It’s an incredible opportunity that gives you that competitive edge to build your career, opens doors to much-needed work experience, and puts you in touch with a whole slew of potentially critical contacts.

But no monetary compensation? Like…zero? Nada? Zilch? It’s a bit of a tough pill to swallow because, let’s be real, those student loans are not going to pay themselves and, um, you kind of need to eat.

I feel that, I really do. But in the long run, the opportunities that unpaid internships open up far outweigh the short-term costs.

And, as cliché as it may sound, your internship is really what you make of it. So why not make it into a paying job?

I spent months as an intern for an international non-governmental organization and I turned that unpaid internship into a paid, previously non-existent job (high five, me!) How? Let me show you how it’s done…

Work your ass off

Well, duh. This should go without saying, but you’ve really got to treat this internship like a real job. Take ownership of any and all of the tasks that are thrown your way. For the next coming months, this internship is your baby and, damn it, you’re going to make sure your baby is the healthiest, most successful baby there is!

Awkward analogy, but you know what I’m trying to get at…

Offer to take on extra responsibilities

Time permitting, of course. Show that you’re a go-getter and willing to get your hands dirty. And don’t just stick to your department either. Network with individuals from other areas of the company and see if there’s anything you can do to help. Not only will you broaden your skill set beyond your general expertise, but you’ll also broaden your exposure to different people who may offer you a job in the future.

Innovate and initiate

Don’t be afraid to push your ideas out there. I know it can be a bit intimidating because you’re “just an intern” and what do you know?

The answer is a lot. You know a lot. You are not a blank slate. You have a ton of experiences to draw from and the fact that you’re a newb in this company can actually work to your advantage. You have an outsider’s point of view and are unencumbered by deeply ingrained company practices. You’re in a unique position to give some fresh insight and out-of-the-box ideas given that, well, you actually are outside of the box.

Showing that you’ve got the confidence, gumption and brain to bring your ideas forward? Boom. That just reeks of some straight up #winning.

Make yourself invaluable

Now I realize that’s a pretty ambitious statement, but hey, you’re an ambitious person who makes things happen, right? So go and make things happen. Carve a niche for yourself in the company. Learn something that no one else knows or learn how to do something so well that they can’t possibly afford to lose you.

Keep in touch

Okay, okay. So maybe there just really isn’t a job available for you at the moment and there’s no budget to hire another staff member. That sucks, but that’s the real world for you! Just don’t let them get away so quickly. Keep in touch and check back every now and then just to say hello and touch base. Make sure you’re always on their mind so if a position does open up…well then, hello!

But, to be real, by that time, you’ve already been scooped up by another company because let’s face it, you’re a pro!

Have you ever turned an unpaid internship into a full-time, paid job? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Photo credit: 260/365 Internships by Ken Colwell on Flickr

Even in the later stages of one’s career, recruiting can be a gruelling multi-step process. The difficulty for students trying to land their first job is that it isn’t always easy to get a feel for what exactly the role entails or what a company can truly offer.

This can evidently make it near impossible to sell yourself in an interview. If you yourself are unsure about why you want the job or your reasons for applying to a certain company, how can you possibly convince your interviewer that you are the perfect fit?

The benefits of case competitions for students

Hands-on experience

As a third-year business student myself, the tactic that has best helped me has been my participation in case competitions. With the jobs that interest me (as a Marketing major), I have found that these competitions provide the most hands-on, realistic simulations of what it would be like to take on a specific role.

Unique networking opportunities

With these types of competitions, you also have the opportunity to meet and interact with various representatives from the company as you progress through the stages. This is a unique networking experience because you not only have the chance to meet these individuals, but you also have the opportunity to pick their brain regarding the work you have done on the case.

Going forward, this advice and feedback will make you a much stronger candidate.

Campus recruitment

I have personally participated in several different case competitions, but the most intense and valuable have been those with recruitment as their main purpose.

These competitions are run by the employers themselves with the purpose of seeking enthusiastic and driven candidates, either for internships or full-time, entry level positions.

Prep for case study interview questions

If you are interested in a full-time career in business, then you are well aware of the case-style interview question. These types of questions are not specific to Marketing majors; the case question turns up in interviews in almost all disciplines of business.

If you hope to land an interview with the company running or sponsoring the competition, your participation is the absolute best insight when it comes to what types of case questions you can expect in the interview. If you can successfully execute solving the case as well as the presentation, the interview case question will be a total breeze.

Impressing the judges and winning a case competition boosts your confidence in your own abilities, which can help you present yourself better in an interview and during the recruitment process in general.

However, successful execution of a case competition doesn’t necessarily mean taking home the grand prize or even placing for that matter. As long as you’ve learned something from the experience that will help you going forward, then the endeavour was worthwhile.

Prove to employers that you are “top talent”

Earlier this year, I was fortunate enough to have the chance to participate in one of these competitions and I landed a summer internship with the title sponsor. The case itself not only taught me so much about the industry from a technical standpoint, but it also gave me the chance to enhance all of the skills I need to perform my summer job to the very best of my abilities.

Hosting competitions like these really demonstrates to us as young recruits that the company is committed to finding the best talent. It would be unwise not to take advantage of obvious opportunities like these ones.

There is no denying that case competitions require an enormous time commitment and a lot of effort, but the potential benefits can be quite substantial. Regardless of the outcome, when it comes to case competitions, participation is definitely worthwhile.

After all, if you truly believe that you’re right for the job, this gives you a chance to prove it.

Have you ever participated in a case competition? Share your experience in the comments section below!

Photo credit: Mays Business School at Texas A&M University

The ones who make you feel uncomfortable because they keep asking you to buy stuff even though you’ve said you’re not interested more than once.

You know what I’m talking about, right? Perfect, you know how it feels and you know that it usually sends people searching for the nearest exit.

So, if you work in retail, don’t be anything like that.

The challenge is that store management expects you to sell more products, maintain certain performance metrics and put more cash into the store’s till. You can do this without begging customers to buy and spend more by offering them related products or services.

The guy taking your order at the drive-thru does this all the time by asking you if you’d like fries with your hamburger. Most of the time you say no. But sometimes, you say yes. That’s how you get people to buy and spend more. It’s called up-selling.

Effective up-selling requires patience, detailed observation, resilience and some skill.

Get a few more dollars out of your customers by following these five up-selling tips:

1. Get them talking

People love talking about themselves. In my experience, the better the conversation, the longer a customer stays in the store, the more they tend to spend and the greater the chance they’ll become a repeat customer.

Conversation helps build a relationship, showcases your product knowledge and makes the customer feel like you’re their friend instead of a salesperson. How, though?

2. Ask open-ended questions

Get your customers talking by asking them open-ended questions. You don’t want their response to be “yes” or “no” because you can’t learn anything about them, how they plan to use the product or how much they’re able to spend.

This process will reveal products or services that the customers didn’t intend to buy.

If you’re selling athletic footwear, for example, try asking questions like:

• What are you planning to use your shoes for?
• How much are you willing to spend?
• Tell me about your current pair of running shoes.
• Do you have any health conditions? If so, which ones?
• How do you normally clean your shoes?

3. Suggest products your customers need

The answers to your open-ended questions will help you suggest products the customer might need to solve a problem they expressed during your conversation. If you’re suggesting a more expensive product than the one they came to the store to purchase, always explain its features, benefits and why this product is better suited to fulfill their needs.

Not every up-selling story has a happy ending. How you handle rejection can send a message to the customer about how genuine your recommendations really were.

4. Walk customers to the checkout counter

The pathway you take to the checkout counter can present up-selling opportunities too. If you’re helping a guy with men’s footwear, walk him through the men’s clothing department before going to the counter.

