Author Archives: jeremyassistant
Textbooks, Computers, and a Tea Pot: Essential Gear of the Successful College Student
You’re going to college soon – you need to start making a checklist. Aside from the usual costs like tuition and food, you’re going to need a few other supplies. Before you say goodbye to mom and dad for the semester, here’s what to stock up on.
A Good Laptop
A good laptop is absolutely essential for today’s college student. In fact, it’s probably the most important thing you can take with you. Don’t leave home without something at least as good as a mid-tier product either. No Acers. Can’t use ‘em. OK, you could use them, but don’t. Get yourself a Macbook Air, at least. Or, get yourself the top-tier Dell model. Lenovo are also a good choice as long as you’re going for the top-tier – again. Yes, they’re a bit pricey, but you’ll thank yourself three years from now when your laptop isn’t falling apart and the software still runs smoothly.
P2P File Sharing Software
It seems like every college kid these days is doing some kind of P2P file sharing. And, while you should not be breaking the law by downloading and sharing copyright-protected content without the authorization of the copyright holders, there is a legit use for file sharing software that’s wickedly underutilized: sharing original creations you make in college and sharing your study papers with classmates.
Simple P2P software, like the bittorrent client from www.Vuze.com, is really all you need to connect directly with other classmates to share pretty much anything you’ve done in class – from study notes to past homework assignments as study aides.
Free Word Processing Tools
Who wants to pay for Microsoft Word when OpenOffice suite is free? Better yet, LibreOffice. It’s got all of the tools you could ever want from the paid programs at a price you can’t argue with – even with the student discount offered from the competitor.
Used Books
No one likes paying retail for books. So, before you go off to college, verify your class schedule and then pick up some used textbooks from someplace like AbeBooks, Amazon.com’s used textbook section, or Half.com.
A Teapot
A teapot. Yes, a teapot. You need to eat, right? Between 4 hour study sessions, a teapot can heat up the boiling water you need for Ramen – every college student’s staple food.
Food Rations
You can’t live on college food and Ramen Noodle alone. They may be high in calories, but they’re really low in nutrition. It’s weird, but while students are getting your learn on, they’re also wrecking their health.
Your number one priority in college is to get a good education. To do that, you need to be healthy. You must get in all of your required fruits and vegetables, lots of good quality meat, and of course, fiber. Food rations can help you do that – nuts and seeds, dried beef jerky (not the kind with preservatives and artificial flavors. It’s actually really easy to make at home with a cheap food dehydrator and some beef and salt), and dried fruit like apricots, plums, and raisins.
Audrey Brown is a college dorm guru. As a resident director for many years, she loves blogging about the ins and outs of creating a great college dorm experience from decor and organization tricks to gadgets and study habits.
Ezekiel Elliott Early Favorite in 2015 Heisman Trophy Betting
As the dust settles following this year’s NFL Draft, the focus has now turned to the upcoming college football season, and the leading candidates to earn 2015 Heisman Trophy honors.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott leads the way as the favorite to win this year’s Heisman, with strong 6/1 odds in college football player props betting at the online sportsbooks.
The 19 year-old native of St. Louis, Missouri had a breakout campaign in 2014, rushing for an impressive 1878 yards and 18 TD’s. But it was his big-game performances that have set Elliott apart.
The six-foot, 225 pound junior racked up 220 rushing yards and a pair of TD’s in the Buckeyes’ 59-0 thrashing of the Wisconsin Badgers in the Big Ten conference championship game.
Elliott followed that up with 230 rushing yards and two TD’s in OSU’s 42-35 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl, but saved the best for last, running for four scores and 246 yards in the Buckeyes’ 42-20 win over the Oregon Ducks in this year’s National Championship game.
Elliott is looking to end a five-year stretch during which the Heisman Trophy has been won by quarterbacks.
Oregon’s Marcus Mariota, who was drafted second overall by the Tennessee Titans in this year’s NFL Draft, took home Heisman honors in 2014, while this year’s top pick, Jameis Winston got the nod in 2013 while leading the Florida State Seminoles to a perfect season and national championship.
A pair of quarterbacks closely trail Elliott in Heisman Trophy props betting at the online sportsbooks.
Mississippi State Bulldogs pivot Dak Prescott is pegged at 7/1, followed by TCU Horned Frogs QB Trevone Boykin at 15/2.
