If you’re going to be spending four years or more at a college or university, you probably want to go somewhere that looks nice, somewhere you can learn in a pleasant, positive environment. Appealing surroudings can make even the most stressful study situation easily handled, and some of the best colleges and universities seemed to be considering just that fact when they began construction. Great academics, athletics and socialization opportunities are all extremely important when choosing a college or university, but having great surroundings doesn’t hurt. With that in mind, here are some of the most beautiful campuses among United States colleges, as determined by students.

1. Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University features a beautiful 330-acre campus minutes away from downtown Nashville, Tennessee that contains a national arboretum. The Peabody section of the campus is considered a National Landmark. Vanderbilt has beautiful venues and sights all throughout campus as well, including the Blair School of Music’s Ingram Hall, the campus statue of Commodore Vanderbilt, located at the front entrance, and the enormous, well stocked and very attractive Central Library.

2. University of Virginia

The highlight of the University of Virgina campus is “The Corner” on University Avenue. A large portion of students can be found at the corner at any given time, enjoying the cafes and restaurants, or browing the various shops and bookstores.

3. Bryn Mawr College

Famed landscapers Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed this beautiful 135 acre campus on the outskirts of Philadelphia. The buildings and dormitories are similarly designed by historic architects to create one of the most beautiful campuses in the country.

4. University of Notre Dame

The enormous University of Notre Dame campus has two lakes and over 100 buildings. Many of the University’s structures are thought of as national landmarks, including the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and the Golden Dome.

5. Colgate University

Colgate University is located in the picturesque village of Hamilton, a location whose history rests with old Native American tribes and is considered sacred by the Oneida to this day.

6 Stanford University

The beautiful, 8,100-acre Stanford campus is found between San Francisco and San Jose, stretching from the Santa Cruz mountains to urban Palo Alto.

7. Mount Holyoke College

Mount Holyoke College is well known for its beautiful campus with a variety of cultural and recreational options to delight both guests and students.

8. Clemson University

Clemson University was originallly a Fort Hill plantation home. It is a breathtaking campus, with an abundance of beautiful forest and farmlands surrouding the school.

9 Pensacola Christian College

Pensacola, located on a Florida Harbor and subject to the beautiful Floridian climate and water provides an ideal spot for this small and attractive Christian college.

10 Miami University

Miami University is located in the city of Coral Gables, which enjoys all the beauty of south Florida. From the water to the weather to the architecture, Miami is an extremely pleasant location to take in your studies.

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One thing a prospective freshman will hear over and over before going off to college is “It’s nothing like high school.” Students never really understand this comment until they are actually on campus.

College is all about becoming an adult and living your life to the best of your ability. Gone are the “popular kids,” and the “cool table” in the cafeteria. You don’t have that freshman hazing scene in college. In high school the frosh are the low kids on the totem pole. In college there are so many orientations, mixers and meet-and-greets that it’s easy to build new friendships before the school year even starts.

Upper-classmen enjoy the fresh faces and new personalities of the freshman crowd. The biggest shocker of all is usually the amount of personal freedom involved in the learning process. In high school Mr. Smith, the English teacher, will hand out a sheet of notes and give a lecture that you are expected to spit back out word for word on the test. In college, Professor Smith will give her lecture an may very well ask for your opinion. There wont be any phone calls if you miss class three days this week and you’ll still be expected to take the test and pass it. There is no one to hold your hand or walk you through your classes. You are there because you want to be and what you get out of it is up to you. Because you pay for the privilege of going to college its up to you to get your money’s worth.

The personal freedom shocker stretches into your social calendar as well. Not only are there a plethora of dances, clubs, organizations, meetings groups and events to choose from nightly but your also faced with your classes and academic responsibilities. Its sometimes hard to know when to put a damper on the nightlife and get back to the books.

In high school, most of the people you attend class with are lifelong residents of the town. People you grew up with. People who have the same beliefs and background that you do. Chances are you go to church with these same people and your parents went to church with their parents. In college it is very likely that you will meet someone from across the state, across the country or across the world. You will hear and see vastly different ideas and cultural stand points than your own. Its a wonderful learning experience and part of what makes your college experience uniquely your own.

The differences in high school and college can be scary, but rest assured it will take no time at all to feel adjusted and comfortable in your new environment. These are the days that will create memories that last a lifetime.

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Top 10 Schools With Yucky Food

College has never been synonymous with fine dining. The image of the “starving student” isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, but a freshman cannot live on Ramen noodles alone.

True, your college town might have some of the finest restaurants in the world. But if you’re the typical college student, wining and dining out on the town isn’t always financially feasible. That’s when it’s time to fall back on “old reliable,” the college meal plan. Unfortunately, at some schools, you might be better off sticking to Ramen. Here are 10 of the schools ranked by their students as having the absolute worst food there is in higher education.

10. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Sounds like an appetizing place, doesn’t it? True, this school may be known the world over for its excellent education, especially when it comes to science and engineering. Unfortunately, the cooks at this Socorro, N.M., campus have yet learned to engineer a delicious meal.

9. Fordham University
You would think that having “ham” in the name of this school might give it a leg up in the kitchen department. You would think that being smack dab in the middle of New York City, some of the city’s world-renowned cuisine might somehow rub off at the campus dining halls. You’d be wrong.

