There is a point to college fight songs. They get people excited for the big game, they create a sense of togetherness, and they attempt to intimidate the other team. Fans sing them in a loud and boisterous way; they are sung in school halls, in the car on the way to the game, and of course, in the grandstands.

Here is a list of interesting fight songs, but before you get angry with me for making fun of your school, remember that my alma mater is the University of Utah, and the first two lines of our "Utah Man" fight song are: "I am a Utah man, sir, and I live across the green. Our gang, it is the jolliest that you have ever seen." Don’t you feel intimidated?

There are other songs like Utah’s that fall a bit short of intimidation, like the University of Wyoming’s: "He always sings Raggy music to the cattle as he swings back and forward in the saddle, on a horse – a pretty good horse! He’s got a syncopated gaiter, and you ought to hear the meter to the roar of his repeater; how they run – yes run! – when they hear him ‘a-comin’, cause the western folks all know, he’s a high-falootin’, rootin, tootin’, son of a gun from ol’ Wyoming, Ragtime Cowboy Talk about your Cowboy, Ragtime Cowboy Joe." and Appalachian State’s: "Hi-Hi-y-ike-us Nobody like us, We are the mountaineers, mountaineers, mountaineers, Always a-winning, Always a-grinning, Always a-feeling fine You bet, hey!"

While University of Wyoming students are trying to say "syncopated" and Appalachian State students are "a-feeling fine," you might be asking yourself what the word "Hi-Hi-y-ike-us" means, but you haven’t seen anything yet.

Tell me if you know what any of these noises mean: From Texas A&M comes the famous "Chigaroogarem, Chigaroogarem," while Bowling Green makes its fans say: "Ay Ziggy Zoomba Zoomba Zoomba Ay Ziggy Zoomba Zoomba Ze Ay Ziggy Zoomba Zoomba Zoomba Ay Ziggy Zoomba Zoomba Zi"

University of Illinois students apparently get a little tongue-tied when trying to rhyme words with "Illinois," so instead they shortened their state name to "Illini" and added a few other interesting noises: "Che-he! Che-ha! Che-ha-ha-ha! Go Illini go! Che-he! Che-ha! Che-ha-ha-ha! Go Illini go!"

And then come the downright weird noises that take a strong understanding of phonics before you can pronounce them.

From the University of Pittsburgh comes: "Give her a grand old ALLEGENEE GENAC GENAC GENAC" while Roanoke College students sound a bit like donkeys: "RAY RAY BRACTY ACK ACK ACK" and St. Olaf’s fans sound very unsure of themselves: "Um Ya Ya, Um Ya Ya Um Ya Ya, Um Ya Ya Um Ya Ya, Um Ya Ya Um Ya Ya Ya Um Ya Ya, Um Ya Ya Um Ya Ya, Um Ya Ya Um Ya Ya, Um Ya Ya Um Ya Ya Ya."

And what about the fight songs that are so grandiose that they make you wonder whether they’re playing sports or quoting Shakespeare, like Boston College’s song: "For Boston, for Boston, We sing our proud refrain! For Boston, for Boston, ‘Tis Wisdon’s earthly fane For here we are one and our hearts are true, And the towers on the Heights reach to Heav’n’s own blue. For Boston, for Boston, Till the echoes ring again." and Fordham University’s song: "Hail! men of Fordham, hail! on to the fray! Once more our foes assail in strong array. Once more the old Maroon, waves on high We’ll sing our battle song. We do or die."

And while they quote Shakespeare, Purdue University sings hymns: "To Your Call Once More We Rally; Alma Mater Hear Our Praise; Where The Wabash Spreads Its Valley; Filled With Joy Our Voices Raise. From The Skies In Swelling Echoes Come The Cheers That Tell The Tale Of Your Vict’ries And Your Heroes, Hail Purdue! We Sing All Hail!"

Hope you enjoyed it! I’ll sign out with a rowdy "Ride ‘em Cowboys, E-E-E-E-YAH!" from Oklahoma State University.

About the author

Cara Wieser has a Master’s degree in journalism and communication. She has taught many university classes and has been published in numerous newspapers, magazines and online publications, as well as read on the radio. She enjoys riding her horses and curling up to a fire with a good book (who doesn’t enjoy this!).

Amy’s favorite part of taking classes online was the fact that she could take a break from studying to care for her newborn whenever she wanted. She could feed her baby, put her down for a nap, care for her other two children, and then go back to class while sitting in the comfort of her own living room. She also felt she had the upper hand when learning the material because, unlike students who attend class everyday, Amy felt she was better able to concentrate at home and studied harder because she could take frequent breaks. And, she said, "I think I learned the material better because I was wholly dependent upon myself to learn the info."

Amy began her education in a traditional university setting, but after she moved from Utah to California with her husband, she decided to finish her degree, her Ph.D., online. She is now an online professor and teaches Media and Society and Media Issues in American Pop Culture, and she believes her students benefit from the same things she did.

The major benefit, she said, "is flexibility." Amy allows her students to turn in assignments up until 4 a.m. in the morning on the day they’re due. "I’m a late-nighter, so I thought some students would appreciate it. One student specifically said the 4 a.m. time was a plus with his schedule, because he works all day," she said.

Amy teaches between 20 and 30 students in each of her classes, and although many of them are in their early 20’s, she does have some non-traditional students. One of them is a man who is a 53-year-old chef who went back to school to get a degree in nutrition.

