50 Tips for College Students

Learn how to have a happy and successful college career.

Published on August 23, 2010 by Stephanie Sarkis, Ph.D. in Here, There, and Everywhere

I did the "extended tour" of college. From about 1991-2002. I did get 4 degrees, so at least I have an excuse. :) I've also been an adjunct professor, so I've also been at the other side of the classroom.

1) The Freshman Fifteen does exist. So does the Freshman Twenty. Watch how many starches and processed foods you are eating.

2) Pizza - the ubiquitous college snack. See #1.

3) If it's either take out a loan or quit school, take out a loan.

4) If you can live harmoniously with someone in a 20×20 ft. space, you can do anything.

5) Flip-flops: Wear them in the dorm shower. Always.

6) Always attend the *real* class, and use the Internet one for review.

7) If you are not a morning person, don't schedule classes for 7am. You will not go.

8) Get involved on campus. All work and no *productive* socializing is boring.

9) Too much socializing = bad grades. Everything in moderation.

10) If you are feeling overwhelmed, are having problems sleeping, or have gone through a breakup,
visit your college's counseling center. If you are feeling suicidal at any point, call your college's crisis
center number or call 911 immediately.

11) There are a lot of free activities on campus. Take advantage of them.

12) Many colleges have free tutoring centers on campus. Take advantage of them.

13) Sit near the front of class.

14) Attend the whole class. Even if you feel like you will just die if you sit there any longer. Even if you
feel your brain start to ooze out the side of your ear. Because we (professors) sometimes give really important info at the end of class.

15) Recopy your notes after class. Or if you've typed them (which is recommended), do a quick read-through after class.

16) Remember that although you are 18, your college may have the right to contact your parents if you are caught drinking underage.

17) Don't do anything stupid (read: illegal). It will go down on your permanent record. Seriously. At every college you apply to after this one.

18) Register for classes as early as possible. Early bird catches the worm and all that.

19) See how your first semester goes before you consider getting a job. See how heavy your course load is first.

20) Find a bank that also has branches in your hometown. Get your account connected to your parents' account so they can transfer money to you.

21) Use direct deposit and automatic withdrawal for paychecks/loanchecks/ check checks. Less chance of you losing it.

22) Use virus protection and firewalls on your laptop.

23) The student bookstore (online and in real life) can have great student discounts on hardware/software.

24) Reconsider bringing a car to campus your first semester. It can be a pain to park.

25) Pack the clothes you need for college, and then take half of that amount.

26) The more underwear you have, the less you have to do laundry.

27) If you are doing laundry on campus or at a laundromat, stay with your clothes. Otherwise they may walk off while you are gone.

28) I can't emphasize this enough: INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO YOUR PROFESSORS AND GO TO THEIR OFFICE HOURS. This is so important, I'll tell it to you again: INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO YOUR PROFESSORS AND GO TO THEIR OFFICE HOURS. We're nice people. Seriously. And we really like it when someone is interested in our classes.

29) Use the college's career resource center - not just when you are going to graduate, but when you are figuring out what you want to do with your life. It's a free service. Use the free services.

30) For the love of God, please, please do not leave candles burning in your dorm room or apartment. Or those incense burning thingies. Bad things happen when those are left on.

31) If you have a tendency to be messy, your roommate may be compulsively neat. The general rule is that the messier you are, the more neat your roommate will be. Try to pull it together. Especially regarding food. Always throw out leftover food. That's just gross, messy or not. Learning how to adapt to someone else's living style is a wonderful learning experience. Really. And if you complained about having to share a room with your siblings while you were growing up, when you get to college you learn that you are actually ahead of the curve. :)

32) Stay on campus on weekends. If you go home every weekend because you are homesick or have a girlfriend/boyfriend back home, you will be missing out on a lot of the college experience.

33) Get your flu shots. Yearly.

34) Use condoms. Every time.

