15 Ways To Help Pay For Your College Tuition

BY CHRIS PATTON

College is expensive, and unfortunately loans and grants can be hard to come by. The costs add up

quickly – food, books, living space, even midnight pizza. If you’re looking for some extra money to

help pay for your tuition, read on for some creative ways to pay the bills.

 

1. Donate Plasma

This is not for the faint of heart, but donating plasma can earn a steady, albeit small, amount of money each time you do it. The only commitment you make is your time, and you will walk away knowing that you’ve helped another person as well as made some cash.

 

2. Work Study/Paid Internship/Co-op Placement

If your college offers a work study program make sure you take advantage of it. From working in the library to calling prospective students, it’s an easy way to make cash on campus and to gain valuable

work experience in your chosen field of study.

 

3. Model

We’re not all blessed with supermodel genes, but most of us can model for a drawing class. Budding

artists are always willing to pay for the chance to draw a real person, and this can be a fun way to

spend an afternoon. Check the fine arts programs at your college to see if they are looking for models.

 

4. Printing T-shirts

Screen Printing is a great way to earn extra money with minimal upfront costs. Start by emailing local printers to request price lists, this will help you figure out who is your cheapest option. Secondly, you will need to source the garments, this should be as simple as a Google search for “Wholesale T-shirts Your Town.” Next, you will want to determine what you will be printing. You have many options to drum up some business while in college; whether it be printing shirts specifically for a class you’re in and having the students place orders or printing for one of the many school organizations, fraternities and sororities. With a little planning, you could be on your way to supplementing your income with little effort. If you can get an order of 100 t-shirts and you pay $4.00 per shirt and sell them for $20.00 each, you could see a profit of $1600.

 

5. Join the Military

This definitely isn’t for everyone, but if you’re willing to serve in the military you may be able to get your college completely paid for. It’s worth looking into if you want to see the world and need money for college.

 

6. Teach

If you are a dancer or musician you can easily make some money giving lessons. Parents of young children will appreciate that you don’t charge as much as a master teacher might, but are still willing to pay a hefty sum for you to teach their children. You would also be wise to pitch your talents to clubs or bars who are looking for affordable house entertainers.

 

7. On-Campus Catering

A lot of colleges hosts catered events, and the catering company always needs professional and reliable staff. Not only will you make good money but you may be able to take some of the leftovers home when the event is over.

 

8. Tutoring

Your fellow students will automatically turn to you for help if you’re better than them at any given subject, but you can monetize on this by charging them to help. Consider tutoring off campus as well – middle and high school students often need help with their classes.

 

9. Caddy

Golfers are always looking for good caddies. If you love golf and are willing to carry around someone’s bag you can easily make some money when you set yourself apart as a quality caddy. You can expect to earn up to $100 per 18 holes as well as a decent tip.

 

10. Be a Guinea Pig

Medicines have to be tested on someone before they’re approved, and if you need money for tuition,

it may as well be you. Medical tests can pay a lot of money depending on what kind of drug they’re testing. If you’re not squeamish and in relatively good health this could be quite lucrative. Certain health care facilities and hospitals will also provide remuneration for acting as a patient for training new doctors.

 

11. Buying Books

One of the biggest expenses, aside from tuition, is definitely text books. Luckily there are many websites dedicated to the buying and selling of used books. Big Words is one of the best sites to search as they compare prices on buying, selling and renting books from the tops sites online. Another great option is on Amazon where they have a book buy back program where they will buy back the books you bought from them. They also have a huge selection of e-book rentals which will allow you to carry less books, study virtually anywhere and search within the book for specific topics. You can sign up for a Prime student 6 month trial account which gets you free shipping and as long as you cancel before the 6 months are up you won’t pay anything.

 

12. Host with the Most

The college party scene is a rite of passage for most students, so why not kill two birds with one festive stone by hosting the jam? For a small investment (e.g., a few kegs of beer, hiring a DJ, some snacks and party favours), you’ll almost certainly get your money back and then some. In fact, you may earn a can-do reputation on the college social scene that leads to further opportunities.

 

13. Sharing Economy

Make the most out of your assets. If you have any spare time and access to a vehicle, Uber can help put a few extra bucks in your pockets in the evenings and on weekends. Similarly, if you have a room or space that is otherwise not being used for stretches of time, create an AirBnB posting.

