How to Get More Sleep

Matt Martz

Sleeping is possibly one of the biggest, hidden problems that many college students face. Students often spend too much time worrying about school and social lives to even realize they are getting only five or six hours of sleep. If schools or even freshman support groups provided information and methods on how to get more sleep, there would be less sleep deprivation and the students’ grades and mental health would both improve.

Sleep may not directly impact any tests or how you feel, but having it truly helps study habits and gives you an overall better mood. According to studies, the median amount of sleep reported for college students has dropped from about seven and a half hours to six and a half hours in just the past 40 years. If this trend keeps up, the world will be very sleep deprived for next generations, which means slower evolution and higher depression rates starting in college students.

The three main causes I personally found were based on procrastination, partying, and playing video games. These three things usually cut into time that could be spent sleeping or getting ahead on class work. Most college students experience procrastination on essays and projects every year. Procrastination is hard to stop but getting past it will help sleep dramatically. Partying has always been a big problem for colleges, since students often stay up till five or six in the morning, basically ruining their steady sleep schedule. Steady sleep schedules are important when keeping a healthy balance of work and fun. Finally, playing video games takes up a lot of students’ free time, and often kids play into the early a.m. instead of sleeping. Cutting down on these three things help college students find more time to sleep and live healthier lives.

Colleges forced to budget cut: Is innovation helpful or not?

Seth Reeves

In today's world, we have found ourselves in the age of technology. Many universities started using technology as a new way to educate students over the boring and overused ways of reading from textbooks and listenig to lectures. When the technology age began, colleges did not pay much attention to the cost of the technology because it seemed like it would pay off for how easier and more entertaining it could make education. However, now colleges are finding themselves struggling to survive in today's economy. Most colleges have been forced to make budget cuts in order to keep in good working order. The Chronicle of Higher Education makes the point, if budget cuts are necessary, why not cut some of the technology and go back to a little more "old school" teaching where "classroom engagement implied deep critical thinking and inspired commitment."

My take on this is split. On one hand, technology is what leads us to more innovation. Without innovation, we can not hope to find better ways to educate young adults in college. Without innovation, we can not improve and could be left in a rut of the same education being taught the same way for years and years to come. Here is a video that supports this claim.

On the other hand, another question exists that are there any more innovations to be made in finding better ways, for example using technology, to educate college students? Or is the best way of educating students is to hold lectures and recitation classes which have been used since the beginning of higher education?

What I believe would be a good solution for many colleges across the country who have to make budget cuts would be to cut off some of their technology expenses and experiment with having a little less technology in the classroom. By doing this they can either see if technology is an absolute must to better educate students, or that technology actually took away some of the human interaction part of education and now their is a good mixture of technology and old fashion education. This is a big issue that could still be going on after the economy rises, but it may just be fate that it has come up now when the economy had fallen and colleges were forced to cut some of their technology expenses.

Finals: How to Cope with Them

By: Alexander Merriweather

A major part of a college student's stress is grades. A more major part of that are midterms. What's more major than midterms are finals. Finals are major tests held at the end of the semester. They usually count the largest towards the final grade than all of the other sections. This means that doing great will cause the most significant increase in the grade. Doing worse will mean exactly the opposite.
What comes with finals is a huge amount of stress. This is because that they cost the most. Students that come into finals with a good grade become stress because they have a make a decent grade so they keep that grade. Students that come into finals with a bad grade need to do excellent to improve their grade to the next letter grade so they can get a higher GPA. Using my Calc 1 class as an example, a third of my grade is my final and the other two-third is homework and quizzes. I have a 97.875 quiz/homework average. Two-third of that is 64.5975. In order to get a nintey in the class, I need 26.125 point in the finals section. This means that I have to make a seventy-seven on the final to pass the class with an A.
There are ways to lower the stress. Study every day so that you will feel more confident in yourself instead of studying right before it. Studying right before the test will make the student nervous because they are cramming a vast amount of information they barely know into their head. Another way is to have fun once in a while. Having fun can take stress off your head so you wouldn't feel nervous when taking the test. These two pieces of advice can make the final more comfortable and result in a higher grade.

Student Skipping Class!!

By: Jasmine Blain

In college you get the choice to either go to class or stay in your dorm and stay asleep. Many students on campus choose not to go to class because they are sleepy from the night before, they didnt get to finish their work for that class, or they simply just dont want to attend the class. Should these students be punished? Many students skip class becuase they know they will not get punished for it, well maybe if they enforce this rule more often, then student will actually go to class and be there on time.

Now according to http://www.enmuthechase.com/.../Students.Explain.Why.They.Skip.Classes students have explained that they are skipping class because they believe "Sometimes students learn better alone with a book in front of them instead of an instructor," commented Booker. I personally dont agree with this opinion because if that was the case then their wouldnt be a reason to have shool at all if people could really understand and engage in what they were learning by just reading the book. Others say "Teachers often make the classroom an uncomfortable environment," said Yazzie. "If more teachers made their coursework more exciting fewer students would skip their classes," Erika added. I some what agree with erika, but then again i dont. I do becuase i would know from experience that it is difficult to learn in a classroom that is boring and uncomfortable. I dont agree with the statement becuase if your main focus is to into class and learn then you shouldnt worry about what the classroom looks like. You should really and truly be able to ignore those distractions.

There is about 3 reasons why students should go to class. One; becuase many professors have attendence policy. According to http://www.nextstepmagazine.com/ "each professor handles attendance differently. One professor might call everyone’s name in the beginning of class; another might say flat out they don’t take attendance. The stricter the attendance policy, the more likely it is that you’ll lose points for not showing up. And even if a professor has a more laid-back policy, she’ll still notice when students aren’t there." Second is because you are wasting you or your parents money. "Every time you skip a class, you waste hundreds of dollars. For example; It’s just like paying for a meal you don’t eat or for a movie you never see. College is expensive enough; don’t waste your money or your education." Last is because it take too much time to catch up. "If you skip, you have to find someone who’s willing to share their notes, then try to teach yourself. You’ll likely spend more time trying to catch up than if you just went to class in the first place. And if an assignment was given the day you were out, you’ll have less time to work on it." After all of these reason you can eaisly avoid all of this confusion by just going and being on time to class. Trust me it isnt that hard!!

