Posts Tagged ‘Facebook’
3 Things I Wish I’d Known Freshman Year: The Technology Edition
Technology definitely has its place in today’s college environment, and it is important to stay on top of the latest advances to stay on top of your game.
#1: Online banking is your best friend.
Freshman year, I learned that there are many things I could do from the warm comfort of my own bed. Keeping track my bank account was one of them. I wish I’d known from the beginning how great of a resource online banking could be. When you are managing your money for the first time, it is very convenient to have a way to access account information from wherever you can connect to the Internet. Depending on weather conditions, your level of laziness, and the location of the nearest bank or ATM on campus, you may not always be able to make frequent visits and have an idea of where you stand financially. Create an online account with your bank, and you will always be able to make smart spending decisions.
#2: Other people can see your computer screen.
I have quite a few friends who had bad computer experiences freshman year. With the increasing popularity of Facebook and other social media websites, it is always important to remember that others can see what (and more importantly WHOM) you are looking at. You may assume that the people around you are paying attention to what is going on in class or in their studies at the library, but odds are if you are doing your own thing, they probably are, too. Unfortunately, this means they might be taking in their surroundings, including whatever is going on on your computer screen. There’s nothing wrong with checking your Facebook in public, but it’s WHOSE profile you’re looking at that can potentially get you into trouble. It’s impossible to know who around you will have a connection to the face on your screen, and in the small college environment, odds are it will somehow get back to them that you were checking them out.
#3: You don’t always have to be attached to your cell phone.
Building new relationships is one of the hardest parts of starting freshman year. Although you may be used to constantly texting friends on your cell phone, it is definitely a good idea to put it away when you’re out meeting new people. It is not necessary to always be talking to people who are not immediately around you, and you will come off as more interesting and more engaged if your focus is on the conversation you’re having in person instead of the conversation you’re having on your phone.
5 Ways to Get to Know Your RA!
Photo: snead.edu
Your RA is your Resident Assistant (or Resident Advisor). They are upperclassmen that live in residence halls and dorms with underclassmen. RA’s have been trained to resolve disputes between students, uphold housing guidelines, and give you any and all advice you require as a freshman. Your RA is a terrific resource for all things college and will be there for you if anything goes wrong. Here are five ways you can get to know him or her better.
1. Attend meetings your RA arranges. It might feel silly or lame, but go anyway! Especially at the beginning of the school year. She will have important information on dorm rules and will share something about herself. Like a professor, your RA will have certain hours she is available to you and can point out special tips for your specific dormitory.
2. Friend your RA on Facebook. If she’s on your news feed, you can see what sorts of activities she is involved in and invite her to your own! You can also message her privately if you have an issue you don’t feel comfortable talking about in person. However, keep in mind Cappex’s tips on How to Use Social Media Effectively. Your posts are available for all eyes on Facebook – including your RA.
3. Ask about her major and extra-curricular activities. Finding out that your RA has similar interests (football!) and stressors (bio exams!) will make her more accessible. Take it from Kaitlin Travers, who wrote an article for USA Today’s College section last year on being an RA. Instead of power hungry tyrants, Kaitlin proves that RA’s are college students just like you.
4. Use your RA and their training! Don’t be shy. If you have any sort of question or issue, check with your RA first. Chances are she is eager to help and will have an answer for you. You’ll get to know her problem solving strategies and how she interacts with you.
5. Invite your RA to a study session. Since they are upperclassmen, RA’s might have insight into study tools to use or great professors to take. They also might have experience working internships or be able to share their experience being an RA! Being an RA is a great way to save money on room and board during college.
Bottom line? Your RA doesn’t have to be a stranger. She also doesn’t have to be your best friend! But RA’s are definitely a good resource and will work with you if you work with them.
Have any RA success stories? Share them here!
Are you an RA? How do you like it?
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How to Use Social Media Effectively
Photo: blog.socialmaximizer.com
Social Media: web and mobile technologies that promote interactive communication between communities, companies, groups, and individuals. Social media sites include everything from Facebook to Twitter, LinkedIn to YouTube, Flickr to Pinterest, and many more.
