Riding a bicycle around campus, pros and cons

Recently I have been riding my bicycle to class because my new apartment is a bit further than my place last year and I have to say it's quite nice. I originally had the impression that it would be a hassle locking the bike and finding a place to park but lucky my campus is fairly equipment with many "bike areas" and I wouldn't be surprised if all campuses are like this. Here's what I have learned after a month of riding....

PROS
- You can sleep-in an extra 15 minutes.
- You can bypass any people that would otherwise stop you and ask you to sign their partition against hurting "insert plant/animal/gender/culture" in "insert country".
- You are now part of the elite group of bicycle hipsters, unfortunately this is also a negative.
- Overall you save a good amount of time otherwise spent walking.

CONS
- Every car on the rode is trying to kill you.... Even the people parked on the side of the road... They will intentionally open their doors when you are passing by.
- Everyone will ask you about your bike when you could care less because you bought it on sale at Wal-Mart.
- Rain and water is the enemy. I suggest buying fenders.
- If you buy a mountain bike you will feel it necessary to jump every curb possible, even if it's entirely out of the way, which leads to the overall destruction of the bike (because it was purchased at Wal-Mart)

These are just some simple things I suggest you think about before you bring a bike to campus. I personally enjoy jumping all the curbs so I think the pros definitely outweigh the cons.

Freshman year away from home

Leaving home and being on your own can be very difficult especially if aren't very independent. Personally, I was very independent when I left for college so I had a very smooth transition but some of my friends found it problematic being away from home. One of my best friends knew exactly what he wanted to do after high school. He found the perfect school in the perfect town and was very confident with the choices he made. I told him that he should at least apply to other schools and think about having a backup plan if Zoology/Biology didn't work out for him, but he told me that was exactly what he wanted to do and there wouldn't be a point in looking into other schools. He ended his Freshman year with a 4.0 GPA and a severe case of depression. After the summer he returned for Sophomore and within a few months was having suicidal thoughts, in which the school placed him in one of their correctional programs, basically a prison for students. After coming back home, he went to the doctor and has been doing a lot better which I am grateful for but unfortunately, now that he has his head on straight has changed majors, changed colleges, and now has to basically start over because his new college won't accept the credits from his old college, mainly because it was a specialty institution(not having a wide variety of major). Just because you think you know exactly what you want doesn't mean you can't plan for the worst. Having a backup is very important in my opinion and it's something that everyone should at least consider. Also a good balance of school and fun is needed in order to now get too stressed.

My freshman year started with a change in relationship and a new understanding of independence. Most colleges "require" you to stay in a dorm freshman year unless you plan to be a commuter, but honestly if I could do it over I would have found an apartment from the beginning. The main reason they want you to stay in a dorm is so you can meet other people but if you are social at all you will meet plenty of people in your classes. Most dorms are extremely over priced so instead of going more in debt look into commuting or finding a cheap apartment. As I have said before in an older post, going into your Freshman year in a relationship can very problematic because you will meet a lot more people in which the opportunity to find someone more appealing is very likely. Going to parties and meeting people is all part of the game called college so it is important to have an open mind initially, but as time goes on you will start to hang out with specific people and friendships with develop, just like an adult version of high school.

College can very stressful at times but if you keep an open mind it can also be a lot of fun. Being responsible and making logical decisions in key for a successful college experience.

Upcoming blogs

Hey everyone, hopefully you all had a great weekend I just wanted to say sorry I haven't posted anything recently I've been extremely busy. Very soon I'm going to write about my experience with finding an apartment for college and my different college experiences in general. Have a good week everyone!

Something hilarious my friend Austin sent me today.

So this blog is mainly meant for my experiences but my buddy Austin sent me this picture that was taken on campus and I couldn't resist sharing it with everyone. Enjoy!

This was the caption he used in the text so I'm giving him all the credit. I literally started laughing when he sent it.

First week of junior year done, we're off and running.

So another summer has passed by and this school year is starting to sink into reality. I'm taking 18 credit hours this semester so it's going to be a busy one. After making it through the first week it's pretty apparent this year is going to be tough, but I'm just going to have to ride it out and suffer like everyone else. On a side note, I turn 21 in roughly 2 months so that's pretty exciting I guess, but not really. Anyone have any funny 21st birthday stories? Anyway I'm going to be writing about my first 2 years of college soon but I've been pretty busy this week so hopefully I find some more time to write. Hope everyone had a fun and safe weekend, peace.

Surviving your freahman year of college.

Freshman year is usually tough for everyone and some don't make the cut of returning for a second, but it is quite easy for an intelligent and fully capable person to get caught in the freedom of decision. Below are my tips for surviving the year, in an academic sense, and if I would have followed these simple rules I would have done a lot better.

Easy tips to follow:

1. ALWAYS go to class. Even if you don't take notes if you pay attention the material will stay in your head.
2. Manage your time and have a plan for the day. Knowing what you're going to do that day is very helpful because you get more done while not wasting time.
3. Get to know your TA on a first name basis. I can't tell you how many times the TA gave me extra points on an exam or even told me what was going to be on the test just because I was friends with them.
4. Analyze the course's syllabus to understand the worth of each project/assignment/test. Every point counts and the small assignments can really add up.
5. Map out the course of the semester. Knowing when every assignment is due can be very helpful and I found that if you buy the large calenders it is easy to write everything out. Being able to visualize what is due a month in advance is very helpful.
6. Do the homework. There is a reason teacher give homework, the extra practice from the assignments definitely helps in the long run.

New blog, Check it out!

Hey all, I started a new blog reviewing the smartphones I've had/used before so check it out if you're into that goodness!


jakessmartphonereviews.blogspot.com