DO YOUR PARENTS’ TALK of the electric typewriter give you the giggles? Or maybe it’s their recollection of how they had to stop and use pay phones when they were out that produces an automatic eye roll and yawn. Whatever the lame gadget, it’s important to remember how good you’ll have it as a college student. Sure, someday, kids will look back and laugh at what we consider high-tech, gourmet or luxury, but until then, be grateful for the following:
1. GOURMET CAMPUS DINING Menus to the max! Bowdoin College in Brunswick Maine takes fresh to a new level. The campus chefs butcher their own meat bake their own bread and use herbs grown right on campus! There are vegan food options and every year begins with a lobster bake. If dessert is more your thing nothing beats Boston College’s award-winning café The Chocolate Bar. In addition to the specialty coffee drinks and on-site bakery there’s a chocolate fountain for students to make their own fondue creations. We’re sure the dorm “food” (slop) your parents ate was far less appealing!
2. BLACKBOARD This one-stop course management system allows faculty to add resources to the class portal for students to access online. The teacher can post things like video audio documents or PowerPoint presentations.
3. CHEAP LONG-DISTANCE CALLING If you’ve never heard your parents complain about their phone bill in college ask your grandparents; they probably footed the bill. Those free calls home to your boyfriend best friend or parents would have added up to big bucks just 10 years ago. For example in 1970 it was not uncommon for a call to cost more than $1 per minute!
4. SKYPE Speaking of free calls how about free video-calling? With Skype (and many phone applications like the iPhone’s FaceTime) you can talk to friends anywhere anytime for free.
5. WIRELESS ANYTHING You might take cordless for granted but back when your parents were your age they were tethered to just about everything: stereo TV printer computer and telephone.
6. SMARTPHONES & iPADS Most people expected flying cars before they thought we’d all carry around pocket-size computers with the ability to take photos and video make calls chat face to face with someone for free or scan barcodes to compare prices at numerous stores.7. HULU/DVRS In your parents’ day if they missed their favorite TV show they would have to wait for the reruns. With sites like Hulu.com and DVRs you can catch up when your life slows down rather than rushing back from class.
8. CABLE TV Five hundred channels? Try FIVE! Your parents could only get a few local channels and that was only if they could adjust the rabbit-ear antennas on their TV just right!
9. ERGONOMIC CHAIRS Your parents’ biggest chair decision was “Black or brown?”
10. ONLINE AND DIGITAL TEXTBOOKS Count your blessings. Thanks to gadgets like Kindle your backpack is lighter and your wallet is fatter!
Go ahead and make fun of your parents’ generation. By the time your kids go to college they’ll be laughing that your car didn’t fly!
