With the fall semester only a month a way, I thought now would be a great time to pump everyone up with a list of great college movies.

These are my particular favorite, mainly because they get me crazy nostalgic for the wild frat house days of riding kegs down the staircase at parties.  Leave a comment below with any good ones I missed.

5. Road Trip

4.  The Rules of Attraction

3.  Revenge of the Nerds

2.  Animal House

1.  Old School

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ENERGY DRINKS

What’s the story with the energy drinks that over flow the shelves at your local gas stations? Do they help give you another extra edge to study, or do they just burn you out? The purpose of these questions is not to provide some scientific breakdown of the ingredients in energy drinks, or their effect on your health. Rather, it is a recommendation of how to properly use energy drinks to give you the studying advantage, not burn you out.

WHAT’S THE POINT?

The bottom line is that energy drinks, when consumed in moderation can be helpful for short term, major events, such as final exams. Why? Because energy drinks help stimulate and increase brain activity.  Guarana and caffeine are the important stimulant ingredients. Temporary energy jolts can be quite useful for getting several solid hours of studying in. However, the “crash,” you incur when the drink wears off is simply unavoidable.

HOW WILL I KNOW WHEN IT’S THE RIGHT MOMENT?

Timing is everything. Your best bet is to drink a few energy drinks when you begin to crack open your books about three hours before the exam. This will allow you to accomplish several hours of productive studying and take the exam before your energy buzz wears out. After you rocked the exam you will finally be able to recharge the batteries and bring yourself back to neutral. As easy as it sounds you must be careful not to get the energy jolt too early, leaving you groggy come exam time. It is also a good idea to learn your energy drink tolerance before exams week. Too much may leave you with a headache and jitters.

HEALTH EFFECTS

The bad rap energy drinks often get is the result of habitual consumption for the purpose of mental and physical stimulation. A perpetuating cycle of energy drink dependence will interfere with your sleep schedule, create severe exhaustion, or lead to health problems.  There are cases out there of energy drinks leading to heart palpitations and increased chance of heart disease. Like smoking, energy drinks are not the best long-term investment out there.

Energy drinks as a whole are not good for you, but there is a time and a place for everything…. it’s called college. Next time you realize at two in the morning you have an exam in six hours, crack open an energy drink to help get you through the night. Keep in mind you are not in the minority here. Gotta love college.

1.) THE FOUNTAINHEAD BY AYN RAND

A personal favorite, this novel deals with one man’s external struggle to become the greatest architect there ever was, although it isn’t his intention. Howard Roark is a man with a vision but a vision all his own. Apathetic about the influences of others (whether they be good or bad) to the point of being hated, Howard Roark is the ultimate definition of an individual. This novel written by Rand deals first and foremost with her philosophy of Individualism; that is the theory that the only one thing a man can truly depend on is himself. American literature being what it is, this novel can be difficult to read for its lack of colorful language; it took me a coupe of years to actually finish it (I started when I was about 16 or 17; I’m 19 going on 20 now.)

2.) THE GREAT GATSBY BY F. SCOTT FITZGERALD

Yes, you probably had to read this book in High School or College. But it’s a damn good book if you have the leisure to read it at your own pace. Nick Carraway is a bondsman living in 1920′s Long Island, New York. His next door neighbor the elusive Jay Gatsby is the center of many rumors spread about him, from killing a man to being related to German royalty. Just who is this Jay Gatsby, and how did he come into all of this money? Considered to be the answer to “What is the great American novel?”,Fitzgerald’s work has been deemed a masterpiece. While not as dry as The Fountainhead this novel can be looked at from many different angles, leading the reader to draw their own conclusions.

WARNING: The next two books listed are the two whose main focus is on hallucinogens. While everyone enjoys a good time every now and then (or all the time) these drugs are not to be trifled with lightly. While one mentioned has and is used in recreation, all three are considered entheogens. Entheogens are drugs that are used in a religious or shamanic method rather than for recreation. If you’d like to know more about them, head on over to erowid.org or look up “Entheogen” in a Wikipedia search. You’ve been warned, so any harm that may come to you from taking these drugs after reading this is entirely your own.

3.) THE DOORS OF PERCEPTION AND HEAVEN AND HELL BY ALDOUS HUXLEY

From the Huxley family famous for producing great minds in Science and Medicine comes a very interesting and scientific approach on the use of Mescaline. The first part “The Doors of Perception” is about Huxley’s experience with the drug. After ingesting a dose of the psychoactive Huxley explains what he sees and feels while under the influence of this powerful drug, and relates it to his surroundings and experiences. In the second part “Heaven and Hell”, Huxley divulges further into the usage of Mescaline and other drugs to stimulate what he described as “the mind’s antipodes”. The regions of the brain we rarely use during our waking hours. Both works are very analytical and read more like an essay than a story, but are good reads none the less.

