Tips from a college student

Now that 2007 is over, it is time to look back on our mistakes and make changes in the new year. Everyone is focused on "new years resolutions", but these are basically very vague goals that will be broken within 2 weeks. It has almost become a joke now to make "new years resolutions." There are much better ways to make changes to your life in the new year than resolutions.

First off, you need to look back on last year and see what you want to change. Once you have decided what you want to change (ex. weight, finances, etc), make a specific goal. For example, if you want to lose 20 pounds, set a goal to lose 5 pounds by the end of January. Write down your goals and put them in a place that you will see them daily (mirror, refriderator, etc). By setting specific goals throughout the year, it makes the goal much more attainable.

If you miss one of your small goals throughout the year, you can tweak your other goals so you can catch up. If you only have one big resolution it is harder to get motivated to go after it, but with small goals you can actaully see progress.

When setting goals, they must be something you are passionate about. If you are not passionate, you will not meet the goal. It's simple, because to meet goals you have to work at it, and if you don't care then you aren't going to work for it.

I recommend these goals for 2008:

Increase GPA by .3-.5
Spend less
Make more
Read Tips from a College Student daily :)

Of course, you have to make these goals specific to you. Try to make them reasonable. You need to push yourself a little bit, but do not make your goals unreachable.

Here's to a great 2008!

-------------------------------------------------------
Don't forget to bookmark this site and sign up for the RSS feed so you can stay up-to-date on new posts!

Everyone is writing the best of their blog for 2007, and I will do that eventually, but right now I want to sum up some of the best posts from around the blog-o-sphere from 2007.

J.D. over at Get Rich Slowly has had a lot of great articles this year. His summary is here, but I picked out the ones that are most useful for college students.

How to Feed Yourself for $15/week:
The Power of Yes: A great article about how saying "yes" can change your life
List of good personal finance books: If you like to read these books can help transform your finances!
If Personal Finance is easy, why isn't everyone rich?
The Road to Wealth is Paved with Goals: Kind of long but has some really good points in it.

Jay at Dumb Little Man has had so many great posts this year I can't list them all! All I can say is go to the site and browse through it!

Grad Money Matters has a page devoted to top posts here. They are not all 2007, but they're useful so I'm including them anyway.

Hustlerama has had the best bank and credit card bonuses on its site, and many are still available. So if you are looking for a credit card or bank account or anything related check out Hustlerama.

Money Smart Life has a list of best posts here, but I have picked out some of the best of the best and here they are in no particular order:

How 5 minutes can save you $120. This is about how to reduce your monthly bills like cable, phone, etc.
10 ways to cut your resturaunt bill.
10 ways to ask for a lower price or better deal.
How to ace a job interview.
How to get the promotion you deserve.
How to use leverage to make money on eBay. This is about how to make money on eBay without taking losses. It's a really good idea, I highly recommend this!

These are some of the best articles around the Blog-O-Sphere. I know there are more out there, but I can't include them all. You may want to bookmark this page so you can read some of these later, because there is no way you can retain everything at one time.

Happy New Year!!!
-------------------------------------------------------
Don't forget to bookmark this site and sign up for the RSS feed so you can stay up-to-date on new posts!

J.D. over at Get Rich Slowly has a post you need to check out. It has some very important things you need know in order to be successful in life. I'm not going to write a long review, just go check it out!

-------------------------------------------------------
Don't forget to bookmark this site and sign up for the RSS feed so you can stay up-to-date on new posts!

There is no such thing as job security. I hate to bust your bubble, but no one has 100% job security. I once heard someone say that the closest thing to job security you can get is overworked and underpaid.

One of the biggest problems with people today is that they are not hard workers. This is not completely their fault, though, as they have it ingrained in them to be lazy. Think about it, most kids these days are spoiled and all they do is watch tv and sit around and waste a lot of time. They are never taught to work hard, and this also contributes to the problem of obesity in America, but that's another post for another time.

So back to job security, the best way to obtain job security is to teach yourself to be a hard worker. You can do this by working hard at everything you do, not just at work. When you work out at the gym, focus and give 100%. Try to not waste time in anything you do, but always try to be efficient. Once you have instilled these qualities in yourself, you will naturally work harder and waste less time without even thinking about it. This will make you more valuable to your employer, thus giving you more job security.

As most of the readers of this blog are college students, you can apply this by being efficient in your studying and getting your homework done quickly and effectively. After all, employers look at your grades to judge how good of a worker you will be, because if you don't work hard in school then what would make them think you would change when you get a job? If you are efficient in your studies you will not only have more time to do other things but your grades will be better and you will have developed a better work ethic, which will eventually lead to job security down the road.

So basically, work hard and don't waste time and you will make yourself so valuable to your employer that they cannot afford to fire you.


-------------------------------------------------------
Like this post? Make sure to tell your friends about the site. Spread the word, and if you really like it leave a donation to help support the site

My buddy and I were discussing today how much different we are treated when we dress up instead of just being normal. In college, it seems like no one really dresses up or cares what they look like, and everyone looks like they are walking around asleep. But when dressing up, we have discovered that we are treated differently.

