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.

Honest College Savings: Best Practices During and Post-College

No one really tells you how to manage money in college. Sure, your parents suggest budgeting and your freshmen orientation has a seminar on how to save on campus, but when push comes to shove we all make mistakes and learn how to be shrewd in college. Mistakes happen, but…
If you’re someone who focuses on just your studies and doesn’t have an economics sense of things, you could really suffer. This post will cover some cutting edge yet timeless strategies to make sure you’ve got enough in your wallet when the time comes to truly enjoy life.

College Costs

Let’s take a quick look at all the costs a college student can face over the course of four years. Note that these may vary as you move around the country, study abroad, or have the opportunity to live at home and commute to college. It’s a fun four years, so make sure you try all of that!
Typical costs include:

• Room and board
• Food and resources
• Textbooks and supplies
• Extracurriculars (Greek Life, Club dues, Intramural sports)
• Athletics (Varsity, Junior Varsity)
• Health (Medical, prescriptions)
• Travel
• Relationship expenses

There’s no one way to budget these the best – it will be case to case. However, there are budgeting strategies you can take into account, such as:

• Buy all your supplies at the beginning of the month
• Buy food once a week and avoid eating out or in large groups
• Make use of old textbooks and online learning
• Ask your school to subsidize club costs, explaining they are going towards your degree (which can even earn you credits!)
• Travel in groups or use a car share or discounted bus service

If you factor all of these five strategies in – early in your college career – the savings can be impressing. Who knows what you’ll do with all of them? Maybe take your family out to a nice dinner? Maybe hit the amusement park?

Post College Costs

After college, things get serious; if you failed to budget during college you’ll be really behind now. Yet, there are still strategies and best practices. Here’s your Honest College quick list:

• Make sure to work and live within the same 5 mile radius
• Take advantage of free services within your town
• Do you research on medical billing solutions, don’t get trapped by large costs
• Make sure your employer provides full health insurance
• Take advantage of online
• Don’t get in debt – borrow only if you have to

You’re not going to want much in the form of bills when you’re try to make it big time in your young career. Bills will crush you; take advantage of the free and innovate resources at your disposal!
Lastly, make good investments. There’s a long-standing quote that you can get wealthy by working hard and being a trustworthy professional – but you won’t get rich until you invest.
Take stock of when you can spend money on a good investment – like a home or a company or small business you’ve been eyeing – then go for it. You only live once!
As always, thanks for reading.
Greg – founder

Getting Ready for Freshers Week

If you’re about to head away to university for the first time, you might want to give some consideration to what you can realistically take with you – it’s certainly unlikely that you will be able to have all of your worldly possessions with you in halls of residence, for example, as rooms are usually fairly small.
You should find it easy to make friends, as Freshers Week activities are designed to break the ice, but just in case, there’s nothing wrong with taking a few forms of entertainment that you can enjoy in your own room – you might find yourself hosting a few impromptu house parties or gaming sessions, if you can find some like-minded individuals.

These days though, there should be no need for a huge selection of discs, whether they contain music or console games; instead, you can often have all of your music, film and games collection in digital format on a hard drive, and free up the space that would otherwise be taken up by the discs.
Depending on the licences you agreed to when you bought them, you may be able to sell off the physical formats of parts of your collection – but if you’re confident it’s legal for you to still keep a copy of your own, make sure you back it up, as you won’t be able to restore it without the disc, if your hard drive becomes corrupted.
Modern games consoles are a great place to deposit all kinds of files; they can read and copy data from most common media disc types to suitable file formats for hard disk storage, and usually have USB ports to import files from external hard drives too.
The operating system software usually makes them a sensible location for your media collection too as, in addition to separating out the games you have fully installed on the hard drive, you’ll usually get a fairly fully featured software DVD player and separate MP3 and CD playing software program too.
With everything loaded on to your console, you can head off to university with just the one box – and a TV to display it on – to power all of your entertainment, and make the most of the space available to you in your room, however large or small it may be.
And of course, if your parents are willing to look after them, you don’t have to sell off your old discs; in fact, you might find that the next time you head home for the holidays, the folks have raided your CD collection and discovered a brand-new love for your favourite music.

Should You Buy a Laptop, Netbook or Tablet when Starting University?

