Posts filed under 'social life'
Food is a big deal in college, whether you’re on campus or off campus–especially when your main source of nutrition is ramen and cereal. Why not make dinner (or breakfast! Sorry I know that picture is of breakfast… But doesn’t it look amazing??) a little more interesting, and kick your social life up a notch in the process?
Round and Round
Starting a dinner club could be the best thing that ever happened to you if you’re tired of eating at the caf for every meal. Just pick a few people (preferably people who can cook a little!), and take turns cooking meals for each other. It will help everyone save money, and it means a fresh cooked meal a couple times a week.
Plus, if you all eat together, you get some bonus socialization.
True Cuisine
Already mastered the art of boiling water? Start a monthly food club where you can challenge your skills (and your taste buds!) A group of my friends started doing this their second year, and it was amazing. Each week they’d pick out a meal they’d always wanted to try, and get together and (at least try to) cook it. Sometimes they invited other people (like me! woohoo!) to stop by for samples. They honed their cooking skills, and had some pretty funny stories to tell by the end of the year.
A Little Friendly Competition
If any of you caught the Top Chef All-Stars this summer, I hope you saw the episode where the chefs had to cook amazing food in a dorm. It was awesome–I couldn’t believe the food they came up with using just microwaves, toasters, and hot plates!
Whip up a super-amusing dinner party Iron Chef style, using only the cooking utensils and items you have available. Your required ingredient can be anything you want, but keep it dorm-themed to be extra amusing. Gum? Easy Mac? You get the idea.
Get a couple of groups together, and assign judges to award a title to the winners. (Just keep in mind, this could go horribly wrong, so plan on ordering pizza afterward so you have something to eat!)
Looking for more ways to expand your social circle? Check out these ideas for parties (and here) and meeting people (and more here)!
If you’re more concerned with food than friends, why not take a peak at our cheap + easy college recipes? 
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October 13th, 2009
It’s easy to slip into a homesick slump after the initial adrenaline of moving out wears off, but don’t let yourself get bogged down with the blues–I’ve got three awesome ways to get your social life started right.
Go Clubbing… Sort of.
Want to learn how to knit, or play some intermural lacrosse, but your school doesn’t offer either? Head to the student center and start a club. Publicizing is easy on a college campus–there are billions of places to post fliers, many profs let you chalk info on one side of their lecture boards, RAs are willing and able to help, and then of course there are blogs, Tweets, and Facebook.
Here are some club ideas that took off at UCSD:
- STITCH - A knitting/crocheting club focused on charity work. They taught members how to knit or crochet, then had sales of their goods (scarves, hats, etc.) each quarter, or gave away blankets to people or babies in need.
- Muir Movie - Every year a bunch of students get together and make an independent film. They write scripts, do casting calls, film, edit, compose music–everything you can think of. And then of course they have an awesome premiere screening at the end of it all.
- Inner-tube Water Polo - Indoor pools + inner-tubes + water polo. It is even more hilarious than it sounds.
And, bonus! Starting your own club looks great for leadership purposes, so you can add it to your scholarship apps and resumes!
TV Show Kick-Offs
It’s September, and while sadly that does mean homework has returned, it also means your favorite TV shows are starting to pop up with new seasons. Gather some like-minded people and some munchies and lay claim to your common room TV. Fav shows are great because they create common inside jokes and give you something to talk about once the show ends–plus you might get to sit next to that hottie from Chem for a full half an hour.
My Top Picks:
- Project Runway; Started in August–catch up online
- The Office; starts September 17th 9/8c
- Fringe; starts September 17th 9/8c
- Lost; starts January 2010
- 24; starts January 2010
Want to watch a show/movie/video from online on your TV? It’s actually pretty easy, if you have the right stuff (and with so many people in the dorms, someone is bound to have what you need):
- Find a laptop and TV with connection capability for an S-video, HDMI, Component, DVI, or VGA cable
- For sound, either hook up your computer to the TV (you can use an iPod to Amp cable to hook this up, using the audio input on your TV and the headphone output on your laptop) or just get a good pair of computer speakers and set them up on either side of the TV, still connected to the laptop.
Did that make sense? If not, there are also instructions here.
Get Off Campus
Most college towns have a pretty good weekend scene, and depending on how urban or rural yours is, you could have a pretty wide variety of off-campus activities.
