Michael Kirst's Blog, page 3

Tips for Balancing College and Parenthood

BY JORI HAMILTON

Going to college is a big undertaking, but a college degree can open up doors in your career and qualify you for higher-paying positions than you’d find without a degree. When you’re a parent, balancing college, work, and parenting gets a little more complicated, but there are still plenty of parents who decide to go back to school and make college and parenthood work. 

When you go to college, you’ll be investing in a better future for you and your family. You may need to take a little longer to complete your degree and will certainly face some challenges along the way, but your goal of earning your college degree as a parent is completely achievable with a little determination and planning. 

Why Parents are Going Back to School

If you’re uncertain of whether or not you should go back to school, know that you’re not alone, since many moms are also facing the decision of whether to go to college. As a parent, you may feel guilty for taking time away from your children, and the cost of college may seem overwhelming when you need to pay your family’s bills and cover expenses like diapers and daycare. 

But going back to college offers valuable rewards, especially to single mothers. Over the course of a lifetime, a woman who has a bachelor’s degree will earn approximately $630,000 more than one who only has a high school diploma. Pursuing a graduate degree increases those average lifetime earnings, meaning a graduate degree will earn a woman about $1.1 million more than if she was just a high school graduate with no higher education. 

Going back to school has other valuable benefits, too. You can inspire your child to also go to college when they’re ready. Your degree can help you qualify for better jobs that have scheduling flexibility, allowing you to spend time with your family. These better jobs also frequently offer better benefits, which means your whole family can have health insurance and enjoy better healthcare than you’d otherwise be able to provide. 

Balancing Home, Work, and School

One of the major hesitations that many moms feel about going back to college is adding a school schedule and subsequent homework to an already busy life. With stagnant wages and the skyrocketing cost of living, married and single moms alike are needing to work to make ends meet. Indeed, low wages might be what has sparked your interest in going back to school. 

While it might feel intimidating, you can absolutely make going back to school work with your job and home schedules. With online schooling options abound these days, you can make school work around your schedule and do it at your pace. You can take as many or as few classes as you feel comfortable doing, which will not only make it easier to fit into your schedule needs but will allow you to work with your budget. 

Affording College

Affording college will require some budgeting and planning. Start by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which will determine any loans and grants you may be eligible for. You should also schedule an appointment with a financial aid advisor at your college to make sure that all of your financial aid applications are complete. An advisor can help you to identify any other scholarships or financial aid that you may be eligible for, since some schools and even departments within schools offer their own scholarships for students. 

Next, establish a household budget so that you can prepare for college and identify just how much money you can spend each month. Start by tracking all of your income as well as your expenses and spending for a couple of months to identify areas where you might be over-spending, like going out to eat frequently. With all of these numbers recorded, you can identify areas where you should reduce your spending so that you have more money left over at the end of each month. You can use this money toward your college expenses, like buying textbooks or paying for any extra childcare you’ll need while in class. 

Since you’ll likely be living at home while in college, pay particular attention to the expenses you’ll face in commuting back and forth to campus. Be sure to account for the costs of taking public transportation, or of maintaining a car. You may choose to sell a large, gas-guzzling vehicle for a smaller one that gets better gas mileage. Since you’ll be doing lots of commuting, it’s important to try to minimize your transportation costs. 

Maintaining Your Health

During college, you’ll also need to prioritize your health so that you can attend your classes while also caring for your family. It may be tempting to skip meals or eat fast food on the go because of your busy schedule, but prioritize your nutrition and make time for healthy meals, even if that means bringing food to school with you and eating in between classes. 

If you’re pregnant, first-trimester tummy troubles can make it difficult to get to class, but there are a few tricks you can use to soothe your upset stomach. Nausea is often worse on an empty stomach, so bring snacks to class with you to keep food in your stomach. Ginger and peppermint can help to relieve nausea, and increasing your intake of magnesium and vitamin B6 can also help. Even receiving acupuncture treatments can help to get you feeling better again. 

Staying in Touch

When you start college, it may be time to reevaluate your current cell phone data plan so that you can stay in touch with your family and your employer without running up your bill. Find a plan that works best for your increased communication needs, and consider using apps for group text messaging, like Tango and WeChat. With these apps, you can text your significant other and your childcare provider, reach out to your classmates as you work together on a group project, and more. 

When you’re balancing family life, college, and even a job, you’ll need to do a little juggling, but you can absolutely pursue and earn a college degree as a parent. It may be stressful and busy, but remember that it isn’t forever, and you’re doing this to give your entire family a better future. Once you have that degree in your hands, you’ll find that all of your hard work was well worth it. 

Bio: Jori Hamilton is a writer from the Northwest who is passionate about education and social justice issues. You can follow her on Twitter @HamiltonJori

6 Tips to Leverage Advanced Technology in College Education

BY KADY SMITH

“Tech gives the quietest student a voice.”

