In Wooden Nickels: CG discovers that one of his friends has a weird habit.

• College Survivors: Did any of your college friends have a habit of doing weird things?

JamTown’s Response:
I had more than a few friends with weird habits in college.

Friend A would smack when she ate. There would be these small, rapid smacking sounds in succession that would drive me crazy. I think it may have been a cultural habit, but I never got used to it.

Friend B was somewhat fascinated with strobe lights. When a group of my friends would be hanging out in different dorm rooms, we would often turn to find her alone in front of the mirror with the strobe light. As the light flashed, she danced harder and harder, excited about how the shadows and the light played with each other. She would go on for ten to twenty minutes. I thought strobe lights were cool too, but not that cool.

I know I had guy friends who had weird habits, but I’ve been racking my brain and I keep coming up with nothing. Maybe some of my college friends reading this can remind me!

So what’s your story?

JamTown

Happy Monday!? We got alot of college story responses last week at our vlog channel on YouTube.? So our Response of the Day comes from there:? arhythmchild @ “Vlog Day! More Roommate Stories” You can find the original post under “The Wednesday Vlog” category.

Freshman year…I had a roommate who hadn’t yet discovered deodorant. She also liked it to be warm in the room…imagine, a 10 x 15 room…

It was a sad year.

I purchased a small fan to push the funk back to her side…

___________________________________________________________________________________________

In Wooden Nickels: CG tries his best to be a wallflower in the most interesting way.

• College Survivors: Did you ever try and blend into the background in college to keep from being called on by professors or noticed by other students for whatever reason?
• College Dreamers: Are you a person who doesn’t like to be in the center of attention?? Will this continue once you get to college?

JamTown’s Response:

I was a wallflower in some classes.? I think everyone does this though.? You strategize so that you’re not called on…or that you’re called on only when you know the answer. I know that others can relate to the participation points strategy.? You know what I’m talking about.? When you raise your hand quickly toward the beginning of class for those questions you know the answers to in hopes that the professor won’t call on you for the rest of class.? This way, the professor doesn’t think you’re a slacker, and you’ve gotten your participation points for the day.? Then, you can sit back and relax, knowing that you didn’t do all of the reading you were supposed to do for homework.? The only bad thing is that some professors can see right through this strategy and will call on you anyway.

Another tactic is trying to busy yourself with anything and everything: ferociously taking notes, flipping through your textbook, looking for something in your backpack, etc.? The reasoning is that if you lock eyes with your professor, you’re a goner.? Sometimes this works, but most of the time it doesn’t.? This is an old trick, and most professors are hip to it.? But that doesn’t mean people don’t try.? I surely did.

So what’s your story?

JamTown

Happy Friday, everyone!? I hope you had a great week.? We have over 1900 total views on our vlog channel!? I appreciate you sharing your college stories.? Please continue spreading the word and telling your friends to subscribe.? Have a great weekend!

Response of the Day comes from Lashanaye @ “Class Rank: Did You Care?” She is our top College Dreamer poster!? You can find the original post and my response under the “Classes” category.

College Dreamer

We have ranking in high school, and I actually rank out of 624 Juniors. Being ranked it no joke to my family, they are really big on being ranked and in being in honor roll. I?m hoping that when I get to college and I have my head on start and that I will be ranked
For those who are wondering I?m ranked number 14 out of 624 teens..

Peace, Love and Blessings

___________________________________________________________________________________________

In Wooden Nickels: CG sees the president of his university in an unlikely place.

• College Survivors: Did you ever meet the president of your university or see the president in person?? What were your impressions?

JamTown’s Response:

I saw President Sample of USC maybe 4 times over the 4 years I was at USC.? He was not a man that you would just see strolling down the campus streets.? So when you did spot him, you might hear someone whisper, “There’s President Sample!”? And heads would turn.? He seemed like a nice man with a pleasant demeanor.

I had the opportunity to hear him speak when I was invited to an exclusive event at his house mansion that was given to honor student leaders.? (yay me!)? I think it was a Christmas party and there were so many other students there I knew and had served with in several campus organizations.? We had great food and conversation and were able to check out his amazing pad. ?? He spoke on leadership and encouraged us to continue striving for success after we left USC.? I was so honored to be there and to be reminded that I was a part of the Trojan family.

So what’s your story?

JamTown

Response of the Day comes from Whitney Johnson @ “Vlog Day! – More Roommate Stories.” You can find the vlog and the original roommate post under the “Dorm Living” category.

