How To Be Productive Over Winter Break

The end of the semester is looming and Christmas is on the horizon. Once you get past the last major obstacle of final exams, all you want to do is take a well-deserved break. While winter break is a good time to catch up on sleep and hanging out with friends, remain productive by following these tips:

Tune up your resume. Over the past semester, you’ve probably joined a few new clubs, gained more experience, and hopefully raised your GPA. Winter break is a good time to update your resume.

Apply for summer internships/jobs. Once you’ve beefed up that resume, put it to work and start applying for summer internships and full-time positions (perhaps intern at a Personal Injury Law Office). Life gets hectic during the semester so winter break is a good time to fill out those applications. By the time April rolls around and you’ve landed yourself a position, you’ll be thanking yourself.

Get a winter job. You’ll likely have a lot of free time on your hands, so see if you can land a job over the break. Many department stores hire extra workers for the holidays, so a seasonal positional is a great opportunity to help bring in some extra cash.

Set goals for next semester. It’s a good idea to set specific goals that you want to accomplish for the spring semester so that you have a target to shoot for right from the get-go. In addition, it helps to reflect over the past semester to figure out what went well and what didn’t.

Do something you wanted to do during the semester. If there was anything you really wanted to do last semester but didn’t have time for, do it over winter break. Whether it’s going on a road trip or simply reading a novel, take advantage of your free time to accomplish it. You’ll feel more rejuvenated by the time spring semester begins.

Winter break may give you a rest from classes and studying, but a little foresight and effort goes a long way to making the most of your break.

Who Said Giving Gift Cards For Christmas Is Tacky?

What do Americans ask for the most each Christmas season? Not clothes or electronics –the most popular gifts requested are actually gift cards. The demand is so high that a secondary market has emerged: gift card exchange.

Essentially, these markets are online sites that purchase unused/unwanted gift cards from consumers in exchange for cash payouts. They then sell the gift cards they obtain for discounted prices. You can typically get up to 75% of the value in cash for the piece plastic that’s been sitting in your drawer since last year. So using gift card exchange sites can be a helpful method to stretch your holiday budget.  Especially for cash strapped college students. Here are a few tips:

Make sure you use reputable websites. Well known gift card exchange sites often have the best deals on cards and offer services like free shipping and money-back guarantees. Using reputable sites also reduces the potential for gift card fraud drastically. Markets such as CardPool.com, CardCash.com, and GiftCardGranny.com are safe bets. Avoid injury by avoiding sites such as Craigslist and relatively unknown websites.

Consider going specific vs. general. Yes, it’s usually easiest to go with a Visa or Mastercard prepaid that can be used anywhere, but these cards are also the most expensive – they usually carry an activation fee around $5. On the other hand, gift cards for specific stores usually do not have this fee.

Popular cards give the least bang for your buck. As would be expected, the most popular cards have the smallest discounts on gift card exchange sites. On average, discounts on cards from retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target, and Toys R Us averaged less than 5%. Compare this to cards from Petco, which averaged 16% off, and Cold Stone Creamery, which were discounted by 23%.

Time your purchase for the best deals. Don’t purchase gift cards too early so that the buying protection period doesn’t waste away. A good rule of thumb is to buy cards a week in advance. Also, for the biggest savings, buy gift cards in January. People are bound to receive cards they don’t like, so a few weeks after Christmas is the peak period for exchanges.

Gift card exchanges are new to most people, but by doing a little research you can save a ton of money this holiday season. You can even make money by exchanging a card you were given for a store you never go to. But unfortunately, you still can’t exchange the sweater Grandma knitted for you!

Black Friday: Student Edition

As Thanksgiving approaches, people are thankful for many things: family, football, and (most importantly) food!  But aside from Thanksgiving Day, people are also thankful for the day that follows: Black Friday.

Now while you may be eyeing a new flat screen TV for your dorm or hoping to score huge markups on brand-name shoes, Black Friday is also a great opportunity for students to save big on school necessities.

Electronics.  Places like BestBuy, Walmart, and Target are great for deals on electronics. Check websites and store flyers to save money if you’re in need of a new laptop, printer, iPad, etc.

Clothing.  Department stores such as JCPenney's, Macy’s, and Kohl’s are great for clothing if  you need to refresh your wardrobe.  And they are sporting HUGE discounts this year.  Just click the links above.

Home Goods. Department stores also offer huge deals on kitchen appliances and décor. 

Money.  And to give your bank account a little extra wiggle room for all that shopping, why not put $1,000 towards your school tuition bill?  Apply for a scholarship over at www.YCLscholarship.org and you’ll be REALLY thankful during this season!

Effective Study Tips To Help Ace Your Exams

The storied NFL coach, Vince Lombardi, coined the phrase: “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice does.” Lombardi’s mindset yielded great success with his teams on the field and established him as one of the greatest coaches in the history of the game.  You may not have an athletic bone in your body, but the concept of “perfect practice” certainly translates to your academic performance. Way too many students try to get by with sub-par study habits yet are surprised when their exam results reflect this. Learning good studying skills now will help ensure you perform to your highest potential on every exam.

