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It’s amazing how easy it is to get out of your school sleep routine over winter break. It seems four months of going to bed and waking up early is no match for three nights of staying up until 2 or 3 AM. By the time break is over, it appears that any hope of getting back into a normal rhythm is lost.

Going through this struggle a few times a year (winter, spring, and summer break) is enough to make you wonder if humans are even meant to wake up early. Not to mention that during this time of the year, if you have an eight o’clock class, you probably have to roll out of bed before the sun has even risen – which is just unnatural and wrong.

So, what is a sleepy college student to do? Sure, you could do an internet search and come up with plenty of sites offering responsible ways, from sleep experts, on how to get your sleep cycle back on track. But, doesn’t that just sound like more work? If you don’t want to worry about things like avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bedtime, or going to bed at the same time every night, then catch up on a few zzzzs by following these suggestions:

1. Sleep in on Monday, Wednesday, Friday for one week and then on Tuesday, Thursday the next week.

No one wants to walk into class late (or not at all) two class periods in a row. But, if you rotate your laziness between days then you can avoid such obviousness. Note, you probably don’t want to do this for more than a few weeks or else you’ll tick off your professor and you might mess up your attendance.

2. Sleep in the car

Do you have a break between classes? Instead of spending time in the student center or in the library, go to your car, set your phone alarm and take a nap. Besides catching up on sleep, you’ll also be able to keep your parking spot – a win, win.

3. Sleep in class

 Everyone has those courses where everything you need to know is in the textbook and going to class is just a formality. If the class is large enough (preferably in one of those big, theater-type rooms), just find a seat in the back, prop your head up on something (you don’t want to be blatant about it), and take a snooze. It can take some practice to learn how to sleep sitting up, but once mastered, it is a skill you can use in many areas of life.

For other, more creative ideas, check out this article at mentalfloss. Granted, it describes ways to sleep at work, but many are equally effective at school. The “sleep safe tape” is especially cool … and a little creepy.

You've likely already chosen your classes for the spring semester and are looking forward to being that much closer to earning your degree. However, the longing for graduation is somewhat marred when you STILL haven't chosen a college major. Deciding what you want to do with your life is a difficult task; especially when you have a variety of interests... or no interests at all. Don’t despair. Unless the job you want is really technical or requires special training (engineer, forensic psychologist, doctor, etc.), your major doesn't exactly pigeonhole you into one career. In fact, many people end up working in areas totally outside of their area of study. Here are some famous examples:

George Bush & John F. Kennedy - Both were presidents and both majored in history.

Michael Eisner - Studied English yet somehow ended up the CEO of Walt Disney.

Gene Simmons - Nicknamed "The Demon," this co-founder of KISS actually studied education and spent a few years as an elementary school teacher.

Teri Hatcher - It's surprising that someone who usually plays kind of a ditz on TV actually has the mental chops to have majored in mathematics and engineering.

Tiger Woods - He's one of the world's top athletes, but studied economics in college -- maybe his education is helping him keep track of all his money.

Hugh Hefner - Hef has used his psychology major juju to build the Playboy empire and to secure himself a harem of women.

Ray Ramano - This self-deprecating comedian actually seems like he would make a good fit into his originally chosen career path -- accounting.

Willard Scott - Now a Today Show weatherman, he graduated with a degree in philosophy and religious studies. I guess those weathermen really don't have any idea what they're talking about.

Will Ferrell - This funny guy has a degree in Sports Broadcasting. Who knew he really was an actual anchorman?

Carly Fiorina - You've probably never heard of this person, but she has one of those degrees most people would call useless (Medieval History and Philosophy), yet she achieved the position as CEO of Hewlett-Packard.

As you can see, the most important thing is just to get an education, and look for opportunities as they arise. So, stop worrying about your major and just pick one already!

It’s December 31^st. You’re still on break from school, you’ve finished all your obligatory family functions, and it seems like the perfect night for drinking, partying, and general debauchery. But, should you really begin the night with a “no rules” attitude? Unless you want to start your new year sick, disappointed, or full of regret, I suggest you follow these New Year’s Eve rules:

1.  Stay away from crowded, drunken parties.

A crowd of people with champagne glasses raised at the stroke of midnight is the epitome of New Year’s Eve.  Although this is a great mental image, it rarely works out that way. If you get too many people together with free-flowing alcohol, things are bound to get messy – literally. Chances are someone WILL puke … and it just might land on you. If no one throws up, there’s going to be at least one person who gets partly, or completely, naked … and that person could be you. If those things don’t happen, you or someone else will likely cry, drunk text, divulge secret information, tell obnoxious jokes, or be an overall embarrassment. Do you really want to start 2012 in shame?

