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Student Life

Student Guide on How to Stop Overspending and Start Saving

November 11, 2021

Being a student is one of the most exciting phases of one’s life. Financially, this is the ideal time to experiment with your ideas and get a head start for adulthood. The challenge, though, is how to make ends meet with the limited resources you currently have. After all, just a night of overspending can lead to disastrous results down the line.

Fortunately, there are a lot of steps that you can practice to prevent overspending and learn more about personal financial management. In this article, we are going to share some of them with you, particularly those that we have already tried and tested for years:

1.  Make use of last year’s books.

According to Academic Matters, an average student spends more than $1,000 on books and other learning materials per year. While putting them to good use is the best way to make the most of your investment, there is another way to get (at least) some of your money back. Take good care of your textbooks because you can still resell them for a good price once the school year’s over. Check out your campus bookstore for buy-back programs, or sites such as Amazon or Chegg.

2.  Enjoy savings for this year’s books.

While we’re on the topic of textbook savings, you can use similar tactics for books you have yet to purchase. Look into buying used textbooks or renting them. Many times, you can still. write and highlight in books you rent, so it shouldn’t impact your study habits.

3.  Know your discounts.

Since we are already talking about Amazon, did you know that they have an Amazon Prime student program as well? This allows you to sign-up at half the price of their regular plan, take advantage of significant discounts, enjoy free food delivery, and more.

Meanwhile, Amazon is not the only company that offers discounts to students. Don’t forget other types of bonuses as well. For instance, groceries typically hold late-night discounts for perishable items that didn’t sell during the day. Take the time to find what’s available near you and you might be surprised how a little effort can stretch your dollars further.

4.  Plan your expenses and shop smart.

There are different types of budgeting systems but for students, we highly recommend starting with something simple like the envelope system. It won’t require any expense recording but it will make sure that you live within your means.

Don’t automatically assume that you need to buy everything as well. You will need a lot of things when you’re moving into you’re venturing out into the world for the first time, but don’t think that you would need to buy everything brand new.

There’s no shame in asking around whether your family and friends have some things that you might need just lying around unused, such as old pieces of furniture or kitchen appliances. Other items, like the power tools you’ll need to assemble your own furniture, can also be rented as needed.

We also recommend alternative methods such as point-of-need financing. You can use it to buy bigger educational-related expenses, like a new laptop or a printer. You might even need a small fridge or a microwave for your dorm room. This will allow you to get what you need and pay for them through smaller and more manageable monthly payments.

5.  Explore new interests.

Binge drinking, excessive partying, shopping, and even vaping are all hobbies that are not just irresponsible, they’re quite costly too. Instead, consider exploring fun and inexpensive hobbies!

For example, there are affordable musical instruments that you can start learning how to play. Getting a chess set is pretty cheap and you can spend your whole life contemplating on its 69,352,859,712,417 possibilities and still not master it.

Are you a fan of working out? There are campus gyms that offer free memberships for their students, teachers, even the alumni. The fun that comes with college parties can still be enjoyed, just not overdone!

6.  Take advantage of more affordable forms of entertainment.

A lot of campuses offer free (or really affordable) forms of entertainment such as movie nights, museum passes, and cultural shows. We also recommend skipping a costly cable package. Try a streaming service instead, like Netflix or Hulu. Amazon also offers Amazon Music and Prime Video as part of the student program we have featured earlier. Talk to your roommates and see if they’d split the cost on one or two streaming services for you to share.

In fact, when it comes to music, there really is no need to buy tracks these days. You can simply use free streaming services like Spotify or Pandora.

7.  Share food and space with your friends.

You can further pull down your monthly expenses by splitting the cost of your rent and utilities with a roommate. You can even plan your meals together and share grocery expenses. Splitting the responsibility of cooking and cleaning up is unbeatable!

8.  Review your life skills.

Speaking of cooking, it will save you a lot from eating and spending money on take out. We know how convenient it is, but it is financially smarter to just cook your own dinner rather than reaching for Uber Eats every other day. Save those splurge nights for really special occasions.

