How to Recharge and Refresh After Studying for Final Exams

By Melissa Burns

 When it comes to studying for finals, it’s not uncommon to spend hours at a time hunched over textbooks and flipping through lecture notes. It can take hours to perfect a concept and days to fully prepare for everything that could be thrown your way on an exam. At some point, though, you need to take a break and let your brain relax.

Healthy and Productive Ways to Unwind

 When most college students take a break from studying, they choose to go out and have a few (too many) drinks, binge-eat, play video games, or watch mindless movies. While these may serve as distractions from studying, they do little to recharge the brain. In fact, they ultimately end up causing more damage than good.

If you want to take a productive break, it needs to serve the purpose of recharging your brain without taking you totally out of sync. Keeping that in mind, here are some healthy ideas:

 

1. Get Crafty

 Studying is very rigorous and clinical. You learn the information you’ve been assigned and don’t have many other options. As such, this demanding setup can wear your brain out, so to speak.

When taking a break, it’s important that you bring some balance into the equation. It can be particularly advantageous to do something creative and artsy. One idea is to create a photo book of the school year in review. This is a nice way to reminisce and use some of your creative “juices.”

 

2. Enjoy Afternoon Tea

 If you’re feeling stressed from all the studying you’re doing, it can help to take a little afternoon tea break. Specifically, you should sip on some green tea and eat a bit of dark chocolate. The green tea contains lots of L-Theanine, an ingredient that’s supposed to relax your mind. Dark chocolate is known to regulate the stress hormone cortisol and stabilize your metabolism.

 

3. Go For a Run Around the Block

 You’ve probably heard people talk about going for a run to clear their mind. Well, this is more than just a hyperbole. There’s actually a lot of truth in this idea. As filmmaker Casey Neistat says,  “Every major decision I’ve made in the last eight years has been prefaced by a run.” If you feel yourself losing focus or getting stressed, a quick 15- or 20-minute jog may be just what the doctor ordered.

 

4. Spend Time in Nature

 Have you ever gone on a walk or hike in the woods and felt the powerful feeling of relaxation and peace come over you?

 “From your first steps into the forest, your entire body feels changed. You feel the gentle breeze on your skin and the trail under your feet,” environmental writer Jill Richardson notes. “You breathe in and notice the clean, crisp air with the familiar smell of the forest that is sometimes punctuated with the odors of specific plants you pass, like a fragrant flower or a pungent sage. After a long hike, you feel recharged, and not just because of the exercise.”

 

Study after study has shown that spending time in nature is good for your mental health, so why not go on a solo hike in between study sessions? It could do you a lot of good.

 Recognize the Importance of Rest

 You may think that 10-hour studying days are what you need during exam time, but your brain can’t handle such long and taxing schedules. It’s much better to spend six or seven quality hours studying than 10 semi-engaged hours. Recognize the importance of rest and step away for a healthy, productive break when you feel your attention start to wane.

Melissa Burns graduated from the faculty of Journalism of Iowa State University in 2008. Nowadays she  is an entrepreneur and independent journalist. Her sphere of interests includes startups, information technologies and how these ones may be implemented.

 

7 Steps to Help You Write a Research Paper

BY AMANDA WILSON

When writing a research paper, your main responsibility is to discover something new on the basis of the already investigated knowledge. Basically, that’s the main purpose of an academic paper or essay. Although you can conduct a brand new research and have a scientific discovery, you still must present it in the right format. This implies that you must follow some academically accepted steps to write a research paper. Therefore, whether you are the next Nobel or Einstein, these steps will enable you to achieve the best results possible from your research paper.

Step 1: Select a Subject

You must be careful when selecting the subject or topic for your research paper because a topic will have a significant impact on your final grade. Ideally, choose a topic that suits your capability. To write a great research paper, choose a topic that you are interested in and make it as narrow as possible. While selecting a topic, state your objective clearly. What do you intend to achieve by conducting research and writing the paper? Choose a topic that enables you to find sufficient materials for research so that you can complete the paper with ease and accomplish your goals.

Step 2: Craft out an Initial Bibliography

Every research paper must be supported by information from credible and properly referenced sources. Therefore, come up with bibliography cards or even use a computer program to enter sources that you intend to use in your research. This makes referencing sources in the final paper easier. Use bibliography cards to store information about the books, internet sources and journals that you use to write your research paper.

