When it was my turn to start looking for colleges to apply to, I didn’t quite know where to start. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go out of state or stay in, go to a big or small college, or even what I wanted to study.

After having lived in a dorm for a year or two, many students decide to move into apartment complexes or housing around the campus.

Researching your future college, jeez senior year of high school sure feels like such a long time ago… However, this topic is perfect for me to write about because I probably have to choose which grad school I want to go to in the upcoming month so i’m actually fresh from researching colleges. The best way to tackle this in my opinion is to make a list of things you want to be looking for.

COVID SUCKS! In today's world of social distancing, it’s hard not to be around loved ones especially and dating is no exception to that. These ideas will keep in mind the idea of social distancing but will not 100% guarantee your safety from COVID-19.

In the age of virtual learning, it can be so tempting to do nothing but roll out of bed, log onto a monotonous Zoom lecture, and scroll through Instagram for 50 minutes. With so few in-person classes, there is scarce a reason to leave your dorm room! Since most of the college experience has devolved into glorified independent study, the social aspect of an on-campus experience has changed right alongside it!

Find yourself in your bed almost all day? Yeah, me too. Well the real answer to this question of what I’ve learned during quarantine is this: not a lot. School has been hard to do online from home. However, as quarantine rages on, I have started to do a couple things a bit differently to keep myself focused.

Being an environmental science major at FSU, I have invested quite some time in trying out the different environmentally conscious and sustainable programs/clubs that campus has to offer and my absolute favorite is the Environmental Service Program (ESP)! I remember my first meeting perfectly, I was surrounded by so many students just like me that were so enthusiastic and elated to talk about our environment and Mama Earth.

Although I am happy to be safe with my family, it has been slightly more difficult to stay on top of my school work now that I do not have this routine to follow. To me, the upside of remote schooling is more free time but the downside is less motivation to do my school work.

The list of reasons to form healthy habits on campus is endless. Doing well in classes, enjoying relationships, engaging in extracurriculars and so much more all stem from maintaining your physical and mental health. This can look different to everyone, but the following are some of my favorite tips.

On a college campus, you are never too far away from something free: free food, free pens, free tote bags, etc.! However, the number one object you will acquire in excess while at college is, undoubtedly, free t-shirts! So the question must be asked: How many free t-shirts is too many? The real answer? None!

School can be a lot. We all face those tough weeks where we have four exams back to back and endless assignments begin to bear down on us. In taxing times such as these, I frequently take a step back from life’s nagging hassles and go to some of my favorite nature spots throughout UCF.

For me, scheduling a time to call my friends never works out. College life is busy and scheduling things is stressful and people tend to forget. Just giving someone a call is more likely to start a conversation with someone!

Now that it’s spring break season, vacation plans seem to be the only thing on students’ minds … No matter what you do this spring break, stay safe and have fun.

Each year I spent at FSU I have used different forms of transportation to get around. My freshman year I lived in a dorm and I either skateboarded or walked to class.

After weeks of non-stop studying, the last thing on my mind is school or work. After finals all my mind and body want to do is rest. Taking breaks after finals may not seem important, but it's possibly one of the most important things you should do.

However, at the end of every semester, or even in the middle of the semester, there comes a holiday break of some sort! When you finally go home — to your actual home — I think the best part is bringing your new-found college friends with you!

I had heard about Dance Marathon (DM) during my first few weeks on campus but didn’t really know what it was. As I began pledging my fraternity, one of my brothers encouraged me to attend a DM information session. There, I realized that DM was exactly what I was looking for.

Seeing one of my favorite places in the world be filled to the brim with thousands of students and alumni for a legendary artist was an unforgettable experience. Therefore, my advice to you would be to make sure to take advantage of the different concerts that occur on your campus and acquire some incredible memories in return!

Sometimes, the admissions process can be touchy, people often compare themselves to their peers around them which can often be misleading. The most important thing to know is you are going to end up where you need to be in the end, even if it may not be the college you expected to end up attending.

If you ever ask any college graduate what it is like to have a relationship in college, 99% of the responses you will receive are “just don’t” or “steer clear of a relationship.” I tried taking that advice to heart, but it lasted all of one semester.