Starting university is an exciting time for anyone, but there are many things that you will have to consider before you leave home behind and travel to your university to start the new term. One of the most important things of all is which type of computer you should buy to assist you with your studies: a laptop, a netbook or a tablet?
Here are some of the main considerations with each one to help you make the right decision.
Portability

One of the first things that you should think about is how portable you need your computer to be. A laptop can be very portable, but a netbook is smaller and a tablet is even smaller and lighter still. All of them are a good option if you want to take your computer to lectures, but a tablet is probably going to be the most convenient option here.
You may even want to look into investing in a tablet that comes with a stylus so that you can use it to make notes by hand rather than having to use a keyboard.
Power
When it comes to power, netbooks and tablets pale in comparison to laptops. Laptops can be very powerful indeed, but in return you will often have to pay a premium for them. Although you may want something powerful, you should remember that you may not actually need a powerful machine.
Most of the activities that you will be using it for are taking down notes, writing essays and using the internet, in which case you probably won’t need a powerful computer to start with. In this case, you may be better off choosing a netbook or tablet and spending less.
Internet Connectivity
This is going to be crucial when you choose a computer to help you with your studies. Access to the internet will probably be vital for research purposes, but you may also want to use your computer to watch TV catch-up services or read the news.
Nearly all computers now come with built-in Wi-Fi, but if you are buying an older computer second-hand then make sure this is one of the features it includes. However, another thing that you may want to consider is mobile broadband. This will provide you with greater freedom to access the internet wherever you are, which may be useful while you are studying at university. A tablet may be the best bet here because you can find one with mobile broadband built in. However, you could also buy a dongle to use in your netbook or laptop.
Price
Price is going to be one of the big issues for you when choosing a computer. Tablets may win here because prices have gone down considerably over recent years. However, if you plan to do much typing on your computer, a tablet may not be the most convenient option.
Another option to consider is to buy a laptop that has been refurbished. This will allow you to get hold of a great laptop for less than a new model, while still enjoying all the benefits of having a new computer.
Netbooks are fairly cheap these days as well, but with a refurbished laptop you really don’t need to spend too much to get your hands on a powerful and efficient machine.
Choose the Right Computer for Your Studies
Choosing a computer to take to university used to be simpler, but now there are many different options to choose from. Keep the above considerations in mind when you choose your computer, and they should help you to make a decision on choosing the right computer for your needs.

Going to College? Here is How You Prepare!

Often students expect college to be an extension of high-school. However, many get a rude shock when they step into college. It is not only a culture-change, but also the first step that students take to becoming a professional. They can always adjust to their college life easier if they had help during their senior year. Senior year in high school is an extremely crucial period. This is when students have to decide the career path they are going to take. There are very few teens who decide on what they are going to do. If you have an undecided teen and if he is in his senior year, then here are a few things you should do:

Make a list of colleges:

Ask your off-spring about the possible interests and subjects he wishes to pursue if the he hasn’t chosen a career yet. Accordingly, make a list of possible colleges so that you will have back-up options when a school doesn’t work. Balance the colleges you choose. For example, choose 2 colleges that will offer seats for sure and 2 colleges that could be ne a far reach. Before you start to apply, ensure you have valid reasons for applying to these colleges apart from the safety factor. Look for colleges that have a good track records of providing graduate programs to the students they take in.

Visit the college campuses personally:

A graduation school might have a good name or could be one of the oldest colleges in the county. Don’t get deceived by the brands name. However popular the college is, make it a point to visit the campus and talk with students and professors to get a fair idea about the various graduation programs offered. Usually, when you talk to a group of students under various graduation programs, you will get a fair idea about the particular school.

Look out for scholarships:

Higher education is only a dream for many mainly due to the price tag that comes attached with it. However, there are myriad scholarships out there that many tend to overlook. Start looking for possible scholarships when your child decides on a graduation program. Internet always comes in handy for such research. You can contact the colleges on your list and ask them about the possible scholarships they offer for the current academic year. Apart from the scholarships offered by colleges, there are myriad outside options through governments, organizations, and businesses. A lot of times, such outside scholarships are cancelled due to lack of applicants.

Check beyond the price:

A private college at times could be an excellent option when compared to other colleges. Often people disregard private institutions because of the expensive package they offer. Nowadays, theses colleges offer net calculators on their websites. You can always calculate the net fees to know the total amount you will be spending. If it is reasonable and if the graduation program offers a solid career, you can always take up an education loan which many banks will be more than willing to offer.

Research about the possible exams:

There are many colleges that don’t go by just the marks your kids get in high school. There might be a string of entrance exams that have to be undertaken to get a seat. Research about these entrances once your child gets into the senior school. It is always better to start in advance than leave it late. Colleges usually have such exams either during senior school or immediately after the final school exams. If there are any added exams, your teen has to prepare for these exams during senior school side-by-side.
These are a few necessary steps if you have a child in the senior school. If you do your research and apply for the right mix of colleges, you are sure to get more than once acceptance letters. Today, there are a lot more options when it comes to colleges and accessible options for finances. Plan out with your child and prepare the education options in advance to avoid last-minute stress.

The Ultimate Guide for Parenting a College Student

The time when you send your kid to college is the most difficult time of parenting. They say it’s most difficult when the kids enter the teenage stage. However, in their late teenage period, when they make it to college, there are lots of things you must deal with. Besides helping them find a course that they like and paying college fees or getting a scholarship, you also have the task of helping them settle in college. It would be difficult for you stay away from them. The days when you can’t see your kids at home are definitely not sweet.

