5 Reasons Students Should Invest Time In Online Presence

BY KATE LARSON

Having an online presence seems crucial for just about every aspect of our lives. As the world gets more digitally connected, standing out as a prime candidate when you’re applying for college or a new job is easier if you have a consistent and appealing online profile.

This goes beyond a simple website and a few tweaks to your social media platforms. Students are now investing their time heavily in their ‘online personal brand’ to get access to the best mentors, colleges, recruiters, nonprofits, and businesses. Here are five reasons you should go one step beyond your classmates and build an online brand that carries you forward:

1.   Support your application

College admission offers are often conditional, which means admission officers will take the time to dig deeper into your student and personal life to figure out if you’re a good fit for the institution. Try to present a positive and cohesive online presence with some clever digital marketing and a straightforward social media profile. This should help boost your chances of admission.

2.   Showcase your work experience

As a recent graduate or a young college student, you probably lack enough experience to be considered for most high-profile jobs. However, if you collect and present all your work and extra-curricular experience online through an attractive website you could present yourself as a professional with the right work ethic and dedication to start in an opening position. Most recruiters now admit to checking their candidates’ social media and websites before hiring.

3.   Help you get a job

Digital skills like creating a website and managing a social media account are invaluable. These skills can complement your proficiency in your core field of study. Content marketing, search engine optimization, and social media management can help make you instantly employable, so work on these skills while you’re still at college. Whether you’re an engineer or a financial analyst, a decent amount of digital savvy will help improve your chances of getting a job.

4.   Facilitate online research

Digital research skills are invaluable in the workplace, but you can start applying them while at college. Most of your coursework and dissertations will involve a high degree of secondary research. An ability to go beyond Google and look for rare and relevant data will help your coursework stand out from the rest of your classmates’.

5.   Become an influencer in your field

Influencer marketing is one of the most enduring trends in recent years. Being a thought leader or influencer in your field, whether that’s particle physics or biochemistry, will help you create a sustainable and lucrative career over the long run.

With the growth of social media and digital tools, there’s simply no reasons any student should hesitate to build an enviable online presence.

Kate Larson is a college student and aspiring blogger, who has a strong interest in the environment and personal well-being. She enjoys travelling and reading, as well as writing novels.

How to Avoid And Lose Weight in College

 BY ANTON LUCANUS

The Freshman 15 might be a myth, but there are plenty of studies that show weight gain during college is a real issue for plenty of students.

A 2012 study in Alabama followed 131 students over the four years of their college degree. What it found was that 70% of them put on between 12 and 37 pounds over this period. The researchers also noted gains in body fat composition and waist circumference as too.

There are plenty of factors contributing to weight gain for college students. Stress is part and parcel of studying, and for some people, binge eating is part and parcel of stress. Healthier options tend to cost more too, and for a cash-strapped college student, that means sacrificing smashed avocados on toast for ramen noodles and fast foods.

Bad sleeping habits are also a contributor. A study in the journal Behavioural Sleep Medicine had 132 freshmen at Brown University keep sleep diaries for nine weeks, and tracked their weight during this period. By the time the study was complete, over half of the students had gained up to six pounds.

There’s a social element that needs to be considered as well. In college, most opportunities for socialising revolve around food or alcohol. Either grabbing lunch together at the refectory on a break between classes, heading out to eat, or signing up for a game of beer pong. This adds an element of social pressure, some people may worry their friends will view them as fussy when they turn down fast-food options, or anti-social, if they decline.

So how can you avoid gaining weight during your college days? Here are a few simple tips you can follow, especially if you’re aiming to slim down before swimsuit season.

Water is life. So, drink plenty of it. It’s well known that too many calories from sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages can lead to weight gain. These drinks can also cause spikes in your blood sugar that actually increase hunger!

Keep your dorm room refrigerator stocked with quick, healthy, snacks. You can’t go wrong if you stick to things like fresh fruit, Greek yogurt, hummus, and baby carrots and celery sticks. Or try one of these nutritious microwave meals, all of them are easy enough to cook right in your dorm!

Eat three meals a day, every day, and don’t skip breakfast! Eating breakfast will not only jumpstart your metabolism, it can help you concentrate in class. It can be tricky for students to find the time to prepare and cook healthy meals between study and work. If you’re serious about losing weight, try one of the pre-prepared meal delivery plans out there! You can check out a comprehensive review of two delivered meal-plan options over on the blog Fitij.

Exercise! Even if you just walk to class, it’s important to stay active. Exercise plays a key role in both losing weight and keeping it off. College is the perfect time to get involved with a regular team sport or fitness class. Don’t be afraid to try some out. Exercise will also help decrease your stress levels, it’s the perfect reason to sign up for a kick-boxing class around finals time!

Get enough sleep. Less than six hours a night can affect hormone levels that control your appetite, cravings, and metabolism. The body craves the high-calories in junk food, so it can break it down quickly for energy. Eating healthier food will keep you full for longer, as well as helping you avoid the crash after a sugar high.

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.