First, you’ll need to figure out if you really have time for the additional responsibilities. If you’re already involved in numerous organizations on campus, play sports, take honors classes and have a full load of responsibilities already it might just be too much for you to handle. You’ll need to think carefully about how you’d structure your study time, work, and extracurricular activities around being there for students, attending meetings and playing an active leadership role. If you think it would be too much, perhaps its best not to pursue it. If it sounds great, you may have hit on a perfect job for yourself.

Of course, while there are downsides to being an RA, there are also some pretty great benefits. It can make a great addition to a resume and offers students a chance to build leadership and communication skills that can come in handy in school and in the workplace. Additionally, most colleges provide compensation for the work that resident advisers do. This can come in the form of free housing, scholarships, or even just a monthly check. These benefits can be a boon to students who need both experience and financial support, and can often be an option that is much preferred to seeking out work elsewhere on or off campus.

Finally, you’ll want to make sure the responsibilities of the job are something that you’ll actually enjoy. Most resident advisers work to coordinate activities in the residence halls, must enforce the rules , help out other students and serve as a link to other groups and facilities on campus. In addition, they must know a lot about university resources, be good at communication, excel in a leadership role and love working with others. If any of those things sound less than desirable to you, then you might want to consider an alternate form of on-campus employment.

Being an RA can be an excellent way to turn run-of-the-mill dorm life into something special You’ll be able to make new friends, work with others and get to know your campus on a more intimate level. Whether or not you’re up for the job is really a personal decision, so make sure to carefully weight the pros and cons before committing to an RA position, as your work doesn’t just affect you but all the other students living with you in the dorm.

Getting Started

These tips explain the basics of starting your own garden program.

1. Get a committee together. This will help you get the ideas, support and information you need to get your garden project going.
2. Find funding. Starting a garden isn’t always cheap but there are numerous sources of funding to help you. Seek out grants and local donors for assistance.
3. Define the purpose and objectives of your garden. There are many reasons to make a school garden: some want to grow food, others bring in wildlife, so define the purpose of your project beforehand so you’ll know where to start and what kind of plants you’ll need.
4. Figure out activities for students. The purpose of the garden is to teach students, so prepare some lessons beforehand.
5. Create a year-round plan. Your garden isn’t a school-year only investment. You’ll need to figure out what to do with it during vacations as well.
6. Choose a site. Finding a great site for your garden will be essential to your success, so choose wisely.
7. Create a garden design. If you’re not a garden design pro yourself, reach out to others for help in creating a great garden design.
8. Add to your garden bit by bit. You don’t have to fill out your garden entirely at once. Adding to it bit by bit can be a fun, and less expensive way to get started.
9. Involve parents. Letting parents in on the project can help get you support and ensure that children get help at home understanding what they’ve learned in the garden.
10. Get kids excited. Finally, you’ll want to make sure the students themselves are excited about the prospect of the garden. After all, they’re who you’re doing it for.

Helpful Resources

Check out these resources for help building, getting inspired and planning your garden.

11. USDA School Garden Bulletin Board: Here, the USDA provides information about school gardens across the US, information about gardens in the past and great lesson plans for educators.
12. NWF Schoolyard Habitats: Want to build a garden that attracts wildlife? This instructional guide from the National Wildlife Federation can help.
13. The Edible Schoolyard: As one of the longest running and most successful school gardens, this California garden can inspire you to create a great garden of your own.
14. Aggie Horticulture for Kids: Check out this site for guidance starting a school garden from Texas A&M.
15. USC School Garden: This site is home to a great collection of resources from the USC-San Diego.
16. Let’s Get Growing: Here you’ll find everything you need to help kids get started on creating their very own gardens.
17. Green Teacher: Read this magazine to learn ways you can support sustainability in your classroom.
18. Junior Master Gardener: This site is an excellent place to find tools to help support young gardeners.

Organizations

These organizations offer some inspiration and guidance on starting a garden.

19. Real School Gardens: This organization is focused on helping elementary schools build, design and educate with gardens.
20. Farm to School: Give your kids a better understanding of where their food comes from with help from this group.
21. Urban Harvest: You might not live where this organization does its work, but you can find some great ideas and support on their site.
22. KidsGardening.org: Supported by the National Gardener’s Association, this site is full of resources for aspiring school gardeners.
23. School Garden Wizard: Need help planning and planting your garden? Try out this site’s resources.
24. Children’s Garden Network: With the help of this organization, you can learn how to build and fund your own school garden.
25. World Food Garden: This organization dedicates itself to supporting small gardens around the world.
26. The Learning Garden: Here, you’ll find help creating an educational garden.

Informative Articles

Learn more about a wide variety of school garden-related topics through these articles.

27. Start an Edible School Garden Today: Learn how to start a produce producing garden with the help of this article.
28. The School Garden Debate: To Weep or Reap?: This article is a great defense of school gardens and well worth reading.
29. How to Start a Garden Checklist: Here, you’ll find a checklist for things you’ll need to do for your school garden.
30. The Benefits of a School Garden: Learn the many benefits of having a school garden here.
31. History of Youth Gardens: This article gives a short overview of the history of school gardens.
32. Making Compost In School: Your garden will do better with a little compost. Learn how to make it here.
33. Vermicomposting: Take your composting to the next level with this worm-based composting system.
34. School garden teaching students life lessons: See how this school garden is impacting students in this article from Maine.
35. Starting a School Garden: Get some helpful advice in starting a school garden here.
36. What are Some Good Plants to Grow With Children?: Use this article as a guide to some plants that are best to help children grow.
37. Top Tips for Setting Up a School Garden: Learn the essentials of setting up a school garden here.
38. Holiday Planning for the School Garden: This article will explain how to plan for your school garden in the months while you’re away from regular classes.

