Education On The Go: How Technology is Changing the Face of Education ( Incorporate technology to ease your stress)

Education On The Go: How Technology is Changing the Face of Education ( Incorporate technology to ease your stress)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/01/education/technology-is-changing-how-students-learn-teachers-say.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&


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Freshmen’s Guide to the Ultimate College Hookup

The first few weeks of college can frankly be quite terrifying.

There’s so many new hot members of the opposite sex, your senses are on edge and the possibilities seem endless.

I was privileged to all the aftermath though, and I’m here to impart upon you some wisdom based on others’ mistakes.

1. Know what girls want.

If you’re a guy that doesn’t like dealing with drama or tears, don’t hook up with a girl you know if you don’t see your relationship going any further than that. Usually, girls do not take kindly to being used this way, even if they totally wanted it at the time, and they will not talk to you again.

2. Know what guys want.

On the flip side, ladies, look around you. The gentlemen you see are blissfully anticipating four years of consequence free sex, and of course they are about to be sorely disappointed. That being said, if you are looking forward to starting a relationship with him during this first year of higher education, you will be to.

3. You don’t owe him anything.

This applies to guys as well, but I haven’t seen it being a problem for them ever, so I’m addressing the girls again. You. Don’t. Owe. Him. Shit. Blue balls are a mythical invention designed as yet another ploy to let him stick it in. Don’t fall for that. And even if this is a medically proven condition, there are… other solutions he can use to take care of himself. I don’t care how far you’ve gone or where you are. If you want to stop, stop. Don’t feel guilty and don’t do anything you don’t want to. I don’t like seeing women with regrets.

4. Use protection.

I can hear you rolling your eyes, but I am serious! It can be tempting to disregard this advice in the heat of the moment, but just remember: HIV is forever. Also, getting pregnant can be severely detrimental to your life plan, unless your life plan includes having a baby at eighteen.

5. Work your magic.

I’m all about knowing what you want. If you’re the kind of person that is looking for something more serious than a one night stand, step your game up. Girls, try giving him a little something to look forward to. Don’t go all the way, let him see your personality, or do whatever it is you do that drives guys wild.

Fortunately, some guys are like this.
Unfortunately, they are not Ryan Gosling.

Boys, this advice works for you too. If you want to see her again, let her know! Try being a gentleman. I know chivalry might seem dead , but a little manners can go a long way, especially in college where simply opening doors or paying for her on a date (even taking her on a date, period) will make you look like Prince Charming compared to the other drunken apes running around campus.

What I want you to take away from all of this, men and women of the Freshman class, is that confidence is sexy. It will get you what you want, it will make people like you, and if you have high standards, you might be surprised at the people that rise to meet them.

If you really do just wanna have fun, that’s fine too, just play it safe and be polite to your partners, past and present. It’ll make you look that much better.

10 Things You Must Do Before Class

Ahhh waking up so cozy…

Ahhh your alarm goes off, and you awake in horror.

“I HAVE SO MUCH TO DO TODAY.” All you want to do is roll over, cozzy-up like a kitten, and sleep until noon.

Well, you can’t. You’re going to college for a reason. What it is may still be unclear, but you ought to at least get to class. Here’s a Top-10 from Honest College that might help you look forward to the morning, or at least be efficient with it and hate it less. Here goes, start at #10 if you’re feeling bold:

1. Wake up the person lying next to you…even if you don’t totally recognize them, you owe them at least a meager goodbye. If you’re nice, drive them home.
2. Coffee….make it, don’t buy it. Unless you hate your money. Iced coffee works better for some to jumpstart the day, and it’s more refreshing. Bring it to class, or the library, everyone’s doing it.
   
3. Shower, if you went out the night before….you probably smell. And if you were out the night before, you smell like any number of these things: booze, cigarettes, marijuana, and greasy food. Just because you can’t smell the cheap beer evaporating out of you and the smoke in your hair, doesn’t mean your teachers can’t. Axe can substitute, but don’t try this more than two days in a row. Gross. 
4. Sunglasses….you know you forget them a lot, but when it’s extra sunny and you’re extra hungover these babies come in handy.
5. Computer time…see what your so called friend did to your Facebook profile. You don’t want those pics or that awkward status up all day. Brief email check doesn’t hurt.
6. Chug water…just a good idea at all times really. You’ll be happier after you do it and taking a pee mid-class really breaks up the time.
7. Read or watch something funny. Hulu used to be good, YouTube, maybe a Dilbert cartoon. Just something to get the juices flowing.
8. Do your homework. If you didn’t do it at the library the night before.
9. Think about the coming night’s plans. So when the sorority girls approach you asking you’ll have an answer and not seem like a space-cadet.
10. Play a prank on your sleeping roommates or dorm-mates. Be nice, but not too nice. Propping things up on them is always a good one.

