How to Manage Your Time

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With 24 hours in a day, it can sometimes be hard to determine what to accomplish that day. Therefore it is critical that you have some type of schedule to help guide your day. You don't have to have every second of your day planned out, but to have a rough draft of your day planned out to some extent, helps make sure you are productive for any given day. Below are some tips and advice on how to make sure you are productive throughout the day by having a proper schedule.

Creating a Schedule
Creating some type of schedule is the first step to managing your time. Without a schedule, you are less likely to get things that need done, actually done. To setup your schedule, think of all the important things that need to be done, and put them on a calendar at least a week ahead of when they need to be done. I strongly recommend at least two weeks, but a week should be enough time to complete whatever is on your schedule. By doing so, you are able to see upcoming task, and plan your day out accordingly. It is best to complete the task that assume the most time, in the morning. Waiting to complete a task in the evening that will take a great deal of time, will be done so with less energy and focus. As the day goes on, your body will physically and mentally wear itself down. Therefore it is best to complete important task at the beginning of your day, when you are the most energized.

Sticking to the Schedule
Just because you have created a schedule does not mean you are set to go. You have to actually implement that schedule into your daily routine. Wait to the last minute to complete a task that is on your schedule, and you are less likely to complete that task for the day. This creates a pattern, like a domino effect, of pushing things off to the next day. Soon you will find yourself so backed up, that you will be much further behind, than if you had just stuck to your schedule. If you know you have an assignment due the next day for a class, but your buddies want to hang out, it is probably best to complete that assignment first, which brings me to my next point, free time.

Free Time
Once you have created a schedule, and implemented that schedule into your day to day routine, you will find that you will have all sorts of free time. Creating a schedule and actually sticking to it allows for such free time. When you don't have some type of schedule to help guide you day to day, it seems as if there is never enough free time, simply because you don't have any structure in your daily life. With your newly found free time, you can do things like: hang out with your buddies, take up a hobby, or play video games. To be even more productive, you can do things like: find a part-time job, study extra on topics you don't fully understand, or even volunteer at a local organization. Free time is meant to be time to relax to some extent, but is not solely meant to be time wasted. It can always be time spent doing something productive.

To reiterate, create and schedule, stick to the schedule, and will find that you have free time to relax, or be even more productive. College is essentially all about having time management skills. If you are able to manage your time more efficiently, than you will find college much less like a full-time job, and more like a part-time job. If you have any more advice and tips on how to manage your time, feel free to comment below. For questions you may have, simply contact me through the contact form and I will be sure to get back with you. By now, you should already have pen and paper in hand, or your calendar app open, and creating a schedule.

Extra Income in College

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Having a positive cash flow and reliable extra income is essential if you want to live comfortably in college. There is nothing worse than being invited to hang out with your friends, only to have to make up an excuse of why you can’t hang out, when in fact you simply don’t have the funds to do so. Let’s face it, pretty much any type of activity you partake in will cost you money. Worry no longer, as I will introduce a few ways for you to make money while you are in college. I won’t go into detail about each and every one, because I will explain each opportunity individually at a later date.

 

The first way to make a little money on the side, and my personal favorite, is Amazon Mechanical Turk. It is a program ran by the leading e-commerce company, and allows anyone to complete small task to earn a few cents or dollars. These tasks are officially called micro task. A micro task can be anything from transcribing a receipt, to answering questions for a survey. The sign up process is fairly simple. Simply use your Amazon account you probably already have. Furnish your bank information, such as the bank name, routing number, and account number. Complete the required tax interview. It usually takes 1-2 weeks to get approved. During the first 10 days you are limited to only doing 100 hits (task) a day. This is to ensure you are doing an efficient job for each individual task. There is a learning curve before you start making a substantial amount. The good thing about this site is you can withdraw your money whenever you want, as long as you have a dollar or more in your account. Having access to money anytime is crucial while you're in college. Unexpected expenses are sure to occur. Pay is distributed through your Amazon Payments account, or in the form of an instant virtual Amazon Gift Card. 