Step 3: Prepare a Working Outline

An outline is a framework or a skeleton of the paper that you intend to write. A good outline makes writing a research paper easier and faster.

Here are some of the things that you should include in your outline:

• Issue: What does your paper revolves around or what does your paper intend to define?
• Thesis: What is the central idea of your paper? Your thesis may change as you conduct research and write the paper. However, it’s important that you have a thesis that conveys what you want to prove or propose.
• Main body: How many paragraphs or sections will your research paper have and what title/content will each paragraph or section have? Evidence, examples and main ideas of a research paper can be indicated using bullet points in the outline.
• Conclusion: This section gives you the final chance to convince readers of your paper to accept your argument or point of view.

Step 4: Start Taking Down Notes

Use books, journals and credible internet sources to conduct research on your topic and take down notes. Gather all the necessary information in your field. Focus on finding the main ideas, evidence and samples that you will use to support your thesis. Reference every note to make it easier to reference when writing the paper.

Step 5: Outline the Paper

Once you have taken notes, organize your information. Plan how you will use the information or notes to write your research paper. Decide what information will go where in your research paper. Organize your data in a way that maintains logical flow of information. Make sure that your organization makes ideas flow logically and smoothly. This includes where you place your supporting points, evidence and examples in the paper.

Step 6: Write the Rough Draft and Edit it

At this step, just write the paper without paying attention to grammatical and spelling errors. Focus on including the information that you gathered during research in the paper logically. Make sure you write a paper that meets the specified word count. The most important thing at this step is to have the writing done. Therefore, focus on including the topic sentence, elaboration, examples and evidence in the paper. Write a rough draft with the introduction, body and the conclusion.

After writing the rough draft, edit it carefully and thoroughly. Remove all spelling errors, sentence structure issues, typos, and factual errors. Check every sentence and paragraph of the paper to ensure that your message comes out succinctly and accurately.

Step 7: Write the Final Draft

Once you have written and edited the rough draft, compose the final draft of your research paper. Make sure that the final draft maintains a coherent structure and that one part flows to the next smoothly and logically. Make sure that your final draft maintains a clear linkage. Additionally, supporting evidence and examples must come out clearly in the final draft. Check the paper carefully to ensure that it addresses what you set out to address based on the title and thesis of the paper. References should be incorporated in the paper and the conclusion should wrap up your argument in a way that brings the paper to a logical end.

The above-listed steps will only guarantee you an extensively researched and successfully written paper if applied. However, you may not have time to write a research paper on your own. In that case, use a reliable research paper writing service to complete your paper.

Author’s bio:

Amy Wilson is a freelance writer at PaperWritten, her vocation is mentoring, which she does with pleasure. Thanks to Amy’s curiosity she finds everything in the world as a positive experience for a better future living.

Are Better Goals the Key to Successful Studying?

By David Gutierrez

 Have you ever wondered why so many of your peers appear unfazed and totally prepared when final exams roll around? While you’re pulling all-nighters and chugging caffeine like it’s water, they’re casually reviewing their notes and getting a full eight hours of sleep. But how can they do it?

It all comes down to preparation. Those classmates enjoy the luxury of relaxing and taking it easy before the exam because they’ve already put in the hard work and sweat. They’ve spent the entire semester studying and staying on track, which means they don’t have to cram everything in during the last 48-72 hours.

But do you want to know what really sets them apart? They have a game plan. They don’t just mindlessly flip through lecture notes and read a few paragraphs from their textbooks. These students know how to set goals – which is the key to successful studying.

How Can You Set Better Studying Goals?

 If you want to know something about goal setting, just spend a few minutes talking to entrepreneur Sam Ovens. Once a struggling millennial with multiple failed businesses, Ovens had an “aha” moment when he was invited to a beach house on a private island owned by an acquaintance who happened to be an ultra successful entrepreneur.

 “I looked around and thought there was no way I could ever buy an island with my job at Vodafone,” Ovens said at the time. It was then that he set the goal of becoming insanely wealthy and started making calculated decisions to get there. Talk to him now and he’ll admit that the act of setting concrete goals has been the driving factor in his success.

 The thing about goals is that they transcend any one application and permeate every aspect of life. Whether it’s becoming an insanely wealthy entrepreneur or passing your calculus exam, goals play a vital role in success.