Riding a bike is another way to save money in college. Car payments, insurance, parking passes, and gas can really add up, especially if you are on a student budget. If you really need a car, you could rent one for the day or utilize a ride share service. But a bike should be enough if you live on campus or close by.

There are certainly other methods to save money as a student, but the ones we have mentioned above are good points that you can already start practicing. Good luck!

Student Life Transition

8 Ways to Pay for College

November 8, 2021

Attending a college or university can be a great way to open up new doors in your life. You can make professional connections, explore different career paths and nurture your personal interests all on a single campus. A big problem many students face today, though, is paying for college. As costs continue to rise students find themselves scrambling to cover tuition and fees so they continue working toward their dream. If this sounds like you, don’t worry! There are plenty of ways to pay for school so you can enjoy your classes without worrying about tuition.

Fill Out FAFSA

This is the free application for federal student aid. It’s the federal government’s way of assessing your needs and seeing what it can do to help. Universities and colleges use the information in this form to determine what types of funding you might be eligible for. Things like scholarships, grants and student loans are all determined by your FAFSA. The form is filled out per school year and needs to be renewed each year.

Find Scholarships

Almost every higher education institution offers its own scholarships, both campus-wide and departmental. These are also the scholarships that everyone else at your school will be applying for. They’re great to get in on or be awarded, but they’re by no means the end of your scholarship opportunities. Plenty of national organizations and large companies offer their own scholarships to college students. Start searching early and you’re likely to find a treasure trove of alternative scholarships that can help you pay for school. 

Apply for Grants

Grants, like scholarships, are another type of funding that you don’t have to pay back. There are federal and state grants that you’ll be considered for through filling out your FAFSA. The most popular type of grant is a federal Pell grant, which can cover a significant amount of tuition for qualifying students. States have a variety of grants for certain types of students as well, such as Louisiana’s Go Grant for low-income students returning to school.

Get a Work-Study Job

Plenty of students work their way through school, but some lucky ones get to work at their school. Work-study jobs are especially helpful because they often come with some type of tuition remission or exemption (in extremely lucky scenarios). The university or college pays you to hold a position on its staff and as an added bonus it also discounts your tuition. These jobs are typically offered through certain departments, so check with your school to see which areas offer work-study jobs.

Tapping into Your Savings

No one wants to pay out of pocket for their education, but sometimes it’s a reality you have to face. Saving for college throughout high school or in the years before you plan to attend can help you satisfy tuition requirements without having to work extra shifts and worry about missing a payment. A good rule of thumb is to have two years’ worth of tuition and fees saved before you start and a solid savings plan to keep yourself funded throughout your education. 

Choosing an Affordable School

Wouldn’t everyone love to attend an Ivy League school? Although your dream school might have the best program in the country or be in a beautiful area, college is also a time where you have to get real about your financial ability. Setting your sights on a school that’s above your budget will likely set you up for disappointment. Choose a school that’s affordable on its own and also offers lots of funding opportunities. If your state offers scholarships for in-state students, look at schools that honor those programs. Some universities even have legacy scholarships available for students whose parents and grandparents attended as well.

Paying for college can seem impossible, but there are lots of ways to find the money to finance your dreams. Fill out your FAFSA, look for scholarships, grants and work-study jobs, make sure your savings account is in order and find an affordable school. Don’t forget to protect your investment in college with tuition insurance!

BIO: Brett Clawson has a degree in Business Management and has started a couple of small businesses. When he’s not focusing his time on those, he spends time with his wife and two sons. His oldest son has entered the wonderful realm of college, and he now enjoys sharing tips that he and his son have found essential for college life.

Career Student Life

5 Part Time Online Careers for College Students

November 1, 2021

School tuition is no joke. Some students need to take part-time jobs just to be able to make it through college. However, certain circumstances make it more difficult to work in person. If you’re a college student who wants to earn extra income from the comfort of your home or dorm, here are some part-time positions you can try.

Photo and video editing services

A lot of people out there are not so well-versed with editing photos and videos and would often find freelancers online who could work on one or two projects for them. If you know a thing or two about photo restoration, video editing for social media, and other editing tasks, you can work as a freelancer online. You don’t even have to invest much. You can sign up on free freelance job websites and use a free online video editor for your work.

