The hidden costs colleges don't want you to know about [A] This fall, thousands of college students from across the country will begin their undergraduate studies at colleges around the nation. They will inevitably pack too much to fit in their tiny dorm rooms. They will also carry with them a huge student loan debt, in addition to countless "hidden" out-of-pocket costs paid for by their bank accounts and the bank accounts of their families. [B] At my well-respected, private, four-year university in Washington, D.C., which boasts a yearly tuition of $44,046 not including room and board, I receive over $57,000 yearly in financial aid. As a student from a family that is struggling to make ends meet, my financial aid package is a combination of federal grants and federal work study, university merit scholarships and financial aid awards, and about $8,000 yearly in federally subsidized (有补贴的) and unsubsidized loans. On paper, my expenses and my financial aid just about even out. Off paper, they don't. [C] Universities today are in the business of making money, and mine is no exception. They hit me right out of gate with a $160 fee to attend my freshman orientation, a price which does not include the cost of travel to and from the District. Almost every class has an associated fee not included in the cost of tuition, most between $40 and $100. Fees for lab science classes are the highest, and all students at my university are required to take at least one lab before they graduate. Buying a laptop proved a necessity and, thankfully, a relative bought me one as a gift. Renting a mini-fridge for my dorm room costs my roommates and me about $140 a year. [D] Schools will charge you whatever they can. The costs of any damage to the dorm, including elevators, bathrooms, and common areas, are billed to every person on a dorm floor, or even the entire building if they do not know who caused the damage. After I fell out of my bed twice during my freshman year, the university installed a railing—for $20, billed to my student account. My financial aid did not anticipate any of these costs, and so it did not cover them. [E] An Internet search of "hidden costs" of college turns up a host of articles on parent-centered websites on the college application process. These articles are almost always geared towards upper- and middle-class families. For students already struggling to pay tuition, these costs may be the least of their worries. [F] So what hidden costs should low-income students really be paying attention to? My college experience offers a few examples. [G] If you are a low-income student who will be attending school out-of-state, make sure you know if you can use your state benefits, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. It wasn't until after I had accepted admission to an out-of-state school that I learned that I could not use my Ohio Medicaid on campus for anything other than emergency care. My benefits became invalid the second I moved out of Ohio. After my freshman year, I had to opt for the school's insurance plan, which costs around $2,000 a year. Even if your school offers a flat-rate fee for a doctor's appointment at the student health center (mine is $20 a visit), these fees often do not include extra fees for lab tests or prescription medications (药物). [H] If you plan on paying off bills in your student account with a credit card, be aware of any additional costs. My school charges an additional fee for the use of a credit card to settle outstanding charges, which can add upwards of 3% of the balance to your bill. [I] There is another depressing reality hidden within even the largest financial aid packages: Colleges often offer the most generous packages during freshman year as a way to attract new students. My family was careful to ask about the chances of financial aid being taken away after my freshman year. We were assured that, except for low grades or a raise in family income, no money would be taken away. We did not know to ask—and the school did not readily point out—that even if tuition rises, my financial aid package will stay the same. So when my university voted to raise tuition costs 3% at the end of my freshman year, my financial aid package remained the same and I was suddenly responsible for an additional $1,200 for the next year. The university adnunistration will likely vote to raise costs at least once more before my graduation. [J] Yes, I chose to attend an expensive university far from my hometown. Yes, there were cheaper options. But there are promising students from struggling families across the nation who should not rule out their dream schools entirely. All things considered, I am paying significantly less than the ticket price of my university, and having an educational experience in Washington, D.C., that I would not have had anywhere else. As a low-income student from a down-and-out Rust Belt community, these educational experiences have enormous potential to brighten my future—and my family's future. [K] The key is to make sure that students and their families understand that hidden costs exist, and that they may prove problematic. Fill out a more comprehensive checklist, and be wary of listed prices that seem too low. Understand just how complicated the financial aid process is. [L] Students and families must also understand their ability to self-advocate. They should not pay student bills or excess fees blindly. If something does not look right, ask about it. If it still doesn't look right, negotiate it. In cases where parents are working multiple jobs, are less knowledgeable about college bureaucracies, have limited English language skills, or are not contributing financially to their child's education, the burden of self-advocacy will fall on the student. I understand the difficulty, and the embarrassment. But it is necessary. [M] In the grand scheme of things, however, colleges also must come to understand that the hidden fees they ask for may prove unmanageable for the very kinds of low-income or first-generation students they are trying desperately to attract.

To write his 2010 book, The 5-Factor World Diet, nutritionist Harley Pasternak traveled to the healthiest countries around the world to learn more about what made their meals extra nourishing. He noted that Japanese people ate a wonderful variety of seaweeds, and that Chinese people tried to include at least five different colors in every meal. Pasternak also came away with some valuable observations about how different the North American way of life was, compared with many other countries. For starters, American eat much bigger portions than people in other countries. "We don't prioritize eating seasonally or locally, and we also add lots of salt, sugar and thickening agents to our foods," explained Pasternak. Contrast that to the healthy Mediterranean, Nordic and Okinawan diets listed in Pasternak's book. They all seem to stick to the ethos (特质) of regional, seasonal produce. For example, a traditional Mediterranean diet includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and olive oil as the main components of nutritional intake. Fish, chicken and red wine make moderate appearances, while red meat, salt and sugar are used much less often. The benefits of a traditional Mediterranean diet have been studied since the 1970s, and researchers have found that living that olive oil life can help people lose weight, lower their heart disease risk and reverse diabetes. Most other healthy eating cultures also make meals an event—say, multiple courses around the family table, or a glass or two of red wine at a long lunch—as opposed to hastily wolfing down handfuls of cereal above the kitchen sink and calling it dinner. Each of the healthy eating cultures has its own unique feature. But Pasternak did take note of one unifying factor in all of the healthy societies he observed. "The only overlapping feature in most of these healthy countries is that they all walk way more than the average American," said Pasternak. "So really, regardless of what you're eating, if someone's walking four miles more than you each day, they're going to be a lot thinner and live a lot longer than you."

Recognizing when a friend or colleague feels sad, angry or surprised is key to getting along with others. But a new study suggests that being sensitive to people's feelings may sometimes come with an extra dose of stress. This and other research challenge the prevailing view that emotional intelligence is uniformly beneficial to its bearer. In a study, psychologists Myriam Bechtoldt of the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management in Germany asked 166 male university students a series of questions to measure their emotional intelligence. For example, they showed the students photographs of people's faces and asked them to what extent feelings such as happiness or disgust were being expressed. The students then had to give job talks in front of judges who displayed serious facial expressions. The scientists measured concentrations of stress hormones in the students' saliva (唾液) before and after the talk. In students who were rated more emotionally intelligent, the stress measures increased more during the experiment and took longer to go back to baseline. The findings suggest that some people may be too emotionally clever for their own good, says Bechtoldt. "Sometimes you can be so good at something that it causes trouble," she notes. Indeed, the study adds to previous research hinting at a dark side of emotional intelligence. A study published in 2002 in Personality and Individual Differences suggested that emotionally perceptive people might be particularly influenced by feelings of depression and hopelessness. Furthermore, several studies have implied that emotional intelligence can be used to manipulate others for personal gains. More research is needed to see how exactly the relation between emotional intelligence and stress would play out in women and in people of different ages and education levels. Nevertheless, emotional intelligence is a useful skill to have, as long as you learn to also properly cope with emotions—both others' and your own, says Bechtoldt. For example, some sensitive individuals may assume responsibility for other people's sadness or anger, which ultimately stresses them out. Remember, as Bechtoldt says, "you are not responsible for how other people feel."