Back to School 2012- All About Sharing Showers

Photo Courtesy of http://4.bp.blogspot.comFor many, the fate of the communal shower is unavoidable.  This post is for the freshman/transfer students who’ve yet to experience sharing a shower with total strangers. If you are anything like me, the thought the germs lurking/festering on those white polyurethane shower curtains prompts all types of gagging.  Ilk! I’m here to share some information an give you a few tips to help you conquer the community bathroom. 

1.  SHOWER SHOES ARE NOT AN OPTION. YOU MUST WEAR THEM EVERY TIME YOU SHOWER.  Yep… dassit!

2. Clean it Yourself! - Your RA’s and Hall Directors will inform you of the days and times that your communal bathrooms will be professionally cleaned.  During my days, in Spelman Hall, Rosa and her peeps handled our bathrooms twice daily on weekdays and once a day on Saturday and Sunday.   P.S., Rosa was her actual name.(#noracialprofiling) While I’m certain that Rosa did her job well, I took my shower very personally.  I purchased cleaning products and packed them in my caddy.  I let some HOT water run and sprayed my shower down prior to each use.  There is no such thing as too much disinfection. Do it yourself and you’ll know it’s been done right.

3. Find a Stall and Stick With It- I always tried to use the same shower stall each time I showered. Most people are raised to recognize consistency and, in most cases, they will acknowledge and come to respect your routine. I’ll share an example. There was a girl on my floor who would often shower with her boyfriend. I’d see them in passing and eventually we became friends. One day during our usual casual chatter she referred to the 2^nd shower stall as “your shower.”  She went on to say she often refrained from coating the walls “my shower” with the secretions of her shower sex sessions.  She knew that that particular shower was one I liked to use and she respected it.  It warmed my heart and turned my stomach all at the same time. 

4. Bring a Spare- It is best to have an extra loofa/wash cloth on hand.  I learned this lesson the hard way.  One day I dropped my washcloth on the floor of my shower.   *Insert blood curdling death scream here*. I had to get out of the shower got to my room to get a another washcloth and start all over again.  Remember, no matter how hard you clean it, the floor of a community shower bears the filth of 1000 bodies every single day. *Shudders* Showering with a washcloth that was once on the floor of a shared shower is not an option.  And that is just the BLACK bottom line!

5. Find Your Center- Please be advised, them itty bitty shower stalls are a far cry from any normal bath tub.  Balance is key.  Especially when it comes to washing your feet. You must learn to balance on one foot, in shower shoes, while being careful not to touch and/or lean on any of the germ-laden surfaces that surround you.  It’s a skill that takes some time to master, but you can do it. 

6. No Boo Lovin During Peak Hours- If you must bathe with your boo, try not to do it during peak hours, when others are occupying the stalls that surround you. Please spare your hall mates. They do not wish to hear the soundtrack of your copulation while lathering and rinsing their 2000 parts.  Save your sessions for the wee hours of the morning or during periods of the day/night when you and boo are more likely to have the bathroom all to your nasty trifling selves. 

7. COVER YOURSELVES- This rule is in respect to your commute to and from the shower. Ladies and gentleman, your hall mates beg you, ensure that your nether regions and personal are covered at all times.  I think it’s great that you’re comfortable in the skin that you’re in but your confidence  does not clear your to flash and flaunt your wares to your peers. We’re good on seeing your private parts.  Get a bathrobe with a decent tie/closure and, for the Love of God, make sure your towels covers the complete length and width of your bodice.  PLEASE and THANK YOU!

Back To School 2012- A Few Things I Wish Someone Would've Told Me on My First Day of College

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A big Shoutout to all you brand new freshmen out there. What’s up Class of 2015?! Your first day of college is right around the corner.  I will spare you all those cliché and customary adulations and words of encouragement as I’m sure you’re sick to death of “you can do it”  and “I’m so proud of you”.  I know that for some the first day of college can be an anxious one, so I’m here to share a little advice that will, hopefully, help you out of your first day nerves. Don’t worry, these are not you’re traditional tips for freshmen and first year student.  You can find that information all over the internet.  Below you’ll find all the things that I wish somebody would’ve told me on my first day college. Don't miss the bus children!

1. Go To Class- Every now and again, you’ll come across a professor that will just greet you, distribute and discuss the syllabi, and send you on your way. These instances are few and far between.  Most of the time, professors briefly engage in first day of class pleasantries and jump right into the course content. You don’t want to miss the introduction to the subject matter. It builds the foundation for what the course is going to be all about. Starting strong can set the tone for a successful semester.

