For thousands of students seeking helpful yet humorous advice on college issues ranging from how to write a paper faster to how to get into parties, honors senior Kelly Sutton and 2009 alum Chris Lesinski have all the answers at HackCollege.com.

HackCollege.com, Lesinski says, caters to students and the issues part of their everyday lives.  “Efficient, smart solutions -- with a little humor -- really appeal to the college crowd.”

Sutton came up with the idea for HackCollege in 2006 and the site has continued to gain popularity since. Its content is produced by a team of young writers, and Sutton and Lesinski host a weekly web series as well. “The most popular posts tend to be the ones that reflect what's happening in a student's life, whether it’s the Apple iPad announcement or a fast-approaching spring break,” Sutton says. “We realize the site doesn't appeal to every student, but the readers that love us really love us.”

The duo believes the world of Web video is growing quickly and students looking to work in film and television should take advantage of its accessibility to get their own work seen. “There's no excuse to not be creating things right now -- blogging and Web video are well within reach,” Lesinski says.

To help like-minded peers get started, they came up with the idea of teaching a Web video distribution course though the School of Film and Television. “Web video is no longer a stepping stone to TV,” says Sutton, who is a double major in computer science and film production. “Our class gives an overview of the Web video ecosystem and some success stories while equipping students with the tools and know-how to do it themselves.”

For both bloggers, HackCollege.com has served as the ultimate résumé: Their work on the popular site has helped land them jobs after LMU. “I think it helps me stand out,” Sutton says. “We have this phrase, ‘blogs are the best résumés’ or ‘blogs are replacing résumés.’ As far as indicators of past work, the ability to communicate and one's organizational skills, I think our phrase rings true.” 

Lesinski, who earned a degree in film production, recently landed a position with Revision3 an Internet television network that produces all original programming. Earlier this month, Sutton was invited to speak at The 140 Characters Conference, a social-media event centered on Twitter, in New York City. After he graduates in May, he will head back to NYC to work for blip.tv, another Internet TV platform.

Sutton says LMU has been a great place for him and his ambitions. “It’s full of very supportive professors and students. I've approached professors I hardly knew to ask them business questions and they were always helpful,” he says. “The film school's easy access to equipment and the computer science program's robustness has allowed us to do what we do today.”

Lesinski agrees, adding that the whole-person education at LMU made it possible for him to apply his knowledge to every platform -- digital or analog. “Whether I'm shooting a video for web or writing for an old-fashioned magazine or newspaper, LMU taught me the storytelling principles that make it all work,” he says.