Side note to Kickstarter backers: Thank you so much for your feedback and support. We couldn’t have done it without you. Since the success of our Kickstarter project, we have learned quite a bit and would like to share the resources we used and strategies developed along this fantastic journey.

Is this Kickstarter advice for me?

Since the other three co-founders are still in college and I am a recent graduate, we had to be quite creative in the implementation of our Kickstarter strategy. After many mistakes and a lot of research, we came up with some awesome guidelines that will help any project in any category. With our Kickstarter success and recent fulfillment, we thought it would be helpful to openly discuss the tactics we used.

You will benefit from this series of posts if:

• You have no money/ no time, but still want to launch a Kickstarter project.
• You are currently in over your head and a part of a launched Kickstarter project.
• You are knee deep in customer orders from a recently funded Kickstarter project.

Clipboard+ & Kickstarter

Below, Clipboard+‘s efforts are divided into three different sections: Before Launch, During Launch, and Post Launch. In this post, we will exclusively discuss how to prepare Before the Launch of your Kickstarter project.

Part 1: Before Launch (The 3 R’s)

• Research.

  Questions to ask: What is the scope of my project? How long will it take? What competing products have been successful/failed in the Kickstarter space? How much money do I need to complete this project? What content will be in my video? What will my project page look like? Who will support my idea? How will I reward my supporters? How will I get the internet’s eyes on my project? (*Adapted from 9 Essential Steps for a Killer Kickstarter Campaign by Mashable’s Stephanie Buck.) 

Here are screen shots of information you need to know, straight from the stats page on Kickstarter:

Kickstarter statistics (Projects & Dollars)

(Related: check out the comprehensive 2011 statistics report published by Kickstarter.)

Below are excerpts from an infographic published by Apps Blogger titled “The Untold Story Behind Kickstarter Success.”

The Untold Story of Kickstarter Stats

Chance of Success on Large Kickstarter Projects

Effect of Variables on Chance of Kickstarter Success

*Important Final Research Step:

Vet Your Idea. Stop talking about your new project! Step back and consider the possibility that it is a bad idea. Be critical. Step into a nay-sayers shoes and ask the hard questions. Also keep in mind, if your idea doesn’t create polarity, it also might not be a good idea. (It is a good thing if not everyone likes your idea.) If you can’t/ don’t now how to develop your own ideas, please refer to The Founder Institute’s Idea Development Guide.

• Read.

  This should be thought of as an extension of your research. It includes blogs that could be interested in your project, other projects’ pages and social copy, news sources about Kickstarter and any recently successful Kickstarter projects. Reading to benefit your project is something that should be enjoyed. Kickstarter is meant to help fund a passion project, if you are not enjoying the necessary reading it might be worth reconsidering launching your project all together.

Tools to help you read more, faster:

RSS Feed (ex: Google Reader ) – aggregate content send to Instapaper.

Instapaper – Organize & read content.

Google Alerts – Track specific keywords and stay on top of your areas of interest.

Evernote – Write notes about impactful content and save url for future use.

• Reach Out.

  Once you have read and researched, it is time to take your cool new idea and reach out to people that matter. Use the time you have spent reading and connect with the bloggers whose content you have genuinely enjoyed. At first, don’t even mention your project. Focus on making a real human connection and success will follow. If you want to make a genuine connection we highly suggest “the Impact Equation” by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith. It is a great read that is well worth your time and money.

Use these steps when contacting a blogger/ news outlet:

1. Introduce yourself, your product, and the launch date.
2. What the news is about.
3. Why is it a big deal?
4. Website access or screenshot of what you are launching.
5. Your name, your telephone number & meaningful social network.
6. P.S. – something meaningful, memorable

(Sales tip: Always remember a “no” is just one step closer to a “yes.”)

Final Thoughts

One of the most common Kickstarter slip-ups is not properly planning ahead. Make sure you have a clear idea of your timeline going forward. Keep your date of delivery always on top of mind. Additionally, make use of your networks. We had some great support from friends like, Roger Osorio, but failed to fully tap into our networks until mid way through launch. Our biggest misstep was not connecting with bloggers early enough. This early connection to people (bloggers), who can get your project noticed, requires time invested months before launch. Make it your goal to stay connected to at least five bloggers. This will make your path going forward much easier.

We would love to hear from you! Please comment if you have any additional information about how to prepare for Kickstarter pre-launch.

Thanks for reading. We will be back next week with “Being a College Student and Achieving Kickstarter Success” (Part 2 – During Launch)

Related Posts

• “5 Kickstarter Champs Share the Secrets of their Success” – Mashable
• “How a Guy with a Mason Jar Raised $30,000 in 4 days on Kickstarter” – Business Insider
• “Social Media for the Everyman” – Changing the Way You Work
• “4 Keys to a Winning Kickstarter Campaign” – Wired

http://www.zoomstart.com

http://www.sfsu.edu/

Now that we have covered surviving the first few months of freshman year, let’s focus on the opposite end of the college spectrum: finding a job. Although, this post is not just for college graduates; this information will help recent grads and some currently unemployed. Websites like MONSTER.COM and CAREERBUILDER.COM just allow companies to post all they want, which means some could be scams, but still some could be legitimate jobs. You have to research fully before spending your time applying and interviewing at the posted companies. Newspapers are relatively safer when job hunting, since there is a monetary fee to post an ad, yet these should be further researched as well.