 

14. Live At Home

If you happen to go to school in the same city that you live in, you can save a huge amount of money by living with your parents and not having to pay rent. You may also be able to save money on things such as meals, laundry, internet and cable bills.

 

15. Grunt Work

There’s plenty of work sitting right in front of your eyes if you are willing to get dirty and take on some low-hanging fruit. Shovelling snow, raking leaves, mowing lawns, picking farm produce, washing windows, dog-walking, cleaning houses…the list of menial chores is endless, and you’ll find a good number of people quite happy to pay you for your efforts. You may also uncover previously hidden networking opportunities through these gigs.

 

When paying for college you’ll need to think beyond scholarships and loans if you want to graduate

without a lot of debt. Taking on one or more of these jobs will help you easily pay for your tuition.

Chris Patton is a freelance writer, father of two and sports fanatic.

 

 

4 Questions Students Should Ask Their Academic Advisors

 

by Hilary Gan

 

Academic advisors are excellent but often underutilized resources for college students. Depending on the institution, advisors may be a specialized full-time staff member, a professor within the student’s chosen major, or an instructor of informational freshman courses. Students should strive to check in with their advisor at least once per semester—doing so can help students stay on the right track for their college careers in more ways than one.

To get the most out of advising sessions, and to develop a strong rapport with your advisor, consider asking the following questions.

 

1. Given my strengths, academic performance, and interests, would you agree that I’ve chosen the right major?

This question will require a little prep work: students should take some time to jot down notes about their personal strengths, past academic performance, and the courses they’ve most enjoyed. After this step is done, students can share this information with their academic advisor and ask for input on their choice of major.

Why is this important? Some students end up declaring a major that isn’t really right for them; this can be due to simple unawareness of programs available, a lack of research on potential career paths, or even pressures to follow in family footsteps. Choosing the wrong major can send students in a direction that isn’t really best for them, so consulting with a trusted advisor is a great step to ensure you’re on the right path. Academic advisors have extensive experience with helping students find the right fit for them, so students should feel free to inquire about this at least once, and perhaps even more often, during their studies.

 

2. How can I make sure I will graduate on time?

Asking about graduation timelines will open the door for advisors to help students create a concrete four-year plan. Students should be sure they thoroughly understand any general education requirements, the requirements for their major, and any tricky situations that may come up—like required courses that are only offered once a year or that have to be taken in a specific sequence. Flagging these items with an advisor in a planning session ahead of time can help prevent unwanted surprises senior year, and it can highlight any key deadlines by which students may need to get in touch with other offices, such as the registrar.

 

3. What should I do during my college years to ensure success in my intended field after graduating?

Students should ensure their academic advisor knows why they’re studying in their chosen field and what they have planned for after graduation. For students who have specific career goals or who want to pursue graduate school, advisors may be able to help connect students with resources for getting internships or determine when to take exams like the GRE or LSAT. For students who are unsure of their future plans, advisors may be able to suggest viable options based on the student’s academic performance, achievements, and interests. Students who take advantage of academic advising to look to the future will likely feel more confident going into graduation and entering the real world. This may seem like a far-off step to some students, but it approaches quickly!

 

4. I’m having trouble with ________. Can you help?

Whenever an issue comes up regarding coursework, graduation, or any other difficulties related to school, your academic advisor will often be able to help you directly, or at the very least, refer you to the most appropriate other resource for support. You can talk to your advisor about changing majors, challenges with courses, taking leaves of absence, conflict with professors, financial aid, or any other issues you may run into. Having those once-a-semester meetings can help your advisor get to know you better and make it easier for him or her to help you when problems arise.

Having an academic advisor to help assess the alignment of goals with personal needs and to help create a plan for achieving them is invaluable. Students should feel comfortable and encouraged to create more comprehensive, personalized questions going forward so they can maximize these sessions, as well as continue to build a rapport with their advisor.

Hilary Gan is a tutor and contributing writer with Varsity Tutors, a live learning platform that connects students with personalized instruction to accelerate academic achievement.

Free College Education: A State Example

From ECS
Our latest Ed Note blog post discusses free college that will potentially impact higher education during the 2016-17 academic year.

6 Jobs Opportunities for Students Who Can Write Well

By Daniela McVicker

If you have to pick a skill that will help you in almost any walk of life it’s the ability to write. It isn’t just useful in the office, but in whatever occupation you might choose – as it will help you put together everything from your resume to your project proposal. And those can be money-making skills in whatever walk of life you find yourself in.

