College-Style |
| College Identity and Setting Goals Posted: 04 Aug 2011 08:17 AM PDT By: Lori of University of Georgia. Follow me @forestrobin37. The hit TV show Glee, with its boatload of teen problems, is great for entertainment purposes, but it is not very realistic in depicting the average high school experience. However, the writers did get something right– about college life, though. At McKinley High, the students there are identified based on what groups they're a part of (glee club, the football team, the cheerleading squad, the AV Club, etc.). I've found that the same can be said about college. Past the labeling of high school, which is often dominated by stereotypes of what types of people you're hanging out with (see the hilarious lunchroom scene of Mean Girls), your identity in college (how you come to see yourself and how others see you) is defined less by who you're with and more by what you do and the establishments you're a part of, whether those are societies, groups, clubs or sororities/fraternities. Keep in mind I'm talking about your identity as a student rather than as a person. There are, of course, exceptions, but for the most part, I have found that people like to compartmentalize others based on their associations with various groups. In a bigger population of students, we recognize acquaintances as "the outspoken guy from the debate society" or "the sorority girl that lives in my dorm."
John Belushi from Animal House was known for his involvement with the Delta House Fraternity UGA's campus was just named the third most hipster university in the nation by The Huffington Post and given my affiliation with one of the most indie establishments on campus, the local radio station (you can call me DJ Yoshimi), and my involvement with the artsy downtown Athens scene, I suppose by default I would be lumped in with all the quirky-glasses-wearing, "I smoke, but I still care about the environment" hipsters around Athens (No, I don’t smoke, but yes, I do admit to owning a few pairs of quirky glasses). Because I was passionate about the arts scene in Athens, though, I put in the time and effort and made sure that I was a part of it. In the process, I have met some really great people and enhanced my college experience.
But I guess that's the big lesson to be learned: that unlike the cut-and-dried, formulaic set-up of high school, your college experience becomes what you make of it. There is a whole world of opportunities, so many more than high school, which can be taken or passed-up. I know people that stayed in their dorm rooms and played video games whenever they weren't in class. I also know people that became leaders and major contributors to their groups or clubs in their freshman year. I met people that never hung out with anyone besides those in their ethnic group or never befriended people outside the honors society. I even met some people that made a point of being familiar with every area of their campus. I don't say that any of these choices is right or wrong, but knowing what your ambitions are and who you want to be will dictate how people recognize you and what kind of experience you'll have by the time you're ready to graduate. Setting Goals
Making goals for yourself, whether strictly for academics or for college life in general, can ensure that you will make the most of your college experience. Try making a list of things you want to accomplish by the time you graduate (kind of like a bucket list). Be assertive. Challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone and set deadlines for some of your goals. Particularly if you’re an incoming freshman, setting goals for your first year about meeting new people, building relationships with professors, and finding new opportunities to be a part of will be key to enjoying your first year. I would definitely have done some things differently with my freshman year in college. Some of my goals are to get a job as a barista by the time I graduate, to be familiar with all the bus routes on campus, to become a staff member on a magazine or newspaper on campus (or more than one), to take some internships, to attend more sports events, to study abroad at least once, to meet more people outside my classes and to be more involved with volunteer work around the campus. Thoughts?What are some of the goals on your list for college? What are some of the groups that you’re very involved in on campus? Let us know! |
| Posted: 04 Aug 2011 03:37 AM PDT By: AJ of University of Georgia. Follow me @arrrcher. So, you may or may not know that I’ve done a post on what the stylish girl should wear her first day back to school. That, of course, was only half the battle. As the singer Usher Raymond once said: “You know I do it for the ladies, but I gotta keep it hood.” I’m going to do just that. Although us guys may not be able to sashay into class and bat our eyes to an A, we can still look our best and leave a stinging impression on everyone else in the class. “Who is he? So debonair. So listen … can I have your number? Can I have it?” Monday, Wednesday, Friday
This outfit, much like the MWF outfit I created for women, relies heavily on stripes. Although the colors don’t exactly hint towards it being summer, I allowed the style of the outfit — T-shirt, shorts and sandals — to do that for me and did my own thing with the colors. The lighter color is a kind of salmon color, which plays nicely off the navy blue. I threw on some navy blue linen shorts. They look nice with the navy on the shirt and, in addition, the linen is a really easy way to stay cool in such dark colors. I went with the sandals because they are super comfortable and walking around campus in them isn’t a painful hassle. Sandals like Chacos may be a bit on the expensive side, but they are a solid investment and will save your feet. I was a little concerned about them being black, but they are far enough away that it really doesn’t matter. If I had my black Ray-Ban Wayfarers on me I would have thrown those on, too, because I think they look super nice on shirts that look a bit nautical. Tuesday, Thursday
This outfit is a very basic concept that I encourage you, the reader, to build on. I constantly wear white v-neck T-shirts over every pair of shorts I own, including these black denim cutoffs. It’s an almost-too-casual approach to getting ready in the morning, but it’s easy and comfortable so I deal. I decided that, if it’s going to be the first thing people see me in, I should probably add something extra too it. Thus came the third piece: the suspenders. I decided on red suspenders for that extra pop of color — and because, let’s face it, I’m a Georgia bulldog. I think it adds a certain je ne sais quoi to the outfit. I would have liked to expand my ideas, but I will leave that to you all. Add a button-down shirt to the mix, try a dress short, or add some black desert boot instead of the sandals. Get creative! Thoughts?Are the outfits I put together something you would wear? If so, send us pictures! If not, what would you change up to keep things stylish? |
| You are subscribed to email updates from College Style | Fashion Tips & Trends for College Students | Apartment & Dorm Decorating To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 comments:
Post a Comment