The opposite goes for a female shopper. Offer a shopper who is purchasing footwear some athletic socks and cleaning products too. See how up-selling works? If you don’t ask, you don’t know.

5. Close the sale the same way you started it

Remember how bubbly and friendly you were when the customer walked into the store? Act the same way throughout the entire transaction, tell them your name and don’t forget to thank them for shopping at your store before they leave.

Which up-selling techniques have worked best for you at your retail job?

Photo credit: sea turtle

There’s no denying that the internet is an invaluable job search tool, but sometimes it’s important to remember the classic job search tactic: pounding the pavement with a stack of resumes.

Our latest instalment of Job Hunting In GIFs captures the lighter side of the off-line job hunt–and you may find some of these experiences all too familiar.

If you stumble upon a GIF that captures the highs or lows of the job hunt, don’t forget to Tweet to @TalentEggUS
– your GIF might just be featured in a future installment of Job Hunting In GIFs!

Resumes, Resumes, Resumes

When an employer has too many applicants and you ask to drop off a resume in person

And the employer looks at you like:

When you hand in a resume and you’re perfect for the job

The employer’s reaction:

When you hand in a resume and you’re not-so-right for the job

The employer’s reaction:

When you show up to apply for a job and the person ahead of you gets it on the spot

Their reaction:

Your reaction:

When you and a friend drop off a resume somewhere and only one of you gets an interview

When you’re handing out resumes and you suddenly lose momentum

When you give out a whole stack of resumes and realize you got your phone number/email/own name wrong

Reality dawns on you like:

I know from experience that this transition isn’t easy. While I was a type-A, dedicated student in some respects, other behaviours made me less than mentally prepared for a 9-to-5 job.

I kept odd hours, furiously writing essays until sunrise, and enjoyed drinking one-too-many pints on Tuesday nights.

In the interest of saving you some office-related troubles (not to mention a terrible Wednesday morning hangover), here is some advice on how to make the leap from co-ed to corporate life:

Invest in a reliable alarm clock

One of the first things you may notice is the never ending exhaustion that comes along with having to wake up at the exact same time, every single day. Not only must you be awake, you must also be dressed professionally and are expected to be a productive member of society.

While I can’t help you enjoy the early morning wake-up call, the trick to arriving to work on time is a good alarm clock, positioned further than your arm’s length away from your bed. It is of critical importance that you find the sweet spot where you can hear the alarm, but it is still far enough away from you that you can’t hit snooze 15 times.

In all seriousness, it can be tough to reconcile your old student ways with a rigid schedule. If it all becomes too much, schedule time for yourself to enjoy the odd night of regression into student-like fun. “Grownups” can enjoy beer pong and pizza every once in a while too.

Remember, you’re not being graded on this

In school, there is an intense fear of failure that drives you to achieve perfection (or at least a reasonable grade). Failing a class or test may have meant that you’d have to repeat the course.

But in the working world, you have to accept that “perfection” is the enemy of “good,” and generally answers to complex business problems are not as cut and dry as a multiple choice exam.

In fact, failure is one of the best ways to learn. This is not a class where you’ll be docked points for the wrong answer, so don’t be afraid to pipe up with your ideas, even if you’re not sure they’ll be a hit. You’ll have to strike out a few times before you hit a home run.

Embrace uncertainty

Sometimes, when you’re caught up in meetings, deadlines or emails, you may have a moment when you realize this is not the swishy, Don Draper-esque job that you envisioned for yourself. It’s going to take time to develop your identity in the working world and in your new life as an adult.

Enjoy where you’re at, even if your job isn’t the life-changing work you imagined doing while reading Sartre in the gentle bosom of academia. Embrace this somewhat confusing period in life as a time for self-discovery. I assure you: this will not be your last quarter-life, existential crisis, but you’ll figure it all out!

