As the year draws to a close it can be extremely difficult to focus on the last assignments even though they carry a significant portion of your grade. This unfortunate fact is just another way Universities can unnecessarily up your stress—but until that changes, here’s how to deal with it.
The single thing that has helped me the most is getting a semester-long calendar with all my big due dates on it. It can be hard to stay motivated when the deadlines are two weeks away, but when it’s on paper those deadlines become very real. Start planning backwards from the date of the last final and watch how the hours fill up magically. Before you know it, you have all the motivation you need.
Keep your calendar fluid. Build in a little extra time (not too much, or that elusive motivation goes out the window!) so that when unexpected social events or setbacks occur it doesn’t wreck your entire plan. You’ll know by planning backwards how many of those unexpected events your schedule can manage.
Write next to the assignment deadline bolded and italicized the percentage of the grade the assignment is worth. There is something about seeing 35% next to an essay that gives me the motivation to proof read it one more time or begin the assignment one day sooner. As we all know, it’s those small things that can make the difference between a B and an A.
Schedule in time for yourself. You will burn out very quickly if you only work, work, work. Whether that means going to the gym or taking a long bath, or even taking the time to clean up your dorm. Whatever gives you peace of mind, do it, even if it counter intuitively takes time away from what you feel you should be doing most!
Keep your friends in the loop. The only thing more rewarding than a job well done at the end of a semester is celebrating with friends who have seen you through the stress and hardships along the way. When you’re feeling depressed about how many assignments you have due and how stressed out you are, call up a friend to vent (just make sure to do the same for him/her!).
Good luck getting through Finals!
-WonderBread
I’m reading Statistics: Informed Decisions Using Data
Graduation is a bittersweet time of year. We know it’s coming all year long. In fact, if you think about it, we know it’s coming for at least 4 years leading up to it. Regardless, it’s still a shock when May rolls around and we have to say goodbye to the seniors—the ones we have looked up to and watched rule the school. Some students are sad—they already miss their friends and they haven’t even walked across the stage yet! Some students aren’t sad, but nervous. If seniors are graduating, that means they’re next; can they really be growing up that fast?
Whether or not the ceremony is filled with joy, or sadness, or just pure anxiety, graduation means different things to different students. It can affect us all- regardless of our year.
Graduation for seniors is about the next step. They are moving on and saying goodbye to their classes, their dorm rooms or school-houses, and hello to a job (hopefully), bills and real life. They are leaving their friends and meal plans and going into the real world to fend for themselves. Will they make it? Are they happy or scared? Are they wondering if they should have invested in the 5-7 year college plan instead of 4? It’s scary and different but can also be a breath of fresh air. Your senior friends can pat themselves on the back. They are walking away with an arsenal of knowledge, a college degree, and hopefully not too many student loans. Either way, they made it and should be incredibly proud. They can throw their cap up high!
For juniors, graduation is odd. It means your friends are leaving, you’re getting older, and somehow, someway, you’re next. In the blink of an eye you went from being a new kid on campus and barely making your way from class to class and now you’re just two short semesters away from the stage walk your friends are facing. There has to be a mistake? How would you have missed something as huge as three years of college? Could the old saying be true, and time really does fly when you’re having fun? Or, have you just been so busy working and studying that the last 6 semesters have slipped you by? Breathe. You will make it just fine. This is the last summer before your big year. Enjoy it, relax. When you return in the fall, it’s your time to shine and prepare to ride the rollercoaster of your senior year! It’s filled with emotions, ups and downs, and plenty of “real world” anxiety.
Sophomores are excited by graduation. They think to themselves, and announce of their facebook pages, “Whoo, I’m half way done with my college career”. Little do they know the next two years of their lives are about to pass by even faster than the previous two. Sophomore year was exciting. You finish the year, go home for summer and come back an upperclassman. It’s a strange but exciting feeling.
