Now, more than ever, we need a different way of thinking, a useful way to focus and the energy to turn the game around.

Now, from Seth Godin. Click here to view [in a larger format]: What Matters Now

If you want to learn more about college life, check out my eBook.

This is the perfect solution to transform any bed into a sofa!  Just inflate and you are ready to go.

For more College Life and dorm tips, check out my book!

While no one wants to hear criticism, it can be given and taken in a dignified manner, which promotes growth.  It’s all in the delivery.

When delivering criticism:
•    Keep your points focused on the topic and not personal.
•    Sandwich the criticism by communicating two positive points, then the criticism, followed by another positive point.

For example: “You were thoughtful in your discussion, especially pulling in the ideas concerning the environment.  I wonder if you might consider adding the economic point of view, which may strengthen your argument and bring it full circle.”
•    Try as best you can to remain calm when in this discussion.  Concentrate on keeping your voice even and at a normal level.
•    Select a good time to deliver this news.  Don’t give this type of feedback, when the person who will be receiving this, is stressed. They won’t hear what you are saying.

When receiving criticism:
•    Focus on the issue or topic.  It isn’t personal.  If the person, delivering the criticism is angry, stays strong, cut through the angry noise and listen to the message.
•    Do not argue with the criticism.  Accept it for the information submitted. Think about it afterwards.
•    If you feel the criticism was untrue, schedule a follow-up meeting.  Oftentimes the shock of the message can cause an emotional response and you can’t actually ‘hear’ the criticism.  The reaction you have to the message sometimes makes it more difficult to filter out the information.  It is usually better to allow yourself some time to digest the information, prior to reacting to it.
•    Be sure to tell the critic that you appreciate their interest.  This gesture invites a relationship of mutual trust and sharing. You might have gotten off track and a little criticism can get you back on the right track.

For more College Life Tips: check out my ebook!

One of the most important things you can do to get the most from your classes is to read the syllabus.

Get the most from your books

On your syllabus, you should see the books your professor wants you to read for each course.  Start with the textbooks and then scan the secondary books.  When are these books showing up on the syllabus?  If you’ll be reading these further into the semester, you might be able to buy the book, use it, then sell it to a classmate or friend. Or you may be able to buy those books with those friends and share them. Check it out and then talk to your classmates and friends.

Set up a blog to communicate back home

You can quickly set up a blog to share your college life with family and friends back home.  WordPress or Blogger have easy ways to create a blog in minutes.  Once you have your blog, some images [remember to edit those images, cropping goes a very long way towards improving images], and some words email your blogs URL to everyone back home.  It really is a fast way to communicate with many.  Do remember to update your blog often.

More College Advice:

Buy my eBook: College Life Tips: for Living the College Life.

College semesters are fast and furious and the time will seem like it is flying by. Having a visual calendar and using it, daily, will help you in focusing your time so you can balance study with social activities.  Here are some steps to help you schedule your time and tips to keep you on your schedule.

Before You Begin Your College Schedule:

• Allow about one hour of focused, uninterrupted time to do this scheduling. Investing in this time early in the semester, will save you time over the semester.
• Gather all your syllabi and highlight ALL due dates for ALL projects, exams, and papers. [Tip: if you encounter any questions ask your professor to clarify as soon as possible. Be proactive whenever you have questions.]
• Get whatever calendar you use out and in front of you. Paper calendar, PDA, or the calendar on your computer, just choose the method you will be using.
• Remember color will give a visual boost when you apply your due dates. You might want to give each of your classes a separate color code.

How-to Create Your College Schedule:

• Class-by-class, enter each and every due date on your calendar. Be sure you get every quiz, exam, paper, project, and final no matter how small the assignment, get it onto your calendar. [Tip: use a pencil first, if you are entering your dates on a paper calendar. This will allow you to more easily change your dates].
• From each due date, work backwards how ever much time you determine it will take you to complete each project, review for each quiz or study for each exam. Then enter those dates onto your calendar.
• Go back and ALWAYS add in a minimum of 10-20% more time than you think it will take to get your work done and re-schedule your time. Adding this extra time will help when ‘life’ gets in the way and it always does.

Form Habits to Work Your College Schedule:

• Every morning, consult your calendar: Knowing where you are, what needs to be done, and what is coming next will help keep you on schedule AND help ease stress, because you know what is happening.
• Re-Work Your Schedule: Be ready for something new to pop up. Professors add projects, you get behind or whatever happens, be prepared to makes adjustments.
• Consider following a daily study plan: Schedule some days to study for certain class and other days to work on long-term projects. You need to be consulting your schedule, so you can tweak your system to work for you.