Recall the motivational milestones of collegiate life

When the first September rolled around post-university, I have to tell you that it was quite the shock. I realized that the exciting feeling of the first day back to school, when you’re tanned and wearing your new school clothes, wasn’t coming around again. As a young professional, I’ve found that I can harness the power of those by-gone academic milestones to grow in my personal and professional life.

In spring, when you’d usually be buckling down for exams, get serious about work or personal projects that may have fallen off your radar. In the fall, use that autumn motivation to learn new things by signing up for continuing education courses, or picking up good habits that might have fallen by the wayside in the lazy days of summer.

For some, making the leap to the professional world can be rough. But when we’re challenged to pick up new habits, we can grow by leaps and bounds.

What are your tips for surviving the school-to-work transition?

Photo credit: Bryan Rosengrant

But Fatima found inspiration. She saw the risks her parents took in leaving their native Mexico to come to the United States and how that journey benefited her life.

“The sacrifices that my parents have made to give us a better life – that was something that motivated me.” —Fatima Ruiz, corps member, City Year

“The sacrifices that my parents have made to give us a better life – that was something that motivated me,” she said.

In 2012, Fatima earned her bachelor’s degree in history from the University of the Pacific in her hometown of Stockton, Calif. She was the first in her family to graduate. Fatima’s father had attended college but never earned his degree due to financial issues; he urged Fatima to finish.

“He always emphasized the importance of an education to us,” Fatima said. “It’s the only way to make it in life – if we educate ourselves – so that was always a priority.”

Giving back: Becoming a City Year corps member

Undoubtedly influenced by her family’s ordeal, Fatima aspires to earn a law degree and practice as an immigration attorney.

Without her parents’ encouragement and insistence on her completing school, she might have met the same unfortunate fate that befalls 41% of students in Stockton schools who drop out before graduation.

This all-too-common occurrence in communities like hers inspired Fatima to join City Year Sacramento.

City Year is an education-focused, non-profit organization that unites young people of all backgrounds for a year of full-time service to keep students in school and on track to graduation.

To become a corps member, you must be between the ages of 17 and 24, a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident, have a college degree or have attended some college, have a high school diploma or GED, and be able to dedicate 10 months to full-time service.

The City Year corps member experience

City Year corps members like Fatima serve full-time at one of 23 locations across the United States as tutors and mentors, running after-school programs and leading youth leadership programs.

As part of a team at Kenny Elementary, Fatima and her fellow corps members:

• Greet students as they arrive at school and facilitate games to get them excited for the school day
• Provide one-on-one or small group tutoring in English or math
• Make phone calls home to students who are chronically absent
• Assist teachers in the classroom
• And more

Learn more about the City Year corps experience.

Helping students realize their dreams

Fatima began her year of service with City Year at Father Keith B. Kenny Elementary School in September 2012.

At Kenny Elementary, 100% of students qualify to receive lunch for free or at a reduced cost. In the 2011-2012 school year, more than half of students did not achieve proficient scores in English and language arts, and math, on the California Standards Test.

“She’s like a silent warrior when it comes to service. She’s very quiet, she’s very humble, but her work with her students since day one has been very powerful.”
—Paul Willis, program manager, City Year

Fatima was struck by a conversation with two fourth-grade boys about their career aspirations. One proudly declared his intent to work for the FBI. The other, Eddie*, admitted he didn’t have any career aspirations.

Fatima knew by 13 that she wanted to go to law school. The fact that Eddie had no dreams for the future seemed unimaginable to her. “It pushed me to want to help them see farther,” she said, “make them realize their potential.”

In a small group with Eddie and three of his classmates, Fatima encouraged the students to write down their long-term and short-term goals. Eddie refused, saying he wasn’t interested. Days later he approached Fatima to say he wanted to work together on the goals assignment. He proudly announced that he hoped to become a professional football player.

Not an academic goal, but a start. “It was nice to see that he was thinking about something further in the future,” Fatima said.

Together, Fatima and Eddie, age 9, discussed the steps he would have to take to achieve this dream. Chief among them were to do well in school and go to college.

