Beauty & The Beast, keeping it right.
Michelle Balaun2021-06-10T14:58:10-04:00Is That How Your Favorite Fairy Tale Begins? When getting ready to go to college, you plan your dorm room, pick out classes, figure out a meal plan, etc [...]
Advice I’d Give My Freshman Self
Michelle Balaun2020-06-10T15:51:27-04:00What Every Freshman Should Know You only get to be a freshman in college once, so before you go, I want to share some advice. The beginning of your firs [...]
Being Thrifty
Michelle Balaun2020-06-29T09:27:50-04:00Need to Stay on a Budget? Be Thrifty! Being a college student, it can be stressful to be thrifty and stay on budget throughout the semester. There can b [...]
Dropping a Class? Maybe?
Michelle Balaun2020-06-11T13:18:41-04:00Dropping, When Is it Time? Dropping a class is nothing to be afraid of, but make sure you know the best time to do so. Every student will come across a [...]
Eating Healthy
Michelle Balaun2020-09-08T15:00:43-04:00Eating healthy can be done at college! Eating healthy is something that takes a bit of work while on a college campus. Meal plans, rushing to and from c [...]
First time Finding a Roommate at UMD?
Michelle Balaun2020-06-11T14:41:45-04:00The Hunt for the Perfect Roommate One of my first thoughts after committing to the University of Maryland was “How am I going to find a good roommate?” [...]
Flu Season Ahead, Wash Your Hands!
Michelle Balaun2020-09-29T14:49:51-04:00The Flu ends with “U” It’s that season again. Flu season is generally from October through May; peaking in December. Given that the flu is easily spread [...]
Food for Thought
Michelle Balaun2020-07-01T14:59:04-04:00No Student Hungry, Food for All Much like the national campaign No Kid Hungry®, there are many students at colleges throughout the United States that ar [...]
Get Involved
Michelle Balaun2020-06-25T15:45:42-04:00Time To Get Involved! One of the most exciting parts about going to college is getting involved and finding new passions and hobbies all while having fu [...]
Getting There – All the Transportation Options
Michelle Balaun2020-06-25T16:03:49-04:00Transportation to and from College Park The first time you are dropping off your student at college is both an exciting and difficult time. Whether you [...]
Health Insurance for College Students
Michelle Balaun2020-09-09T13:25:14-04:00Know More About Insurance Options Health insurance is always a concept fraught with worry. The University of Maryland, along with many other colleges na [...]
Intramural and Club Sports
Michelle Balaun2020-09-30T12:20:39-04:00You Can Still Play Club Sports in College Considering that not all students have the opportunity to participate in UMD’s Big Ten sports, the university [...]
How Will Students Stay Safe, Sane and Happy this Fall
Michelle Balaun2020-06-29T10:34:42-04:00Where is a Safe Spot at College? Safe, Sane, and happy, is that possible? As colleges are doing their best to come up with ideas as to how to keep our s [...]
More Veggies Please – Vegan & Vegetarian Dining
Michelle Balaun2020-06-26T13:33:21-04:00You Really Do Want to Eat More Veggies! At the University of Maryland, there are plenty of options for vegans, vegetarians, and those students that just [...]
Orient Yourself at Orientation at UMD
Michelle Balaun2020-06-26T14:26:26-04:00A Guide to Orientation Orientation will align you with all UMD has to offer. Congratulations! Your child has been accepted to the University of Maryland [...]
Parking at UMD
Michelle Balaun2020-06-26T14:44:06-04:00Getting That Last Parking Spot! When getting ready to go to UMD in the fall, an important topic to bring up is whether or not they will bring their car [...]
Places of Worship at UMD
Michelle Balaun2020-06-26T15:01:22-04:00Continuing Worship Traditions For many students, transitioning from home to a University can be an unnerving experience. Being able to find a place of [...]
Planning to Sublease an Apartment at UMD?
Michelle Balaun2020-06-26T15:09:55-04:00Here’s How to Sublease – The Supply is Greater Than the Demand Sometimes you have a change in plans or an unexpected opportunity. In college, you have t [...]
Safety Matters
Michelle Balaun2020-06-26T16:23:04-04:00Safety Is A Top Priority At UMD The University of Maryland takes safety very seriously. As a parent, our top concern is that our child is safe at all ti [...]
Roommates and Residential Life
Michelle Balaun2020-06-26T16:03:17-04:00Roommates and Learning to Live With Others Their first time with roommates? For many students, going off to college means moving away from home and livi [...]
Where the Wind Blows
Michelle Balaun2020-10-07T12:36:08-04:00Be Prepared for the Wind and Natural Disasters The wind is howling, now what? Growing up in South Florida, I have gone through at least one hurricane ev [...]
