Our team is always seeking to expand and hire. If you truly enjoy helping others and write great articles, you may be who we are looking for! You can get paid to write about your experiences, which can potentially help thousands of readers.

How to Start:

1. Register
2. Login
3. Write & Submit
4. Wait for Article Approval (1-3 working days)
5. Success!

Related posts:

1. The College Experience
2. How to Make the Most of Your College Experience
3. Preparing for an Awesome Resume
4. About CollegExperience

While in college, make sure that you provide yourself with enough experience that you can use in your resume. If you are looking for jobs, find a job that you can list on your resume that actually relates somehow to your field of interest! Don’t just take a job for the money or because it’s convenient, push yourself to try harder and find something that can benefit your future. Take advantage of internships, independent studies, summer/certificate programs, or study abroad. Your time in college is valuable; so don’t waste it on something that isn’t going to help you.

In college, I noticed that there are 3 types of students. The first student is one that already has a resume created and keeps it up to date. If this is you, congratulations, you are one of few. The second student is the one who keeps thinking about how they should create a resume, but never do. I would say this is the majority of the student population, including me. Lastly, there are a handful of students who have never thought about creating a resume, or who think that it’s okay to wait until they are about to graduate or already graduated.

Let me tell you why you need to create your resume now. First off, creating an awesome resume is a long process. You don’t create the perfect resume the first time you type one up. In fact, it may take you 5-10 revisions to have a good job, internship, or application worthy resume. Making a resume takes time. And you don’t want to waste your time trying to create a good resume when your done with school. So begin early while you are in school and all of your experiences are still fresh in your mind. Another key reason why you should start your resume now is that you need something physical that you can see, not just ideas of what you would put on your resume if you had one. By being able to see your resume, you can better pin point your weaknesses and strengths in your resume. This allows you to work on your weaknesses while you are still in college and surrounded by many great opportunities.

Don’t let your time in college go to waste. Seize every chance you get to add experience that is relevant to your field and make sure to have an updated resume on your computer. Good luck! Next week, find out how to create Your Resume at its Best.

Related posts:

1. Honors Societies: Possible Waste of Time?
2. Double Majors & Minors: Feeling A Little Bicurious?
3. How to Make the Most of Your College Experience

Before I ever began college, I applied to be a part of the university honor’s program. Fortunately, I was accepted! I would have to say that this was one of the best opportunities that came my way. Though there were extra requirements that I had to fulfill on top of the typical major requirements, it was well worth it. The honors students, faculty, and professors that I met made the experience even more worth while. But what exactly is the key ingredient that makes this experience one that is irreplaceable? The answer is that I was an active participant. Although much of it was forced participation in order for me to complete my requirements, I ended up benefiting greatly from it all.

So I lied, me being in the university honor’s program IS replaceable. Just because you aren’t in an honors program, doesn’t mean that you can get a similar type of experience from another honors society. But what you do have to remember is that in order to benefit from being a part of an honors society or program is that you MUST participate!

I would say, while I was in college, I gained membership into about 5 or 6 different honors societies. I received invitations to a lot more, but I started running low on money to pay for the application/membership fees. Usually joining an honors society is a one time cost ranging anywhere from $50-80. Most of these honors societies will begin sending you an invitation (if you meet their GPA requirements, or are in the top % of your major/school) your junior year. A smart thing to do before you join is to do some research on the society! Find out what type of opportunities and benefits the society offers to its members, which famous intellectuals are members, what scholarships they offer, and if the society is active on your campus.

The worst thing to do is to do what I did. I joined many different organizations for the sole purpose of being able to write it on my resume. In college, I was an inactive member. It wasn’t until my senior year that I began taking advantage of the many honors societies that I joined. The sad part is that most college students who join these honors societies don’t participate. This results in a waste of money in my opinion. You would say, well, at least you got to put these societies on your resume? To be honest, I did have them at first on my resume. However once I began applying to jobs, I realized that it was irrelevant and I ended up taking them off. I still got a job anyways, and I believe that I could have gotten one with or without it. Did it really help me after college joining all of these honors societies? No. But the reason why they didn’t help me was because I didn’t participate. The university honors program helped me, especially in networking believe it or not. Other than that, the other honors societies were utterly useless. So if you know your not going to participate, why even bother?

