Office hours are arguably the most underused resource available to students.

With that said, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be using what is perhaps one of the biggest tools at your disposal to understanding the material and getting a better grade. Basically, if you’re not using it, you better be getting an A on the next exam.

Office hours are your opportunity to get one-on-one instruction on course material. These are specific times that instructors (professors, TAs, etc.) set aside to make themselves available to students.

A professor will typically announce his/her office hours and location on the first day of class and in the syllabus. This information should also be available on the professor’s website.

A Valuable, Yet Often Underused Resource
Throughout the term you may find your professor complaining to the class about being lonely during their office hours. This is your sign that they want visitors. Here they are reaching out to offer a valuable service (that you are technically paying for) only to have it be neglected by the class.

Your Professor During Office Hours.

Simply put, not enough students take advantage of office hours. Either students are too busy, too lazy, or too embarrassed and afraid they will ask a stupid question or be called out about missing the class when the information was covered.

Utilizing Office Hours

With set office hours, it’s comforting to know there is a time and place you will always have access to your professor.

To make the most of an office hours visit, you’ll need to do a little preparing beforehand. This includes coming in with specific questions and other items you would like to go over with the instructor. Keep a list of questions and concerns to discuss during your visit. This ensures your meeting will run as smoothly and quickly as possible.

The best way to prepare for this meeting is to review your class notes and attempt to do some of the homework before your visit, so you can identify exactly what it is you are having trouble with. Sometimes students are so lost they don’t know where to start. This is fine and something where a few visits to office hours can get the student back on track.

Even if you don't have any questions about course material, stop by your professor’s office to say hi and introduce yourself. This way you’ll know where the office is located should you ever need to visit throughout the term and the introduction will help your professor get to know you by name. This is especially important in larger classes (but equally as important in smaller classroom settings as well). This initial introduction helps establish a connection, which could be beneficial later on. Professors are generally pretty welcoming and accommodating to students who come in for office hours.

While attending office hours is not required, if the effort isn’t made to show up, you leave yourself no excuse at the end of the term when grades are dispersed and you are left with a grade you are not satisfied with.

Benefits of Using Office Hours

Straight Up: Attending office hours puts you at an advantage over other students.

Students who utilize office hours often do better on exams and papers, are more satisfied with their classes, and feel more connected to their college, classroom and professor. It is an opportunity to show instructors your enthusiasm for the material. A place you can follow up on aspects of the class you find compelling by asking questions that go beyond what the lecture and textbook cover.

Help Preparing for Exams

Take advantage of office hours and discussion sections, especially before big tests. The week before exams and finals are times in which your professor will be in high demand. This is why sometimes a professor will schedule additional office hours the week before a test.

It is essential to visit during these times because professors are typically in the process of determining what will be on the exam and can give away clues about what it will cover. If you can cut out material you don't need to focus on for the upcoming exam, you'll save yourself hours of study time in exchange for the short 30min investment of time for an office hours visit. Knowing what to study (and what not to) before a test can be very beneficial when it comes time to cram for the exam.

Build a Connection

In the digital world, people are losing touch with interpersonal communication. By taking the time to go into office hours you get a face-to-face connection with your professor. Going in and personally introducing yourself helps your instructor put a name to a face, which can only be beneficial unless you plan on pulling the "Do you even know my name?" at the end of the term.

One-on-one instruction creates the prime environment to build on the student-teacher relationship. If a positive connection is established in your meetings, the professor can help with letters of recommendation, job offers/leads, and having them as an advisor for independent study.

Common Questions about Office Hours

Should I email professors ahead of time to let them know I am stopping by?
While it is a good gesture, office hours are open for you to stop by. You can call/email to make sure they are available and not already with another student, but for the most part they sit there and expect students to show up, therefore no appointment is needed. A heads up email is nice, but not necessary.

How should I approach a professor during office hours?
When dropping in unannounced, your best bet is to show up at the beginning of office hours. If you show up and your professor is already assisting another student, knock or otherwise politely announce your presence upon arrival. Don't feel like you're being a nuisance, these are hours specifically set aside for you and your classmates. If you find the office too busy, politely ask to make an appointment.

Things to Remember

• Be courteous and respectful.
• If you make an appointment, arrive on time.
• Address the professor by his or her last name with the appropriate title unless asked otherwise.
• Value their time by being prepared and staying on task.
• Avoid waiting until the day before the test or the day before an assignment is due to seek assistance.
• Show up early to office hours and bring your work with you. This way you can get the help you need and continue working right there in the office while the new understanding of the material is fresh on your mind. This also allows you to ask and get immediate help with any other questions that come about while advancing through your studies.
• Thank them for their time.

What Professors are Saying

Here's what some top professors at University of Michigan are saying about office hours:

Students should go to office hours because…
…we're a friendly bunch; but really, some people learn best by discussing the topic and getting one-on-one attention, and with large courses, office hours are really the only way to do this. …your professor will get to know who you are and you might be more comfortable asking them to write you a letter of recommendation later.

- Brenda Gunderson, Statistics Department at University of Michigan

The most productive office hour interactions seem to begin with a student pulling out a short, focused list of specific questions. It is helpful if they are able to reference a particular lecture or reading. This makes it possible to put the answer into a relevant context. Written questions are great strategy for focusing the meeting and it gives shy students a sort of script. Often the initial discussion will generate other questions and, ideally, the student walks away with a broader understanding of the topic.

- Denise Guillot, Anthropology Department at University of Michigan

As an instructor of a large lecture course, I value office hours because it gives me an opportunity to speak directly with students from the class. In particular, it gives me the opportunity to better gauge how well students are understanding the material from lectures. If I find that students are not understanding the material, then I can respond to that in subsequent lectures.

- David Smith, History Department at University of Michigan

Why should students go to office hours? I wouldn't just say "go", I'd say "go early". I get popular just before exams, but at other times am sometimes sitting in my office waiting for students to stop by. It's an opportunity to be engaged --- to review class material, expand on what you learned in class, or just talk about the discipline more generally.

- Jan Gerson, Economics Department at University of Michigan

An eTextbook isn't just an eBook version of a textbook; it's an interactive educational tool. That’s what Apple is trying to achieve in their push for iPad textbooks, something they hope will disrupt the $8 billion textbook market.

Built-in video, interactive 3D objects, and the ability to highlight content (that can be automatically turned into flash cards when preparing for exams) are just a few of the features of textbooks on the iPad.

Using iPads in the classroom has brought new excitement to course material. An instructor from Notre Dame, who had his business class take part in a pilot program, noted how the ability to easily share and collaborate with the device made the class “more interesting and dynamic”.

IPads have become so useful in certain academic settings that some colleges are making them a required item. This is the case at Brown University's medical school, where incoming students were required to purchase iPads last fall.

Students as part of a eTextbook pilot program at Cal State enjoyed the cost savings, the ability to search by keyword, and the lightweight option that digital textbooks provided, however, eTextbooks did not provide the greatest user experience for many of the students. Their biggest complaint: they felt as if they were reading a textbook on the Internet.

It is apparent iPad textbooks aren’t for everyone. Three out of 4 students still prefer a print textbook over the digital version, according to a March 2011 survey of 655 college students. Current sales of eTextbooks only account for a small percentage of the $8 billion textbook industry.

Is it worth buying an iPad just for textbooks?
Based on current “savings” eTextbooks give over print textbooks, it would take about two semesters worth of textbooks to break even, after spending $500 for the iPad. Of course, buying the eTextbook version means the book can’t be resold and certain publishers even limit the time you have access to the book.

With Apple’s recent announcement of iPad textbooks available in the latest update of the iBooks app, they are taking steps toward building a catalog of textbooks available for purchase within the app. The current selection of textbooks is limited, with most of the titles being high school textbooks.

Where to get iPad Textbooks

The nice thing about textbooks on the iPad is they can be accessed immediately after purchase (no standing in lines at the bookstore or waiting for your books to ship). Here’s where you can get college textbooks for your iPad.

Kno

Kno has a huge selection of textbooks for the iPad. The Kno Course Manager application lets students organize their textbooks and other course material in a central location. With Kno textbooks you can search, zoom in on pictures, add sticky notes, highlight text, and easily share course material with fellow students via social networks. A recent edition of their app added video integration and support for interactive 3D objects to further enhance learning on the iPad.

Kno, a startup created by the founders of Chegg.com, originally developed their own oversized tablet specifically designed for digital textbooks. As soon as the iPad started taking off, the company realized the device was the backbone for the future of the industry and bailed on its own hardware efforts last April.

About eTextbooks from Kno

• Available on: Ipad, Web
• Purchase options: Buy or Rent (6 months).
• Length of access: Lifetime access as long as you have a Kno account.
• Printing limitations: No printing allowed.
• Available offline: Yes, the textbook is permanently stored on your iPad.
• Deals: They offer a 15-day free trial (no credit card required).

Inkling

Inkling was started in 2009 when Matt MacInnis, a former Apple employee (who worked in Apple's education division for eight years), noticed that technology and textbooks weren’t reaching their full potential.

Their goal is to make learning interactive and engaging by taking advantage of new media devices, like the iPad. They want to reinvent the textbook by looking at a digital textbook not as a book, but as software. This new technology enables learning assessment tools to be built into the textbook, like having interactive quizzes at the end of every chapter. Inkling also brings a social aspect to learning by enabling students to follow each other’s note streams, all within the application.

Inkling textbooks are generally 30%-40% cheaper than the list price of print books. Students also have the option of purchasing individual chapters for a few dollars each (which comes in handy for those classes that only cover a few chapters of the book). Their catalog has over 100 fully-enhanced, interactive titles available, including some of the most popular titles for undergrad, MBA and medical students. They have a limited number of books available because they customize every textbook specifically for the iPad to make it interactive and engaging.

About eTextbooks from Inkling

• Available on: iPad only
• Purchase options: Buy the full textbook or by the chapter.
• Length of Access: Lifetime use.
• Printing limitations: No printing allowed.
• Available offline: Yes, although some multimedia content (streaming video and music) in the textbook does require an Internet connection.
• Deals: Free chapter by downloading their iPad app.

CourseSmart

CourseSmart is currently the largest seller of eTextbooks. They claim to save students 60% when purchasing over printed textbooks. The textbooks at CourseSmart are sold as digital rentals that give users digital access rights to the textbook for 360 days. CourseSmart textbooks can be used on the iPad by downloading their free app.

About eTextbooks at CourseSmart

• Available on: Most digital devices: iPad, iPhone, Kindle, Laptop computers and Android devices both online and off.
• Purchase options: Free trial before buying. After purchase, access to the eTextbook is given for the “digital rental” period, which is 360 days.
• Length of access: 360 days
• Printing limitations: Up to 10 pages at a time. Total limit is 1.5 times the number of pages in the book.
• Available offline: Yes, but content must be checked out via their online app.
• Deals: Free eTextbook Trial (for 14 days or 50 page views, whichever comes first).

Amazon

For eTextbooks at Amazon, students can either buy the digital textbook outright (lifetime access) or rent it (cheaper option), better known as Kindle Textbook Rentals. Renters can choose their rental period (any length between 30 and 360 days), so you only need to pay for the time you actually need access to the book. After the rental period ends, students still get access to all of their notes and highlighted content in the Amazon Cloud.

Even though Amazon has eTextbooks labeled as Kindle edition books, they can still be used on the iPad. To access Kindle Textbook Rentals on your iPad you will need to download the Kindle app from the App Store (therefore, no Kindle device is required). Additionally, you always have the option of accessing the textbook from other devices (PC, Mac, Android, Blackberry, and iPhone) at any time with Amazon’s Whispersync technology.

About eTextbooks at Amazon

• Available on: Even though Kindle textbooks were designed with the Kindle in mind, they are accessible on iPad, PC, Mac, Android, Blackberry, and iPhone.
• Purchase options: At Amazon you can buy or rent in both print and digital form. As far as eTextbook rentals: choose any rental length between 30 and 360 days. You can extend the rental period for as little as one day or convert the order to a full purchase and keep the book permanently.
• Length of access: Depends on the purchase. The textbook can be rented from 30 to 360 days.
• Deals: Click here and enter the code ETXTBOOK to get a $10 credit applied to your Amazon account to use on your next eTextbook purchase. Offer expires at 11:59 p.m PST on January 23, 2012.

