How to Be a Healthy College Vegetarian

BY LORRAINE McKINNEY

 

If you are a vegetarian, you may find that college life can really test you. There are always temptations, and there are not always a lot of vegetarian food options in school cafeterias. But, there are plenty of ways that you can make sure that you are following a meat-free diet, without feeling like you are missing out on anything and still getting all of the nutrients you need.

 

1. Eat Lots of Snacks 

You may think that snacking is not a good thing, and that may be true, for some people. But, if you are a vegetarian, you are not going to get as filled up on the foods you eat, so you need to munch on some high-protein snacks throughout the day. Keep a few protein bars on hands, as well as nuts and other vegetarian foods that are high in protein and portable.

 

2. Get Creative in the Dining Hall 

Just because not all stations have the foods you want to eat, it doesn’t mean that each of them doesn’t have something you can have on a vegetarian diet. Try mixing and matching foods from various stations to get a complete vegetarian meal that is both healthy and delicious.

 

3. Cook Your Own Food 

If you have kitchen facilities, try getting into the habit of cooking your own foods. That way, you will always know exactly what is in your meals, and you won’t be at risk of eating anything that is not vegetarian. You can get really creative in the kitchen, and make some pretty tasty meals that don’t have a trace of meat or meat by-products.

 

4. Stay Active 

“No matter what type of diet/lifestyle you follow, it is important to stay active. This can be difficult when you are in school, because you have so many other things going on. But, there are ways that you can add more activity to your daily schedule. Walk to classes instead of driving or taking the bus. Use the stairs instead of elevators,” says Dr. Shawn Khodadadian. You don’t have to get all of your exercise at once, as long as you are getting a combined one half hour of exercise daily.

 

5. Get a Mini Fridge 

Not all dorms have kitchen facilities, but you can put a mini fridge in your dorm room. Make sure that you keep it well-stocked with healthy fruits and vegetables. Whenever possible, get your produce at local farmers’ markets. You will find a great variety, and you will not only be helping local growers, but also saving money by not having to pay those high grocery store prices.

 

6. Supplement with Vitamins

You can’t always get all of the nutrients you need when you follow a vegetarian diet, so you will need to supplement your diet with vitamins. Get more calcium from dark, leafy greens. Beans, eggs, tofu, lentils, nuts, and seeds are high in protein, but you might still need to take a protein supplement if your diet is lacking.

 

7. Drink Lots of Water 

Whether you are a vegetarian or a meat eater, it is important to stay hydrated at all times. Get yourself a reusable water bottle that you can carry around with you so you always have water to drink. Instead of buying water, get a Brita water pitcher for your dorm room.

 

8. Use Meat and Dairy Substitutes

Just because you don’t eat meat, it doesn’t mean that you can’t eat food that tastes like meat, and that has a similar texture. For instance, you can enjoy meat substitutes such as soy and tofu. If you are a vegan and don’t consume dairy products, there are milks made from almonds and soy that are ideal for your diet.

 

Lorraine McKinney is an academic tutor and e learning specialist. 

9 Must-Have Items For Freshmen To Bring To College

BY MARTHA KARN

When packing to go away to college, freshmen students often think about the big things, but they tend to forget a lot of the little things. Then, when they need one of these items, it is not there for them to use. There are so many things to put on your packing list when you are getting ready to head off to college. Here is a list of nine important items that every college freshman needs to pack.

