The Rochester bus system

Rochester's subway system may have gone defunct in the 1950's, but an extensive bus system still exists to get area residents to and from the city. Although many schools have shuttles that can take you where you need to go, Rochester's RTS buses can take you to a broader network of destinations, as well as let you feel more integrated into the community.

Fares range from $1 for a one-way ride to $56 for a 31-day unlimited pass, and can be paid with a Freedom Pass (purchased online or on the bus) or with exact change -- coins or bills -- once on board. Bus schedules can be found at a variety of locations around Rochester or under the "Trip Planner" section of the Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority website, rgrta.com.

RTS buses stop at most of the colleges and universities in the Rochester area and all are equipped with bike racks-the RGRTA website even has a convenient "How to Use the Bike Racks" section to save yourself any potential embarrassment. Most bus lines provide service to the center city, so no matter where you go to school, urban life is always right around the corner.

As with any public transportation system the bus lines can be confusing at first, but bus drivers are more than willing to help lost travelers, as are other riders. For more information and to find a bus line that services your school, visit rgrta.com.

College health services

With thousands of students milling about in dorms, classrooms, and dining halls germs on a college campus are easily spread from one student to another. Luckily your school's health-services center has a variety of resources that can often be utilized without even having to leave campus. Some services may be included in the student-health fees included on your tuition bill, while others may carry additional charges.

"We're usually the most accessible primary-care providers on a college campus," says Brooke Durland, executive director of the Student Health Center at RIT.

Health centers may employ both physicians and nurse practitioners with whom students can make appointments about everything from headaches to sexually transmitted infections and other primary-care concerns. If a student requires additional attention, their campus health centers can refer them to a specialist. Many health centers also offer counseling services, which may be covered under a student-health fee.

According to Durland, these campus health centers are not only accessible, but also appropriately suitable for students. "I think many college health centers are focused on the issues that may be most common for the college-age population," she says.

Students may often acquire medical supplies and medications, such as bandages, thermometers, over-the-counter medications, prescriptions, and more through their health centers, and can also receive immunizations such as an annual flu vaccine.

Knowledge is power, as they say, and health centers have all of the necessary resources to educate students on a wide variety of health concerns, including pregnancy, how to treat alcohol and drug abuse, eating disorders, nutrition, sexual assault, smoking cessation, stress, and many other issues. Student health services will vary from school to school, so be sure to check your college or university website for additional services and information.

College-friendly radio stations

iPods can only go so far. When you crave the crackle of the dial, or just get sick of your playlist, here are some of Rochester's most hip-hopping, jam-a-lam-ing stations to meet your aural needs. This is hardly a comprehensive list, so keep searching the airwaves.

KISS FM (WKGS 106.7 FM) and 98PXY (WPXY 97.9 FM) are Rochester's primary Top 40 stations, featuring all of your modern-day hits from Ke$ha to Bruno Mars.

WDKX (103.9 FM) is Rochester's urban-contemporary station that plays hip-hop and R&B. Its call letters honor Fredrick Douglass (D), Martin Luther King, Jr. (K) and Malcolm X (X).

WBEE (92.5 FM) is the area's biggest modern-country music station.

WGMC (90.1) is a listener-supported jazz station.

WBER (90.5 FM) is non-college college radio with a variety of eclectic music, everything from alternative to New Wave to electro.

100.5 The Drive (WVOR 100.5 FM) plays the new generation of oldies. Tune in for all of your Green Day and Dave Mathews Band needs, plus other hits from the 80's, 90's and 00's.

The Zone (WZNE 94.1 FM) focuses on alternative and modern rock, playing everything from Sleeper Agent to Pearl Jam.

Fickle (WFKL 93.3 FM) is perfect for the indecisive, or those with a wide range of musical tastes - according to its website, "We play everything!" And so it does.

Legends 102.7 (WLGZ 102.7 FM) plays classic hits from the 50's, 60's, and 70's for when you want to head back to heydays of "I Love Lucy," bell bottoms, or lava lamps.

WXXI (1370 AM) is Rochester's National Public Radio member station, airing local news and talk programs, as well as public affairs and NPR programming.

Campus stations: Many colleges and universities have their own, student-run radio stations that typically play an expansive selection of music, so check out your school's website for more information.

Textbook options

Thought the majority of college expenses were over once you paid your tuition? Unfortunately that large sum doesn't include the cost of textbooks. A semester's worth of textbooks can cost well into the hundreds of dollars, and although many campus book stores offer buy-back programs at the end of the semester, you won't be getting back nearly as much as you originally paid.

In an attempt to escape these bank-account-depleting purchases, consider ordering books online from such websites as amazon.com, where prices are often cheaper. Or you can look into digital textbooks. "Psychology," a textbook required for Introduction to Psychology at the University of Rochester, costs $143.19 for the hardcover version on the Barnes & Noble website. However, if you rent it digitally it costs only $62.99 - a savings of 57 percent.

