Welcome to College!
Whether you’re here in a new city for your freshman year or reuniting
with friends after summer adventures, your next few weeks should be one
hell of a party (sorry, cadets). No tests or papers looming yet, and the
water’s still 80 degrees on Folly Beach.
As you immerse yourself in a deluge of Greek rush, migrating keg parties,
and the occasional brush with Plato at the swanky Addlestone Library, there are a few things you’ll need to know to make the best of your college days.
We want you to stay out of debt. We want you to party hard, and on the cheap. We hope you’ll go see lots of live music — the scene downtown
depends on you, the college student, rocking out and leaving a tip. Finally,
your roommate wants you to not suck.
In this guide, designed especially for you, we address all of that and more. It’s easy to go nuts in college and do things you’ll
regret, so we want you to have fun, responsibly. What’s the
difference between true love and herpes? Herpes really is
forever. Remember, there are free condoms at the health
clinic, a $10 taxi is a hell of a lot cheaper than a
lawyer, and from now on, your parents don’t have
to know what you don’t tell them.
Managing Money
How to keep from falling into the pit of debt
Agressive marketing by credit card companies
Budget or Bust
Handling your finances after leaving the nest
Stretching a Buck
Financial tips for the college student
Chucktown on the Cheap
College kid`s guide to getting cultured
Cheap drinks
An expert weighs in on bottom-shelf booze
Making Music
Strum Your Way Through College
Why not become a semi-professional local star?
Big Gig
Local Venues might book you
Don’t Strum!
You can bank your hard-earned money on failure
Living
Slumlords
How to avoid rental hell in a landlord’s market
Close Quarters
College roommates can be your best friend or worst enemy
Furry Friends
Are you really ready for a pet?
Love Thy Neighbors
10 Ways to Make it Work
Into the Great Wide Open
Be prepared for the post-graduation reality check
Getting Around
Charleston’s outer neighborhoods
A students guide to what’s where in greater Charleston
Charleston’s downtown neighborhoods
A student’s guide to what’s where in downtown Charleston
Park&Ride
The best way to navigate downtown parking? Ride a bike.
City Paper staffers contributed nearly 100 drawings to this week’s issue. Click the artist names to see their work: