Extending the College Lifestyle

Tuesday, 27 April 2010 13:16

Between the piles of homework and caffeine-induced cramming sessions, thousands of Gainesville residents find time to party even if that means sacrificing sleep.

By Cindy Taveras; Photos by Rodney Rogers or provided to INsite

They do it because they’re young and their hardy immune system can handle the booze-heavy nights. Because they make the rules now—there’s no more answering to mommy or daddy. They do it because they know this lifestyle isn’t going to last forever.

But if you’re like us and intend to prolong the college lifestyle (even when your age says its time for the nine-to-five routine), you’re not alone. We’ve asked Gainesville’s hardest partiers for advice on how to stretch the college lifestyle. First, the panel of experts.

Meet Marcus Kraft. UF student and successful sales manager for Sharab Lounge, Marcus balances school and nightlife. The only difference is that he’s 27. He put his then-Santa Fe College career on hold for five years to work in Germany and Canada as a beauty-line vendor before returning for a degree in food resource economics.

Meet Glenn Cameron. Glenn, 25, also juggles the school and social spheres. He’s majoring in microbiology and co-managing The Network Promotions. From hosting summer pool parties to nighttime roof-top bashes, he is regularly spotted around town. These weekend nights, he is usually at the club Rue, formerly named Rue Bar.

Meet Greg Halstead. Greg, 23, occasionally graces Gainesville’s club scene, but he’s best known as a cast member on The Real World: Hollywood. Although he got a bad rep for his pranks and left the show with no friends, these days his social life is thriving. He’s majoring in anthropology at UF but aspiring to be an actor. He also works for Glenn as a club promoter, attracting large crowds because of his fame.

Meet Cheryl Monteclaro, aka “Lady Cherelle.” Lady Cherelle, who has been a DJ for 2nd Street Speakeasy for the past 10 years, has been mixing beats for 13. She’s also a producer for Selekta Recordings, having released her debut album Living in Rhythm in 2009 and releasing another in the fall. But music isn’t her only focus. She has also been a multimedia designer for 10 years.

Meet Andrew Stewart, aka “DJ Codeman.” DJ Codeman, 24, graduated from UF with a degree in materials science and engineering, and now he’s pursuing a doctorate degree in the same field. But as you probably already guessed, he’s also a DJ. On Thursday and Friday nights, he can be found mixing beats at Rue.

Check out how University of Florida students plan on extending their college lifestyles after graduation at Faces in the Crowd.

Now, the rules.

1. Live in a college town. Gainesville’s college-age atmosphere promotes blissful, youthful fun. If you don’t have a job lined up, stick around and make the best of the time you have here. Gainesville is affordable and friendly, Marcus says. “It’s a bubble.” “You can walk everywhere, and you know everyone. Everyone wants to meet everyone. And it’s low cost of living. Life’s just easy here.” Renting an apartment in Gainesville can be up to two times cheaper than in Miami and up to three times cheaper than in New York. Gainesville also has a lively nightlife, and because it’s a student-run town, most adults treat students with respect, Glenn says.

2. Look the part. It’s not enough to dress like a worn-down college student—you’ve got to dress with purpose, Glenn says. “I try to dress classy,” he says. “I try to set an example for other people.” Now, more than ever, building connections is central to students preparing to break into the somber job market. First impressions aren’t just lasting. Marcus says they’re everything. “People are going to judge you based on how you look.” It’s OK to dress down throughout the week, but, Marcus advises, dress according to the scene you attend. When bar- or club-hopping, leave the frumpy, I-don’t-have-time-because-I-have-errands-to-run clothes at home, and pick out something chic and dressy. But not everyone came out of the womb with Coco Chanel’s sense of fashion, which is why DJ Codeman admits to being a life-size doll for his girlfriend’s fashion whims. “My girlfriend likes to dress me up,” he says. If all else fails, dressing up, Marcus says, will at least make you feel good about yourself.

