The Best Apps For Students
Michelle Balaun2020-11-10T13:02:44-05:00UF and College Studying Apps Remember when you were in college and everything you needed was easily accessible via apps on your phone? No? Well, me eith [...]
The Stress of College
Michelle Balaun2020-06-01T12:23:24-04:00The Stress of College Stress. It affects all of us, including our kids. Honestly, what do we expect from balancing a full schedule, the welcome distract [...]
PACE Yourself
Michelle Balaun2020-06-12T14:23:31-04:00Pathway to Campus Enrollment In 2015, UF launched a new enrollment program called PaCE, Pathway to Campus Enrollment. PaCE is a program designed to meet [...]
Tutoring
HUH Expert Parent2020-09-17T23:22:37-04:00Tutoring Can Help Like students at many other highly sought-after colleges, those who attend UF will be faced with challenging classes taught by respect [...]
Spring Sports are fun in the sports!
Michelle Balaun2020-05-14T16:11:21-04:00There is always more than football! Spring may not feature the iconic collegiate sport of football, but there are tons of other sports to enjoy! (Don't [...]
Beauty and the Beast
Michelle Balaun2021-06-10T14:57:30-04:00Beauty and the Beast It's not just for fairy tales. Getting that beauty treatment makes her happy. As the mother of girls (one who's a performer), I kno [...]
Are Your Student’s Valuables Safe – Everything Safe?
Michelle Balaun2020-06-26T15:52:10-04:00How Safe Is Their Stuff? One more thing to worry about: is the stuff safe? Right up there on the anxiety ladder along with the call from my college daug [...]
Reitz Union Football Lottery – Bet You Already Knew That!
Michelle Balaun2019-12-18T18:33:15-05:00Reitz Union Football Lottery Reitz Union Football Lottery...HaveUHeard? Due to the tremendous demand for rooms at the Reitz Union Hotel during the Unive [...]
Staying Fit and Keeping Freshman 15 At Bay
Michelle Balaun2020-08-19T11:29:03-04:00Freshman 15, Keeping Fit! Keeping fit matters. It helps mentally as well as physically. The phrase “Freshman 15” has its own claim to fame, actually inf [...]
Getting There – Transportation
HUH Expert Parent2019-12-18T18:30:07-05:00Trains, Planes, and Automobiles...All the Transportation You Can Think Of Freshmen who bring their cars will quickly learn that parking during the fall [...]
More Veggies if you please! Here are our pleasing choices.
Michelle Balaun2020-11-05T12:07:29-05:00Vegan-Vegetarian Dining, love veggies. When my older daughter left for UF, she was a carnivore. In fact, one of her last meals at home was her dad’s ste [...]
Eating on a Budget
Michelle Balaun2020-07-09T16:45:35-04:00Budget Eating Is Possible Keeping your college kid eating while at the same time balancing their food budget is a real challenge. Through the years, I h [...]
Graduation at UF
Michelle Balaun2023-12-20T09:57:14-05:00Remember When... Remember when our kids were little and we couldn’t imagine them ever leaving us and going off to college? Now, if you're anything like [...]
Books, Books, Books
Michelle Balaun2020-08-20T14:51:36-04:00Book Time A lot has changed since I was a student, but one thing has not: Textbooks are expensive! Sure, the format differs, but the cost for books and [...]
Controversial Speakers
Michelle Balaun2020-06-16T14:44:11-04:00Is Free Expression, Controversial? UF is a melting pot with diverse people from different backgrounds and beliefs. No matter who you are, UF makes sure [...]
I’m Not Your Maid, but here is a solution
Michelle Balaun2020-09-04T15:16:26-04:00Cleaning Maid Services Needed? I never thought I would be saying this, but sometimes it is actually a good idea to hire a cleaning service for your stud [...]
Fix it! Repair it!
Michelle Balaun2020-07-10T00:15:18-04:00Repair Shops Car, scooter, or bike, oh my! At UF, you will find all in large numbers. Talk to any student about which is the most useful at UF and you’ [...]
Flu Season Ahead, Wash Your Hands!
Michelle Balaun2020-09-29T13:48:13-04:00The Flu ends with “U” It’s that season again – and I don’t mean hurricanes. Flu season generally runs from October through May, peaking in December. Giv [...]
Searching for Scholarships – Find Your Way
Michelle Balaun2020-08-19T20:01:51-04:00Searching for Scholarships Congratulations on Your Child Being Accepted! Now that that’s settled, the idea of actually paying for college looms. Hopefu [...]
Register to Vote UF
Michelle Balaun2020-09-11T15:58:19-04:00How to Have Your Vote Count While at College No matter where you are on Election Day, your vote counts! Voting is so important that we're giving the top [...]
Food for Thought – Some Students Need Help
Michelle Balaun2020-07-01T15:13:46-04:00No Student Hungry, Food for All! Much like the young students featured in the national campaign, No Kid Hungry®, there are many students at colleges thr [...]
Volunteering Turns Your Compassion into Action
Michelle Balaun2019-12-19T10:40:37-05:00Volunteering with passion is key. From personal experience, I have found that those who volunteer with passion and find purpose in their work also gain [...]
Dropping A Class
Michelle Balaun2020-09-20T15:09:24-04:00Dropping the Subject Will it be okay when you think dropping a class is the best choice? When my daughter was a junior, she decided to take a very heavy [...]
Is an A Really an A in your GPA?
