Money, Money, Money
Michelle Balaun2020-08-20T14:38:29-04:00When Will Financial Aid Disburse? The time has come to pay for your college costs and money panic sets in. I remember receiving my tuition statement fo [...]
Away for the High Holidays
Michelle Balaun2020-09-01T13:06:15-04:00Celebrate High Holidays with a New Community Generally, our kids get to come home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but for those who celebrate the upcomi [...]
The First Few Weeks
Michelle Balaun2020-01-10T15:14:53-05:00We 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 [...]
It’s All About the Delivery at USF
Michelle Balaun2020-09-15T13:07:13-04:00Delivery, It Is So Easy! When I was in college, the only delivery available was pizza delivery. Getting a five-dollar pizza delivered right to my dorm w [...]
Food for Thought
Michelle Balaun2020-07-01T15:05:24-04:00No Student Hungry Much like the national campaign No Kid Hungry®, there are many students at colleges throughout the United States that are barely getti [...]
How to Transition as A Transfer Student
Michelle Balaun2020-01-10T14:54:12-05:00Becoming a BULL We all know that there are many ways for a student to end up at their final college institution. Maybe you have attended the college of [...]
Make the Call to Admissions if you have Questions
Michelle Balaun2020-01-10T14:57:14-05:00Should I, or Shouldn’t I? Call admissions or not? After the excitement of finally deciding on what colleges to apply to, there comes the time-consuming [...]
Parking at USF
Michelle Balaun2020-04-21T17:57:17-04:00Get ready, get set, GO! I have yet to hear about a university in the state of Florida where parking is easy-peasy. There are just never enough spaces f [...]
Preparing for Grad School Exams
Michelle Balaun2021-05-07T13:09:58-04:00Just keep going! Whenever you hear someone say, “four years fly by” believe it! Preparing for graduation comes as a shock to some, but then there is th [...]
Student Accessibility Services
Michelle Balaun2020-01-10T12:48:27-05:00Consideration for Providing Accessibility for Everyone For students with a disability, the Students with Disability Services Office can help. Whether i [...]
What NOT to Bring to College
Michelle Balaun2020-04-21T15:27:23-04:00Do You Really Need It? Ok, I have only sent one child to college, but it really only takes one send off to learn the ins and outs of what a freshman col [...]
First Time Student Loan Borrower?
Michelle Balaun2020-07-09T12:18:56-04:00You'll Need to Do This. What is an Entrance Counseling? In July of 2016, the U.S. Department of Education made it a requirement that, in order to have s [...]
An Insider’s Guide to Living on Campus
Michelle Balaun2023-05-08T16:34:12-04:00Learn the Best Way to Manage Your Housing. Housing is one of the first decisions you must make after being accepted into USF. The housing you select wil [...]
More Veggies Please – Vegan/Vegetarian Dining
Michelle Balaun2020-11-05T12:11:23-05:00Eating Healthy is Possible at College. We LOVE Veggies! With our country’s focus on health and healthy eating, college students are growing up used to “ [...]
Finding a Roommate
Michelle Balaun2020-05-07T18:32:37-04:00What To Look For In An Ideal Roommate. One of the biggest fears of any new college student is “the roommate”. Finding the ideal roommate can be stress [...]
Career Showcase – A Student Perspective
Michelle Balaun2020-09-04T23:10:17-04:00How To Align Your Studies With Your Future Career Plans. When I attended USF, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to study. I was so excited to star [...]
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 [...]
Searching for Scholarships
Michelle Balaun2020-08-20T13:58:37-04:00Congratulations on Your Child Being Accepted! Now that that’s settled, the idea of actually paying for college looms. Hopefully, you have prepared in s [...]
After the Hurricane
Michelle Balaun2020-01-10T15:47:17-05:00After the Hurricane - Getting Back to “Normal” Prior to Hurricane Irma, our blog talked about hurricanes that had impacted Florida. It had been twelve [...]
Choosing or Changing Your Major
Michelle Balaun2020-04-21T14:12:30-04:00Choosing or Changing Your Major You’ve graduated from high school and have chosen to go to USF. The most popular question asked to you will be, “what ar [...]
Working While in College at USF, Here’s How to Cope
Michelle Balaun2020-11-10T13:40:15-05:00Working While in College To Work or Not to Work? Working while in college is a very personal decision. Each family will decide on the needs of their stu [...]
Where the Wind Blows
Michelle Balaun2020-10-07T12:34:13-04:00Where the Wind Blows As a Florida Native: Been there, done that. Wind blowing, we get that a lot. I was born in Florida and have never lived outside of [...]
