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. 

8 Easy Investment Tips for College Students

BY LORRAINE McKINNEY

It is never too early to learn about and start investing for your future. Just because you are a college student without a lot of money, it doesn’t mean that you can’t start investing now. In fact, the sooner you learn about investing, the better off you are going to be in the long run. Before you start investing actual money, you need to learn as much as you can about the art of investing, so you have a good idea of how to best invest your money. Take a look at these easy investment tips for college students to get you started on the road to investing for your future.

1. Hit the Books – One of the best ways to learn about investing is to read as much as you can on the subject. The more articles and books you read, the more you are going to learn. You can find many good books on investing at your local library, so it isn’t going to cost you a thing. They also offer many periodicals, and of course, the Internet is a wealth of information unto itself.
2. Pay Down Your Debts – Before you begin investing, it is best to start out with a clean slate. If you have any outstanding debts, including student loan debt, it is a good idea to get these debts paid down before you invest money elsewhere. Paying off debts is a guaranteed return on your money. If you can get lower interest rates on your debts, use the difference to begin investing.
3. Start with a Cash Account – One of the easiest ways to get started with investing is to open a basic cash account. This lets you invest in any security with the cash that is available to you right now, and your money isn’t going to be locked up until you are ready to retire. This is also a great option for experienced investors.
4. Use an Investment App – One of the easiest ways to get into the world of investing is through an investment app. This makes buying and selling stocks easy, and you can also use your app to learn a lot more about investments so you can make the best choices for securing your own financial future.
5. Learn about Margin Accounts – Another option is to have a margin account. This is a lot like a cash account, but you can also borrow money to invest instead of just using the cash you already have. There are also features that you won’t get with a cash account, such as selling uncovered options and shortening your investments.
6. Learn about IRA’s – You should also consider purchasing IRA’s, which are traditional retirement savings accounts. A traditional IRA lets you invest money, but you can’t withdraw it until you are over 59. You get a tax benefit, but you are charged tax on the money you withdraw at retirement. A Roth IRA doesn’t provide tax benefits, but you can withdraw your money tax-free.
7. Do Your Research – Once you get into investing, it is important to thoroughly research anything you are interested in investing in. Read up on these investments, talk to other investors, and talk to a broker to make sure that they are the best investments for you to make. Don’t jump on the first investment opportunity you see that looks good.
8. Choose a Broker – If you want to really get into investing, you need to have a good investment broker on your side. You have the option to choose a traditional investment brokerage firm that offers personalized service, or an online firm, which is fast and easy. Beginner investors would do better to deal with a traditional broker, because they can be a wealth of information.

Lorraine McKinney is an academic tutor and elearning specialist.

7 Ways to Save More Money in College

BY DAVID GUITIERREZ

College is an expensive time; you’ll be paying for tuition, and possibly room and board, and you’ll be so busy with school work you won’t have much extra time to devote to a secondary job. If you want to get by, affording textbooks and supplies throughout your education, and still end up with a pocket of funds to get you started in the real world when you graduate, you’ll need to learn how to save your money effectively. But how can you do it in such demanding circumstances?

Starter Tips for New College Savers

If you don’t have much experience saving money, there’s nothing to be ashamed about. Up until now, you probably haven’t been responsible for your own expenses. Fortunately, there are a few simple strategies that anyone—even those with no financial knowledge or experience—can employ to start saving money in college:

1. Buy used. First, buy everything used (if you can). For textbooks, you’ll end up paying $50 instead of $300, and for dorm fixtures like desks and furniture, you’ll pay a fraction of what you would pay for new materials. Generally, there’s no advantage to buying new; you might get products with fewer dings and scuffs, but the price differential isn’t justified. Book Finder and similar sites are ideal for tracking down used copies of the textbooks you need—and be sure to check your campus bookstore, too!
2. Look for free items and giveaways. College campuses are full of free items—if you know where to look. On move-in and move-out days, wander the streets to see what pieces of furniture and other items people are dumping on the road. This is a time for people to get rid of things they don’t need, so look for clean items you could use, and pick them up. You can also find free items (and free food) at many college events, so be aware of things going on in your area.
3. Pool resources. If you can, pool your resources whenever possible. You can chip in on a piece of furniture with a friend, or buy food together in bulk to keep costs down. Most importantly, try to live with other roommates—it will reduce your rent to a fraction of what it would be otherwise, and you’ll probably have a better experience (or at least more stories to tell).
4. Prioritize your health. If you’re young, you may feel invincible, but it’s important to be proactive with your health. Invest in health insurance and dental plans, or insurance alternatives, so you can protect yourself if you fall ill or become injured. Make little investments, like buying healthy foods and personal hygiene items, so you can keep yourself in peak condition. These aren’t the areas to cut costs.
5. Cook your own meals. After a busy day of classes and studying, you’ll probably be tempted to pick up some fast food or order a pizza. It may seem cheap at the time, but the cost of regular meals out can quickly add up. It may be a bit more time consuming to go out, get groceries, and cook your own meals, but you’ll probably pay a tenth of what you would pay otherwise.
6. Take public transportation. Having your own car gives you a sense of freedom and independence, but the cost just isn’t justified if you’re living on or near campus. You’ll have to pay for the car, insurance, gas, and routine maintenance, which can easily add up to hundreds of dollars a month. A single public transportation pass will be far less expensive—and better for the environment.
7. Take advantage of campus offers. Pay attention to what your campus offers for free, and try not to pay for things you could get for free. For example, your campus probably has a gym, so you don’t have to pay for your own membership, and it probably has a library, so don’t pay for books unless you have to.