With that being said, let’s check out a few practical tips that will allow you to set better goals.

 

1. Plan a Studying Schedule

 You can’t just wake up on the morning of a big exam and decide that you want to get serious about studying. The key is to get started at the beginning of the semester. Sit down and have a study planning session where you pull out your calendar and syllabi and create a semester-long plan. This helps you stay on track and keeps you from becoming overwhelmed.

 

2. Set SMART Goals

 Are you familiar with the SMART goals acronym? It’s used by students, professionals, and people in all walks of life. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. If you’re going to set a goal – a studying goal, in this case – it needs to abide by each of these five characteristics.

 

3. Motivate Yourself

 Very few people – if any – are able to stay on track without some sort of motivation. If you want to consistently accomplish your studying goals, there needs to be a motivating factor (beyond good grades). Reward yourself for satisfying checkpoints and objectives and be flexible enough to take some time off when you’ve surpassed certain goals. These are the sorts of things that allow you to keep pushing through when times get tough.

 Become a Goal-Setter

Goals are the lifeblood of success. It’s nearly impossible to be successful at anything – sports, business, studying, etc. – without first setting concrete objectives for getting there. While there are many different schools of thought on how to set goals, the point is that you need to become more focused.

As you approach exams, keep the tips mentioned above in mind. They’ll help you cross the finish line

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.

 

Making Money with Your Hobby on-Campus

BY SYLVIA KOHL

 

As I have mentioned in my previous article ‘Why Hobbies at College Are No Less Important Than Classes’, engaging in your hobby is an excellent way to take your mind off your studies, freshen up after an intensive day.  In general, it will help improve your mental and physical well-being to keep your productivity at a stable level. However, wouldn’t it be nice if you could level up your hobby to be more self-sustaining and probably even bring you an extra buck now and then? Who knows, perhaps you can even find a way to turn what was just a pastime into a full-fledged career? Here are several suggestions that can give you some food for thought.

1.     Photography

Although everybody and his dog seem to be engaged in photography to this or that extent today, the number of people who are any good at this is very limited, and you can capitalize on it. There are multiple ways to go about it: make high-quality pictures and sell them to stock photos sites or offer photography services – people are quick to see the difference between amateurish and professional work, and if you know your way around a camera, you won’t be disregarded.

2.     Graphic Design

Today is a great time for graphic artists of all kinds, from illustrators to 3D modelers and beyond. You can either join a freelance website and offer your services, answer ads or even set up a website of your own where you show your portfolio and explain in detail what experience you have and what kind of work you can perform. However, remember that a serious graphic designer should have relatively high-quality tech tools like a drawing tablet, and finding the right variant that would fit into your student budget may be a tough task – using a reliable resource like Tech Spectacle as a source of information may be a good idea.

3.     Music

If you are reasonably good at playing a particular instrument but the circumstances don’t allow you to be a part of a band, there are still a few ways to turn your passion for music into a lucrative pastime. In addition to an obvious idea of giving music lessons (it may sound a bit dull, but in fact, it’s the most certain way to earn money on this hobby, even if you are a rather mediocre musician yourself) you can try yourself at being a session musician. Bands, both local and touring ones, often look for local talent to do some session work, either in the course of a tour or to get additional sounds in their records.

4.     Crafts

Doing things by hand and selling the results of your work is as traditional about a hobby as it gets, but today people in this line of work have far better chances of actually making money off it than any other time. The reason is, you are not limited to selling stuff to your friends on campus or the locals – with the help of websites like Etsy you can send your crafts to virtually any location in the world.

5.     Editing

Most people and especially students hate rereading and revising their written work in the search for mistakes. That creates an opportunity if you happen to have a different experience about this pastime. By taking a reasonable fee for proofread service, you can become a go-to person for anybody willing to give their last essay a once-over without paying an arm and a leg to a professional proofreading agency.

There are dozens of hobbies and dozens of ways to make money out off them – the only thing you need to do it is a little bit of imagination and determination to go on working.

 

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.

Five Food Tips For Students With Limited Cash

BY LINDA ANDERSON

We’ve all been there and done that- the beginning of the month till mid-month we splurge on the best of delicacies, only to stick to the poor man’s eating habits the rest of the month. Let’s stop that right now and enjoy a month of healthy and budgeted meals. Yes, no more make do as such, and not when there are five amazing tips that can help you eat what you want on a planned budget. Read on!

