How to Find the Scholarship Program
Today’s post is a guest blog post from Sonia Jackson. Please welcome her to the College Junction community! Here’s her bio:
“My name is Sonia Jackson. I represent the Australian web-site http://www.essay-bag.com. We’ll help you to solve all problems with writing different essays and research papers according to the rules of the universities and colleges in Australia.”
One of the sad things about the youth of today is that they are just not optimistic enough about scholarships. Of course, they are difficult to get, but that is the entire point. They would have little value if they were being handed out on the street. A student is expected to work hard and gain a good grade point average, but isn’t that what you were planning to do anyway?
How start when getting a scholarship
Having a scholarship is a great way to finance your studies and acts as a very good motivator to see college/university through to the end. It also a good way to concentrate solely on your studies and not be distracted by money worries. Your first step should be to start looking as early as possible and begin your research now.
Start looking for your scholarship early
The application process takes a long time so you need to start looking and applying early. Speak to your guidance councilor if you have no idea where to start. You should also be aware that there are a lot of fake scholarship programs online which are set up to steal your information or trick you into giving them your bank card details.
Figure out where you would like to study
This is a good way to get a jump-start on your scholarship. Once you know what you need to do to get into the educational institution you can weigh up your chances and start applying for scholarships based upon your institution choice.
Finding the right scholarship for you
There are literally thousands of scholarships out there, which means that you are not restricted to applying for just one. There are scholarships, studentships, prizes, competitions, grants and fellowships. Not all of them are dependent upon your GPA, and some are a lot easier to get than others if you are willing to make a bit of a sacrifice on your end. For example, some scholarships are easier to get if you are willing to study in a less desirable area or country. There are scholarships aimed at very specific subjects and even religious scholarships.
Applying for a scholarship
You need to make sure that you have picked the right scholarship for yourself, and that you match the many eligibility requirements. There’s no room for an “Oh close enough” attitude. You need to make sure that you have done your research, and read all of the information given, otherwise you are about to waste a chunk of your time.
Prioritize the scholarships that you want the most and do their applications first. If you get the time then do as many as you like, but as a rule you need to prioritize the ones you want the most first. You will need you certificates of previous education, possibly a language certificate, your recommendation letters, a Curriculum Vitae/Resume and a motivation letter. You must get all of your documents in order before you go ahead and start your applications. This is another reason to start early, since you may have to go back and re-check things, and the process takes time.
Getting together your recommendation letters
They are part of every scholarship application, which reminds us of the old saying, “It is not what you know, but whom you know.” Nevertheless, you do not have to be a senator’s lovechild in order to get a scholarship. You can approach your teachers and bosses. This is another reason to start early, because there will come a point where your teachers/professors will have recommendation request after recommendation request stuffed under their noses from student after student. You should get in early whilst the professor/teacher still has some patience left.
Are You Okay With Making a B?
I’d like to invite all of you to check out my personal blog. It’s at How Brit Sees It, and it’s my own little blog about reflections in my life. Sometimes, I’m kind of insightful… and as a college student, I think you guys will find the content relatable! Feel free to check it and read through what I’ve posted on there.
But right now, I’d like to offer you a special invitation to read my most recent post, It’s Okay To Get A B. It’s a post about making sure that are you are putting effort into your classes, but not stressing over them and allowing it to hurt other areas in your life. College is a time to learn so much, and not just in your class rooms.
Like Mark Twain once said, “Don’t let school interfere with your education.” Check out this post and see if you agree.
How to Keep Up In School When You’re Sick
I’m dedicating this post to my roommate who has been sick for the past few days with something that we’re not entirely sure what it is. Maybe it’s just at my campus, but it seems like this year every one is getting sick. The flu is going around, along with other bugs, and then there’s just the common cold that creates enough problems on its own. I caught mono for the last couple weeks of last semester and it was pretty rough. But I survived, and so will you. So I decided to share some tips about how to keep up in school when you are sick. Maybe this applies to you now if you’re sick. If not, then keep reading about how to prepare and prevent getting sick at school!
