Well, guess what?

You…you still can’t do that. Sorry.

But you do have another power over the minutes and hours that fill up your day, and it’s a little something called time management. And while it takes practice and a few lifestyle changes, anybody can learn to effectively manage time—even you!

What makes time management easier is that you already know your goals. These are some common reasons students want to manage their time better:

• Write a college paper
• Study for an exam (and ace it)
• Reduce stress
• Have more free time for fun
• Feel less tired throughout the day

Sound familiar? As a student or working professional, you’re probably busy all the time.

Maybe you find yourself pulling all-nighters to write papers or to study for exams, and you want to break this habit. Or maybe you’re always buried under a bunch of tasks and aren’t sure about the best way to tackle them.

So what are some things you can do to start practicing good time management skills that will help you achieve your goals and relieve some of your day-to-day stress?

Keep scrolling—in this post, I’ll tell you all about how to manage time better.

Diagnosis: Poor Time Management

If you’re reading this, then chances are you want to improve your time management skills. That said, it’s always a good idea to assess yourself first and figure out which habits you need to change in order to manage time better.

If you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms, then you’re probably suffering from poor time management:

• Arriving (often) late to class, appointments, or events with friends
• Turning in papers late or at the very last second
• Cramming for exams the night before
• Procrastinating on assignments that you don’t like
• Performing poorly on your assignments
• Getting only a few hours of sleep a night
• Experiencing tiredness and low energy throughout the day
• Having declining physical health and increased stress
• Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work you must do

If any of this sounds like you, then you know it’s time to start making some changes. Poor time management can be draining and negatively affect your goals and progress.

So acknowledge these problems. Write them down. Then get ready to put a plan together that will help you resolve these symptoms by learning how to better manage time to perform better in school or at work and feel better, both physically and mentally.

Here is a useful time-management test to help you gauge how much you need to focus on managing your time.

Once you’ve identified your main time-management problem areas, it’s time to work on the cure. These next tips are designed to do just that!

How to Manage Time Better: The Long and Short of It

The best way to manage your time is to start creating a schedule for yourself. It may not seem very glamorous, but it’s always the right tool for the job.

If you can see what’s coming down the road, you won’t find yourself surprised when those due dates start speeding your way.

Know what’s coming down the road to avoid being surprised when due dates start speeding your way.
Click To Tweet

I use “schedule” as a catch-all term because it doesn’t mean you need to plan every single moment. It’s not meant to be rigorous.

Instead, it’s just a tool meant to keep all of your deadlines and major events in mind so that you can carve out appropriate amounts of time to get things done while still living your life.

Planning ahead (the long part)

Open up your phone, and navigate to your calendar app. Or use Google Calendar, and sync all of your devices to it. Or just go out and buy a regular ol’ pen-and-paper daily planner. Whatever works best for you is the way to go.

The advantages to writing down your due dates is that you’re more likely to remember them. But because you likely carry your phone around with you everywhere you go, you can really make good use of things like alerts that will keep you on track for major assignments and the like.

When you start any class, you’re usually given a syllabus that has major due dates. Otherwise, your professors will tell you when major assignments are due. Immediately record these dates in whatever system you’re using.

Putting this off is what usually causes students to miss deadlines because they forget all about them. Better safe than sorry!

In a nutshell, you should schedule everything that you know about. This includes class and work times, weekly assignments (you can set recurring instances in your calendar app, which is a handy shortcut), school and social events, and breaks/holidays.

Daily goals (the short part)

At the end of each day, you should make it part of your routine to plan the next day, starting with the morning.

Know how long it takes you to get ready and commute to and from class or work, how long the day’s events will take, and what hours you have left for homework and studying.

Plan some time for breaks to avoid burnout, and try not to let yourself work too late into the evening. It’s much harder to wind down at the end of the day and get quality sleep if you haven’t given your mind a rest.

When you commit time to writing, doing other homework, or studying, stick to it. Time management is only effective when you follow through with the daily goals you set for yourself.

Big to small

Always start with your biggest task first. If it seems too overwhelming at first, don’t be afraid to break it up into more manageable pieces that you can finish as the day (or week/month, depending on the task) carries on.

Accomplishing the most time-consuming and challenging task first will make all of the others seem like a cake walk, which is why this works so well for most students.

You’re also more likely to take breaks between completing smaller tasks. This works okay when you only have small tasks to finish but not so great when you have a larger, more challenging task ahead of you.

Failure is an option

Don’t fret if you don’t always get it right. Time management is a skill and takes practice. There may be some days when you just can’t meet all of your goals, and that’s okay.

The more you practice, the better you’ll get at understanding what steps you need to take—on a daily basis—to make sure you’re reaching those goals.

How to Manage Time Better When It’s Time to Write

Even great writers need to set aside quality time to put words to paper.

When you write an essay, as a student, you’re practicing two different skills: college-level writing (of course) and critical thinking. Many papers will also require research and well-crafted arguments, and all of this takes time.

The good news is that you usually are given an adequate amount of time to write those papers. And there’s a tried-and-true process to getting them done on time and producing quality work.

And you guessed right—it involves scheduling. But let’s break it down into the step-by-step process it takes to get you from start to finish.

The four-week breakdown

This method allows you to split up an essay assignment into manageable pieces and gives you plenty of time to review and edit your work before turning it in for a grade.

The “four-week” part of it works best when you actually have four full weeks to turn in an assignment, but this may not always be the case.

Say you only have 20 days to complete an essay assignment. No prob—just divide 20 by four, minimizing each “week” into five days to complete each task, and so on.

Week 1: Brainstorm, research, and outline

Immediately record your essay due date in your calendar, and set aside at least a couple of hours during the week to brainstorm ideas on what you’ll write about.

Bonus tip: If you still find yourself struggling to pick a topic or narrow a broad topic after brainstorming, try mining social media or drawing inspiration from example essays.

 

If your essay requires research, then this is also the time to start finding out more about your topic. Quality research can take some time, so be prepared to add a few more hours to this step if need be.

As you brainstorm or research, jot down your ideas and take notes. Then start making an outline so that you have a plan to follow and goals to reach when you set out to write the essay.

Week 2: Write the rough draft

Write, write, write! Get from point A to point B. Then look at what you’ve written. It’ll be far from perfect. You should not intend to turn in this draft as-is. In fact, you may have to rewrite it several times.

Writing is a process. Maybe you have to add details or trim the fat, so to speak. Sometimes you’re not entirely satisfied with what you’ve written, and you scrap half your paper in order to change direction. This is totally normal.

Want to know more about rough drafts? Check out this post from the Kibin blog!

Week 3: Edit

Now that you’ve written a rough draft, it’s time to review it. Look over your work to make sure that your message is clear and that you’re saying exactly what you want to say to the reader.

Does the essay accomplish its goals? Why or why not? Are there any grammar or spelling errors? Request an appointment with your professor ahead of time to help you with your essay if you’re struggling.

Have a classmate or friend look over your work to help you spot any inconsistencies, and be open to criticism—any advice you get is meant to help, even if you don’t necessarily agree with it.

You can also take your work to your campus writing lab or have Kibin review it for you.

Week 4: Add finishing touches

By this week, you should be finished writing your paper, and it should be as perfect as you can make it. Having your paper finished at this point still gives you a small window of time to add any final changes/edits and get it proofread one last time.

This time also helps you gain some distance from your work, which is helpful because you can return to it after a day or two with fresh eyes. Sometimes that’s all it takes to spot where you might need to tweak your writing to make it even stronger.

Just don’t wait until the night before your paper is due to have another look!

Good Habits

You might be wondering if there’s anything else you can do to manage time better, and there is! Developing good habits that are good for your overall health will help you manage your time better and feel less stressed.

Get a good night’s sleep

This one may seem obvious, but sleep loss is one of the most prevalent problems that college students face. Not sleeping enough can make it difficult to focus and complete tasks, which negatively affects your ability to manage time.

Sometimes it’s tough, but try to give yourself enough time to get the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Avoid screens at least an hour before bed, and try to limit your caffeine intake to the mornings.

Exercise

Exercise is another simple habit that is really easy to forgo when you’re busy. But even if it’s just 20 minutes a day, light exercise can keep you healthy, allow for better sleep, improve your mood, and energize you.

The next time you take a break from homework or studying, think about going for a brisk walk or doing another activity that gets you moving instead of going straight for your phone. It’ll give you an extra boost of energy to finish your work when you return.

Eat and drink wisely

A healthy diet can also contribute to your energy levels, which directly affect your ability to manage time better. So keep the fast food to a minimum and go for more fruits and vegetables to ensure you’re getting plenty of nutrients.

Skip the energy drinks, and consume plenty of water instead. It’ll make you feel better. I love coffee, but everything in moderation!

If you’re in college, you’ll probably party to blow off steam and connect with friends, and that’s totally fine. But try to limit your alcohol consumption because—apart from the known dangers of overdoing it—hangovers are time management’s worst enemy.

Alcohol also negatively impacts the quality of your sleep.

Set aside time

If you know you’re going to be busy, you should still set aside some time for fun. Not taking any breaks can be just as bad as procrastination. Getting some rest or hanging out with friends can recharge your system, making the work easier to finish.

Learn to say “no”

You can’t please everyone, and you shouldn’t try.

If you have committed to finish a paper or study for a big test at a certain time, stick to your schedule, even when your friends try to get you to go out, etc. Tell them you’ll catch them next time—there is always a next time!

Find a mentor

Okay—so you can’t just go out and “find” a mentor, but sometimes your own ideas and self-motivation aren’t enough to get the job done. So develop positive relationships with your professors, advisors, and anyone you trust who is in a position to help you succeed.

Many educators will go the extra mile for students who are willing to do the same, and this usually means scheduling office hours, taking an interest in your work, and seeking help.

These individuals can and will guide you, and that’s definitely something to take advantage of during your college career.

Winding Down

There are plenty of ways to manage your time, and it all starts with taking that first step.

If you’re looking for extra help, you can even put your phone to good use. Here’s a blog post with a lot of great time-management-related apps that can be just what you’re looking for.

Managing your time takes effort, but keep practicing those good habits. Soon enough, you’ll know how to manage time better than ever before!

