Archive for 2007

Today, your professors, your friends, and your future employers have access to anything about you online. Whether it’s your Facebook profile, your MySpace page, or a LiveJournal site, chances are someone you know knows about it — and that can be dangerous.

Take the picture above, for example. This is a picture of a 25-year-old woman, a mother of two named Stacy Snyder. This photo of hers was taken at a holiday party. She was fired from a student teaching program for being a “drunken pirate,” according to the New York Times. But who is to know what was really in that plastic cup? Who is to know if she’s really drinking alcohol?

Unfortunately, if it looks like a duck and smells like a duck, it’s probably a duck — even if it isn’t. Online, if it’s obvious that you’re somewhat responsible and put yourself to appear less professional, you’re guilty before being proven innocent on the Internet — and you can lose your job on your own time. Therefore, it’s really of utmost importance to be careful about what you post on the Internet, to your Facebook pages, and whatever else, because you never know if someone will turn on you and share those photos somewhere else.

Regardless of whether Stacy Snyder was innocent or guilty, one thing is absolutely clear: the image of professionalism is an important one to convey on any online persona, so be careful when partying and don’t publish your photographs where you don’t want others to see them.

Oh, and by the way, don’t pull any pranks like this bank intern did. (That job termination was deserved, though.)

[via Podcasting News]

So, one of your New Years Resolutions is to lose the weight you gained earlier this year. How can you do so without spending too much money? Here are a few ways to get it done:

Drink water: not only does this save money (especially if your tap water is safe to drink), but it’s great for your health. It’s recommended to drink 8 8oz glasses of water a day at least, and if the hunger pangs hit, you should drink water and see if that will alleviate the hunger. Sometimes, after all, it’s just thirst.

Work out: Does it cost much to run around the block? To do push ups? Or crunches? Or sit ups? Not at all. You don’t need much space for these activities and can certainly work on your cardiovascular fitness by adding just a bit of time into your day for working out.

Eat less: You might get unlimited food at home or in the dorm, but it may be better to just opt in for smaller portions that will help you lose the weight. If you’re feeding yourself, you’ll have more food for the rest of the week so you don’t have to spend more money for more meals and make your wallet lighter.

Have your veggies: Fruits and vegetables are a lot better than Reese’s Peanut Butter cups — and they’re cheaper, too.

Eat a good breakfast: Don’t skip breakfast! That’s the most important meal of the day!

Set good, strong habits and stick to them. You’ll be much happier that you did.

Goal-setting is a challenging task, but with January 1st less than a week away, hopefully you’ve already started preparing your resolutions. If not, let’s walk through the questions you should ask before proceeding.

Can you absolutely reach the goal? Don’t be unrealistic. For example, if you know your cumulative GPA is a 3.0 and you’re hoping to get a 4.3 average by the end of the semester, reevaluate. Look at your capabilities and start measuring how you’ll achieve the success. Set reasonable goals because impossible ones will only discourage you.

Can you measure success? In the preceding paragraph, I talk about how you should start measuring how you’ll achieve success. That’s an important part of resolution and goal setting. If you’re looking to raise your GPA a little higher, for example, start by setting guidelines and looking to improve quiz scores. Then move on to the larger exams or term papers. Maybe you’re going to volunteer this break. If you volunteer in the future, resolve to raise money instead of singlehandedly solving the problem in Darfur.

Can you plan it? Again, the preceding paragraph alluded to guidelines. You’ll need a plan. You can’t just say “I’m going to help out in Ecuador this summer.” Make sure you know what you’re doing there, how you’re getting there, how long you’ll be there, and anything else required of your trip. If you’re looking to improve your grades, look at your syllabus and requirements and start planning how you’ll do the homework, the reading, the material, the note taking, and anything else you’ll need to boost those scores.

Will you follow through? The biggest problem with most resolutions is that few people are actually committed to proceed beyond the beginning of the year. Set your sights and goals on continuing throughout. Motivate yourself. Have the determination to do what you are looking to do. Write it down. Read it every day. Remind yourself of the benefits of these goals consistently so that you are happy with your successes and are not bound to fail.

What are your goals for the new year, and how do you expect to prepare for them?

What do you do over winter break? Do you stay at school and enjoy your freedom from academics or do you travel?

If you’re still not sure what you’re doing or need inspiration for the next time you’re on break, here are some things you can do.