Tips On How To Get Over Home Sickness

 You’re taking your first steps into adulthood. You’re moving into a building littered with kids your age hell-bent on making Friday night chaos, but hey, baby steps.

Chances are, you’re psyched to get away from rules and curfews and eating what your parents feed you. But there may come a time this fall when you pause for a moment–whether you’re walking to class, doing laundry, or getting in bed–and think to yourself, “I really miss home.”

So, incoming freshmen, I have created a few tips on how to combat this horrible feeling that could potentially get in the way of enjoying your red cup  in September. Here’s the list:

1. Talk about it. Sorry, guys. You’re going to hate this one. But it could really help. If you’re missing your mom a little, your roommates or friends might be, too. You all could be having the time of your lives and still feel a little weird about not checking in with your parents at night. It doesn’t have to be a cry-fest if you don’t want it to be, but seriously, bring it up. Maybe getting some of your homesickness out there will help you to get over it faster. Trust me, you will get over it eventually. College is awesome.

2. Call home. This is kind of a no-brainer, but the key is to do this in moderation. If you’re constantly on the phone with them, you’re not helping the separation. But, calling them a few times a week just to update them will slowly make the separation easier. It’s really important that you remember to call them. Parents are parents, and they will always want to know how their child is doing. If you don’t call much, they’ll probably get mad. If your parents get mad, you’ll have crappy holiday breaks. If you have crappy holiday breaks, you’re never going to want to call home. If you give a mouse a cookie…

3. Keep momentos. I’m not saying you should build a shrine to your family, (honestly, your roommate(s) would probably be a little freaked out) but duct-taping that one funny picture the bus driver took of all of you in Hawaii to the wall can serve as a reminder of those awesome people you’re related to. Pack a few objects that mean something to you and your family and set them by your bed. If nothing else, they can serve as great conversation starters with your roommate(s) and new dorms friends.

4. Keep your family involved. Does your school have a “parents program?” How about a “grandparents program?” Many schools have online “clubs” that your relatives can join that keep them updated on happenings at the college, send weekly/monthly newsletters, and more. Plus, if you decide to join Greek life, sororities (and many fraternities, too) are known for having family get-togethers like lunches or trips. For those families who live too far away to travel to these functions, many Greek chapters have Facebook pages and websites where they put up photos and videos from some of their events. Get your family to come for parent’s weekend, convince them to take a vacation to where your university is. If they’re as involved (okay, almost as involved) in your school as you are, the distance will seem to shrink.

As I said, you will eventually get over homesickness. But remember to ensure your family that no matter how much fun you’re having, you still miss them. Parents love that.

But let’s face it, you really do miss them.

Perks of Staying Sober

I’m not going to lie and say “this will happen to everyone!” because, the truth is, some people are hardwired to mingle.

However, for those of you (like me) who tend to take a more voyeuristic approach to parties, let me just fill you in on some benefits you may (or may not) have known existed.

Sidenote: This doesn’t necessarily mean attending a party in which you are one of the only people (or the only person) who hasn’t had anything to drink- you’d need a “Perks of Being a DD” article… I should write one of those. But I digress. This article can be for sober or slightly intoxicated college kids who may just have a difficult time… well… conversing.

Here’s what’s to look forward to:

My friends pile on top of me because I'm sitting in a chair against a wall at a party

- Chances are, you’ll avoid making snap (and stupid) decisions. If you’re drunk, you’re probably talking to everyone. Or at least the people you came to the party with. When your drunk, the worst thing you can do (second to getting behind the wheel of a car) is talk to other drunk people.

Honestly, they’re just going to try–and probably succeed–to talk you into doing some idiotic dare. That’s how people die. And get expelled. No people to talk to, minimal spontaneous actions.

- You can find out practically all there is to know about anyone you’d like. Normally, this would be considered stalking or spying or just eavesdropping, but when everyone is yelling over the loud music and you have no choice, it’s actually somewhat entertaining.

A word of caution: don’t make yourself obvious. That’s the point of being a wallflower, right? To be just a little invisible.

- No smalltalk. There are always awkward situations with acquaintances and old friends at parties. If you’re talking up a storm in the center of the room, people are naturally drawn to you… especially all those people you have absolutely no interest in talking to. If someone you don’t like approaches you while you’re playing the “wallflower card,” it’s much easier to make excuses like “I’m going outside,” “Sorry, trying to find the bathroom,” or “I was just leaving.”