Amy uses online teaching programs such as Blackboard, which she says her students have to learn in order to participate in class discussions. She also communicates with her students via e-mail. Many professors like Amy give out their telephone numbers in case of a "class emergency" or for difficult questions that can’t be addressed via e-mail. Amy loves teaching online for the same reasons she loved taking classes online: "I do my teaching and grading while my kids are asleep or at school. Right now, they’re 7, 5 and 5 months, so they’re pretty dependent on me," she said.

Amy found her teaching job by answering a mass e-mail sent out by the dean of the school she teaches for. "So far, I have really enjoyed my classes," said Amy. "It’s really interesting to hear their opinions of reality TV shows, Playboy magazine, [and] Britney Spears…to name a few. They definitely don’t hold back their opinions!"

Amy doesn’t let her students miss out on a classroom community either. "The community feel is there with my emphasis on posting on the discussion board. They are required to post two original comments and two responses per week," she said.

About the author

Cara Wieser has a Master’s degree in journalism and communication. She has taught many university classes and has been published in numerous newspapers, magazines and online publications, as well as read on the radio. She enjoys riding her horses and curling up to a fire with a good book (who doesn’t enjoy this!).

Studying can be difficult. You might read one sentence and think you know what the writer’s talking about, but as soon as you read the next paragraph, you’re lost. You can’t remember what you read and you don’t really understand the topic. But you have to; this is knowledge you need for an upcoming test, and it’s what you need to know to get ahead in your career. Understanding the material, remembering it for the test and being able to apply it to a career is important, and challenging, no matter if you’re an online student or if you’re in the classroom every day. Here are five simple tips to help you study.

1. Train your brain: Study at the same time, in the same place, every day. Your brain is a muscle, and like any muscle, it responds well to repetition and routine. Choose a study area in your house, at the library, or at your favorite (quiet) coffee shop. You want the same area, even the same desk, everyday. You want to choose a quiet spot, and you want to have all of the supplies you’ll need readily available to you, including food and beverage. Don’t forget anything; you want to stay in that spot without any distractions. Visit that area at the same time every day. After a few days, your brain will be ready to concentrate as soon as you approach that spot.

2. Tick tock: Get a stopwatch Study every day for the same amount of time. Never cram! Cramming only leaves you exhausted for the test, and you’ll never remember the info two days later. Choose an amount of time that is right for the class you’re taking. You’ll have a good sense of what the class requires by asking your professor and after studying for the first few days. Once you choose an amount of time (an hour or two per class is usually more than sufficient), set your stopwatch, and then hide it so you’re not constantly looking at the clock. Don’t leave your study area until the stopwatch goes off. If you run out of things to study before the time is up, great! Review the previous chapters. If you’re writing a paper when the watch goes off, stop even if you’re mid-sentence. That will give you somewhere to pick up the next day. And remember, always reward yourself: Shut the book, put down your highlighter, and take yourself out for a milkshake!

3. Put down the highlighter! Have you ever noticed yourself highlighting almost every single sentence in the book? It’s sometimes difficult to know what to highlight. Everything seems important. Read the entire page of text before you make any highlighting marks. Then go back and choose the most important sentence in that page. Ask yourself why it’s important. Is it introducing a new idea? A new key word? An important quote or date? If so, highlight it AND write it down in your notes. Keep your notes, and your highlighting, to a minimum. Think about it this way: the information has to earn a highlighting line or a place in your notes. Is it worth it? Usually, the first sentences of a section are the most important; they introduce the idea that the rest of the paragraphs will be discussing. Also, usually anything in bold or italics is emphasized because the textbook writers want you to remember it. Finally, always read the chapter or section reviews. Most likely, your professor will use these review pages to design a test, and they will give you an idea about what you should be highlighting.

4. Build a community You don’t have to be sitting directly across from other people in order to have a study group. In fact, your study group doesn’t even have to include other students from your class. Use the Internet. Look up the topics you’re studying, and talk to other people on discussion pages about those topics. Become an expert on your topics; don’t just rely on the textbook to build your knowledge. If you can start a study group with other students in your class, chat online at previously scheduled times and introduce them to the information you’ve learned from reading other material and talking with other people. Also, make sure to include your professor in your community; he or she is your most valuable resource, and a person you should communicate with on a daily basis. Professors are always eager to help students who are eager to learn.

5. Ace that test! First and foremost, be healthy. Eat well, get a lot of sleep, and keep a positive attitude going into your test. Study by going over your notes and your highlighted marks, and rereading the review sections of each chapter. The best way to learn and retain information is to teach it to someone else. Pull a friend or family member aside and see if you can teach that person something from your class material. Also, have that person help you with flashcards (which of course only contain the most important ideas from your textbook or study material). While you’re taking the test, start with the easy questions. If you have to skip around a bit in order to get into a rhythm, that’s fine. Build your confidence. If you don’t know an answer and it’s a multiple-choice test, narrow it down to the two most likely answers and choose between them. If it’s a short answer test or a math or science problem, give it your best try. You might get partial or half-credit. Before the test, take a deep breath and be calm. Trust yourself.

About the author Cara Wieser has a Master’s degree in journalism and communication. She has taught many university classes and has been published in numerous newspapers, magazines and online publications, as well as read on the radio. She enjoys riding her horses and curling up to a fire with a good book (who doesn’t enjoy this!).