As a soon to be grad, and marketing major, I am unfortunately the target of most of the scams. These scams are looking for “Recent Grads” “No Experience Necessary” “We believe in rotational programs starting with sales” or just general “Sales Positions”. These positions usually entail cold calling or door to door sales. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes legitimate jobs involve cold calling or door to door sales, but they will be for well known companies and they will tell you upfront, that is what you will be doing. The idea of rotational programs are fantastic, the best employees are the ones that understand how the whole operation works. However, these scam programs start you in commission sales and hope you quit before they have to actually pay you a salary for the other ‘rotations’ in the company.

http://cheezburger.com

Now, unfortunately, I can’t just tell you to stay away from companies X, Y and Z. These large companies have hundreds of smaller companies with normal sounding names recruiting for them. The one that I came in contact with was Cydcor. I was searching for a marketing job in the South Jersey/Philly area.  I found five companies I liked, so of course I Googled them. ***Make sure you go to the second page of the results. If that just seems foreign to you (I never go to the 2^nd page) re-Google the business with the word “scam”*** I did not do this, so I received a call for an interview with East Coast Business Concepts and scheduled for a week later. I excitedly told my mom and of course she had to check it out herself. She went beyond page 1 of Google and saw that some people we not happy there. I then checked it out and immediately found two posts; Sully’s Blog and Ripoff Report, be sure to scroll down in the comments on Sully’s there is a list of about 50 affiliates. They were affiliates of Cydcor. It turns out these companies go door to door selling Verizon FiOS, for example, and will not reimburse you for gas and over saturates the market so selling is very difficult. The pyramid scheme comes into play when they want you to start your own company with them and recruit your own sales force, but you will not get all the money, only what trickles down. Obviously, when I read this, my excitement for my interview was gone. So I then Googled the other companies+scam and found that three of the five I found were part of Cydcor and there were plenty of other “mother” companies in other parts of the US, doing the same thing on the sites I looked at. Since these sites are basically posting for sales jobs, they are targeting marketing graduates, as well as those who are unemployed seeking a job.

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Now that you know what jobs to stay away from and how to investigate them; how are you going to land that fantastic job when you find it? You could find a pin like me on Pinterest (found this the night before I posted) or read my lovely advice I spent hours compiling. Currently, I am still job searching (hopefully not for too much longer), but here are my myths and realities for writing resumes. Can you guess them correctly?

1. Don’t obviously use words from the company website or job posting.

2. Your resume can only be one page, that’s as far as employers look.

http://www.crazylaughs.com

3. Your resume is your first impression; make them feel like they know you through the paper.

4. When job searching, send your resume to every company you can possibly think of.

5. You need to write an objective at the beginning of your resume.

6. Separate your work experience into relevant and other.

7. Add all the clubs and activities you were part of to fluff your resume, especially if you have not had many “real jobs”.

8. A resume should be professional and no personal information should be stated.

9. To make your resume stand out, use funky font and a cool layout.

10.People still read cover letters so you should spend the time to write one.

11. Looking over the web site is all the preparation you need to do for an interview.

Okay did you write down your answers? Just kidding, I think we are all beyond that by now. Here are the results.

1. MYTH! Those words are called “buzz words” for a reason.  Using their key words shows you took the time to read the posting thoroughly or even looked through their website before applying. Recruiters and Human Resource personnel have been taught to look for these words; these words are what they want their employees to possess. Now obviously, don’t go crazy and try to copy the posting or website word for word because that is just tacky.

2. MYTH! No one wants to read a ten page resume, but cramming everything on a .5 inch margin page doesn’t look good either; I’ve done it, it looks bad. If you do not have much to put on a resume, just add an extra space between parts and use solid 1 inch margins. If you have too much information on your resume there are two options; cut out your least recent jobs or activities (if they don’t really strengthen your resume) or change your margins to .75 inch and bold your headlines instead of adding extra space between them. Keeping it one page makes printing and handing to people easier, but if you need to go to a second page… organize your “most relevant to the job” items at the beginning of your resume, so if they don’t go to the second page you get your most important aspects across.

3. REALITY! This is a 2D version of you that you need to make feel real 3D, or at least 2.5D. This is your first impression with your employer and

http://www.wikia.net

you want to make it count. If you don’t make an impression, you go in the trash, and no one likes to be in the trash…except Oscar.

4. MYTH! Sending your resume to 20+ companies in one sitting it ridiculous. You want to personalize each resume and application you send. Let the business think you specifically want to work for them; that they were not just part of your mass mailing campaign. The WORST thing you can do is forget to change your cover letter or objective and send to the wrong company.