Chegg

Textbook renter Chegg.com just recently started offering eTextbooks that are available on the iPad. The eTextbook is web-based, therefore viewable on any device connected to the Internet. Not having the textbook available offline is a downfall, but being online lets you connect to Chegg’s 24/7 Homework Q&A service through the eReader. Ordering a print textbook from Chegg? Customers can get a 7-day access pass to the eTextbook version while they wait for their physical textbook to ship.

About eTextbooks at Chegg

• Available on: Any device with an Internet connection.
• Purchase options: At Chegg you can rent textbooks, buy new and used, or get eTextbooks.
• Length of access: The eTextbooks have a digital rental period of 180 days.
• Printing limitations: According to Chegg, copy and print limits will vary per eTextbook. Clicking on the ‘View Details’ next to the eTextbook will show the limitations of the book you are ordering. Most of the eTextbooks seem to allow up to 50% of the book to be printed. Printing over 10% of the book will void any returns of the book for a full refund.
• Available offline: No
• Deals: Check current textbook coupon codes.

CengageBrain

Cengage offers textbooks in multiple formats: print, rentals, eTextbooks, and by the chapter (eChapters). The eTextbooks and eChapters are available on the iPad for both online and offline use. Being able to buy textbooks down to the individual chapter and getting free access to the eTextbook version while your print textbook ships are two big advantages of getting textbooks at CengageBrain.

About eTextbooks from CengageBrain

• Available on: You can view eTextbooks and eChapters on a desktop, laptop, iPad, iPhone or Android device.
• Purchase options: Buy eTextbooks by the book or by the chapter (eChapters). Also offer print textbooks for sale or rent.
• Length of access: Standard length of access to digital content is one semester. Some titles that are published for courses that last multiple semesters have a longer access period. Individual chapters are only available for an access period of 6 months.
• Printing limitations: Up to 10 pages at a time. Total limit is 1.5 times the number of pages in the book.
• Available offline: Available both online and offline with the free eReader app for your iPad. Currently, offline access is only supported when using a desktop, laptop or iPad.
• Deals: See CengageBrain Coupon Codes

Open Textbooks

There are many freely available open textbooks that can be used on the iPad. While you likely won’t find the textbook your professor assigns here, convince your instructors to start using open textbooks and the $8 billion textbook market can really be disrupted.

How much money have you spent on textbooks?

Sorry to bring up a sore subject, but this is the reality we face in dealing with what is one of the biggest complaints about going to college. Between high prices, new editions with little variation from the previous edition, and horrible buyback offers, the whole system sort of leaves you sick to your stomach.

Over the past few decades, the textbook industry has been consolidated into five major textbook publishing firms. Known as the “Big Five”, these are corporations that have one thing in mind: profit. The industry is controlled by this handful of companies who employ many dirty tricks to protect their bottom line, some of which you will learn below.

Here you will read confessions from the industry, ploys used to maximize profits, and other things you may not know about the textbook business.

Confessions of the Textbook Publishing Industry

• The textbook industry hopes to go purely digital by 2020.


• Textbook publishers have a significant anti-piracy team that watches the major file sharing networks for copies of their textbooks.


• The cheapest "legitimate" way to get your textbooks is usually through Amazon. They also have free Amazon Prime memberships for college students, giving you free two-day shipping.


• Publishers make most of their money during the first semester or two a new textbook is on the market. After the first couple semesters, there are a good amount of used books on the market. This is why publishers release new editions every two to three years as used books only make the bookstores money.


• Since publishers get nothing from the sale of used books, it’s in their best interest to eliminate the used textbook market. Stores that specialize in used textbooks (Barnes & Noble, etc.) make a killing without the expense of producing the text. When digital textbooks take over the market, publishers will have effectively destroyed the used textbook market.


• Textbook prices are high because there's a lot that goes into the production of textbooks. There's the process of writing the book, the research behind it (admittedly, much of which happens in early editions), quality control and editing, printing, shipping (books are heavy), supplements, sales personnel, etc. That also doesn't take into account the bookstore's cut, which is around 25%.


• The wholesale cost of a textbook goes to cover (in descending order) author royalties, paper, printing and binding, investments in editorial development and digital product development, marketing, instructor resources and support materials, general and administrative costs, and shipping costs.

Confessions from the College Bookstore

• How buyback pricing works at the college bookstore:
  By the end of the semester, college bookstores know what textbooks will be used for the upcoming semester. Based on previous sales and enrollment, they establish how many used books they want to have in stock for the next semester. If that quota hasn't been filled, they give students 50% of what they paid back. If the quota is filled, or the book isn't needed, that's when you start seeing the ridiculously low buyback prices being offered. These wholesale prices can be pretty low because of the shipping and labor costs of sending these extra books to the warehouse, which then get shipped off to another bookstore.


• If you are being offered wholesale prices, don't sell your books to the bookstore. Instead, wait until the next semester the book is being used. If you used the book for a fall semester class, wait until next fall to sell it. If there's a request by the professor to carry the book, you will typically get more money for your book. Do some research to see how long your edition of the textbook has been in print. If it's been three or more years or shows a new edition is in the works, sell the book online, as you'll usually get more money for it that way.


• Keep your book in the best shape possible. This really matters for getting the best price during buyback.


• Bookstores tend to make more money on used copies. Used textbooks are sold for about 75% of the new book price, after paying 50% for it during buyback.


• For new textbooks, college bookstores typically get their books directly from the publisher. Publishers establish the amount they charge the bookstores for each title. College stores then establish a retail price (the amount a student pays for the textbook). The difference between what the college store pays for the textbook and the amount they charge the student is called the gross margin. This gross margin is used to cover the personnel costs, freight costs, and other expenses related to operating the store (utilities, rent, etc.) The average gross margin on new textbooks is 22.3% , according to NACS’ 2010 College Store Industry Financial Report.

Tricks of the Textbook Publishing Industry

• Creating a Revised Edition
  Let’s say a book is in its 5th edition and it's a commonly used textbook. Due to its popularity, the market is flooded with used copies. Instead of creating a new 6th edition, the publisher will create a "revised edition". Sometimes it is the same book packaged with some unnecessary supplemental material and they will force this revised edition out only a year or so after the previous edition to counter the sales of used textbooks.


• Woo the Instructors
  As a sales rep approaching a professor, there are two ways to sell a textbook: have the best one or become friends with the professor. Once a book is published, sales reps can’t control if it’s the best or not, so they try to make friends with the professor. They flatter the professor by sending them free books, treating them to dinner and drinks, and calling them just to chat. Once a sales rep establishes a relationship with a professor, it becomes easier to influence their decision when choosing a textbook. This influence allows reps to steer professors toward the more expensive books, maximizing company profits and their own commission.

  A former textbook representative sums it up best:

  After an education convention we’d rent out part of a bar and pay the tab for several hours for professors. I once heard a marketing manager for McGraw-Hill bragging about a $14,000 bar tab he paid while entertaining professors.



• Getting professors involved with the creation of the book
  Publishers offer professors easy résumé boosters, often by getting as many professors involved in the creation of the textbook as possible. They pay professors to review their new textbooks. In exchange for reading a draft of a chapter, they get their name listed in the front of the textbook. It’s something they can put on their résumé and a book they are more than likely to use because of their involvement.


• Creating custom editions
  Publishers are trying to make it more difficult for students to sell their books by creating custom editions. These are textbooks created specifically for the school with chapters pieced together from the original text(s). The customization makes the book unique, therefore giving it no value outside of the school it was designed for. Because of the custom labeling, the book becomes difficult to sell. Customization also guarantees sales for the college bookstore, the only source for the custom editions.

  Custom edition example:
  Here is the textbook Technology In Action, a Third Custom Edition for Riverside Community College (ISBN: 0558748139).

  It contains Chapters 1 through 9, plus Chapter 11 (Chapter 10 is intentionally omitted) of the original textbook it was derived from: Technology In Action, 7th edition (ISBN: 0135096693). The content is exactly the same.



• Providing free goodies to instructors
  Publisher reps will set up meetings with the course committee involved with selecting the textbook. At these meetings, sales reps cater instructors with lots of tasty sandwiches, salads, sodas, and desserts while they present the benefits and features of their textbook. The publisher will also offer free course and lecture material to entice the professor to adopt the textbook for their class. Providing these free Power Point presentations and lecture slides they can use in class means less work for the lazy busy professor.


• Bundle textbooks with supplemental material
  Publishers are cutting deals with bookstores by providing discounts and other perks if they only stock new editions. To combat the used book market, they'll use tactics like shrink-wrapping a textbook with a study guide, CD-ROM, etc., so the bookstore has an excuse not to buy it back at the end of the semester.


• Requiring an access code for a homework website
  To further counter used textbook sales, textbook companies encourage professors to assign homework that must be done on the publisher's website, or a website created specifically for the course. A student with a new textbook can use the pass code provided in the textbook to register on the homework site. Since these are one-time use codes, students with used textbooks are forced to pay for an access code in order to do their homework. These access codes are also sometimes sold by college bookstores, where students who have already purchased a used textbook pay upwards of $50+ for what ends up being a piece of cardboard with an access code printed on it. This helps the publisher recover some of the lost revenue from used textbook sales.

Things you may not know

• Many university bookstores are actually operated by Barnes & Noble, Follett, etc. The advantage of outsourcing is the companies guarantee a certain amount of profits to the university per year.


• Science textbooks are among the most expensive because publishers have to stay on top of all the new findings in their respective fields and a lot of work go into that.


• Pro Tip: If your bookstore pre-bundles your books, by all means do it. At some bookstores, students can pre-order their books as soon as they have their class schedule. The bookstore will pull the books off the shelf and set them aside for you. When you show up to the bookstore during the first week of the semester, you just walk up to the desk and grab your books, while everyone else is dealing with the crowds.


• Textbook authors will typically receive a small monetary advance on royalties, and then receive 15% of all sales.


• Only 59% of students reported purchasing their textbooks through their college bookstore, according to a 2010 report.


• It doesn't matter where you bought your books, the university bookstore will buy them from you during buyback if they can.


• A study by CALPIRG found that the average time between textbook editions is 2.8 years, regardless of whether the information had changed since the previous edition. They also found that new editions are priced 12% higher than the previous edition.

What can you do?
Spread the word about open textbooks.

Sources:

• The Scandal Behind College Textbooks
• Confessions of a Textbook Salesman: An in-depth look at the seedy relationships between professors and textbook representatives
• Money Under 30: Confessions of a Textbook Salesman
• The Chronicle of Higher Education: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Reddit: 1, 2, 3, 4

Image: De Anza College

Being actively involved in a club is a great resume booster and provides an opportunity to connect with others who share the same interests. The key is finding a club that will keep you (and its members) actively engaged.

A large university will usually have hundreds of clubs to choose from. Maybe you have a great idea for a club or organization, or maybe there is one already established that you never knew existed.

First, find the page on your university’s website that lists all active clubs and organizations on campus.

If this page isn’t easily found from the college’s homepage, a quick Google search will usually get you to the page you need.

This page will typically list all clubs available at the University.

Didn’t find the club you were looking for?

Start your own Club

In order to be an official club, you will need to register with the university.

On the webpage listing clubs on campus, there should be contact info of the appropriate office you need to contact in order to get established as an officially recognized club. This process is typically handled by the office of Student Life, Campus Life, Student Activities Office, or whatever relevant name the office is given at your school.

Once you find the appropriate office on your campus, stop in to see what paperwork needs to be filled out. At this time you can also go over any questions you may have in regards to setting up your club.

Some schools will provide an online registration process, but typically physical presence in the office will be required of the ‘Primary Officer’ of the club, whether it be in a one-on-one meeting or a registration session that requires the attendance of at least one member of your club. This meeting with a Student Life Coordinator (or similar) is required to verify in fact you are a currently enrolled student at the university (you will be asked to show student ID) and to help draw out the details and process of establishing the club.

What’s Required

You will have to provide the name and purpose of your new club. There may also be a minimum membership requirement to create the club; many schools require the membership of at least four students to get started. The club will need to be created and operated by students enrolled in the university, so you’ll need to establish who will be the directors of the organization and draw up a constitution. There will be other specific rules required to create the organization, depending on the requirements of your college.