Freelance writing

Online writers are in high demand. Businesses, professionals, and even independent creators all need written content to build and establish their online presence. There are websites like UpWork where you can sign up to find and bid for freelance writing projects. Just like photo and video editing, clients just provide a deadline so you work on your own schedule.

Online teaching

If you are quite knowledgeable about a subject, language, art, or musical instrument, then you can offer online lessons for a fee. You can do this independently or you could register at websites that offer tutorial services for students who need after-school assistance with specific subjects.

Stock photography

If you have a camera and can take pretty decent photos, you can consider selling some of your images online. Stock media is highly popular and people are willing to pay for photos they could use on their websites, ads, blogs, videos, magazines, brochures, and other digital or printed materials. Although the income probably won’t be consistent, you could earn enough to support your studies by putting out photos that are relevant to popular topics nowadays.

Graphic design or digital art

Digital creations are in demand, be it for personal or business use. You can work as a project-based graphic designer, creating brand logos, brochures, packaging design, and other visual concepts for companies, entrepreneurs, and organizations. If you are more interested in art, you can create digital artworks and sell prints of them online.

Starting your online career

An online part-time job can help you earn extra income for your college tuition. The great thing about working remotely is that you won’t have to spend money commuting to your workplace. If at all possible, find an online job that’s related to your current field of study. Not only will it help you financially, you will also gain a lot of experience while being able to learn more and hone your skills. Just make sure that you have a working computer, a stable internet connection, and the apps or tools that you need to help you work better and create impressive results. Good luck!

Student Life

Guide to Decorating Your Dorm Room (+ DIY Ideas)

October 29, 2021

If you’re headed to college, you probably know about all the expenses you’ll need to make, and decorating your room is one of them. 

Decorating a dorm room can be a fun activity, but it can be expensive. Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do to avoid spending all your savings on dorm room items. 

Why It’s Important to Decorate Your Dorm Room

  • Dorm rooms are often small, so you need to choose the right decorations to maximize all the space and make the room look larger.
  • If you have a roommate, using the right decorations will help you get more privacy.
  • You’ll likely spend much of your time in your dorm room, so it’s important to make it as cozy as possible.
  • Decorating your dorm room can be an exciting activity and can help you relax when first move there.

DIY Dorm Room Ideas

1. Create Artwork

If you’re a creative person, you can create art to embellish your dorm room. To get started, get your paint, pens, or other means of creating artwork, and get to work!

2. Create a Photo Wall

As you start out college, you’re probably going to miss many of your friends and family members. To make them feel closer, create a photo wall and hang photos that will remind you of them every day. Then, you can add photos of your new friends to the photo wall and keep the collection growing.

2. Print a Door Hanger

Using a door hanger is one of the easiest ways to decorate your dorm room at nearly no cost. There are many you can find available for free online. Just be sure you print them out on card stock to get the best results!

3. Hang Seasonal Decorations

When vacations are coming closer, you might start missing your family. To get a holiday vibe as soon as possible, hang seasonal decorations and lights to combat homesickness.

4. Create DIY Curtains

Your dorm room probably already has curtains, but that doesn’t mean you need to keep those. Nor do you necessarily have to buy expensive ones. To personalize your dorm room, consider creating your own curtains by simply using fabric fuse tape and swatches of fabric.

5. Optimize Your Space

Like we mentioned, when dealing with a small space, it’s important to optimize its use. Start with the shelves. Use open, corner shelves or hanging shelves to organize your books, frame, and more without using all the dorm room. 

6. Use Items to Stay Organized

In addition to clothes, you need to optimize the space for your smaller items too. You can use an expandable drawer for utensils, a hanging jewelry organizer for your precious metals, and a cosmetics organizer for your makeup tools.

7. Pick a Theme

To really let your personality come through in your dorm room, make sure you pick a specific theme. First, use your favorite colors for your sheets and furniture. If you’re passionate about music, consider hanging posters of your favorite bands. If you’re a sports fan, you can use your team’s colors and gadgets to make your form room more interesting. Consider creating a zen environment in your dorm room.