Though its true, ladies, that strange creepers are more likely to approach you when you’re alone. Hopefully you’re just hanging out on the wall and did not come to the party completely alone. In these uncomfortable situations, try to quickly latch on to a friend (I’ve always found to run to either a group of girlfriends or at least one of your guy friends.)

- You get to tell everyone exactly how they acted the next day. I don’t know if it’s a little evil or not, but I always take just a teensy bit of pleasure from telling my friends some of the less-than-college-level-intelligent things they said and did the previous night. Being the self-imposed “fly on the wall” gives you the 11am privilege of painting the picture for the others. Watching your friend’s (or perhaps a “frienemy’s”) hungover facial expression change from exhausted to embarrassed is a memory you won’t soon forget.

This is also a good time to tell them you’ll watch their back more carefully next time. (I don’t think I need to remind you all to step in if you see your friend about to do something really stupid, like ruin-their-college-careers-and-or-lives stupid.)

And there you have it! (On a totally different note for a second: your elementary school teachers were wrong, you can totally start a sentence with “and.” I’m an English major… trust me). Consider these perks the next time you’re in an uncomfortable social situation… they may make you want to be a wallflower at every “major rager.”

Okay, so being the center of attention is probably better, but I’ve had some great freakin’ times being what I like to secretly call the “party supervisor.” Man, if those walls could talk… well, no one would hear them because obviously I’m in their way.

Moving-to-College Tasks Your Guidance Counselor Forgot to Mention

Tips for incoming students are available from almost everywhere – friends, parents, guidance counselor, you name it. Some are practical, such as “Pack your winter coat.” And some are kind of profound, such as “These will be the best years of your life.” (Which is absolutely true, by the way.) Here are seven items to check off the list that are too often left unmentioned.

1. Make list of what to pack.
Packing itself is not a checklist item. If you need to write “make sure to pack” on a pre-moving checklist, you probably should not be going to college at all. But do assign yourself the task of making a packing list, starting with that winter coat. Otherwise you will forget at least one item that is crucial to your mental and/or physical well-being, such as your iPod or beer pong.

2. Secure your bedroom from invasion.
Your little brother or sister WILL explore your room while you’re gone. That’s okay, you’re way too mature to care about that sort of thing anymore. But do stop and think before you leave, “Is there anything here I absolutely don’t want him or her to mess with?” If so, either take it along it or buy yourself a lock box.

3. Learn laundry.
If you've escaped laundry duty at home up to this point, congratulations. But now it’s time to learn how to separate the delicate's , work the dials, and measure out the right amount of soap.

4. Tell your relatives your address.
Your aunts, uncles and even grandparents probably have email. Maybe they’re on Facebook too. So why would they need your physical address? Well, have you ever received a birthday check via email? Not trying to sound materialistic here, just saying you don’t want to deprive your favorite relatives of the joy of giving if they are so inclined.

5. Buy food and beverages for the drive.
Most non-commuting students go to school between 30 minutes to four hours from home by automobile. If you can’t go 30 minutes without a snack, walk to college, because you’re probably overweight. But four hours on the road? That requires sustenance.

6. Reserve a truck.
It’s not likely you’ll need a rental truck for the move. But if you do, reserve it ahead of time, especially if you’re moving on a weekend. BTW, if one or more of your high school classmates is going away to the same school, renting a truck together can actually save money. Plus you may be able to convince the ‘rents to stay home, and thus avoid the horribly clichéd, tearful, on-campus goodbye.

Do it yourself Dorm Room Projects

Sprucing up your dorm room and making it your own is one of the first things many new college students want to undertake. There are a variety of different ways to customize your dorm and make it reflect your views, hobbies and the things you like. Here are five different DIY dorm room projects you can take on this year.

Five Ways to Spruce up Your Dorm Room

1. Build a Bookshelf

Whether you buy a bookshelf from a store requiring some assembly or you build one from scratch, this is a great way to get started. With a bookshelf, you gain the ability to store your books and a place of knick-knacks. You can use cement blocks and wood to put together a cheap, yet functional bookshelf, build one from scratch (provided you can get the right tools and workspace) or buy one from a store and assemble it.

2. Your Bed

A very popular way to customize your dorm room is with your bed. Many students prefer to us a loft and put their bed high above opening the space below for other things. If you and your roommate agree to do this, you can use the space below for a small couch, TV, microwave or anything else you need. This often gives the dorm room more usable space and you can even decorate the frame of the loft with stickers, paint and a number of other things.