But you’ll need something more effective than that double-shot of espresso to get you through those rough drafts and revisions. Let this blog post be your writing survival guide to help you kick off a good school year.

I’ll walk you through what to expect from writing in college vs. high school, tools for success, and resources you can use to help you build confidence and ace those essays.

The Big Leagues

While writing experience and skill can widely differ from one student to the next, you can usually count on one major truth for everyone when it comes to writing in college—it’s more difficult and complex than high school writing.

High school essays…

• Are typically written using the more simplistic five-paragraph structure.
• Are usually expository, meaning they explain a topic to show that you’ve read the material.
• Seldom require research outside of what you can find on Google.

College essays…

• Require writing beyond the five-paragraph structure. You’ll often be expected to write enough to fill three to seven pages, depending on the course requirements.
• Test your ability to analyze. If you write a narrative essay, you’ll need to reflect on a personal experience, not just describe it. A research paper will require you to argue a specific point of view on a topic.
• Need evidence—particularly for argumentative writing—to reinforce your point of view. You will learn and be expected to use scholarly sources from academic databases.

In a nutshell, you should expect to spend more time on your college-level essays than you would on your high school ones. It will take some time to adjust to these new expectations, but your professor should guide you through this process.

Expect to spend more time on your college-level essays than you would on your high school ones.
Click To Tweet

Great Expectations

Because writing in college will be tougher than it was in high school, you can safely bet that your teacher will have higher expectations of you as a student.

It’s common for each prospective college student to take an essay-based placement exam, which places you in a writing course that matches your skill level.

So whether you have trouble with grammar or speak English as a second language, you should end up in a class with a teacher who understands your unique needs as a writer.

That said, the quality of work you turn in will ultimately rely on how well you follow instructions and apply yourself. So it’s good to know what you’re getting into in advance. Work on essay-writing skills ahead of time, and you’ll be better prepared.

Here’s what your teacher will expect from you as a college-level writing student.

Knowing the syllabus

Your class will almost certainly have a syllabus. Read it. Understand it. Ask your teacher about anything that confuses you.

A course syllabus not only outlines the expectations of you as a student, but also should give you an idea of what you need to do in order to write successful essays.

Following the rubric

The syllabus or course workbook should have a grading rubric that breaks down the items that make the difference between a paper that fails, meets expectations, or passes with flying colors.

Editing and revising

Should you write more than one draft of each college-level essay? YES!

Your teacher will grade your essays under the assumption that you’ve taken the time to brainstorm, outline, and write a rough draft of your essay before editing your work into a polished final revision that aims for the “big A.”

At the very least, your teacher expects you to proofread to eliminate misspellings, punctuation errors, and problems in sentence structure.

Even strong writers need to go back and review their work. Simple mistakes can cost you points and even be the difference between a “B” and “C” grade, so don’t skip these vital steps!

Supporting the “why”

Because college essays come with the added expectation of claims, analysis, and support, your teacher will be grading your work with this in mind.

This can be tricky territory because there are different types of essays. Depending on which one you’re writing, you may have to shift your approach to meet these expectations.

Remember: college essays are not book reports. You won’t just be recounting what you read or watched to show that you’ve done these tasks.

Instead, your essays will dig further into your ideas, opinions, arguments, and the way you justify your thoughts.

In essence, your writing in college shows that you can think critically about issues or the way you see the world and that you can back up your thoughts with solid evidence or reasoning.

Effective college writing requires you to think critically and use solid evidence and reasoning.
Click To Tweet

Here are some common types of college essays and what your teacher will expect from them.

Narrative

In this type of essay, you describe a significant event in your life, but there is a little more to telling a story than just listing the events from A to B. You’ll also need to reflect on the event and tell the reader why the event matters to you.

Compare and contrast

A compare and contrast essay will have you describe two different topics and break them down by their similarities and differences. It sounds pretty straightforward, but there are proven ways to get the job done when it comes to these types of essays.

Analysis

This essay type is usually the toughest for most students. When you analyze a topic, you’re doing so much more than just describing it. Instead, you explain to the reader the prevalent themes within a topic, the relationships thereof, and why they matter.

Argumentative

An argumentative paper does just what it suggests—you argue for one side of an issue by providing your main claim, the thesis. Then you explain to the reader why your claim is valid while supporting it with citations from established scholarly sources.

Want to see examples of these different types of essays? Check out the Kibin Essay Examples Database!

Supporting your claims with evidence (citing)

When you’re writing argumentative or research papers in college, your teacher will expect you to reinforce your claims with supporting evidence.

This evidence comes in the way of citations—quotes, paraphrasing, and summarizing the words of scholarly articles—that provide proof that your claims are valid.

You will probably be taught how to cite sources in whatever method is most appropriate for the type of course you’re in. But if not, your textbook should have a comprehensive guide on how to do this. Use it!

English classes usually require MLA format, whereas a number of courses may require APA.

Your teacher will also expect you to correctly cite your sources. Your textbook’s guide should break this down in two items:

Parenthetical in-text citation: This is when you use parentheses at the end of your cited material in the essay itself.

Works Cited/References page: For each source you use in a college essay, you will have to provide a complete citation on a separate page at the end of the essay that tells the reader where the information came from.

In lieu of your textbook, the Purdue OWL has pretty great up-to-date guides on how to cite sources—both in-text and on a Works Cited or References page—on its website, complete with examples to help you out.

Writing in your own words

On day one of classes, your teachers will probably emphasize that plagiarism is akin to a high crime in the academic world, that it comes with dire consequences—including failure of a paper, maybe even the course—and possible expulsion from the university.

It’s best to take them at their word and don’t ever plagiarize, which is when you try to pass off someone else’s work as your own.

Most teachers are pretty good at spotting this, and many universities require you to submit your papers to plagiarism-checking databases.

This is why citation is important. But even in those essays in which you’re citing others’ work, you need to balance this so that most of the writing is in your own words. The teacher expects to see your ideas and reasoning, not someone else’s.

A tip on citations: Usually 1-3 citations per page is fine, provided that they don’t make up most of the writing on those pages. You also don’t want to overly rely on just one source. One or two sources per essay page is typical.

Resource Roundup

If all of the above sounds overwhelming, don’t fret! A lot of this will come to you in bits and pieces over the duration of your course. Improving your skills will be a learning process. It will take time and work, but it can be done!

And you’re not alone in this process. You have human and written resources at your disposal to help you with your writing. Make good use of them, and you’ll likely do much better than if you hadn’t.

Your workbook and textbook

This may seem pretty obvious, but if you don’t keep up with your readings, you’ll soon find yourself lost. These books were designed specifically for your class and are meant to prepare you for success.

These texts usually come with exercises that are especially helpful if you struggle in certain areas of writing, whether it’s grammar and structure, or logic and analysis, etc.

If you find yourself struggling with a particular concept or technique, it’s a good chance these books have practice work to help you improve.

Your teacher

Your college teachers aren’t only available during class time. Most hold office hours each week in which you can visit them to discuss your work and ask for help in areas where you’re having trouble.

Even if their hours don’t match up with your schedule, you can request a meeting at a time that works for you both. Just be polite when asking, and definitely don’t be afraid to ask!

Building a good rapport with your teacher can be super-helpful for when times get tough.

Classmates, friends, and study groups

College should feel like a community. Early in the semester, reach out to your fellow classmates or friends, or sign up for study groups that focus on essay writing.

Your peers can look over your work and help point out issues you may have. Doing this for them will give you practice too!

Writing labs

Most universities have some kind of writing lab or center where you can walk in or schedule an appointment to get help with your essays.

You should keep in mind that, while the people who work there can help you with grammar, sentence structure, ideas, and argument, they will not edit or write your papers for you.

The library

Sure, you’ll probably do almost all of your work on a computer, but the library can come in handy when you need help finding sources for your papers.

Librarians are super-helpful sources of knowledge and can guide you to resources you may not have found on your own. They can also help you navigate your university’s scholarly databases when you’re having trouble.

Kibin

Of course, Kibin will always be here to help you when it comes to editing your papers and showing you how to improve your writing in all areas. Don’t forget to give us a try!

Writing in College: The Takeaway

Writing in college can and should be challenging, but that doesn’t mean it has to be frustrating or impossible. Like anything that may not come easy to you, if you practice, try new methods, and seek help when needed, you will get better.

Many students don’t do well on their first couple of college essays because high school writing hasn’t prepared them for this new challenge.

If this happens to you, it’s not time to worry—it’s time to take action.

Even if you fail your first college essay, try not to be discouraged. Instead, think of this failure as an opportunity to learn which areas you’re already strong in and which you need to work on to do better next time.

If you need some extra help understanding what you need to do to improve your writing, meet with your teacher. Teachers can guide you and help you reach their expectations when it comes to your work.

And as always, Kibin’s editing service has your back to help you succeed in this process!

Is college worth the money?

This blog post will talk about how to make your college education worthwhile by giving you the tools you need to make the right decisions about what to study.

Take Heart, It’s Not All Bad News

In their book Academically Adrift, authors and researchers Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa uncover some discouraging news. They write, “With a large sample of more than 2300 students, we observe no statistically significant gains in critical thinking, complex reasoning, and writing skills for at least 45% of the students in our study.”

This tidbit of information has made a pretty big sensation in the media. After all, why would anyone want to spend a fortune on an education that isn’t actually working for 45% of the students who enroll?

What about the 55% of students who do make statistically significant gains? Is college worth a shot if you can be one of the successful students?

Despite what these researchers are saying, statistics show that people with college degrees are better off than those without.

In a study by Pew Research Center, researchers find, “On virtually every measure of economic well-being and career attainment—from personal earnings to job satisfaction to the share employed full time—young college graduates are outperforming their peers with less education.”

What’s more, a high school diploma doesn’t give you nearly the number of opportunities it gave past generations. Researchers write, “The economic analysis finds that Millennial college graduates ages 25 to 32 who are working full time earn more annually—about $17,500 more—than employed young adults holding only a high school diploma. The pay gap was significantly smaller in previous generations. College-educated Millennials also are more likely to be employed full time than their less-educated counterparts (89% vs. 82%) and significantly less likely to be unemployed (3.8% vs. 12.2%).”