Personalizing your dorm room with decorations, no matter how simple or extravagant, can make your space feel warm, inviting, and comforting. Keep these ideas in mind as you begin the decorating process!

BIO: Originally from Rome, Italy, Giacomo Rotella holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Hult International Business School. He’s an experienced marketer with a focus on SEO.

Other Student Life

Supporting and Understanding Gender Identity in College

October 26, 2021

The college years are some of the most formative, character-building years in a young adult’s life. For many, college is the time they solidify their personal, ethical, religious, and political beliefs. For others, these years may be spent discovering their true sense of self in their sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. A lot of learning is done in college and perhaps one of the most salient things someone may learn in college is how to understand, accept, and appreciate the differences of others.

A topic somewhat new to academia and popular culture alike is the concept of gender fluidity, and how to support and understand individuals who may identify and express their gender in ways that some would not consider traditional. According to Postsecondary National Policy Institute, 10% of college students identify as LGBTQ+. With the rise of this particular minority group on college campuses, it is essential that everyone educate themselves on how to be the best ally, friend, and classmate.

What is gender fluidity?

Before diving into why and how to support people who experience gender fluidity, let’s lay the groundwork for understanding all of the language involved in the discourse surrounding gender and gender expression.

  • Gender is how someone identifies and may correlate to the gender they were assigned at birth that aligns with their sex (male or female). If someone was born a female and identifies as a girl or woman, that person is cisgender, meaning their gender identity and expression aligns with their biological sex.
  • If someone identifies as a gender they were NOT assigned at birth, that person is transgender.
  • If someone is gender fluid, it means that they experience their gender on a spectrum, and may express more masculine, feminine, or androgynously in accordance with how they feel most comfortable. Many gender-fluid people do not identify as transgender, some choosing to align themselves with no gender at all, all of the genders, or no label.

Regardless of how a college peer chooses to identify, it is their choice and their choice alone.

How does a gender-fluid individual present himself/herself?

So, how does someone experiencing gender-fluidity present himself/herself, and what is life like for them? While this varies from person to person, many gender-fluid individuals will choose pronouns and clothing that conform to their gender presentation, perhaps using masculine pronouns such as he/him/his and choosing traditionally masculine clothing some days, and more feminine clothing and pronouns such as she/her/hers on other days. Other fluid individuals prefer they/them pronouns or other neopronouns that are unattached to being male or female, paired with androgynous gender fluid clothing. It may seem odd to those who have identified as cisgender their whole lives to grasp the concept of gender fluidity, but many gender-fluid identifying people describe it as experiencing the reality of both genders, just in different timeframes, experiencing a sense of gender euphoria when presenting according to how they feel.

Supporting gender fluidity on campus

As our society grows more inclusive and understanding, the percentage of people becoming comfortable enough to come out as gender-fluid and live their lives accordingly has increased. So, how can you understand and subsequently support the people around you who identify as gender-fluid? There is no complicated step-by-step guide, nor a specific “how-to” manual in that regard, but there are some basic guidelines that may allow your peers to feel safe, comfortable, and appreciated.

Use their preferred pronouns

Being a good ally to the LGBTQ+ community involves dedicating effort to honoring pronouns, creating inclusive spaces, and educating oneself in areas of inexperience. Although it may take some getting used to, switching back and forth between someone’s pronouns in accordance to their preference is probably the best way someone can be supportive of a gender-fluid college peer. By using the pronoun they identify with, you are proving to them that you hear what they have to say, you respect their feelings, and are dedicated to their comfort.

Take time to listen

Beyond usage of proper pronouns, being supportive can be as simple as listening and validating their experiences as members of the LGBTQ+ community, or as involved as joining a local campus campaign to educate and spread acceptance regarding identities across the gender spectrum. Dormitory living is an aspect of college life that is unique to on-campus living. Allowing gender-fluid dorm mates to use the bathroom and showers that they feel comfortable with will relieve social stigma and gender dysphoria. If campus policy does not support your gender-fluid peers, becoming part of a movement within the student council to modify policy and create a safe, inclusive place for everyone may be a massive way to show support.