I am most definitely a college survivor?
My first semester in school I roomed with girl who had tendencies that were completely opposite than I. I mean, she went sleep early, I went late. I liked cold, she liked to be warm. She was MESSY and I always kept my side neat. But I could live with that. What I couldn?t live with was her cheese fetish. She loved cheese. Which by itself seems fine. But she liked the smelly cheese. And living in a small room that gets warm during the day?it wasn?t a good look at all. So I would walk in and be smacked in the face with the scent of smelly cheese. And on top of that we shared a refrigerator that I bought, so half the time it was filled with her huge rolls of cheese. Eventually I moved out and moved in with a girl I met in one of my classes, but I am in a similar predicament now (2 years later).

___________________________________________________________________________________________

In Wooden Nickels: CG is in a long-distance relationship his senior year.

• College Survivors: Were you in any long-distance relationships in college?? How did you make the relationship work?
• College Dreamers: Will you be in any long-distance relationships in college?? How far away will the person be?

JamTown’s Response:

I was never in any long-distance relationships in college, but I had some friends who were.? First of all, starting college in a committed relationship…with someone who is not on the same campus or in the same city or state is a big feat.? A lot of people, in my experience, went to college to explore all their romantic options with the large pool of students on campus.? And those people were single.

But on the other hand, I could still find relationships spilling over from high school or relationships formed over spring break/study abroad adventures.? This kind of commitment came with a certain list of obligations for my friends including: road trips, airplane tickets, thousands of cell phone minutes, and many post office visits.

It was hard for some of them to keep up with this list.? A significant other would get upset or suspicious if the object of his/her affection was unreachable or had to cancel a regular visit.? Others found that they were maturing and outgrowing their relationships.? College is a place where a student can come in one way, and graduate as a completely different person.? Plus, it’s just easier to date someone you can see everyday.

There were a select few, however, who withstood the test of time.? I know you’ve heard about people marrying their high school sweethearts or having cross-country relationships that last.? Well, it’s possible.? The question is…is it (was it) possible for you?

So what’s your story?

JamTown

.

Vlog Day! #10.? For true musical theatre buffs, this will be a treat for you.

So what’s your story?

JamTown

Hi Friends!!

Vlog Day is tomorrow!

In Wooden Nickels: CG and his friends keep a close eye on their class ranks.

• College Survivors: Did your rank and/or GPA greatly concern you in college?
• College Dreamers: Will your rank and/or GPA be your top priority in college?

JamTown’s Response:

I did have friends who vowed to make straight As…others who vowed to earn nothing less than a 4.0. Granted, most of these people were business/finance majors and were eying places like Harvard and MIT for post-graduate studies. GPAs and rankings have a lot more weight when applying to grad school, especially Ivy League ones.

On the other hand, my GPA and rank were not the end all, be all of my concerns in college. I had stressed over those things in high school in order to get into a good college and to attain various college scholarships. And my diligence worked. But once I made it into USC, I still wanted to make good grades, but my rank wasn’t as important to me. The fact that I was a film school major may have also lessened the pressure to have to outrank everyone else in my class. Employers in the television and film industry clearly don’t care about your GPA when you’re applying for jobs. And that gave me a reason to relax.

So what’s your story?

JamTown

I’m happy to say that I do not have a “case of the Mondays.”? I’m ready to get to it!

Response of the Day comes from Banks @ “Pssst…Say Lil’ Mama…” You can find the original post and my response under the “Campus Life” category.

The most aggressive pursuers I ever experienced came in the form of the junior high/high school students that took class on USC?s campus. They were bold and wouldn?t take ?no? for an answer. I guess they figured there was nothing to lose when going after an older woman. I once had to threaten a 16-year-old to make him go away. I could appreciate his moxy, but braces and wheelies don?t exactly turn me on.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

In Wooden Nickels: CG had to complete several team building exercises.

• College Survivors: Did you have to do any team building training or exercises in college?
• College Dreamers: Do you think you’d have a hard time with team building in college?

JamTown’s Response:

I did have to complete team building exercises several times in college.? They were all connected with organizations I was a part of.? Most of them took place during retreats that were at the beginning of the year or semester.? Group members were supposed to conquer certain challenges that explored group interaction, problem-solving, and leadership.? There are two exercises that stand out to me:

Trust Fall. A trust-building game where a person falls into the arms of others, relying on group members to catch him.? The person is usually falling from a platform higher than those catching him.? I was pretty scared to do this.? I was a freshman and I didn’t know most of the people in my group very well.? Also, I had to fall facing away from them.? Free falling is frightening, especially when doing it for the first time.? After watching my group members go one right after the other, I finally drummed up the courage to take my turn.? I got a little rush from falling, my group caught me, thankfully, and I actually was excited about trying it again.