5. I believe yes, this is a REALITY, but the jury is out on this one still. The objective in your resume is like a super mini cover letter. You can change it for each job you apply to and can put those BUZZWORDS in it. It just gives a little extra personalization to your resume.

6. REALITY! If this is your first real job or you are switching industries you should separate your work experiences. That first job I had at 14 in a market is not relevant to my marketing career; however, it does show that I have been working since I was legally able. If you are changing career industries, your most recent job may not be the most relevant; so re-organize your job history to promote you the best for the job.

7. MYTH! Only put what strengthens your resume, such as leadership in a club or activity. Being a member of the soccer team or the knitting club doesn’t really make you any better of a candidate for a ‘real world’ job. Now if you were the president of a club, you could put that down and talk about your responsibilities. Bottom line is: keep clubs and activities out unless they directly relate to the job you are applying for.

8. MYTH! As stated in #3 this is your first impression you need to make them feel like they know you, and like you, before you even meet face to face. Don’t go overboard talking about your pets or fave food, but tell them something that no one else can. For example, you started your own business, even though it only lasted a couple months; you helped with some program up at your school; anything that will set you apart and is relevant to the job.

9. MYTH! This fits with #8 as well, but there is a line between obnoxious and standing out. Unlike Elle Woods in Legally Blonde (I cant believe I am actually referencing that movie…) spraying some perfume on a pink resume is not going to fly. Pick a common, legible font type and use black ink. Let the words do the talking. You should however, print them on heavier paper (it’s actually called resume paper) if giving a physical copy to a prospective employer.

10. REALITY! Cover letters still matter, just about every previous topic falls into this part. The cover letter is your personal correspondence with the company, it is how you say “I fit in your company because of X, Y and Z and I can bring A, B and C to the company and I am just awesome because…” Obviously, not in those words, but this is where you can really talk yourself up and try to connect with the recruiter or HR employee. You format it just like a business letter, if you don’t know how to write a formal business letter just Google it, they have great templates.

11. MYTH! Their website is a great place to start, but Google them! Also, if you know who you will interviewing with try to find them on LinkedIn or Facebook; you know they will be doing the same thing to you (make your profile private if you haven’t already, but if you don’t post scandalous things then you have nothing to worry about). Looking up your interviewer gives you some small talk topics to go to as well as maybe a common interest to thread into conversation. Interviews are all about making that personal connection so they remember you when it comes time to making the ‘final cut’.

In terms of interviews, just be yourself, I have found that works the best. The interviews I have gone on may not have immediately turned into jobs, but they liked me and kept me on file for future openings. Remember, you have already made yourself up to be the “perfect” prospective employee in your resume, now let yourself come out so you can really make a personal connection and be remembered as a genuine person. Dress for the job you want; the worst thing is to walk into an interview and feel under or over dressed. Men, collared shirt and dress pants at least, probably go for the whole suit look for most corporate jobs. Women, dress pants and a non- revealing top, heels or solid neutral flats, jacket optional. By looking at their website you should be able to get a good idea of the dress code. If you get the job they will tell you what the daily office dress code is so there will be no more guessing.

Good Luck on your job searches, use your best judgement and be yourself!

http://www.rasmussen.edu

Right now we are finishing up and anticipate being able to ship ideally within the next week. If you went to our website looking to purchase a Clipboard+ but were disappointed when you couldn’t figure out how to buy one, I apologize. The reason that we don’t have a store up on our current website is that we still haven’t fully completed manufacturing and are therefore would be unable to fulfill orders. However we’ve built an online store and plan to launch it in place of the current website once we have fulfilled all of the Kickstarter orders.

We plan to sell the Clipboard+ iPad for $50 and the Clipboard+ Smartphone for $25. Once the new site is online you will be able to place your orders through our store at http://www.clipboard-plus.com. In the meantime, please direct any questions you might have to me personally at kevin@clipboard-plus.com or our customer service address at info@clipboard-plus.com

graphicsfactory.com

Sorry for the hiatus (again), final semester of classes is insane, so is trying to find a job. Ahhhh! Hope you all have been surviving the semester and enjoying the last few days of relatively nice weather. However, if you are counting down the days till Thanksgiving Break (48 days in case you weren’t) and feeling a little homesick, still. I am here to help; it’s Super Sam!  Just kidding, but really, I am pretty awesome. Some people could not wait to get out of their hometown and away from their PIA (see first definition) parents; some actually still meant it after being away for a month or so. I could not wait to go to college, I started classes 10 days after I graduated high school in a summer program. Then about three weeks in, it hit me, and I was ridiculously homesick and bawling. I am not embarrassed to admit it. Granted, I had some major drama go down while I was gone that summer, but still, even by October I was still homesick after going home between summer and fall semesters and twice during the semester. If you are still reading this and still saying “I am not home sick, I am going home the least amount possible.” Then you can stop reading and miss out on my awesome tips, your choice. Most of you are nodding your heads; some of you don’t want to admit it, but you are still reading because you know it’s true.

