The Rockstar Toilets of Sloane

My friend Brendan took me to Sloane to check out the art building some time ago. I was thrilled to see how cool the bathrooms were and - as a North Campus tourist - snapped some photos of their rocker wall decor. Here's one of the amenities art majors enjoy... 

On a side note, a few of my friends have been wanting to be introduced to you readers - so here are Brendan (who brought me to Sloane), Dillon (who you might recognise from the fly-fishing interview) and Lhanzi. Lhanzi is in my macroeconomics class with Prof Natarajan and they all live in the first-year quad with me.

100 Tips for Life at Saint Mike's : The Final 91 - 100

Here are 1-10, 11-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51- 60, 61-70, 71-80 and 81-90. 


91. Don't be scared to pull an all-nighter in the academic buildings. I was hesitant at first, since I was scared I'd be alone in an empty building, but there are a surprising amount of people who need to work in a classroom at night. 

92. If you have clothes that need to be hand-washed, take them with you to the shower and hang them up on the notches to dry while you shower. 

93. Everyone on campus is super helpful and friendly; it's not like high school where freshman can be perceived to be nuisances so don't be scared for your first few days on campus! 

94. Though the official overnight stay programme has been cancelled, it's possible for prospective students to contact the admissions office to ask for an overnight stay. I'd really recommend this, as I wish that I had known what campus culture was like before I had arrived here as a first-year student. 

95. Don't overload yourself with too many sources when writing a research paper; limit yourself to 12-18 sources for a 10-page paper. I made the mistake of trying to read 35 sources in two weeks for a paper and got really frustrated with myself.

96. Buy fingerless gloves for the winter - this way you'll still be able to get a grip on things.

97. Always read assignment instructions and highlight requirements before starting on it - it helps you focus on what you need to get done. 

98. Make sure you narrow down your research topic before you start doing research or your search will be too vague. 

99. Request to live in Joyce Hall for your first year; the building has the mailroom in the basement and it's also the closest dorm to Alliot which has the dining hall, bookstore, MOVE office, the Knightcard office, Wilderness office and the campus ministry headquarters. 

100. All residence halls have representatives that attend weekly SA meetings - if you're having any problems that you think should be brought up, talk to them and they can represent your voice at the next SA meeting. Two other great resources are your RA and RD - they're usually super accessible and friendly. 

Media Labs on Campus

As a journalism major - and a student of the Living Digital first-year seminar - I spend an exorbitant amount of time in media labs around campus. There are four media labs that I know of; two on the second floor of Jeanmarie and two in Bergeron. They're all equipped with Adobe Creative Suite 5 (which has programs like Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign) and colour printers. Here's one of the labs in Bergeron. The staff of the college newspaper, The Defender, spends their Sundays prepping the next edition here. 

100 Tips for Life at Saint Mike's : 81 - 90

Here are 1-10, 11-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51- 60, 61-70 and 71-80.

81. You can request songs on the college radio station (88.7 WWPV The Mike) at 802.654.2887. I've requested a song on my friend's show - it's pretty cool hearing your name/song on air. You can also access the schedule of radio shows and playlist online. 

82. Get a miracle shirt from Brooks Brothers; they're button-up shirts that you can throw in the regular wash and dryer without worry and they come out perfectly pressed. A bit pricey for a student budget ($80-120) but they come with two spare buttons and you'll never have to worry about dry-cleaning your fancy clothes.

83. Learn to take notes with paper if you've been using your laptop a lot; most profs don't allow use of electronics in the classroom - I've never actually met one who let me use my laptop in class.

84. As part of the Consortium of Vermont Colleges, it's possible for students at Saint Michael's College to take courses at surrounding universities for SMC credit (meaning that your grades count and that they don't take away from your study abroad credits.) Apparently UVM isn't included in the selection because it's public, and there's been talk that Middlebury College has joined the list.

85. The Blendables yogurt parfaits at the Knightstand are delicious - they're yogurt mixed with blueberries or strawberries and granola bits. It's a bit difficult to eat (since the granola is stacked so high) so I wouldn't recommend going to class with it, but it's easy to grab for a snack or for a late breakfast if you miss out on the Alliot hours on the weekend.

86. If you need a recommendation from a professor, check in with them at least two months before your application is due. They might not be able to write it for a while since as professors, they're inherently incredibly busy. It's also useful to give them information on the programme/university you're applying to, what admissions officers are looking for and how you did in the professor's class (as well as one or two samples of your work.)

