I just came back from PittStart, a two day event from Pitt in which incoming freshman students get to explore the campus, speak with Freshman Peer Counselors, register for classes, and have fun mingling with other people who have no idea as to what college is like.

It’s a learning experience. A good one. In these two days, I’ve learned more about college– and what comes after college– than I have in my four years of high school. Of course, what I learned is a little bit special. Pitt has one of the best student counseling services in the world. They are refreshingly honest; everything is covered, including the things that no one wants to hear.

Also, each student received a book titled 10 Things Employers Want You to Learn in College. It’s mandatory reading, as New Student Orientation has a two hour session on it. I’ve been reading it, I highly recommend it to anyone going to college or in college. I’ll talk more about the book later.

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I was recently looking over a few IM logs and LJ comments with some friends in college or boarding school, and was amazed again at their inability to cook. Being a rather decent cook, if I say so myself, I was and am still surprised that people have found ways to burn soup. That made me remember a few in person conversations about cooking, and I realized, finally, that most people my age can’t seem to cook.

While showering, I pondered over this, trying to find a reason as to why they weren’t able to cook well. My conclusion?

No matter how smart they may be, they had no common sense when it came to cooking. Laziness and a small attention span were once again the culprits.

So! Here, have some tips on how to cook, my fellow peers. Maybe one day, you can make soup from scratch instead of adding water to the can. Maybe you won’t even burn it.

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