It’s very common to become homesick. Especially if you’re within driving distance of home, you may be tempted to go back within your first few weeks and I hope you fought that feeling. If you did go home, I hope you are feeling better now. But try to avoid going home often and give yourself time to experience your new college life. I rode a bus home for 4 hours almost every other weekend to go home because I was so homesick freshman year. I missed out on so many events where I could have made friends and gotten my mind off missing home. I regret that often when my friends reminisce on their weekend adventures freshman year and I think back to my tear filled bus rides back and forth. It was rough, but I survived and you will too, because you have me!

Believe it or not, you parents miss you just as much if not more, so putting on a front for them is not the best for either of you. Here are the top ways to combat homesickness (and even some mild depression, though I am not really authorized to talk on the topic).

Call, e-mail or video chat your family and even friends. You may find your friends are having the same issues you are. I use Skype since I do not have a Mac for iChat, I am just not cool enough. There are other services as well such as Oovoo and Google chat.  These are the best ways to ‘be with someone’ even if you are many miles apart when you feel home sick. These types of services are awesome, your parents miss you and you miss them, don’t deny it, call them.

Did I mention I am also a bit of a hippie…

As I have mentioned before, music is my lifeline. Not only does it help me crack down and my work done, it also puts me in a better mood when I am stressing or a bit depressed. I usually listen to my “John Mayer” Pandora station which of course has John Mayer, but it also has some Jason Mraz, Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson, The Script; with some Killers, Coldplay, Bob Marley and Sublime sprinkled with some oldies, such as The Eagles, Don Mclean, Credence Clearwater Revival, AC/DC, Steppenwolf, The Beatles, Guns and Roses, John Mellencamp, Jim Croce, and Queen: just to name

Man and his guitar…

a few. Basically give me some good quality oldies or a man and his guitar and I will instantly be in a better mood. Find your “happy music” and just let it play while you do work or steal a moment to actually relax for a bit. Music has amazing powers. According to PsyBlog, music can give us solace and diversion, as well as entertainment. The only negative, is that if you listen to sad music you will become more sad, so try not to do that. Lifehacker has some tips about music and its effect on mood as well. Music can actually boost our immune systems through decreasing stress and increasing levels of antibodies. Awesome! Music can even help you when exercising, which is also a great way to relieve stress, by distracting your attention (ouch my body hurts) and makes your heart rate increase.

Unless you go to school in the mountains, then you may have already missed out…

It is not too late to join clubs and groups, sure you may have missed out on some activities in the beginning, but most will accept new members all semester long. These groups are great ways to meet people outside you dorm and classes.  They often have events and socials you can go to to mingle with people or just have a weekend day/night to get away from the stresses of campus life and have some fun. As I had mentioned in an earlier post about making friends with your roommates and floormates. Bring them to these group meetings if you are wary of going alone. Maybe you both will have a new group of friends. Now is also a great time to go on a pumpkin picking adventure, visit a haunted house or  just wander outside, soaking in the last bit of nice weather for a long time.

Now if you really feel like you have to go home and see you puppy, I mean parents, there are many options to get you home if you are car-less (I was for the first three years, I know how it feels) Buses, trains, even planes can be available near your campus depending on where you are located. In terms of busses, I have rode Greyhound, Fullington Trailways and Megabus. Greyhound is the ‘good ol standby’, it is moderately priced, has a fair amount of hubs, and is on time within 15 minutes. Out of 6 trips, I only had one bad experience, and it was not really their fault. I took a Thursday morning bus, I had no class Fridays and my Thursday class ended up being cancelled, so I took the opportunity to get an earlier start. I handed the driver my ticket and climbed up the steps looking for a 2 seater I could take and hog it so I could sleep, college students are always tired. The first thing I realized was that everyone looked the same, they all had light blue, jean-like jackets on, the same type of pants and white t shirts. (Anyone figure it out yet?) The bus was packed already, it was a Thursday morning, what was the deal? I asked the first guy who looked nice if I could sit down, he said, “Sure hun, take a seat.” I sat down and listened to the conversations around me: “Hey you know what happened with John? Haven’t seen him in awhile.” “Oh, he will be in there another 3 months, he broke probation.” “You hear about Bob? He shanked a guard and is gonna be in there for a long time”. I wish I was joking about the story, I really do, but I was sitting on a bus surrounded by newly released inmates. I texted my dad what was going on and I hugged my backpack the whole trip and put my headphones in and hood up to try and pretend I was not there. Needless to say, that was my last time on a Greyhound bus.  Fullington Trailways was my next to try out, they were a bit more expensive ($5 or so dollars), but the busses were nicer and they had TVs with movies playing. They also had an “express service” from school to King of Prussia or Philadelphia, which shaved about an hour of the trip. I took Megabus once, everyone raved about how cheap it was. It was in a Walmart parking lot instead of the bus station, so it took some extra effort to get there, but for $5 it was no big deal. I was meeting a friend in Philadelphia who was going to bring me home since my parents were flying from Florida and could not pick me up. The bus ride started off on time, but we took a turn to go west on the turnpike, and drove for about an hour until we heard the driver call someone and say, I took a wrong turn I am going to be late to Philly. I looked on my phone map and we were certainly going to be late. No one else has every had that issue, but I still prefer Fullington for my excursions home.

