Author Archives: Jeremy
College Interview Tips to Land an Acceptance Letter!
For high school students—or anybody for that matter—trying to get into that dream college of theirs, the admissions process can be quite hectic; especially the college interview. From elite Ivy-league universities, to online colleges such as National University, and even community colleges, most will have some sort of admissions procedure. With that in mind, most potential students awaiting their interview become nervous with anticipation; mainly because the whole process can be quite intimidating as well as the mystery surplus of questions that are going to be asked. The good news however, is that a college interview is really nothing to worry about if gone about properly.
The very first thing you need to do is to know the college that is conducting the interview; study the courses, campus and every other important aspect. Once you feel as though you have a generally perspective knowledge on the college or university, you can begin to think of some of the obvious questions that may be asked; some of which may be, “Why do you want to attend our university?” or “What do you plan to do with your future?” Write all the questions down that you think you may be asked and then simply answer them. Study your answers until you know them inside and out; you could even have a friend or sibling conduct a mock interview.
Once the night before the interview rolls around, simply prepare for it the way you would a typical test. Study the questions and answers that you have come up with (add or make changes if needed) and try to memorize them. It is always important to get a good night’s sleep, but that importance only grows the night before your interview. You want to get enough sleep so that you are able to wake up early, get ready, eat breakfast and travel to the perspective college or university in time for your interview. Make sure that you dress for success as college officials always want their students to look professional and built for success.
Once you arrive at the interview, take a deep breath before entering and make sure that you remain confident; if you do not remain confident then you may end up putting yourself into a dilemma. One thing the interviewer will look for is whether or not you are engaged completely into the interview; you can look more engaged simply by asking questions back. That’s pretty much all there is to it; prepare for the interview like listed above, remain confident and excel through the interview. Good Luck!
Do you have any more college interview tips to share?
Making It Yours — Achieving Balance for a Better College Experience
Organizing your time, handling your finances, socializing and study are all part of college life. Add to this the experience of living away from home for the first time and college can seem like a daunting prospect to many. College life means that you’re now pretty much independent to make your own decisions and this includes your own lifestyle choices (no more “My roof, my rules”). Ordering your priorities during your first year will go a long way towards a more beneficial college experience. Here are a few tips for how to achieve balance in college and get the most out of it.
Get as much advice as you need
Choosing the right college course for you will be one of the most important decisions you can make. Colleges are set up to offer help and advice to potential students, and this includes decisions on your course. If you’re thinking of studying and are unsure about what’s involved in that chemical engineering degree course or that BSc in Data Science then ask for help. College support services will provide as much information as you need to ensure you make an informed decision on your course as well as providing practical help and guidance throughout your college years.
Don’t just study
Everyone knows that it takes a lot of hard work to obtain those qualifications, but you’ll enjoy college a lot more if you have an active social life. Your new ‘home away from home’ is the ideal place to meet new friends — some, if not many, will be in the same boat as you — and these friendships can last a lifetime. Socializing is an important part of life at college whether that’s meeting people with similar interests or trying out something new. One thing your college will have is plenty of different social scenes — join a few clubs in your first year and wider your circle of new friends.
Manage your time
Organizing your time efficiently is a skill and learning to do this should help you to strike the right balance between socializing and study. Time management will help to ease stress by evenly distributing your work-life and extra-curricular activities. This includes making sure you eat right throughout the day, exercising when possible and getting enough sleep. Getting used to managing your time properly is all part of the learning curve and should be a priority during your first college year.
Remember that you’re not alone
College life places heavy responsibilities on young shoulders and can get stressful. Everyone needs a little help at some point. Remember that you’re not alone in this and support, whether on finances, health matters, counselling or course work, is available. College support services are there to provide you with all the help that you need and the employees do understand the problems faced by students. Familiarize yourself your student support services so that, when life throws one of those curved balls at you, as it occasionally does, you know who to turn to and get through it.
The college years are an adventure. If you make the most out of them, you’ll learn and experience a lot, not all of which has to do with your course work.
Do you have any more tips on how to achieve balance in college?
Back to School Prep 10 Tips to Help College Students Ease Back into Dorm Life
Going back to school has always had a negative stigma. No student likes for summer to end; but taking a few extra days to prepare for the new semester can result in a smooth transition back into the school routine that will make it well worth it. The sooner you start settling into the new routine for the new school year the easier it is to get acclimated and off to a great start. Follow these 10 back to school tips to make life a bit easier for you.