Top 7 College Study Tips

• Set a Study Schedule – Establish a time each day when you will study. Consistency in your schedule helps keep you focused and prevents distraction. A good rule of thumb is to study about two hours for every hour you spend in class. Be sure to take short breaks in between your study sessions to prevent a loss of concentration.

• Find Your Study Area – Your study place should be an environment conducive for learning: free of distractions and supplied with all the materials you will need to study. Your study place should not be a place where you carry out day-to-day tasks.

• Prepare for Class – Read ahead in the textbook prior to class so that you are familiar with the material before the professor teaches it. This way, you will come prepared with questions to be answered at the earliest possible opportunity. Also, actually go to class! Just because a few unexcused absences are allowed does not mean you ought to use them. When you skip class, you end up playing catch-up.

• Review Instead of Relearning – Go over your notes as soon as possible after class ends to solidify the lecture in your memory. You’ll have an opportunity to fill in portions of the lecture that you didn’t get to write down and to read up about parts that you didn’t quite understand. If you wait more than 24 hours to go over your notes, your retention will drop and you’ll end up starting from scratch.

• Make Use of “Dead Time” – You can take advantage of “dead time” where you aren’t doing much of anything – waiting during a gap between classes, standing in the cafeteria line, etc – to reinforce lecture material in your mind. Using flashcards is an easy and effective method to help you prepare for the exam.

• Study With Others – Studying in a group is an effective way to ensure you efficiently learn all aspects of a unit. You can bounce ideas off your study partners and the chances are high that someone else in the group will understand a concept that you don’t. Also, explaining something to someone else is a good way to ensure you understand it fully.

• Utilize Learning Resources – Don’t be bashful about going to your professor’s office hours or attending a review session with a teaching assistant if you need extra assistance. Also, your school should have an academic success center where you can go for tutoring. Make it a priority to get assistance early instead of waiting until the last second!

Many students don’t learn these tips until they are well into their college careers, and their early grades show it. Start incorporating these study tips now to make your practice perfect!

Preventing Theft on Campus

College students already have enough to worry about between classes, work, and finances. But in this age of technology, there is one more worry to add to the list: theft. The personal gadgets we own are becoming more and more expensive, which increases the potential for theft. Also, with the use of social media on the rise, it is easier than ever for identity thieves to steal your information. In this post, we’ll list some ways to prevent yourself from becoming a victim of theft at college.

Leave valuables at home – Keep the most expensive things you own at home, especially those that have sentimental value. A good rule of thumb is that if it can’t be replaced, then it probably shouldn’t be at school. Other items, such as social security cards and passports, may not have monetary value but are incredibly important. Unless you absolutely need these for a specific purpose, keep them at home.

Keep an eye on your stuff – It’s very easy to lose track of your belongings, especially if you feel comfortable in your dorm or library’s common area. No matter how familiar you are with the people you’re around or the place you’re in, it’s very easy for an opportunistic thief to nab your stuff. Take your personal items with you everywhere you go, even if you’re only leaving for a short while.

Protect your financial information – Phone bills, credit card statements, and other documents that contain sensitive information should be kept in a secure location within your room. Shred any and all paper items that you no longer need. Better yet, switch to electronic billing to make it harder for thieves to gain access to your information.

Keep track of bank statements – College students are often prime targets for identity theft because of their relatively clean credit history. In addition, it takes college students longer on average to recognize and report identity theft. During this time, identity thieves can rack up more charges that you may end up being responsible for. It pays to consistently check your financial statements to ensure your accounts are not being charged for fraudulent purchases.

Limit personal information online – Social media websites can potentially give someone access to a wealth of your personal information. With just a name, address, and date of birth, a thief may be able to gain access to your financial accounts or apply for credit cards in your name. Also, by posting that you are going away for the weekend, you are advertising to hundreds of people that your belongings will be unprotected during that time. Keep personal information to a minimum online, and ensure all your online accounts are protected with a strong password.

Be careful when surfing the Web – Thieves love “phishing” (the practice of sending unsolicited emails that look like they originated from reputable sources but are really phony) in the hopes that you will provide them with personal information. But apart from online thieves, beware of potential snoopers who may peer over your shoulder to observe the information you enter into a computer. And always remember to log off when using a public school computer.

Theft is a substantial threat on college campuses, but by following these tips you can ensure that you are doing all you can to prevent becoming a victim.

Five Important Reasons to Get Involved During Your Freshman Year

So you’re an incoming college freshman this fall and you’re excited to embark upon this new phase of your life. Among all the advice you’ve likely been given during the past few months, you may have received a few exhortations that sound a little something like this: “Make sure you get involved on campus!” There are various reasons your parents, older siblings, or high school guidance counselor may have encouraged you to get involved early; we’ll list five of them here.

