Posts published in November, 2017

8 Ways College Women Can Protect Their Health

BY LINDA ANDERSON

College is a huge transition for people. From the safe cocoon of high school young adults start spreading their wings before they fly into the professional world. But in this wonderful phase a number of students, especially females, end up ignoring their health which can affect them in the long run. Here are some of the things women need to do through their college years in order to protect their heath.

Detox after parties

College parties are indeed epic and anyone who goes to college will probably spend a large part of her first semester partying. But what is important that you must detox your body when you are not partying. All that junk food and alcohol will otherwise wreck your skin and hair. Eat healthy fruits, home cooked food, drink plenty of juices and do some light workout to flush out the toxins.

Keep your clothes clean

Laundry might be the most boring thing on the planet, but it is absolutely essential. Dirt clothes are breeding grounds of bacteria which can cause rashes, boils and various skin diseases. Dirty underwear can give you painful UTIs. Therefore, if you don’t have anything to wear, it is better to buy new clothes than wearing the dirty ones!

Keep your surroundings clean

Your bed, dorm floor and bathroom can be the breeding grounds for bacteria like E. Coli etc., cold and flu virus or even bedbugs and lice if not maintained properly. Keep these places clean and dry. Change your sheets at least every week and vacuum your floors and walls regularly.

Invest in hygiene

College can be a filthy place with tons of students using the same facilities. Therefore, invest in some good anti-bacterial wipes and sanitisers. Get a toilet seat sanitiser if you have to use a shared or public bathroom. Women are far more prone to UTIs owing to a shorter urinary tract and hence it is absolutely important to ensure hygiene, especially in shared spaces.

Track your menstrual health

Ladies, your menstrual health is absolutely crucial and now that your mom isn’t on campus to keep a track, it is something you have to do all by yourself. Mark your dates on a calendar or get one of those apps which help you track your periods. From dates to pain to consistency, keep a track of everything.

Test for STDs

It is important to get yourself tested for STDs and STIs at regular intervals. A number of common STDs and STIs can be easily cured and controlled if tested at an early stage. The optimal gap for a sexually active woman is 3 months between each test.

Visit your gynecologist regularly

Don’t forget to pay regular visits to your gynecologist to rule out possible infections and other diseases. With proper care you can actually fend off or at least fight more effectively, diseases like PCOD, endometriosis etc.

Drink plenty of water

Lastly, and most importantly, if you plan on surviving through college on ramen and soda you are pretty doomed because a bad lifestyle can ruin your health big time. It is important to step up and take care of your health. Drink at least four to six liters of water every day. In order to avoid UTIs you can get yourself a water ioniser from somewhere reputed like bawellwaterionizers.com to ensure the right ph.

Health is an investment for life. If you take it for granted and ignore it in your youth, you will suffer the consequences. Therefore, take good care of your health so that you can lead a healthy life.

By line for Linda Anderson

I’m a writer and musician residing in Boise, ID in the United States, although I spent a small amount of time (about three years) living in the UK growing up, due to my father’s occupation. I graduated from the College of Idaho with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and a focus in marketing in 2014.

Do Not Get Sick in College: Cold and Flu Prevention 

BY PAMELA CURRIER

With cold and flu season nearly upon us, it is time to start taking steps to prevent becoming sick this year. Students seem to be especially vulnerable to colds and flus, and there are several reason for this. For one thing, there are thousands of people in one small area, and it is easy for germs to spread from person to person. Also, when you are studying hard, it can be easy for your system to become run down, and that opens the door for cold and flu germs to take over. Today we are going to look at some of the best cold and flu prevention tips for college students.