4.) THE TEACHINGS OF DON JUAN: A YAQUI WAY OF KNOWLEDGE BY CARLOS CASTENEDA

Is there another world out there that even the greatest minds of Science cannot fathom? Do these dimensions only manifest themselves under certain conditions? Is our mind truly the greatest weapon of all while simultaneously being our worst prison? While strikingly similar to Huxley’s Doors of Perception, The Teachings of Don Juan takes a spiritual approach when answering the questions above. With the help of Mexican shaman Don Juan, Casteneda embarks on a journey to discover the true power of three psychoactives: Peyote (Mescaline) Psilocybin (Mushrooms) and Datura Stramonium (Deadly Nightshade). This work of non fiction will leave you questioning your very existence and the existence of the world around you, so beware.

Two books of American literature, and two books of hallucinogens and life altering experiences. Reading all four of these works was a life changing experience for me, and hopefully it will be for you as well. The works will leave a lasting impression on you, so get out there and read!

“Creatine has become one of the most extensively studied and scientifically validated nutritional ergogenic aids for athletes.” -Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2007

Without a doubt, creatine is the most effective supplement on the market today. And because of that, it’s also one of the most successful supplements. Its popularity has led to an entire lineage of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation creatines. Now the question still remains: are the new generation creatines really that much better than plain old creatine monohydrate? Better, yet, are they worth the price tag?

HOW WILL IT MAKE ME BIGGER?

What is the fundamental principle behind getting bigger? You guessed right. The progressive overload principle: the constant increase in stress placed upon your body during training. More simply stated, increasing the number of reps, sets, or weights from workout to workout. If you benched 225 pounds for 5 sets of 5 reps this week, you better either increase the reps, sets, or weight next week. If you don’t, you’re not giving your body a reason to adapt and grow bigger and stronger.

So what does creatine have to do with progressive overload? Your body uses energy (ATP) to lift weights. The more energy you have available, the more work you can do. Your body creates ATP via 3 different pathways: the phosphagen system (creatine), anaerobic glycolysis (carbohydrates without oxygen), and aerobic glycolysis (carbohydrates with oxygen). Depending on the intensity of the exercise and the rate at which ATP is needed, your body will automatically determine which system it will rely on to create ATP. Because weightlifting is usually intense and brief (a set usually doesn’t last more than 30 seconds without rest), your body will primarily rely on the phosphagen system and anaerobic glycolysis because both of these systems are capable of producing ATP quickly. However, the downside is that they both run out of gas relatively quickly too. Your muscles only have so much creatine available to help create energy. And this is where creatine comes into play…

Taking creatine can increase the amount of creatine within your muscles by anywhere from 10-40%(1). That’s an extra 10-40% of energy available to your muscles. With that much extra energy available, instead of lifting 5 reps, you’d be able to lift 6, 7 or even 8 reps now. And whenever you’re increasing the amount of weight or reps, you’re following the progressive load principle, and your muscles are getting bigger and stronger.

WHAT KIND OF GAINS CAN I EXPECT?

With a nearly 70% success rate, don’t write off your results as a placebo-like effect. Expect an extra 5-15% increase in strength and performance.(2) And when that 5-15% is converted to pounds, it always makes a max effort look that much better.

Better yet, studies have also shown that you can expect to double the amount of muscle mass you’d expect to gain if you weren’t using creatine.(3) Pretty impressive.

HOW MUCH AND WHEN?

When creatine first hit the market in the 90s, the standard dosing protocol was 20 grams in divided doses for 3-5 days followed by 5-10 grams daily thereafter. That’s still an effective dosing regimen. However, recently coaches have been recommending a slightly more individualized dosing regimen similar to how most prescription antibiotics are dosed. They suggest 0.3mg/kg/day for 3-5 days, followed by 3-5 grams daily thereafter. So for a 200lb male, that would be around 27 grams (in divided doses) of creatine for the initial 3-5 days, followed by 3-5 grams daily thereafter.

The new dosing regimen makes sense. Creatine is stored primarily within your muscles. The more muscle you have, the more creatine storage capacity you have. A 120lb beginner should not be using the same amount of creatine as a 260lb professional bodybuilder. The difference in muscle mass is huge. It’s like the difference in the amount of water used to fill up a water balloon and a pool. Also, if we calculate our daily protein intake in a similar fashion, why shouldn’t that apply to creatine? But the real question is: does it matter? Yes and no. Will, in the end, both dosing regimens give you the same result? Yes. However, the original dosing regimen is just going to take a little longer so the results will not seem as dramatic.