2. Don’t spend the evening in your gaming chair.

Just because you don’t want to get drunk and make a fool of yourself doesn’t mean you should spend the night alone playing a Call of Duty marathon. And no, you can’t count teaming up with your clan buddies Assasin424 and Bloodsquirt12 as being with friends. You need to be with real, live people that you’ve actually met in person. No matter how much you try to convince yourself it’s just another night, the way you bring in the new year sets the tone for all of 2012. So, be with people (even if it’s just a few) and have a night to remember.

3. Don’t announce your long list of New Year’s resolutions.

No matter where you go, someone will undoubtedly bring up the issue of New Year’s resolutions. Everyone wants to know what life changing scheme you’ve got planned for this year. Although some of the people in the room may care, 90% of them are only curious so they can watch your eventual failure. Besides, who ever thought it was a good idea to set goals on a night when most people are tipsy and still trying to emerge from their Christmas food-comas? If you truly want to set a resolution, give it a few days until the hype of the holidays has died down, then take some time for real self-analysis – in private.

There you have it … just three simple rules. If you follow them, tomorrow you should wake up satisfied with your evening and ready to take on 2012.

Good luck!

So, by now your final exams are over and you’re likely enjoying the much awaited winter break. I don’t know about you, but after a long, hard semester I like to completely shut down my brain and spend a week or two with some mindless entertainment. Naturally, movies make a great fit into this planned vegetation, and during the holidays, there’s no shortage of Christmas movies available on TV and Netflix.

I feel it is my duty to watch at least one Christmas flick during the season, and over the years, I’ve seen quite a few holiday films. There are a whole slew of terrible movies, and a few that are actually worth seeing. So, if you’re settling in for a night of Christmas cinema, here’s a list of the top three movies to avoid and three that aren’t a total waste of time.

Christmas Movies that Suck:

Anything on the Hallmark Channel

If you flip past the Hallmark Channel you’ll notice it has become overrun with holiday films. Take my advice – don’t bother. If you’ve seen one of them, you’ve seen them all. It’s the typical romantic comedy, only cheesier and with a Christmas twist. No matter how hard they try, we will never believe Santa or fairytale romances exist.

A Christmas Story

I know there are people who absolutely love this movie, but I’m sick of it… in fact I never really liked it. It just seems to drag on and on. I could have sworn it was at least a 3 hour movie, but when I looked it up, I discovered it is a mere 94 minutes. I suppose part of the reason it seems to last forever is because there’s always one TV station that has it running on a loop on Christmas day, and no one in the house ever seems to change the channel.  Yeah, the kid almost shoots his eye out after his mother warned him he might – why is this funny?

Jingle All The Way

Want to see Arnold Schwarzennegger run all over town trying to get his bratty kid a toy? I don’t either. Yes, I realize it is meant to satirize the commercialization of Christmas, but it’s too much slapstick and silliness. It might be ok for someone under twelve years old, but it will leave everyone else rolling their eyes.

Christmas Movies that Don’t Suck:

Elf

I’ll take Will Ferrell just about any way I can get him, but I absolutely love him in this movie. I hate to use this term, but it really is “fun for the whole family.” There aren’t very many movies equally entertaining for your five-year old nephew, your tattoo artist cousin, and your 80-year old grandmother. I find myself saying quotes from this movie all year long… especially when I get into an elevator.

Scrooged

I realize Bill Murray’s heyday was a couple of decades ago, but he truly is hilarious. If you haven’t watched his movies, you should take some time over the break to watch a couple. Start with Scrooged. It has the traditional Christmas Carol plot, but is funny and a little dark (although, it still manages to throw in some holiday spirit). Also, even though it’s not a Christmas movie, Groundhog Day is another Bill Murray comedy you’ve got to see.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

You knew this movie would be in the list, didn’t you? Everyone’s Christmas tradition should include this film. After all, don’t we all have a little Griswold in us? Who can’t relate to awkward, unwelcome relatives, Christmas lights that just won’t behave, and the general feeling nothing seems to work out no matter how hard you try. 