3. Custom Curtains

If you want to cover your windows and make the dorm room look more like home, you can create custom curtains in a color matching the rest of the room. This is a great way to add a touch of home to your dorm room and offers a way to block light or let it in when you want, as well.

4. Custom Wall Logos

You can create a logo to hang on the wall with the help of some heavy duty 3M Hot Melt adhesives. This allows you the ability to create something with school spirit or just something fitting the tastes of you and your roommate. Anything from a school mascot to fancy letters representing your name and the name of your roommate can be created with the right supplies.

5. Personalized Trash Can

Decorating your trash can will help it fit in with the room instead of sticking out. You can decorate it with the same colors as the rest of the room and give it a stylish look instead of the typical trash can look.

These are just five of the many custom projects you can do yourself to help spruce up your dorm room. Decorating your dorm can help it feel more like home and can actually make it easier to settle into your new home without feeling as homesick. Just make sure you and your roommate agree on the different projects before taking them on.

How Technology is Changing the Face of Education ( Incorporate technology to ease your stress)

Education began thousands of years ago, with the abacus and the stylus as the tools of the trade. The advent of the printing press, pencils, pens, and calculators changed education, but nothing has such drastic shifts in the way we are educated like the computer and the internet. Since the computer became a household item in the early 2000s, education has never been the same again.

“How has education changed,” you may ask?

Convenience

When our parents were young, they hauled their school bags to class — bags filled with books, pencils, pens, markers, crayons, calculators, notebooks, and all the other tools needed for school. Now, the only thing needed for the average high school or college class is a computer or a tablet. You can take notes, do your homework, and do everything else on a single device, a device small enough to fit into a purse or pocket. The truth is that technology has made education much more convenient, as there is no need to haul anything to school — or even to leave the comfort of your home!

Availability

School was once a building that you had to travel miles to reach, often through rough weather and tough terrain. In the early days of the U.S., most towns and cities only had a few schools, and few children were able to complete their education beyond writing, reading, and arithmetic. Now, you can find an elementary school, high school, or college in just about every area of any town or city you visit in the country, and schools are much more available than they have ever been.

With the advent of online classes and courses, people don’t even need to leave their house to complete their higher education. You can sit on your comfortable couch, spend hours on your computer and cell phone, and still complete a Master’s Degree or Doctorate in any number of fields. While this isn’t the case with the more hands-on fields like medicine or the law, it is easy to obtain a business degree, an accounting degree, or a degree in graphic design without ever having to leave your house.

Teaching and Coursework

Students once had to hand in their written papers to the teacher, who had to write out the questions by hand himself. Now, teachers can simply post the course work in a shared Dropbox folder, where the students can access the file, complete their tasks, and return the file to be graded by the teacher. Sending out notices to students, course assignments, and evengraduation invitations is easier than ever.

More and more teachers are incorporating audiovisual aids into their classes, which has actually helped to make the classes more interesting to the new generation. Classes can become more interesting, but teachers will also find that teaching the students will be more of a challenge due to the massive amounts of information that the average person will encounter on a daily basis. With email, texting, social media websites, and millions of websites to visit each day, students can hardly sit still for a moment to study the material they need.

Technology truly has changed education, for better or for worse. Using technology wisely can help to promote further education for the future generations, and there is so much that modern tech can do to make learning easier!

The Many Benefits of Building Relationships With Your College Professors

When you first start college you might not think too much about forming friendships with your professors. After all, they are authority figures and as such, they tend to maintain a certain level of separation. And yet, if you sit in the front row, raise your hand to answer questions, and take the time to discuss the finer points of the lecture with your instructor after class or during office hours, chances are good that you’ll end up becoming more friendly with your professors than the average student. And you may be surprised by the many benefits that can be gained by nurturing such relationships, not only in the here and now, but down the road, perhaps even long after you’ve left college. Here are just a few perks of befriending your professors that you might not have considered.

For one thing, becoming buddy-buddy with teachers is a great way to increase your chances of acing a class, and there are several reasons for this. When a teacher takes a shine to you, it could be the case that you are granted a little more latitude when it comes to extending deadlines, delivering rewrites, or getting the extra credit opportunities needed to bump your grade. In other words, you may get preferential treatment by getting in your teacher’s good graces. It’s not like there’s any big secret here; when you treat people right they’re going to go the extra mile for you. This is a valuable lesson to learn, especially before you get out in the real world.

