Lifestyle

One of the most difficult parts of the transition to college coursework is making a plan to study efficiently. Once you decide on a handful of college options, and start thinking about a major, your next step should be rearranging your lifestyle to be conducive to studying; after all, it’s recommended that you spend two hours studying each week for every one credit hour of coursework you’re taking. And if you can’t find the right time or place to spend those hours, it might take you even longer to absorb the information you need.

Fortunately, there are several options for studying space available.

Key Factors to Consider

These are the main things you’re looking for in a studying space:

• Privacy is one of the most important factors in your study environment. You don’t want people bothering or interrupting you during your work.
• As much as you might think you like ambient noise, the truth is, most of us study better when there’s little to no noise. It’s virtually impossible to find a space with no noise at all, so look to locations with minimal outside noise, and use headphones to block out the rest.
• Depending on what you’re working on, you may need ample table space to spread out your books, notes, and other materials. This isn’t possible in some cramped environments.
• There’s evidence to suggest that ample lighting can improve memory and retention in classrooms; therefore, it’s better if you have a space that’s well-lit. You’ll be able to read and see your materials better, and possibly remember more of what you’re studying.
• This is usually a matter of personal preference, but you should also consider a space with resources you could use to facilitate better studying, such as books, coffee, and snacks.
• Obviously, you’ll want a space that’s easily accessible to you. That might mean close in proximity, or cheap (or preferably, free) to use.

Ideas for Private Studying Space

So what can you use to study?

1. The library. Libraries are a standby for studying for a reason. They’re quiet, they’re well-lit, they have reasonable open hours, and they’re filled with books and computers. If you’re in a library on campus, you’ll probably also find tables and workstations where you can set up and study efficiently. You may also be able to meet other students here, and combine your efforts to improve both of your retention.
2. A home office or basement. If you’re living at home, or off campus, you may also be able to utilize a home office space for your work—so long as it isn’t in an area of the home with heavy foot traffic, and doesn’t have many distractions, such as a TV. A basement can work equally well; it will be quieter, but you may need to provide additional lighting.
3. A shed. Though unconventional, studying in a shed may work out well, so long as you have the space for it. Since it’s away from the house, you’ll have a quieter place to do your studying, and as long as you install the right lighting and a good desk, you could study productively for hours. Best of all, sheds are relatively inexpensive, so it’s likely more cost-efficient to add a shed to your property than to install a new home office.
4. The outdoors. If you enjoy the outdoors, you could also study in the park, so long as there’s good weather. The natural light will be a perfect tool to help you read, the fresh air will make you more relaxed, and the only noises you’ll have to contend with are the wildlife around you. The biggest problem here is usually space; there aren’t typically desks in parks, and the wind may blow your notes away from you.
5. A café. Cafes are another popular studying destination. They’re well-lit, they offer plenty of studying space, and there’s an endless reservoir of coffee to keep you focused. The biggest downside with cafes is the level of noise you’ll have to put up with.
6. An unused classroom. Once you’re on campus, you can look around for an unused classroom to catch up on studying before or after class. These areas are well-lit, and custom-designed to facilitate learning, so you’ll be hard-pressed to find something better.
7. A bookstore. Bookstores offer many of the same advantages as libraries and cafes—especially if there’s a built-in café for your caffeinating pleasure. You’ll probably have a harder time finding a bookstore to study in than a library or café, however, so this one is dependent on your surroundings.

The “perfect” studying space doesn’t exist, so no matter which options you choose, you’ll have to deal with at least some disadvantages. Finding the strengths and weaknesses that best suit your studying style is one of the best approaches you can take here, so experiment with different locations until you find one or two that fit your needs.

As much as people would love to follow through with finishing their studies after enrolling in college, unfortunately, many people drop out.  This can be not only disappointing for their family and friends, but also for themselves.

While the reasons vary from person to person, usually it comes down to the same common circumstances.  Here are some of the biggest reasons why people drop out of college

Too Much Partying

Most people have heard about the epic parties that occur in college. This environment can be full of temptation and parties which are difficult to say no to.  While it’s certainly understandable why you’d want to have memorable experiences in college, it’s important to keep yourself in check. Too much partying leads to getting distracted from what you’re really there for, which is getting an education for your future.

In addition to distracting you from your studies, there are plenty of other drawbacks which have a negative impact on your life.  Heavy partying can lead to health problems and even getting into an accident.  It’s not worth the risk in the long run.

Social Pressure

Even though school is about getting an education, sometimes it can involve a lot more than simply arriving every day and learning.  There are all sorts of people that you have to interact with on a daily basis.

