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In college, you may find yourself leaving friends, family, as well as your relationship behind.  If this sounds like your plan, you’re not alone.  Now, one of the biggest fears that many students come across is that their relationship isn’t going to last.

A long distance relationship can last and if you’re looking to make it last, I wanted to give you some rules that you must follow in order to have yourself stay afloat.

What is your future? To make it work, you’re going to need to know what you want for the future.  When you have a plan for the future, its going to make things a lot easier for you.  So what I’m trying to say is that you should have a plan.  When are you going to come home?  When are you going to visit on campus?

Try and stay in contact: Make it your duty to contact each other at least once per day.  The best way of contact is generally the telephone.  If you can’t reach each other via the phone, you have so many other alternatives such as Facebook, Skype, text messaging, and more.

E-mail each other: E-mail is a great way to go because you can do it at any time and the other party can open it whenever they wish.  If you can, try and email each other on a daily basis.  Send poems, pictures, and more.  You will want to make it feel as if you’re there.

Beware of the unknown: Minds tend to wander and if you start to think too much, you’re going to find that you can think about bad things such as jealousy, and other things.  When your mind starts to think things like this, you may start to believe them.  This isn’t what you want.  Never accuse if you can’t prove that it didn’t happen.

Bring him/her into your life: You can always pretend that you’re with one another.  What you can do is send pictures, movies, or whatever it may be.  Tell them what you do.  That way, the other party won’t feel left out.

You can make a long distance relationship work.  Sure, its going to take a lot more work than your typical relationship, but you know the old saying states that the distance does make the heart grow fonder.

The times have changed and when you think of filling up with water in the past, you probably grabbed some awful old bottle off the shelf and it more than likely tasted like plastic!

It’s time to get rid of those older water bottles and switch to one that’s going to work for you.  This is why I would recommend that you pick up a water bottle for your college days.  You’re going to find that you’re going to get awfully thirsty during your lectures, as well as when you’re doing your homework.  Instead of heading out to purchase $1.50 waters at the vending machine each day, you should consider a filtered water bottle.

Not only are these bottles going to be cheap, they are going to save you so much money over the long haul!  They really only will cost you around $20 to maybe $40!

Listed below are 5 water bottles that you should check out that are going to work as a bottle, as well as filter the water coming through them.

Vitaminder LivPure Filtered Water Bottle (around $10): This relatively cheap water bottle is going to be the price of two cases of water, or even 7 bottles at the vending machine.  It will improve the taste, as well as filters up to 500 bottles of water!  You can also purchase replacement filters.

Portable Water Filter by ECOFLO (around $30): This cool water bottle not only is going to filter your water, but you can do it all within the bottle itself, making it very easy to use.  They state that it is capable of 99.8% of reduction in all 4 areas of your water.

Brita 35391 Classic Pitcher (around $25): Yes, this is made from the popular filtering company, Brita.  You’re going to fill your pitcher up, set it somewhere cold and with this kit, you’re going to get a handy dandy water bottle that you can use on the go.

ZeroWater ZJ-003 (around $70): This is a little on the expensive side, but what you’re going to find out is that you’re not going to have to carry around heavy pitcher, or a pallet of water.  Instead, you can fill these water bottles on the go, making it very convenient for you.

Go Berkey Kit (around $140): Yes, this bottle is a little high, but if you’re going to be using it a lot, you may find that the investment is going to be well worth it.  It comes included with a bottle, short stem, a carrying case, as well as a portable filter.  It holds approximately 1 quart.

By going with one of these kits, you’re going to find that you can potentially save $100s over your college year.  Since the filters rarely have to be changed ,the models above are going to be something that you’re going to want to look into!

Many dorm rooms don’t allow a toaster over, so make sure that you check with your college’s rule, before you set out and purchase one.  If you know that your college dorm does accept them, then I would highly recommend one, based on the fact that they are very easy to run and lot more convenient compared to your regular oven.

Now, whether you’re going to be in a dorm room, or even an apartment, a toaster oven is a great choice when you’re looking to heat up your basic cooking items.  By using one of these, there’s going to be no need for an oven, since many do just as good of a job.

If you’re in the market of purchasing one and you want to potentially get one for your dorm, here are five of them that I highly recommend that you check out for a potential purchase.

#1 Breville BOV800XL (around $250): Yes, this is the most expensive one of the list by far, but you’re going to get what you pay for.  It has some of the best reviews online, as well as a lot of very cool features.  1800 watts that has an auto-eject wire rack, a removable crumb tray, a well as a pizza and baking pan.