I actually, never rode a train until about a year ago, but they are really great if your destinations are near stations or else they are really out of the way and don’t save much time compared to busses and are about the same price. If you are lucky enough to be near one, invest in those “frequent rider” cards to save some money. If you live really far away, then a plane is your only option. I would recommend only fly with a carry-on (unless it is for a long break, then bite the bullet) and take the earliest flight out and back. The last thing you need is your flight to be cancelled or delayed and it ruins you whole weekend. Flying is expensive, but if you fly at off peak times, you can really save.

It is only seven more weeks until Thanksgiving, when everyone will be heading home, you can do it!

Have any other questions about being homesick, or just want to talk? Feel free to comment and I will get back to you ASAP. Or follow me on Twitter at SamSepanak1 and I will answer you there, as well.

P.S. After finishing this post last night, I went to StumbleUpon and came across this little gem here. Little late for most, but very true nonetheless.

Also willing to take suggestions for future posts, if it sounds like a cool idea, I will write about it. If it sounds cool, but I don’t know about it, I will research it and write an awesome post anyways.

CWYW’s Social Media for the Everyman, is perfect for small business owners who are overwhelmed by the perceived enormity of social media. In this guide we will cover pertinent resources and point you in the direction of some excellent advice on how to effectively utilize social media.

Social Media for the Everyman

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Step 1: Observe

– Know your audience. This means establish your goals early and stick to them. Once they are defined, it is all about your audience. In the Startup Owner’s Manual, Steve Blank often harps on the importance of knowing your customer. Blank continues to say, “Products developed by founders who get out in front of customers early and often, win.” Think of your social media content as your product. In order to deliver a product your customers want, get out and talk to them! Once you have done this, it is time to put on your thinking hat and start brainstorming.

Step 2: Brainstorm 

– Analyze your audience. Is your audience on social media? If so, what social media networks are utilized by your target audience? What kind of content is consumed by your audience? All of these questions must be answered before going ahead to step three. Do some survey research with your current customers and find out what kind of content they would like to see from you. Check out sites like Social Media Today or Marketing Profs for more information on getting to know your customer. Remember this is social media, so the content must actually come from a living person who will interact with other users. After this research, write EVERYTHING down and move on to consolidation.

Step 3: Consolidate 

– Step into the audience’s shoes. Now that you understand your target audience, it is time to start thinking like them. What kind of content would I want to see if I was a customer? What kind of content is provided by the competition? Is it engaging? After all, content is king and consistency is essential to your content getting to the throne. How often would your customers like to see you posting? If consistency of content is an issue, we recommend a tool like Buffer. This social media tool allows you to schedule your posts ahead of time and is an excellent tool for all of the busy small business owners who don’t have the time to write new content everyday.

Step 4: Deliver 

– Speak to your audience. Now that you understand your audience’s needs, it is time to move on to the fun part, posting your content. Determine a realistic posting schedule from the get go. Keep in mind, while this is advertising, it is by no means passive. Interaction and engagement are essential to successful social media implementation. As you deliver your content, be transparent by responding to comments as often as possible. A great book for everyone to read on the topic of social media is Michael Hyatt’s book, Platform. It contains everything you need to know about building a successful online platform and is essential reading for anyone trying to get a better handle on the world of social media.

Step 5: Assess 

– Research your audience’s response. You have done everything up until this point and are delivering consistent content to a semi-engaged audience… Now what? Assess your performance and look at your goals. Are your goals still realistic and achievable? Do you have new goals? The assessment step is essential to your plan’s success. Without it, your online presence will not continue to improve. Make use of online monitoring tools like Google Analytics or the analytics tool in Buffer to see where your customers are coming from and how engaged they are with your content. Once you have redefined your goals, return to step two and repeat.

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These steps, while not comprehensive, will get you on your way to establishing a social media presence. For the full effect, we strongly encourage you spend extra time in the “consolidation” and “assessment” phases. These phases are essential to focusing your plan and speaking directly to your target audience. For further inspiration in the art of focusing we suggest the biography of Steve Jobs. Known for his short temper and genius, Jobs was even more famous for his ability to cut the fat. Learn from his example and do the same to your social media strategy.

We hope you enjoyed our guide of Social Media for the Everyman. If you have any suggestions or a different opinion please comment! We would love to hear from you.

