Looking around campus, you’re sure to see the signs of finals approaching. More and more students will be spending longer hours studying, using every spare moment to catch up on homework, their jobs, and any outside activities.

In this stress-filled atmosphere of always having something else to be done, many students turn to quick fixes to help them power through the workload.

These quick fixes often take shape as prescription ADHD medications such as Adderall, Ritalin, and Vyvanse. Usually the students taking these drugs to help them deal with school haven’t been diagnosed with ADHD, and the number of students taking them has been increasing over the last decade.

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Want to increase your ability to learn and remember what you learned? Then grab a pillow and find somewhere comfy, because you need a nap.

Multiple studies have proven the benefits of taking a mid-afternoon nap, especially in the areas of learning, focus, and memory. Researchers with Berkeley found taking an hour-long nap during the day can dramatically increase the ability to learn and remember.

A nap provides an opportunity for your brain to reboot; your short term memory is cleared out, and the brain is prepared to take on new information. Slipping a nap between morning and afternoon classes is a good way to help you do better in both.

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Another day, another story about Greek-letter organizations doing things to reinforce every stereotype people have against them. What was it this time? The chapters of Beta Theta Pi fraternity and Chi Omega sorority on the University of Pennsylvania campus held a mixer with a “gangsta” theme.

The chapters are now, deservedly so, getting reamed for being culturally insensitive. This party led a columnist for Philadelphia Magazine to label UPenn students “shmucks” in a letter addressed to “Penn Kids.”

He wrote, “You’re not actually kids, after all: You’re adults. Maybe you were raised with too much “faux” ironic comedy racism in your pop culture to know the difference, but making fun of other races? Not actually cool. So grow up.”

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Valentine’s Day has passed once again, and whether you felt the bliss of young love or celebrated another Single’s Awareness day, you’re likely feeling a bit of a Valentine’s slump. With all the hype and expectations that come along with the holiday, it’s no wonder we all feel a bit of a letdown once it has passed.

Whether you want to keep the romance alive until next year, or are rocking the single life, we’ve got tips on how to make the most of life until next year other than bingeing on half-price chocolate.

Lovers

DO: Make time to specifically spend together
Make Saturdays movie day, set aside a couple nights a month to make dinner together, or find your own activity. No matter your interests as a couple, be sure to find time to do them together.

DON’T: Exclude your friends: single or in couples
It can be easy once you’ve found happiness in a relationship to get wrapped up in your own world. However, leaving people out will hurt everyone involved in the long run. Keep up your friendships, and make sure that you still have time to spend as individuals.

DO: What is right for you
If you’re blissfully in love and everything is great, then revel in it. If, however, things aren’t going so well, don’t feel like you have to stay in a relationship that isn’t working just for the sake of being in a relationship. Love is complicated, and no one has it all figured out. Ultimately, you need to be happy.

Single and Loving It

DO: Make the most of your single status
Get out and meet people, take up a hobby you’ve always been interested in, or take yourself out to dinner. You’re single, not dead, so go out and have fun!

DON’T: Get down on the idea of love
So what if you’re unattached right now? That doesn’t mean all hope is lost, and it certainly doesn’t prevent you from experiencing other kinds of love, like friendship and family.

DO: Whatever makes you happy
If you’re loving life, keep up whatever you’re doing, if not, change it up. A lot of people will try to tell you what you should or shouldn’t be doing, but ultimately it comes down to what you want. If you want a relationship, then pursue one. If not, that’s great too.

Also Read:

Finding Love on a College Campus

5 Rules of Facebook Relationship Manners

College Grads More Likely to Get Married

Often, college students are accused of treating their lives on campus like a bubble; one that will pop after graduation when they have to enter the “real world.” That may be true, but plenty of students are facing incredibly challenging “real world” problems while still on campus. One of the most prevalent, and the least studied, is food insecurity.

A new study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education examined the students at Western Oregon University and found 59 percent of them were food insecure at least once during the previous year. Food insecurity by definition is, “the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.”

You may be asking yourself how that’s possible with meal plans, food courts, and snack carts dotting most college campuses. The reality is that many students aren’t getting enough healthy food because they struggle with high costs, limited income, and fewer food and social support systems.

The researchers feel the high number of food insecure students is caused by a combination of rising college costs, changing college student demographics, and more low-income and first-generation students attending college.

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It’s been a banner year for weed. Washington and Colorado made pot smoking and possession legal, hemp was declared the next ‘it’ food, and a former Microsoft executive announced plans to launch the “Starbucks of marijuana.” The widespread legalization of mary jane is a hot button issue among pundits and barstool intellectuals alike, and we may only be a few short years away from total decriminalization of toking.

In Washington, the boys in blue are even getting in on the action. At the 22nd annual Seattle Hempfest, local cops will be handing out Doritos festooned with stickers directing smokers to an online FAQ page called, “Marijiwhatnow? A Guide to Legal Marijuana Use in Seattle.” (Insert munchies joke here.)

