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Survive Another Semester With These Dorm Room Gadgets
At the start of the semester, you can fool yourself into believing you’ll be spending all your spare time between classes in the library. With your nose in a book, it’s easy to ignore how utilitarian your dorm room is. What do you care if it’s ugly? You’re only there to sleep, right?
If you’re lucky, you get about a week into this routine before you realize you can’t keep it up. At which points, you trade a trip to the library for staying in on your bed.
If you’re going to be spending a lot of your time in your dorm room, you might as well do everything you can to make it time well spent. This list will help you curate the best dorm experience possible. From the hilariously extravagant to the surprisingly practical, these gadgets will elevate your dorm room to the next level.
A robot maid
Raise your hand if you like cleaning. When neither hand even twitches, you know you can’t claim this activity as a preferred hobby. There’s just too much going on around campus for you to want to waste your time cleaning up.
In 2018, that doesn’t mean you have to live like a slob. You can “hire” a robotic maid to vacuum your dorm room. Though the Roomba is synonymous with the robot vacuum, the most well-known brand isn’t always the best. The iLife A4 is a cute little addition that keeps on top of dirt without emptying out your student wallet. It’s relatively affordable addition to your dorm room that saves you a fight with your roommate about whose turn it is to vacuum.
Noise cancelling headphones
Few residences could be confused for the Ritz. You’re going to be dealing with a lot of people in a small space. As a result, you’re going to be hearing a lot of stuff — whether you want to or not. Someone somewhere is always going to be making noise, even if it’s the middle of the night. Come midterms, it’s likely more than one person will take of up the Nordic tradition of wailing in the middle of the night.
If you’re sensitive to your surroundings, you’ll want to pack a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. While Sony’s WH-1000XM2 make it to the top of Tech Radar’s list, you may not have the budget to drop roughly $400 on a set of headphones. The Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC offer an affordable alternative that offers NoiseGard ™ to filter out the sounds of college life.
Portable speakers
When you’re done cancelling the noises other people make and are ready to make some noise yourself, you’re going to need a set of speakers to help you make an impact. The UE Boom 2 offers considerable sound quality in a small, lightweight package. It’s small enough to fit anywhere in your room and light enough that you won’t regret owning it when it comes time to move out. Check out CNET’s review to see why it’s the portable speaker to blast your mid-semester playlist.
Nintendo Switch
If you’d rather skip the party to explore Hyrule, then a Switch would better serve your dorm room this year. As Nintendo’s first 2-in-1 console, it’s the perfect system for campus. It offers excellent single player games when you want to kill some time on your own, and it has a library rich with multiplayer (both co-op and competitive) games. You can dock it and play on the big screen or throw it in your bag and take it along to class.
A Switch skin
You’ll just want to wrap it up in a Nintendo Switch skin before it’s ready to mix and mingle in your backpack. This accessory protects your console from pens, keys, and other sharp objects in your bag that could damage it. When you shop from a company like dbrand, you’ll get a Switch skin that’s made out of 3M vinyl. Because of their partnership with 3M, these skins leave residue on the Switch’s unique surface material — or any other tech you want to decal. That means you can protect and customize your devices with multiple skin designs and switch it up whenever you’re feeling bored.
A power strip
Last but not least, you’re going to need a surge-protecting power strip to make sure you don’t blow the breakers once you plug in the rest of the gadgets on the list. The Dynex Surge Protector comes with 8 outlets and two USB charging ports, so you’ll never have to fight with your roommate over a chance to charge
Despite your best intentions, you’ll be spending more time in your college dorm room than you might expect. If you expect to enjoy all the time you log in this tiny room, you’ll need a few gadgets to help improve your quality of life. Once you have the right ratio of space to tech, you’ll never regret staying in your room. Your grades, on the other hand, might miss the library!
Don’t Let Dorm Life Stop You from Having These Five Healthy Habits
Living in a dorm offers a lot of advantages. You get to live on your own, live near your classes so your commute is easier, and meet a lot of new people. It’s no wonder that millions of students each year opt to live on campus rather than commute to school. But while living on campus is great, it offers some challenges.