As far as when to take it, that’s a little more un-scientific. In fact, it’s largely my opinion. During the initial 3-5 days, I take 5 grams in the morning, at lunch, at dinner, and before bed. I always try to take it with my meals because there have been several studies that have shown that carbohydrates and protein actually increase the amount of creatine that gets inside your muscles. After the initial loading dose, I take 3 grams before my workout, and 3 grams immediately after. By taking 3 grams 30-45 minutes before my workout, I get assurance that my muscles are going to have a supply of creatine waiting for them. After my workout, my muscles are usually begging for nutrients. With the proper postworkout nutrition, I can get more creatine back into my muscles than at any other time.

I also recommend not cycling creatine. The theory behind cycling makes sense. For creatine to enter the cell, it must move through a transporter that scientists have conveniently named the creatine transporter. Scientists theorized that if the transporter is constantly bombarded with creatine, it will develop a level of resistance to the suppement, similar to how Type II diabetes begins. When it develops this resistance, creatine becomes less effective. To circumvent this, they recommended avoiding creatine intake for “x” amount of days to refresh the creatine transporter. There was one study (that I know of) that supported this theory. However, it was done in rats, and the dosage, if extrapolated to a human dosage, would have been astronomical. There’s just never been any human data supporting this theory, and it’s fallen out of favor within the last 5 years. Bottom line: don’t cycle your creatine.

WILL PLAIN OLD CREATINE WORK FOR ME?

A resounding YES!

There are a few individuals that just don’t respond to creatine monohydrate. It’s because of these individuals that supplement companies create a new creatine every 3 months or so. These companies then try to convince the entire creatine market that their new version of creatine is vastly superior to every other version available. Their marketing ploy, “Our creatine has helped John Doe, who has never got any results from regular creatine, to increase his bench by 50 lbs. Just think what it can do for you if you got results from the less potent creatine monohydrate.” Simply not true. To date, I have yet to see one study that convincingly finds one of the newer forms of creatine is superior to creatine monohydrate.

So let’s take a look at some of the newer forms.

Creatine ethyl ester

Good in theory, poor in results. The creators attempted to attach an ethyl ester to the creatine molecule to make it more fat soluble. Because cells are surrounded by fatty membrane, they hoped by increasing its fat solubility, the CEE would bypass the creatine transporter and move directly into the cell. Thus, in case the creatine transporter was the problem, CEE wouldn’t be affected.

However, not only does it taste horrible, but it also has never been shown to be superior to creatine monohydrate. In fact, there was a study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition entitled “The effects of creatine ethyl ester supplementation combined with heavy resistance training on body composition, muscle performance, and serum and muscle creatine levels.” that concluded, “When compared to creatine monohydrate, creatine ethyl ester was not as effective at increasing serum and muscle creatine levels or in improving body composition, muscle mass, strength, and power.”

Pass on CEE. Your wallet and your taste buds will thank you for it.

Creatine pyruvate/citrate

This time the supplement manufacturers took a slightly different approach. By combining pyruvate or citrate with creatine, not only are you adding an acid to base with hopes of increasing its bioavailability, but you’re also adding another possible performance-enhancing supplement to the mix. Both pyruvate and citrate have had mixed reviews regarding improvements in endurance training.

However, even though there’s a little more evidence supporting these two creatine combinations, overall the jury is still inconclusive. For every positive study, there’s a negative study refuting the possible benefits. Are they worth the price tag? Absolutely not. Once again, there has yet to be a study that convincingly demonstrates their superiority over creatine monohydrate.

Creatine with sodium

This is probably the most interesting creatine combination. The creatine transporter that was mentioned earlier is thought to be dependent on a sodium/chloride pump. Some scientists believe that creatine requires two molecules of sodium and one molecule of chloride to enter the cell. So by adding sodium to creatine, the sodium concentration gradiant is increased (more on the outside than the inside, think teeter-totter), and the cell is “tricked” into accepting creatine. The only problem is that we haven’t had any definitive real-world feedback. Even though it makes sense from a scientific standpoint, so does CEE. That doesn’t mean it’s going to work in the real-world. As of now, it’s not worth the money. Until a study is done and it concludes creatine combined with sodium is superior to creatine monohydrate, pass on it.

Effervescent creatine and serum creatine

Junk. Don’t even think about it.