And even though the cost of education has risen obscenely over the last several decades, Pew finds that “about nine-in-ten [students] with at least a bachelor’s degree say college has already paid off (72%) or will pay off in the future (17%).”

So Is College Worth the Money?

All this said, it’s kind of a catch-22. If you don’t go to college, then you risk being unemployed or underemployed and underpaid. If you do go to college, then you risk being mired in student loans that can be difficult to pay off, and you may not make as many educational gains as you would hope after such a big investment.

The answer to this dilemma is to find a degree that is actually worth something to you. What makes a degree worth something to you? It’s a combination of three factors:

1. Smart financial investment. Choose a program that is a smart financial investment—one that will give you enough earning potential to repay your student loans. This will help mitigate the high cost of education.
2. Career opportunities. Choose a program that will allow you to find a career in a growing industry. This will help mitigate insecurity in the job market.
3. Interest and aptitude. Finally, choose a program that you have interest in and aptitude for. This will make it much more likely that you will be in the 55% of students who learn something in school.

When you put all three of these considerations together, you will be able to achieve educational success.

Which College Degrees Are Worth It?

Before you settle on your major, it’s a good idea to do some research to determine which industries are going to set you up for success in the future.

According to PayScale.com, the top 7 of 10 degrees that lead to the highest paying jobs are in engineering. The other three are in physics, math, and computer science.

This might come as a serious disappointment for any student who finds a thrill in the arts, humanities, or English disciplines. I remember when, to my parents’ horror, I announced I would be majoring in English Creative Writing of all things. They wondered what I would do with such a “useless” degree. (You should note that I graduated with my English degree the same year that Peter Merholz coined the word “blog”–yeah I’m that old…)

People who shun engineering and mathematics need not despair. It turns out that there is hope for English majors who, according to PayScale.com, have a mid-career earning potential of $71,400. A major in advertising can bring in $79,400 annually, with enough effort. And a major in fashion design can eventually lead to a lucrative career attached to a $77,100 annual salary.

None of these salaries are anything to laugh at. Yeah, you’re not looking at the income potential of the next Steve Jobs (who famously didn’t graduate from college), but you are looking at enough earning potential to repay your student loans and enjoy a comfortable life doing something you like.

So whether you make six figures as a petroleum engineer or a more modest income in advertising, picking a degree in a field that interests you will set you up for the highest success in the future.

If you’re not sure what industry interests you but are positive that you want to pick a major that will lead to a career with long-term potential, let’s talk about how to determine the fastest growing industries and select an education to fit that.

The Top 14 Fastest Growing, Highest Paying Jobs

If you’re concerned about competing for jobs in an unstable job market, you might want to focus your sights on achieving an education in one of the fastest growing industries.

I’ve created a table based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which shows the top 14 highest paying and fastest growing careers over the next decade (2012-2022). (Check out the full list of fastest growing careers.)

What strikes me about this list is that most of the careers are in the medical field. In fact, 12 of 14 of the jobs listed here are related to healthcare.

You’ll notice the columns labeled “Education Requirement” and “Investment.” The higher the level of education you need to qualify for the career, the higher the financial and time investment will be.

Among the careers on this list, it looks like earning an associate’s degree to become a dental hygienist will bring you the highest salary ($70k annually) with the lowest investment ($30k total for associate’s degree).

I highly suggest that, as you try to determine your career path, you explore the Occupational Outlook Handbook as compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. You can search for jobs, find out their growth potential, and learn about the experience and education requirements for any given industry.

Let’s say, for example, you want to find more information on what it takes to become an air traffic controller. Just type in “air traffic controller” in the search box, and you’ll find this handy little page:

It gives you information on how much you can earn (six figures!), the education requirements (associate’s degree), how many jobs there are in the industry (25,000 jobs in 2012), and other interesting details.

Once you have determined your desired course of study, you can find the best school for you by searching this database of best schools by major.

Then when you’ve settled on what you want to study and where, you can find out exactly how much your college experience is going to cost.

Some Final Thoughts on Whether College is Worth It

Is college worth the money?

The answer is, yes.

Let’s face it. A high school education isn’t enough to succeed in most endeavors anymore. Even though a college education can be an expensive proposition, if you make smart choices about what to study, you can make it worth the investment.

To learn more about ways to make college more affordable, read my post on no-essay scholarships and this one with ideas on how to pay for college.

Good luck!

For these reasons and many more, going back to school is a decision that can’t be taken lightly.

In my last post, Is Going Back to School at 30 the Right Decision For You?, I addressed how to decide whether or not you should go back to school and how to decide what you should study.

This post will cover how to pay for college and how to balance your work-life responsibilities as an adult student.

Ask Yourself: How Are You Going to Pay for College?

One of the reasons that going back to school is such a big decision is because it’s an expensive proposition. Unless you’re independently wealthy and going back to school just for the fun of it, you’re going to have to get creative with your funding sources to pay for college.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average tuition and fees for the 2012-2013 school year were as follows:

• Public Institutions (i.e. state colleges like the University of Colorado or California)
  • $7,500/year, in-state. A four-year degree will cost approximately $30k.
  • $17,000/year, out-of-state. A four-year degree will cost approximately $68k.

• Private Institutions (i.e. College America or The Art Institute)
  • $15,400/year. A four-year degree will cost approximately $61k.

Also, note that these rates tend to increase year after year.

When you are coming up with tens of thousands of dollars to fund something, you might want to ask: 

Is there any way you can minimize your debt?

When considering how to pay for college, it may be tempting to take out your entire tuition in the form of easy-to-get loans. However, there are ways to make the final amount you pay out of pocket smaller—possibly much smaller. 

First, look for scholarships.

I’ve heard many adult students complain, “There aren’t a lot of scholarships out there.” The truth is that there is a whole boatload of them—you just have to know where to look.

The obvious choice is to talk to your financial aid office at school about scholarship opportunities. But this isn’t your only resource.

On the Internet, the world of scholarships is at your fingertips.

First, I suggest that you visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s scholarship search tool. This will lead you to some pretty helpful scholarship options. Here’s a screenshot of the tool:

But, if you want to cast your scholarship net even wider, consider joining one of the many free “college decision” websites. I’ve tried a few, but my favorite is Cappex.com. Cappex and similar services like SuperCollege.com and College Niche offer databases of university and scholarship information.

In fact, it was through Cappex that I found the following unusual scholarship opportunities:

Author Linda Lael Miller offers a scholarship worth up to $1,000 to women who are 25 years or older and are seeking to enhance their family’s future through education.

Although the scholarship may not be currently open, I spoke to Linda’s PR person, Nancy Berland, who says, “Linda will run her scholarship competition again—this is something like the 11th or 12th year she has done this. Usually we launch in June. Women need to either join Linda’s reader e-list on www.LindaLaelMiller.com—she sends early notification to that list—or keep an eye on her website. Linda is passionate about helping women looking to better their lot in life through education!”

Another fun scholarship I found was the Ayn Rand Atlas Shrugged contest, open to undergrad and grad students. Writing 800-1600 words can win you up to $10,000. This is an annually recurring scholarship, and you can apply even while you are in school.

Remember to have your scholarship essay edited before you submit it!

There are many more opportunities like this one. For more ideas, check out this post on no-essay scholarships that are easy to apply for.

Scholarships aren’t the only way to minimize your student loan debt.

If your income is low enough, you may also be eligible for grants.

When thinking about how to pay for college, don’t forget the power of grants. Grants are completely free money! No essay, no work—you just have to have a low enough income to qualify. Here is a great tool to help you search for grant assistance on a state-by-state basis.

And if scholarships and grants aren’t enough, as an adult student, you may have a resource that a traditional student won’t have: your employer.

Will your workplace help pay for your tuition?

Your current employer is another great place for you to seek money for your education. Obviously this choice isn’t for everyone, particularly if you are going to school to get out of your current job or because you don’t have a job.

However, if your new skills will benefit the company you currently work for, it may help you pay. Even if you work in a small company that doesn’t have an existing education assistance program, you should still ask your boss if the company could offer education assistance.

One reason your boss may be interested in helping fund your education is that there are income tax benefits to be gained by doing so. Your employer can donate up to $5,250 per year in funds toward your education on a tax-free basis.

And speaking of tax credits, if and when you do go back to school, don’t forget to take advantage of the tax breaks being a student gives you, including the American Opportunity Tax Credit and the Lifetime Learning Tax Credit.

Now the next credit you should consider has nothing to do with taxes, and everything to do with your experiences.

Does your school have a non-traditional credit program? 

When you’re trying to figure out how to pay for college, don’t underestimate the power of your experience. One of the benefits of going back to school as an adult is that some institutions will allow you to earn credit for your real-life experience.

For example, if you speak Spanish because you spent a year teaching English in Ecuador, you can test out of language classes, or if you spent a few years in the Army, your military service can equate to credits at some institutions.

By earning credits toward graduation without having to take or pay for some of the classes, you can save hundreds, or thousands, of dollars. Check with your school to see if any of your real-life experiences translate to credit.

Speaking of credit, you should put your credit card away for a while and… 

Save up some money.

I know, saving money before spending it seems like a pretty antiquated idea in our credit-friendly economy, but it might do you well to save up some bankroll before signing up for school.

Try working a second job for a year or two and using the extra money you make to cover part of your tuition. The bonus of this pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps tactic is that you’ll learn a little bit about the time management you’ll need to master when your second job becomes going to school.

If all of that isn’t enough, apply for a federal student loan.

The first thing you need to do when applying for a federal loan is to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). No matter how old you are, you are always eligible to apply for federal student aid. Filling out the FAFSA also helps you obtain federal grants if you have a low income.

Federal loans are typically a better buy than private loans (like from your bank) because you lock in a fixed interest rate, and with payoff schedules lasting ten or more years, keeping that rate fixed will save you interest in the long run.

This article at Forbes.com has great information about federal vs. private loans.

If you do end up taking out a loan, I definitely recommend you read how to avoid four mistakes when it comes to managing your student loan.

Now that I’ve given you some ideas for funding your education adventure, let’s talk about time management.

Ask Yourself: How Are You Going to Balance School With Your Other Responsibilities?

