University Notes Blog

I know a few of us students are always excited when school cancellations occur. However, when it is for a hurricane, I would rather be in school. We hope that all LA (and surrounding area) residents have taken the appropriate and necessary actions for the upcoming storm.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those who have lost their lives due to this powerful storm. Let's hope for a quick passing and rapidly weakening storm as it approaches our state.

-The UN Team

Yes, I broke the server again tonight, but just for a few minutes. I pushed some updates to the server that I hope folks will appreciate. The biggest change is a simple one - if you logon with a invalid value, we actually tell you now. Duh. Why didn't I code that before? Secondly, if you log on from some other page, when you authenticate, you will return back to the page you were visiting.

I also updated some of the links to be even shorter, since shorter is Web 2.0.

If you see anything wrong, let me know!

For everyone who is pumping off the power of Red Bull coursing through your veins, UN wants to wish you the best of luck on your upcoming finals. Study hard, sleep less, take the test, then celebrate!

Idea:
I can't think of a better way of celebrating then by rating all your teachers you had this semester on University Notes, can you? Also, if you have some notes, study guides, etc. that future students might find helpful, why not upload those to the site as well.

Just wanted to wish a Happy Easter to all of our users. We hope the candy, chocolates, family, and bunnies provide a refreshing change from your normal school day.

For those of you who are finishing up Spring Break, we hope you didn't drink away all the knowledge you have accumulated this semester. And for those of you who start Spring Break next week...

Can we borrow your tap?

Wallet feeling a little light recently? Here are a few tips to help you save money during the college years.

1. Dont't buy textbooks in the bookstore.

We are all guilty of this out of routine, laziness, and convenience. Although publishers are pushing their authors to come out with newer editions far more often then they used to (to make more money), look for used books. Use websites, eBay, and the like. But also try to find out which of your friends may be taking the class before you. Come up with a deal so that you can buy if from them for cheaper than you would in store and for more than they would get for selling it back. Eliminate the middle man!

2. Stop buying lunch everyday.

You will be surprised just how much money you can save by not grabbing a burger, wrap, or chicken sandwich on your lunch break. Make a sandwich to take to school or wait 'til you get back home to eat. The average college student spends about $7 per lunch ($35 per week, and about $535 per semester).

3. Get a bike, walk, or use the bus systems.

Although not practical for everyone, most schools do offer free transportation to campus. If you are disciplined to get to the bus stops in time for classes, use this! It eliminates looking for a parking spot. It also saves you money by not having to fill up the gas tank as often, and it keeps those parking tickets to a minimum.

4. Scholarships, Grants, Loans, oh my!

Look out for financial aid. Some of which you have to pay back after you graduate (or drop out), but there is always free money floating around. Thousands of companies, organizations, governments, church groups, etc. give out scholarships. Many people never think they will get one, so they just don't fill out the application. However, you would be surprised just how many scholarships go unawarded simply because no one filled out the application. These take minutes to fill out and can reward you greatly!

5. GET A JOB!

I always hear the excuse that school takes up too much of a student's life that he or she cannot get a job. I will put my school/work schedule up against 99.9% of college students nationwide, and will prove to them that you have more time than you think. Jobs not only give you a little extra spending money, but they teach you the discipline of time management and show future employers that you were well-rounded enough to handle the extra commitments during school. The service industry (although not very pleasant at times), is a great way for students to make a lot of money in a limited amount of time. Not ready for a full-fledged job, check out student jobs on campus and internships. Something will work for you.

Let us know what you think about the list or add suggestions of your own in the Comments below.

Hey Everyone! We are working on rejuvenating the University Notes blog. We hope to be able to bring you important campus news and events, which affect all college students. We will also be bringing back the "Student Steals" entries to let everyone know about great deals on the internet us college students can get our hands on.

So, how do you get a free iTunes gift card? Simply, leave us a comment, via the link below, regarding what kind of news you would like to see on the blog, what your favorite part of the UN site is, what we could do to make it better, or just anything you would like to say about the site. As long as you leave a comment (with a valid email address filled in on the form), you will be entered for the gift card.

Email was stuck on our servers but should now be flowing again. Users may want to ensure though that universitynotes.net is in your address book so messages don't get flagged as spam.

We know, we know. It has been quite some time since we last wrote on the blog. But don't worry, we will be getting back up and running with new site updates, increased functionality, and news on a more regular basis.

We want to wish everyone a belated "Welcome Back To School." Hopefully everyones classes aren't too bad.

Check back for updates soon!

We feel your pain. We too are drenching our taste buds in red bull. However, we just wanted to take a quick minute to wish the best of luck to all our users on their upcoming finals.

Best of luck!

-The UN Team