Cut back on as much as you can
Of course, as a student we have plenty of demands between classes, jobs, extra curricular, friends, etc. But when you are sick, even if it’s just a little cold, try to cut back as much as you can. Rest is so important to a sick body. While you probably can’t cut back on anything, try to take things as easy as you possibly can. Yes, sadly, this will mean no midnight adventures, maybe going to bed earlier and missing a movie with your friends, taking a break from working out (you can catch up later!), talking to your extra curricular organizations and trying to cut back as much as you can, etc.
Get meds asap
If you feel a little sniffle, don’t run to to the doctor. But don’t tell yourself that you’re not sick if you are. If you need to go to the doctor, then go. If you have a fever, you are contagious, so keep that in mind for your roommates and friends and anyone else you come into contact with on a regular basis. If you have a cold, take some cold meds to help alleviate your symptoms and make you a little bit more comfortable.
Skype your classes
If you talk to you professors, they will probably be very willing to work with you if you’re sick. Last semester, I wasn’t able to go to my classes for a few days, so I talked to my professors and ended up Facetiming into one of my classes. I had a friend Facetime with me, and she sat in the front row, so I was able to get notes from the board, and actually even participate in classes discussions. My prof asked me questions, I answered them. I was able to hear him and him me. It worked really well! If you can’t skype or face time, talk to you friends and ask them if they can record your class, whether with a video camera or just an app on their phone that records sound (I did this for my economics class).
Drink, Drink, Drink
As soon as you figure out what you have, do your best to get over it as soon as possible. For colds and flu, it’s sometimes medicine, rest, drinking, and eating. For mono, it’s getting as much rest as you can and avoiding contact sports. (The latter was pretty easy for me… then again, the former wasn’t such a pain either 
Sleep is a great thing, and mono is an excellent reason to catch up on it. And once again, if you’re actually ill, your professors will likely be incredibly willing and happy to work with you if you are willing to show them an effort.) Make sure to stay hydrated on top of everything, because if you are getting dehydrated, that’s just going to escalate your illness and therefore your problems.
Find out who loves you
What I mean by this is… if you have good friends, they’ll help take care of you. If they’re going out to Walmart and you need something, ask them to pick it up for you, instead of you going there. Ask them to pick you up food. Most college cafeterias have some sort of program where if someone is sick, you can bring food to them. Look at your school’s policy and ask your friends to bring you dinner back when they’re finished eating. Cut back and take it easy, and if there’s stuff that other people can take care of, then ask them. My boyfriend was willing to wake up at 8 AM and pick me up and drive me down to my finals and classes.
Be prepared…..
If you’re not sick, then maybe you think this post isn’t for you. BUT, let me offer one little nugget of wisdom. Prepare yourself. Don’t be a germ-a-phobe and hide in your room all day, but do try to take care of yourself. Eat well, wash your hands, be careful around other people who are sick, take a multivitamin, etc. And besides those obvious things, get as much work done as you can while you are feeling well. This takes so much pressure off of you if you do come down with something. If you have a big project due in a while that you can be working on now, then work on it in your free time, that way if you do get ill, you don’t have to cram at the last minute.
What do you think? Have some other ideas or tips for keeping up in school when you get sick? Post a comment below!
New Years Resolutions for College Students
Today is December 31… the day of the year that many great decisions are made. It’s the next 364 days of the year that determines if the decisions were actually worthwhile. Everyone else is making blog posts about their great resolutions for the year, so I thought I’d join in as well with some ideas for New Years resolutions for students. Here are a few of my ideas. Feel free to comment below if you have some others!
Work Out More
This is one of my personal resolutions as a student. This past year, I’ve hardly managed to have or make any time to work out. As a result of that, I’ve gained some weight, been fatigued, become sick on multiple occasions, and am just overall not in the shape I’d like to be in. I’m sure many college students can relate to that, but (like me) aren’t sure how they’ll make time for to work out. Here’s some ideas. First of all, decide on a specific amount of time and COMMIT. My goal is to work out twice a week, even if it’s only for about thirty minutes each time. By making a specific amount, I know what I need to plan for each week, and it’s easier to check it off a list. Secondly, if you’re worried about not having enough time or that working out isn’t productive enough, then multitask. My mom gave me this idea. Listen to podcasts while you work out. Ready books for class and ride the stationary bicycles. Take study guides to the gym and review them. Exercising helps you memorize things, so not only will you be helping your body, but you’ll actually be making your mind more productive. If you just really need a break, then go work out and watch your favorite tv episode or listen to music. Besides that fact that exercising helps improve your memory.