That said, there are certainly some jobs where you’re going to do a hell of a lot better than others. Here we’ve put together some of the best job opportunities available to you if you know how to write well. And here we’re not just talking about being a novelist and a journalist, though obviously those are choices that are available to you.

Brand management

Companies are more and more conscious of how they present themselves and one of the main areas where they pay attention is in the words they use to represent their brand. This has become so important for so many companies, that they have professional word smith on hand to personally supervise how their brand is put out to the world.

To be able to do this kind of writing you need to be able to have a voice, mold it to fit the brand that you’re working for and then keep go it. Fortunately, that’s often easier than you may think, as there are style guides that can be used and other rules of thumb to be followed.

Of course, if you’re not just assigned with the task of maintaining the brand but also in setting up how it will sound, then you’ll be responsible for deciding on those style elements. That can be fun too, though.

Bid Writer

Good at making yourself come across as competent and capable from the first letter? Then consider becoming a bid writer. These are people whose entire occupation revolves around making bids for projects so that the company can get work for the rest of their employees.

Here too, there are often very specific ways to do things that you can learn and excel at. I think the best part of this job is that even if you don’t do it for that long (for many of us rejection is already a very difficult part of writing, to make it our job is difficult) you’ll still learn an invaluable skill. For really, in writing – particularly as a freelancer – the most difficult part is often putting your bids out there. So any advantage that you may have will be immensely useful.

Advertising

Yes, it isn’t for everybody. It means writing tight copy to tight deadlines, with clients who might not really appreciate your genius, but it pays a heck of a lot of money. So it might not be something you want to do for ever, but it might be just the ticket to help you pay off your university loans.

What’s more, it is actually quite a fascinating world. You’ll learn the emotional content of different words and different structures and find out what moves people as well as what decidedly leaves them unmoved.

These can be valuable skills to take into any other career path that you might want to choose afterwards.

Academic Writing Websites

For many of us, writing academic papers isn’t very enjoyable. If you don’t belong to that group. If you find it highly engaging to put together an argument for a professor to grade, then consider becoming a part of one of the academic writing websites.

There are a lot of them out there, so you’ll have to choose which one is the best suited for your talents. I personally thought the people over at Legit Writings were pretty good to work with.

Freelance Content Creator

There is an entire group of writers whose sole occupation is to create content for other people’s websites. The best part of this market is that you’ll get to make your own hours, decide what kind of clients you’re going to take and it’s a booming market.

Of course, you will have a lot more uncertainty, but that’ s the nature of being a freelancer. And you’ll get used to it. Take it from me.

So, if you want to be free the 9 to 5 trap, if you want to see a bit of the world, consider becoming a freelance content creator and perhaps even take up a life as a digital nomad.

Internal communications

Another area where there has been a lot of growth is in terms of internal communications. A lot of companies now realize that if they want to make sure that everybody is on the same page, they need to take steps to communicate clearly across the entire corporate structure.

For this reason, the internal memos and emails are often written by professional writers. These writers are all about communicating information clearly and succinctly. After all, there are already far too many emails in most people’s in boxes, they really don’t need the company  itself to add substantially to that.

For that reason, if you enjoy writing clearly and without too many frills, then try to get in on the internal writing game. It can be quite an interesting job – more interesting than you may think. This is the job where you can learn all about how a company communicates internally and what goes into a well-crafted memo or email. It’s a lot more than you may think.

Last words

Of course, because most of these positions are quite new, it can sometimes be hard to know how to get into this line of work. There aren’t yet any set ways to get from where you are today to one of these jobs.

This means that I can’t tell you ‘you should do this, that and the other’. What I can tell you, however, is that there are many roads that lead to Rome. The tricks to simply start walking (as in writing) and then take on the projects that come along.

Writing, after all, is about experience. You need a lot of practice to become a gifted writer. And the best way to do that is simply to start writing. Work for different clients. Do different gigs. Find out what area is your forte and which one you’re not that good at.

You might be surprised to find your skill set is much wider than you originally thought. Then, start to specialize when you’ve got a good idea of what is your best skill. Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you can only do that one area. Later on, you can expand again. Just make sure you’re really good at one thing before you do that and you’ll have a steady source of income. And that makes a writing career a much nicer thing to have.