There can be social pressure and challenges which can present themselves in this kind of environment which some people simply aren’t cut out for.  Try as they may to tune out social pressures, sometimes it can become so overwhelming for some students that they lose interest in going to school altogether.

Lack Of Interest In Their Studies

Even though someone may have all the intentions in the world of doing their best in school, ultimately if their heart isn’t in it, they won’t last long. It can be extremely hard to try to focus and put your best effort into something which you have little to no passion for.

When you are truly invested in a subject you are enthusiastic about doing the work and showing up every day.  Even you don’t feel excited about your area of study then you may want to rethink your career path.

Not Enough Money

Unfortunately, not everyone can qualify for a scholarship or grant.  Some people simply don’t have the funds to be able to pay for their education.

When the price of school gets to the point where they can’t afford to eat or pay their rent they start to reconsider their path and opt to drop out altogether.  

Rather than letting yourself get to this point, consider applying for all the scholarships and grants that you can.  You may be surprised to find that you qualify for more than you think!

College is an amazing chapter in life to have the experience of writing. Things change drastically. Parents are no longer there to lay down the law. You begin to pay your own bills and make your own way in the world. You also find out it’s not as easy as your parents made it look.

Be that as it may, the larger role of going off to college is the schooling itself. This isn’t Kansas anymore. It’s not high school either. Waiting until the last minute and skipping unwanted assignments, here, could mean the loss of a career-changing degree.

If you have chosen to major in Accounting, it could mean that you give up on a much simpler path to a lucrative career. We’re not saying that being an accountant is for dummies. Math is quite a challenge for a lot of people, especially as Common Core takes over, but if you will invest time in the simple tips below, you could enjoy an easier path to a well-set life.

Study

This could be applied to any major. Studying is the number one thing that will get you through every test. The problem is, no one seems to have the time. Understandably, as a young adult, you may now work a full-time job to pay for college, have frat or sorority responsibilities, attend church services, and need time with your friends.

That’s beside classes, but that’s just life. You will have to find a way to schedule a time to study. If it makes it easier, you can even combine some things. For example, meet your friends at a local cafe and hang out over some mocha and deli sandwiches while crunching numbers for the final exam. You could even memorize accounting formulas while you are grocery shopping.

Sleep It Off

Ok. So, you are now well acquainted with the overloaded schedule you just signed up for. Where does sleep fall in? As young adults with this new found freedom, it will be incredibly tempting to skimp on the sleep. There is just so much to do.

Between homework and working a job, alone, you will have many full days already. With that said, who goes to college and doesn’t spend time hanging out with friends?! It’s true. You need the outlet, but you will need the sleep more. Sleep will help you regulate your moods, which will help fuel your motivation to keep pressing forward with your classes.

It makes focusing on what assets and liabilities are a whole lot easier. It also helps you keep up with the huge packed day-to-day schedule you have without forgetting any of it. Not to mention, sleep is necessary for overall health. If you miss too many classes because you are sick, you are bound to have difficulties passing the course.

Go to Class

That brings us to the last tip. Go to class! An accounting degree is a generally simple degree to earn, but only if you attend the classes. If you don’t know the difference between diversification and insolvency, it’s pretty difficult to present yourself as the man or woman for the job in the future. Not to mention, pass the exam.

There are times when we just can’t help but be absent. Sometimes, we are just too sick. Sometimes, we might have a boss who refuses to work with our schedule that day. Partying too hard the night before and sleeping off a hangover doesn’t count. (Just in case you were wondering.) In these cases, it’s recommended that you copy a classmate’s notes.

However, remember that there may be details that your classmate didn’t deem as important as you might have. Being present in the actual class just makes more sense and makes things ten times easier.  

An Accounting Degree is an amazing opportunity to continue a love affair with numbers for the rest of your life. Follow these simple tips above and the path to bliss will be much easier, too.

Head lice is just not a popular topic, but it’s something we have to discuss eventually. A college campus is a miniature self-contained city. The population per square mile of campus in some schools is greater than some of the biggest towns in the U.S.

With that said, that means there are a lot of heads in close proximity to each other. If you remember elementary school at all, you know that a head lice breakout is very frustrating, to say the least.

To top it off, they are very easily spread and most of the time you don’t know you have a problem until it’s spread through your entire family. College is no different, but there are a few things you can do to cut down your chances of meeting this unwanted parasite. Below are the top three.

Keep Your Clothing Separate

While in college, you will probably share your living quarters with one or two roommates. Sometimes more. As with any living arrangement, there will be routine rules and boundaries for everyone to respect.