Making a difference, one student at a time

Since they started working together, Fatima has noticed a marked difference in Eddie’s classroom behavior. Eddie used to come to class unprepared and uninterested; he would zone out, putting his head down on his desk.

Now, he’s engaged and enthusiastic. “I see him raising his hand constantly,” she said. “There’s a difference happening already.”

While Fatima’s relationship with Eddie may be special, it isn’t unique. Paul Willis, the City Year program manager who oversees Fatima’s team, says that Fatima has made many connections at Kenny Elementary School.

“She’s like a silent warrior when it comes to service. She’s very quiet, she’s very humble, but her work with her students since day one has been very powerful,” he said.

More corps member benefits

Fatima’s experience working with at-risk youth like Eddie as a City Year corps member will likely help her law school application, but there are other more tangible benefits to the corps experience as well:

• $5,550 education award through AmeriCorps at the end of your service year
• “Give a year” college and university partners who provide City Year alumni with at least 25% scholarships
• Federal student loan deferment
• And more

Learn more about the benefits of becoming a City Year corps member.

Become a City Year corps member and #makebetterhappen. The next application deadline is April 30, so apply today!

* Name changed to protect the student’s privacy.

I’ve seen thousands of students who have gone through some of the most epic exam schedules (anyone out there with three exams in 27 hours [9 a.m., 2 p.m. and 9 a.m.], which gets around the policy that you can’t have three exams in 24 hours? #schedulingfail), and I have a put together a few thoughts that may help you get through it all.

My over-arching mantra for exam-prep is studying smart. Time is your most valuable resource (more so than food and cheap pitchers combined), so when you are studying, you want to always ask yourself: “Is this the smartest use of my time?”

Remember the following pointers to ensure that you’re studying smart:

Practice exam-style questions

Preparing and completing exam-style questions is the best use of time before an exam. If you have only time to do one thing, work through practice problems, mock exam-style questions, past exams, etc. Spending 15 minutes to understand an exam-style question can easily correlate to an extra 2-10% on your exam!

Tip: If you bought a textbook, they typically have an abundance of online resources with question banks and practice exams. Take advantage of these resources while you can!

Read only when you need to read

Your exam covers 11 chapters and 400 pages of the textbook. Textbook readings may be the place for all the answers, or they can just serve as supplementary material for the lecture slides and notes. Does your prof simply teach from the slides? If so, use the textbook as a resource when you don’t understand the slide material. But if you’re taking a course like biology, where your professor may talk about concepts and ideas during lecture (and simply expect you to memorize all 10 tendons of the upper thigh and why they are all so awesome), then textbook reading is valuable time spent.

Teach to learn

Studies have shown that retention is stronger when you are able to tell the information to someone else. Find peers who are at around the same level of “preparedness” and, on the day before the exam, talk through the chapters and take turns explaining things and testing each other. This process can actually be fun too (just make sure that you can stay focused).

Make chapter summary notes and share them with peers

Who has the time to do a great job of reading slides and textbook material to condense 20 chapters into concise notes? Nobody. But if you can assemble a group of ideally four or five people, each of you are only responsible for three or four chapters and can spend a good amount of time creating quality study notes. Share those and BAM – huge time saver and great concise summary notes! This process is extremely useful since you will be super confident in the four chapters that you were responsible for, and the condensed study notes of the lecture and textbook material should be the only thing you need to familiarize yourself with.

Here's me leading a session at Laurier!

Participate in exam review sessions

This is an area of conflict for me as my organization, Students Offering Support (SOS), co-ordinates exam-prep review sessions; however, even our sessions aren’t right for everyone.

For any exam-prep review session, be it professor-taught, from TAs, volunteer student-group sessions like SOS, or any of the big for-profit businesses, you need to weigh the two main resources – time and money. If the session is a six-hour event that takes you through the entire course (often can be for $80-$120), it will take you through EVERYTHING. If you aren’t severely behind or don’t need to get 98% (and 93% will do), then there may be better uses of your time and money. If you have specific areas of struggle or if you have specific questions, then professor- or TA-led sessions are key since most utilize the Q&A style.