As a college student, you may use social media sites for fun and entertainment at first. Facebook is an extremely popular way to get to know fellow students you meet around campus.
However, you are also entering a new stage in your life. What you say, do, type, and post online carries weight and can follow you for years down the road. It is important to be savvy as you navigate the online world of social media.
Remember that you may be a college freshman now, but in four years you will be a college graduate competing with the rest of the world for a job. Before graduation, you will probably apply for internships. Employers are not strangers to social media and can easily look up your online profiles if they so choose. Stay one step ahead and protect yourself from potential pitfalls of social media.
DO NOT
- Don’t hide behind your computer. When you type comments or blog personal feelings from the safety of your living room, make sure they are things you’d say in real life, too.
- Don’t post questionable photos. Photos of students partying or making crude poses might be funny in the moment, but if they go up on your Facebook timeline, they will reflect on who you are and how you spend your time.
- Don’t go overboard. This applies to any student currently internship or job hunting. If you post too frequently or bombard your contacts with information, this may turn them off to the prospect of being connected to you.
DO
- Be yourself! Just because you are wary of what you post doesn’t mean you have to turn into a drone. Maintain your personality on your online profiles! People use social media to get to know you as much as they can before they meet you. Keep that concept in mind when interacting online. Use it to your advantage.
- Watch the time. Use social media, then take a break. The world outside awaits! Also, when contacting potential employers, be mindful of the time of day. Sending an email at 2am might give off the impression that you are a night owl. This is not necessarily good or bad – just be mindful that they may interpret it one way or the other.
- Take your time. If you are about to post something in the heat of an intense moment, save it as a draft or come back later. Again, once it’s out there, it’s out there!
Social media can definitely be harnessed to help you find work and meet amazing people. Use it to your benefit, not to destroy your stellar reputation.
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Staying Motivated During Your Scholarship Search
Photo: education-portal.com
The scholarship search can be a long and exhausting process. All those websites to search through…all those criteria to read…all those forms to fill out…. You may not want to hear this, but applying for scholarships is supposed to be difficult – you need to put forth a lot of effort in order to get rewarded. Because it’s such hard work, it can be easy to lose focus and fall behind on your search sometimes. Don’t let it all get to you! Follow these tips to keep yourself motivated and on track throughout your scholarship search.
Search early. Search often.
Start your scholarship search as early as you can. You’ll begin finding a large number scholarships once you’ve hit your junior year of high school. Throughout your junior year, make it a point to search for new scholarships about once every two weeks. Your senior year is when you’ll start to find tons more scholarships. At this point, it’s a good idea to search for scholarships at least once a week. At Cappex, we add tons of new scholarships each week, so be sure to check if any of the new ones apply to you. Continuously seeing new scholarships that you qualify for provides great motivation to keep up with your search. There’s always more to find!
Track. Track. Track.
Keep your own list of all the scholarships on your plate. Create a table or a chart that lists all the scholarships you will apply for, those you’ve already applied for, and even those you’re interested in or unsure about. Sort them by the deadline date so you can manage your time effectively. Put a nice big check mark next to those you’ve applied for. Checking items off your to-do list is an excellent way to see how much you’ve accomplished.
Budget your time.
Schedule a specific time of each week to work on your scholarship search and applications. For example, every Sunday night, you could devote two or three hours to your scholarship search and working on applications. Once you’ve set that time, stick to it! Scheduling something in this manner provides structure, and adhering to that schedule you set for yourself ensures that you will always be on top of your search. If you don’t have hours at a time to devote to your scholarship essays and applications, divide the work up into smaller chunks, such as an hour a night. Spreading out the work like this helps keep you energized and allows you to look at your work with fresh eyes each time you begin again.
Take a break.
Your eyes might be a bit glassy. You might be a bit tired. For those times when you end up spending many hours on an application or an essay, don’t forget to take a break to refresh yourself. A break doesn’t mean browsing through your Facebook feed though! Step away from your computer and get your blood flowing again. For example, getting up and walking around your house for a little while, getting a snack or a beverage, splashing your face with cold water, walking up and down a flight of stairs a couple times, or going outside for a few minutes helps you decompress. When you return to your work, you’ll feel more energized and motivated to keep sprinting toward the finish line.
