Archive for March, 2008

If web technology is your thing — and chances are, it’s a huge part of your future, you’ll be happy to know that Google Code University offers courses and lectures on AJAX technology, web security, distributed systems, and languages. Fortunately, if you’re a computer science major, you’ll already have your foundation established to understand the basics, but even if you’re looking to delve into web technologies in the future and have no idea where to begin, this is a good starting point.

Of course, there’s also a search function for computer science courses around the world. Better yet, if you’re in San Francisco on May 28 and 29 of 2008, the Google I/O conference will be held where you can get a close look at all of these technologies and speak with Google engineers about how to build the next groundbreaking application. Student admission is only $50.

When you’re studying for an exam, have you already been presented with the information? Chances are that yes, you’ve covered it during the first time you’ve attended the lecture or over a homework assignment. You can save a tremendous amount of time if you learn the information the first time around and not relearn the material later on.

How do you do this? When you’re first reading book materials, highlight important facts or write the important notes down in your notebook. Pay attention during lectures and take notes — don’t doodle or let your mind wander.

There’s never anything wrong with refreshing your memory, but you should never actually have to relearn it. Use the first time around to grasp a solid foundation of your study so that you don’t have to feel stressed come exam time.

Consider yourself always prepared for a pop quiz — and always ready to ace it. If you’re not at that point, you’re definitely lagging behind and you should consider learning the material a first time so that you’ll never have to learn it again later.

Keep in mind that if you fall behind, it adds to your college stress levels. It also wastes a considerable amount of time since you’ll be reading and rereading material in order to get that stable foundation. If you’re constantly playing catch up, you’ll never quite feel at ease which might explain the earlier study. When you study, remember that you’re taking classes that require other courses as prerequisites, so you won’t have to be learning and learning again in your later years of college. You’re already establishing that foundation during your freshman and sophomore years. Keep at it and you’ll reap the rewards — including giving yourself a lot of leisure time when the rest of your classmates are staying up all night cramming.

We reported yesterday that 1 in 5 undergraduates is constantly stressed out. Additional findings, however, show that you’re likely to be more stressed out if you’re a female. The poll shows that men have an easier time sleeping (69% for men vs. 31% for women).

In the meantime, who do you turn to for help? Most turn to their friends first in hopes that they’ll be understood by their peers rather than family members. Next, they turn to their parents, and finally, to their siblings. Thirty three percent would confide in a significant other, twenty five percent will confide in a religious or spiritual leader, and twenty percent actually confide in their school guidance or mental health counselors.

Do you drink? Some people think that drinking may be contributing to the overall stress. Over 25% of students believe it’s not helping the situation. However, at the same time, about 33% of them want to turn to alcohol and drugs to relax.

Who are you? And how do you deal with stress at school?

According to a recent study, college students are stressed out. Are you one of them?

The data postulates that four out of ten college students are stressed out to some degree, but one in five, or 20%, are stressed out regularly. And even so, they’re able to enjoy college life and their extracurricular activities as well.

But what is the problem at school? Concentration and sleeping troubles are big contributors. Too much work is piled on at once, particularly during exam time. It doesn’t help that the Internet is contributing to a big deal of lifestyle changes in the past few years, but even so, students are feeling anxious, depressed, and lonely — even if they’ve already forged their online lives. A whopping 16% of students have spoken with friends who have considered suicide, 10% have thought of it themselves, and 13% have been diagnosed with depression.

The AP has more data available:

Is college, then, the end all for students? Frankly, a lot of my friends who have graduated and are in the real world wish they were back at school. But not all hope is lost. There are plenty of students who still have a positive outlook on life despite the stress of school.

The best recommendations are to manage your time efficiently and to enjoy the time while it lasts.

A study reported by ComputerWeekly says that 80% of university graduates only use the web to search for jobs. A mere 3% use newspapers.

What other statistics did the report find?

• 57% of students spend less than an hour researching the company before a job interview (who has time for more?)
• 9% of college graduates do not research companies at all before attending a job interview (bad move, grads)
• 18% of students utilize recruiters to find jobs
• 8% of graduates apply to the job in person

This is generation Google, generation Facebook, and others. Eighty percent of these users are also heavy users of Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube.

What does that mean for future employers? It’s time to rethink the strategy when it comes to targeting students, as social networks are where the students flock. As an example, awhile ago, the CIA brought its recruiting to Facebook. While the recruiting group doesn’t exist anymore, it turned out to be a huge success among students.

When you’re at school, you need to carefully consider your degree based on numerous things, including your interest in the subject matter, your career plans, and your lifestyle. These are important considerations to address before and not after you’re well on your path for college study. When you look at your course of study, ask yourself what you want to do in the future. You may not know these answers immediately, but having an idea of what you’re passionate about will help.

What’s the best school to go to?
This is a very open-ended question, and it could rely on several factors: the best programs for your study interests, the best schools that accommodate certain financial situations (or programs, such as full-time or part-time study), the best location to further your academic and career interests, and more.

What’s my intended career path?
Sometimes you know you won’t be the next doctor and you will know that math isn’t your strong suit so accounting is out of the picture. On the other hand, it might be a possibility for you. You may have broader interests, like arts and humanities which really gives you a lot of open reign for choosing your classes. Seek out upperclassmen and get ideas of where their futures are bringing them. Speak with professors and guidance counselors that are available at your school. Your university has these resources, so take advantage of them.

What are the market trends for careers?
While this may not impact you right now, once upon a time circa 2001, there was a dot com crash that affected a lot of computer science people. If you’re looking for job security, make sure that the jobs that exist today will exist tomorrow. Do additional research outside the classroom and seek out professionals who are thriving and doing well. Go to career events and ask people how their businesses are doing. Look at companies that are heavy on the layoffs and try to avoid the industries that are overwhelmed with employees.

How much time are you going to devote to your coursework and related experience?
Depending on your financial situation, this answer may differ for you. If you’re a recent high school grad who has no tremendous financial obligations, you probably have nothing to lose and everything to gain by pursuing a full-time degree with possible related work. If, on the other hand, you need to fulfill a lot of financial obligations, you may not necessarily be able to pursue the related study avenue and will only focus on coursework. If you’re coming back to school with a few college courses and may already have a family, your full-time status as a student may be even further strained, so you need to realize what you’re looking for before you jump into a heavy course load.

What degree do you want?
Most of you will be getting Bachelor’s degrees. Some of you may be getting Associate’s degrees. Others will be going for a Master’s and perhaps beyond in some Ph.D. or graduate study. Check out the courses available to you: some colleges combine Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in a 5-year program. You’ll need to know what you’re doing early to commit to such programs. And if none of these sound ideal, look for certifications in certain subject areas that may further your career.

The important thing is to realize that you’re going to be going through this for years, so don’t be afraid to ask questions and network while you seek out the best schools and careers for your needs.