– Jerry Blumengarten, 

Billy Jordan, a student of Arts from a renowned Australian University never thought that he would need virtual assistance for his annual project on the History of English Language and Literature. It took the chap only a couple of minutes to sign up with an academic help portal. Eventually, he got in touch with an online assignment expert, placed his query and received much-needed assistance on English Language and Literature at the comfort of his home.

That’s how technology has made its presence felt in the domain of education and learning. It has come a long way with some of the most notable instances such as the emergence of E-learning applications like Thinglink, TED-Ed and ClassDojo, and the transition from classroom learning to virtual tutoring.

Thus, with so many things happening around us, especially in the sector of education, now wonder why 86% of teachers think it is important or absolutely essential to use advanced technology in the classroom.

Now, in case, you are looking forward to embracing advanced technology in education and open a new vista for the young learners to see through, take note of the following suggestions prior to venturing out.

Improve communication and ensure faster response

Around 50% of teachers across all age groups are of the opinion that they use computers to develop specific skills and communication. If we look back at the scenario prevalent a couple of decades ago, personal face-to-face interaction between a teacher and his student was the only form of communication one could ever think of.

Cut to the chase, in 2019, virtual classroom and online collaboration tools like TodaysMeet, Scribblar and Socrative have made things easier and seamless for the learners and academic mentors to deal with. You too can leverage its potential,

Here’s how.

 

® Optimise Email communication to get in touch with the students or their parents regarding meetings, seminars and revised dates of examination seamlessly.

® Utilise the potential of classroom management software like Otus to combine and share email and text, along with digital resources, grade book, recognitions and academic blogs.

Assess students’ progress, help them with assignments virtually, in real-time

Digital simulation not only helps teachers prepare lessons and set of question papers for their students, but they can actually track the progress of their students in the comfort of a few clicks. In a world where changing academic norms and intricacies introduced in classroom training and assessment, embracing student-friendly and advanced academic tools shall deliver a competitive advantage over others.

Take note of the following suggestions for optimum results.  

® Use audio recording tools: There are free and simple audio recording tools such as Vocaroo. Students can use it to record audio by using their laptop’s microphone. In case you are not present in the classroom or wish to send across assessment reminder to your students via remote access, using audio recording tools will serve the purpose of sending across the message you wish to deliver, despite physical absence.

 

® Utilise video communication: The realm of education and learning is experiencing a 180-degree shift with advancements in the sector of visually enriched interaction via various online tools.

 

Free video communication tools such as PowToon will allow you to create animated presentations and videos in the classroom to explain assignments and their key components in a better and impactful way.

On the other hand, advanced and free tool like Hippo Video provides you with an all-in-one platform for education and assessment.  It is said to integrate with Google Classroom contextually, Google Slides and Docs edit, host, share and track student progress.  

 

Make the process of research more advanced and hassle-free

Research-based data in education is by far one of the most crucial aspects to meet by educators across the globe. Unless a particular lesson is explained with the help of real-life instances, case studies and archived data, you won’t be able to make an impact in the classroom. This calls for a data-savvy workforce in the academic institutes.

 If you agree with the notion and significance of research-based education in today’s world, take note of the following tips to marry technology with your academic endeavours.

® If students need to add references to a particular case study, use advanced tools such as EndNote, RefWorks and JabRef to streamline the process of referencing in a seamless way.

® In case you are required to conduct extensive research, technologically advanced research tools such as Google Scholar and ResearchGate will allow you browse through thousands of scholarly articles and archived academic journals for better clarity and understanding.

 

Provide opportunities to students to be more productive

With the help of technology, you can actually foster more productivity among students. It goes without saying that students shouldn’t be sitting idle and passively consume what’s written on the blackboard or displayed on the screen. The true form of education is the one that allows students to be a part of an activity, lead a particular project with creative and productive slants based on what has been taught in the class earlier.

Here’s how you can harness the potential of technology in this matter.

® Try to use technologies that support interactivity, foster critical thinking and problem solving skills among students. You may choose to opt for tools like Stencyl (to express creativity), Roblox for education (to build entrepreneurial skills among students) and more.

® It is suggested to include more sensory involvements in education and learning.  According to a research, bodily movements can help keep the brain active. So, how about using Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality or Mixed Reality to encourage all young learners. For example, the software Augment allows students and teachers to visualise 3D models in real time.

Technology can both be a boon and bane at the same time. Unless you are aware of its limit of usage or fail to notify the young users regarding the same, things would worsen down the road.

So, here are a few suggestions you can consider for safer usage of academic technologies on behalf of your students.

® Set up new guidelines for managing time with the use of technology in the academic premise.

® Teachers and parents should focus on establishing media-free zones. This, as a result, will keep the young users away from exploiting technological devices such as Smartphone, iPods, and tablets in libraries, examination halls and the likes.