3. Don’t be tied down. When couples get serious and settle down, they’re agreeing to do so at the expense of their social life. Take The Jersey Shore Ronnie and Sammi as an example: The more their love blossomed, the less of them we saw. If couples are unwilling to give up the parties, relationships could be doomed. Jealousy is usually to blame for breakups, Marcus says. Having dated jealous and controlling women, he doesn’t advise pursuing love while penetrating the party scene. “My main focuses are school and work; dating comes after that,” he says. But he isn’t opposed to it, either. Greg shares an equally jaded view. “I don’t think you can have a relationship if you’re a hardcore partier,” he says. “I don’t think you can have a strong relationship if you’re going out, partying and drinking—especially if you’re not taking your partner with you.” Glenn, who broke up with his ex last year because she made him choose between his lifestyle and her, is more hopeful now that he’s dating someone new. But, he still recognizes that relationships can be hard when living the college life. “There’re a lot of pretty girls around a lot,” he says. “And women can become intimidated by that.” Women aren’t the only ones guilty of unfounded fits of jealousy. Greg, who is fresh out of a two-year relationship, says he didn’t like when his ex partied without him. “You know, men are very aggressive,” he says. “If I had a choice, I wouldn’t prefer her to go out if I wasn’t there, but I wasn’t going to stop her.” Lady Cherelle thinks jealousy shouldn’t be an issue if the love’s real. “They have to understand that when people talk to me as a DJ, they’re not trying to hit on me,” she says. “If you can’t handle it, it’s not going to work. There’s no reason for jealousy.” But, she warns, partners shouldn’t behave recklessly by overdrinking - spiking the odds of cheating. If you do settle down, Marcus says not to let your desires become sidetracked. Whether you like to socialize and party or plan to travel someday, don’t sacrifice the things that make you happy, he says.

4. Lead a healthy life. The older you become, the harder it is for your body to recover after a hangover, which is why Glenn likes to limit his alcohol intake to two nights a week. Lady Cherelle agrees: “I think the main key is to not binge-drink. I think that’s one of the biggest problems with college.” Besides, alcohol consumption cripples the immune system, making it more susceptible to infection. If you plan to party like a college student, you have to stay fit like one. Since February, Glenn has been hitting the gym three to five days a week. Before that, he trained with a personal trainer for six months. If weight-lifting isn’t your thing, you can always round up friends for a game of basketball, DJ Codeman suggests. And while eating habits are sometimes overlooked by busy college students, they’re important. To lose weight, Greg, with his chiseled six-pack abs, recommends eating small portions of chicken and vegetables with glasses of water—no juice or soda. “It’s the way I eat,” he says, when asked how he maintains his fit physique.

5. Get a Facebook account. This one’s a given. A network that used to shun away all but college elites continues to captivate students since its start in February of 2004. With its ability to force your life into the lives of hundreds with a single status update, Facebook has revolutionized the way college students communicate. “It’s vital,” Marcus says. He uses Facebook as a platform for Sharab, updating friends about DJ appearances and party themes. But he also uses it to connect with his college friends, from gushing about the Olympics to his week-long battle with illness.

6. Go to graduate school. With jobs hard to come by in this dismal economy, you might as well. Employers sift through hundreds of resumes, looking for the best candidate. Putting your career on hold to delve further into your concentration could help your resume stand out, like a 500 carat diamond among pebbles. “I’m a big advocate of going to grad school,” DJ Codeman says. Graduate school is all about honing skills and deepening knowledge, increasing your desirability to employers in this competitive job market.

7. Take time off from school to travel. After college, vacation time is dictated by work schedules. So if you want to see the world, now is the time, says Marcus who’s visited places like Canada, China and Costa Rica. “I’ve got to travel,” he says. “There’s so many places I haven’t seen in this world.” Once he graduates, he plans to cross more places off of his bucket list. Glenn, who has been to the Bahamas and plans to visit Costa Rica soon, is also in no rush to fast-forward his college experience. “All of my friends who have graduated, they’re not very happy,” he says. “They’re kind of leading boring lives. I’m not in a huge rush to do that.” If responsibilities seem overwhelming now, they’re only going to escalate when you join the real world. In college, people can get away with stumbling into class late after a wild night, Marcus says, but in the real world, they’re expected to perform. “If you don’t enjoy it now, you never will,” he says.

8. Root for your college team. College life isn’t only about the parties, hook-ups and booze—it’s also about spending fun times with friends. In college, football games are fun opportunities to make friends in the name of school spirit, DJ Codeman says. Watching Gator football and winning national championships have added to his college experience, he says. Greg agrees: “I think the football games are very exciting. I think some of the most exciting experiences were the championship wins. Everyone’s acting crazy and just, like, climbing poles.” But once you graduate, it’ll be harder and more expensive to attend your school’s games. So the next best thing is to host game-day gatherings with other nostalgic friends. To insert the college life into your grown-up reality, root for your college team while sharing laughs and exchanging embarrassing stories.

So if you’re busy being overly responsible or miserably antisocial, take a break to enjoy your youth. This experience is too short to take for granted, Marcus says. “You got to enjoy it,” he says. “The real world—nine-to-five—is a drag. I’ve already done the real-world thing. There’s no more going out on a Monday night.”