Living With A Roommate

Abhinav Sawhney

This is one of the biggest challenges of the transition from high school to college. Most students coming into college are not accustomed to living or sharing a room with someone. Those that did share a room at home were sharing it with a person they knew really well. The thought of sharing a room with a complete stranger can be intimidating.

It is not always possible for someone to really get along with their roommate, but there are certain things that the two people can do in order to make the stay comfortable for each other. I am going to use the rest of this blog post to talk about a few things that one should do in order to be a good roommate and build a healthy relationship with him or her.

What people need to understand is that to be a good roommate it is not sufficient to just be a good person. There are certain things that must be done in order to create a peaceful living environment. For starters it would not hurt anyone to do a few small favors. For example letting your roommate use your printer or borrow a textbook. Small things like this make a world of a difference in the end.

To avoid misunderstandings it would also be advisable to lay down a few ground rules from the very beginning. These conversations are always a little awkward but at the same time are extremely beneficial in the long run. Things that should be discussed much in advance include; who will be throwing the trash? What time can the t.v be on up till ? How often can one have overnight guests? These are things that could lead to conflict later on, so it's important that they are discussed before hand.

Other things that one should make a habit include, taking a message if there is a call for your roommate, or turning down the music if he or she is asleep. Again these are simple things that will help both individuals to live with each other. At the end of the day always remember; "do to your roommate as you would have them do to you."

Working and Studying

Jorge Castillo

Working and studying at the same time might be hard to do, taking in mind the amount of time both consume. When enrolled in college, many students need the income of a job to complete their studies and are forced to work while studying at the same time. This may seem as a very hard task to some but for others, it's the only way to be able to pay for college. By realizing that working is a new solution for students to afford college, students may apply for work and realize their dream by attending college.

Colleges offer many job opportunities for students and the government has a program, called the Federal Work Study, which provides part-time jobs for thousands of college students. These program has increased in popularity over the years, providing an income to numerous students that need this type of aid. Salary depends on the type of work one is doing and eligibility depends on the student's FAFSA. Other jobs have to do directly with the university and are also means of income for students.

While this may seem very hard to accomplish, students set their schedule in order to make it possible for them to do well in school and in their jobs. Most of the time, these jobs are meant specifically for college students and so are designed so that they don't require too much of the students. Students who participate in these programs tend to develop a greater skill to manage their time when compared to others, who only study, which tend to be more lazy and procrastinate more.

Working and studying is a great opportunity to extend one's resume and receive an income at the same time. While it may take up plenty of time, it also helps one develop time management skills. Overall, it's a good experience and a preview of the responsibilities involved in the workplace that will give you an idea of what to expect upon getting a job after graduation.

Drinking in College

Matt Martz

College has always represented a time for discovering yourself and having the best times of your life. However, often partying and drinking become the center of college life instead of getting an education. College kids are at a very influential point in their lives and they need to be led in the right direction. There need to be stricter guidelines towards drinking in college for students. Currently, college is just an unsafe place for students to drink and party.

I’m not saying that drinking should be banned at colleges I just feel better guidelines could be set forward for college kids to help keep them safe and happy. According to studies, 1700 college students die each year due to alcohol related injuries. That number seems way too high to be something colleges ignore. Cutting down on unofficial parties and helping students with transportation would save multiple lives every year. Also, providing support and valuable information about drinking and how much it takes to become unsafe would be helpful to students. Many college students come to college without knowing their limits and often exceed them multiple times while they are here.

Here at Georgia Tech, there is actually a pretty good system as far as parties go. Many parties have police outside and are often monitored to make sure nothing goes too far. The Stingerette and the police both look out for college students and make even downtown Atlanta a fairly safe place. Keeping college kids is the highest priority when it comes to drinking, and having a safe school means less deaths and injuries due to alcohol.

How to Escape the Pounds

By: Alexander Merriweather

There are many problems when transitioning from high school to college. One of them is maintaining their weight. Once students are away from their parents and off to college, they will have access to many kinds of foods. These foods can be healthy or unhealthy, but they would not know unless they look at the nutrition facts or know about the food. They will just be focused on which foods would look or taste good. Usually these foods contain greases and fat that can cause an unhealthy weight gain in the student.
Laziness can cause a lack of exercise. A lack of exercise can cause an unhealthy weight gain. By looking at the two senteces, it's heavily implied by laziness can cause an unhealthy weight gain. It causes the student to become inactive and lower their metabolism. The decrease in metabolism is the reason that causes the weight gain in the student. With the added weight, the student will experience a more inactive lifestyle.
There are ways to prevent this before this unhealthy habit even starts. Part of it is knowing your food. Even though this is told often, students need to eat their correct servings of food a day. There is also exercise. Running outside can help reduce body fat. Also the gym can help lose fat and build muscle, causing the body to burn more fat cells with more muscle. This is all a part of keeping a healthy and active lifestyle. The combination of the two will cause the student to live a healthy life.

Assumptions toward College Athletes and Academics

Seth Reeves

There is a norm that has drifted across many college campuses across the country for many years that college athletes do not care about academics. They are all just there for there sport and that's it. Many students get upset because they assume that the only reason why athletes are at their university is because they can throw a ball well or run fast. There are many assumptions when it comes to athletes and their academics, but I wish to clarify some of them, and try to let everyone know what a typical student-athlete goes through.