• Clean Your Computer
  There are things that you touch all the time, such as your computer, phone, stove and fridge handles, etc. Make sure that you regularly clean and disinfect anything that you or other people touch frequently to get keep germs from spreading. Don’t forget to have hand sanitizer, so you can sanitize your hands after touching things that are used by others.
• Brushing Your Teeth
  Always use different sinks for brushing your teeth and doing the dishes. If you need to wash dishes, don’t do the in your bathroom. Use the kitchen or utility room in your dorm. Bathroom surfaces are easily contaminated, and you run the risk of spreading various germs, including E. coli and salmonella.
• Do Not Share Towels
  Make sure that you always use your own towels, and don’t share it with anyone else. “Towels are a breeding ground for many germs, and if someone who has a cold or the flu uses your towel, chances are you are going to be sick within a few days yourself. Don’t share towels,” explains an expert from Integrative Health Center.
• Avoid Second-Hand Smoke
  Here is another great reason to avoid being around smokers. Not only is the smoke bad for your lungs, it can also lead to a variety of illnesses, including meningitis. It also inflames the mucus membranes in the throat, which is going to make anyone more susceptible to illnesses such as colds.
• Get a Flu Shot
  It only takes a few minutes to get a flu shot, and this is going to be one of your best defenses against the virus. Find out if your school offers free flu shots, or see if there are any local clinics where you can get yours right away. The sooner you get the shot, the less likely you will be to end up with the flu this winter.
• Avoid Close Contact
  Whether someone is sick or healthy, it is best to avoid close contact with them in order to prevent the spread of germs. This is especially important if you have a compromised immune system, in which case it is best to avoid large crowds, especially during cold and flu season.
• Stock Your Medicine Cabinet
  “No matter how many ways you try to avoid getting sick, chances are that you are going to end up with a cold or the flu at some point during the year. Make sure that you are prepared by having a fully-stocked medicine cabinet that has things like cough syrup, throat lozenges, nasal spray, decongestant,” suggests Dr. Shawn Khodadadian.
• Don’t Touch Your Face
  You know how your mother always told you to keep your hands away from your face or mouth? It wasn’t just to keep you from getting pimples. Touching your eyes, nose, and mouth is not only a great way for germs to get into your body, but if you already have the germs, it is also a great way to spread them to others.

Pamela Currier helps recent grads land the jobs of their dreams, she is a career coach and educator.

3 Tips to Keep Up With Studies Through Life-Changing Events

BY SYLVIA KOHL

It’s often hard to keep up with your studies even while you are a regular university student. It gets even harder when you are going through some life-changing events. Stressful situations have a significant impact on your health and cognitive ability, so it’s imperative to find a way to deal.

What Are ‘Life-Changing’ Events?

Literally, ‘life-changing’ means ‘one notably altering a person’s life’. Insurance companies call them Qualifying Life Events (QLEs) and have a detailed list of what’s considered ‘notably life-changing’. The most stressful of those experiences are:

• Death of a loved one
• Divorce/marriage
• Moving (or some other sudden changes in circumstances that has a profound effect on one’s life)
• Disease
• Birth of a child

There are two essential things that every student must understand about life-changing events. One is that they don’t have to be bad to have a negative impact on your studies potentially. For example, the birth of a child, moving to a better residence, or getting married, are all happy events. Yet, they are stressful and will mess up with your study schedule.

The other important thing is that the majority of life-changing events are out of your control. Therefore, the only way to get through is to learn how to deal with them most efficiently. Developing coping mechanisms is essential as studies prove that stressful events are incredibly detrimental to one’s health. This undoubtedly contributes to why only about 60% of students graduate with bachelor’s degrees.

3 Practical Tips on How to Deal with Life-Changing Events

1. Accept the Things You Can’t Control

Start with identifying the primary stressors in your life and rationally analyzing the measure of control you have. Be sure to take into account all factors. For example, it might seem like it’s possible to stop divorce of your parents proceedings through couple counseling. However, this will require equal investment from both sides. If negotiations fail, you must accept that you can’t bear the burden of sustaining the relationship.

As being rational and unbiased is almost impossible in this situation, you should see a counselor.

