While it's important for new students to know (and older students to remember) the ins and outs of campus life, there's more to see than just the outer surface. After braving the financial aid office, selecting classes, moving more stuff than necessary into new residences and the rest of the university bonanza, it's time to learn the hidden gems that the UA provides.

On the academic spectrum, one of the most important aspects of college (and yet perhaps most tedious) remains the art of studying. Generally, students view the library as the optimal place to spend long hours surrounded by class notes and over-priced books. However, other areas boasting greater scenery and solitude should not be overlooked. Park yourself by Old Main's fountain once the heat wave begins to dissipate. Sit near the theater building in one of the festive, artsy chairs (well, they're statues, but they serve multiple purposes). Stretch out on the Alumni Plaza's grassy knoll, which students flocked to in record droves upon completion last year, especially when certain religious zealots shared their thoughts. Finally, with one of the most enjoyable views on campus, the 4th floor of the Student Union houses tables that remain relatively vacant. [Read article]

Students are lucky. We are allotted three months off of school every summer, equaling twelve or so weeks of vacation or nearly 85 days. For most students it's really only a vacation from going through the motions of school- life still goes on. Summer vacation becomes the best time to earn much needed money for the upcoming year. As the burden of taxes shift further towards college students (in 2003, the average tuition for a public university in the U.S. rose 13.5 percent, and in 2004, it rose 10 percent), students have to spend more of their summer vacations working, and less of it vacationing. [Read article]