Get Ready East Coast....

Hey guys,

Because I am a North Carolinian and I live in Greenville (near the coast), I  may not be able to write for the next couple of days due to power-outages and blocking debris. As soon as I can, I will continue with the site.

To all my North Carolinians (and everyone else who will be affected by this storm), stay strong and take shelter. This too, like those before it, shall pass.

Be safe and keep surviving (seriously),

-Ben

Hilarious "Back to School" Fails!

Check out these hilarious Back to School Fails put together by the Huffington Post from FailBlog. Some of them really make you wonder who's teaching these kids.

I personally like the "Back to School" sale on Trojan Condoms.

5 Move-in Mistakes That Rob You of Space

The Real College Guide: Campus Life

By Maria Moy for The Real College Guide



Losing sleep over the dimensions of your dorm room? Rest assured, you can survive -- and thrive -- in close living quarters. We tell you how.

Unless you were raised in a jail cell, your dorm room is going to seem way too small for storing all your stuff -- and yourself -- without frequent fits of claustrophobia. Upon moving in, you’ll inevitably find that your closet is too small and that you have to make hard decisions about what will actually fit in your room this semester (big-screen TV or roommate? Hmmm ...).

Here are the top five mistakes to avoid when stuffing your stuff into a small space:

1. Leaving furniture as is By far, the biggest mistake you can make on move-in day is to leave the furniture where it is. You are totally allowed -- with your roommate’s blessings, of course -- to move it! And don’t be shy about trying out a few different arrangements. Often, there is a better way to position your furniture to at least give the illusion of more space and even privacy. Typically, pushing your bed and desk against the walls leaves an open area in the center of the room. Pushing bureaus back to back can create private nooks for dressing or sleeping (so you never have to wake up to eye contact with your creepy roommate).

2. Not using vertical space The sky (OK, ceiling) is the limit when you are organizing your room. Even if your desk doesn’t come with shelves, you can pick up cost-effective shelving units at places like Kmart and Target. Be sure your shelves are durable enough to support the considerable weight of your textbooks or whatever else you plan to keep on them -- clothes, shoes or even people if the shelves are waist-high. If you have room, a full-out bookcase is great for storing groceries, cooking supplies and other dorm miscellanea. Or opt for wall shelves, which free up floor space but might not be as sturdy. Hint: Buildable cube shelving gives you sturdy flexibility and can be recycled for whatever space you find yourself living in next year. And you can shove a single cube at the bottom of your closet or on your desk for additional organization.

What the New Facebook Privacy Overhaul Means for College Students

If you haven't noticed already, Facebook is going through some changes. It appears that Facebook is finally answering the privacy calls of the masses and straightening up their act.

So what does all this have to do with you? You're just an average college student using facebook to keep up with friends.

Well.....

TCSH Back to School Collection!!

To start off this grand Back to School occasion, I thought it would be fitting to share with you a little round-up of previous posts already written on the matter.

- 5 Money Saving Tips For Buying Textbooks
- How To Avoid Those Freshman 15
- 5 Ways NOT To Be A Terrible Roommate
- 4 Questions You Must Answer Before Renting
- How To Do Laundry in 10 Easy Steps
- Top 5 Ways To Suck Up To Your Professor
- How To Make Proper Ramen Noodles
- How NOT to Get Overextended at College!
- 7 People You Should Socialize With In College
- Getting Back to the College Mindset

Make sure to check back in for some fresh-new-post-goodness later on!

Back to School Week!!

If you haven't done so already, then you probably will soon....it's time to go Back to School! Yeeeaaah!!!

Ok -- maybe not "yeah", but you still have to get ready to go and (lucky you) I'm here to help. This week is dedicated to aiding your Back to School woes -- so make sure to check in regularly for advice.

Keep Surviving,

-Ben

(P.S. - How do you like that sick banner I made?)
(P.P.S. - Did anyone else on the East Coast feel that?)

Hide Things From Your Roommate in Plain Site

Is your roommate eating up all your food? Are you tired of reaching for that bag of chips you bought, just to find that Fatty Mc. Fat Pants ate them while you were in class. If so -- then do I have some news for you.

With nothing but a few tools, some time when your roommates not around, and this free pdf book The Construction of Secret Hiding Places by Charles Robinson -- you can kiss those chip-less nights goodbye.

(Source Via Lifehacker)

Spotify: It's Music..For FREE!

Fret not weary traveler, for I have seen the promised land -- that which has been foretold from across the great ocean. Oh venturer from music service to music service, I have been to the mountaintop! I have seen it with my own eyes! A paradise free of skip-restrictions, excessive ads, and the inability to truly control the music experience. The prophecy has been fulfilled! The time has come to part ways with your "swashbuckling" ways of the past. Spread the word, the chosen one is upon us -- and it goes by the name.....

Getting Back to the College Mindset

By Elizabeth Cunningham for The Real College Guide



It’s natural to be a little anxious about the change of pace from summer to school -- but if you take advantage of the beginning-of-the-school-year energy and lighter workload to get a jump on the year, you’ll feel ultra-prepared. From your social life to academics to settling into your new dorm or apartment, here’s how to get your place in order, social life on track and brain in gear from the moment you set foot on campus:

1. Get Settled
Dorm rooms and campus apartments are designed to be utilitarian, so getting organized and personalizing your space are key to feeling like you have a home.