87. You can subscribe to receive repeated packages of shampoo, toothpaste, razor blades, etc. from Amazon in case you don't want to go into Burlington to buy these types of things in the middle of winter. It's also possibile to buy just one or two of them and shipping is free. I do it for make-up cleansing wipes, boxes of tissues, shampoo, conditioner and Q-tips.

88. There are a few mini hiking trails around campus - the walk to the quarry is a nice one to go on with friends. It'll take around an hour to walk around that area and back.

89. Don't be afraid to ask your profs for extensions; the worst they can say is no but most of the time, they're very understanding and accommodating as long as you put in a decent effort throughout the semester.

90. Applications for most study abroad programmes are on March 15. Make sure you book an appointment with Peggy Imai, the study abroad co-ordinator, at least two months before the application is due. Also look out for e-mails from her regarding deadlines in your SMC inbox. 

Edgy Texting Technology

Apart from being able to print from any printer/scanner/fax machine on campus, one of my favorite technologies is the library book search's "Text it!" feature. It allows anyone on campus to get a book's call number texted to them so that nobody with a cell phone will ever have to write down a book ID such as "PS3505.R167fa" again. (It's also eco-friendly!) So, how do you do it? Once you find the result for your desired book, you can scroll down to the "Text it!" link under the "Holdings Information" section (as seen in the photo.) A new tab will pop up that asks for your service provider (there's a list that includes AT&T, Alltel, Nextel, Spring, T-Mobile, US Cellular, Verizon and Virgin - it's really all-inclusive), your phone number and if you'd like - you can add a little reminder for yourself. Once you hit "send text message", it takes a couple minutes to arrive but wait a bit and presto - you'll be ready to go hunt for your book of desire!

Funny story: one morning I woke up and decided that I wasn't going to have breakfast with my friends at half past seven after all, and in my groggy haze, texted "too sleepy, not coming to breakfast" to the library by accident! 

100 Tips for Life at Saint Mike's : 71 - 80

Here are 1-10, 11-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51- 60 and 61-70. 

71. A great way to buy textbooks is to put up a message on your graduating class' Facebook page with your required textbooks for the next semester. People are willing to sell some at an astonishingly low price if they can't return it to the bookstore. A macroeconomics textbook that's usually sold for $80 at the bookstore can be sold for $15 on the Facebook page.

72. Bring a small battery-run lamp or large flashlight for power outages. There's only been one this year, but it's useful when you really need to get work done.

73. If you're buying coffee at the Knightstand, get a cappucino; you can get regular coffee in Alliot for free with the first-year meal plan and the cappucino tastes much better.

74. Alliot gets really busy at 8am - get there at before 7.50 or after 9am!

75. You're not allowed to bring containers into Alliot. I was trying to bring back fried eggs and bagels to serve breakfast in bed to a friend who had fallen ill one day and get scolded by Rosemary (one of the canteen ladies.) Don't do it!

76. If you really need to concentrate on studying/writing a paper, go to an isolated space without anything but your study materials - no cell phone, no agenda, no other reading materials! And don't tell your friends where you are or commit to activities shortly after your study time. This way, you won't feel rushed and give your studies your full attention.

77. Allow for a bit of flexibility when you're planning your weekly schedule - professors don't always stick to their syllabi because sometimes the class is lagging a bit behind or advancing very fast.

78. One of the benefits of being a journalism major: free colour printing. Colour printing isn't even an option on the Pharos printing system for other majors.

79. Get a desk lamp as soon as possible. The regular dorm lights are a bit harsh, so students tend to buy warmer standing lights but it won't be bright enough to fill the whole room.

80. If you're taking an economics class, you'll normally need 5-8 coloured pens for graphs - especially in Principles of Microeconomics.

Faculty Spotlights

One of the tools that really helped me get to know Saint Michael's College better before deciding to visit was the spotlight archive. This online archive is filled with interviews with professors, current students and alumni so that you're able to get to know the specific departments and your future professors better. This also helped me choose which professors I wanted to meet with during my campus visit and I really recommend doing this because it'll help you get a better feel for the department you'll be involved with during your collegiate experience if you choose to come to SMC.

