August 25, 2008 - 3:29 PM | Comment
The News' NeXt section recently ran a college guide offering advice to freshmen on everything from roommate issues to participating in clubs and activities to finding safe food choices. Having recently finished my four years, all of these "tips" on first-year survival made me smile, yet there was one piece of info that caught my eye: orientation costs.
When I was welcomed onto the St. Bonaventure's campus awhile back, there were no fees for the orientation packets we received, for the tours we were given or for the meals we were served. We were all tucked into the standard "freshman dorm," Shay-Loughlen, for our introductory first night, but none of us paid a price for the beds we used or the rooms we shared. I thought all of this was normal orientation procedure, but according to the article in NeXt, not all colleges share the same "free spirit" that Bonaventure does.
In order to prep its incoming students, Buffalo State charges $140 per student for its orientation, which is said to cover room, board, meals and materials. UB has a similar price tag - $190 - but it includes a few sessions on academic planning and advisement. (I can't believe students are paying for academic advice before they even enter a classroom; I now feel grateful my advisers didn't charge a fee for every time I took advantage of their open-door policy). What's more, parents and family members can now attend an orientation to prepare themselves for the big break as well ... but should expect to pay at least $130 for the first family member and $70 for each additional one.
Looking back, I know so many people who recall orientation fondly, or at least have a funny story about the strange roommate they were paired with or the weird guy that tried to meet the most girls but was never seen again. These stories made this strange beginning more fun than scary for so many. But if you ask those same people if they were excited about orientation, they would be quick to admit that they almost didn't attend because a) they were already homesick, or b) they were a total bundle of nerves. If St. Bonaventure had put a price tag on freshman orientation, I guarantee at least a quarter of our class would have found an excuse to bow out, and in doing so, missed some of the best memories of their college days.
Was your freshman orientation completely overrated? Or, if you had to pay, was it worth the extra cash? And lastly, should schools even charge students (and parents) for what should otherwise be a friendly welcome?
--- Molly Hirschbeck
August 12, 2008 - 12:14 PM | Comment
As some of you might remember, my family adopted a one-and-a-half year old "puppy" from the SPCA a few months back. Back then, she was a hyper but surprisingly sweet angel - no barking, no biting, no aggressive behavior - it was like a miracle. Today, she's a bit more - ahem- comfortable in her surroundings, and we've found that she really does have a voice (but fortunately only uses it when she's trying to protect us). For all of the 45-pounds boxer/lab that she is, Lily seems to think she's a 120-pound St. Bernhard, and when she's tackling the dogs next door or wrestling with my 6-foot brother, her false sense of reality can be pretty entertaining. She's rough, she's tough and she can run for hours.
But she can't handle thunder. Or water. And unfortunately for her, we've pretty much had Noah's Ark these past few days. We don't know what it is, but as crazy and as strong as she is, she absolutely freaks when she hears even the slightest thunder rumble or even when we bring the hose out for bath time. If a storm starts brewing, Lily automatically starts shaking like a leaf right on cue, and burrows her body as close to you as she can. I laugh at this picture (which was totally not staged - she's a natural paw-crosser) because she looks like she's praying to get through the storm. All kidding aside though, it's one of the hard parts about having a rescued dog - wondering what happened to them to make them so scared in such a situation.
Has anyone else had a pet with a problem like this? If so, what can we do to help ease her fear?
--- Molly Hirschbeck
We exist in a society that fosters extended adolescence. The first time I heard about this was from a teacher in high school. He said that twentysomethings, as we now call them, are taking longer to get married, more time to finish school and moving out of their parents' houses later.
How true this may be without statistics is questionable; but I've been relying on that information to be true.
I don't want to feel like I have to know exactly where I'm going right now. I have a lot of options open to me, and even more that I would like to pursue: going graduate school, traveling through Europe and getting a job I love top the list.
I know that I can't possibly do everything all at once, though that's what I want, and I also realize that I might grow out of the idealism characterizing a lot of my life choices up to this point.
Still, having this "extended adolescence" as a sort of excuse to keep a 9-to-5 job or mortgage payment at bay has been working so far.
Because this is my last day at The News, this will be my last blog entry. From this experience I have learned a lot about having a job, which requires me be responsible and sometimes sit out fun times with my friends. I probably needed to learn all that.
I've also learned alot about criticism. Good or bad, when you put your thoughts out there it's going to come back to you. Growing a thick skin must be part of the twentysomething growth cycle, as well.
So thanks for your comments, constructive and otherwise. I can only hope I don't outgrow my need to respond to them. Cheers, all!