35) Long-distance relationships are a challenge to keep up when you are away at school.

36) If you get that "ick" feeling that you shouldn't be doing something or shouldn't be somewhere, stop doing it and get out of there.

37) You may feel like your parents are hovering too much. Look at it this way: they've been taking care of you since you were a baby. That doesn't just stop. Cut them some slack. The more independent and wisedecisions you make on your own, the more they will have confidence in your abilities as an adult.

38) Just because you and your roommate were friends back home doesn't mean you will be compatible roommates. You find out new things about people when you are sharing a small space. But you can work it out. Even if you and your roommate are total strangers and are completely different - you may become great friends.

39) If your roommate is doing something that bothers you, ask yourself the following three questions: 1) Am I being reasonable in being bothered by this? 2) What's the best way to talk to my roommate about this? 3) What are some solutions to this issue? If all else fails and the issue is very important to you and you've talked to your roommate to no avail, talk to your Resident Assistant.

40) Practice safety. Don't walk home alone in the dark. Walk with someone. Many campuses have services where you can call and someone will walk back to your dorm with you.

41) Just because you *can* do something doesn't mean you should.

42) Use flashcards to quiz yourself when studying. And get someone else to quiz you with them. If you always quiz yourself with your own flashcards, you may skip over some that you don't know the answer to.

43) You may not know what you want to do for a major. It's okay. There are people much older than you that still aren't sure what they want to do with their lives. That's okay. See your academic adviser for help. Pay attention to which classes you really look forward to - that can be a clue as to what you might want to major in.

44) If you have a dining card/pass - do not treat all your friends to lunch and dinner. That is real money. Real money that you will be asking your parents for when it runs out.

45) Study groups can be helpful - but keep it to between 3 and 5 members (including you). More than that, and it turns into a social event.

46) If you have ADHD or a learning disability, apply for accommodations as soon as possible - even right after you find out you've been accepted to school.

47) Sleep. Get it. Get enough. You may be laughing at this, being a college student and all...but you need to get enough sleep.

48) Wash your hands. Often. Living in the dorms is a communal living experience. Germs love communal living.

49) Keep in touch with your friends from back home, but be open to meeting people of all different cultures and interests.

50) Enjoy your college experience - it's one most rewarding experiences of your life, academically and socially.

Dr. Sarkis is the author of Making the Grade with ADD: A Student's Guide to Succeeding in College with Attention Deficit Disorder.

Original Post: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/here-there-and-everywhere/201008/50-tips-college-students

Feel free to add your college tips!
www.stephaniesarkis.com

How to Make Money Over Winter Break

If you’re anything like me, you wait all semester to catch a break. But after a few days at home, you somehow find yourself bored out of your mind. You have no projects to think about, no tests to study for, and more time on your hands than you thought you could handle. So what better time to fill your days with a job and make some extra cash? Here are 15 ways to get going on filling up your bank account before spring semester rolls around:

1. Shovel some snow- If there’s lots of snow where you live, you might as well make the most of it and offer your shoveling services to your neighbors and family members. Tom Vecchione, executive director of career services at Elon University, calls this money-maker an “oldie but goodie.” He also says he would definitely pay someone to do it for him!

2. Be a distributor- Vecchione says, “Many employers in larger to mid-size areas employ high school and college students to hand out flyers or other marketing items to the public.”  Look around at local coffee shops or ice cream shops to see what flyers are already posted, and then give them a call to see if they’d like any more help.

3. Babysit- Parents are super busy with holiday parties and office parties over break. Offer to watch your cousins, neighbors, siblings or nieces and nephews. You’ll have fun and make good money in the process.  If your neighborhood or high school has an email list-serv, send something out letting everyone know you’re available to help.

4. Watch someone’s pets- Lots of people take short vacations and trips over the holidays. And most people would rather leave their pets at home than kennel them, so offer to feed and walk your neighbor’s dog or feed their fish. You’ll be a great help!  This is another item you can shoot over a neighborhood email list-serv. 