1. Take a trip with your friends. During this time of year, trips to London, for example, are really cheap. And there’s plenty do to there.
2. Explore opportunities in the career area. While you might want to relax, now’s a great time to network and look into internship opportunities. I spent a winter or two working and I must say that I’m not at all upset that I did it.
3. Pursue your old interests. Okay, yeah, you might’ve scored a new Wii for Christmas, and now you can play and beat Super Mario Galaxy before the semester starts. You don’t want to get too involved when school begins again, after all. The same goes for reading those books for leisure. Do it now, not later.
4. Try new things. I was a big fan of photography in college but I never had the right gear. DSLR cameras changed that for me. What about a fitness routine? Start it now (or after New Years) and kick it off now while you have time.
5. Enjoy the family. Some people just want to go home and enjoy the family. This definitely isn’t a bad idea. But if there’s too much family in the way, take breaks!
6. Write. Do you enjoy writing? Some people do. In college, you already know that have to write a lot. Don’t make it feel like an assignment this time. Just enjoy the time you have to write what’s on your mind.
7. Go on a road trip. Chances are you have a few weeks off, so take your best pals and explore new territory.
8. Learn a new language. Why not? You can discipline yourself and have fun too.
9. Volunteer. Take this time to help out in your local shelter, soup kitchen, or by donating food or clothing to those less fortunate. You can organize food or clothing drives or raise money for charitable causes.
10. Sleep. You know you need it!
11. Catch up on old TV and movies. Tis the season for entertainment catch-up!

What are you doing this winter break?

In November, we talked about the Rate My Professors website where you can give ratings about your professors and determine whether they’re good or bad at what they do.

mtvU now has a TV channel that allows professors to respond. The site is called Professors Strike Back.

Here are some responses:

Pretty cool. Some are just outrageous, some are funny, and some, like the last, are practical advice. Kudos to the professors for having the guts to respond and engaging in dialogue with their students.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Graduating this month? Maybe in June? What are your plans?

Well, if you don’t have classes, the most important thing to do right now is to network with anyone and everyone. If you still have classes, network — doing so early gives you a head start. And Lifehack explains why. You should make a sustained effort to network with the people in your field, whether they are new to the area or established individuals. It doesn’t hurt to know anyone and everyone and to offer your advice.

And you know what? The networking helps. You become acknowledged in your area. It won’t kick off immediately, but it’s an incredible skill to have early on so that you can get ahead. I can tell you from my experience: those who are well-networked are those who are more successful than those who aren’t. You wouldn’t want someone’s name to be mentioned and have to go, “who?” By networking, you build credibility for yourself. You give a name to yourself.

So when you graduate, give at least some credit to the act of networking. It will help you in the long run.

Now that the holidays are nearby, make sure you have everything for your trip home. Some of you may be visiting for the holidays and others may be staying for prolonged periods – but regardless of your personal circumstances, make sure you are adequately prepared.

A quick list:

• Check your passports/visas and make sure they’re valid.
• Don’t bring water on the plane. Unfortunately, the TSA still prohibits you from bringing it in the security checkpoint. You’ll just have to buy water at the gate.
• Make sure your laptop is removed from your bag and that your shoes are removed from your feet by the time you get to the security checkpoint. You’ll save a lot of time this way.
• Have emergency contact information on your person when you travel.
• If you’re going abroad with friends, leave your itinerary and hotel information with friends or family so that you’re easily located.
• Deal only with authorized money agents for monetary exchange. Don’t mess with the black market.
• Ensure that when you’re overseas, your health insurance is up-to-date.
• Familiarize yourself with the laws of the land … wherever your travels take you to.
• Don’t leave your luggage unattended and never accept packages from strangers.
• Stay away from areas deemed dangerous.

Earlier this week, we wrote about the 10 gifts that a digital student would want. However, if you looked at the prices of the items there, they range from $40 for the Leatherman Wave to $1200 for the Nikon D80 (a D40 might be a cheaper alternative).

So while you’re still aching for that awesome Wii (the retail price is $250, by the way, and don’t cave for a $4000 item on eBay… it’s totally not worth it), at least you can be productive with your time to make some gifts that are really cheap. DealLocker shows you how:

Buy food: Some food is costly. Other food is cheap. I just got cake in the mail today from a friend. If you can’t afford something expensive, go with candy.

Make your own food: It’s good to buy food. It’s cheaper to make it yourself. Want to practice your brownie baking skills? Your cookie batch recipe? Go on – here’s your opportunity to shine.

Explore your talents: One great idea is to make a collage of photos, perhaps in a calendar form. If you’re digital like me, a screensaver or website dedicated to the person is nice and very personable.

Recipes: The article suggests that you take the family recipes and create a recipe cookbook. Chances are you don’t really know much about that and would rather find them on the Internet. Find more of those coveted recipes (Cinnabon, for example) and create a digital cookbook (or print it out for kitchen use).

Create gift baskets: Don’t tell anyone that you’re just throwing together junk you got from school, but that can really work. Collect new books, buy lotions or soaps, and put it in a basket or bag and give it to someone you love.

Photograph things: Take pictures and frame them! Capture memorable moments and share them during the holidays.

Coupons for special things: Do you know how to play guitar and know a friend who wants to take lessons? Give them a coupon for a 30 minute lesson. Give another friend a coupon for a 15 minute back massage. You really can have fun with this.

What are your cheap gift ideas that still add personality and spark to the holidays?

