Brunch is Breakfast plus Lunch plus Fun
Michelle Balaun2020-05-16T18:07:05-04:00"Brunch is breakfast without an alarm." -- Unknown Most college kids sleep late. It’s a well-known fact. So, going out for breakfast on weekends, in par [...]
Register to Vote UNF
Michelle Balaun2020-08-27T12:35:42-04:00How to Have Your Vote Count While at College, Register! For students in a new city adapting to a busy college schedule, the voting process can seem daun [...]
Sorority Girl – The Inside Scoop
Michelle Balaun2020-09-24T15:39:46-04:00It’s More Than Parties, Sorority Life. Congratulations if your daughter has joined a sorority! Joining a sorority was one of the best decisions I made [...]
Entertainment is Entertaining!
Michelle Balaun2020-01-09T12:12:55-05:00Try These Fun Things To Do! While visiting UNF and the Jacksonville area, there are plenty of things to do for entertainment. The campus is within 20 m [...]
Bucket List for Osprey’s
Michelle Balaun2020-09-15T12:06:34-04:00Check out these Bucket List Osprey things to do! If you have committed to becoming an Osprey, there are a few bucket list things that you might want to [...]
Wakey Wakey- Eggs and Bakey Breakfast
Michelle Balaun2020-07-10T10:26:09-04:00Here are Our Favorites for Breakfast Another Broken Egg Café - Start your day the delicious way with southern-style biscuit beignets, gourmet omelets, a [...]
Getting Involved
Michelle Balaun2020-08-10T15:11:23-04:00When You Join You Get Involved Part of the beauty of the University of North Florida is the size of the school. With just about 16,000 students, UNF is [...]
Weekend with Dad
Michelle Balaun2020-10-27T09:42:13-04:00Officially, unofficial for Father. There is nothing like a father and son or father and daughter weekend to get the bonding time flowing! I truly believ [...]
How to Transition as a Transfer Student
Michelle Balaun2020-04-10T11:41:17-04:00Transfer, There is A Place For Everyone! Some students transfer after attending a two-year college and some transfer because they recognize that the uni [...]
Flu Season Ahead
Michelle Balaun2020-09-29T17:06:51-04:00The 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 [...]
Advice I’d Give my Freshman Self
Michelle Balaun2020-08-10T21:06:52-04:00Freshman Year is an Adjustment, Here's My Advice... My freshman year wasn’t your typical one. I started as an undecided freshman at Florida State Univer [...]
The First Few Weeks
Michelle Balaun2020-06-30T15:16:43-04:00We 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 [...]
Safest Places to Visit Your Student This Semester
Michelle Balaun2020-10-06T15:08:21-04:00We Still Love to Visit Our Ospreys So with the ever-changing world and new guidelines coming out, it can be very difficult to know where is safe to go a [...]
Eating on a Budget
Michelle Balaun2020-06-29T15:08:23-04:00Teach Them To Budget And The Rest Is Easy Eating on a budget is hard to do at any age. Teaching my three kids how to budget their money was not an easy [...]
How Will Students Stay Safe, Sane and Happy this Fall
Michelle Balaun2020-06-29T10:19:34-04:00Where is a Safe Spot at College? As colleges are doing their best to come up with ideas as to how to keep our students safe and healthy as they reopen c [...]
Sorority Recruitment: What to Expect & What to Wear
Michelle Balaun2020-07-22T12:55:29-04:00Here Are Tips & Tricks On What to Wear If you are planning on going through recruitment at UNF, we have all the tips and tricks on what to wear to e [...]
Taking the Campus Tour
Michelle Balaun2020-11-05T11:27:37-05:00What To Do On Tour! Touring college campuses is so important before your student decides where they want to attend school. Some students will tour campu [...]
Move-In Day – Are You Ready?
Michelle Balaun2020-06-12T12:44:12-04:00More Move-In, Less Stress-Out ***Move-in day for fall is undetermined at this point, however, please check back in July for an update. Move-in day, one [...]
21 And Oh So Fun!
Michelle Balaun2020-10-26T16:52:41-04:00You’ve waited 21 years for this fun! As each year ticked off, you waited for the fun of being 'legal'! Anyone over 21 in Jacksonville will know about th [...]
Having a Car at College
Michelle Balaun2020-06-04T10:56:10-04:00Can You Get By Without a Car? Whether to let your student bring a car to campus will probably lead to many conversations. In order to try to have a stud [...]
You Really Do Want More Veggies!
Michelle Balaun2020-11-05T12:11:48-05:00More Veggies Please - Vegetarian/Vegan Dining With our country’s focus on health and healthy eating, college students are growing up used to “making bet [...]
Mother Daughter Time
Michelle Balaun2020-06-04T10:49:38-04:00There is Nothing Like It! One of my favorite things to do with my kids is spending one on one time with them. Typically speaking, my daughter always wa [...]
Volunteering Turns Your Compassion Into Action
Michelle Balaun2020-09-02T16:01:03-04:00Volunteering with passion is key. From personal experience, I have found that volunteering can feed the soul. It can provide something that is missing [...]
Best Coffee Shops at UNF
Michelle Balaun2020-09-30T10:26:29-04:00Coffee, 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 [...]
