Top Ten Mistakes College Students Make - #9

#9.) Mishandling credit

This is part 2 of the 10 part series, Top Ten Mistakes College Students Make. Today's topic is the mishandling of credit.

Ah, the lure of credit. Credit can seem like a great thing when you don't have any money. Don't fall for the trap. Using credit to pay for items such as the late night pizza run or buying gifts for friends is not a smart use of credit. Remember, any money you borrow will have to be paid back with interest. Too many times students have let credit cards and loans get them in financial trouble, some having to leave school because they were so much in debt. Be smart about the use of credit. Graduate with as little debt as possible because these credit/loan companies will come looking for you after graduation, some even before you receive that diploma. Take debt seriously. Debt used correctly can help but too much debt can be disastrous to your future.

What are your thoughts on this? What do you think is the biggest obstacle facing college students? Please share your thoughts here.

Top Ten Mistakes College Students Make - #10

Each year millions of students go off to college to begin their collegiate journey. And each year millions of students end or derail that journey for various reasons. Many of the reasons students leave college can be avoided if students address certain issues before they become major problems. So today I will begin the blog series, The Top Ten Mistakes College Students Make. I will start the series in reverse order with number 1 being the top mistake students make. So today I will begin with Mistake #10.

Mistake #10 - Not Handling Roommate Issues
Does your roommate come in at all hours of the night disturbing you and not allowing you to get a good night sleep? Or are you and your roommate constantly fighting over various issues that makes your living arrangement unbearable? If this is the case, get help now. You may have to bring in an outside party such as the residence life dean at your school. If the situation continues to be a problem don't be afraid to ask for a different dorm room assignment. Not dealing with roommate issues can become an emotional burden that can create stress in your life which in turn can affect your classroom performance. Deal with roommate issues now!

Are You Olympic?

Are you Olympic? What do I mean by that statement? We have all seen the great footage coming out of Vancouver of the Winter Olympics. The athletes have given their all for their sport. They have sacrificed many things, for years, to get to this moment, their moment. They rise early in the morning for training and that's just for starters. In the evenings there's more practice. While they may be tired, they don't give up.

So what do I mean "are you Olympic"? What I mean is do you work hard at your goals? Do you sacrifice things you want now to reach your goal? College can be hard for many people. If you are thinking about quitting, I urge you to hang in there and keep fighting. Don't quit. Don't give up. Take your study time seriously. Get up early if you have, stay up late to understand that Accounting class. Just keep trying and you will receive your own personal gold. Work hard because you can do it!

Be Olympic!

iPad Textbooks: Will Cool Tech Win on Campus? - DailyFinance

For years I have been saying that textbooks should be digital. Now with the Kindle and Apple's iPad, the dream may become a reality. What are your thoughts on eTextbooks? Do you think it will happen, do you want it to happen? Would you rather read a printed book or an ebook? The article I am linking to details deals being made between publishers and suppliers to make better ebooks. Read the article and come back here to post your comments.
iPad Textbooks: Will Cool Tech Win on Campus? - DailyFinance

Featured College Scholarship

Here's a scholarship for all of you who are graduating high school and are moving on to college. SunTrust Education loans is giving away a $1000 to help pay for tuition. Sign up now: http://www.suntrusteducation.com/sweeps/default.asp

The Power of College Students

Recent events in California regarding student protests against rising tuition costs demonstrates one of the points I make in my book, The Secret to College Success. Students have power. Students need to realize they have the power to change to world and in fact college students in the past have changed the actions of people. For example, college students at North Carolina A&T State University staged a sit-in at a local department store in the 60's to demand equal treatment for people of color. College students today also have this power. Use the power you have wisely and peacefully. Change the world right where you are.

Parents Can Now Track Students at College

This is a funny video on how parents can track their students while at college using social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Funny but keep this in mind, this can really can be done.



Facebook, Twitter Revolutionizing How Parents Stalk Their College-Aged Kids

Internship of a Lifetime?

Ok, this has to be the internship of a lifetime. Interning at Disney! I am sure it is hard work but what a great place it would be to work for a while. It's also a great resume booster. Check out the link below to get started.

In my book, The Secret to College Success, I recommend to students to work on an internship before graduating. Getting a job is competitive and you want to stand out. One way to stand out is to say to employers that you have interned at a company while in school. Disney would be a great company to intern with. I know college just started but you want to plan now for your internship. Remember the saying, the early bird catches the worm? Get started now! And let me know if you get the internship of a lifetime. Here's the link: http://disney.go.com/disneycareers/disneycollegeprogram/epresentation/index.html

iPhone app Helps Students Save Money on Books

Under the tag line of "Protecting the Universe from High Textbook Prices," the company BIGWORDS.com has created an iPhone app to help students search for cheap prices on textbooks. The article on the FoxNews.com website states that the app already has a few thousands users and has won The New York Times' App of the Week on Aug. 18. Get more details here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,542965,00.html.