Blogs

Read through these blogs for some great ideas and information on gardening.

39. Garden ABCs: This blog is home to success stories, tools, and teaching tools for school gardens.
40. Garden-Based Learning Blog: Based out of Cornell, this blog will help you learn more about educators running gardens.
41. Gardening With Children.co.uk: Get tips and tools for school gardens on this UK blog.
42. Life and Learning in a School Garden: See just what is going on with this school’s garden project here.
43. Little Green Fingers: This blog is all about how to get children interested in gardening.
44. School Garden Weekly: Get regular posts on instructional activities for school gardens through this site.
45. Today’s Garden Ideas: Here you’ll find some great general ideas for gardening.
46. Savvy Gardening: Learn more about gardening as a whole from this great instructional blog.
47. Urban Veggie Garden Blog: If your school garden is to focus on growing vegetables, this blog can be a great resource.
48. Plant Talk: Written by the New York Botanical Garden, this site will help you learn more about plants, eating food, and garden design.

Funding Sources

Looking for some funding for your garden? Consider one of these sources.

49. School Garden Co: You can raise money for your school garden through selling these products.
50. Adopt a School Garden Program: Here, the National Gardening Association offers schools a chance to find a sponsor for their garden.
51. Healthy Sprouts Award: Gardens working to educate children about nutrition and hunger can apply for this award.
52. Captain Planet Grant: If your project focuses on environmental issues, consider asking for funding from this project.
53. Lowe’s Outdoor Classroom Grant Project: The home improvement store Lowe’s offers help for schools teaching science outdoors, with rewards of up to $5000.
54. Youth Garden Grants: Sponsored by The Home Depot and The Garden Club, this grant will help you start a child-centered garden.
55. America the Beautiful Fund: Get free seeds for your garden project through this fund.
56. American Honda Foundation: Honda offers support for school gardens, and other projects, through this foundation.
57. Box Tops 4 Education: Ask your community to save box tops to help you raise money through this program.
58. Fruit Tree Planting Foundation: Get support from this foundation to get some fruit trees planted at your school.

Lessons and Ideas

Here you’ll find an excellent collection of lessons and projects to try with your students.

59. NEEF School Garden Curricula: The National Environmental Education Week program offers these great lessons for grades K-12.
60. Edible Schoolyard Lessons and Recipes: Try out these lessons from the Edible Schoolyard. They can help teach your students about growing and cooking food.
61. NGA Classroom Projects Library: Here, the National Garden Association offers some great classroom projects that involve plants.
62. USC San Diego Learning and Activities: This site offers some great ways to get your students involved in the garden project.
63. The Great Plant Escape: Check out this site for a fun and interactive lesson for your students that will teach them about plant life.
64. Cornell Garden-Based Learning: Get short, stand-alone activities as well as ideas for longer projects on this site.
65. School Garden Potpourri of Ideas: If you’re looking for a simple list of ideas on how to use your school garden, this site has a great one.
66. Going on a bug safari in your school garden: Send your students out to search for bugs with this fun activity.
67. Project WILD Curriculum and Resources: Engage your students with wildlife using the lessons found here.
68. Granny’s Garden Lesson Plans: This program shares its lessons on plants, insects and the natural world on their site.
69. CSGN Curriculum: The California School Garden Network posts a wide range of gardening lessons here.
70. WEGarden Teacher Resources: On this site, you’ll get access to the resources this DC-based project uses to teach students about plants.

Learning the Ropes

Consider these tips when you’re new to school gardening.

71. Start small. You don’t have to create a gigantic garden to help students learn from it. Start small and work your way up so you don’t get overwhelmed.
72. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Anytime you’re starting something new you’re bound to have a few growing pains.
73. Read all you can. The only ways to get better at gardening are to learn from experience and to read all you can on the subject.
74. Get in touch with other school garden programs. They’ll be able to share their experience with you and help you with issues you might not know how to tackle.
75. Ask for help. There’s no reason you have to do it all on your own. Ask for help from other teachers, parents and friends.
76. Reach out to the community. There are likely many businesses and individuals who’ll want to help you out.
77. Keep it simple. You don’t have to have a garden that does everything. Keep it simple.
78. Use trial and error. Don’t know how a certain variety of plant will do? Try it out. You’ll never learn until you try.
79. Consider edible plants. That way, students can reap the rewards of their efforts and learn about healthy eating at the same time.
80. Have an alternate plan. If something doesn’t go as you originally planned it, make sure you have a backup plan to ensure things still run smoothly.

Gardening Information and Reference

If you need to look up some information about plants and gardening, these sources are excellent resources.

