We can’t always choose our roommates, and even when you can, you may not be pleased to find out the reality of living with someone you thought you’d enjoy. Roommates can offer a great experience, but some are just plain difficult to handle. Here are a few ways you can deal with them.

Talk to your roommate. It seems obvious, but your roommate may not realize that what they are doing gets under your skin. As soon as the offending action takes place, gently and politely tell your roommate that you’d rather they not do that.

Offer options and compromise. You may feel like it’s your home, and your roommate just lives in it, but it’s half theirs, too. If you have an issue with something they are doing, always be willing to try different options and create a compromise that can make you both happy. Good examples are headphones for loud music and scheduling parties or late night visits ahead of time.

Create house rules. If you didn’t create rules before you moved in together, do it now. Discuss the expectations you share for each other and explain why they are important. Set boundaries, and be open to hearing about annoying habits of your own that may be driving your roommate crazy.

Spend time away from home. Get a fresh perspective and relax when your roommate is getting on your nerves. Calmly think about how you’d like to approach the situation, and plan when you’re not at the height of annoyance.

Get some white noise. Whether it’s a fan, light music, or a noisy computer, find a way to create noise that can drown out the various clinks, clangs, and habits of your roommate that you’d rather not hear.

Set up a cleaning schedule. Many roommates have trouble juggling cleaning duties. Talk about how often you expect for your dorm or apartment to be cleaned, and when each of you will take your turn to do it.

Let go. Living with someone else can be tough, but think about the big picture. Does a little toothpaste in the sink or a few late night friends really throw a wrench in your life? Pick your battles and let go of the little things.

Follow these tips to make living with a roommate just a little bit easier. And keep in mind that in most situations, it only lasts just one short year or semester, so nothing is permanent!

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Enrolling in college and earning a degree can be two completely different things. While the act of simply enrolling in college classes is fairly simple, seeing them through to completion is a little more difficult. According to the 2007 College Board study, "Education Pays: The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society," over the past 30 years, the proportion of adults who have completed a four-year college degree has almost doubled. The study found that many factors are associated with degree completion.

According to the study, higher degree completion rates for students enrolled in four-year colleges and universities are associated with higher test scores, family incomes, and parent education levels. In 1995, among low-income college students whose parents did not go to college, 71 percent of those who scored over 1100 on the SAT completed a bachelor’s degree by 2001. Among students who scored between 950 and 1100 on their SATs, 63 percent completed a bachelor’s degree by 2001, and 55 percent of those with lower SAT scores. Despite the fact that their parents didn’t go to college, middle-income college students with the highest SAT scores were found to be more likely to complete a bachelor’s degree than low-income students with a college-educated parent. Among the college students with SAT scores that fell within the highest quartile and had parents who did go to college, those coming from higher income families were more likely to complete their degree. Of the students whose families had incomes of $70,000 or higher, 86 percent completed a bachelor’s degree by 2001, compared to 83 percent from middle-income families and 75 percent from low income. It was also found that among college students with mid-range SAT scores, having a parent with a college education was associated with larger differences in degree completion, than among students with either a high or low SAT score.

According to the study, higher family incomes and parent education levels were also associated with degree completion rates among races. Among students whose parents did not go to college, degree completion rates differed between races, with 52 percent of African Americans completing a bachelor’s degree compared to 63 percent of whites. Of those students whose parents did go to college, 66 percent of African Americans completed a degree compared to 78 percent of whites. When it came to family income, Hispanic students experienced the largest difference in degree completion rates. Of the Hispanic students whose families earned incomes of at least $70,000, 74 percent completed a bachelor’s degree compared to 48 percent of those coming from lower-income families.

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It is not rare to hear the words "student" and "alcohol" in the same sentence as it is often assumed that college and drinking go hand-in-hand. No longer living with their parents, many college students have access to alcohol like never before, and they may or may not take advantage of it. From fraternity parties to tailgating, one has to wonder, do college students drink too much?