Bio:

Daniela McVicker is a psychologist and writer. When not working, she enjoys reading different lifestyle, psychological blogs. You can follow Daniela on Twitter

How to Deal With A Difficult Professor

BY Jilian Woods

 

Like it or not, college is nothing like high school. The demands placed on you as a college student are far greater. You need to know how to finesse a tough prof to get extensions, better grades, and more.

The better the quality of your work, the more apt a professor is to take you seriously. Sometimes you just need a little help getting all your work done. Things like the best paper writing service coupled with a few learned skills involving people and time-management can come in handy. With that in mind, here are a few tips on how to deal with difficult professors because if you haven’t encountered one yet, believe us, you will.

 

#1 – Show up for class (and show up on time).

Showing your face in class and getting there on time is the “ounce of prevention” that might just help you get on profzilla’s good side. Many professors actively weed out the not-so-serious students early in the game. If you walk into a prof’s office begging for an extension and he or she can’t place your face, you probably won’t get through to them.

By the way, many college professors will lock you out if you’re late. Attracting attention to yourself by being the one who’s always interrupting class knocking on the door is not the way you want a difficult professor to recognize you.

#2 – Participate in class discussions.

The more you participate, the more you and the professor will interact. This is another way you can soften up a difficult professor. Keeping the conversation going in class will help him or her see you more as a person, not just another student.

 

#3 – Review your syllabus early and plan your work.

If there is something in the syllabus you don’t understand, bring it up to the professor early. Procrastination leads to emotional scenes during office hours and any prof can tire of that pretty quickly. The difficult ones learned to deflect undergrad drama years before you showed up on campus.

Tearful excuses will get you nowhere. You need to learn to manage your time so all your work gets handed in when it should, especially papers and essays. If you plan to work with a professional essay writing service, the time to coordinate with your writer comes when you get your syllabus, not the day before your deadline.

 

#4 – Be rational and mature if the answer is “no.”

Reacting like a five-year-old because the prof won’t bend on a grade or deadline will only do you harm. Accept the decision and walk away. If you really think your prof is being unreasonable, you can take your situation up with the department’s dean. Before you do that, though, you had better have a stellar explanation on deck for why you’ve fallen behind.

As a final note, it is important to realize that if you want the more difficult profs to work with you, it is important to make it clear early on that you want to succeed. You communicate that by being responsible and visible from day one. You also want to “impress as you go” with good-quality original work. Great essays and papers help you boost your reputation and get in good with even the most rigid professors.

Jilian Woods is a freelance writer and blogger. Her main spheres of interest are e-learning, blogging, IT and STEM education.

3 Mental Health Challenges College Students Face

By Kimberly Evans

For many, college is the most exciting, interesting time of their lives. But these years of learning and self-discovery also come with tremendous challenges. From financial pressure and home sickness to problems associated with a lack of parental control, many students find themselves crumbling.

You might not even realize that a student you know is battling against mental health problems associated with the realities of college tuition.

Here are 3 mental health challenges that college students face so that you can identify and try to help them.

1. Depression

College is full of great times – falling in love, passing your exams, making memories – and crushing lows.

While it is normal to go through mood fluctuations, the pressure of performing at college often drives students into a deep depression.

Brought on by an array of factors such as the end of a relationship, being away from home for the first time or an academic struggle, depression manifests itself as a drastic change in attitude and behavior.

There is also the realization that college isn’t a constant party as shown in the movies: it’s hard work and it’s expensive, so there is tremendous pressure to perform.

Many people become depressed at some point, and with depression becoming more prevalent among college students, it’s important to understand and recognize the signs.

If a friend or child is constantly sad, has a heightened emotional reaction, starts sleeping constantly, reacts with anger, often cries, or simply withdraws from day-to-day life, they might be depressed. Unfortunately, depression looks different on everyone.

Get them to see a specialist who can help them through therapy or medication before they take drastic action of their own accord. Often, all that’s required is a little help. For instance, a student I know suffered fits of depression when ransomware attacked his PC and hid his college research report. He got help and recovered his file with MonsterCloud. The solution to depession is sometimes easier than you might think but you wouldn’t know if you don’t seek it.

2. Anxiety

Anxiety is the most common mental health challenge faced by college students, with almost half of students battling against feelings of stress to the point that they cannot function normally.

Although it is normal to face stress at college – it’s an important thing to learn to overcome – many students find that their fear of failure is so great that they start to shut down.

A mixture of deep distress, panic attacks, sadness, and a feeling of helplessness are all reflective of a student battling to overcome their anxiety.