Drawing Up a Budget

If you have a line of income from any source, it’s a good idea to draw up a budget. Set strict limits on what you’re allowed to spend for various categories, including rent, groceries, transportation, and entertainment. Track everything you spend money on; chances are, in the first month, you’ll be surprised how much money you spend in each category. Once you have a better understanding of your incoming and outgoing cash, you can come up with even better strategies for saving—and by the end of your college career, you’ll have a miniature nest egg you can use as a down payment for your first apartment, or a way to cover moving costs to your next big adventure.

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.

The Key Components To A Great Professional Website

BY ANTHONY MASTERTON

It’s common knowledge these days that most any serious business needs a website to stay competitive. As a college student, it can be difficult at times to get working professionals to take your input seriously, but building any old website simply doesn’t cut it these days. It’s important that the site also be attractive, easy to use, and generally helpful to visitors. In other words, it has to be professional and performative at the same time.

As many of us in the millennial generation know, building a professional website is sometimes easier said than done, but sometimes proves much more difficult than anticipated. Whether you’re directing a web design team regarding your preferences, or you’re trying to handle the creative process on your own, there are a lot of considerations at hand. It’s important to take advantage of your tech-first knowledge as a college student, and provide input to those in the older generation who may not be familiar with terms like SEO, page speed, and keyword traffic. If it’s your first time building a website, don’t worry if many of those same considerations sounds equally new to you as well. To help you out, we’ve taken some time to put together a few words about the key components to a great professional website.

Font Consistency

As a student, it’s important to understand just what key factors go into setting a professional website apart from the rest of the crowd. It might surprise you to learn that professional design tips for websites often make mention of things like font and formatting. But when you actually think about it, this is a very important component to web design. First, you want your font and content format to be easy to read and process. But you also want them to be consistent from page to page, because if they’re not the website seems unprofessional and hastily thrown together.

Clear, Large Images

Images may seem secondary to the actual content and functionality of a website. But ultimately how people feel when they look at the pages of your site is the most important thing. You want to draw the eye, capture attention, and ultimately convey a smooth, polished, and professional appeal. One of the best ways to do so is by stocking your site with clear, large images, either as background banners or to break up written content. You don’t want to overdo it, but it’s one of the best ways to make your site attractive.

A Mobile Element

It’s increasingly important for professionals today not to think of websites in a vacuum. Rather, they have to think of entire web platforms, which include mobile-compatible websites, and in some cases even specially built apps. If you look for a digital growth partner online rather than trying to do the job yourself, you’ll likely find that this is the way of things now. There are a multitude of creative digital agencies out there well versed in all aspects of cross-platform design, and many will help point you in the right direction with helpful blog posts and digital tools to assess your own site’s needs. As a student, you should be using your own network to gain knowledge about different aspects involved in the process and not hesitate to ask questions! Web design and mobile solutions are lumped together as a single unified effort, and it’s vital to think this way if you want your online presence to come across as professionally as possible.

Easy Navigation

This is another of the most important factors in presenting a professional, likable website. You want your menu options to be clear, and your navigation to be intuitive. People need to see directions to where they want to go and what they want to do on your site exactly when they want to. This makes the experience more pleasant, even if on a nearly subconscious level, and it makes visitors more likely to return.  

Content

As a final but vital point, you also need rich and engaging content. It doesn’t matter what kind of site you’re running, or what its purpose is. Well-written and up-to-date content gives visitors something to engage with, and conveys that the person behind the business (in this case, you) is putting energy into it. Content, in the end, is what people are there for.

Anthony Masterton is a young entrepreneur trying to break through in the Tech world. When he’s not working on growing his young startup, he writes about everything from tech advancements to his own experiences as a young CEO. A self starter, he likes to help others learn from his own successes and failures, as it’s always easiest to learn from experience.

On Campus For Thanksgiving? Ideas For Celebrating

BY SYLVIA KOHL

The day of thanks

Thanksgiving is one of the most well-loved holidays in the US, mainly because there’s no better way to spend your time than sharing it with your loved ones over massive amounts of food.

Celebrated every year on the third Thursday of November, Thanksgiving is all about the turkey, pie and, of course, family time. However, not all of us are lucky enough to get away from campus every holiday. Some of you may even be facing your first holiday away from home.

I know that the idea of spending a holiday away from your family can be disheartening, but don’t let yourself get sad, there are always ways you can still have fun and share this day with a fun group of people.