Take my advice though, if you do join, remember to be active. Run for officer positions! Take charge! This will definitely enhance your college experience.

Related posts:

1. Preparing for an Awesome Resume
2. How to Schedule for College Courses
3. How to go about Studying Abroad

My personal College Experience with Textbooks:
We all know that buying textbooks can be very pricey, but there are many ways to save some extra cash when buying these books. The best thing to do is to first determine whether or not you really need the textbook(s) for your class. There are several ways that you can do this. The most obvious one is to ask your friends who have taken the class already. If you don’t have friend who have taken the class before, you can also check the comments on RateMyProfessor.com. Often times students leave comments that tell whether or not the textbook was necessary for the class. Its also a good idea to try to find out the titles of the books before class begins.

Buying Books for Cheap:
#1 Buy Used Online
Not only are used books a lot cheaper, but a lot of them have handy side notes and highlights from previous users. But if you don’t want that, you can still buy used, like new, or brand new books for still very cheap. If you choose this as your method of obtaining books, make sure that you purchase your texts as soon as possible since it takes time for shipping. If you are waiting for your shipment to come during the first couple of weeks of school, you can borrow the text from the library.

#2 Go to a Nearby Campus Business
Many business around campus usually sell their own textbooks which are much cheaper than the on campus bookstore. This is good if you do not want to wait for your book and do not mind paying a little extra money (compared to buying online).

#3 Other Students and Friends
Buy the book off of one of your friends for cheaper, if not keep your eyes on the look out for other students who are trying to sell their book. Most of the time you can come to an agreement on the price or make trade offers.

#4 Make Your Own Copy
Borrow the text from the library or a friend and look at your syllabus to find out which pages or chapters you need for class and go to a store and make copies. There are some businesses that already have copies of texts to sell to students. Some other printing stores will also do the printing for you. But if not, you can also print each page yourself.

Ways to Save Even MORE Money:
#1 Friends
Just ask your friend if you can borrow their book for the quarter/semester.

#2 E-Books
A lot of texts these days can be found online. Do some searches for books that you need to buy to see if there is an online copy that you can view or download for free.

#3 The Library
Simply borrow the book from the library whenever you need it. Your school’s library should carry a couple of copies of the text that you are using in class at the Reserve.

#4 Share the Book
You and a friend that you know who are both taking the same class can share books. However, this is difficult unless you see each other often.

No related posts.

A common question asked by college students out there is “should I double major or minor?” It is a quite often a prickly pear of a decision, and many points should be weighed carefully before diving headfirst.

For some, it is an opportunity to “dip” your proverbial “stick” into a different pot. A second major could also offer an opportunity to explore a personal interest or to develop unique additional skills outside your primary major that could make your future resume stand out that much more.

A minor is kind of the “diet soda” version of a double major, in the sense that offers a bit of the flavor at a fraction of the calories – but will never surpass having the real deal.

So the bottom line is: is it worth it?

It really depends on the circumstances. Majoring in the arts or any of the social sciences can leave a real void in direct practical skills that are attractive to employers. In a case like this a double major can definitely supplement your resume in a positive way. For example, depending on your university requirements – most campuses do not require enough mathematics and statistics training for graduate studies in Economics. Most often before applying to graduate school, Economics majors supplement with additional courses after their finish their undergraduate degree (or simply load up during their undergrad tenure). Tacking on a mathematics double major or minor can be very beneficial in a circumstance like this in making your graduate school applications stand out.

Another great example if you are majoring in the humanities is to double major in another language. For majors like History, quite often it is a requirement to be well-versed in several languages for graduate and doctoral studies. Why not take care of it during your undergraduate tenure (especially in this economy)? Learning a second language to a level of high fluency can open doors internationally for study or work – languages such as Mandarin Chinese are in very high demand, and being a fluent speaker of both can land you some great jobs overseas!

If you have any interest in international business, double majoring in another language is a no-brainer (or at least minoring)

Majors such as the sciences, engineering, or pure business I quite often think do not benefit from the double major effect as much. Most science majors will pursue additional graduate study no matter what, and in academia the double major will probably be wasted time. Engineering suffers from lesser, but similar problem – and quite often in the opinion of many it is wise to just stick with engineering unless you are wanting to work internationally. Probably the best career move as an Engineer if you do not earn your graduate degree later on is to get a MBA or the best online MBA if you have an interest in business.

A worthwhile double major for an Engineer would probably be mathematics (depending on your campus requirements, you could be only a few courses away from a math major anyway!) if you have an interest in math or perhaps teaching later on. A minor in math is definitely a no-brainer depending on your school’s requirements for minors. It is a simply tack on that may only cost you one additional quarter (or a few sessions of summer school).

Graduate school is always an option after college and in all cases totally overshadows whatever you did in your undergraduate studies.. kind of like how nobody cares what you did in high school now.

That said, there is also a considerable higher workload than your peers if you choose to double major or even minor. Do not expect to finish quicker than 4.5 years, even with summer school. Or if you do, put down the beer son and kiss your social life goodbye.

With all that said, I encourage everyone to maximize their college experience and spend some time actually thinking about what you’re going to do after college. Having the most flexible plan for post-undergraduate life is probably the best plan you can make.

Last but not least – ENJOY COLLEGE while you can. I definitely did. Best 7 years of my life!

Related posts:

1. About CollegExperience
2. Changing or Choosing Your Major

I believe just about every college student fails at least one class throughout their college carrier. Most people go through all of elementary, middle, and high school without failing any classes, so when they fail their first class in college they think it is the end of the world. But in reality, it isn’t that big of a deal, college is harder and a lot different from high school. So don’t stress out if you fail your first class, just retake it next quarter or semester.

Retaking a Course
Consider yourself lucky if you get the same professor you failed the class with. Since you already have his old homework, tests, and know his teaching style, retaking it will be easy. But if you are retaking a class with a different professor, you are probably screwed. Retaking a class with a different professor is like taking a completely new class. Failing my upper division discrete mathematics course last quarter inspired me to write this article. My old professor went completely by the book, but my current professor doesn’t even own the book. The subjects I am learning right now have not ever been touched upon by my previous professor. By the way I have failed like 5-6 different classes, and retaking it each time has been like retaking a completely new class, in case you are thinking I am basing my opinion off one incidence. I have even failed 1 course 2 times and withdrew once, and retaking it each time with a different professor was like a new course. That shows you how incongruent universities are with their courses. I guess my point is, try not to fail a class, because universities will most likely screw you over.

Withdrawing
If you even think there is a chance you are going to fail a class, just withdraw from it and get a W. Most people think “isn’t it bad to get a W”. Well isn’t it worst to get an F? W’s don’t affect your GPA, lets you retake the course as many times as you need to, and looks better on your transcripts than an F. Not sure wither to withdraw or not? Well its a pretty simple decision after you ask yourself a few questions. Did you pass the midterms and quizzes? Did you do most of the homework? Do you know what your professor and teaching assistants look like? If you answer “no” to any of those questions, its probably a good idea to withdraw from the class. Don’t risk failing by trying to ace the final to pass the course. By the way, students in online schools also need to be careful about when they withdraw so that they don’t fail. Also before you withdraw, its a good idea to talk to your professor to see what he/she thinks. Sometimes they offer you a deal, like passing the final with a B in order to pass the class, or let you know that the rest of the class is failing too, so there will be a fat curve. This may all seem like common sense, but I know countless numbers of my friends who have failed all the midterms, never go to class, and then don`t bother to withdraw before the deadline.