Here's what a faculty spotlight looks like - this is Professor Clary, the honors program coordinator and an English professor. The first time I chatted with him during my campus visit, we ended up talking for an hour and a half and then he gave me a comic strip. Meet with him when you visit!

Dude, where's my bus? - The CCTA and the SMC shuttle

For those of us who don't have a car (that is, all first-year students), the CCTA is our main mode of transportation - it's clean, free with the knightcard and runs generally at least every hour. The only catch is that it often doesn't come on time and it doesn't run on Sundays. Below is a full Mon-Sat schedule; note that we're stop #4 and if you're leaving from campus then you'll be looking at the 'Essex Junction to Burlington times'. The most convenient stop to get off at in Burlington is Church St., but there are a few stops around the area if you forget to get off.

Saint Michael's College bus stop

That's our bus!

Headed to Church Street

Also available is the SMC shuttle onto North Campus for upperclassmen who live in the Ethan Allen apartments, Hamel Hall, Purtill Hall, Linnehan Hall, Dupont Hall or need access to the Sloane Art Center, the Elley-Long Music Center, the Early Learning Center (for education majors) and the Herrouet Theater. There are also concerts at the Turtle Underground on weekends. The shuttle schedule is here. 

100 Tips for Life at Saint Mike's : 61 - 70

Here are 1-10, 11-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50 and 51- 60. 


61. Generally, the registration process should be quite smooth (albeit a bit stressful). But take the extra step to confirm with your academic advisor that he/she has cleared you for registration. I've had two friends whose advisors have forgotten to do this and they had an extremely stressful first week back. That being said, if you don't get into some courses there are lots of good courses with extra space during the add/drop session - I chose two of my classes this way. 

62. The add/drop period is nine days long. Try to get everything done within the first few days, because you might need access to the course on eCollege in order to complete readings and coursework. Once you hand in the add/drop form to the registrar, your courses should show up on eCollege within a few hours. 

63. If you have wool sweaters that need to be hand-washed, you can put them in a 'woolens' cycle in the dorm washing machine which will wash it with cold water with a gentle spin. You can then hang it up to dry, and it won't get ruined. 

64. Go through your syllabi at the beginning of the semester and mark down all the major dates for homework, quizzes, projects, papers and exams that you have for the rest of the semester in your planner. It'll only take 10-15 minutes and you'll never be caught off-guard. It's really essential to see these deadlines and test days coming up; sometimes you'll have three major papers due in one week and you'll need to prepare yourself accordingly.

65. Eddie's Lounge is a great place to get work done on weekday mornings and it's not usually occupied on Friday nights if you want to watch a movie with friends in a larger space.

66. If you pull on a door handle too quickly after swiping your Knightcard, it won't let you in and you'll have to wait around 30 seconds until you can re-swipe.

67. The college health centre is currently unable to prescribe pills for women for birth control reasons, but they will prescribe it for health reasons or refer women to other clinics.

68. If you lose your Knight card (and somebody finds it) or you lock yourself out, you'll normally have to go to the Student Life office on the first floor of Alliot.

69. It's really important to check with your academic advisor if your academic plan is feasible. They'll let you know, for example, that students are not able to double major in Psychology and Education because there are too many overlapping courses. But they can also provide you with alternatives like self-designing a major or fulfilling certain courses abroad or during the summer.

70. Students are able to submit writing pieces for three publications: The Holy Shift (the social justice magazine), The Onion River Review (the literary journal) and The Defender (the news publication). 

Interview: Dan and Dom from Bad News Beards

If you live in the quad or have classes in Jeanmarie, you've seen their posters plastered everywhere - of course, I'm talking about Dan and Dom's radio show on the campus radio station, Bad New Beards. You can stream it online every Friday from noon-2pm and check out their playlist if a song strikes your fancy. Or, if you have a burning desire to hear a song of your choice (or to make a dedication), you can dial up the request line at 802.654.2887 and one of them will take your call.

Read on to enter the minds of the two radio show hosts...

How did you come up with the name "Bad News Beards"? Neither of you are particularly cynical or troublesome... 
Dan: Our friendship was basically founded on a love for Four Year Strong (the band), and they have a song called Bad News Bears - obviously a play on the classic film. We just sort of came up with the pun 'cause we both have beards.