® Set time limits for the students. For example, you may set out a rule that says no student will be allowed to surf the internet more than two hours a day.

® Set up free parental control software like OpenDNSFamilyShield, KidLogger and Spyrix Free Keylogger to block domains containing pornographic content, adult websites and track what students are up to.

 

Teach digital etiquettes to students

Apart from utilising technological advancement in the sector of education and setting out strict rules regarding the use of various devices, one must focus on teaching digital etiquette to young users. According to a survey, primary students lack skills and etiquettes that are required by an individual to abide by the fair internet usage policy.

So, make it a point to teach students how to build a positive and responsible online presence.

Pay heed to the following suggestions. 

® Teach students how to build a positive image online. Teach them how to write blogs and post such documents online.

® Introduce them to the online academic forums like teaching commons, thestudentroom and Quora where they can collaborate or get in touch with other students to share a common academic interest, discuss and share questions and answers to tricky assignments and more.

® You should critically evaluate the reliability and security aspects of a particular website before allowing students to access the same.

To Wrap Up

Now that you are aware of the six best tips to ensure the perfect amalgamation of advanced technology and education, embrace the best practice and put the best foot forward to transform a traditional classroom to a technologically revamped one.

Good luck!

Author Bio: Kady Smith works as an experienced assignment expert, dedicated to providing students with Management and Marketing assignment help on behalf of the digital brand MyAssignmenthelp.co.uk. Apart from that, Kady is an independent travel blogger and freelance illustrator, coming all the way from Glasgow, United Kingdom.

How Students Can Create Interesting And Diverse Instagram Pages

BY JAMES CLARK

Instagram, since its conception, has been one of the many major spots where people can build a network of some of the special things they love most. The platform has always supported the promotion of entertainment, music, healthy living, and lifestyle. Not to mention, skills such as photo editing have long been put forward to millions across the platform.

For most profiles, getting the attention of their followers requires the use of stunning photo designs and high image quality. There are a good number of tools on the internet that can help anyone do this. Some of them include:

PicMonkey
FotoJet
Fotor
Photoshop Express Editor 
Ribbet 
BeFunky 

IG is a great place for anyone to unwind with the funny memes, comedy videos, and entertaining photos shared by millions. The platform is seen as one of the most engaging social networks in the world. This makes it an ideal spot for students to get all of the fun they need as they study in their various institutions. However, it pays to improve the usage of this platform. Students can as well use this great spot of entertainment as a potential source of motivation and learning.

There are quite a lot of IG pages that help students learn image editing, as well as many other skills. Asides teaching students special skills, many pages motivate and keep students updated about school stuff. If you are a student hoping to get accustomed with such IG pages, we will be looking at a few of them. Here’s the deal:

Your Institution’s Student Union Page

Your school’s official page or your school’s SU page should be the first page you need to follow on IG. The reason behind this can be very obvious. Following the page can help you stay updated with all the information that concerns your academics in the institution.

By following the IG account of your school, you get to know what is going on in school. You also get to observe beautiful photos of your school.

@StudentsProblems

@StudentsProblems is a page that claims to meet the needs of students in terms of comedy, entertainment, and knowledge. It does this in the form of memes. This account has been created for a while now and has become famous among students today. If you are on the lookout for top accounts to follow, you are lucky to have found this on our list, as it is widely used by thousands.

@Science.feed

@Science.feed offers content for both science students and those who are fascinated by science. The account offers a wide range of scientific discoveries and what goes on in the world of science.

@SubwayBookReview

The account claims to provide concise reviews of books. In its posts, it includes spoilers and also suggestions of books. The account is a perfect choice for those looking for pages that offer great reviews on books. Those who love reading, as well as English Literature and Language students.

@Mobkitchenuk

This page offers its followers of cheap meals. Students can find the account to provide very useful info on meals that can feed not just them, but even a group of 4 people. Along with its frequent posts, the page includes a wide selection of videos where it provides recipes to meals that can be prepared with an amount lower than £10.

@Tech_capsules

@Tech_capsules, as its name implies, is an IG page that is all about tech. It updates its audience with frequent posts that include tech facts and tips. Many of which deal with industries and the internet. The page is still developing but still provides useful content.

@Dormify

Dormify was created to meet students with special ideas to help them spruce up their dorm in school. Your dorm is a huge part of your life in school. Making it full of fun and beauty is a great way to help it feel homey. This is what @Dormify claims to offer.

@Study.for.success

@Study.for.success offers a wide range of themes to keep students feeling alive as they work through school. It has lived up to its name through the many tips and motivation it gives to students to help them study for success.

@Babeswhostudy

For all the things you do in school, you have to organize your materials. If you are finding it a bit hard to do that, this page offers a good level of inspiration to help you figure out how to keep your works clean.

