College is a big time in someone’s life.  It takes a few years to complete, a lot of discipline and a lot of focus.  With such a hard thing on our shoulders we look for anything that will help make it easier or convenience us.  There are some college school supplies you just don’t want to go without.  They will make your life much easier and really convenience you.  What are those supplies?  Continue reading below!

5 Must Have Items:

Netbook:  Netbooks have become huge over the past year!  They are very affordable, mini laptops that make college life much easier.  You can type up your notes during class on it, organize all your college files, use the Internet in between classes and much more!  Your life can be a lot more organized if you store it all in one place that you can always have with you.

Cell phone:  By the time you’re in college you should have a cell phone.  Cell phones are great if you’re driving and need to make an emergency call, keep up with your friends and family, or just to have with you if someone lets you know class is canceled that day.  They have many benefits and are something you definitely don’t want to go without.

Car:  A car is another thing you should have.  This is a very expensive item but it will make your life so much easier!  Even if you carpool that is great!  You just want to be able to rely on yourself and your car to get you to the places you want to go.

Books:  You should definitely have your own textbooks.  Students and friends like to share them to save money, but that makes it really difficult if you have opposite schedules.  Get your own books, don’t worry about anyone else’ schedule and use your books and study when you want to.

USB:  A USB drive is great to have in college!  I can’t tell you how many times I need to copy something off my desktop computer onto my laptop or vice versa.  Also, if you don’t have a printer, you can just put your paper on the drive and print it at the library that day.  These are affordable and a must have item!

Make your college life easier by making sure you have all these items!  Some may be expensive, but if you work and save a little bit of money you can easily come across these items eventually!

Whether you’ve been friends since elementary school or you’re still dating your high school sweetheart, it is hard to part different ways.  The person means so much to us and if they were closer things would be so much easier, but with school and working a part-time job there are so many distractions.

If you know that this is the person you want to be with, it will work out in the long run.  Although, to make that happen and to improve your chances, you may want to consider a few of our tips below!

How to Make a Long Distance Relationship Last in College:

Phone:  First of all, you may be busy, but you’re not too busy to make a phone call to them.  Take the time a few nights a week to make a phone call to them.  Let them know what you’ve been up to, hear about what they’ve been up to and talk like couples do.

Visit:  Try to make visits as much as possible.  Visiting means you’re setting aside everything just to see them, which means a lot!  Each visit will remind the two of you why you’re together.

Internet:  Use the internet to keep in contact.  Whether you talk on AIM every night, you send e-mails or you facebook each other constantly, it’s a good way to keep communicating!

Letters:  Send letters in the mail.  There is nothing better than a hand written letter from the person you love.  Send them as a surprise and remind them that you’re thinkg about them!

Tell them: If you really want this to work, prove it and tell them.  If you sound sincere and there is that honest connection, they will know you’re for real.  Times may be hard but if you tell them you’re serious about the relationship and that you’re willing to do anything and prove it, that’s real love.

Long distance relationships are hard on every couple, although especially for couples that aren’t made for each other.  Show your love, show them you care and tell them how you feel on a regular basis!

College is a very expensive thing, therefore when we have the chance to make money we want to take full advantage of the opportunity!  If you’re not taking summer classes, summer is your best time to make some big money.  To set up a job for you in the summer, start the search!  Continue reading below to learn how you can find those jobs that are available.

How to Find a College Summer Job:

Snag a job:  First of all, there is a great website called Snagajob.  They help you find jobs that are in your area that are hiring.  So, type in your zip code, hit search and see how many places and which places are looking for that extra help.  This is one of the easiest ways to find a job!

Newspaper:  The newspaper is also a great place to look!  You know that the ads will be recent and up to date and you can once again find jobs that are close to your home.

Campus:  If you’re taking summer classes or you want to stay on campus apply for campus jobs.  They have everything from tutoring to cooking to working at the college bookstore!  This is also great if you can go to class right after or before to save some trips.

Online:  It depends which kind of job you’re looking for but for example if you want a babysitting job, house cleaning job, tutoring, etc you can find them on the internet on websites like Care.com, sitters.com and a few others.  Simply fill out an application and see if you hear anything!

