Articles
Academic | Career | Financial | Alumni
ACADEMIC
What I Did This Summer
Summer is just around the bend, and with it all sorts of options for how to spend those golden months. One option is to enjoy the classic summer break: work some, play a lot. The benefit of this model, of course, is that it gives you a true vacation from school and all its demands. On the flip side, you might choose to enroll in classes. Summer school can help you balance your overall workload throughout the year. Plus, it’s pretty cool to experience the campus when most other students have checked out for the season. Another option to consider is an internship, or another educational employment opportunity, such as a work study job or a volunteer position.
Dealing with Stress
Recently, University of British Columbia students took a break from studying to hang out with those least-stressed of creatures, dogs. The dog visitors arrived courtesy of a local pet organization and their purpose was simply to be their doggy selves. Harried students in the midst of exam season got a much needed break from tests and test preparation—and a little stress relief.
Look, Ma! No Hands!
When you move to college, your relationship with your parents changes. How it changes—and how you and your parents adapt to the shift—depends on a variety of factors. What do each of you expect from the transition, for example? How often will you communicate with each other now that you’re out of the house?
Academic Planning - Now??
It’s easy to get so busy with day-to-day demands that you forget to take a step back and consider the big picture. This time of year, for instance, your current academic course load might be so demanding that it’s hard to take a break to think about your overall academic goals and your graduation plan.
How to Prepare for Exams
At some point college exams will be a memory, something to reflect on, and even, in some cases, chuckle about. The anxiety will be just part of the past, as will the stacks of 3 X 5 flash cards, the long study sessions, and the smell of freshly sharpened No. 2 pencils. However, if you’re a first-year college student exams are still very much a part of your present—and future.
Your Academic Advisor and You
Independence and freedom. Choice and opportunity. There’s a reason college is so exhilarating— and, sometimes, overwhelming. You scroll through a course catalog packed with intriguing classes, hear from other students about professors whose classes you just have to take, and dream about an infinite number of career possibilities after graduation.
Campus Activities ~ Just Get Involved!
A worthwhile college experience goes beyond the lecture halls and late nights at the library. Your time on campus offers you many ways to be active and engaged in the broader world around you.
What College Freshmen Need NOW
There are plenty of generalizations floating around about the so-called Millenials, the generation that is in high school and college right now. They’re driven. They’re collaborative. They’re special. They’re sheltered. They live and breathe technology.
Hello Roomate!
Goodbye, family and hello, roommate! Your freshman roommate—or roommates, depending
on your particular situation—is probably the first person you'll live with who is not related to you.
And even though you may not have even met this individual yet, you're about
to get to know him or her very well. Within a few weeks, you’ll know his or her
sleep schedule, eating habits, and quirks—and, yes, he or she will know yours.
Your roommate might become a lifelong friend or the two of you might simply
become mutual anecdotes: "She snored so loudly the RA in the next building
needed ear plugs!"
Sick of Being Homesick
The high school student afflicted with so-called "senioritis" likely interprets the term "homesick" as "sick
of home." By spring of senior year, many students think of home as a place to change clothes, grab some food,
and engage in the occasional argument with their parental units. But things change. And in the fall those same
students who couldn't wait to leave often become the college freshmen who ache to be home again, and who
write long and despairing Facebook posts about it.s
Staying Safe on Campus
Fall semester is just around the corner and with that comes a new group of students. During this
time, people are more likely to be outside, oftentimes at night, and with this new found freedom
come the opportunity to partake in parties. The combination of these three factors can make
students more susceptible to crime. Here are a few pointers to keep in mind while you get ready
for the new school year.
Time Management...in College?
For most of you, college is your fi rst real taste of freedom. Of course, this freedom comes with certain
responsibilities – particularly in regard to your use of time. From reading, researching, papers, exams, jobs, not
to mention your social life. At times, you may feel like you’re scrambling to fi t it all in. However, if you learn how
to manage your time effectively, you will fi nd that you can get through the day and still have time for fun.
Take
Control… Of Your Job Interview
Job
interview season is quickly approaching! If you’ve been to your
campus career center lately, you’ll probably have noticed upcoming
job fairs and on-campus interviews. Throughout the next several months,
you will no doubt encounter some job search adversity while speaking
with employers. One of the major stumbling blocks students have is handling
employer objections. From “You don’t have experience” to “Your
grades are too low,” objections tend to defeat students and send
their job search in a different direction. However, you can defeat employer
objections by using the fi ve step process below and reinforce why you
are the ideal candidate.