Many people do not realize how tough a college athlete's life can be. There is a NCAA rule that states that there can only be 20 hours of offical practice for college teams a week (Click here to learn more about student-athletes). However, in a study, college athletes have reported spending an average of 40+ hours a week practicing, preparing, or playing their sport. Now, most of the extra hours are probably done individually, but that is what separates good from great. So while college athletes are spending as many hours a week as they would a job, they also have to spend 15 hours a week in class plus the time it takes to study. Many students do not actually realize how demanding it can be while being an athlete in college.

Also, a lot of the assumptions that are made across college campuses are that athletes don't care about their school work or grades. Although, the truth is that a lot of athletes do really care. However, there are always the few who don't, but I think there are just as many students who don't try in class as there are some athletes who do not put forth a valient effort.

In conclusion, there are many assumptions made towards college athletes, but I propose one thing for students and observers to consider before making their opinion. I believe that no one should judge any athlete before getting to know them. Many will find not only a love for their sport, but also an interest and desire to learn just like any other student at a university.

Eating healthy, something to take into account

By Gerardo Alfaro


Eating healthy is something which is extremely important even though it is overlooked very often and by many people. Eating healthy is one of the most important factors in staying healthy. If you give your body the nutrients it needs to function without giving them in excess then you will be healthier. Additionally to helping fight off diseases it is a great preemptive measure to decrease risk of such illnesses as heart failure.

In addition to these benefits it will also make you look better as body fat will be lost. This can be a huge self esteem booster which will also increase your mental health. If someones self esteem is high then they are likely to accomplish more things and in general be happier with themselves. This translates to confidence not only when it comes to relationships with other people but also in terms of confidence regarding academic work.

In college this is of great importance but eating healthy is one of the many balances a student must keep, and by doing this it will help the student work more effectively and will allow him or her to better function and learn. In doing so making academic life and college life in general easier.

The Contribution of a Professor on your GPA

Abhinav Sawhney

Often one may wonder why there's so much commotion a day or two before classes for the next semester are opened. Is it really that important to do a certain class with a certain professor? Aren't all professors in college equally capable of teaching a certain course? So the question is, why do professors play such a big role towards our final grade? If they do then is the current grading system in colleges fair on all students?

Hopefully I will answer all these questions in this post. Different professors employ different approaches towards teaching a course. Some approaches may be more effective on students than others. As a student you can only hope that your professor will be effective in communicating his point to the class. In colleges, especially research oriented ones like Georgia Tech, not all teachers are at the same level when it comes to effective communication. An individual may have a phD in Math but may not be fluent in the language and hence the knowledge can not be shared as effectively as one may like. A lot depends on the luck of a student when it comes to teaching abilities of a professor.

As exams and assignments for different classes of the same course vary, so does the level of difficulty. Some professors tend to have much easier quizzes and exams than others. This is unfair on the students that have to work twice as hard to get the same grade or even lower. So if GPA's are to mean anything in college there is a serious need to standardize the exams or level of difficulty across a course.

Another area where the professor plays a major role in the grade you get at the end of the semester, is the different policies in place for being late or absent. For example a professor may have a policy that your final grade drops by one if you miss more than three classes. In another class such a policy may be non existent. In some cases this policy may exist for an 8am class and also for a 1.30 pm class, obviously the latter are at a huge advantage. Yet again some students are at a disadvantage.

So with so many discrepancies between the professors I think it is fair to say that the GPA system that we have in place today is not at all efficient. It is a measure of how favorable a certain professor was towards a certain class as opposed to the performance of a student in that class.

The link below takes you to a website that actually demonstrates how different professors have hugely varying average GPA s for a certain course. Now I will let you as the reader decide whether a student who gets an A with a professor with an average GPA of 3.8 is at the same level as a student who gets an A with a professor with an average GPA of 1.8.

Click here and make your own choice.

Saving Money is one of the Keys to Surviving College!!

By: Jasmine Blain


Many students in college all share one problem and that is money. Most students dont realize that they are on their own now and that their parents arent going to give them money for everything and anything. They are spending money they dont even have, and becoming broke or cant pay for books and school supplies. There are many ways to fix this problem.

Students should start saving their money or buying their needs before all of their wants. A good way to save your money is to pay credit card bills on time. Companies charge late fees, sometimes as much as $50 per month. And do not go over your credit limit—that offers just one more way for your credit card company to get rich off your poor judgment. Students can aslo lay off the drinking for a whilke until they have more money, but for those who cant stop then they should buy the cheap stuff, drink where the specials are, or just dont bring alot of money with you; so you can limit yourself.

For the whole book situation, students can save money by asking friends if they had the same class you have and if it is ok to borrow their book. If that doesnt work and you have to pay for books then try to get the hard cover ones because they are the cost- saving choice. Students can also just go ahead and get the used book instead of the brand new ones that cost so much. Now for food, students can easily stop buying out all the time and go to one of the diner halls around the campus and eat there, or you can just simply go grocery shopping and get enough food to last for a while and eat that, instead of buy fast food all the time. Just remember, by not using money on everything and anything, you can have alot more money.

The Importance of Parent Visits

Jorge Castillo

When most students enroll in college, they are faced with the dilemma of living far from home. In these cases, parents are the ones most worried about their kids and the ones that suffer the most from this separation. After watching your kid grow and seeing him every day of your life, suddenly being miles apart is very difficult for most parents to deal with. Occasional campus visits may help relief parents that their kids are safe and are doing good in school. But along parents, students also benefit from these visits since they get to see that their parents care for them and are there support them in any matter.

Being away from home is many times a difficult thing to deal with. When students who enroll in college decide to live on campus, they leave all their friends, family, and everything they possessed behind to start a new life. They are forced to adapt to a new place and a new system which will not always be so pleasant. One has to make the best of it and in the toughest times, a call from people back home can make the worst of days a little better. A simple phone call has the power to remind students that they still have people caring for them, hoping for their success, and waiting for them back home.

