Having a good, well functioning memory is a very powerful tool in life. It is of course particularly helpful while studying. Fortunately for us all, a good memory can be learned and is not something that you are just born with. There are both strategies that can be used to improve your memory as well as lifestyle factors that can enhance or impede your memory. Below is a look at some of the most common strategies used to improve your memory as well as some of the most common lifestyle factors that may be affecting your memory.

Memory Improvement Strategies

There a lot of strategies for improving your memory, however it is important to find what works for you. A strategy that one person finds effective will not necessarily work as well for you. It is a good idea to try several different strategies until you find some that are right for you. Here are just a couple of suggested techniques:

Rhyming - Putting information that you need to remember into a silly rhyme is a technique that works particularly well for auditory learners. Auditory learners are people who learn best using auditory cues. If you find yourself audibly repeating the things to yourself that you need to remember, you are more than likely an auditory learner. Learning through rhyme is a very common technique used with children but it is just as effective for many adults.

Story or Visualization - The story or visualization technique involves you creating a story in your mind about the things you need to remember. It is particularly effective for visual learners who like to be able to see, or at least picture in their own mind, what they are learning about. An example might be if you forget where you place your keys. You would try to picture what you saw leading up to you putting your keys down, the visual features of the room you were in and what you remember seeing around you when you put your keys down.

Lifestyle Factors

There are several lifestyle factors which can have a dramatic impact on your memory. By making small changes to the way you look after your body and mind you might be able to make significant improvements to your memory. Below are some common factors that affect memory:

Sleep - The benefits of a good night’s sleep are well known but several studies have confirmed the link between good sleep and good memory. Sleep performs two very important functions in relation to memory; it consolidates memories and also recovers memories. If you are not sleeping enough you are simply not giving your body the sleep it needs to maintain your memory.

Diet – A well balanced diet is essential to a healthy body and mind. It is very important during periods when you need your memory functioning at its peak (Exams for example) to eat well. Studies have also proven a link between dieting and poor cognitive performance. If you need your mind at its peak you need to be giving it the fuel it needs.

These are just a few ways in which you can improve your memory. The important thing is to keep in mind that it is something you can improve over time and you just need to find the techniques that work the best for you.

Every year student debt in America reaches an all-time high. College is expensive and it’s only getting worse, as tuition has been rising at a rate double that of the cost of living. Figuring out how to pay for college isn’t easy. Students who choose to work while going to school usually see their grades take a slight dip due to extremely busy schedules. While a student loan is necessary and is considered good debt, students should understand that it is not their only option when obtaining funds for their College education.

Let’s take a look at some of the various financial options for students looking to pay for their education expenses:

Private Student Loans
Private or alternative loans have become increasingly popular for students as of late. This is somewhat unfortunate because these loans have higher interest rates and less favorable terms for the borrower. Last year, students borrowed $18.5 billion from private lenders, up 6 percent from the 2005-2006 school year, and now equal to 25% of all student loans in America.

Private student loans have higher limits and no payments until after graduation, although interest will start to accrue immediately. Private loans may be used for any education related expenses such as tuition, room and board, books, computers, and more. Private loans can also be used to supplement federal student loans when federal loans, grants and work study are not enough to cover the cost of education.

Most private loans are based on one or more national interest rates, such as the Wall Street Journal Prime rate. Because private loans are based on the credit history of the applicant, an overhead will be charged and will vary by borrower. Students and Parents with good credit receive lower rates and smaller loan fees than those with less than perfect credit.

Federal Student Loans
Pretty much all students are eligible to receive federal loans, regardless of credit score, co-signer or other financial difficulties. These loans offer a grace period of six months, which means that no payments are due until six months after graduation or if the borrower becomes less than a half time student.

Payments and Default
The terms of the loans are described in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and its amendments, which guarantee repayment to the lender if a student defaults. Because the loans are guaranteed by the US Government, they are offered at a lower interest rate than the borrower would otherwise be able to get for a private loan. On the other hand, there are strict borrowing limits on Stafford loans.

Loan Advice
Go with a Federal loan. This is clearly the most popular choice as about 5.5 million students borrow subsidized Stafford loans every year. Federal loans also come with some guaranteed borrower protections in case you’re unemployed or have other financial hardships after college. This gives you the option of putting the loan in deferment or forbearance and delaying repayment. With subsidized loans such as Stafford and Perkins, the government pays all the interest while you’re in school. The interest rate for a Perkins loan is fixed at 5%, and for Subsidized Stafford Loans it’s fixed at no more than 6.8%, both somewhat manageable rates. Any interest you do end up paying toward your loan is tax deductible. You can find this figure in the loan statement the lender sends out near tax time.

Some members of Congress have suggested cutting the Stafford loan rate in half. If this did happen it’d be a great relief to students. By lowering interest rates on subsidized Stafford loans, Congress can save college graduates thousands of dollars in the repayment of loans.

