College and Finance

16 Most Popular Video Games on College Campuses

College students seem to really love their video games. I remember being surprised when I first arrived at college to see how many people had video game systems, computer games, and more. So, I figured I’d undertake a huge task. I wanted to find out what video games were most popular on college campuses. It took me along time to poll as many college students as I could find, but I finally came up with the top 16 most popular video games on campus. This list is not according to straight sales, but student responses and where they would rank them in terms of frequent usage. I counted some sequels individually, while others were just franchises. It got complicated when some people enjoyed multiple games from the same franchise (hence the lumping together). We’ll start at number 16….

16. Half-Life 2 - It may be surprising that Half Life even makes the list. I was surprised. But an awful lot of gentlemen love this game. While it is a single player game, a large number of college students still play it. Yes, it’s old, but still quite popular. Who wouldn’t want to kill aliens after an extremely hard Chemistry midterm? Better yet, who wouldn’t want to use a WiiMote in order to do it?

15. Warcraft III - While it isn’t as popular as its ultra-successful MMORPG counterpart (probably due to the fact that it’s not nearly as addictive), college students still enjoy the classic Warcraft game.

14. Madden (franchise) - While college students may enjoy their NCAA football, there’s nothing like playing as your favorite NFL team and listening to Madden’s classic commentary. All sorts of college males love playing Madden on a wide variety of systems. Some may call the NFL the “No Fun League” because of all the fines players get for celebrations. However, college kids playing Madden is about as fun as it gets.

13. Halo - For those people interested in old school Xbox, Halo is a must. The multiplayer isn’t as great as Halo 2, but many students still enjoy it. Halo parties may be less frequent now, but for a while, it was all the rage. If you are a college student, chances are you’ll be exposed to the Halo franchise (if you haven’t been already).

12. NCAA March Madness (franchise) - If your school has a big time basketball program, then any of the March Madness series will undoubtedly be played at your university. Students just can’t get enough of their favorite match-ups. I’m sure that after tough real-life losses to North Carolina, Duke students play them over and over on their video game systems.

11. Mario Party (franchise) - Sure, cool-techy individuals like to tell themselves that the N64 is dead, but from the looks of college campuses, it is thriving. The Mario Party series is still quite popular, and students living in dorms can be heard late at night cheering loudly. One student told me it was fun to play Mario Party while intoxicated. In any case, where there are gatherings of 4 students, Mario Party will most likely be played.

10. Super Smash Brothers: Melee - Super Smash Brothers Melee runs only on the Gamecube, and therefore its popularity can be significantly damaged (since more students have PS2s and Xboxes). However, being a multiplayer game, it is still very well liked on college campuses. People even take classes on Super Smash techniques. Everyone seems to have their favorite character, and the shouts during a match can be heard throughout most buildings. Not to mention, colleges still host SSB: Melee tournaments.

9. NCAA Football (franchise) - NCAA football is very popular on college campuses as well. Unsurprisingly, it’s more popular at bigger schools that have big time football programs. Arguments may frequently break out over who can be the school’s team. In an interesting twist, I’ve observed that many people will attempt to play the upcoming match-up on their console first. Combining NCAA Football with Madden allows students to use their favorite players all the way through the pros.

8. Halo 2 - More popular than Halo is its sequel. Not only do many college students love the all sword battles, but they love co-op missions as well. Just a little stroll around dorms will reveal how popular Halo 2 really is on campuses. Most students I talked to said that nothing beat a large Halo 2 team deathmatch when two Xboxes are linked together.

7. Wii Sports - Many college students can’t afford to get new systems. However, those who were able to afford the Wii (it wasn’t so outrageously over-priced as the PS3) have found that the Wii sports package is immensely popular. This past year, when a student got a Wii, his or her room became the coolest place to be. Crowds of students from all over the dorm would flock to see the Wii madness. The unique style of play has made Wii sports quite popular amongst college students.