What are some Christmas movies you love and hate? Let us know in the comment section below.

Call me a traditionalist, but I think gifts should mean something, and although it is a cliché, it really is the thought that counts. Christmas is the worst time for rampant, careless gift giving since most people are simply checking names off a list and trying to find something which doesn't blow their budget.

One of the primary reasons gift giving has lost its meaning is because, through the years, people have convinced themselves they need to buy something for everyone they know. With such extensive lists, who has time to put any thought into what they give (not to mention people are racking up debt and generally spending way more money than they can afford to meet these expectations). What happened to simply sending out Christmas cards to your extended family and acquaintances? It lets them know you're thinking of them and doesn't require a payment plan.

The crazy part is, most people don't want to buy so many gifts, but they have no idea how to put a stop to it without offending someone. So, if you want to get your gift giving under control, you're probably going to have to be the one to put your foot down. The easiest way is to just tell people you don't plan on getting them anything (besides maybe a card) for Christmas, and you'd appreciate it if they didn't get you anything either. This probably isn't a great tactic to use on your mom or girl/boyfriend, but people such as your roommates, work buddies, accountant, cousins, and maybe even your siblings will probably be relieved.

By narrowing down your shopping list, you should have the time and money to devote to thoughtful gift giving. If you've forgotten what this means (or if you never knew), here are some things you should never buy for people you really care about:

 Gift Cards

If you want to send the message you had no idea what to get a person, but hey, you took a shot at what store they like, then give a gift card. Otherwise, just go to the actual store and pick out something. Guess what, if they don't like it, they can just return it and get the cash for it anyway. The only ones who actually get anything good out of the whole gift card racket are the stores. Think about, how many times have you misplaced or not bothered to use a card with only a couple of bucks left on it (all that unredeemed money really adds up for the businesses).

 Bath Gift Sets

I know there are whole stores related to this gift genre, but it really is the lazy way out. A few Christmases ago, my mother received about 8 different bath sets from various people -- she is still stocked up on over-priced body wash. A bath set is okay if you need to bring a generic "female" present to a gift swapping game -- not okay for someone you care about.

Candle

Nobody wants a candle. Period. Sure, they smell nice and look pretty, but could it get any more boring?

Mini Tool Set

Every guy needs a tool set, right? Wrong. Chances are that guy has gotten some type of cheap tool set for the past five years and has all the flimsy screwdrivers and hammers he needs. If someone really does work a lot with tools, then try to find one he doesn't have and needs.

Food

Food might seem like a good gift, especially if you take the time to bake it yourself, but most food gifts suffer one of three fates:

1. Ends up in the trash because your baking skills really aren't as good as you think they are.

2. Goes bad before the person has a chance to eat it since everyone else decided to give them a food gift too.

3. The person actually eats and likes the food, but still thinks, "is food the only thing they could think to get me?"

There are plenty of other gifts to avoid, but I think you get the drift; if it is generic, overdone, or a gimmick -- don't buy it. 

Whether you’re attending a traditional college or an online school such as Western Governors University, now is the time of year where you are likely facing one of the most stressful situations every college student faces – final exams.

What makes the experience so worrying is if you’re not doing well in a class you fear your test performance may dictate whether you pass or fail the course. Also, since every professor is different, sometimes it is hard to know what to expect.  

The good news is there are only about four main types of exams you will receive on finals week, and out of those, you only need to really study for one. Like anything else in college (and in life), finals are merely a game – play it correctly and you won’t have to repeat any courses.

1. The Open Book Exam

Out of all your professors, you will undoubtedly have one who has so little confidence in their students’ knowledge that they decide to make themselves and everyone else in the class look better by assigning an open book exam. Just spend a few hours highlighting the important stuff in your textbook and you’ll be in good shape – no need to commit anything to memory.

2. The Extremely Curved Exam

Similar to the professors who assign open book final exams, those who use grading curves have equally poor confidence in their students; the only difference is they are still trying to save face. They will give you a regular, seemingly challenging exam to create the semblance of having a serious class, but then grade it on such an extreme curve that nearly everyone passes. By this point in the semester you know if your teacher uses a curve. All you have to do is not have one of the lowest scores in the class and you’ll get a passing great – no serious studying required.