How do you plan the playlist?
Dan: We just compile our own playlists and take turns playing what seems to come naturally. I works out well, we're a good time.
Dom: Along with Dan's answer, I also try to go through the music I have and find songs that I haven't played in a while.

What bands are you into at the moment?
Dan: Motion City Soundtrack, Foxy Shazam, Streetlight Manifesto and The Tower and the Fool are current loves of mine.
Dom: On Cue, Street Dogs and the Mountain Goats are some of the different types of music I've been into lately.

What's the most challenging aspect of hosting a radio show?
Dan: The learning curve, probably. Like when at the beginning of this semester, Dom and Idid an entire legal ID then realized the mic wasn't on...
Dom: Keeping things going smoothly. We have slowly been getting the hang of transitioning nicely between songs, PSAs and talking. It is important not to have "dead air."

Is there anything particular about being part of a college radio station versus a regular station?
Dom: I feel like this is probably a more relaxed situation. Plus, we do not have to play commercials or pre-set playlists because this is a non-commercial radio station.

What's the process for students interested in hosting a show?
Dan: Honestly the way it works is just to wait for that one single e-mail in a sea of millions that says, "apply to get a radio show."
Dom: Dan's answer rocks.

Tune in to Bad News Beards on WWPV 88.7 from noon-2pm on Fridays. 

Interview with a Fly Fisher

Dillon with a lake trout caught in the Presumpscot River in Windham, Maine

A curious thing about St. Mike's is the presence of fly-fishing on campus. First-year students can enrol in the fly-fishing seminar taught by Professor Bill Grover from the politics department and all students can join the fly-fishing club on campus. My friend Dillon Reno, an avid fly-fisher who has been practicing the art for a few years now, let me ask him a few questions about the club.

Why do you fly-fish?
I fly-fish because it's my connection with nature and clears my head. It puts me in a state of serenity and puts me in a place where problems are non-existent.

What sorts of activities does the fly-fishing club offer to its members?
Weekend fly-fishing trips and ice-fishing trips in the winter as well as two overnight trips; one in the fall and one in the spring at world renown fly-fishing destinations. We also do fly-tying on weekdays.

Can a novice join?
Yup. Novices can join and the club provides them with gear. We'll teach any beginners who don't know how to fish.

Do you have advice to anybody who is just starting to fly-fish?
Don't assume that you can figure it out all by yourself. It's what I did and it stunted my learning. It took me a few years to give it another try - when I did, I took lessons and fell in love with it.

Who do you have to contact to join the fly-fishing club and when do you meet? 
You can contact Louis Annino, Benjamin Gruner or Professor Bill Grover to get more information on the club. We don't have scheduled meetings; Louis just sends out e-mails to club members when he wants to set up a meeting.


You can contact Dillon with any fly-fishing questions at dreno@mail.smcvt.edu

100 Tips for Life at Saint Mike's : 51 - 60

Here are 1-10, 11-20, 21-30, 31-40 and 41-50.


51. If you want to borrow foreign films, there are some in the library but you'll find a better selection in the language lab. 

52. If you're an international student, you'll need a visa to go to Canada which takes about a month to get. Plan ahead, since a few courses at SMC include field trips to Canada and you might want to head up there for a long week-end. 

53. There's a hotel across the street from campus if you have relatives visiting. They charge about $80/night on weekdays.

54. I've been in denial about this my whole life but in order to be fully (or in some cases, somewhat) functional, one needs to sleep. Nobody is functional after an all-nighter. Think about that before you procrastinate.  

55. Some professors won't be crazy about you (although most will be super passionate about what they're teaching). Sometimes it takes a while to establish a good relationship with a professor. 

56. Never throw away sticky things (especially drinks or food - even if they're wrapped/bottled) in your own garbage bin. Take the time to put it in a plastic bag and walk to the communal floor dump. You don't want to get into a situation where you have to wash your bin.

57. If you order take-out, keep the plastic bag so you can wrap the leftover food back into the bag when you dump it out in the big trash on your floor (if you're too lazy to go to a trash outside). This way, your floormates living near the trashroom (that's me, guys) won't suffer from the smell. 

58. Come armed with a vacuum cleaner, cleaning wipes and some cleaning spray. You don't want to live in a dusty, germ-filled room. 

59. The office hours for Jerome Allen (an IT technician) are Monday through Friday in the Bergeron computer lab from 16.00 - 21.00. If you need to work with the scanner or any design programs (like Photoshop), he's your man. 

