Good Writing on the Web Matters

I wrote in my last article that intelligent writing could get you positive attention. Let me explain what I meant by that.
I appreciate good writing, and I love the act of writing, but it’s frustrating. It seems that, in a lot of ways, we’re getting more noise than signal. One-click publishing is easy, but has it made things too easy? You could open Tumblr or Posterous or WordPress, create a new post, write whatever you want, and click – it’s on your site. You don’t have to put too much thought into it, and that is starting to worry me.

Looking back on my last post, “intelligent writing” was not the best phrase to use. I used it in place of something I had in mind but couldn’t put into words at the time. Passionate or thoughtful writing is a better and more accurate phrase.
Your site could be devoted to a broad topic – technology, politics, religion, what have you – and from there you write long or short-form articles expressing your thoughts on whatever tickles your fancy. If you’re knowledgeable about the topic and it’s clear you’re passionate about it, you could gain a large following, allowing you to make connections that never would have been made had you not committed to writing in the first place. But it can’t happen if you don’t put in the appropriate time and effort.
Writing on the web matters. We’ve come to the point where anybody can create a blog and publish anything under the sun, but how much of it is constructive? There’s nothing wrong with somebody starting a blog to post all the silly videos they find on YouTube throughout the day, but if you want to call yourself a writer, the first (and only) step is to write.

A little extra patience usually pays off.

The writing could be personal, or it could be about Apple, or Google, or religion, or politics: you can write about whatever you want, as long as you choose to write and put more than a minute’s worth of thought into it.
You can’t expect to improve as a writer if you don’t write. To paraphrase Merlin Mann: “A writer is someone who writes. When you’re not writing, you’re someone who calls himself a writer.” It’s a huge difference.
If there’s one thing I could ask of you, if you’re interested in writing and want to start your own site, it’s to let signal trump noise. You may not feel original to begin with, but it takes a long time to find your own identity as a writer on the web, especially when you’re one of the countless people who are publishing their writing on their own terms.
It’s a lot harder to be honest with yourself as a writer than it is to post link bait, but it’s always worth it in the end.

6 Hobbies Students Can Enjoy When Not in Class

Time spent away from class or studying can be boring, particularly if you’ve got no pressing assignments or due dates, or if you’re tired of constant video games or movies. The following is a list of a few hobbies that even a broke student can get into and have fun experimenting with.

1. Photography

If you can find an inexpensive camera or have a phone with a built-in camera, you can snap a lot of pictures. Now that digital photography has largely replaced film, you can take 10 shots instead of trying to get the illusive “one perfect shot.”
Try taking a dozen different angles of a single object, from below — as if you were half an inch tall. Or try taking a picture of a tree from the highest branch you can climb to, for an inside view that’s hard to duplicate. Experimenting is what’s great about being a photographer.

2. Writing and Journaling

If you have something to say, immortalize it through the written word. Far too many people think they have nothing to contribute to society, but there are plenty of angles that still haven’t been explored. If nothing else, getting your thoughts on paper or a screen can help you learn about yourself and make more sense of life. Gaining more perspective is a solid use of time.

3. Coaching a Sport

Have you ever considered taking up coaching as a hobby? It is a lot of work, but the reward of watching your athletes learn lessons is very gratifying. This isn’t even counting the thrill of victory, which can be downright palpable. Knowing that each member of the team is succeeding that much more because of your help and honest feedback is a rush that’s hard to top.

4. Pop Off Some Rounds

When you pick up a BB gun and airsoft accessories, you can have some simple fun without all of the social implications of most of these hobbies. Just go pop off some rounds and hit some targets, and watch the stresses in life melt away. It’s a lot cheaper than a regular firearm, and a good deal safer.

5. Baking

Baking breads, rolls, and other things is a fun little task that involves a little chemistry, a few ingredients, and a lot of potential for creativity. When your baked goods make people happy and you can enjoy having a nice finished product, it’s a great feeling that’s hard to top. While baking isn’t quite as good as coaching, you might enjoy some banana bread more than trying to eat a trophy.

6. Find a Way to Help Someone

Helping people goes back to the same joy that coaching inspires. But when you volunteer somewhere, you can really make a difference in the lives of people who might need the extra help but have no money to give. While kids can find another coach, you might be the first person to show concern for society’s downtrodden in a long time — and that’s powerful.
There are plenty of fun things you can do in between classes. The above are some fun ideas to get you started.

