DO NOT GO TO COLLEGE WITH YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER.

That, my friends…is Candid Campus. Thanks for the great experience.

Kyle Gallagher is a 22 year old Rowan Graduate with a degree in Advertising. He graduated in May 2009 with his bachelors. His GPA was great and he was recognized and named during graduation by the speaker, David Girgenti.

David Girgenti - Photo taken from www.Rowan.edu

After the graduation, Kyle began working with David Girgenti – the founder of Wish Upon A Hero.

“At Wish Upon A Hero, visitors post wishes—things like Lasik eye surgery for a veteran of the Iraq war, a return trip to Hawaii for a Pearl Harbor war hero’s 90th birthday and even bagpipes for a loved one. Some wishes are funny. Some are poignant. Some are heartbreaking. The response to the wishes has been overwhelming.  As of March, the site had 50,000 registered members and had facilitated close to 30,000 fulfilled wishes” (Wish Upon A Hero Official Site).

Kyle began to work as an unpaid intern in May of 2009 with a possible job available at the end of his internship. He couldn’t believe after hearing how bad the job world was that he could be so lucky. Throughout the summer, Kyle organized multiple “Wishes” with Dave and became very close with the creator. The “unpaid” status of his job began to show, and soon Kyle went to Dave for help. This is when he got the news that the company was possibly hiring him in the Fall. A few more months of hard work flew by, and Kyle’s hopes were high. He decided to take only two night courses as a graduate student at Rowan as he anticipated a full-time job during the day.

In September, Kyle was told he was not going to receive a job, but maybe in October. He waited. In October, he was told once again they didn’t have the resources to hire him. Dave was extremely upset by this because he wanted to hold on to Kyle, but as a non-profit organization, he wasn’t financially able to. One more month later, and the same thing happened. This is when Kyle realized he had been out of college for 6 months and hadn’t made a dime. He loved the job and wanted to stay there, but he needed to start making money.

In November, Kyle decided to apply for a job at Parke Bank. He figured with a college degree, he was bound to get a simple Bank Teller Job. Wrong. The bank decided to go with someone who had previous experience in a bank. Kyle realized that even the simpler jobs were competitive because there were so many people applying. The companies have their pick of how much experience they want their employees to have. Unfortunately, Kyle was still left jobless.

It is now December and Kyle has received one huge opportunity. His interview is on Wednesday, but he has learned to stay calm. It is a full-time salary job with benefits, something Kyle could use since his health insurance is over starting January 1st. It has been a rollercoaster of events since May, but Kyle has learned the dreaded cycle that comes after college graduation: You need experience and lots of it to get a job, but no one is hiring inexperienced employees, therefore you can’t get ahead. Kyle plans to do his best at the interview and see where it takes him, but if he does not get the job, he will continue looking for any job he can get. These days, you no longer get a job in your field straight out of college.

This…is Life After College in 2009.

Taron Perry: Name the top 5 pros of Rowan

Colby Gallagher: 1. The diverse majors

My major is so specialized, I'm doing exactly what I want

2. The teachers

3. The technology

4. The location. Philly and New York are both within reasonable distance.

5. I’m scrounging for this one…hmm..the campus size. Not too big or too small.

TP: What are the 5 cons of Rowan?

CG: 1. PARKING, PARKING, PARKING.

2. They’re taking away all of my favorite food places; The food is generally unhealthy.

3. The course availability

The red circle is what's left in each class. Notice the 0's; sometimes it can be difficult to get a class.

4. The location. Too close to home.

5. The safety.

TP: Is Rowan known for certain majors or have you met a lot of different people with different majors?

I have met so many people with different majors. Of course since I am done with electives, I only see journalism and radio/tv/film students, but there are plenty of other majors.

TP: How is the campus set up? Are there lots of different forms of transportation?
CG: Its set up pretty well. I like how the communications and theatre departments are in their own little world across the street. I complain about walking across campus in the cold, but it’s a five minute walk at most. Yes, there are forms of transportation but they’re not advertised well. I don’t know the number to safe walk & ride or what the rules of it are.

TP: How is the tuition? Is it easy to handle or are lots of loans needed?

CG: I am very fortunate to have my parents pay my college tuition, but it is very reasonable. I am the third child to go through college and have been the least expensive. =)

A quick look at Rowan's full-time undergrad tuition

TP: How is the student-to-teacher ratio? Are your classes a couple hundred students or do the teachers actually know you by name?

CG: In my majors, the class size tends to be rather small. I’m sure the classes can get larger in the science majors, though.  Yes, all of my teachers know me by name.

TP: Are there lots of internships near the college?
CG: I have yet to apply for one, but I have heard there are. Philly is so close there has to be.

TP: Are students allowed cars on campus? How much is a parking pass? Is there adequate parking?