When you were 20, your biggest responsibility may have been the part-time job at the sandwich shop. But now, you’re all grown up and have a pile of responsibilities bigger than the laundry pile lurking next to your washing machine.

If you have kids, who will care for them while you are studying and in class? Even if your kids are teenagers, the time you spend burying your nose in your math textbook is going to take away from the time you can spend telling them what not to wear to school.

So consider how you’re going to balance this responsibility. Many parents use going back to school as a way to be a better role model. For example, you can do your homework at the same time your child does his. A family that does homework together stays together!

If you are in a committed relationship, talk to your partner about how schooling will affect your availability and make sure that he or she is on board with the idea. You’re going to need your partner’s support and encouragement in the grueling, homework-filled nights ahead.

Will you be able to continue to work full-time? Or will you have to cut back your work hours to make time for studying? Find out if your employer will offer you flexible hours so that you have more time to pursue your studies.

If that’s not an option, you may need to take school a little more slowly and attend part-time. Also, take into consideration that for every three credits hours you’ll have at least three hours of homework per week.

As you are considering how much responsibility to take on, remember that there are only 168 hours in a week and you still need time to sleep, shower, eat, and take care of yourself and your loved ones!

Here’s a fun calculation for you:

168 hours in a week
-49 hours for sleep (7 hours/night—but wouldn’t you prefer 8?)
-40 hours full-time work
-10 hours commuting (assuming a half hour each way/5 days per week)
-9 hours class time (3 classes per week as a part-time, but ambitious, student)
-9 hours of homework (at minimum! Plan for more on testing weeks.)
51 hours per week remaining to take care of yourself, your home, partner, friends, family, and pets

This may seem like a lot of time, but consider that before you started school, you had 69 hours to work with, and you already felt like you could hardly keep up.

Now imagine if you upped that to a full-time schedule of 15 hours of class time (and 15 corresponding hours of homework)—it would only leave you with 39 hours per week to take care of your life outside of work and school.

For more great tips, read Amy Hoak’s article about balancing school with work and family.

How are you going to get all that homework done?

Once you get into school, you’ll rediscover the harsh reality of homework. You’re certainly going to be burning the midnight oil (or is it the midnight laptop glare?) to stay on top of your studies.

Try to plan ahead to tackle any learning issues that you know may be lurking in your background. For example, if you have never been a great writer, consider the value of hiring an editor to help you polish your papers before you turn them in. Now is not the time to lose points on your GPA because of difficulties with grammar.

Or, if you have never been great at math, but find that you have to take a math class to earn the right credits toward your degree, consider the value of hiring a tutor to assist you. If you’re not sure where to look, there are lots of online tutor directories like this one.

The other thing you should consider is joining a study group at school to help capitalize on other students’ assets and contribute your own strengths. Sometimes having a study buddy makes a big difference in motivation levels.

Finally, I had a chance to chat with two students over 30 to find out how they manage to balance their work and family lives with school and homework. Here’s what they had to say.

Interview #1: Meet Holly

Holly is a recent 40+ grad. Here’s her story.

Me: Hi Holly, thanks for chatting with me today!

Holly: No problem! Thanks for having me.

Me: First of all, how old are you? Yes, your real age.

Holly: I’m 41.

Me: And where did you attend school?

Holly: I just received my Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services Management from the University of Phoenix.

Me: Phoenix, Arizona?

Holly: (Laughing) Everyone says that! No, it’s actually a private college in Colorado.

Me: Oh yeah, I’ve heard of that place! Aside from school, what other responsibilities did you have to juggle?

Holly: I am a single parent of one, and I have three cats, five hermit crabs, and tons of housework.

Me: I’m sure those hermit crabs kept you really busy.

Holly: Ha! Yeah, busier than you might think, actually!

Me: So between the cats, the crustaceans, and your daughter, how did you manage to get any schoolwork done?

Holly: I actually am very good at time management and it was common for me to ask for help from both my daughter and friends.

Me: Is that your secret to success? Asking for help?

Holly: That’s part of it. Also, I studied when I knew I would be home alone and I only did homework when I was free of distraction. Studying or working on a project any other time was a waste of my time.

Me: You do sound like a time management expert! Why did you decide to go back to school anyway?

Holly: I went back to school because I knew it would play a role in my daughter’s educational goals and desire to be a success.

Me: So you did it to be a good role model?

Holly: Yes, and I wanted to be educated so that I could work with high-risk teens, educating the public about addiction and the effects of addiction. My education provided a foundation for me to pursue this dream.

Me: Any stellar advice for someone considering going back to school after age 30?

Holly: My advice is to get an education! The reward of achieving goals is substantial.

Interview # 2: Meet Antonia

Antonia just started her journey toward earning a degree as a 37-year-old single mom of twin girls. Here’s her story.

Me: Hi Antonia, thanks for taking the time out of your crazy busy schedule to chat today.

Antonia: Not a problem! This is a nice distraction.

Me: So, where are you attending school?

Antonia: I’m going to Front Range Community College for an Associate degree in Applied Science of Holistic Health.

Me: That sounds like an interesting program! What do you plan to do with that degree?

Antonia: As in career goals? Huh, I haven’t really settled on one specific thing yet. I know I love herbal science, so maybe being a master herbalist. But, what if I love psychology more and I end up changing my degree to focus more on that? I’ve left the options open. I want to move forward in my studies and see which subject really speaks to me. I think that’ll help really finalize my decision in the end.

Me: Describe your family and home situation; what’s on your plate?

Antonia: I’m a single mama of beautiful and expressive 11-year-old twin girls. For the past four years, I’ve been self-employed cleaning homes. The furry love of my life is an old Shiba Inu that I rescued over a year ago. She has diabetes and is hypo-thyroid. She needs insulin injections and thyroid pills twice a day. She’s my four-legged, crotchety old lady that I love so much.

Me: You do sound busy! Twin girls and an old lady doggy? How do you manage all that and school?

Antonia: Well, I started out with only 6 credits so that I wouldn’t overwhelm myself. I have one class every morning, I work after class and am finished by the time school gets out. My girls are also very helpful around the house. We have our daily chores so that I’m not bogged down with all of the work, all the while teaching the girls responsibility.

Me: So how are you staying organized and making sure to get all your school work done on time?

Antonia: Since I have only two classes right now, it’s easy to alternate the work. I have one class M, W, F and the other class on T and TH. I study or do the work that’s due the following day even though it’s not the class I attended that morning. It’s working out very well thus far.

Me: That sounds pretty smart! So you’re doing only as much as you can sanely handle.

Antonia: I don’t know about sanely… (laughs)

Me: Why did you decide to go to school? It sounds like you are a pretty successful business owner.

Antonia: I’m going back to school because I am sick of cleaning other people’s homes. I’m grateful I have a job in this economy for sure but, frankly, I’m just not very proud of what I do. I know I’m helping people out by cleaning for them. But, I want to help people in different ways. I want to use my brain. The most important reason, however, is I want a better future for my girls and me. I’m hoping my girls will look back and realize that I didn’t settle for the easy way out. I can only hope that by witnessing me work hard to improve our lives, it will motivate them to work just as hard on their education and make better choices when it comes to their future.

Me: I’m sure you’re an amazing role model for those girls! Do you have any parting thoughts for anyone considering going back to school after 30?

Antonia: I say go for it. As long as you’re motivated, you have a strong support system of family and friends and the desire to change your life for the better, do it. Knowledge is power!

So now that you’ve asked yourself the tough questions, I challenge you to take the next step toward pursuing your dream, whether that’s going back to school or doing something else entirely.

Share your experience with us—did you go back to school after 30? If so, what advice can you offer to others who may be considering going down this road?

Good luck!

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis

Well the good news is that you’re definitely not too old to go back to school—if a 71-year-old can do it, then so can you.

In fact, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, in the 2012-13 school year, 40.5% of enrolled students were 25 to 39 years old, which is not a far cry from the 46% in the “traditional” 18-to-24 age group. And 12% of students enrolled during the school year were over 40.

So the question really isn’t am I too old?

The right question to be asking is whether or not this is going back to school at 30 or older a good decision for you. Going back to school at 30, 40, or even 50 years old is a major life decision that needs to be carefully considered.

Let’s face it—you’re not 18 anymore, and you’ve already made quite a few major decisions from which you can never, ever return. From each of these choices, you’ve experienced successes and failures and piled on a whole ton of responsibilities while you were at it.

You may have had kids (and grandkids!), gotten married (and divorced and married again!), bought a house (or two or three), moved across the world and back (or not), and walked down more than a couple of different career paths.

And here you are on the brink of another big, life-changing, and pretty much irreversible decision.

Should you go back to school?

This is part one of a two-part series that will help you answer this question.

In this post, we’ll discuss four important questions to ask yourself when deciding whether going back to school is the right decision for you. I also interview a 30-something student and ask her for her best advice.

So, Is Going Back to School at 30 Your Best Option?

The number one, most important consideration you need to address before signing up for a college program is: should you go back to school? I mean, are you 100% completely certain that this is the right next step for you?

Without a shred of doubt?

The answer is based entirely on your unique situation and life goals. With that in mind, I’ve come up with four critical questions to ask yourself to help you decide whether going back to school is really your best option.

1. Can you get the credentials you’re seeking through an alternative means?

Are you looking to make yourself more promotable in your current industry? If so, is stepping away (or limiting the hours) from your paying job for two or more years really necessary?

Or, would you be better off taking a certification course to help enhance your existing skill set?

Not all education comes in the form of a university degree. If you are already working in a gainful occupation, sometimes adding a couple of certifications to your name will help make you more sought-after in your career.

Certifications take less time and are a lot less costly than going back to school.

A certification may give you more bang for your buck than a college degree will! (Tweet this)

The U.S. Department of Labor offers a handy certification finder to help you find out more about different certifications you can get in various industries. If you are already working in fields such as real estate, nursing, or IT, for example, then certifications may be the better choice for you.

If there are no certifications in your field of interest, or if you’re really looking for a BIG CHANGE in your life, then perhaps going back to school is still your best option. So read on!

The next question you should ask yourself:

2. Is going back to school at 30 or older worth the money and time that you’ll need to invest?

This question becomes more and more important the older you get because, let’s face it, the older you are, the fewer working years you have ahead of you (hooray!). Going back to school is sort of like pushing the “pause” button on your working life—even if you continue to work while you’re in school, you won’t have the time to put in extra hours or effort on the job.