Steps to Establishing a Club

The exact steps a student must take to start a club can vary by school, but it typically follows this process:

1. Gather names and emails of 4-5 interested members for your prospective club (currently enrolled students).
2. Assign titles: President, Secretary, etc.
3. Register and submit organization form with proposed name and purpose.
4. Meet with Student Life Coordinator or Activities Board (or appropriate office at your school).
5. Draft a constitution (bylaws).
6. Advertise your club’s first meeting.

Resources

Being an officially recognized club at your college can get you access to university resources. This can include funding, a campus mailbox (both physical and email), a university-hosted website, access to facilities for meetings, and on-campus discounts such as advertising in campus media and bookstore discounts.

Leadership Skills

By starting a club, you can immediately place yourself into a leadership position. You can establish yourself as the President of the club or society you decide to create. Holding a leadership position in a single club holds more value than being just a member of many. Not only is the leadership position respected, but the fact that you took the initiative and created the club on your own shows you’re a self-starter; something that will stand out on any application or resume.

If you’re unfamiliar with how to run a club, consider reading up on it or discussing further with the Student Life Coordinator. You are the organizer of the club, so feel free to lead it in any way you want by coming up with your own game plan. Perhaps sit in or join another club on campus to see how they operate. Becoming a member of a well-established, smoothly running club can give you an inside look at how a successful club operates.

Example Ideas

There are many new trends taking shape that can be formed into clubs at your school:

• Entrepreneurship Club
• Green or Environmental Club
• Computer Programming Club
• Fantasy Baseball Club
• An Investing or Investors Club
• Business Club
• A Secret Society…

What are your hobbies?
Odds are there are other students on campus that share the same interests… Start a club!

Download and print your bracket for the 2012 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

Download and Print the PDF version:
2012 NCAA Tournament Bracket

Download the Excel Spreadsheet version:
2012 NCAA Tournament Bracket

After four seasons of Man v. Food, we've seen a lot of crazy food challenges go down. These epic battles and tests of endurance are sure to have taken a toll on the host of the show, Adam Richman.

While Adam is no longer doing food challenges (health concerns?), he’s left us with some great spots to pig out at.

Being that college students love free food and will go to great lengths to get it, and the fact that many food challenges are free if they are completed, you can see how a grub spot with a food challenge can be such a big attraction on a college campus.

In honor of the Sweet 16 (NCAA Tournament), we’ve rounded up Man v. Food’s top 16 college town episodes showcasing some of the best college town grub spots.

These episodes show some of the most famous food challenges found near college campuses across the country.

Warning: Reading this may make you hungry.

Man v. Food: College Edition

1. New Brunswick, NJ

College: Rutgers University

The Challenge:
The Fat Sandwich Challenge: Eat 5 fat sandwiches weighing nearly a pound-and-a-half each in 45 minutes and get a sandwich named after yourself on the menu.

Signature Sandwich:
The Fat Darrell: A sandwich stuffed with chicken strips, fries, mozzarella sticks, lettuce, tomato and marinara sauce.

Challenge Location:
R.U. Hungry
40 College Ave.
New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Other nearby campus eateries featured in the episode:

Stuff Yer Face
49 Easton Ave.
New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Specialty: Over 30 different styles of Stromboli. Their largest is 18-inches long and weighs 2 lbs.

2. Columbus, OH

College: The Ohio State University

The Challenge:
The Dagwood Challenge: A huge 2.5 pound cold cut sandwich with smoked turkey, ham, roast beef, Swiss and American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and roasted garlic mayo served along with a pound of fries. Finish in under 30 minutes and you get a free T-shirt and your picture on the wall.

YouTube Video

Challenge Location:
Ohio Deli
3444 S High St.
Columbus, OH 43207

3. Ann Arbor, MI

College: University of Michigan

The Challenge:
The Mt. Nachismo Challenge: 45 minutes to finish 5 lbs. of nachos loaded with beef, chicken, beans, Cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheese, tomatoes, green peppers, black olives, lettuce, onions, sour cream, guacamole and queso. Complete the challenge in the allotted time and receive a free T-shirt and get your picture on the wall.

Challenge Location:
Tio's Mexican Café
401 E Liberty St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Other nearby campus eateries featured in the episode:

• Maize and Blue Deli
  1329 S. University
  Ann Arbor, MI 48104

  Specialty: Named after University of Michigan school colors, the Maize and Blue Deli is a favorite among college students. Famous for their Triple Play Reuben, the deli serves over 85 different sandwiches.

• Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger
  551 S. Division St
  Ann Arbor, MI 48104

  Specialty: A local favorite since 1953 with over 30 different burger toppings to choose from.

4. Knoxville, TN

Nearby College: University of Tennessee

The Challenge:
El Gigante Comida Challenge: Eat a 4-pound burrito stuffed with barbecued pulled pork, beans, coleslaw, shredded Cheddar cheese and barbecue sauce wrapped up in four flour tortillas, plus a half pound of mac and cheese and a half pound of banana pudding within one hour. Finish the challenge and receive a free T-shirt and poster.

YouTube Video

Challenge Location:
Sweet P's BBQ
3725 Maryville Pike
Knoxville, TN 37920

5. Chapel Hill, NC

Nearby Colleges: NC State, University of North Carolina

The Challenge:
The Roast Grill’s Hot Dog Challenge: In this episode Adam attempts to beat the current Roast Grill record for hot dogs eaten in one hour (16). The dogs are covered with mustard and homemade chili (a 70-year-old recipe). Complete the challenge and you get your picture on the Wall of Fame and have the honor of naming the challenge.

YouTube Video

Challenge Location:
The Roast Grill
7 South West Street
Raleigh, NC 27603

Other nearby campus eateries featured in the episode:

Time Out Chicken
133 W Franklin St.
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Specialty: Chicken and Cheddar Biscuit, a UNC tradition.

6. Syracuse

College: Syracuse University

The Challenge:
The Frittata Challenge: Eat a massive breakfast scramble consisting of over 6 lbs. of eggs, sausage, pepperoni, broccoli, peppers, onions and home fries along with toasted pieces of Italian bread for a T-shirt and a spot on the Wall of Fame. There is no time limit, but those participating in the challenge must follow "mother"-themed rules: sit up straight, keep elbows off the table, etc.

YouTube Video

Challenge Location:
Mother's Cupboard
3709 James Street
Syracuse, NY 13206

7. Austin, TX

College: University of Texas

The Challenge:
The Don Juan Taco Challenge: Eat 8 Don Juan El Taco Grande breakfast tacos weighing in at 3/4 lbs. each (totaling over 6 lbs.) to break the record and get your picture on the "Juan of Fame" and be crowned the Don Juan Taco Champion. Rules of the challenge: eat as many Don Juan tacos as possible, no time limit, no bathroom breaks.

YouTube Video

Challenge Location:
Juan in a Million
2300 Cesar Chavez St.
Austin, Texas 78702

8. Boston, MA

College: Boston College

The Challenge:
The Eagle’s Challenge: a 12-pound Burger complete with 5 lbs. of beef, 2 lbs. of bacon and cheese (20pcs of bacon and 20pcs of American cheese), 5 lbs. of fries and a giant deli pickle. If you fail to finish, your picture goes on the Wall of Shame.

Challenge Location:
Eagle’s Deli
1918 Beacon St.
Brighton MA, 02135

9. Durham, NC

College: Duke University

The Challenge:
The Doughman Challenge: A 15-mile relay race that has each team member start at a different local eatery where they must eat a meal then perform an athletic event (running, cycling, or swimming), then race to a central location where they meet up with their teammates, eat dessert together, then run to the finish line while holding hands.

YouTube Video

Challenge Location:
Various locations in Durhman, NC.

Other nearby campus eateries featured in the episode:

Wimpy's Grill
617 Hicks Street
Durham, NC 27705

Specialty: The Garbage Burger, a 20-ounce bacon double-cheeseburger with the works including chili and coleslaw.

10. Atlanta, GA

Nearby Colleges: Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State, Emory

The Challenge:
The Carnivore Pizza Challenge: An 11-pound, 30-inch pizza covered in pepperoni, ground beef, Italian sausage, ham and bacon. The pizza is so large the restaurant has this set as a two-person challenge. It's $50 to try, but a $250 prize is given if you complete the challenge within the 1 hour time limit (and are able to keep the food down).

YouTube Video

Challenge Location:
Big Pie in the Sky
2090 Baker Rd.
Kennesaw, GA 30144

Other nearby campus eateries featured in the episode:

• Gladys Knight and Ron Winan's Chicken & Waffles (near Georgia Tech)
  529 Peachtree St. NW
  Atlanta, GA 30308

  Specialty:
  The Midnight Train: four southern fried jumbo chicken wings on top of a huge waffle.

• The Vortex Bar and Grill (near Georgia Tech)
  878 Peachtree St NE
  Atlanta, GA 30309

  Specialty : Burgers.

11. Pittsburgh, PA

Nearby Colleges: University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon, Duquesne

The Challenge:
The Atomic Hot Wings challenge. Eat six wings that are 40x hotter than a jalapeño (150,000 Scoville units). So hot, they make you sign a waiver. Complete the challenge and get a bumper sticker and listed on their 'Wall of Flame'.

YouTube Video

Challenge Location:
Quaker Steak & Lube
Multiple Locations in Pittsburgh

Other nearby campus eateries featured in the episode:

Primanti Bros.
Multiple Locations in Pittsburgh

Specialty: Their sandwiches, which consist of grilled meat, a vinegar-based coleslaw, tomato, and fries between two thick slices of Italian bread.

12. Philadelphia, PA

Nearby Colleges: Drexel, Saint Joseph's University

The Challenge:
The Ultimate Cheesesteak Challenge: Eat a 5-pound cheesesteak made with 3 pounds of beef, 1 pound of cheese, fried onions and a 20-inch roll within one hour and get listed on the Wall of Fame.

YouTube Video

Challenge Location:
Tony Luke’s
39 E. Oregon Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19148

13. Kansas City, MO

Nearby College: University of Missouri

The Challenge:
The Ultimate Destroyer Challenge: a 5-pound barbecue sandwich loaded with 7 different hickory-smoked meats (pulled pork, sliced pork, ham, turkey, hamburger, beef brisket and sausage) plus 1 1/2 lbs. of fries. Eat it within 45 minutes and the meal is free, you get your picture on the Wall of Fame, and an “I survived the Ultimate Destroyer” button.

YouTube Video

Challenge Location:
Papa Bob's Bar-B-Que
11610 Kaw Dr.
Bonner Springs, KS 66111

14. New York, NY

Nearby Colleges: NYU, Cooper Union

The Challenge:
The Spicy Curry Challenge: Eat Spicy P'haal, claimed to be the hottest curry in the world (60x hotter than a jalapeño). No time limit; finish the dish and receive a complimentary beer, a certificate of completion and be added to the restaurant's "P'hall of Fame".

YouTube Video

Challenge Location:
Brick Lane Curry House
306 E 6th St.
New York, NY 10003

15. San Diego, CA

Nearby Colleges: USD, UCSD

The Challenge:
The Broken Yolk Iron Man Challenge: a 6-pound 12-egg omelet filled with sautéed onions, mushrooms and cheese, topped with chili and cheese, and served with home fries and two biscuits all on a 15-inch pizza pan. Complete the platter in less than an hour for a T-shirt and a spot on the Wall of Fame.

YouTube Video

Challenge Location:
Broken Yolk Café
1851 Garnet Ave.
San Diego, CA 92109

16. Indianapolis, IN

Nearby Colleges: Butler, IUPUI, Ball State

The Challenge:
The Big Ugly Burger Challenge: This challenge is a test of how many 1.5 lb. Big Ugly Burgers one can consume (with no time limit). Considering they brush each bun with an entire stick of butter, we don't even want to know the calorie count of these burgers.

Finish one Big Ugly Burger and you’ll get a 4x6 picture of yourself on the "Champions of the Big Ugly" Wall of Fame.

Eat Two: Get an 8x10 picture on the wall.
Eat Three: Get a poster-sized picture on the wall.
Eat Four: Get a life-sized cut-out of yourself on the wall.

YouTube Video

Challenge Location:
Bub's Burgers and Ice Cream
210 W. Main St.
Carmel, IN 46032

Today’s featured guest writer is Isa Adney, author of Community College Success: How to Finish with Friends, Scholarships, Internships and the Career of Your Dreams. She is a $110,000 Jack Kent Cooke scholarship winner, the first in her family to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree, and will complete her M.Ed this June. Isa is also a national college speaker.