Back to School Apps That’ll Blow Your College Mind

 
This is a guest post by our friends at College Candy.
College and smart phones are today’s PB&J: they just go together. So whether you’ve moved in already or still have a few weeks to go, I’ve got you covered with the apps you need to succeed. College is four years of a good time, but it is also four years of stress! Organization that fits in your pocket is a lifesaver, and thanks to technology, life is about to get a hell of a lot easier. Check out the nine apps you need ASAP, below!
iStudiez ProThis will be the best spent $0.99 of your college career (do not go for the wings, honey, you will regret those later). This technological assistant keeps track of your courses, lectures, due dates, and GPA. It also sorts assignments by priority and synchs with your Mac products! Own this semester, girl!
This free app is great for the student with grade-reliant scholarships, and grade obsessive students like myself. It shows you what you need to get on assignments, tests, and finals to get your ideal grade. What is better than that?! It also keeps track of due dates and has a built in GPA calculator!
Check out the other amazing, college-life-saving apps over at College Candy!

How an Online Degree Enhances Your Real World Experiences

You’ve probably heard that it pays to get a degree. It’s true. Going to college can qualify you for higher paying jobs. According to HowToEdu.org, a high school drop out only earns an average of $18,734 annually. A high school graduate, by comparison, earns $27,915 annually. Having a bachelor’s degree allows you to break the $50,000 a year ceiling.
The Value Of Participation

There are so many benefits to getting an online college degree. For starts, there’s participation. Participating in class is one of those unspoken benefits of going for a degree. Most people who attend college end up, at some point, working in groups.
Those groups often have a way of morphing into friendships. Professors also expect you to participate in group discussions, add valuable input, and accept criticism from your classmates. In some classes, you cannot pass without a minimum level of participation.
Participation also broadens and strengthens your understanding of course material. It makes sense that it would too. The more you volunteer answers, are involved in a discussion, and are interacting with other classmates, the more you’ll be immersed in the course material. The more you’re immersed in the course material, the more discussion that takes place, the more you’ll remember.
The Value Of Diversity
Even if you never make friends with your classmates, you’re going to be exposed to different cultures. Those cultures may be very different from yours. That kind of diversity can be very valuable – giving you a different perspective on the world and of the class itself.
For example, let’s say you’re enrolled in a history class. You’re studying a particular part of the world. There’s a student in that class from that particular part of the world. You see, right here you instantly get unique insights to what it’s like to be from this part of the world.
Another example might be a business ethics class. One of your classmates is from China and another is from India. Right there, you have two different perspectives on what constitutes ethical business practices – both India and China have very different customs, even when it comes to transacting business.
The Value Of Tech Literacy
With college degrees come tech literacy. This is most apparent if you take at least one online course. Most distance learning requires that you have a basic understanding of how webcams work, and how to participate in chat interfaces.
Online classes also require you to write and submit documents via the Internet. You may even have correspondence with your professor via Skype or some other online video chat software. The class might be required to participate in a “virtual classroom,” where all students are visible in a chat-style interface.
You’ll probably have to become familiar with proprietary chat software, which will deepen your understanding of how computers work in general. All of this is a good thing, since you’ll probably need to use your new-found skills on the job when you do finally graduate.

How an Online Degree Enhances Your Real World Experiences

You’ve probably heard that it pays to get a degree. It’s true. Going to college can qualify you for higher paying jobs. According to HowToEdu.org, a high school drop out only earns an average of $18,734 annually. A high school graduate, by comparison, earns $27,915 annually. Having a bachelor’s degree allows you to break the $50,000 a year ceiling.
The Value Of Participation

There are so many benefits to getting an online college degree. For starts, there’s participation. Participating in class is one of those unspoken benefits of going for a degree. Most people who attend college end up, at some point, working in groups.
Those groups often have a way of morphing into friendships. Professors also expect you to participate in group discussions, add valuable input, and accept criticism from your classmates. In some classes, you cannot pass without a minimum level of participation.
Participation also broadens and strengthens your understanding of course material. It makes sense that it would too. The more you volunteer answers, are involved in a discussion, and are interacting with other classmates, the more you’ll be immersed in the course material. The more you’re immersed in the course material, the more discussion that takes place, the more you’ll remember.
The Value Of Diversity
Even if you never make friends with your classmates, you’re going to be exposed to different cultures. Those cultures may be very different from yours. That kind of diversity can be very valuable – giving you a different perspective on the world and of the class itself.
For example, let’s say you’re enrolled in a history class. You’re studying a particular part of the world. There’s a student in that class from that particular part of the world. You see, right here you instantly get unique insights to what it’s like to be from this part of the world.
Another example might be a business ethics class. One of your classmates is from China and another is from India. Right there, you have two different perspectives on what constitutes ethical business practices – both India and China have very different customs, even when it comes to transacting business.
The Value Of Tech Literacy
With college degrees come tech literacy. This is most apparent if you take at least one online course. Most distance learning requires that you have a basic understanding of how webcams work, and how to participate in chat interfaces.
Online classes also require you to write and submit documents via the Internet. You may even have correspondence with your professor via Skype or some other online video chat software. The class might be required to participate in a “virtual classroom,” where all students are visible in a chat-style interface.
You’ll probably have to become familiar with proprietary chat software, which will deepen your understanding of how computers work in general. All of this is a good thing, since you’ll probably need to use your new-found skills on the job when you do finally graduate.