Of course, you’ll still have to do the work if you want to pass the class. No teacher is going to let a student skate by without ever turning in an assignment or taking a test. But when you like the teacher and you’re engaged in the learning process, chances are that you’re going to absorb more knowledge, especially if you take time outside of class to ask for clarification of lecture points you didn’t understand. The best part about this is that you’ll get a better handle on the class, and the additional information you receive will be in the teacher’s own words. Hypothetically speaking, this could give you an edge when taking exams or writing papers for class.

However, the benefits of bonding with your college professors don’t have to end when you receive your diploma and throw your mortarboard to the sky. By taking the time to remain in contact with your professors you could open all kinds of doors down the road. For example, many teachers spent time working in the industry associated with the classes they now teach. So they may be willing to help you out with references or even contact information that could help you land a job after graduation. Or they may invite you to join them in collaborative projects or even ask you to speak for their classes if you’re doing well in your chosen field. And you can always turn to them for additional knowledge or resources that might help you to advance in your career. Whether you head to campus for a law degree or you opt for an online masters in civil engineering, taking the steps to befriend your professors could come with myriad benefits. At the very least, you might simply make a lifelong friend that you enjoy conversing with.

6 Hobbies Students Can Enjoy When Not in Class

Time spent away from class or studying can be boring, particularly if you’ve got no pressing assignments or due dates, or if you’re tired of constant video games or movies. The following is a list of a few hobbies that even a broke student can get into and have fun experimenting with.

1. Photography

If you can find an inexpensive camera or have a phone with a built-in camera, you can snap a lot of pictures. Now that digital photography has largely replaced film, you can take 10 shots instead of trying to get the illusive “one perfect shot.”

Try taking a dozen different angles of a single object, from below — as if you were half an inch tall. Or try taking a picture of a tree from the highest branch you can climb to, for an inside view that’s hard to duplicate. Experimenting is what’s great about being a photographer.

2. Writing and  Maintaining a Journal 

If you have something to say, immortalize it through the written word. Far too many people think they have nothing to contribute to society, but there are plenty of angles that still haven’t been explored. If nothing else, getting your thoughts on paper or a screen can help you learn about yourself and make more sense of life. Gaining more perspective is a solid use of time.

  3. Coaching a Sport

Have you ever considered taking up coaching as a hobby? It is a lot of work, but the reward of watching your athletes learn lessons is very gratifying. This isn’t even counting the thrill of victory, which can be downright palpable. Knowing that each member of the team is succeeding that much more because of your help and honest feedback is a rush that’s hard to top.

4. Pop Off Some Rounds

When you pick up a BB gun and airsoft accessories, you can have some simple fun without all of the social implications of most of these hobbies. Just go pop off some rounds and hit some targets, and watch the stresses in life melt away. It’s a lot cheaper than a regular firearm, and a good deal safer.

5. Baking

Baking breads, rolls, and other things is a fun little task that involves a little chemistry, a few ingredients, and a lot of potential for creativity. When your baked goods make people happy and you can enjoy having a nice finished product, it’s a great feeling that’s hard to top. While baking isn’t quite as good as coaching, you might enjoy some banana bread more than trying to eat a trophy.

6. Find a Way to Help Someone

Helping people goes back to the same joy that coaching inspires. But when you volunteer somewhere, you can really make a difference in the lives of people who might need the extra help but have no money to give. While kids can find another coach, you might be the first person to show concern for society’s downtrodden in a long time — and that’s powerful.

There are plenty of fun things you can do in between classes. The above are some fun ideas to get you started.

4 Ways to Turn Your Passions into Profit

Turning passions into money can be the most rewarding experience in the world: you’re doing what you love, and you’re making money. However, for college students that do not normally find the words “making” and “money” in the same sentence, following passions can seem like a fruitless endeavor when it isn’t resulting in an unpaid internship. Well, hope is not lost, college students! Here are some potential outlets for that brewing creativity of yours that can help supplement your income and pad out those resumes and portfolios.

1) Sell Your Craft

Maybe you craft scarves, quilts, leather wallets, or liquor bottle lamps – whatever you make for fun, you can sell these items for a small profit. There are a ton of forums and sites where knowledge about crafts is shared and goods are bought, sold, and traded. Etsy is a great site for conveniently marketing homemade goods, and even provides a simple interface for processing payments to make transactions easy.  Yes, Ebay is always an option as well, but Etsy attracts the specific kind of audience who would be interested in purchasing handmade goods.  Don’t be afraid to peddle your merchandise offline as well, whether it is in craft festivals, networking or throwing an exclusive “launch party” in which your various items take center stage; presentation is just as important as the product itself, so consider splurging on a nice venue and food spread, and make the party appear professional withformal tickets.