81. GreenWeb’s Gardening Glossary: Here you’ll find an excellent collection of articles all about plants and gardening topics.
82. National Gardening Association: This organization in a great resource for those looking to find information about plants, pests, weeds, and building a garden.
83. Gardener’s Supply Company: Look to this company to find some great supplies for a school garden.
84. Life Lab Resources for Planting and Maintaining Your School Garden: LifeLab offers a wide range of books, links and other resources to help you learn to plant a school garden here.
85. Producepedia: If you’re going to be growing food, find information about pretty much every kind out there.
86. Dave’s Garden: Whether you’re a new or expert gardener, you’ll find guides, information and help aplenty here.
87. Gardenology: Look up any plant you’re curious about here through a great garden wiki.
88. Garden Guides: From garden design to learning about pesky bugs, you’ll find help here.
89. My Garden Guide: Get some helpful advice on building your garden from this site.
90. New Gardener: If you’re new to the whole gardening experience, find great articles for beginners here.

Reading Material

Add these books to your library to learn more about starting, running and finding success with your garden.

91. How to Grow a School Garden: A Complete Guide for Parents and Teachers: This resource is a must-have for those hoping to start a school garden as it lays out all the essentials you’ll need to get the job done right.
92. Steps to a Bountiful Kids’ Garden: Get this guide from the NGA on how to get support and run a successful school garden.
93. Ten Years of Education at the Edible Schoolyard: Learn from the experience of the Edible Schoolyard in this informative book.
94. Children’s Gardens – A Field Guide for Teachers, Parents, and Volunteers: Published by the University of California, this book will teach you the basics of working with children on garden projects.
95. Fresh Food from Small Spaces: The Square-Inch Gardener’s Guide to Year-Round Growing, Fermenting, and Sprouting: This book will teach you how to make the most of even the small space you have to grow you garden.
96. Our Generous Garden: In this book, you’ll find an excellent resource for school gardens, including helpful illustrations and photos as well.
97. Expert Urban Gardener: This free guide will help you learn to garden better even if your school is located in an urban space.
98. The Growing Classroom: Garden-Based Science: Learn how to maximize the lessons of your school garden with this book.
99. Garden Projects for the Classroom & Special Learning Programs: Get some great ideas on how to educate your students through the outdoor classroom from this book.
100. Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children: This book can be a great introduction for your students to the wonderful world of gardening.

1. Work together: College is, in all likelihood, going to be tougher than your previous years of schooling. As an advisor told me when I was a freshman, "This isn’t the 13th Grade." It takes real focus to work at the university level, as well as a willingness to commit yourself to finding new methods of learning. One of the best things you can do at college is learn to rely on your classmates. Case in point: Annie and Shirley teamed up to work as security guards during April Fool’s Day and wound up putting their heads together to figure out who pulled a major prank.
2. Remember to goof off: Troy and Abed are one of the best dynamic duos on TV, willing to be silly and weird and always up for a good time. The tags at the end of each episode, in which Troy and Abed do something that’s often unrelated to the rest of the episode’s plot, perfectly encapsulate the random moments of goofing off that form friendships for life. Plus, how awesome would it be to actually make your own version of Kickpuncher?
3. Know your strengths: At the end of the first episode, Jeff was able to unite the study group and turn them into a functioning community, and he did it by highlighting their individual strengths. Instead of seeing each other as outcasts, they recognized that they each brought something unique to the group, from Abed’s extensive pop culture knowledge to Annie’s determination to succeed. The same lesson applies in a real college setting:
4. Relationships can be tricky: Jeff was all over the map in the show’s first season, dating a professor, hooking up with Britta, and even enjoying some flirting with Annie. (Which is technically pretty risky, since she’s supposed to be 19 and he’s in his 30s.) Every new romantic entanglement brought more problems, not least of which was the ever more complex minefield that was Jeff and Britta’s relationship, which started the season as rocky and adversarial and ended with them sleeping together (!) in "Modern Warfare" before she said she loved him (!!) in "Pascal’s Triangle Revisited." The lesson: Always, always, always be prepared for relationships to get complicated, especially if you get romantic with a friend.
5. There will always be annoying people: Britta’s ex-boyfriend, Vaughn, is a pretty typical example of a modern hippie/frat tool: Prone to shirtlessness, a fan of hacksack, and never far from his acoustic guitar. He gets on the gang’s nerves, especially when he briefly dates Annie, a move that upsets Britta and Jeff for a variety of reasons. (For starters, Britta thinks it’s crass of Annie to date her ex, while Jeff feels protective of Annie and still a little attracted to her.) But the gang learns to tolerate him, if not completely like him, which is an important lesson for students everywhere. Sometimes, you will find yourself living or working with someone you just don’t like, and you’ll have to learn to get along.
6. Power can be dangerous: In "Contemporary American Poultry," the gang installs Abed as the cafeteria’s new fry cook to give them access to the tasty chicken fingers, the most popular item on the menu. In a brilliant parody of GoodFellas, the gang uses their newfound ability to distribute the food to take over the school and become the most popular — and powerful — clique on campus. However, the plan goes too far when they become corrupt, and they have to pull the plug. The broader lesson is that there will always be opportunities to get ahead, but some of those will come with too high a price. From time to time, take a step back and ask if what you’re doing might have negative consequences.
7. It’s never too late to chase your dreams: Early on in the series, it becomes clear that Abed is a lover of movies even though his dad wants him to join the family falafel business. Britta pays to enroll him in a film course, leading to a confrontation with Abed’s father, but Abed’s documentary about his life and dreams strikes a chord with his dad, who agrees to let Abed pursue his filmmaking. In a university setting, it can be tempting to settle for something you don’t want or to take the path of least resistance, but you’ll be happier if you stick to your guns and chase your dreams.
8. Be open to others’ beliefs: Shirley, a devout Christian, was shocked to learn that many of her classmates didn’t have the same belief system: Annie is Jewish, Abed is Muslim, Troy’s a Jehovah’s Witness, Jeff is agnostic, Pierce is Buddhist, and Britta is an atheist. The news was tough for her to take at first, but she eventually warmed to the fact that it was okay for her friends to believe differently than she does. This is an extremely important lesson for college students, who find themselves living and hanging out with people of vastly different belief systems. The message is to value your beliefs without maligning others’ and to show respect for everyone.
9. There’s always someone better: Jeff is cool and knows it — he’s basically Bill Murray in every Murray flick from the 1980s — but in "Beginner Pottery" he gets a comeuppance when he struggles to make a decent pot in what he thinks will be a blow-off class. He’s constantly beaten by another guy in the class, and it takes Jeff getting kicked out and readmitted to the course to finally accept the fact that he just can’t make a good pot. He’s got a lot of gifts, but sculpting isn’t one of them. The lesson: There will always be someone better than you. Instead of trying to beat them, focus on doing the best you can do. Trust me, it’s a lot easier. (Sorry, no clip for this one.)
10. Never give up: The debate episode was a classic one, especially given the way it played up Jeff and Annie’s burgeoning relationship, but the highlight was the showdown in which Greendale College seemed destined to lose their debate. However, Jeff’s ingenuity and Annie’s quick thinking worked together to save the day and procure a win, even one that came at the expense of dropping a handicapped student to the ground. (It’s not as bad as it sounds, I swear.) The moral for real-life students is to never give up, even when it feels like your back is against the wall. Maybe you win, maybe you lose. But the important part is to always go for broke.