 

1. Sewing Kit – If you don’t know how to sew, now is a good time to learn. You never know when you are going to lose a button, or when a seam is going to come loose. When you can sew, and have a sewing kit handy, you will be prepared for any sewing emergency.
2. First-Aid Kit – You can’t always count on having first-aid supplies handy in your dorm, so make sure that you have your own. Your first-aid kit should include bandages, gauze, a bottle of ibuprofen, a tube of Neosporin, a bottle of peroxide, and a bottle of rubbing alcohol. You should also include cotton swabs.
3. Tool Kit – Even if you just want to hang a picture, you are going to need a hammer and a nail. Pack up a small tool kit that contains a hammer, a multi-tip screwdriver, nails, and screws. You can often find small tool kits available at your local hardware store, or you can make up your own.
4. Wet Weather Clothing – It is always a good idea to have clothing for all types of weather. Make sure that you have a raincoat, rubber boots, and an umbrella. You never know when you are going to need to walk in bad weather, but at least you will be prepared for it.
5. Extra Socks – It seems like socks just get up and walk away, and we are left with one instead of a pair. By the end of the year, you might be walking around barefoot. Stock up on a few packages of socks, so you will have plenty of extras when you need them. If you need extra money for the supplies you are taking to college, you can sell your Dell laptop for extra cash.
6. Detergent Pods – You will need to supply your own laundry supplies, and it is a lot easier to pack the detergent pods than bottles of laundry detergent. In fact, you can easily pack a whole year’s worth of pods, so you never run out of detergent. Don’t forget to get a sturdy laundry bag too, in case you have to walk several floors or even blocks to get to a laundry facility.
7. Water Bottle – Rather than wasting money on bottled water, and creating more waste, get yourself a BPA-free water bottle and a Brita water filter. You can always have healthy water, and you will be saving a lot of money in the long run. This is also going to help you to stay well-hydrated at all times.
8. Laptop Lock – Your laptop is something you can’t live without as a college student, so you need to take steps to protect it. Get yourself a good laptop lock, so you don’t have to worry about it begin stolen. If you leave it somewhere, you know it is going to be safe until you come back for it.
9. Disposable Dinnerware – Stock up on paper plates, plastic cutlery, etc. If you have a microwave in your dorm room, you will always have utensils, and something to eat off of. These are also a lot easier to pack and store than glass or plastic dinnerware, and you never have to worry about doing the dishes after you eat.

Bio:

Martha Karn develops online educational courses and writes for students.

 

How To Get Back To Studies After A Long Break?

BY JOHN STURROCK

Going back to school after an unusual gap—whether it’s just remained three days or, fortunate you, a whole summertime—can be ruthless. No extra open-ended days. No extra sleeping in. Here’s how you can avoid juggling your day when you get back to studies after a long break:

• Use Your Time Efficiently On First Day

Whatsoever your lifestyles were over the holiday, the first day back will be less stressing if you’ve had a perfect 8-10 hour night’s sleep and have set everything you require in the next morning so you don’t have to rush and can really get something to eat. Worse comes to worst, you can make an egg in a cup in 2-3 minutes, miso soup and eggs for a hangover medicine, or shake up some oatmeal in a vessel.

• Get Started Early

At times, I found it irresistible to have responsibilities thrown at me the minute I walked in the school/college, specifically so after a long vacation. If you understand with this, attempt to get to work or campus an hour early so you can become situated before you’re bombed by teachers, principals or class fellows and before you have to dive right into your classes.

What to do when you get to effort and you’ve got a lengthy job list and questioning waiting for you before you’ve even taken your coat off? You can request the person if you can have a minute to put your belongings away so that you can take that time to get stable.

• Plan Your Day And Week

If you’ve got limited valuable additional minutes of your day to yourself, use it to get planned and rank your tasks. Select the most important things you necessary want to do and put them on your list, and mark in the timetable less serious ones through the week. If you can delegate tasks, it will be much better. For example, if you have to write paper for your final year project, you can ask Dissertation Empire and it will look after everything about this important task.

For college achievement, making a study strategy and routine at the starting of the semester is critical. Use an organizer or E-calendar like Google Calendar not just to list all your lessons, but also shape out your school work times and plan due dates, mentioning to your course hand-outs.

• Start With Minor Material You Can Check Off

For students, your minor responsibilities at the starting of the year may be just to get concerned with. Be present in your starting classes. Read the curriculums. Assure that you’ve got all the materials and files you need (or make the notes and measures to get them). You’re off to a decent start.