Even so, after a couple of months in college, there is nothing more reassuring than a surprise visit from your parents and siblings. As Michele Van Pelt, journalist of Helium, state that parents are the most important ingredient in overcoming homesickness and adapting to college life. Parents have the ability to reach their sons and daughters, calm their fears, and reassure them that college is another step in life which must be accomplished in order to have a successful future.

A couple of visits through the school year will only strengthen the parent-son/daughter relationship and will give students and parents time to catch up on things back home and at college. It also provides an opportunity for parents to see how well their kids are doing in college and for the students to feel a sense of comfort that nobody has forgotten them.

Greek Life: A Thick Line Between Races

By: Alexander Merriweather

One part of college life a section of students experience is the greek life. Some students already heard of them from high school and heard of a few stereotypes about them. But there are two different crowds of people that hear about greek life, the whites and the blacks. White people mostly hear about the Interfraternity Greek Conference and the National PanHellenic Conference while black people hear about the National Pan-Hellanic Council.
As a black man, I only had real experience meeting black fraternity members while I was in high school. This showed me how they give back and how positive of an impact they give. The only impression I got from the IFC is that they only party and get drunk everyday. A white man may say the opposite thing because they may have interacted with the IFC more. The reason for this is that the IFC at my school has less than a handful of black men. This can be the opposite from a white man's perspective because the NPHC is mostly black.
A person's instinct to stick to people of their own race when going to somewhere new could be the reason for thinking this way. There will be one point in time where there will be a lot more black people in the IFC and NPC and vice-versa with the white people and NPHC. Where will be moment in time start? I don't know.

Diversity in Higher Education

Seth Reeves

More and more colleges and universities have diverse student populations now than ever before. This statement makes sense seeing as how America's own population is more diverse now than in its entire history. There could not be a better example than Georgia Tech. There are 79 countries represented at Tech and every state in the United States is represented as well. This is an astounding fact that one couldn't find at many other universities across the country. But is a diverse student population good for students and doing well in school?

There has been much research about whether diversity will actually help students enjoy a better college experience while also becoming more successful in the classroom. Studies have actually shown that, "Socializing with someone of a different racial group or discussing racial issues contributes to the student's academic development, satisfaction with college, level of cultural awareness, and commitment to promoting racial understanding...." To learn more click here.

So now the only question left to discuss is whether or not students are taking the risks to get out of their comfort zones and meet new people of different ethnicities in college. Many reasons why some students are never able to do this is that they allow themselves to make first impressions of people, and judge them without really getting to know them. Through personal experience I can say that it is worth the risk of getting to know other people of a different race than your own. There is not a better time or place to do it than now at one of the most diverse schools in the country, Georgia Tech. My advice would be to branch out, get to know other people, and experience the diversity at Georgia Tech. You will probably have an overall better college experience and make better grades by just interacting with other people of different ethnicities. So why not try ? It's not like America is going to get any less diverse in the future anyways.

Time Management

By Gerardo Alfaro



Time management is something of huge importance for almost anyone, and it is something which many people consider to be hard to achieve as you need skills in order to do so, skills which you obtain mostly through practice. Therefore the first months are the hardest, and for college students this might translate to the first semester or even the second semester. This can be very detrimental for college students because the first two semester hold great importance. It can have an effect on a students self esteem as poor time management can lead to poor academic yield. Furthermore it can hurt a students GPA which can then lead to a lose of a scholarship or it can make it even harder for them obtain one, which in turn can harm their ability to obtain a higher education.

Time management does not mean that students should dedicate all of their time to academic work, it means that students need to find time to dedicate to studying as well as time for them, so that they can relax, leisure time. This is crucial because students need to unwind in order to be yield effectively.

An effective tool towards time management is keeping a planner, in which the things to do are written, and time is allocated for each. This way students are less likely to do their work the night before and by allocating a little time each day students will have time for themselves as well as finding the work as less burdening for them. It takes practice and self discipline but it is definitely worth it.

Decision Making

Abhinav Sawhney

Life at college is all about making the correct choices. In college there will be lots of times when one will be be presented with several options and paths. It's entirely upon the individual to choose what is right or wrong for them. It is impossible for a person to always make the correct decision, but a successful person is always one that makes more right choices than wrong.

The decision making process starts well before getting to college. The first thing a student has to decide is what college they want to go to. Several factors influence this decision. The first and probably the most important being the choice of major. Some colleges are favorable for certain courses more than others. An example would be how Georgia Tech specializes at its engineering courses. The next factor influencing the choice of college is the cost. A college education is extremely expensive so families must consider their financial situation before applying to certain colleges. Proximity from home also plays an important role when deciding where to study. Individuals who know that they get homesick a lot will prefer to go to college somewhere near home. Once admitted to college a lot of other choices are presented to you.

One of these choices will be whether or not to go "Greek," in other words whether or not to join a fraternity or sorority. This decision again varies from individual to individual. Some people can handle all the work from their fraternities/sororities as well as all the academic pressure. But there are others that can not perform this balancing act. So each person should consider their own style of working rather than being influenced by their peers.

A few weeks into college and one has to make a few more critical choices. This time I am talking about alcohol consumption. A lot of people tend to experiment with alcohol when in college. The reason for this being that parents are not present to take the right decision for you. So it is the job of the students to decide whether alcohol is good for them or not. They need to think about how it impacts their health, how it makes one loose control over him or herself, how it becomes the reason for a large percentage of the road accidents today.

So life in college is all about choices and decisions. If a student takes these decisions sensibly he or she is bound to meet success.

Should Student Athletes Be Paid In College?

By: Jasmine Blain
College athletes are not getting paid for the amount of work they put in their sport. Is this right or wrong? Most people and of course athletes believe that they should get paid, not just because they are playing a sport, but because they are playing a sport and still going to school. Athletes are also bringing a lot of publicity to the school as long as they are doing well in their sport.