The next way to make a little money on the side, is for people who particularly have a way with words, and love to write in their free time in college. The site called Text Broker, allows anyone to make money by writing articles that people request to be written. The pay is based on the rating you have, which ranges from 2 to 5 stars. When first starting out, you are asked to submit a sample, which is then used to give you a rating. Most people start off at a level 3 rating. Your pay is reflected by which level you are. A two star rating pays .07 cent a word. A 3 star rating pays 1 cent a word. A four star rating pays 1.4 cent a word, and finally, the most coveted level, 5 star, pays a whopping 5 cent a word. When signing up you are asked to submit a tax form, and upload your proof of identification, such as your driver’s license, or passport. The tax form requested has to be mailed or faxed in, in order to get paid. Pay is handled through PayPal and occurs weekly on Thursdays, as long as you have at least $10 to withdraw.

The final opportunity I will introduce to earn extra income while in college, is Fiverr. Fiverr is a neat website where you can do small gigs for at least $5. Once a gig is completed, $4 is credited to your account, while Fiverr keeps $1. The gigs start off at $5, but you can make more by offering extras, such as quick delivery, or another additional service. There are so many gigs to choose to offer. The gigs range from writing articles, editing videos, creating logos, recording testimonials for companies, making resumes and cover letters for job candidates. Needless to say the opportunities are endless. They pay once a week through PayPal. All you need to do is find something you’re good at, and offer it as a service. 

Now that you know of a few opportunities to produce extra income while you are in college, it is time to cut the financial umbilical cord from your parents and start to make a way for yourself. The above sites above won’t make you rich, but they will allow you to have extra spending money throughout the month, and possibly pay a bill or two. As always, any income needs to be reported to the IRS. I am not a tax expert, and therefore you should seek out a tax professional for more help. Be on the lookout for future post that will explain the money making opportunities above, and go in depth about each one, and even more opportunities. If you have any neat ways of how you make money, or have a specific question, feel free to comment below or send me a message through the contact form.

Things Every College Student Should Do in the Summer

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For me to say that I spent my first summer of college wrapped up in the books and studying all I had learned the previous year, would be a lie. For me to say that I now wish I had done so to some extent, is nothing further from the truth. We college kids tend to believe that "Schools out for summer...Schools out forever," as the song goes, by Guns and Roses, but fail to realize that the summer is the perfect opportunity to prepare for the following semester. I'm am not saying do not have any fun during your summer, but do not think it is the opportunity to to just completely forget about school. Below I have compiled a list of things every college students should be doing during their summers.

Internship/Part-Time Job
A student should put as much effort as possible each year into being able to intern at a company that caters to the industry they want to enter upon graduation. Not only is this the perfect opportunity to put all the knowledge you've learned so far to test, but it serves as the golden chance to put yourself out there, build professional contacts, network, and gain valuable experience. If you are unable to get an internship, try to find a part-time job that deals with your major, or closely relates to it. If you are still unable to do that, then take whatever job you can find. Employers value any type of work experience versus a graduate waving their degree around with no work experience to go along with it.

Learn A Skill

It is important for an individual to challenge themselves throughout the course of their lives. Remember the brain is virtually one big muscle that must be exercised just like any other muscle in the body in order for it to stay fit. One could elect to learn a programming language to build apps or websites. Take a sign language class. Obtain a real estate license and sell houses in your free time throughout the following semester. Register for a tax class to file returns for companies like H&R Block and Jackson Hewitt the following tax season. The point is, make sure you stay mentally active.

Volunteer

Volunteering is an activity that is meant to be more than just getting volunteer hours logged down. If you choose to volunteer, make sure it is for a cause that you are truly passionate about. If you just randomly choose somewhere to volunteer, you will not put all your effort into it, and as a result, it might be apparent to the people in which the organization is established to help. Find what really moves you, and contact the organization to arrange something. I hardly doubt any organization will deny free help. Apart from it being a noble thing to do, many employers heavily favor people who regularly give back to their community, versus someone who thinks for themselves constantly, as it shows they are a team player and will likely be a great asset to their company.

As a last tip for the summer, do get away for a while. Enjoy yourself for the summer. You've worked hard all year and deserve a break. However do not fall into the trap of letting the summer go by and being the same person you were when the summer began. Best of luck on your exams, and have a great summer!

Feel free to comment below on your summer plans, or what you've done so far this summer. .

How to Study

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Often times students do not know how to properly study in college. They assume that by just reading their textbooks, they will be set come test and exam time. Below I have compiled methods on how to study properly.