One of them should be to make sure that each person has their own hamper for dirty clothes and their own dresser for clean clothes. Any clothing that you need to hang up should be separate from others, as well.

The reason for this is to reduce the chance that head lice will spread throughout your dorm should one of you come home with it. Keeping your clothing separate from everyone else’s will make sure pests don’t have access to you via a new outfit.  

Sharing Isn’t Always a Good Idea

This tip will mostly concern the ladies in college. Men, in general, don’t usually share brushes, combs, and headgear, but it won’t hurt to pay attention. Headgear includes hats, scarves, hoodies, pillows, headphones, hair accessories, and anything else that comes in contact with your head.

Also, make sure to stay away from head-to-head contact. This goes for the girly group selfies and the romantic kisses under the stars. Ladies and gentlemen, if your significant other picks up head lice, it’s really not the end of the world, but you may want to reconsider going in for that goodnight smooch.

Exercise Caution at the Gym

While you are young and full of vigor, visiting the gym either to workout on a regular basis with the girls or catch a game of paddle ball or basketball with the guys seems to be the thing to do in college.

It’s definitely not a bad habit to get into. With that said, the gym is not a place that most people think of contracting head lice. While it might be a less common option, it’s still a very viable possibility. In order to keep yourself lice free, we suggest bringing your own towel and having a personal locker in which to store your clothes and other belongings.

Simply using an open locker each visit leaves you open to the possibility that that used the locker before you had head lice and leaving your things in there afterward could leave you open to the pest.  

While head lice are an annoying parasite no bigger than an ant, they can cause problems that seem as big as the Titanic. Follow the tips above and greatly reduce your chances of ever having to deal with them.

If you’ve always wanted to have your own pet but couldn’t convince your parents to let you have one while still living at home, coming to college may be the perfect time for you to get experience caring for a pet of your own. However, just because you can get a pet now doesn’t necessarily mean that you should. So to help you make the best decision both for yourself and for your potential pet, here are three tips for caring for a pet while in college.

Make Sure You Have The Time To Spare

Before you go to the shelter or pet store to pick out a pet to adopt, it’s important that you really think about whether you have the time to spend on a pet. Many college students lead very busy lives. Not only do they have classes, but many also work or have busy social lives. According to Briana Trusty, a contributor to HerCampus.com, high-maintenance pets like cats and dogs need to be checked in on and cared for a lot during the day. If they don’t get the care or attention they need, they could act out. Smaller pets don’t require as much attention and time investment, but still need to be cared for adequately. So if you have very little time to spare, now might not be the best time to bring a pet into your life.

Set Up A Routine

Once you have a pet, setting up a routine that you’ll follow together can help make your lives a whole lot easier. According to Sophia Camaya, a contributor to TheOdysseyOnline.com, getting your pet, especially a dog or cat, onto a schedule or routine can help make their days much easier to manage with an owner being gone most of the day. Also, if you stick to your routines, you won’t have to worry too much about whether you’ll be able to make it home at a certain time for a feeding or to let your pet out since it’s already set into your routine. And if you’re not sure what a routine for a pet might look like, you can find a lot of examples online that you can then tweak for your individual needs.

Use Your Trial Period Wisely

When you choose to buy or adopt a pet, you can often be given a trial period where you are allowed to take the pet home to see if you’re a good match. During this time, Marcie Lucia, a contributor to College Magazine, recommends that you be honest about how the demands and needs of your pet will affect your daily life. If you come to find that having a pet right now just isn’t going to work for you, don’t feel bad about taking advantage of that trial period to give the pet back. It will be much better for both of you to have the time and attention you need in order to have a happy and healthy life.

If you’re considering getting a pet while in college, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you make the best decision for you and your future pet family.

The cost of college is not what it used to be 20 years ago.  College is expensive, and there are not many signs pointing towards an upcoming decrease in tuition.  Not only does tuition cost a pretty penny, but you have to support yourself during college.  

In addition to the cost of tuition, the cost of living shows no signs of falling either.  Stuck in a world where it costs a whole lot of money to get an education, it is vital that you compile a bag of usable, money-saving tricks to combat your financial stress.  

Grocery shop and cook your own meals

It is not typically a good financial decision to pay for the campus meal plan.  Most of the time, students end up spending money on fast food and other eateries.  The money spent on a meal plan could be better spent.  

Try grocery shopping and cooking your own meals.  Not only will it cost you less to cook your own food, overall, but grocery shopping provides the opportunity to eat healthier.  If you want to take it a step further and be green, purchase your tote bags in bulk, and save even more green.  