Educate yourself

Remember, being a part of a minority group can be stressful, harmful, and even dangerous for some people. Do not expect your gender-fluid classmate to be an educational resource for you or someone who answers all of your LGBTQ+-related questions. There are many online resources, as well as books and other media that can be an asset to you on your educational journey towards understanding and appreciating those around you.

Whether it is using their pronoun of choice, respecting their presentation using gender-fluid clothing, honoring their identity in social situations, or educating yourself on the reality of being different, there are many avenues to being a good ally to gender-fluid individuals, most of which involve simply supporting their right to be comfortable in their own bodies. From organizing student body councils to make inclusive campus policies, to simply honoring someone’s pronoun preference, everyone has the ability to improve the quality of the college experience for their gender fluid peers.

Career Student Life

5 Reasons Why You Should Get an MBA

October 21, 2021

Getting a Master of Business Administration degree is one of the best decisions you can make when it’s time to push your professional career forward. An MBA can help you get ahead in your career, start your own business, and so much more. 

Many people debate whether it’s a good idea for them to go back to school and get an MBA. But there are so many benefits to choosing this as a new college option that will help you get ahead. Read below for some of the top reasons why you should consider going for your MBA.

1.     The People You Meet

While studying for a Masters of Business Administration degree, you will get a chance to meet others who share the same passion that you do for business. Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, or if you plan to work for yourself or for a company, you will find that pursuing your MBA can open the door to valuable networking opportunities.

Take the time while working on your MBA to focus on networking and learning more about the world of business. You can make some of the best connections possible when you go for your MBA and there is never another opportunity to meet people like this all in one place. 

2.     You Get a Holistic Business Education

There is so much that you can learn when you work with an MBA. Even if you have spent a lot of time in the workforce, there are situations when learning new techniques and methods can be useful.

On-campus and online MBA programs can provide you with a holistic business education that will make sure you have a wide knowledge base and expand your interests more than anything else. 

3.     Work On Your Communication

An MBA program enables you to become an effective communicator. From writing papers and emails to giving a lot of presentations, you will do it all within this degree program. 

MBA programs are designed to help students find the best way to effectively communicate in all sorts of business environments. This is an essential skill for many of the industries in the world of business, and yet one that is going to be lacking in most business professionals. 

Whether you need help overall or you have a specific area that is lacking, you will find that this degree is going to give you some tips and tricks to make it all a bit better. 

4.     Learn About Collaborations and Building Teams

In the world of business, you will need to spend a lot of time working with others, being part of a team, and sharing ideas along the way. Collaborating isn’t always easy, but with an MBA program, you will get a chance to experience this before entering the workforce.

Businesses, no matter what type they are, are a type of group environment. If you are not already spending a good deal of time working in teams, you will find that this will change as you pursue your MBA degree. 

You will need to work on these teams regardless of whether you get the degree on campus or through an online university. You will also spend time learning how to build good teams, which is an important step in business management.

5.     Expand Your Mind

Busy careers can make it really hard to find the time for any kind of self-reflection. This is something that can change when you work on an MBA. Whether you decide to do this on campus or you are doing an online program, the MBA will make it easier to expand your mind. 

While you take these classes and spend time with other students who share your interests, you will get a chance to step back and think about things in a different light. These programs help you think about bigger issues in business, branch out in some new directions, and even consider some new opportunities to grow your career. 

Choosing to Get Your MBA Degree

An MBA degree is one of the best options to go with when you wish to further your career and get ahead with management or even starting your own business. When you are ready to make a change, take advantage of an MBA degree and see how much of a difference it can make for you. 

Adulting Student Life

How to Build Credit as a College Student

October 18, 2021

Going to college is all about learning, which includes your studies, but also gaining a better understanding of how to manage your finances. A key part of this is building your credit. 

According to Experian, the average FICO score — a type of credit score — in the U.S. in 2020 was 711, which falls into the good credit score range. Good credit can open up more financial opportunities during college and beyond, including more favorable loan terms and interest rates. 