Pre-Drinking

Use these tips to prepare yourself before you ever take your first drink.

1. Eat something. Having a little something in your stomach can help you better pace your drinking and make you feel better the next day. Aim for something with a good amount of carbs and fat to start your night.
2. Take some B6. Studies have shown that vitamin B6 may help you avoid a hangover if it’s taken before drinking, during drinking, and before bed. Even at worst, all you’ll have in your system is more vitamins, so give it a try.
3. Have a good time. While it might be a given, research has shown that those who have a positive outlook on life generally have less intense hangovers than those who are angry or depressed.
4. Eat olive oil. Coat your stomach with this age-old oil to help protect you from the worst of a hangover. The fat content of olive oil has traditionally been believed to reduce the impact of hangovers.
5. Get hydrated. Many of the effects of a hangover are caused by the dehydration of the body from alcohol and caffeinated beverages. Make sure you drink enough water to start counteracting this early on in the evening.
6. Try a glass of milk. Some believe that it coats the stomach and helps the alcohol you’ll soon be pouring down the hatch from absorbing as quickly.
7. Know your limits. Before you ever head out, you should know how much you can safely drink. While everyone wants to have a good time, what might have been a simple hangover can quickly turn into alcohol poisoning if you get too carried away. Know what you can drink and stick to it.

While Drinking

These tips can help you mitigate the severity of your hangover while you’re enjoying a night on the town.

8. Drink water between drinks. This will help you to pace your drinking and ensure that you are rehydrating your body as you go through the night.
9. Avoid caffeinated mixers. Caffeine and alcohol are two substances that are great at dehydrating the body and combining them is just asking for a hangover the next day.
10. Limit your drinking. It might sound pretty simple, but college students aren’t exactly known for their conservative sipping when it comes to drinking. Avoid binge drinking and you’ll do your body a great service and avoid a whole lot of hangovers in the process.
11. Stick with beer. Mixed drinks might taste delicious but they can have varying amounts of alcohol in them based on how much the bartender chooses to put in. With beer, you always know what you’re getting so you can moderate your drinking.
12. Have a snack. Enjoying a few peanuts or chips while you’re drinking can help slow down alcohol absorption and taste pretty good to boot.
13. Choose hangover-friendly alcohols. You don’t have to be a connoisseur of booze to figure out that the cheaper the alcohol the worse hangover it will probably give you. If you’re planning for a long night of drinking, steer clear of red wines, and cheap, dark liquors if you want to wake up on the right side of the bed.
14. Don’t smoke. Smoking and drinking seem like a match made in heaven, but smoking can rob your body of oxygen and leave you with a worse hangover than before.
15. Don’t mix. The old saying goes, "Beer before liquor, never sicker. Liquor before beer, in the clear" and those can be words to drink by. Of course, you’re far better off not mixing your alcohols at al,l as studies have shown that mixing in general can worsen your hangover.
16. Pace yourself. Use this chart to determine the rate you should be drinking at to avoid getting completely wasted and ending up with a wicked hangover.

Before Bed

Don’t just pass out when you get home. Instead, try a few of these pointers to help you avoid feeling like death warmed over the next day.