Tutoring
Michelle Balaun2020-08-27T12:24:59-04:00Tutoring Students who attend USF face the same challenging classes and professors that any other competitive school has. Most are already used to balanc [...]
Trouble in Paradise
Michelle Balaun2020-01-10T15:24:41-05:00Trouble in Paradise Your student got in trouble. Or they are having trouble. Now what? It’s not uncommon. Sometimes even “the best kids” end up getting [...]
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 [...]
The Stress of College
Michelle Balaun2020-06-01T12:15:04-04:00The Stress of College It happens to all of us, even our kids. You probably saw this when they were studying for their AP exams or writing the dreaded c [...]
The Loss of a Pet
Michelle Balaun2020-01-10T15:44:05-05:00The Loss of a Pet More than half of our population owns at least one pet. For many college students, the family pet was acquired when they were a child [...]
The Best Places to Study at USF
Michelle Balaun2020-10-20T12:45:20-04:00The Best Places to Study at USF Just when we get our high schoolers into a routine of studying, they now have to learn to adjust their habits to fit col [...]
The Best Apps for USF Students
Michelle Balaun2020-11-10T13:40:43-05:00The Best Apps for USF Students I always feel old when I say, ‘back in my day’, but the truth is that back in my day, we lived in a world without apps, c [...]
Tax Time
Michelle Balaun2020-01-10T10:34:09-05:00Tax Time April 15th is right around the corner. As you are preparing your return or having a CPA prepare your return, do not forget to take advantage of [...]
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 [...]
So, your student wants to be a BULL?
Michelle Balaun2020-10-28T12:32:16-04:00So, your student wants to be a BULL? Of course, they do! USF is a great university and a beautiful campus with award-winning architecture. The traditi [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Favorite Apartment Rentals
Michelle Balaun2023-05-08T16:39:30-04:00Favorite Apartment Rentals Not Your Momma’s Apartment Just when you think you have your student all settled in the dorms, chances are you will be hit wi [...]
Bright Futures – Shining Bright
Michelle Balaun2020-07-01T12:40:44-04:00The Future Is So Bright You'll Need Shades! SEE END OF BLOG FOR CHANGES EFFECTIVE WITH THE 2020-2021 ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR Bright Futures has been a grea [...]
The Next Four Years
Michelle Balaun2020-01-10T13:50:44-05:00The Next Four Years So you have a student ready to spend the next four years as a USF Bull? That means that you will be spending some time in the Tampa [...]
Sick at School While at USF
Michelle Balaun2020-09-20T13:49:54-04:00Sick at School Get ready…it’s bound to happen. At some point, the phone will buzz and your independent college student with a cry, “I don’t feel well, I [...]
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 [...]
Places of Worship
Michelle Balaun2020-09-10T18:14:51-04:00Places of Worship - Continuing Traditions Religion and worship are a big part of many of our lives, and college students and families may wonder how tha [...]
Orient Yourself
Michelle Balaun2020-03-02T15:05:34-05:00Orient Yourself Your child has been accepted to USF! Congrats! The dates of Summer/Fall Orientation may be found here. The first thing you need to do i [...]
Nature vs Nurture – What’s around USF
Michelle Balaun2020-09-10T12:48:41-04:00Nature vs Nurture Now that you have a USF Bull, I’m sure your recent trips to Tampa have been all about seeing the school, orientation, and move-in. You [...]
Moving Out
Michelle Balaun2020-11-11T10:45:57-05:00Moving Out There is so much anticipation and prep involved with moving our kids INTO college, but not as much thought about moving them OUT. Moving them [...]
Moving In, It Just Got Real
Michelle Balaun2020-01-28T11:47:36-05:00Moving In Once your student has been given their move-in date and dorm or residence assignment, the process of handling what can be a stressful, labor-i [...]
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 [...]
Honor Roll
Michelle Balaun2020-01-10T15:47:53-05:00Honor Roll It is that time of year when students receive notifications that they have made a collegiate scholar society. The cream-colored linen envelop [...]
Home Sweet Dorm Make it Sweet at USF
Michelle Balaun2020-09-24T16:21:30-04:00Home Sweet Dorm You may be surprised at how one can transition a mass-produced, industrial-looking dorm room into a warm and inviting room or suite. And [...]
Grocery Stores
Michelle Balaun2020-01-12T16:41:04-05:00Grocery Stores A Kids Gotta Eat On-campus or off, meal plan or not, your child will need to get groceries at some point and time. USF has many shopping [...]