If you want the benefits of having a healthy credit score, here are a few ways to help build your credit to above-average and excellent levels.

Apply for a student credit card

It can be difficult to qualify for certain credit cards when you’re starting to build credit, but student credit cards typically have less strict requirements. Even better, many of the best credit cards for students don’t come with annual costs and provide valuable benefits — which could include earning cash back on your purchases.

To find the right student card for you, consider the benefits and earning rates being offered. A card might be a good fit if its benefits and cashback bonus categories align with your spending habits and lifestyle.

Become an authorized user

You don’t have to apply and qualify for your own credit card to start building your credit. Many credit card companies allow for authorized users to be added to existing accounts. The account owner controls what the authorized user has access to, including having their own card connected to the account.

The benefit of becoming an authorized user is being able to build your credit with the help of the account owner. As long as the credit account is being used and paid off, you should see your credit start to grow. Talk with a family member or trusted friend about becoming an authorized user on their credit card account and whether it would make sense for you.

Use credit responsibly

An essential part of building and maintaining a healthy credit score is ensuring you always use credit responsibly. For example, it typically doesn’t make sense to carry a balance on a credit card because of high interest rates. Paying off your balance in full each month can help you avoid costly fees and interest charges and stay on track toward your financial goals.

It’s important to use credit responsibly so you can improve your credit score. Part of this includes budgeting for your monthly payments and making them on time — whether you open a credit card or take out a loan.

Add rent payments to your credit report

If you’re the type of person who has renters insurance and always pays rent on time, it could make sense to research and consider using a service to report your rental payment history. 

Rent payments aren’t often automatically included on credit reports, but certain services can help report your positive rent payments to different credit bureaus, which could boost your credit score. Since most college students are just getting started building credit, there’s no credit check for GradGuard’s Renters Insurance.

Consider a credit-builder loan

Apart from credit cards, you can also use loans, such as credit-builder loans, to help build your credit. With a credit-builder loan, a lender will typically add the proceeds to a secured savings account. You’ll make regular monthly payments toward the loan balance, and the money becomes available to you once you pay off the loan.

You have to pay some interest for the borrowed money, but this type of opportunity can be helpful if your options for building credit are limited. Many banks and financial institutions offer credit-builder loans.

Final thoughts

No matter your field of study, having a solid understanding of credit and its potential benefits can help shape your future financial decisions. And if you start building your credit now, you’ll pave the way for unlocking valuable financial opportunities down the road.

BIO: FinanceBuzz’sVP of Content, Tracy Odell, also held the same position at Student Loan Hero and has expertise in this subject, as well as all things related to college finances.

Health Student Life

Why College Students Should Exercise Regularly

October 14, 2021

College can be daunting and exhausting. For some, managing their time well has become a part of their daily routine. But for some students who can’t handle college life well, focusing on several activities at once could be an overwhelming process.

As a college student with more than one stressor, keeping a healthy routine that includes regular exercise is essential. It’s not only great for physical benefits, but it can also rewire your brain.

Here are seven crucial reasons college students should incorporate exercise in their daily life.

Improves Concentration and Focus

You may not know it now, but a workout can help improve your concentration and focus.

When you exercise, you allow your brain to stimulate new cells. This can help boost your overall well-being, including concentration and keeping the mind focused. Such activity can result in being more productive in your school work and could help you ace that exam you’ve dreaded since the start of the semester.

Relieves Stress

Stress is one reason some college students fail to get a passing mark. We’re not generalizing the scenario, but we all know how stress could affect students’ study habits.

While stress can do that to people, exercise can counter the decline in neurotransmitters. As such, your brain will produce endorphins that could generally make you feel happier or relaxed. It could even lessen your chances of experiencing heart attacks or stomach problems.

Enhances Memory

The brain cells found in our hippocampus are responsible for the formation of memories. It’s also where you dig up and recall memories that are in the past.

So when you study for a quiz, you use the cells in your hippocampus to store and form memories that could help you remember what you’ve read. It’s a helpful tool when you sit down on your chair and start taking the quiz.