3. The Ridiculously Easy Exam

If you read my earlier post on the five professors you will have in college, you know about the wannabe buddy. This teacher will do just about anything to get you to like him/her, including giving you a ridiculously easy final exam. They’ll probably give you a copy of the test so you can memorize the answers before hand, or simply make the questions so simple any moron could pass. Don’t worry about studying. Even if you bomb the test, this professor will figure out a way to make you pass the class.

4. The Legitimate Final Exam

Every semester you will have one professor who truly takes their job seriously and refuses to assign anything but a meaningful final exam that truly tests their students’ knowledge. Usually these are old school teachers who refuse to be part of the dumbing down of the educational system. Again, by this point in the semester, you know if you have a professor like this. If so, don’t even try to mess around. You’re only option is to study your butt off. Luckily, since your other exams will probably fit into one of the other three categories, you can devote all of your study time to this one test and should have no problems passing the class (assuming you weren’t a total flunky on all the other tests).

So, relax… exam week really isn’t all that bad. At this point, I think it is more of a tradition than anything, and in most cases, isn’t going to make or break whether you pass a class. 

Well, the semester is almost over and by now your roommate is probably getting on your last nerve. Whether your chose to bunk with your best friend or if you were assigned a roomie by the college, living with someone has a way of making you loathe people that you would otherwise enjoy being around.

The worst part of it all is that most of the stuff that annoys you really isn’t all that bad (from an outside perspective). Thus, you really have no right to complain without looking like a total jerk. So, with your jaw clenched tight, you suffer in silence and mentally visualize punching your roommate in the face as you pretend to listen to whatever it is he/she (I'll use "he" from here on out to make things simple) is talking about.

Even though our criticisms may be petty, everyone needs to vent, so I’ve provided a list of roommate pet peeves. Most of these things don’t seem like they would drive you crazy, but experience them day in and day out and you are ready to pull your hair out. Hope this list is cathartic for you, and feel free to add some of your own roommate annoyances in the comment section.

1. Annoying Ringtone

There’s only so many times you can hear the same Black Eyed Peas’ song before you are ready to rip the phone out of your roommates hand and crush it under a hammer. Don’t even waste your time trying to change it to a different song when he's not looking. He'll just say something like, “hmm… that’s weird, my ringtone changed” and then timmediately switch it back to the Black Eyed Peas.

2. Junk Food Eating

You’re a pretty healthy person and try to eat mostly nutritious food. Then, in walks your roommate with bags full of chips, soda, and gas station cheese dip. The sight of his crumb covered shirt and cheese sauce dribbling down his chin is utterly repulsive, but how can you say anything without seeming totally pretentious and self-righteous. It’d be fine if this happened only on occasion, but it’s a nightly routine. Disgusting.

3. Wearing your socks

Ok, this one is a little iffy. Some people say that it’s fine to say something when other people are using your stuff, but if it is a friend you’ve known for years, it seems kind of nitpicky to make a big stink about a pair of socks. Trust me, if you see it enough, the sight of your clean socks on your roommate’s grubby feet will drive you to find a secret hiding space in your closet for all your footwear.

4. Putting sodas in the freezer

You try to talk him out of putting sodas in the freezer by reminding him of the last coke-explosion, which resulted in brown, sugary syrup covering all your frozen foods. Of course, he’ll simply brush off your admonition with something like, “I’ll just put them in for a minute to get them a little cold… don’t worry, I won’t forget about them.” But, you know how this is going to play out: your roomie will sit down in front of his laptop and get lost in Facebook land, a few hours later he will come sprinting into the kitchen, rip open the freezer door, shout some type of expletive, shrug his shoulders, and go back to his computer. You wait a couple of days to see if he’ll clean it up… it never happens.

5. Going Shirtless

In a move that seems to defy physics, he fluidly walks through the door, keys and books in hand, while simultaneously pulling off his shirt and disposing of it directly on the floor. It’s as if he equates house with shirtlessness.  From such repeated exposure, the image of his chest hair and manboobs (as a result of pet peeve number 2) are forever burned into your retina.  Yet, despite his physique, he still has hope of starting a career as a police officer. All you can do is shake your head and wonder. Naturally, this one only applies if you have a male roommate (I doubt many females go around topless… although, if they did, there would probably be a lot more guys looking to share rent with the ladies).