Among college students themselves, it may be perceived that more college students use alcohol than actually do. According to American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment in Fall 2009, when it came to alcohol use, only 4.6 percent of students perceived that the typical student at their school had never used it, but 26.9 percent of students actually reported that they had never consumed an alcoholic beverage. An overwhelming amount, 93 percent, of students perceived that the typical student at their school had used alcohol within the past 30 days, while only 59.2 students reported actually using it. Of those who had used alcohol within the past month, 11.4 percent had consumed alcohol on 10 to 29 days of the month and most students, 46.9 percent, consumed alcohol one to nine days of the month.

For some students, the problem with alcohol may not be with how often they drink, but with how much alcohol they consume when they do. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, binge drinking occurs when someone drinks several alcoholic beverages on one occasion, five or more for men and four or more for women, generally within two hours, which causes their blood alcohol level to reach .08 percent or higher. Most of the students in the study, 38.5 percent, reported that the last time they "partied" or socialized, they consumed four or less alcoholic drinks. Of the students who fell into the category of binge drinking, 7 percent reported consuming five drinks, 5.4 percent consumed six drinks, and 15.1 percent reported that they had seven or more drinks on once occasion.

When it comes to alcohol, the real problems can start when both the number of drinks and frequency of drinking occur all too often. While 42.3 percent of students reported that they had not consumed five or more drinks in one sitting within the past two weeks, others generate cause for concern. Of those who did report consuming five or more drinks in one sitting within the past two weeks, 20.6 percent reported it happening one to two times, 7.4 percent three to five times, and 1.7 percent six or more times.

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If you’re feeling the pinch in your paycheck, you may or may not feel comfortable going back to school right now, even if it can help your career prospects in the long run. You can, however, visit iTunes U for free access to helpful courses that will enlighten you to the state of the economy, inspire you to start your own business, and give you a little more perspective on what you should be doing with your money.

Economic Principles

Review the basics of economics here.

1. What’s the point of economics?: Learn why the study of economics is still relevant today. [University of Cambridge]
2. Microeconomic Analysis: Learn all about resource allocation and price determination in this course. [UC Berkeley]
3. Trade and Economics: This lecture will teach you all about the role of trade in economics. [CSIS]
4. Principles of Macroeconomics: This lecture will help you understand the principles of macroeconomics. [Rose State College]
5. Statistics: This course teaches the fundamentals of statistics. [Texas A&M University]
6. Using Mathematics: Discover how mathematics is used in the modern world, including to analyze economic problems. [The Open University]
7. Statistics Tutorials: This series of six statistics tutorials teaches you how to sort data, generate variables, and more. [American University]

Policy

These economic policy courses can help you understand the new financial security measures being taken now to protect us in the future.

8. American Economic History: Better understand the current crisis by studying America’s economic history. [UC Berkeley]
9. The Political Economy of the Subprime Crisis: Analyze the political response to the credit crisis and subprime crisis. [University of Warwick]
10. Politics, Economics and Social Issues: Watch these lectures to learn how politics and economics are intertwined in the modern age. [Vanderbilt University]
11. The Power of Collaboration in Trans-National Action: Discover if and how working together can solve a crisis. [Princeton University]
12. USC Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events: These two lectures analyze the economic impact of homeland security measures. [University of Southern California]
13. Politics and Policy: Take a look at globalization and welfare states in this lecture series, which includes topics like controlling health costs, education costs, pension policy and more. [University of Warwick]
14. In the Wake of Economic Reform: New Prospects for a Nation Building State: Gain insight into this economic reform plan for Australia. [Australian National University]
15. Climate Change Investments in a Low Carbon Economy: Find out if investing in environmental strategies and policies will boost the economy. [Yale]

Economics and Culture

Here you’ll gain insight into how economics and business growth affects culture, and how society responds to crisis.

