Going to college and getting good grades is a challenge. The level of education you are receiving is much more advanced, more intensive, and more difficult than in high school. Often, professors give students assignments or papers due that can require a larger amount of studying. It can be hard to find the time to study, let alone do so effectively. A study group is an excellent way for students to come together and help brainstorm and learn as a group, which can increase classroom retention and productivity. In addition, study groups can help students form strong bonds and friendships.

Getting Started

If you are interested in starting your own study group, there are several important things to know before you do so. Ask fellow students if there is a group already formed, and if not, ask them if they’d be interested in starting one up. Remember, whether you have three people or twelve, any group is a study group, so don’t be discouraged if not all members of the class agree to participate. Once you have a few people who’d like to form the group, you will need to come up with a set day of the week and time to meet. You can meet once per week, several times per week, or on the weekends, depending on the agreed upon schedule. Keep in mind that not everyone will be able to attend every meeting, and that each person’s schedule will be different.

Staying Focused to Maximize Productivity

During the study group, it is important that everyone stay focused. The group is meant to be a time of learning where you can all share notes, ideas, and what you’ve learned, as well as help others who may be having a difficult time with certain aspects of the class. Ordering pizza or Chinese is fine, and it’s important to get to know one another, but during the study group period everyone should be on the same page and serious about the discussion. After study group, if you all want to get together and spend some time as friends separately, that’s fine, but all participants should be serious when it’s time to buckle down.

Shortcuts & Dealing With Deadlines

If you find that you’re having a hard time getting a group together, talk to your professor and ask if he or she would like to propose a group for everyone to be a part of. Often, teachers can have more influence on college students than their peers. See if they will help you ask the class about doing this, and you can even make some kind of flyer or handout if you choose to do so. During group, there are some tools you can use to help everyone learn more. Practice exam questions, flash cards, and just good old fashioned questions and answers with everyone in the group is an excellent way to become more effective. If there is a big paper due, have everyone bring their copies in before you turn them in and edit them. Each member of the group can exchange papers with another, and then critiques as well as praise can be doled out. This can go a long way towards getting a great grade on your paper.

Sorting Out Disagreements

If there happen to be any disagreements within your group, remember that you’re all working towards a common goal: passing the class and doing well. Be sure to discuss any concerns or problems openly with one another. You will be surprised at the bond you will all develop with one another over time. If a member of the group is having difficulties understanding certain things, work together as a team to try and help them out. Your contributions to each other are crucial when it comes to learning and understanding the contents of the class you’re taking. Week by week, you will notice improvements in your abilities, your knowledge, and the new things you learn. By the end of the course, you should all feel proud of your achievements as well as confident that you will get a passing grade. In addition, you will notice better note taking and listening skills as well as improvements on your writing abilities. Study groups can help you to become not only a better student, but a better person all around.

More Helpful Resources

For more information on college study groups and how you can create one, please refer to the following websites:

• How to Start a Study Group
• Peer Study Groups: Why Study with Peers?
• Success Tool Kit: How to Form a Study Group
• Group Study: Some Guidelines

Saving money for college is hard enough, but once you’re a student budgeting your money can become more difficult than you may think. With so many temptations out there as a college student it can be hard to save your cash as well as be able to pay any bills that may come your way. Even those students who like to party hard can still learn how to budget themselves accordingly so they can avoid money mishaps. With a few simple changes in lifestyle, college students should be able to stick to a budget and still be able to have fun with their friends.

Budgeting Your Money

As a college student it can be difficult to save money in order to pay for things like food and other necessities; and the temptation to spend on non-necessities is everywhere. But there are a few things you can do, however to save your cash for the things you need.

First, limit the number of dinners you eat on things like ordering pizza and hitting up fast food restaurants. Instead, buy groceries and prepare your meals at home or at your dorm. If you have roommates, maybe everyone can pool some money together weekly for food and you can share meals.

Credit card companies often prey on college students by offering them freebies and guaranteed approval. Avoid getting a credit card or have one for just emergencies – try to pay for most things in cash.

If you live on campus, you can usually walk or bike to class and other places. Not having a car is a definite money-saver. Carpool with friends if you plan to go somewhere farther off-campus.

Write down a list of the things you need to buy on a weekly or monthly basis, and then add their costs up. This will give you a clearer picture of where your money goes and what you need to save for. Try to avoid going out on weeknights, as this can be expensive. Your wallet and your body will thank you! Save your extra money and make plans to go out once in a while with friends rather than every other night. Track your money and balance your check-book and you’ll be surprised at how much money you spend versus what you can save.

Making & Keeping Money

Trying to be a full time student and make extra cash can be challenging, but there are many opportunities out there for students where they can make some extra cash. Check with your college and see if they’re hiring internally. Most schools have jobs available for students that will work around their busy schedule, which makes it much easier for you to balance work and study time.

Aside from a part time job, you can also use your creative skills to make extra money. If you are a writing or photography student for example, there are many freelance job opportunities out there that can help you make a few extra dollars. You can also look for internships that may be available. While some internship programs are unpaid, there are some that do pay, and it will be a great addition to your portfolio and resume.

Once you’ve determined how you will make extra money, it is important to then hang onto it and not spend too much. Create a savings account or even an IRA while you’re young, and then allot a certain amount of your paycheck to go towards it each month. You’ll be surprised how quickly that money adds up. This not only teaches good budgeting skills, but it will also make life easier when you need to pay your bills, buy some food, or plan a night out with friends.

• Budgeting While You’re In College – This article offers some good suggestions for college students and how they can budget.
• How to Manage a Budget While in School – Use this helpful worksheet to assist you in creating your own personal budget.
• 118 Ways to Save Money While in College – This list has plenty of great tips to help you save money while in school.
• The Budget Pig – This series of videos explains how college students can create and stick to a budget.
• How to Create a Budget for Your College Student – Here is a helpful guide for students and parents to use for creating a college student budget.
• Student Budget Calculator – Use this interactive calculator to help you create a budget you can stick with.
• Establishing a Budget – This article gives some excellent advice on how to start your own budget.
• Tips for Living on a College Student Budget – These helpful tips can guide you through living your college years on a budget.

To fast track a career, consider getting a job while attending college. Besides providing extra spending money, a job while in college teaches time management skills, helps pay off student loans quicker and teaches students how to balance work, life and school. Undergraduate students also have the opportunity to take on paid internships, which helps students get a job after graduation. Many internship opportunities turn into full-time jobs after college, saving on the need to hunt for a job. Many successful careers have begun for students who work while going to school.

Balancing Your Life

When looking for work as a college student, consider employers that offer flexible scheduling or understand the need to attend classes at specific times. Build the work schedule around the need to study, attend class and get plenty of sleep. Many colleges have programs to employ students on campus. A campus job can help save on transportation costs and still help meet schooling needs. Remember to prioritize what’s important when working while attending college and make sure the work will fit within school scheduling needs.

Balancing work, college, family and a social life can be complicated, but it teaches students how to manage time effectively. Time management skills are some of the most important skills to learn, especially before getting a full-time job. These skills will help students throughout their lives as they mature. Learning how to prioritize what’s important is a part of the soft skill set that cannot be taught. Employers look for recruits that have the ability to manage time effectively and prioritize.

Besides learning important prioritization and time-management skills, a job while in college teaches students how to manage finances. Getting a handle on finances in the early stages of a career teaches students how to save for the future. A job while in school not only provides needed spendable cash, it can help defray expensive loan costs by paying down on loan fees while in college. Developing financial skills while still in college will pay dividends for years to come.

To manage student activities and a job, consider a balanced plan to help manage all that has to be done. Make time for recreational activities or exercise to prevent burnout. Choose a job with ties to a school major to help gain field experience before graduation. Some colleges provide work credits that can help toward a finished degree. Many internships and co-operative work/school programs are available to students attending college full or part time.