5. Clean out your closet- Go through all of your clothes and sell what you don’t want at a local consignment store. Just try not to buy anything there while you’re selling your stuff if the goal is to be cash flow positive!

6. Sell some stuff on the Internet- Use eBay to sell items that you no longer have any use for. It’s an easy way to make money. 

7. Hold onto that summer job- Keep in touch with your boss from this summer. Chances are, he might want to hire you back for a few weeks because he won’t have to train you! Reach out to your boss as soon as you get home and ask him right away if the company will need any help over the holidays.

8. Get into retail- Vecchione says, “Retail, or anything related to helping a company adequately is a great way to spend your break [because] the holidays increase their demand for services.” You can help! When you’re out doing Christmas shopping, spend some time going in and out of stores asking if they’re hiring for the holidays.  

9. Host a garage sale- Ross Wade, Assistant Director of Career Services at Elon University, suggests having a holiday garage sale. Sell all of your old CD’s, DVD’s, handbags, clothes, whatever! Get your siblings or neighbors to organize it with you so you have more to sell and you can all benefit from it! Put up a flyer at your local Community Center or put flyers in mailboxes around your neighborhood to publicize. Post something about it on your Facebook too—you can even make a Facebook photo album that is a sort of gallery of the items you’ll be selling. 

10. Play the ‘nice’ card- Wade suggests playing the nice card. “Be extra nice to your family so they give you some extra money in your holiday card.” Worth a try, right? 

11. Clean the house… in search of money- Do a quick sweep all over your house, taking extra time to look under the couch and behind the cushions. Then take the loose change you’ve gathered up and put it in the Coinstar at your local grocery store. You can convert the change into gift cards, too.  Hey—you said you had a lot of free time, right? 

12. Sell your old textbooks- Lots of people sell their books back to the bookstore, but you can get a lot more money by selling them to friends or other students who are taking the same classes. Visit websites like bookbyte.com 

13. Use your artistic ability- Wade says, “If you’re artsy, design and create some holiday cards or art to sell on etsy.com and upload a design for a greeting card. You can sell your personal designs online! 

14. Recycle- Did you know that you can get money for recycling? Some grocery stores give customers change in exchange for used plastic bottles. Getting paid to go green? Doesn’t get any better than that! 

15. Wrap it up- Put flyers out in the mailboxes in your neighborhood offering your wrapping services. Say that you’ll take some stress off of their plate by offering to do their present wrapping!

Original Post: http://www.hercampus.com/career/money/15-ways-make-money-over-winter-break?page=2

How to Get a Summer Internship

It's now Winter break. Time to relax and not use your brain for a month? No way! It's time to start thinking about what you want to do over Summer break. I don't care who you are, get a summer internship. Here are some tips:

1. 1.Make a list. Figure out what you want to do – what interests you, what do you want to learn how to do, or what do you think you want to be in 10 years? Write down a few places or lines of work that come to mind. While you’re at it, scribble down a few basic things to narrow your search – what town or area, paid or unpaid, full-time or part-time, for school credit or not.
2. 2. Research. Look into big companies in your area; most big corporations have internship programs. Stumped? Talk to your school counselor or parents’ friends who have jobs you think are interesting.
3. 3. Get creative. Don’t want to work in a stuffy office while your buds are hitting the beach? No problem. Look into museums, art galleries, publishing houses, nature centers, eco-research centers, whatever.
4. 4. Hit the pavement. Online research for big companies and orgs is a great starting point, but walk around your city or town to see if any other places spark your interest. Be bold, if something looks interesting, walk in, ask for an application, or leave your info (including a resume) with them. Don’t forget to smile!
5. 5. Don’t give up. So your dream workplace doesn’t have an internship program? The search isn’t over yet! Look up who you can contact in Human Resources or who the managing director of a certain department might be, and contact him! Let him know that you’re interested in interning and ask if the company has a program or a way for you to help and learn a few things.
6. 6. Make sure you can do it! Once you have a few places, ask yourself: Got a ride? OK’d it with your parents? Is it realistic for you to get to the internship during the summer? Make sure you can get a ride (or map out your bus/train route), and if you can walk or bike, even better! You don’t want to commit to something and have to pull out at the last minute, so cover your bases.
7. 7. Get that resume in shape. What’s a resume and how do you make one? Check out Do Something’s How to create a resume and 11 tips for a great resume!
8. 8. Make contacts. If your internship has a formal application program, write out your application and apply, AND do a little digging to find out who might be getting that app. Give HR a call and ask who handles hiring. Send her a written note or an email explaining why you’d like the job and what makes you good at it. A little extra goes a long way.
9. 9. Spread your net. It’s tempting to put all your efforts into that dream job, but there are ton of people vying for internships, so make sure you look into at least five options and make contact with them so you have plenty of choices!
10. 10. Snagged an interview? It’s important to dress appropriately and remember a few simple things. Check out Do Something’s 11 ways to ace an interview and 11 Common Interview Questions!
11. 11. Follow-up. If you talked to someone at a company or had an interview, make sure to thank them and remind them you’re out there and would still love to intern with them.

Original Post: http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-ways-get-a-summer-internship

Make the Most of your Winter Break!

It can be tricky to figure out what to do between semesters. So much time and so little motivation! It may be tempting to do absolutely nothing, but that isn’t always the wisest choice. So what makes the perfect recipe for the best winter break possible?

Be Productive!

Apply for Summer Internships

Even though the days are short and (if you live somewhere cold) it’s puffy winter jacket weather, now is the time to apply for summer internships. If you’re hoping to get some insight into your future field, use this time to make some connections:

• Visit – If you’re hoping to take a peek into your future, try scheduling an office visit. Pick a few companies that you might be interested in working for in the future and ask them if you could drop in one day during the week. Make sure you ask a ton of questions, dress the part, meet as many people as possible, and follow-up with everyone!  You can find more info on “winternships” here.
• Shadow – Try shadowing someone who does what you want to do for a day. An arrangement can usually be set up on your own, through your school’s career services center, or even through a family member or friend. Use the opportunity to figure out what a typical day is like and to see if – at the end of the day – you still want to do this type of work. Read this to find out how to rock your winternship.

• Get some info – Set up an informational interview on your own or through the career services center at your school with someone in your hometown. Think of it as a stress-free opportunity to find out more about a potential career in your field. Ask questions, take notes, and don’t forget to send a thank you note afterwards!
• Be prepared – Spend a day or two working on your résumé and writing some general letters of introduction that can be handed out to potential employers. Have a few handy if you plan on going on office visits. Check out this article for advice on creating your first resume.

Make Some Money

Not the counterfeit kind. Try getting a part time job if you still have a few weeks left. Hit up the neighbors for some babysitting gigs, shovel snow (if there is any where you live), or offer some tutoring sessions. Or offer your skills to local businesses and family friends. And lots of stores hire people over the holidays—check out job search sites like careerbuilder.com or monster.com  for listings!  And here are 15 more ways to make money over winter break.

Get Organized

Do a little bit of winter cleaning – out with the old and in with the new.

“Instead of spring cleaning, clean out your closet to make room for your holiday gifts,” Kayla, a junior at Yale suggested. “And give those clothes to the Salvation Army. Good Karma may result in awesome gifts.”

You can do the same with your old books – sell as many as you can and toss or donate the rest. Make sure you go through everything first so that you don’t throw away anything important.

Original Post: http://www.hercampus.com/life/make-it-count-how-make-most-your-winter-break

How to Conquer your Student Loans

Don't despair. You have options with private lenders and the feds to cut your payments.