Honest College Top 10s: Most Failed College Courses

Heads up on some of the most brutal courses you’ll face in college.

We’ve asked around and done some extensive research, and have generated the newest addition to our top-10s. If you’ve gotten through them, congrats, if not, then find a friendly and hopefully helpful genius in your major to study with.
These courses will pound you, chip away at you, and smack you in the face come test time. If you’re not going to the review sessions, then you should probably consider it.
Why do schools include tough courses like the following 10? Because it’s core knowledge you need, and a sort of small rite of passage you must pass through to achieve upperclassmen status. Unless of course you put them off.
Here goes: starting with Orgo….

• Organic Chemistry: called orgo, a threshold for getting most chemistry degrees
• Multivariable Differential Equations: many engineering degrees include this problem-solving intensive course
• Econometrics: abstract principles and regression analysis make this economics course tough for even the smartest budding young economists
• Managerial Accounting: teaches you how to manage? hardly, lots of unbalanced balance sheets
• Calculus II: for those who love calculus, all 0.01% of us
• Computer Science Programming: once you get through this, the CS engineering major gets a bit easier
• Business Law: lots of reading, even more essay writing. NOT for all of us
• Introductory Linguistics: seems interesting right? until it gets WAY too technical and irrelevant to your everyday vernacular
• Game Theory: sort of a strange language that economists speak, helpful for business strategy
• Social Psychology: like linguistics, it looks great until you sit down for your first exam

How to Make Your Business School Presentation Stand Out

In order to make your business school presentation rise above the rest and really engage your audience, it is essential that you are fully prepared for the task at hand and have all your slides, notes, and other materials organized and ready to go. Business presentations are usually not the most exciting subject matter, so adding a few attention grabbing features such as introductory videos, colourful graphs, and eye catching graphics will help you stand out from the crowd. Thankfully, technology has revolutionized the way we give presentations, and utilizing the best software available will ensure that your business school presentation is one to remember.
The Importance of Visual Aids

It’s hard to imagine a business presentation without some form of PowerPoint® software or even free Open Source Presentation software being involved, but failing to use it wisely can have disastrous consequences. Clicking through an endless array of slides is a sure fire way to send your audience to sleep, and reciting a list of facts and figures will have the same effect. If you have to use slides, use the minimum amount necessary, and keep them simple, eye-catching, and informative. If you don’t know how to create your own PowerPoint presentation there are online courses available for free at microsoft.com which will guide you through the entire process. Short videos are also a fantastic way to get information across quickly and clearly, and you can even download informative videos from YouTube by visiting this website.
Creating a Story
The best presentations take the audience on a journey, and allow them to view the subject matter from a different perspective than before. Start your presentation with a clear outline of what you want to say, and avoid lengthy intros that will just make everybody switch off in the first few seconds. Begin your presentation with a surprising fact, unique perspective, or if you can pull it off, a funny anecdote to instantly grab everybody’s attention, but avoid telling jokes unless you are certain you can do it without inviting an awkward silence afterwards. Public speaking is an art form that requires skill and experience, and you can learn many helpful tips and tricks from the experts at websites such as Entrepreneur.com.
Providing printed materials that can be handed out to the audience is another way to make your presentation memorable, as they can refer back to it at a later time. Put your presentation up on YouTube, give the audience the link. It may be a good idea to provide the notes after you have finished speaking to ensure you have the audience’s full attention during the presentation, unless the material is essential to what you are saying. Above all, speaking passionately about your subject and projecting your message across to the audience is one of the most important aspects of a presentation, and all the visual aids in the world cannot make up for a speaker who is not really confident about the subject matter. As long as you are well rehearsed and let your personality and dedication shine through, you will give a memorable performance that will captivate your audience and impress your reviewers.