Category Archives: College

College

April 17, 2013

Staying Positive Before Graduation

Staying positive can be a challenge, especially in senior year right before graduation. For many, positivity may be elusive because your “real world” plans haven’t been finalized yet. Where will you work? Have you interviewed? Did the job offer come yet? Where will you live? Will you move back home?

These questions and concerns can easily overcome our days and stress you to a point where we become paralyzed from the countless decisions to be made. But what’s one to do? When real world situations, family issues, or relationship issues all seem to collide at the most inconvenient time, or sh*t hits the fan? That mixed in with the stress of upper division courses and grade/graduation requirements can make for a tough Spring quarter/semester.

Today’s post is inspired by a recent post titled “6 Simple Ways To Be A Positive Human” from Pickthebrain.com.

What are the tips? Our two favorites were:
Take Action, Don’t be a Talker – Taking action instead will always trump criticism. If you don’t like how something is done, go fix it or take a step to helping out. It’s not too late to help out your fraternity, sorority, or student organization. Don’t just sit on the sidelines and be a critic, but get in the trenches and help out.

Choosing the Right Friends – Choosing the right friends can go such a long way. Surround yourself around go getters and people who are motivated in life. They’ll lift you up, and you’ll lift them up. As the saying goes “The whiners, they keep on whining even in heaven.” – Don’t let these people bring you down.

Have tips to stay positive? Share them below!

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lel4nd/5455224577/

March 29, 2013

Tips To Remember Names

Today’s post was inspired by an article on LifeHacker. Throughout high school and college, it’s likely that we’re being introduced to new people every day. Whether it’s friends of friends, professors, coworkers, etc. By the time graduation hits you’ve probably met hundreds if not thousands of people. And while some of those introductions and relationships may not go anywhere, there are those that are lasting. Those who become best of friends, sorority sisters, fraternity brothers, or mentors.

The premise of the Lifehacker article mentioned earlier goes into remembering names. While many of us may have different mimonic devices to remember names, this idea is much simpler: pairing people’s eye colors to their names.

What do you think of this strategy? Will it work? Would it help you remember a name of someone you met three years before graduation this spring?

What are your tips to remembering names? Share them with other grads today!

Ready to order your graduation stoles? Order soon and save on shipping!

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwarby/3297208230/

March 4, 2013

Meditation for Students

Screen shot 2013-03-04 at 9.17.04 AMWe’ve all heard of the health benefits of meditation. But why is it that so many of us just don’t do it? Even if meditation is for only 10 minutes, or 5 minutes… or just 2. We end up browsing Facebook, or constantly checking emails, or just about anything else instead of taking a second to breath and take in our environment. What is it that stops many students and people in our generation from taking time out of our busy lives to do this?

Well luckily now, there seems to be a great solution to help with this. Calm.com gives you a guided meditation experience that can help you rest in intervals of 2 minutes, 10 minutes 20 minutes, or more.

And the great part? It’s available in a format that so many of us are familiar with, an App!

So the next time you have some time between classes or fraternity or sorority meetings, be sure to check out this app. Maybe it’ll help you focus before your big event or test!

Check out the app here & more at Calm.com.

February 1, 2013

One Habit at a Time

“Please note that this is one habit period — don’t think you can do one fitness habit, one social habit, one work habit, etc. One habit only. Do not break this rule.”

Habits. We’ve all made new ones, broken old ones, and repeated the cycle. Along with new years resolutions, it’s often this time of year when everyone seems to be reevaluating their lives or the next step before dawning those graduation sashes and gowns.

Today we wanted to focus on tips to creating a new habit. The post is inspired by a blog post from ZenHabits.

Two of our favorite takeaways from the post?

“Only do the habit once a day, and again, just for a minute or two each day.” – This is so true. Especially when it comes to exercising. Even starting with 5 push-ups a day could make a big difference and as you build onto that habit, running, cardio, weights and more will follow naturally.

And secondly “Don’t Miss Two Straight Days. This is the key. ” – We couldn’t agree more!  Missing two days in a row, or taking a “break” from your diet that spans from Friday to Sunday might not be too beneficial to your goals.

So what are you waiting for? Set some new goals, start a new habit, and finish strong on your way to graduation!

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zigazou76/5846249822/

January 28, 2013

A year from now or a year from today.

Today’s post was inspired by Seth Godin’s post, Do you remember?

“A year ago today, do you remember where you stood?” – It’s a question that many of us ask ourselves. As January comes to a close, it’s no doubt many people have made resolutions, many people have kept them, but more importantly many have lost track of them or fallen back into the hectic motions of school or work life.

For the seniors who will be graduating this year, and dawning their graduation caps and sashes, where do you want to be this time next year? Will it be moved back home, saving up for the next big thing, or striking it out in the big city, hundreds of miles away from home? Whatever that goal is, why not start planning now? As midterms begin approaching, and *gasp* the final quarter of your college life beguns, what’s next up? Where do you want to be when you look back and think… a year ago today, I was in college… setting goals for my life?

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lululemonathletica/4207563765/

January 23, 2013

What Motivates You?

What Motivates You? It’s such a simple question, but when asked to different people can be answered in so many ways. For the graduating seniors who will be dawning their graduation stoles and gowns, what motivated you to finish college? Was it the diploma? Or the love for your major? Was it pressure from parents? Or the drive to know you have it within yourself?

Well, regardless of what reason it is, or possibly if you’ve lost some of that motivation this year with senioritis, check out these amazing videos on motivation below. We’ve gathered them just for you. Hope you enjoy!

Dan Pink on The Puzzls of Motivation

RSA Animate on The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

Motivation for Success: Uncomfortable vs Exhaustion

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/2365420922/

January 16, 2013

Networking, Happy Hours & College

To some people, when you ask them what college was to them, they’ll remember the classes, or that one professor who was amazing. To others, it’ll be the friends and lifelong connections they built. And to many others, it might be the parties, and late nights out, or simply just graduation and being done.

We’ve all heard the term liquid courage when it comes to alcohol. In a recent research study done at the University of Pittsburgh, the research stated that that “moderate amounts of alcohol increase both positive emotions and social bonding and also relieve negative emotions.”

So what exactly does this mean? Well, you’ll want to read the full article before making your own judgment or conclusion, but from the 720 participant sample size, we would guess it means for those who drink, alcohol can help you approach that cute boy/girl from across the room and feel more connected to friends and strangers.

Check out more on this at neurosciencemarketing.com.

January 11, 2013

The last time…. or the first time?

Today we came across this photo from a reddit post and while the safety of the invention can be questioned, it brought back nastalgic memories.

As many of us enter the final months of senior year of high school or college and are just about ready to dawn your graduation stoles and hop across stage, it’s thoughts of the last…
The last class our be taking
The last final I’ll be taking
The last paper I’ll have to write
The last time I eat cafeteria food… and more.

But what about firsts?
The first time you’ll be living on your own.
The first time you’ll be working full time?
The first time you’ll be independent from your parents?

Instead of thinking of lasts, how about in 2013 we think of firsts, and the first steps towards your future.

All the best to the Class of 2013!

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.