Other Tips:

• Consider forming an ‘accountability pack’ with a friend, classmate, study group member or roommate. Statistics show when we have someone holding us accountable, we are more likely to rise to occasion.
• Don’t be tempted to party the weekend before a big paper is due. Stick to your schedule.
• If you somehow have gotten off-schedule, because you got sick, opted not to study, whatever, do not worry and get back on schedule! That 10-20% extra time you budgeted into your schedule should help you get back on track.

Scheduling your time and sticking to your college schedule will help you have a great college experience. Click here for more College Life Tips.

Seth Godin brings up this point in his blog post education at the crossroads. He writes:

School was the big thing for a long time. School is tests and credits and notetaking and meeting standards. Learning, on the other hand, is ‘getting it’. It’s the conceptual breakthrough that permits the student to understand it then move on to something else. Learning doesn’t care about workbooks or long checklists.

Now, you [or your parents along with you] have worked really hard to get you to college.  What you need to understand is once you are there, you now have to do the work to ‘get the learning’.

You are the one who will have to:

• crack open the book,
• explore the material until you experience your own ‘A-ha moments’ in ‘getting it’,
• then you will need to figure out a way to apply your newly learned knowledge to your own every-day-life,
• and then you will do it again and again….everyday.  Oh, and BTW you’ll be doing this with all your classes.

Learning is the everything about your college education.

For more College Life Tips, check out my eBook.

Social Experiences:

• Smile: Statistics prove people who smile attract attention and are more popular. And who doesn’t need a little popularity in their lives?
• Join a Study Group: This is a no brainer, you will meet new people and get some studying done!
• Rush a Fraternity/Sorority: If this is your cup of tea, go for it.
• Got Roommate? Get Alternative Study Space: See if you can work out a schedule, so each of you have the whole room to yourselves 1 to 2 nights each week. Post the schedule and find your alternative study space [See Find an Alternative Study Space below]. Plus, you get your dorm room to yourself some nights as well.
• Join Groups: Free food is just the beginning. You will find all sorts of interesting groups exploring different topics. Shop around!

Academic Experiences:

• All Semesters Count: Do not be lead to think you can blow-off your first semester or any semester, for that matter. Your grade point average GPA is calculated on ALL your courses taken within your entire college career. Oh, and prospective employers do ask for college transcripts.
• Schedule Your Time and Stick to Your Schedule: You are responsible for your study, work and deadlines. Once you have all your syllabi, chart your due dates on whatever calendar you will use: paper, PDA, your computer, which ever way you will remember. Then, check your calendar daily and plan accordingly. Don’t be tempted to party the weekend before a big paper is due. Stick to your schedule.
• Find an Alternative Study Space:It might be the library, an alcove in your dorm, the union, the local coffee shop, or maybe all of these! Where ever your auxiliary study spaces are, use them when ever you need to get away from your dorm room or just want a change of pace. [Tip: Your alternative study space should have an electrical outlet and you should travel with an power strip complete with surge protector].

Stealing these tips will help you have a great college experience. Check out my eBook for more college life tips. And visit often.

This wonderful vintage globe will make a great conversation starter in your college dorm.  Ask friends to find where they are from or where they want to travel.

More dorm accessory ideas, dorm essentials, and other essential college life tips can be found in my eBook:

College Life Tips: for Living the College Life

Sure you can get a desk light from one of the Big-Box Stores, however it won’t be this cool!  This high intensity desk light will be a great help come study time and looks cool sitting on your desk.  Be sure you have good light for your dorm room.  It’s a dorm essential and can be a great dorm accessory.

For more dorm tips, check out my eBook:

College Life Tips: for Living the College Life

Just FYI, your Department’s secretary is a fountain of knowledge.

Ask them about:

• course requirements
• textbook titles
• software necessities
• professor’s office hours
• classroom allocations
• copies of the syllabus
• important paperwork
• heck, they might even be able to help you with your long division.

[Note: A thank you also helps!]

I think you get the idea.

Departmental secretaries have a wealth of information, at their fingertips.  Be sure to tap into their knowledge.

More useful college tips in my eBook:

College Life Tips: for Living the College Life.