Featured Posts in Students

ReadyForZero for iPhone Helps You Get Control of Your Debt from Your Pocket

In Iphone Downloads, Debt, Personal Finance, Downloads, Iphone, Ipod Touch, Ios, Debt Management, Students, College, College Loans, / 22 May 2012 / 0 comments

iOS: Previously mentioned debt-management webapp ReadyForZero has come to the iPhone to help you stay on top of your financial obligations anywhere you take your mobile device. It assists by tracking payment due dates, showing you an overall look at your current debt situation, and reminding you when it's time for a payment so you can ensure you don't miss it.

If you're not familiar with ReadyForZero, the concept is pretty simple: you tell it how much money you owe and who you owe it to and it helps you put a plan together to pay it off. It's a really handy, free tool that's only been on the web until recently. The iPhone app is more of an extension to the webapp, as it mainly tracks your debt elimination progress and helps you remember what you need to do. It doesn't allow you to fully manage your account, but this is fine. Once you're set up you won't need to make frequent changes to your account, but rather stick to the plan you have in place. What would be nice, however, is if the app allowed you to make payments directly from your phone (where possible) instead of just letting you know it needs to be done. Hopefully we'll see that in the future.

For now, it's a very handy extension to an already great webapp. If you're struggling with debt—which is especially likely with recent college grads—check it out and start getting a plan together.

ReadyForZero | iTunes App Store
What Employers Look for in Entry-Level Job Candidates

In Job Search, Infographic, Jobs, Students, Internships, Communication, Communication Skills, Debt Management, Students, College, College Loans, / 16 May 2012 / 0 comments

Millennial Branding and Experience Inc. surveyed 225 employers to find out what's most important to them when they hire students or others for entry-level jobs. "Soft skills" like communication and teamwork were ranked even higher than education, and almost all employers said students should have at least one internship before they graduate.

An internship can be a great way to get a job, especially if you have no relevant experience. 91% of the employers surveyed said students should have between one and two internships under their belt, and those internships should be at least three months. 82% of the employers said they hire interns for full-time positions, although half of them haven't hired interns in the last six months.

However, keep in mind that relevant courses and recommendations matter more than internship experience. GPA doesn't seem to matter as much though.

If you're looking for an entry-level job, be sure to brush up on your communication skills and prepare to demonstrate your positive attitude, adaptability, and teamwork skills. Think of examples from past experience that can show off those critical skills.

Here's all the survey data in infographic form (click to expand or right-click to save):

Soft skills still outweigh education in entry-level hires: infographic | Econsultancy
Drink Water to Improve Test Scores

In Health, Brain Hacks, Mind Hacks, Students, Tests, Communication, Communication Skills, Debt Management, Students, College, College Loans, / 10 May 2012 / 0 comments
Bring a bottle of water with you to your next exam and you may boost your test score, according to a new study from the University of East London. Students who brought water with them did better on an exam than those who forgot their water bottles.

The researchers accounted for the 447 undergraduate students' prior grades, so it's not just a matter of smarter students being more likely to bring a bottle of water.

Lead researcher Dr. Chris Pawson explains there may be a couple of reasons for this link between bringing water (and presumably drinking it) and better grades:
- Drinking water might have a physiological effect on the brain's cognitive functions. (Previous studies have shown that a dehydration level of just 1% of your body weight reduces your thinking functions, so it makes sense that being well-hydrated is important for your mental performance.)
- It's possible also that drinking water can reduce anxiety during test-taking. Psychology Today explains: "By offering a momentary distraction, [taking a sip of water] can break a chain of thoughts and free the mind to focus on the task, leading to better performance."
Drinking water might also also just activate a placebo affect, Psychology Today suggests. If you believe water boosts your brain power, that belief alone could improve your performance.

Either way, don't forget that bottle of water on your next test.

Bring water into exams to improve your grade | University of East London via Psychology Today

Photo by Kevin Vertucio
Get a GPA Boost Just By Picking The Right Roommate

In College, Students, Gpa, Studying, Tests, Communication, Communication Skills, Debt Management, Students, College, College Loans, / 26 April 2012 / 0 comments

Here's an easy way to increase your grade-point average: Find a smart roommate with good study skills. A study of Dartmouth College students by economist Bruce Sacerdote suggests that roommates' study habits rub off on each other, influencing their GPAs.

Sacerdote looked at roommates who were randomly paired at the beginning of the year and looked for behaviors and traits they shared at the end of the year. The roommates didn't influence each other in some behaviors, like choice of major, but, as Shawn Achor summarizes in The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work:

He found that when students with low grade-point averages simply began rooming with higher-scoring students, their grade-point averages increased. These students, according to the researchers, "appeared to infect each other with good and bad study habits-such that a roommate with a high grade-point average would drag upward the G.P.A. of his lower-scoring roommate."

The study also found that roommates influenced each other's decisions on joining social organizations (e.g., fraternities) too.

You can view the published study (a PDF) below to read all about infectious study habits and the subtle influence your roommate can have on your GPA.

Peer Effects with Random Assignment: Results for Dartouth Roommates | The National Bureau of Economic Research via Barking Up The Wrong Tree

Photo by Crossett Library Bennington College