It has been a tough off-season for Prescott, who was the victim of a severe beating by a number of assailants at a spring break concert in Florida back in March. But the 230-pound senior looked in fine form in Mississippi State’s spring game, racking up 231 passing yards and three touchdowns before being given a rest by coach Dan Mullen.
Boykin is coming off an impressive junior year at TCU, where he tossed for 3901 yards and 33 TD’s while leading the Horned Frogs to a 12-1 record and a share of the Big 12 championship.
Boykin underwent wrist surgery during the off-season to repair an injury that was no healing on its own, but is expected to fully recover and be cleared for workouts by the end of May.
A pair of running backs chase the favorites in Heisman Trophy online betting. LSU Tigers’ Leonard Fournette and Georgia Bulldogs’ are listed at 8/1, followed by Buckeyes’ pivot Cardale Jones at 9/1.
Jones enters the new season after becoming the first player in college football history to win a ring in each of his first three starts , as reported by Bettingsports.com, while leading the Buckeyes to the Big Ten title and their two College Football Playoff victories in the Sugar Bowl and National Championship Game.
USC Trojans QB Cody Kessler is next at 12/1, followed by Alabama RB Derrick Henry and Clemson Tigers pivot Deshaun Watson who round out the front of the Heisman Trophy betting pack, each with 14/1 odds.
Computer Forensics: A Cyber Career Roadmap
Maybe you don’t like the idea of mopping up after a crime scene – the blood, the bullets etc. At the same time, you love piecing together mysteries. Thankfully, there’s still a job for you in computer forensics. Here’s what it’s all about and how plug yourself into this little-known, but exciting career.
Educational Requirements
To get into digital forensics, you need a good education. The requirements can be fairly minimal, however, in terms of the actual content, quality counts more than quantity. Many computer forensics professionals learn their skills “on the job,” with a strong basic foundation in computer programming or computer forensics.
Because many of the strategies and tactics change over time, it’s difficult to set hard and fast requirements for applicants. A working knowledge of computers is necessary, but beyond that, an investigator will have to be comfortable learning new hardware and software, some of which is custom and proprietary. They may also need special security clearance if they are working on government projects.
Degrees
For those without experience in law enforcement, military, or government, there are degrees. The most common one is an Associate Degree in computer forensics. This is a two-year course of study where the student completes general education courses that are specific to a career in computer forensics.
Various courses in cybercrime, intrusion detection systems, and basic legal protocols are covered. There is also some focus on technical writing, public speaking, and algebra.
Finally, with an Associate’s degree, the individual usually has to complete an internship before graduation. This internship gives the student work experience that will help in finding a job with a forensics specialist.
If a degree isn’t something you want to pursue, there’s also a professional certificate training course in computer forensics. This is a common method of learning the basics of computer forensics. Law enforcement or computer securities professionals usually go this route. Students enrolled in these types of programs usually have a computer or legal background, eliminating the need for additional schooling.
Certificate programs require less study – just 10 courses. However, it may be more challenging for those without prior education in computers.
And, while doctoral degrees in computer forensics aren’t common, they may be in the future as the need for forensics evolves and we become more and more dependent on electronics for daily living. More and more information is being stored in the cloud, on devices locally, and in increasingly complex systems.
Experience
A lot of computer forensics experts have experience in law enforcement, as a private investigator, or in the military. The most successful will also have extensive computer programming or some other related field experience. This digital forensics expert, for example, hires those with experience in law enforcement and intelligence organizations.
As with most jobs, the more experience, the better. Many of the best forensics experts and investigators are former FBI special agents, former CIA agents, former U.S. State Department officials, and professionals from international crime and anti-terrorism units.
Experience in behavioral science, latent fingerprinting, polygraph examinations, and traditional forensics doesn’t hurt either.
Jared Stern, a certified digital forensic examiner, is a federal and state court-admitted computer and cell phone forensics expert. Mr. Stern is also the President of Prudential Associates, an investigative agency that uses a powerfully-equipped forensics lab which goes above and beyond the capacity and capability of over 90 percent of U.S. law enforcement labs. His articles appear mainly on criminal science education and industry websites.
Turning the Tables: Interview Questions Job Applicants Should Ask
We’ve all been there: you’ve found the perfect job for your skills, but the boss is too bossy, the co-workers are childish and malevolent, or the attitudes are just a bad match. It makes you miserable. While interviewers are usually the ones who ask questions, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask interview questions to the interviewer. Reverse the roles – here’s how.
What Principles Does Your Company Value?