Relevant Posts: 

• SEOmoz: The Beginner’s Guide to SEO
• Mashable: The Beginner’s Guide to Social Media
• Chris Brogan: Social Media Start Tips for Small Businesses

http://www.dvdizzy.com/images/l-o/notelected-06.jpg

Hey all, I know I have been MIA for awhile, sorry, insanity getting ready for my…wait for it…last semester of college! Ahhh. Real World, I am coming, get ready. Anyways, back to real topic at hand: going to those pesky classes at college, you are there to learn after all.

http://www.glamour.com

Even if you find out “attendance is not mandatory” you still need to show up, at least 95%. Professors will notice if you come to class, yes even in lecture, they will notice, especially if you introduce yourself in the beginning of the year. Professors can help you network, part of the reason you are at college is to find a job, and can even set you up with research they are doing if you are interested. Also, when you have a borderline grade, they are more likely to bump you up a letter. I am not going to lie to you, I have cut classes and chosen sections of a course by the professor whom I could cut a Friday class of. If you are going to pull a long weekend, don’t do it more than once, or the professor will catch on, I swear.  I am not your mom, but you should still go to your classes. If you are going to miss, you should email the professor ahead of time and ask what you will miss. When you email, make it believable, and sound sincere; even if you are lying, and they know it, if you never missed class before you can probably still get away with it.

http://www.braintrack.com/images/

Speaking of getting away with things, you will actually have to study and spend time doing homework. This is coming from someone who never spent time at home doing homework or studying for all of high school and graduated with a 95 average and in the top 15% of her class. I had the rudest awakening ever when I started freshman year. I don’t want you to face the same. You may be shocked at the little amount of time you spend in a classroom or lecture hall, but even more shocked at the amount of time you spend in your dorm or library studying or doing homework.  There is supposedly some rule that for every hour you spend in class you are supposed to spend like two hours doing work for it. I don’t believe there is a set ratio, but you will spend many hours outside of class on class work. For someone who is an epic procrastinator, me, this led to many Sundays locked in my room doing work until at least 2am freshman year. Then I wised up. In the first week of school, when you get all your syllabi mark up a calendar, whether it is google or a paper planner, just write the important things down so you don’t forget them.

I know you are enjoying this new sense of freedom, with no one telling you what to do, but I have to burst your bubble, sorry. Enjoy syllabus week, but then you need to start buckling down. College is for learning after all.

Have any other questions about classes? Feel free to comment and I will get back to you ASAP. Or follow me on Twitter at SamSepanak1 and I will answer you there, as well.

Fourth installment will be coming in the next month. Get Pumped Everyone!

Art

Pixel Portrait Poster Project

This project is about creating 8-bit pixel portraits for up to 800 kickstarter backers, and bringing them all together into a beautiful limited edition art print!

Comics

The Mighty Titanby Joe Martino

5 Issue Miniseries that wraps Joe Martino’s cancer in a superhero shell. Who will protect The Mighty Titan’s alter ego from cancer?

Dance

And lose the name of action

An evening-length dance by Miguel Gutierrez and the Powerful People exploring embodied philosophy, neurology, improvisation and ghosts.

Design

Build Your Dreams

The PLY90 is a connector to build and bring your ideas to life. It’s like Legos for adults.

Fashion

Ahoy! Pirate shirts! by ManaTee Shirts

We love making funny shirts, and we love pirates. We decided to combine the two with these awesome new designs.

Film & Video

Behind the Diamond Curtain MineCon 2012

See everything that happens Behind the Diamond Curtain during MineCon 2012 at Disneyland Paris. Own a piece of the MineCon experience.

Food

The Boxcar Grocer

The Boxcar Grocer is making fresh food accessible to all communities.

Games

Castle Story

Castle Story is a voxel-based creative strategy game about building castles brick by brick and defending them against enemies.

Music

Flourishby Katie McNally

A debut album of original and traditional Scottish fiddle music!

Photography

The American (Photo) Road Trip

Join photog Kathryn Allen Hurni as she hops into the driver’s seat & shoots American homes: from NYC to the OC & everything in between.

Publishing

A How-To Guide for Freelance Video Game Journalists

Make a living by writing about video games? Hell yes! Break into the gaming industry with this detailed how-to guide for freelancers.

Technology

Oculus Rift: Step Into the Game

Developer kit for the Oculus Rift – the first truly immersive virtual reality headset for video games.

Theatre

Twainfest

TwainFest 2012 – San Diego’s biggest FREE theatrical event celebrates Mark Twain and his contemporary writers on August 18, 2012.

We hope you enjoyed our review of our favorite Kickstarter projects from August 2012. Please comment below or on twitter @changeyourwork about some of your favorite Kickstarter projects from August.

1) Use your shower time to plan your day (and, you know, get clean)

This one’s easy, and falls under the category of “Making the Most of your Time.” Showers in the morning are great: they wake you up, get you smelling fresh, and prepare you to take on the day. This easy life hack helps you to organize your thoughts, and plan what the next few hours will entail. As soon as you get out, grab a piece of paper and write down the next five things you’re going to do. Productivity and organization go hand in hand, and this simple trick will improve both.

2) Question what you’re told

Growing up, we’re programmed to believe what we’re told by adults and authority figures. This is understandable, as we were children, and they knew better. But as much as it seemed they knew everything, that’s not always the case. In the age of smartphones and tablets, we have the ability to question everything we hear or read. Take advantage of that. You don’t want to be the person who says something you thought to be true, but someone else has the facts to refute it.