If you’re big city, there are probably hundreds of places you could go, but for suburban or small-town settings, start by checking out your student center or local community centers for cool stuff to do. One little club in downtown San Diego had swing dancing every Friday night, or you could get lessons for cheap at the community center in Balboa Park. There was always live music at one of the downtown restaurants, and in warmer weather there were outdoor movie showings. If you’re not big on nightlife, you could also try taking a class at a local YMCA, joining a book club at a local library, or signing up to volunteer somewhere. And obviously, if you do go out (especially at night) be smart and safe!
Okay, now get out there and make some friends!
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September 15th, 2009
We’ve all been there: you’re hanging out with some cool new people, trying to make the best impression, and wham-o, the Most Embarrassing Moment (MEM) attacks.
And when I say we’ve all been there, I mean it. In fact, I was “there” just this past Monday. So let’s look at the situation, and your best options for handling your own MEM.
The Story
Monday night my sweetie and I were invited to a welcome dinner put on by a 2nd year med student and his wife. Several new med students and their significant others were going, and it was sort of a get-to-know-you deal, with dinner and the chance to ask some questions about the upcoming school year.
We don’t really know many people here, so I was very excited to go. I chose a special, brand new outfit, carefully did my makeup, and did several mirror checks before we left to make sure everything looked okay. We got to our host’s house right at six, perfectly on time.
And then as I was getting ready to get out of the car, my brand new pants split. Big time.
My sweetie and I had a sort of panicked “honey-my-pants-split!!!” conversation. I won’t bore you with the details. Suffice it to say I turned around for him to assess the damage, and it was just as BAD as I’d feared. We searched the car for anything that might be wrapped around my waist, but there was nothing to be found. No change of clothes, no sweater, nothing.
Laughter
If I learned anything from junior high, it is that nothing glosses over an MEM like your own ability to laugh about it. If you turn red and get horribly embarrassed, people will remember it. They’ll bring it up in conversation. They’ll tease you. And you’ll probably get embarrassed all over again.
If you laugh at it yourself, you basically take their power away (why should they tease you when you already think it’s funny) and you might even be able to find the humor in the situation.
I immediately started laughing, and since we would have been at least a half an hour late if we’d gone home to get me a change of clothes, we decided to go in anyway. I considered telling the story to the hostess and asking her for a sweater (that probably would have been the best idea) but since we had never met them before, I decided against it (though I look forward to telling her the story later when we know each other better!).
Confidence
If you’ve read even the back cover of pretty much any relationship or networking book, you know that people are attracted to confidence. While we opted to do some clever maneuvering–my honey had to stand behind me as we walked in and out, and while we got our buffet-style food, and I was pretty much glued to my chair any time in between–I also made sure to talk normally and comfortably, stand tall, and act like nothing was wrong.
Projecting confidence not only distracted people from noticing my wardrobe malfunction, but also made me feel better about the whole issue–and prepared me to be able to laugh if anyone mentioned it.
The End
So that is my most recent MEM–a pretty good one if I do say so myself. I’m happy to say we made it through the evening without anyone noticing, but you can bet I’ll do a more thorough wardrobe check before we meet new people from now on. 
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August 13th, 2009
I’ve always thought there was something magical about watching a movie outside. My college did a couple of “Dive-In Movies” where they projected a movie over the pool. People hung around on lounges or floated in inner tubes. I also caught a big movie at a park by the beach once. There is a great thread on BackyardTheater.com about how to set up a movie theater in your own back yard.
Here’s a summary of what you need, and where to get it.
1. Video Source. This one is pretty easy to come by–you just need something that can play your movie. A DVD or BluRay player or anything else that can play one or both of these things (laptop, xBox, Playstation, etc.) will do just fine.
2. Projector. This is definitely the hardest to come by–mostly because they’re expensive. A typical projector runs $500-1000. There’s a thread about finding cheap projectors over at Backyard Theater as well, but I suggest you try to borrow one if you can. Schools and churches usually have projectors, and many colleges will let you check out video equipment, or you could find a friend with a good home theater and see if they’ll lend you a projector for the night. (But take GOOD care of it!)
3. Screen. According to the thread above, you’ll want your screen to be somewhere between 8-16 feet. To keep your costs down, it looks like bedsheets or a long expanse of white wall would be your best bet. You might have to recruit a friend with a white house.
4. Sound. The most cost-effective options mentioned in the Backyard Theater thread were computer speakers (a good set with a subwoofer; check discount stores and eBay) or a boom box with auxillary inputs. Remember, you’re not going for home-theater quality sound, you just want to be able to hear the movie.
Extras
The Real Deal. Want to make your feature film look more like what you see in the theaters? A free video player program at VideoLAN (http://www.videolan.org/) can merge several files into one cohesive viewing experience, so you can add your own movie previews, a news reel, or pre-feature cartoons.
