If you are someone who’s about to take the first few steps into university life, The University Blog will help you shape the right expectations, while getting excellent tips on making the most out of your life in the academe. This blog is geared towards university freshmen and individuals who are taking up higher education in general. The blog is authored by Martin who, by means of his extensive experience in the university, is able dish out a range of topics, from freshman university life to the hidden costs of some university degrees.
What I like about this blog
Much of the blog content at The University Blog are posted as tips and guides, often in the form of bullet points. Here you will be able to find money-saving tips, guidelines on building better self-esteem, and getting more than just good grades in your subjects.
The blog also outlines the issues that most university students deal with nowadays, including college costs, time management matters, and student journalism. There is a post on student journalism, which discusses the move of some student newspapers in cancelling print issues and switching to purely online-based content. University students will get more than just a few tips from the site, since it offers real university life issues that every student should be aware of.
What the site lacks
The clean, crisp, and simple layout of the blog is also one of its many strong points. Reading the posts is easy to the eyes and the choice of font type and font size is just right. I should mention however that the blog lacks a specific section for categories. There is a section for the recent posts, but the posts are not divided into neat categories, for better searching. With just a few tweaks nonetheless, this blog site can easily become one of the most widely read blogs on the web.
Central Michigan Life blog is the blog section of Central Michigan Life, the student newspaper of Central Michigan University. It caters primarily to the students of Central Michigan University although the university staff and instructors, university alumni, and online readers are welcome to check the site too. Although the blog does not have enough content yet, it does show a lot of promise, with its clean layout and interesting topics.
What this site offers
What I noticed about the Central Michigan Life blog is that the content they provide centers more on sports and campus encounters. In one campus encounter blog post for example, readers are presented with a unique view on CMU university life, where a few of the students are fond of climbing of trees to connect with another and feel a “sense of freedom.”
What makes this site unique is that it offers a range of news on university life, student life, sports, and campus life. It offers the latest and the most important happenings in the campus, providing updates and verified information to the students of CMU. The blog posts are short and straight to the point, making them an easy read for many busy students or web users. The navigation is easy as well, and the site includes recommended links, Twitter feeds, and even a Facebook fan page section, for a more interactive experience.
Some suggestions for improvement
There is nothing I want to change about the site, but I think it will look more authoritative if the blog title adopted a more conspicuous layout or style. A more organized layout is attainable too, if the banner ads were distributed evenly throughout the site, rather than placed too closely against one another. Still, this blog offers a wide range of content, from news to views and university life information, making it one of the finest blog sites for university students around.
Samford University
Samford University is a private, Baptist-affiliated university established in 1841 and located in Homewood, Alabama. Samford is home to eight schools and colleges and offers a wide range of majors and courses to undergraduate students. The university offers bachelor’s degrees in arts and sciences, business administration, education nursing, and music education. Samford also offers graduate and professional degrees for those who plan to receive further academic training on a specialized field. For those interested in applying, the complete list of majors and degrees offered in Samford University can be found at the school’s official website, www.samford.edu, with the application requirements and procedures detailed at the website’s admissions page.
University of San Diego
The University of San Diego was established in 1949 as a private, Roman Catholic university, and is located two miles north of downtown San Diego in California. The university is composed of six schools and colleges that cater to different disciplines: arts and sciences, law, nursing and health science, business administration, leadership studies and education sciences, and peace studies. Aside from undergraduate programs and degrees, the University of San Diego also offers master’s programs, PhD programs, a Juris Doctor degree, and graduate law degrees. The school’s list of notable alumni include Verizon Wireless President and CEO, Lowell McAdam, and Betsy Myers, Chief Operating Officer of Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. For information on application procedures and requirements, visit the school’s official website at www.sandiego.edu and the school’s admissions page.
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University was established in 1851 as a private, Jesuit-affiliated Catholic university in Santa Clara, California. Santa Clara University is the oldest Catholic university in the American West, and is a member of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The university offers bachelor’s degrees in arts, science and engineering, and commerce. Aside from undergraduate programs and degrees, the school also offers graduate studies in the fields of law, business, engineering, education, counseling psychology, and pastoral ministries. Notable alumni of the Santa Clara University include author Khaled Hosseini and Google’s Chief Financial Officer, George Reyes. Interested applicants can visit the school’s official website at www.scu.edu and get information on application procedures from the website’s admissions page.
Alabama State University
Alabama State University or ASU is a historically black university established in 1867 in Montgomery, Alabama, and is a member of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund. ASU is composed of seven colleges or divisions for different disciplines: arts and sciences, business administration, health sciences, education, visual and performing arts, school of graduate studies, and division of aerospace studies. Aside from undergraduate programs, ASU also offers master’s degree programs and PhD programs in physical therapy, microbiology, and educational leadership, policy, and law. The university’s diverse student body is composed of young individuals from over 40 states and six countries. For information on how to apply to ASU, visit the school’s official website at www.alasu.edu and the school’s admissions page.