Getting a job typically requires your resume and a phone or face-to-face interview. Sometimes you’ll go through rounds of interviews as you meet with different department heads and your future bosses. The important thing is to know what questions to expect and be prepared to answer them. The Michael Page site goes through these questions and highlights possible expected answers. You’ll be asked questions like:

• Tell me about yourself. Talk about why you’re sitting in your chair looking for this job and what qualifications you have that make you a good candidate.
• What was your most difficult problem at work and how have you tackled it? Find something really tough and show them your problem-solving skills.
• What are your strengths? Don’t be overly egotistical but explain how these strengths have helped you at your job.
• What are your weaknesses? Turn those weaknesses into strengths.
• Why are you leaving your current job? If you’re already in some position, explain why you’re moving on. Be professional. Saying “I hate my boss” won’t get you anywhere. Perhaps revise that with “the job wasn’t at all that challenging.”

Some companies ask logic questions too. Bear in mind that you may be asked why a manhole is round and other questions that test your logic while on the spot. Obviously, if I give you too many of those questions, you might be already too prepared for the interview. Be sure to make it look like you’re thinking because you’ll be challenged with more difficult tasks on the job as well.

Oh, and here are some ways to ruin a job interview (or to screw up your job):

The holidays are around the corner, but have you bought anything for your college student? Or better, if you’re a college student, have you hinted to your loved one about what you should get this holiday season? If you’re running dry on ideas, here are a few that you might want to try.

iPod Touch: Sure, nearly every college student wants one. And why not? The iPod Touch features probably the best technology for touchscreen capability around. It also sports some pretty solid wifi, making it easy to listen to tunes and surf the Internet whenever you please. The iPod Touch is available in 8GB and 16GB versions which ensures that at the minimum, you can carry your favorite tunes.

Wii: The Wii isn’t a top seller for two years in a row for no reason. Play Wii Sports (included) and begin sweating in your dorm room. The graphics are probably the only complaint many people have with the Wii, but the gameplay makes up for it. I’ve seen people buy Wiis only for Tennis (included in Wii Sports) so that they can get somewhat of a workout. It sure beats going to the gym in the freezing cold.
Bonus: Super Mario Galaxy: Super Mario Galaxy is Mario’s best adventure yet. And it’s incredibly long, frustrating, and overall, completely fun. For $49.99, you can’t do much better than Super Mario Galaxy. It won’t give you a workout (unless you consider spin jumps much of one — then your arm will get sore at first), but it provides hours of fun.

Canon PowerShot SD1000: If you need a quick pocket-sized camera for photographs, the SD1000 is small and takes some incredible photos. For the price, it can’t be beat. I think most of my friends have one, so you might want to go with the optional one with the black center color instead of silver.

Nikon D80: If you want to take the next step and go SLR, the Nikon D80 is an excellent beginner’s camera that’s one step above the also recommended D40/D40x with added benefits. If you live on an especially beautiful campus and want to be the designated photographer or want to build up your skills, having a DSLR on hand is a great way to begin a side job as a photographer.

Leatherman Wave: Having a Leatherman handy really can save you in critical situations. If you get a package in the mail, open it with the Leatherman Wave. If you need to pop open a can of tomato sauce, use the built-in can-puncture tool. There is even a small set of scissors, a nail file, and screwdrivers in the kit.

Palm Centro: Combine your PDA and your phone with the Palm Centro. With the Centro, you can play games, take notes, create a to-do list, send SMS messages to your friends (and it also includes an awesome IM program so that you’re never too far from the digital messaging world), and call your family with the all-in-one device. The Centro is less than $100 (but you’ll need a phone contract) and also has a built-in digital camera. For the price, it’s as good as the higher end and much more expensive Palm Treo devices that are on the market, and that’s because Palm created the Centro to cater to students like you.

Heroes Season 1 DVD Set: The hit drama got extremely high ratings last year. And it’s no surprise. Seeing a 16-year-old cheerleader with incredible abilities learn about her surroundings while others like her around the globe are learning of their own strange abilities is inspiring. Viewers are taken on an incredible journey from state to state to country to country as these individuals with abilities learn about who they are, why they are who they are, and what their job on earth is to do. Just remember, “Save the cheerleader, save the world.”

NYC Subway Hoodie: Since it’s just about winter, you might as well get something cool and stylish to bundle up with. The New York Subway Hoodie is a good choice. It’s stylish, comfortable, and it includes a very cool map of the NYC subway line (which can be completely helpful if you’re in NY — especially if you’re here for the ball drop on January 1st! The hoodie is available online or at Virgin Megastores (as I noticed on my last trip there)

Panini Maker: If you are short on time and can’t make a complete meal, at least you can make a panini sandwich. They taste great and are really easy to prepare. There’s also an incredible list of panini recipes if you’re looking for variety. Paninis have recently taken off in the restaurant sphere, but don’t spend that $7 on a sandwich when you can make the same thing (or better) from the convenience of your dorm room.

Tokyo Flash Watch: Modern gadget lovers should adorn modern gadgets. Tokyo Flash has hundreds of watches to choose from for all gadget geeks (and some that are a lot easier to comprehend than this one). The watch pictured is a nifty binary watch that lights up with the different times. It’s certainly a conversation starter. Can you imagine the looks you’d get for wearing this watch? It’s pretty cool, isn’t it?

So, what do you want for the holidays?