Plan the monthly consumption

Plan the monthly consumption and stick to it, no matter what. This is the basics that has to be respected, so make weekly plans and then work it up to a bi-weekly one. Stock to the basics by buying fresh produce and storing it in the fridge, which saves money and time when you plan I advance. This also helps in choosing the right coupon codes from ChameleonJohn. Also, if you know there are friends that drop by, ask them to bring their own food items for the night or the day stay! This is a practical and a very helpful way to not being mooched and saving your groceries too- planning is thus the key!

Go natural with sweetness

Processed and retail desserts are costlier to buy and consume than homemade ones. Think of the times when the mango shake at home made by mom tasted better than the tetra pack ones, and they came for cheap too. Buy your raw chocolates, fruits and simple ice creams and conjure your own desserts, fruit bowls and other lip smacking deserts- Instagram your creations, because who knows who’s watching and where an opportunity to make it big while saving comes through.

Do it like the French!

French are indeed one classiest lot when it comes to saving money on foods they consume. They keep it simple and whole, sans too much of processed foods to devour and splurge on. Whole wheat, multi grains and proteins are cheaper in the unprocessed forms than what the processed forms would be available for. Nuts, pastas, greens and starch too should be bought from the local markets or farmer markets than the malls- cheap and high-quality for your health!

Use your own condiments for food processing

Should you have to indulge in processed foods, make your own processed versions of meats and greens at home! From homemade salad dressings to toppings and all-purpose spices, there are tons of recipes across the internet to learn from- why pay for the extras when you can make your own at home and save on money too.

Eat at home more often

Home cooked food is healthier than the food being sold outside. Yes, once in a while it is okay to splurge outside when all go dutch, but when cooking at home is available, why splurge outside daily? Practice a recipe each week and fill your stomachs happily, munching what you want- there are easy recipes and cheaper options to make exotic foods too- check online!

Use these hacks and secrets to save money on groceries and food while living as a student! And yes, if your friends want a treat now and then- ask them to pitch in for pot lucks- sharing is caring you see!

Linda Anderson is a writer and musician residing in Boise, ID in the United States.  She graduated from the College of Idaho with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and a focus in marketing in 2014.

 

10 Tips for Improving Teacher-Student Relationships

BY LORRAINE McKINNEY

You can get a lot out of your classes by attending, listening, and paying attention. But, you can really get a lot out of your classes if you establish good relationships with your teachers. Not only can they help you with the classes they are teaching, there are many other ways they can help you with your academic life. They have a lot of information that can help you to get ahead of the game. They can also be there if you need an understanding ear or help finding various resources for school, as well as mental and physical health. Here are some tips that will help you improve the teacher-student relationship.

1. Introduce Yourself Immediately – Right after your first class, go up and introduce yourself to the teacher and let them know how excited you are about the class. Talk to them regularly, and soon enough they will remember who you are.
2. Research Your Teachers – Go online and look up your teachers. Find out who they are, their hobbies and interests, and in particular, their research interests. This is a great way to find out which teachers are going to be able to help you get more specific information on certain subjects.
3. Visit During Office Hours – When you visit teachers during their office hours, but outside of classes, you have more of a chance to get to know them and really establish relationships. In time, you will discuss more than academics, and you will have a good source for advice on many things in life.
4. Participate in Class – If you are not participating in classes, the teachers aren’t going to expect much from you. They will think that you do not have an interest, and they will spend more time on the students who are active in class and show that they want to learn.
5. Tell them Your Goals – “You have professional goals. Tell your teachers what those goals are. Not only will it show them that you do want to learn, it will also open a door for you to go to them for career advice, and even letters of recommendation,” suggests an expert from Call Wiser.
6. Get Good Grades – This may seem like a no-brainer, but it is just as important as class participation, if not more so. When students are not getting good grades, their teachers don’t tend to take them very seriously. If you are trying and can’t get your grades up, talk to your teachers about the problem and ask for help.
7. See them After Class – Whenever the opportunity arises, stop and talk with your teachers after classes. This is an excellent time to ask any questions you may have about lectures, thank the teacher for the class, etc.
8. Be Confident – Don’t just participate in class. Be confident about your participation. Show your enthusiasm for what you are learning. The more you do things like this, the more you stand out, and the teachers will take notice.
9. Stay in Contact – These days, most teachers provide students with email addresses that they can be reached at for questions. Take advantage of this. Stay in contact so they don’t forget who you are. Ask questions about lectures, assignments, or about anything that you may be confused about.
10. Be Passionate – You are taking classes for a reason: to get you into your dream career. Obviously, you have a passion for it, so show your teachers that passion. If you are taking an archaeology class because you want to be an archaeologist, share this with your teacher. They will get to know you better, and be more apt to help you find ways to reach your career goals.