If you are looking to gain understanding of the material, clarity of your knowledge, and an opportunity to ask questions, a shorter instruction time (like two-to-four hours) can definitely be enough to give you a huge boost in studying while making a good use of your time (again, biased as this is what SOS Exam-AID sessions provide, but having done this for eight years – these types of sessions really do work!)

Get ‘some’ sleep

During the exam period, sleep smart. When you have a few days before an exam, get your seven-to-eight hours of sleep if you can. When you are in the middle of a minefield of exams, it is imperative that you get ‘some’ sleep. How much is some? At least three-to-five hours. You need the time to let all that this knowledge solidify in your memory for easy retrieval during your exam.

The best proof I have of this was when I was memorizing my script for elevator pitch competitions. I’d have 90 seconds to spit out 300 words about my idea to the judges. If I stumbled at all, there went the precious seconds that I could’ve invested into my closing sentence. I’d do it over and over again, becoming increasingly frustrated with myself when I messed up. I remember heading to bed the night before getting roughly 90% of the words correct. I’d wake up on the day of and, without looking at my script, my first try would easily be 95% right with only a few minor mistakes.

See the Big Picture

Exam success comes to those who effectively play the game. Not soccer, WOW, LOL or any other palindromic named computer game, but the game of writing exams. Our education system (higher education in particular) is continually growing in student population with bigger class sizes each year. With this, exams often don’t effectively test if you can think critically, analyze problems as one would in the real world, or require higher-level thinking.

So how do you effectively play the game? Know your professor’s style, ask questions about the format, look at past exams if available, and understand the slides and teaching materials to the best of your ability. Memorize where and when you need to, understand how to do key problems, and make sure that you know the core concepts and techniques of the course.

These are the study techniques and tips I used throughout my undergrad and with my tight study group – we all did okay.

Photo credit: Studying at Concordia University, Montreal by Concordia University on Flickr

Lululemon water bottles. Roots shopping bags. Pinterest boards dedicated solely to this concept. Quotes at the bottom of email signatures. We can’t seem to get enough motivational quotes.

When the motivational quote trend first took off, I thought it was stupid.

I thought people would know to drink fresh water without having their water bottle tell them to. I figured the idea that friends were more important than money was common sense and not something that needed to be proclaimed on a gym bag. I assumed people naturally did things they enjoyed without relying on their desk calendar to put this idea in their head.

I still feel this way to an extent, however, as a recent and lost-feeling graduate, have come to realize the power these words have.

I can’t even begin to count the number of times I’ve read someone’s Lululemon shopping bag, yet every time I see that “Dance, Sing, Floss & Travel” part it genuinely makes me want to sing and dance. It motivates me to start saving up for a new trip. It even encourages me to improve my dental hygiene.

Seeing these four words together, for whatever reason, makes me believe that everything is going to be okay. I don’t need to have it all figured out yet. Things will happen when they happen and in the meantime there is so much else to be enjoyed. It genuinely comforts me and makes me see that although student life is over, new grad life can be simpler than we always make it out to be.

All this from a reusable shopping bag! Imagine what I could get from a suitcase.

Recently I stumbled upon the commencement speech Ellen Degeneres made at Tulane University in New Orleans. It is hilarious but equally encouraging.

She states that when she was younger she had no ambition and no idea where she was heading. She has changed. Her idea of success has changed. She has over 11 million followers on Facebook today, but at one point she had zero and lived alone in a basement apartment. Hearing her outline her own struggles was extremely reassuring to me and made me believe that I would “find myself” one day. Again, the power of someone else’s words – and some motivational student quotes – stepped into play.