Your studies are something you can control. Therefore, you can benefit from using them as an anchor to focus on while trying to accept the inevitable.

2. Take Up Meditation

It’s a scientifically proven fact that mindfulness meditation is useful for stress relief, coping, and reducing the symptoms of anxiety. There are numerous meditation techniques you should try to find the one that would work for you.

Note that you should always start with the help of a qualified and experienced guide. This will boost the efficiency of the procedure.

3. Change Your Attitude

The way you perceive the issue affects the impact it has on your life. Remember that ‘life-changing’ isn’t necessarily bad, even when the event is adverse. Trying to see it from a positive angle will help you embrace more effective coping strategies.

The most effective trick for an ‘attitude switch’ is to see the problem as a step up in your education. You can also try to perceive it as not an end to your happiness, but as creating an opportunity for a new beginning.

No matter what happens, never forget that studies are necessary for your future.

Sylvia Kohl is an IT teacher with more than 8 years of professional experience. Her main spheres of interest are e-education and she convinced that learning process doesn’t stop after years in school and university.

What Students Need To Know About the Disabilities Laws

BY DANIKA KIMBALL

When the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law over 25 years ago, the college environment was forever changed. Legal mandates under the ADA require that postsecondary institutions make reasonable accommodations in order to provide disabled students an equal opportunity to participate in courses, programs, and activities — including athletics programs.

While most people think of the ADA as legislation that helped those with visible disabilities, the ADA has also impacted those who may have “invisible disabilities.” As highlighted by The Atlantic, a number of students with dyslexia and other learning differences (LDs) have also benefited greatly by the passing of the ADA.

Accommodations come in many forms, from academic adjustments or modifications like extended time for test taking or completing coursework; substituting specific courses to help students fulfill degree requirements; modification of test taking or performance evaluations. These accommodations can also include classroom aids such as sign language interpreters, note takers, readers, braille, large print, and electronic formats of required texts.

Because of the passing of the ADA, students like Rae Jacobsen, a person who has been diagnosed with ADHD and dyscalculia, a condition that makes it difficult to make sense of numbers and mathematical concepts, was able to earn a master’s degree from Loyola University in New Orleans. Today, she is a writer for the New York-based Child Mind Institute. “It doesn’t mean you can’t learn,” Jacobson writes about her learning differences. “It just means you haven’t been taught in a way that makes sense.”

Although the ADA has made things easier for students with both visible and invisible disabilities, there are still a number of challenges when it comes to accessing higher education spaces. Students with LDs attend four-year colleges at about half the rate of the general population, and only 41 percent of those students graduate from four year institutions in a 6-year time frame, compared to 52 percent of all students.

The reasons for this are abundant and can range from a lack of funds to trouble satisfying the documentation requirements necessary in college offices. In college students are required to self-identify as disabled, and accurate documentation of their disability must be provided. This process is easier for some than it is for others.

“In the end, it means that college students must be academically prepared, ready to live independently, understand the nature of their learning differences, be able to describe the services and accommodations they may need and have the ability to advocate for themselves,” Laura Castaneda writes for The Atlantic.

Peter A. Eden, president of Landmark, an institution which specifically serves students with LDs, agrees.

“For some students, when a parent is no longer helping them at a the kitchen table like in high school, a student may need a more robust system and set of resources to help them succeed in college,” he argues.

The good news in all of this is that colleges are more prepared than ever to help students with disabilities succeed. Schools with structured programs that have a director and staff certified in learning disabilities or related areas have been cropping up in schools around the country. And while schools that exclusively teach students with LDs are rare, there are traditional schools like Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, and the University of Arizona in Tuscon, Arizona that each have robust disability services programs.

Still, while these accommodations are readily available at many institutions, it’s important that those who intend to use ADA services do their research and that they start early — from finding programs that help disabled individuals save money to finding a college environment that is right for them.