 

Lorraine McKinney is an academic tutor and elearning specialist. 

 

The Art Of Memory: Remember What You Study

BY KATE LARSON

 

Most college students will agree that studying takes more time and effort than they would like. After all, Those crucial hours spent hunched over a textbook in the library could be spent seeing friends and family, therefore it’s vital when studying that you make the most of your time. Many college students assume the more hours they study the better their knowledge of their subject area will become.

However, just because a lot of time is dedicated to reading and rereading a chapter doesn’t mean you’ll learn something new or actually remember what’s being read. In fact, rereading is actually the most inefficient way to study for an upcoming college exam. When you read through a chapter, you tend to gloss over the details and fool yourself into thinking you’ve actually mastered the chapter, even when you haven’t.

Here’s what you should do instead:

 

1. Spaced repetition

Spaced learning has actual scientific evidence to back it up. Turns out the brain finds it easier to store memories when you space out the study schedule. The best way to use this powerful memory method is to divide your flashcards based on the Litner approach. Simply put, divide your flashcards into five categories. Every time you get a flashcard right, it goes into the next category which is studied less often. If you get a card wrong, it goes into the first category instantly, which is the category revised most frequently.

This approach will make your study time more efficient so that you focus most on the study topics you struggle with.

 

2. Ask Yourself Questions

This is another powerful tool to reinforce your learning. Try to ask yourself questions based on the study material and pretend you have to go in depth to explain the concept to a class. By answering questions and explaining concepts you can commit the study material to long-term memory and never forget it. Also, this technique makes it easier to answer long-form, essay-type questions on your exam.

 

3. Draw on Flashcards

Perhaps the most fun way to study and remember better is to make your flashcards more enjoyable. Draw and color on your flashcards, or use a nifty online app to make using them more engaging. By being engaged you can focus on the topic better and study more effectively. Also, remembering images is easier than boring lines of text, so apply images to every concept in your curriculum.

 

4. Avoid Cramming

Finally, the easiest way to remember more by studying less is to space out your study time. A calm and relaxed approach will help you understand what you’re studying. If you try to cram everything in the last few weeks, the anxiety, stress, and panic will make it impossible for you to remember the crucial details that you need to succeed.

As a college student, it’s safe to assume you’ll spend more time reading through textbooks in the college library than sunbathing in beach chairs by the sea. By using the above techniques, you can remember more and study more efficiently; you’ll spend more time on the beach and less time in the library.

Bio: Kate Larson is a college student and aspiring blogger, who takes care about the

environment and personal well-being. She enjoys travelling and reading, as well as writing

novels.

 

 

 

 

 

Alternatives to Dorm Living That Save Money

BY ROBERT PARMER

 

My freshman year of college was a strange experience. Boise State University, famous for its blue astroturf, had a severe student housing shortage the first year I attended. Despite planning well in advance, I received news only a few months prior to my first term that I wouldn’t be able to live in student housing. There simply weren’t enough dorm rooms up for grabs.

And I’m not alone in this; this isn’t a new phenomenon.

Student housing shortages are an ongoing issue that schools have been struggling to balance for decades. This results in students having no choice but to bunk up in overpriced hotel rooms or scramble to find a place to live.

My options were limited and more expensive than a standard dorm room. I had the choice to live in an upscale hotel, located miles away from campus, or figure something else out in a short amount of time.

Luckily, I had some friends who let me couch surf for my first semester. But I realize not everyone is this fortunate.

If you find yourself in a dorm shortage situation, these options will help you get through it without breaking the bank or tacking on extra student debt.

Let Family Help

This may not be the most glorious option, but ask yourself, “What’s worse? A few more years with your parents or a boat load of extra student debt from living expenses?”

There’s no shame in living at home. In fact, Millennials are doing it now than ever. More than half (about 54%) of current college students are making the choice to save money and live at home.