1. There’s more to college than the classroom – There are so many things to be experienced at college apart from academics. Your college campus likely has a plethora of clubs and organizations that organize fun and enjoyable events. In addition, most colleges have facilities designed to give you something to do when you’re not studying: from gyms and fitness centers to game rooms to even dedicated student centers! You’ll find that frequenting these resources will help you to relax and unwind after a tough day of classes. Take advantage of these opportunities!

2. You’ll become a part of something big – Let’s face it: the transition from high school to college can be incredibly challenging for many. For the first time, many people move away from home and become essentially independent. Or, they find it challenging to find an entirely new group of friends. Participating in campus activities provides a number of benefits to assist you in the transition. By attending club meetings that interest you, you are sure to find people you can relate to. In addition, joining organizations provides a sense of belonging, which is especially helpful to combat feelings of homesickness. College is a new experience for incoming freshmen, but participating in campus activities can make it less daunting.

3. It’ll help you boost your resume – Remember that feeling at the start of your senior year of high school, when you realized that you had barely any extracurricular activities to list on your college applications? Make sure you don’t end up making the same mistake twice by getting involved early in college. Being involved outside of the classrooms displays excellent time management skills to potential employers. Not only that, your extracurriculars will help set you apart from the rest of your peers and will shape you into a well-rounded applicant for graduate programs.

4. You’ll be in the loop – Networking, networking, networking. It has commonly been stated that landing a great professional opportunity “is not about what you know, but who you know.” This is especially true in today’s competitive job market. By getting connected to relevant groups and organizations, you will be able to network with numerous people who have established themselves in your field of study. They can give you career advice, serve as a reference, and sometimes even provide you with job opportunities. Any way you slice it, it’s always a good idea to get to know people.

5.  You can give back – One of the best parts about getting involved at your college is the opportunity it provides you to give back to the community. Have a special talent or unique ability? Various clubs on campus will allow you to exercise those gifts for the benefit of others. Also, most organizations are actively involved in community service projects. By serving with your fellow members, your group’s sense of identity will be strengthened.

In short, your four years at college will blow by before you know it. By the time you reach your senior year, you’ll wish you had just one more year to participate in all the awesome programs and organizations that you became a part of during your tenure at school. Get involved NOW and reclaim that extra year!

Getting Along With Your Roommate

Living on campus as a first-year student can often prove to be a rocky experience. As a resident, you are housed with another student (or potentially, other students) and are expected to spend a significant portion of the day interacting with them. Now, if your roommate ends up being the coolest people you have ever met, then you won’t have much of a problem in this regard.

But of course, it’s not that simple for most people. Your roommate may very well have grown up in a manner radically different from your own, which can lead to a clash of lifestyles. Many a college student can attest of “horror stories” where they shared a room with someone they considered themselves severely incompatible with. However, many people fail to do all that they can to ensure they not only survive their rooming experience, but actually enjoy it.

HOW TO GET ALONG WITH COLLEGE ROOMMATES:

1. Introduce yourself – Before you jump right in and attempt to establish “ground rules”, give your roommate a chance to get to know you and you to know them. The more familiar you are with each other, the easier it will be to communicate.

2. Don’t make rules, do negotiate – Don’t attempt to tell your roommate what will or will not fly with you. Instead, try to come to a common ground to establish a living environment that is mutually acceptable for you both.

3. Communicate – Nobody can read minds, so make sure you speak up if you are uncomfortable with one of your roommate’s actions. It’s easy to assume your roommate is doing something to purposefully annoy you, but they may simply be acting upon a habit that they have grown accustomed to. Air your concerns with them so that the problems don’t pile up.

4. Be realistic – Some people are lucky enough to find a new best friend in their roommate, but keep in mind that many people do not grow incredibly close to their roommates. While it is a good thing to be friends with your roommate, there is also nothing wrong with simply sharing a space with them.

5. Invest in some good headphones – Many a roommate conflict is sparked by a roommate playing or listening to audio at a level considered much too loud by the other. Use headphones to watch your favorite TV show on your computer, or to block out your roommate’s unconventional musical taste.

6. Find ways to appreciate them – Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of your relationship with your roommate, try to highlight the good parts. This will help you to appreciate them for who they are, as opposed to trying to make them conform to your standards of a good roommate.

7. Make other friends – Sometimes, you just need a break from your roommate. The more time you spend cooped up with the same person, the more likely it is that you will begin to get on one another’s nerves. Be sure you have another group of friends you can spend time with to prevent driving your roommate up the wall.

8. Talk to your RA – RAs, or resident assistants, exist to not only to ensure you are healthy and safe on campus, but also to act as a mediator between roommates. If all else fails, discuss your situation with your RA instead of going to war with your roommate.

These are just a few tips to make the best of your first-year dorming experience. By incorporating them into your interaction with your roommate, you may find that you no long resent having “that other person” in the room. Instead, you may develop a friendship that will last through your college years and beyond.