This cannot be averted because what is more important is their education and what they wish to become in future. They will have to learn to be independent as making them stay at home will ruin them. Besides all these, you will see a change in your son or daughter in the first few months of college which will surprise you a lot. What should you expect from your college-going son or daughter and how to be the best parent? Read on to find the answers.
Give them the gift of let go:
Letting go of them is not a piece of cake. It needs a lot of trust, confidence and mental strength. Though you don’t want to do it, it is time for you accept the truth and you have no other option. Besides, your kid may also want to be away from home so that they can learn to live independently. Even if one stays at home while learning, they will have to move out when they start working. This would be more painful experience. Therefore, the best thing you could do is to let them go and explore the world of opportunities and learn from real life experiences.
Keep in touch:
It is important to keep in touch but not to do it too much. While the students are new to college, they can be easily confused at everything that is different from what they have been seeing. They will want to discuss it with you and so let them open up when they want to and not when you want to. They tend not to share much with you but on the inside, they would want to discuss their issues with someone trustable. Help them see that they can always trust you and you could give them the right advice no matter how bad their problem is.
Expect mistakes:
Your kid who was the best student in school and who always did the right thing may turn out to be an entirely different person in college due to number of reasons. Encourage them to speak out to you and at the same time keep track of the changes that affect their behavior and studies. Most important of all, expect them to make mistakes because it is by making mistakes that they learn. Any mistake made while they are students won’t affect their life much because they have not yet come to real life. However, look out for life altering changes in your son or daughter and help them get back on track as easily as possible.
Do Not visit often:
It is not wrong to feel that you want to see them but if you visit often, you will be seen as a control-freak who doesn’t leave them alone. Therefore, it is best to limit the number of visits to one per month and when you visit them, try to do what they would want to do with you rather than sitting with them and discussing their progression in studies the whole afternoon. Also, it is always good to call them beforehand and know if they have other plans for the evening or day when you want to visit them. Respect their interests and change the time of your visit but do not give up on visiting them if they plan something else at the time you suggest.
Dealing with tempers:
Students who have just entered college are likely to lose their temper soon, especially with their parents, because of the new found freedom. However, know that they are always your son or daughter and they will be back to normal when they are out of it. They may not choose to come to you when they have a problem but be sure to let them know that you are always there to help them if they mess with something. Always let them live the way they want as long as it is the right way and when they change lanes which could be dangerous, help them see why it is wrong rather than being an advice machine that always churns out advice.
All the four years of college life will have new surprises for both parents and students and you will have to be very careful with what you communicate to your son or daughter. Keep a check on your words and actions. Let them go and explore the world and when they graduate, they will be transformed into a better person. If you could give them the space they need and keep them informed of the better options available for them, then there is nothing like it.

7 Ways to Help Your College Freshman Adjust to College Life

Chances are good that your kid couldn’t wait to leave for college. The activities! The freedom! The school spirit! But beneath that show of enthusiasm may lay a bundle of unspoken nerves. There is a natural fear among college freshman that seeps into just about every aspect of life, from the social awkwardness of being a new kid on campus to fretting over making it to class without Mom around to serve as a back-up alarm clock. As your child goes off to college for the first time, use these tips to help guide her, and yourself, through one of the most difficult transitions she will ever make.
Keep in Touch

Your kid will miss you. She’s looked to you for guidance and advice, whether she liked it or not, her entire life. She still needs to know you’re around and available. That doesn’t mean you need to call every day, and you probably shouldn’t. For some kids, a weekly call might be enough. Agree to communicate as frequently as you and your freshman are comfortable with.
Encourage Good Health
Many college freshmen lack the discipline to take care of themselves. Late-night snacks, pizza and sugary soft drinks are easy to come by. One in four freshmen gains 10 pounds during their first semester, according to a study in Nutrition Journal, so remind them to exercise and make good food choices to avoid the dreaded “Freshman 15.” It’s also important to promote good sleeping habits.
Establish the Rules
She may be out of the house, but she’s still your kid, and chances are you still have financial ties. Have a discussion about your expectations. Let her know what you expect in terms of grades, spending money, extracurricular activities and visits home. The reality is, privacy laws will prevent the university from telling you much, if anything, about your kid until it may be too late, so you need to keep the lines of communication open and let her know you’re still the parent.
Get to Know the Campus
Your freshman may get ill sometime during the year and need medical attention. Understand what the options are for seeking treatment on campus. College is also a stressful time, and your student may need someone to talk to during exams or other particularly trying times. Encourage involvement in campus activities, such as intramural sports or organizations that appeal to your freshman’s interests and spiritual gatherings.
Visit
Believe it or not, your freshman will want you to see her “new” life and friends, and she’ll want to introduce them to you. Attend a sporting event at the school, or arrange to visit for a weekend when you’ll have time to have lunch together and explore the campus and town. Keep in mind, though, that a surprise visit is usually not a good idea and could end with disastrous results. Respect your freshman’s privacy as much as possible, but do plan time for each other.