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- 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.

A Few Things I Wish Someone Would've Told Me My First Day of College

Photo Courtesy of http://worldnewsexaminer.comMajor Shoutout to the freshmen out there. What’s up Class of 2014?! Your first day of college is right around the corner.  I won’t bore you with the customary “you can do it” encouragement and “I’m so proud of you” adulations.  But I will share a few things, that I wish somebody would’ve told me on the first day class.  For some, it can be an anxious day, so hopefully this will help to boost your confidence.

1. Go To Class- Some people believe that attending the first class is not mandatory.  Don’t get me wrong, every now and again, you’ll come across a professor that will just greet you, distribute and briefly discuss the syllabi, and say see you next class. But these instances are really few and far between.  Most of the time, professors briefly engage in first day of class pleasantries and jump right in to 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 take 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 remember how you present yourself before he/she ever knows your name.  Be on time, dress neatly and appropriately and pay attention.

3. Don’t Force It- You may be nervous about meeting people and developing friendships.  My advice is just 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 to 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 don’t have it, make sure you get to Financial Aid to request it. If you do have it, 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 you school lists work study opportunities and get a job.

5. Try Not To Look So Green-  Chances most people will instantly know that you're a freshman. 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 specifc to my campus culture but every school has certain social do’s and don’t that one must adhere to.  Try to find out what not to do to sit at the cool kid’s table and don’t do it.

I hope this has been helpful to you. All the best for a great Fall 2011 semester!