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.