Essays, exams and a budget that only covers canned soup for lunch can accumulate into low spirits. Sometimes an all-day bender of “Sex and the City” with cake for dinner is all it takes to push your spirits back to soaring. However, sometimes the fix isn’t quite as easy as that.

When you are entering the graduation phase and haven’t a clue what to say when people ask you what’s next on the agenda, it’s easy to feel discouraged. However, sometimes a good motivational quote for any student can make all the difference. Trust me. I’ve sang, danced, travelled and flossed my way into happiness on numerous occasions. Lululemon’s got my back.

Top 10 motivational quotes for students and new grads:

“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” –Vincent Van Gogh

“Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.” –Mark Twain

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” –Winston Churchill

“Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living the result of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinion drowned your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” –Steve Jobs

“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” –Alexander Graham Bell

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresea, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.” –H. Jackson Brown Jr.

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” –Thomas A. Edison

“If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.” –Nora Roberts

“Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” –Christian D. Larson

“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” –C.S. Lewis

What’s your favourite motivational quote for students and recent graduates? Share it in the comments!

Photo Credit: Notebook collection by Dvortygirl on Flickr

It’s easy to fall asleep with your textbook on your face, or focus more on perfecting that homemade apple crisp than perfecting your math formulas.

Everyone has their own best practices when it comes to studying, so we asked around to find some common strategies for success when it comes to burying yourself in your books.

1. Find your study spot

The first step to successful studying is finding a spot that is study-specific and has limited distractions. You might even want to disconnect your WiFi and put your phone on airplane mode for an hour or two. Crazy, I know, but it will help you stay focused.

2. Review the main concepts

Reading through your notes and refreshing your memory on major concepts will make filling in the details later on that much easier. There’s no sense in memorizing the dates of John Cabot’s discoveries if you can’t even recall what he did.

3. Change up the lingo

Reviewing concepts by using everyday language ensures you understand it. Furthermore, doing this helps you remember things more easily.

For example, if your philosophy textbook reads, “Relativism is the concept that points of view have no absolute truth or validity, having only relative, subjective value according to differences in perception and consideration,” an easier way of saying this might be “Relativism means that your point of view is only your personal perception, and has no absolute truth or validity.”

4. Speak out loud

Calling Helgason, a second-year Biology student at Trent University, says when she doesn’t understand a concept she reads it out loud. “Talking through my notes breaks down the concepts and makes it easier to understand,” she says.

This was a personal strategy of mine as well. I would pretend I was explaining something to someone else and, in turn, ended up learning it myself – a tad embarrassing when the roommates walked in, but the good grades made up for my rosy cheeks. That being said, be aware of your surroundings. This might not fly too well in the quiet section of the library, but on your porch it’s A-OK.

5. Rewrite your notes

Sandy Silveira, a student in the Early Childhood Education program at Ryerson University, says when she studies she likes to write things out as well as saying them because it helps her remember them better.

Julie Dang, a Mathematical Science student at Western University, echoes this idea by stating that her strategy is to flip back through her textbooks and focus on everything that she highlighted when she initially did her readings. Then she writes out all the terminology and various formulas. “I do study questions over and over and over again,” Julie says. “I review my notes, and then I do more questions. Constantly practicing the formulas is the best way to remember them.”

6. Take breaks

You can’t run on the treadmill for hours on end and your brain can’t work out for that long either. It needs a break (Tetris, anyone?) as well as hydration (water, coffee and perhaps even an ice cream cone?). Allow your brain time to refresh and when you come back to the books, quickly recap what you learned before your break. This will make it stick even more.

7. Give yourself the gift of time

Look at what you need to study for a couple weeks before the actual exam. Allot some time each day to study and review different things. Every day you can recap what you learned the day before and build on it instead of cramming everything in the day before your test.

Happy studying!

What are your best tips for studying success? Leave them in the comments below.

Photo credit: greenasian on Flickr 

The theme of both adages is relationships. The bonds you form at the office can make you – or break you.