When living in a dorm, and going through the typical college experience, it can become easier to slip into some unhealthy habits. Before long you’re not sleeping well, your grades are suffering, and you may even be gaining weight. With that in mind, here are six healthy habits you should focus on when living in a dorm.
Maintaining a Proper Diet
One of the hardest challenges when living in a dorm is eating right. It’s easy to head over to the cafeteria and pile on food, or head out for a greasy snack around two in the morning. Before you know it, you have no energy throughout the day, and you’ve gained a few pounds. This is why it’s important to watch what you eat.
When you’re shopping for groceries, make sure you’re picking out some healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. When you go to the cafeteria, think about the portion sizes you are getting and which meals you are opting for. Finally, alcoholic beverages tend to be high in calories, so make sure you’re keeping this in mind if you go out to a party.
Exercise Regularly
Along with a healthy diet you also need to exercise regularly. Luckily, most colleges these days provide membership to a gym that is included with your room and board. Take full advantage of this if you can, or find other ways to get exercise in. Do a workout video in your dorm if you have the space or make up your own routine. Go for a jog or walk around campus if the weather is nice or opt to walk to class rather than taking a bus. There’s plenty you can do to stay in shape from the comfort of your dorm or around campus, so make exercising a priority.
Set Aside Time to Work
There’s a lot going on during your college years and this doesn’t just include your schoolwork. Between clubs, activities, and spending time with your friends, schoolwork can be forgotten. Even if you’re able to keep your grades up through all of this, it’s important that you learn how to say “no” sometimes and work instead. Find a time each day to complete your work and force yourself to stick to that schedule. If you don’t have any homework to do on a specific day, find other productive things to do. This will train your brain to be ready to work at this time, no matter what else is going on – a great habit you’ll want after you graduate.
Visiting Health Professionals
Even if you take care of yourself, you may still experience some problems. Maybe you’ll catch a cold, feel tired all of the time, or have a toothache. Whatever the reason, it’s important that you schedule regular visits to healthcare professionals to catch any problems early.
The problem is that for many students, their primary doctors and dentists are back home, not on campus. But many of these places require appointments in advance, and that’s something you can certainly do while you’re still in your dorm.
Each year you should take the time to visit your doctor for a checkup and a complete physical. They’ll test things like your blood pressure, reflexes, and heartrate, and ask you about any problems you may be experiencing. For dental appointments, according to Kreeb Family Dental, you can expect the following during your checkup: X-rays, oral cancer screenings, gum disease evaluation, examination of tooth decay, and an examination of current restorations. You can also expect a full cleaning, including the removal of tartar and plaque, plus teeth polishing.
None of these things sound fun, but they are important for properly taking care of yourself. In between visits, most campuses have healthcare staff on hand if you have any problems you want to discuss, so make sure you know where their offices are.
Don’t Forget to Relax
Finally, while college is fun, it’s also stressful. You’re in a new environment, meeting new people, and having to learn a lot of new material. One of the best habits you can establish is that of taking time for yourself. When you start to feel stressed, set aside time to relax and do things you enjoy. Go for a walk, read a book, or even just take a nap. Life is all about balance, so you want to develop a habit for relaxing just like you do for working.
If you can do all of the above, you should find that you are able to enjoy your dorm life a little more. You’ll feel better, have more energy, and won’t be stressed out all of the time. These habits aren’t hard to create, so just set your mind to it and get going.
How to Choose the Best Post-Graduate Degree for You
Many students complete their undergraduate degree, and then head straight out into the workforce so they can start earning money and get a taste for work life. However, sometimes, depending on what kind of job you want and the career path you want to take, it can be better to stay at university for a few extra years to complete post-graduate qualifications first.
This is particularly the case if you’re interested in becoming a professor or other type of academic. Keep in mind, too, that it’s often much easier to do additional studies when you’re young, don’t have a lot of commitments to worry about, and are already used to studying and being at college.
If you’re thinking of enrolling in a Master’s degree or other post-grad course, it can be a bit tricky trying to decide which program will be the best fit for you, and whether or not to stick with the same university or head elsewhere. Plus, these days there are both online and on campus options to choose from, which gives you even more options to decide between. Read on for some tips you can follow to help you make the best choice for you.