60. Check your syllabus every week. You might have a quiz or an exam coming up, and some profs will only remind you about it one or two days before the test. 

Go Global

Exploring Tenerife with my Spanish astronomy class 

Studying abroad is an experience that is being increasingly stressed by Saint Michael's College; the Media, Journalism and Digital Arts department recently integrated a required semester abroad for their majors and I've even talked to pre-med students who are looking to spend a semester in Africa. Seeing as searching for the perfect study abroad program has been my obsession since I was 13 (when I began to study outside of Thailand/Switzerland over the summer), I thought I'd share a few tips. First, there's SMC's study abroad website which has a comprehensive list of approved programs that you can sort by language, semester and location. 

On the streets of London with my friend
Lodo after a long day of lectures

There are three other sections on the site that I love: a list of global news sources so you can see what's going on in your study abroad region, an album displaying 2011's Global Eyes study abroad photography competition winners and links to SMC study abroad bloggers. I also found the studyabroad.com and goabroad.com to be really great databases for program searches - although not all of them listed will be SMC-approved ,you can petition for approval. My favorite study abroad programme pages that are sponsored by other universities include Boston University, Syracuse, NYU and Middlebury. 

Finally, your number one resource will ultimately be SMC's study abroad director, Peggy Imai. You can schedule an appointment with her online or by calling 802-654-2222. She also has office hours between 13.00 - 17.00 on weekdays, and her office is located inside the same building as the Career Development Center next to the word garden (between Jeanmarie and the McCarthy Arts Center). 

My Op-ed in The Defender

One of the great things about being at a small college is that if you write something into the student newspaper, they're very likely to publish it - and sometimes you'll even get e-mail responses from fellow students. A few weeks ago, I wrote an op-ed for The Defender on how the course evaluations students fill out at the end of the semester should be open for the student body to access - you can read it online here!

Turtle Underground

Turtle Underground is a relatively large student lounge in Purtil Hall on North Campus that is turned into a concert space every weekend or so. There's always some free food provided and students chill on the couches, mill around and dance (depending on what type of music is playing.) Last week I joined Lauren and a few other friends to see The Milkman's Union and Filip Deptula perform. Chicken tenders - spicy, BBQ and crispy - were served that night. Here are some photos of the concert...

100 Tips for Life at Saint Mike's : 41 - 50

Here are 1-10, 11-20, 21-30 and 31-40.


41. Even if you're not an first-year-orientation-activities person (and really, not that many of us are), go to the Connections event. It's a something special you do for yourself that you'll look back on during your graduation ceremony.

42. The first six weeks set the tone for the rest of the semester. Try out what works for you and what doesn't and get into a schedule/your habits fast. 

43. There are study abroad programs and fairs that table in Alliot every month or so. Be on the look out for e-mails announcing those - it's a great chance to talk to a representative for a program you might be interested in!

44. The Knightstand operates like a Starbucks: you can ask for a sample of the soups and if you buy a soup that you don't like then you can return it the other one (there are two every day). 

45. There are lots of mosquitos by the end of September. Close your windows at night and bring some anti-mosquito spray. 

46. Don't get a Netflix account, there are a ton of DVDs to borrow from the library. Use imdb.com, rottentomatoes.com or jinni.com (my personal favorite) to check out reviews and figure out what you're in the mood for. 

47. If you ever need to study on campus during a Friday or Saturday night then the head to one of the seminar classes in the St. Eds or Jeanmarie. 

48. There is no cell phone service in the basement of the library. 

49. All the study cabins are open-air at the top, so don't do math out loud or play music. 

50. Most professors will let you slide with two unexcused absences (as in they won't take off points from your grade, but if you miss a pop quiz then you might be a bit screwed). Use them wisely or not at all.