CG: Yes, students are allowed cars. Freshmen generally aren’t unless they have a job, but that rule is not enforced well. I knew many kids my freshman year who would laugh about the fact that they had no job but said they did so they could have their car. The parking pass is $60 this year. I’m sure it will continue to go up since it used to be $40 the past 2 years. There is not enough parking at all. You can never find a spot and are forced to either make a spot and get a ticket from Rowan, or park on the street and get a ticket from Glassboro. The street parking is 2 hours only, and most kids that commute tend to bunch their classes together so they don’t have to keep driving back and forth. 2 hours is way too little. I could go on FOREVER about this.

TP:  How is the campus safety? Is the area safe? Do a lot of crimes happen to students?

CG: I think it’s awful, to be honest. A kid was killed on our campus right on the main road, and the killers haven’t been caught. Come on, it’s a main road. Anyways, yes, kids get robbed/mugged a lot. The off-campus apartments ” Campus Crossings” and “Beau Rivage” are known to be unsafe; I had heard stories since I was in high school to stay away.

TP: Is it easy to schedule classes? Are there lots of classes available or do you get closed out of classes/compete for a few spots? Is the scheduling done by grade or do they open it to everyone at the same time?

CG: I like to set up my schedule without an advisor and find it to be very convenient. Although, Rutgers has a cool program where you enter the courses you want and it lists all the possible schedules you can have. It’s rather tedious to do that by hand, which I do every semester. Depending on your major, it is either hard or easy to get your classes. In my major, it’s actually rather easy. The scheduling is done by credits.

TP: Is the school mostly a commuter or resident school? Do kids mostly live on or off campus? Are there enough on-campus dorms for all the students?

CG: I’d have to say it’s 50/50 or close to it. I know a lot of kids that actually live right off campus. I think there are enough dorms, especially with Rowan Boulevard being added to the mix.

TP: If you could change one thing about Rowan, what would it be?

CG: Better parking situations.

TP: How helpful do you think the teachers are?

CG: They’re great. I frequently email my teachers and almost always get a response.

TP:  How difficult do you think the classes are?

CG: It’s like high school all over again where junior year seems to be the most difficult. I used to laugh about the classes and get 4.0′s, but so far this semester I have struggled. I have two majors and take 6 classes a semester, and I guess I should’ve asked around but a lot of my courses were heavy on the workload. It was very difficult for me to balance everything and get a new job on top of it all. I can’t lie, I am counting down the days until finals are over. Then I will probably be anxious for a month because I won’t be used to having free time.

TP: I’m thinking about going to Rowan for grad school, have you heard anything about their graduate programs?

CG: My brother, Kyle, is going for Public Relations. He doesn’t say much about it, but he does like it. It’s just hard because it’s extra money that most kids don’t have.

TP: Earlier you said they do not have healthy food and have taken away your favorite food places. Explain.

CG: I used to get a smoothie twice a week last year. They would hold me over on my long days until I could eat a meal. I had 4 classes in a row last year, so I would get hungry. They’re high in sugar but the fruit is good for you. They’re also taking Chick-Fil-A away. No, that’s not healthy, but they’re replacing it with a greasy hot dog and fries place. We already have a burrito place and a grill with french fries and greasy burgers, it’s kind of becoming one-dimensional.

TP: If a person was new to the school, what would you suggest to them to experience?

CG: I would say attend the Rowan after-hours. I have continually gotten emails about them over the years and have always wanted to go, but since I live off campus I never get around to it. I actually regret not getting involved. I think I would like Rowan a lot more if I felt like I was part of it. The school needs to find a way to incorporate commuters more, but they’re pushing us away. So my suggestion is: Experience as much as you can. These are going to be the best days of your life because it’s not going to get any easier after this.

Check for these in your email!

TP: Thanks, Colby!

In my family alone there has been 3 college graduates. Guess how many have a full-time job? If you guessed zero, you would be correct! All three of those graduates, made up of my two brothers and cousin, have decided to go back to school for a higher degree. Life is getting harder for those who graduate, and its not going to be smooth sailing. This post should give you a little sneak-peek into the life of a college graduate. Keep your eyes peeled for my post “Life After College” tomorrow!

Is this you?

Ever feel like you can’t catch up on your sleep? Lately I’ve noticed how tired I am, especially with finals coming up. Throughout the entire semester I have been able to sneak a nap in here and there, but with Christmas and finals approaching there is no time for catnaps. Instead of accepting defeat, I decided to find ways to boost my energy during these tough times. I have made sure to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night, joined a gym and began exercising regularly, and have adopted a healthier diet. Although I am still tired, it is only natural when balancing work and school 7 days a week. I have noticed a great improvement in my energy. Now, when I am tired, it is more of an “exhausted” tired, not a “falling asleep on my desk” tired. I can focus better in school and am finishing homework at a healthy rate instead of cramming. There are plenty of sites with different suggestions to help you stay awake.