The new legality of marijuana in Washington and Colorado is a blurred line at best. You can’t smoke in public, it’s difficult and confusing to legally buy the stuff, and federal law still prohibits marijuana and all of its uses. For ganja lovers, it’s a step in the right direction nonetheless.

As the fall semester rears its shiny new head, clouds of smoke will begin to converge over these five college campuses, all of which The Princeton Review deemed the most marijuana friendly schools. Let’s hash it out.

1. Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY

This comes as no surprise, as someone was obviously high when they named this school. Apparently the administration thought pot use was getting a little too friendly when they banned all public 4/20 celebrations in 2009. (Students designed a shopping cart sized bong in the shape of an octopus.) Skidmore spokesman Dan Forbush took a shot at The Princeton Review, saying their approach “trivializes and obscures the fact that regular use of marijuana has been shown to have many serious consequences, especially in young people.” And that’s why faculty don’t get to vote in the “Reefer Madness” category. Read the rest of this entry »

Students, are you a fan of Chipotle? If so, there is an opportunity for you to become a student brand manager for the fast-casual restaurant. In order to bring Chipotle to your high school or university you must be 16 or older and be actively involved on your campus.

What exactly will your duties be as a Chipotle Student Brand Manager? You will have to promote the yummy burritos and tacos to fellow students on campus. You’ll be representing the brand, looking for opportunities that will let other students know that Chipotle is on campus, and using social media to promote the brand. Don’t worry - you won’t be doing this all on your own. Chipotle will offer guidance from their marketing representatives.

The company is offering a real-world experience for students who are looking for a career in the marketing industry. In other words, it is similar to an internship for college students because they have to attend two full academic semesters at their university and must work on Chipotle projects for five to ten hours per week. Read the rest of this entry »

Beloit College in Wisconsin has made a habit of releasing a “Mindset List” every August, painting a picture of pop culture, politics, and technology for the incoming freshmen. Since 1998 the school has released this list, primarily as a way for faculty to be aware of their possible dated references with the students. Today, the list has turned into a fantastic catalog of the worldview of incoming freshmen for all to enjoy.

Having the understanding that this year’s freshmen have never known a world where women couldn’t fly war planes or understanding that they see the Michael Jackson family in the same way you saw the Kennedy’s allows for a major gap to be bridged for all. Some mind blowing stats for the class of 2016 include that they were born in 1994, meaning people like Kurt Cobain, Jackie O., Richard Nixon, and John Wayne Gacy had always been a part of history.

The yearly lists are fun to read and even those of us who didn’t think we were that old are left with our jaws dropped when we realize how very different our experience of the world has been compared to these young students.

A few highlights from this year’s Class of 2016 list include:

Robert De Niro is known as Greg Focker’s father-in-law in the “Meet the Parents” movies, not as a member of the Corleone mob family.

This class may only think of Bill Clinton as a senior statesman and really have no idea about him not “having sexual relations with that women.”

The class of 2016 has never known an airport where you actually carry your suitcase versus rolling it and they’ve never had an actual airline “ticket.” Read the rest of this entry »

A majority of college parties involve alcohol, and it is rather a hot topic for college students. According to DoSomething.org, about 30,000 college students require medical treatment after overdosing on alcohol each year. Most college students binge drink, which is the consumption of five or more alcoholic drinks in a row on at least one occasion. Mary Hartley, RD, the nutrition expert for DietsInReview.com, confirms that, “it is a big problem among teens and adults.”

Binge drinking can do more than speed up the process of intoxication. According to Mary, “Young people frequently combine drinking and high risk activities and so heavy drinking carries a risk of serious injury due to falls or wrecks, as well as pregnancy, or sexually transmitted disease, date rape, and even death from alcohol poisoning.”

Binge drinking can also lead to alcohol abuse. Because alcohol is a normal part of the lifestyle, college students aren’t likely to stop drinking because of warnings of dangerous risks. However, they can certainly be more informed and be safer when they do imbibe. Read the rest of this entry »

A tiny dorm room isn’t ideal for most college freshmen, but sharing a room is something most freshmen will have to get used to. Students should be aware that roommates can affect your life more than expected. Bruce Sacerdote, Professor of Economics at Dartmouth, wrote in a study, “Roommate effects are important influences in freshman year GPA and in decisions to join social organizations.”

The scenarios of how roommates can affect your freshman year are endless. For example, before the school year begins, roommates talk about joining different organizations which can include going Greek. Another example is studying for an exam while every other roommate may suggest going to a party. While being away from home, first year students may have the desire to be social, instead of studying. College is all about learning how to be an independent adult and accountable for your actions, so if there starts to be a sign of lower grades and there is a direct correlation with your roommates, then something must be done to fix the situation.

Here are tips on how to fix roommate problems:

1. Speak up to your roommate, tell them you have priorities and that you need to find a way to accommodate each other in such a small space. Read the rest of this entry »