The 10 Things you Need to Start doing for Guaranteed Success in College

Know any recent college grads having trouble finding work? Any who are still living at home or working an hourly job in food or retail? It's more common than you might think. This is the reality nowadays as the job market is a tough one and getting a degree alone just isn't enough anymore.

You have to do more if you want to succeed in college and beyond.

The good news is doing more is actually fun and will make your college experience memorable, exciting, and worthwhile.

The choices you make in college really can have a tremendous effect on the course of your life. College is the one investment you have the most control over. It is up to you how much you choose to be involved in it and how engaging you make the whole experience. You have control as to how much you want to get out of it, and if you do this right, you will reap the benefits for years to come.

Success in college is more than just going to class and getting good grades. To get ahead, you need to get more out of the experience. The energy level required for a successful college experience is intense, but with the proper dedication you can take advantage of all that is available to you on a college campus.

If you are currently in college, you need an action plan for success. You need to separate yourself from your peers by making the most of your time there. Print this list out and check it against what you’re doing right now. Fulfilling each task will solidify your college experience and set you up for post-college success.

Your time in college is limited, so it is imperative you make the right choices. Follow these 10 steps to guide yourself towards a successful college experience.

1. Make new friends in class

The key word here is new. It’s easy and comfortable to stick to the same crowd – and in many ways it’s wonderful to have that solid group of support. However, it is important that you expand your social horizons in college.

Up until college, most of us have lived our entire lives in our small bubble of high school, interacting with people who, though they may have seemed wildly different, were generally very similar (e.g. lived in the same place, often of similar socio-economic status, etc.).

It’s vital to step outside your comfort zone and get to know new people. They will open your mind and help you become a more well-rounded student who is able to understand a variety of perspectives. (Making new friends is also important if you find yourself currently surrounded by negative people. The friends you have rub off on you more than you realize.)

2. Sit in the front row of every class

I once heard that if you didn’t change anything about your study habits but simply started sitting in the front row, your grades would improve. I believe it. The best way to know? Try it out. In short, the professor will notice you, it will be much more difficult to zone out, and you might just find yourself being much more engaged.

3. Visit the career center often

It’s vital to figure out what major and career interests you the most as soon as possible. Having direction will give new life to your college experience. The best way to find this out is through your college’s career center. Take all the career tests they have. Read at least three books about career discovery. Do a resume review. The career center is one of the most underutilized resources in college and yet it is one of the most valuable.

4. Get a professorial mentor

Professors know the college landscape better than anyone, and getting to know one very well will help you manage the college world and possibly get nominated for awards and opportunities you would never have known about otherwise.

Get to know all of your professors and ask them for help in class; then, meet more often with and ask advice of the one you feel you connect with the most. My professorial mentor helped me win over $5,000 in awards, helped me get free trips to New Orleans and England, and nominated me to be the commencement speaker. Professors you know well will also be able to write you killer recommendation letters.

5. Be a leader in a club

Being a part of clubs is crucial to expand your social network and your professional skills. However, being a leader is where the real magic happens. When you’re a leader, you have an important stake in something. It feels great to see how much others rely on you, and what you can accomplish as a team. Club leadership positions are also very important to helping you win scholarships – and they look great on resumes for internships and jobs. Leaders in clubs also often get to travel to amazing conferences.

6. Do something you never thought you could do

College offers many opportunities that often only a handful of students take advantage of because the others are too scared, too apathetic, or too wrapped up in the day-to-day to make a big leap.

Study abroad. Join a club that scares you. Go on a road trip with friends. Start a small business. Go on a service trip. Skydive. Speak publicly. Be the president of a large club.

Whatever it is that you don’t actually think you could do because you couldn’t afford it or don’t have the skills – just do it! These are the experiences that make college incredible, and offer astounding personal growth. For me, those experiences included joining a college dance team, traveling to England, being president of a club, and presenting a research paper in New Orleans. I was scared of every single one, and yet they changed me for the better.

7. Get a professional mentor

The entire third section of Community College Success is dedicated to teaching you how to find professional mentors that will change your life. As the first in my family to graduate college, the professional world was daunting. Professional mentors helped ease me into the transition, gave me invaluable advice, and led me to job opportunities. Ask professionals who have jobs that interest you for their advice. You’d be amazed at who will talk to you, and where it will lead.

8. Get a fascinating internship

Internships can open doors and help you learn about the professional world more than anything else. Whether it is paid or unpaid, in a large company you’d die to work for or a small start-up, find one that fascinates you. Get an internship doing something or being very close to something you really, really want to do with your life. This is where internships have the most benefit, because you’ll have the opportunity to see if it’s something you actually want to do. It will either show you the career is not what you expected it to be, or it will give you a great experience and contacts in the career you want to go into.

9. Write down your goals

Writing down your goals changes everything. It feels like magic. That magical feeling comes from the incredible results of being focused. The most common thread in all successful college students I’ve ever met is the ability to focus.

When you write down your goals and read them every day, your mind is suddenly focused on what you need to do that day and what opportunities to seize in order to make those goals a reality. Write down your goals today and put them all over your room. Trust me.

10. Develop a morning routine

One of the most transformative things I did when I had to manage writing a book, having a full-time job, and getting a Master’s degree was developing a morning routine that helped me focus every single day. When we start the day rushed, we will have a hurried, seemingly unproductive day. Develop a morning routine that works for you, doing things such as journaling, reading your goals, eating a healthy breakfast, reading a non-fiction book, etc. You can read more about my current morning routine on my blog.

If you’re the kind of person who reads Campus Grotto and reads a post like this to the end, I know you are the kind of amazing college student who will find great success. You are the kind of student who looks for more, is willing to rise above the norm, and will take action on everything you’ve read above. Thank you for investing in yourself and for sharing your talents with the world through your education.

You can connect with Isa on Facebook, Twitter, her speaking website, and her blog. You can also get the first chapter of her book for free instantly.

Sometimes, the process of planning to study abroad can seem overwhelming and too much of a hassle to be worth it. It’s easy to picture yourself sitting at a café in Paris or practicing your Mandarin with the locals in Taiwan, but once you actually decide that you want to go, everything gets complicated.

The best way to get started is to visit your school’s Study Abroad office. Here you’ll have the opportunity to talk to an advisor and ask questions about what programs are available and what’s required. The office will have materials on each program and can go over the process it takes to study abroad.

Before you do, however, there are questions you need to ask yourself so that you have an idea of what to expect.

Getting Started with Study Abroad

Why do you want to study abroad?

It’s important to note that there are many reasons to study abroad. Sure, you might be looking for a specialized program at a foreign university because it will enhance your education, but studying abroad offers countless other reasons to break the routine of your life ranging from learning a new language to developing a cross-cultural understanding to simply wanting an adventure. Deciding why you want to go abroad will help you plan your perfect experience. Maybe you want to improve your French by studying abroad in France, or get to know the Japanese culture by studying in Japan. Whatever the reason, knowing what you want to get out of the experience beforehand will lead to a successful and rewarding time abroad.

What kinds of programs are available?

There are multiple types of programs to choose from. Most students opt to study abroad during the school year, either for a semester or for the entire year, but you can also choose to go during the summer. Going during the summer is a great option for people who are worried about graduating on time. Check to see which programs offer you the ability to stay for a year after you go for a semester—you will want to have the option! After you figure out when you want to study abroad, think about whether you want to take classes in English or in another language. There are tons of programs for each; you can enroll in classes that are taught in English or in a language-intensive course where you will completely immerse yourself in a new language. You can also decide whether you want to live with students in provided housing, live on your own, or live with a host family.

What do I need to plan?

As soon as you decide you want to study abroad, you need to sit down with an advisor and figure out:

• Do you qualify?

  There are often minimum GPA requirements for study abroad programs and sometimes minimum language foreign language proficiency requirements. In addition, work with your advisor to see if you have the right amount of units to go abroad; there might be a unit ceiling at your university.

• When to apply

  Most students study abroad during their sophomore or junior year. In most cases, you will need to apply months in advance to study abroad. Figure out when the deadline to apply is and map out how you are going to complete your application. You might need to write an essay or include letters of reference, so leave yourself a substantial amount of time to get everything in on time.

• Graduating on time

  Most students want to graduate on time. The earlier you start planning, the better.

• How to pay for it

  There are tons of ways to lessen the cost of studying abroad. The research can be overwhelming, but if you start early, it can save you a lot. Aid is available from a variety of sources.

Paying for Study Abroad

You can get financial help from a number of sources:

1. Financial Aid → If you choose a program endorsed by your school and are qualified to get government aid, you can get financial aid for your study abroad experience. Go to the website and look around.
2. Government Loans → Check out federal loans: Stafford Loans, Perkins Loans, and Parent PLUS loans.
3. Scholarships → There are several scholarships that you may be eligible for: David L. Boren Undergraduate Scholarships for Study Abroad, a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. Plan ahead because you don’t want to miss the deadlines for these scholarships!
4. Grants → Research to see if you are eligible for a federal Pell Grant or The Federal Supplemental Education Opportunities Grant.
5. Private funding → Look for private scholarships like the Freeman Awards. Companies like Go! Overseas offer scholarships every year.
6. Program discounts → Many study abroad programs like API, CIEE, and Panrimo have discounts or scholarships available to students. When you choose a program, make sure that you check for these opportunities.

Studying abroad is an incredible opportunity that should not be passed up by college students. The bottom line for those considering studying abroad is this: start planning early!

Entrepreneurs are an ambitious bunch.

To be able to take chances and not let anyone get in the way of your dreams says a lot about a person’s character. These are the kind of people that don't let rejection interfere with the path to success.

What do you think of when you hear the word entrepreneur?

Self-starter, self-made → people who took things into their own hands and took control of their lives.

You need to take this proactive approach upon graduating from college. Not saying you need to start your own business here, but make things happen, take chances (like an entrepreneur would), embrace vulnerability, and think outside the box when it comes to landing that desired position/job.

Successful entrepreneurs are looked up to because they took big risks, overcame obstacles, and succeeded when it wasn’t supposed to happen. They showed the ability to adapt and change and had the strength within themselves to overcome market obstacles and turn it into success.

We look up to and draw inspiration from successful entrepreneurs and find their advice highly motivational. This list of motivational graduation speeches is full of successful entrepreneurs offering their advice.

One of the more well-known graduation speeches from that list is a very inspirational speech given by Steve Jobs at the 2005 Stanford commencement. He basically says the key to success and your career is to find your passion.

“You've got to find what you love.” - Steve Jobs

But that's not enough according to another successful entrepreneur, Reid Hoffman, founder of career networking site LinkedIn.

He suggests finding a match between your passions and the market realities.

After College and Beyond

According to Hoffman, you have to approach your career like an entrepreneur.
Meaning: Invest in yourself, build assets/skills, always be learning and evolving.

These are the ideas presented in his recent book, The Start-Up of You.

In order to conquer the job market, you need to “anticipate the change in the world, as well as the change in yourself.”

What does this mean?

• Adapt and build yourself for the future through improvement, continuous learning, and adding assets that give you a competitive advantage over others in the job market.
• Be able to evolve and be flexible with your career plans as market conditions change, and as you experience changes in yourself.

“You are not a finished product. If you don't keep evolving, you start dying.”

Take intelligent risks

Win or lose, taking small gambles improve you and your career. In taking risks, you have to be comfortable with not succeeding. Sometimes it's disappointing, sometimes it's embarrassing, and that’s OK, it becomes a learning experience. So go ahead, make yourself vulnerable and take a chance.

"Behind every flinch is a fear or an anxiety - sometimes rational, sometimes not. Without the fear, there is no flinch. But wiping out the fear isn't what's important - facing it is."
- Julien Smith, The Flinch

*It’s important to note that many successful entrepreneurs stepped out of their element and took risks to get where they are today. If something doesn’t work, keep trying.

Look at the story of Colonel Sanders.

Colonel Sanders didn't give up, even with his age. Here was a man in his mid-60s who spent two years driving across America in an old, beat-up car, sleeping in the back seat in his white suit, getting up each day armed with his secret spice mixture in search of business partners.

Knowing he had a great tasting chicken recipe, he withstood over 1,000 rejections before finally finding a restaurant that was willing to work with him.

He went on to sell the business (KFC) and make millions.

Per•se•ver•ance: continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition.