Over the past 20 years, the ADA has transformed the educational system, providing more opportunities for individuals than were available before. While there are still a number of improvements that could be made, this legislation provides students with both visible and invisible disabilities with equal opportunities when it comes to education.

Danika is a writer and musician from the Northwest who sometimes takes a 30 minute break from feminism to enjoy a tv show. You can follow her on Twitter @sadwhitegrrl

Tips to Retain Academic Information for Better Learning and Grades

BY AVA J. AVASDEN

Most students in the US today have to juggle multiple tasks including jobs, sports, and studies. On top of this, if you are a student studying a subject only to get credits without actually being interested in the subject, you are likely to battle stress as you forget most of what you had learned. Every time you have to write an essay, you would probably find it easier to jump off a cliff with your eyes closed.

This is not the ideal scenario and it can easily be dealt with. You only need to be mindful of the following tricks.

Make the most of your lectures

It may sounds like the biggest cliché circulating lecture halls and dorm rooms, but this advice has stood the test of time. The most effective memory-building skills don’t appear magically overnight. They begin from the day you start attending your lectures and being mindful of the content being taught. It is easy to remember things you have experienced or done, i.e, if you were mentally and physically present for a lecture, recalling it before an exam is not going to be a challenging task. Now, there is a difference between sitting in a class and being an active listener. To make sure that everything taught by your professor is locked and registered in your mind follow these helpful steps:

• Be an active listener. Keep your mind focussed on the lectures. Refrain from day-dreaming. Think about the concepts being explained and ask doubts. If you think your doubts haven’t been resolved, meet up with your professor after the class.
• Take fast, short notes by hand. As much as you can. Writing things down helps the creation of long term memories. We register and understand complicated things much better when we have penned them down.
• Some professors allow their lectures to be recorded by students. If your professor allows this, you have hit the jackpot. You can record the content and listen to it when you are free or even just before your exams. Listening to the same thing multiple times will facilitate better retention.
• Try to occupy the front rows in the class.

The method of loci

Or in other words, memory maps.

It is a simple memory technique that has helped Cicero in ancient Rome to Sherlock in modern-day London. In this technique, you imagine a building or street and fill it with details such as parks, rooms, paintings, boxes, etc. Assign each of these entities a set of information you would like to retain for your exams such as elements of the periodic table or historical dates.  When you want to recollect the information, just take a walk down the memory lane, and voila, you will be able to recall each bit of data successfully.

Other memory building techniques could include the use of mnemonics and anagrams to remember larger chunks of information.

For example, if you are trying to memorize the order of taxonomy for biology tests, just remember – “Kids Prefer Cheese Over Fried Green Spinach” -(Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species) or  for remembering the bones in the skull try –  “Old People From Texas Eat Spiders” –(Occipital, Parietal, Frontal, Temporal, Ethnoid, Sphenoid).

These techniques work because they are funny and eye-catching. They relate relatively serious and mundane things with humorous ideas. And as you know, it is easy to recall a funny one-liner, especially when you are stressed for exams.

When revising texts and information, it is best not to cram everything one night before exams. Instead, have a planned routine of revisiting topics in regular intervals. Keep a mix of subjects and topics; don’t keep studying the same subject/topic for hours and hours. Bringing variety will definitely add spice here.

Attain the state of flow

There is nothing more helpful than writing and making notes. It works for most people. Whenever you get a writing task or whenever you want to learn something new and complex, start with writing a rough draft. Accumulate all the information concisely at one place with its sources underneath. You can always sort out the sources later on. Stay focussed on the topic at hand. Livia, the co-founder of Lifesaver Essays- a writing service advises students that they should avoid all kinds of distractions while writing, take short breaks, and attain the state of “flow”, which is the highest level of concentration one can achieve. She advises getting completely immersed while writing as this is likely to give a boost to your retention and maximize your productivity.