[Click here to check current credit card offers, including rates and terms.] When Angela Moore looks into her future, she sees checks for $500, $147, $280 and $250 piling up like leaves in a forest. Those are the amounts she could be paying every single month on her four student loans, which total $92,000, for the next several decades. If she postpones payments, the amounts she owes will go up. If she skips them, she could ruin her credit and end up in court.

Moore, 26, graduated with a bachelor's degree from the University of Hartford in 2009 with $25,000 in federal student loans and $67,000 in private loans. She devotes about half of her paycheck to those bills and resorts to credit cards to cover other expenses. Says Moore, the first in her family to graduate from college, "It's heartbreaking to have a college degree and not be able to pay for normal things because I have to pay student loans."

Moore works at an orthopedic surgeon's office, the same job she had in college. She would like to move on someday but can't afford to make less than her current wage of about $18 an hour. Nor does she see an obvious way out of her predicament. "If you're in that much debt and have a house or car, you at least have something you can give back. I have a piece of paper. I have nothing to give back."

Meet the young and burdened. Of borrowers who graduated from four-year colleges in 2008, 10% walked away with $40,000 or more in student debt, almost three times the number of students who borrowed at that level in 2000, according to the Project on Student Debt, an advocacy group. The default rate for students who entered repayment between fiscal year 2006 and fiscal year 2007 was 6.7%, the highest since 1998.

[See Feasibility of Student Loan Repayment]

You'd think bankruptcy would be a solution to massive student debt, but for most people, it is not an option. You must demonstrate to a judge that repayment would cause "undue hardship," a term interpreted by some courts to mean the "certainty of hopelessness," according to Deanne Loonin, of the National Consumer Law Center. This strict standard applies to both federal and private student loans. Proposed legislation in Congress would change that standard for private student loans, making them eligible for discharge under the more lenient rules that apply to credit-card and other consumer debt.

Meanwhile, federal loans offer programs that let you reduce payments or even qualify for loan forgiveness. As for private loans, some lenders are offering deals to borrowers rather than see loans go south.

Cut a Deal With a Lender

A few years ago, lenders were rushing to offer private loans to students, including those who were less than creditworthy. Now, borrowers who couldn't afford the loans in the first place are defaulting in droves, says Joshua Cohen, a Hartford-based lawyer who specializes in debt. "The industry is either going to take a bath or start coming after people."

Some lenders hope to avoid both scenarios by offering interest-only repayments or other arrangements that lower payments for a time. "It does us no good to have a customer with a loan he or she is unable to repay," says Patricia Christel, of Sallie Mae, the giant student-loan company. Check your promissory note to see whether it includes such provisions. "It's very case-by-case," says Loonin. If it does not, try to negotiate a plan with your lender.

If you don't reach an agreement, ask the lender for forbearance, in which you make no payments at all for three-month increments, usually for no more than a year (interest continues to accrue). Lenders are less willing than they once were to sign off on these deals, but they may do so if they believe the break will get you back on track. "The important message is, contact your lender sooner rather than later," says Tim Ranzetta, of Student Lending Analytics.

[See MBA Programs That Generate the Highest Pay]

With federal loans, you can be past due for months before going into default. With private loans, you generally fall into that category as soon as you miss one payment. A collector will start calling, and eventually a third-party collection agency will take over the loan. (The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act protects you from abusive collection practices.

Unlike the feds, who have the authority to tap your resources, private creditors must go to court to collect debts. "Until then, there's nothing they can do," says Cohen. Defaults are subject to your state's statute of limitations, typically six years. If you do get sued and lose, the creditor can garnish your wages, put a lien on your house and wipe out your bank account.

Pick a Plan From Uncle Sam

Federal loans, which include Perkins loans, Stafford loans and Grad Plus loans, provide more options. (The Perkins loan repayment provisions differ somewhat from the other two; call your school for details.) For Staffords and Grad Plus loans, the standard plan gets you out from under after 120 equal monthly payments over ten years. If you can't afford those payments but expect to have a higher income in a few years, you can choose the graduated plan, through which you make lower payments in the first few years and higher payments later over the ten-year span. Because you pay less at the beginning, you pay more interest overall.