• Leaving Before Time

Most colleges start their semesters in the mid of the week to comfort into the year with fewer days in some cases. If you have some time at work, taking a limited afternoon off when you come back from holiday is a method we’ve noted before for getting back into work style.

• Ask For Help

Learning new ideas, meeting goals and getting ready for examinations can be devastating.  Feeling uncomfortable or a burden to others can stop us requesting for help. It’s significant to test these harmful thoughts and spread out when you want help.

While self-dependency is a great worth, it can also be self-warning when it stops you from requesting for what is the necessity. When requesting for care, use the similar method as making your to-do list.

For example, rather than tell a colleague you are sinking under a mound of practice exams and have washing to do and a coming party to be planned, request them to do one thing that will evocatively assist you.

Author Bio

John Sturrock is the writer of this blog. He has done his maters in English Literature. As a blogger, he likes to write about social issues, education, and student’s affairs. Reading books and working out are two of his regular activities in a day. You can reach him through View More Info.

 

Why College Students Need Business Cards

BY JANE HURST

A lot of people think that business cards are only for people who are already working in the corporate world. This really isn’t the case at all. Students can benefit from having business cards. In fact, it is especially important for students who are trying to network and make the connections they need to further their careers after graduation (or before if they are looking for internships). You can start building your personal brand now. All you need is the right business card.

 

Why You Need a Business Card Now

There are several reasons why students should have their own business cards, including:

• Sharing Contact Info – If you find yourself constantly writing your name and contact info down on scraps of paper so people can get in touch with you, you need a business card. This is going to make your life a lot easier, and you won’t be looking for bar napkins, matchbooks, etc. to write things on.
• Look Professional – When you are scribbling contact info on scraps of paper, it doesn’t look overly professional, especially when you are trying to network. Having business cards on hand will ensure that you can always let people know how to contact you, and look like a professional instead of just another student.
• Personal Branding – You will be graduating soon, and you need to start thinking about your personal brand now. Is it going to be in your area of study, a certain industry, your own business, etc.? Personal branding really begins in college, and it is important to have business cards that make you stand out in a sea of students who are all trying to get the same things you want, including great jobs.
• Networking – College is one of the best times in your life to make connections with the right people who can help you advance in your career. Make sure that you are handing out business cards to the right connections, and that those cards include your name, contact information, and your area of study, unless you are looking for work now and don’t want to focus on the fact that you are still a student. In that case, leave out this information, and replace it with your area of interest.

What to Put on Your Business Cards

Your business card is how you present yourself, so you need to make sure that it looks great, and that it makes you look just as great. For starters, it must be printed on quality card stock. Search online to get great deals on bulk business card printing. Keep in mind that if your card looks cheap, it is not going to look good on you. Other things to keep in mind when creating your business cards include:

• Contact Information – Include your name, title, email, telephone number, and other methods you use for contact.
• Professional Interest – Even if you have not completed your degree, the business card should refer to your professional interest.
• Images – An icon or image is going to make your business cards more personal, and using an image related to your area of study will help keep it career-focused.
• Less is More – Don’t think that you have to put your entire resume on your business card, or that you have to load it down with images. Keep it simple, so it is easier for people to see the info they need when they need it.
• Get Lots of Cards – Make sure that you get plenty of cards printed. You never know when you are going to need to hand them out, and you need to make sure that you don’t run out. A good rule of thumb is to have 500 printed at a time.

Byline:

Jane Hurst has been working in education for over 5 years as a teacher. She loves sharing her knowledge with students, is fascinated about edtech and loves reading, a lot. Follow Jane on Twitter.

3 Ways To Prevent College Identity Theft

BY SUSAN PARKER

In a recent report, it was discovered that identity theft was the number one subject of most complaints received by the Federal Trade Commission, through its Consumer Sentinel Network.

It was also revealed that Americans lost approximately $16 billion to identity thieves in 2014.

If you’re thinking most of the victims are the elderly and aged ones, think again. It was discovered that majority of these identity theft victims were young people of college age. And the reason is not far-fetched.