Snack Pack. What is a movie without snacks? Hit up the dollar store for goodies like candy, popcorn, and soda, or make it a cookout and grill some hotdogs and hamburgers. Or just make s’mores (remember, you can even make s’mores in a toaster oven.)
photo: AaronC
July 20th, 2009
As we pack up to move out of state for med school, one of my biggest regrets is not taking advantage of all the awesome tourist opportunities San Diego–and Southern California–has to offer.
Sure, I visited Disneyland, had famous apple pie in Julian, and ate some amazing New-York style pizza at a hole in the wall in Hillcrest, but that doesn’t even make a dent in my touristing dreams!
A Touristing To-Do List
With the lazy days of summer stretching out before you, now is the perfect time to start making your touristing to-do lists–one for your hometown, and one for your college town. This is going to be your go-to guide when you hit a boring weekend or need a fresh idea for date night.
Where to Start
Start by listing your local hot-spots at home and at school–the ones you’ve always heard about, but never been to. This might be as simple as midnight glow-in-the-dark bowling (a real hit where I grew up), a teeny hamburger joint, or a nearby amusement park. This is going to be your version of 1,001 Places to See.
It doesn’t have to be huge daytrips. In fact, starting simple can be the most fulfilling. (For example, when we touch ground on the east coast, I will be visiting a Dunkin’ Donuts soon afterward–and I’m really excited about it. Haha.)
Wild and Wacky
Once you’ve listed your hometown’s acclaimed “best breakfast burrito” dive, it’s time to move on to the “bigger and better.” One of the best sources for truly strange–and often little-known–tourist attractions is the Weird U.S. book series. (Some states have entire books dedicated to them!)
Another recent (and FREE!) find for wacky tourist spots is RoadsideAmerica.com, a continually updated site devoted to helping you find offbeat tourist attractions in your state. For starters, they have a top-twenty list of weird creatures not far off the beaten path.
Document
Once you’ve got your lists, it’s time to hit the road. Don’t forget to take lots of pics to post and share with your friends (a good tool for recruiting fellow travelers), and as you start marking items off your list, try to add more!
photo by porah
June 30th, 2009
It must be summer now, because the San Diego County Fair has just opened up, and I am happy to say I was there on opening day, over-priced tickets and all. And it was just as fun as I remembered it being.
Keep it Cheap
So fair admission this year is a whopping $13, which I frankly find pretty ridiculous. So to keep in line with that little budget conversation we had earlier, I’d suggest that you look around for the deals.
- Check local grocery stores–usually at least one chain will have a deal with the fair to sell discounted tickets.
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- If you’re willing to fight the crowds, check the calendar for discount days. The SD fair had a $2 ticket day today, and you could also get discounted food in smaller portions.
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- Bring your own lunch and save your spending money for rides or the classic fair-only food. (No need to waste money on a taco you could get across the street for less.)
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- Check the ticket for a coupon before you toss it. Our fair tickets had an unadvertised deal where they get you an adult movie ticket for the child price. Others allow you to get cheap readmission.
Hit the Highlights
Surprisingly, there is a lot to do beyond just riding the rides. So whether you spend your whole day there or just go for a few hours, make sure you hit the highlights by checking the program.
- Fair Food. Since I’m usually pretty well-behaved food-wise, I give myself a free pass to eat whatever unhealthy thing I want at the fair. I really want to try a fried Snickers sometime, but apparently the hot item this year is chocolate covered bacon.
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- Animal Shows. I adore dogs, so we made our trip the day they were doing preliminaries for the Purina Incredible Dog challenge. It was like the dog olympics, and very entertaining. We also watched pig races, which were very cute.
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- Music. A surprising number of popular artists play at large county fairs, and the price of admission usually includes their concerts. Another reason you should check the calendar before you go.
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- Fair Competitions. I can’t ride a horse, make jam, or raise chickens, but I really enjoy learning about how other people do it. The fair competition buildings usually have some amazing sewing, baking, and art, all from locals. It’s kind of fun to see if you have a budding Monet living next door.
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- Vendors. At the San Diego Fair you can buy a full-size spa tub, Hawaiian flowers, and a Sham-Wow, and that is just when you walk in the door of the first building. I love watching the demonstrations of Ginsu knives and getting samples of all kinds of random shampoos and ring cleaners. It’s like living inside an infomercial.
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- People Watching. Seriously, fairgrounds have an intensely amusing and diverse group of people. Grab a corn dog and watch them go by.
photo by egonsch
June 23rd, 2009
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