Going back to school is going to take a lot of resources from you, including a great deal of your time, energy, and money.

But you knew that already, right?

That’s why it’s important to figure out your potential return on investment (ROI).

Common wisdom says that a better education means more earning potential. This wisdom is backed up by some pretty impressive numbers, too.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that people with higher levels of education received higher weekly incomes and were subject to lower unemployment rates. Check out this informative graph from the U.S. Department of Labor:

Based on those numbers, getting your bachelor’s degree can help you almost double your income compared to having no college degree at all. What’s more, having a bachelor’s degree drastically increases your potential for employment.

That said, not all majors and fields of studies are created equally.

Are you looking for an occupation with potential earning power? It might do you well to review these occupation statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It offers a plethora of interesting stats about the highest- and lowest-paying jobs and the highest- and lowest-employing industries.

Judging from the above table, you can potentially double your income if you are currently working as a hospital orderly (at $25k/year) and decide to earn a bachelor’s degree in mortuary science (at $53k/year).

For argument’s sake, let’s say you earn your four-year degree at an in-state school and spend $30k to do it (more on how much school could cost you in next week’s post).

Assuming all goes well, and you get a good-paying job as a mortician in year five, your earnings will increase by $28k/year, which means that for you, school will pay for itself in just over one year of working.

Hooray, you ambitious mortician, you! Going back to school was the right choice.

I suggest you run through a similar ROI evaluation for your decision. First, calculate your potential income change, and then figure out how long your school investment will take to pay off. If you end up being able to recuperate your investment in five or fewer years, you may decide that going back to school is a great choice for you.

That said, any wise person will tell you to never, ever do anything just for money. If you don’t pick an industry that fuels your curiosity and passion, you may not succeed at all, and any money you throw at the endeavor might just be dollars down the drain.

Let me play devil’s advocate for you. While most people think the decision to go back to school is a great plan, here are a few people who think going back to school can spell futility:

Robert Chen says returning to school because you can’t find a job is a bad idea. He writes, “There was a time when an advanced degree was special and having one set you apart from other candidates. Now, not only do more people have advanced degrees, but the cost of higher education is rising much faster than the salary boost it can bring.”

Well that’s not very encouraging!

Daniel Lemire says returning to school for a PhD isn’t a good idea if your only motivation is money. He writes, “I tell my students that they should be in it for the pursuit of knowledge.”

Probably not a bad idea.

Forbes contributor Chereen Zaki says getting an MA hurt her career prospects! She writes, “Two years, twenty-five pounds, and an obscene amount of money later and my master’s degree didn’t sound like a credential, but a mark against me. In the end, I wasn’t offered the job and could only wonder whether my master’s degree was the reason why.”

Twenty-five pounds? Now, that’s a pitfall I hadn’t considered yet!

All of these negative perspectives make me wonder:

3. Would you be better off taking the risk of starting your own business?

Many of the world’s most influential and successful people don’t even have a college degree. If you’re going back to school because you are trying to find a new purpose in your life, you may consider opening your own business.

If you have the expertise, passion, patience, and work ethic to make something grow out of nothing, being an entrepreneur may be a more rewarding option than school.

Both going back to school and starting your own business can be risky. But, if you’re even thinking about plunking down $60k for an MBA, in particular, then I suggest you consider that the money might be better used to fund your business vision instead.

Not sure if being an entrepreneur is right for you? Check out this great Lifehacker article discussing the pros and cons of becoming a business owner.

Now, I’m not saying that education has no value; I’m just challenging you to consider whether furthering your education has a specific and measurable value for you and your goals.

Hopefully the above questions helped you determine whether going back to school is the right choice for you. If you’re still wondering, maybe you should read this post by Donald Asher on 7 reasons to go back to school.

Now, I’m guessing that if you’re still with me and haven’t drifted off into dreaming about opening your own cupcake shop, then you are still thinking school is your best choice.

That leads us to another important question:

4. What are you going to study?

Do you have a well-defined career path in mind?

Chances are, you already know what you want to study—after all, you’ve been on this earth for a while now and have probably figured out some of your major interests in this world.

But, if you’re looking at your choices with the open-minded optimism of your 18-year-old self, now’s your chance to really think this decision through.

After all, you’re paying for college, not your parents, and you probably can’t afford to change your mind after you’ve set out on your educational path.

A great place to start is by visiting the Department of Labor’s list of things to consider when choosing a new career path.  And if you’re seeking to find out more about your strengths and weaknesses to help send you in the right direction, then consider taking this free aptitude test.

Another great resource is AfterCollege.com. The site tries to help you figure out what types of jobs you can seek with your particular education, and then it helps connect you with employers.

It’s a great exercise to run through a few scenarios on this site before you commit to a degree. This way you can get a better idea of where the best opportunities are.

*Bonus* AfterCollege also has a list of scholarships, including a possible $1k prize just for signing up.

Now that you’ve considered whether going back to school is the right choice for you and have thought about what you’re going to study, let’s talk to one student who is successfully managing an adult-student lifestyle.

Interview with a 30-something student: Meet Chelsea

Chelsea is a 35-year-old attending Regis University. Here’s her story.

Me: Hi Chelsea, thanks for chatting with me today.

Chelsea: You’re welcome! I’m actually on a break from school right now, so I’ve got more time.

Me: So what are you studying at Regis?

Chelsea: I’m getting my Bachelor of Liberal Arts with a Specialization in English, minor in Psychology.

Me: Wow! That sounds like a lot. So when do you expect to graduate?

Chelsea: Someday! With working full time, I can only commit to one class at a time, so it’s a long process. I am hoping to be able to walk across a shimmering stage in a nice flowing gown by the spring of 2015.

Me: So aside from slowly knocking out your degree, what do you do?

Chelsea: I live in my fabulously bohemian apartment with nine plants and six brimming bookshelves. I work full-time as an Executive Assistant to one C-level Executive, two Directors and two Project/Product Managers, along with supporting both the development and engineering teams at a start-up software company.  While business hours are typically 8am to 5pm, an assistant’s work is never done. When I’m not doing my homework, I’m usually at Stitch-N-Bitch working on the latest knitting or art project.  Otherwise, I spend a lot of time not doing my laundry or the dishes, but reading non-fiction and poring over Pinterest.

Me: Sounds like you’ve got your hands full. How do you find balance among all of your responsibilities?

Chelsea: One of the best things I taught myself when I was young was how to be organized.  From making myself take computer typing classes to attending Stephen Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” workshop, I’ve always learned to prioritize by urgency and importance.

I’m fortunate to have a supportive and understanding boss too, who honors my school schedule and is flexible with my work schedule on the days I have class.

Me: What is your secret to success?

Chelsea: I find it is important to attend EVERY class.  Sometimes I’m not able to finish my homework, or it’s been a vicious day at the office – but I still go to class. Showing up is vital. Also, ask your professors for help, email them for clarification, form a study group with your classmates and take advantage of writing labs and all the support your school offers.

Me: Wow! It sounds like you are taking your education very seriously. Why did you decide to go back to school?

Chelsea: I decided to go back to school for several reasons. As an existentialist, I believe I have an obligation to society and myself to maximize my potential.  I believe in education – I believe it is the key to human evolution and overcoming societal issues like prejudice and hate.  After having entered the workforce, I lost sight of my education.  Existing became about paying the bills and being able to take nice vacations.  I took two years “off” to work overseas in the US Antarctic Program.  When I returned to the US, I realized I had to fall back on my previous work experience to get the job I already had, rather than being able to use a degree to move forward and get the job I want.

Me: And what job do you want?

Chelsea: I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. Taking classes and working on my degree has helped me discover areas of interest I might not have otherwise. Working while I take classes has also helped me realize areas of non-interest such as writing code, while also highlighting aspects of my job that I really enjoy like event planning and office management.

Me: Well good luck finding your heart’s desire over the next few years.

Chelsea: Thank you! It’s a work in progress.

Me: Do you have any stellar advice for someone considering going back to school at 30 or older?

Chelsea: Sure, make sure the schools you look into offer the classes you want for your area of focus.  It helps immensely if you already know your area of focus so that you can form a clear degree plan.

Always go to class! Make sure you fit your homework and reading into your schedule a little bit every day.  It will be a lot easier to manage an hour every day than trying to cram it all into one weekend.  Be prepared: know your learning style, take notes.

Be sure to consider books in the overhead costs as well as project materials, I originally budgeted for tuition and then suffered from sticker shock in having to spend upwards of $200.00 on books.  Studies show that notes taken on a laptop or other electronic device do not have the same effectiveness as taking hand-written notes. Dream big and then dream bigger.

Me: Wow! Thanks for that, Chelsea!

Final Thoughts on Going Back to School at 30

Going back to school at 30 or older is not a decision that should be taken lightly. Before enrolling in classes, you should carefully consider whether this is the right choice for you. Try to envision what your life will be like after you achieve your degree. Will it be better?

In the next post, I’ll cover topics on how to cover the cost of tuition and how to manage your time as an adult-student with a zillion other responsibilities. So tune in next week!

Good luck!

How are you ever going to get organized and stay ahead of your professors’ many demands?  Don’t worry. Kibin has your back. This back to school special includes seven great ideas to help you gear up and get ready for a successful college semester.

#1 The Best Transportation

One major back to school consideration is finding the best transportation. Depending on your college, it’s better to walk, ride a bike, or take public transportation to class. There are a lot of advantages to foregoing a car. First, you can save money on gas, maintenance, insurance, and parking permits, and you can use this money to help pay for your textbooks and school supplies. Second, riding a bike or walking gives you a chance to get some exercise, even during your busy school schedule. And, exercising can make you a better student.

A study at the University of Georgia Department of Exercise Science has found that exercising for up to sixty minutes improves brain function and memory, but they caution that exercising to the point of dehydration has the opposite effect. The final reason it’s awesome not to have a car on campus is that you won’t be the one that everyone goes to when they need a ride off campus.

