Former TCC student Nicholas Graham talks to The Oklahoma Daily about being a transfer student

Are you a TCC student who is planning to transfer to a university soon? Are you nervous, excited, etc.? Nicholas Graham, a former TCC student who transferred to the University of Oklahoma, talks to The Oklahoma Daily about adjusting as a transfer student, and the publication gives tips to those who are on the transfer path.

Budget-friendly healthy foods do exist!

Photo: Courtesy American Heart Association.

Life is hard. If there is one thing I've learned in my adulthood, it is that life as an adult isn't any easier than it was when I was a child. Some of the hardest things are what should be the most simple--such as making healthy meals that are also affordable that an entire family can enjoy. Typically, "healthy food," "delicious," and "affordable" seem to be polar opposites. But I've found a few websites that may help you cook meals on a budget that will appeal to your whole family.

1. Top 10 Healthy Foods on a College Budget This website has some great ideas for eating healthy on the cheap. A few of my favs listed are eggs, beans (add salsa to keep them interesting) and spinach.
2. American Heart Association Even though fresh fruits and veggies may be more expensive than junk food, remember that canned and frozen fruits and veggies can be just as nutritious and they have more of a shelf life in case you don't eat them right away.
3. EatingWell tacos Cooking tacos at home is so much healthier than eating them at a fast food place. You can control the salt by using half of a taco seasoning packet and stuff them with things like corn, lettuce, tomatoes and beans. Great for a busy weeknight.

If you have a healthy, budget-friendly recipe to share, please leave a comment.

Textbooks: Rent or buy?

How are you getting your books this semester? Do you rent them used? Do you buy them new? Do you e-read? Do you rent them new and then sell them used? I'm curious as to what is popular among TCC students. I, for one, love the invention of book rentals. It makes sense to rent the books you think you won't need in the future. But on the flipside, if it's a book that I think I'll reference later down the road I don't mind buying it.

There is a little mystery associated with buying or renting a used book. I remember when I was in high school, it was always fun to read the list of former owners on the inside front cover of a standard, school-issued textbook. If I saw that someone older whom I admired had once owned the book, it made me feel as if I had seen a movie star. It was as if somehow having their autographs in my possession made them my best friends, if only vicariously.

There is also something a little disturbing about used books. I heard something on TV about a research team that was studying the chemicals, fingerprints, fluids, etc., that readers have left on historically significant books. I can't find anything about it online at the moment, but the research intrigued me; this thought that books connect people, both with the thoughts they have going forward and the skin cells they leave behind. Kind of weird and kind of cool. Does this mean that we could theoretically clone a Founding Father from an old papercut?