17. Forget the pain killers. Mixing alcohol and medication can be deadly. Wait until morning (or if it’s already morning, whenever you get up) to take any ache relieving medication you might need.
18. More water. Before you go to sleep is a good time to stock your body up on water. You will thank yourself for it in the morning.
19. Have a vitamin. Drinking can be hard on your body, so give it the fuel it needs to repair itself while you’re sleeping by taking a multi-vitamin before bed. If you generally get queasy from vitamins, a chewable option might be best.
20. Stop drinking. You shouldn’t be drinking as you are climbing into bed, as awesome as that might sound to your friends. Stop drinking at least an hour before you head to sleep to your body has a chance to get some of the alcohol out of your system.
21. Have a little OJ. Some studies suggest that vitamin C can help speed up the process of getting that alcohol through your system. If you can’t stand orange juice, any other juice high in vitamin C will do.
22. Eat a little something. If you’ve had a lot to drink, you can do yourself a favor by having a high-carb snack before bed. It might pack on some calories but it will also help relieve your hangover.

Next Day

Even the best preparation can’t help you avoid a hangover if you’ve truly gone wild the night before. Try a few of these tips to ease your hangover pain the next day.

23. Take ibuprofen. If your head is pounding take ibuprofen to help get relief. To avoid further stomach upset, you might want to have a piece of toast or some cereal first, as ibuprofen can irritate the stomach.
24. Stay in bed. There is no hangover remedy as effective as sleep. Get as much of it as you can as it allows your body to get the alcohol out of your system while you’re safely tucked away into dreamland and out of hangoverville.
25. Take a shower. It might not get rid of your hangover, but it sure will help you feel better and probably smell a whole lot better. If nothing else, it will help you feel gross in one less way while you’re hung over.
26. Have something to eat. Holding down food isn’t always the easiest thing when you wake up with a hangover, but it’s important to try to eat something. Start with toast or crackers and work your way up.
27. Avoid any dehydrating foods and drinks. You might be craving a cup of coffee, but beware as the caffeine it contains could make you feel just as bad as good. Try to stick to foods and drinks that will help your body, not hinder it.
28. Get moving as soon as you can. You don’t have to be running around the block, but getting active can help you to feel better faster in some cases. If you want an easy avenue, try some yoga poses as they have been shown to help aid in detoxification.
29. Water, water, water. The worst parts of your hangover are caused by simple dehydration. Get as much water in your system as you can handle.
30. Hang in there. There is no surefire way to get rid of a hangover besides waiting it out, so stay in your jammies, chug water and lay around the house until you’re feeling like your old self again. It might take all day, but you’ll get there.
31. Try a sauna. Many people in colder climes, like Russia, believe that a sauna can help alleviate the effects of a hangover by causing you to sweat the toxins out. If you decide to try this, make sure to drink lots of water to stay hydrated while you’re sweating out your boozing.
32. Take a bath. Similarly, a warm bath can be a good remedy as well, helping you to relax and feel clean. Some say adding a little wasabi to the mix couldn’t hurt either.
33. Give yourself a massage. If you don’t have anyone around, you can give yourself a massage and help motivate your body to get those toxins out of there.

Hangover Friendly Drinks

While some people claim that the hair of the dog that bit you (even more alcohol) is the best remedy, medical science has shown that that’s absolutely the worst thing you can do for yourself. Try one of these drinks instead.

34. Emergen-C. This vitamin C-filled drink will help you battle off your hangover without the stomach-irritating acid of orange juice.
35. Green tea. Green tea is just plain good for you and in many places in the world it’s a traditional hangover cure. Give it a try the next time you don’t feel so good the morning after.
36. Salt solutions. Try adding a little salt to your water to make it easier for your body to handle while you’re hung over. Just don’t add too much as it can dehydrate you.
37. Pedialyte. While this drink is formulated for kids, it has plenty of ingredients in it to help adults who don’t feel well.
38. Fruit juice. Fruit juices have vitamin C and sugar, both of which can help you battle the effects of a hangover. Just beware of those that are especially acidic, as this can make your stomach feel even worse.
39. Carbonated soda. While you may want to avoid the caffeinated kinds, the carbonation of soda can help relieve an upset stomach and the sugar can help return your blood sugar levels to normal.
40. Ginger ale. Ginger is an age-old cure for stomach upsets. Make sure you’re getting a ginger ale with real ginger and you could get a little relief from nausea and the feeling like the room is spinning.
41. Gatorade. While a night of drinking doesn’t really have the same benefits as running a marathon, it can take the same kind of toll on your body. Drinking sports drinks can help you replenish your sugars, hydrate you, and get you balanced and back to normal.

Hangover Friendly Foods

If your stomach wants to reject just about anything you put in there, try one of these foods first to help you re-balance your body and get on the path to feeling better.

42. Crackers. If your stomach is particularly upset, crackers may be all you’re able to keep down. Keep nibbling away at those saltines as they will help your recovery greatly.
43. Rice. Rice is a pretty inoffensive food and can help you get something in your stomach and your body on the path to feeling better.
44. Pasta. The same goes for pasta. Avoid heavy, creamy sauces and you’ll be able to load up on hangover fighting carbs.
45. Eggs. Eat a healthy breakfast of eggs to get a dose of cysteine, a substance that fights off the by-products of your body’s metabolization of alcohol.
46. Asparagus. Some believe that eating asparagus before and after drinking can boost the enzymes responsible for breaking alcohol down in your system.
47. Bananas. With loads of potassium, bananas are one of the classic hangover foods as they won’t hurt your stomach and contain substances that can help you recover.
48. Chicken soup. Soup isn’t just good for when you have a cold, it can also help you battle through a hangover with helpful proteins and water.
49. BLT. Team up proteins and carbs in a bacon sandwich to do a number on your hangover symptoms.