16. Predictably Irrational: Learn how to control your behavior and make smart decisions even during a crisis. [Duke]
17. Leadership Development: Turn your ideas into veritable business and investment prospects when you take this leadership course. [Baniff Centre]
18. Understanding Cities: Learn about the culture and economic stress of urban environments in this lecture. [The Open University]
19. True to Yourself: Leading a Life of Service and Fulfillment: Social entrepreneur Mark S. Albion can give you inspiration to pursue a new direction in life amid financial crisis. [Princeton University]
20. Leadership for Change — Making Change Happen: Learn about the strategies and characteristics needed to bring about change during a crisis. [University of British Columbia]
21. Ethical Principles: Apply fundamental ethics principles to the reactions and responses of corporate America, everyday citizens and anyone else affected by the financial crisis. [Florida Institute of Technology]
22. Happiness, economics and society: Consider whether or not focusing on happiness rather than economic growth would prove beneficial to society. [University of Warwick]

Finance

These financial planning and management lectures from speakers at Loyola Marymount, Wellesley, and the London School of Economics coach you during this volatile time.

23. The Causes and Consequences of the 2008 Financial Crisis: Find out how the present financial crisis all began. [Wellesley]
24. Market Journal 336: Learn about the stimulus package and surviving the financial crisis. [University of Nebraska]
25. Financial Management: This series of lectures can help you analyze risk, stocks and budgeting. [ACU]
26. Financial Planning and Control: This lecture series covers bonds, stocks, portfolio theory, investment basics, tax planning, and more. [Loyola Marymount University]
27. Money 101: Retirement and Investing: Regain control of your retirement savings here. [American Public Media]
28. The Credit Crunch and the U.S. Economy: Find out what this lecturer has to offer in terms of perspective on the financial collapse. [London School of Economics]
29. Villanova School of Business Forum on the Credit Crisis: Watch as this panel fields questions and concerns about the credit crisis. [Villanova University]
30. Understanding the Financial Crisis: This 2009 lecture series attempts to make sense of the financial meltdown. [UNC Law]

Global Economics

Discover how the markets across the world are all connected, and how globalization is spreading the economic crisis.

31. Made in China: A Changing China: Learn how China is becoming a new world power. [Stanford]
32. Globalization and the U.S. Economy: Find out how and when globalization started affecting the U.S. economy. [Stanford]
33. The Credit Crunch and Global Recession: Understand how the credit crunch is affecting markets around the world and what it means for the future of the current recession. [Oxford University]
34. Globalization: Is There a Role for Developing Nations?: Learn how developing nations impact and contribute to globalization. [Stanford]
35. China’s Rise: Implications for the World Economy and Energy Markets: Discover how China’s rise impacts markets all over the world. [Stanford]
36. Globalization and Business Practices: Discover how business, technology, politics and even culture are intertwined due to globalization. [Georgia State University]
37. An Open Economy - the Progressive Response to Global Change: Here you’ll learn about a new economic strategy for accommodating rapid global change. [London School of Economics]
38. The Global Financial Crisis: David Held, Will Hutton and Martin Wolf discuss the global financial crisis. [London School of Economics]
39. China and Globalization: Find out why this lecturer believes "China is the most important global economic story of the 21st century." [Marketplace]
40. The Global Economic and Financial Market: Min Zhu, the Vice President of Bank of China Limited leads this lecture. [Princeton University]
41. The Space of Nations: Territory and History Before Globalization: Get another look at globalization and country relations before globalization. [Vanderbilt University]
42. The Political Economy of the Global Coal Market: Better understand the environmental and economic implications of a healthy coal market. [Stanford]
43. The Future of Work: How Globalization and Technology are Changing the Way We Do Our Jobs: By listening to this lecture, you may be able to get an idea of how secure your job is. [CUNY Baruch]

Business

These business lectures will inspire you to start your own business, grow the one you have, and become a better manager and business leader.

44. Building a Business: Learn about the science of entrepreneurship as well as basic business skills that will keep you afloat. [Oxford University]
45. Ethics and Corporate Responsibility: Here you will be challenged to uphold ethical standards while trying to manage the economic crisis. [Georgia State]
46. W.P. Carey Monthly Speaker Series: Business professionals and policy makers share their experiences in this speaker series. [Arizona State]
47. Business Planning: Strengthen your business plan with this lecture. [Ludwig-Maximilians-University]
48. Entrepreneurship: Consider starting your own business with this lecture. [Cambridge University]
49. Small Business Management: Here you’ll learn all about business planning, human resources, exporting and more. [Southern Institute of Technology]
50. Essentials of Advertising: Discover new ways to sell your services. [Arizona State University]

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