Summer time is a great time to fall in love. Or at least to have a fun summer fling. But, let’s be honest, following the same dating pattern year round can get kind of boring. Who really wants to meet up for dinner, go see a movie, and then call it a night every season of the year? Not this girl, that’s for sure. So here are some fun, summery date ideas that you can try out this season to keep your love life from getting stale.

1. Show off your inner American Idol. Karaoke bars are a lot of fun, especially if you actually get up and perform. However, even if you don’t perform, this is a fun date because you can judge others on their abilities. Grab your date and some extra bravery and head on out to a local karaoke groove session.

2. Go for a picnic in the park. Pack your own lunches and find a shady spot under a tree in your favorite park. Take along your favorite childhood board game and show your date how awesome you are at Monopoly or Chutes and Ladders. Read the rest of this entry »

What do you expect to see when you enter a library on an university campus? Besides dozens of students cramming information into their brains in the hours before an exam, I expect to see thousands upon thousands of books. However, as part of its overhaul of its library, San Francisco State University is going against the norm and has hidden away 75 percent of its books in favor of digitizing its collection.

This school is not alone. In fact, many schools are digitizing their libraries in an effort to make it easier for students to find the volumes they are looking for. At San Francisco State University, the old library was a “rabbits’ warren,” according to the librarian, Deborah Masters. Now, after its “facelift,” the library has put an emphasis on open spaces, more computer and technology available for students’ use, and areas where students can study in groups or grab a coffee in the new cafe.

Some books will remain on display where students can access them on their own. These books will be the ones that are in highest demand, were published recently, or are recommended by a specific department. If a student wants to reach one of the many other books that are not currently on display, he can enter his query in a search engine, which will then cue a robot in another building to retrieve the book and delver it to the student in the library. This entire process is expected to take less than 10 minutes.

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Shelby Kaho is a college sophomore and a professional blogger for CeliacsInTheHouse.com. She has also not eaten anything that contains gluten for the past six years. In case you are wondering why Shelby has given up cakes, breads, and other products that contain gluten, it is because she is a celiac, which means she has a gluten allergy/intolerance.

In order to raise awareness about living gluten-free, Shelby recently wrote a series of blogs for DietsInReview.com. Her recent articles on this website have address concerns that celiac college students face, such as how to avoid eating gluten on their college’s campus.

Voicing Concerns Made Dining Safer for One Gluten-Free College Student.
In this article, Shelby shares her story of when she first moved to college and had to face a dangerous place for celiacs: the campus cafeteria. Shelby says that although her school promised to help her stay safe by providing foods that were gluten-free, the cafeteria workers were uneducated about what “gluten-free” really means and accidentally cross-contaminated her food with foods that contained gluten. Luckily for Shelby, her efforts and wiliness to work with the cafeteria staff and dining manager paid off and her dining hall is much safer for celiac diners. At the end of the article, Shelby offers advice for celiac students who are trying to fit in and feel included on their school’s campus.

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It doesn’t happen often, but occasionally every college student finds himself with absolutely nothing to do on a Saturday. Even more rarely, it’s an entire weekend that the student finds is commitment-free.

So what should this lucky student do with 24 or 48 hours of welcome relaxation? You could be responsible and start studying for upcoming exams (but let’s be honest, who is really going to do that?) or you could be completely lazy and catch up on multiple episodes of your favorite television shows (but who wants to tell their friends that this is how they spent their weekend?). Or, you could take some of our advice and do one of the things on our list below.

1. Clean your bedroom or entire apartment. Depending on your living situation and how much time you have, you could improve the overall quality of your life in a few hours. I know, I know, cleaning was a chore that Mom made you do when you were younger and you want it to remain firmly in the past. However, there are some unexpected benefits to having a clean room. For example, you might find your favorite shirt that you have been searching for hiding under your bed, and after the house is clean, your friends will probably be more willing to come hang out with you there. To make this activity a little more fun, blast your favorite songs from the radio and sing along as you clean.

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It’s almost here: Valentine’s Day! Somehow, this day has evolved from the ancient stories about a monk who married couples during a time when marriage was illegal to becoming a pink- and heart-filled day that pressures people in relationship to declare their love and devotion for their significant other.

Personally, I love V-Day, but I do recognize that it has gotten a little out of hand and can leave many people wondering: How should I celebrate this day if I have only been with my significant other for a week/a month/a year, etc.?

Well, if you need tips for the proper Valentine’s Day Celebration, based on the length of your relationship, then look no further. You have come to the right place.

