Monday, April 30, 2007

College Students and Drinking

Drinking is on every college campus mostly in underage students. Underage teens put their lives at risk just to look cool. Most teens don't know how much their body can hold until they get sick. Most people just drink to be like everyone else.
A website called College Drinking gives many statistics on the consequences of college drinking. It says 696,000 students between 18 and 24 are assaulted by a student who has been drinking. 97,000 students have been sexual assaulted or even date raped. Some other consequences are drunk driving, property damage, academic problems, and unsafe sex.
Seeing the statistics above could open any ones eyes, unless they are to stubborn to believe them. Drinking brings out the worse in people, they act stupid, and they do things they will regret in the future. I know if i drank heavily and I read the statistics I would slow down on the drinking. I would be afraid to know what could happen when i was intoxicated.
Coming from an all Italian family there is wine around at every holiday or get together. Both my grandfather and uncle make their own white and red wine. When we get together my step sister, my cousin, and I get a half of glass of wine, and then the children under 16 get only 1/4 of a glass. That is all the drinking we do for the whole night. To me this is how my mom, aunt, and uncle where raised allowing their children to drink around other family members and knowing that they will not be judged.
Drinking a glass of wine with my family is different then drinking till you black out. Alcohol is one of the top killers of teens. There is a reason why the drinking age is 21. I think college campuses should be more aware of what their underage students are doing.

Monday, April 23, 2007

College Students and Debt



Many College students don't think that debt can affect them at such a young age, but it does. There are very high statistics for college students in debt. To me debt is a very scary thing.

A website called Bank Rate talks about debt. It states that an undergraduate is at least 2,200 dollars in debt, and a graduate student is at least 5,800 dollars in debt. Many students take years to pay off their credit cards to get out debt. Credit card debt can also affect a graduates way to pay back student loans. The website also states that a student should only have one card, and to keep the balance low.

Another website called Young Money gave these statistics on students and credit cards. 78% of students have more than one card, 32% of students have four or more cards, and 95% of students carry cards. They gave these alternatives to keep your credit down. Use cash as much as possible. Don't forger that there is a penalty if you go over your limit. The less cards you have equals the less stress in your life. They also say don't forget about your student loans.

Carrying around a credit card I know that I have a huge responsibility for my future. I know that if I mess up I could ruin my future. Every quarter I pay for my books on my card, and when my statement comes I always pay half, when my next paycheck comes I pay the rest. I do not want to be a college student in debt, because i know the card is not free money.

So if you have a credit card think about it wisely. It's not free money and it could play a major part in your life. Think about your future the next time you swipe the pretty piece of plastic.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