Say Yes to New Opportunities

Say yes to opportunities that can be a breakout for you. This can lead to changes in yourself that you will only learn through the discoveries of going down the unknown path. Take risks that can lead to new (career) opportunities, provide new experiences, expose you to new environments, and can differentiate yourself from the crowd.

"All growth is a leap in the dark, a spontaneous, unpremeditated act without benefit of experience."
- Henry Miller

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
- Mark Twain

Find your competitive advantage

You have to give yourself a competitive advantage over your peers. You have to invest in yourself by continuously adding new skills that sets you apart from the competition.

Examples

This can be:

• Taking a public speaking class.
• Learning how to type faster.
• Learning how to speed read.
• Creating a top-notch professional looking resume that really sells you.
• Getting added experience over your peers through internships.

Adapt to the Future

• What can you do to build soft assets?
• What skills or relationships can you improve that will be beneficial to your career?
• What are some things you can do to step out of your comfort zone and take intelligent risks that could lead to a breakout (experience) for you?

Be Bold

Try Something New and Innovative

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” - Steve Jobs

Do something no one else has ever done or tried before. Whether it works or not, it will be a learning experience.

Two great examples:

• The Job Shadowing Project: 60 Jobs in 60 Days

  In an effort to decide on a career path, Michael Warshafsky of Queen’s University, completed a project where he job shadowed 60 people in 60 days. The experience helped him find his passion: he really enjoyed job shadowing for both an optometrist and a dentist. “I could definitely see myself doing either of those careers and I probably wouldn't have known that without doing 60 jobs in 60 days.”

  The project was a learning experience. Not only did it give him a deep understanding of what many professionals do every day, he came out with some great business contacts. Talking and meeting with these professionals enhanced his interview skills and got him comfortable with the practice thanks to the project.

  Another valuable tip he learned: people will want to help you if you take the time to reach out in an honest way. Meaning if you know someone working in your intended career field, feel free to reach out, ask questions, and get advice.

• The Google Job Experiment

  In an innovative way to score job interviews, Alec Brownstein placed Google ads for the names of top creative directors at major marketing and advertising agencies in NYC. When these top creative directors Googled themselves, they received a personalized ad from Alec asking them for a job. He ran ad campaigns on five directors, received interviews with four of them, and received two job offers. After a mere $6 investment, he is now employed at one of the top agencies in New York.

  Brownstein's advice for others:
  “Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there in an interesting way.”

Show your Focus

Many students enjoy the social aspects of going to college, although many are too consumed with finding the next party, get together, or whatever it may be so long that it involves some type of alcoholic drink. While a little R&R is good every now and then, if one simply showed this kind of focus, attention, and detail to their future career, amazing things would happen.

Ask:

• When is the next career fair?
• Where can I go for more help in perfecting my resume?
• What can I do to get my foot in the door at ______ company?
• Who in my prospective career field can I go to for advice on my future prospects?
• What can I do to separate myself from the thousands of other peers who hold the same degree and are fighting for the same jobs I am?

Limit Distractions to Gain Clarity

You have access to a lot of information and resources on the web, so don't waste your precious time by checking email and facebook 100 times a day.

It is easier than you think to find a career in something you love - set your mind to it - take some time to think and self-reflect. It's amazing what the mind can accomplish when you’re actually able to listen to it - Get away from the distraction of TV, Internet and facebook and take time to think of something that could work for you. Try it! And if you fail, try again.

“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
- Paulo Coelho

“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” - Albert Einstein

Don’t lose touch with yourself

Embrace your uniqueness and who you are as a person. America is too consumed with the crowd factor; don’t be a follower, be the one that goes down the new path. Be different, be yourself, don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through - People who are different are talked about. Being who you are, rather than adapting to a fake persona or the crowd mentality is going to be what gets you ahead. Forget the status quo.

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
- Steve Jobs

Think and stay positive

It is important to stay positive during the job search process. At times it can be frustrating - Turn that frustration into deeper motivation that lights a fire under your ass. Stay focused and keep your eye on the prize. Don’t lash out with the fact that your future is unknown. Don’t forget who your true friends are. Don’t forget who loves you. Realize what you have, rather than what you don’t have. Keeping this positive mental attitude is what helps you advance forth during these times.

"A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes." - Gandhi

“The only place where your dream becomes impossible is in your own thinking.”
- Robert Schuller

In General/Conclusion:

• Hustle, try and keep trying (don’t give up regardless of how many times you fail), take risks, show no fear, and Say Yes.
• Do what you want to do and don’t let anyone get in the way of your dreams.
• Keep on improving - Always be learning.
• Embrace the unexpected (vulnerability/be vulnerable).
• Don’t be ashamed of being an unemployed/underemployed graduate…your time is coming (with a little hustle, hard work, luck, and saying yes to new opportunities).
• Embrace your individuality. Never lose touch with yourself. Stay true to your morals.
• Stay positive. Think positive. Keep in control. Be friendly. Be a good person.

Quotes for Inspiration

“Playing to win is one of the finest things you can do. It enables you to fulfill your potential. It enables you to improve the world and, conveniently, develop high expectations for everyone else too. And what if you lose? Just make sure you lose while trying something grand. The unexamined life may not be worth living, but the unlived life is not worth examining. Make sure your life is worth examining.”
- Guy Kawasaki

"Always go with the choice that scares you the most, because that's the one that is going to require the most from you."
- Caroline Myss

“We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible.”
- Vince Lombardi

“The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours – it is an amazing journey – and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins.”
- Bob Moawad

"It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed."
- Teddy Roosevelt

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.” - George Eliot

"Don't wait. The time will never be just right." - Napoleon Hill

"Before success comes in any man's life, he's sure to meet with much temporary defeat and, perhaps some failures. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and the most logical thing to do is to quit. That's exactly what the majority of men do."
- Napoleon Hill

“Whether you think you can or you can’t, you are right.” - Henry Ford

“Everything you want should be yours: the type of work you want; the relationships you need; the social, mental, and aesthetic stimulation that will make you happy and fulfilled; the money you require for the lifestyle that is appropriate to you; and any requirement that you may (or may not) have for achievement or service to others. If you don’t aim for it all, you’ll never get it all. To aim for it requires that you know what you want.”
- Richard Koch

Quotes from Steve Jobs’ 2005 commencement speech

Full transcript here

“You have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

“You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.”

“When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”

“Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” - Steve Jobs

Recommended Reading

• Think and Grow Rich
• The Education of Millionaires

Recommended Links

• 8 Steps to Getting What You Want Without Formal Credentials
• 5 Ways to Get Me to Hire You
• Graduation Resources

TED Talks

• The Power of Vulnerability
• Try Something New for 30 Days

After four years of college, you sit at graduation and realize just how fast the time went. During this time, a slight sense of anxiety sets in as you begin a new chapter of your life and you realize all the opportunities that were presented to you in college have come to an end. As your college life comes to a close, it is easy to think of the things you could have done, rather than what you did do.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
- Mark Twain

Here are 7 of the biggest regrets from those who went to college. This article isn’t meant for college grads to regret any lost opportunities they had in college, but rather to inform current and future college students of what former college students wish they had done differently.

The 7 Biggest Regrets of Former College Students

1) Wish they had gone to class more

Whether it is boredom, lack of a challenge, scheduling the class too early, or simply having no interest in the subject matter, the excuses for not going to class can pile up. If you realized just how much you are actually paying per class, you’d be more inclined to go and get your money’s worth.

While some classes for your major will be required, you are free to choose from a wide selection of classes to make your class schedule more stimulating. Take classes that sound interesting or select subjects that are totally new to you, maybe you will stumble upon something you had no idea you liked or you even know existed. Taking a variety of classes will open you up to new ideas, new people, new professors, and will help keep your mind fresh rather than overtaxing yourself on a single subject.

Read:
How to choose your classes
Recommended Classes

2) Wish they had met more people/made more long-lasting friendships

On a large campus it can be hard to feel any sense of community. Many students complain of universities being too big and having too many students. Going to college is about improving your education, but being on a college campus can also be a good opportunity to work on improving your social skills.

Go out of your way to talk to more people. Put yourself into more opportunities to meet people. Get out more, say yes to new opportunities, join, participate, and be active in a club. Joining a club is one of the better ways to meet new people because you immediately have a group of students who share the same interest as you.

Your four years in college will go by quick. This again is why you need to seize every opportunity presented to you and not rush through it.

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” - Ferris Bueller

Read:
How to Meet People in College
Benefits of joining a Fraternity or Sorority
Extracurricular Activities
How to Start a Club in College

3) Wish they had done study abroad

Once you join the working world, you realize that it becomes difficult to travel for anything more than a week or two at a time. This slight loss of freedom makes those wish they had taken advantage of the freedom they had in their college years by choosing to study abroad. With study abroad you get an opportunity to see another part of the world and advance your studies at the same time.

Read:
Newbies Guide to Studying Abroad
Reasons to Study Abroad
More on Studying Abroad

4) Wish they had gotten to know their professors better

Getting to know your professors is beneficial in both the short term and in the long run. It can lead to better grades, and if you get to know your professor on a personal level, they can even help when it comes to things like job offers and scholarship opportunities. One of the biggest mistakes students make in college is not taking advantage of office hours; these are times in which the professor specifically sets aside time to meet with students. Use it to your advantage.

Read:
How to make the most out of office hours

5) Wish they had selected a more employable major

Some students realize after it’s too late that the job prospects of their degree are dismal. (Insert Liberal Arts degree joke here.) It’s important to thoroughly research your intended major and look into the marketability of your intended degree upon the time you expect to graduate. This research may even involve things like doing an early internship or job shadowing to make sure it’s actually something you want to do.

Read:
How to choose a major
Job Shadowing
Changing Majors

6) Wish they had done an internship or worked harder to get a better one

Interning is one of the easiest ways to get your foot in the door at a desired company. College grads have come to the realization that many employers are looking for work experience on top of educational experience. Doing a strong internship is one of the better ways to separate yourself from other classmates who will be graduating and competing for the same jobs as you.

Read:
Benefits of doing an Internship
Top Internship programs
Browse Current Internship Listings

7) Took out too much in student loans

Many students don’t realize how much deep water they are actually in until it comes time for the first student loan payment being due. Stress levels go through the roof when you’re up to $100k in debt and have no job lined up.

Monthly Payment Example:
A student with $50k in Stafford loans on the current interest rate of 6.8% can expect to make payments of nearly $600/mo. on a standard 10-year repayment plan. Figure your monthly payments using a student loan payment calculator.

So it’s important that you apply for as many scholarships as possible and only borrow what you need. Shop around and use a student loan comparison tool when additional loan funds are needed.

Go into your local Barnes & Noble and browse the college section.

What do you see?

Books on college admission and paying for college. Study Aids and Test Prep. Books on careers and life after college...

But, nothing that serves as a guide to prepare incoming freshmen.

It’s as if everything a college freshman is supposed to know is thrown at them at “freshman orientation”.

Weren’t colleges against cram sessions?

Perhaps there’s a reason why only seven in 10 students who go to college come back for their sophomore years.

You Need to be Prepared

You can start here with our free course designed for those entering college:

Prepare for College in 30 Days: a free 4-5 week email course to get you ready for college.

Who this course is designed for:

• Incoming College Freshmen

This course may also be useful for:

• Parents of first-year college students.
• Those who have been out of school for a while and are going back.
• Those who have been in college for a semester or two but are stuck in a rut or are having trouble getting going.

What you’ll receive:

• Tips for Success
• Recommended tools for survival
• How to live on a college budget
• Tips on how to handle college life
• Advice from former college students
• Tips for a better college experience
• How to get off on the right foot

Enroll now and get a free complete ‘What to Bring to College’ checklist.

What are you waiting for?

>> Start Getting Prepared

College is all about mastering the art of multitasking; therefore it is important to have a powerful laptop that can handle the same work load.

This is a tool that will be very beneficial to your success in college and is what you'll be doing most of your work on. It is important to be prepared for college with a laptop that is up to date. You don't want an outdated computer to slow you down when it comes to college work.

In looking for a college laptop, what you want is something powerful, lightweight and portable with a long-lasting battery since you will be carrying it with you all over campus.

A newer laptop is such a necessity for college, we're giving one away to one lucky student.

We’ll take an inside look at the HP Laptop we're giving away later this week. Stay tuned!

The Contest

This contest is all about Back to School and Being Prepared.

