A Key to Success - Time Management

 

iStudiez Pro

As a college student, one of the most challenging and critical habits of success is time management.  CCV students are often juggling multiple priorities – kids, work, class time, homework, and family.  The most successful students do not underestimate the number of hours they will need to spend on studying and completing assignments outside of class – 6 to 9 hours per week per class. 

To help you manage all of your obligations and keep track of all you have to do, you need a time management system that allows you to stay on top of your game.

•   The CCV Student Planner is a great free tool to help you track your assignments and obligations.  The planner has the added benefit of providing the CCV Handbook, CCV policies and procedures, and tips and tricks for student success.  Pick up a planner in your CCV academic center.
•   Google Calendar is another powerful time management tool - and it's free.  Google Calendar allows you to view obligations in a daily, weekly, or monthly format.  Users can also create and track tasks and print an agenda that serves as a to-do list.  You can access your calendar from any computer with your Google username and password, and you can even load Facebook events onto the calendar with the click of a button.
• iStudiez Pro for Windows, Mac, iPhone, and iPad has been rated the Best College App by readers of BestAppEver.com.   iStudiez allows you to sync across devices and organizes your daily schedule, calendar by semester, assignments, grades and instructor information. ($2.99 in iTunes, $7.99 for Windows).
• Studious is a to-do tool for Android devices.  This free app tracks your schedule, including upcoming homework deadlines – and it can also be used for managing notes.  One of the cooler features is the ringer automation; the app automatically turns your phone to silent when you’re in class.

Once you’ve decided on a time management system – use it!  

Create a plan for the semester.  Enter class meetings, assignments, deadlines, exams, work hours, etc.  Be sure to break larger assignments into smaller chunks and assign deadlines to each step of the assignment.

1.       If you are using an electronic tool, transfer all of your information during the first week of the semester.  Be sure you can view commitments by day, week, or month.

2.       Highlight the most important deadlines and activities.  Consider color coding by category.

3.       Create to-do lists – either on paper or using your app.  Weekly and daily to-do lists are best.  You will soon discover the immense satisfaction that comes with crossing completed tasks off your lists.

4.       Finally, if you are using an app tool, back everything up by syncing all of your devices.

Do you have a system that works for you?  Have you found a great app that keeps you organized?  Let us know.

Source:
Gardner, John N., and Betsy O. Barefoot. Your College Experience. Boston: Bedford St. Martins, 2014. Print.

A Time to Serve: MLK Day

Let’s be honest –it is sometimes easy to feel like we don’t have a voice or we can’t impact or help fix the woes of the world.  I’m a realist.  I know that I am not going to single-handedly end world hunger tomorrow (even though that would be incredibly cool), but I do know that I can help hungry families in my community.  Perhaps I won’t wake up and end global warming, but I could work to raise awareness about the causes and consequences of global warming.  I could even contact a legislator and advocate for stronger environmental legislation or circulate a petition to support an environmental bill.  We all have the ability to impact other individuals, strengthen our communities, create solutions to social problems, and shed light on social injustices. I know this and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. certainly knew this.

Monday, January 19, 2015, marks the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday (MLK Day).  Dr. King spent his life serving others.  He fought for the rights and justices of all people, and he inspired hundreds of thousands of people to stand with him in the Civil Rights Movement.  In recognition of Dr. King’s legacy, Congress designated MLK Day as a day of service – a day for Americans to volunteer and come together to solve problems.  A day to make a difference.

Many of us aren’t able to volunteer on MLK Day – and that’s okay.  The spirit of MLK Day invites us to volunteer in our communities on any day.  If you are wondering how you can squeeze volunteering into your schedule or why you should squeeze volunteering into your schedule, you should not feel guilty.  It’s okay to ask, “What’s in it for me?” because the answer is – a lot is in it for you.

Schoolhouse Rock: The Preamble

Most Americans recognize the opening words to the Preamble to the Constitution:

We the People, of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility…

However, while most American recognize the words, they might not recognize that the words are from the Preamble to the Constitution. According to the U.S. Senate Reference, “the Preamble explains the purposes of the Constitution, and defines the powers of the new government as originating from the people of the United States.”

If you need a refresher on the significance of The Preamble, this oldie but goodie Schoolhouse Rock song can jog your memory.

Happy Constitution Day!