Don’t have a bike? Don’t let that stop you. Many towns now offer bike libraries where you can borrow a bike for cheap or free. Check out this directory of community bike programs compiled by the International Bicycle Fund to see if there is a service near you. And, after you’ve taken a ride to class, post your six-second bike ride video here to show why biking is so great!

I know I just told you to forgo a car, but there are some circumstances where a car is really the best way to get around. If you must have a car to get somewhere every so often, you may opt to use a car sharing service like Zipcar.

These cars can be rented for a low monthly fee if you drive fairly regularly or on an hourly, as-needed, basis if you drive infrequently. They are insured and you don’t have to worry about maintenance, car loans, or other expenses… including gas (yes, even gas)! Many universities now offer this service on campus; visit Zipcar to find out if your university is one of them.

#2 Find a Study Space

Second on the back to school agenda, now that you have transport, is finding an optimal study space. Dr. John Grohol of Psych Central says,

“Finding an ideal study place is important, because it’s (a habit) you can reliably count on for the next few years.”

Your dorm room may or may not be your best option. It depends a lot on whether or not your roommate is likely to distract you with conversation, a blaring television, and/or party plans.

Second, if you choose your dorm room as your study space, make sure that all those creature comforts you have in your room, like your game console and your cozy bed, don’t lure you away from your textbooks. You may even find your own laptop to be pretty distracting; if so, try to leave it untouched and study with just your textbooks and a notebook instead.

If that’s impossible, download an app like SelfControl (for Mac) or FocalFilter (for PC); these apps block you from accessing certain websites that you know distract you (oh, like Facebook or Google Plus) during the hours that you decide you should be studying. If this isn’t enough, Jocelyn K. Glei at 99U has compiled a list of 10 online tools to help you focus.

Laptop in tow, blocked or not, other potential locations to study include a coffee shop or your school’s library. The library is a great choice because it has additional resources you can use. And, you won’t find yourself spending five bucks on a three-hundred-calorie café mocha that busts both your budget and your diet.

If these spots are too obvious for you, check out CollegeInfoGeek.com’s list of 14 legit study spots, which includes some unusual locations, like the roof, and some very logical ones, like the gym. Reading your history book while on a stationary bike or a treadmill is another great way to make sure you get in your daily exercise!

#3 Stay Positive

Staying positive is important when heading back to school, and exercise can help you. Carl Ernst et al. of the University of British Columbia published a study showing that exercise can help alleviate depression. This is especially important as your class responsibilities get ever more intense this semester. Make a commitment to keep smiling throughout every challenge you encounter at school.

“Aim to think positively when you study, and remind yourself of your skills and abilities.” – Dr. John Grohol, Psych Central

So, to take Grohol’s advice, as you sit down to write your English essay, think about how far your writing skills have come (perhaps, in part, thanks to your Kibin editors!).

According to the happiness experts at The Pursuit of Happiness Project,

“Evidence suggests that optimism is important in coping with difficult life events. Optimism has been linked to better responses to various difficulties, from the more mundane (e.g., transition to college) to the more extreme (e.g., coping with missile attacks).”

Find ways to be a glass-half-full kind of student as you head back to school this semester; when you find yourself having negative thoughts (I’ll never finish this history reading on time!), think positively instead (I’ll finish this history reading on time, if I take it with me to the gym!). 

#4 Eat Healthy on Campus

Another great way to stay positive while going to college is to eat healthy on campus. Don’t try to subsist on Ramen noodles alone; you need to be adequately nourished to study!

Dietician Kate Fortunato says, “Skipping meals, especially breakfast, can throw off your entire routine. You may feel weak and have a hard time focusing, make poorer food choices at your next meal, and gain weight over time.”

This could spell bad news for you because, if you are unfocused, you won’t be able to finish the entirety of your astronomy assignment. So, eat your breakfast! A great breakfast includes a protein, a complex carb, and a piece of fruit. Instead of chowing down on Lucky Charms, select a scrambled egg and a bowl of oatmeal topped with fruit.

Fortunato also reminds you to make healthy choices at your school’s cafeteria by heading to the salad bar at lunch, but she says, “Stay away from creamy dressings, mayonnaise-based prepared salads, and excess cheese and croutons.”

If you’re looking for easy, healthy meals that you can prepare in your microwave (yes, your microwave can be good for something other than reheating Chinese leftovers), check out Fortunato’s awesome post about healthy microwaveable dinners. I also suggest you read this great resource for eating well on campus from Hungry Girl.

#5 Sleep Well

Now that you’re properly nourished, be sure to also get your sleep. As you get back to school, you may find it hard to sleep when you have three papers due, a test to study for, and a late shift at your job. You have to find a way though, as sleep is critical to your success.

But, how much sleep is enough? According to The National Sleep Foundation, the amount of sleep you need varies depending on your age, genetics, activities, and other factors. A good rule of thumb to know if you’ve had enough sleep is if you are able to wake up without an alarm, feeling refreshed.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: this is never going to happen… Chances are you won’t be hopping out of bed refreshed at 7AM on your way to your 8AM physics class, and I’m well aware of your habit of hitting the snooze button on your alarm clock before rolling out of bed.

According to The National Sleep Foundation, a study found that students who had caught up on missing sleep by sleeping as much as possible, settled upon naturally waking up after about eight and a half hours of sleep. Also, staying up all night to cram for your bio test may not be the best tactic.

A study by researchers at UCLA found that students who sacrificed adequate sleep hours to study actually experienced a decrease in academic performance compared to their well-rested counterparts. The lead scientist at UCLA, Professor Andrew J. Fuglini, says, “Although these nights of extra studying may seem necessary, they can come at a cost.”

Yes, the cost of not being able to think straight when your history teacher surprises you with a pop quiz the next morning! No matter how intimidating your biology test is, you need to make time to get your sleep; so, structure (ideally eight or so) sleeping hours into your master schedule. You should also try to go to sleep at about the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning (I know that’s easier said than done).

#6 Get Organized

Speaking of your master schedule, you’re going to need to be well organized as you head back to school this semester. So, have a plan, write it down, and follow it! Use one of the many organizational apps for your smart phone (a great, free one is Errands To-Do List by Yoctoville, or, for a paid app that is perfect for this type of thing, try iHomework for your Apple product).

You may also opt for a simple, paper day planner; I know that I enjoy scratching out something on my to-do list with a real pen. Record every task you need to accomplish and include deadlines for when to accomplish them. This includes your full class, work, workout, and sleep schedule, when to turn in your Shakespeare essay, and when to study for your first math test.

If, during your study session, you have a hard time deciding what task to tackle first, Greg Ferro of EtherealMind.com suggests starting with an easy subject, moving on to something more difficult during the middle of your study time, and then ending on a high note with something easier again.

So, for example, you might start with your art project, then spend a couple hours tackling your chemistry homework, and end with a review of your humanities notes.  By planning your time in advance, you’ll be better equipped to stay ahead of your homework.

#7 Accessorize

If you’ve been following me so far, you have a time and a place to study, you’re well rested and well nourished, and you’re thinking positively. Now, it’s time to accessorize!

As an expert student, you’ll need the right tools for a successful college semester. Some items you might not have considered taking to school with you include:

1. A mattress pad to make your springy dorm bed more comfortable, and help you get your sleep.
2. A mini-fridge and a microwave oven for your dorm room. This helps you whip up those nutritious microwaveable meals mentioned above.
3. Laundry detergent and rolls of quarters to run the washing machines. Obviously, you need clean clothes!
4. And, shower sandals to help you navigate the common dorm showers. Visit this blog post featuring some more often forgotten school necessities, like a toolkit, surge protector, and an electric fan.

Realistically, it’s difficult to completely follow these tips, but it is important to get close. Take it from a recent graduate of  Beloit College who survived four seemingly eternal years at college.  In our chat, she shares how she managed to get through college on six hours of sleep per night and lots of carrots:

Me: Tatiana, thanks for chatting with me today.

Tatiana: You’re welcome, it’s my pleasure.

Me: So, how did you get around your campus? Did you bike or take a bus?

Tatiana: I actually walked everywhere. Beloit is a very small campus.

Me: Oh, that’s convenient! Where was your favorite place to study?

Tatiana: I preferred studying in my dorm room. There were no distractions from other people and I kept my space neat and comfortable.

Me: So, you didn’t have a roommate, I take it?

Tatiana: Nope, I was lucky. I had a dorm room to myself all four years.

Me: You were lucky! So, how did you manage the stress of school and stay positive?

Tatiana: I found that the best way to deal with school related stress was to get off campus.

Me: Meaning what? Where did you go? Like, on vacation?

Tatiana: No, it doesn’t have to be that big. Getting off campus just means going to the movies, shopping, going out to eat–anything, even for a walk by the river.

Me: What did you eat? What was your favorite food item during your college years?

Tatiana: I lived on carrots and cereal all four years. There was no preparation needed, and it was tasty. Oh… and Monster Energy Drinks… though I probably shouldn’t admit that.

Me: Energy drinks, huh? Guess that powered you through your study sessions.

Tatiana: Yeah, you gotta do what you gotta do!

Me: Did you manage to eat enough healthy food?

Tatiana: It was tough for me to get healthy food at my school. My first two years, I bought my own food a lot and ate out because the food on campus was disgusting. My senior year, I went off the meal plan and cooked for myself.

Me: Cooked for yourself? Did your dorm room come with a kitchen?

Tatiana: Yup! All the dorms at Beloit have kitchens.

Me: That’s great!  So, how did you keep your school work organized? Did you use a paper day planner? An app?

Tatiana: Actually, I used both paper planners and electronic organizational tools. I stayed pretty organized somehow.

Me: Tell me, what are three must-have items that every student should bring when living in a dorm?

Tatiana: A laptop, a scale, and a coffee maker.

Me: Are you sure you needed that coffee maker with your Monster drinks?

Tatiana: (Laughing) Yeah, you’re probably right, huh… Now that I’ve graduated, I’ll just drink carrot juice for a while, maybe.

Me: Did you prefer to study with a partner or study alone?

Tatiana: For most of my work, I preferred to study alone. But, I studied with friends or classmates for group projects and finals.

Me: That makes sense. When you studied with other students, what do you think were the benefits of working with a group?

Tatiana: I found that pulling an all-nighter is always more efficient with others. You are less likely to fall asleep and more likely to keep a healthy and productive pace.