Sick at School and How to Cope
Michelle Balaun2020-09-05T09:15:15-04:00Mom…..I’m Sick… We all know that feeling we parents get when our kids are sick. Will they be ok? How many classes will they miss and how much work will [...]
Student Accessibility Services at Maryland
Michelle Balaun2020-06-29T16:56:06-04:00Accessibility Accommodations for all Students For students with a disability, Accessibility, and Disability Services (ADS) can help. The University of M [...]
Getting Fit and Staying Fit While in College
Michelle Balaun2020-09-08T15:00:06-04:00Keeping Fit - Keeping Freshman 15 Off Keeping fit, what's the secret? So you find yourself at college, having loads of fun and with the ability to eat p [...]
Moving Out Not As Easy As You Think!
Michelle Balaun2020-07-27T11:47:02-04:00It’s Moving Out Time! For some, the process of moving in is easier than moving out. When your student moves in, they neatly pack their items in a suitca [...]
Trouble in Paradise at UMD
Michelle Balaun2020-06-30T12:21:50-04:00Trouble, It Can Happen Is your student having trouble or in trouble? Are they having problems with a roommate, an apartment lease, underage drinking, ac [...]
Tutoring – can really help your grades
Michelle Balaun2020-09-02T12:31:54-04:00Tutoring Can Be A Huge Asset Students who attend the University of Maryland, no different than any other highly sought-after college, will be faced with [...]
I’m Not Your Maid
Michelle Balaun2020-09-04T15:01:48-04:00Because Sometimes You Need a Maid I never thought I would be saying this, but sometimes it is a good idea to hire a maid cleaning service for your stude [...]
What You Should Do Before Heading to Maryland
Michelle Balaun2020-06-30T13:04:22-04:00Before you leave… Before you leave to take your kid to college, there are a few items you will want to take care of that are extremely important. Most c [...]
Dance Marathon
Michelle Balaun2020-10-23T13:42:17-04:00You Can Dance If You Want To One of the most popular fundraising events in colleges across the country is Dance Marathon. Dance marathons are student-ru [...]
Who You Going to Call?
Michelle Balaun2020-06-30T13:32:00-04:00… When You Need, Answers, You Can Call! The important call contact info you need to have. Over the years there have been only a few times that I, as a p [...]
UMD Coronavirus Updates
Michelle Balaun2020-09-04T15:33:10-04:00Updates on Latest Plans Seems like finding the right updates in this unusual time is tricky. I don’t think I have ever used the word unprecedented as mu [...]
Campus Resources for Students of Color
Michelle Balaun2020-07-24T14:27:45-04:00Campus Guide to Resources for Multicultural Students Campus diversity amongst students has grown considerably over the years and most colleges acknowled [...]
Namast’ay yoga in and around UMD
Michelle Balaun2020-09-21T18:05:12-04:00Keeping Peaceful, Zen, and Stress-Free Ahhhhh, yoga, one of my favorite things to do, and by far the best way to get my head cleared is to practice this [...]
Register to Vote UMD
Michelle Balaun2020-10-07T12:42:16-04:00How to Have Your Vote Count While At College For students in a new city adapting to a busy college schedule, the voting process can seem daunting. As an [...]
Cultural Resources for Hispanic-Latino Students
Michelle Balaun2022-04-29T13:04:54-04:00Support, Empowerment, and Connection for Hispanic-Latino Students Campus diversity amongst Hispanic-Latino students has grown considerably over the year [...]
Diversity and Inclusion for LGBTQ College Students
Michelle Balaun2020-07-06T16:38:40-04:00LGBTQ Campus Support and Resources College can be challenging for all students which is why finding ways to make connections with others who identify si [...]
Care Packages for UMD Students
Michelle Balaun2020-09-29T14:48:57-04:00Who doesn’t enjoy getting a package delivered? We know you really care, you care a lot about your student and want them to be happy. Whether it is for a [...]
Pets in School
Michelle Balaun2020-11-10T13:46:31-05:00Take Your Pets (Dog Or Cat) to College! Dogs are called man’s best friend for a reason! Pets bring so much love and joy to our lives and there’s nothing [...]
Sorting Out College Life – A Guide to Laundry, Dry Cleaning & Alterations
Michelle Balaun2020-07-10T18:00:55-04:00Laundry, Not as Bad as You Think! When your student goes away to school, they may or may not have any idea on how to do their own laundry. No matter how [...]
Lost & Found – We Can Help Recover Lost Items
Michelle Balaun2020-07-10T18:15:55-04:00Oh, No…It Happened, It’s Lost! We’ve all done it, lost something. As a college student, you will often have a lot going on. From class, studying, social [...]