While college students are not known for being heavily cash-strapped individuals, their use of public internet to access various websites via public computers is one of the several reasons why they’re perfect for identity theft.

Most of these students share rooms, share lockers and many other things. This “sharing” reduces security drastically and makes them vulnerable to any kind of attack on their identity.

As a student, you don’t have to wait till you’re a victim of identity theft before you learn. This article will show you 3 ways you can prevent identity theft as a college student.

1. Secure your tech life

What would a student be without the internet? The internet helps you to conduct research, hire tutors, buy essay, and find answers to that tough assignment, or stay in touch with that lovely friend you just met and many more.

But, sadly enough, the internet is filled with many bad guys, waiting to take advantage of you. One of the things you can do to ensure you stay safe, is to avoid using unsecure internet access.

You should also reduce how much information you use a public computer to access. If you’ll be making any purchases online, be sure that the website is not a phishing website. Before you give any website your credit card for purchases, make sure the address starts with “https” – see the Oberlo dropshipping app for a great example.

As for all your gadgets, set passwords on them. This increases your safety and scrutinizes who sees what. If you’ve been a victim of malware attack and you’re being held in ransom, don’t fret.

Instead of making payments that don’t necessarily guarantee that your files will be released, it’s easier and safer to sign up for a malware removal plan from a provider like Tech to Us.

2. Keep your eyes peeled

One important way to prevent identity theft is to always be up-to-date as regards your sensitive information. Without this practice, it’ll be hard to notice if and when anything goes wrong.

As such, ensure that you take a regular look at your bank and credit card accounts to spot any unusual transactions. Back in the days, this wasn’t usually readily available. But, with access to the internet via your PC and smartphones, you can keep track of goings-on in your account.

You can also subscribe to get free credit report from multiple agencies in a year. This only makes sure that nothing finds its way past you in terms of being updated about your financial statements.

Speaking of financial statements, take the time to read in between the lines when going through them. I know, those things can be boring, especially if you’re not studying finance or accounting.

But, since you won’t be making so many purchases as a student, you should be able to read through in no time. It’ll go a long way in helping you know whether somebody in another continent is tampering with your account or not.

3. Step up your security game

Your living in a dorm with other students or strangers can leave you and your personal information exposed and unprotected. If you want to prevent identity theft as a college student, you must bring your days of being careless with almost everything to an end.

While there are many tools that can help you with this, most of the hard work has to be done by you. And you can start by always making sure your dorm room is locked.

Another thing you can do is to ensure your safe is always locked. Get a padlock or something to ensure your security.

While it’s tempting to give your ATM card to your friend to make a withdrawal for you, don’t do that. If you can’t make the withdrawal at that moment by yourself, you can do it later. Never give your credit card to anyone. Keep your wallet in sight (and out of the reach of others) at all times.

Although this article has three numbered points, it’s filled with quite a number of actionable tips. So, go ahead, start practicing them and insure yourself against identity theft.

 

Susan Parker is a writer and tech geek. She volunteers for local environmental conservation programs and writes stories online about things that inspire her.

 

Tips for International Students: Turn Difficulties into Advantages

BY MELISSA BURNS

The trend of studying abroad appears to be on the rise with no indication of stopping its ascent any time soon. With a more globally connected world than we’ve ever had and higher-education being more accessible than ever before, more and more students are looking for opportunities to expand their academic level outside of their home countries.

These “foreign nationals” represent individuals that are eager to learn and determined to succeed away from home. And while they do a lot for their host countries, in terms of economic influx, for instance, they still face a lot of difficulties that may seem daunting at first.

Below are two of the biggest obstacles that international students often have to deal with, and how they can turn them into advantages.

1. Language barrier

Most study abroad programs require a certain level of the receiving country’s national language in each of the potential students they host. However, being able to manage communication with your host country’s population is a far cry from being fluent with it.