Study Smarter, Not More
Some would say a good resolution is to spend more time studying. However, rather than spend more time doing that, invest your time in studying smarter. Make a decision to learn about what helps you study best. Does it help you to make mneumonic devices? Do you study better in a group? If you review your notes throughout the unit, does that save you hours of cramming just before a test? Can you find YouTube videos that sum up or explain a concept better than your textbook does? Check out Study Tips for College Students to find some ideas about bettering your studying.
Prepare for Your Future Job
So many people think that just being in college and working towards a degree is going to help them find a job. The sad truth is that a college degree is not enough these days. Look into specific ways to help you prepare to get a job some day. This could include learning/practicing/brushing up on certain skills. It could include finding an organization/club on campus to get involved with. Make sure you are not solely relying on your classes to help you prepare for a job. This could even include searching for a good internship for the summer and preparing for that!
Monitor Your Budget/Save Money
Most college students claim that they are trying to save money, but the truth is that you should always be monitoring your money and making adjustments as necessary. If you can, look at your spending habits from 2012, and see if you can improve them in 2013. For example, I saw that I spent a lot of money in January last year, and that I also spent a great deal of money on food throughout the year. I also saw that all of those little Wal-Mart trips really add up. Look at where you’ve spent money, and see if there’s anywhere you can cut back. If you’re doing just fine with money, then see if there’s something better you can be doing with your extra cash. Look into helping out various charities or organizations. Find some way to invest your money.
Make Time for Priorities
In college, it’s easy to get carried away. I go back and forth between sleeping too much, spending too much time studying, not sleeping enough, working too much, etc… It’s too easy to do that. Decide what is going to be most important to you this semester: Relationships? Certain classes? Internships? Jobs? Whatever it is, make sure you have a list of priorities and that you are making time for what is important to you.
There’s some ideas to get you started. Think about what is important to you, and find ways to make it happen. They say where there’s a will, there’s a way. Personally, I believe it’s true. If you really want something, then show it by working for it and making small decisions to get there.
Have some other great ideas? Comment on here and let us know!
Think Apps Can’t Change Your Life?
I recently wrote a post about how the iPhone makes students more productive and helps them out quite a bit in the long run. What I failed to mention is just how much money they can also save college students. Don’t believe me? Check out this cool infographic, found by Kara Taylor, guest blogger on College Junction.
Comment on this post with your favorite organizing/money saving/life changing apps for Droid or iPhone!
If you are looking for some great apps to help save you money, while organizing your life, I hope you have found some in the above list! Have some other great ideas? Comment on here and post your favorite organizing/money saving/life changing app!
Shopping for Christmas Presents: The College Student Budget Edition
We have officially entered that time of year. The time of year when meteorologists predict snow (that either never comes, or brings too much), college students get the best food of the whole entire year, grades suddenly become more important than ever with approaching finals, and…. everyone starts to regret that they didn’t do their Christmas shopping sooner. We all find ourselves in that boat. If you are looking at your bank account and all of the shopping you need to do and sadly it isn’t adding up as you would like, then have no fear. Here are some tips to help you save as much money as possible, while still showing some present love to your friends and family:
1. Shop Around.
You might think that since we have hit Thanksgiving, it’s time to hurry up and grab anything you can find. Just relax…. you still have over a month. There’s plenty of shopping time (even for college students! We need study breaks, and we make lots of Wal-Mart trips, and seem to always make time to browse online). That being said, make sure to price check. Don’t just pick up the first cool-looking gift you see.
2.Don’t Just Look In Stores.
Shop around in stores, but also look around online. You are more likely to find cool, personal gifts, and you are also likely to find better prices if you try looking on websites like Amazon.com and eBay. Some other great sites to try are: CafePress and Zazzle. If you’re buying online, make sure to sign up for Ebates and see if they have a special deal, or if you can get money back for shopping at certain stores. Also, at this time of year, most stores are offering free shipping. Amazon offers free shipping if you have prime. (As a student, you can sign up for a 6 month trial version, so if you have’t already done that, then go ahead and Sign Up Now. Most products will qualify for the free shipping. Even if you can’t get the Student Prime account, Amazon still has great shipping deals. If you spend over $25 on qualified products (which includes a majority of stuff on Amazon), you can get free two-day shipping! Not only are the products typically cheaper than you would find them in stores, but you also don’t have to pay shipping, nor wait a long time for them to come!