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Return of the Computer Science Major
The last decade or so has proven to be nothing short of a roller-coaster of ups and downs for computer science departments at colleges and universities across the country.
According to USNews.com, the number of computer science majors has returned to and, in many cases nationally, exceeded the enrollment high-water mark previously set during the “dot-com” boom of the early 2000s. This rebirth is particularly noteworthy given that the upswing comes after enrollment numbers in 2005 were at their lowest since the early 1970s.
The report cites the strengthening economy and job market in technological fields as explanations, even in the midst of a broader economy still widely regarded as less than stellar. Further, the growing impact of social media platforms and increasingly ubiquitous mobile applications have sparked interest, as many students set sights on creating the next Facebook or Instagram.
Learn about schools with Computer Science programs at Cappex!
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Can Facebook Affect Your Grades?
How many hours a day would you say you spend on Facebook? If you actually logged your hours Facebook-ing, you might be frightened to realize the amount of time you spend on the social networking site. But it’s not just Facebook. There’s Twitter, Reddit, Foursquare, that kid in your history class’s obscure blog about stingrays. You’ve got places to be, people to see! At least, online you do.
So what’s the effect that social media has on students?
According to OnlineEducation.net, there are some negative effects of students who pair studying with Facebook. In fact, students who do this specific type of multitasking earned 20% lower grades than their peers who were able to focus on their homework without the distraction.
If being online so frequently can affect grades, who knows what effect it may have on other things, like your relationships, your health and getting down to business on that college search or job search!
Do you think Facebook or other social media are affecting your study habits or grades? Comment and share your thoughts!
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Does Updating Your Facebook Status Make You a Happier College Student?
That’s a ridiculous question…but does it?
Considering how often college students–or college-bound students, or middle schoolers or even toddlers–are on Facebook or other social networks, most people would assume time spent surfing the waves of the World Wide Web would have a negative effect on a person. That’s not necessarily the case.
According to eCampus News, a recent study at Cornell University demonstrated that of three groups of students–one group with a blank computer screen, one group with a mirror in the place of a computer screen, and one with access to Facebook, the college students who were able to log in to Facebook and update their status provided significantly more positive feedback about themselves later on during the study.
Researchers believe these findings to come from the possibility that the students who were able to log in to Facebook were able to put their best face forward. After all, we have control over whatever status we type in. On the contrary, the students who had to look into the mirror were forced to look at their actual selves, no masks.
The ability to edit your profile to make it say exactly what you want and a choose a profile picture to reflect exactly how you wish to express yourself makes people feel better about themselves because they get to show the people on their social network the image they purposefully construct.
Does updating your status make you happier? What would you think makes college students happier?
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Can Facebook Threaten your Campus Security?
If a friend posts something on your Facebook wall, how likely are you to click the link? Pretty likely, right? You should realize that there are “bad” links out there. Sometimes a post on your wall from a friend might actually be a virus, like, say, “Hey, [Insert name]! I got this totally chill deal on an iPad. It was free! Just click this link for the deets!” If you click on rogue links, they’ll steal your information, and in turn, affect your college campus’s security.
These deceitful Facebook links—posted by hackers who have stolen student login information—have become a primary concern among campus technology leaders, and some colleges and universities are using security programs that isolate student computers before they do damage to the entire campus network.
Much like hackers have used suspicious eMail messages to solicit personal information from web users, spammers are now “clickjacking” Facebook accounts and posting links to friends’ Facebook pages. It appears to Facebook users that a friend has shared something with them—perhaps a contest to win a cruise or an Apple iPad. If they click the link, their information is stolen, and the process begins again…
…
Hackers “want you to jump off of the Facebook server and jump onto another server, so it can take your [information],” said Frank Andrus, chief technology officer for Bradford Networks.
Facebook apps can be a source of malware on campus networks, but an application launched last fall claims to scan Facebook news feeds for infected links or posts.
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