Listening and speaking in a new language can get tiring. It requires a conscious effort on the part of international students, especially when they’re just starting out with their classes and their brains and ears haven’t had enough time to adjust to the new sounds.

Also, standardized tests such as the TOEFL may give students some skills to manage in an English-speaking country, but it doesn’t teach them the necessary things for interacting and communicating in day-to-day situations. When international students can’t understand a joke a professor says in class or can’t enjoy a casual conversation with native speakers, they can often feel isolated and homesick.

Mastery of their host country’s language is both a necessity and an opportunity for international students. Taking language classes and being immersed in it every day will help them learn the new language that much quicker and, while it may be difficult at first, it can lead to some amazing career choices in the long run.

One way they can take advantage of this situation is to pursue a career as a translator from

their native language to the acquired one (and vice versa). Not only are there plenty of job opportunities in this field, but also some of them can be done remotely without them having to leave their dorm rooms.

2. Culture shock

While the vast majority of international students view experiencing a new culture as an exciting new adventure, the truth is that it will take them some time to adjust to their host country’s ideals and way of life, more so than they think it will.

This is one of the most common difficulties international students face as they deal with different social rules, behaviors, climates than what they’re used to. Luckily, most colleges offer counseling to their students and to help make acclimation easier.

While some students never really get completely comfortable surrounded by a new culture, others will find themselves flourishing in this new environment. Being able to fully experience different cultures will certainly be an advantage for many.

One way students can put this advantage to good use is to pursue a career in International Relations. Given that they have lived in at least two different countries with different cultures, they will certainly have the edge over the rest of their peers.

Last word of advice

Being an international student can be as thrilling as it is scary. Remember that you don’t have to go at it alone, try your hardest to get involved with your school, reach out and engage with other students and ask for help if you need it. Most of all, try to enjoy everything this experience has to offer.

Melissa Burns graduated from the faculty of Journalism of Iowa State University. Nowadays she is an entrepreneur and independent journalist. Follow her @melissaaburns or contact at burns.melissaa@gmail.com

  

7 Steps to Develop Students’ Creative Thinking

BY DAVID GUTIERREZ

Creative thinking is commonly associated with the students in the arts or with high performing students. However, using techniques that promote creative and critical thinking such as reason, imagination and innovation can significantly improve students’ achievement in any learning area and even in their lives beyond college. We have gathered advice and examples from the most innovative companies and leading experts about very specific steps you can follow when it comes to improving the level of thinking.

 

Raphael Diluzio, a serial creative artist, entrepreneur, and a professor has demystified the creative process and shared the 7 steps of creative thinking (not necessarily in this particular order).

 

1. Ask a question

The first stage of the creative process is just forming a question, an idea or a problem. If you don’t have a flash of an idea, then you can begin from this stage and try to come up with a question or a difficult situation you want to overcome in studying. As students, you have to go through every day being given challenges. That’s why take these problems and form a question around them.

2. Start research

After you frame a question, you engage in the process of research. According to Raphael DiLuzio, research can manifest itself in many different ways. For example, if you are an artist, you can make a sketch, if you are a chef, you can taste and smell things. But what you do is experience the world and gather information around the question you have formed.

 

3. Basta stage

Raphael calls the third stage in Italian manner as a basta stage, when you can research for a long time, see the general picture or get down in the weeds and lost in the particulars. Therefore you have to know when to say enough. As students, very often you don’t have this choice because of deadlines, and that’s when comes the next stage. That’s the path Fred Smith took with his idea of FedEx. The whole concept of FedEx was first created, while writing an undergraduate paper. Rumors are, that Fred Smith actually got a C for that paper. Anyway, after college he left his idea and went to Marine Corps for some time. Only after that, he came back to FedEx and started working on it.

 

4. Gestation

At this stage, there are three activities that can occur as a part of a creative process. When you hold a question you enter into a state of detachment, which means that you should hold on to this question and keep it in the back of your mind and distract yourself by some unrelated activities, such as sport, shopping or think of other things.