If you owe at least $30,000 in federal loans, consider the extended repayment plan, which lets you stretch monthly payments as far out as 25 years, for lower monthly amounts but at a higher cost. Or you can consolidate your federal loans through the federal Direct Loan program and extend your payments to 12 to 30 years, depending on the amount you owe. (For details, seewww.loanconsolidation.ed.gov.)

Borrowers whose federal debt outstrips their annual income should look into the income-based repayment plan, which is "like gold" for those who qualify, says Edie Irons, of the Project on Student Debt. This program, which improves on two other income-based programs, can reduce your payments to as low as zero.

You probably qualify if your total debt exceeds your annual income. After 25 years, any remaining debt is forgiven; you owe tax on the forgiven amount. If you enter the income-based repayment plan and then get a big bump in salary, your payments from that point on are calculated according to the standard plan.

Cops, public defenders, public-school teachers and others working full-time in the public sector qualify for cancellation of any remaining debt after 120 payments, made on or after October 1, 2007. To get this deal, your loans must be with the federal Direct Loan program, as opposed to the now-defunct program (known as FFEL) offered by private lenders. You can consolidate FFEL loans into the Direct Loan program. The forgiven amount is tax-free.

You have the right to defer federal-loan repayments for up to three years if you are unemployed, experiencing economic hardship, attending school at least half-time or serving on active duty in the military. The feds pick up the interest during the deferment on subsidized loans but not on unsubsidized loans. Call your lender for details.

If deferment isn't an option, ask your lender for forbearance. With a federal loan, you can suspend payments for up to three 12-month periods. Depending on the amount you earn and owe, you may be legally entitled to this deal. If not, ask anyway: It's in the lender's best interest to give you time to get on your feet. Interest accrues during forbearance.

Original Article

Top Black Friday Deals

Black Friday is known for deals – big deals. You're not waking up before the crack of dawn and standing in long lines merely for paltry discounts on second-rate products. You want to get the best deal possible to justify subjecting yourself to the mayhem of Black Friday.

To pinpoint your Black Friday shopping targets, visit deal-monitoring sites such as dealnews.comand BFAds.net, both of which publish leaked Black Friday ads that identify items that retailers will mark down the day after Thanksgiving (or, in some cases, on Thanksgiving day).

[More from Kiplinger: 10 Online Shopping Traps That Catch Even Smart Shoppers]

BFAds.net founder Michael Brim says the prices on all the items on his list are confirmed and will be available in stores, but he can't confirm whether the same deals will be available online. Brim cautions that the prices may be higher in Wisconsin and Oklahoma, which have laws that prevent retailers from selling items at prices below what they paid for them.

Here are 10 of the biggest Black Friday bargains available at popular big-box retailers across the country:

1.Toshiba 40-inch 1080p LCD HDTV -- $179.99 at Best Buy

The price on this TV is usually about $350. You won't find another 40-inch name-brand TV with similar specs for such a low price, Brim says. The closest deal he's seen is $200 for an off-brand 40-inch TV. (Note: Online shoppers will find the Toshiba at this low price on Amazon.com on Black Friday.)

2. Compaq Presario CQ58 15.6-inch laptop -- $179 at Walmart

This sale price, as reported by dealnews.com, is 50% off the current price of $359 on Walmart.com. Another good laptop deal is the Lenovo G585 15.6-inch model for $188 at Best Buy; it usually retails closer to $300, Brim says.

[More from Kiplinger: 12 Ways to Save More, Spend Less on Black Friday]

3. Canon PowerShot A3400 IS 16-megapixel digital camera bundled with an SD card and case -- $90 at Target

This price is $29 lower than any other deal advertised for this camera this year, reports dealnews.com. Target will also mark down the Nikon Coolpix L310 14.1MP digital camera to $100 from $200.