Free Film Screenings on Thursday Nights

The SMC Film Series is a new addition to the programme of evening activities on campus, which introduces students to influential films. It's hosted in Cheray 101 at 8pm every Thursday until April 26th. Last week, I attended the Dr. Strangelove screening, which was introduced by John Hughes from the Political Science department. It's a very cosy way to spend the evening - especially in the Vermont cold -and the needs of college students have been taken into account as there's free popcorn and soda to enjoy ;)

Here's the schedule for the rest of the semester:

Photo credit: IMDB

Feb 16 - Hotel Rwanda with an introduction by Laurie Gagne from the Peace & Justice Center

Feb 23 - Of Gods and Men with an introduction by Robert Brenneman from the Sociology department

March 1 - The Godfather with an introduction by George Dameron from the History department

March 29 - Amélie with an introduction by Peter Vantine from the modern languages department

April 12 - Born into Brothels with an introduction by Allison Cleary from the Media Studies, Journalism and Digital Arts department

April 19 - Koyaanisqatsi with an introduction by Alain Brizzard from the Chemistry and Physics department

April 26 - Blade Runner with an introduction by David T.Z Mindich     from the Media Studies, Journalism and Digital Arts department.

Revised Spring Schedule

A bit overdue...but I have an awesome spring schedule that I want to share with you guys!

I've revised my spring schedule a bit since my initial registration in November, switching from 'Investigative Journalism' to 'Democracy' and dropping my honors colloquium. This is because I'm switching majors and no longer aiming to graduate with the Honors Program. This semester will be quite busy for me, since I'll be taking two upper-level courses and three honours courses (as I turned Multicultural Theory & Practice into an honours course). As you can see, my Mondays and Wednesdays are quite busy -  but I'm able to sleep in until at least mid-morning every day and have a lot of free time on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

Lunch with President Neuhauser

Last semester, I read a Defender article on President Neuhauser and found out that he often has lunch with students in Alliot. I wanted to join him and contacted his secretary to find out if this would be possible. The response - as it usually is in the SMC community - was yes. I then rallied a small group of friends to join me for lunch with the college president in Alliot. 

We told him things we liked about the school (individual attention from professors, warm community, first-year bonding in the quad) and discussed things that we would like to see change. Other topics of conversation included the controversial new housing lottery system, how to reduce noise disturbances on weekends, the construction of the new student center and the transition between high school and college. He also told us quite a few stories about college pranks that he had experienced when he was a student.

This lunch is a great example of how accesible the SMC staff and faculty are - even the college president cares to hear about each student's opinion. 

Left to right: my tray of spicy stir-fry, Yan-Bin, Lhanzi, Lauren K., President Neuhauser, Greta, Brendan, Lauren M., Dillon

100 Tips for Life at Saint Mike's : 31 - 40

Here are numbers 1-10, 11-20 and 21-30.  


31. When the hot water runs out (which does happen every month or so, normally for a few hours) call ext. 2330 or if it's the weekend, call the switchboard. Plumbing will come over and fix it within half an hour.

32. If you're confused or concerned about something in class, you should go to office hours. I'd recommend jotting down an outline of the things you want to talk about before going though, so that you'll be efficient when the professor takes the time to see you.

33. A lot of your professors have written books. You should read them because it's not that often that you can go up to an author and ask lots of questions about their writing/research.

34. If someone is blaring their music super loud and it's bothering you, go talk to them. Really. And don't be embarrassed. It's your living space as well.

35. If it's cold outside but you feel the need to go running, there are treadmills in the gym and the indoor track. Even though sometimes certain treadmills aren't functioning, it's very rare that you won't get one - I've only had to wait twice and I went to the gym three times a week at the beginning of the year.

36. If you find a professor that you think is really interesting or that you connect with well, go talk to them - even if they aren't in your department. I heard Professor Natarajan speak at a "Faith and Food" panel on how people's faiths shape their eating habits and ended up having a really good hour-long conversation with her a few days later.

37. I'm going to address the condom question, since there none are sold on campus or provided by the health centre. The options that I can think of off the top of my head are stocking up before school starts, going to the Cumberland Farm gas station which is a 7 minute walk from the main road behind Alliot or asking your RA (and if you're desperate and they don't have any, there are other RAs in the building).

38. You will get more e-mails from the college (and it's clubs, boards and organisations) than any spam you have ever received in your life. Sometimes it's really useful, depending what you're your needs are.
Figure out what type of e-mails you want to filter out (for example, if you don't play a sport then it might not be that useful to know about the men's hockey team try-outs) and see if there are e-mail addresses that send messages about those things - then create a filter.

39. Stock up on granola bars (or bananas/packs of trail mix/etc.) and carry two in your bag every day. They will save you when your stomach starts to growl during that long afternoon lecture.

40. Buy rainboots. You will need them by the end of August.