Monthly Archives: May 2012

May 31, 2012

Finals Week, Sleep & Going To Bed

The end of May is always an interesting time of year. While many colleges are officially done, dorms cleared, and the commencement and graduation ceremonies done, many campuses across the nation are ramping up for finals week.

Today’s post highlights an article from lifehacker.com on late night productivity. The article is a short one and we’d highly recommend reading it if you’re looking to change up your sleep/wake-up schedule. One of the big takeaways from the article was:

“If you find that it’s 3am and you’re just playing mindless video games, ask yourself: would you be willing to wake up an hour or two early to do the same thing?”

For those with upcoming finals, good luck!

Photo Credit http://www.flickr.com/photos/sterlic/3154003517/

May 29, 2012

I’m Fine, Thanks (A Documentary College Grads Should Check Out)

Today’s post highlights a video project called “I’m Fine, Thanks.” It’s definitely a must see for all college graduates. What’s the premise you ask? 5 filmmakers traveled across the US to document the story of many and their dreams.

Check out their kickstarter page if you’d like to support them or better yet, Like them and help them promote it on Facebook.

May 25, 2012

Random Cell Phone Vibrations?

And we thought we were the only one! Have you ever thought that your cell phone was vibrating, yet it wasn’t, or it wasn’t even in your pocket?

Well it seems this phenomenom is called “phantom cell phone vibration syndrome” and it happens to quite a few people.

“Our body is always in waiting to anticipate any kind of technological interaction, which usually comes from a smartphone. With that anticipatory anxiety, if we get any neurological stimulation, our pants rubbing against our leg for example, you might interpret that through the veil of anxiety, as “Oh, my phone is vibrating.”

So how do you get over it? One of the recommendations was to take 10 to 15 minute breaks every few hours and make sure to not always carry your device with you 24/7. Now the question is… does this happen more to Android users or iPhone users, or is there any correlation at all?

Read more about this from the article at computerworld.com today http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9227184/Cellphone_vibration_syndrome_and_other_signs_of_tech_addiction

Photo credit http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivyfield/4731067716/

May 24, 2012

Superfoods & Eating Healthy

It goes without saying that if you live in a fraternity or sorority house, one of your biggest concerns is a brother or sister getting sick the week before finals, and then the sickness spreading.  And possibly worst, missing your graduation!

Between a mix of bad nutrition, lack of sleep, and germs, this makes for prime breeding grounds for germs.

Today’s post touches on the subject of superfoods as presented by Tim Ferriss.

As a long time follower of his books and methodology, we’re glad to see different not-so-common foods being introduced to the “masses.”

Have you heard of Tumeric, Green Coffee Beans, or Elk Antler Velvet?

Read about these super foods and a bunch more unique ones at his post today.

 

photo credit http://www.flickr.com/photos/joi/1158138/

May 22, 2012

Neil Gaiman Graduation Speech 2012

As you know, we’re a big fan of inspirational graduation speeches.

That said, today’s post features that of Neil Gaiman and his recent commencement speech at the University of the Arts.

Check it out, and become inspired.

Congrats to all of the 2012 graduates!

Video Link http://vimeo.com/uartsphilly/neil-gaiman-addresses-the-university-of-the-arts-class-of-2012

May 21, 2012

Motivation & Working Out

Today’s post features an awesome post on the endomondo.com blog.

The post goes into a handful of different motivational tips to get you going and exercising after a long day.  While the post is somewhat tailored towards the 9-5 working men and women in the world, it can easily be translated to the busy schedule of students as well.

One of our favorite tips?

“Business Suit to Sweat Suit:
Get yourself in the mindset for working out by looking like you’re working out. It’s hard to talk yourself out of running once you’re dressed and ready to go. Bring your gear to work and change before leaving the office, it’s that easy.”

This is also true for those still in school. If you know you have that one class next to the gym and 1 or 2 hours before your next class, why not pack your sneakers and gym clothes?

Do you have workout tips to get in shape before graduation?  Share them with us!

Photo credit http://www.flickr.com/photos/usnavy/5568691112/

May 18, 2012

College Kitchen Tips: Freezing Vegetables

For the long time readers of our blog, you know we’re big on eating healthy, maximizing your budget, and stocking your kitchen with things that will help you save money.

Today’s tip comes from a post on thekitchn.com that provides tips on how to freeze vegetables you haven’t gotten to eat in time.

One of the big tips?
” The Kitchn recommends starting with a fresh vegetables, then dumping them in boiling water for a short time. When you pull them out of the boiling water, dump them in ice water to cool them down. Finally, pack the vegetables up tightly on a tray and stuff them in a freezer. When they’re frozen you can transfer them to a plastic bag.”

Interested in reading the full post or other great kitchen tips? Check out the link below.
http://www.thekitchn.com/seize-the-season-freezing-fresh-vegetables-171376

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/67238971@N04/6918059365/

May 17, 2012

What Are The Best Cities To Move To After Graduation?

So you’ve graduated, don’t plan to move home, and now are looking for a new city to settle into and tackle the real world.

What are the best cities for new graduates? Well according to Rent.com, Austin, Texas comes in as #1 on the list with unemployment at a low 6% and the top industries being technology, pharmaceutical and biotechnology.

What other cities made the list?

Houston, Dallas, Boston, Baltimore, Raleigh, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Seattle, Washington D.C.

Check out the full post here on the best cities to move into:

http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/10-best-cities-for-new-graduates.html

And lastly, if you’re graduating this June, be sure to order your graduation stoles soon to save on rush shipping fees.

My View

May 15, 2012

Dieting and Eating Well for Graduation Tips?

In life, there’s often a handful of days and occassions where we really try to eat healthy for. There’s your wedding (or your friend’s/family’s), that spring break Hawaii/Cabo trip, and then there’s graduation.

So if you’re looking for ways to trim down before graduation, check out this post on Syattfitness.com.

Our favorite tip from the post?
“My favorite fruits while dieting are strawberries, watermelon, and oranges. I usually end up freezing and making them into some type of dessert along with Greek Yogurt and a protein powder.”

Do you have dieting or nutrition tips? Share them with us!

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/whyisjake/2532544751/

May 13, 2012

The Valedictorian Title… No More At Certain Schools?

In a recent article on AZCentral.com, the article mentions certain school districts taking away the Valedictorian title and no longer honoring it.

One of the main reasons being:
“Many students now take classes online, or transfer from other districts or states, he said, making it increasingly difficult to decide how to weight grades to determine a fair class rank.”

While the article does make many good points about the valedictorian status, and instead honoring the top 1 %, 2% or 10% of class, it seems to be a touchy subject for many parents (who commented on the article).

One of the top voted comments reads:
“Not honoring the top student is a nutty idea that was probably thought of by the parents of students near the top of the class.”

What are your thoughts on the situation? Do you feel the top student should be honored or just the top percentage of graduating students?

Also, if you’re graduating in June, it’s not too late to order your graduation stoles. Order soon and save on shipping costs.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thirty30photography/2541302013/