3. Try Groupon.
If you’re stuck on what to get people, then sign up for Groupon. Not only do they offer a ton of great gift ideas, but they also offer great discounts. You can often save about 50% just by using sites like Groupon or Half Off Depot.
4.Put Together Gifts.
I’m not talking about being craft per se, because anyone who knows me knows that crafts and creativity is not my forte. (That being said, if you are craft, then by all means, look on Pinterest and find craft gift ideas! They’re often inexpensive and more creative/thoughtful!)
What I am talking about it putting gifts together for your friends. By adding a lot of little things together, you can save money and the gift will still look nice. For example, if you have friends who like movies, then how about finding an inexpensive movie (you can look in the $5 bins at Wal-Mart, or look online. You can often find inexpensive movies on Amazon), add a bag of popcorn, and viola… you have a movie night package! If you have friends who like coffee or hot chocolate, you can use the same idea. Buy a mug and put some coffee/hot chocolate in there.
5. Regifting
Ever gotten a gift that you thought was nice, but had absolutely zero use for? You can always save it and gift it to someone you think might be able to use it better than you can! Better than just getting rid of it, and who knows… someone else might really be wanting it!
So. This Christmas, instead of going broke, just make smart choices about your gifts. This will save you money, and you’ll feel better because even if you end up spending more than you would like, you can sit down and add up just how much you saved. It really could be worse, folks. Now go spend your time stressing about finals, instead of shopping.
How the iPhone 5 Will Make You A Better College Student
Five days ago, I received a device that has changed my life, for lack of a better term. That lovely device would be the iPhone 5. I bought it last month and ordered it, but it took a while to come in. Nevertheless, in the two short days I have been able to call myself a “smart phone owner”, my life has become a little more organized and efficient. Here are a few reasons why the iPhone will make you, a college student, more efficient and better person.
1. Keep All Your Life In One Device
I can organize my contacts, my email, my text messages, my webpages, my social media accounts, my grades, my calendar, my music, my books, my pictures, EVERYTHING on one little handheld device. No longer do I need to dig in my backpack to find my planner whenever I need to check a date or add something to my calendar. I can do that from my phone. I can email people about that event that I just created, without having to get on my computer. Better yet, I can just text someone and remind them to attend that meeting. I can take a picture, and instead of waiting three weeks til I have time to upload it to my computer, I can send it straight to Facebook. My first picture I posted has received about 40 likes already.
2. Save Time With Siri
Honestly, I was very skeptical of Siri. I said I’d never use her. After all, why would I ever need to talk to my phone? It would be much faster to just go find the app I needed and do whatever I wanted than to argue with a computer that I thought would never understand me. However, I was very wrong. Siri can do just about anything. I can use her as I am walking down the hall to text someone or send an email. With just the push of a button and few words, I can tell Siri to remind me to do something, rather than dig in my backpack for a pen and a piece of paper and hope that I find that paper later to remind me to do what I need to do. The other day, I wanted to take a short nap, but needed to wake up soon. I was already cuddled up in my blankets and didn’t feel like even picking up my phone to set an alarm. So, I wondered if Siri could help. I said, “Siri, will you wake me up in ten minutes?” And sure enough, she said she was setting an alarm for 11:55″. And she woke me up, ten minutes after I asked! It was great. She really is useful, and I keep finding new uses for her all the time.
3. Texting and Emailing Is So Much Faster
I’ll be the first to admit I’m a big texter and emailer. I can text pretty quickly… no one has ever doubted my texting speed. But I am pretty sure that it has tripled since I got the iPhone. I can type so much faster with the easy keyboard, and not only can I type faster, but I hardly ever have to correct for errors because the iPhone knows exactly what I am trying to say. Sometimes I will try to say a word and hit a bunch of random letters that don’t even look anything like what I’m trying to say, then the iPhone auto corrects to the word that was in my head. Perfect! Saves me so much time. Same is true of email. And now, I don’t have to go to my computer and log into my email every time I need to email a professor. It may not seem like a lot of time, but the ability to text and email faster is definitely saving me little bits of time ever day.