Related posts:

1. Finding Easy College Courses

Just about every laptop company has come up with their own netbook model, but which one is the best? I will be discussing what I believe are the top 2 contenders in the netbook market, the dell mini 9 and the Asys Eee PC 1000HE.

Ill discuss the dell mini 9 first since it’s the one I chose. The main reason I choose this over the EEE PC is because it is the most compatible with the Mac OS (complete guides can be found at mydellmini.com). All the devices work on the Mac OSX such as WI-FI, sound, camera, and Bluetooth. The second reason I choose it is for the new solid state drive (SSD) technology replacing the traditional hard drive. The new SSDs consume less power, are completely silent, and read/write faster than traditional hard drives. The only disadvantage is that it is still a bit pricey and offers little storage space. My only issue with the mini 9 is the super tiny keyboard that takes some getting used to. The battery life is decent, lasting about 3-4 hours.

The Eee PC is a bit more expensive then the Dell Mini 9 but I believe it is more worth it. The Asus Eee PC 1000he has the best construction and quality than all the netbooks I have seen. The case, keyboard, and screen are all well built, and it even comes with a small netbook sleeve with the purchase of a new one. The keyboard is the best of all the netbooks, offering a standard keyboard size, very similar to the macbooks keyboard. The screen is one inch larger than the dell mini 9, which actually makes a noticeable difference, and the 5-6 hour battery life is a lot longer than the Dells.

So if I were to recommend any netbook for college students, I would definitely recommend the Asus Eee PC. But if you are on a budget, the Dell Mimi 9 is not bad at all.

Dell Mini 9

Asus Eee PC

No related posts.

I love this game! This game is defiantly part of the college experience. My friends and I play this game almost every night like most college students. This game is also usually played at parties and kickbacks. So it is wise to learn the rules and master this game if you don’t want to look stupid.

General:
2 Teams of 1-4 people take turns shooting. After everyone from one side has shot, the opposing team drinks whatever cups that were made, and then it is the opposing teams turn to shoot. This is continued until 1 team loses all their cups.

Requirements:
- Beer — cheep beer, usually something like Natural Ice aka Natty Ice, and usually light beers, so you don’t get full too fast
- 22 cups — 10 cups on each side + 2 water cups
- A long rectangular table (you can usually find them around your college, or use a broken door as a table
- Ping-pong balls — number of balls based on number of players
- Friends — if you don’t have any, go out and make some!

Setup:
You set up by placing 10 cups on each end of the table. Plus 2 additional cups for water (I like to use hot water, feels cleaner). To decide who plays first, a player on each side will shoot “eye for eye”. Meaning they will both shoot at the same time while looking at each others eyes (no looking down at the cups). If they both make it in or the balls hit in midair, they go again. If you both miss then it’s the partners turn to shoot.

Rules (for 2 vs. 2):
Note: There are many ways to play this game. The rules vary based on different “house rules” (rules based on whoever owns the house). The way I play the game is…

1. 2 balls in the same cup is a “bomb” and the opposing team drinks 3 cups & that team gets “balls back” to shoot again.
2. 2 balls in different cups, opposing team drinks 2 cups and gets “balls back”
3. If you make 2 cups in a row you have “heat” (nothing happens), but make the 3rd cup in a row and you have “fire”. You get to keep shooting until you miss. (you can’t rerack on “fire” shots)
4. You have 2 “consolidations” aka “reracks” (reorganize the cups) per a game. But the thing is you can only rerack when you have even cups. So only on 6, 4, 2 cups. But the thing is when you “rerack” you have to make it into a pyramid shape on 6, diamond on 4, and a line on 2. Usually people allow you to rerack whenever you like, and into whatever shape you want, but I feel like forcing reracks on even cups and set shapes adds more strategy and organization to the game.
5. You can “bounce” whenever you’d like, if you bounce and it goes in, it is automatically 2 cups. But the opposing team can swat away your bounce if they see it.
6. If the ball spins around the rim of the cup the other team has a chance to get the ball out so they that it doesn’t count. “Girls blow, guys finger” — Girls can blow out the ball, and guys can use 2 fingers to flick the ball out. If any beer is blown or flicked out while removing the ball, then it doesn’t count.
7. After the last cup is made, the opposing team has a chance to “rebuttal”. But if the shooting team “bombs it” (both make the same cup), or if the ball is bounced when there is 1 cup left it is “ice”, and the opposing team can’t “rebuttal”. If the opposing team makes 2 cups then the game continues and no one drinks any cups. If everyone misses, then the last person gets a chance to bounce without interference. If he makes it then the game continues. If the rebuttal is missed, then the losing team also drinks all of their opponents cups.
8. There is the optional rule of “elbows” where your elbows can’t go over the table when you are shooting. But I find this rule is too hard to keep track of, especially when everyone is drunk. So just no leaning too far forward when you are shooting.

