collegestudentsrule

Superb College Student Websites

There are numerous blogs and websites aimed at helping college students survive and thrive. Most of them are a WHOLE LOT BETTER than what you'll find here at CSR!

So here's the list of sites that I subscribe to. They offer great writers, great ideas, and great content on a consistent basis...

• Academhack
• Gearfire Productivity
• HackCollege
• StateUniversity Blog
• Studenthacks.org
• Study Hacks
• Surviving College Life
• That College Kid
• The Students Blog
• TheUniversityBlog

Add these sites to your RSS feed reader. You'll be so much smarter if you get a daily dose of the wisdom these sites offer!

Why Midterms Are Just What You Needed Halfway Through Your Semester

Just when you started getting comfortable in your semester and feeling like you had all the time in the world...midterms strike.

For many students this word causes rolling eyes, panic attacks, and an overall kink in an otherwise profitable social calendar. Midterms are like mini-finals. It's the halfway point in the semester and many professors are wanting to take the pulse of the class by finding how much they know up to this point.

But midterms don't have to be ALL bad. In fact, you can use this time to your advantage or at least view it from a positive perspective.

1. Save all of your notes, quizzes and previous tests.
One of the best ways to study for a midterm is to go back through every test you've taken up to this point. If it was important enough to put on the first test, it will probably show up somewhere on the comprehensive midterm exam.

2. Use midterms as a wake up call.
If you've been enjoying your semester a little too much - not letting academics get in the way of your education, then it's probably time for a kick in the pants. Midterms are like an alarm that goes off and reminds you that you are in college to learn and helps you see how well you're actually doing that.

3.Your midterm becomes a great study tool for your final.
It is a great summary of everything the professor thought was important from the first half of the semester. Plus it gives you some excellent insight into how the professor composes comprehensive exams.

4. Midterms show you where you're completely missing it.
You may have developed some blind spots and the midterm exam will reveal those. Yes, it may cost you a low grade to discover this, but it's better to find out in the middle of the semester than on the last day during the final. If you do blow it on the midterm, you still have a few weeks to get the help and assistance you need to bring your grade up.

5. A good midterm grade may cushion the blow of a bad final grade.
Most times, these comprehensive exams are worth more than other exams. If you do really well on your midterm, it will buffer some of the effects from a bad grade on something else. So put everything you can into being successful on your midterms and it can help you later on in the semester.

6. Some organizations use midterm grades as qualifications for involvement.
I know at our institution, we do a midterm grade check on all of our student leaders. This helps us to see if there are any red flags. If a student is below our minimum GPA required for involvement, that student will be placed on probation. If those grades don't improve by the end of the semester, the student leader may lose the opportunity to serve in that position.

7. Get organized.
If you completely missed it on your midterm exams, it may be time to look at your organization skills. You were given the dates of this exam back at the beginning of the semester on your syllabus. There's no reason to be surprised here. If you chose to try and study for a half-semester, comprehensive exam the night before it was offered...you just set yourself up for failure. If you try the same strategy when it comes to the final exam - you'll probably get the same results.

How are you getting ready for midterms? What strategies or insights can you share with others that can turn this tense time into a productive time?

Sometimes The Best Resource Is A Great Resource List

One of the best websites at the top of my "Must Read Blogs" is Lifehack.org. It contains a daily dose of well-written articles dedicated to helping people take better control of their schedule, their organizational skills, and their sense of self.

Dustin Wax has just posted The Ultimate Student Resource List.

The list includes the following topics:

+ 10 Free Applications Every Student Needs
+ 11 Online Tools Every Student Should Check Out
+ 15 Websites For Students
+ 30 Pieces of Advice From Lifehack.org
+ 7 Online Research Resources

The only thing that I could think of to add to this amazing list is College Students Rule!

Read the entire article here.

LifeHacker Offers Top 10 UnderHyped WebApps

If you don't have Lifehacker in your RSS reader or visit the site at least once a day...then you're missing out on the BEST practical website on the Internet. They just posted an article with another great list of web apps that you'll get a lot of use out of. Here's the list:

10. Qipit
9. Ning
8. Jott
7. Anywhere.FM
6. Doodle
5. Netvibes
4. Zoho Suite
3. Meebo
2. TiddlyWiki
1. Remember the Milk

I've personally tried each of these recommendations and use about half of them on a regular basis. To read the descriptions of each site, visit the Lifehacker article here.

