Campus Highlight: Kansas University Men's Basketball Team

(Each Monday during the academic year, I feature a "Campus Highlight": a unique, interesting, and noteworthy student organization, program, or initiative that demonstrates the amazing things college students do each and every day across the country.)

Even though I blogged about this topic a few weeks ago, I only did so generally -- and without mentioning Kansas University (Lawrence, KS).

For the third year in a row, the KU men's basketball team has reached the Final Four in the InsideHigherEd.com Academic Performance Tournament. (And, in fact, they won the entire thing this year and in 2010!) While the fun of the play-offs is increasing as the number of remaining teams dwindles, it's great to know that the KU team has maintained better-than-average academic standards for its men's basketball team. Way to go, guys!

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Campus Highlight: Students on Target at Louisiana State University

(Each Monday during the academic year, I feature a "Campus Highlight": a unique, interesting, and noteworthy student organization, program, or initiative that demonstrates the amazing things college students do each and every day across the country.)

For this week's Campus Highlight, I'm focusing on Students on Target (SOT) at Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, LA), "a Student Government programming committee that is charged with the mission of promoting healthy lifestyle choices, such as eating right, exercising regularly, and acting responsibly." And while many campuses have student-run organizations that promote wellness, SOT does so by using "the medium of music and art to spread this message." How fun does that sound?!

On March 26, SOT hosted its "Groovin' on the Grounds" event. During the day, Groovin' featured "multiple booths with food and activities as well as large air inflatable slides and games." At night, everyone made way for the musical part of the event, which this year included Ludacris, Hunter Hayes, FreeSol, and Hazy Ray. The best part? The entire event was alcohol free -- and free to both the campus and the public.

It's always great to hear about fun spring events, like Groovin' on the Grounds, at any campus. But I thought SOT deserved a shout-out for having such a kickin' event that was free for those in attendance -- and free from alcohol. Keep up the great work!

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Campus Highlight: Student Crafters at Berea College

(Each Monday during the academic year, I feature a "Campus Highlight": a unique, interesting, and noteworthy student organization, program, or initiative that demonstrates the amazing things college students do each and every day across the country.)

Berea College (Berea, KY) -- which provides all enrolled students with a 4-year tuition scholarship -- helps fund such scholarships through Berea College Crafts. Each student worker "delves into Appalachian artistic heritage, learns about materials and design, experiences the joy of creativity, and identifies the dignity of work well done" before creating wood crafts, furniture, ceramics, woven items, and/or brooms.

Lots of students on scholarship have to work during their time in college. But the students involved with Berea College Crafts are learning about the past, providing for the future, and earning money in the process. What a great combination. Congrats to all of those involved on their hard work -- and amazing products!

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Are You Getting the College Life Newsletter?

One of the most enjoyable parts of my work as the Guide to College Life -- and, I think, one of the best benefits of being a reader of the site -- is the totally free newsletter I send out every Monday morning.

Each newsletter arrives in your inbox, piping hot and fresh, full of tips and tricks and all kinds of information to make your college life easier. I figure ... college students have enough to deal with while they're in school, so why not help everyone out a little and directly deliver the things you need to learn most? Signing up is easy, free, and only takes a second. And really, what do you have to lose -- other than the time you would have spent looking for the information I'll now send you automatically, of course?

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5 Disadvantages of Poor Time Management

Poor planning and bad time management are often part of the learning experience for many new students in college. For others, however, poor planning becomes a habit. The consequences of putting that paper off, not turning in your work on time, and missing key deadlines, however, can be much more of a problem than you might initially think.

5 Disadvantages to Poor Planning & Bad Time Management

1. Things may get expensive. If you miss housing deadlines, incur late registration fees, or apply too late to get priority when your school is allocating financial aid, things can quickly become even more expensive than normal. Having good time management skills can help you avoid costly mistakes later.

2. Things can become harder logistically. If you think studying for your Spanish final is a pain in the brain, wait until you see what happens if you don't pass it/sleep through it/generally don't plan for it.

3. You may miss out on opportunities because you're too late. That amazing study abroad program, Spring Break trip, and summer internship all have deadlines for a reason. If you apply too late or don't have everything you need ready in time, you'll miss out on what could have been the experience of a lifetime.