@CollegeHumor

Each content offered by this account denotes humor. It comes as a page that offers funny memes. It also provides a lot of good advice to students while still keeping them smiling.

Conclusion

It is crucial to get a couple of things to help make the process way. Using social networks can help with that, as there is a wide range of pages that provide extra tips to ensure students get the best out of what they do.

Bio

James Clark is an expert publishing consultant with more than two decades of experience working for individual authors, literary agents, and publisher clients, including Scholastic, Hay House, HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw-Hill Education, and others. He develops the tactics for media projects as well as consults on marketing and publishing strategies for external agencies, most of which are social media.

 

How To Progress Towards Your Career While in College

BY HARRY CONLEY

Developing your career is certainly one of the most important thing you have to think about as a college student. That being said, coming up with an effective plan is often difficult. However, with these simple steps you can find your path and enjoy your career to the fullest.

Know your values

You might value loyalty, balance and enjoyment. Learning and development might be the key too, which is why you should look for companies that actually offer you these opportunities. Ask about these things and how important they are to the company you are going to work for.

Flexibility should be a priority

We, as the younger generations recognize the importance of balance better than our older counterparts. This is where flexibility is very important. It is crucial that employers have respect for the pace and abilities of employees, in order to develop a working environment that you actually want to be in. Look for employers that allow your voice in when deciding deadlines so that both of you can be happy, with the option of working from home available. Office hours are not a great signifier of how much worth you can contribute to the business. Instead, look for companies that look at the quality of work you produce. They should give constructive feedback instead of reacting negatively to mistakes. This enables seeing solutions better.

Educating about holding yourself accountable

“Within a workplace, everyone contributes. So, everyone is capable of making mistakes. You need to learn to hold yourself accountable and it will make you feel more engaged with the work. If you take ownership of your work, it becomes more meaningful to you and enables the want to improve,” says Ellen Kadis, an educator at Draft Beyond and Lucky Assignments. Continuously use the feedback to improve.

Expectations

This allows a baseline for you to want to achieve. If there isn’t a clear goal set by expectations, then you can tend to feel disengaged with your work. Direction is lacking and morale decreases. With set expectations, you can self-assess whether they are doing a good job or not, and rectify mistakes.

“look for employments that offer leadership trainings and set high expectations for you. The best places to work in are the places that support your success,” explains Oliver Gillis, a teacher at Writinity and Gum Essays.

Allowing mobility

Professional development is very important for job satisfaction (Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement Report, 2016). Mobility programs are great at keeping workers from looking elsewhere for work because it promises them the ability to climb through their career path. Otherwise, you will probably have a lack of commitment to the vision of the business. These programs enable better team understanding and talent recognition.

The most important thing is to find the career where your talents and skills are respected and valued, an organization that will nurture you rather than exploit you and of course, work that will offer you balance and allow you to have a life that you want.

 

Tutor Harry Conley can be found at Last Minute Writing and Researchpapersuk where he is involved in the development of training and work flow activities to enhance the ability of writers, always seeking to unlock potential along the way. Another string to his bow is his interest in the provision of supplementary materials and instructional support for contributors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 Reasons You’ll Study Better Living Off-Campus

BY ANTON LUCAS

Living on campus seems like the best option if you’re not an early riser and want to eliminate having to commute to school every day. However, living in a dorm or even student housing nearby comes with distractions that make it hard to study effectively.

If studying is a priority, you may want to consider off-campus housing rather than bunking in a dorm or student-specific apartments that are essentially run like dorms.

 

You can leave your study materials spread out across the floor

In a dorm, you can’t sprawl out across the whole room unless your roommate is gone and won’t be coming back for a while. In your own apartment, you can do whatever you want.

If you can afford to rent your own apartment, the cost is worth having your own space. You can study according to your own schedule, and you won’t need to switch locations when your roommate wants to hang out with friends or listen to music.

 

Roommates with friends are a major distraction

In a dorm-style living situation, you’re sharing your space with your roommate and all of their friends who choose to stop by. If you’re lucky enough to have a quiet roommate who respects your study time, their friends may not be so quiet and respectful. You can try using a “do not disturb” door hanger, but not everyone will respect it. You’ll probably end up with several soft knocks followed by an apology, and although the person means well, you’re still being interrupted.

If you want to study from the comfort of your bed, it’s difficult to get complete peace and quiet. You’ll never know when the next interruption will occur. You can wear earbuds and listen to music to drown out sound, but you’ll still be distracted by the movement of other people around you. Distractions in the background of your vision may not seem like a big deal, but it will divide your attention momentarily, whether you realize it or not.