This topic is very arguable because most people believe that athletes should get paid because the professional league gets paid and all they are doing is playing a sport. Well athletes in college are playing their sport and going to school, which isn't a easy task at all. Then there are the other people who believe that athletes already get enough privileges like: getting a full scholarship to school, getting free food everyday, free housing, and plenty more stuff.

From my personal perspective i would say that i think student athletes should be getting paid in college. Being a student athlete myself i know how much work we put in everyday and how we are determined to do well in our sport and school. We also are few out of the whole world who have the some what the same talent as we do, but we got chosen out of the many, so we should be rewarded for our talent. I mean the NBA and WNBA get paid for doing what they love, so why cant we? But then again i fell like we do get a lot of gifts and other privileges that not many people don't get so we shouldn't seem greedy or anything. Its really a hard decision to choose whether to get paid or not, because there are pros and cons to both decisions. I just see it like dis, even if we don't get paid for what we are doing, we still make the best out of it and look forward for the next level where we will be getting paid.

As i was doing some research, i found out that NCAA had stated that "paying college athletes is very unlikely to happen because they have already established the Special Assistance Fund in 1991 to help college athletes in financial need to cover basic or emergency expenses. A maximum of $500 an athlete year can be used for traveling home, school supplies, medical costs, and personal expenses. There is also a Student-Athlete Opportunity Fund available to all athletes regardless of financial need. This can also be used for school supplies, medical costs, and personal expenses." Now i sort of don't agree with this because if you think about it 500 dollars isn't enough money to cover some things, for example medical bills, blood test, or just the necessities that we need for everyday living.

Keeping up with Technology

Jorge Castillo

Since the coming of the twentieth century, technology has been advancing at a rate very hard to keep up with. Every day it is way more advanced and powerful than the day before, forcing society to adapt to its rapid changes and learn to take advantage of the benefits it provides. Technology is present everywhere nowadays and in college campuses around the world, it provides with many advantages that students and faculty get the most out of. Whether it is to do homework, research, or just have fun, technology in college campuses make life much more easier and aid students in their academic preparation and productivity.

Technological advantages in most college campuses in the country include wireless internet, visual aids (projectors, big screens, etc.), an advanced and coordinated transportation system, online software, web-based aids, and the list goes on.

With this much technology at the students reach, studying gets easier since one has all the help one may need at the touch of a bottom, or is it? Well, according to Neil C. Rowe, from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, technology provides students with many aids in their work but also opens a window for them to cheat. In his article Cheating in Online Student Assessment: Beyond Plagiarism, Rowe discusses how technology is altering the learning process of many students as studies suggest that approximately 75% of college students have reported to cheat sometime during their college careers.

By furthermore encouraging students to use technology as an aid in their studying preparations, one is at the same time exposing them to cheating opportunities. Nonetheless, technology serves as the primary aid in a college student's academic preparation and for this reason cannot be ignored. On the contrary, it should be implemented in every student's preparation but always kept at a close watch.

Depression and Stress in College

Matt Martz

College students all have to deal with stress in their daily lives. Unfortunately, sometimes the stress builds past a healthy limit and turns into something much worse, depression. Despite what many people think, depression affects a significant number of college students. From home sickness to having too much homework during the school week, stress and depression are serious problems for freshman and even upperclassmen in college.

Depression often doesn’t show for days or even weeks in college students lives. It all starts as a failed test or a break up during a relationship. Eventually all the stress becomes overwhelming and being young adults, most students don’t know what to do about all the stress. Colleges should provide more noticeable and affective help for stress and depression. According to the mtv-U polls around 85% of college students feel stress in their daily lives. All the stress is certainly not good for the student body, as stress leads to antisocial students and in the worst case, suicidal tendencies. Here at Georgia Tech there doesn’t seem to be a big problem with depression but I haven’t seen many organizations that aim to help those in need.

Stress causes mental problems but physical problems can arise too. Stressful college students release excess hormones which cause harmful imbalances in the body. The immune system can weaken causing diseases to be more prevalent, and at a place so dense with people disease is certain to spread around. Keeping stress to a minimum and keeping depression from controlling student’s lives is an important task for colleges to work towards. A stress/depression-free college would be a much brighter and stronger place.

Common College Problem: Lack of Motivation

Seth Reeves

One of the biggest problems many freshman college students will have to face is trying to stay motivated to do homework and study for exams when there are so many distractions on a college campus. Many people in high school were procrastinators because they could do it and still get by making good grades. However, once in college, students find that they are all on their own, and do not have anyone reminding them to finish their homework. With all the distractions that new students will face, finding a way to stay motivated will be a key to their college academic success.

I can speak from my own personal experience about procrastinating in high school. Especially in my last couple of years in high school, I became less motivated to study and finish homework assignments. I put things off until the last minute. I definitely created some bad habits. But once I got to college, I realized that I was too busy to procrastinate and had to change my ways. These were a few things I did that helped me get out of my poor habits:
1. Find an environment that allows you to focus without any distractions. (Dorm room or library)
2. Set a start time and end time for how long you will study and hold yourself to it.
3. Take short breaks so that you can focus during your given "homework time."
4. Start studying a little each day. This will soon become a routine and you will realize homework is not too bad. Also, you will see how much better you remember the material, then by just cramming one night before a test. Lastly, I believe that you should also try and come up with your own fun ways to get your homework done and stop becoming a procrastinator. Use your imagination and see where it takes you! You may be surprised on how much faster you finish your homework.

Try using these simple tips that have helped me a lot in my own experience. Even going to a schoool as academically demanding as Georgia Tech, I have found that the work is not too bad if you can just use your time wisely and not PROCRASTINATE!