The Trolley. This game was a real problem-solving challenge.? We had this wooden box and a long rope.? The team was supposed to figure out how to get everyone to the opposite side of the room.? The space between us and the other side was toxic waste or something like that and not passable by foot. We had to figure out how to use the few materials we had to accomplish this feat.? People were throwing out ideas and we would all discuss the merit of those ideas.? Sometimes we would try several solutions, and they would all fail.? It was hard but extremely rewarding and entertaining once we got the ball rolling.

So what’s your story?

JamTown

Happy Friday!!? Response of the Day comes from Lashanaye J @ “Nodding Off.” You can read the original post and my response under the “Classes” category.

College Dreamer:
I admit I have those days where I want to go to sleep, and sometimes I will nod off. I?m a special case.? I can sleep with my eyes open in class. I have this History class that when I get there it?s always a negative vibe, so I ask the teacher for my work and I finish it and I actually go to sleep. But once I?m in college, no matter what sort of vibe there is, I will stay try to stay awake.

Peace. Love and Blessings.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

In Wooden Nickels: CG is the leader of a study group.

• College Survivors: Were you ever in a study group?? Did it help out your grades?
• College Dreamers: Is this something you’d be interested in as a college student?

JamTown’s Response:

I was in several study groups in college.? Some groups were consistent, while others would haphazardly form right before a midterm or final.? They certainly helped, especially when there was a huge amount of material to cover.? Hearing other people’s analysis on the subject matter gave me new perspectives, ones I could fuse into my own to use on the exams.? Sometimes, we would break down the material into sections and assign it to different people in the group.? Their task was to make study sheets for their assigned section and then share it with the rest of us.? This was perfect for me because I loved working with study sheets.? I needed to see all the information typed up and ready to go.? I would often take the time to type up my written notes from class to use as a study guide, as well.

Study groups were also fun because most of the time, I was studying with people I liked.? So it was easy to veer off-topic and entertain each other.? This was especially helpful when pulling all-nighters.? Once you started getting delirious, you needed something (other than coffee) to help you keep going.? And study groups helped out my grades!? Who knew studying could be both useful and entertaining?

So what’s your story?

JamTown

Hey Friends,

This week is going by very quickly yet again.? Hope you’re having a productive one.

Response of the Day comes from Dani @ “Nodding Off.” You can find the original post and my response under the “Classes” category.

I?m not sure why I bothered going to my Social Issues lecture freshman year, because I really just slept. The worst part is that I am adamant about sitting in the first or second row in each of my classes, so I would be knocked out right in front of the professor in at least half of the classes.

A senior friend of mine began sitting next to me, so I asked him to lightly tap me to if I started nodding off. Apparently, ?lightly tap? meant to state quite loudly in the middle of lecture, ?Hey, you?re falling asleep on my shoulder.? I tried so hard to stay awake in that class, but it was just so dreadfully boring.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

In Wooden Nickels: CG knows a person who often throws out empty platitudes.

• College Survivors: Did you know anyone who consistently tried to tout their intelligence, yet he/she was never spreading much knowledge at all?? How did you deal with them?
• College Dreamers: How would you deal with someone like this in college?

JamTown’s Response:

I knew a guy who would do this ALL THE TIME.? He always felt the need to provide definitions of things as he was storytelling.? But they would always be definitions of things that most people, especially if you’re in college, ALREADY KNOW.? Things like definitions of common SAT words or historical references that most people learn in grade school.? I am convinced that he felt like he was one of the most enlightened students at USC.? He would always talk about what he was learning in his major courses and I was glad that he was so passionate about his education.? But at the same time, I was thinking…DUDE!? You’re surrounded by smart people!? You need to simmer down, for real.

Since I heard this craziness all the time, I dealt with him in a variety of ways.? Most of the time, I let it go…allowing him to feel like he was teaching me something.? It was amusing to me to see how this situation would materialize with each conversation.? Yet other times, I was compelled to tell him that I knew exactly what he was talking about, which would sometimes end the story.? But despite my attempts, what usually happened was that he would keep on going with his lecture of the day while I tried my best to hide all signs of annoyance.? I couldn’t escape it!

So what’s your story?

JamTown

College Vlog #9 is here.? The vlog channel has over 1500 views, thanks to you!? If you would like to be interviewed, drop me a line.? Enjoy.

So what’s your story?

JamTown