Saturday, May 26, 2007

.: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.