The Day I Became a College Student

In college you experience many things. You deal with homework, stress, tests, and much more, but the one thing you will always remember is your football team. Every season even the non-football watchers get caught up in the excitement of the game. To a college student Saturday is the best day of the week because they get the cheer on their favorite team. My first college experience was going to my first Ohio State football game.
On September 16, 2006, I walked into the horseshoe for my very first time. That day we played the Cinnicanti Bear Cats. Yes, I know it wasn’t a big game but just being there was amazing. I got to experience my first game with my grandfather who is a die hard Ohio State fan. Going with him I knew he would show me a wonderful time.
The day before I came home from work and my step father asked me what I was doing on the 16th. I told him I was free and then he handed me his ticket to the game. I think my face light up all different colors and I said I would go. That night I think I told everyone I knew, and I could barely sleep. That next morning I woke up extra early and got ready. Around 11 o’clock I left my house to drive 45 minutes to my grandfather’s office. When I arrived there I was 15 minutes early, and at 12 o’clock we left, went to the post office, and then we were on the road to head to the game. We pulled into the parking lot and I saw a long line waiting to get onto the bus. We didn’t have to wait too long for the bus. Getting onto the bus there were a lot of people, but they were all OSU fans. I talked to the couple next to me while we drove through the college campus.
As we pulled up to the stadium in the bus, I saw thousands of people in line wearing mostly scarlet and gray. When we got through the line and walked up many stairs we saw the sign for B deck. When we found our seats, we could see the field, and it was under the shade which was the perfect spot. As I looked around the stadium I saw thousands of people, old, young, Ohio state fans, and the opponent’s fans. As I looked at the score board we had 14 minutes till the game started and the band entered the field. While they were entertaining the crowd they began to get into the script Ohio formation. When I saw this I was in heaven, I always wanted to see it in person.
After the 14 minutes ran down the clock the crowd went wild. The Bear Cat’s came out first and we heard a few screams but mostly boos. Then the crowd went silent and we saw the buckeyes enter the field and the whole stadium went crazy. As we watched them warm up I got more pumped then ever. A man’s voice came on the loud speaker and asked us to stand for the national anthem; after we finished the anthem, Carmen Ohio came on the play board. We could see the team getting pumped up. After all the songs were over the teams flipped the coin and the game was ready to get started. When the teams entered the field to start the game, my heart sank into my stomach. The Bear Cat’s got the ball first.
When the ball was in the bear cat’s hands I wanted to see what my team could do.
Ohio State stopped them a couple of times and then the unbelievable happened, the Bear Cats scored. As I looked at the score board is said OSU zero, cinnicanti six, and then they lined up to get the extra point and the score changed from six to seven. My grandfather said “Oh this is a nice way to start the game.” When we got the ball all I wanted OSU to go is score.
After the bear cat’s scored I knew our team would not disappoint us. The Bear Cat’s kicked the ball and it went into Ginn’s hands and after that point I knew it would be a good game. The first and second quarter was long because of all the penalties, but it was still the best experience ever we scored and were ahead of the Bear Cats. When half time came around my grandfather and I went to go get a hot dog and something to drink. We went back to our seats and walked the half time show. I was talking to the lady next to me who knew my grandfather and asked if it was my first game. I told her yes, and after that we just talked through the rest of half time. At the beginning of the second half Ohio State really kicked it up, we scored more and more, we left cinnicanti in the dust. The final score of the game was 37 to 7 and of course Ohio State won.
Walking out of the stadium we left two minutes early just to get to the bus on time. We caught the first bus and everyone was talking about the game. We drove back the same we came. The bus ride was only 15 minutes but I saw all kinds of college students outside playing football and celebrating. When we got to our parking lot, we headed to the car and drove back to my grandfather office. On the way home I listened to the radio talking about the game and all I wanted to do was call in and tell them that I was there. When I arrived home I walked in the door and immediately started talking about how much fun I had and how it was such a great experience. I will never forget the day I stepped foot into the horseshoe.
Saturday to a college student is the best day of the week. It’s the day they have been waiting for since last Saturday. Saturdays are the day they can dress as crazy as possible and know there will be thousands of other people the same way. College football makes college life, its one of the things you will always remember. Saturdays are the days that a thousands people become friends, they unite over the game and cheer on their team. Students get pumped up listening to their fight song being played by the best damn band in the land, while watching the best damn team in the land, and they get to be the best damn fans in the land. Saturdays are what makes college.
College football is a major thing to some college students, especially Ohio State football. Everyone that is not in college gets caught up in watching our team doing what they do best. Every Saturday during the season old and young get along as long as they are Ohio State fans. When the game is over people still talk about it, they news shows clips and talk about the big victory. The Michigan game is the one game the students get really pumped up for. If we beat them then we are complete. College football is one of the many things college students experience together.
My first experience of the horseshoe ties together my whole college life. Its something a college student should do in their college career. I will never forget my first time at the horseshoe, but I know I will return many times. My experience was my first time and as a college freshman, and to me that’s what made me a true Ohio State college student.