- Move back to your dorm or off campus apartment a few days early. The compromise of moving back to school a few days early will pay off in the coming weeks and months because it will give you a big head start. Moving in early will give you the opportunity to reduce your stress and establish a routine before classes start. This way, when classes do begin, you can concentrate on your class instead of still needing to work on getting settled in
- Make Plans for the school year. Being back on campus helps you get back into the mindset for school, but now you have time to prepare for the year ahead without having to worry about any homework, studying, or reading assignments yet. This can include researching things you want to do, clubs you want to join, and events you want to attend. Marking these down ahead of time will help you with steps 3 and 4, which are setting up your calendar and making your schedule.
- Fill out your calendar for each semester and the school year. Take the time to fill out your calendar so that you can have all of your tests, events, days off, and anything else for the semester and then the year. This way, you will have everything ready at a glance. If you use a tool like Google Calendar, you can easily share events with friends and family and sync it to your smartphone. Be sure to make a habit of checking your calendar daily to see what is coming up.
- Make a daily schedule. Once your calendar is set up, you should also make a daily schedule. This will be especially helpful if you have different classes at different times each day, as most college courses vary in time, day, and even location. Having a daily schedule with reminders will keep you on track every day.
- Map out your classes. Being on campus early will allow you the luxury of finding your classes ahead of time and mapping them out. This way, you can time how long it takes to get to each class so that you can make sure that you have time and are never late for class.
- Talk with administration, counselors, or professors about scheduling and seating. One of the perks of being on campus before the rest of the student body returns is that you can meet with your professors and other faculty. You can get to know your professors, maybe even get a head start on some reading and getting all of your books, supplies, etc. Find out about preferred seating in the dining hall, labs, and sign up for study groups before the times you want get filled up. Being back on campus early allows you to get a head start on all of the arrangements that are first come, first served.
- Set your goals for the year and for each semester. Take a few minutes to think about your goals for the school year and for each semester. Writing down your goals increases the chances of achieving them. Post them up in your room so that you can look at them regularly and stay on track to achieve them.
- Organize your dorm room or off campus apartment. Arriving early will allow you to take the time to unpack and get everything organized. If you will have a dorm mate or roommate, arriving before them can afford you some benefits as far as claiming your space. Getting organized in your room, closet, and bathroom will go a long way towards saving you time and energy down the road. Put your clothes for other seasons away or in storage so that they are not cluttering up your closet if you aren’t going to wear them yet.
- Stock up on supplies. Plan out your first week two of meals and snacks and fill your refrigerator and pantry. Get any other supplies you are going to need for the first semester, or at least the first couple weeks.
- Pat yourself on the back for being ahead of the game. Now it’s time to reward yourself for being prepared early. Go out to your favorite restaurant near campus or treat yourself to something special, a movie, or something fun that you couldn’t do if you stayed home. A great reward is some new clothes for the new school year. Try the convenience of ordering online from a site that specializes in comfortable yet fashionable clothes like NeverlandStore.
Summary
In addition to following as many of our 10 tips as you can, be sure to start waking up early enough for your first class two to three weeks in advance. Experts say it takes 21 days to make something a habit. Making a habit of waking up early and following your new school year routine will pay off when you start the school year strong. Since so many new clubs, groups, and events start or take place in the first couple weeks of school, being acclimated to your new routine will allow you to take advantage of as much of those groups, networking, and events to meet new people without being too tired or stressed out. The biggest benefit is that you won’t have to worry about these things when classes start so you won’t fall behind.
Oops moment you want to avoid when involved in a video meeting…
When it comes to communicating with one another, human beings can be very awkward. Not all the time of course, but often enough someone says something or does something that just makes others feel uncomfortable. Depending on the means of communication, these instances can be incredibly awkward, slightly annoying or somewhere in between. Talking face-to-face is the most effective means of communication possible, but it’s also where people can mess up and cause discomfort for others. Alternatively, chatting online or texting doesn’t have nearly the same impact for the same transgression. Companies use things like CIPHR HR Software to lessen the awkwardness of communication with others while boosting productivity, but sometimes, good ole’ person-to-person interactions is the only way to get things done.