But like every cell in our body, they tend to diminish. To avoid losing your brain’s power, use exercise to help build a better block for your memory. It boosts the creation of these important cells that could make an impact on your college life.

Stimulates Brain Cell Development

Our brain is a beautiful machine. It’s what keeps our bodily functions moving and fighting against external stressors.

However, the most exciting part of the brain is cell development that could help us improve our lifestyle.

Treat your brain as your physical body. To be able to function well, you have to feed it with essential nutrients. That includes maintaining a healthy exercise routine.

It’s essential to stimulate brain cell development at this stage in your life. That’s because it’s where you juggle school activities and the troubles of being an adult.

Builds Immune System Strength

At this point in your life, you’d want to avoid getting sick at all because missing one school activity can drastically affect your class standing. Building your immune system should be a top priority, especially because stress can attack your body in ways that you don’t expect.

Regular exercise is one way to boost your immune system. It will allow your body to fight off the common cold, flu, and sometimes even severe health conditions.

Improves Physical Health

Of course, the first thing you’ll notice when you start exercising is developing your physical health. You could quickly feel your muscles being pumped and improving your strength and endurance.

Exercising can include visiting the gym, doing home workouts, yoga, pilates, or even joining your school’s hiking club. Remember that you should pick a flexible regimen that could fit your schedule and match your physical capacity to move around.

We recommend making an outdoor trip once in a while to keep you inspired and to avoid the effects of burnout. You may not have the whole outdoor adventure gear, but to keep walking sticks for hiking in your college dorm is enough to last you an hour or two out in the wild.

Boosts Your Mood

We’ve mentioned earlier the effects of endorphins in our bodies. It’s essential to keep a positive vibe for most of the days during your college years. It’s a basic weapon to survive the most grueling tasks of beating deadlines, maintaining a grade, and learning from all your subjects.

You can improve your mood by doing light to moderate exercises at least three times a week. You may think that squeezing in a 30-minute exercise into your already busy day is hard. But you can achieve this without sweat with proper time management!

Adulting Student Life

Essential Apps for College Student Survival

October 7, 2021

If you’re a student who’s constantly multitasking, college can seem like a difficult endeavor. It’s especially true if you rely on a part-time job to make ends meet. But at the same time, you’re always trying to balance out other activities and engagements, such as meeting friends, gaming, and relaxing. Managing social and academic life, in this regard, requires that you’re fast and super productive.  

As the education sector integrates more and more technology, students can find new innovative ways to balance their academics and social life. So whether you’re a college freshman or in your senior year, you’re probably looking for apps that can make it easier to survive college. 

Here is a list of some essential apps you can use to manage time and improve your productivity. 

Evernote

A big part of college life entails “note-taking.” How about having an app that allows you to take notes by entering text and ideas?

Evernote can do just that. This amazing app is a “must-have” for every student. From note-taking, organizing them to managing tasks, everything becomes a piece of cake with Evernote. It allows you to take comprehensive notes by adding images, audio, PDFs, text, and documents. 

Even better, the app includes a wide variety of tools that enable students to recall learned material saved as personalized notes. 

Plus, Evernote has an effectively integrated search engine to help you trace phrases within your notes, providing faster notes retrieval. It not only hastens your revision sessions but also allows you to incorporate material relevant to your concepts.

Grammarly

It’s not uncommon for students to turn in fantastic assignments, only to lose marks because of poor grammar or lackluster vocabulary. Sure, it seems unfair, but you can’t deny the importance of good grammar when it comes to writing quality assignments. In this case, apps like Grammarly can be a huge help. This app can significantly improve sentence structure and boost your work’s readability and clarity.  

In addition to this, Grammarly offers numerous suggestions for different errors to help you understand your grammatical weaknesses. The app is compatible with many other applications to enrich your communication.

Turnitin

Turnitin, like the former, is an important service for writing quality papers. The app catches plagiarism in the work and allows you to correct all the plagiarized parts of your essays.

Prezi

College presentations are challenging and can be time-consuming. Use Prezi to add a wow factor to your text while reducing the effort and time spent making a presentation. With Prezi, you can keep your focus on research and deliver a comprehensive and appealing research presentation. 