If You Only Had 18 Months To Prepare For College

The clock is ticking. If you are six years old, you don't need to be making important decisions just quite yet in regards to your college experience. But if you are halfway through your Junior year of High School...you better get focused.

Our University produces an 18 month calendar that helps college-bound students start getting things lined up by the middle of their Junior year. If that's you...here's a generic version that can help you know what to be thinking about and acting on.

Please remember that each University or College is different. Please consult with your specific college of choice for a list of their specific deadlines and application procedures. This calendar also assumes that you are accepted into college at some point in the process.

JANUARY
* Meet with your career counselor or guidance counselor to discuss college requirements.
* Browse college reference books and familiarize yourself with college terminology.
* Begin discussing college costs and financial aid with your family.
* Continue to study hard and be involved in school, church, and community activities.

FEBRUARY
* Begin to think about your future interests and career.

MARCH
* Narrow your college choices to 10. Start to prioritize that list.
* Attend ACT/SAT study prep class.
* Request information including an application from the colleges on your list.

APRIL
* Take advantage of opportunities to visit the colleges you're considering.
* Register for the ACT or SAT in April or May. Check the deadlines. You must register six weeks before the date of the examination. After taking the test, meet with your counselor to review your scores. Plan to take it again in your senior year. For more information see www.ACT.org or www.collegeboard.com.
* Continue to study hard and be involved in school, church, and community.

MAY
* Investigate the availability of financial aid from federal, state, local, and private sources. Check out www.fasfa.ed.gov, www.Scholarships.com, and www.fastweb.com.
* Investigate the availability of scholarships provided by organizations such as corporations, labor unions, professional associations, religious organizations, and credit unions.
* Create a college folder and file for the following:
­    · Copies of your report card and a list of awards and honors received.
­    · A list of community organizations and clubs joined, including dates of service and offices held.
­    · Rough draft of a writing sample about why you want to attend college.

JUNE - AUGUST
* Find a part-time job that is related to your career interests.
* Continue saving money for college.

SEPTEMBER
* Attend college fairs in your area or talk to admission officers that visit your school.
* Complete and submit your college applications for admission and financial aid.
* Ask your counselor/teacher, parents, employers, to submit the necessary documents to your colleges of choice (your transcript, letters of recommendation, etc.).
* Visit your top college choices during a preview weekend for High School Students or for an individual visit.
* Take the ACT or SAT in October, November, or December. Check the deadlines. You must register six weeks before the date of the examination.

OCTOBER
* Attend college fairs and presentations by college representatives. Listen to your school's announcements for information about college representatives visiting your school or area.

NOVEMBER
* Contact the Admission offices of your college choices to check on any missing documents that need to be turned in for your application.

DECEMBER
* December 15 is typically an early application deadline. Please submit all application materials by this date to qualify for any early submission benefits.

JANUARY
* Complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

FEBRUARY
* Complete applications for scholarship opportunities you have discovered.
* If you have not already visited the college, schedule a visit to meet with professors, students, and your admission officer.
* Make sure your admission/financial aid file is complete, paying particular attention to meeting the March 1 priority deadline for Financial Aid.

MARCH
* March 1: Priority deadline for submitting application and financial aid information. Some states may allow for later submission. Check the FAFSA website for your deadline or ask your admissions counselor.

APRIL
* Review your financial aid awards, sign any letters and return them to your college. If the financial aid award is insufficient to meet your needs or if you don't understand something, contact the financial aid office of your college.

MAY
* Mail in any housing deposits, housing forms, and medical forms.

JUNE
* Contact your high school counselor and submit your final transcript to your college.
* Participate in any summer orientations and register early for classes and housing.

JULY
* Contact your roommate and make moving plans.

AUGUST
* Participate in New Student Orientation for all incoming freshman!

Whether or not this calendar is in line with your specific college planning, it is important to remember a couple of things:

+ Early is good - Get those forms, applications, and deposits in as early as you can.
+ Communicate often - Make sure that everything is in place. Follow-up, follow-up, follow-up.

11 Tips For College Students

I'm not currently a college student. Haven't been one for awhile...at least in the undergraduate sense of things. But I hang out with college students. I work with college students. And I work full time at a University as the Director of Campus Life (the coolest on-campus job in the world).

Plus...I really like college students.

It's one of the greatest times in life. When do any of us ever get to hang out with hundreds of friends for four, five...dare I say...six years? It's like going to camp..except they give you homework and you have to read 800 pages a night.

So if I could sit you down, with a slow drip of coffee being shared between us (intravenously or by the cupful if you prefer), and share some ways that I believe you could not only make the most of your time in college, but really, really enjoy it and succeed at it - here's what I'd say...

