Advice for the College Senior

Are you a college senior?  Congratulations on making it this far!  You may think the hard work is over, but you still have a whole year that could determine your future.  Check out these ten things to avoid as a college senior.  You can learn more at Campus Explorer.

 

1. Skipping Classes

Choosing to skip classes could mean missing valuable information for upcoming tests. And don’t forget to think ahead to university classes: Information you’ll need for your major in your college program may be covered during a high school lecture you miss.

2. Thinking Second Semester Grades Don't Count

Many universities look at your second semester grades, so keep that GPA up and keep taking those AP/IB and honors classes. Admissions departments at many colleges and universities have been known to rescind the acceptance letters of students who drop their tough classes or let their GPA sink dramatically due to senior slump.

3. Falling for “Senioritis”

A bit of restlessness during your senior year is to be expected, but don’t let yourself lose motivation, procrastinate or slack off completely. Letting yourself get physically or emotionally run down can ruin your senior year and make you less prepared for getting a college degree.

4. Getting Too Overwhelmed

Senior year means juggling everything from the prom and parties to college essays and AP tests. You’ll get through it all if you take a step back and prioritize your time: Make lists and timelines to keep track of all of your deadlines and make sure you get it all done.

5. Confusing Your Priorities

Planning for college doesn’t mean you can forget about your current obligations. In class, that means making sure your transcript is full of good grades in all of your subjects, not just the ones you think are easier or more relevant to your intended degree. Outside of class, that means not dropping your extracurricular activities or work if those activities will benefit you financially or personally.

6. Forgetting to Study

Keep up on your assignments, even after a tough week. While you’re taking time off, there’s another student going for your spot at the schools you’re applying to who isn’t. When you feel less motivated to study, remind yourself that every good grade gets you closer to finding a college that offers a great program in the major you want. Keep your eyes on the prize!

7. Mismanaging Your Time

Be realistic about your current workload. While you know how long it takes you to write a paper or study for a test under normal conditions, all the pressures of senior year could make you work more slowly or give you more distractions. To stay on top of your assignments, calculate how long you think something will take you, and then double it. Triple it, if time allows. That way you’ll have ample time to get your work done even if something comes up for the colleges you’re applying to.

8. Daydreaming About Your Future Too Much

Your mind now might be wandering, thinking around about degrees, majors, MBA programs, possible careers, study abroad and many other things. These are all exciting future possibilities, but don't forget the here and now. Devoting too much time daydreaming when you have homework and reading to do could seriously curtail those future plans.

9. Blowing Off “Less Important” Work

Don’t be fooled by the idea that a second paper or a midterm quiz doesn't make that much of a difference. Everything counts. Even if something is only worth ten percent of your grade, take it seriously. That extra ten percent might be what pushes you into a college slot over the next applicant.

10. Failing to Use Available Resources

Teachers know about all the challenges you’re facing during this busy time, and many of them are nice enough to offer extra help during the second half of senior year. This help can be in the form of extra office hours, a review of topics covered, study guides, sample exams, or other tools to help you improve your grade. Take advantage of them.

A Great Fall Brownie Recipe

Do you always make the same brownies for dessert?  Check out this great recipe for double chocolate cherry recipes. 

I have my go-to brownie recipe and I generally don't mess around with it. If I'm going to make brownies, it's what I reach for. But then there are days (like today) when there are dried cherries in the pantry and I begin to wonder what would happen if I jammed a few different kinds of chocolate, some quinoa flakes, and said dried cherries into one pan of brownies? The answer: something quite wonderful.

 
In the most recent issue of Cooks Illustrated, they featured a Classic Brownie recipe, discussing in great length what makes them different. I tend to be of the camp that thinks, "What's new under the sun when it comes to brownies?" but the thing that caught my attention was the mention of cake flour. The recipe testers insist, "Cake flour makes tender brownies with a delicate chew." I was intrigued.

As you well know, there are many different kinds of brownie folks out there. There are the fudgy folks, the cakey folks, and the chewy folks — and all of you who fall in between, happily straddling one or the other. I tend to prefer a pretty fudgy, rich brownie, but I also love them to have a bit of a chew and that nice crackly layer on top. So I decided to give it a go with cake flour. I amped up the quantity of chocolate that I usually use, relying on both chopped chocolate and cocoa powder, and experimented with one of my new favorite ingredients: quinoa flakes.