Buy used or rent your textbooks

Purchasing brand new textbooks every semester is crazy and very expensive.  Anyone second-year student could tell you that purchasing your books brand new is twice as expensive as renting or buying used.

Make the most of your student discounts

Take advantage of all the different ways to grab a student discount, but be careful not to spend money on things you would not otherwise have purchased.  You don’t save money when you buy a $50 plastic tree for half off.  You don’t need a plastic tree in the first place.  

Work hard and graduate faster

The best way to save a large chunk of money, in the long run, is to be a good student.  Work hard, and graduate on a strict 4-year plan.  Don’t drop or fail your classes, so you don’t have to pay to retake them.  

Leave your car at home with the parents

Leave your car out of the mix.  Sustaining a vehicle is expensive, and paying for parking on or off campus is horrendous.  Take the bus instead.  Most college id’s are a ticket to free public transportation.  Buy a bike, and combat the freshman 15.  Paying to drive and sustain a car is far more expensive than “hoofin’ it.”

Take full advantage of campus resources

When the student center has free food available for some sort of demonstration or display, take full advantage of the yumminess.  Pay attention to campus events.  They always have cool stuff for the free.

Once you make it college, many students feel that it’s their time to try new things and see how they can handle living life without constant parental supervision. And while some students can safely manage this time to themselves, others often take things too far and end up having major problems for themselves, especially when it comes to drinking alcohol. So to help ensure that you’re able to be successful as school and not harm yourself or others, here are three ways you can practice safe drinking while in college.

Stay Hydrated

One great way to keep yourself from getting too drunk too quickly and to avoid getting a hangover the next day is to make hydration a priority while you’re drinking. According to PreventionLane.org, a strategy you may want to try is switching between an alcoholic drink and water while you’re partying at night. This will ensure that you’re not drinking too much alcohol too quickly and that you’re keeping your body properly hydrated as well. While you don’t have to always choose water to drink between alcoholic drinks, simply drinking something that isn’t alcoholic will help you body better metabolize the alcohol you are drinking.

Don’t Drink On An Empty Stomach

In addition to staying hydrated while you’re drinking alcohol, another way to not get drunk as quickly is to ensure that you’re never drinking on an empty stomach. According to Julia Bush, a contributor to the Huffington Post, drinking alcohol without having any food in your stomach can cause you to get drunk very quickly. However, it can also cause you to crash very quickly as well. Not only this, but drinking on an empty stomach can also cause the alcohol to be more damaging to your liver, cardiovascular system, kidneys, and digestion than if you were to eat food either before or during your drinking.

Be Careful With What You Drink

When you’re drinking, your judgement can become very clouded. If this happens, you may put yourself in situations that you otherwise wouldn’t. So to make sure you’re safe even if you’re been drinking a little too much, TheOdysseyOnline.com recommends being very careful with what you drink. Never leave your drink unattended and don’t accept open drinks from people you don’t know. Also, be careful when drinking something you didn’t see get mixed, as you can’t know what alcohol or how much is actually in that drink.

If you’re worried about being safe while drinking at college parties, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you create some safe habits for yourself that will help to ensure you come out of every college party unscathed.

Everyone has heard about the epic parties that the college years have to offer.  It seems to go along with the territory the more stories that you hear about people dancing on tables, jumping into pools,  and beer bonging.

Although it can be an experimental period of time in your life, it’s important to also remember to reel it in.  If you go too out of control you may risk putting yourself in a seriously unfortunate position. Therefore, if you are thinking about all of the wild parties you want to attend in college, here are some reasons to reconsider.

Vanity

At the end of the day staying up late and putting harsh substances into your body will start to age you quickly.  You will start to see changes in your body if you push it too hard.  

Staying up late alone starts to create bags under your eyes and makes your skin dry.  Whereas getting a good night’s rest and eating a diet which is full of wholesome ingredients will keep you younger much longer.

So if you aren’t motivated by health, at least let your vanity motivate you.  You can rest assured that heavy partying certainly starts to wear on your physique.

Your Grades

Your grades will start to slip quickly when you aren’t getting enough sleep or waking up the next day ready for your exams.  Although it may seem like harmless fun at first, you will start to see that you aren’t as focused on your studies and feel sluggish and tired.

It’s important that your main focus is on your studies rather than your social agenda.  Not only are you paying a significant amount of money for your degree, but you have your entire life to have fun.  Do yourself a favor and buckle down now and save the fun for later.  You’ll have a much more successful and enjoyable life overall.