My buddy mainly focused his results on women, and while I have definitely had better results with dressed up, I have observed more how I am treated by everyone. If I am talking to a professor, in general they will listen more intently and be more focused on what I am saying if I look nice, where if I am dressed more casual the professor is just like whatever and acts like they don't care about what I'm saying. My buddy got several numbers from girls today and said that he had girls hitting on him all day. Many of the changes I noticed were little things, but in my opinion they matter and I'll explain why.

I have noticed a difference in how many greetings I get from people. For instance, if I'm walking down a hall or getting on a bus, normally people would just dart their eyes away so there wouldn't be an awkward situation but when I'm dressed up people seem to make eye connection and say hi and introduce themselves. It is as if me dressing up is the difference between people noticing me or not. I consider this a big deal, because I don't want to be invisible. I think that everyone likes to be noticed, and chances are you will meet many more people if people notice that you are present instead of you being just another person.

Let me clarify what I consider dressed up. Most people in college walk around in t-shirts and shorts or sweat pants. To class they will wear jeans and maybe dress up a little bit more. In my opinion, dressing up is just going a level higher than everyone else is. My buddy wore pinstripe pants and a dress shirt, but I just started fixing my hair and wearing stylish jeans and shirts instead of a hat and the first clothes that I saw that morning.

So try dressing up the next time you go somewhere and pay attention to the way people act around you. Do the same thing we did, you and a friend dress up and then discuss your results later. I think you will be surprised at how much a little change like clothing or fixing your hair instead of a hat can make.


-------------------------------------------------------
Like this post? Make sure to tell your friends about the site. Spread the word, and if you really like it leave a donation to help support the site!

We all know a person who seems to know tons of people and has no trouble making friends. You probably have thought to yourself before that you wish you could be like that person and meet people with no problem, but you are introverted and are not good at meeting people. When going off to college for the first time, everyone is nervous because they are leaving their old friends behind and are worried about meeting new people. But this is one of the greatest things about college, you meet all different types of people and establish relationships that will last a lifetime. There are some secrets to meeting people that many people don't realize, and even people who are good at making friends probably don't realize why they are.

First and most obvious, you have to talk to new people in order to make new friends. If all you do is sit in your dorm room all day, you will not meet new people. You need to get out and interact with people on campus, whether at sporting events or just the computer lab. Start random conversations, it's not hard. If you're waiting in a long line, start talking to the people in line with you about how long the line is, then introduce yourself and roll from there. If you're at a sporting event, that's one of the easiest ways to meet people. Just talk about the teams to people around you, because they are obviously interested in them or they wouldn't be there!

A very easy way to start a conversation is with a question. When you ask it, don't act scared or nervous, because that will make the person feel nervous and awkward. Be confident and make eye contact. Listen to what the person says, and continue the conversation from there.

Don't have a really shallow conversation, like, "hi my names jon, have a good day!" Find out about them, where they're from, where they go to school, what they want to do when the graduate, common friends, etc.

An important point is that you must try to initiate conversations and take advantage of every opportunity you have to talk to new people. Always introduce yourself, and go beyond your name and the obvious. Listen to what the other persons says, don't just let one person do all the talking. If you feel like you're doing all the talking, stop and give them a chance to talk, and continue the conversation from what they say.

Soon you will have a large network of friends, which is a very good thing to have. The saying "it's not what you know, it's who you know" is very true. Obviously you can't be a complete idiot and go far in life, unless you're a professional athlete or something, but you can be the most educated person in the world and not be successful if you don't know people. The easiest way to get jobs, favors, etc is through friends. I have never gotten a job that I just went out and applied for. Every job I've ever had I have been set up with through a friend.

Friends are a very important part of life, and are crucial to your happiness in college and success after college. So why are you still reading this? Go meet some new people and create some new friendships!

-------------------------------------------------------
Like this post? Make sure to tell your friends about the site. Spread the word, and if you really like it leave a donation to help support the site!

I'm sure you've all heard of the freshman 15. Supposedly most people gain about 15 pounds in their first year at college. This happens for various reasons, mainly unhealthy eating and not enough exercise. It is not that hard to avoid this, though, and you should definitely try to avoid it since it is bad for your health to gain that much weight so fast.

Many freshman in college are overwhelmed by how many options they have for eating when they get to school. Most schools have a dining hall thats unlimited buffet, along with many fast food joints and other places on campus. It is their first time out on their own without their parents holding their hand, and they eat whatever they want to. This may sound good, but if it equals pizza, hamburgers and ice cream all the time it is not good, and you will not only get fat but also take years off your life. I have found that if you look hard enough there are healthy or at least semi-healthy food options available on campus. When I go to the dining hall (rarely) I get a salad and I try to find something healthy like a sandwich or a classic meal like pork chops and green beans. Only eat one serving. I have heard people say to only put on your plate about half as much food as you want, and while this probably works for some people it doesn't for me. I just try to not go back for more and eat healthy.