Be Clear about Your Goals
When it comes to deciding on a post-graduate degree, the first thing to think about is what your personal goals are. What is the reason you want to get a higher degree, and how do you want to use this qualification? Once you get clear on what outcomes you wish to achieve, it will be easier to tell which degree will help you to get there.
Always make sure you’re considering your own goals, not other people’s, as it’s a waste of time, money and energy to complete a program that won’t lead you down the right path for your needs. Plus, be wary about enrolling in a course simply because you think it will look good on your CV. These higher degrees are intense, time-consuming, and often very costly, so you need to have solid reasons for completing them.
Don’t Rush Your Decision
To make sure you choose wisely, give yourself time to really weigh up all the pros and cons of each course on your shortlist. Don’t rush your decision, as this is how you can end up in the wrong program. Carefully research all the post-graduate options you’re considering to find out what each one would involve, what it will cost, how long it will take you to complete, and how it will help you to tick off your goals.
You should find out how flexible each program is, with regards to not just what you learn, but when and where and who you work with, and how long completion time can be. Make sure each course you’re interested in is accredited properly. If you need access to certain facilities to complete your studies properly, investigate this in your research, in addition to any other particular university features (such as disabled access, security, extracurricular groups, large libraries, etc.) you might require.
Choose an educational provider with a good reputation too, of course. Chat with past students as well as current ones to get their opinion on the school and the specific program you’re interested in. Find out what kind of career results graduates have been achieving, as this will give you a good indication of whether or not the course will suit your needs.
Check out the different professors you would have access to at the different universities too, as this can make a big impact on your decision. Also investigate what kind of career support is on offer at each institution.
Consider the Mode of Study that will Suit You Best
Lastly, consider the mode of study that will suit you best. These days, there are all sorts of post-graduate degrees offered off-campus, as well as on, from AACSB online MBAs through to Master’s in Engineering, Accounting, Marketing and so on.
As such, think about whether you would prefer to be on campus, or to have the flexibility in schedule that’s provided with online study. Online options are really helpful if you have children who you need to be at home for, and/or if you want to work and fit your studies around your job schedule. Online degrees also give you access to courses run around the world, rather than being limited to just local programs.
However, on the other hand, on-campus study may be your preference if you want to be able to interact with your professors face-to-face, access on-site facilities, and enjoy social, networking opportunities with other students on a regular basis. Evaluate the different modes based on your goals and you’ll make a wise decision.
5 Sports Management Career Paths to Consider
Have you been dreaming of a career in sports ever since you were little Now that you’re older, that dream might seem far-fetched – especially since there are only 11,800 professional athletes in the entire U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
But you don’t have to be an athlete to enjoy a long and fulfilling career in sports. There are tens of thousands of behind-the-scenes (and in-the-scenes) sports jobs that you can do, even if you’re not an example of peak physical conditioning. A sports management degree can prepare you to follow one of these sports career paths, among many others.
1) Sports Agent
Every professional athlete needs a competent sports agent to guide and advise them when it’s time to negotiate deals and sign contracts with brands and companies. As a sports agent, you’ll need to have a good head for business and strong negotiation skills. You’ll be responsible for handling all of your clients’ corporate and legal obligations, as well as helping them manage their money.
As a sports agent, you’ll travel to meet clients, potential clients and league representatives. Contract negotiations will occur during the spring and summer, while much of the winter and fall will be spent meeting with clients. You’ll take care of your athletes’ taxes, negotiate their salaries and bonuses and set up their product endorsement deals. Some background in contract or tax law would be useful.
2) Public Relations Assistant
Professional athletes spend much of their career in the public eye, especially those at the top of the field. Sports public relations assistants and other PR specialists in the sports field work to build and maintain a positive public image for the athletes they represent. They do this by attempting to control the information that flows from the team or athlete to the press and by working to soften the blow of any negative attention an athlete may garner.
Daily tasks for PR professionals in sports include preparing media reports and press releases, drafting speeches, arranging media interviews for athletes, responding to communications from journalists and crafting promotional campaigns. You’ll have a role in any activity that increases or bolsters a team’s or athlete’s positive public image.
