Making the Most of Summer B
Michelle Balaun2020-01-10T10:36:36-05:00It Can Be the Best Season Ever! Summer is by far the best part of the year, especially as a new Bull. Freshman year Summer B is filled with so many firs [...]
Weekend with Dad
Michelle Balaun2020-10-27T09:51:11-04:00The Best Things to Do With Dad at USF on the Weekend As a girl, I know how hard it can be to find something to do that will entertain both you and your [...]
Football Seats at Raymond James Stadium
Michelle Balaun2020-01-10T10:30:49-05:00A Guide to Ray Jay Stadium Everyone should attend at least one USF Football game! There are only 5 colleges in the US that play their home games in an N [...]
Football Time: Where to Watch the Bulls
Julie Bray2020-09-15T16:28:59-04:00Watch College Football … Bulls, It’s Time We can’t wait for it! To start anticipating that our football team will end up nationally ranked and headed to [...]
Wake Up Bulls, It’s Game Day!
Michelle Balaun2020-10-22T11:23:52-04:00Get ready for the big game with these attire tips! The best feeling for any college student, particularly if you’re a Bull, is waking up knowing it's ga [...]
Bucket List
Michelle Balaun2020-09-15T12:25:55-04:00Check out these Bull things to do! If you have committed to becoming a Bull, there are a few things that you might want to check out over your next for [...]
Lunch Bunch
Michelle Balaun2020-10-27T09:51:38-04:00Mid-Day Munchies- what's for lunch? Students are lucky to have so many great dining options at USF, but sometimes the mid-day hunger requires a venture [...]
Spring Break
Michelle Balaun2020-01-29T16:02:10-05:00Spring Break The words ‘Spring Break’ brings up visions of beaches, partying, and sunburn to many of us. Why? Because we were once teenagers and we look [...]
Brunch is Breakfast plus Lunch plus Fun
Julie Bray2020-07-30T14:36:54-04:00“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 part [...]
The Benefits of Joining the USF Alumni Association
Michelle Balaun2020-09-15T15:02:09-04:00Alumni Networking, Perks, and More… Before you know it, you are walking across the stage at graduation, and with that last step, you are officially a Bu [...]
Sending A Package?
Michelle Balaun2020-09-29T13:17:10-04:00Make Sure Your Package Gets There Whether it’s an Amazon Prime delivery or a care package from a loved one, there are many reasons students receive pack [...]
They’ve Been Accepted, WooHoo, Now What.
Michelle Balaun2020-04-21T14:03:48-04:00They’ve Been Accepted Congratulations on Becoming a Bull! Congratulations to the Class of 2024! Accepted! I mean, they made it, but it sure feels like w [...]
Pets in School
Michelle Balaun2020-11-10T13:39:05-05:00Pets! Take Your Dog (or Cat) to College Every time I headed up to USF to see my kids, they asked that I bring our dog. Let’s face it; the pup is everyon [...]
Dance Marathon aka Bulls For Kids
Michelle Balaun2020-10-23T13:55:41-04:00Dance Marathon aka Bulls For Kids One of the most popular fundraising events in colleges across the country is a dance marathon. Dance marathons are st [...]
Retail Therapy
Michelle Balaun2020-01-10T11:12:50-05:00Retail Therapy Retail shopping, one of my favorite things to do. And in Tampa, there are plenty of great places to get your retail therapy in. Yes, yo [...]
Rushing Her Way at USF, Here’s How to do it!
Michelle Balaun2020-05-12T11:39:21-04:00Rushing Her Way Sorority Low-Down Why Rush? For parents of incoming freshmen, you have probably started to hear whispers about rushing or sorority recr [...]
Wakey, Wakey Eggs & Bakey, the Best Meal!
Michelle Balaun2020-07-30T14:40:20-04:00Our Favorite Meal of the Day! Tampa is a great city for eating, and “the most important meal of the day” can be had at a variety of great restaurants. [...]
Volunteering Turns Your Compassion into Action
Michelle Balaun2020-01-10T11:53:46-05:00Volunteering with passion is key. When you first go off to college, you will find that there is no shortage of opportunities to participate in social ac [...]
Thousands of Dining Options
Michelle Balaun2020-01-21T10:24:32-05:00Thousands of Dining Options Like any big city, there are literally thousands of dining options from fast food to fast-casual, from family-style to fine [...]
Rushing His Way
Michelle Balaun2020-07-29T13:08:28-04:00Rushing His Way Going back to 1978 with the release of “Animal House”, which became one of the most successful comedies of all time, to 2014 with the re [...]
Entertainment Options for You at USF
Michelle Balaun2020-05-16T18:21:29-04:00Entertainment What kind of entertainment are you looking for? It seems a little silly writing about things to do when visiting your student at USF. It [...]