Digital textbooks may lack those traditional tangible textbook qualities, but they can also offer many added benefits. On a purely physical level, you won't need to lug around what can feel like 50 pounds of books on your back. And digital textbooks have other advantages besides the lower costs and weights, including searchable text and removable highlighting features. Digital textbooks also often utilize different types of media to enhance learning, including supplementary videos or interactive maps or graphs.

Before you ditch your printed books, be sure to understand the potential disadvantages involved with digital textbooks. Unless you have a digital book reader such as a Kindle, Nook, or iPad, you're going to need to carry a laptop or have access to a computer whenever you want to use your textbook - a necessity that can be logistically difficult if you like to do your studying on the move, or if you have an open-note exam. Reading digitally can also be hard on the eyes and computers are of course vulnerable to crashes and viruses, which could potentially harm your textbook files.

Student voter registration

Finally, the day has come. You're 18 - a legally consenting adult in the United States of America. Among the newfound benefits of this coming of age is the right to vote. This is the first time you'll truly be able to have your input on who you would like to see running this country (provided you are a United States citizen or hold a green card).

Whether you've come from as close by as Syracuse or as far away as Alaska to attend college in Rochester, you may not be able to just skip home to vote on Election Day. If you still wish to vote in your hometown election you have the option of requesting an absentee ballot. Absentee ballots must be requested via mail-in application and be returned in a timely manner, so be sure to leave yourself enough time to complete the process. Check the deadlines posted by your state's board of elections, because dates may vary.

You also have the option of voting in the county in which you go to school, even if you live in a dorm. In order to do so you must establish residency at your new address. Although you can use a post-office box as a mailing address, it cannot prove residency. Students should instead use the street address of their dorm, including the floor and room or apartment number. If you'd like to find out more about registering locally visit elections.state.ny.us.

Laws governing voter registration can be very from state to state, so be sure to determine all necessary requirements well in advance in order to avoid any hassles come Election Day. Visit usa.gov for more information.

Staying safe on campus

In the good old days of mid-day naps and snack time we were all presumably told not to talk to strangers, and to look both ways before crossing the street. Safety is still no laughing matter, and the colleges and universities in the Rochester area treat campus security with the utmost importance, offering a variety of programs and services to their communities. While most of the following services are fairly universal, each institution may vary, so check your school's website for more information on security services.

The blue light emergency phone system is perhaps the most ubiquitous of all security services. Placed throughout college campuses, anyone who feels they are in danger can press the emergency contact button and will be connected immediately to the security office, which will then send help as needed.

Campus-wide alert or notification services exist to warn the campus community of any immediate danger or threats that have been posed against the safety of the college or university. Notifications may be sent by text message, phone call, or e-mail.

Campus escort services are often available to college communities for anytime an individual feels unsafe walking on their own. This service can be especially useful for late nights, whether they be at the library or a raging party.

In addition to these three major services, campus security forces often offer programs on crime-prevention awareness and can also provide day-to-day services, from help with accidental lock-outs to car-jumping assistance.

Biking in Rochester

If you don't own a car (or a driver's license) and the bus system seems too daunting, a bike can be a cheap, not to mention healthy, way to get around town, or even just around campus. If you don't feel comfortable riding alongside traffic (if you do, please ride carefully) and you'd rather not dodge pedestrians on the sidewalks, Rochester boasts a number of different bike trails, many of which provide convenient access to a variety of popular destinations. Such trails include the Genesee River Trail, the Lehigh Valley Trail and the Erie Canalway Trail, which, when completed, will be longest multi-use trail in the country upon its completion - it will run for 365 miles from Albany to Buffalo.

The Greater Rochester Area Bicycling Map, which provides detailed information about everything from road conditions to posted speed limits, is available for free at a large number of bike shops or at the Genesee Transportation Council (50 W. Main St.) and can also be viewed as a PDF at gtcmpo.org. Other helpful information exists as well, both online and in printed books, including rochbike.com, which includes videos of trails, and forums.rocrider.com, Rochester's online bicycling forum.

Although sometimes it may seem as though everyone and their mom navigates around the city via automobile, there is still a thriving bicycling community in Rochester. A number of different bicycling clubs exist, including the Rochester Bicycling Club and the UR Cycling Club, among others. There are also a fair amount of special events devoted to bicycling, including Tuesday Night Urban Assault Rides and the Highlander Cycle Tour.

And it never hurts to be prepared. Although you may be able to swerve around tight corners and pedal up steep hills like a pro, do you know how to fix your bicycle if it breaks down? There are a number of clinics and organizations available to teach cyclists these vital skills at many locations around Rochester, including at Full Moon Vista Bike & Sport (661 South Ave., fullmoonvista.com) and through R Community Bikes (rcommunitybikes.net), which is always looking for volunteers to help repair donated bicycles.

Bicycles can get expensive, so if you're looking for a ride on the cheap, craigslist.com has a thriving "bikes" section. The University of Rochester also features the City Cycles program, where students may check-out a bicycle for a limited time for free.