Clubs: An Enhancement to Social Life

By: Alexander Merriweather

A problem with moving from high school tosollege is making new friends. Clubs and organizations can become an enhancing part of a student's social life. they can provide the student with an opportunity to increase their interest in one thing or try out some new things. They also provide them with a chance to communicate with other students. College contains many clubs that contain many different things, including things that people barely heard of. My involvement in clubs and organization improved my social life in my 3 months of school so far.
There are many types of clubs and organizations. They can range from intramural sports, campus ministries, student organizations, and student-led clubs. Intramural sports are played by making a team made by students. They are played for fun, but usually there is a prize for first place. Campus ministries are there because student often lose their faith when they enter college. student organzations plan event for the students on campus to make sure they have fun. Student-led clubs are made to fit students that have the same interest with the club.
Many students become friends through class or a club. The reason clubs and organizations become a good source for friends is because they are most likely to share a common interest with each other. They can be made throughout competitions, intramurals, or campus ministries. These sources can improve your social life and make your academic life easier because those people can also be good in a subject someone else is struggling in. In the end, students enjoy their lives being in clubs.

Importance of College Athletics

Gerardo Alfaro

College athletics is something most people would consider to be of great importance, however they might not think why. In fact some people might underestimate the value it has just because its so wide spread and they take it for granted. However nowadays college athletics is an important part of the "college experience". In fact many people once graduated will remember going to the football games and cheering on for their team more than they will going to class.

College athletics plays a major factor in creating college spirit and loyalty, because most people will take pride and privilege on their college teams even if they are not the best. Additionally events such as football games bring colleges together as everyone is supporting the same side and for many it is a gratifying experience and something they can take away once they have graduated.

However it must be noted that college athletics can also take the form of varsity teams, which involves more people and allows them to play in a mix of a competitive and recreational way the sport they like. This can be a self esteem builder as well as promote such traits as leadership and team work. Furthermore it can help keep students away from activities such as drinking and consuming drugs because it gives them something else to do, and it helps them find friendship and camaraderie which can later on help them overcome problems. All in all college athletics brings many benefits to a campus and it is definitely something students can enjoy.

Time Management

Abhinav Sawhney

One of the biggest problems that undergraduates across the world experience today is time management. Universities are aware of the fact that students have busy schedules, but are unaware of how these schedules are prime reasons for stress among students.

It’s an extremely tough task for a student to balance academic activities with extracurricular, and at the same time to also ensure a healthy eating and sleeping routine. More often than not students have to sacrifice their sleep or meals or both in order to meet with success in their academics. What I would like universities to emphasize on by including it in their curriculum is ways in which students can strike the right balance between academics and their life outside the classroom.

It’s an extremely steep ask to expect students who have just graduated from high school to manage their time well. Universities often like to address this issue by referring to it as a gradual learning process. The problem with doing this is that by the time a student actually learns to prioritize and balance his/her time a grave to big has already been dug.

The crucial phase for an undergraduate is at the very beginning of his/her college degree i.e. freshman year. At this time students are fresh from high school and are used to having most things spoon fed to them. So the fact that students have to do a lot of things on their own for the first time is quite a challenge in itself, and to further expect them to cope with the work pressure from class is far from just.

Not surprisingly those students that are not able to manage time impeccably fall into a ditch. University administrators need to realize that even the brightest of students fail to balance their activities, so it should be the responsibility of the university to instill these skills in students.

Classroom Etiquette in College!

By: Jasmine Blain

People think that when you get to college you can act any kind of way in the classroom. Well they are going to be shocked when they get to that point in their life. College is very much like high school when it comes down to classroom etiquette. There are many different ways college student should act in class like: being on time, following the dress code, and lastly respecting the professor.

First,being on time is a choice in college and can determine a lot of things. If you are early to a class everyday, you will get a lot of positive reactions to that choice. For example, you will make yourself look good and set a good impression to the professor. Being on time is also important because it avoids people distracting the class when they are late. It also lets the professor know that you actually interested in your school work and that you aren't here just because you have to. So remember being like 10 or even 5 minutes early will have a lot of pros rather to cons.

Second is following the dress code. Now this is very different to high school because in high school principals and teachers are a lot more strict about dress code. In college they could care less but they just want to make sure you aren't distracting classes. Once you cross that line where you are distracting your peers in class, then they will enforce the dress code but other than that then their really isn't a dress code. Students should go to class comfortable, not meaning the boys should have their clothes hanging off their butt or their clothes way too big, or the females have on very very tight clothes. Like i said before, as long as you are not distracting the class by the clothes you wear, the everything should be fine.

Lastly is RESPECTING the professor at all times. Respect can take you far in life as long as you don't abuse it. Now respecting your professor just doesn't mean call them Mr. or Mrs. Respect means no CELL PHONES OUT!!, raising your hand when you want to talk, looking at the professor when they are talking, not talking to your neighbor, doing the work that is assigned and especially no SLEEPING! By doing all of these task the professor will look at you in a different and good way. They will know that you are interested in the subject and that you are there to learn, not just because you have to be there.

In college some students may forget how to act when they are in class, because they feel independent and feel like they don't have to follow the rules because they are grown and on their own. Well this is all wrong, no matter where you go and how old you are, you should always have classroom etiquette when you are in that type on environment.

Choosing your major

Jorge Castillo

Many students come to college with their minds set on what profession they want to study and have made that decision early in their lives. Nonetheless, there is a large group of students who enroll in college and are still clueless on what they want to study. Making students who fall under this category of undecided mayors understand that it's perfectly normal to be in the position they are is key to help them discover themselves and decide what they want to do with their lives.

The best advice in this topic according to Dr. Randall S. Hansen, founder of MyCollegeSuccessStory.com, is not to panic. Considering the facts that most college students arrive to college unsure about what career paths they are going to take in life and that most students change their majors at least once throughout their college careers, arriving to college with no idea of what one wants to study is no problem. Therefore, don't panic since in college everyone is in the same position. College is all about discovering yourself and deciding what one really wants to do with one's life.