Applications:  If you’re having no luck, my advice is to just spend a whole afternoon filling out applications to places.  Go to the mall, fill them out, drive around and see which places are hiring and just send out a ton of applications.  With so many options you’re bound to get at least one call back.

Finding a job in the summer shouldn’t be hard at all.  Jobs like babysitting, waitressing, landscaping and ice cream saloon jobs are always available in the summer.  So consider a few of the tips above and see where you find yourself!

Whether you’re attending college, or you just love to ride your bike around, you’re soon going to find out that you’re going to have to leave your bike sooner or later.  If you’re like me, you love to take your bike for a ride.  It’s going to save you money, it’s a lot easier to maneuver in the city, and it’s free!

When you’re looking to take your bike around town, it’s essential that you look into getting a bicycle lock.  They will cost you less than $20, and you’ll soon find out that it’s an investment that will pay off, since no one will want to steal your bike.

Here are the top 5 bike locks that I have come up with based on ratings, durability, and more.

• OnGuard PitBull Mini DT 5008: This highly rated bike lock is a little over $20, but if you want something that’s durable, reliable, and won’t make you worry, then this is a bike lock to consider.  It’s massive 13mm hardened steel provides maximum cut resistance, as well as includes 5 laser cut keys and 1 light key.
• Avenir Coil Combo Cable Locks: This lock comes equipped with a four-digit easy set combination lock.  This means that you don’t have to worry about lugging your keys around.  The bracket comes included, and you can pick this one up for less than $12.
• Master Lock 8127TRI Bike Lock: You can choose your own color, when you decide to purchase a bike lock from Master Lock.   Made of self coiling steel, an integrated lock and cable, as well a tough vinyl that prevents scratching from happening.
• OnGuard Rottweiler 5026 Bicycle Lock: This lock looks simple, but it gets the job done.  Another lock that will cost you less than $25.  It has a dual steel ball locking mechanism to provide the best defense possible.  It comes equipped with 5 laser cut keys, as well as 1 light key.
• OnGuard Akita 5043: The last one on the list is this relatively cheap lock that will run you less than $5!  Now, don’t let the price scare you away, because it has rave reviews on merchants such as Amazon.  It’s made of heavy-duty flexible steel, and is made of some of the strongest, most flexible cables in the business.

Again, a bike lock is a great investment, and if you’re looking to secure your lock whether you’re on the college campus, or you’re traveling around, please invest the $20 and secure your bike!

There are a lot of things that you’re going to forget in college and one of them that I can guarantee that you will most likely forget is a clothes drying rack.  What most college students will do is head down to the laundry room, wash their clothes and find out that some can’t be dried.  Instead of putting them up on a nice drying rack, you’ll throw them on a bed, or hanger, which can cause them to wrinkle up, etc.

Listed below are a few drying racks that you should consider when you don’t want to break the bank and dry your clothes the right way.

• Polder Compact Accordion Clothes Drying Rack: 14 inches wide, and has over 18 feed of drying line.  Made of Chrome, and can store very easily in your dorm room.
• Honey-Can-Do DRY-01234: This highly rated clothes rack is made of heavy duty chrome, has angled leg caps, as well as folds to a 3-inch flat.  If that’s not enough, it has a limited lifetime warranty.
• Household Essentials 5147: This folding drying rack makes for easy storage.  It’s made of heavy duty chrome, as is ideal for drying your delicate fabrics.  It measures at 42 by 30 by 15, and gives you 25 feet of drying space.
• Polder Two-Tier Free Standing Clothes Rack: This unique design not only has a great review online, it would fit easily into any size dorm room.  This 2-tier drying rack comes with 18 steel rods that insures durability.
• Household Essentials 5175 Expandable Steel: It’s expandable, fold able, and has over 23 3/4 feet of drying capacity.  It’s perfect for drying your cashmere sweaters, wool, and more.

Again, highly consider a drying rack when you’re looking to dry your clothes in your room, rather than do it in the laundry room, or just flop it on your bed.  There are more than just the ones listed above, so do your homework and see what works for you!