The background details

In addition to the above, there are a lot of activities we can do on a daily basis to build our retention power gradually:

• Develop a genuine interest in your subjects. Make efforts to go to the library and sit with your academic books at least once or twice a week. The more you involve your mental faculties, the better you remember things.
• Motivation, like showering, is a thing that needs to be done daily. Keep an eye on the goal and build a “can-do” attitude. Optimism will fill you with energy and concentration. And these will have a dramatic impact on memory power.
• Try to get good 8 hours of night-time sleep every day. Even before your exams, research Studies have shown that a good sleep will help you retain information much better. Pulling an all-nighter is counter-productive to remembering things. Make sure that before exams you are well-rested.
• Our brain, like any other organ, thrives when supplied with proper nutrients. Your diet has a big impact on your cognitive functions. Eat a brain-healthy diet which includes lots of eggs, fish, nuts, berries etc. Don’t skip exercises.

Ava is an avid reader and is intrigued by topics such as student motivation, performance, and education systems around the world. She had recently started writing and would like to cover topics related to education, learning, and poetry.

How AI Experience Can Strengthen Your Resume

BY COSSETTE JARRETT

 Many discussions about the future of artificial intelligence (AI) stem from conversations surrounding the “digital divide.” With almost one-fifth of the country without access to broadband internet, we still see an advantage for people with easy access as they tend to succeed academically and professionally. That is, they make good grades, complete postsecondary studies, and earn a higher pay grade. People without that access differ, often struggling to complete college and find a competitive job.

But internet access may eventually become one of many types of digital divides. Another looms: artificial intelligence. Companies like Google and Amazon are already preparing themselves for the boom in AI technology, and companies that aren’t prepared could be left behind. As that shift happens, it could also create a divide for employees — between those with AI experience and those without it. Having AI experience on your resumé could keep you at the forefront when searching for a job.

College students should prepare for this possible reality by learning about artificial intelligence today. Doing so helps you think through career plans, build an attractive job profile, and land your dream job.

What Is Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial intelligence strives to make computers think and act like humans, except better. The human brain can comprehend and consciously react to only a fraction of the data thrown at it. A computer, by contrast, apprehends and responds instinctively to all the data fed to it. It learns, too, stemming fatal flaws and repeated mistakes.

You should also know that AI serves as an umbrella term. From it flows things like machine learning, neural networks, and reinforcement learning. Digital Trends offers a good resource on the different types of artificial intelligence, not to mention a tongue-in-cheek Silicon Valley analogy.

Finally, also remember that people place AI in distinct categories or speak of specific applications, such as the aforementioned machine learning. To grow your understanding of what AI is and can do, check out the following three resources:

1. Government Technology: What Is Artificial Intelligence?
2. Harvard Business Review: Deep Learning’s Next Frontier
3. Udacity: Intro to Artificial Intelligence

Are Companies Investing in AI?

In a word, yes, companies are investing in AI. Grand View Research recently published its findings concerning the global AI market. It anticipates the market will grow to nearly $36 billion by 2025, far, far beyond its current market size of a little over $400 million. Primary drivers of this growth include advancements in both dynamic artificial intelligence solutions and the commercial prospects of AI deployment.

Other research firms offer corollary evidence. Accenture, for example, pronounces, “Artificial intelligence is the future of growth.” The firm explains AI could change “the nature of work and create a new relationship between man and machine,” enabling unforeseen levels of workplace productivity and efficiency.

At Forbes, one author writes of several verticals investing in AI, ranging from automotive and health care to agriculture and financial services. For further reading — and a check on all the hype — visit these three sources:

1. McKinsey: How Artificial Intelligence Can Deliver Real Value to Companies
2. Gartner: AI Technologies Will Be in Almost Every New Software Product by 2020
3. The Guardian: Artificial Intelligence Commission Needed to Predict Impact

Which Companies Are Already Using Artificial Intelligence?