Creatine with carbohydrates

Not only is this the most effective means for getting more creatine into the muscle, but it is also the cheapest. The carbohydrates cause an insulin surge in your bloodstream. Because insulin is highly anabolic, it acts like a key and makes the cell more receptive to outside influences. The more receptive a cell is, the more creatine that can enter. Pretty simple.

Side note: This is also why it’s extremely important to have carbohydrates in your postworkout shake. Not only do they replenish your glycogen stores, but they also cause a surge of a highly anabolic hormone, insulin. That’s an extremely good thing, especially if you’re in a state of catabolism.

A study entitled “Carbohydrate ingestion augments skeletal muscle creatine accumulation during creatine supplementation in humans.” in the American Journal of Physiology showed that by adding 93 grams of a simple carbohydrate solution, you can increase total creatine concentration by 60% compared to regular creatine supplementation. However, the question still remains though: Does the increase in total muscle creatine result in an increase in performance? That question has yet to be answered definitively. In my opinion, it can never hurt to have too much creatine within the muscle. Plus, for the cost, it doesn’t hurt to try. A 4 pound bag of dextrose shouldn’t cost more than a couple of bucks.

Creatine with protein and carbohydrates

This is my personal favorite. The same theory that applied to creatine and carbohydrates also applies here. However, we’ve added another potential anabolic agent to the mix: protein. Now not only does the surge of insulin from the carbohydrates help more creatine enter the cell, but hopefully more amino acids will also follow suit. And don’t worry if you think the amino acids will prevent additional creatine from entering the cell. A clinical trial entitled “Protein- and carbohydrate-induced augmentation of whole body creatine retention in humans.” found in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that the mixture of protein and carbohydrates was just as effective as carbohydrates alone in improving creatine retention.

So not only does mixing all three make it more convenient, but it appears as though it may also make it more effective. Plus, it’s extremely cheap.

Side note: If you’re dieting and concerned with the extra calories from the carbohydrates, don’t fret too much. Taking creatine by itself will work just fine.

Creatine with supplements that improve insulin sensitivity

Unless you have insulin resistance, I don’t really see the cost-effectiveness of this combination. If you’re lifting weights, on a decent nutrition plan, and taking fish oil, your insulin sensitivity is not going to be the weak link in the creatine equation. Until there’s more evidence, save your money.

IF CREATINE MONOHYDRATE DOESN’T WORK FOR ME, WILL ONE OF THE NEW ONES?

This is probably going to be the most controversial segment of this article. There’s going to be several supplement manufacturers that won’t be too pleased with my answer. First let’s look at why you might not be responding to creatine. Hopefully, before I give you my answer, you will have already formed your own.

Even though 70% of the clinical trials show a positive benefit to creatine use, there are still 30% of studies that show no benefit. One study actually estimated that out of 10 users, between 2 and 3 users will not benefit from creatine supplementation. Why? Scientists have yet to pinpoint the exact cause. However, they have developed several theories. The most prominent theory involves a decrease in activity of the creatine transporter. Even though they haven’t been able to explain specifically the cause of the decrease in activity, they have determined a profile of a responder. It includes the 4 following characteristics:

1) Have a lower initial concentration of creatine within the muscle
2) Have a greater number of type II muscle fibers
3) Have more fiber cross sectional area
4) Have more fat-free mass, aka muscle

All 4 characteristics make sense.

So, if the new creatine product doesn’t improve one of those 4 characteristics, it’s probably not going to be of much help to you. By the way, none of them do. None of them are going to give you bigger muscles. None of them are going to give you more Type II muscle fibers. And none of them are going to decrease the amount of creatine you already have in your muscles. If the creatine transporter theory holds true, you’re probably SOL.

Carbohydrates are going to be your only choice. In the future, maybe a creatine and sodium combination may help, but that’s a big maybe.

Cliff notes:
- If you’re a non-responder, wait until a product clearly demonstrates that it increases total muscle creatine content COMPARED to regular creatine monohydrate. Thus far, none have.
- If you’re a responder, don’t bother wasting money on new creatines. Stick with creatine monohydrate. Save your money and use it on more protein, beta alanine, or fish oil.

Hopefully, this article has answered a lot of questions that other “experts” have left unanswered or even worse, let the supplement manufacturers answer. Remember, cost-effectiveness should be your primary concern when buying supplements. If it doesn’t produce quantifiable results, don’t buy it. There’s too much junk on the market. This industry has been built on clever marketing, not quantifiable results. Shop smart!

-Doc

BANKING

Something often overlooked is your banking ability. Learn to keep track of all your transactions, withdraws, and bills. Checking regularly online will help you avoid the costly fees of overdrawing your account on a Friday night.

