Author Archives: Callie Kollenbroich

About Callie Kollenbroich

Callie Kollenbroich has been the Operations Coordinator and Content Writer/Editor at Rent College Pads since 2015. When she's not working, you can find her at home, eating peanut butter out of the jar and bingeing an unhealthy amount of Forensic Files. She's not as lame as she sounds.

Mac and cheese and other foods not worth getting expelled from college over
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expelled mac and cheese

Don’t get expelled chasing mac and cheese or these other foods. | Flickr

We’re not here to bad mouth mac and cheese.

Rent College Pads stand firmly behind macaroni and cheese, regardless of how you cook it. The classic Kraft mac and cheese dish obviously has its charms, with its powdered yellow substance that looks nothing like any cheese we’ve ever had. The fast-casual dining establishment Noodles and Company serves a plentiful mac and cheese dish that can serve as adequate nourishment for an entire day. And barbecue and soul food places have made mac and cheese a go-to side dish for many of us.

But as delightful as it is, mac and cheese is not a dish worth risking expulsion from school, as reportedly happened with a UConn student. He had to have his bacon jalapeno mac and cheese, and it was that desire that cost him dearly in the end. Continue reading →

14 Things To Do In College Before You Graduate
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Everyone has advice for what you should do with your time in college. Why? Because everyone wishes they would have done more stuff when they were in college. It should be the time of your life. So don’t spend too much time studying and zero time focused on all the things around you that can bring you pleasure.

Honestly, we could have made a list of about 100 things, but we wanted to focus in on a few select things to do in college and give them more attention. Continue reading →

University of South Carolina Parking: How To Manage The Struggle
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university of south carolina parking

Let us help you find some parking solutions.

There are a lot of great things about attending school at South Carolina. But there’s one thing above all else that makes it frustrating: the parking situation. University of South Carolina parking is an incredible challenge, as you’re not only battling other students for parking spots, but you’re battling everyone who works in downtown Columbia community for a spot.

Most students do not live within walking distance of the USC campus, so transportation options are very important to be aware of.

Parking near South Carolina

You can purchase a two-semester permit to park in non-metered parking facilities at South Carolina for $100. You can also purchase just for the Spring semester ($75) and for Summer ($50). Of course, you’ll still have to battle with other students to find a spot and as you probably already know, the supply is far out-weighed by the demand.

Another option is to purchase a spot in a USC garage. Purchasing a spot will keep your space reserved for a semester. There are five popular garage options at Pendleton, Blossom, Senate and Senate/Pickens that will cost you $360 per semester. Another option is Bull Street, which is $380.

Obviously, these prices are astronomical, especially for college students. So it’s important to know what other options you have available, especially if you’re researching future housing.

Apartments With Private, University of South Carolina Shuttles

These complexes give students the ability to stop worrying about fighting the masses for a safe spot for their car every day.

Understanding The Comet

The Comet is a new transit system implemented by Central Midlands Transit. Comet stops and shelters are prominent throughout campus and the map systems indicate where you are, which bus is arriving next and the many routes they offer.

The Comet is significantly more affordable than parking on a daily basis but has some of the same problems many mass transportation options have. You’ll have to operate on their schedule and find a way to get to the stops. But given how hard it is to park elsewhere, parking near a Comet stop and using one may be far cheaper for you.

Looking for apartments near USC. Start your search now!

7 Safety Apps for College Students
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apps for college students

Use your phone as something other than a distraction.

College students are easy targets. They’re often caught up in good times and they haven’t yet learned life’s difficult lessons about safety. That’s why parents are always worried. That’s why everyone is always telling you to go out with a buddy. That’s why everyone is always harping on you to be aware. Students are often going through a lot of experiences for the first time in life and without experience to fall back on, it’s easy to be taken advantage of.

Fortunately, there are a lot of apps for college students that can make everything from walking home at night to dealing with earthquakes a safer experience. Continue reading →

An Unofficial Guide to Penn State University
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unofficial guide penn stateWe know every college campus is different. We also know students may have very specific questions when they are researching potential colleges, like where to find the best apartments near Penn State. To help you along the way, we’ve prepared a guide to Penn State University specifically for students.

We want to focus on what we know matters most to students. We’ll tell you what the weather is like, what schools are popular at Penn State and where you can drink or dance the night away.

So here is the Rent College Pads Unofficial Guide to Penn State University: Continue reading →

UW-La Crosse: Food on a Budget
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Rudy’s in La Crosse | Flickr

With all the money you’re spending on textbooks, rent, notebooks and everything else that matters to a college student beer, you need to find a place to save somewhere else. Food is that place. It’s crazy how much food costs, even in a smaller college town like La Crosse. Well, we’re here to help. We scoured Yelp and found the best places to eat near UWL off-campus housing food on a budget. Continue reading →

Things To Do In Bloomington While At Indiana University
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things to do in bloomington in

At IU, there’s plenty for you to do.

We know Hoosiers have the same problem as everyone else, just in their city. It’s the age old question for a college kid at Indiana University: What are things to do in Bloomington? Summer. Winter. Fall. Spring. It’s a question for all seasons. We’re here to give you a guide. Indiana Unversity and the surrounding Bloomington area has plenty to do all year long. Continue reading →

An Unofficial Guide to Indiana University
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guide to indiana university

We know every college campus is different. We also know students may have very specific questions when they are researching potential colleges. So we’ve prepared a guide to Indiana University specifically for students.

We want to focus on what we know matters most to students. What’s the weather like? Is there a way I can make this experience cost any less? Where can I get a good drink? WHERE DO I DO MY DANCING!?

So here is the Rent College Pads Unofficial Guide to Indiana University: Continue reading →

Getting Around Without a Car at UW-Oshkosh
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uw-oshkosh sign

Travel doesn’t have to be a pain at UW-Oshkosh (image source: Wikipedia)

In a college town like Oshkosh, there’s plenty of exploring you can do while you’re at school. But what if you don’t have a car? You might be thinking you’ll never be able to get out there, but don’t panic. UW-Oshkosh has their students in mind and provides several options of transportation for those students who don’t have a car, or who want to reduce their carbon footprint.

We read the transportation reviews on College Niche to see which options students thought were the best way to get around town.   Continue reading →

Getting Around Without a Car at Marquette University
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marquette buses

Buses line up all winter long at Marquette. (Photo: Jeramey Jannene | Flickr)

Going away to college is probably the first taste of freedom for many students, but problems may arise if you don’t have a car to bring to school with you. This can seem like a big deal when heading to college, but luckily for you, there are ways to get around without a vehicle. And apartments near Marquette University have plenty of options to get you from Point A to Point B.

We checked the transportation reviews on College Niche to see what students said were the best ways to get around. Continue reading →