Let it snow!

The first snow of the year always brings about some new experiences for college freshman. Hopefully by now everyone has their winter gear; although you probably laughed at your parents when they used to tell you to zip up your coat and put on a scarf, you will find yourself doing so voluntarily, regardless of how goofy you think you look. It’s hard to imagine how cold your extremities can get merely walking to class, but you should be sure to take extra precautions to stay warm. Also, if you are one to go to the gym and work out, be sure to bundle up when walking back to your dorm or apartment because not doing so will surely result in a cold. Make sure your upper body is warm, and try to cover your head with a hat or a hood. Also, not covering your legs could result in cramping.

Walking to and from class after a fresh snow can be tricky. First of all, you want to make sure that you wear shoes with good traction; my friend and I counted nine people who slipped and fell on ice on our way to class this morning. It’s also smart to wear gloves to keep your hands warm. If you don’t wear gloves you will end up putting your hands in your pockets, which reduces your ability to balance or catch yourself if you slip. Another recommendation: dress in layers. Although this may seem somewhat obvious, it really is crucial. In order to prevent getting sick over the winter months be sure to bundle up, even just to walk to class. However, as soon as you get to class it’s not unusual to find yourself sweating, in which case layers come in handy.

One last thing to look out for after a fresh snow… Today when I was walking on campus I could hear a loud noise coming from the roof of a building. A few people moved off of the sidewalk away from the building, so I followed suit, unaware of why they were doing so. Sure enough, a few seconds later huge chunks of ice came crashing down onto the sidewalk from the roof. I was glad the people I had been walking near had known what was about to happen. So beware of sliding ice; this tends to happen in the afternoon when the sun starts to melt the snow and ice, causing it to slide off rooftops.

Gearing Up for Christmas Break

The semester is quickly coming to a close, and soon we will all be able to relax with our families for three glorious weeks. I know when that last final is done I am going to pack up in record time and head towards home, but don’t leave in such a hurry that you forget to do a few very important things…

1. Take everything out of your refrigerator that will perish, unplug it, and put a towel in the bottom to catch water when the fridge thaws. And make sure you empty the ice cube trays in the mini freezer. We forgot to last year and had quite a lot more water than expected to clean up.
2. Take out all trash
3. Unplug all appliance for fire safety reasons (maintenance will do it if you forget, but it will make their jobs easier if you do it)
4. Loosen laundry detergent bottles otherwise when the room gets warm they will leak from the pressure (I've seen it happen...you don't want that mess)
   
5. Close windows and blinds
6. Turn heat down (but not off) to prevent coming back to a sauna
7. Take home any summer clothes and shoes in your closet to make room for winter sweaters, boots, etc
8. Clean out your desk from first semester and throw away anything you don’t want. When you come back from break you’ll be really glad you already cleaned out your stuff
   
9. Bring home class notes, binders, and books that you won’t need next semester
10. Sell back texts books if possible (you'll probably want that money over break)
    
11. Find out what books you’ll need spring semester. You can order them online over break (www.half.com) for less. That way they will arrive in time for the start of classes.
12. Organize pictures from fall semester to share with your family and friends or to print at home.

IU vs PU...

Since day one I fell in love with Purdue, but I never truly appreciated this fine establishment we call home until I got to visit Indiana University. Although IU is a good state school, there are quite a few things that I noticed that make Purdue, in my opinion, a better school all around…

1. Purdue’s campus is much less spread out than IU’s. This means shorter walks to classes and parties!
2. One word: food. I have personally experienced a few of IU’s dining halls and friends from IU have experienced Purdue’s Ford Dining Hall and the decision was unanimous: the food at Purdue is ten times better than the food at IU.
3. Reputation. Degree’s from Purdue are taken seriously all around the country, where as IU’s reputation as a huge party school has stuck.
4. Dorm life. When I visited IU I noticed a few things about dorm life. First of all, students have to have a key to enter the building, the floor, and their room. This means it’s much harder to stop by and say high to friends or to look for help with homework. Also, in Owen where I live at Purdue, everyone’s door is always open and everyone is friendly; at IU the doors are shut and the general dorm atmosphere is much less open and enjoyable.
5. Parties: although IU is a very fun party campus, it’s also very risky. IU students get drinking tickets and get arrested far more often than students at Purdue. The cops at Purdue are more easy-going and generally just try to keep the peace and make sure everyone is safe rather than try to get everyone in trouble, which is always a plus for the students.
6. The Greek life at Purdue is much bigger than that at IU. This means more registered parties to go to so you don’t have to take the risk of going to house parties and getting in trouble with the cops.

There’s no doubt that IU is a great school, but anyone trying to decide between these two rival state schools should take a look at the facts and get the inside scoop from students who have experienced both schools: Boiler Up!

Attention: Lock Your Room Doors

The Purdue police just issued a warning to all students living in the dorms to keep their rooms locked whenever they are not in the room due to recent burglaries. Early this morning eight rooms in Tarkington Hall and two rooms in Wiley Hall were robbed while the students were sleeping. Detective Lt. Fred Davis reported that the thieves took ten laptops, six iPods, two wallets, and one camera totaling $18,000 worth of stolen items.

Make sure to lock your doors especially at night. Lock your door even if you go across the hall to your friend’s room or to the bathroom. I know it’s a pain, but it’s worth it to prevent being burglarized. You might not think that anyone in your hall would steal from you; however, you never know who might wander into your hall and steal from you.