Purdue University
Purdue University was established in 1869, and serves as the flagship university of the six schools and campuses within the Purdue University System. Purdue is one of the largest university systems in the US, and is best known for the highly competitive engineering curriculum and excellent aviation and aerospace programs offered at the Purdue University College of Enginering and School of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Purdue’s West Lafayette campus offers more than 200 majors in the fields of agriculture, health sciences, liberal arts, management, education, nursing, science and technology, veterinary medicine, and consumer and family sciences. For detailed information on the course and program offerings at Purdue, visit the school’s website at www.purdue.edu, with application information on the site’s admissions page.
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private, Ivy League higher learning institution established in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White. Located in Ithaca, New York, Cornell University is home to seven graduate divisions and seven undergraduate schools and colleges, which specialize in agriculture and life sciences, architecture, art and planning, engineering, arts and sciences, hotel administration, labor and industrial relations, and human ecology. Cornell offers around 80 major fields for undergraduate study, as well as dual degree programs and interdisciplinary majors. Detailed information on course and major offerings can be found at www.cornell.edu. Admissions is highly selective and competitive, so applicants should make sure they meet all the application requirements listed at the school website’s admissions page.
Adelphi University
Adelphi University is a private and nationally accredited school established in 1896 in Garden City, Nassau County, New York. Adelphi University is composed of eight schools and colleges that cater to different disciplines: arts and sciences, advanced psychological studies, business, education, nursing, social work, adult academic programs, and honors programs. The university also offers joint degrees and graduate studies in the fields of dentistry, engineering, law, optometry, physical therapy, and environmental studies. More information on course and programs offerings can be found at Adelphi University’s official website, www.adelphi.edu, with the application requirements and procedures listed at the site’s admissions page.
Adrian College
Adrian College is a private, Methodist-affiliated liberal arts college established in 1859 in the city of Adrian in Michigan. The school offers over 40 majors in the fields of accounting and business, environmental studies, sociology, social work and criminal justice, music, history, and earth and life sciences. Adrian College also offers pre-professional programs to prepare students for careers in architecture, engineering, physical therapy, law, health science, etc. Adrian’s alumni roster include US Congressman Mike Rogers, and distinguished businessmen, executives, attorneys, physicians, and educators. For those interested in applying to Adrian College, visit the school’s official website at www.adrian.edu where you’ll find details on application procedures and requirements on the site’s admissions page.
Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University
Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, also known as AAMU or Alabama A&M University, is a public, historically black university located in Madison County, Alabama. The school offers a wide variety of undergraduate programs including forestry, social work, art education, clinical psychology, urban and regional planning, communicative sciences and disorders, engineering technologies, counseling psychology, somputer science, food science, and civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering. AAMU is also proud to be one of the very few historically black colleges and universities that have a baccalaureate degree program in telecommunications. For more detailed information on course and program offerings at AAMU, visit the school’s website at www.aamu.edu and get the lowdown on application procedures at the site’s admissions page.
Seattle University
Established by the Jesuits in 1891 as the School of the Immaculate Conception, Seattle University is located in downtown Seattle and is a member of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. Then named Seattle College, in 1931, the university was the very first in the country to admit female students. Seattle University is composed of eight colleges and schools for different disciplines: arts and sciences, business and economics, education, law, nursing, science and engineering, theology and ministry, and humanities for teaching. Aside from undergraduate programs and degrees, Seattle University also offers 24 graduate programs. For more information on the course and programs offerings, visit www.seattleu.edu and the school’s admissions page.
Stephens College
Stephens College is a private liberal arts women’s college established in 1833 and located in Columbia, Missouri. Stephens College is known for being the second oldest women’s college, and also for their programs in theatre, dance, fashion design, and fine arts. The college offers majors in various fields such as accounting, entrepreneurship and business management, equestrian instruction and training, legal studies, physical therapy, human development (psychology and education), and filmmaking. Students can also take minors in women’s studies, history, and other fields. The complete listing of majors and courses offered can be found at www.stephens.edu, with application procedures and requirements listed at the site’s admissions page.
Abilene Christian University
Abilene Christian University or ACU was established in 1906, and currently operates as a private university in Abilene, Texas. The university’s mission is to educate and train its students to become Christian leaders and servants in areas throughout the world. Abilene University offers a wide range of undergraduate majors such as advertising and public relations, criminal justice-sociology, natural resource management, international studies, occupational therapy, information technology, nursing, nutrition, and engineering physics. Interested applicants may check out the list of course and program offerings at the school’s official website, www.acu.edu, as well as the application requirements and procedures at the site’s admissions page.