Understanding the causes of anxiety may help students, as it is often the calm implementation of coping strategies that helps overcome the irrational fear that drives this mental health challenge.

Addiction

Full-time college students are twice as likely to become addicted to substances as people of the same age who don’t attend college.

Students often feel the need to experiment with drugs and alcohol as they learn more about themselves, and then become dependent on these to cope with stress and “fit in”.

If you, a friend, or a child cannot function without substances, they might be addicted. Seek help immediately.

Hope

Remember, there is always hope and you can feel better. If you are suffering, talk to someone today – it will make you feel better.

 

Kimberly Evans is a writer, traveler and Internet chatter. She writes for The Huffington Post and covers stories about businesses and lives that inspire her.

Basic Steps To Write An Outstanding Research Paper

BY AMANDA WILSON  

As you move up the educational ladder, you realize that there are more upper-level courses that need intensive research. Writing a research is one of the most daunting tasks especially for students. It involves the detailed reading of both print and nonprint texts, classic and contemporary works. Before you are through with everything, you realize you’re exhausted and tired of the process.

Writing a good research is challenging for most us. In fact, few people can easily churn out an A-Grade paper. But these steps will certainly increase your odds of acing your research paper and get a good grade.

Understand what your instructor wants

Before you embark on doing your research, ensure you understand the expectations of your instructor. Go through your paper several times and note the key action words such as describe, evaluate, define, argue, analyze, compare, and classify. If the task doesn’t contain any action words, your instructor may probably want you to provide an argument on the topic and support it. In the end, the important thing is to understand what your instructor wants.

Craft out an initial bibliography

Once you have understood the topic and the instructor’s instructions, move on to craft your bibliography as described below;

• Make an outline or a diagram of your ideas: Organize your thoughts by taking what you have researched on and put it on a piece of paper.This will allow you to see connections of the topic and link the ideas more clearly. Outline these ideas and organize them well.
• Write a thesis statement: With a topic in hand and an outline of ideas that are relevant to the topic, it’s time to create a thesis statement. This section highlights the main points of your paper to the reader. It will consist of two parts; the topic and the point of the essay. The objective is to state your argument and support it.
• Make a list of possible sources:

Your instructor expects you to provide truthful, credible, and reliable information. Your list of sources should adhere to the same format.  Look for sources that help you collect and cite your research resources effectively. Some of the main ones include Zotero, Mendeley, and so on.

Write the paper draft

Start by organizing the information collected. Then write a rough draft where you write your ideas on a piece of paper but in an unfinished version. This will help you know which points to add and what to omit before compiling the final draft.

Some can opt to do all this by themselves while others can use helpful tools and services to get the work done. There are a handful of reliable tools to that can help you do your research.

For research writing

• OneLook’s thesaurus: OneLook tool allows you to key in a concept and gives a list of words and phrases related to the concept. The description can be a single word, few words, or even a whole sentence.
• Reverse Dictionary: If you need to find the right word when writing a paper, Reverse Dictionary tool will try to rescue you and get you what you want. Just key in the word you want and the tool will serve you with up to 40-word choices to choose from.

For editing and proofreading

• Hemingway: The Hemingway app allows you to communicate a lot of words in short sentences. The tool shows you where your writing is weak and allows you to count words, characters, paragraphs, and sentences to grade your writing based on the difficulty of reading.
• Paper Written: com is a writing service that assists students to write a descriptive essay, dissertation, resume, research paper, and more. If you are struggling with coming up with writing a paper from scratch, Paper Written is the best solution.

For compiling research

• Evernote: Most people consider Evernote app as a useful tool when compiling research. Its real value is in its ability to compile materials from several sources and share notebooks with others.
• Scrivener: If you anticipate that your essay may be lengthy and it may take several turns, Scrivener writing tool might be helpful. It allows you to portion your content into several sections and even take a snapshot of your “before version” to be used for reference at a later stage.

The final draft

After you are through with the rough draft, compile a final draft of the whole paper. Include credible citations to allow the reader to connect the ideas you have highlighted with the sources listed in your reference list. The final step is to proofread your work. Read through the text several times to check for errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. You can ask someone to read it through again just to make sure it is perfect.

Conclusion

Writing a comprehensive research paper doesn’t have to be complicated. Most students find it hard to get through the first step of creating an outline. All you need is the right plan and the right tools and everything will flow smoothly. This guide will help you get on the right track and deliver a top notch and A-Grade paper. Use it and you will far ahead in your research process.