CREDIT CARDS

Most are right when they say avoid having multiple credit cards in college. Credit is a dangerous thing. Your best bet is to open up one card with the lowest monthly fee available. A new card with a small credit line will help keep the charging to emergencies only, as well as establish a credit score. Developing a credit score is important to college students now considering the financial strain our economy will suffer for the next several years.

GROCERY SHOPPING

Food spending is something most students could improve on. Choose groceries over the fast food meals. Use common sense at the grocery store. Grab the items that will make the most meals. Use tap water over bottled water or Gatorade. Make your own coffee in the morning instead of buying from a shop. Buy groceries at a cheap store like Wal-Mart or one that offers gas points like Kroger.

DRINKING

There are several ways to cut back on drinking spending without actually having to cut back on drinking. Learn where all the beer and happy hour specials are at the bars on your campus, they all have them. Pre-game hard before you go out whether you’re a lightweight or a tank it will help. You can always switch to cheaper beer if you absolutely have to (Natural, PBR, High Life). If you really want to be creative, give making your own alcoholic beverage a shot. A strong wine is fairly cheap and simple to make.

TEXTBOOKS

Never buy textbooks from a bookstore. Buy the cheapest used ones you can find online and sell them back on the same website when you are finished with them. Do not buy books for a class you will not need them for.

Most students already know they will be spending heavily on food, beer, and books throughout the school year. These suggestions will help cut corners on costs in all three categories. You can then afford to drink with your friends and eat another day.

CLOTHES

• Button Down shirts are  a must Guys wake up you are in college and now should dress professionally now.  Job interns are going to start occuring and you need to look your best.  Plus you should always want to look good and button down shirts do that for you.  I would say 4-5 nice button down shirts will suffice.

• Dress Pants. Same reasons as for button down shirts.

• Bring a couple of pairs of jeans to wear out for a party or to chill when it gets cold out.

• Shirts: Bring a couple of nice  short sleeve and long sleeve shirts.  By nice I mean not all Hollister and Abercrombie and all that.  Wear different shirts; shirts no one has ever seen before.  Be different!  Do not forget crappy shirts too that can get dirty because you never know when a girl will check you out playing a sport!

• Shoes: Guys bring a pair of dress shoes!  Always look your best when your going out.  Impress girls, show them what you got!  Bring one pair of running shoes like asics or nike.  I wouls also bring a casual pair, for example: Nike 6.0′s.

• Then your usual socks, boxers, shorts, jacket ( A blazer would be very good), and multiple sweat shirts ( Just in case a girl steals one).

BED SUPPLIES

• Comfortable bed Guys this is key.  If you have a comfortable bed, girls will keep coming back to it if they want to chill, have a couple of beers, “sleep”, whatever the case is they will come back.

• Fan: It is most likely going to get very hot in your dorm room.  Make sure you have a fan to keep you cold at night when you sleep.  Also, make sure the room is comfortbale so when a girl comes in, she does not sweat till after you two are done!

• Pillows: I would recommend two nice, either soft or hard, pillows.

FOOD

• Snacks: Bring a lot of snacks and little things to have because you might get hungry at night.  Ex: Doritos, ice cream, snack packs, anything.  I find Easy Mac to be a perfect snack.

• Soup: If you go to a school when it gets cold out, a nice bowl of soup will put you in a great mood.

• Chocolate: Guys, girls like chocolate so it would not be a bad thing to have some of that around.

• Microwavable food

• Forks, Knives, Spoons, Napkins

• Refrigerator, Freezer, and Microwave

• Treat Yourself: Buy yourself something that you would like to make or have that you had home.  Who cares how expensive it is, just buy it so if you are ever in the mood for it, there it is!

BEVERAGES

• Water: A couple of cases of water should be fine to start with.  But you will use them pretty fast in the beginning because it is probably going to be very humid when you first start school.
• Soda or Iced Tea or any type of drink other than water you want to put in your refrigerator.

GROOMING & HYGIENE

• Toothpaste and Tooth Brush are a MUST

• Towels: Bring a couple of towels, about 4-5.  Shower sex is amazing so you neve know!

• Soap and shampoo

• Razors

• Toilet paper, tissues, soap, and paper towels: Be respectful to your other roommates and make sure you bring toilet paper too.  You do not want to run out of toilet paper!

• Laundry Bag and Detergent: I would suggest to bring a lot of detergent and bring a big laundry bag because it  will suck if  you make a couple of trips to get your laundry.  Get all your laundry at once to make your life easier.

• Vacuum: Keep your dorm clean!

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

• Pens and scrap paper: You are going to fly out of pens and paper.  Bring a lot.