2) Take up Photography

Passionate photographers with dreams of making it as freelancers or by selling their prints can expand their pursuits through classes, and even photography walking tours. Not only does this offer a chance to make money by sharing your knowledge with others but it’s another great networking opportunity that can get your name out to people interested in the topic. Plus, don’t forget that plenty of stock photo websites are always looking for fresh material! You may have to start off by offering your portrait services for lesser prices but, the experience of building up your portfolio and establishing a reputation will be worth it.

3) Become a Tour Guide

Where do you live? If you’re a fan of your own hometown, you can probably use that historically-adept mind of yours to run some tours.  Being a tour guide is excellent for college students especially, because it looks excellent on a résumé and allows you to practice your public speaking. If you are passionate about your specific city, museum, or simply local historical landmarks, this opportunity will flexibly allow you to follow your passion and make some guaranteed possible tips.  When I visited Prague, there were scheduled tours advertised on city maps that were run by locals.  They were advertised as “free”, but almost every traveler who took the tour with me tipped our guide at the end.  For an hour or two of walking around a city that you love, it’s a great way to earn some extra money and share stories with weary travelers. Plus, there is a chance to become infamous like Nick Gray, who became the world’s foremost unofficial Metropolitan Museum of Art tour guide, simply by being extremely knowledgeable on the museum, showing up, and offering free tours. Warning: paid tour guides aren’t going to like you.

4) Create Music

It can be hard to get gigs that pay the rent as an amateur musician especially if your small college town offers limited venues. One work around is to create your own gigs. Home-made house shows can fall into a grey legal area but it is possible to get together within your local community and throw properly zoned festivals and block parties. Not only can you get your name and sound out there but the work of uniting bands, planning event space, figuring out admissions, and handling refreshments is valuable event planning and networking experience that can always lead to greater future opportunities. Take advantage of your friends’ part time service jobs and have them pitch ideas to their employers that can benefit both of you.

When you are pursuing your passion work stops feeling like work, even if you’re making money off of it. Set out with expectations of not necessarily raking in the millions, but gaining valuable experiences that will help you throughout your lifetime. Furthermore, starting your own business, however small it may be, conveys to potential employers fortitude, creativity, determination and discipline.  So take a leap of faith, try your hand at something besides being a camp counselor or delivering pizzas and, for Pete’s sake, have fun!

Top 4 Places for College Students to Visit

College students need inexpensive vacation destinations that will let them indulge in wild parties without getting in serious trouble.

Luckily, there are plenty of places all over the world where college students can live out their fantasies (within reason) without spending next semester’s tuition.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas has a reputation as a town for high rollers, but it’s a cheap city to visit as long as you can remain flexible. Hotels don’t mind slashing prices during the week. They care more about putting people in the casinos than losing a few dollars on a room.

College students will also love the non-stop nightlife. No matter where you go, you’ll find a club ready to keep pace with your time zone.

During the day, you get to sweat out your indulges by a cool pool.

Morocco

Getting to Morocco isn’t cheap. Once you’re there, though, you can live the high life with very little money. Depending on where you want to stay, you can get Morocco hotels for well under $100 a night. As long as you stay away from tourist traps, you can also eat like a king just by hanging out with the locals.

While in Morocco, set aside time to:

• Take in a steam bath at a hammam
• Scout the edges of the Sahara Desert
• Go surfing (it has surprising good waves)
• Look at the rare plants at the Majorelle Gardens

Morocco isn’t quite as fashionable as it once was, but it still has plenty to offer. During your trip, try to find a dame (or a dude) so you can use your best Humphrey Bogart impersonation.

Cancun, Mexico

Cancun is one of those vacation destinations that’s almost like staying in the US, except that you need a passport to get home and you’ll occasionally run into someone who doesn’t speak English.

The best thing about Cancun, though, is that it has established itself as Party Central. If you have any doubts, just consult MTV. The station once aired a Real World season of egotistical young people surrounded by the city’s inexpensive drinks and tolerant police.

Hey, that’s not always a good thing for a family vacation, but we’re talking about college here. Go live it up.

South Beach, Miami

Don’t want to wait for the post office to process your passport? That’s okay, you always have South Beach. This part of Miami was practically designed for college students on vacation. It has hot temperatures, warm waters, and plenty of bars. If you’re interested, it also has some of the best restaurants in the country.

South Beach has a reputation for letting people do as they please. That means you’ll get left alone to have your party as long as you’re willing to leave others alone to have theirs. Start any trouble, and the cops will have no problem locking you up for evening.