GO
AHEAD – Talk to Me!
Talking to your instructors outside of class is absolutely necessary if you intend
to get the most out of your education. A minute spent picking a professor’s
brain will go further to helping your grade than a minute spent doing anything
else. Think about it. How much information can you absorb after studying for
a few minutes, or reading textbooks? Not much. But making a point to seek out
and chat up your instructor can make a world of difference, be it to your grade,
strategy for the class, or even direction you choose to pursue after college.
Is
Your Alcohol Education Program Effective?
According to Terry Arndt, President of Life After Graduation, LLC, most
college alcohol education programs are missing the mark. Simply telling
students that drinking is bad doesn’t work. An effective alcohol
education program needs to connect with students on a more personal level
and be presented in a medium students are familiar with.
Myth
#1: Paying for a Liberal Arts Education is a Lousy Investment
Many recent graduates lament that their fi rst professional jobs have
no intellectual content, aren’t challenging, and require little
more than an eighth-grade education. You would expect then that some
of these graduates would question the value of a liberal arts education.
In our experience that rarely happens.
Orienting the MySpace Generation
As a young administrator, I’ve planned the traditional Freshman Orientation
programs to try and “get students involved” only to be disappointed
with low turn-out or lack of attention. I’ve determined it’s
not that they aren’t interested – it’s that I’ve
failed to fi nd the appropriate ways to include them in the program.
Get the MO$T from Financial
Aid
Ring in the new year with some financial aid cheer! The Free Application
for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is much, much more than just another
form. It’s
a test. It’s a game. It’s a headache. We provide you some tips on
how to qualify for more financial aid and save yourself and your parents some
of the pain associated with this yearly ritual.
CAREER
Realistic Expectations
Have you ever over-anticipated a big event or trip? You know, when you plan something and deck it out in your imagination and then the actual experience seems kind of blah? Not that it’s bad, but it just isn’t what you imagined somehow.
You, Online.
You’ve heard the idea that everyone is connected to everyone else by just six degrees of separation? Well, make that just two degrees of separation, thanks to social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Because of this, your online presence—and the relationships you build through social networking—is vital to building your career.
Lessons Learned – Job Search Strategies
Over the past decade, I have had the privilege of working with a range of organizations, from some of the world’s largest and notable engineering firms to the smallest non-profits. Since I first entered the job market, times have changed. When I look back on my professional experiences and job hunts, I realize that in one 7 year period, I worked for 5 companies from New York City to Chicago on over $100 million in projects.
Finding the Best Internship Possible
The best time to start your career is before you officially enter the workforce. In other words, now. Even if you are a first-year college student, it is not too early to find an internship. Internships are short-term employment assignments during which you receive hands-on training and experience in a career.
“Help Wanted”
Ten years ago one could still look through the “want ads” in something called a “newspaper” and circle the interesting jobs with a “pen.” Unemployment was at 4%. Employers touted their benefits packages, as well as stock options, free on-demand gourmet coffee, and inter-department ping pong tournaments.
Career Advancement in Uncertain Times
In times like these, things have a way of coming into focus. A lean job market won’t necessarily reveal anything new about how to succeed professionally, but it’s a great reminder about which tactics and practices are absolutely essential. It’s no wonder, then, that executives and advisors from all sectors are telling us that it’s time to get back to basics and think tactically about career advancement.
Perspectives and Prospects
2008 has introduced a whole new vocabulary to people under 35: Bailouts and bursting bubbles. Meltdowns and foreclosures. Unemployment and recession. For many of us, previous downturns in the economy were news blips we barely noticed. And when our parents shared stories of standing in gas lines or paying 18% interest rates, or when our grandparents shared their stories of scrimping and saving to meet basic needs, it seemed like ancient history or even science fiction.
When to Ask for Your First Raise
There are a lot of fi rsts involved with your fi rst job, and the one you may end up remembering most is the
fi rst time you ask for a raise. As you start your job, you'll soon see that you and your employer have naturally
confl icting interests when it comes to your salary. You will most likely want to make more money, and your boss
will most likely try to save money. Any talk of a raise should be well-thought out strategically.
Are
You Going to be Underpayed?