Invite friends for Friendsgiving: colleges are filled to the brim with people, so if you find yourself without the option of heading home for the holidays, chances are you’re going to find other students that will be in the same boat as you.

Here’s an idea, instead of wallowing in your depressive state over not being able to spend Thanksgiving with your family, why don’t you get together with some friends that will also be stuck on campus and make a day of it?

Friendsgiving is not a new concept; there are plenty of people out there who, due to distance or finances, are going to be spending Thanksgiving away from home. Get together with those kindred souls and enjoy a fun potluck dinner. Sounds much better than staying in your dorm all by your lonesome watching the parade, right?

Plan in advance: If you’ve decided to go with the Friendsgiving idea, it’s good to have a plan in place, especially if you’re going to host it. First of all, a potluck style dinner would be the easiest way to handle Thanksgiving dinner at a dorm, that way you can cover every need there is without having to stress yourself about it.

Make the menu ahead of time, taking into account those friends with food allergies and dietary preferences and designating different dishes to each guest. Since dormitories have quite small kitchens (if you even have one instead of just a hot plate) it makes sense to go with the divide and conquer approach.

Bonus pro tip: neither you nor your friends have to break the bank to have an excellent Friendsgiving meal, there are plenty of lists of student discounts out there just waiting for the taking.

Volunteer: Another great way to spend your Thanksgiving could be volunteering at the local shelter or soup kitchen. If you’ve never volunteered before, you’re in for a treat; nothing feels quite as fulfilling as helping other humans.

Don’t just take my word for it, give it a try, ‘tis the season for giving after all.

Stay in touch with family: While you’re rocking your first Friendsgiving, don’t forget to call your family. The chances are that they’re missing you at home, so take some time out of your day and get in touch. Thankfully, we’re living in the era of communication where, even if you’re far away, you can still see your loved ones through the wonder of the Internet and video calling.

Conclusion

While holidays are usually spent with surrounded by your family, don’t let your first time going solo get you down. There are always options so that you don’t get lonely, from throwing a Friendsgiving dinner to volunteering at a local shelter, and even checking out the Thanksgiving parade.

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.

Top 8 Dating Tips for College Students

BY MARTHA KARN

No matter who you are or how old you are, that first date with someone can be a very nerve-wracking experience. After all, you need to be on your very best behavior, while at the same time being yourself so they can get to know the real you. You are both testing the waters here, so it is best to make sure that neither you nor your date have to worry about any added pressures. Here are some dating tips for college students that will help you to enjoy your dates, and be safe.

1. Know Your Boundaries – You need to set specific boundaries for yourself, and stick to them. For instance, it may be that you don’t want to date anyone who drinks a lot. If your date takes you to a bar and proceeds to get inebriated, it is a good sign that this is not the person for you. Don’t compromise your standards just to impress someone who you probably won’t date again anyway.
2. Don’t Drink too Much – Speaking of drinking, it is never a good idea to drink too much, especially when you are on a first date. It is inevitably going to give one of three wrong impressions: you are nervous; you drink a lot; or that they can take certain liberties with you because you have been drinking.
3. Avoid Dating People in Your Dorm – Yes, this may sound strange, since you are going to meet a lot of people in your dorm or apartment building. But, if you should happen to start dating someone from the dorm, and things turn sour, it is going to make things very awkward when you inevitably pass each other in the hallway.
4. Pick a Safe First Date Location – When it comes to first dates, it is a good idea to arrive in separate vehicles, and meet up at a public location. There are some terrific restaurants that are ideal for first dates, including IHOP, Texas Roadhouse, Golden Corral, Cheesecake Factory, etc. where you can enjoy a great meal and get to know each other in a safe and comfortable environment. Or you can drive somewhere beautiful with takeaway food from McDonalds.
5. Don’t Get too Serious – This is your time to experiment and figure out what you really want out of life. It is not the time to look for that one person who you think you can spend the rest of your life with. Sure, it may just end up happening, but if it doesn’t, don’t let it get you down. There is plenty of time to find a life partner after college.
6. Don’t Stay in a Bad Relationship – It may be that you are dating someone now, but the relationship isn’t going the way you want it to, or that this person isn’t who you thought they were. You don’t have to stay in a bad relationship and be miserable. If things aren’t working out, it is time to move on and meet someone new, or even just be single for a while until you know what you really want.
7. Be Loyal – If you have met someone who is the yin to your yang, don’t make the mistake of dating others. If this is a person who you have a real connection with, and want to be with in the long term, the last thing you want is to mess things up by dating someone else, and then having the love of your life walk away from the relationship because you are not taking it seriously.
8. Don’t be Joined at the Hip – Once you begin dating someone, you may have a tendency to want to be with them all the time, constantly on the phone or texting, etc. If you are meant to be a couple, you will be, and there really is no need to be constantly joined at the hip. You both need your own time and space.

Bio:

Martha Karn develops online educational courses and writes for students.