Something Completely Different

You likely won’t have many of these remedies lying around the house, but if you’ve already tried everything else, why not truck on down to the grocery store and give these a whirl?

50. Prickly pear extract. One study has shown that taking this in pill form helped to stave off hangover symptoms like dry mouth and nausea.
51. Bifidus powder. It might cost you a pretty penny, but this protein powder will help you feel better faster. Isn’t that priceless?
52. Evening primrose oil. Find this age-old remedy at your local health food store. It will help your stomach feel better and ease the impact of your drinking on your liver.
53. Milk thistle. This herb, when taken in a pill before bed, is sworn by in many areas of the world.
54. Pickle juice. It might not be the most appetizing thing to drink, but some believe this interesting beverage could help your hangover by containing both salt and water.
55. Cumin seeds. One of the properties of this herbal seed’s oil is said to be sobering you up quickly, and it is also used to restore energy, settle the stomach and more.
56. Raw egg. If you can somehow choke it down, many claim it is a big help in getting rid of a hangover. You can aid in the process by mixing it with orange juice.
57. Ginseng. Ginseng isn’t just for old people, it can also help give you a burst of energy and help your body process the alcohol in your system.

Learning About Financial Aid

These resources have information about general financial aid and special military benefits that help you pay for school.

1. Financial Aid for Veterans and their Dependents: FinAid goes into detail about what financial aid and tuition assistance programs are available for veterans and their families.
2. Use Your Benefits to Pay for School: Learn how to work your military benefits so that you paying for school is much more affordable.
3. Military Student Financial Aid: The Financial Aid Finder lists information about eligibility, scholarships, tuition assistance federal and state grants and more for military students.
4. Military Student Aid: Learn about the recruiting benefits of the U.S. Armed Forces, as well as different scholarship and tuition assistance programs for military students here.
5. AIU Tuition and Financial Aid: When choosing a school, look for financial aid pages like this one at American InterContinental University that are specifically designed to help military students attend school.
6. Learn to Use Your GI Bill: Get information on GI Bill eligibility, National Guard users and more here.
7. NASFAA: The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators lists information for Reserve/Guard officers and veterans here.
8. Financial Aid for Military Service: Veterans and active military personnel can earn tuition assistance and college funds in exchange for their service. Learn about it in this article.
9. Financial Aid for Military Servicemembers and Veterans: The site WorldWideLearn outlines the financial aid options for veterans and military servicemembers here.
10. How to Pay for Career Training: CareerExplorer offers ideas for how military servicemembers can pay for career and vocational school by tapping into their benefits, going to military academies and more.

Finding the Right School

Here you’ll find tips and tools for finding military-friendly schools that can meet your unique needs.

11. The Military Student Bill of Rights: When looking for a school that matches your needs and education goals, consider these points.
12. Peterson’s: This popular educational resource allows an easy search so that students of all types can find distance ed programs, honors colleges, career schools, graduate schools and more.
13. Find the Right Military-Friendly School: Military.com reveals tips for finding colleges and other postsecondary institutions that are military friendly.
14. College-Bound Vets Say Campus Needs Often Unmet: Consider the drawbacks of campus programs when you read this article.
15. Ask the Right Questions: From understanding accreditation and tuition assistance to picking courses and programs, this guide will help you out during your school search.
16. Military Education: For help understanding professional military education programs, turn to this page.
17. Find the Right Technology School for Your Career: The Army Times’ article on picking technology schools and programs keeps in mind the specific experiences and needs of military servicemembers.
18. Nontraditional Students: Find the Right College: This article gives advice for students looking for flexible programs, special financial aid options, and more nontraditional benefits.
19. Choosing a School: The National Military Family Association outlines different types of American schools and universities for the benefit of military students and children of military servicemembers.
20. How to Pick the Right School for You: This article goes over the dos and don’ts of picking graduate schools and programs.

Navigating Transfer Credits

Learn about the different ways you can transfer credits so that you don’t have to waste time learning about concepts in a textbook when you’ve already practiced them in the field.

21. College Credit for Military Experience: Figure out how to match your experience in the military for college credit by reading this page.
22. SOC Principles and Criteria: SOC — which stands for Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges — discusses the ways in which it sets standards for postsecondary schools wanting to recruit military students.
23. Transferring Schools: The NMFA aims to solve the problem of military spouses and family members missing out on credits because of transfers and sudden moves.
24. Why Coastline is a Military Friendly School: View this manifesto as an example of what to look for when determining whether your school is military friendly and accepts transfer credits and experience.
25. Academia and the Armed Forces: Credit, Experience Credentials – Making the Right Connections: CollegeTransfer.net’s article discusses how different organizations and institutions are more or less receptive to accepting military credits and experience.
26. Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services: The American Council on Education lets students search courses and occupations to determine if and how their experience transfers to college credit.
27. Credit by Advanced Standing: The University of Oklahoma’s page on determining credit for military personnel and veterans serves as an example to prospective military students looking for similar benefits at other schools.
28. Vets Often Denied Academic Credits: This February 2008 article from Boston.com uncovers seemingly unfair credit denials for experienced veterans.
29. CollegeTransfer.net: Students can join this community to keep track of their courses and transfers.
30. Getting Credit for Your Military Experience: The Military Credits blog gives a basic outline of how military students and veterans can organize their credits.
31. DANTES and ACE: Learn about these two exams, which can reward military servicemembers for their experience by evaluating their credits.