Me: All nighters, huh? How many hours of sleep did you get per night as a student?

Tatiana Oh, on average, I’d say I slept about 6 to 7 hours per night during the week, not counting naps during the day.

Me: That actually sounds like a fair amount, but would you have liked to sleep more than that?

Tatiana: Yes, I would have liked to get at least 8.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night.

Me: Yeah, I just read that 8.5 hours is about right for college students, actually! So, do you have any other tips for surviving college?

Tatiana: Yeah, my biggest piece of advice is that it’s better to go to a college no more than two states away from your hometown–I didn’t do that and it was rough! I was in Wisconsin, while my family was in California. Having family or close friends nearby is a huge plus and undervalued by most prospective college students.

Thank you for the great interview, Tatiana!

As you can see, it just takes a little bit of planning and execution to ensure your back to school success. Tell us in the comments, what are some of your best tips for a successful school semester?

But who says you can’t mix school with pleasure?

I’m going to lay out how you can plan your summer schedule to be as hard or as easy as you want it to be. It’s up to you to knock out a harder course during summer school or simply punch the clock to get course credit for an easier class.

Summer School Is Definitely Harder

The first camp claims that summer school classes are harder than regular school classes. Maybe it’s just because anything is harder than taking three months off and working on a suntan. But believe it or not, there are other factors that can potentially make summer school courses more difficult than your regular college classes. Here are a few:

#1 No Time for Procrastination

Let’s face it, you’re human… right? I figured as much! Well, chances are you’re slightly (a’hem) prone to procrastination.

Here’s the bad news: that simply won’t fly in summer school. Just the tiniest bit of procrastination, or a single missed class, can lead to a potential domino effect of failure since you won’t have much time to catch up on missed work during the short semester. In an environment when tests can come once a week, there’s really no room for error or playing hooky when you should be studying.

So if you tend to put things off and take your time, chances are you’ll find summer school a bit more challenging than normal school classes.

#2 Lots of Material

So you thought your spring Anthropology 1140 class covered a ton of material, did you? Well if you take the next Anthropology unit over the summer, you’re going to be digging into your course material even faster!

Professors need to cover a whole lot of material in a short amount of time, which means that you’ll need to absorb a lot of information really quickly

What’s this all boil down to? You may find yourself in a situation where you have a quiz, a lab, and a midterm all in the same week! But don’t worry, the summer session is short and the pain will be over quickly.

#3 Professor’s Expectations Are the Same

Many professors will have the same expectations of you over the summer as they would have during the normal school year. You are going to have to show up on time and regularly, finish your homework, and limit your extracurricular activities so you can get above average grades on your exams.

Your professor is busy working over the summer teaching you, and, chances are, she’ll want you to work hard too! I know you can do it, just make the commitment and stick to it. Oh! And if you have a hard time getting up early for class, check out these awesome tips for never missing your 9 o’clock lecture.

#4 New Material Is Difficult

As you’ve probably already discovered by now, learning new subjects can be tough! If you sign up for that exciting summer astronomy course, for example, you may be shocked to find out that it’s not all about gazing at the stars and memorizing the constellations (yeah there’s some of that…).

There is some legit new stuff you’ll have to learn to master astronomy, so don’t get too excited about jumping on a mission to Mars just yet. First you’re going to need to figure out the difference between absolute and apparent magnitude and learn how to calculate escape velocity!

Classes you’ve never taken before can be very challenging since all the material is brand new—unlike the universe, which is 13.77 billion years old (and counting).

#5 Hours and Hours of Reading

Are you a slower reader, like me? Or does reading put you to sleep in less time than it takes you to turn the page? If so, you may want to avoid taking that Shakespeare course this summer or any other class with a ton of reading on its syllabus. You don’t want to fall behind on your homework because of simply having too much reading and too little time. If reading too slowly is often a problem for you, you may want to learn the art of speed-reading.

#6 Limited Time

Oh, so you’re planning on bussing tables at Applebee’s full-time, going camping with your friends, and acing your summer Greek Literature class in the next four weeks, are you? Well you may need a reality check. Summer school leaves little time for much else, what with all that homework, and testing, and class time.

Remember, you’re not immortal; I encourage you to be careful before you venture out this summer and try to take on too many challenges at once.

But before you get too freaked out, fear not! There’s some pretty solid evidence that summer school classes are actually easier than normal college classes.

Actually… Summer School Is Easier

#1 A Pared-Down Syllabus

Wooohoo! You only have to do a portion of the assignments that the Art History students had to do last spring! It’s time for celebration, especially if Art History is just a filler class for you. The time constraint of the short summer school schedule doesn’t allow for everything to be crammed in; that would be crazy.

This means that teachers will typically only pick out the most important aspects of the course to teach. But beware! This method is easier in some subjects (English and art classes for example) than it is in others classes (like sciences and math) where a foundation of knowledge must be meticulously laid (less can be left out).

#2 Graduate Students and Postdocs Are More Lenient Teachers

Fact: some summer school teachers are easier than the regular school year profs. This is because they are often postdoc or graduate students trying to get some teaching experience in.

There is a really great tool on the web for you to use to help you determine whether your potential summer school teacher is tough or not, but I’ll give you more on that later in this post. So hang on!

#3 You Already Know This Stuff!

Are you taking this summer class to re-take a class that you didn’t do too well in last fall? Well it may be disappointing for you to have to re-take the class, but the good news—no the great news—is that it should be easier the second go around, as you’ll already be somewhat familiar with the material. Ummm…assuming you didn’t sleep through all the lectures the first time, of course.

#4 No Time to Forget

Do you suffer from I forgot what the heck I learned in the beginning of the school year syndrome? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! And even better, you won’t have that problem this summer. During summer school, since you are covering a subject over a few weeks, rather than a few months, there is less time to forget the material. You learned the stuff just a few weeks ago, so the information you need to know for the final exam is still “fresh”.

#5 Smaller Class Sizes

The smaller class sizes of summer school mean that there is more opportunity for you to interact with your teachers, and you’ll have more chances to get all of your questions answered.

In fact, Professor Ellen Bremen, the Chatty Professor, encourages you to take advantage of this and talk to your professor every day if necessary, starting from day one. She writes, “If you need an A, or any other grade, in that summer school class, see the prof before the first class, after the first class, or walk with him/her out to the parking lot if you have to (but no stalking!).”

I know what you’re thinking by now: “Hmmm… so it seems like summer school classes really are easier. Sign me up, Sally!”

Not so fast.

Before I jumped to this conclusion and started recommending students earn some easy credit over summer, I wanted to make sure I wasn’t unknowingly sending you to the summer schools slaughterhouse. In fact, I chatted with four different college summer school professors and asked them what their opinions are on the difficulty level of summer school classes compared to normal school courses.

Is Summer School Harder or Easier? Here’s What the Profs Say

YIKES! That sounds like a nightmare.

Unfortunately, Professor Morris Maduro didn’t offer much to alleviate our concerns. He told me, “I make the same demands of students in terms of knowledge, scholarship, and responsibility. Exams, assessments, and expectations are the same as during the regular academic year.”

Oof…that’s not very good news, is it…?

But there’s hope… so don’t get too stressed out just yet.

The associate dean of UC Riverside Department of Biology Dr. Leah Haimo, says, “It is often not regular faculty who teach in the summer, but graduate students or postdocs. (For this reason), most summer school classes are not as rigorous as are the regular courses…mostly because they are not taught by regular faculty.”

Thank you Dr. Haimo for that good news, right? And she’s not alone in her opinion that you can get through the summer with little stress. 

I also talked to Dr. Eva Telzer, Assistant Professor of Psychology at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and she says, “If I were teaching summer school I would be more flexible, given that the schedule is more packed and there’s less time for the students to develop.”

Phew! So they’re not all out to make your summer miserable.

Tips for Summer School Survival

So what’s this all boil down to? Can summer school really be a good time to bank some course credit without sacrificing your entire summer?

Yes, it can be, as long as you follow these three tips on how to survive summer school:

#1 Watch Your Credit Load

If you’re going to take multiple classes, make sure they are redos or less intensive courses (e.g. don’t take organic chemistry, physics, and calculus). Typically you shouldn’t take more than two classes simultaneously, three at most, because the classes in the summer are so intensive.  In fact, most schools have a maximum credit load limit that ranges from 8-15 credits for the entire summer semester.

#2 Select Subjects That Make You Feel Like a Ninja!

If you are trying to pick an easy summer load, then select subjects that you are strong in (for me that would be English), rather than subjects that make you scratch your head in confusion (Chemistry…ick!). On the flip side, if you are trying to challenge yourself, or knock out your most hated subject, this summer, plan to take a single class that you find difficult, and focus on it like a laser beam.

#3 Snag the Most Popular College Courses

At some universities, courses that are hard to get into during the spring and fall semesters will be offered during the summer to meet demand, so this could be your chance to get into that awesome Film History class that you’ve been waitlisted for every semester since your freshman year.  But be careful, summer classes are typically first come first serve, so sign up as early as possible, especially if you’re going for the hottest course offered in your school.

And finally this brings us to the most helpful, amazing tip of all to make sure that your summer school experience isn’t too hard to handle.

#4 Use College Professor Ratings to See if Your Professors Are Easy (or Hot!)

Even if you choose less intensive classes, you can still get stuck with a “hard” teacher. Make sure you research the professor you’re considering taking a class from before you sign up.

Remember how we got you all freaked out when we told you what Professor Hyman said? Good news, according to RateMyProfessors.com, it turns out he’s rated a 2.3 out of 5 rating for “easiness,” showing that he is somewhere between an “easy A” and “the usual” when it comes to difficulty (a 5 score would denote he’s the hardest prof). So no need to get too worried, just try to avoid those 5s on the easiness scale if you don’t want a tough professor over the summer.

Now let’s say that you need to take an intensive chemistry course this summer to get those science credits you’re after. The best way to survive a summer chemistry course would be to avoid the hardest chemistry professor in the whole school (that is, unless you’re some kind of proton-neutron-lovin’ genius!).

Here’s a Step-by-Step Tutorial Showing How To Find Ratings for Professors

Step 1: Search Your School

In this example we are searching Diablo Valley College – Pleasant Hill.