 

5. Eureka moment

This moment means that you not only have this brilliant idea but also an answer to it. One of the prominent examples of innovative approach was demonstrated by the Swiss company Lonite that spotted the market opportunity of turning human cremation ashes into memorial diamonds and exploited it through creative and innovative thinking. Lonite’s example demonstrates that the eureka moment can be a turning point for many innovative companies that once have invented solution ideas to solve existing problems. According to Lonite, in order to achieve this stage, you have to think about your idea in a different way. For example, to commemorate someone, people commonly think of traditional burial. However, by associating the deceased beloved ones with a diamond, a well-known symbol of hope and eternal love, the company could successfully bring this idea to life and communicate it.

 

6. Implementation

Then comes a sixths stage when a lot of people fail. When we are challenged with having a good idea, actually giving it a birth is very difficult for us because we are afraid of failure. Remember that you have to operate without fear and accept the possible failure. If you are not aware of the process of how to implement your idea, you have to gather people around you or describe your idea as detailed as possible. It is important to remember that you should share your ideas in order to actually implement it.

 

7. Testing

The last and most important stage is a stage of testing and criticism. When you bring your idea into the world, you have to share it and ask people whether they like it or not. Maybe you have made something wonderful, or there is still something to improve.

It is important to understand that the stages of innovative thinking do not come in this particular order. However, you should be able to identify each stage and implement them during your studies.

Remember that we are all living in an operational world that draws us away from our true inventive natures. Innovation is a very primal aspect of our being, that’s why step away from your day-to-day activities through thinking of things differently. Always value your ideas and do not be afraid of bringing them to life and sharing them.

David Gutierrez has worked in the field of web design since 2005. Right now he started learning Java in order to get second occupation. His professional interests defined major topics of his articles. David writes about new web design software, recently discovered professional tricks and also monitors the latest updates of the web development.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Financial Plan for College Students on Their Own

BY KEVIN FABER

 

Earning a college degree is a major undertaking. Going to college on your own is doubly challenging. You have to ta deal with classes and set aside time to study, and you must take charge of all of the financial responsibilities that come with being independent. This means budgeting money and paying bills. However, you also have to do other things like arrange financial aid and buy insurance.

Money Management 101

 Knowing how to manage your money is vital when you are on your own. Start by creating a budget. Budgets shouldn’t be complicated. Make a list of all of your monthly expenses. Include estimates for food and incidental items rent, utilities and other bills. Don’t forget to allow for insurance and other expenses that aren’t due every single month. List all of your income, including any help you receive from parents or other family members. Your budget serves as a guideline that you will use to track and control spending, so that you don’t run short at the end of the month.

Set up a savings account. Saving money regularly has several benefits for students. If you save some each month, you’ll have reserve cash for cash for unexpected expenses. A savings account is also a place to keep cash you set aside for large outlays like car insurance payments. Banks allow you to set up periodic automatic deductions from a checking to a savings account to make saving easier.

Dealing with Financial Aid

 Students on their own frequently need financial aid. File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, at the start of each calendar year.You can file online. Getting an early start allows time for processing. This insures your financial aid package will be ready when the academic year begins, so that you avoid paying a lot of money up front and waiting for a reimbursement check.

For independent undergraduate students, there is a catch. If you are age 24 or less, federal rules normally don’t allow you to file as an independent student. Even when you are 100 percent on your own, you are still considered a dependent. This rule does not apply to graduate students. There are exceptions. You may qualify as independent if you are married, a veteran, homeless, an orphan or an emancipated minor. Otherwise,you must ask a parent to file the FAFSA to qualify for grants and subsidized loans. Colleges grant an override of this rule only if you can show extreme circumstances. For example, you might get an override if a parent is in jail. If an undergraduate student’s parent refuse to file the FAFSA, federal student aid is limited to unsubsidized loans.