3) Learn something new everyday

We are incredibly fortunate to have grown up in the internet millennium. There is an infinite amount of information at our fingertips, so seize the opportunity. Develop an endless curiosity about the world, and always strive to learn more or delve deeper. The best way to do this, in my opinion, is to use Stumbleupon. It’s easy to lose a few hours of your day on the site, but if you’re learning about something new or interesting, the time isn’t wasted.

“I’ll get all the sleep I need when I’m dead.” – Wade Garrett, Road House

4) Sleep less

They say you’re supposed to get eight hours of sleep a night. But scientists have also developed the uberman sleep schedule, where you can get by on two hours of sleep a day. So what’s the answer? Well, everyone’s different. Train your body to operate effectively and efficiently on six hours of sleep, and get two more hours out of your day. Sleep is satisfying, and sometimes it’s hard to get out of bed. But for people like us, that like being productive and getting things done, being awake is so much more fulfilling.

5) Drink more water, then drink some more

This is something I picked up on during my first year of college. Hydration is key. Although this is common sense, most people still don’t maintain proper water levels. Start carrying a water bottle, with Camelbaks being a great choice. Staying hydrated helps improve mental health and brain activity, your immune system, and to lose weight. Plus, you’ll have fewer hangovers. Need I say more?

6) Say “yes” more

Now, I’m not here to tell you to be Jim Carrey, and start saying “yes” to every situation that ever occurs. But really, say “yes” more than you already do. Every experience happens because you took the first step in that direction. Next time your friend asks you to help with something, do it. Go on that weekend trip you’ve always been talking about. Just by getting off the couch or your computer, you’re already ahead of the game. If you need some more encouragement, remember this?

7) Read books

“You don’t have to burn books, do you, if the world starts to fill up with nonreaders, nonlearners, nonknowers?” This quote was taken from Fahrenheit 451, written by the late Ray Bradbury, a man who seemingly had a near perfect vision of the future 50 years ago. I saved this one last for a reason, as it’s the most important. Between the plethora of distractions of the digital age, from Facebook to Xbox to iPhones, books are being pushed to the back-burners. Read more books. Find something that interests you, and I guarantee you will learn something, improve your vocabulary, and feel the satisfaction of finishing what you started.

http://www.villawalsh.org/s/172/villawalsh.aspx?sid=172&gid=1&pgid=1635

This is part two of a multipart series on getting ready for freshman year of college.

Living with other people can be difficult especially if you are an only child (like me) or just happened to have your own room back home. You and your roommate(s) could be from very different backgrounds and ideals, be open, college is all about new experiences. Be upfront about your expectations for the room and the semester overall. Set boundaries, and stick with them, don’t be a push over. But don’t be so steadfast that you can’t compromise. You can’t ask them to change if you are not willing to either. Having a roommate will certainly present challenges; however, it can also be a highlight of your college experience.

http://theanalystcoach.net/products/csre/

Just about every possible problem stems from poor communication. First and foremost, when you find out who your roommate(s) is, Facebook or text them (most schools post phone numbers) just dropping a quick “hey, we are going to be roommates, when is a good time to talk” shows you care to get to know them, but understand everyone is busy in the summer. Don’t let too much time pass though (more than a week) there are important items to talk about (mentioned later in this post). Most items to be talked about will happen when you finally meet and are moved into your dorm, but one conversation can start now: Who is bringing what? Will you want a TV in your room? Movie collections? Extra seating? Video game systems? Oh and girls, even if you have old school N64, like me, bring it to school, you will instantly make some friends on your floor. After going over those topics, keep in touch as the summer winds down, updating on what you bought so far for the room.

Okay, so now you have moved into your dorm, using your trusty saran wrap of course, your parents have left and now it’s just you and your roommate(s) sitting in your room that will probably never be this organized ever again. What do you do? Lay down the ground rules of course!

Start off with the easy question: Night Owl or Early Riser– This answer will determine much of how your morning and night routine will go. If you happen to have a suite with a shared bathroom this question will help you figure out when to get a shower and where you can get ready; you can’t hog the bathroom to get ready if your roommate needs to shower too. Be courteous of their sleeping habits. If you are a night owl and your roommate is not, invest in a good desk light as mentioned in my first blog so you can both do what you need to. Or go to a study lounge or common area and work and come back when you are ready for bed (quietly). If you are a morning person, please be courteous of your roommate who likes to sleep in, grab all your stuff in one shot and take it out of the room, so you don’t keep opening and closing the door and blinding them with light.

You are at college to learn after all, well kinda. Some people need complete silence to study, others, like me, need music to concentrate. No matter what end you are on, you need to be respecting of your roommate’s study habits. Also, some students like to study between or right after class, others later in the day and into the night. This branches back to the night owl or early riser conversation, be considerate. If you have very different study regimens figure out who can study in the room or maybe prefer the library silence.

http://emilyvsemily.blogspot.com/2011/01/sharing-is-not-caring.html

Sharing is Caring, but not always. Bringing a TV or extra chairs for your room is screaming “I am shared!” so just make sure you lay down the law of what can be shared and what can’t. Will some food or general household items (such as toilet paper) be shared? Respect eachother’s privacy and personal space, make a clear delineation between your stuff and theirs, or at least as much as you can. Always ask before borrowing, ALWAYS. There should be no problems if you let your roommate(s) know what’s off limits at the beginning; such as your computer, favorite article of clothing, oh and your boy/girlfriend.