September 17, 2014, marks the 227^th anniversary of our nation’s founding document.  On September 17, 1787, the U.S. Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution.  Constitution Day has shared some really interesting Constitutional facts:

• The U.S. Constitution has 4,400 words. It is the oldest and shortest written Constitution of any major government in the world."
• The oldest person to sign the Constitution was Benjamin Franklin (81). The youngest was Jonathan Dayton of New Jersey (26).
• Although Benjamin Franklin’s mind remained active, his body was deteriorating. He was in constant pain because of gout and having a stone in his bladder, and he could barely walk. He would enter the convention hall in a sedan chair carried by four prisoners from the Walnut Street jail in Philadelphia.
• When the Constitution was signed, the United States’ population was 4 million. It is now more than 309 million. Philadelphia was the nation’s largest city, with 40,000 inhabitants.
• Four of the signers of the Constitution were born in Ireland.
• There was initially a question as to how to address the President. The Senate proposed that he be addressed as “His Highness the President of the United States of America and Protector of their Liberties.” Both the House of Representatives and the Senate compromised on the use of “President of the United States.”
• A proclamation by President George Washington and a congressional resolution established the first national Thanksgiving Day on November 26, 1789. The reason for the holiday was to give “thanks” for the new Constitution.

If you’d like to learn more about the Constitution, visit Constitution Day.  Here you can read the Constitution and Amendments, the Declaration of Independence and learn more about the different facets of our government.  You can even discover your inner founding father and test your Constitutional IQ.

Happy Constitution Day!

Powerful Reasons for Completing your CCV Associate Degree

FACT:  60 Percent of Jobs by 2020 Will Require a College Credential

Students who complete their associate degree can expect to earn as much as $8,000 more per year and about $400,000 more in a lifetime than a high school graduate.

People change jobs up to 10 times in their working lives – and when you are job-hunting, a college degree will always give you an edge.

People with associate degrees are more likely to retain jobs.  Unemployment for community college graduates is typically 30% lower than for high school grads.

Research shows that students who transfer from a community college to a 4-year institution are more successful and more likely to earn their bachelor’s degree if they earn their associate degree before transfer.

Associate degree holders open doors for their children.  Children of college graduates are more likely to graduate themselves.

Associate degree holders gain the personal satisfaction of reaching an educational goal and having something tangible to show for it – something valued by employers, scholarship officials, and transfer recruiters.

The health of degree holders and their families’ health will improve.  Research links greater educational attainment to longer life, healthful eating, exercising, and avoiding risk factors.  

You’ll be an educated, prepared, and higher-paid employee, helping the national workforce be competitive and productive in a global economy.

Congratulations on your commitment to earning a CCV Associate Degree.  If you have not yet registered for fall courses, register now!

 

Adapted from http://www.cccompletioncorps.org/.

6 Reasons You Didn't Get the Internship (& What to Do Next Time)

(from Vermont Business for Social Responsibility; adapted from www.hercampus.com) 

You've spent the last few months sending out countless resumes and cover letters, you've interviewed with hiring managers and you dutifully followed up afterwards with polite emails. But before you know it, summer is around the corner and that internship offer you expected to have is nowhere in sight! What happened?

We all know that the internship world is extremely competitive, and trying to land a summer gig at a great company can feel like trying to get an acceptance letter from Harvard. Even if you feel like you have the total package, there are a few things you might be doing (or not doing) that are standing between you and an offer. Read on to find out which mistakes you might be making during the internship application process and how you can step up your game next time to make sure you get the job!

1. You didn't research the company beforehand

One major thing that employers look for in a potential job candidate is knowledge of the company and the position you're applying for, so getting caught off guard by a basic question about the company's values or mission statement is going to raise a red flag.

"A candidate can look fantastic on paper, but preparing for the interview is critical," says Alicia Rodriguez, director of employer relations at the University of Miami's career center. "Recruiters look for candidates who know the organization in and out and can speak to how [their] skill sets can benefit the organization."

Tip for next time: Research, research, research! Knowledge is power, and knowing as much as you can about the company you're applying to work for can only help you. Familiarize yourself with the company's mission statement, know who the head of the company is as well as other important employees and be prepared to discuss the company's values (and how they line up with your own). A great place to find this information is the "About" section on a company's website, as well as its LinkedIn page.

You should also find out if the company has been in the news recently for any major accomplishments. Not only is this a great talking point, but showing that you've read up on the company is a surefire way to impress your interviewer. 

2. You didn't seem passionate about the company