3) General Manager
As a sports general manager, you’ll be in charge of managing a sports team’s deals and business transactions. General managers may work for teams in the minor leagues, as well as in the major leagues, with minor league general managers earning a starting salary of about $112,000. You’ll hire head coaches, manage the team’s revenue and budget, draft new players and speak for the team at media conferences.
A successful general manager has strong people skills, business acumen and communication skills. He or she must be able to hire and manage staff, including coaches and other support staff, as well as come up with new marketing and business strategies to increase the team’s revenue. A strong background in sports management will help you assess the strengths and weaknesses of your team and then find and recruit the players who can best help your team improve.
4) Sports Event Coordinator
Do you want to help plan and coordinate major league sports competitions? Perhaps you’d like to work on coordinating sports events for amateur or minor league athletes. Maybe you’re even interested in planning community sporting events or helping young people answer the question, “What can sports teach you about life?” Sports event coordinators get involved with planning sports programs and events on every level, from local amateur athletics and community or youth sports to major league competitions.
As a sports event coordinator, you’ll need an eye for detail and skills in marketing, business and organizational logistics. You’ll also need to understand the sports environment and the specific physical activity involved in the event you’re coordinating. In addition to planning the event itself, you’ll be responsible for logistics surrounding the event, such as making sure teams find their way to and from their hotels and that they’re comfortable in their accommodations.
5) Fitness Director
As a fitness director, you’ll be responsible for organizing and implementing fitness and group activities, which may or may not be for the benefit of professional athletes or even sports fans. For example, a fitness director may work as the face of a university’s student wellness program and may also be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the university’s fitness or recreation center.
You’ll need strong budgeting skills and may need management or supervisory skills. You may also need to teach fitness classes or train fitness instructors, provide customer service for participants and conduct teaching observations.
If you love sports and want a career working in fitness or with athletes, a sports management degree may be right for you. A degree in sports management will open up a range of fulfilling career paths in the sports industry, so you can build the sports career of your dreams.
Business Energy News
Many factors currently affect energy prices across the UK. Since the UK exited from the European Union, many uncertainties have been expressed resulting from the policy. The impact on the economy of said policy change will determine how confident businesses are to take risks and move from one energy provider to another by comparing rates through UtilityBidder. However, this depends on whether consumer confidence is also high.
In addition, many considerations and factors further contribute to the rising gas prices affecting businesses in the UK. These include low generation of renewable energy sources such as wind power, the balance between supply and demand, and the overall performance of the economy.
What comprises energy consumption for businesses?
Businesses spend a small fortune each year on energy alone. The bulk of the cost goes on heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning. On top of this comes the cost of lighting and powering appliances. Unfortunately, most UK businesses are missing out on the opportunity to save on energy costs.
According to government figures, 70% of the country’s total energy consumption goes to five business sectors – retail, offices, industrial, hospitality, and health. Also, among all these sectors, the industrial sector is the most inefficient, missing out on their chance to save 50% on overall energy consumption.
Reducing energy consumption
How can a company take better control over energy consumption? Experts have the following suggestions:
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Switch to energy-efficient lighting. Out of the possible £3.7bn savings, companies can make a year, £1.1bn is attributed to commercial lighting expenses. It is significant for the retail and hospitality sectors where lighting is a constant necessity 24/7. Improving lighting choices such as switching to LED lighting as well as adding sensors and timers is essential.
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Energy management systems. Installing a method for controlling and monitoring heat and ventilation is something to consider for companies with multiple sites such as hotels and shopping malls. A company can save over 10% in energy costs by installing a management system.
These suggestions are still subject to debate since comparing the energy consumption between different sectors suggests a customised energy savings approach is a better solution. For example, large buildings use up more energy and sectors involved with data processing consume more for cooling and processing data centres, compared with a company simply offering warehouse services and logistics.
As such, targeting specific areas of the business where energy management can reap high benefits is a must. Energy retailers work with companies to offer energy management solutions aimed at helping companies optimise their energy use. A specific example is the implementation of an on-site energy generator. This system allows the company to recover energy which would otherwise end in waste and use it for other processes.
Both the public and private business sectors need to raise their awareness and efforts to reduce energy consumption. With the continuing rise in energy prices, it can be a significant element for change.
