Top Ten Registration Mistakes Made by College Students

Summer session A at UF just seemed to fly by. Summer B has already begun and students who have enrolled in Summer C classes are about halfway done. Attending college at any time of year can be stressful but the summer just seems to be more hectic because it just goes by so quickly. This is why it’s so important to make sure that you understand the registration process so you can put your limited time to the best possible use. Read on to find out the top 10 registration mistakes made by college students. Get familiar with them so you will not make them!
1. Read all of the fine print in the course catalog- Students tend to get excited about a particular class and don’t check the prerequisites. If you have not taken the prior course in the sequence, then you will not be eligible to take your dream one! Don’t even try to register for it!
2. Check your financial aid status- Make sure that your financial aid is up to date. If it’s not, then you might be paying out of pocket for those classes or begging your parents for money!
3. Follow all of the instructions exactly- If you have an appointment time, make sure you keep it. Whether you are registering in person or online, it’s important to do things exactly as you are instructed to because if you don’t you will just have to do it again.
4. Register as early as possible- Classes tend to fill up quickly especially required ones and classes that tend to be fun. Early registration will prevent you from getting locked out of your favorite class and save you a lot of disappointment.
5. Consider your time restraints- You might dream about graduating a semester early but you need to think about all of your commitments. If you just started a new job or doing an internship, you might want to cut back on your course load. Trying to do too much at once, can just result in poor grades or even course failure.
6. Look at your transcript- Before registration, request a copy of your transcript or look it up online. You might see a chemistry class that you received a poor grade in and it needs to be repeated. Try to do this ASAP.
7. Use the summer to take hard classes- If you have a difficult course that you need to retake or pass, the summer might be an ideal time. Chemistry, biology and math courses tend to be harder and more time consuming. It might be a good idea to think about registering for only one course and giving it your complete attention.
8. Talk to an advisor before registration- Whether you are a graduating senior or an incoming freshmen, it’s always good to get advice from another person before registering. Sometimes they can help you to see the importance for taking classes in a different order then you originally planned.
9. Make class changes early- If you need to drop or add a class, do it right away. This can help you get started on the right track. Waiting too long will make it hard to catch up in the new class or get out of the old one.
10. Have fun- Education is supposed to be a journey to prepare you with the knowledge necessary to succeed in the future and beyond. So make sure you enjoy your time as a student because pretty soon you will be in the real world working everyday wishing you could be a student again!

The Top Ten Healthiest Summer Foods

Summer has arrived in Gainesville! This means humid mornings in the mid 70’s and sweltering afternoons in the mid 90’s! All of this heat may be very uncomfortable but at least brings some great healthy foods that can satisfy your summer appetite and slim down your waistline!
1. Watermelon- This fruit is great for satisfying your hunger and thirst. It is loaded with vitamins A and C which are great antioxidants. It is also rich in potassium and B vitamins. Last but not least, its only 92 calories for two cups! So dig in!
2. Corn- Any summer barbeque would not be complete without a few ears of corn on the cob. Corn is a great source of vitamin C and folic acid. It can also help to prevent heart disease and the high fiber content will prevent you from going back for that second hamburger! So be sure to have an ear or two at your next barbeque!
3. Zucchini- This is an excellent summer vegetable. It comes in many different colors and varieties. Zucchini is loaded with vitamin C which is great for disease prevention. It also has a high water content which can help with weight loss and dieting!
4. Bean Salads- Beans are a great source of fiber which is great for weight loss because that makes you feel full and prevents over eating. There are lots of different varieties such as black, pinto and kidney beans. All you need to do is toss some greens in a bowl, top it off with beans and you are good to go!
5. Iced Tea- Iced tea is great because it can fill you up and is not loaded with a lot of calories. Try all of the varieties from Crystal light and particularly green tea which is loaded with antioxidants and can help with weight loss!
6. Strawberries- They make a great summer treat. Try them with some sugar free cool whip for a great snack less than 100 calories. You can also add them to smoothies. They are loaded with Vitamin C and have plenty of filling fiber!
7. Frozen Yogurt- This is a great way to have a treat and get some extra calcium. Frozen yogurt is a low fat dessert. So if you are craving something sweet, try some. It comes in a variety of flavors. Top it off with some fruit for extra vitamins and fiber!
8. Melons- Melons are an excellent summer fruit as well. They are loaded with vitamin C and other antioxidants. Try a cup of cantaloupe or honey dew for a great treat less than 100 calories!
9. Chilled Soups-When you think of soup, you may think of comfort food on a cold winter day. But cool soups can help you feel fuller and eat less at mealtime. They just need to be consumed at the beginning of a meal. Good examples are cucumber dill or gazpacho.
10. Tomatoes- Last but not least are tomatoes. Tomatoes are a great source of lycopene and vitamin C. They can help prevent cancer and fill you up with fiber! So add them to your salad and your meals.
We have only scratched the surface discussing ideas for healthy eating during the summer months! Just be creative and look for filling foods without a lot of calories! Happy Eating!

Another Tuition Hike for Undergraduate UF Students?

