The First Few Weeks
Michelle Balaun2019-12-13T15:38:06-05:00We completed the drop. We unloaded the car in the treacherous Florida heat and we set up their rooms. The bed was made, everything had been put away and [...]
Garnet Fever & Good as Gold Nole
Michelle Balaun2020-08-24T13:28:44-04:00Putting Together Great Nole Outfits I love going to FSU football games- there is nothing like game day. HaveUHeard how FSU got its colors? In 1904 and 1 [...]
Food for Thought
Michelle Balaun2020-07-01T15:02:08-04:00No Student Hungry Much like the national campaign No Kid Hungry®, there are many students at colleges throughout the United States that are barely getti [...]
Bucket List FSU
Michelle Balaun2020-09-15T12:21:27-04:00Check out these 'Nole' things to do! If you have committed to becoming a Nole, there are a few things that you might want to check out over your next fo [...]
Making the Most of Summer C
Michelle Balaun2020-03-23T14:31:17-04:00This Can Be the Best Summer Ever! If you’re starting FSU during the summer, get ready for an amazing start to four years of college ahead of you. Summer [...]
Working While Attending College FSU
Michelle Balaun2020-11-10T12:22:49-05:00Need a job? Working it! Some students have to work to pay for college, some consider their school work their only job and fortunately don’t have to find [...]
Being Thrifty
Michelle Balaun2020-06-29T09:19:45-04:00When You Need to be Thrifty and Stay on Budget With the never-ending date functions and themed events, buying something at the full retail price can lea [...]
Favorite Apartment Rentals at College
Michelle Balaun2020-05-09T13:58:27-04:00Here are our most favorite apartment tips on rentals. Rentals, it is the future. Not one of my kids or their friends stayed in the dorms beyond their fr [...]
Student Jobs
Michelle Balaun2019-12-13T16:08:06-05:00Some students have to work to pay for college. Some consider their school work their only job and fortunately don’t have to find work outside their stud [...]
The Best Apps For Students
Michelle Balaun2020-08-21T16:52:13-04:00FSU and College Studying Apps Remember when you were in college and everything was easily accessible via apps on your phone? No? Well, me either. Our ki [...]
Health Insurance
Michelle Balaun2020-10-15T11:07:14-04:00Get clear on all the health plans. Students at many colleges today must have a health insurance plan that meets their university’s minimum requirement. [...]
Auxiliary Fees for Online Classes
Michelle Balaun2020-09-30T12:08:25-04:00Who Pays for Auxiliary Fees for Online Classes? There is no denying that college tuition, itself, is a huge expense; however, on top of the cost, Have u [...]
Diversity and Inclusion for LGBTQ College Students
Michelle Balaun2020-07-10T17:38:13-04:00LGBTQ Campus Support and Resources College can be challenging for all students which is why finding ways to make connections with others who identify si [...]
Supervise an Easy Budget for Your College Student
Michelle Balaun2020-10-19T10:50:24-04:00This is a budget lesson that will serve you in the future! Some students actually keep to a budget. I know this is true because I have had three of my o [...]
Because Balance Is Important
Michelle Balaun2019-12-13T16:25:44-05:00Leach and Campus Rec FSU Going to college isn’t just about studying; no matter what parents think. Finding your balance while at school is incredibly im [...]
Preparing for Grad School Exams
Michelle Balaun2021-05-07T13:13:15-04:00The Fun Continues... I know it feels like you just finished studying for the ACT/SAT’s and left for college, but before you know it, graduation will be [...]
Sorting Out College Life – A Guide to Laundry
Michelle Balaun2019-12-13T16:32:14-05:00Tisket-Tasket, sorting the clothes in baskets... I tried to teach my kids to do the laundry before they each left for college. Really. I did. Yet, someh [...]
Meal Plans
Michelle Balaun2020-06-30T16:22:58-04:00Burgers and Pizza and Fries… Oh my… A Guide to Meal Plans Some of us will miss those family dinners. Others will find some relief. Either way, we all wa [...]
Campus Resources for Students of Color
Michelle Balaun2020-07-27T09:51:53-04:00Campus Guide to Resources for Multicultural Students Campus diversity amongst students has grown considerably over the years and FSU vies to maintain an [...]
Is an A really an A?
Michelle Balaun2019-12-13T16:40:52-05:00Those Pluses and Minuses Do Count! Florida State University is moderately selective and expects you to meet its requirements for GPA and SAT/ACT scores [...]
ProctorU – Online Test Taking at FSU
Michelle Balaun2020-04-29T11:17:10-04:00Online Test-Taking For Today’s Students **While FSU is online, they will be using Honorlock** Proctored test process updates, and watch for communicatio [...]
FSU Coronavirus Update
Michelle Balaun2020-09-18T11:23:03-04:00Update on Latest Plans Seems like finding the right update in this unusual time is tricky. I don’t think I have ever used the word unprecedented as much [...]
Flu Season Ahead
Michelle Balaun2020-10-02T14:18:00-04:00The Flu ends with “U” It’s that season again – and I don’t mean hurricanes. Flu season is generally from October through May. Given that the flu is easi [...]
Volunteering Turns Your Compassion into Action
Michelle Balaun2020-09-01T12:05:06-04:00There are many reasons... Volunteering lets you give back to the community to make a difference in the world, to gain experience, and to change a person [...]