• Binders and Notebooks are necessary

• Printer: It is not completely necessary but if you are running late and need to print something fast, it becomes well worth it.

• Highlighters, pencils, CALENDER, Ruler, Tape, Thumbtacks, SAT calculator, Backpack

• LAPTOP

MEDICINE

• First aid kit: You never know when you will need it

• Tylenol, Excedrin, Pepto Bismol, and allergy medication (Ex: Claritin): Just make sure you are not allergic to any of these

MISCELLANEOUS GUY THINGS

• *Be careful when it comes to alcohol:* When you go to school, your other college students will be having parties in their dorms.  That is one way to get noticed!  Bring a bottle of vodka or two to show your roommates and the girls that you are ready to party.  However, make sure you do not get caught and make sure everyone in your dorm agrees with it being ok!  The only reason I say vodka is because it does not have that smell like beer and it is easier to sneak in.  But be careful!

• Condoms: This is huge right here.  Be safe and have a great time.  Remember, one bad mistake and there goes your life.  Just use them everytime you have sex.  I would recommend bringing 3-5 boxes because you also have to help out your friends when they need one.  Now some schools do not allow condoms, so make sure you hide them.  Also, it does not look good if you leave them out and a girl walks in.

• Sports equipment: Bring a football, tennis racket, baseball glove, anything to do with sports.  Stay active and in shape.

• Posters: It is always good to have posters.  Show people what you are interested in.  Always a good ice breaker!

• Television: Always good to have one, especially if you put a game system on it.  Watch movies or play games.

• Pictures of whatever you want ( Friends, Family…)

PRE-GAME BEFORE GOING OUT

Pre-gaming is such an important part of college culture.  First and foremost, it introduces you to circles of new friends and you get to meet groups of peopel that will be going to the same place that you may be going.  This is useful because you will be that guy at the bar that everybody knows and will talk to for a bit.  Anybody not knowing you will either want to OR be wondering “who the hell is that guy?”  As if the social benefits aren’t enough, you’d be floored at how much money you save by simply pre-gaming before going out.  We’ve all been there: it’s $1 beer night and when you wake up and check your wallet, you realize that you somehow you spent $80.  Just buy a 30 rack of beer with some friends and invite some people in the dorm over to pre-game before going out.  Throw on some old-school party jams, and you’re set.  Altogether, pre-gaming will get you a nice circle of new friends for the semester, while also saving you some extra bucks in your bank account.

MAKE YOURSELF AVAILABLE

Don’t eat alone, don’t walk to the bookstore alone, don’t walk to 7 eleven alone.  Not because you may get raped, but because you should never turn down the opportunity to make new friends or get closer with friends.  The college scene is a crazy one, some nights you will pass out in the middle of the street, some nights you will get sharpied; it pays to have friends in the right place at the right time.  Just asking a few dorms around yours if anyone wants to run to the store could make a huge difference.  This new friend could look out for you down the line or might even be friends with some hot girls on campus.

MAKE THE GRADE

For most students, the semester goes one of two ways.  No social life and good grades OR awesome times and not-so-great grades.  We highly recommend living up every waking moment of your college career.  However, to do so, you need to prepare your teachers for you being a slackerwhen the course-work interferes with your partying.  To prepare for this: introduce yourself to your teacher when the semester starts and tell them that you work 2 jobs while taking classes, and although you take school seriosuly and it is a priority of yours, you need to work to pay tuition.  This way, when you’re too hung-over to go to class or still partying at 8a.m. to miss Statistics 101, you already have a built-in alibi.

TRAVEL

Be the student that everyone wishes they were.  Have the facebook pictures that make any of your friends say “damn, I wish I was that guy.” Go to Spring Break, go on a ski-ing trip over Winter Break, or even study abroad.  There are plenty of opportunities for you to travel throughout the semester.  Go for it and make it a time worth remembering.  Our very own Campus Casanova went to the Super Bowl, Rio Carnaval in Brazil and on 4 spring breaks last 2 Spring Terms, while somehow keeping a 3.2 GPA.  Have balls, take chances, see the world.  When you graduate, you’ll most likely have to work your ass off and vacation days may be sparse.  Take advantage while you can.  Besides, would Spring Break be the same if you were an older creeper? We think not…

You may notice that summer bankroll you built up will begin to dwindle during the last few weeks of the semester. For those of you on campus who are too busy to work a job on top of class, or are just too lazy, we have some solutions for you. Campus Throne has compiled a list of several different routes you can take that will not interfere with chasing the muff around.

