#college

Why You Really Shouldn’t Be Scared of Student Loans

Rei Pham

Apr 24, 2017

Why You Really Shouldn’t Be Scared of Student Loans

Coming from a Vietnamese household, my parents have always told me to never borrow money or take out loans as Vietnam is a cash society. My parents work twice as hard, double shifts, or even during weekends and holidays to make sure I don’t need to borrow money for school. I never fully understood student loans because I never took the time to learn more about them. My parents discouraged me from taking out loans because movies tend to show loan services as gang-affiliated. I

Rei Pham

Apr 21, 2017

Dealing with College Rejections

As college acceptances slowly become available in your student portals, so are college rejection letters. Personally, this is my least favorite time of the year when I was a senior in high school because of the immense pressure my Vietnamese parents placed on my academics. Having survived endless rejection letters from my top college choices, I have a few advice to help you handle the disappointments: 1. You’re not a bad person Getting rejected from a college or even multipl

All About College! Tips, Advice and Frequently Asked Questions

Rei Pham

Feb 10, 2017

All About College! Tips, Advice and Frequently Asked Questions

As a tour guide at my university, I currently work for the Office of Admissions. On my tours, I find that I get quite a bit of questions and realized that you may have the same questions as well. Hopefully, this video will help you debunk the mysterious “College Life” that everyone keeps talking about. Make sure to subscribe to get more college-related videos in the near future! If you like stories like this, subscribe to Chopsticks Alley. Rei Pham Contributor Rei is a Psycho

Rei Pham

Feb 4, 2017

Fear of Failure

Failing in College... The idea of failing is dreadful for anyone. For Vietnamese Americans, the pressure to succeed often stems from the fear of failing and the fear of disappointing one’s parents. In a typical Vietnamese household, children hear their parents and relatives gossip about someone else’s child changing their majors or taking a year off of college as if they kissed success goodbye. It’s strange, but growing up as a Vietnamese American, I’ve struggled with this in

College: The Best Four Years of Your Life

Rei Pham

Jan 31, 2017

College: The Best Four Years of Your Life

When I was in high school, I dreamt of the day I move off to college. And why not? They always say it’s the best 4 years of your life! Now that I’m more than halfway done with my college experience, I can finally tell you that that is absolutely true BUT only when you are committed to making that dream a reality. Here’s a couple of ways to make college an experience you’ll never forget: 1. Celebrate failures Affected by my Vietnamese heritage, I find I get nervous about tryi

Fraternities and Sororities, it's All Greek to Me!

Rei Pham

Dec 15, 2016

Fraternities and Sororities, it's All Greek to Me!

In my previous article, I talked about what media and pop culture don’t tell you about Greek Life. But what is it exactly? Greek Life is a general word for fraternities and sororities. Greek letters are used for each fraternity or sorority names, each with its own unique meaning that is unique to its organizational values. There are two aspects of Greek Life: Social and Professional. The social aspect is mostly gender-based, meaning that men would rush for fraternities while

What the Media Doesn’t Tell You About Fraternities and Sororities

Rei Pham

Dec 11, 2016

What the Media Doesn’t Tell You About Fraternities and Sororities

“You’re in a sorority? But you don’t seem like a sorority girl…” I constantly hear this phrase throughout my time being in a sorority. Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand where people are coming from. Greek Life tends to have a bad rep, but that’s also because the media portrays the wrong idea of what being in a fraternity or sorority is all about. After being a part of Greek Life myself, I’m ready to share with you what media and pop culture don’t tell you about Frat

Rei Pham

Dec 7, 2016

Ways to Save Money in College

We all know it; college costs A LOT of money! Even with Financial Aid (which you should definitely apply for) saving a little bit more money wouldn’t hurt either. With our busy schedules, sometimes buying groceries to cook isn’t the most convenient way to go. Here are some ways to save money in college so you can have peace of mind knowing you have a little bit extra for a rainy day. HONEY – CHROME EXTENSION: The Honey app extension for Chrome users has to be my proudest disc

Rei Pham

Nov 19, 2016

Working While in College

Let me tell you, having a job while managing your studies at the same time is not an easy feat. Here’s my story on working while going to college at the same time. Coming from a low-income family, I started working at a very young age (8th grade to be exact!). I also worked throughout high school, tutoring younger students and working at a boba shop, so I understood the importance of hard work. I thought that I understood how to manage my time well in college. Why not, right?

Rei Pham

Nov 14, 2016

Midterms Mania: Smarter Ways to Study

“Study smarter, not harder.” Hopefully, the above saying is half true, but the reality, you need to study hard and do it in a smart way as well. Balancing the two may not be the easiest feat, but these tips will help you find a study method that will work best for you. 1. Study as you learn Yes, this is possible! By reviewing your notes every night of what you learned that day, your brain will familiarize itself with the information. This way, the information will stick and i

Rei Pham

Nov 9, 2016

Let’s Talk Networking

We hear it all the time. But what is “networking” exactly? In my experiences, networking just really means interacting and connecting to people to exchange information and contacts to further a person’s career. Sounds simple? It can be, but it’s also a skill that takes practice. Networking has been the most valuable skill I have acquired as an undergraduate. Through our everyday conversation, we are actually networking without even realizing it. Networking can lead to a vast

The New FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid

Rei Pham

Nov 4, 2016

The New FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid

“Apply for FAFSA! Don’t forget! Complete and submit your FAFSA today!” We hear it about it all the time on campus, but what exactly is FAFSA and what can it do for you? Let’s break it down: FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It's a part of the United States Department of Education and is the largest provider of student financial aid in the nation. It offers more than $150 billion each year to help fund the millions of students who are aiming for higher

College Frenzy: I’m OVERWHELMED! Life hacks to help you cope.

Rei Pham

Oct 7, 2016

College Frenzy: I’m OVERWHELMED! Life hacks to help you cope.

The semester just started and you already found yourself feeling stressed out? Don’t worry, no one says college is a piece of cake! No matter how difficult it may become, you can make your college experience more bearable with minor adjustments. Here are some Life Hacks to help you increase productivity while still getting a good night’s rest. 1. Get at least 8 hours of sleep Believe it or not, college students should get at least 8 hours of sleep each night. The reality is

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