That’s the price we all pay for the kind of freedom that you can only get from a college vacation.

What are your fondest college vacation memories? If you haven’t been to college yet, what do you hope to do during your breaks?

Guide to Getting the Most Out of College

When attending an online college, there are many different academic and personal choices you have to make. You need to choose your program, how you will manage your time, when and where you will study, whether or not you will participate in any school-related activities and more. Being an online student is certainly more challenging and often more time-consuming than being a full-time on-campus student. However, in this guide, we will review a few tips for you to keep in mind so that you can truly get the most out of your college experience.

Choose a Major or Program that Fits your Skills

One of the most important steps you can take when enrolling in online universities is to choose a major or program that aligns with your skill sets. If you are not good at mathematics, you probably shouldn’t choose accounting, whereas if you aren’t good at English, then Journalism may not be a good option for you. Finding the right major, program, or degree area that is best for you and sticking with it is truly one of the biggest challenges that faces online students, but if you can do it, you are certain to get a lot more value out of your college experience.

Take Classes outside your MajorAnother way to get the most out of your college experience, particularly if you are attending online universities, is to take practical, real-world classes outside of your major. While you may want to rush through getting all the required classes for your degree out of the way, if you take a few classes that are un-related but are areas that you are interested in, you may find even more enrichment than you normally would.

Get Involved in Extra-Curricular Activities or Clubs

While it may be difficult to get involved in extra-curricular activities or clubs while going to online universities, this is truly one of the best things you can do. It gives you the opportunity to meet new people, build meaningful relationships, and even build up your resume. Extra-curricular activities and involvement with clubs look great on almost any resume, and they give you better chances of getting hired.

Make time for Studying

Once you are enrolled in all your classes at online universities, you need to evaluate exactly how much time you will need for studying. In general, a good rule to follow is for every 1 hour you spend in class, you should expect to spend that many hours outside of class studying. Therefore, it is important to set aside several hours during the day so that you can study, memorize important content for your test, and retain the information.

If you are trying to figure out how to get the most out of college—especially while attending online universities, then you will need to follow these tips. Each of these tips are designed to help you become a well-rounded college student and to become enriched by developing skills that you can use at school, at work, and even at home.

4 Ways College Students Can Get Involved in the Community

It’s easy for college students to become bogged down with hectic study schedules and to miss out on a whole range of opportunities to get involved with the local community. Voluntary work within the community can provide students with a superb chance to make new connections, gain new skills, and make a valuable contribution to those in need of support. Here are 5 ways college students can get involved in the community:

Helping Local Charity Fundraising Groups

Fundraising opportunities come in all shapes and sizes and there are likely numerous charities in the area who could benefit from the help of enthusiastic and smart college students who want to help raise money. From local animal shelters to church-run charities, there’s no shortage of causes to help out, and there are a variety of great ways to help with fundraising for them. Students can organize social events, sales, sponsorships, and other money-generating events to help with those in the local community who need it.

Joining Reading Programs for Kids

One thing that all college students should be capable of doing is reading to a high standard. Reading is a skill that many kids struggle with, which is why programs such as the Huntington Learning Center Reading Programs exist. Programs like this have been developed to allow those children with difficulties to get help and support from others.

College students can make for excellent reading tutors as they’re usually vibrant, enthusiastic, and approachable people who can act as great academic role models to younger kids who need additional help. If you enjoy reading and literature and you can spare up a little extra time to help those in need, why not join a local reading program for kids?

Participating in Hospital or Medical Center Patient Support

Students who are particularly good with their “people skills” can be a great help to patients who are suffering from long-term illness or physical disability and are staying in a medical institution for an extended period of time. Activities such as taking patients out for a walk in the gardens, organizing children’s play days, and getting involved with various other patient based initiatives.

The hospital can be a very daunting place for children and young adults. Luckily, programs such as the Child Life Volunteer Program really help to make it seem like a much more friendly and relaxed environment. This can help to distract them during a difficult time.

Starting New Community Projects

You don’t have to wait around for other people to create initiatives for you to join. If you’re a creative minded person and you have a great idea about how to get involved with people in your local community, why not start something yourself? There’s an unlimited amount of fundraising ideas out there. If you have a particular passion that you want to share with others, why not use your time at college to get people involved with it?

Some ideas include charity fundraising events, music gigs, sporting events, social clubs and date nights (just to name just a few). Anything that brings people closer together is a worthwhile event.

Not only will you benefit from being involved with a community volunteer project, but it will look great on your resume as an extracurricular activity. So you’ll be getting valuable life experience and enhancing your professional development. Sounds like a pretty good deal, doesn’t it?

