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.