Fix it!
Michelle Balaun2020-06-11T16:01:04-04:00Fix it! You know you are having a cruddy day when your car, bike or motor scooter breaks down or gets a flat tire. Talk about being late for class, how [...]
Computer and Phone Repair
Michelle Balaun2020-09-20T12:29:14-04:00Computer and Phone Repair One of my pet peeves with my kids is how frivolously they take care of their electronics, especially their phones. As teenager [...]
Care Packages
Michelle Balaun2020-10-01T10:38:05-04:00Care Packages So, your college student has been away and you and your family are getting used to your new normal. Even though your student is busy with [...]
College Majors to Pursue at USF
Michelle Balaun2020-05-15T10:32:10-04:00Perhaps It’s Time to Consider Majors that are Sustainable in Tough Times Students usually choose a major over a period of time. I have always been a fan [...]
Graduation Photography for USF Seniors
Michelle Balaun2020-10-29T14:47:42-04:00Memorialize Graduation Day with Photography The last four years (or so) probably flew by and commencement is around the corner. There is no doubt that g [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Get on the Bus
Michelle Balaun2020-01-10T12:13:12-05:00A Guide to USF’s Bus System Getting to and from campus can be stressful-worrying about arriving to class on time with morning and evening traffic is tou [...]
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 [...]
Flu Season Ahead
Michelle Balaun2020-09-29T13:17:59-04:00The Flu ends with “U” It’s that season again – and I don’t mean hurricanes. Flu season is generally from October through May; peaking in December. Given [...]
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 [...]
Hillsborough College First, Then Transfer
Michelle Balaun2020-01-10T12:17:59-05:00Then Transfer to USF For many different reasons, some students prefer to start their college career at a local community college and then transfer to US [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 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 [...]
Move-In Day
Michelle Balaun2020-06-12T12:48:03-04:00Move-In Day Means - M.I.D USF’s move-in day is…well…a lot of work. Be prepared for many trips to the car and possibly one or two to the store for the i [...]
Eating Healthy at USF, It Can Be Done!
Michelle Balaun2020-09-08T14:54:16-04:00Eating Healthy For most, eating healthy is a challenge in college. With priorities on being social, going out late, and needing quick meals, nutritious [...]
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 [...]
Are U Ready For Some Football?
Michelle Balaun2020-10-22T11:22:41-04:00Are U Ready For Some Football? With most large universities, planning on attending the school’s football games starts in the summer. The big rivalry gam [...]
Auxiliary Fees for Online Classes
Michelle Balaun2020-09-30T12:13:58-04:00Who Pays for This? **Due to the unprecedented Spring 2020, situations and circumstances continue to evolve daily. Please start all your planning for any [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 “ [...]
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 [...]
Safety Matters
Michelle Balaun2020-05-08T09:48:35-04:00Safety Matters At this time in our world, we all worry about the safety of our new adults. For me, a self-proclaimed worrier, I wanted to know everythin [...]
Diversity and Inclusion for LGBTQ College Students
Michelle Balaun2020-07-10T17:16:32-04:00LGBTQ Campus Support and Resources College can be challenging for all students, therefore finding ways to make connections with others who identify simi [...]
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 [...]
Radio & TV
Michelle Balaun2020-01-10T13:55:14-05:00USF Radio & TV Yes, your student is at USF to learn, but they will also need some downtime. My daughter watched her favorite shows on her laptop, b [...]
Thrift Shops for the Thrifty Near USF!
Michelle Balaun2020-06-29T09:23:51-04:00When You Need to Be Thrifty and Stay on Budget Thrifting isn’t just a hot trend right now, it’s an amazing way to stay in style while saving money. Bein [...]
Sorting Out College Life- A Guide to Laundry, Dry Cleaning & Alterations
Michelle Balaun2020-01-10T14:01:32-05:00Laundry Never Ends! Every mom has thought or said this a million times, and now our college kids are (hopefully) learning the tedious task of doing thei [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Technology Needs for USF Students
Michelle Balaun2020-08-13T13:32:07-04:00Check Out The Freebies First! HaveUHeard that Microsoft Office 365 is free for all enrolled USF students? And it’s free for up to five devices. That is [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]