Our brains are wired to be distracted, according to scientists from Princeton University and Berkeley. When you’re studying (or focusing on anything), your brain zooms in and out of attention up to four times per second. Your brain pauses periodically to scan the environment to see if anything else might be more important. If nothing more important is found, your brain goes back to focusing on your studies. The problem is, having sound and movement in your peripheral vision makes this process take longer. Your attention might linger on someone walking into the bathroom for a couple of seconds, and these longer distractions take a toll on your concentration. According to Sober Living Austin, there are other distractions on campus such as partying and constant social gatherings. If you want your study sessions to be effective, your best bet is to study alone. If you want to study in the comfortable space of your own bedroom, you need off-campus housing.

 

You can choose a more secure, quiet location

Living in a dorm, you can’t exactly secure your room the way you can secure your own apartment off-campus. In an off-campus apartment, you can intentionally seek out a top-floor unit to maximize noise reduction and get optimal security. Burglars prefer easy targets and aren’t likely to take the stairs or elevator. Plus, top floors tend to have more natural light which comes in handy for studying.

If you prefer a ground-floor unit, you’ll have different perks. For example, you’ll be able to grow a vegetable garden on your patio or even in your kitchen. You can find an apartment complex that has a community park or at least green, open spaces to enjoy. You can take a beanbag chair to the middle of the grass, plop down, and study in the middle of nature.

 

You need the ability to move into a different space to clear your head

After long study sessions, it’s important to move into a different space to clear your head. In a dorm, you’ll probably need to walk a good distance to get into a quiet space to clear your head. If you’re living off-campus in your own apartment you can walk into the front room, the backyard, or sit on your front porch.

 

You’re not stuck living with anyone who irritates you

Hopefully you’ve never had to deal with a roommate who irritates you, but plenty of people have. Unless there’s a major problem between you and a roommate, you won’t usually get to swap them out for someone else. The same goes for apartments converted to student housing. In either case – dorm or student housing – you’re stuck with whatever roommates you get. You can get a cheap room, fast internet, and a fully-furnished bedroom in student housing, but you’ll also get a house full of people to distract you from your studies.

Prioritize your studies to reduce stress and study better

If you’re not prone to anxiety and stress, you might be able to function in a semi-chaotic environment. However, if roommate drama and distractions get on your last nerve, living off-campus will solve that problem for good.

Byline –  Anton Lucanus is the Director of  Neliti . During his college years, he maintained a perfect GPA, was published in a top cancer journal, and received many of his country’s most prestigious undergraduate scholarships. Anton writes for The College Puzzle as a means to guide current students to achieve personal and academic goals

Useful Tips for Taking Online Classes In College

BY KATHLEEN BROWN

 

As technology is continually evolving, we are noticing so many benefits this revolution has on the way we live. From being able to communicate with friends from across the world to working for companies which are based in other countries, technology is connecting us all.

One important field that is tremendously benefiting from it for a while now is education.

Students are finally able to take online classes and learn about matters they previously didn’t have access to. All they have to do is to research their options and find the ones that suit them best. According to their preferences and knowledge level, students should choose online classes that will contribute to their overall skill set and present them as a quality candidate once they start searching for a job.

 

If you’re one of those individuals who enjoy enhancing their existing knowledge online, we bring you useful tips for taking online classes.

 

Have a Schedule

Having a schedule is vital with almost any activity you decide to take up, but if you want to achieve the highest level of efficiency, you will have to plan everything ahead. You should start including online classes into your schedule as soon as you start taking them. More importantly, don’t forget about your preparation and studying time.

To be efficient with your time, you should:

 

Have one schedule with all of your activities planned down to an hour.
Make your schedule easier to abide by leaving plenty of time for relaxation and enjoyment.
Plan always one week ahead to have accurate information.

 

Have Your Own Study Space

You probably live in a smaller apartment, dorm or with roommates, so finding the space to study and focus on your online classes is as important as finding the time to study. If you live in a noisy area, you can always wear Poly Plantronics headsets to eliminate the noise. Make sure you feel comfortable and try to avoid studying where there are people around you. A single chair and a desk where you can place your laptop will be sufficient for you to get into your studying mode.

If you want to improve your concentration while studying and taking your online classes, you should also:

 

Get rid of all distractions such as television, mobile phone, open windows, and anything else that might steal your attention.
Keep your study space clean and remove unnecessary objects as being surrounded by many things blocks your concentration.
Have opened windows or doors to let the fresh air in before you start studying.


Being Responsible

 

Sometimes, people will fall into the trap of feeling like taking an online course is not obligatory as they take it from the comfort from their own home. This attitude will prevent you from achieving your goal, which is finishing this course and acquiring the knowledge that will be useful for you in the future. Always check in with yourself every week, so you are keeping up with the pace of the classes.

Try to avoid making these mistakes as they will slow your progress:

 

Starting an assignment one day before it’s due.
Not writing down your tasks for the next week once you get them.
Missing out on classes because you think you know everything about that topic.