Michelle Balaun2020-09-14T00:25:17-04:00Those Pluses and Minuses Do Count! In 2020, the University of Florida continues its rise, being named to the No. 6 spot in the U.S. News & World Rep [...]
Want Easy? Get on the Bus!
Michelle Balaun2020-06-24T15:26:00-04:00A Guide to Gainesville’s Bus System Getting to and from campus can be stressful-worrying about arriving to class on time with Gainesville morning and ev [...]
Sorting Out College Life – A Guide to Laundry
Michelle Balaun2020-07-20T11:38:31-04:00Laundry, the worst chore ever! I spent my daughter’s senior year of high school teaching her how to do laundry. I even tried using enticements (aka brib [...]
Restaurants for Dinner Time
Michelle Balaun2020-08-18T03:06:10-04:00Dinner, Early or Late! Considering you will make many trips to UF to visit your student over the next four years (or more), it is well worth exploring t [...]
Restaurants
Michelle Balaun2020-04-17T01:18:29-04:00Hundreds of Dining Options Like any college town, there are literally hundreds of dining options from fast food to fast-casual, from family-style to fi [...]
Finding a Roommate at The Swamp!
Michelle Balaun2019-12-19T13:35:01-05:00Adjusting to shared living with a roommate. When I got into the University of Florida, my biggest dream came true. I had envisioned my four years at The [...]
Working While in College
Michelle Balaun2020-11-10T13:02:16-05:00Working or Not Working, That is the Question. Some students have to work to pay for college. Some consider their school work their only job and are fort [...]
It’s All About the Delivery, get it now!
Michelle Balaun2020-09-15T12:50:24-04:00Delivery is the way To Go! Taking time away from studying to eat a meal sometimes feels impossible. Your student's choice can often mean the difference [...]
Retail Therapy
HUH Expert Parent2019-12-19T13:35:56-05:00A Little Retail Therapy You will find almost every major box store including Target, Walmart, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Family Dollar Store, TJ [...]
What Not to Bring with You to College
Michelle Balaun2020-04-28T11:03:09-04:00You really don't need that at college! If you haven’t started shopping for your incoming college freshman yet, whether for things for their dorm or clot [...]
Student Accessibility Services
Michelle Balaun2019-12-19T13:33:14-05:00Accessibility Accommodations for all students. My daughter has several friends that require special accessibility accommodations for their disability; s [...]
Parking at UF – It’s Not As Easy As It Sounds!
Michelle Balaun2019-12-19T13:42:06-05:00Get that last spot! You sent them to college with a car and they are grateful. However, although it will make a weekly Publix run easier, no one really [...]
Technology Needs for UF Students
Michelle Balaun2020-08-18T03:24:37-04:00HaveUHeard that Microsoft Office 365 technology is free? No need to clean your glasses! It says exactly what you thought it did: Free technology for all [...]
Who You Going to Call?
Michelle Balaun2020-05-14T16:06:08-04:00...When You Need Answers Here is the important contact info you need to have. Over the years there have only been a few times that I, as a parent, have [...]
Preparing for Grad School Exams
Michelle Balaun2021-05-07T13:14:16-04:00More exams, the fun keeps going! It may seem like you just finished studying for the ACTs and SATs and left for college. Time sure does fly when homewor [...]
Move In? All the Tips and Tricks to Making it Easy
HUH Expert Parent2020-06-12T12:26:57-04:00Move-In Date! Apartments and Dorms Your student has been given their move-in date and dorm/residence assignment! Now begins the process of handling what [...]
Pets in School
Michelle Balaun2020-11-10T13:01:52-05:00Take Your Dog (Or Cat) to College? We have cats who my Gator daughter misses dearly. And dogs are called "man's best friend" for a reason. Let’s face i [...]
Entertainment
HUH Expert Parent2020-01-10T16:42:54-05:00More than Football...Entertainment That's entertainment! Are you looking for more than the typical? The Hippodrome, a downtown landmark, is a must-see [...]
Taking the Campus Tour Helps You Decide
Michelle Balaun2020-09-14T01:02:11-04:00A Tour Can Help You Make Your College Decision 'Tis the season for campus tours. Yes, we know. Many of you have already visited a LOT of schools. But no [...]
Hotels
HUH Expert Parent2020-09-01T12:23:38-04:00A Nice Place to Stay Although it won't seem like it on a busy weekend, there are definitely plenty of hotel options for your visit to Gainesville. Remem [...]
U Matter We Care at UF
HUH Expert Parent2019-12-19T13:52:01-05:00We Really Do Care We know you care too! Now you have your college student moved in and they are ready to embark on a new independent life. As a parent, [...]
ProctorU – Online Test Taking
Michelle Balaun2020-09-30T23:08:22-04:00Online Test Taking for Today’s Students Believe it or not, online test-taking can answer as many questions as it asks! At a university the size of UF, t [...]
Car Giving Them Problems?
Michelle Balaun2019-12-19T13:52:39-05:00Car Problems? Fix-It here! Many students, my daughters included, bring cars to UF. They like the freedom of being able to go to the store, drive home, [...]
Lost and Found
Michelle Balaun2020-04-28T14:51:42-04:00Oh No...It Happened! It's Lost. Have you ever lost anything really important before? My daughter spent the summer studying abroad. She was warned about [...]
Homecoming at UF
Michelle Balaun2020-09-17T17:12:43-04:00Gator Growl? Being part of a huge Gator Family (16 of us went to UF including my 90-year-old uncle when it was an all-boys school); I have been to my sh [...]