DONATE PLASMA

Pay attention freshmen. This is one of the most common ways to make an extra  $40-50 per week. If you can stand needles, all you have to do is donate some blood twice a week. It takes little of your time, is a good cause, and you receive the cash up front. Research your area; Plasma Centers tend to pop up often near college campuses.

SELL ON E-BAY/AMAZON

Take the extra time to sell old textbooks online rather than get robbed by college bookstores. You can almost always sell books at a breakeven price of what you paid for it. Also consider selling things you no longer use such as old iPods or spare cell phones on sites like Craigslist.

ONLINE SURVEYS

Personally, I never bought into the whole scam of filling out online surveys for cash. Believe it or not there are a few sites out there that will legitimately send you checks for your time. Take sites like Opinion Outpost into consideration. It is a legitimate site I use to earn money for filling out surveys on various subjects. Additionally, many schools over compensated research studies. An hour or two out of your day can net you another hour or two of bar money.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

Consider utilizing classes you are strong in. Consult professors in your major department for paid jobs such as a teaching assistant for a particular class. If you have any interest in becoming an RA for your dorm, there are several perks to the job such as free-living expenses. These activities are extra helpful to those of you interested in resume building.

INVESTING

If you are a business kid like me, you may want to consider experimenting with online stock trading. This is part of the reason we take investment classes right? Small day trading with cheap online brokers such as Trade King or Scottrade is a good way to get started if you are up to a little research and effort. If not, interest from savings accounts and mutual funds never hurts.

For those of you who are too conservative to stray from the norm, on campus jobs are out there. But remember guys; college life is not meant to be a grind.

GIT ‘ER DONE!

By that, I mean your day. When you finished doing what you wanted or needed to do, don’t linger; just go to bed. Don’t look for something else to do, don’t go playing a stupid game on addictinggames.com. Just go straight to bed!

THE KIND OF MUSIC THAT SOOTHES THE SOUL

If it helps, listen to music that soothes you and you could fall asleep to. I’m not talking about classical music, I’m talking about music that appeals to your tastes. For example, I can fall asleep listening to bands like Linkin Park, System of a Down, Bullet for My Valentine, or even Eminem. I have a wide variety of music that I listen to, and yes, I can fall asleep to people screaming or rapping over an ill beat.  Overall, listen to music that calms you down and you should be able to fall asleep.

COMMERCIALS: SLEEP’S BEST FRIEND

If music doesn’t work for you, try TV. Make sure it’s not a movie channel, because then you would need full attention for an elongated period of time. Look for a sitcom or something with commercials. When the time comes for a commercial, turn your head, lay down on ur pillow and close your eyes. If you wake up and hear the show come back on, watch it, at least until the next commercial. But I can almost assure you that after the second or third time, you will probably fall asleep due to the body’s subconcious want to cease functionality after a long day. In worst case scenario that you don’t fall asleep, turn on an infomercial. For those of you who don’t know what that is (you should be smacked), look on your TV’s guide for things entitled “Paid Program.” Leave that on.  there are no commercials for a reason, because they will bore you do death on their own. By no means, if you get to this point, should you change the channel. I don’t recommend watching it either. Just turn your head down, close your eyes, and let the annoying advertisement play on. This is only for those extreme cases.

BACK TO SCHOOL

Here’s my advice on how to adjust your sleep patterns to get you back to going to sleep around 12-1am as opposed to 3-4am: Slowly cut off your time. Set small goals. Start with half hour intervals. Let’s say you went to bed at 3am during the summer as an average, for the first week back, try going to bed at 2:30. Force yourself if you must. Then gradually reduce it by a half hour until you can reach your desired time between 10pm-1am. When you have reached that time, you can then adjust it to your going out schedule, because your body will be used to your school pattern again and have to work less hard to get to sleep as you normally would. It may not be the easiest thing to do, but with the proper time and dedication, you can get this done within the first 3 weeks of school. If you feel this process is taking too long, just increase the interval in which you will go to sleep, from a half hour to one hour for example. Whatever suits you, go with it, this is just a general guideline.

Good luck with your next semester and your crazy sleep schedule.

Why? Girls.

When starting classes, sometimes you get a few friends that happen to be in the same course as you.  Whether or not that is the circumstance, you wind up feeling a little awkward not knowing most of the people in the room.  On top of that, the first things that you usually evaluate are the hotties in the class.  The worst feeling is knowing you could get her or wanting to take a shot, only to see her chumming it up with some dork down the line and you feeling frustrated and wondering “why him!?”