#2 Oster 6-Slice Toaster Oven (around $80): The Oster series generally offer the best prices.  For as little as $80, you’re going to get a 6-slice toaster oven, 2 rack positions that can heat up to 450, as well as a cool 60 minute timer and automatic shut off feature.  This particular model comes equipped with a 1 year limited warranty.

#3 Black and Decker CTO4500S (around $50): Black and Decker has a few makes on the market, but this one fared to be the best rated one.  Not only is the price tag nice, it comes with a slide out crumb tray, a non-stick interior, as well as a 120 minute timer.

#4 Euro-Pro TO251 6-Slice Oven (around $60): This 6 slice oven is great for those that are on a tight budget.  You can warm, bake, grill and choose from the boiler options.  Comes with 2 wire racks, an auto shut off, and a 60 minute timer.

#5 Hamilton Beach 31199XR (around $100): The last one on the list is created by Hamilton Beach.  It’s going to run you around $100.  It’s extra large, it’s user friendly, and you’re going to find that the 2 racks and baking pans make it a great choice.

Yes, you’re more than likely to spend more than $50, but you’re going to find that this is going to be a great investment.  It’s great for those apartments or dorm rooms that have either an older oven that just doesn’t work, or if you’re looking for something that’s convenient.

Remember, be sure to check with your college when you’re curious if they accept toaster ovens or not!

Academic probation is a word that you generally don’t think of or even hear of.   Sadly, many students get on the academic probation list.  If this is you, or you’re just curious about it, I wanted to give you a full definition, as well as what you can do to recover from it.

What is academic probation?

Academic probation is a period the college gives to a student based on his/her performance.  Generally, if you get bad grades, or you start to act up, the school is going to put you on this type of period.  If you tend to act up even after a probation period, you may find that you’re going to get yourself expelled.

How can I avoid it?

Its very easy to avoid.  All you’re going to have to do is keep yourself out of trouble, as well as get good grades.  You’re going to want to look into your college’s rule, as they are all different.  If you tend to fall below a certain GPA, or you start causing trouble, this is where you  may get on a probation period.

I’m on it, what can I do?

Meet with an adviser. You will first want to meet with an academic adviser.  Ask them why this is happening to you.   You may find that you may be able to work something out.  If its because of your grades, you can explain to them why you’re doing bad.  Some may feel your pain, while others won’t even budge.

Get some help. If you’re on probation because of your grades, you will have to honestly look at yourself.  Why are you doing so bad?  Are you out partying too much?  Do you just not understand the course?  Whatever it may be, you may want to get tutor, or some sort of help.  College isn’t a game and you can’t treat it that way!

Be honest with yourself because you’re going to find that if you keep this up, you’re just going to ruin your future.  Get help, bring up your grades, and everything shall be good in the future!

I don’t know about you, but when I was in college, I was coming across a lot of stress headaches.  I would stress out over the dumbest things too.  From thinking about going home to a test in the upcoming semester, I couldn’t tell you how many of these headaches I came across.

I had some notes sitting around and it got me thinking.  There are probably a lot of you students out there that come across some crazy headaches.  While there are some decent cures, I wanted to tell you what worked the best for me.

Use a Motrin: My body may be different from yours but I had found that Motrin worked the best for my headaches.  I wouldn’t abuse them, but when I took one, the pain would be gone by 30 to 60 minutes.  Now, some swear by Excedrin, Tylenol, or whatever it may be.  Find the drug that works for you.

Limit your caffeine: You  may find that the headaches that you’re getting aren’t even related to stress.  In fact, if you’re having some caffeine withdrawals, you may get headaches from something such as this.

Take a walk: Sometimes your best friend is some simple exercise.  If you just feel that headache coming on, just get out, get some fresh air, and take a walk around the block.  It doesn’t have to be anything insane, but rather something that’s brisk.

Throw a pack of ice on your head: Some headaches tend to burn, as well as cause a lot of discomfort.  Grab a bag of ice, or a compress, and throw it on your head.  By doing so, you’re going to ease the head a little bit, reducing the pain.

Take a nap: If you have the time to sleep, do it!  A quick nap can do wonders.  You can sleep for a few hours, wake up, and you will find that its all gone.

If you tend to get a lot of headaches due to stress, there are a few things that you can do in order to avoid it.  Simple things such as regular exercise, avoiding the sun, caffeine, and more can do some wonders.

I found a few guides online such as this one that can give you a lot of tips and tricks as well.  No matter what you do, you will find that headaches will come on occasions.  If you get them on a daily basis, you may want to consult with a doctor.