Build Up Real-Word Experience

Working while attending college also provides real-world experience, which is beneficial after graduation. Employers prefer hiring college students that also have on-the-job experience, as this demonstrates responsibility and a sound work ethic. Job experience establishes credibility as an employee; it shows strength of character and the ability to juggle the work-life balance.

Student work-experience programs are available at many colleges. Students gain needed job experience, and college credits while working up the ladder. Students in these programs can receive promotions that result in higher wages by participating in work/school programs. Working while attending college helps defray costs that might have ended up as part of a larger school debt. A job while attending college also teaches students how to set goals and objectives, communicate with co-workers or supervisors and prepares students for a career.

Setting Your Priorities

Students must remember that schoolwork and schedules are the first priority when working while attending college. Take advantage of school and summer breaks to work a full-time schedule when studies are not a priority. Save as much money during these periods to lessen the need to work more while school is in session. Put money away for college needs, books, meal plans or to put on loan fees. Learning to manage finances prepares students for the ebb and flow of life. Students that develop sound financial practices in college, including developing savings plans, stand a better chance of being financially successful throughout working life.

While it takes a greater commitment and ability to balance school and working, getting a job while in college gives students an edge over students who just attend college without working. Besides instilling a strong work ethic, working while in college makes a graduate more attractive to an employer. If given two graduates to choose from, employers will generally pick the student with the job experience over the one who does not have it. Though it’s not always easy, working while in college puts working students ahead in the game of life.

Internship & Student Employment Resources

• FBI Internships
• CIA Undergraduate Internships
• Government Jobs for Students and Recent Graduates
• Working and Going to School — A Student Perspective
• Financial Fitness Program for College
• College and a Full-Time Job
• Juggling Work and School
• Balancing Academics, Study, and Life
• The Effects of College Student Employment on Academic Achievement
• How to Balance School and Work

Hi Everyone

The new voting page is here. Please ignore the below voting script on this page.

Our site had 2 polling scripts installed & it looks like this year the one that was enabled was the one that didn’t have all the anti-cheating features working. In years past some people would complain about cheating (whoever was behind) and then someone else would get in the lead (often a person who said someone else was cheating!) and then they would be labeled a cheater, however we were not able to detect any significant amount of ballot stuffing. This year with the wrong polling software it was far too easy to manipulate the results & some folks did.

We have spent the past couple days testing out & verifying an alternative solution, which uses AJAX, does result order randomization, tracks IP addresses, and sets cookies. We are satisfied that it adequately protects the competition from cheating & are starting the vote from scratch using it.

Here is a picture of the old results before we erased that poll

What makes us certain some folks were vote stuffing? Well numerous finalists had over 60,000 votes & the whole site has had less than 60,000 unique visitors since voting began.

[updated: confirming how absurd the above was, here is a example of what happened to web traffic after we changed out the poll

notice that while the number of unique visitors didn’t change much from day to day, over 100,000 fake pageviews disappeared overnight]

To make up for this problem we are doing the following:

• starting the vote from scratch today. everyone gets a clean slate.
• extending voting 1 week. it now ends at November 30th at noon pacific.
• since some people might try to circumvent any limits that are put in place, we decided that allowing people to vote once per 24 hour period further helps level the playing field.
• closely monitoring voting for any suspicious voting patterns adjusting downward any votes that our programmer & system admin believes are driven by cheating. we will periodically rotate the field options in addition to the random order display to further nullify any cheating attempts.

We realize that the vote stuffing may not have even been done by any of our finalists, but by some friends who wanted them to win. Thus we are not really blaming anyone for this issue other than ourselves for using the wrong voting script. The new one has been rigorously tested. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Want to know who writes which blog? Please check out all the blogs here.

Voting ends at noon pacific time on November 23rd. Voting has been extended 1 week.