4. Proscan 32-inch 720p LCD HDTV -- $100 at Kmart

Sure, it's not a name brand, but you won't find a cheaper 32-inch TV.

5. Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7-inch 8GB tablet with a $20 gift card -- $179.99 at Best Buy

The price on this tablet is at an all-time low. What makes the Best Buy deal stand out is the $20 gift card that comes with the tablet.

6. Xbox 360 with Skylanders game -- $150 at Walmart

Brim says this console-and-game bundle is cheaper than the console alone, and the game usually costs $65. Dealnews.com says it hasn't seen the Xbox 360 this cheap since last Black Friday.

7. Dyson DC33 vacuum -- $250 at Sam's Club

This same model is currently listed for $390 on Amazon.com. Brim says he's only seen a price this low on a refurbished Dyson DC33 -- not a new one.

[More from Kiplinger: 9 Great Gadgets for Less Than $100]

8. Samsung Galaxy S3 smart phone -- 96 cents at Sam's Club

You have to buy this in-store and commit to a two-year contract to take advantage of this deal.

9. Apple iPad2 16GB WiFi with $100 gift card -- $399 at Meijer

The $100 gift card makes this the best iPad2 deal Brim has seen. The next-best deal is from Walmart for $399 with a $75 gift card. Walmart is guaranteeing this price for shoppers who visit from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. Thanksgiving day; you'll get a voucher if they sell out that night.

10. Leap Frog LeapPad Explorer -- $65 at Walmart

This is the best price ever on this popular children's learning and game device. The previous low was $89.

Original Post:http://finance.yahoo.com/news/10-hottest-black-friday-deals-at-big-box-retailers-180811354.html

3 Steps for a Successful Interview

Want to make money in college? One way is to simply get a job, or ideally a paid internship. You're biggest obstacle will be the interview, make sure you are ready for it!

Jason Nazar, CEO & Co-Founder of Docstoc (‪http://www.docstoc.com/‬) knows that making a good first impression is of the utmost importance and perhaps no where is that more evident than a job interview. Check out these 3 helpful tips to ace your next job interview. 

Get Expert Advice

College career centers can be helpful with deciding on a major or letting you know when campus recruiters are around, but what if you wantspecific knowledge about a particular industry? What if you need to tailor your resume and cover letter to a company and position that your career center doesn’t know much about? and what about the interview??

Students facing these problems need a resource outside of their school’s Career Services Center. They need advice and help from experts, people within their targeted industry willing to share their knowledge with determined students.

Evisors.com connects these students to experts in various fields for resume advice, mock interviews, Q and A sessions, you name it.

Evisors (founded in 2010) “is an online marketplace for expertise and advice that puts consumers in command of an extraordinary professional network[...] For an affordable hourly rate, anyone from students and executives to job seekers and entrepreneurs can reach beyond their personal and professional networks and gain access to expert advice related to a variety of topics including admissions, career counseling, entrepreneurship and industry expertise.”

Evisors’ experts hail from prestigious schools and organizations, representing over a thousand companies across a wide range of industries and offer previously unavailable guidance and insights.

The company has also recently been focusing on a Webinar series that cover various relevant topics. Caitlin Quan of Evisors says “With the fall semester winding down for students, we are already gearing up for next semester’s recruiting season. We are putting together our spring webinar series that will include 18 live broadcasts from our top experts who will discuss a wide range of career topics and provide their insider insights. We’re also constantly adding more experts and evolving the product, so keep an eye out for new additions.”

Expert advice is a valuable but often underutilized resource for college students looking to land their first job, but it doesn’t have to be. Evisors makes expert advice accessable to anyone with the desire to learn and better themselves, and their chances of getting hired when they graduate.

Steve Jobs Commencement Speech

If you haven't seen the Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech video yet, today's the day. Get your motivation on.