Top 10: Best Apps for College Students

Smartphone operating systems like iPhone and Droid are drastically changing the college experience for students everywhere. With popular apps like Twitter and Facebook, you can stay connected with your friends and the news around the world at all times, and play games like Temple Run when you’re bored in class. Here is a list of the most useful apps for college students:

Social Media and Games

Instagram-Free

Instagram is becoming one of the most popular photo-sharing apps because of how simple it is and the fact that you can send it to Facebook, Twitter, or many other social media sites almost instantly. What makes Instagram unique is the customizable filters that you can use to make your pictures stand out. You’re photos will look sexy on your phone, and even better on iPad, which you should consider getting if you’re still without one. With Instagram, anyone can take artsy pictures that make them look like a photographer for National Geographic.

Temple Run-Free

One of the most popular games in the App Store, Temple Run is not only easy to play but severely addicting. Essentially a test of reflexes, the goal is to swipe, turn, jump, and slide to collect more coins for perks like invisibility and power boost. Visually, the graphics are spectacular and the game runs very smoothly.

Draw Something- Free

The artistic rival of Words with Friends, Draw Something is an app that lets you play with friends by drawing various objects and having them guess what it is. The object of the game is to get the most “turns” in which you or your partner guess the object correctly. Currently the number one paid and free app in the iTunes app store, it helps you find friends to play with via Facebook. With no drawing expertise required, Draw Something is a really easy game to play at your own pace.

Productivity

gFlash+ – Free or $3.99

gFlash is an app that students can use to create their own flashcards to help them prepare for exams. With gFlash, you can either create the flashcards from scratch or use Google Docs to create them, saving a lot of time so you can study more. The Pro option gives you access to over 50 million sets of flashcards from websites like Quizlet and StudyStack so that you can start studying immediately. So the next time you make flashcards, think about making them on your phone with gFlash so you can study anytime, anywhere, you want.

Evernote- Free or Monthly $4.99

The premier note-taking app on the iPhone, Evernote syncs text, pdf’s, pictures, and web pages so that students can see them on their phone or computer. View your class notes on your phone, take a picture of someone’s notes if you missed class and view them on your computer, or make a running grocery list for when you finally decide to go to the supermarket (or send it to your parents), Evernote can be immensly useful for a college student. The best thing about Evernote is that you can download it on your computer and create an account with Evernote so that anything you do on your phone or computer gets saved on their server. Evernote is a great app for people on the go and like to have everything they need to remember at their fingertips.

iStudiez- Free or $2.99

iStudiez is an app that lets you outline your class schedule so that you never forget what classes you have on which day, or where they are. In addition, iStudiez also let you keep track of your GPA and lets you keep track of your assignments. For those of you who don’t have iOS5 and Reminders (a similar app on the iPhone 4s that comes built in), and are a little disorganized and overwhelmed keeping track of your deadlines, this app is a must have.

Graphing Calculator-$1.99

Graphing calculators can be really expensive, and for many liberal arts majors you don’t really need them more than once or twice a semester, if that. Now, with Graphing Calculator, you can have a graphing calculator on your smartphone so not only will you never forget it the one time you do need it, but you won’t be breaking the bank either. The best thing is that you can send a screen shot of your work to yourself via email in case you forget the calculations when exam time comes.

Miscellaneous

Lose It-Free

Watching your weight and health is sometimes forgotten for many colleges students. Lose Ithelps you monitor your caloric intake for those you who are trying to lose weight before the summer. Easy to use, Lose It helps you create an ideal caloric intake and helps calculate if you are over or under the number. Lose it records what you eat each day, how many calories were in it, and aides the process by making the foods you eat searchable and sorted into different categories, like foods previous eaten, and brand name foods. Also, it measures the amount of calories burned via exercising to create the sum of the calories ingested over the day and if you were over or under the mark set for you to lose weight. Maintain a healthy lifestyle in college can be difficult, but Lose It makes it a lot easier.

Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock- $0.99

Between late night parties and all night study sessions, sleep is a rare commodity in college. Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock monitors your sleeping patterns through the accelerometer in the iPhone to help find out the best time to activate your alarm, during the lightest sleep phase. By doing so, you wake up completely refreshed and relaxed. There are two keys to this app: first, you have to be able to place it on your bed so that the phone can monitor the movement (how restless your sleep is). Second, there is a 30 minute window for the alarm to set off, so be sure to set it accordingly. When you’re sleep deprived in college, Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock will help you wake up refreshed and ready for the day instead of tired and exhausted.