Basically, one must first examine things that interest you and the abilities one may have in these fields. Then one must think of the type of work of your preference, like for example, whether working in groups or alone, under pressure, in large projects, etc. Once one is sure of the type of work you like to do, one must then research on the different careers that match your interests, abilities, and preferences. There are an infinite number of careers out there, so even though you don't find the perfect one for you, at least narrow down your search to a couple of them.

Even when one is completely sure of a major to pursuit and actually graduate, it doesn't necessarily mean one will spent all of one's life doing that. Even so, studies show that most people will change their careers at least four times throughout their lives. This being said, there's no definite major that will prepare you for life. Just try to make the wisest decision and decided on the major(s) that best suit your goals and interests.

Problems with Hazing

Matt Martz

Hazing has always been a topic many colleges hate to talk about. Controversy over innocent college students who have no idea what they are getting into with fraternities and other clubs. Colleges all like to say their schools are completely haze free, but the sad truth is, it’s more likely they are not. Of course, hazing is not only in college, sometimes the workspace or even high school students can experience the harms of hazing. Hazing can never be completely stopped, but colleges can do a much better job to stopping it.

Most of the public thinks hazing hardly exists, and when it does it’s only in the crazy fraternities. Movies like Old School portray partying and hazing for the freshman class of the fraternity. However, studies show that hazing reaches into many different social groups. Apparently some performing arts clubs and even academic clubs experience hazing of some sort. Even with all the possible hazing opportunities, most of the time it is never reported to the colleges or administrators. If college students felt like consequences weren’t so bad for turning their organizations in, more cases of hazing would be known. Typically, students would rather be in the clubs even if they have to deal with hazing for a semester or two.

Hazing involves more than just paddling and group humiliation. Many times hazing turns into demeaning and intimidating actions, whether it be threats or true. Even acts such as hair cutting or forced drinking involve hazing. Most college kids think it’s all just part of the fraternity life but really it’s only hazing. College students need to know what they are getting into with hazing before it is too late. Hazing can cause injury or even death.

Midterms and Stress: A Lovely Combination

By: Alexander Merriweather

Freshmen coming into college have some sort of tests to take in the middle of the semester. Some have midterms while some have a project. Last week I turned in an English essay and a digital poster to go with it. When I completely finished both of them, I was relived because I thought that I did a wonderful job on both of them. The point of my recent experience is that midterm week can be very stressful on students. Some schedules may have a midterm in all the classes or maybe none. If there is a midterm on the schedule, stress will be sure to follow.

Midterm projects and midterm tests are two different things. A midterm project is usually told in advance so the student can think and determine whether to ration out the work or to do it all on one specific day and continuously check. Waiting until the last minute can put so much stress on a student that way. This is because midterm projects usually take more than a day to finish. For example, it took me a complete week to finish my English project because I had to think of a great title, thesis statement, and images that match my point. Then I still have to write the essay one day and piece the poster on a different day. Midterm projects can either stress a student out or calm them down depending on how they use their time.

A midterm test is just that: a midterm test. It’s based off the information the student learned from the first half of the semester. Stress usually comes into many students heads because this is a test can probably counts 20% of their final grade. They have to do well on these tests so they can pass the class with an A. The stress that comes into the students is great though. All the studying proves to work though. It’s just that if a student doesn’t do well, it’s because of one or the other. They just need to study and take a break to do something that releases stress. When I study for a test, I take a little break and play video games to release it. As long as the student does both methods, they can pass the midterm with no problem.

College Lifestyles Then and Now

Seth Reeves

In the book, American Higher Education, by Christopher Lucas, he explains that in the early parts of the 1900s, college students were less concerned about their grades, and all about having a good time. He gives even more information saying that back then, intense study was frown upon, and it was "poor form" to earn anything better than the "Gentlemen C." Now times have definately changed since then, but is this sort of college lifestyle still relevent among college students of today?

I believe that this lifestyle is still around today, but not nearly as much as it was back then. For instance, being a student at Georgia Tech, I have noticed that mostly every single student puts a lot of their time into their grades. They all really care about their grades because they want to earn a good job in a particular field that interests them. I also, think that students at colleges and universities around the country care a lot more and have been putting more and more time into their academics. So I definately think this is a big difference from the lifestyle back in the 1920s.

However, it is still quite obvious that students see college as a place to have fun. There are many ways for college students to enjoy themselves. For instance, there are always a lot of parties to go to on a college campus. Many students like to join clubs or be apart of greek life. Also, many students today enjoy going to sporting events to cheer on their school. One thing that colleges today, is that they provide many ways for students to enjoy themselves aside from academics.

In conclusion, I believe that students do go to college to have a good time similar to students in the early 1990s. Although, students today take their academics very seriously. Especially now since jobs are hard to find, students today are putting academics before "fun time," and that is the biggest diffence between today's students and students in the early 1900s.

The Importance of Exercise

By Gerardo Alfaro



Working out is something for which everyone should save some time. Most adults argue that they are out of time during the day so they don’t exercise. This is also true among college students or at least for some of them such as Dionne Hemming a freshman at the University of Maryland, in the article Workouts not working for college students, who says “at the beginning of the semester I worked out everyday, but now I have too much work, and I am too tired after my classes.” It is however important for college students to workout and exercise because 7 out of 10 Americans according to the article feel better mentally and physically after exercising. So one might wonder why college students don’t exercise more often?

Students should really exercise more often to allow them to blow some steam because college life can be stressful especially during exams or when deadlines for big projects are closing in. Additionally students don’t have to go to the gym they have other choices like dancing, kickboxing and yoga to name a few. There are many activities to choose from and even if the university doesn’t provide those classes students might find them in places nearby their campus. This way students can have a hobby they like which means that they can enjoy themselves and also blow some steam as well as do something towards their health all at the same time. This can be very helpful for all college students, who should really try to make time to exercise.