Student Loan Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics reports that two thirds of all College students have student loan debt after graduation, with an average of $19,237. The median debt load is $17,120; a quarter of undergrads borrow more than $25,000, and a tenth borrow more than $35,000. These numbers are only going to increase.

These debt totals are much higher for those students pursuing graduate degrees. Graduate students add tens of thousands of dollars on top of their original student debt. Depending on the degree, average debts range from more than $42,000 to nearly $126,000. It makes one consider if it’s really worth going for that MBA.

Your best bet

When it comes to student loans, shop around and try and find the best rate. (Use this tool to compare student loans).

Many financial resources are available out there to students looking for College funds, yet many go unused. There are many College Scholarships that go unclaimed. All it usually takes to get this free money for College is writing a simple Scholarship Essay. This is really easy to do and can’t take more than an hour or two to complete, and just think the scholarship you’ll be getting will usually be $250-$2500. This is an option many current and future students overlook and instead, when looking for financial aid, many would rather apply for a student loan.

The amount of study required at College can seem overwhelming, particularly during exam periods. It is important to make the most of the study time you have to maximize the results from the effort you put in. The great thing is that good study habits are habits that can stick with you and be helpful for life. Here are some of the top tips in making your study time effective. Hopefully these tips can help you study smarter rather than harder.

Take the time to plan your work. Decide how much time you will set aside for study, what tasks you will complete in this time and the order in which you will complete the tasks. When creating your study plan think about the times when you are most productive. If you find it easiest to study in the morning but hard to concentrate at night, schedule as much of your study for the mornings as possible. It is vital that you be realistic when completing your plan otherwise it will be worthless. Once you have a realistic plan do whatever you can to stick to it. It can be difficult with all the distractions that come with college life but if you do exercise the self discipline required to stick to your plan you will be very thankful.

Procrastination is the single biggest threat to productive and effective study time. When you feel daunted by a task, try to break it into smaller, more manageable chunks and tackle those small chunks one at a time. Think less about what you need to do to complete a project and more about what you can do to get started on a project. Another great strategy is to do the tasks that you enjoy the least first. If you leave them to the very end of your study session, it is simply too easy to put them off to another day.

During your study time you need to commit to making study your priority for that short period of time. This means blocking out all physical and mental distractions. Always study in an environment that you are comfortable in. You probably already know which sort of environment you are the most productive in so try to recreate that environment where you choose to study. If you have other thoughts on your mind, write them down on a piece of paper before you start studying so that can clear your head of them.

It might seem tempting to work for hours on end when the exams start drawing close but you are actually doing yourself a disservice. Retention of information is best when your mind is fresh, so take short breaks regularly and remove yourself from your study so that you can come back refreshed and ready to absorb more information.

Be sure that you are studying the most relevant information. It is important to ask lots of questions of your lecturers and tutors to make sure that you are expending your energy wisely on the content that really matters.

By following these easy study tips you are bound to find your study time much more effective. Learning how to study smart is well worth the effort.

Mastering the job interview is a skill that is vital for all job seekers as well as a skill that will be invaluable for your whole working life. The average US citizen will have over 10 jobs in their lifetime so this is a skill that you will call upon time and time again.

Thankfully, mastering the job interview process isn’t as daunting as you might think. The most common mistake job seekers make is not preparing for the interview adequately. If you prepare yourself properly you can go into the interview with confidence. Here are some preparation tips for the big day:

Do Your Research

Learn as much as you possibly can about both the company you are being interviewed by and the role you have applied for. A huge amount of information will be available on the company’s website that can arm you with invaluable background knowledge for the interview. In particular have a thorough read of the company’s “About Us”, “Careers” and “Our Team” sections if they are available. If they are a public company, annual reports are also a fantastic source of information.

Practice, Practice, Practice and Then Practice Some More

Role play the interview process with a friend or family member to get yourself comfortable with answering questions about your previous work experience, why you are right for this job, your strengths and weaknesses and so on. Ask your practice partner to tell you if you are speaking too fast or too slow. The more you practice talking about yourself, your work experience, why you want this job and why you are right for this job, the more confident you will sound in the interview. This is also a great way to control any pre-interview nerves.

Have Some Examples Ready

Interviewers love using the behavioural interviewing technique. This technique consists of the interviewer asking you to provide actual examples from your life or previous experience that are relevant to the job. For example, if you are applying for a role that requires excellent customer service the interviewer will probably ask you to provide an example of a time when you have provided excellent customer service. Review the job requirements for the role as there are quite often big hints in there about the types of examples the interviewer will ask you to provide. Take the time to think about the sorts of examples you will be asked to provide and then practice describing those examples.