Amanda Wilson is a student and a freelance writer. Study Social Media and Digital Strategy. She believes that all thoughts were already invented and thought over by someone in this world. And her goal is – to find original one and provide it to the modern life.

                      

 

Must-Have Items for Your Campus Room

BY JANE HURST

You are heading off to college, and ready for some big changes in your life. With so much to plan for, it’s easy to forget some of the basics that can make the transition a lot more comfortable.

For example, most freshmen will be moving from a home environment to life in the dorm. Remember, unless you end up renting an apartment right off the bat, your door room is going to be your home for at least a year or two. So, you may as well bring along the things that are going to help make your daily living just a little bit easier. Here are some suggestions:

• Bedside Table – There may be items you need to access quickly in the middle of the night, such as a glass of water, your phone, etc. One space-saving solution is to get a small table that clips to the side of your bed.
• Extra Outlets – No matter where you live, there never seem to be enough electrical outlets for all of your gadgets. Be sure to bring along a couple of power bars or extension cords so you always have power when you need it.
• Smart Outlet – In addition to power bars, it is also a good idea to have smart Wi-Fi plugs. This allows you to control any outlet from your smartphone, so you can turn the coffee maker on before you get home, turn off things you may have forgotten to turn off, etc.
• Entertainment – You are responsible for providing your own entertainment while you are living in the dorm. Make sure that you bring a television, DVD player, movies, gaming system, and/or other devices that you use for entertainment. Sure, you are supposed to be studying, but you need to take a break once in a while, so you should have the stuff to be able to relax with.
• Supplies – Most dorm rooms are not equipped with basics like cutlery, can openers, coat hangers, plates, etc. Be sure to add these items to your list.
• Breakfast Foods – Skipping breakfast as you dart off to early-morning class is a mistake. So keep some breakfast bars in your dorm room so you can eat on the go. You can also opt for powdered protein shakes that you just mix with water or milk.
• Shower Caddy – Most dorm rooms don’t come with running water, let alone a shower. So you’ll have to use one down the hall that’s used by other dorm residents. Make sure you have a carrier for your hygiene products. Also, get a pair of flip-flops, so you aren’t walking around the shower in bare feet and picking up bacteria.
• Laundry Bags – Rather than tossing your dirty laundry all over the floor, keep things neat and tidy with a few laundry bags. You can get them at just about any department store for less than $20, and they will make things a lot easier when it’s time to take your stuff to the laundry facility.
• Bedding – Your dorm room will likely come with a bed, but you’ll need to bring along your own bedding. Get some soft sheets, a cozy comforter, and supportive pillows. You may want to get a foam mattress pad to make the standard dorm bed more comfortable.

This is by no means a complete list of what you’ll need to bring to create a suitable dorm living space. Need more ideas? You’ll find many suggestions online, such as this list. Also check with your college to see if it provides a customized list that works with the particular dorm rooms on campus.

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.

 

Why Lifelong Learning Is More Important Than Ever

BY SYLVIA KOHL

 

It’s no secret that the models of work and education have changed. Your parents probably spent their youth learning and then perfected their craft at the same job for the rest of their working life. That linear progression simply doesn’t exist now. The world changes faster and your ability to adapt is a valuable asset.

Here are some of the reasons you should never stop learning.

Industries Change Fast

Companies are now more focused on disruption than preservation. Every firm in every industry faces the risk of being disrupted out of existence by technology or political uncertainty. Professionals have been feeling less confident about their job security since the global financial meltdown.

The only way to be secure in your career is by developing human capital.By expanding your skillset you can create your own opportunities even as the economy shifts.

Work Is Competitive

Getting employment and staying employed is more competitive than ever before. Corporate recruiters received 250 applications on average for every job opening. There’s a lot of people competing for a piece of the limited pie. This makes it important that you stand out from the crowd by offering unique and value skills.

You Need To Stay Updated

Rules and regulations tend to change faster than industry circumstances. Every year there are new laws passed for specific industries and new codes of practice for qualified professionals. Finance, legal, and marketing professionals need to stay ahead of the curve and be updated with the latest trends. A quick professional workshop or management courses could offer you a way to learn about the latest developments and master useful techniques to advance your career.