Finances

Alcohol and substances are quite pricey.  As a student, it’s typical to have a rather small budget since your schedule doesn’t allow you the freedom of being able to work full time to make a full salary.

You will find that you can make your dollar stretch much further by avoiding spending money on alcohol and partying.  Why not invest in self-care rather than self-destruction with the small amount of money that you have to work with.

Safety

Getting into trouble while under the influence of alcohol is an easy thing to do.  Not only can you make a fool of yourself but you can also find yourself in danger.

Since pressure can be high to not only drink but drink a lot in college, many people find themselves taken advantage of or injured.

Always practice moderation and you find you have much fewer run-ins with precarious situations.

With everything going on for a college student, it can be easy to forget about taking care of yourself and maintaining your own health and hygiene. At times, studying for your tests or spending time with your friends might seem like the most important thing. But when you have to sacrifice your health for these things, you might soon realize just how important it is to be healthy and hygienic. So to help those in college who are struggling with finding the right balance in their life, here are three tips for maintaining health and hygiene while in college.

Know The Biggest Risks

While forgetting or not doing small things every once in awhile likely won’t have a detrimental effect on you, there are certain areas of health and hygiene that can be very risky to overlook. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some of the biggest physical risks to college students include sexual pressures, substance abuse, lack of sleep, and managing stress. Knowing that these four areas are the biggest risks for a college student sacrificing their health or hygiene, it’s important that you do what you can to make these four areas a priority in your life.

Make Time For Hygiene

Although many people recognize that their health is important, sometimes we forget that our personal hygiene is part of our overall physical health. Especially for busy college students, it can be easy to let certain aspects of your physical hygiene slide either due to a lack of time or resources. But according to Trent Hamm, a contributor to the Simple Dollar, investing in yourself is one of the most important things a college student can do. This means that you take pride in the way you care for yourself and don’t neglect the more tedious parts of personal hygiene, like cleaning your earrings or flossing.

Prioritize Sleep Whenever Possible

College students are notorious for staying up late, stretching themselves too thin, and not getting enough sleep. But to be the healthiest version of yourself, Christina Stiehl, a contributor to Thrillist.com, it’s important not to view sleep as something that’s optional. Getting too little sleep can severely affect your bodily functions, make it harder for you to think clearly, increase feelings of anxiety and depression, and slow your reflexes and coordination. So with all that’s riding on you having a successful experience at college, you really can’t afford to be missing too much sleep on a regular basis.

If you’re a college student who feels that the balance of your life has gotten a little out of whack, consider how you could change your health and hygiene habits to make a more positive impact on your life.

It is very common for students to enter college only to find that they rapidly start feeling their pants get tighter.  This can often be referred to as the “Freshman Fifteen” referring to an average of fifteen pounds weight gain the first year of college.

Some people are able to shed this weight off fairly easily and dismiss this as simply a short chapter of their lives, however, some people are never able to get the weight back off and have an extra 15-20 pounds to carry around for the rest of their lives.  

If you are hoping to avoid this common weight gain, here are some of the best tips to make sure that it doesn’t happen to you.

Be Active

One of the best things that you can do to avoid any sort of weight gain is to make sure that you are staying active.  This means not sitting around on your phone when you have free time, but instead, using it to do something which gets your body moving.

Being active doesn’t necessarily have to mean going for a jog or joining a gym.  Sometimes being active is as simple as going for a walk, or doing an activity which involves some sort of movement, like going bowling, or even going dancing with friends.  By keeping an active lifestyle rather than a stagnant one, you will ensure that you are much less likely to gain weight.

Avoid Processed Foods

One of the biggest reasons that people are prone to weight gain during this period of their lives is because of their limited budgets.  With the time restraints of school as well as still being in the process of learning a skill which will earn them a living, students are often limited to a very small amount of money to be able to do their shopping.

Therefore, sometimes the cheapest options happen to be things which are processed and have very little nutritional content.  Try to look for some options which are still affordable yet fewer calories and don’t come out of a plastic container.  Many vegetables are very affordable and have a high amount of nutrition which will not only avoid weight gain but also serve as brain food in order to be a better student overall.

Limit Beer Consumption

The college years are known for wild parties and drinking beer.  Although this is part of the territory, it’s important to remember that not only can beer lead to a big belly and poor nutritional choices, but it can distract you from your studies and potentially put you in dangerous situations.

Try to limit beer consumption and opt for something lighter if you must drink.  And as always, remember to drink responsibly without getting behind a wheel.