We want to make sure you are ready to start the school year. So as a bonus for those who are signing up for our free Prepare for College in 30 Days email course, we’ll be giving you an additional entry into the giveaway.

What you can do:
This contest involves helping us get the word out about this useful new course. Our reach only goes so far...we need your help in making sure more students are prepared for college.

Enter to Win

There are a few ways to enter this contest:

A Secret Way of Entering:
If you’re taking our free Prepare for College course, watch those emails closely! We’ll be providing you with an additional way to enter the contest. Consider this our way of saying thanks; we appreciate your dedication to higher education and wanting to be prepared for college.

Contest begins August 15, 2012 and ends August 31, 2012 at 11:59pm EST.

• No purchase necessary.
• Void where prohibited by law.
• Contest is open to US residents only.
• All contest entries will be verified.

We’ve always said when it comes to choosing a laptop for college, what you want is something powerful, lightweight and portable with a long-lasting battery.

Using those guidelines, here we’ll put the HP Envy 4 up to the test and look at a few other things to see if it’s a good choice for a college laptop. Also, we’ll be giving one away to one lucky reader.

Design

Looks and style goes a long way on a college campus. We want a device that is lightweight and portable, but looks good too.

This sharp looking model sports a brushed aluminum finish in midnight black with a soft-touch red base. The brushed aluminum gives it a sleek modern look and its thin profile (0.78 inches) will easily fit into your backpack, leaving you plenty of room for your books.

Weighing less than 4 lbs., the device is easily portable, and the soft to the touch red velvety underside made carrying by hand easy and enjoyable.

The HP Envy 4 is thin enough to easily fit into your satchel.

As sharp as this laptop looks, we did have a few things we didn’t like. While the brushed aluminum looks great, it’s also a fingerprint magnet. No one likes to see fingerprints all over their shiny new device. We almost had to make a habit of washing our hands before each use with the laptop.

Fingerprints!

Also, the touchpad takes some time to get used too. Between the awkward glossy texture of the touchpad and no definitive line between right click and left click buttons, navigating using the laptop was a little slower than normal. If you are considering this model, consider picking up a wireless mouse as well.

Battery Life

We recommend your college laptop should provide at least 6 hours of battery life. HP claims up to 7 hours and 30 minutes on this model. We were able to get a full 5 hours playing YouTube videos at full screen, so getting a full 6 hours doing things like taking notes and surfing the web is certainly possible.

Power and Performance

The 1.70GHz 3rd generation Intel Core i5 processor and 4GB of memory provide plenty of power and performance for all your multitasking needs.

Display

The screen is bright thanks to a 14" HD BrightView LED-backlit display, and bigger than you would expect on such a portable notebook. The viewing angle of the display is impressive, but sometimes almost appears too glossy, as it easily shows reflections.

What if I want to use the laptop while studying outside?
Even though the screen is glossy, we were still able to use the laptop while working outside. There is a somewhat mirror-like effect, but the screen is bright enough to where we were easily able to see what we were working on.

Sound

Portable laptops aren't known for producing quality sound, but being equipped with a 2.1 Beats Audio system does help. While we weren’t blown away by the quality of the sound, Beats audio still provides a slightly better sound experience.

Keyboard

Having a comfortable keyboard can be particularly important to college students who will be taking notes and writing papers on the device. The island-style keyboard felt good to type on and did not have much flex, especially when compared to a Sony S Series notebook with a similar island-style keyboard. The backlit keyboard (can be toggled on and off) would be useful in dim or dark classrooms and study locations.

It’s Cool

When working in a quiet study environment you want as little excess noise as possible. The unit stays quiet and cool, even after watching videos in full screen. There is very little fan noise: we had to put our ear to it in a quiet study room.

The laptop is equipped with HP CoolSense technology, which automatically adjusts the notebook’s temperature based on usage and the conditions around you. Even if you do start hearing noise from the fan, you can put the laptop into quiet mode with HP CoolSense. With the device staying cool, it can comfortably rest on your lap for long periods of time without getting too hot.

Other Notes and Observations on Use:

• The HP Envy 4 seems to hold its charge well, making it useful for all day use in your classes. Not needing to bring a power cord with you means less weight in your bag.


• Fast start up and wake times. You can put the laptop on standby by simply closing the lid. It can be used immediately by opening it back up: the system resumes in less than a second.


• The power button feels weird to the touch. When pressing it we expected to hear a satisfying click, but instead it felt like we were pressing on a button that was jammed.


• The 500GB hard drive will be large enough for all your college work and media files.


• The HP TrueVision HD Webcam will be useful for Skype sessions to family and friends back home.

Final Thoughts

HP does a nice job of providing cost effective laptops with solid power and performance. With a splendid mix of portability, speed, and beauty the Envy 4 has a nice balance of everything we want in a college laptop. The Envy 4 proves to be a very cost effective and affordable Ultrabook that definitely puts it in consideration as a top choice college laptop for those who don’t want to spend $1000 or more.

Cost

The price of the laptop is $829.99 over at HP.com, however, at time of publishing it is available on Amazon for $749.99 with free shipping.

HP Envy 4 Specs:
CPU: 1.70GHz 3rd generation Intel Core i5
Memory: 4GB
Hard Drive: 500GB
Screen Size: 14-inch 1366 x 768 display
Dimensions: 13.38" x 9.28" x 0.78"
Weight: 3.86 lbs.
Battery Life: 7.5 hours

For more see additional details or read more reviews. Enter to win one here.

Disclaimer:
This post is a sponsored review in which we were provided with a HP Envy 4 laptop to test and review in exchange for an honest review of its use as a college laptop.

You need all the help you can get in college. While we've previously discussed using office hours as a way to better grades, here are a few useful tools you can use on your own that will help you become a better prepared and organized student.

1. Livescribe Smartpen - Take Notes like a Pro

Besides our laptop, the one tool we would have for our studies is a smartpen from Livescribe.

While some students choose to take notes on their laptop, the majority of students prefer to take their notes down by hand. Having notes on your laptop makes them easily searchable and revisable but taking notes by hand feels more natural and is easier to take down ideas, especially in classes like math and science. Using a smart pen from Livescribe gives you the best of both worlds.

The pen will digitally capture your handwritten notes and the audio of the lecture as you write.

The pen digitally stores your notes in a built-in storage drive as you write by hand. These notes can then be uploaded to your computer, making them easily searchable. The pen is also equipped with a built-in microphone, so you’re able to record the lecture if you’d like.

Great for Studying:
The pen will sync your notes with the recorded class lecture making it great for study sessions. When it comes time to review, just tap on your notes (written on their specially designed paper) with the smartpen and the device will play back the professor's explanation - word for word.

Use this link to receive a special 15% discount on Smartpens.

2. Evernote – Organize your Coursework

Evernote is a free note taking program that can be used across multiple platforms and on multiple devices.

Take notes on your computer using Evernote and your work will automatically sync to the web to an online storage space where all your notes can be saved and accessed with any web-enabled device. (Therefore, if your laptop ever crashes or gets stolen, you'll still have your notes stored safely online.)

If you prefer to take notes by hand, handwritten notes can be scanned into Evernote and the program will use image recognition technology to store and easily allow you to search for terms throughout your handwritten notes.

In Evernote, your notes can be organized into separate notebooks for each class and you can scan in handouts and any other papers for convenient storage and access within the Evernote program. Once they are scanned in they will be completely searchable and you’ll have all course-related materials stored in one location, assessable from any device.

Evernote is the perfect organization tool for students. Students can use it to take notes in class, organize homework and handouts, manage to-do lists, and is great for compiling research for a project with its clip feature that allows you to save any useful webpage.

3. StudyBlue – Ace your Exams

StudyBlue is a free tool to help you study and prepare for exams (and better yet, actually learn and remember the material). With StudyBlue you can create digital flashcards with images and audio and use them on their free mobile app, making it great for studying on the go.

When reviewing flashcards, the application will remember what you get right and wrong so you can focus on the material you haven’t learned yet. With this technology you can also create personalized practice quizzes to further prepare yourself for the upcoming exam. StudyBlue also allows you to import your notes from Evernote to easily create flashcards from notes you have stored in Evernote.

4. Mint.com – Master Student Finances

In college, managing your money is important as so many students go through without realizing how much debt they are actually incurring.

The key to surviving on a college budget is to stay on top of your expenses. Mint.com is a free tool that does all the work for you.

After you sign up for a free account and link up your financial accounts, Mint automatically tracks all your financial transactions by type, allowing you to set budgets for each type of expenditure, keeping you completely on top of your personal finances.

Mint is used by over 7 million financially savvy people to help with budgeting and keeping track of expenses, so if you're not using Mint, head on over and get yourself a free account now.

5. Seagate Backup Plus – Always have a Backup

You may have heard the horror stories of students losing their final term paper the night before it’s due. Well, it happens. Always have a backup!

A smart student will always keep a safe backup of all college work. Seagate Backup Plus provides quick and easy backups and enough storage for all your college work and media files, all on a device that looks good too. Choose from two easy backup options: automatic or scheduled.

The Seagate Backup Plus is also the first external hard drive to allow you to easily save your photos and other digital files from your social network accounts, like Facebook and Flickr. You can set the device to automatically save the photos from the online accounts.

Save your digital life with an external hard drive.

What tools are you using for better success in college? Email tips@campusgrotto.com

One thing is clear: college is a lot different than high school. Not only when it comes to academics, but your personal life as well. No longer do you have immediate access to parents who cook your meals, do your laundry, pick up after you and help you with the other things that go by unnoticed (until you find yourself out on your own).

Here’s a little guidance for those who are off to college for the first time on some basic life skills you will need to know, complete with instructional videos if you want to dive deeper into mastering the skill.

How to do Laundry

Other than the times you head home for the weekend or over a semester break, you will need to do your own laundry. If you don’t have much experience in doing your own laundry, you’ll want to get a rundown of how to do so; you don’t want to end up ruining your fresh gear.

This video sums up laundry 101. It’s pretty basic stuff, but there are still some out there who don’t have a grasp on how to properly wash clothing.

How to Fold Clothes

Now that your laundry is clean, you’ll need to know how to properly fold and store your clothing items. Don’t be the one who shows up to class in a wrinkled shirt. Use proper clothes folding techniques to keep your wears in shape.

Instructional Video

How to Iron

As mentioned above, you want to keep your clothes from being wrinkled. You want your clothes looking sharp, especially when it comes time to dress up. You will need to know how to iron.

Instructional Video

How to Tie a Tie

Between interviews and formals you’ll need to know how to tie a tie at some point. It’s best to learn beforehand as we all know how rushed we can become on an important date where formal wear is required.

Instructional Video

How to Parallel Park

Parking at college is a pain. If you feel you must have a car on or near campus, you’ll want to master the art of parallel parking as you’ll probably be squeezing into some tight spots.

Instructional Video

How to Initiate Conversation

As children we were always told don’t talk to strangers. While that advice may have been fine at the time, it’s some of the worst advice we can carry on to our later years. The point is you need to be comfortable talking to someone you don’t know or you’ll never meet anyone in college. So open up, smile, and be ready and willing to converse with fellow students on campus.

Instructional Video

How to have a Healthy Diet/Eat Properly

As mentioned above, you no longer have access to healthy home-cooked meals. Students are often in a hurry and often grab whatever comes cheap and easy. Unfortunately this means a lot of fast food and pizza. To ensure you don’t become a victim of the freshman 15 you’ll have to keep an eye on your diet and make sure you are eating healthy.

Instructional Video

How to be Organized

An organized student is a prepared student who is able to get things done faster and in good order. Use some of our recommended tools like Evernote and Mint.com to stay on top of what’s going on in your classes and with your finances.

How to Study

The academic rigor of college can be an eye opening experience for many students. The sad fact is that many students at this level simply do not know how to study (33% according to one study). They don’t have a grasp of proper and effective techniques when it comes to studying and preparing for exams.

For a good read on how to study check out these links or watch the following video series.

A new era is upon us, and while it’s not quite the end of the world, it sure feels like it when the sticker shock hits the pocketbooks of those sending their kids to college.

It’s not just the college-bound that are feeling the pinch, an increasing number of past borrowers are struggling to pay. The current default rate on federal student loans stands at 13.4% for the first three years that students are required to make payments, the highest level in 14 years.

Colleges have jacked up costs high enough for student debt to top $1 trillion.

Unless something changes, it’s only going to get worse. At this rate we’ll be seeing $130,000 a year colleges by 2030.