• First things first Unpacking can be overwhelming, to say the least, but Vassar College senior Katie Hoople has this advice: “I always make my bed first. It’s really nice to have an oasis of calm in the middle of all the chaos.” There really is something about tidy bedding that makes the whole room seem more polished.
• Pull it together When it comes to dorm rooms and apartments with limited space, there isn’t enough praise in the world for closet organizers, available at most discount stores. If you’re driving to campus, you can even pack your clothes right into the organizers and just hang them when you arrive.
• Spiff up your space Late summer and early fall are prime time for yard sales -- and are right in the college student’s price range. Plus, distinctive accessories will give your space a unique “decorator” touch. “Last fall, I found this awesome bedside table at a yard sale,” says University of Colorado junior Samantha Rosenberg. “It was shaped like an elephant and only cost me 50 cents!”

2. Be Social
Whether you’re a freshman searching Internet groups for friendly faces or an upperclassman whose friends have been scattered all summer, make some plans to socialize.

A Quick Way To Save Some Cash At College

I'm currently doing a little experiment to save some cash and feel like queuing you in. I've decided to no longer receive cable T.V. and instead watch Television exclusively through online services like Netflix, Hulu, ESPN3 and those "Digital Bunny Ears".

Doing this has cut my cable/internet bill in half!

It's been a over 3 months now and I can definitively say that this was a very good idea! My girlfriend and I watch our favorite shows on Netflix and whenever we want to watch something  live, we just fire up the Antenna. 

So if you're strapped for cash and looking to save without sacrificing a lot in the process, try getting rid of your cable for awhile. You might just find yourself missing it a lot less then you think.

*Update*
DirectTV's NFL Sunday Ticket package will be available on the PS3 this year.

What You Should (and Shouldn't) Pack for College

Getting ready to head back to college?.....Of course you are! Who's not thinking about schoolwork and exams in early August?

Just kidding, I know you're probably trying to put off that kind of thinking for as long as possible -- but you still need to start getting everything ready to go. So before you begin the fury that is packing for college, take a second and check out this great list of "7 Things You'll Regret Bringing to College"  (especially you incoming Freshmen).

Though I don't particularly agree with leaving your alarm clock home in favor of your cell phone (mainly because cell phones mysteriously forget to plug themselves in and die), there is plenty I do agree with. For example nearly the entire "Don't Leave Home Without It" section......besides the multivitamins -- nasty!!

Get Career Goals in Gear This Summer

From the Editors of The Real College Guide


Summertime … it’s for relaxing by the pool, road-tripping and -- if you’re lucky -- making some money. But summer is also a good time to chill out and think about your future career goals. We help put it in perspective, starting now, with eight simple rules:



Career Goal Rule No. 1: Figure out What You Enjoy
Do what you love. It’s a phrase undergrads hear all the time -- because those four little words pack a lot of punch. “I definitely believe students should look for subjects and careers they love,” says Leslie Stevenson, director of the Career Development Center at the University of Richmond. “When you love something, your natural interest in the topic translates to enthusiasm and a willingness to invest more time in the area.” Don’t know what you love? More on that later, so read on. …



Career Goal Rule No. 2: Keep It Real
While most would agree that it is important to be passionate about your career, reel in your expectations to align with reality. Your hopes of being a professional athlete could be lofty, but consider segueing that passion into an area such as sports medicine or broadcasting. And even if the job of your dreams is attainable, it’s doubtful you’ll rise to the top of your field right out the gate. You want to be the next great American author? You might have to write your share of press releases, for example, before ever getting published.



Career Goal Rule No. 3: Be Forward-thinking
Prediction is an imperfect science. Just ask Wall Street. You never know what the future will hold after four years in college, but sometimes it doesn’t hurt to look ahead. “In conjunction with pursuing something you’re passionate about, it also helps to pick a career with potential to grow -- especially in this current job market,” says former Fox News Channel entertainment editor and film critic Bill McCuddy. “Never hurts to be one step ahead of the game.”

"Charged and Ready": Full Sony Vaio S-Series Review

Warning: It has come to my attention that I have written what appears to be a small book about this computer and do so apologize if my long form article does not hold your restless brain for its entirety. It won't hurt my feelings if you decide to leave and come back -- just try not to fall asleep because then my "Time Vistors Spend on Website" numbers will become grossly skewed (just kidding). I would also like to take this opportunity to caution you about the content of this post. It's not too often someone hands me a brand new computer and asks, "What do you think?", which means I am definitely going to be using this rare opportunity to the max. In other words, prepare to get "techafied" and make sure to have your nerd hats on tight!......Also, if you've been wondering what I've been working on all this time between posts, this is it!

Starting off I must divulge that this post is part of a program called, "Charged and Ready", by Sony Electronics and Microsoft. I, along with a few other college bloggers, were given a Sony VAIO-S series laptop to test and review.

So, with that out of the way, let's begin.....

Like I said, I've been testing this Sony Vaio S-Series Notebook for a few weeks now and think I've formed a pretty good opinion on its pros and cons as a laptop.....