 

Be Present

As it is with responsibility, you will need to be present. Thinking that it’s anything less than a conventional classroom just because you’re taking it on your own will cause damage to your final score. The majority of today’s online classes have evolved, so there so way for students to cheat on their tests or attendance.

From metrics that track student progress on a lesson or a module, monitoring the competency of students to monitoring techniques installed on the student’s computer which checks authenticity, tracking learning metrics are constantly being improved. If students want to achieve success, they will need to be present and concentrated during their lessons and exams.

Final Thoughts

Once you start treating your online classes like something that doesn’t require too much of your attention, its value will be lost. Instead, try to be determined to do this the best you can. Treat it if you were in a classroom and you’re surrounded by your colleagues, and you will have no trouble of achieving your goal of finishing the class. With all the other benefits this type of education provides, it would be a shame to miss out on it!

Byline:Kathleen Brown is a passionate entrepreneur and enjoys writing articles, overviews, and analyses about everything going on in the industry with a single goal of sharing her expertise with students.

 

 

 

 

Making Money During College Years – Is It That Difficult?

BY EMMA BONNEY

College can be challenging, especially when it comes to money. From the beginning of your adventure to the last semester of your college years, struggling with financial matters can make your life difficult. Being a college student isn’t cheap and keeping up with a certain lifestyle rapidly adds up to your monthly expenses. The good news is that you can start making money from college, and it isn’t that difficult as many make it sound. In fact, there are many opportunities to enjoy on-campus. It would be a shame not to profit from them, really.

Tutoring is always a good idea

Tutoring is a great way to make a living while you’re still in college. Students on campus will always need guidance and support with their academics, which is a big plus for you. So, if you excel at one of your courses, start spreading the word around your campus. Interested students will shortly pop up and ask for your help. The best part is that tutoring fees are really advantageous. The average fee per hour revolves somewhere around $18. This money will come as a huge help when it comes to boosting your income. However, make sure you have a good invoicing system in place to help you avoid any tax issues. Invest in a tool that will help you generate invoices. There are plenty of tools that offer invoice templates, and some can even be customized depending on your needs.

Resident advisor

Maybe the easiest ways to make a living on campus is becoming a resident advisor. This will most likely help you save a lot. Generally, resident advisors receive free or discounted housing, meal discounts and so on. In the big picture, this is a huge plus. Because on-campus housing prices can reach even $16,000 per year, this will come as a huge advantage.

Become a research assistant to build a strong career

If you enjoy research and you have a highly analytical mind, you could become a research assistant and start building a successful career during your college years. Such positions also pay well, which will help you live more comfortably. This opportunity will allow you to get some experience and more insights in your field of interest.

If time management is your main concern, you will most probably find a position that fits perfectly into your schedule. The annual salary for research assistant can go as high as $30,000 per year.

Work for your campus security department

Your campus security department most likely needs a little help. These positions pay a decent amount of money, and you will get the chance to never leave your campus. This way, you’ll save money on transportation and you’ll never be late to your courses. For many students, this is a big perk when it comes to convenience. You can make somewhere around $15 per hour as an on-campus security employee, but you can also search for bouncer positions at neighbouring businesses.

The campus IT department is another good option

All college students will need help with their personal computers or laptops, one time or another. If you have the skill and knowledge, you can work as an on-campus IT specialist. You will find a ton of similar jobs. This is a great way to get some additional financial support during your college years. Plus, it will help you gain generous experience in the field before college ends. As an IT professional, you will make somewhere around $15 per hour. This is a flexible job that will allow you to also attend your courses. These professionals usually set availability time when others can find them.

Rent your off-campus apartment through Airbnb

If you’re one of the lucky students that have an off-campus apartment, you can make great use of it by renting it during your summer break. Airbnb is an amazing platform where you can post your apartment. At the end of your summer break, you will have a generous amount of money waiting for you. Depending on the number of bedrooms your apartment has, you can generate some extra cash.

Write resumes

Although all students should have this skill, many still need improvement when it comes to writing their resumes. But luckily for you, this could bring you somewhere around $15 and $20 per hour. In some cases, you will end up making well over $100 per resume. Even if you don’t have a lot of experience in writing resumes, you can still do your research in advance and try your luck. You can even find resume templates that will help you in the process.

Use the ideas above to make the best use of your college years. These can jumpstart your career and help you supplement your income. You don’t have to live on a shoestring budget as a student, so try these out.

A bit about myself:

Emma Bonney is a successful blogger whose articles aim to help readers with self-development, Women’s Empowerment, Education, entrepreneurship and content management. My work has been featured and mentioned in a wide range of publication.