If you're not familiar with quinoa flakes, you can find them in a box at most well-stocked grocery stores (I buy Ancient Harvest brand); they're essentially quinoa that's been pressed flat into quick-cooking flakes. Many folks use them as a speedy warm breakfast cereal, but I've been folding them into cookies and quick breads lately. And now brownies. I love quinoa flakes because they're an easy way to get an extra little hit of protein in unexpected places and they don't change the taste or texture of a recipe very much.

While this recipe has a few unexpected ingredients, it doesn't stray far from simplicity. That's one of the things I love about brownies: you should be able to whip them up in under 30 minutes. Always. I don't believe even the most deluxe brownie recipes warrant multiple dirty bowls or kitchen thermometers. I don't really even believe in sifting the dry ingredients, actually. So these brownies reflect my desire for a simple, decadent brownie — yet one into which we can sneak a few grains and dried fruits when the urge strikes. Enjoy!

Quick recipe note: I used chocolate feves for this recipes — they're essentially nice, round disks of dark chocolate that make it easier when it comes to baking as you can eliminate all that chopping. But use whichever chocolate you really like. A nice dark chocolate is my preference.

Double Chocolate Cherry Quinoa BrowniesServes 9-12

3/4 cup dried cherries
1 cup cake flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
6 ounces dark chocolate (between 60-72% is ideal), finely chopped
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for pan
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 cup quinoa flakes
1/4 cup confectioners sugar, to top

Soak the cherries in warm water for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours. This will help plump them up nicely.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9x13-inch square baking pan (or spray with a little cooking spray)

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the two flours, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

Combine the chopped chocolate and butter into a small saucepan and warm over low heat until the mixture is melted completely and smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the sugar and the eggs on medium speed until quite pale and aerated, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add 1/3 of the dry ingredients, mixing just long enough to incorporate them. Add 1/3 of the butter/chocolate mixture and mix to combine. Repeat, until the dry mixture and butter/chocolate mixture are both fully incorporated. Turn off the mixer and fold in the quiona flakes by hand. Drain the cherries and fold them in as well.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly using a spatula.

Bake for 27-30 minutes, or until a toothpick is inserted into the center and comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it. Cool at room temperature for at least 45 minutes before slicing. Using a fine-mesh sieve of sifter, sprinkle the tops with a little powdered sugar before slicing. 

For more information see The Kitchn.

15 Tips for Better Dorm Food

As you may know, it's back to school season, and that means that ramen packages will be flying off the shelves in no time. This article checks out some great simple recipes in the spirit of back to school, but we think you'll like them too! Check out "15 Back to School Recipes & Tips for Better Tasting Dorm Food"

TOP ROW

• 1 Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake - Yammie's Noshery - Yeah, cake in mugs are kind of ridiculous, but when you're craving something sweet this peanut butter chocolate one should do the trick. 
• 2 Scrambled Eggs in the Microwave - They won't hold a candle to the ones on the stovetop, but might be better then the cold eggs sitting in the cafeteria
• 3 Overnight Oats - This is so easy to do, plus great for when you're on the go in the morning. 
• 5 Steam Broccoli in the Microwave - Sneak some veggies from the cafeteria and make something a little healthy as a snack or to add to microwave pasta. 

SECOND ROW

• 1 Make Instant Ramen Taste Better - Radical Possibility - If instant ramen is inevitable in college, you might as well switch it up every once and awhile. 
• 2 Grilled PB&J - Everyday Occasions - The easiest trick of them all! Grilling your PB&J is life changing. If you don't have a panini press at school, I've heard of people "grilling" it with their clothing iron. That's right. 
• 3 One Bowl Microwave Macaroni and Cheese - Minimal effort involved. 
• 4 Three-Ingredient Cereal Bars - Undressed Skeleton - Take your favorite cereal from the dining hall and use it to make these easy breakfast bars. 
• 5 "Roast" Garlic in the Microwave - Mhmm das right, you can even "roast" garlic if you want to live it up. 

