am damp from sweating bullets!"

With all the technological advances in place, it almost makes you want to seriously consider purchasing a hybrid. They run on less gas which is good for the environment and that in and of itself would make the cost of commuting a little more bearable. With all the money students would save in gas, it might make them kinder, more gentler drivers and subsequently decrease the amount of road rage in and around FAU.