 

Tips and Advice for Parents of Students Studying Abroad

BY LINDA ANDERSON

Sending your child off to study abroad is a big change in life. The little baby that you taught to walk is now a beautiful fledgling leaving home to start off a new life in a foreign land. This is an emotional time for all parents. However, amidst all these difficult feelings, there are a number of things that have to be dealt with. It is a good idea to keep a checklist handy.

Have a health plan

Ensure that your child goes through the necessary health checkup and vaccinations before travelling abroad. Supplements such as vitamins, Kushly CBD, iron etc. will help boost immunity. However, with all the changes, there is a small chance of sickness. Pack some basic essential medicines so as to avoid a trip to the doctor unless necessary. Contact your insurance provider to look into foreign student insurance plans or if your current plans can be modified accordingly.

Prepare for paperwork

There is a lot of paperwork involved in moving to a new country. While it is something, which the student mostly has to deal with, however there might be several documents the parents need to provide or sign. You might have to submit certain information pertaining to you as well, such as proof of income etc., so keep these handy. Make a checklist to help arrange and organize the documents and papers together.

Have a talk on finances

Studying abroad, even on full scholarship, can be an expensive affair. There is quite a bit of additional establishment cost that has to be dealt with. This is high time you talk about financial arrangements for the future. Even when there is nothing like it if you can afford to pay for all the expenses, however, that is not always possible. Encourage your kid to look for jobs or even create their own entrepreneurial venture to support himself or herself and fulfill dreams.

Learn about safety

Safety is the biggest concern on every parent’s mind when sending his or her kids abroad. While you cannot be present physically as and when needed, it is important to do your bit from home. Make a note of all the emergency phone numbers such as local police, university, embassy etc. Read up on the laws and safety of the host country and above all, do not panic. Keep an open mind so that you are the first one your kid confides in, in an emergency.

Pick up some hobbies

Last but not the least, empty nest syndrome is a real problem which hits parents harder than they think. With expensive international calls, time difference and busy schedules you might not get calls as frequently as you would like. Pick up some hobbies, volunteer somewhere, take a trip or do something, which keeps you occupied. This is a plan you need to work out and the sooner you do it, the better it is for everyone.

This is a big change for both student and parents alike. However, it is your kid’s big chance in life to grow and be successful. Be supportive, encourage his or her dreams and stand by your child unconditionally.

By line for Linda Anderson

I’m a writer and musician residing in Boise, ID in the United States, although I spent a small amount of time (about three years) living in the UK growing up, due to my father’s occupation. I graduated from the College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Business and a focus in marketing in 2014.

3 Tips for Starting Your Own Business in College

BY ANTHONY MASTERTON

Thanks to technology and the amount of information you can have in the palm of your hands in mere seconds, starting a business in college is a real possibility and easier now than ever. Of course, just because college students have the necessary tools to start their entrepreneurial dreams while in school, it helps to remember less is more.

Tip #1: Do Less

Don’t try to start with your full idea/full concept. Ask yourself this question instead: what is the minimal viable product (MVP) of my concept that I can use to test market reception? This can be as simple as a landing page with a picture or description of your idea and an email capture, or as complex as a form that accepts pre-orders.



If you want to sell T-shirts, maybe order iron-ons of your idea and do the first few by hand, and see if you can sell those before placing a larger screen-printing order.



If you want to open a store – see if an existing store will let you rent counter or shelf space to sell a product before you take on the expense of an entire lease yourself.



It can be very attractive to “do it right” or “do it perfectly” from the start, but investing heavily in an idea you haven’t proven out yet can eat up your resources and sink your ability to pivot quickly. Doing less can also safeguard you from burnout and keep you from under-serving other important areas of your life (like class).

Tip #2: Consistency Wins Over Quality

This may be counter-intuitive, but it’s better to have a consistently low-quality product than to have a product that fluctuates between high quality and low quality.



People are happy to consistently pay for a low quality product that they know will be low-quality (McDonalds, Ramen, Greyhound bus). But if you fluctuate between low quality and high quality, customers won’t know how to set their expectations and they’ll feel negatively about your brand.



It’s much better to start off doing a little less than what you’d ultimately like to in terms of product or service but be consistent in what you provide. As your brand and business capabilities grow, add in features and services you can sustain. 

Tip #3: Leverage Online Resources

As a member of Gen Z, you  have an edge in entrepreneurship. You’re already a master of multichannel communications and personal branding. You grew up self-teaching skills through youtube videos and online tutorials.

There’s more than just information in terms of online resources. If you’ve ever used taskrabbit or paid a delivery fee for food, then you’re already familiar with outsourcing whether you’ve thought of it that way before or not. When it comes to scaling your business or handling basic day-to-day items, it doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your college experience. Leverage designers, and virtual assistants online from sites like Upwork or fiverr. You can often get real help for less than $4/hr, as long as you’re willing to put in a couple hours up-front to clearly define the work that you need done.