4. You may miss out on opportunities because people notice your pattern of lateness and disorganization. People who you think don't notice your frequent lack of planning and lateness may, in fact, notice more than you realize. When your favorite professor is trying to think of students for an awesome summer research gig, you might get passed over because she knows you won't have your stuff together when needed. Keeping your schedule balanced and your time managed may open doors you don't even realize are there.

5. You will always feel behind. Not sure if you have poor planning skills? Ask yourself to remember the last time you felt ahead of the game. If it wasn't recently, chances are you're constantly feeling behind -- because you are. Bad time management skills mean you are always playing catch-up and experiencing stress. And with all that's going on in your college life, why add more stress to the mix?

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College Bucket List

The idea of a "bucket list" -- referring to what someone should do before he or she "kicks the bucket" -- doesn't just have to apply to older folks. Students, too, can make their own college bucket list to make sure they get in every last thing before tossing their caps at graduation.

1. Confess a crush. Scary? You better believe it. But if you think you'll regret not telling a certain someone how you feel about them before you both part ways after graduating, it's time to take a deep breath and spill the beans. After all, even if it goes just awful, you won't have to really see them again, right? Right!

2. Take pictures of people who have made a difference in your college life. When you think back on your years at school, who mattered most? A certain professor or two? Several friends in particular? Maybe a mentor or administrator? Even if you're convinced that you'll stay in touch with these folks for years, take a picture anyway. You can laugh at how young everyone looked when you're old and gray and reminiscing about all the silly things you did in college.

3. Thank your favorite professor. Chances are one professor in particular stands out for the influence he or she had on you during your time in school. Tell them "thanks" before you leave. You can thank them in person, write an email, or even leave a small thank-you note (and gift?) for them on graduation day.

4. Thank your favorite administrator. Whether you were over-involved in cocurriculars or barely involved at all, you probably interacted with an administrator who made a difference in your life. Say "thanks" before you graduate to help pay it forward a little bit.

5. Try food you never did somewhere on campus. If you've never tried a certain kind of food on campus, gather your pride and dig in before you graduate. You'll get a good experience exposing yourself to something new and -- you never know -- you just might end up liking it. (Green eggs and ham, anyone?)

6. Buy yourself a graduation gift from the bookstore. Sure, your funds are probably even tighter than normal around graduation time. But pinch your pennies and reward yourself with a gift, no matter how small, from the bookstore. A simply key chain, license plate holder, bumper sticker, business card holder, or travel bag will remind you for years to come about one of your greatest accomplishments so far.

7. Thank the people who helped pay your way. If scholarships, your parents, and/or others helped pay your way through school, make sure to let them know how much you appreciate their support. One suggestion: Include a picture of you in your cap and gown on graduation day in a simple but heartfelt thank-you note.

8. Kiss someone you always wanted to. Of course, you shouldn't do it without knowing for sure that it's okay, but don't let what you know would be an awesome smooch slip away without at least exploring the possibility.

9. Write something for the school paper. You may be shy, you may not think of yourself as a good writer, and you may have never written for the paper before. But you'll be graduating soon -- meaning you've succeeded at college and have important advice to share with your peers. Take an hour or two to put something together that passes along your wisdom.

10. Take a picture of yourself and your room. It may seem silly now, but how fun will it be to look back at how you looked and what your room/apartment looked like 5, 10, 20 years from now? Don't let something that you see everyday now slip away with time.

11. Go to a part of campus you've never been before. Even if you're at the smallest of schools, head to a corner of campus you've never been before. You just might get a new perspective of how things look and come to appreciate a side of your school that feels brand new just as every other part of it is feeling old.

12. Go to a sports event you've never been to. Football and basketball games may be all the rage on your campus, but try something new. If it's a gorgeous day, grab some friends and some snacks and go watch a softball or Ultimate Frisbee game. It's a great way to relax and get a new college memory.

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Need Some Motivation?

This time of the academic year is always a little challenging. For most students, Spring Break has come and gone -- sadly -- and the only thing between them and the end of the year is a lot of work.

If you need a quick shot of motivation, check out the following articles. They only take a minute or two (if that!) to read through and can help you give a virtual kick in the pants right when you need one the most:

• Why Should I Get a College Degree?
• 6 Financial Benefits of Graduating from College
• How to Make -- and Find -- Your Own Success in College

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