Freshmen might feel just about as weird as the seniors do when graduation rolls around. Didn’t they just graduate? How can it be May already, there is absolutely no way a whole year has past? Freshmen spend the year soaking up all that college has to offer. They study hard, meet new friends, and experience a whole new chapter of life. When May hits after their first year there really is no other option other than to just reflect and think back on everything you just spent the last 8 months doing. How did you do? Did you like it? Did you make it? How were your grades? Will you ever make it to where those old kids are in their college robes?
No matter what year you’re in, or how far you’ve made it in your college career, there is no denying how fast time flies. You made it through another year and summer is here once again. It’s quite an accomplishment and shouldn’t be taken lightly—even if you aren’t the one in the robes (yet—you’ll get there!).
Now is the time to breathe. Relax. Enjoy your summer, keep working hard—no matter what year you’re in, and stay positive. The 4 years of college are supposed to be fun, challenging, rewarding and exhausting all at the same time. It will fly, so you may not be the one the stage this year, but your time will come. Be prepared!
-Ring Queen
I’m reading Beginning and Intermediate Algebra
The following is a guest post from Noël Rozny of myFootPath.com
Right about now, you’re probably crawling out from underneath a pile of library books, term papers, and exam notes, feeling like you can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. And you’re right, the school year is almost over, which means that if you’re a senior, you’ll be graduating soon. Congratulations!
While you should reward yourself for completing your degree program, don’t take a break for too long. There are many other details that need your attention now that school is winding down. To make it easier for you, we’ve put together a College Graduate checklist that will help make the transition in the “real world” a little bit easier.
5 Things Every College Grad Needs After Graduation
Job Search Tools
You might have already started your job search, but if not, now’s the time. For a successful job search, you’ll need a polished resume, 3-4 professional references, and a strong professional network. If you’ve never compiled a resume, you should be able to get some free guidance at your school’s career center. Professors, former employers, and student organization supervisors all make great references, so check in with those individuals now to see if they’ll speak on your behalf. As for networking, start with references, colleagues, coaches, and anyone else you’ve collaborated with in the past four years. Contact them about your job search, connect with them on LinkedIn, and pick their brain for any tips or job opportunities they know of.
An Apartment
If you’ve been living in the dorms the past four years, one of the first things you need to do before graduation is line up a place to live. Finding an apartment that fits your needs and price range can take a few weeks, so get started now. Make a list of what you want, what you don’t want, and start contacting apartment companies. Don’t forget that you’ll need money for a security deposit (anywhere from a month to two month’s rent), basic furniture (this is where futons come in handy) and to get the utilities (electricity, water, gas and cable) turned on in your name.
Health Insurance
While you were in college, chances are that you were on your parent’s health insurance. The good news is that you can stay on you’re their plan for a few more years, until you’re 26, so if the internship or job you’re starting after graduation doesn’t offer a plan, you’re covered. If you do decide to switch insurance plans to what you’re employer is offering, make sure there are no gaps in your coverage, as that can currently affect your ability to receive treatment for pre-existing conditions.
A Work Wardrobe
Even if you luck out and land a job at a company with a relaxed dress code, you’ll still need a good suit or two for client meetings, corporate events, and business trips. Business clothes are expensive, so maximize your dollars by buying one or two suits in neutral colors, like black or gray, and variety of dress shirts in a different colors.
Retirement Plans
I know retirement probably seems very far away. But now is actually a crucial time in your retirement planning. Putting away a set amount each month, no matter how small, can have a huge impact on how much you’ll have when that golden day arrives. If you’re employer offers a 401(k) or similar plan, getting started should be pretty easy. If not, you can meet with a financial advisor and get started on your own.
I know the items on this checklist might seem overwhelming, but with the help of those who have gone before you (parents, an older sibling, an aunt or uncle) it’s all very doable, and the sooner you start, the easier your transition will be. Good luck!
Noël Rozny is Web Editor & Content Manager at myFootpath, a career and education resource for students of all ages. Visit myFootpath.com to find the bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD program that’s right for you.
The Economic Policy Institute reported in early March that entry-level wages of male and female college graduates have fallen in recent years; no surprise there. The average hourly wage for graduates aged 23-29 has fallen to $21.68 for men (a whooping 11% decrease in the past ten years) and $18.80 for women, which is a 6.7% decrease.