You probably guessed “Silicon Valley,” and you’re right. Silicon Valley is no stranger to the realm of artificial intelligence. San Jose, in particular, is a boomtown; Ethan Baron, reporter for The Mercury News, says the city offers “cheaper office rent and older tech workers — to a rapidly expanding cohort of companies focused on artificial intelligence.” (San Jose’s mayor simplifies the situation to “San Francisco has the gamers, we have the grownups.”)

Even Defense Secretary James Mattis envies Silicon Valley. During a West Coast tour, he confessed to WIRED his concern that the Pentagon lags behind the tech industry in embracing and integrating artificial intelligence. His statement is apropos, considering several tech giants — Amazon, Google, and Facebook among them — call Silicon Valley home and boast strong artificial intelligence initiatives.

But Silicon Valley isn’t the only place to find enviable positions in computer science and artificial intelligence. Nonprofits around the world use the technology to make an impact in the lives of their beneficiaries. And Frank Chen, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist at Andreessen Horowitz, encourages “everyone developing any kind of technology-based tool to know that AI has something to offer them.”

Cosette is a tech journalist and editor. You can find her work on sites like VentureBeat, TechCrunch, The Next Web, and Mashable. 

New Apps for College Students Help College Success

BY ANTON LUCANUS

In an age of instant information, computers and computer technology are inextricably woven into our daily lives. Computer scientist Ralph Johnson said, “Software is not limited by physics, like buildings are. It is limited by imagination, by design, by organization. In short, it is limited by properties of people, not by properties of the world.”

With information technology and the rise of popularity of the mobile phone, and, later, the birth of the smart phone in 2007, “applications,” better known as “Apps” came into being. Apps are the software allowed to run on smartphones. The number of apps in the world, their quality and purpose are an irreversible and rising trend. In fact, tech writer David Pogue says smart phones should be known as app phones emphasizing the importance of apps in smartphones.

During the 28 years following English scientist Tim Berners-Lee’s introduction of the World Wide Web, the world of information technology has passed several milestones. According to the Global Digital Report 2017, more than half the world now uses a smartphone and almost two-thirds of all people in the world own a mobile phone. Studies also show that 99.8% of college students have either mobile phones or smartphones. Most students primarily use their phones to text and run apps. They rarely make phone calls.

As different needs arise in endless succession, companies in many countries are engaged in app development today. Among the communities who zealously pursue apps are college students who have realized the vast potential in developing apps that make life more comfortable and less challenging. In fact, Apple recently launched a new app development curriculum for students desiring to pursue careers in the rapidly surging app economy. In the US, six community colleges that include a total of 500,000 students, hope to introduce this new cutting-edge curriculum on app development designed by Apple engineers and educators.

On the other hand, there are also apps available to make college life less challenging for college students in the US.

Here are five such apps –

• Exam Vocabulary Builder – this is an app focused on improving and enhancing English language vocabulary of college freshmen, graduates entrance exam takers, those engaged in professional advancement and for students seeking language proficiency. It is a tremendous help to students whose first language is not English. The app uses “spaced repetition” for greater retention. Apart from search and organize features, it includes Study, Flashcard and Quiz to nudge the students forward.
• Coursera – mobile app helps students to study a selection of courses to supplement their college studies. This app also introduces students to subjects before they begin a new semester. This boosts the students’ chances of getting excellent grades, getting on the Dean’s Honor List, and winning awards and scholarships.
• Flashcards+ – This app was created by the 19-year old whiz kid tech entrepreneur Connor Zwick, during his senior year of high school. It includes pronunciation assistance for 22 languages, millions of flashcard decks from the Quizlet app, deck shuffling etc.
• Dragon Dictation – helps students digitally type up anything when they talk into the app. What the Dragon Dictation app types up, can be pasted onto other apps, send as an email message or save for later.
• Google Drive – helps students take notes, draw diagrams, create spreadsheets, build presentations and keep them all in the cloud and access them from a mobile app.

Some might say that the brain is the only study tool a student needs. However, as the Minion quote goes, “My brain is like the Bermuda Triangle. Information goes in, and then it’s never found again.”