Between costs approaching $60,000 a year, an increase in student loan defaults and over $1 trillion in student loan debt, it's clear that the current model of raising tuition every year (at a rate higher than inflation) is unsustainable.

College costs began to increase at a rate faster than inflation in the early 1980s. This has been a continuing trend: 74 colleges now charge over $55,000 per year. (Just 19 did last year and only one the year before that.)

Most Expensive Colleges for 2012-2013

Our 6th annual ranking features the first $60K/year college: Sarah Lawrence College

This is the 6th annual Most Expensive Colleges ranking compiled by CampusGrotto.com. The significance of this year’s ranking is that it is the first year a college has passed the $60K/year mark in total cost.

Sarah Lawrence College is once again named America’s most expensive college, marking the 5th year in a row it has topped the ranking.

One school on the list, Mount Holyoke College, had their price remain the same as last year thanks in part to a tuition freeze. This is the first time since 1968 that the college has not increased the cost of attendance and was enough to drop the school 33 spots to #94 on the most expensive list. It will be interesting to see if we see more of these tuition freezes in the coming years.

The price tags shown for these institutions do not mean that these schools are financially out of reach.

Just because these schools have high tuition does not mean you will actually be paying that amount. Many schools will provide a financial aid package that meets 100% of a student's financial need (Cost of Attendance - Estimated Family Contribution). While going to college is still expensive, many of the colleges here offer excellent financial aid packages. Some colleges, like Brown University, even eliminate tuition altogether for lower income students. (It is the middle class who are seeing financial difficulties in paying for college.)

To get a better understanding of what you will actually be paying, be sure to use the net price calculator that each school provides on their website. These typically take about 10-15 minutes to complete, but can provide a more realistic ballpark figure of what you can expect to pay. (For a complete list of colleges and links to their net price calculators visit NetPriceCalculator.com.)

We start by taking a look at tuition and fees that are required of all undergraduates.

Highest Tuition and Fees for 2012-2013

Room and board is another cost that is often overlooked. Where the school is located plays a big factor in rooming costs. Here we add the typical cost of room and board charged at each college giving us the total billable cost of attendance. In addition, students should anticipate for textbooks, supplies, personal expenses and transportation costs (not included in these prices).

Most Expensive Colleges 2012-2013

Data compiled by CampusGrotto.com

Notes:
Total Cost = Tuition + Room and Board + Required Fees

The fees included in the total cost only include fees that are required for all undergraduates. These fees typically include items like the Student Activity Fee, a Facilities Fee, and a Technology fee. You won't see any fees by major, orientation fees for incoming students, or medical insurance fees included in these costs. Many other fees can be optional and can vary per student and per major. A Student Health Insurance Fee, for example, is obviously not going to be required for a student already on their parents’ insurance plan. Some colleges have their yearly budget for students listed slightly higher than what you see here. This is because some colleges also add in estimated costs of books, personal expenses, and transportation costs.

Tuition numbers were taken directly from each college's website during the last week in September of 2012.

This list only takes into account colleges that offer bachelor's (BA) degrees, so you will not see schools like Landmark College (costs over $55K) who only offer students an Associate of Arts (AA) degree. These prices are for traditional 4-year undergraduate colleges, so no Junior Colleges or Music Conservatories are included.

When it comes to advice for college students, some of our most popular content includes our 100+ tips for college survival, our 50 tips for saving money in college, and 10 things you need to start doing for college success.

While they are all full of solid tips, we’re not the only ones serving up advice to college students. We’ve scoured the web for some of the best college advice and have listed those resources here below. We’re not going to list all 600+ tips we found here, but we’ll provide links to some great reading and share some of the top tips that we think each resource provides.

Here’s a quick look at some of the top college advice articles we’ll be looking at in this resource roundup.

1. Steve Pavlina’s 10 Tips for College Students
2. 10 Tips about College Majors and Careers at Psychology Today
3. 50 Tips for Freshmen at Xatal.com
4. 10 Things to do for College Success at CampusGrotto.com
5. 88 Surfire Tips for Success at OEDB.org
6. 50 Tips for College Students at Psychology Today
7. 42 Things I Learned Freshman Year at CollegeInfoGeek.com
8. 27 College Tips I Learned Sophomore Year at CollegeInfoGeek.com
9. College Advice: 100+ Tips for Survival at CampusGrotto.com
10. 27 Money Tips for College Students at GetRichSlowly.org
11. 118 Ways to Save Money in College at CollegeScholarships.org
12. 40 Money Tips for College Students at Bargaineering.com
13. Saving Money: 50 Tips for College Students at CampusGrotto.com

1) Steve Pavlina’s 10 Tips for College Students

Steve Pavlina is a personal development expert and one of the most popular posts from his blog is his “10 Tips for College Students”. Here are three great points taken from his advice.

1. Answer the question, “Why am I going to college?”

   Many college students really don’t have a clear reason for being there other than the fact that they don’t know what else to do yet. They inherit goals from family and peers which aren’t truly their own. That was how I started college. Is this you as well?

   Your goals for college will likely be different than mine. What are they? Why are you there? If you don’t know — and I mean really know it in your gut — then you have no focal point for your experience. You may as well not even be there. What is it about your experience that resonates as true for you? What are you there to learn? What do you want to experience?

2. Set clear goals for each class

   Decide what you want out of each specific class. Is this a subject you’re eager to learn? Do you want to target this teacher for a letter of recommendation? Is this a required class you must take but which doesn’t otherwise interest you?

3. Take at least one extra class each semester

   Students are taught that 12-15 semester units (3-5 classes) is a “full” schedule. But a schedule that light is hardly full. A person with a full-time job will put in a good 40+ hours per week, and students enjoy every possible vacation day plus spring break, winter break, and summer vacation. If you want to spend four or more years in college, add more degrees or get a job on the side. Don’t feel you have to go at a snail’s pace just because everyone else does.

   If you’re an above average student, you can certainly handle an above average schedule. Sometimes we don’t know what we can handle until we push ourselves a little. If you think you can handle 15 units, take 18 or 21. You can easily shave a year off your schedule. Or you may be able to add a minor or a double major.

   I think the real benefit to a dense schedule isn’t that you’ll graduate sooner. The real benefit is that you’ll enjoy a richer experience. Taking five classes instead of four means more learning, more achievement, and more friends. And what employer wouldn’t be attracted to a student who graduated more quickly than his/her peers? This sort of thing sure looks great on a resume.

2) 10 Tips about College Majors and Careers at Psychology Today

Advice from Psychology Today says keep an open mind about your prospective college major:

"Try to ignore the pressure to declare your major before you're ready. It may feel like "everyone" has declared a major and knows what career they want to pursue, but that's really not the case. Surveys show that about 80% of first-year students don't know what they plan to major in-- and that over 50% of college students change their majors at least once before they graduate. Most schools allow you to pursue up to four semesters of study before you are required to declare a major, so if you need that much time, take it."

Read: How to choose a major

"Be prepared to be surprised. Most colleges have distribution or core curriculum requirements that require you to take classes in subjects you are currently unfamiliar with-- or maybe even dislike. Keep an open mind-- one question I ask my seniors who take my career classes is: "How many of you are majoring in the subject you planned to major in when you came to college?" Out of a class of 40 students I usually see only about 5 raised hands. I then ask them how they discovered their chosen major--- and for a majority of those students it was because they "had" to take a class in the subject and found it and/or the professor so interesting they decided to learn more."

Read: Advice on choosing classes

3) 50 Tips for Freshmen at Xatal.com

Xatal has 50 great tips for freshmen with some of the most solid advice relating to becoming more social in a new environment.

• "Keep an open mind to different lifestyles and viewpoints. People in college come from all different walks of life, don’t rule them out just because their hobbies and views are different than yours. Make friends of all different types."
• "Adopt a ‘Yes Man‘ attitude. Start accepting opportunities as they come to you instead of making excuses not to do something. You’ll be amazed at how much more interesting your life will become."
• "Make friends early on. The first couple of weeks of school are the easiest time to make friends. Take advantage of this to meet people and put yourself out there."
• "Leave your dorm room door open when you’re there. This is a great way to encourage people on your floor to stop in and chat for a bit. When everyone on a floor does this, a sense of community develops pretty quickly."

4) 10 Things to do for College Success at CampusGrotto.com

The next piece comes from a great guest post provided by Isa Adney of CommunityCollegeSuccess.com on 10 things you need to start doing for guaranteed success in college. Here are a couple to get you going:

1. Write down your goals

   Writing down your goals changes everything. It feels like magic. That magical feeling comes from the incredible results of being focused. The most common thread in all successful college students I’ve ever met is the ability to focus.

   When you write down your goals and read them every day, your mind is suddenly focused on what you need to do that day and what opportunities to seize in order to make those goals a reality. Write down your goals today and put them all over your room. Trust me.

2. Visit the career center often

   It’s vital to figure out what major and career interests you the most as soon as possible. Having direction will give new life to your college experience. The best way to find this out is through your college’s career center. Take all the career tests they have. Read at least three books about career discovery. Do a resume review. The career center is one of the most underutilized resources in college and yet it is one of the most valuable.

3. Get a fascinating internship

   Internships can open doors and help you learn about the professional world more than anything else. Whether it is paid or unpaid, in a large company you’d die to work for or a small start-up, find one that fascinates you. Get an internship doing something or being very close to something you really, really want to do with your life. This is where internships have the most benefit, because you’ll have the opportunity to see if it’s something you actually want to do. It will either show you the career is not what you expected it to be, or it will give you a great experience and contacts in the career you want to go into.

   >> Browse Available Internships

5) 88 Surfire Tips for Success at OEDB.org

Here are three great recommendations from their “88 Surfire Tips for Succeeding in College”:

1. "Take advantage of every moment you have in the next few years. At most colleges you have a plethora of resources there to help you grow into a successful person, if you simply know where to look and are willing to take advantage of them."
2. "Prepare for each class as though there would be a pop quiz. The benefit of this is two-fold: firstly, you'll be more able to participate in class; secondly, you'll be prepared if there actually is a pop quiz."
3. "Get to know your professors. It is pretty easy to coast through college without ever getting to know your professors. It will take a bit of effort to get many of them to even learn your name. But doing so could really pay off when you need a letter of recommendation or if you plan on doing an independent study."

6) 50 Tips for College Students at Psychology Today

• "Get involved on campus. All work and no *productive* socializing is boring."
• "There are a lot of free activities on campus. Take advantage of them."
• "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."
• "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."

7) 42 Things I Learned Freshman Year at CollegeInfoGeek.com

A great up-and-comer to the college advice scene, Thomas Frank shares 42 things he learned his freshman year of college. Here are five quick ones:

• "Get to know your professors. College is just as much about networking as it is about sitting in class. Plus, most of them are bored out of their skulls during office hours."
• "Live in the campus residence halls your first year if you can. Residence halls are much, much more social than apartments, and you’ll be involved in a lot more cool things."
• "When you study, don’t do it in your room. Also, try to use an active study method such as making flashcards or writing your own quizzes. It’s a lot less boring and a lot more effective than just looking over your professor’s slides."
• "Get out and explore your campus. If you have to ask your friends where the main financial office is, you’ve failed. Same goes for exploring the city your campus is in."
• "Be confident, get out of your comfort zone, and try new things. College is the greatest opportunity you’ll ever have for personal development."

8) 27 College Tips I Learned Sophomore Year at CollegeInfoGeek.com

Thomas Frank did a follow up to his freshman post: 27 Tips he learned during his sophomore year. Here are some of the highlights:

• Don’t take on commitments just because you think they’ll look good on a resume.
• Try to focus on a few things rather than juggling a ton.

  "Students – especially the success-minded ones – tend take on commitments by the boatload. They think that the more things they fill their resumes with, the better. The problem with this strategy is that, if you try to do everything, you’ll be good at nothing. Hardly anyone remembers the people in history who were the Jacks-of-all-trades (with a few exceptions); no, the ones we remember are the ones who found one passion stuck to it."

• RainyMood + classy music = perfect study sounds.

  "Great study music can make late-night cramming sessions a lot more bearable, but things really get interesting when you combine it with white noise. By far my favorite type of white noise is the sound of rain – and I’m definitely not the only one. RainyMood, a site whose only purpose is to play the sound of rain, has been Liked, Tweeted, or otherwise shared over 456,000 times. This insanely popular site is the perfect companion for low-key music."