Remembering Vocabulary

• Remembering the definition of words can be difficult if you have numerous words to remember. I have found that studying vocabulary with flash cards to be a tremendous help. This allows your brain to separate the word from the definition visually, and link definitions with words by the way the definition is worded. 
• Practice flashcards with a classmate. It makes it a lot easier when you practice with someone. Additionally, if you want to incorporate a small game into the flash card method, feel free to. This makes it not seem so boring and tedious.

Taking Notes In Class

• I have been in classes where students try to copy down every word on a slide, or every word the teacher says. Not only are you missing out on what the teacher may be saying in addition to the slide, but you are writing down useless information and clogging your brain with useless information come study time.
• When a teacher repeats themselves twice, be sure to copy it down and mark it with a "*" or whatever you need to do to put emphasis on that particular piece of information. The information they make an effort to repeat is often what will be on test and exams.
• Take a highlighter to class. This will help point out the most important information in your notes.
• Try the Cornell method of taking notes. Basically you write the main topic on the left hand side of your paper in about a 1 inch margin. Then all the actual information goes to the right of that margin. This will help organize your notes in a easy to read format.
• Your notes are your notes. Feel free to use slang. Writing properly takes time away from listening, asking questions, and as a result missing key information. 

Studying Your Notes

• Start studying well in advance before the test or exam date. This will reduce the amount of cramming needed to be done.
• Take frequent breaks during your study time. Studying for long periods of time will slowly but surely break down your focus. 
• Reward yourself with snacks, a pat on the back, or whatever you can think of when you complete milestones while studying.
•  If you have followed the steps above, you are all set to study in an organized manner, and be well prepared for test and exams.

Studying is not as hard as it made out to be. Remember to take organized notes in class, and begin to study well in advance before test and exam dates. If you have any advice or tips on what helps you study, feel free to comment below. 

The Keys to Being Happy, Healthy, and Productive in College.

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 A student's happiness can be determined by many factors. With the stress that college brings, it is ever so important to understand how to maintain a certain level of happiness. Below is a list of advice to help maintain that happiness.

• Surround yourself with positive people. In doing so, their morale is likely to rub off on you and inspire happiness within you. Constantly being around negative people who never have anything positive to say, is a quick way to ruin any small amount of happiness that you may be feeling at the time.

• Find a hobby that you enjoy. Having a hobby that you can turn to at the end of the day is a great way to wind down in the evening and take your mind off of academics with something that you truly enjoy.

Health is probably one of the most critical aspects of college that must be taken into careful consideration. If you are not feeling up to par, then it is likely to show in your grades. To be sure to stay healthy, follow these steps. 

• Eat a healthy balance of food. Eating fast food all the time makes you feel sluggish, therefore affecting your overall performance. Try to incorporate foods in your diet that are high in carbs and protein, such as peanut butter, wheat, trail mix, etc. This will provide the energy needed to perform at top level. 

• Exercise regularly. Incorporating exercise into your daily routine is great for staying in shape, and research shows that by exercising in the morning you actually feel more energized throughout the day. 

• Get an adequate amount of sleep. Not getting enough sleep can be detrimental to your overall performance while attending college. Try to get at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep a night, that way you are energized and ready to go the next day.

Staying on task while completing academic work can be a challenge. With the pressure of your friends wanting to hang out, a significant other wanting to spend time together, or checking your social media accounts every 5 minutes, it can be nearly impossible to get through an assignment without any interruptions. Below are habits that can help.

• Creating a schedule is a great way to stay organized. You might of thought those planners were a waste of paper when you were in elementary school, but having a daily routine to guide you is essential in keeping up with college work, and non college events. If you are the Eco-friendly type, create your schedule in your calendar app on your phone. This is a great way to keep up with assignments and events in case you forget, plus you're probably on your phone most of the day anyway.

• Finding a quiet study place can do wonders for your grades. A place where there is no TV, no loud roommates, or no mass amounts of people, is an idea place to study. Particularly places such as the library, local coffee shop, river bank, etc, offer the perfect place to get away and focus on your studies.

By following these tips above you will be able to maintain a level of happiness, good health, all while being productive at the same time. If you have any comments or would like to share what has helped you maintain these aspects of college, feel free to comment below.