2. First Impressions Are Everything- As cliché as it is, your first impressions really make all the difference, especially with your professors.  Even in large lecture sections, professors make associations and mental short cuts to remember students.  You don’t want to be the person known for coming in 10 minutes late, sitting in the back, nodding and/or tweeting during class. Your professors will notice your behavior before he/she ever knows your name.  Be on time, dress neatly and appropriately and pay attention or at least be good at acting like you’re paying attention.

3. Don’t Force It- You may be nervous about meeting people and developing friendships. I say let friendships develop naturally. Be cordial, polite and show yourself friendly. Smile and speak to your classmates and passers by. Most people will respond to this behavior and reciprocate. Don’t think about it too much, just be yourself and before you know it you’ll be a social butterfly.

4. Get On you Federal Work Study Hustle- Work study is a must.  If you’ve been awarded work-study, make finding a part time work study job one of your first priorities. The good ones are the first to go. Check with career services or wherever your school lists work-study opportunities and collect these tax free coins chyle.  . If you have not been awarded work-study get your hind parts to the Financial Aid office and ask for it.  Speak to a counselor and find out what you need to get work-study and get to it.

5. Try Not To Look So Green- Freshmen are easy to spot. But there are things that you can do to help you blend in with the upper classmen.  Fortunately I followed my bestie to college and she was there to make sure that I did not do typical “freshmen things”. Things like carry my food on a tray in the cafeteria and/or wear my keys around my neck.  These faux pas were specific to my campus culture but every school has certain social do’s and don’t student’s must learn and adopt or suffer social isolation and ridicule.  Pay attention to what other students are doing to get a feel for what the norms are. .

I hope this has been helpful to you. All the best for a great Fall 2012 semester!

Back to School 2012- Tips for Packing for College

While running my Sunday errands in Target yesterday I spotted several parents and freshmen combing the aisles for dorm room essentials. Everyone looked confused and overwhelmed! As a student you're probably thinking “I’m going to be living at school for 9 months out of the year so I must pack all of my life’s possessions.” It’s easy to just pack everything you’ve got but trust me that is not necessary. It can be tough knowing what to pack and how much to bring, etc. So I’m here to help.   Below are some rules and things to remember when organizing yourself to pack for college.

Photo Courtesy of http://www.parentsandcolleges.com/

Rule #1 – Pack with A Plan- Before you start emptying all of your drawers think about how often you will be returning home? If you plan to head back home on the first long weekend or within the first few weeks of the first day of school, then you can consolidate your packing and bring things to school a bit at a time. Be Smart. Think about the climate of the where you'll be living and the types of activities you'll be participating in and pack your bags accordingly.

Rule #2 – Think in terms of Season- Before you leave home, organize your clothes and shoes according to seasons.  Pack all of your coats, sweaters, boots etc. together in one set of bins/bags/boxes.  This will keep you organized and stream line the process of transitioning your wardrobe as the seasons change.  If you’re close to home you can leave your winter clothes and home and switch out your summer closing during weekend visits.  If your school is further away from home, I suggest you pick up a couple of  underbed storage bins to store your non seasonal clothing. Click here for an example.

Rule #3- Consider Your Laundry Schedule- Honestly ask yourself, how often will you wash clothes.  If you’re disciplined and can stick to a weekly/biweekly routine then pack your underwear and unmentionables accordingly.  Personally, I kept at least 3wks to a month’s worth of clothes and clean draws in rotation cause frankly, I wasn’t responsible enough to be about that washing every week life. 

Rule #4- Don’t Bring Your Prom Dress- This rule is for those of us who’ve ever said  “I’m just gonna bring this because you never know”. I’ve been there and I’ve done that so please Ms. Hunny, listen to teacher, you don’t have to bring all of the clothes you own with you to school. Bring what you’re comfortable in and what you know you will wear.  You may head out for a big event once or twice a year.  So, leave you formal wear at home and have your parents ship it to you if necessary. 