Oxford College
Oxford College is a private residential college established in 1836, and is one of the divisions of Emory University in Oxford, Georgia. The college specializes in liberal arts courses and programs and has a diverse student body consisting of men and women of different ethnic and economic backgrounds. Aside from liberal arts courses, Oxford College also offers majors in business, nursing, life sciences, and even dual degrees in engineering. Oxford also offers pre-professional programs to prepare students for their post-graduate degrees and careers in law, medicine, business administration, nursing, physical therapy, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine. For information on the programs and courses offered, as well as the application requirements, visit Oxford’s official website and admissions page.
Hofstra University
Hofstra University is a private, non-sectarian academic institution established in 1935 in the village of Hempstead on Long Island, New York. The school first started as a college of New York University, but later on became the independent Hofstra College and then changed its name to Hofstra University in 1963. Hofstra University offers over 140 undergraduate programs in the fields of business, communication, liberal arts and sciences, education, honors studies, and health and human services. The school also has pre-professional programs like premedical or prehealth professional studies, prelaw, and a certificate program in Natural Sciences. You can get more information on the school’s programs and admissions process at Hofstra’s official website and their admissions page.
Humphreys College
Founded in 1896 by John R. Humphreys, Sr., Humphreys College is an independent college with campuses in Stockton and Modesto that offers a wide range of certificates and associate, baccalaureate, and master’s degrees in the fields of human services, business, law, and liberal arts. Humphreys College also has a graduate studies division where students can opt to pursue higher learning in law, business, and management. For those interested in applying to Humphreys College, you can check out the school’s complete listing of courses and programs offered, as well as their applications process and requirements, at the school’s official website, www.humphreys.edu and their admissions page.
Lebanon Valley College
Lebanon Valley College, also known as LVC and The Valley, is a private university established in 1866 in Annville, Lebanon County. The Valley offers a wide range of baccalaureate programs and courses in more than 35 fields of study, as well as graduate degrees and doctorate programs. From Digital Communication to Forestry to Religion and Philosophy, LVC has a long list of course and program offerings that students can choose from. To know what these specific courses and programs are, as well as get information on the school’s applications process, simply go to the www.lvc.edu and the school’s admissions page.
The University of Miami
Also called Miami of Florida, UM, or The U, the University of Miami is a private university founded in 1925 in Coral Gables, Florida. The school offers a wide variety of courses and programs in different fields and disciplines such as business administration, communication, engineering, nursing and health studies, arts and sciences, and architecture. The University of Miami also has a diverse student body which they claim is representative not only of all the 50 states of the US, but also of over 100 countries all over the world. For those interested in applying to the University of Miami, detailed information on their course and program offerings can be found at their official website, www.miami.edu, with information on application procedures and requirements listed at their admissions page.
Roger Williams University
Roger Williams University or RWU is a private, non-sectarian, and coeducational university located in Bristol, Rhode Island. RWU was established in 1956 and named after the cofounder of Rhode Island, Roger Williams. The university specializes in liberal arts, although it does have course offerings in other fields and disciplines such as architecture, engineering, life sciences, graphic design communication, and legal studies. RWU currently offers 36 liberal arts majors and they also have professional schools where students can pursue graduate studies. To see the complete list of major and minor courses offered at RWU, simply go to www.rwu.edu. You can also find information on application requirements and procedures at the school’s admissions page.
You can decrease the impact of housing on your college budget. Housing, aside from tuition, is a major college expense. So, finding cheaper housing can really help get you through college. Anyway, you are not really in college to experience living within the comforts of a posh pad. You are attending university to get a degree, and you need to save money to make sure that happens.
Live in the dorm.
Dorms are cheaper than most apartments for rent. They also place you near your university so that you won’t stress about transportation. So, living in a dorm not only saves you money, it also reduces transportation costs.
Split costs with a friend.
If you want a little more privacy or if you do not really like the dorm environment, rent an apartment and invite a friend or two to share the lease with you. You and your friends can split the costs of rent and other household expenses. This way, you enjoy a smaller bill and a more homey place to come home to. Also, living off-campus gives you more freedom.
Look for good deals on off-campus accommodations. You never know, the apartment of your dreams may need just a little bit more searching. If your heart is set on renting an apartment, make sure that you view several options first. Prices and amenities offered may vary from house to house. Find one that costs the least, but is comfortable enough for student living.
Stay in with a relative.
Speaking of homey, you can stay in with a relative. If your aunt happens to live near the university of your choice, you can live with her instead of renting a place. Of course, you have to make do with what she can offer. Help out around the house, or contribute some money for groceries.
Choose a convenient location.
Find a conveniently located dorm or a nearby apartment. This way, you will save money meant for transportation and have more time for studying. If you’re a part-time student, make sure that you do not have to make a long commute to go to work and to school.
Stay at home.
Some college graduates are heading home to save money. So, if you are attending a university nearby, you can do the same while still at college. Staying at home is not something to be ashamed of; you save money and you stay in a comfortable place where you can study well.
Photo Credit : redjar