6. Grand Theft Auto (franchise) - The Grand Theft Auto series is still immensely popular on college campuses. This may be disconcerting to some, knowing that young educated minds still enjoy committing random acts of vandalism and murder. However, from personal experience, Grand Theft Auto is just a really cool game. The lack of a multiplayer feature doesn’t seem to deter students from playing well into the night. My roommate and I spent countless hours on GTA our freshman year. We just alternated after three failed missions or deaths. Unfortunately, as my GTA hours increased, my study hours decreased, along with my grades. However, I do take comfort in the fact that Grand Theft Auto can inspire college professors.

5. Mario Kart 64 - Another N64 entry into the popularity contest. Mario Kart has a large amount of popularity on campuses. This is also aided by the fact that many women actually enjoy playing Mario Kart. You will find fewer females playing Halo, Half Life, and Grand Theft Auto. However, if you challenge them to Mario Kart 64, they will accept. Not surprisingly the most popular character choice for women is Peach. Mario Kart is so popular on college campuses, that students have even written in-depth articles on the game. A Penn State student had much to say about the Philosophy Behind Mario Kart 64.

4. Dance Dance Revolution - DDR is big business, especially at colleges where anime fans and the like populate. If you hear a lot of thumping on the floor above you, chances are someone’s either getting lucky, or playing some serious DDR. The exercise aspect appeals to many, and the variety of DDR games also appeal to a great number of people. Popularity with both males and females again adds to the popularity of this game in college. Students even join DDR clubs in college. Some of the groups even lobby for new equipment.

3. World of Warcraft - It shouldn’t surprise anyone that this makes the list and is in the top three. Many, many college students play WoW on a regular basis. The fact that many students have addictive personalities anyway, helps to propel this game’s popularity. I was curious, so I investigated and I discovered that there’s an inverse proportion to the amount of time spent playing World of Warcraft and the grades of the student. With the release of the expansion pack, WoW fever seemed to reach an all-time high this past year. While a majority of the WoW players seem less sociable (according to their peers), it may surprise people to find that even the occasional Frat Boy enjoys working on his character for hours on end. In fact, some college students keep in touch with high school friends by joining guilds and playing online with them. If you’re grades are suffereing from “WoW-syndrome” I’d suggest trying to fight the addiction.

2. Guitar Hero (franchise) - When it comes to college, guitar hero is considered by many to be the best game out there. While the need to purchase multiple guitar controllers is essential to the multiplayer experience, students don’t mind shelling out the extra bucks. The sequel is even more popular than the original game. With the title coming to the Wii, it will have conquered all of the platforms. Males still enjoy it a bit more than females (what guy doesn’t want to become a rock star?), but it still finds tremendous popularity among all college students. Guitar Hero parties are always fun, and I’ve heard it said that it’s another great game to play while slightly not-sober. Guitar Hero tournaments are also big on campuses nowadays. Winners often times get game systems.

1. Super Smash Brothers - More popular than its sequel, Super Smash Brothers is a huge hit with all types of college students. There’s even a drinking game associated with it. The game is simple; every time a character dies, you must take a drink. As with Mario Kart, SSB is popular with the ladies. There is a popular facebook group called “SSA Super Smash Anonymous.” The cheers when someone wins, or their character dies, can be heard throughout the halls of dormitories. College students just love their Smash Brothers. Its universal appeal makes it the most popular video game on college campuses.

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July 18 2007 | College Fun | 4 Comments »

Questions to Ask When Selecting a Major

In college choosing one’s major can seem like a very daunting task. The major you choose is so important because it determines where the rest of your career will go. The major you select can result in you either moving on to graduate school, or getting a job out of undergrad. Once you’ve covered the dos and don’ts of selecting a major, you should think about these important questions to ask.