Play It Safe — Get Insurance

 State law may require that you purchase auto insurance. Your college may require health insurance. However, don’t neglect to purchase a renter’s insurance policy if you live off campus. Students who live on campus are usually covered by their parent’s homeowner’s insurance, but not when they live off campus. Renters insurance isn’t expensive. It will pay for replacing your belongings in the event of a fire, theft or damage. You can easily compare free insurance quotes online in order to find the best coverage for your situation.

Avoid Spending Traps

 Be careful if you choose to get a credit card. True, a credit card is convenient. You can use it to build an excellent credit rating. However, if you are late making payments, you can damage your credit score for years. The best policy is to pay off the balance at the end of each month. Whether you decide to use credit or not, don’t buy stuff you don’t need. Buy used textbooks when you can. Avoid wasting money on expensive laptops or the latest cellphone.

Financial management isn’t rocket science, and it isn’t hard to learn. Handling money well is a matter of common sense and self discipline. Stay on top of things and you’ll be just fine.

Kevin Faber has experience starting his own business from the ground up and he is passionate about helping others achieve their goals. His background is in finance/investing.

 

Tips for College Student to Improve Sleep Habits

BY GORDON SCHORR

Attending classes, studying, and taking part in all that college life has to offer is an awesome experience, but it can also be a tiring one. You are trying to do it all, and in order to do that, you don’t sleep much. Unfortunately, this can be detrimental to your health, and if it continues, it is going to affect your studies and grades. What you need to do is find a way to be able to do it all, and still get the sleep you need to function normally and be healthy. Here are some tips that will help you to improve your sleep habits so you get the sleep you need to be healthy and do well in all of your courses.

 

1. Don’t Cram 

You may think that you are taking a lot in during those late-night cramming sessions. Actually, you are doing yourself a lot more harm than good. You are less likely to remember what you are studying when you are sleep-deprived. You need sleep in order to recharge your body and your brain, and without sleep, your grades are going to suffer. The more you cram late at night, the worse it could get. On that same note, it is a good idea to avoid using your tech gadgets late at night. This includes being on your computer, using your smartphone, etc. This just keeps your brain stimulated, so you will have a more difficult time falling asleep.

 

2. Take a Nap 

“If you have a free period after lunch, this is the ideal time to take a power nap. Even if you just snooze for 20 minutes, you are going to find that you have improved concentration and are more alert. Getting that little bit of extra sleep also lets you rest your eyes. This is important, because your eyes can only take just so much strain,” says Dr. Saba Khodadadian, optometrist.  You only get one pair of eyes, so take care of them. This is not a sleep replacement by any means. But, it is going to give you that boost you need to get through the rest of the day. Mid-afternoon is the best time for a nap. Avoid napping in the evening, because it could make it difficult for you to sleep at night.

 

3. Get some Exercise 

Most people who exercise regularly say that they sleep better at night. Research does show that those who exercise regularly do have healthier sleep patterns than those who don’t exercise. There are several ways that exercise can help you sleep. It gives your immune system a boost. It is great for dealing with stress. And, it increases the flow of blood to your brain, which can help with your studies. Exercising in the morning is the most beneficial. Your school likely has exercise facilities on campus, so you don’t have to spend a lot of money on a gym membership. Or, take a look at the different sports and other physical activities offered, such as yoga classes or running groups.

 

4. No Late-Night Drinking 

We all partied in college. It is a rite of passage. But, some students seem to make partying their major, and it does affect their studies. You may think that you can sleep better if you have a drink or two later in the evening. Actually, it does just the opposite. You may get several hours of sleep, but it isn’t going to be quality sleep. Drinking at night also makes it more likely for you to wake up too early and not be able to fall asleep again. If you do drink regularly, stick weekend drinking, and avoid drinking through the week, or at least late in the evening.

 

Gordon Schorr is an online educator and creative writer. 

Make Your Academic Paper Worth A Professor’s Time

By Scott Ragin

Imagine being a college professor. A deadline for the latest written assignment passed, and your students sent their essays for you to grade. You open your inbox and find twenty essays. Tomorrow, another class will provide their assignments as well. That’s a lot of works to grade.