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Many college students would gladly welcome a few days off from classes in order to attend the Super Bowl; however, for students at Indiana University Purdue University – Indianapolis, this is what is happening, but they are not happy about it. The school recently announced that it will be selling 4,000 parking spots on its campus on the days surrounding the Super Bowl and that they will also be canceling some classes so that students and staff members can enjoy the festivities.

“I think the Super Bowl is great for the city,” said Chris Gault, a student at IUPUI. “I just think that it shouldn’t hinder our education. It seems the school is putting the outsiders and the Super Bowl attendees before the students and their educations.”

For some students, another major offense in this issue is that they will lose their parking spots for a few days. Parking at IUPUI is notoriously difficult, so I can understand why the students would be upset about losing ¼ of their 16,000 spaces.

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When I turned 21, my friends bought me a variety of alcoholic beverages and a recipe book to help me make common mixed drinks. They told me that my homework assignment was to learn to make the perfect margarita. Of course, this was all just a joke between my friends and me, but for students at Johnson and Wales University, this task really could be the homework assignment given to them by their professors.

Johnson and Wales opened a state-of-the-art laboratory with 20 stations where students can practice all of the skills they would need to become professional bartenders. This includes sinks, glasses, colored waters to mimic various alcohols, and even a working microbrewery. The laboratory is located in the Cuisinart Center for Culinary Excellence on the school’s Providence, Rhode Island campus.

So are the students learning how to make mixed drinks to help them relax after a hard day in the kitchen? Not exactly.

“Chefs need to be involved with a bar program, especially today with all the interest in cocktails,” said Professor Edward Korry. Korry is in charge of the beverage program. “They have to work hand in hand with the people running the bar.”

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For many of us, Christmas and the holiday season is a time that we like to be at home with our families and loved ones. However, if you are studying abroad, taking December intersession courses, or simply can’t get home for the holidays, this time of year can be a little disappointing for you.

If you are finding yourself away from home this holiday season, we have a few tips to help you survive Winter Break away from home.

1. Celebrate the holidays in an unique way. There’s no way to recreate the atmosphere and events that take place at your traditional holiday celebrations. So instead of trying, why not create a new celebration? Find some friends who are also spending the Winter Break away from home and think of something fun that you can all do together. Maybe it’s volunteering at a local charity, going ice skating together, or having a marathon of your favorite Christmas movies with plenty of puppy chow and hot chocolate. The more creative and festive you are, the more fun it will be.

2. Call back home when everyone will be there. Arrange a time with your family and friends back home when you can talk to each other. This will give you an opportunity to catch up with everyone from back home and tell them what you have been up to as well. You could also open gifts over the phone while you are talking if you have sent them by mail. If you have Skype, this can be even more fun because you will get to see everyone.

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It’s very common for college students to feel strapped for cash these days. Even if they have a part-time job, it can be hard to make ends meet, especially if your parents are not helping fund your education. So what is a student to do?

Margaux Malyshev decided to become a hair model in order to make $250.

“To earn the $250, I had to let them do anything they wanted to my hair,” she said. When Malyshev walked in for the “job,” she had long blond hair. By the end of the experience, she had brunette hair with bangs and layers. “From now on, I plan to stick with psychological testing.” Malyshev was referring to her other source of income, where she makes about $20 per hour by filling out university research questionnaires.

For those who have just graduated and are in debt with student loans, this situation seems even worse. Combined with the current job market, many students are searching for any way possible to save a few dollars.

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I loved going to college in Norman, Oklahoma. The city is definitely a college-town and I think it is one of the best places in the world to go to college. However, Unigo.com had a different opinion.

According to them, Boston is the best city in the USA for students to go to college. Why?

“Often, friends and I would go around the city to eat in Boston’s ‘little Italy’ the North End, or catch a Red Sox game, or go to a local bar and shoot pool,” said Rachel, a theater major at Boston University. “The benefit, for me, of going to college within a city was there never seemed to be a shortage of anything to do.”

That makes sense to me. Although BU does not have a traditional campus, there are more than 50 other colleges in Boston, so you can have that academic environment or enjoy living and studying amidst the hustle and bustle of the city.

The next city that made the list is Charleston, South Carolina. This city is located close to a beach and is also a tourist hotspot.

“Charleston is a vacation destination for many people, so it is cool to live in a place other people are only lucky enough to visit,” said Andrea, a biology major at the College of Charleston.

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