Student Accessibility Resources
Michelle Balaun2020-06-29T16:45:23-04:00Everyone Has a Right to Easy Accessibility When my oldest began college, which can feel tremendous by way of size alone compared to high school, she was [...]
21 and Oh So Fun
Michelle Balaun2020-10-26T15:13:37-04:00Time for fun and "Adulting" My daughter turned 21 in June of her junior year at FSU as do many students. Being that it was officially summer break, they [...]
Scholarships
Michelle Balaun2020-08-21T14:07:34-04:00Now you'll need to pay for that college! Almost as soon as the first acceptance to college came in, so did the idea of actually having to pay for their [...]
The Stress of College
Michelle Balaun2020-06-01T12:39:10-04:00Stress. It happens to all of us, including our kids. As though a full schedule and trying to maintain a social life isn’t enough to cause a little stres [...]
Orientation, Find Out About Your School
Michelle Balaun2020-05-16T17:56:51-04:00Overwhelm Potential Orientation for incoming freshmen for summer and fall 2020 will look different than the blog below describes. Due to unprecedented t [...]
Moving Out
Michelle Balaun2020-11-11T10:24:32-05:00Moving Out Moving out can be almost as hectic as moving into the dorms and apartments. It did not make sense for us to drag the entire dorm supplies hom [...]
Lost and Found – Try this first
Michelle Balaun2020-01-29T13:51:21-05:00Oh No...It Happened! My daughter spent the summer studying abroad. She was warned about pickpockets by friends. And, she has made it through almost two [...]
Is It Safe? All that stuff at school?
Michelle Balaun2019-12-13T17:05:56-05:00Is Their Stuff Safe? Right up there with the call from my college daughter that she lost her phone, keys, student ID, (fill in the blank), is the call y [...]
Where the Wind Blows
Michelle Balaun2020-10-07T12:29:48-04:00South Florida Native, Knows About Wind Having grown up in South Florida, I have gone through more than 40 Hurricane seasons, talk about wind! I prepared [...]
After The Hurricane, here’s what you can do.
Michelle Balaun2019-12-13T17:15:23-05:00Post-Hurricane Prior to Hurricane Dorian, our blog talked a lot about Hurricane Irma which definitely left Floridians on their toes. Hurricane Irma will [...]
Cultural Resources for Hispanic-Latino Students
Michelle Balaun2020-08-18T15:18:38-04:00Support, Empowerment, and Connection for Hispanic-Latino Students Campus diversity amongst Hispanic-Latino students has grown considerably over the year [...]
Rushing His Way, the Fraternity way
Michelle Balaun2019-12-13T17:17:39-05:00Frat. Rush. For parents of incoming freshmen, you have probably started to hear about the fraternity rush. The way rush is handled for fraternities is r [...]
Managing the Gap
Michelle Balaun2019-12-13T17:19:03-05:00Where Will They Live During the Gap? Although it feels like you just moved your students into their dorms, you now have to move them out. The worst part [...]
Stay Fit in School, it Helps Your Grades!
Michelle Balaun2020-09-01T10:58:57-04:00It's Easy to Stay Fit! Note: Fitness schedules have changed; some are in person and others are virtual. Check out FSU's new fitness class schedules here [...]
Technology Services
Michelle Balaun2020-08-13T13:30:53-04:00Check Out What You Get for Free! HaveUHeard that Microsoft Office 365 is free for all enrolled FSU Students? For information about downloading this hel [...]
Care Packages for FSU Students
Michelle Balaun2021-02-17T11:48:29-05:00Who doesn’t enjoy getting a care package delivered? We know you really care, you care a lot about your student and want them to be happy. Whether it is [...]
Honor Roll at FSU
Michelle Balaun2020-06-10T16:37:24-04:00Did you get an envelope? It is that time of year when students receive notifications that they have made a collegiate scholar society. The cream-colored [...]
Get Involved
Michelle Balaun2020-08-10T15:00:15-04:00Be a Part of the Action, Join the Fun With an undergraduate enrollment of nearly 33,000, set in Florida’s capital city, FSU spans 476 acres. It seems hu [...]
So your student wants to be a Seminole?
Michelle Balaun2020-10-28T12:21:08-04:00The Truth... I don’t blame them; FSU is a great university right down to the beautiful brick buildings, deep-seated traditions, and is filled with oppor [...]
Transferring to FSU
Michelle Balaun2020-05-26T11:18:20-04:00Change is good. Some students leave for college unsure of what to find and realize when they get there it is not the place for them. Perhaps too they ne [...]
Career Showcase: A Student’s Perspective
Michelle Balaun2020-08-28T13:30:36-04:00Choosing a major is not only a big decision but a difficult one. For assistance in selecting a program of study, FSU has many resources to aid in studen [...]
Best Coffee Shops at FSU
Michelle Balaun2020-10-21T16:06:17-04:00Coffee, Cup of Joe, a Cuppa, Java Caffeine is king for most college students and, while generally the most economically savvy way of getting it is makin [...]
Finding an Internship
Michelle Balaun2020-09-09T14:33:07-04:00Get some experience, get an internship! What better way to learn about a prospective field or career than to do an internship? What better way is there [...]
Make the Call
Michelle Balaun2019-12-13T17:35:48-05:00Make the Call to Admissions A distraught friend recently called me wondering why they hadn’t yet heard from FSU although they sent in her son’s new SAT [...]