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During last July’s 5.8 earthquake, 3-year-old Bronwyn told her 1-year-old sister, “We’re going for a wiggle.” READ MORE
Teen Years
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These are the waning days of summer - days are getting shorter, the beach is getting less crowded, your friends are all gone on one last family trip - and it's almost time for the fun to end and for school to begin. Going to college means one of the best times of your life is about to begin. But refreshingly free of parents, principals, and other nuisances as you will be, living away from home presents its own challenges. 5 tips to help you get started in the world of higher learning: Get involved: Be an active participant at your new school. Attend all your orientation events, get on the dorm council, join some clubs. The more involved you become in your community, the more people you will know, and the better time you will have in your first few months away, which can sometimes feel isolating. It's all about timing: An unfortunate side effect of the wealth of people and events you'll find is that your time-management skills will, for a little while, fly out the window. But once you've recovered from the first few weeks of freshman year (your professors will understand), it's time to organize your life, allowing at least a little time for academics. Try working during free time in the day, while your friends are at class. If you have to work at night, try the library. It sounds lame, but generations of college students have found it a great place to be during crunch time. And as a bonus, on study breaks you can commiserate with other students who would rather not be there. Money matters: Living on an allowance isn't easy, and a job will help. But no matter what, you won't have a tremendous amount of money. Get a checking account. Not only will this help you track the thickness of your wallet, but making the trip to the ATM will prevent enjoyable weeklong splurges around payday, and subsequent weeks of poverty. Try simple, realistic ways to budget yourself. For example, take out X dollars on Friday for the weekend before you go out, so you won't be temped to spend your life savings later in the evening. Soap and suds: Sadly, it's no joke. After discovering that going vacation to vacation doesn't work, you will have to learn to launder. Take it from me, many fine clothes that cost many days of summer work can be totally ruined in a matter of minutes if you fail to heed the warnings like "hang dry." Learn this fine art as quickly as possible to avoid anguish of all sorts when you discover you are penniless and have just 2 T-shirts and your high school soccer shorts to last you several months. The roommate experience: You will probably know people at your college; your best friends might even be joining you. But don't shortchange yourself by hanging out exclusively with them, and at all costs, don't make the perennial mistake of rooming with your best friend. Part of the residential experience is meeting new people from all corners of the world, people very different from you. (And, of course, sharing a small room with them, for better or for worse.) That doesn't mean you won't hang out with your old friends - worry not, you will. But be open, and don't box yourself into a clique in your freshman year. Those who do eventually regret it. Don't let yourself get "lost in the fold." With a little planning, your freshman year can mark the beginning of your success to come. Jeremy Beecher, 18, of Corona del Mar, graduated in June from Philips Academy in Andover, Mass. He will attend USC in the fall. |
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