As you grow you can even shift from leveraging help with internal business tasks, to leveraging a cloud based call center to handle customer issues and support tasks. Just make sure the vendor you select has omnichannel capabilities, and if you want to select a long-term partner right from the start, make sure their product roadmap includes AI integration.

Remember that time is just as finite as money – outsource what you can, partner where you can, and leverage resources already available through your school. Most schools will offer a small budget ($200-$2,000) to student organizations, amongst other types of support. At $4/hr for virtual support resources – $200 can get you 50 hours of support. That can be a huge quality of life difference, enabling you to go out with friends a couple times a week, block out time for studying, or grab some much needed sleep.

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

Why Art Museums On College Campuses Are Important For Students

BY SAMANTHA BROWN

 Art plays an important role in shaping the future of students. The importance of art and culture is highly discernable when it comes to clubbing it with academics. The addition of arts can form a competitive environment for students and can ensure the holistic development of their altruistic values. This is the reason why many Universities are spending lavishly on art galleries and art museums on college campuses…sometimes art makes us think out-of-the-box and propels our imaginations and creativity.

The Universities are now trying to encourage students to develop their affinity towards art and culture. Knowing about different kinds of art, from different places, different art forms help a person to become knowledgeable.  Rather than spending time in a virtual world, students must now increasingly spend time in the real world, interacting with real people, beholding real art and knowing about art forms from different places and different parts of the world.

What is the importance of art museums on college campuses?

College museums are often called the “Teaching museums” where students get to learn about and experience different artifacts, fine art specimens and that too firsthand experience that counts the most and are better than reading about these forms in textbooks. The students see it, experience it, understand its beauty and learn from it….this way they can retain the knowledge better. What we read is easy to forget but what we see remains with us for a long time.

 

Students can raise questions about different art forms, this way they can engage in a healthy conversation with their professors and learning process is certainly better than just sitting in the classroom and studying. This is more activity-oriented and makes a student wonder why? And the imagination gets a push. This way of studying and getting to know about things is much more interesting and engaging. This way is very beneficial for students who have taken up art-history courses.

 

The works of world-renowned artists are exhibited and some colleges open their museums for visitors too. This ensures healthy growth and development both for society and college students. Recently an exhibition was organized at the University of Virginia’s Fralin Museum of Art which had the title, Warhol: Icons. This exhibition showed different, epic and wide array of amazing figures starting from saint Apollonia to Marilyn Monroe to show how the concept of celebrity came into being. This exhibition acted as a teaching tool for the Sociology, media, English and History students and raised a multitude of questions regarding how time and the concept of celebrity have changed since medieval times to the present day where Instagram is a perfect sensational platform and how do celebrities get such status.

 

Now you must be thrilled to know that some medical universities and colleges such as Clinician’s Eye program in Virginia use art as a teaching tool to help medical students understand visual analysis and recognition of patterns. Some med schools encourage students to sympathize with the patients through the medium of art and paintings. Art and painting represent softer emotions and feelings and any sane person praises a good piece of art or artifact these are also tools to interact with people more.

 

People now connect to visuals, graphics, images, and videos more than anything else so museums are instrumental in bringing out the creativity and innovativeness of a person. We don’t connect to texts as much as we do to visuals. Today’s literacy is of a new kind. That is why universities and colleges are spending so much to set up their own museums and art galleries within the college campuses.
Nowadays, colleges are honestly becoming ‘art-tourist destination’. Well, these museums attract well-known art connoisseurs from across the globe. This way the college ensures their advertisement and popularity. The reputation, too, is a big thing which is promoted through these art galleries and museums. The colleges and Universities get donors through these exhibitions that they organize to interact with people as well as students. So, as we can understand not only the students but also the colleges and universities benefit from the art galleries and museums which adorn the college and university campuses. Now colleges are upgrading themselves and spending luxuriously to set up museums in their campuses… to meet the requirements of the students as though this is becoming an arms race. The more the facilities, the better for the colleges as more students get interested.

Installing art in college with professional services

For shifting fine art – artifacts and paintings to college museums, the best is to seek professional services who are well-equipped to make it a seamless process.

A fine art moving company specializes in moving fine art such that prevents any kind of damage to the artifacts. They take special care in shifting the delicate stuff right from the starting till the end. They make sure that the fine art pieces remain absolutely intact and the shifting work is done without any hassles.

Some professional art moving services provide insurance too… in case your precious gets damaged you can claim compensation. Also, a fine art moving company ensures affordability along with quality service. You can blindly trust them for they guarantee 100% quality work.

So, if you want to move your delicate fine art stuff, then you can opt for these specialized companies who provide trained workers. This way you will be able to save a lot of your valuable time and also ensure that all the fragile or delicate paintings are safe.

 

By-line

Samantha Brown is a freelance writer who specializes on carrier guidance, she is also motivational speaker and author