Your success will depend on the relationships you develop with people, just as much as how well you do your job. In fact—it’s not necessarily fair—but your ability to politic, to manage your relationships with others, is often more a determinant of your success than your ability to do your job.

So, before you accept any invitations to lunch, read the warnings below about who you should avoid.

The Newscarrier

Profile:

The Newscarrier is friendly, charming, and informative. It may be tempting to align with this person because they seem to know everything about everyone and everything.

The age range of the Newscarrier varies. The older ones will be able to tell you the starting work dates of just about everyone in the office, who’s divorced and why, what the terms of these divorces are, what the upcoming staff meeting will be about—even though the agenda hasn’t been created yet—and whose being considered for the next big promotion.

The repertoire of younger newscarriers is typically limited to personal information about others, depending on the amount of time they’ve been with the company.

The Newscarrier is likely to be the head of the proverbial Welcoming Committee. They will try to “get to know you” when you first arrive. They will ask all sorts of personal questions—if you’re married, if you have children, where you went to school—questions that have nothing to do with either of your tasks.

The answer to these questions is information people learn as they gradually get to know each other. The Newscarrier is asking these questions because these are areas of their own life that are miserable. And since people spend more time at work than at home, the work place is the perfect place to manifest symptoms of misery.

There is a certain advantage—even a skill—to being able to gain such privileged information. But newscarriers use their power for evil, and that’s where the danger lies. Newscarriers are excited by the sound of people snickering behind someone’s back. You may feel like you can use the information this person provides to get a leg up on the competition. But, this person is your competition disguised as a helpful insider. You’re competing with their ill intentions. You just don’t realize it.

Backstory:

The Newscarrier is a very unhappy person who has learned to get attention by telling other people’s business. The Newscarrier has been able to keep his or her job because their charm and knack for obtaining personal and privileged information has made them appear useful. Another motivation for the Newscarrier may be a sense of worthlessness. Newscarriers—a.k.a. gossipers—at work as in other aspects of their life—typically have nothing worthwhile happening in their own life, and they’re not willing to change so that they can have a more fulfilling life, so they concentrate on the lives of others. They have decided that tearing others down is more useful, or at least more fun.

The Newscarrier’s lack of competence is covered by their ability to be informative. Managers may see their ability and willingness to provide information about others as an asset.

Why this person is dangerous:

Gossip is demoralizing, even if it is true. Some truths are best left unsaid, and just plain out none of anyone’s business, until the person the business belongs to decides that it is others’ business. The person being talked about is impacted by feelings of embarrassment and anxiety. Co-workers become uncomfortable around the person being gossiped about, which further deteriorates relationships. Colleagues also begin to turn their attention away from their work, and start to focus on whether or not “the news” is true and what to do if the news is true. The onslaught of “news” is draining. Everyone’s productivity is diminished.  The only people more dangerous than the Newscarrier are the people who encourage and spread the information this heathen provides.

How to manage this personality:

Don’t ask, and don’t tell! Give information out on a need-to-know-basis. Don’t be fooled by the fact that the Newscarrier will shamelessly provide you with information, making you feel as if you should in turn provide information. The Newscarrier is no stranger to shame and does not care if their business is repeated, so you are not doing him or her any favors by balancing the conversation with information about yourself and others.

Most importantly, make it clear that you are not interested in receiving information that is not directly intended to enhance your performance or work life. This is difficult, because gossip is usually entertaining, and we live in a society that teaches us to be polite, even when others are not.

Most people are not trained to say things like:  “I’m sorry. I’m not into talking about people.” Try saying something like:  “Does [Person X] know you’re going around telling people this?” or “I’m not sure I wanna hear this.” Refuse to lend your ear to the Newscarrier.

Have you ever encountered a Newscarrier at work? How did you handle them? Share your experience in the comments section below!

Stay tuned for parts 2-4 in our series about which personality types to avoid at work!

Photo credit: drip&ju