While it’s common for students in the U.S. to ‘leave the nest’ as quickly as possible, other countries around the world don’t necessarily share this mindset.

In the Netherlands, college students usually live with family while getting a degree. They even have special community living programs that span generational gaps. Grandparents, parents, their kids, and other family members all live in harmony. And they save a ton of money while doing so!

Related: 7 Off-Campus Housing Tips for College Students

Consider Buying a Home

While this is not a realistic option for all students, buying a house can pave the way to future financial success.

The first step usually involves weighing the pros and cons of renting vs owning a home. If you qualify to buy a house, will paying for it actually be realistic? Will you be able to get something as huge as a home loan?

An article by HomeBridge points out what is perhaps the biggest speed bump in the home buying process:

“73% of people surveyed said they thought the difficult part of the process was going to be the mortgage application and approval process. In other words, they thought that getting the actual loan to buy the house was going to be the most difficult part of the process.”

But for many people, even college students, getting a home loan isn’t actually that difficult. And if you have a clever approach, buying a home can save you money over time.

Student homebuyers are achieving this by renting out rooms of their homes to their friends and using the rent money to cover their mortgage costs. This is a mutually beneficial way for many people to come to a housing solution. Friends have a place to live, the homebuyer gets part or all of their home loan payments covered; everyone wins!

Group Living Situations

If you don’t mind living with people, there are numerous ways to save money through group living.

Apartments and home rentals are obviously cheaper when the cost is divided. So something as simple as finding a roommate or two can save you a substantial amount of money.

Co-op living situations are also an emerging trend in group housing solutions for students. They have become widely popular and are somewhat similar to the feel of dorm floors. It may also be possible to save money by living in a sorority or fraternity house, although this isn’t a typical option for college freshmen.

Related: 5 Strategies for Better Roommate Relationships

Unusual, Yet Frugal Approaches

Some students are taking slightly less practical approaches to save money on the costs of housing. These solutions may not be ideal for everyone, but they are eco-friendly and save copious amounts of money.

Tiny houses, which are micro-sized homes focusing on utilizing all possible space, have become commonplace. People are realizing that they can build a custom, smaller home for a fraction of the price. Furthermore, some people are even choosing a more mobile life and living in an RV.

For those more in touch with their inner ‘mother nature,’ earthships are literally a dirt cheap option. These homes are usually totally off the power grid and are constructed with natural building supplies and recycled materials such as tires, bottles, and plastic bags.

Some colleges even go as far as offering courses that teach the design principles of alternative green homes. How cool would it be to learn how to build your own environmentally sustainable home?

I challenge you, the more-than-likely-broke college student, to weigh all possible scenarios. How will you save money through cost-effective or alternative living situations? Just remain open-minded, who knows what unique living situations may present themselves to you!

Robert Parmer is a freelance web writer and student of Boise State University. Outside of writing whenever he has spare time, Robert enjoys creating and recording music, caring for his pet cat, and commuting by bicycle whenever possible. Follow him on Twitter @robparmer

5 Reasons To Join A Club or Student Organization

BY JANE HURST

We all know that the main reason to go to college is to get a great education so we can have great careers. But, there is a lot more to college than just the classes. You really do need to take part in other things in order to get the full college experience. One thing that all students should do is get involved with clubs and student organizations. There are several benefits to doing this, besides the fact that you will be getting away from the books and out of your dorm room once in a while to socialize. Here are five great reasons why you should consider joining one of the many clubs or student organizations.

1. Develop People Skills – Obviously you already have some people skills, or you wouldn’t have made it this far in life. But, there is nothing stopping you from getting even better people skills. When you are involved with clubs and organizations, you are involved with other people from all walks of life. This is a terrific way to hone your people skills and make new friends. It is also going to help you in the future, especially if you choose a career path that involves working with the public in any capacity.
2. Become a Team Player – With the exception of being put with a group for certain projects, most of your school career has involved you working on your own. But, you also need to learn how to be a great team player. This is definitely something that you are going to learn when you join clubs and student organizations. You will have to work with other people, so you are going to gain a lot of team experience. This is also a great networking opportunity, so take full advantage of it while you can. Some of the people you meet and work with now could be the people who are going to give you a job in the future.
3. Food and Friends – When you are involved in clubs around the campus, you get to make a lot of great friends. Activities often center around food, and you could end up running catered events. If this happens, offer everyone something different and give them a great meal from Chipotle. They cater to various events, and there is something for everyone. You can go online to check out the Chipotle catering prices and menu, and come up with a meal that is going to impress everyone, from students to professors.
4. Practice Your Skills – Try to find clubs or groups that are related to your course of study. That way, you can put your studies to practical use while you are still learning. This is going to give you a lot of on the job experience that is going to look terrific on your resume. You can take what you are learning and apply it to the real world. You will see what actually works and what doesn’t. You will really be making the most out of your college education, because you will be learning, practicing, and learning more while you are practicing.
5. Pad Your Resume – Many people don’t realize just how good it looks to show on a resume that they have belonged to various groups. For one thing, it shows that you are willing to get out there and meet people and take on new challenges. It also gives you experience that could be directly related to the types of jobs you are applying for. It shows that you are able to work with a team, and that you can take on a lot of different responsibilities.