Step 2: Select the Appropriate Department

Now select “chemistry” from the department drop down menu.

Step 3: Sort By the Easy Professors

Now sort the profs by the “easiness” column by clicking on the blue column header.

And voila! We’ve discovered Chemistry Professor Richard Samuelson is the hardest of the chem teachers at Diablo Valley College, with a 5.0 easiness rating, which means “hardest thing I’ve ever done” according to the scale.  And check this out, he’s been rated by 5 students, which makes his rating more believable than Professor Dorota, who has been rated by only one student so far.

To find the easiest prof, just look for a 1 or 2 score in the easiness scale.

 *Side note* if you’re looking for eye-candy this summer, just look for professors with hot peppers by their names. But, really, how do these teachers feel about being objectified? Dr. Telzer sarcastically reveals that hot peppers are “all she wants!” Love them for their brains, people!

Step 4: Read the Reviews!

This is the fun part where you really get to find out the dirt on your potential prof. Previous students will have left glowing or hateful reviews of the professor in question. Be sure to read a few to make sure this professor has the qualities you seek in your ideal summer school teacher. (And when you’re done with your summer school class, leave a review of your own!)

Final Thoughts on Summer School

The Lesson? Summer School can be easier than normal school, you just have to make sure you play your cards right.

Summer School can be easier than normal school, you just have to play your cards right.
Click To Tweet

Just like during a normal school semester, summer school classes are either easy or difficult depending on your comfort with the course material and the difficulty of the professors. You can end up with a hard schedule if you overload yourself, or get stuck with a tough teacher.

But if you are looking for an easier summer schedule, make sure to do your research and choose your subject and professor wisely, consider how much time you want to spend doing schoolwork over the summer, and you’ll be fine. You can still enjoy your summer and get a little school credit if you plan accordingly.

Share your summer school experiences with us. Was it difficult? Was it a breeze? Let us know in the comments!

, while others argue that math and science scores are suffering because of the long break. In an act of sheer genius, we’ve come up with ways to stay smart over the summer, without burying your nose in a book of Shakespeare’s plays or memorizing the periodic table of elements.

Here are six stress-free and fun ways to keep your mind sharp over summer vacation:

#1 Get Some Sleep

Yes, you read that right. To stay smart, you need your sleep. In a recent study at The University of Cincinnati, researchers found that only a quarter of college students are getting the recommended eight hours of sleep (although a good fifth of students are habitually skipping their 8AM Physics class and clocking in over eight hours of Zs per night).

According to neuroscientists—who need their sleep to stay so smart—sleep deprivation can lead to mental instability, stress, and other health problems. So during the summer months, take time to recharge your brain by the skipping all-night partying (at least don’t do that every night), and regularly getting your eight hours of shut-eye.

During the night your brain processes the information that it has absorbed during the day, keeping the good stuff and getting rid of the unnecessary stuff. Adequate sleep leads to better brain function and a smarter you.

#2 Meditate

Some researchers have found links between consistent (weekly or daily) meditation and an improvement in cognitive function. Meditation has also been shown to decrease stress levels and improve focus.

This summer, why don’t you get into the meditation habit by committing to a weekly session of meditation, and see how it helps you? If you find the habit leaves you more mentally alert and ready to take on life’s challenges, you can carry it forward into the next school year.

Here are four steps for a basic ten-minute meditation, and check out this fascinating TEDx talk about how meditation changes the brain.

#3 Build Something Cool

Break out the potatoes, hairspray, and a hacksaw! It’s time to build a potato gun. Whether you’re a kinetic learner (you learn by doing), or prefer getting your smarts from a book, learning to make stuff or to do new activities, like juggling, can help you stretch and grow your brain.

Amazing inventions, like iPods and airplanes, were built by kinetic geniuses that started out in their basements building things like potato guns and rockets. Here’s a great step-by-step guide to making your own spud rocket. Just don’t break the neighbor’s window!

#4 Play Brain Games

In 2008, researchers at Columbia University endeavored to prove that playing “brain games” could improve fluid intelligence (the brain’s ability to solve new problems).

While some scientists claim that “Brain Games are Bogus”—and the abilities you master playing a game won’t transfer well to helping you write a better essay, for example—the study at Columbia University showed that test subjects significantly increased their fluid intelligent scores by playing the game that researchers developed (play it for yourself here).

The researchers behind Luminosity.com have likewise undertaken studies that show regular brain training can improve student test scores. And if spending time this summer playing tedious brain games doesn’t sound like your idea of a good time, no worries!

Game designer Jane McGonigal says that playing smartphone games—like the popular game app Angry Birds—can make you a “more-resourceful problem solver, more collaborative, and less likely to give up when the going gets tough.” So this summer when your mom or girlfriend accuses you of wasting time on your iPad, tell her that you are exercising your brain!

 #5 Use a Paper Road Map

Are you taking a road trip or visiting a new city in a foreign country this summer? We challenge you to put away your GPS system and break out a paper map to keep your brain sharp! Map reading is, by nature, a mental exercise; for example, you have to compare the real world landmarks around you with the icons on the map to figure out where the heck you are, and which direction you should be going.

Cartographers say that relying on GPS systems to get you from point A to point B is wiping out our ability to really take notice of our surroundings. As a tourist in a new city, you’re more likely to run across a gorgeous cathedral or fascinating museum by taking the time to run your finger across the lines of a paper map.Also, one of the best ways to meet the locals is the simple exercise of stopping and asking for directions.

Not sure how to read a paper map? Learn to read a map in six simple steps. Also, don’t miss out on the “Greatest Paper Map of the United States” ever. According to cartographers, this mapmaker didn’t skimp out on the details, and the maps shows the true personality of the U.S.

 #6 Start a Blog

Stephen Krashen, professor emeritus of the University of Southern California, says that the very act of writing makes you smarter! But, let’s be honest, you’re probably burnt out from writing all those thesis papers for your Mark Twain-obsessed English Literature professor this year, so we aren’t asking you to spend your summer months re-evaluating your battered copy of Huckleberry Finn.

A fun way to keep your writing skills honed, and your brain agile, is to write a blog. You can keep your friends and family updated on your awesome adventures in India, or you can show off your gluten-free cooking skills. The trick is to find a theme or topic you’re interested in and post a short entry a couple of times per week.

Who knows, maybe you’ll find you have a knack for blogging and will clock in on the top ten most successful bloggers list next year! Not sure how to start a blog? Here are some quick and dirty tips on how to get your blog rolling.

Don’t let your gray matter turn into mush. Practice these six fun and easy brain-strengthening tips to keep your synapses firing all summer long. When school picks up next year, you’ll be ahead of your game. Do you have other fun ideas for staying smart this summer? Let us know in the comments.

If you need writing help but don’t have time to pop into your college writing center, check out these online tools:

• The Harvard Writing Center offers a free collection of “Brief Guides to Writing Papers in the Disciplines” and they are snappy, useful guides to academic papers. Many students at liberal arts universities must take courses in many academic disciplines and here you can find a guide for most areas, from English to Economics to Art History to Life Sciences to Politics to Music.

• The University of Toronto has a simple guide to spotting common mistakes in grammar, punctation, and style. Learning to correct these errors yourself can keep you out of the writing center and may be the difference between an average grade and a high grade. You can download any of their guides as a PDF.

Above: From the handout “Hit Parade Of Errors In Grammar, Punctuation, And Style”

• The UNC Writing Center posts short, informative multimedia videos to their YouTube channel on academic writing topics such as brainstorming, proofreading, and citing sources. The videos are two minutes or less, but they can quickly jump-start your assignment writing.

• Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab (OWL) maintains a dedicated help section on job search writing. Here students can find a useful job skills checklist and detailed resume and cover letter guidance. The real-life examples demonstrate how to write and format CVs, cover letters, personal statements, and resumes with real feedback.

Note: College writing centers are fantastic for free writing, editing, and formatting help. They are staffed by credentialed faculty and staff who can help you to strengthen your academic skills.  Did we mention free? Writing centers should not typically be avoided, but rather utilized for academic success. The online tools here are just a glimpse of the usefulness you can find by visiting your school’s writing center.

First and Foremost, Don’t Bum Out
It’s easy to throw yourself a pity party dwelling on your beach bound buds whilst you toil away in a classroom, but it’s not as bad as you think! Try to maintain a positive outlook and keep everything in perspective. Whatever the reasons for your summer schooling, you know it is improving your overall academic standing and that’s something those lounge lizard friends of yours can’t boast. Not only will you end the summer with more know-how you’ll have an extra course out of the way, making your Fall semester more of a breeze and giving you peace of mind.

Consider Off-Season Advantages
The up-sides of Summer School are plenty and the one that is the most obvious, reduced enrollment, ushers in a wealth of fabulous benefits and opportunities not available during the regular school year. Most college students are accustomed to the mad-dash for classes during registration and any number of us have experienced the disappointment of not getting the ones you want/need.  This is a rare animal in the summer school world where reduced enrollment means more spaces for you to take the classes you want. Other ‘deals and steals’ flow freely from this set-up: smaller class size, more personal student-teacher relationships, and a more focused experience are a few more perks found only during the summer session.

Take Advantage!
Now that you know it’s not the nightmare you imagined you can make the best of your educational overtime. A few strategies to keep in mind are attendance, notes, and studying.If you get a case of classroom blues and think a day at the beach might cure you, save it for the weekend. These condensed classes easily pack a week’s worth of curriculum into one day and attendance is key! Now that you have yourself firmly planted at your desk make use of your time, take notes, read over old notes, and swap notes with your partners in crime (a.k.a. fellow summer schoolers and Kibin community).  When the time comes to study, get creative.  Try taking your studies outside, it’s amazing what a little sunlight will do for your attitude.

In all honesty you’re getting the best of both worlds, chances are you’re only taking a couple classes and, while it is more intense, the duration is shorter and the curriculum is usually clipped.  You may be working your butt off half the day but the other half will be even more relaxing once you know you’ve gotten something done! So take a cue from the sunny season and shine in all you do this Summer!   Added Bonus: Now that you’re a Kibin user you don’t have to stress about finding someone to edit your paper during the ‘off season’, you have a community of writers at your fingertips!!