Graduating!

College Tips

Wow! It's been months since I've updated this blog. Dear readers: please ignore any and all advice I give, because apparently I'm terrible at taking it myself. A lot has happened since I last updated this blog. I've been interning at a District Attorney's office for the last 4 months, I'm now engaged and getting married in about 2 months, and I'm graduating in about 1 month. So my life has become pretty hectic in a matter of months.

I'm sure a lot of you readers out there who might be graduating as well are starting to feel the pressure. Don't act like you're not, you know what I'm talking about. That little three letter word that makes college graduates sweat.

Yep, you guessed it: J-O-B.

As tough as it may seem to get a job nowadays, job prospects are not as bleak as they were a few years ago. However, let's be real: the struggle to find a job is pretty daunting, and there are some majors that have high recent graduate unemployment rates. But don't let that discourage you. Let's look at some statistics that might clarify some things about this whole thing.

Ouch. Yeah, okay, so maybe this whole post is a terrible idea. Statistics suck at making people feel better about job prospects. Let's try looking at another one. Maybe this one will have happier data.

Nope, still terrible. So the data might not be in favor of college graduates, but what does all this mean? Let's take a step back an analyze what these graphs tell us.

1. Some majors have higher unemployment rates. The graph directly above tells us that some majors have better chances at getting a job. As bleak as that is, it's true, and while the people who are graduating with those degrees will be dismayed soon after graduation, this rate doesn't hold true over time, as you'll see from my next point.
2. Having a graduate degree makes a difference. For both men and women, having a graduate degree lowers the unemployment rate significantly. So while you may be unemployed and deep in debt now, the answer is to go even further into debt and get a grad degree.
3. The overall rate is going down. Notice the spike in the first graph that happened around 2009. Now notice 2010 and 2011. The rate went down. And it's still going down. The recession of 2008 hit hard in 2009, but we're almost 5 years out from that now, which is an average amount of time that recessions of that magnitude take to recover from. The economy may not be where it was, but it's getting better. 

So what now? Go get a job, that's what. Or at least that's what I keep telling myself. Statistics about job prospects may really suck at the moment, but one piece of advice I can impart to those who still have time before they graduate: GET EXPERIENCE. Do an unpaid internship somewhere in your field, and work hard at it. Learn everything you can. Do it as long as you can. 

For instance, if you start an internship at say, a small business in your Sophomore year, and stay in that business until you graduate (hopefully) in two years, that's TWO YEARS of experience in that field. 

You know how almost every entry-level job asks for two years experience, in addition to the degree? That's no sweat for you now. So get chopping on those internships people. It'll set you apart.

I'll leave you with this: good luck, and may you find the job you're looking for.

-M

It's That Time Again- Back to School!

College Tips

Hello all,

Well it's just about that time, eh? All of us students are returning back to our respective alma maters to begin another year of study. For myself, this is the beginning of my last year in undergraduate school, so this year is my final chance to finish another year strong. Speaking of doing strong in school, I've got a quick little 3-point list for those of us who are returning to keep our focus this year and remind you what we've probably forgotten over the summer. So without further adieu, here is my best 3 tips for getting back into the swing of everything with school, studying, etc:

• Treat school like a job. Many of us who may not have held a job over the summer may have forgotten that our true job is school, so let's just go ahead and stick that back into our heads. Yes, school is just like your job. So, a few things: don't drink on the job, don't not pull your weight at the job, and don't expect other people to do your work for you or for things to be easy. Fall semester is always the hardest for me, so it's especially essential that we remember "school is our job" early.
• Do new things. If you're a returning student, it's very easy to simply fall back into how things were the previous year. Don't do this. College is about growing as a person, and a huge part of that is doing new things. Set a goal for yourself to do at least 1 major new things per semester, whether that be doing a new sport, joining a new club, taking a unique class, etc.
• Have fun. Yep, I know I just told you to treat school like your job, but you also have to remember to have fun. College without having fun is probably one of the worst experiences that anyone who has ever been to college can attest to. So remember to have fun, but be responsible with your fun. Don't do stupid things that might harm yourself or others and don't do things that might get you kicked out of school. If you did that, then all of this good advice that I'm sending your way is totally useless, and that would not be cool man.

So there you have it! School is back in session, and it's time to get down to business. Let's have a great school year everyone. College is one of the best times of our lives, so make the most of it.

Regards,

-M

3 Steps to Prepare for Spring Semester

College Tips

I hope all of you fellow college people are enjoying your Christmas break! Want to know the best way to really enjoy it? Start thinking about your spring semester, duh! I know, since it's cold most everywhere, the warm embrace of spring semester seems too far away to even think about, but time keeps going during Christmas break, whether it seems like it or not.

But really, it's coming faster than you think and its going to come whether you like it or not, so better to just suck it up, buckle down, and get ready for it. So here is my fool-proof 3-step plan to get ready for the semester that always seems to go by the quickest:

1. Plan a spring break trip. That's right. Number one thing is to plan a spring break. Now is the perfect time to start planning a fun trip so you don't get down to the wire and have nothing going on for spring break. Now, I'm not a fan of those crazy spring break parties that go on down in Panama City, so I'm recommending avoiding those so you don't catch something. I'm more advocating for something like a trip with friends to the beach, a favorite city, things like that. We've all started spring semester and told ourselves, "I'll get around to planning something later", or my favorite, "Let's just get in the car and go". Stop right there. That never works. Spring break comes faster than you think, and spring break trips cost money. Usually when everything is just thrown together someone ends up paying for everything and getting paid back in "I'll get you next time bro." Don't fall into that. Talk to your friends, sit down and pick a spot, call ahead and get rooms, and actually plan something. You'll have a lot more fun because you can just jump in the car and focus on having fun instead of figuring out food, rooms, money, or even where to go.
2. Do some class scouting. I know, I know, why on earth would anyone want to think about classes over a break? Well, breaks don't last forever, so get over it and do some class research. Pull up the list of class you're taking next semester, and start doing some research. Head over to www.ratemyprofessors.com, and take a look at who exactly you'll be listening to for the next few months. It'll pay dividends to know what they like, what they don't like, if they are easy, if they are tough. Next, look up the class you are taking, and see exactly what is going to be included in it. Knowing a little bit of the subject material beforehand can never hurt, so do a few google searches and look up what exactly applied trigo-metro-astro-cosmo-pysch-account-ology is. Finally, look at what textbooks you'll need. Make sure to print out a list of the books you need and do some scouting on Chegg, Amazon, and the rest of the internet because we all know, if you buy your books from the school bookstore, you are being duped and of substandard intelligence.
3. Do some schoolwork. Last but most certainly the worst, yes, doing some kind of studying or school-related activity over the break will be good for your spring semester. What is worse, taking 15 minutes a day to stay fresh with info from your major, or forgetting everything you learned this past semester? If you said the latter, well then there isn't much hope for you. One thing I've found helps keep me sharp and prevent the memory loss we all know happens over Christmas is to study. I know it sounds crazy and no one will believe me, but I know that just leisurely doing about 15 minutes worth of studying once in a while over the break is a cure-all for that inevitable loss of knowledge brought on by friends, family, ham, presents, and all the other miscellaneous items that accompany Christmas.  Maybe pull out some notes from last semester, do some Google searches on the things that your next classes are going to cover. Get familiar with the information that is going to be presented in detail, so that way you won't come into the spring semester feeling like you've had a lobotomy. 

That about wraps it up folks! Don't be like the rest of your classmates and waste your Christmas break away. Follow these 3 steps and your spring semester will be much less burdensome. 

Cheers,

-M

5 Tips on How To Study- And Not Forget Everything You Just Studied

College Tips

College is hard. That's a fact. 

Maybe not as hard as some jobs, and maybe not as easy as high school, but it has it's challenges. And one of those things is studying. Oh studying. The bane of many a college exam and student, studying is that elusive creature that everyone seems to chase, but can never 'catch'. But, that is all about to change. I am here to help all of you out there who are struggling to catch studying. By following these 5 simple tips, I promise that when you study, you'll do better than you ever thought you could do. And don't worry, I'm not going to just tell you what not to do and offer no solutions, because that would be pointless. I'll tell you everything you need to know to make studying as easy as pie. That's actually a terrible analogy, because making a pie is hard. Anyway, here they are:

1. Don't cram. Now I know this is probably the hardest one you will have to do. Cramming is the signature college student move, but it is so bad for your memory. Cramming sounds great, but in reality you're just wasting your time and energy trying to stuff a semester's worth of knowledge into about a night's worth of time. Studying all that information without focusing on a few items or subjects and just trying to absorb everything will take the information, place it in your brain for about a total of about 15 seconds, and then out it goes. Don't cram people. What you should do instead is just mark on your calendar, sticky note, scrap of paper, whatever, and set aside just a few hours at least a day or two before the exam. Then use the next tip as your studying method for those few hours. 
2. Study Smarter. Anyone can stare at a textbook like a zombie for hours and say they 'studied'. But not so for you! I have a proven psychological method that will help you retain the maximum amount of information while at the same time letting you take a break during your session. What you need to do is study in 15 minute increments, and take a 2-3 minute break in between each increment. In that 2-3 minute break, do anything but study or read. Run around your library, do jumping jacks, count to 100, whatever, but just do anything but studying. Implement this cycle for about 3 times per hour of studying. Also, never study for more than 3-4 hours. You will just burn out and give up or forget everything you just learned. 2-3 hours of good, clear-headed studying is what you need.
3. Don't study while tired. This. Whatever you do, try your darnedest to not study when you are tired. You will be burnt out already, and whatever you do will be in a haze of sleep deprivation or just absolute exhaustion. Study in the daytime, preferably the sunlight or at least a well lit area. Try not to study at night and if you do, here's a protip: turn down the brightness on your screen. It will reduce the strain on your eyes, which will in turn make it easier for you to read which means you'll actually pay attention to what your eyes are looking at.
4. Use your study guides (If you have one). Cannot emphasize this enough. Why read something and commit it to memory if you don't even need it for the exam?! If your teacher provides study guides, utilize them. Don't ignore them and say that they are useless, because the professor made them and I'm betting they didn't make them just to mess with your and make your life suck. Print out all the study guides at the beginning of the semester, and bring them to class. Fill them in, write notes on them, whatever you have to do to make sure all the essential information is there. By essential information, I usually mean formulas, definitions, solutions to problems, theories, those shorts of things. If you are not provided a study guide, then take good notes in class and during your reading. Use the list of important things above to give you an idea of what to focus your notes on.
5. Relax! Chill out! One thing people always seem to get stressed over is studying. It's frigging' reading and thinking people. It's not skydiving, or fighting a war, it's simply committing information to memory. Don't get overwhelmed by the info you need to know. Focus on what's important, use the tips given above, and breath. Always remember to breath. Take a break after a major study session, and reward yourself with some free time or a hobby. Don't immediately take your mind off what your were just looking at, but keep it in the back-burner for later use. Life isn't all work, so just keep that in mind as you work your way through your academic journey.

I hope this helps those of you who struggle with this. This is my personal experience combined with a little bit of common sense and knowledge about the human mind, so it shouldn't be too tough to follow.

-M