Remember the 2002 movie Drumline?

Yeah, it’s a Hallmark holiday, and sure, it’s a little exclusionary (some of us like to be single; sorry not sorry), but Valentine’s Day is nevertheless overwhelmingly present in the month of February.

Everybody loves being in love, and college relationships tend to be hot and heavy, not to mention, fun! You’ve always got a buddy to eat with, Netflix-and-chill with, party uptown with…. and hopefully study with.

College is busy. Classes, studying, theses, friends – there’s a lot going on. Even more so if you have a part-time job on top of all that. Now, if you worked during high school, you’ve got a leg up on managing school and work. But even so, you’ve never done it like this before.

Whether you’re an international student, you’re taking classes over break, or you’ve just outgrown going home during the Holidays, it’s easy to stay in your apartment and get cabin fever during Southeast Ohio winters.

Anyone who’s lived in an Ohio town with a state university will tell you that they’re notorious for high rent rates, especially compared to towns without a university.

There’s not a lot worse than signing a lease on a new student rental only to find out later that you really should have read your lease better.

Whether you’re moving into an uptown house or apartment, making sure you’ve got the essential tools that will make your off-campus rental a home is key to having a great experience living in Athens. Some things seem obvious, but others may not.

If you’ve never been to the Athens Farmers Market, which runs from 9am to noon on Saturdays at the Market on State, you’re missing out.

When we were little, prepping for the first day of school was easy. All our friends needed the same things we did; teachers gave us lists; and our parents dragged us around Target gathering all the things we need. Not at OU!