Another reason for gaining weight is not getting enough exercise. Many campuses have a bus system that kids use instead of walking, so they lose out on that exercise. Then they sit in class for a few hours, then go back to the dorm where they sit the rest of the night. Most campuses have a gym that students can use for free, and obviously it would be good if you used that. I find that it is out of the way for me to go there, and I am not motivated enough to make myself go on a regular basis. If you don't want to go to the gym, there are other ways to get exercise. Leave early for class and walk instead of taking the bus. Join an intermural sports team, that is a good way to get exercise on a regular basis. Take the steps instead of the elevator, and park further back in the parking lot than usual. This has 2 benefits: you get exercise walking further and your car doesn't get as many dents in it.

Another reason for the freshman fifteen is the college lifestyle. Staying up until 3a.m. and snacking and eating junk is a sure way to make you gain weight. If you have to eat late at night you need to eat something healthy, such as fruit or a smoothie, or a bowl of cereal. Eating chips and ice cream and pizza every night will catch up with you, and one way is by gaining weight. Another bad thing about staying up late is you are tired in the morning. You cannot think as clearly when you are tired, which means your grades are probably not as good. If you think about it, most people are not very productive after midnight. Instead of staying up late every night, only stay up if you are doing work or its the weekend. I have started to do this and went from mediocre grades to dean's list in one semester. Another useful tip is try getting up earlier in the morning. I have found that I am most productive in the morning, and am least productive in the late afternoon. Try going to bed earlier and getting up earlier and doing some work and stuff in the mornings. But do not push your homework until the night before or the morning it is due. Trust me, this makes life to stressful. You will enjoy college more if you do your work ahead of time.

For more on not being lazy and being more time efficient, read this post.

-------------------------------------------------------
Like this article? Make sure to tell your friends about the site. Spread the word, and if you really like it leave a donation to help support the site!

I think that most college students are lazy. I know that I can be at times, but I try to force myself to do stuff, even if its just get up and wash clothes or something. Many students just sit around and watch tv or play video games during all of their free time. I'm not trying to sound like your mom, but that is a waste of time. By wasting time you are training yourself to be lazy, and you will create a habit that will be hard to break later on down the road.

Every successful person that I know is a hard worker and doesn't waste a lot of time. Watching tv and playing video games is not bad if it is done in moderation, but like many other things it becomes bad when you do it in excess. You name a successful person, whether it is Bill Gates, Donald Trump, a professional athlete, or someone else, and I can guarantee that they don't sit around all day and watch tv. Bill Gates would be sitting at home trying to develop a new software, Donald Trump would be trying to tweak his business strategy or buy a new business, and your athletes would be practicing to get better. The fact is, lazy people don't go far in life.

Now, I know that most college students would say that they don't have anything else to do, but this isn't true. You can always find something to do that is productive. Wash your car, clean your house, wash clothes, mow the yard, exercise, start a new project, or do some homework in advance for a change. Or, if you really want to do something worthwhile, start your own business!

Don't train yourself to be lazy, train yourself to always stay busy and work hard. That way when you finally get a life and have a job, you will be a valuable worker and will be able to move up through the company faster. The better your work ethic is, the more successful you will be in life.

Also read 5 ways to be more efficient.
-------------------------------------------------------
Like this article? Make sure to tell your friends about the site. Spread the word, and if you really like it leave a donation to help support the site!

Do you feel like you‘re not efficient with your time, or that you waste a lot of time every day. I know I do. So I have started searching for ways to be more efficient and get more done every day.

#1. Pre-plan your day.

-When you get up in the morning, think about everything you want to accomplish that day and write it down. Then make a schedule of what you have to do that day and work in everything you want to accomplish so that you have almost your entire day planned out. By sticking to a schedule, you won’t waste time by trying to think what you need to do and by doing stuff that doesn’t need done.

#2. Schedule in time for yourself during the day.

-Take a break from your work, do something you enjoy for a few minutes. Read a book, take a walk, call your mom, meditate, do something besides work.

#3. Reward yourself.

-If you have something big to do like an essay for a class or a project at work, don’t try to tackle it all at one time. Plan out different steps that you can do to work towards finishing the project, like making an outline for an essay, research, etc. Then start early on these, and reward yourself after each step by taking some time for yourself. By doing this you won’t get stressed trying to do it all at once, and you’ll finish it without being under pressure.

#4. Recap your day.

-At the end of the day, think back over your day and what you can improve upon for the next day. Write down mistakes you made, such as checking your email 500 times, and write it down and what you will do to correct it. Review this in the morning when you make your plan for the day. By doing this, you will be constantly developing into a more efficient person.

#5. Eliminate time-wasters.

-Figure out what you do that wastes time every day. For me, it’s checking my email too often and reading message boards. Once you figure out what you do to waste time, fix it. Instead of checking email every few minutes, schedule times into your day to check it. I recommend replying to all the email 2 or 3 times per day, and if you are worried about not replying soon enough, make an auto-response for your email that says something like, “I check my email at 4:30. If there is something that needs dealt with before then, please call ….”. By doing this the person sending the email knows when to expect a response, and you don’t have to waste time checking your email non stop. If you waste time doing other things like reading message boards, use reading message boards as one of your rewards. When you complete a task, reward yourself by reading the message board. Or during your break do it. But don’t constantly be reading them, because they can be very time consuming. Whatever you waste time on, fix it, and you will be more efficient with your time.