If your roommate is about to drive you crazy, don’t worry, there is hope. In a few weeks you will go home for winter break where you will be reminded that living with your parents is far worse. Then, you will return to college ready to embrace your roomie and his annoying habits.

If your family is anything like mine, Thanksgiving dinner is always a recipe for awkward situations, and passive-aggressive conversations. After being on your own at college for so many months, spending a long weekend at your parent’s or relative’s home can feel like an incarceration. Through the years, I’ve come up with some tips that help me survive the holidays. I’m not promising that they’ll make the experience enjoyable, but they should keep you sane.

1. Bring Entertainment

If Thanksgiving only involved eating dinner it wouldn’t be so bad, but it inevitably ends up being an all day (if not an all weekend) event. On paper, endless hours of chit chat, game playing, football, and eating sounds like a great time. But, when you combine those activities with your creepy uncle, your egomaniacal older brother, and your almost lucid great-aunt you are undoubtedly ready to gouge out your own eyes.

The best solution to this situation is to bring some type of entertainment (iPod, book, laptop, etc.) to help pass the hours. There’s nothing like a good game of Angry Birds to help you tune out what’s going on around you.

2. Hang Out with the Kids

Although your iPod can keep you occupied for hours, eventually you are going to have to come up for air. When it’s time to convince people that you’re not totally anti-social, head over to the kid’s room for some surprisingly enjoyable conversation. It always amazes me how much more pleasant the kids are to hang out with than the parents. There’s never any discussion of religion or politics, and they are always good for a laugh.

3. Avoid Bringing a New Boy/Girlfriend

Traditionally, holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas are the times people bring their significant others home to meet the parents. As tempting as this is… it never works out like you expect. Do you really want him or her to see your mom stressed out and on the brink of tears, and your drunk cousin loudly shouting racial slurs. I don’t think so.

Unless you want to expose your new girlfriend or boyfriend to the full force of your family’s dysfunction, then it is better to introduce them on a non-holiday.

4. Keep Your Opinions to Yourself

You know you’re dad is going to start up his usual rants about how the hippies have run this country into the ground, and how you should have become an accountant. Instead of trying to convince him of reason, it is better to just stay out of it. Just nod your head and act like you agree. No matter how long you’ve been in college or how old you are, he’s never going to think you know anything anyway. It’s not worth an argument, which will undoubtedly make your mom cry.

5. Don’t Overeat

Even though it’s tempting to gorge on carbs and meat in the hopes of inducing a food coma, overeating will ultimately just make you feel worse. Once the event is over a good run or workout will help you shake off all the built up stress, but this is impossible to do if you’re carrying around 10 lbs of pie and stuffing in your stomach. Just eat moderately and you will feel like yourself in no time.

Rejoice Geeks! Today we are going to get a little bit techy and talk about apps. We all like using our smart phones and iPods to pass time in class. But, instead of whittling away the hours popping bubbles or taking the imbecile test, why not download some apps that will actually make your college life easier?

Once you start looking, you will find tons of apps designed just for college students. The only problem is, because there are so many, it can be hard to weed through the useless and find ones that are really helpful.

So, I thought I would make things simpler for you and scour the internet for apps actually worth their download time. Sorry, you won't find any games, beer drinking or social apps. Although those are undeniably entertaining, I figured I would stick with apps that can help you academically.

1. iStudiez Pro    

There must be thousands of calendar and planner type applications, but there aren't many geared specifically to students. The iStudiez Pro fills that gap by providing a place to organize all of your classes, meetings, assignments, exams, study groups, office hours, work schedules, and more. Basically, it keeps track of every type of obligation a student has and will remind you of upcoming events.

It costs $2.99, but that's pretty cheap when you consider a regular planner can cost you $20 or $30 and will only last one year.

2. gFlash+ Flashcards & Tests

You know the story, you make some really great flashcards to study for a big exam and suddenly everyone wants to be your study buddy. Then, someone asks to borrow the cards "just for the night" and you never see your precious cards again. Fortunately, gFlash+ eliminates all of those problems since you can easily create your own flashcards and share them with anyone who has the program. Now, you can openly study and not feel compelled to hide your cards from your friends. Plus, it saves paper.