BOTTOM ROW

• 1 Brew a single cup of coffee - Instructables - Because sometimes you just want one cup of coffee and it's like 2am and everything else, including coffee shops, are closed. 
• 2 Make Foamed Milk in a Microwave for Coffee - Because if you're going to go through all the trouble of making that single cup of coffee at 2am, you might as well make some milk foam for it too. 
• 3 Ramen Noodle Trail Mix - May Squared - This recipe techincally requires a stove, but you could just throw all the ingredients together into a bowl and call it a day. 
• 4 Make Polenta in the Microwave - Get fancy with your study group. 
• 5 Toast Nuts in the Microwave - Necessary snack item made better with a microwave. 

Related → College Eating: 5 Ways To Spice Up Cafeteria Food

Related → Our Readers' Best Tips For Cooking Real Meals in a Hotel Room

(Images: As Linked)

Original Article Here: http://www.thekitchn.com/back-to-school-recipes-tips-for-better-tasting-dorm-food-193941

Kid's Activities in Vegas

Do you have trouble finding family activities in Las Vegas?  Check out these great children's activities in Vegas on your upcoming three day weekend!  What is your favorite activity for your family in Vegas?  Learn more about Vegas family activities here.




Adventure Canyon The crew at Buffalo Bill's has shown what a little ingenuity can do -- it turned a once boring ride into a novelty that may start showing up in theme parks across the country. more info



Adventuredome Only in Vegas could you find America's largest indoor theme park encased beneath a five-and-a-half-acre glass dome, complete with pink trim. The Adventuredome is exactly what its name suggests -- a thrill-seeker's delight more info



The Aquarium at the Silverton Located within the cozy Silverton Hotel, a 117,000-gallon saltwater aquarium provides entertainment on a scale one can enjoy only in Las Vegas. more info



Big Shot A two-second, 160-foot launch up a tower is startling. Doing it 1,000 feet in the air atop the tallest building west of the Mississippi is downright terrifying. more info



Bodies...The Exhibition Bodies showcases 13 whole-body specimens and over 260 organs and partial body specimens in an educational experience like none other. more info



CSI: The Experience Calling all wannabe crime scene investigators: now's your chance to crack crimes like the ones seen on the hit TV show. The exhibit includes three crime scenes, two state-of-the-art labs and much more. more info



Canyon Blaster Designed by Utah-based Arrow Dynamics, the Canyon Blaster crams four inversions into the tight confines of the Adventuredome. more info



Chaos Taking the Tilt-a-Whirl and Scrambler to new heights, Chaos has passengers spinning, tilting and flipping like never before. more info



Desperado From the top of the first hill, a tunnel burrowing into the desert looks like an anthill. By the time the Desperado rams through it, the train is careening at about 80 mph. more info



Discovery Children's Museum More than 100 hands-on exhibits in the arts, humanities and sciences at one of the country's largest children's museums. more info



Ethel M Chocolate Factory Tour and Cactus Garden Ethel M Chocolates panders to the sweet tooth in all of us. After the tour, visitors can stroll through the ocotillo, prickly pear and saguaros in the cactus garden. more info



Floyd Lamb State Park Floyd Lamb State Park has four stocked ponds, picnic areas, barbecues, scenic paths and volleyball and horseshoe facilities on 2,040 acres northwest of Las Vegas. more info



Frog Hopper A mini version of the Turbo Drop, Frog Hopper allows children to experience the fun in a seven-seat car that contains one adult seat. more info



Gondola Located in St. Mark's Square, the gondola ride is the Venetian's most popular attraction. So popular, in fact, that the Venetian had to hire more gondoliers to meet demand -- and it still sells out every day. more info



Grand Canyon Grand Canyon National Park is a natural wonder measuring one mile deep and about 280 miles long. Although several other canyons have been carved along the Colorado River, this area is the most spectacular. more info



Insanity Experience 3 Gs as you look over the Las Vegas Strip more than 900 feet below. more info



Inverter With only a harness and T-bar separating you from the concrete floor 50 feet below, the Inverter gives new meaning to the term hang tight. more info



