Every major change in your life is a stressor and requires adjustment, even the positive events. Transitioning from high school to college is an exciting time in your life. Whether you are going across town or across the country, there is a transition to living in a new place.

• The adjustment will go more smoothly if you give yourself time to join your new community.
• Give yourself a month or so before visiting home.
• Keep in contact with people from home who will support you.
• Don’t forget to participate in your new environment.

Some of the other ways you can embrace the new lifestyle include: Read the rest of this entry »

We are pleased to announce a new addition to our writing team at EduInReview.com.

Most of you know Mike Morelli as the runner-up on Biggest Loser 7, losing more than 200 pounds. Many are about to know Mike as another college freshman, as he embarks on his collegiate journey at Michigan State University this fall.

Mike is an excellent student and will no doubt impress and excel as a Spartan. He will no doubt use some of the new discipline and goal-setting skills learned at the Biggest Loser ranch to keep him on track on campus, as he studies athletic training. Read the rest of this entry »

Going off to college inlists many feelings in just about every incoming college freshmen. We’re scared, but excited about what lies ahead of us. How can we be better prepared? Well, as someone who has already gone through the experience, let me give you a little advice.

First, everyone is in the same boat. Everyone is moving away from home, away from parents, friends they had in high school; so, everyone is on the same playing field.

The biggest adjustment for most people is the roommate situation. Going from your own room to a small room filled with two people, and all their stuff? Yeah, its hard. The best way I found to adjust is to be completely open with your new-found best friend. Read the rest of this entry »

Last school year, 1.4 million high school seniors took the ACT. Of those 1.4 million students, only 23 percent are expected to make as high as a “C” during their freshman year in college. This report, which was released by the company that makes the ACT, is based on the scores of the 2009 high school graduates who took the ACT. This does not represent those who took the SAT.

Although more and more students are taking the ACT each year, the average score is staying about the same. The average score on the ACT was 21.2 out of a possible 36. The score has gone up since 2006, when the average score was only 21.0.

Cynthia Schmesier, president of ACT’s education division, is actually quite happy with these results. Schmesier expected a larger drop in the average ACT score, due to the more diverse student population who is taking the test today than five years ago.

Schmesier said “one would reasonably expect a drop (in the average scores, but) we’re not seeing that, which to us is a positive indication.” Read the rest of this entry »

For a college freshman, the myths that surround their new lifestyles seem to abound. You really do have to go to class, you don’t get to drink beer all day, and your parents will still know what’s going on.

One thing that is most definitely not a myth and will catch up with you faster than shower fungus is the Freshman 15, or the Freshmen 15. It’s very real, very unhealthy, and totally avoidable.

What is it? It’s this 15 or so pounds that college freshmen pack on. Their lifestyles completely change from their home environments. Their sleep habits are off, they’re probably not taking a gym class, and their diet consists of soda, pizza and whatever they can grab with their meal points while cruising through the student union. Read the rest of this entry »

Are you a college freshman headed to campus this fall? The most important thing to know is to not feel overwhelmed. While there is a lot to take care of, it will all come together in time to move to the dorms if you prepare during the summer.

Here we’ve compiled a list of things you won’t want to overlook:

• Get your computer in order – make sure it has the right software, meets campus IT guidelines, and has been cleaned-up, backed-up and upgraded if necessary. Read the rest of this entry »

As you start packing, shopping and preparing to move to the dorms in the next few weeks, remember the size of your room.

The average dorm room is about 12′ x 9′ for a total of 108 square feet. This is shared with a roommate, desks, beds, and likely a counter top or chest of drawers. Split in half, you can call 54 square feet of that space your very own home sweet home. For reference, the average jail cell is about 96 square feet.

Living in the dorms, in what feels like cramped space, for 75 percent of a year can give you a chance to stretch your creative decorating and organizational muscles. And regardless of how much space you do or don’t have, it’s an experience worth having. Read the rest of this entry »

Dorm rooms across the country are beginning to fill with doe-eyed college freshmen and slightly jaded sophomores. It’s an exciting time, as for most students it’s the first address they’ve ever had that they didn’t share with their parents. You might have shared a room with your little brother or sister at home, but we promise you few people will take tattling seriously in your dorm if your roommate touches your stuff.

Living with a college roommate isn’t as bad as you might have heard or have imagined in your head, usually. Whether you and your dorm roommate are bound to be life-long friends, or counting the days until holiday break to get away from one another, we want to show you how to start off on the right foot. Read the rest of this entry »

We thought this was too good not to share with you. What started at CollegeHumor is making its way around the Web faster than a rumor in the dorm.

What is pasted here is an excerpt from an exchange between two new college roommates on Facebook. Nolan originally reached out to Jordan to make the transition to living together in a 10×10 cell, I mean room, a little more amicable. Nolan, a pre-med student, volunteered to bring the fridge and asked that Jordan bear some of the responsibility by bringing the microwave. Jordan argued that by bringing the Xbox and a TV that Nolan should go ahead and pick up the microwave “with a popcorn setting.”

Read the rest of this entry »

College is a lot of fun, but it’s also a lot of work. Here are some tips for incoming college freshmen to help make the first year a successful one!

1. Don’t schedule your classes too early in the morning. In high school, you were used to having a class every morning at 8 a.m. But trust me, it’s different in college. Maybe it’s because Mom isn’t there to tell you to go to bed, or maybe because you realize that your bedroom absolutely has to be cleaned at midnight, but whatever the reason, college students tend to stay up later. The later you stay up, the earlier 8 a.m. is going to seem. Take my advice and try to not schedule yourself for early classes every morning. And if you do, invest in a large travel coffee mug; you’ll want it later. Read the rest of this entry »