Rule #5 – Don’t think clothes, think WARDROBE- Don’t think of your closet in terms of outfits for events.  Build a wardrobe of staples that you can mix and match to suit your needs. Your wardrobe should not solely consist 15 pairs of jeans and thirty something pairs of sneakers.  Not going to work.  What you wear to classes and social events is one thing but, every college student should have business/ business casual attire on hand.  Be sure to pack at least one pair of nice slacks (not khakis, but slacks), an appropriate skirt (meaning not too tight at or below the knees), well fit blouses/button down shirts, a blazer and dress shoes. 

*Bonus* - Save Room for Your New Toys- If you know your weekends will be riddled with trips to the mall then pack with that in mind and save room for all of your new finds. Remember what you bring to school you will have to bring back.  So if you bring everything you own from home, and buy everything you see at the mall, what in the world are you going to do in May when you have bring to all of this stuff back to your Momma’s house?  #jussaying 

Happy Packing! 

Back to School 2012- Lemme Get You Together: Tips for a Seamless Administrative Start to the Academic Year

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Don’t wait until you get to campus on the first day of school to make sure your affairs are in order. Taking the time to call/visit campus offices over the summer can not only make for a seamless start to the fall semester it can also spare you the heartache that comes with closed classes, misplaced room assignments, and non-dispersed student loans. These issues often result in lines that look like this. Don’t get caught up in the madness. Follow this summer checklist and touch bases with your administrative offices to ensure that you won’t have to curse anyone out on move in day!

If you live locally, a trip to campus is not only cost effective; it’s also a great way to break up the monotony of your summer days. If you can’t get to campus, phone calls and emails can be effective if done correctly. Try to avoid general department phone numbers and email addresses. Call center voice mails and mass email inboxes are not checked consistently and are often improperly sorted. It's best to develop and maintain a relationship with one point person in each office and use their direct and specific contact information to make sure everything is in order.

Financial Aid- You should have filed your FAFSA months ago and since received, signed and returned your award letter. If you have yet to do this, the financial aid office should be your first priority. If you have submitted your FAFSA but have not received your award letter that is serious a red flag. Contact your Financial Aid office to find out what the problem is. It could be a number of things, an incomplete FAFSA, verification issues, etc. Your financial aid counselor should be able to work with you to rectify this issue. You will also want to take this time to make you have signed promissory notes for your student loans. Doing so will ensure your loans funds are dispersed in a timely fashion as to avoid late fees, closed classes, misplaced room assignments and any other missteps that will undoubtedly lead to miscellaneous neck rolling and finger swinging.

It Pays to Double Check- Unfortunately mix-ups and misunderstandings are commonplace in administrative offices at colleges and universities. Make your round; double check room assignments, meal plan allocations, work study jobs, etc. Nothing sadder than a caravan full of fall clothing and IKEA house wares only to find that Lil Ree-Ree’s housing deposit was never received and she wasn’t assigned a room.

Show Me the Receipts- Go to student accounts and ask for a print out of your bill. Make sure that you aren’t being charged for services you don’t need or won’t use. For example, many colleges charge a standard medical insurance fee for all students residing on campus. This fee can and should be waived if you are still on your parent’s medical insurance.

Take A Deep Breath, Girl- Many times we hit campus READY to curse somebody out. Take a deep breath and before you ride out on your financial aid counselor make sure you have all of affairs in order. Having the necessary supporting paperwork will often get you a lot farther than belligerence will. Keep copies of signed paperwork, maintain accurate records with the name of the staff person who’ve helped you previously, read things before you sigh them, etc

Feel free to ask specific questions or leave feedback via the comment section below or by dropping me a line at Tykeia@TheGlamNERDS.com.

The 4 year update~What to Bring to College & Room Tour! With @MissTP90

The homie MissTP90 posted a video today that was pretty fantastic and I wanted to share.  As a freshman, she posted a video on What to Bring to College as far as  clothing, beddings,sheets/blankets, furniture, storage and such. She's now a senior and she's back to bring us up to speed, sharing things that she's learned throughout her four years of college.  You will recieve many fabulous tips of the things that you need that Res Life doesn't tell you. They don't print these pearls of wisdom in the handbook. So please, get you a piece of this.  The vid is not your traditional update, nope. It captures a converstation between present day Tara and the Tara of yesteryear, as only Miss P could.   I love it especially because it's a great example of the evolution, growth and change that college is really all about.  Oh and be sure to watch until the end so you can see the tour of Miss P's dorm room with her roomate Bee-Dubz (who is just plain precious as far as I'm concerned).  Don't miss the bus chilldren and enjoy your Friday!