9) College Advice: 100+ Tips for Survival at CampusGrotto.com

Some of the key points taken from our 100+ tips for college include:

• Take advantage of office hours. They are there for a reason. It's your chance to get one-on-one help from a highly qualified teacher. If you are struggling in class, there is no reason why you shouldn't be going to your teacher's office hours.
• Make a real effort to get to know more people. This is a new beginning for everybody and a great place to make new friends. Be outgoing and ready and willing to meet new people. These people are in the same boat as you.
• Before selecting your major, consider taking a few related classes or even doing an early internship to make sure it's actually something you want to do.
• Take a wide variety of classes your first two years, that's your experimental phase. Take the courses that interest you and some that don't. Give your mind and soul opportunities to be bent in directions you would not ordinarily choose. You may just find something you love that you didn't even know existed or that you thought you hated.

Money Tips

10) 27 Money Tips for College Students at GetRichSlowly.org

This site offers immediate financial advice for those about to go off to college:

"Now that you’re on your own, you might be tempted to spend money on all the things your parents wouldn’t let you have before. Go slow. If you play it smart, you can avoid the sort of money troubles that plague many young adults."

To follow up on this money advice, they also include:

• "When you want to buy something, ask yourself “Do I need it?” If you think you do, then wait. Don’t buy on impulse. Write the object of your desire on a piece of paper and pin it to the wall. Look at it every day for a week. If, at the end of the week, you still think you need it, then consider purchasing it."
• "Live without a car. Cars are expensive: gas, maintenance, insurance, registration, parking. Stick close to campus. Learn to use mass transit. Find a friend who has a car."
• "Take advantage of campus activities. There’s always something to do. Attend free movie festivals. Pay a few bucks to see the local symphony every month. Support the sports teams. Attend lecture series. Get the most from your student ID!"

11) 118 Ways to Save Money in College at CollegeScholarships.org

• "If you are buying new [textbooks], check for an “international” edition. The book will be almost exactly the same, except for maybe some Chinese characters on the front, AND it will be exponentially cheaper."
• "If you live on campus and pay for a partial or whole meal plan, then use it. Some programs don’t restrict you from taking food to go or eating as many meals as you wish."
• "If you’re buying a computer, save by shopping the student specials; discounts, rebates and back to school specials. Some regions/states even have a tax-free shopping week. Apple Computer offers student discounts to students and teachers, and consistently advertises important education incentives and rebates."
• "A student travel discount card will get you nice discounts on accommodations, food, and transportation if you are traveling nationally or internationally."

  For discounts book with STA Travel and carry a International Student Identity Card (ISIC).

12) 40 Money Tips for College Students at Bargaineering.com

"Have fun while you’re in college. You will never again have the same mixture of freedom (no parents!) and direction (go to class!) in your life, so take advantage of it. Take advantage of all the free seminars and conferences your school will no doubt offer, go to the free movie nights and participate in intramural sports. Most of all, leave your comfort zone and try things you don’t think you’ll like because you never know what can happen. Best of all, most things on campus will be free (technically it’s included with your tuition) so take advantage! Once you graduate, everything will cost money."

And on selling textbooks…

"List your textbooks online about a week before finals. That way by the time it sells, you will have no need for them. If the book is being reused the next semester, list it on your school’s for sale boards. You will earn far more selling it locally than on a website, which takes a commission."

This is good advice because it is the best time to sell.

13) Saving Money: 50 Tips for College Students at CampusGrotto.com

• Keep an eye out for free activities on campus. Most college campuses have free entertainment almost every night. For example: some colleges have a weekly movie night that is free to all students.
• Take a look at your college bill. Certain fees are optional. If you won't be using your college's fitness center, remove the fee.
• Take advantage of student services. There are plenty of free programs that assist you while going to school. From health care to transportation, there are many different ways to save money.

Know of any other advice links that have helped you in your college quest? Send them to tips@campusgrotto.com

Finals week is a test of endurance on your brain and body. For some, it will be hell. So to make sure you don’t end up like this during finals week, we offer some tips to get you ready and prepared for a week full of exams.

You need to be mentally ready to take on finals week: A sharp brain starts with proper sleep and a healthy diet.

Step 1: Get Proper Sleep

The amount of sleep you get has a major impact on your academic performance.

No all-nighters here: Your best bet is to get a full night’s sleep when studying before exams.

Researchers at UC Berkeley found that when we sleep we boost our ability to learn. Much of this brain boosting sleep happens in the second half of the night, so if you sleep six hours or less, you are shortchanging yourself and might not be able to learn as much.

Research has shown that brain waves during the latter part of the sleep period promote our capacity to store fact-based memories. “This discovery indicates that we not only need sleep after learning to consolidate what we’ve memorized, but that we also need it before learning, so that we can recharge and soak up new information the next day,” says Bryce Mander, a post-doctoral fellow in psychology at UC Berkeley who led the study.

Sleep not only refreshes the mind, but can make you smarter. The more hours we spend awake, the more sluggish our minds become. Therefore, pulling an all-nighter, a common practice during finals week, decreases the ability to learn new facts by nearly 40 percent, due to a shutdown of brain regions during sleep deprivation.

Image: The All-Nighter. Is this you right now?

Take a nap after long study sessions

When it comes to napping, power naps actually work. Naps under one hour long can dramatically boost and restore brain power. Anything longer can make you feel sluggish when you wake back up. Even a 20 minute nap will greatly benefit anyone who feels they need a recharge as it will improve overall alertness, boost mood and increase productivity. Therefore, after a long study session, it may be beneficial for you to take a quick nap so your brain has time to “file away” all the information you just took in and give it time for a quick recharge.

Read more on how much sleep college students should be getting.

Getting Alert

After a good night of sleep it can be a good idea to start your day off with a nice cup of coffee. Indulging in a caffeinated beverage of your choice will make you more alert. You don’t want to overdo the caffeine and become jittery, but a nice cup or two should help get the brain spinning.

Have a Study Plan

Take the time to plan out a study schedule for finals week. Decide how much time you will set aside, what tasks you will complete in this time and the order in which you will complete the tasks. When creating your study plan think about the times when you are most productive. If you find it easiest to study in the morning but hard to concentrate at night, schedule as much of your study for the mornings as possible. Be realistic when developing your game plan, otherwise it will be useless. Once you have a plan, stick to it and disregard all the distractions that come with college life.

Block out All Distractions

When it comes time to study you need to be 100% focused. This means blocking out all physical and mental distractions, including facebook and your cell phone. Always study in an environment that you are comfortable in that allows you to do your best work. You probably already know what sort of environment you are most productive in so try to recreate that environment when you choose to study.

Bonus Tip: Try switching around your study environments rather than using a single location to study. Studies show the environment you choose helps you remember things better. Simply alternating the room where a person studies improves retention as the brain makes subtle associations between what it is studying and the background sensations it has at the time. Studying in a more natural setting with a view can be even more effective.

Make Effective Use of your Study Time

It is important to make the most of the study time you have to maximize the results from the effort you put in. Know where you currently stand grade wise in your classes so you know how well you will have to do on the final to get the grade you desire. This will also help when it comes to prioritizing what class you need to study for the most.

Take Regular Breaks

As finals week looms, you might start getting the feeling that you need to work for hours on end, but in doing so you are actually doing yourself a disservice. Retention of information is best when your mind is fresh, so take short breaks regularly and remove yourself from studying so you can come back refreshed and ready to absorb more information. Maybe even consider exercising as a break. Exercise is said to sharpen the mind.

Don’t Stress:Overcome Test Anxiety

Preparing for Test Day

Make a checklist of things you need to bring to the exam and consult with it on exam day to make sure everything you need is on hand.

Use Office Hours

Take advantage of office hours and discussion sections before big tests. Students who properly utilize office hours often do better on exams and papers. The week before exams and finals are times in which your professor will be in high demand, so they may schedule additional office hours during that time.

Many office hours go unused by students, which is unfortunate because professors are such a great resource of information (they know what will be on the test). It is essential to visit during these times because professors are typically in the process of determining what will be on the exam and can give away clues about what will be on it.

It is important to ask lots of questions and make sure you are clear on what the exam will cover so you know you are focusing your energy wisely. If you can cut out material you don't need to focus on for the upcoming exam, you'll save yourself hours of study time. Knowing what to study (and what not to) before a test can be very beneficial.

Review Previous Tests

Go over previous tests that have been given throughout the semester. Spend most of your time learning what you got wrong. You should also take the time to get to know the format of the final so there are no misunderstandings later. Be sure to ask your professor for an old final exam for review purposes.

Study Time: Make flashcards for review

Flashcards are an excellent way to learn material and learn it quickly. It works in two parts because you are learning while you write the information down on the flashcards and then when you test yourself later, the information is reinforced. Run through these cards as much as possible to help the information stick in your mind.

Create flashcards for review using StudyBlue, an excellent tool to help with acing your finals.

StudyBlue is a free tool to help you study and prepare for exams (and better yet, actually learn and remember the material). With StudyBlue you can create digital flashcards with images and audio and use them on their free mobile app, making it great for studying on the go.

When reviewing flashcards, the application will remember what you get right and wrong so you can focus on the material you haven’t learned yet. With this technology you can also create personalized practice quizzes to further prepare yourself for the upcoming exam.

Using these tips can help you get better prepared and organized for a long, grueling week of exams. After finals week, a nice semester break comes well deserved. Take some time to unwind and enjoy some fun in moderation. Maybe even pull a dorm room prank or two.

Since we’re all in the midst of forming New Year’s resolutions, we thought we’d let you in on a little secret and take action on one thing we all could do a little better at: Being a better Student.

Given it’s the New Year, perhaps it’s time to step up and show better dedication to your time in college.

Want to become a better student with a newfound, take charge attitude?

This is your chance, listen up.

We are releasing something big this fall. (Follow closely and you’ll find out how you can get early inside access as well as a massive discount on the price.)

We are designing a new guide. Actually, it’s more of a challenge/workbook.

Become a Better Student in 30 Days

This 30 day challenge is divided into 30 easy-to-follow tasks where each day in the guide gives you a specific task or challenge to complete for that day.

By the end of the 30 steps you will:

• Be a better, more organized student
• Be more involved on campus
• Have more friends and connections
• Have greater self confidence
• Feel more a part of your school

Don’t want to wait until this fall when the full guide is released?

We will be doing a special limited time pre-launch offer next week where we’ll be letting the first 50 people try it at a massively discounted price.

Come back next week and we’ll announce how you can get special limited access and a discount only available to you. Remember, this is only available to the first 50 people, so follow the blog closely and watch for the announcement.

Last week we announced a project we’re developing that gives you an opportunity to take a huge step forward in bettering yourself as a student and essentially guides you to get the most out of your college experience.

The Challenge:

Become a Better Student in 30 Days

While the finished product will be a full-on downloadable workbook available this fall, we’re giving special access now to the first 50 people who want to accept the challenge and give it a preliminary test drive.

You’ll be getting early inside access to the eCourse version of the challenge:
Challengers will receive a daily email in their inbox everyday at 6am for 30 consecutive days with a task or challenge to complete or get started on for that day and an explanation of the benefits of doing the task.

Some of the tasks given will be uncomfortable because you’ll have to step outside of your comfort zone and push yourself to do better. Being a successful student is possible; sometimes you just need a little kick in the ass and new experiences to get things going. This is what this 30 Day challenge provides.

Interested in becoming a better student now? This is your chance (and we’re giving those first to try it out a massive discount - over 66%).

By being one of the first to run through the course, you’ll be able to provide feedback on what worked, which tasks were strong or weak, and other ways to fine-tune and further improve upon this project.

By the end of the 30 steps you will:

• Be a better, more organized student
• Be more involved on campus
• Have more friends and connections
• Have greater self confidence
• Feel more a part of your school

Complete the tasks in this challenge and you will be a better student, full of confidence and determination, with a newfound, take-charge attitude.

Show your determination now by starting today.

$29.98 ->$9.97 buy it now

60 day money back guarantee. If you complete the tasks in this challenge and you don’t think you have become a better student because of it, we offer a 100% money back guarantee.

I'm up for it!

I’m interested in starting immediately. Send me the 30 day eCourse.

I'll wait

I’m interested, but I’ll wait until this fall. Put me on the list to be notified and I’ll receive a special list-only discount when the course debuts.