What Should A College Education Entail?

Abhinav Sawhney

This is an issue that will receive a highly diverse opinion from different individuals. So the question is what should a student learn when at college. Should they only be taught what is required of them at the workplace and in their careers or should all college students go through a certain number of similar courses that may not necessarily be relevant or required in their ultimate field of study.

One way to look at it is that the sole purpose of a college education is to get a good job and build a successful career. So if that is the main criteria, they should only learn material that will benefit them at their respective work places. Taking extra courses that are not a requirement for the particular degree programme do nothing but elongate the time needed to attain a college degree. This extra time is accompanied by an extra cost. Each course taken by a student at college has a handsome cost associated with it. So the question is, why should a student have to pay for courses that will not help in his her career.

Often colleges pay tremendous amount of emphasis on theoretical matters. Students are given firm historical background on every concept that they learn. So, especially for majority of the Tech students that are doing engineering, such theories may seem erroneous. Skills that are directly applicable and will be required at the job place should be given most emphasis. For example an electrical engineer may fail to understand the need for him/her to learn about the different types of medicines for an illness in a mandatory health class.

On the other hand this issue may be looked at from a very different perspective. Each college student should have a certain minimum amount of knowledge on several subjects. So each college student is expected to know certain things. Also having certain mandatory courses for everyone ensures that each person that goes to college will be quite well rounded, and will avoid the one dimensional view that studying just one specific subject may create. For example an English course may not seem very important for lots of engineering students but what they fail to realise is that the valuable communication skills that they pick up in this class will serve them throughout their careers. Another question that needs to be asked is, if colleges do not take the responsibility to preserve history and classical views then who will? Is it the responsibility of parents to instill these values and views in their children?

Sexual Violence a Problem on Campus!!

Jasmine Blain

Sexual violence is a very serious situation that no one wants to ever be apart of. It is one out of many issues that face us on the campuses we walk on. In fact "sexual violence includes sexual harassment, incest and childhood sexual abuse, and sexual exploitation, in addition to those behaviors commonly called “rape” or “sexual assault.” Sexually violent behavior can be physical, emotional, verbal, or a combination" according to the Georgia Tech Violence Prevention. Now that you understand the definition of sexual violence, you may want to think twice before you make that certain decision.

The real question is, what drives these people to be perpetrators? Well as we all know the kind of people that are the perpetrators are extremely aggressive. Some lines they use to find this out are: "“I never take ‘no’ for an answer”,“She calls it ‘rape,’ but she wanted it”, “A real man ‘calls the shots’ in his relationship”, “When women say ‘no,’ they really mean ‘yes’ or ‘maybe”,“I’m just ‘playing the game”, and “It’s a man’s job to take the initiative when it comes to sex. All of these lines are signs of an aggressive person who just might be involved in sexual violence. "About 55% of men reported one or more instances of non-assaulting coercion to obtain sex, and The percentage of female students victimized during their careers at GT may be 20-25% … given that nearly 5% of college women are victims of rape or attempted rape each calendar year". THIS IS NO JOKE!!

Now don't always blame the men, even though it is mostly them, the women are often giving them signals and leading them on, which isn't good if that girl isn't ready. So.. people out there, if your partner or some stranger at a party is using verbal pressure, playing mind games ,making you feel guilty, giving you alcohol or drugs to make you less likely to resist sexual advances, making you afraid by using looks or gestures, making threats, or even displaying or using a weapon, then you shouldn't be around that person or go anywhere alone that person.

People aren't realizing the effects that this may cause the victim to do. The victim is usually unable to sleep or they often sleep way too much, Abuse of drugs or alcohol, may start thinking about suicide, and not being able to study or finish homework. This may effect the university in many ways. So some ways to get away from these type of situations or not even be involved, you can easily think twice before you do certain things, make wise decisions, get help if you are ever involved, help out your friends that are in the same situation, talk to close family members or people you can trust before just doing what you feel, and lastly just always be aware or the things and people around you.

To be or ot to be....a frat boy?

Jorge Castillo

College is more than just studies and getting good grades, it's also an opportunity to develop leadership skills and meet new people, well at least to greek students. Although there is a stereotype that greek life is just partying and alcohol, there's more to it. There are actually many good values and skills fraternities and sororities cultivate among their members. By avoiding stereotypes and actually studying the pros and cons of greek life, student's may decide if going greek is appropriate for them and if it suites their lifestyle and ideals.

Every person has his or her own opinion about greek life depending on the stereotypes they may have on their minds or their backgrounds. In most cases students don't really know the pros and cons of greek life and so cannot make an informed decision as to whether greek life is for them. According to California State University, greek life is full with benefits one should be interested in incorporating into one's life. Some of these benefits include the opportunity to develop one's leadership potential, providing lifelong friendships, building character through philanthropic events, and academic support.

Many students opt to join a fraternity/sorority for other reasons. These may be for the parties, to build up their resume, or making connections in the world with other brothers/sisters. Connections are very helpful since they can make finding a job easier. It isn't the first time we hear of someone who randomly meets a member from another chapter of his fraternity/sorority and end up getting offered a job on the spot.

Although there are many benefits in becoming part of the greek life in campus, there's also a negative side. All of this doesn't come for free, being greek requires a large investment of money. Costs involved with greek life may range from the $500s to the $5000s, depending on your university and which chapter you are pledging. Time is also a major issue since there are many mandatory meetings and activities one is supposed to attend while being a member. Members must adapt their schedules giving priority to these activities, something that may be tough to most college students.

There are many points of view in this topic and there is no right or wrong answer. One must think deeply about all the pros and cons and if one's values go along with those of the fraternity/sorority. After analyzing your options, whether to join or not is your call.