-- Kristen Rajczak
Today I had the opportunity to sit down for a live blog with Jim Heaney about his latest big story, the Buffalo Police withholding information from their police reports.
He covered some really excellent points on why the BPD might do this, and also the ramifications for both the local media and the public.
It's a really great read, and you should check it out over at Buffalo.com's Let's Talk.
That being said, my long hiatus is over - expect to see more of me in the coming weeks.
-Evan Parker Pierce
There are times when I love adulthood, and times when I'm terrified that I've entered the gates.
This weekend, as I sifted through loan statements, I had one of the scarier moments. Even though I attended my loan exit interviews and planned my "temporary budget" and payback plan, I'm still learning how everything works. After spending time on the phone, online and with knowledgeable friends, I felt like I had gone through a financial aid boot camp just to learn about deferment, forbearance, which lending partners operate which loans, how long I can go without being penalized ... the list goes on forever.
If I can sum up what I've learned so far in three suggestions, they would be:
Always open your mail. There was a good chunk of years - end of high school, most of college - when everyone solicited you - the credit card companies, modeling agencies, volunteer and community organizations- and it seemed like the majority ended up unopened and in the trash. Now, a letter opener can come in handy because every envelope needs to be opened, even if the return address is a P.O. Box in Georgia and you have no ties to the South.
Always call if you have questions. As a disclaimer, I always start every phone call off with ... I'm really sorry, I'm completely new at this so I have a ton of questions ... but I still feel like the person on the other end must think I'm a nut job by the end of the call. I feel bad, but I know I'll feel way worse if I get a statement with a late charge or extra "accrued interest" because I didn't call to clarify something I didn't understand.
Always be organized. I know some people who are severe neat freaks, and although I admire their diligence to cleanliness and organization, I know deep down I'll never care about details that much. But when it comes to loan paperwork and forms, the best way to keep on top of things is to keep things together. I have a folder with all of my information, and in it I have a chart with all my lenders, my loan amounts and my monthly payments. It's organization to the extreme, and for the first time in forever, I wouldn't have it any other way.
I'm only at the beginning of the journey that is debt repayment. Anyone else have any helpful tips or suggestions?
--- Molly Hirschbeck
Recently, my older brother discovered a love for sushi. The tasty Japanese rolls (we have yet to graduate to more adventurous choices) caught his attention when a friend brought Philadelphia rolls to a bonfire in our back yard. The cream cheese sounded less scary than the raw salmon, I guess.
Fast forward a few weeks when I took my dad to Wasabi for his first taste of sushi. Granted, he did get one with meat in it (Wasabi has both a beef and a chicken hand roll), but he also tried the gateway Philadelphia roll.
Last night, my brother chose Wasabi as our destination for his birthday dinner and it was mom's turn to try sushi for the first time. Though she made a few faces at first and refused to put an entire roll in her mouth at one time (it is considered rude in Japan to take bites, I've read, and also you miss all the flavors!), but she ate both her shrimp tempura roll and, you guess it, Philadelphia roll. She liked it, too.
Me? I branched out and tried the Wasabi Lobster roll. Though it proved to be far more food than I thought, it was delicious and has enticed me to move on to more exotic choices.
Reflecting on my family's new fascination with the stuff, I realize how trendy sushi has become with Japanese restaurants popping up all over and not just in Buffalo.
Are you up for raw fish? If so, what am I missing and just have to order?
-- Kristen Rajczak
Stephen King says in a recent novel that "cell phones are the slave bracelets of the 21st century."
And we've all heard that these chains of communication could cause cancer. It's a claim that has been circulating for years but doesn't seem to frighten people. Hoax? Unfounded? We just don't know yet.
But reports like these get me thinking about my own cell phone use. I didn't get one until about three or four years ago, though my mom had one for work earlier than that. And, as I knew it would, as soon as I got one, I couldn't be without it.
Surprisingly, though, days happen that make you want to put your cell in the house and run the other way. I did this for most of the weekend, unwilling to carry it in my jeans pocket around the house, or driving out to Clarence to pick up my grandma.
There are times when you just don't want to be found or know anyone is looking.
That's where the "slave bracelet" idea comes in. We take out phones to text someone when we're with someone else, almost as if to say, "Hey, look, other people want to be with me, too."
We answer the phone at dinner, out, in, everywhere. Of course, cells are great for emergency calls, but is it necessary to call someone, tell them you are taking a shower and then call them immediately afterward?
On top of that, what if we are increasing a cancer risk?
So what do you think - cell phone cancer? Too much communication?
I think I'll go call my dad to see what he thinks.
--- Kristen Rajczak