Face-to-face communication is the top of the hierarchy of potentially awkward situations, but video meetings can make a close second (phone calls are up there too, but at least an awkward silence during a phone call doesn’t entail actually seeing the other person). Video meetings and conferencing can be used for a multitude of different tasks, school, personal and business related. Yet awkward situations can arise in either instance. Avoiding uncomfortable situations while on a video call with friends or family is not usually a big deal (it’s mainly a personal desire to avoid the situation and most often doesn’t incur significant consequences). But committing an error in social custom, business etiquette or any other unwritten code of conduct while participating in a business meeting can have dire consequences.
What to Do If You Mess up
The fact of the matter is, you will make a mistake at some point; everyone does. Depending on the circumstances the initial mistake is often not the problem; the real problem usually comes from how the person who makes the mistake handles the aftermath. It’s important to put things in perspective, according to Psychology Today. Quite often, the mistake you made is not serious and chances are many people might not even notice it. But if someone does notice, you should remember that what’s done is done, and you can’t change the past. What you can do, however, is apologize, especially if what you did had any negative effect on the situation. In addition, laughing at yourself is a great way to ease the tension and set the other person at ease, as long as the circumstances are conducive to a laugh. Whatever you do, do not try to make excuses; most people will see right through them and this will make the situation worse by showing you to be unwilling to own up to your own mistakes. Of course, there are some gaffes you could commit that might be unfixable, period, especially if you’re in a business situation. But for the most part, as long as you think before you speak and don’t do anything that could be construed as offensive, any awkward situations created by your actions should be easy enough to laugh off or apologize away as long as you are sincere.
Avoiding the Situation in the First Place
While everyone is human and everyone makes mistakes, trying to avoid committing them in the first place is your best plan of action. When in meetings, either face-to-face or video conference via Blue Jeans Network, it’s incredibly important to hold yourself in a way that tells your bosses you are paying attention, listening and focused on what is being discussed, according to Today. Body language is incredibly telling, according to Nonverbal Group. Anywhere from 60 to 90 percent of communication is transmitted through nonverbal cues. This means that the way you move, your facial expressions, your hand movements, leg jitters and any other body movement can communicate your mood and interest in a conversation. This can be good or bad depending on multiple variables like who you’re talking to, what you’re talking about, how lenient that person is and plenty more. Self-control is important, so make sure you are capable of it. If you’re ever unsure of your ability to hold your own during a video meeting, then it can be useful to practice. It’s actually a very mature and responsible habit to practice speaking or acting for when you might be in an interview or video meeting. It may be clichéd, but practice does make perfect. It’s also incredibly important to keep calm; don’t let any small mistakes or your nerves distract you, and if you do make a mistake just get over it and move on, according to US News. Look directly into the camera. You can’t actually have eye contact through a video screen, but looking through the camera instead of the screen will show the other person you are intent, focused and interested. If you are participating in the meeting or interview from home, make sure you wear appropriate clothing; showing up on screen in a t-shirt is not a good idea. And above all, watch your language; not just swearing, but any slang or jargon that might be seen as either immature or overly casual will not help you at all.
Tips for Getting Into the College of Your Dreams!
Getting into college is often a challenge to many students. In fact, most people do not end up in the colleges they dreamed of attending as children. There are several requirements to observe in order to get into the best colleges. For example, most college admissions are based on academic merits. Therefore, for admission into the best colleges, a student needs to have a high GPA. The GPA is useful because in most cases, students aspire to join the same colleges and have similar course ambitions. To have an advantage over the competing group of students, it is important to score high grades. Scoring higher grades, in return, highly depends on essay writing and correct essay format.
In addition, it is important to have good recommendation letters from teachers from the current school. To get the best letters, it is often important to have personal relationships with teachers because colleges do not like the ‘charity’ recommendation letters that often lack substance. On this note, extra curricular activities in school are important because colleges will often consider them in the screening process. For example, an athlete with good grades stands a good chance of college admission. It is also imperative to have a resume and attach it in the application letter. Since it may be hard to write the usual one-page resume and include all the personal strength, it is important to research the core values of the college and include them in the resume. It is also imperative to take several extra classes, not part of the usual school curriculum r and related to the course of choice, because they indicate a willingness to work hard and increase the likelihood of admission.
Finally, it is important to apply for admission as soon as possible. In some cases, colleges often prioritize the early applications because they show determination and resolve. Therefore, a prospective college student should make the effort to deliver their application as soon as applications are open.
*Bonus Tip. If you think you stand a good chance of being admitted to a college, don’t apply early decision as this is a binding commitment. This means they will probably not offer you any scholarship money if they admit you. Try early action instead.