It Helps Keep Your Mind Sharp

Finally, the best reason for you to be a lifelong learner is that it keeps your mind sharp. Much of what you learn in college and university isn’t practiced regularly enough. After years of working in an industry, you get used to doing things a certain way and struggle to look at challenges with a fresh perspective. Besides, research indicates that trying to learn something new is the best way to retain mental abilities and fight cognitive decline as you get older.

Perceptual learning will help you break free from bad habits and bureaucracy. By taking the time to learn something new you can look at the same issues from a unique angle.

An investment in yourself is probably the best invest you could make. Find time to learn something new or find a course that helps you advance your career and ambitions. By constantly reinventing yourself you can keep creating value for your clients or employers. In a fast-paced world with an unpredictable economy, the only way to survive is to adapt. Regardless of your industry, it’s important for you to be a lifelong learner.

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.

 

 

 

 

Entrepreneurship in College: Advantages and Keys to Success

BY MELISSA BURNS

When you’re busy studying for finals, writing essays, and worrying about next semester’s classes, the last thing on your mind is becoming an entrepreneur. But starting a business in college can be a real opportunity for college students—and it’s more feasible than you might think. At worst, you’ll walk away with a significant experience that you can put on a resume, and at best, you can growth hack your way to the status of brands like Spotify, YouTube, or Facebook (the latter of which was actually started by a founder still in college).

Advantages of College Entrepreneurship

So why is starting a business in college advantageous over simply waiting until you graduate?

• Sheer connection potential. In college, you’ll be surrounded by hundreds to thousands of other students, all of whom are energetic, eager to learn, and motivated to find a future career for themselves. If you’re looking for partners, employees, or interdisciplinary contacts, you’re never going to find a better time and place.
• Advice from professors and counselors. You’re surrounded not only by peers, but by people far more experienced and knowledgeable than you are. Depending on the nature of your business, you may be able to find seasoned experts in your field teaching classes, or at the very least, be able to contact advisors who can connect you to those resources outside the university.
• Extra free time. Being a full-time college student is demanding, and on top of that, some students even have part-time or full-time jobs. However, most students aren’t juggling full-time work, overtime, family responsibilities, and other obligations the way most graduated adults are. You’ll almost certainly have more free time now than in the future, so it’s a prime opportunity to invest more hours in a potential business.
• Business world connections. Even if your business isn’t a success, as you develop your business, you’ll make valuable connections in the business world. For example, if you start wooing potential investors, working with other business partners, or finding new suppliers, you’ll build yourself an extended network of contacts you can use for references or opportunities down the road.
• Entrepreneurial experience (while you’re young). Finally, and most importantly, you’ll gain the experience of starting and running your own business, which will teach you invaluable lessons about leadership, creative problem solving, critical thinking, and communication–all of which are valuable to learn while you’re still young.

How to Succeed

Just because there are major advantages to college entrepreneurship doesn’t mean it’s easy or straightforward; you’ll need these strategies to find success:

• Choose the right idea. Not all business ideas offer the same degree of feasibility for college students; for example, you’ll likely need an idea that won’t require much upfront capital, and one that won’t demand an intensive investment in infrastructure. Opt for more inexpensive, nimble options for your first foray.
• Start slow. Don’t start sacrificing everything for your business. It’s a good thing to be passionate about your business and invest yourself fully in it, but not at the expense of your other responsibilities. Start working on your business slowly, and gradually scale up as you become more comfortable and familiar with the process.
• Listen to advice. You may have a great idea, but you’re still young and inexperienced. You don’t have to take the advice of everyone who offers, but you should at least listen. Absorb as much information and as many different perspectives as you can during this experience.
• Prioritize your studies. Your business does have a chance to become successful, but it’s still a good idea to complete your education. Even if you’re more excited about your business idea, try to prioritize your academic studies. Think of it as hedging your bets for the future.
• Be careful with your money. You’re likely facing a large sum of student debt, without much personal capital available to fund your venture. Accordingly, you’ll need to be frugal and judicious about how your business financially operates. The last thing you want is to accrue a secondary source of massive debt before you graduate.
• Remain flexible. Finally, understand that few paths to success in the business world are straightforward and unbent. Your business will likely take a course of development that you wouldn’t expect and can’t predict, so remain flexible enough to allow that development.

Starting a business while still in college is certainly a massive undertaking, but it’s both possible and beneficial to do so—regardless of your business’s ultimate fate. Put your fears of failure to the side and start taking advantage of the resources and opportunities that surround you.

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.