Lake Mead Lake Mead, the 16th largest man-made lake in the world and the largest man-made lake in the Western Hemisphere, offers year-round recreation: everything from boating to swimming to hiking to wildlife viewing. more info



Las Vegas Natural History Museum Marine life, Nevada's wildlife and animated dinosaurs are featured, plus a children's hands-on learning room. more info



M&M's World M&M's World delivers four stories of colorful fun to the Showcase Mall, offering a brilliant spectrum of the candy-coated treats and various items, including everything from T-shirts and caps to limited-edition lithographs. more info



Madame Tussauds Las Vegas Madame Tussauds features more than 100 exquisite wax figures of the world's most famous stars. more info

Moving Back to College

Moving back to college can be fun and  an exciting time.  However, saving money is also crucial on a college budget lifestyle.  Check out these five items that you really do not need to go back to school.  You can get away without them or find cheaper alternatives. Keep reading or check out College Hack for more information.

1: Anything From The School Bookstore
C’mon; are you a Freshman? The School bookstore is convenient, neat, and nice, and you’re paying a premium for all those services. Go on the internet; buy your textbook, rent your textbook, borrow your textbook from your friend; whatever you do, don’t buy it whole-priced, wrapped in plastic, from a smiling clerk who thinks you’re a Freshman now. Move ahead and buy from different sources when you can.
2: Highlighters.
When have you ever used highlighters? They look pretty and represent productivity. Wonderful. Underline your books with good old fashioned pencil and save your eyes the trouble of checking around the bright yellow sentences jumping out of your book. And don’t get me started on the variety packs of highlighters, full of new colors to color code your book as though that’s the thing that can write your essay. If you’re productive enough to want to color code your book you’re set: you’re productive enough not to need to. If, on the other hand, you, like me, would never do that sort of thing, don’t buy the highlighters because you won’t. Get it?
3: A Fancy Backpack
A backpack is made to carry your books. You don’t need it to be strong, you don’t need bonus pockets or camouflage or a holder for your water bottle. The entire backpack holds things: why do you need a bottle-holder? A backpack is simple: it’s something that isn’t a paper bag that can hond your books, packing them, if you will, on your back. That’s it. Nothing complex that can handle camping or whatever. Nothing huge to handle all the books you’re taking- you shouldn’t be taking more than two classes of books at a time, even, just for your back. Leave the fancy backpacks for the fancier students. Get one that works and move on.
4: Anything New in Bulk
If you want to get back to school, and you’re determined to try something, don’t get it in bulk. That includes protein powder, those colored post-its, or a whole set of assignment notebooks; whatever it is, no matter how much you want it, start smaller. Nothing’s more embarrassing than leaving forty bucks of school supply untouched when you’re September ambitions fade.
5: Anything New, Period.
Okay, maybe I’m biased, but don’t get anything new.
If you haven’t used it before, you’re not going to use it now. Sorry. Those binders, that orginization you say you’re always going to do? Not happening. And that’s okay. If you’ve survived this long without it, you’ll keep on surviving. Old dogs don’t learn new tricks, so if you find yourself looking at an impulse buy that’ll change the way you study, ask yourself: do you think you’re going to change anything? If not, then be honest, and save yourself twenty bucks. Otherwise you’ll do things just like you always have, only now you have a few shiny new binders under your bed.

Shred, Scan, or Store

Do you have paperwork laying around your house?  Find out if you should shred, scan, or store it.  Check out this info graphic that helps you decide what to keep and what to throw away.  You can find  out more great living tips at Apartment Therapy.

Friday Night Live

Check out Friday Night Live in the Summerlin Community.  There are two more concerts left for you to see this summer.  You can find out more information by reading the blog and checking out Summerlink.


August 9, 7 p.m. Yellow Brick Road
September 6,  7 p.m. Boogie Knights

The Summerlin Council proudly presents the return of the “Friday Night Live” concert series. Pack a picnic basket and head over to the Trails Park for live musical experiences that are guaranteed to get you moovin’ and groovin’ this summer. Best of all, it’s FREE!

Enjoy the sounds of bands played beneath the summer stars and the opportunity to socialize with your Summerlin neighbors. So dust off your dancing shoes and join us for some music under the stars!