Let’s begin our journey into the world of politics by exploring a simple political issue that is close to home. I found out about this issue just from reading the Alligator and Gainesville.com. So here is a practical example of ways to become more politically informed. In this blog entry, I will just explain the issue and you can feel free to leave feedback for me in the comments section of my blog.
Each year, Florida universities are allowed to raise tuition by 5 percent. However, this year, Governor Charlie Christ passed a new law to raise tuition for undergraduates by $5.79 per credit hour. The reason that this increase is so high has to do with a special fee that was added in. Forty percent of this new fee will be used to support the Gator Grad Care program. A lot of undergraduates will find this to be unfair because they are paying for services that do not apply to them.
According to Gainesville.com, this tuition increase would help the University deal with state budget cuts. In the past, the Bright Futures scholarship program covered these increases, but in this case it will not. Only Florida Prepaid recipients will continue to have their costs covered. Gainesville.com also gives a pretty good practical example of how tuition increases would affect a typical undergraduate. The average undergraduate student taking 30 credits a year would pay about $4,732! The national average is about $6,500!
Well, are you impressed? You now have more political knowledge then when the day began. It’s really simple. All you need to do is read about an issue and form an opinion. This will help you to develop political knowledge about things that can affect your life every day. Access to political information is a nice privilege that we have as part of being part of a democracy. Until next time, keep reading and being informed! Don’t forget suggestions for new political blogs and welcomed and encouraged!

The Ultimate Guide to Summer in Gainesville

Each fall approximately, 50,000 students are enrolled in the University of Florida. These students cause Gainesville’s population of 125,000 to increase to about 175,000 people in less than a month! That is a lot of people. What about the summer session? Well, enrollment drops down to ½ of the fall session which means that approximately, 25, 000 students attend UF. Therefore, the population decreases to about 100,000. With these numbers in mind, what can 100,000 people who remain in Gainesville during the summer do for entertainment? Well, the city of Gainesville has lots of great things going on. Read onto find out more information.
Downtown Arts Festival
This is a biannual event that takes place every spring and fall. It usually draws about 100,000 people. 2010 is the 29th year of the festival which displays work of over 250 artists. It’s a great place to spend the day and possibly purchase a unique piece of artwork or jewelry. Be sure to check out the next one in November. They will be selling holiday gifts so you can get a head start on that Christmas shopping!
Let’s Go Downtown Free Fridays Concert Series
For the music lovers out there, this series provides an excellent opportunity for people to see a free concert every Friday night. The series started on May 7 and will run through October. Bring a blanket and be prepared to enjoy the music of local and regional bands!
Yulee Railroad Tradition
For those history buffs out there, you can join a 6 year tradition. During the first week in June, there is an annual parade in Archer to celebrate the David Levy Yulee’s Florida railroad. There will be live entertainment, a patriotic parade and even some gospel music.
Well, this listing is just the tip of the iceberg. You might want to contact the Gainesville Association for the Creative Arts for more information about summer workshops. Memorial Day weekend was the unofficial start of summer and this means that city pools are now open. If you are a good swimmer and want some extra cash, working as a life guard might a great summer job for you!
Check out http://www.gvlculturalaffairs.org/ for more information on events in Gainesville not only during the summer but all year long.

Neutral Politics for College Students: An Introduction

You might be shocked to see that I am writing a blog about politics. Most of my blogs seem to be focused on health and nutrition which is my area of expertise but I think it’s time to explore a new field. Many people don’t know that I have Bachelors and Masters degrees in Political Science which would indicate that I know everything about politics. Let me be honest with you, I don’t have a lot of political knowledge but I think it’s time for me to learn. I stepped out of the political arena after getting disgusted with the domination of the two dueling major parties- Republicans and Democrats. Now I think it’s time to put my degree into practice and share my journey with you.
Let’s start with some interesting facts from recent surveys of general political knowledge at people-press.org. Only about 56% of Americans were able to correctly answer a survey about the number of women currently serving in the Supreme Court. Only 15% of young people between the ages of 18 and 29 had any type of active involvement with politics. How can we fix this problem? Well, I think that we can start by becoming actively informed about political issues. But first, we need to understand the term politics.
Politics is defined very nicely by Wikipedia as “a process by which groups of people make collective decisions”. We usually associate politics with the government but it can apply to anything from your academics to your work environment. Politics is everywhere!
You might be ask, “How I can become a more active participant in politics in my community?” Well, here are 5 quick tips to get you started!
Tip 1- Read the Newspapers- A great place to start is to read the local newspaper everyday including any on campus publications. Try to pay attention to the political section.
Tip 2- Watch the News- Try to watch a variety of news shows. Don’t limit yourself to those with a conservative or liberal bias. Just pay attention to the issues and try to find all types of different views.
Tip 3- Volunteer- It’s important to get some hands on political experience. Spend the day as an election volunteer or just try to get involved in a student government campaign. Either of these strategies will help your political involvement.
Tip 4- Read blogs- You can find some interesting information by reading a political blog. Any of the ones online will do. Just try to find one that you like and be consistent.
Tip 5- Take a class- Knowledge is power. You can enroll in a political science class at UF or online. It will help to build your political knowledge. You might even be able to find one that counts toward your degree.
Now that you have your tool kit, its time to take action. Pick one of the above steps and put it into practice for a week. The results may surprise you. Well, next time in political blog land, we will explore some political issues that affect UF students! Until next time!