 

Here we see Steve Jobs delivering his commencement speech to the graduates of Stanford University in 2005. In it he talks about getting fired from Apple in 1985, life & death.

The Most Underrated Jobs 2012

These Jobs Get No Respect! But They Should...

These are the jobs that you usually don’t hear a mother proudly say, “My son is a ________!” or see Hollywood glamorizing one of these underrated jobs -- but when you look at the stats, they should be!

“You never saw a movie about a civil engineer or a TV show starring a computer-systems analyst!” said Tony Lee, publisher of CareerCast.com. 

The job listing and advice site has come out with its annual list of the most underrated jobs – and the most overrated jobs. 

So, what makes a job underrated? 

“The pay is better, the hiring outlook is better , the level of stress tends to be lower, and the physical demands aren’t that great,” Lee said. “It’s a good job with a good forecast.” 

He added: “The most underrated jobs offer increasing opportunities and rewarding potential for job seekers new to the labor force, or those who need a change.” What’s more, several of these positions don’t even require a college degree. 

Read ahead for the Most Underrated Jobs of 2012. 

1. Computer Systems Analyst
Median Salary: $78,148 

These are the guys who study an organization’s computer systems and procedures and make recommendations for how to better organize, manage, and upgrade technology. 

These guys aren’t usually the heroes in the movie – if they’re even in the movie – but if you’ve ever used a computer at your job you know this is one of the most necessary, and underrated, jobs. 

“It’s a terrific job,” Lee said. “Demand is extremely high. Pay is strong. And you get to work pretty autonomously.” 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this profession is expected to grow 22 percent in the next decade. 

Computer systems analysts, we salute you. Your job is underrated!

2. Civil Engineer
Median Salary: $78,133 

The only time civil engineers really get respect seems to be on the History Channel. And this area of engineering, which is on the lower end of the engineering pay scale, tends to not be that popular. 

But right now, Lee said, there is huge demand for rebuilding bridges, roads, and other infrastructure, all of which require civil engineers. 

“At long last, we seem to be moving forward with infrastructure improvement in the country,” Lee said, adding that there are actually shortages of engineers right now.


3. Veterinarian
Median Salary: $82,190 

“With the amount of work and school being so high, the perception is that, ‘If I’m going to do that, I should just be a person doctor!’” Lee said. 

In fact, there’s a real shortage of veterinarians, he said. Plus, you get to manage your own schedule, and you don’t have to worry about health-care regulations! 

What’s more, Lee said, Look at the baby boom generation: “They are at the wealthiest stage of their lives, and they all have pets!” 

Boom! Demand.

4. Biologist
Median Salary: $73,285 

When was the last time you heard a kid say, “I want to be a biologist when I grow up!” 

Right. Well, maybe they should. 

“There’s a lot of demand,” Lee said. “Biologists have a lot of things going for them. They’re needed by the whole military complex, with biological weapons. At the same time, they have mapped the human genome – so, there’s biological science in health care.” 

“The need for biologists is very large. And yet biology is a field that has not attracted huge numbers of new graduates,” Lee said.

5. Market Research Analyst
Median Salary: $61,236 

“This is one where we’ve become such an incredible consumer nation and market research has really elevated it to where there isn’t a product or service that doesn’t require market research,” Lee said. “And yet most people don’t think of market research as a profession. They might think of going into marketing but that’s different from market research.”



6. Accountant
Median Salary: $62,174 

Oh, accountants. When was a movie ever made that didn’t show them as nerdy and uninteresting? Well, accountants, you can stick this in your pocket protector – you are among the most underrated jobs! 

“In fact, it’s a very solid, secure profession,” Lee said. “Accountants are needed whether the economy is good or bad.” 

And, let’s face it, the most recent downturn and subsequent scrutiny on accounting highlighted the need for accountants even more.


See the full list: The Most Underrated Jobs