Use Social Media to Find your College

Colleges are getting into this Web 2.0 thing. And they should. Many students are now using social media to research colleges to see where they may want to spend the next four years of their lives. Research is good. The blog Mashable has a post about 10 ways you can use social media to find your next college. Click the link for details http://bit.ly/yVtwq.

You can also see some of the sites listed here that you may find in the comments section of the aboved referenced link. Good luck.

ecampustours.com
campusbuddy.com
morethangrades.com
zinch.com

Get the College Success Book at a Discount - But Hurry!

Barnes and Noble is offering a 10% discount on books so you can purchase The Secret to College Success at a discount. Here's the link to the coupon code--http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/affiliate-coupon/379000463?lkid=J28009224&pubid=K84208.

Here's the link to the book at BN.com http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Secret-To-College-Success/Bruce-Gibbs/e/9780615192567/?itm=1

Purchase several copies of the book to give to new high school graduates. They will love you for it!

College Recruiters are Twittering Too.

College recruiters are now using Twitter & Facebook to review applicants. As with anything online, you have to be careful with your words and pictures. You don't want to miss out on a scholarship because you posted something that the recruiter may find offensive. Be careful what you tweet. What you tweet today may come back to haunt you tomorrow. http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-04-29-admissions-twitter_N.htm

New Google Scholarship

Google just announced a new scholarship for students with disabilities who are pursuing university degrees in the field of computer science in Canada or the U.S. They are doing this in conjuction with Lime. Lime is a not-for-profit organization that brings together global corporations and people with disabilities. Scholarships will be granted for the 2009–2010 academic year, and recipients will be invited to attend an all-expenses-paid retreat at the Googleplex in Mountain View in 2010. Go here for details: http://www.google.com/support/jobs/bin/static.py?page=students.html&sid=scholarships&src=scholarships

College is Your Oyster

While you are in college sweating the issues of grades, instructors, etc. don't let the importance of college pass you by. You are in a moment of time in your life where the possibilities seems endless. You have the opportunity to focus on several things and you can make those things happen. Don't get too pressured with the small things that you forget the big picture. Take this time to spread your wings. Look at your opportunities. Take a look at your major and other majors to see different ways you may use it in your life. For example, if you are majoring in the healthcare field, how can you use that background in ways that may not be a typical fit. Now a typical fit is fine, if that is what you are seeking. All I am saying is to look at your choices. Open your eyes to possibilities. They are all around you.

Never Give Up

College life can be hard. Working on papers in the middle of the night, studying for tests, completing duties in organizations, you name it. It can all be taxing on you and sometimes you just may want to quit. I am telling you to not give up. You can make it to another day. In fact, you can make it to another month. Keep reaching for excellence. Don't let peer pressure make you give in to what you really want. You have worked so hard to get to this point in your life. Don't let a set back or hard work do you in. You can do this! You can make it and finish the semester/quarter strong. Yes, people are counting on you but that's not why you want to finish strong. You want to do this because of you. You are stronger than your problems. You can complete what you set out to do. You can finish strong!

Easy Bibliographies

Is it time to write that research paper? Don't wait until the last minute to get started on the paper. To help you write and keep track of your bibliographies for the paper, there's a tool to help you manage this. Visit Ottobib.com and just enter in your book's ISBN. The website does all the rest. So go to http://ottobib.com.

Start Thinking about Life After College

I know you may just be a freshman, but now is the time to start thinking about what major you want to focus on while you are in school. You don't want to wait until the pressure is on to then decide to choose a major. Use this time in your freshman year to investigate different career paths. Visit different departments on campus. Talk to the dean or a faculty member in those department to get a feel for what those majors are like. Make a visit to the Career Placement Center to research the outlook on jobs in various fields. Also take a look at your skills. What are you good at? What do you like to do? Don't be afraid of hard work. The work you have to do in a chosen field may seem hard but you can do it. You made it through your high school years didn't you? You can do this. But make sure you research what you want to do after college. And start early, not later.

Talk to Your Instructor

What to be successful in college? One of the best ways to do this is to talk to your instructor. Get to know your instructor, let him/her put a face to your name. This is especially true if you are a student in one of those large lecture halls. By getting to know the instructor you are showing that you are interested in the class and that you really want to learn. Talking to your instructor means more than just showing up once during office hours. You want to geniune learn what your instructor is teaching so make the most of the office hour by knowing what to say and what you need to truly understand the student. Most instructors will know your effort come grade time and it can affect your grade. Tip for today is get to know your instructor.

Being on Time

One of the things you want to do as a college student is to be on time for your classes. And you want to do this consistently. Instructors are not dumb people. They know when you slip into class late or even if you are not in class at all. College instructors want you to be successful in your classes and you have to be there to understand the class material. Show the instructor and yourself some respect. Be to class on time.