Another thing that makes Prezi even better is its easy-to-use feature. You don’t need to have video editing expertise or graphics to use Prezi.

Microsoft Office Lens

Microsoft Office Lens is an excellent app that has revolutionized note-taking. It provides students an easy way to scan material for conversion to Word, PDF, PowerPoint, and save to the cloud or local device. It helps students to concentrate on their revision instead of spending time taking notes.  

Dropbox

Dropbox is a popular app that ranks high as a cloud storage solution. The app allows students to access all documents easily. With Dropbox, students can seamlessly access documents and files across numerous devices. 

Mint

Finances are some of the tricky elements in the life of a student. Mint is a smart app that helps students keep track of their expenses, thus enabling them to develop healthy spending habits. Besides this, Mint offers suggestions to create financial goals to help college students balance their accounts.

In a nutshell, campus life is hard. But for all your student-life challenges, there is a comprehensive app to reduce the burden. The given apps are the top picks to help you make stellar essays, manage time, and boost productivity.

BIO: Lyle Solomon has considerable litigation experience as well as substantial hands-on knowledge and expertise in legal analysis and writing. Since 2003, he has been a member of the State Bar of California. In 1998, he graduated from the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, California, and now serves as a principal attorney for the Oak View Law Group in Rocklin, California.

Student Life

7 Habits That Ruin Your Productivity

October 4, 2021

Being productive is something we all want, and often struggle to achieve. Successfully navigating college involves a high level of productivity, but getting sidetracked is a common problem that many students face.

Little habits that creep in can soon become entrenched, sapping concentration and motivation. Becoming aware of these is a good first step in dealing with college life—and enjoying it.

There are seven common habits that get in the way of being productive.

1. Trying to multitask

Our brains are not built to manage more than one task at a time. A study on the subject revealed that only 2.5% of research participants could multitask successfully. Stick to one task at a time, finish it, and then move on.

Keeping on top of assignments and tests isn’t easy. Many students find themselves stretched across a number of activities at anyone time. Trying to multitask, however, often results in taking longer to complete things.

2. Constantly checking email and social media

It should come as no surprise that interrupting your work regularly with distractions lowers productivity. The habit of checking social media constantly disrupts your focus and ends up eating away even more time as you try to settle back down to work.

A few tips to help curb this habit include:

–    Use tracking apps to monitor how long you spend online

–    Use apps to block access to certain websites

–    Go back to the basics: switch your phone or other devices off while you complete a task

3. Being too hard on yourself

Some people believe that being ultra-harsh on themselves is good for self-discipline and personal growth. But beating yourself up when things don’t go right can actually make you even less productive than usual. The mental energy it takes to scold yourself saps your concentration, and with it, your ability to work and study.

4. Not taking breaks

It might seem like plowing through tasks without a break is the best way of getting things done efficiently. But not taking breaks can have a negative impact on your productivity.

Getting adequate rest, taking some time out to play games, or do anything else you enjoy increases your overall productivity and reduces your chance of burning out.

5. Waiting for the perfect moment

A common form of procrastination is waiting until you feel “ready” before beginning your work. No matter how tempting this might be, it’s probably one of the worst ways to approach your studies. Before long, this habit can become a full-blown mental block.

6. Leaving difficult tasks until last

This also relates to procrastination and perfectionism. It can be easy to push your more difficult tasks to the back of your mind. However, putting them off can prove disastrous in the long run. By the time you get around to doing whatever needs to be done, it’s likely that you’re tired and unmotivated.

7. Saying yes to everything

Completing assignments, studying for tests and taking part in student activities are all important parts of college life. Despite this, trying to do absolutely everything can get in the way of enjoying your time as a student—as well as destroying productivity.

To produce good work and engage with your studies, you need to set boundaries around how you’re going to spend your time. Learning how to balance life and work is a great skill for everyone to master.

Nobody is productive 100% of the time. Set realistic expectations and manage your time well and you’ll make maintaining a high level of productivity a good habit.