1. Meet people.
One day you'll walk across a stage, and a very smart looking man or woman in a really nice, long, black gown will hand you a piece of paper that says "Bachelor" (even if you're a girl!) on it. You'll graduate from college. Do you know what you'll remember most?

The relationships you've made.

My advice is to meet everyone you can. Be friendly. Smile. Talk to people (not in class...that could be dangerous). Go to places where people hang out and hang out with them. Your friends are what make college special.

Some day you'll come back to campus as an alumni and the place will feel weird. It will feel different. That's because all of the people that you were friends with during your college years aren't there. It's the same college, but different people. It's the people that make your experience unique. You are going to make friends that you'll have for the rest of your life.

Like I said earlier, I work at a University. My boss (yes...he's smarter than me) is a good friend that I went to college all four years with. It's been a great relationship for all this time. I don't know of any other place you create these types of relationships at this age. So get out there. Get busy meeting people.

2. Talk to your professors.
This one continues on with the theme of number 1. Go ahead and do everything you can to meet your professors. Make an appointment with them as soon as it is possible in their schedule. I have discovered that I learned so much more from a professor when I had some kind of personal relationship with them.

Professors are people to. Respect their time and make sure you communicate clearly with them. Don't waste their time with excuses for not doing the work or simply not showing up to class. The goal here is to establish some type of relationship.

Whenever I think about a subject or content I learned in college it is tied to the face of a professor. If I think of learning German - it's McKinney; if it's creative writing - Nelson; if it's communication - Jackson. My knowledge came from a person more than it came from a book.

One of my favorite movies is Orange County. It's a story about a high school senior that wants to get into Stanford. He's enamored with the writings of a certain professor there. When he finally has the chance to meet the professor and sit down and talk with him, it changes his entire perspective. While those types of conversations might be rare in your experience because you go to a large University - seek them out anyway! They'll be some of the best memories you take from your time in college.

3. If you need help ask for it.
One of the reasons you're in college is because you don't know everything. If you can learn to admit that, you'll be ahead of most freshmen at your school.

Tired No More - My Top 5 Energy Drinks

During the afternoon, I often find myself in the Twilight Zone. If you've got a class anywhere around 2:00pm, you know what I mean. I suffer from the heavy eyes, the wandering mind, and the extreme urge to get horizontal for at least 20 minutes.

That makes me a prime candidate for Energy Drinks. I know that along with the caffeine they contain a whole lotta sugar. But if you need a jolt, I recommend the following. Here's my top 5 energy drinks:

Amp

This is my ALL TIME favorite. If you are a fan of Mt. Dew, you'll love the Amp. When I chug one of these Tall Boys down, I am feeling a little giddy. While some energy drinks simply level me out - this one makes me feel energetic and excited. I call it the "personality changer." It's a drink that I look forward to.

I know that they make it in a cherry flavor, but it's not as good in my opinion. You must stick with the original AMP in the green can.

Monster

This is my second favorite. It's probably because this stuff is everywhere. If a place sells energy drinks, they are pretty sure to have MONSTER of some kind. Plus, this drink has a great taste.

The other thing I really like about MONSTER is the price. It is typically the most inexpensive of the energy drinks that come in BIG cans.

Sobe Adrenaline Rush

I'm a big fan of the RUSH because of the taste. Some people may experience an aftertaste with this product, but I love it. It has a lot of the good ingredients that make people believe that energy drinks are also good for you (ha ha ha ha). It also packs a pretty good whallup. So if it's close to your bed time, you'll probably want to abstain from the Sobe.

Plus, Sobe is another BIG Can drink.

Red Bull

I'm giving love to Red Bull because, as an early adopter of the energy drink, this is what I cut my teeth on. It's the big kick in the little can. I like Red Bull because it does cost a little less than others, has a good taste, and gives you a pretty good energy kick.

Red Bull probably has one of the best marketing campaigns of any energy drink. How many people can quote the line that "Red Bull gives you wings." If you're on a budget, and you drink an energy drink on a daily basis, you may want to go the Red Bull route.

Wired

This is my final choice. It is considered to be a strong energy drink. It has a very citrusy taste and it packs a punch. The energy is pretty long-lasting. This drink looks the toughest out of all the energy drinks I partake of. People look at me like I'm some kind of stud when I pull one of these out and chug it all in one gulp (not recommended, but you definitely look cool).

Do you have a favorite energy drink? Give us your take in the comments below.