Scholarships

This list includes resources and databases for searching through military-friendly scholarships.

31. Military School Loans: CollegeScholarships.com lists information about special loans and repayment options for military students.
32. Scholarships: Military.com’s Education portal reveals the truth behind common myths about military scholarships and going back to school.
33. ArmyROTC: Here, high school students can find information about ROTC scholarships that will carry them through four years of undergraduate study.
34. Tuition Support: Today’s Military explains different forms of tuition assistance and scholarships for military servicemembers here.
35. AFCEA Educational Foundation: Learn about AFCEA scholarships here, which award college funds and distance learning scholarships to active duty servicemembers, veterans and military family members.
36. Military Transition: From the Army College Program to the Navy Knowledge Online program, you’ll find scholarships and tuition assistance resources here.
37. Tuition Assistance Information Center: Search this page by active duty, reserves or spouse to find the right kind of marine, army, navy, air force or coast guard tuition assistance program.
38. Scholarship Search: Use this database of over 5,000 different scholarships, loans and other tuition assistance programs by state, award type, study level and more.
39. Military Scholarship Finder: This tool lets you customize your scholarship search by typing in your educational goal, class type, residence, type of financial aid and more.
40. Scholarship Programs for Veterans: Veterans seeking federal aid and other types of scholarships will benefit from this guide.

Helpful Articles and Guides

Read the stories of how more and more military personnel are going back to school in these articles, which serve to inspire and provide information.

41. Continuing Education…What’s In It For You?: MilitaryTA.com explains how AARTS transcripts " translate military education and job experience into civilian language by listing college-equivalent credit recommendations" to place you in the right career, professional training or education program.
42. Returning Heroes are Going Back to School: Learn why more and more military veterans are going back to school and reaping the benefits of the GI Bill.
43. Going Back to School After Military Service: This article proposes several questions to consider before going back to school after serving in the military.
44. Should You Go Back to School?: This guide lists eight different questions that anyone going back to school should consider.
45. What to consider before going back to university for an advanced degree: Consider all sides of your decision to pursue a graduate degree with the help of this article.
46. Thinking About Going Back to School?: From picking a program to completing the application process to setting goals for yourself, this guide can help you make sense of going back to school.
47. Back to College: This website is a great resource for adults going back to school. You can find information on career planning, financial aid, internships, admissions and more.
48. Military Education: Online Education Mythbusters: This blog post gets to the truth about how online education can help military personnel and veterans reach their career goals.
49. University Continuing Education Association: This association has resources for those wanting to go back to school. There’s even a community just for military education.
50. Gatlin Education Services: The GES Military Education Services features a tuition assistance office, certificate programs, support for going back to school and more.

Understanding Online Programs

Before you enroll in a traditional campus program, why not consider online programs? You’ll save time and probably even money during your military – civilian transition. First, though, you’ll need to determine whether or not online education would be a good fit.

51. Commit to College: The Army Times’ guide to online learning gives military students tips for picking the right school and program, and selecting the right technology.
52. How to Choose and Online Degree Program: Understand the pros and cons of online schools vs. traditional, campus-based schools here.
53. What to Consider When Choosing an Online Program for Graduate School: This article on About.com discusses self-motivation, technology, how to research instructors and accreditation, understanding how courses are administered, school reputation and other factors you should research when looking for an online school.
54. Online College Accreditation: Learn about college accreditation and how to evaluate an online school’s accreditation by reading this guide.
55. How to Choose Your Online Degree Program: From schedule flexibility to accreditation, this guide assists students who are thinking about earning an online degree.
56. Education: Evaluating an Online Degree Program: This guide keeps in mind the needs of military students when evaluating online degree programs.
57. 10 Myths of Online Distance Degrees Debunked: Get the facts about how distance degrees are considered in the workforce, how affordable online education really is, and how online credits can be transferred.
58. Is Online Learning For You?: Complete this questionnaire to find out if you have potential to succeed in an online learning format.
59. Distance Learning Resources and Articles: Get access to all kinds of tools and articles about distance learning on this page, to help you with your search and let you know what to expect when you start an online program.
60. Succeed in Distance Learning Programs: You’ll need to practice these tips if you want to successfully complete your online degree program.

Government Websites

From FAFSA to the official website for the GI Bill, here are your government websites that help with education.

61. FAFSA: Learn about federal student aid programs here.
62. GI Bill: Learn about the benefits of the GI Bill from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website.
63. Graduate School Resources: Learn about choosing graduate school programs and international education programs from the U.S. Department of Education website.
64. Non-traditional Student: ED.gov’s center for nontraditional students goes over GED certificates, student loans and federal financial aid, types of vocational and postsecondary schools and more.

Education Benefits for Your Family

If your spouse is also considering going back to school, check this list to find out what kinds of benefits he or she is entitled to through your service.