This is a routine that many college and university professors have these days. Just imagine how many academic papers they read every week. What this means for you as a student is that you need to improve your writing skills because it’s very hard to impress a person who reads essays on a daily basis.

If you’re still reading this, there’s a good chance that you need some pointers on how to make your academic works stand out in a sea of other essays. You’ve come to the right place.

Here are great tips and tools to achieve this goal.

1. “Hook” the attention from the beginning

As it was mentioned previously, it’s very hard to impress a professor who reads essays every day. You need something to persuade a viewer to continue reading until the end. Academic works that use conventional beginning may lose the attention of the readers very quickly.

We don’t want that, so we are going to use a smart approach. The secret lies in making the very first sentence in the essay as a “hook” that can grab the attention of the reader. For example, you can speak directly to the reader or make a bold statement. Note that a well-written research paper introduction is half a win.

2. Defend your position

Professor always appreciate if students have a strong stand on their topic. For example, if you just state your position and provide a couple of examples, it’s not enough for a really convincing paper.

Why? The answer is really simple. The approach that I just described might work for a high school (and not for long). You may have our own position on the topic, but is there any evidence that you’re right?

A position or a view should be defended using reliable evidence. This increases the credibility of your work and avoids making a weak point by talking around the main idea and hoping that the talk will eventually make sense.

I guess what I’m saying here is that you should rely on scholars and their evidence in defending your position in an academic paper. Clearly, your view needs to be supported with someone of worth, so only reliable sources are to be utilized. You can use specialized search engines for scholar research for that.

Moreover, you will have much more chances to convince your professor that you’re doing everything in the right way. Also, please get rid of this tiny print or buy your professor a dissecting microscope. He’ll be pleased.

3. Challenge an idea you discussed in the class

This is one of the best methods to attract the interest of the reader. Think of an idea, a concept, or a topic that you had a conversation about in the class recently. Can you challenge it? Yes? Then you definitely should!

To ensure that your arguments are solid, you should also use only credible resources. Don’t forget, you are challenging something, so you better have a good proof. Otherwise, your effort will not be looking so good in the eyes of the professor (you’ll get C for the effort).

Also, don’t be afraid if your professor may not support your position regarding that idea. He or she will appreciate the fact that you conducted a research and arrived at your own conclusions. This will definitely make your work stand out because the rest of the class probably just skimmed the surface and were lazy enough to dive deep into the topic.

4. Show that you learned something

This tip actually is a continuation of the previous one. Since you have conducted your own research and challenged the idea discussed in the class, you have a lot to say in your paper.

While researching, you have probably discovered some interesting points that prompted you to think differently than the rest of the class. This means that you learned much more because you were able to dive deeper into the subject at hand.

Your academic work should describe those points and explain how you came to the conclusions. As the result, you’ll demonstrate that you actually learned something instead of skimming the surface of the topic like most of other works.

Reading works like these would be a priceless experience for a professor. He or she will be glad to discover that you have done all that work on your own.

Academic writing tools

To make sure that you’ve covered all bases, use the following tools.

1. Citation Machine. As we discussed it above, reliable sources are needed to make your paper credible. All these sources must be cited in order to avoid plagiarism. This tool is an automatic citation generating site that could be really helpful for creating reference pages and bibliographies in academic papers. Just provide the information about a source of paste a link so the system recognizes it and generates citation automatically.
2. Hemingway Editor. As the website of the tool describes it, the main purpose it to make your writing “bold and clear.” It is achieved by highlighting complex sentences, advising on word selection, using active and passive voice. All you need is to paste your text into Hemingway online editor (a desktop app is also available). The readability of the text is measured by points (for example, 6 is good).

 

Scott Ragin is a qualified educator, author and scholar. He is experienced in classroom teaching, training teachers and leaders and advising academic researchers. Scott covers different topics concerning higher education and educational technology and guides students through the admission process at admission-service.com.