How Your Personality Can Affect Your Salary & What
You Can Do About It.
Volunteering
Abroad
Are
you wrapping up college, and not sure what to do next? Do you want
to see how people in other countries live? Are you looking for
adventure, challenge, and meaningful experiences? If you are answering
yes to these questions, then volunteering abroad may be the right
choice for you.
To
Get Ahead . . . Get Involved
Decades of research supports the idea that students involved in campus activities
(fraternities, residence halls, student government, community service) are more
likely to graduate and are more likely to develop leadership skills that prepare
them for “life after graduation”.
What Did You Say?
In a recent Life After Graduation, LLC survey, employers and college
career centers ranked verbal communication as one of the top skills
college graduates lack – and recent college graduates agree.
When asked what skills do you believe would have been benefi cial to
learn prior to entering the workplace, nine out of ten recent college
graduates cited verbal communication in their top two responses. Understanding
pay and benefi ts was #1.
Getting Ready to Start a New Job?
Then get ready for
your first task – Winning Over Your New Co-Workers.
Terry Arndt, President of Life After Graduation, LLC offers rock-solid
tips on making a stunning first impression.
FINANCIAL
Taxes.
Ah, spring! Flowers bloom, birds chirp, the heart turns to love, and…taxes are due. As tax day approaches, Americans from Tampa to Juneau pull out their W-2’s, squint over the notoriously confusing tax forms, and prepare to pay the piper. Or get a refund from the piper, depending on how much in taxes they’ve already paid over the year and what kinds of deductions they can take.
Free Credit Report. Yes, it’s actually FREE!
We’ve seen the commercial with the funny guys talking about how it could have been if they got their free credit report. Problem is, if you go to that web site, the credit report is only free if you purchase an additional service. Learn how you can actually receive a truly free credit report.
Identity Theft: Who are You?
Who are you? You might delve into the depths of this question in Philosophy or Identity Politics. But in this article we’re mostly just talking about your name, your social security number, and your money.
Financial Management Tips For the Recent (or soon-to-be) Graduate
Feeling a little financially disoriented? No wonder: The Dow’s gone from peevish to downright volatile. Longstanding companies are suddenly—poof!—gone or at least rearranged. Unemployment is on the rise. Suddenly, the average Joe knows as much about credit default swaps as he does about the Phillies’ line up. And you? As a recent graduate or soon-to-be graduate, is your head swimming from fi nancial information overload? Stressed? Anxious? Unsure about if or how all of this news directly affects you?
Financial
Education PAY$
Well-rounded, intellectually-stimulated, and emotionally mature young adults
are among the hallmarks of a college education. Though less prominently displayed
within collegiate marketing materials, a university degree also provides the
means to a fi nancial ends. As is well-documented, college graduates have a superior
ability to obtain competitive, higher-paying jobs than those without the diploma.
Loan Consolidation
One of the biggest financial decisions many college graduates face is whether
they should consolidate their student loans or not. Consolidators promise lower
interest rates, one easy payment, and fi nancial fl exibility. But, is it right for you?
You
need health coverage.
While you may be young and healthy, you are
taking an enormous risk by going without health coverage. The outof-
pocket cost of a simple broken ankle is over $1,500. Going to the
ER for a sore throat, getting tested, and being told to go home and
get some rest will run you about $500.
Are You in Charge of Your Money?
Financial security and success depends upon whether we are in charge of our money
or our money is in charge of us. Money is not everything, but financial success
and security allows for the pursuit of the important things in life without
the stress of being in debt.
ALUMNI
And You Thought College Was Expensive???
Life for the new college grad can be expensive. As we emerge into the working world, there are many
things we want to buy to fi t into our new professional lives. We fi nd ourselves rationalizing expenses. ‘You know, having a car would really make the commute into work a whole lot more comfortable… And
I need some new clothes.
Staying Connected (Part 1)
As a recently graduated college alum, your attitude may be one of go forth and
conquer. And if this is so, then may the wind be at your back, the ground rise to meet
your feet, and all that good stuff. Just be sure to keep one thing in mind – it pays to stayconnected to your school.
Staying Connected (Part 2)
Firstly, you should know that the mere act of staying in contact with your school is a big help to the
institution. Your school relies on its pool of graduates for statistical information that’s used to shape
the direction and funding of its programs. Also, by adding your name to the database of alumni, you help the alumni network grow and get stronger.