So where can recent graduates go for jobs? The US Bureau of Labor Statistics has data showing the unemployment rate dropping from September 2011 to March 2012, but where are those jobs? Utilizing the articles and databases of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics is a great place to start informing yourself about where the jobs are in your field.
Forbes has released an article naming ten cities to be the Best Cities For New College Grads. The cities to win the lowest unemployment rate of the ten is tied, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn. and Washington, D.C., including Arlington and Alexandria, Va. at 5.5%. The latter also has the highest mean wages hourly as of May 2010 at $29.95. Other cities to make the list are Boston, Seattle, Houston, Baltimore, Dallas, Kansas City, Raleign/Durham, and Austin.
MSNBC released an article in September of 2011, which would add Hartford-New Haven, Cleveland, Denver, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and St. Louis to the list of best metropolitan areas to start out in.
So what are these cities ranked on? What makes a city great enough to make the cut? These lists are based on job markets and local economies, but there are many other factors that you should consider. Is there a metropolitan area that has a growing job market that is within commuting distance to a family’s house? Living at home is not always ideal, but spending a year or two crashing with Mom and Dad can save you enough money to put a down payment on a place of your own, or at least help you save enough to get you on your feet.
Coed Magazine posted an interesting infographic in the beginning of the year that is worth checking out:
Moving to an area based on statistics without a job prospect can lead to a great adventure, but not always a great career. Start your job hunt within these areas first before packing up and jumping in.
-TravelBug
I'm reading Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective
The following is a guest post by Noel Rozny of myFootpath
The college diploma: With graduation just around the corner, it’s that important-looking piece of paper that college graduates are dreaming of this time of year.
Too bad you can’t take it with you to a job interview.
The truth is that once you enter the working world, the bachelor’s degree you worked really hard to get is going to occupy just a small amount of space on a much more important piece of paper: your resume.
That’s right: it’s your resume, not your actual diploma that future employers care about. Sure, they want to see that you graduated from college, preferably in a field related to the job you’re applying to. But more importantly, they want to see what kind of job skills you have, where you worked, and what kind of impact you had on that organization.
And the resume is they key to relaying all of this information. If it’s done correctly, your resume can get you past the hundreds of other applicants going after the same position (the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the unemployment rate is still 8.5 %) and into the interview room.
So if you want to a job after graduation, you’ll need to start working on your resume now.
How to Get a Jump Start on Your Resume
1. Get Help From a Professional
Do you have a resume? If not, start working on yours right now. Your college or university probably has a career center on campus, so take advantage of it. The career experts there can help you build a resume from scratch and best of all, they’ll do it for free. As an alternative, there are also many professional resume writing services that can help you out for a fee.
2. Don’t Forget Collateral Materials
So you helped design the brochure for your dorm’s annual fundraiser? Awesome! Did you write a letter or article that was included in your student newspaper? Great! Get these materials together so you can take them to future interviews. Future employers don’t just want to hear about what you did, they want to see it if at all possible. Put your samples in a nice clip book or organizer and bring them to your interview. Even if you email any links beforehand, it’s still nice for your interviewer to be able to see what you worked on in person.
3. Go Digital
It’s not enough to buy some nice letterhead and call it a day. Nowadays you also need a strong digital presence, so that when recruiters Google your name, they get your LinkedIn profile and your Google+ profile, not some ridiculous Facebook photo that’s 5 years old.
If you haven’t joined these social networks yet, do it! They’ll not only help you show up positively in the search results, but they’re also great networking tools. Put up a professional head shot, use strong keywords to describe who you are and what you want to do professionally, and above all else, keep them free from profanity and other inappropriate posts.
I know it sounds like a lot of work, but trust me, it’s well worth it. Job searches can take several months so the sooner you get started, the closer you’ll be to that first job out of college.
Noël Rozny is Web Editor & Content Manager at myFootpath, a career and education resource for students of all ages. Visit myFootpath.com to find the bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD program that’s right for you.