Monday, April 16, 2007

College Students and Sleep



A good night of sleep is something college students don't experience very often. With the stress of the day and all the homework and tests affects your sleeping habits. If you ask any college student about how much sleep they got the night before, they will give you a evil look and say "Not very much". College students have to cram so much work into one day with a minimum amount of time.

Brown University has an article about college students and sleep. In this article it says college students are the most sleep-deprived people in the country. They say college students should get at least 8 hours of sleep to complete the R.E.M cycle.

Every college student experiences an all nighter. But there is some bad news about the all-nighters. It can interfere with how you learn more information. It can only help you the next day on the test and not in a comprehensive exam. Not getting enough sleep can impact you daytime activities and it can affect your mental and physical health.

Sleep to me is just something I try to fit into my busy day. I get at least 6 hours of sleep a night. Being in college means more stress and NO SLEEP. When I don't get alot of sleep I feel the affects and no one likes to be around me. To me sleep is the last thing that takes me away from my busy day. Its the only thing I can do without stressing about things.

Sleep is the one thing you lack while you are in college. My advice is to at least get 6 hours of sleep a night and don't stress while you are trying to get to sleep.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

The Stress of a College Student


College students deal with a major amount of stress. They have to stress over the amount of homework, tests, projects, and exams. In college you have more stress then you did in high school. Along with the stress of school you have to combine it with the stress of work, and the stress of friends.

For me stress comes in everyday life. I worry about getting enough sleep to be able to stay awake in my class from a late night of homework. After my 15 credit hours on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; i go to work for at least 5 hours a night. I work at least 25 hours a week. with work and school already a stressor, I have to worry about getting all my school work done, and being able to spend time with friends and family.

The stress that college brings also bring along many illnesses. Since you stress about getting all your homework done you hardly get any sleep and you eat unhealthy. Eating unhealthy and not sleeping you are mot likely to get sick which you have to stress about also. If you live on campus you are around more people who have all different types of colds, flu's, and more. So if you are not sick, you worry about trying not to get sick.

Exam week is the most stressful week during the quarter. Most exams are comprehensive so you have to study 10 weeks of material in a week. Most of the college students have more then one exam per day. Exam week stress and work doesn't mix very well because you worry about your exams more than you want to work.

Friends don't help with stress either. If you haven't hung out with them in a while they want to hang out. Now you have to fit them into your 15 hour school week, and your 25 hour work week. They get mad when you say " Lets hang out another time so I can get some sleep." They think you are trying to avoid them so you worry about having your friends mad at you.

The stress of college, work, and your friends bring to you it is hard to handle but you have to learn to control it and breathe. You can't run away from the stress because it will come back to you faster and it will bring more stress with it. The one thing college doesn't teach you is how to deal with stress, so get ready to jump on a bumpy ride of stress during your college career.

Thursday, April 5, 2007

The Stress of College before College

Before you even enter college, you stress over it. You have to start looking for schools you want to go to. You start worrying about if your grades are good enough to get in to the school of your choice.

During your junior year your school starts bring up ACTs and SATs. These's tests are also apart of if you get into the college of your choice or not. They also start telling you to start thinking about your major before you start looking for schools. At the end of your junior year and the summer of your senior year, you start looking up school information and you begin college visits.

Senior year is the most important year of your high school career. You begin applying for school and fafsa. There are also two sides the fun loving end of the year side, and the stress of getting into college side. The first side is everyone getting ready to graduate and doesn't want to do anything, all you want to enjoy is prom, spring break, hanging out with friends, and graduation. The second side is you worrying if your grades are good, if you will get into your college of choice, and how are you going to pay for school.

Once you get all your acceptance letters back you start narrowing down which school you would like to go to. You can even go back to the school to do another visit. When you figure out which school you want to go to you send in all the information they need. After this is done you don't have that much time to breathe. You have to finish last minute school projects and then you have to start stressing for graduation.

After you graduate enjoy your summer, because when your school year rolls around the stress comes back.