CAPITALIZE ON THE SITUATION

The first couple days of class are usually the most awkward ones.  Not just for you, for everyone.  Make a joke about it and just tell the girl “it cracks me up how awkward the first couple days of class always are because everyone is afraid to socialize.”  Making a simple statement like that shows that you are bold and have courage.  Most guys don’t make the move because they are intimidated that she is the hot girl in the room.  The guy she ends up with is usually the one who actually had the balls to even talk to her.  Break the ice, and then offer a simple exchange: “What’s your name and e-mail or whatever, this way we can hit each other up if we are going to miss class or need to catch up on something.  I might miss a couple days and will definitely sign you in on days you aren’t here if you could sign me in.”

Why this is clutch: Not only are you already breaking the ice with the hot girl, but she is also going to help you in getting a better grade by signing you in on days that you aren’t in school.

Taking it further: Build rapport by asking her to show you her signature so you know how to copy it when signing her in.  When she does, make light fun of her signature or that you can tell she practices it on the regular.  Crack a joke saying: “I like to consider this a try-out.  If you do well, then maybe we can even study together too sometime.”

STAY CONSISTENT

Stay on point with your correspondence with her.  Don’t engage in long conversations or anything controversial, but a simple introduction and very light small talk is important each class because you want her to be comfortable with you.  Just don’t invade her space.  Be quick and concise and leave her off with a smile and a playful “I’m getting away from here before you get me in trouble.”

Why this is clutch: Getting her more comfortable with you is significant in getting a leg up on the competition.  The goal here is having her look for you, instead of you looking for her.  Time for groups or a partner?  How awesome would it be to look over at her and she makes strong eye contact letting you know she wants to partner up with you.

Taking it further: Be confident and joke around with her when you see her the 2nd or 3rd class.  “You came to my classroom again? Are you stalking me or like me or something? Sheesh!”  Clearly, she has to come to the classroom because she has class their too, you are merely poking fun at it.

IN A DIFFERENT SETTING

Catch her when she’s out and about with a simple, “Hey, Amber (or whatever her name is)!” However, you need to keep it at a balance.  Nowadays, you are friendly and say “hello” to a girl twice and her friends egg on that you’re a creeper or stalker.  So if you see her say “hey” and smile and be excited to see her.  If she is across the room or dance-floor, don’t push everybody out of the way and dive in her direction.  Sometimes, you need to give her a chance to say hello.  I like telling friends to go 75% in and then back to 50%, give the girl a chance to meet you half way and say hello and return the interest.

Why this is clutch: Getting her comfortable with you outside of the classroom is needed to set you up for when you see her at a party, bar, or a fun social scene.  This way, asking her to dance or offering to buy her a drink will be casual and hard to resist from such a nice guy like yourself.

Taking it further: Feel things going your way?  Body language working in your favor? Then invite her to study or grab a bite to eat when you have time.  Ask her to help you out with some homework or ask her to split the homework in half and you can copy off of each other.

GOING FOR THE KILL

So we’ve been passing the ball around and are helping you draw up the perfect play here.  Now it’s your time to get the ball with a wide-open shot.  Whether or not you make it, it up to you.  When you see her at a bar or party, ask tell her that you’ll trade her a dance for a drink.  Don’t know how to dance like a human?, then get her a couple drinks first so she’ll be drunk enough that it won’t matter.  Once you’ve got her dancing with you, you are in.  Girls do not dance with guys that they do not have an interest in.  They may not opt to hook-up with them in public, and you shouldn’t either; however, believe us, if she dances with you…you are in.  If she politely declines or says she’s driving or has some excuse, then the odds are that she is not interested. Although you may have missed your chance to score, you can get the rebound and still make a game-winning basket.  Simply tell her: “Whoa, whoa, whoa! I think there is some confusion here.  I will grace you with a dance, if you buy me a drink.  Dances with me are expensive these days and if you’re good at something, you can’t do it for free.  She’ll laugh it off, you saved yourself and you’re still golden.

Why this is clutch: This can go several ways for you.  You get a drink with a hot girl, you dance with a hot girl, you hook-up with a hot girl, or you hit on a hot girl to the point where she will tell her friends about you.  She’ll tell them the funny things you said.  Having girls say good things about you is phenomenal in college.  Imagine yourself as a video on youtube.  A night of stellar game like you just executed, and you’ve gone viral.

Taking it further: After the dance, tell her “I can’t believe you tried to kiss me like that!”  Pay close attention to her reaction.  If she’s smiles and jokes, then tell her you want to get some fresh air and make your move, already!  If you don’t get the chance to make your move and she is wasted, then the next time you see her tell her “man we were so drunk the other night, I can’t believe we did that.”  Just play it off and it will go a long way.