65. Military Spouse Education: If your husband or wife is in the military and you want to learn about the education benefits that you are entitled to, visit this resource to learn about the system.
66. Survivors’ and Dependents Educational Assistance Program: Learn about the programs’ eligibility requirements and benefits for survivors and dependents here.
67. Adult Education and Training: MILSpouse.org provides links to online education, free training courses, licensing and certificate programs and more for military spouses.
68. Stateside Spouse Education Assistance Program: Learn about this program, which awards education assistance to spouses of veterans, active duty military personnel and widows/widowers of army personnel.
69. Military Family Scholarships: Look for scholarships that meet your needs and accept your status as a military family member here.
70. Military Spouse and Family Educational Assistance Programs: From the Department of Defense to Veterans Affairs, you’ll find links to helpful resources on this site.

Attending School Abroad and While on Active Duty

Learn what it’s like to study abroad or go to school at a foreign university. This list will help you watch out for diploma mills, international education scams, and more.

71. Cadet Makes Time to Study Abroad in Ferrera, Italy: Read the interview with this Richmond student and cadet who also managed to study abroad.
72. Learning Online While Serving in the Military: Even if you’re abroad, you can still get an American university education through an online program.
73. Active Duty Education and Training: Don’t wait until you achieve veteran status to start looking up tuition assistance and programs for active duty personnel.
74. Urban Bases Hold and Edge for Learning-Minded Troops: Though the cities and bases profiled in this article are on U.S. soil, the same idea holds true for those stationed abroad.
75. Choose the Right Foreign University: Before studying abroad or deciding to enroll in a school where you’re stationed, read this article to consider the perks and downfalls of getting a foreign degree.
76. Foreign Students Unearth Fake Degree Scam in Vancouver: Be watchful for foreign university scams like this one when studying abroad.
77. Whistleblower Warning on Degrees: This article from the BBC website focuses on a scam that awards degrees to "overseas students who speak almost no English." Watch out for schools that hand out degrees to almost anybody who applies.
78. Study Abroad: Check the U.S. Department of Education’s website on study abroad to make sure you’re qualified and know how to pick the right country, school and program.
79. Diploma Mills: Degrees of Deception: Understand how diploma mills hand out fraudulent degrees to escape being scammed.
80. Program Allows Active-Duty Airmen to Study Full Time: This article profiles a program that lets active duty airmen to enroll in college and graduate without losing their benefits or pay.

Tips for Acclimating Yourself to College Culture

After serving in the military, it may be a challenge for some servicemembers to sit in a classroom full of rowdy 18 year-olds. These articles give valuable tips for readjusting to civilian life and college culture.

81. Helping Military Students Adjust: This BusinessWeek article discusses how military students pursuing their MBA at Harvard adjust to a typical graduate school environment after serving abroad.
82. Transition to Civilian Life: This article focuses on how military personnel can transition to the traditional American work culture.
83. Program Helps Basic Trainees Transition Back to Civilian Life: This article details a program for those who have been sent home because of "medical, mental or discipline issues" and helps them readjust to civilian life.
84. Federal, Private Sectors Help Ease Transition from Military to Civilian Life: This article from the Washington Post goes over the different programs and systems in place that help military personnel get back to work and plan out their career goals.
85. Job Fair Helps Veterans Make Transition to Civilian Life: Look for programs and job fairs like this one that are set up to help the military find work and readjust to American work culture.
86. Course to help transition veterans into civilian life: This community college course at the Citrus College and the East Los Angeles Veterans Center is designed to help military personnel deal with post-traumatic stress and other issues affecting their transition.
87. From combat to college: local student struggles with loneliness on "The Long Road Home": Read the story of a college student who is trying to transition to normal American college life after serving in Iraq.
88. Vets Returning to Campus Life Seek Help Readjusting: Read how culture shock, tuition and school fees, paperwork, and emotional stress can affect veterans of all ages who want to return to school.
89. Life After the War Zone: This article reveals how to one veteran, everyday tasks and even celebrations can be stressful after serving in the military.
90. Free Program Helps Vets Transition from Military Life to College Life: Learn how "the shift from battlefield to classroom is an arduous one" and what one program is doing to make the transition easier.

Career Training and Placement

For help finding career services and placement resources after serving in the military, use this list.

91. Army Times Career Center: Access articles and resources to get you ready for interviews, the job search and your "second career" here.
92. Veteran Careers: Military.com’s job resource center lists some of the best military-friendly employers, provides a resume center, salary calculator, and other helpful resources.
93. Military to Civilian Career Transition: Job seekers can access the career center on this website to find jobs with military-friendly employers.
94. Post Military Career Training: Allied Schools offers tuition assistance and career training for former military personnel.
95. Career Education: Degrees and Training: ArmyStudyGuide.com’s career training resource center features a list of jobs that "use your military skills," tips for incorporating your military experience into interviews and your resume, and more.
96. DANTES Credit-by-Exam for Military Personnel: Here is another guide to understanding the DANTES credit-by-exam system that puts you on the fast-track to a career.
97. Jobs after the Military: Take a look at the kinds of jobs and careers that former military servicemembers may find intriguing.
98. How Job Training Can Lead to a Post-Military Career: This About.com article goes over the different skills and experiences that different branches of the armed services can afford its members.
99. GI Bill Apprenticeship and OJT Program: Get on-the-job training through this program which awards qualified individuals tax-exempt payments on top of their salaries.
100. Planning for Success After the Military: This guide goes over several different options for what you can do after the military, including civilian education options, career training in the military and more.