Apps developed especially for students will ensure this does not happen.

Byline – Anton Lucanus is the Director of Neliti. During his college years, he maintained a perfect GPA, was published in a top cancer journal, and received many of his country’s most prestigious undergraduate scholarships. Anton writes for The College Puzzle as a means to share the lessons learnt throughout his degree and to guide current students to achieve personal and educational fulfilment during college life.

How Students Can Reduce Eye Strain

BY JANE HURST

As a student, you do a lot of reading, and you spend a lot of time working on a computer. Both of these things can lead to some pretty serious eye strain, which can make it harder for you to see over time. But, how are you going to be able to study without straining your eyes? Well, there is always going to some eye strain, but there are things that you can do in order to minimize it. Read on to find some excellent tips to help you reduce eye strain.

• Do Eye Exercises
  There is a simple eye exercise you can do that will help to reduce eye strain, known as the 20-20-20 rule. Basically, every 20 minutes or so, turn your attention away from the computer, and focus on something that is about 20 feet away, for approximately 20 seconds. This helps to relax the muscle inside the eye that is responsible for focusing, and keep your eyes from becoming tired out. Also, start practicing moving your eyes around while they are closed, to exercise your eye muscles.
• Text Size
  One of the easiest things you can do in order to reduce eye strain is to increase the size of the fonts you work with. Even if your professors request that you submit work typed in a specific font and size, there is nothing stopping you from increasing the size while you are working. It makes it easier for you to see what you are doing, and you can always decrease it before you hand in your work. A good font size to work with is about 14 points.
• Massage Your Eyes
  When your eyes get tired, you can massage them to help avoid strain. “Rub your palms together to get them warmed up, and then press them against your eyes gently. Hold your hands in place for a few seconds, and the warmth is going to help to relax the eye muscles and ease eye strain. You can also rub your temples gently, which is going to help eliminate stress that can lead to eye strain,” suggests Dr. Saba Khodadadian.
• Blink Often
  You may not even realize it, but when you are really into your work, you might end up forgetting to blink. This isn’t always an automatic thing that the body does. This is because you are concentrating so hard on what you are doing. When you don’t blink, your eyes are going to become dry and itchy, and this is a sure sign that you have been working your eyes too hard. It may be wise to also stock up on some eye drops to keep your eyes lubricated at all times.
• Take Breaks
  According to Periony taking frequent, short breaks is not only going to be good for your eyes, it is also going to be good for the rest of your body, and your mind. If you are going to be spending several hours in front of a computer, it is a good idea to get into the habit of taking short breaks every 10 minutes or so. These breaks can be as short as 10 seconds, just long enough to look away from the screen and give your eyes a quick break.
• Adjust Your Monitor Settings
  An easy way to reduce eye strain is to adjust the settings on your computer monitor. Fix the brightness so it is about the same as your surroundings. Adjust the contrast to make reading easier (black print on a white back ground is optimal), and adjust the color temperature to lower the amount of blue light that the monitor is displaying for more comfortable viewing.

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.

How To Organize Dorm Space To Maximize Productivity

BY MELISSA BURNS

Switching your bedroom with a dorm room is a life-changing experience. Rooms at dorms are usually smaller than students’ bedrooms at home, and on top of that, they often have to share it with a roommate. A dorm room is a room where you sleep, live, and study. For many students, this change can affect productivity because they are unable to find a way to organize this limited space. If you are one of them, you should know that many tips can help you organize the area around you and boost your productivity. Let’s have a look on some of hacks.

1. Keep everything clean

When you are living in a dorm room, cleaning this area is your responsibility. Many students forget about it and leave food leftovers and other things all around the room. This doesn’t only affect your productivity, but it can also force you to call pest control services after some time. Remember to keep every food sealed. You can use bags with zippers and sealable containers for this purpose.