• Wikihow suggests cutting your sodium intake and using pillows to ensure your muscles get the right rest.
• India Parenting suggests starting your day by eating a healthy breakfast and using mood enhancing techniques such as listening to music or wearing your favorite outfit.
• Ezine Articles exposes the truth about common myths, such as “coffee helps you stay awake” and “naps make you less tired”
• WebMD has a great article “22 Ways to Tackle Life’s Biggest Energy Zappers“. In this article, you can find tips such as watching your caffeine intake after noon, hiding your alarm clock when trying to fall asleep, and making pets sleep in a separate bed.

There are lots of sites with different tips that can help you fall asleep. Everyone is different; the best suggestion is to try as many as you can and find the ones that work for you. What do you do to keep energized and awake throughout the day? Leave a comment and let me know!

When chugging Redbull just doesn't cut it.

The dreaded finals week is approaching, and I have endless amounts of projects, assignments, presentations, and tests. On top of that, work is scheduling more hours since half of our employees are college students that don’t live in the area. This means they will be going home for a month, leaving us with barely enough employees. Guess what? Your teacher doesn’t want to hear it! There are thousands of kids who are going through the same problems at this time, so instead of complaining about it…take action! Try and find ways to do some of your assignments without feeling like you’re working all the time. Here are a few ways I’ve tried to multitask:

• Read in bed. My one final is based on 3 books, and I have read 1. I have equally split up the pages by the amount of nights I have left, and vow to read the required pages a night. This way I won’t be cramming 400 pages in the night before the test. Since I already read in bed, it doesn’t feel like much of a chore. Granted, the books are boring…but I sleep so much better.
• Blog about everyday experiences. My one class requires blog posts, hence this blog. Instead of cramming all 4 posts in the night before, I figure I will just honestly write about my college experience of the day/week. It makes it more personable, anyways. I feel better doing this because I’m not scrounging for ideas.
• Be resourceful. I have a class where we are assigned a town to cover all semester. My town is West Deptford, which has been very difficult since the only thing I know about the town is that my boyfriend lives there. In my other class today, a kid named Richie Wisniewski presented his blog…which just so happened to be all about the town of West Deptford. You should’ve seen the look on my face when I realized I could write a story about him for my assignment. I’m taking something from one class and applying it to another. It helps.
• Another class I take is all about writing for broadcast television. I recently had to present the Nielsen Ratings to the rest of the class. I took notecards and jotted down ideas of things to say days before I presented, and then thought about the other aspects of the project later. By creating a mini-outline for my future assignment, I was able to go back to it a day or two later and finish it up in no time. I know this is common sense, but outlines really do help.
• Lastly, I have started going to bed earlier. This way I can wake up in the morning and start off by doing some work on assignments. I can say I’ll work on a project when I get home from school, but you and I both know I’m lying.

By making a few easy changes, you’ll feel the weight start to lift. I suddenly don’t feel like I left for vacation and didn’t pack something. You know, that nagging feeling that you forgot something or you have to do something but don’t know what. Try and ease that feeling by making a few of these simple changes in your day, and watch how much easier the week goes! Basically what I’m saying is: USE YOUR RESOURCES. Good luck.

On Don’t Panic! by Andy Moore, you can find plenty of humorous comics like this. I stumbled upon this site and find some of the comics to be pretty funny; it’s like a huge inside joke for all college students.

People often don’t consider these situations when deciding to commute or not. Try and think about all the possible scenarios that could happen. Gas is getting expensive. Try and calculate how much money it will cost you to drive back and forth all year. Then there are projects and other assignments that you’ll have to work on outside of class. The gas might be almost as expensive as living on campus, so really weigh your options when deciding to live at home or not.

• Get organized. Exchange contact information. Be sure to save your emails or texts so you have proof if a certain student isn’t answering.
• List and assign tasks. Have each teammate sign the paper so they vow to do their part. If/when they don’t, you have a clear paper stating what each person promised to do, so if something is missing, the person is responsible.
• Create an outline and follow it. This way, you don’t have a group meeting and realize you spent the last two hours discussing the latest episode of The Office.
• Balance the amount of work each person has. Don’t give the smartest kid the most amount of work just because they can do it. Chances are, they have a ton of other work to do and may not be able to complete 85% of the project on their own.
• Last but not least, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE!! If you’re having trouble or need help, ask one of your fellow group members! It doesn’ t mean they’ll have to do the work for you, but chances are they’ll have an opinion or idea of their own.

Have any group horror or success stories you’d like to share? Leave a comment and share what or what not to do when working with a group!