Speaking of a boyfriend or girlfriend, they will probably want to come and visit you, or maybe you just have awesome friends who want to crash one weekend. Either way, you need to talk about the overnight guest policy of your room. Some key questions are: how much notice must be given; school vs weekend night; how many days in a row; and what is the roommate supposed to do when you have people over. The last is probably the most important; you CANNOT have hookups while your roommate is in the room! I don’t care how ‘deep of a sleeper’ they are or if they are ‘passed out’, it is the most awkward thing ever to wake up to that in your room. Also, lay down the law against ‘shady friends’, if you are not comfortable with them being in your room, tell your roommate nicely, propose maybe they hang somewhere else, maybe their place if they are a fellow student.

Water Pong, Fun For All Ages

College is where you are finally free to go out and stay out as late as you want, you finally have independence; or at least that is how I felt, finally shedding that midnight curfew, yes it was terrible. Whether it is a frat party or a house party or even having some people over in your dorm, you will end up partying at some point. Now before I go any further, I am not condoning underage drinking, nor am I condoning drinking in your dorm; it will end very badly if you get caught.  But I feel the approach of giving the knowledge to make your own decisions is the best way for you to learn. You can have ‘parties’ in your dorm by playing games or having a dance party, it’s all relative. Also, you can go to parties and not drink, that’s completely fine, but if you plan on it, please keep checking back for my post dedicated to partying safely. If your roommate decides they want to go out to parties there are some ground rules that should be set. The Buddy System, maybe go with them and you two (or a group from your dorm floor) can keep an eye out for each other and you will have a walk home buddy. If you don’t want to go out with them make sure you don’t lock them out of the room or set up a time that if they are later than that they need to find somewhere else to crash.

Once you have made a solid base for your roommateship spend time with them. You may be instant friends, or you may not, but there has to be a general level of camaraderie. Get to know your roommate, talk about classes, eat dinner together, watch a movie, etc; but don’t be overly or fakely interested, it will make it worse. Having an open channel of communication will be key if a problem arises. Hmmm that sounds vaguely familiar…

This is more general safety, but make sure you lock the door and windows, this may not seem entirely relevant to the roommate dynamic, but if your roommate’s laptop gets stolen on your “5 second run down the hall” you will feel terrible; or think of how mad you would be if it was reversed.

The cliché is true, the bottom line is communication.  You may think it’s weird to start talking about this with essentially a stranger, but come Thanksgiving break you will be so happy you did. Although, I will admit, you may get a complete dud of a roommate, it happens, but there is a whole dorm floor where you can find a pseudo-roommate.

Oh and two important side notes: everyone, or at least I do, hate those corny ice breaker games, but suffer for the hopes of meeting some people. Suffer together! Also, you will make mistakes, it’s inevitable; skipping class, getting very drunk, vomiting, and hooking up with someone you immediately regret the morning. See TextsFromLastNight for examples. Every freshman makes at least one mistake, if you are lucky you will learn from the experience. As Adele says “Regrets and mistakes they’re memories made,” college is all about making memories.

In the end, just expect the unexpected. No matter what others tell you about “how college is” your experience will be slightly different, don’t let false expectations let you down, or scare you to death.

Check out Part 3 about classes!

Have any other questions about roommates? Feel free to comment and I will get back to you ASAP. Or follow me on Twitter at SamSepanak1 and I will answer you there, as well.

Page 1 “App Home Screen”

My first page of apps is minimal with only four apps to allow for a large “swipe row”, in a design implemented by Steve Lyb on his blog Astro Aficionado. The “swipe row” allows for quick access to the second page without any accidental app launches.

Page 2

As you can see my folders are organized by action, instead of category. This technique puts the focus back on action-oriented productivity and cuts down on the amount of time spent staring at your phone wondering, “what next?” Kudos to Gina Trapani on Lifehacker for sharing the brilliant “action folder” approach. By condensing all of my apps on page 2 with action folders, we remove the need for multiple swipes from page to page searching for a specific app. Launch Center Pro further removes the need to go searching through folders, as it is lightning fast and can be programmed to access any app and perform and variety of actions.

Here is our current Launch Center Pro Layout:

Launch Center Pro (Home Page)

Quick Launch

Significant Other Group

Brightness

Bookmarks

Connect

Launch Center Pro is full of options and while we have tried our best to create the most efficient layout possible, we realize everything can be improved. Please feel free to make suggestions or share your own Launch Center Pro layouts in the comments below or join the conversation with us on Twitter @changeyourwork

Look out for future posts that will include the new layouts created by the CYWY team and community! Submit yours today and #changeyourwork

-Patrick

Related Articles

• “Launch Center Pro Setup” – scientifics
• “Tearing Down the Homescreen” – Astro Aficionado
• “Organize Your Apps by Action Instead of Category” – Lifehacker