8. Seton Hall University
A little jaunt across the river to this New Jersey school, and the dining options seem to get a little worse. Sure, there are some great undergraduate programs, some of the best in the nation, and the school is well known for athletics. Students just might want to find somewhere else to get the food before tail-gating.

7. Carnegie Mellon University
Ah, Pittsburgh. Home of America’s steel industry and Carnegie Mellon, one of the best schools in the country for its computer science and drama programs. Just not for its soup and sandwich program.

6. Catawba College
Catawba College is nestled in Salisbury, N.C., a town that might remind you of steak. It’s also the hometown of the Food Lion grocery store chain. That’s probably where you should be shopping for food if you’re a student here, because you’re not going to be happy with what the dining hall has to offer.

5. State University of New York — Albany
A well-respected research university located in New York’s scenic capital city. Enjoy the scenery, because the campus food leaves a lot to be desired.

4. Hampton University
Again with the “ham.” Hampton University started out as an agricultural school in Southeastern Virginia. If you’re hungry, you might want to check out the local farmer’s market instead.

3. United States Merchant Marine Academy
You’ve heard about how good food in the military is right? As one of the nation’s five service academies, this Kings Point, N.Y., school produces some of the world’s best merchant marine officers, eager to serve their country. And eager to be served at a nice restaurant after enduring years of school food.

2. Colorado School of Mines
While this school in Golden, Co., has grown far beyond its original charter as a mining school to become a world-class engineering and applied sciences university, the campus food still tastes like it came from a shaft deep within the Earth.

1. St. Bonaventure University
In case there was any doubt, St. Bonaventure University in Western New York puts to rest any fears that this state might be losing its dominance in the “Worst College Food” category. Founded by a Franciscan Catholic order, the university runs the local soup kitchen. Students might want to head there first before taking their chances with the dining hall.

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Maybe you’re considering getting a degree from an online university. Maybe you’ve just earned one and in preparing to apply for new jobs that will make the most of it, you’re wondering whether or not prospective employers will see your resume and have bad associations with your online degree. In a word, the answer is no.

Employers who require employees to have a college degree care that you have one from somewhere. Traditionally, there are about 20 colleges in the United States (the Ivies and a handful of other prominent schools) that make employers sit up and take notice about where your degree came from. If you did not attend one of these places, you are like most people, who find that the name of their school is less important to their employers than how they performed academically, and what they studied.

In fact, your online degree may set you apart in a positive way from the rest of the pack of applicants. Successfully obtaining your degree online tells prospective employers that you are a person who will get the job done even when no one is looking. Online degrees testify that their recipients are self-motivated individuals who are capable of managing multiple priorities. And whatever job you’re applying for, rest assured that those are two qualities all organizations prize.

Furthermore, online universities are becoming more and more popular. While your online degree can set you apart in the aforementioned ways, you should have no fear that it will stigmatize you. Each day, it becomes more and more likely that the person you sit down to interview with may have attended the same online school that you did!

Another benefit of the online university experience in the eyes of employers is that it is designed in large part for working professionals. The fact that you’ve made it through an online degree program tells your prospective employer that you have had intense exposure to the types of collegial interactions you will face in the working world. Online universities emphasize and develop the ability to work with others, to manage and meet deadlines, and to be responsible for learning on your own. When you consider all of the things a degree from an online university says about you, you should realize that you’re more of a proven commodity, a “safer” hire than recent graduates from brick and mortar universities.

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Academic scholarships are an easy way to use your academic success to pay for college. Taking advantage of these can be incredibly easy, provided that you are able and willing to submit applications notifying whomever is awarding scholarships about your academic ability. There are some common mishaps that might keep you from gaining access to that free money.

Review the application entirely. This is the first step in avoiding the disqualification of your application. Read over it before filling or signing anything. Review the requirements to complete, submit the application along with whatever supplemental documentation might be required. This can include, but is not limited to, transcripts, and essays. Make sure that you have plenty of copies of these documents handy to send off with all of your scholarship applications.

Do not confine your eligibility to one scholarship application. Find many academic scholarships for which you might be eligible. Apply for all of them. You might not make the finalist list for one, but you will for others. Give yourself as many opportunities as possible to get that free money!

When you have an application, fill it out completely. Make sure you have read it through and provided complete and accurate information. There are countless applications that are disqualified because the applicant cannot be contacted with the given information. Make sure to be very observant of what you are typing or writing and maybe even ask a friend or family member to proofread the items for you.

Another common mistake when completing applications is to apply for scholarships for which you are not eligible. This wastes your time, the evaluating committee’s time and that certainly won’t get you a scholarship, especially if you do not have the proper required credentials.

Remember, you are trying to apply for an academic scholarship. The application is your chance to shine! Check for completeness, grammar, spelling, accuracy and that you have all the right supporting documentation. Do not include things that have not been required, such as a photo of yourself or a non-essential essay. Many academic scholarships are reviewed by committees of people who review applications. They won’t read anything that isn’t part of the application. The application phase shows that you are organized, punctual and capable of following directions. Show them what you’ve got and they will show you the money!

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