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.

 

 

When Midterms Or Finals Approach – A Roller Coaster

BY JENNIFER LOCKMAN

So it is that time of the year again where you get to show off what you have learned (or at least what you should have learned). It is not a reason for celebrating but we all have gone through it and survived. At least it’s what you keep telling yourself.

There is no doubt, though, that midterms are a time of much turmoil. Not only in the cognitive part but emotionally as well.

Academic paper writing takes the lion’s share of your routine. Deadlines make even the most cool-headed student distressed. Fortunately, you can get help from the experts like essayservice.com.  That allows you to breathe a sigh of relief. You save time to focus on the discipline you’re not well-versed in.

Now, let’s get into the cart of the roller coaster! Recognise your emotions during all the phases of midterms – and learn to get over them victoriously!

1.  Determination and Optimism

All right, so you know you got this.  You are pumped and you even got yourself a notepad to make your crispy notes.  Your laptop is charged, your pencils are sharpened, and your highlighters are loaded.  What could go wrong?  This phase is the peak of your emotions.

Psychologists call it “the joy of anticipation”.  It’s similar to the anticipation of a holiday, important event, or getting to the end of an exciting book.  Naturally, you don’t necessarily anticipate midterms with joy. But I bet you are daydreaming of the day they are over.  Plus, midterms are a rite of passage. Moving on to a next phase should bring some joy.

2.  Wake-up call

Isn’t getting started the hardest stage? Once you realize how much work you have to do, you feel something like a hit right in the face.  The excitement from the beginning fades away as you note the dark and looming pages of your books, staring at white and huge blank space under the first sentence of your essay.

3. You reconcile reality

You know you got this.  You already went through the tough phase of realising that it’s not all fireworks and cheers. There’s work to do!  Now you get to the most productive time.  You’ve got a feeling of self-satisfaction from having accomplished things.

Take advantage of this phase! Get as much done as possible.  Quick, before you get into the rabbit’s hole!

4.  The Rabbit Hole

Alice, don’t go after the rabbit!  On the other hand, don’t we all need a break? You start mindlessly surfing the web and watch YouTube… It helps you to disconnect from all this midterm craze.

There’s no need to overstrain yourself. But don’t let yourself fall deep into the abyss or drink tea at the Mad Hatter’s table for too long!

5.  Thinking cap back on

Having a break was fun. But it is time to get back to studies. Put on the thinking cap again! Turn on the lamp and grab a grip on that highlighter again!  Determination, remember?

If you struggle the writer’s block, there are precious online resources to brainstorm. Despite the common belief that students become lazier, researches indicate the students receive better grades over the last few decades. Surf the web smart!

6. Test Anxiety

So you have caught up with what you think is everything.  You had success going through all the above phases alive.  Sorry telling you that, but nothing can prepare you for the test anxiety.

Have you checked what test anxiety can cause to you?  This is the steepest roller coaster so far! Let’s check.  You experience tension, overarousal, fear of failure, dread having rapid heartbeat and headache… Look on the bright side! It’s a miracle you are sane, alive and well!

7.  Joy of Closure

Did you make it?  Nothing beats the relief of having made it out in one piece.  You got your exams passed and papers written. You are nervously proofreading  and correcting your last essay. But it’s seconds away from being over! Until the finals.

 

About the author: Jennifer Lockman is blogger and student majoring in Journalism. Her specialization includes linguistics, psychology and e-learning. Jennifer is published on regular terms at the educational resource