Know Who You are Meeting

Always make sure you find out the full name and title of the people you will be meeting for the interview. Don’t be afraid to ask the Recruitment department for this information prior to the interview as it only shows a keen interest in the company and the interview. Memorize these names and titles before your interview. Being able to start the interview off confidently is very important and mishearing your interviewer’s name is not a good start.

These are just four simple tips that will set you on the path to mastering the job interview process. If you follow these tips and prepare for your interview you should be able to go into that interview with the confidence to win yourself the job. Good luck!

Decorating your dorm room can be a fun yet challenging task, as many times there is simply not enough room for you, your room mate(s) and all of your stuff.

The main thing to consider when buying stuff for your dorm and deciding what to bring is space. You can have all the coolest stuff in the world but won’t have enough room for it. This is why some of the wisest purchases for College students are storage bins and other items that can help you stay tight and organized. Of course, everyone wants the cool dorm room on the floor with the big screen TV, Xbox, PS3, guitar hero, home theater system and more. While there are many good things that come out of having all that cool stuff, there are still other downsides such as the risk of your stuff being stolen, not having very much free space and everyone coming over to hang out in your dorm room all of the time.

Decorating a dorm room really tests your budgeting, interior design and organization skills. The key is to find the perfect combination of all three.

Another thing you should consider when dorm room decorating are what you are going to be using the room for. Ask yourself these questions when deciding which route to take in dorm room decorating:

• Will you be doing homework in your room?

  A lot of students are more comfortable doing their homework in their own room. Of course there are other better options of places to study, but if you do plan on doing a lot of homework in your dorm room you will want to consider a nice desk and computer chair combo. This may also lead you to other purchases such as better lighting for reading and such.

• Do you plan on having frequent guests?

  Here you’ll want to make sure you have enough good seating to at least somewhat accommodate everyone. Maybe even consider an extra cot for those that sleep over.

• Do you want a nice entertainment system?

  Yes, having big speakers, multiple gaming systems and a nice television is a plus, but if its not used to its full advantage it could cost you dearly in valuable real estate. Figure out what you’re looking to get, and find a nice happy-medium.

It all really comes down to one question:

What is the main purpose of your room?

• To entertain?
• To sleep?
• To do homework?

Once you have figured that out, the process should be fairly easy to fill.

Its best to find something that is comfortable and can provide peace and quietness at times, while still being able to entertain in the form of music and movies at respectable volumes.

Another thing to consider is your roommates’ opinion. You two (or three) will have to get together to discuss and share what you all want to bring and have in your College dorm. You should find ideas that are acceptable to all room mates.

Another overlooked item to dorm room decorating is positioning. If you position your furniture just right it will give you more usable space to work with, not only in appearance, but in walk space and storage area.

It’s always fun decorating what is for most College students, their first place away from home. I hope you enjoy your challenge of living in a tiny dorm room. Welcome to College my friend.

Spring Break: it’s one of the biggest things anticipated by College students nationwide, a week plus long excuse to forget about studies and focus on sun and fun.

After winter break, the last thing left to look forward to before the end of the school year is Spring Break. Spring break comes at a much needed time, after midterms/finals and during the part of the year where it’s finally starting to warm up again. Millions of College students travel to great distances to fulfill their need of partying with other co-eds at the beach. Where you take it or wherever you may travel, a beach is usually the main attraction for spring break goers. This break we all look forward to gives us the opportunity to forget about school work for once and just focus on having fun, getting a tan and partying like a typical College student on Spring break.

When thinking about Spring Break, the question arises, where should I go for Spring Break? Now where you actually go depends on a lot of things, with distance and money being the biggest factors. A plane ticket to a far away destination can cost a couple of hundred dollars and although there are spring break packages out there that are available, you have to watch out as some of these are scams designated just for the naïve College student from the USA.

Let take a look at the best and most popular places to go for Spring Break.

Lake Havasu, Arizona – A great place for boating, and you may feel a little left out here if you don’t own/rent one. Bring lots of sunscreen as this watering hole in Arizona can get Hot.

Lake Havasu, Arizona

Florida Beaches: Daytona, South Beach, Panama City Beach - The best thing about Spring break in Florida is that it has so many great beaches to choose from. You can’t really go wrong with Daytona, South Beach or Panama City Beach.

Miami Beach

Las Vegas – The thing about going to Vegas for Spring Break is that it’s one of the few places on this list that will have more of an assortment of age groups (rather than just mostly College students) as Vegas is now somewhat of a family vacation destination. That’s OK though as there is enough to do on The Strip to keep you busy all week. The most popular things to do in Las Vegas include gamble, clubbing, chilling by the pool and drinking 3-foot Long Island Ice Teas.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Mexico: Cancun, Tijuana - With Cancun being the most popular destination of choice in Mexico, wherever you choose to go there will be plenty of beaches, booze and night clubbing.

Cancun, Mexico

South Padre Island, Texas – Being very close to Mexico, there will be plenty of places to go at this great Spring break destination.

South Padre Island, Texas