2. Organize your desk

Get prepared to spend a lot of time next to your desk while in college. This is a place for you to study. The best idea is only to keep things that are closely related to the studying process, like relevant documents, work materials, scripts, books and your laptop. If you want to stay well-organized, you should also use a calendar or an organizer, especially if you study and work at the same time.

3. Bring more light

While it’s true that you can’t change the primary lighting in your dorm room, you can always bring lamps and other mobile lighting products. Proper lighting is essential for studying, and it will positively affect your productivity in the dorm room. In this way, you can ensure that your roommate is not disturbed while you are studying and he (or she) is sleeping or resting. Keeping light that is focused only on your desk will eliminate the distractions around you.

4. Take care of the air

Indoor air quality affects not only your productivity but your health too. Students tend to stay in their dorm rooms for long. If you want to increase productivity, you should open windows more often and let the fresh air enter your room. During warm seasons a good idea would be to go and study outside. This trick will help not only with air circulation inside your room (as you can leave a window opened while going out) but with fighting writer’s blocks and procrastination.

5. Use shelves

As previously mentioned, most dorm rooms are relatively small which leads to cluttering. As a result, a constant lack of place occurs and creates a huge mess all around. In cases like this, use the wall’s space. For example, place some shelves on the walls. They are a perfect storage that makes your room look less messy. Organize shelves for your books, belongings, cosmetics and other staff.

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

Top 8 Travel Tips for College Students

BY GORDON SCHORR

They say that youth is lost on the young, but not if you live your youth to its fullest. You are in college, and now is the time to get out there and see and do as much as you can. This includes traveling. But, you can’t just run off without a plan. After all, you do need to keep safety in mind at all times, and you need to have an idea of where you are going and what you will be doing. Here are some of the best travel tips for college students that will help you get the most out of these years.

• Know the Requirements – If you are planning on traveling outside the country, make sure that you know what the requirements are, and that you have all of the necessary paperwork, including your visa, passport, etc. The less time you can spend with customs agents, the more time you can spend enjoying your vacation.
• Jam-Pack Your Vacation – Whenever possible, don’t just visit one place. For instance, if you are going to spend a few days in New Hampshire, hop on a train and visit Boston while you are at it. Or, if you are going to Germany, you can visit many other European countries that are just a short drive away.
• Set Two Budgets – You should always have two budgets to work with when you are traveling. One budget is for the entire trip, including travel, accommodations, food, spending money, etc. The other is a daily budget, what you can allow yourself to spend each day to stay within the overall budget. Don’t forget to allow for emergencies, such as cab fares do you don’t end up stranded in a strange place.
• Pre-Book Activities – Depending on the time of year you are traveling, a lot of things you want to see and do may be booked when you get there. Pre-book the things you want to do. Not only will it insure you get to do them, you might even get special discounts for booking early. Don’t forget to ask for student discounts as well.
• Consider the Hotel – Before you reserve a hotel room, make sure that the hotel is in the area you need to be. Some are not close to local attractions, so you would be spending more time and money on transportation. Look for affordable hotels that are within walking distance of the things you want to do, that has easy access to public transportation, etc.
• Get Travel Insurance – Even if you are only going away for a couple of days, it is always a good idea to purchase travel insurance. You never know when you might become sick or injured, and medical treatment or a hospital stay could get rather pricey. Having that insurance gives you more peace of mind to enjoy your travels.
• Rent a Bicycle – Instead of spending a lot of money on a walking tour or a bus tour of an area you are visiting, rent a bicycle and create your own tour. Grab a local map that shows the best areas to visit, and set out to see the sites on your terms. You will save money, and likely see a lot more than you would on an organized tour.
• Avoid Big Cities – If you want to travel on the cheap, avoid visiting big cities where everything from meals to accommodations tend to be more costly. You will see a lot more if you travel off the beaten path and visit some of the smaller areas, and you won’t have to spend nearly as much money.

Gordon Schorr is an online educator and creative writer.