Orient Yourself, What You Need For Orientation
Michelle Balaun2020-02-27T14:14:50-05:00A Guide to Orientation Congratulations! Your child has been accepted to UNF! This is such a wonderful time in your child’s life and the start of the n [...]
Spring Break, Fun Times
Michelle Balaun2020-05-27T17:10:02-04:00Letting Off Steam Before Finals Spring Break...just the words conjure up so many different feelings, memories, and emotions. Some of the memories are f [...]
UNF Care, How to Adjust to a New Life
Michelle Balaun2020-04-29T11:17:04-04:00Transition Can Be an Adjustment, We Care Moving to college is a huge adjustment for many students. Some students don’t know where to start when they are [...]
Great Grad Gigs
Michelle Balaun2020-10-02T14:44:30-04:00Great Gigs That May Pay for Tuition Finally, you're a grad, but you need a little side gig to help with costs. In the Florida university system, there a [...]
Places of Worship for Students
Michelle Balaun2020-09-10T18:09:06-04:00Continuing Traditions Whether you are away from home as a first-year freshman or a fourth-year senior, it is always comforting to know that you can carr [...]
Restaurants
Michelle Balaun2020-06-24T12:32:48-04:00Great Places to Eat! Like any college town, there are literally hundreds of dining options from fast food to fast-casual, from family-style to fine dini [...]
Safety Matters
Michelle Balaun2020-04-30T14:52:29-04:00How To Handle The Fact You Are Not There I am a neurotic mother, yes, I admit it! When my older sons left for school, I realized that I no longer had th [...]
The Stress of College
Michelle Balaun2020-06-01T12:30:20-04:00Stress, It Happens to All of Us One of my biggest worries when my kids left for college, was would they be able to handle the stress of college life. Th [...]
Staying Fit
Michelle Balaun2020-08-19T11:06:09-04:00Keeping Fit Counts! Freshman 15? No way! Keep fit! We have all heard about the dreaded freshman 15 pounds that is so easy to gain the first year away at [...]
Rushing Her Way
Michelle Balaun2020-08-25T11:02:02-04:00Sorority Low-Down When my daughter was accepted to UNF she was thrilled! She starting talking about where she would live, who her roommate would be and [...]
Just Desserts!
Michelle Balaun2020-04-30T14:44:53-04:00Who Wants Dessert, Is My Favorite Sentence! Seriously?! My favorite meal of the day is dessert. When my kids were little, many times I would give them [...]
Family Weekend, Fun and more!
Michelle Balaun2020-09-11T17:04:50-04:00Fun Family Time Family or Parent’s Weekend is a fabulous weekend when you get to visit your son or daughter at UNF. They will want to show you all thei [...]
Campus Resources for Students of Color
Michelle Balaun2020-07-24T14:25:44-04:00Campus Guide to Resources for Mulitcultural Students Campus diversity amongst students has grown considerably over the years and most colleges acknowled [...]
Making the Most of Summer B
Michelle Balaun2020-05-18T20:08:07-04:00It Can Be The Best Season Ever! (Unfortunately Summer B at UNF will be remote for 2020. Please see our blog on Distance Learning to help with any trans [...]
Rushing His Way – Frats
Michelle Balaun2020-05-16T18:15:57-04:00What Is the Rushing Real Story? So many times, we think about a fraternity and think of the movie Animal House. The brothers are living in a house that [...]
Birthright Israel
Michelle Balaun2021-01-14T16:24:28-05:00Young Jewish Adults Israel Trip What exactly is Birthright Israel? Birthright began in 1999 with a bold idea—offering a free, life-changing trip to Isr [...]
Homecoming for all Osprey’s
Michelle Balaun2020-09-17T17:22:32-04:00Calling All Ospreys...it's Nest Fest! Homecoming has a lot of meaning for college sports teams and it is always a special event and the homecoming at UN [...]
Roommates and Residential Life
Michelle Balaun2020-05-18T19:56:10-04:00First Time Living With Someone You’re Not Related To! For many students entering college, this may be their first time away from home for an extended pe [...]
Beauty and The Beast
Michelle Balaun2021-06-10T14:52:00-04:00Is That How Your Favorite Fairy Tale Begins? When planning for school, we often think of all the essentials, dorm room decorations, meal plans, registra [...]
Controversial Speakers
Michelle Balaun2020-05-18T19:55:03-04:00Is Free Expression Controversial? UNF has definitely had its fair share of public speakers coming on campus and preaching to those who pass by. While it [...]
Finding A Roommate at UNF
Michelle Balaun2020-05-12T12:05:29-04:00First time living with someone you’re not related to! When I went to school, there was no way to find out who my roommate was until the day I got to sch [...]
Namast’ay at UNF, Your Yoga Connection
Michelle Balaun2020-09-21T18:16:43-04:00Keeping Stress at Bay with Yoga Ahhhhh, one of my favorite things to do, and by far the best way to get my head cleared is to practice yoga. Very few th [...]
Cultural Resources for Hispanic-Latino Students
Michelle Balaun2020-08-24T11:24:20-04:00Support, Empowerment, and Connection for Hispanic-Latino Students Campus diversity amongst students has grown considerably over the years and colleges v [...]
What Not to Bring to College
Michelle Balaun2020-05-11T10:22:30-04:00No, you don’t need that! I remember when I first went to college – many, many years ago, I packed my car and my parents’ car full of my clothing, access [...]