1. How difficult is this major?

This includes both classes, and other requirements associated with the major. As much as some may like to think that their major is just as tough as any other, in reality, some are much harder than others. This of course depends on the school you’re attending (English may be the hardest major at some schools, while others may have crazy engineering or science programs), and the program itself. Some majors will have a lot of difficult class requirements, or project requirements. Think of how hard you’re willing to work. If you respond admirably to large course loads, then a harder major may suit you. If you are pretty lazy, you may want to go the easier route. It’s a good idea to talk to students in the major, or past graduates to get an idea of the difficulty.

2. Where does my college rank in this major?

Some colleges are better than others for different programs. For example, if I wanted to be an engineer, I’d probably opt for Purdue or Notre Dame. If I wanted to be in business, Penn would be my choice. If I was an aspiring English major, then Kenyon or another liberal arts college (or New Ivy) might be a good move. You have to know what your school is good at, and what it isn’t good at. My school has a fantastic Poly Sci program, but I’ve heard the English department could be improved greatly. Do your research. Rankings aren’t everything, but if you get straight A’s in a lackluster program, you may not be as desirable as someone who averaged Bs at a fantastic program.

3. How long will this major take to complete?

Selecting your major can mean the difference between 4, 5, or even 7 years in college. That means it can cost you thousands of dollars to complete as apposed to other majors. You have to consider that there will be more time spent in school and less time spent working. Then you have to consider all of the other costs associated with being a full-time student. Considering the fatigue factor is also important. I know may people who have gotten burned out after four years of college. If you are planning on staying for more, you have to think about the possibility that by year 5, you may be so sick of school you just won’t try.

4. What are the job prospects for this major?

Depending on the major you select, you might have to go to graduate school after undergrad. You may also be selecting a major that has a negative job outlook. So your research and answer the question. If all the jobs in your major look like they’re being outsourced, you might want to consider a different major.

5. Do I have any friends in this major?

This may seem like a dumb question. However, it can be very helpful to have people you know in the major with you. If I didn’t know people in my major, I may not have done well in certain difficult classes. It’s always nice to have someone to study with. It’s also nice when you think about buying books. If you know someone who has the same major, you can get used books from them for cheaper. You can also find out about the best professors if they have taken the class before you.

These are just five simple questions that you can ask yourself before declaring a major. If you consider these important points, your decision could be made much easier. Who knows, you could end up choosing a major that actually makes you happy, and you won’t be forced to change majors several times, although that’s not always a bad thing.

July 16 2007 | College Advice and Majors | No Comments »

One Way To Boost Your G.P.A. in College

The all-important G.P.A. is the bane of the existence of far too many college students. You have one bad class and you end up paying for it for the rest of the year. I’ve heard it said that it takes 3 good grades to balance out just one bad grade. While this may or may not be true, I’ve got a very simple way you can boost your G.P.A. Take easier classes.

I know what you must be thinking, “wow, take easier classes, thanks Scott, I could have told you that.” However, what I mean is over-schedule yourself at the start of every quarter and semester, see what the easiest classes are, and stay in those one’s while dropping the other’s. All schools will generally have a grace period at the start of each term when students can withdraw from classes at no penalty to them.

This technique won’t get you out of the hard classes that are required for your major, but it can help you avoid extremely difficult professors. Too many time’s have I gone into a class only to realize that the professor was terrible and I was certainly not going to do well. Because I purposely over-schedule myself, I have the leeway to drop out of the class and not have to deal with the devastating effects a C or D would have on my point average.

Another great thing about dropping a class is that it allows you to also preview a class to see if you’d like to take it. If not, then there’s no harm done. If a very difficult professor is teaching this semester, but an easier professor will be teaching next semester, then you can drop the class and take it up later. Just giving yourself the option of having easier classes is a great way to boost that GPA. The hard required classes will always be unavoidable, but taking them with some easier classes can help soften the blow and potentially increase your grade.

However, I have one word of caution. Some schools charge differently depending on how many credits you are taking. So, if you can’t get refunds for dropping out of a class, I suggest not using this method. If you just play a flat full-time tuition, then you’re good to go.

July 11 2007 | College Advice and Grades and GPA | 2 Comments »