4. Reminders
I know I touched on this a bit before, but the new Reminders app is truly amazing. How many times a day do you think of something important that you need to take care of, but either can’t find a place to write it down, or you write it down but never see your reminder again? Then at the end of the day, you lay in bed and think about all the things you wanted/needed to do, but forgot? The iPhone can totally help you with that. There’s an easy app called Reminders where you just type in your reminder and set a date/time and your iPhone will remind you. Don’t have time to find the app and type everything in? Just ask Siri to do it for you. She’s extremely helpful and it takes as long as “Siri remind me to put my Psych book in my backpack tonight.” And at that moment, she will put a reminder in your app to remind you later that night to do so.
5. Staying Informed
I feel like I have been more up to date on life in general in the past two days. With the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy, I’ve been able to keep up on all the news. Last I heard, 7.5 million people are without power. Besides keeping up with United States and international news, I am also connected to Twitter and Facebook and able to keep up with my friends more. I get notifications when certain people Tweet, and when I have a few idle moments, it’s easy to just pull up the Facebook app and scroll my newsfeed. This leads me to my next point…
6. Less Procrastinating on Facebook
You really wouldn’t believe this would you. You might be thinking, “If I get an iPhone, I’m only going to spend more time on Facebook and Twitter since it’s right at my fingertips.” Incorrect. I have noticed that I actually don’t even really bother logging onto Facebook or Twitter on my computer for long amounts of time like I used to. Truth is, I’m actually happy with checking Facebook and Twitter for a few minutes every now and then throughout the day, rather than spending a long time on it at night. It’s a nice relaxer for my brain as I’m waiting for my next class to start, or while I am standing in line at lunch, or any other time when I have a couple of minutes to just relax. By looking then, I’m not really tempted to spend a lot of time on there at night.
7. Learn to Budget
You may not have to pay for your iPhone, but if you have a set amount of data, you will quickly learn what budgetting means. Very few people are actually able to obtain unlimited data plans for their iPhones. Therefore, it is important to learn how to use your data without going over. Personally, I have to share data on our family plan with my parents and siblings. I check at least once a day (as I have for the past two days hahah) to see how much I am using. Then, I multiply it by the number of days in the billing cycle to see just how much I will have used by the end of the month if I use the same average amount every day. This helps me to understand if I need to cut back or I can splurge a little bit more.
15 Reasons Why You Should Find and Complete an Internship
Introducing a new guest blogger this week! Please welcome Kara Taylor! She is a freelance writer and a student at Kendall College in Chicago.
When preparing for a career, completing an internship is the very best way to get you on the right track to finding the right job, and then getting hired quickly. An internship helps you learn about yourself and about what career you may be heading towards. Here are fifteen unique advantages that completing an internship offers:
1 Distinguish Yourself
Recruiters review countless resumes and soon they blend together, but an internship will surely distinguish you from the other candidates. The internship is a clear way of saying “I am hungry for success in the workplace.” Employers are also aware of the potential benefits internship offer so they are excited when they see them on resumes.
2 Develop Your Resume
Resumes of recent grads are often padded with weak fodder. An internship counts as work experience and it speaks volumes about you. Employers are going to use your internship experience to help assess what you can do for them.
3 Real World Experience
An internship will immerse you in real word professional experience. You will be exposed to real world working conditions. At your future job interview, you can detail how you overcame obstacles, and exactly what skills you mastered. An internship is a great transition to your career, where you can learn and make mistakes in safe environment.
4 Perks
While you may not be earning a salary you may very well be entitled to the perks and fringe benefits for the full-time employees. Parking spaces, a cafeteria or gym privileges, even the holiday party may be available to you as an intern.
5 Class Credit
Most universities offer class credits for completing your internship experience. If not, this is usually easy to set up. This is a great way to work towards your degree outside the classroom.
6 Get Better Referrals
As an intern, your colleagues will gladly write you detailed, compassionate referrals. Instead of ambiguous praise, they will be able to write precise descriptions about your character, your successes and responsibilities.