3. Free Wi-Fi Finder

Sure you can study on campus, but sometimes you just need a change of scenery. The Free Wi-Fi Finder will help you locate places within your area where you can take your laptop and get online for free. This is also good for those who don't want to pay for internet service; just go to a different shop everyday and you won't have to feel weird about mooching.

4. Blackboard Mobile

It used to be that only online courses used the Blackboard platform to connect students with their classes, but now many colleges and universities use this program for all of their courses. With Blackboard Mobile, you can access the system from anywhere.

5. MyGPA Calculator

You can find these online too, but when you are really sweating your grade, it is nice to have this handy tool right in your pocket. This free app can calculate your semester and cumulative GPA.

6. Free Graphing Calculator

This little app can do just about everything those expensive graphing calculators can do -- and it's totally free. The only downside is it's unlikely any professor will let you use your phone during a test (too many ways to cheat), but it's a great tool to have if you forget to bring your calculator to class, or if your studying on the go and don't want to carry around another gadget.

7. EZ Read

Need to cram Hamlet into your brain during the time it takes to walk to class -- no problem. With the EZ Read app, you have access to the entire collection of Spark Notes. Of course, it's not as good as reading the real thing, but it might keep you from looking like a total idiot if the professor asks you a question about the material.

8. Wikipanion

For some reason, professors seem to hate Wikipedia. I don't know why… something about how even morons can get on there and add "facts." Nevertheless, as much as teachers like to claim it's full of bad information, I have yet to come across anything that wasn't basically correct. The Wikipanion enables you to research any topic quickly and easily -- just don't tell your professor where you got your info.

9. Notes Plus

This app replaces the need for traditional pen and paper, and allows you to handwrite all of your notes onto your iPad where they are then stored and organized. It has a bunch of built in features like drawing and sound tools and different colors of "ink." It costs $4.99, but think of all the paper you will save. As long as it is obvious you are taking notes, most teachers shouldn't have a problem with using your iPad in class.

10. Evernote

Evernote goes beyond Notes Plus and allows you to store virtually every type of information (text, photos, PDFs, files, sounds, webpages, etc). Essentially, it serves as a single source to store everything, and is great for those who want more than just basic note taking. If you tend to do all of your research the night before an assignment is due then you might not get much use out of this app, but if you are someone who gathers tidbits here and there, this is a great streamlining program.

Much of this blog is devoted to discussing different ways to survive college, but those who are nearing the end of their degree probably have the college scene figured out and are contemplating how to make it in the job world.

The most formidable event facing any new graduate is the dreaded job interview. Unless you're Robert California, an interview is an uncomfortable and intimidating situation that can make you forget everything you know about yourself and leave you floundering for words. Unless you want to look like a "deer in headlights" during your first interview, you have to plan ahead.

So, to provide you with some tips and tricks, I went to the best source for learning about anything in life — TV. Below, you will find some of the most memorable job interview clips from TV and movies; each one provides some dos and don'ts that you can use on your next job interview.

1. Make sure you know who you are talking to.

Avoid this awkward situation by properly introducing yourself and asking the name of the interviewer ahead of time.

Important Things with Demetri Martin

The Job Interview

2. Don't pass gas.

Among the many things you can glean from this Step Brothers clip, one important point is that, at all costs, you should avoid passing gas. This is especially true if there are only two people in the room — there will be no denying it was you.

Step Brothers job interview

3. Don't freak out the administrative assistant

Remember, the administrative assistant is your gateway to the boss. Be on your best behavior as soon as you walk through the door.

Don't Be a Menace job time

4. Sometimes you have to lie.

Deep down you might only be interested in the job because you want a paycheck … but, you can't let your boss know that. Here's what NOT to say:

You, Me and Dupree job interview

5. Don't lie too much.

Exaggerating or lying on your resume is a risky situation. Even if you don't get caught, you may end up with a position that is beyond your capabilities.

I Love You Phillip Morris interview

See, you really can learn some useful information from TV and movies. Can you think of any other helpful job interview scenes not on the list? If so, let me know in the comment section below.