This question can tell you about what it might be like to work with the employer. If they embrace customer service, for example, and put a lot of focus on that, it might be a great place to work if you’re being hired in that department. It can also clue you in to the long-term viability of the company.
If their values are fuzzy or you can’t quite tell what the company stands for, it indicates problems at the middle and upper management level, mostly upper management. Not good.
Does Your Organisation Embrace Ideas From Employees? How?
If you’re the creative type, you want to know that your prospective employer values ideas. Do they have an employee suggestion box? If so, how many employee ideas get implemented within the company in a year? If there is no formal process, it means that the employer either doesn’t value employee ideas or the management isn’t thinking about growth in this way. It could be bad if you like to engage management and affect the company’s growth.
Do You Help Employees Down On Their Luck?
It happens to the best of us. What happens when an employee is down on his luck? Does the company offer a community disaster fund or financial help for families in need within the organisation?
If not, does the company help connect you to financial firms? For example, Ferratum offers cash loans for people on Centrelink – an important way for low income people to dig themselves out of financial trouble. If employees are at or near the poverty line, this could mean that the employer isn’t paying them enough. If there’s no financial assistance for low income employees, run.
What Are Your Plans For Growth?
This is a great question to know the answer to, and it gives you an idea of the long-term potential of your job.
Who Previously Held This Position?
This seems like a pretty straightforward question, but the implications embedded in the answer will tell you a lot. Ask the person interviewing you, what happened to the previous employee.
If the person was promoted, for example, it could tell you about potential possibilities for advancement in the company. If they were fired, you might not be able to get details as to why, but it tells you that there are rules which are taken seriously, which you can then ask about. If a person quit, this can be (but isn’t always) a bad sign.
What’s The Next Step?
This question is almost never asked, but should be the last question you ask before walking out the door. Get specifics from the interviewer. If he or she seems wishy washy or unwilling to give you details about the hiring process, or if the interviewer doesn’t seem like he or she wants to answer your question, it might be best to move on. Either the employer isn’t serious, or there are serious hiring and HR problems developing within the organisation.
Jamie Holden is a personnel director. He likes to write about what works for him on the web. His posts appear on many finance and employment blog sites.
Why students need to be more involved with global events
We live in an ever-shrinking world. The dawn of the internet age has made physical boundaries redundant. In this age of global connectivity, it is important for the youth to be both aware of and involved in global events. Active connectivity is almost a prerequisite in today’s business environment. Companies are increasingly looking to hire people who are comfortable being globally networked. Working in transnational teams is the order of the day.
Comfort in dealing with disparate cultures comes from an open mind and the curiosity to learn. It’s easier to relate to someone halfway around the globe, when you are aware of the local culture and current news. Most US universities offer opportunities to participate in global events. This is offered through various global classroom programs as well as volunteer schemes and other International Outreach Programs. Whether it is volunteering for an event like the Olympics or a regional conference on climate control, student life offers you the opportunity to interact and learn on a global scale.
A simple way to check how globally aware you are, is to answer the following question ‘name the current top 5 international crises’. If you struggle to get beyond the crisis in Syria, then you need to work on your awareness and connectivity. Apart from International Outreach programs at Universities there are a host of avenues online like the Global Lounge Network.
When a global crisis strikes, men like Najib Mikati step forward and shoulder the responsibility of easing the crisis. Najib Mikati is a Lebanese politician who has twice served as the Prime Minister of Lebanon, for five weeks in 2005 and then from 2011-14. Najib started his career as a businessman and founded the telecommunications company Investcom in 1982. He sold Investcom to South African telecom giant MTN for $5.5 billion in 2006. In politics he was the minister for public works and transport from December 1998 to 2000. He is credited with creating a centrist and reformist mainstream in Lebanese politics. He is an ardent supporter of getting students involved in political activities. You can catch up with updates on Najib Mikati here.
Young men and women have the creativity, potential and capacity to make changes on a global scale. Getting involved in global events as a volunteer is just one way to learn and broaden your horizons. Increasingly companies are looking to hire young people who have a global perspective and those who are able to fit into and work in global teams.
To answer the earlier question on the top 5 crisis, the Middle East continues to be the biggest flash point where the 4-year-old civil war rages on in Syria. 3.3 million people, including 1.7 million children have fled the country. This conflict has spilled over into neighboring Iraq, already ravaged by conflict. The Russian-Ukrainian face-off continues to keep the possibility of an all-out war simmering. The outbreak of Ebola across West Africa has already caused over 7,000 deaths in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
