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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
I’m Not Your Maid: Cleaning Services
Michelle Balaun2020-09-04T15:11:51-04:00Maybe It's Not A Luxury, But A Necessity? Does everyone need a maid? Ok, let me start by saying that yes, my children know how to clean their rooms and [...]
Off-Campus Living and How to Manage
Michelle Balaun2023-05-08T16:37:35-04:00The Next Step to Off-Campus Living! Prepare yourself as you read this: breathe. Just when you think your student has figured out how to navigate the cam [...]
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 [...]
What You Should Do Before Heading to USF
Michelle Balaun2020-06-11T12:15:08-04:00What You Should Do Before Heading to USF Before you leave... Before you leave to take your kid to college, there are a few items you will want to take c [...]
Sports at USF and All the Sports Stuff!
Michelle Balaun2020-01-10T11:05:15-05:00Sports It’s undeniable that most students consider a college’s sports program, celebrations, and fan experience as a non-academic factor when choosing w [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Study Abroad
Michelle Balaun2020-04-21T13:05:57-04:00Study Abroad **Due to unprecedented events in the spring of 2020, many education abroad programs were canceled. Please check with UNF in regard to any p [...]
Staying Fit in College
Michelle Balaun2020-09-08T14:53:13-04:00Staying Fit There is so much to gain in college; new friends, experiences, knowledge, and yes, sometimes even weight. I remember hearing about the “Fres [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]