Dorm Norms

Of all of the peculiar situations encountered on Planet College most veteran students will agree there is nothing quite so peculiar as dorm life. Since you've been on campus for a while by now you've probably noticed that the housing office has an uncanny knack for pairing opposites when it comes to room assignments. I'm sure you recall your first roommate. How could you forget? If you were tidy they were an unbelievable slob. If you're idea of kicking back was herb tea and Sibelius theirs was a Fourty and Fifty Cent at max volume. If you preferred sleeping all night they spent the wee hours arranging hook-ups real or imagined or worse yet talking to mom.

You adjusted and all of that is past. At this point campus housing may be the best deal going. You don't have to worry about getting to campus, for the most part meals are provided and everyone else in your building is also a student. Maybe not a regular class attendee but still a student.

While you have adjusted to these peculiarities you may need to be reminded that since you are paying you do have a right to what is called "peaceable habitation. " Now, in a environment where watching a flaming sofa drop past your dorm room window is no big deal, peaceable habitation has a way different connotation. But the basics still apply. Only you can say when your generous and tolerant boundaries have been crossed. If your campus living situation interferes significantly with the reason you are there, to be a student, you need to be aware that have choices.

When your campus housing situation becomes more than even you can tolerate there are some essentials which you need to follow through on. Basically they are: talking with your suite mates, talking to the RA, and finally talking to the housing office. If these tactics are ineffective you may wish to simply leave.

If leaving campus housing during the term is your choice you may choose to apply for a re-fund of the remaining balance on your account. Be advised though that, except in the case of an extreme emergency*, housing offices are notoriously reluctant to refund a student's housing fee. So this could take some doing. Essentially, you will have to document in writing why the housing situation is wholly inappropriate. You will also need to show that you have taken all of the recommended steps to adjust and adjust to the situation. You will have to submit this to the housing office and then await an answer. This may take some time. Do not expect a speedy reply and don't expect an affirmative answer. As stated earlier housing offices really don't like to do refunds. So all you can do is try.

So, if you find that you have been sleeping on your friend's aunt's couch rather than go back to your dorm and someone else is using your meal card and you don't care, it may be time to leave campus housing. As with all other campus actions and activities follow the recommended procedures, consider carefully the consequences and move on with your life.

*Extreme emergency is usually defined as an unavoidable situation for example medical condition or family emergency such as a death or other change in the student's ability to continue to occupy the housing assignment. These are very, very rare.

Do you really need your car this term?

Most students on Planet College will be heading back to campus soon. Some will fly. Some will catch a ride with a friend and some will take the bus across town. Many will drive. This post is about just what it says. Do you really need your car this term?

For most students the recession or The Recession, which ever you prefer, is hardly news. Living in pretty nearly a permanent economic drought is something students on Planet College deal with annually. This is why it might be time to consider: Do You Really Need Your Car back at school?

The expenses are obvious, gas, insurance, parking fees, maintenance, etc. They occur daily and they add up. The benefits are clear. Your car offers valuable personal opportunities. As evidence of autonomy and symbols of personal expression cars are unsurpassed. You can drive to The Summit to ski next weekend and you can drive to Padre Island next break. You can pick up friends at the airport and chauffeur most of your crew to a concert.

Benefits vs. liabilities. Ultimately it costs you money. Without your car you would depend on public transportation, your bicycle and friends. You would still be spending money but probably not in such volume.

So, once again, Planet College is about choices: Do you really need your car this term?

Friends, The best thing about Planet College.

The best thing about Planet College is the friends you make while your there. If this seems debatable try this test. Find some one who has been out of school a few years. Five years is good even more, maybe ten. Ask that person what their major was. They may know immediately but it may take a few seconds for them to remember. Ask them what school they actually got their degree from. Again, it may take a few seconds for them to remember which college actually, finally, granted them their degree. Then ask them who their friends were in school. I bet they will tell you right away. What does that tell you? The best thing about college is the friends you make.

Bankruptcy.

This is not a site for legal advice. However because now Bankruptcy has become a serious consideration for student's who maybe mired in debt. The term itself evolved from a time when trading was done by individuals who traded in various items including currency. In the Merchant of Venice, the antagonist, Shylock is a trader. In that drama the gathering place for traders is The Rialto. Trader's in this setting traditionally sat on benches. When a trader went broke he literally smashed his bench. Breaking the bench became the term "bankruptcy". This term evolved to mean going broke and being unable to pay debts.
The legal process now termed "Bankruptcy" is held in a Federal Jurisdiction. The procedure is called a filing and there are several steps involved. Initially the person who is filing must choose which type of bankruptcy they will be filing. This person is called the petitioner. This person obtains the appropriate forms from their local Federal courthouse. The petitioner fills out the forms and returns them to the court with a fee. This fee is for filing. The paperwork is a list of the petitioner's, now termed "debtors" assets and a list of those individuals and institutions to whom money is owed. These are termed creditor's. The court may then notify all of the petitioner's creditors that this individual is filing a Bankruptcy petition. This process can take several months. Eventually the petitioner/debtor will appear before a judge who will examine this petitioner. This judge may ask the debtor as many questions as he or she feels appropriate about the petitioner. The judge may then choose to allow, deny or stay the petition.

The process of filing can often be difficult for students who chose to do so. It is wise to get some legal assistance during the process. Legal assistance usually costs money but often there are clinics and even individuals with legal experience who will donate some time to examine the paperwork. This is important because it is a legal proceeding and everything depends on the paperwork being in order.

Also, though, there is a sizable emotional component to a personal bankruptcy filing. Although the number of bankruptcy filings have increased recently still it is personally extremely distressing. Often feelings of shame and failure accompany this act and it is wise and useful for a student who has chosen bankruptcy to get some emotional support. Emotional support can be found at the campus health center, local support groups, spiritual organizations and other traditional sources of support. Planet College recommends getting every type of help, assistance and support necessary during this time.

A word about "easy."

Some words catch on and become part of the currency of daily living on Planet College. Easy is such a word. It has an attraction, "Easy." Sounds appealing. Take it easy, Easy street. The appeal of "easy" permeates our culture.

Some times students become too captivated by "easy." Often they feel taking the easiest courses or courses which are supposed to be easy is the best way through school. As some students have learned easy isn't always the answer. What is easy for one student is sometimes surprisingly difficult for another.

Rather than remain captivated by the alleged easiness of one course or another it is wise to ease out of 'easy' for the duration of your education. Rather than 'easy' substitute 'degree of difficulty' as a scale for measuring courses. Some courses are simply more or less difficult. If a course is less difficult for you that can free up your time to apply yourself to completing the requirements for more difficult courses.

A successful schedule, like the one coming up next term, is one which contains courses with varying degrees of difficulty. You probably know by now which courses or instructors are more or less difficult in your major. Avoiding difficult courses simply prolongs your time on Planet College and that can get real expensive.

If this has been your approach you may be surprised to learn that most students are stimulated by a difficult course and a challenging instructor. Whereas continuing 'easiness' leads students to boredom and disinterest. This fact is demonstrated on one campus which uses instructor evaluations. Often students have commented, " He made the course too easy." This has not been intended as a complement.

If you are stuck in "easy" you probably aren't making all of the progress possible toward your degree. Next term approach your schedule without the thought of "easy". This time use "degrees of difficulty" as a standard. Schedule a mix of courses which include varying degrees of difficulty. You may be stimulated to apply yourself for the first time. And the results may surprise you.