Safest Places to Visit Your Student This Semester
Michelle Balaun2020-10-14T11:23:29-04:00We Still Love to Visit Our Bulls Let’s face it, these are odd and crazy times! Things look very different at USF this semester but one thing is still fo [...]
Sorority Recruitment: What to Expect & What to Wear
Michelle Balaun2020-07-22T12:58:03-04:00USF Sorority Recruitment: What to Expect & What to Wear Tips & Tricks You want to know what to expect and what to wear for the best recruitment [...]
What Classes Students Wish They Took
Michelle Balaun2020-10-06T16:16:57-04:00You can still have some fun! Today, universities have students declare a major almost immediately. That is not to say they cannot change their major but [...]
Namast’ay with Yoga at USF
Michelle Balaun2020-09-21T18:12:13-04:00Breathe…..yoga in, breathe out. Very few things have been continuously practiced for over 5000 years with continued success. Yoga proves the mind, body, [...]
Sorority Girl
Michelle Balaun2020-10-02T17:18:10-04:00Sorority Girl Not being in a sorority myself, although I was a Little Sister for a fraternity at USF, having my daughter become a sorority girl was a ne [...]
Supervise an Easy Budget for Your College Student
Michelle Balaun2020-10-21T14:53:19-04:00This is a budget lesson that will serve you in the future! When we attended orientation with our daughter, we were inundated with information from FAFSA [...]
Dinner, Early or Late
Michelle Balaun2020-07-30T14:48:41-04:00Well, what are you hungry for, it's dinner time!? Like any college town, there are literally hundreds of dining options from fast food to fast-casual, f [...]
Advice to My Freshman Self
Michelle Balaun2020-04-22T09:35:27-04:00What Every Freshman Should Know, Real Advice Being the oldest sibling in my family, going into college I had no idea what to expect. Of course, my paren [...]
21 and Oh So Fun Here is What USF Students Like
Michelle Balaun2020-10-26T17:05:00-04:00Becoming an official adult. How Fun! It seems to be another rite of passage; turning 21. And if you are turning 21 during your college year, then you ar [...]
Spring Sports playtime in the sunshine!
Michelle Balaun2020-01-10T14:12:07-05:00Sports, Let’s Face It! Fall is about football. At least, at most schools, and USF is no different. But when the season is over, and students are back [...]
Bulls Green with Envy With A Heart of Gold
Michelle Balaun2020-08-25T11:44:47-04:00Putting Together Great Bulls Gameday Outfits I love going to college football games- there is nothing like game days. HaveUHeard how USF got its colors? [...]
Homecoming
Michelle Balaun2020-09-17T17:27:15-04:00Homecoming Plans If this is your first college Homecoming as a parent, get ready for your Bull to be super busy. USF’s Homecoming is packed with fun eve [...]
Mother-Daughter Time
Michelle Balaun2020-01-10T14:42:09-05:00Mother-Daughter Time Although I had visited my daughter a couple of times at school, my first weekend alone with her was in the Spring for her sorority [...]
Birthright Israel – Hillel
Michelle Balaun2021-01-14T16:30:37-05:00Birthright Israel – Hillel What exactly is Birthright? Birthright began in 1999 with a bold idea—offering a free, life-changing trip to Israel to young [...]
Care Packages for USF Students
Michelle Balaun2020-10-01T10:42:48-04:00Who 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 [...]
Family Weekend
Michelle Balaun2020-04-21T17:46:53-04:00Family Weekend Every school has Parents Weekend, and for USF the tradition continues. This is a great time to see your students in their “natural habit [...]
Just Desserts
Michelle Balaun2020-07-30T14:32:21-04:00Just Desserts Did you know that that the word desserts is stressed spelled backward? Well, there will come a time when all a college kid wants is somet [...]
Beauty and the Beast
Michelle Balaun2021-06-10T14:54:10-04:00Beauty and the Beast Beauty may be in the eyes of the beholder, but sometimes it is in the eyes staring back at you in the mirror. Being the mother of t [...]
Transferring to USF
Michelle Balaun2020-01-10T16:04:38-05:00Transferring to USF 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 the [...]
Gasparilla
Michelle Balaun2020-01-10T16:09:56-05:00Gasparilla Aaargh! It’s An Invasion! Being that we live in the same city as our college kid, there is one part of Tampa's life that I must tell you abou [...]
Where to Pregame at USF
Michelle Balaun2020-01-10T16:13:01-05:00Get Ready For A Fun Day! I have to admit that I hadn’t heard of the term, pregame until I heard my daughter mention it before attending her first colleg [...]
Best Coffee Houses at USF
Michelle Balaun2020-10-21T14:43:25-04:00Coffee, 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 [...]
Trick or Treat The College Version
Michelle Balaun2020-10-02T12:43:56-04:00Trick or Treat Halloween is the first holiday that your student will encounter since leaving home. With their new status as adults, the holiday takes on [...]