You read that right, folks: Today is the last day to vote the for College Life Readers' Choice Awards! This year's categories are as follows:
Make sure to get your vote(s) in by midnight (EST) tonight. And don't worry; winners will be announced on March 30th. Happy voting!
Packing for Spring Break can be ridiculously exciting -- but also complicated, given that most students are completely brain fried from midterms, papers, and general college stress. So how can you make sure you pack everything you'll need for your Spring Break adventure?
If you're headed somewhere warm, the list below includes everything you'll need to keep you safe and comfy (in addition to your regular things, like regular clothes and your wallet). Because with everything else you've got going on, who needs to make a new Spring Break packing list?
13. Look to the past -- the prehistoric past. You don't have to be an paleontologist to know that dinosaurs are crazy cool. Fortunately, they can also help make your party one to remember. Keep an eye out for decorations and other items that can be used for a kid party (origami dinosaurs anyone?), making sure to mix them up enough so that they suit your adult-themed prehistoric party, too.
14. Think Western. Sure, the Old West was a rough and tumble place. But that doesn't have to mean that your party can't take the best of what it had to offer! Fun hats, decorations, music, boots, outfits, and food can all work together to make sure your Western party is one everyone will be talking about Monday morning.
15. Choose a color as a theme. Go crazy with one specific color: invites, promos, decorations, foods, costumes. Using various shades of one color can make your color-themed party a little more visually exciting while also offering a way to transform your house into a place nearly no one will recognize. Encourage attendees to come dressed in the color, too.
16. Go colorless with a black-and-white theme. It doesn't have to be formal or New Year's Eve for you to go with a black-and-white themed college party. This theme is particularly flexible, too, because it will look classy no matter how fancy (or not fancy!) you make it. Let people know, too, that they should come wearing only black and white for an added effect.
17. Have everyone come as famous people from history. If you're in college, you're around a lot of smart folks -- which means they'll help make this party theme one that works well. How fun would it be to be schmoozing with George Washington only to go get more snacks next to Joan of Arc, stopping to talk to Socrates along the way?
18. Pick a classic board game. You may have thought that games like Monopoly, Scrabble, or Sorry were stuck in your past, but with a little creative planning, they can be turned into great party themes. Additionally, because most of these classic games hold a sense of nostalgia for everyone, people are likely to be interested in what you do with the theme and contribute to it.
19. Make a popular video game theme a reality. If you have a ton of gamers on campus (and who doesn't, really?), tap into their creative side by throwing a video game-themed party. World of Warcraft or even classic games like Zelda or Super Mario Brothers can bring out the best of everyone in attendance.
21. Angel or devil? Angel or devil parties are super easy to throw because your attendees pretty much bring the main decorations through their costumes. Tell guests to come dressed as either an angel or a devil; all you have to do is use black, white, and red decorations around your house or other party location to tie everything together.
22. Go for an animal theme. You might be surprised at how creative people can be if they're coming for an animal-themed party. People can choose from the simple whiskers-drawn-on-the-face to going full-out in a mascot costume. And, as the party host, you just need to coordinate a bit by providing things to help everything seem cohesive: zoo advertising? animal prints? "Please Don't Feed the Animals" signs?
23. Think classic Hollywood. Movies like The Wizard of Oz can provide great themes for college parties. For ideas on everything from posters and advertising to costumes and decorations, schedule a movie-watching session with your planning committee. Take great notes and then get to work!
24. Think classic literature (especially children's literature). Dressing up like Little Red Riding Hood, the Three Bears, or even Hansel and Gretel can be a fun and new way to mix things up at a college party. With so much to choose from, too, your guests should feel comfortable going as simple or all-out as they want to. For the theme, you can choose one story in particular or just make the broader theme of classic children's literature the main theme itself.
25. Choose-your-own classic musical figure. This theme provides endless ideas because there are so many musicians to choose from (Beethoven? Elvis? Britney Spears? Michael Jackson?). Additionally, creating a playlist to play during the party is easy-cheesy. And with a little searching online, you should be able to find enough images of famous musicians to create some rockin' promos and decorations, too.
(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.)
Wabash College (located in Crawfordsville, IN) has the unique distinction of being one of a very-limited number of all-male liberal arts colleges. They define their mission as "excellence in teaching and learning within a community built on close and caring relationships among students, faculty, and staff." Part of that excellence apparently comes from how Wabash "challenges its students to appreciate the changing nature of the global society and prepares them for the responsibilities of leadership and service in it."
What better what to prepare one's self for leadership and service than to start in your own backyard? The Wabash College Mentors for Kids chapter was recognized in 2011 as the Chapter of the Year. The campus chapter was founded in 2006 and now mentors dozens of children in the surrounding community.
College Mentors for Kids is actually a larger organization that pairs college mentors with kids in grades 1-8. Chapters like the one at Wabash are clearly making a difference in the lives of today's young folks, and that always warrants a Campus Highlight in my book. Keep up the great work!
I always find it interesting to see which articles are the most popular among readers. And while I have access to the metrics behind the College Life site, readers can always see what other students are reading, too.
If you're a little nosy like me, check out the "Most Popular Articles" page that displays what the most popular articles have been over the past month. That way, you can tell if your struggles with time management are yours alone -- or if everyone else is having them, too.
Enjoy!
(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.)
The Campus Highlight this week is a cool one, if I do say so myself; I'm highlighting the Social Entrepreneurs of Grinnell (SEG) at Grinnell College (Grinnell, IA). SEG is "a microfinance organization made up of students and community members from the town of Grinnell, Iowa" that "implements microloans in communities around the world and provides microfinancing services to the local Grinnell community."
In addition to being a fantastic organization, SEG also received some prestigious accolades: They were recognized by the White House as one of the five winners in the "Campus Champions of Change Challenge." Additionally, several members of SEG traveled to the White House on March 15 for an official event and the organization itself will be featured in an upcoming segment of mtvU.
Is the recognition SEG is receiving amazing? You better believe it. But so is the work they're doing. Way to go!
With much gratitude to everyone who voted, I'm so excited to finally be able to announce this year's winners for the 2012 About.com College Life Readers' Choice Awards!
Congratulations to this year's winners!