7 Role Models
If a business houses an internship opportunity, they must have already had some success. Interning will allow you to rub elbows with actual successful team members. This is a great way to develop habits of your own that will help you be successful in your career. The internship is a safe place to make mistakes and ask for help, and receive support, guidance, and encouragement.
8 Improve Your Social Life
An internship exposes you to people with interests similar to yours. Besides making new friends and acquaintances, you will learn about events relevant to your industry, like trade show, conventions, or speaking events. You will learn about new places, events, and resources for getting started in your field.
9 Network
Interning will allow you to pick the brains of people with jobs. Also, emailing them a copy of your resume may lead to an interview before sooner than waiting for a call back from a resume you emailed. The people you work with will be able to help you in one way or another.
10 Interview Skills
Someone at your internship will help you practice interviewing skills for when you get called for your own job interview, maybe even in the board room. A mock-interview is a great way to prepare for your job interview.
11 Train to Find a Job
You will use the same skills to find a job that you used to find your internship. Interning will force you to prepare your resume, business attire, interviewing skills, and your ability to keep a professional conversation.
12 Time Well Spent
An internship will keep you busy, inspired, and sharp. You will get up early and use your time wisely. Otherwise you may only enhance your couch potato skills.
13 Technology
Using new software is likely to occur while you are interning. This is highly attractive to employers as a skill on your resume. In addition to software you may even see new hardware, or software you already know but used in a different way.
14. Team Building
As an intern, you may be fortunate enough to observe or participate in team building skills. Team building skills are best learned out of the classroom, and an internship provides the ideal conditions for teamwork in a professional setting.
15. Insight
Above all, an internship will equip you with insight that you will be able to use in your professional and personal life. You will encounter day to day obstacles, and you will learn how to overcome them. You will learn from the people you work with, and you will learn the internal practices about the career you are interested in. You may even learn about new a career altogether.
Student Government : Should You Do It?
Many of you college students have heard of the Student Government Association (SGA) at your school. However, perhaps some of you have wondered if you should ever get involved. This is my second year serving on Student Government at my school, so I thought I’d write a quick post talking about the pro’s and con’s, just in case anyone else is wondering if they should get involved in it this year.
Personally, I really enjoy serving on Student Government, but it does take time and effort. I got involved last year by serving as President of the Freshman Class. I loved it so much that I realized I wanted to take it to the next level for this year and serve on Executive Council. Executive Council basically a council of 5 members (President, Vice Pres, Secretary, Treasurer, Parliamentarian) that presides over Student Government. It’s a HUGE time committment and a lot of work, but it’s super rewarding and an excellent leadership opportunity. I am the Student Body Secretary for my school and even though I’ve only been at school for about two weeks, its been keeping me pretty busy. Student Government is a little different for every school, but at my school, we promote unity and community on campus. We plan events for students and serve as bridge between administration and students.
The Pro’s : Student Government is a great leadership experience. I have learned so much about my own personal leadership style. I’ve been put in the position to make decisions, both ahead of time and on the spot. I’ve learned how I lead and work with others. I’ve had to step out of my comfort zone and do jobs that I wouldn’t normally have done, but have learned from them. I’ve gained even more experience in interacting with others and public speaking, as I am making announcements to my entire school on a pretty regular basis. I’ve met a lot of great people across the school, starting from the moment I begin campaigning (it’s a great way to meet people!!) and even now I am able to connect with even more students. I’ve met and developed relationships with faculty and professors at my school. Other pro’s are the impact that you can have at your campus. We’ve been able to meet with administration and talk about issues and answer students’ questions. This year, I am actually going to be working on a proposal to administration about extending our open-dorm hours.
The Con’s : The only major con that I can think of is the time commitment. There have been several times when I would have liked to have a little extra free time, but couldn’t because I had to help with something for SGA. When we put on events, I basically have to block out my life for a week before and during the event. Also, as a leader on campus, I often sort of feel in the spot light, in the sense that people are watching me. This could really be a pro or a con. I see it as a good way of people making me accountable and a good way to keep me out of trouble.
So, if you like working with people, want to make a difference on your campus, and aren’t afraid of putting in a little hard work and effort, then Student Government can be a great opportunity for you! Talk with people at your school and see what SGA is like at your school and if others have had a positive experience.
Have you served on Student Government in high school or college? What are your thoughts about Student Government?
D5 Creation