Strategy:
- Angle your shots, I notice that people who throw directly at the cup in a straight line without any angle tend to miss.
- Align your feet with the direction you are shooting.
- Take your time, and focus before each shot.
- Bend your knees before you shoot, like in basketball.
- Aim for cups in a line, or in a triangle shape when the cups are unorganized.
- Save your rerack on 6 if the cups are relatively close together

Play responsibily and enjoy your college experience =]

Related posts:

1. Top College Drinking Games: THE TOP 10 SHOWDOWN!

Sometimes, we’re rushed on time. Or maybe we’re  just too damned lazy to go out. Anyways, here’s a quick and easy meal. It’s also usually low in cost unless you make otherwise.

Hot Pot in the house!

Everyone’s got a pot. Everyone’s got water (or maybe chicken broth. Really, you can make the soup base out of ANY liquid…milk, coconut juice, and tomato sauce, etc.). You can buy ingredients at the super market. They usually have thin sliced meat lying around in the meat aisle, vegetables (lettuce, bok choi, potatoes, mushrooms, whatever is in your fridge), and noodles (or if you want, you can make rice, or go without either!). 
 

Here’s How:

1. Take your pot, fill it with your soup base. Put it on the stove.
2. When it’s boiling, throw your ingredients in (one at a time, all at once, it’s up to you).
3. When you food is cooked, eat.

Some good sauces for your meat include: satay, soy, and bbq.  

If your too lazy to do this or want something else…try at home Korean bbq. Just throw it on the hot pan, flip it once or twice, and eat. Delicious, savory, and satisfying. 
-you can buy pre-marinated  Korean bbq at the nearest Korean market.

No related posts.

There are many types of programs for many different countries from Canada to the Netherlands to Africa. It’s a great part of the college experience and one I definitely think everyone should try to take advantage of, whether only for the experience or for resumé or whatever your means. Financial aid is available and studying abroad can be affordable. I’m currently studying in Hong Kong for the year and so far, my journey has been amazing.

1. How to apply?

Talk to your study abroad office. You usually have to meet with an adviser to discuss your options. Gather information on the countries you’re interested in get feedback. For example, some schools are tougher than other schools. this may be in competitiveness to get in or academically. Find out whether your school offers any type academic assistance such as grade boosts when you return or the pass/fail option.

Fill out your applications (there’s usually a couple short essays and a personal statement) and get your transcripts and letters of recommendations in. It’s helpful to be organized. You’ll also need a medical exam.

NOTE: Make sure you meet all language requirements for the country/program you’ve chosen if there is one.

2. When do you want to go?

There is a program available, no matter what year you’re in. Whether it’s right for you, however, is a different question.

For example, the UC EAP program offers a particular language program in Germany available ONLY to freshman and most programs require you to be juniors or seniors (although some like Japan take sophomores).
It’s important to know when you want to go because applications take awhile to fill and complete (the process can be up to 6 months). You also have to know whether there are language requirements of other prerequisites for the program.

3. Where do you want to go?

Choosing a country is important. You’re are either going to choose a language/immersion program or you’re going to choose a more field specific program. Regardless, location is important. Using Hong Kong, Vallendar (Germany), and California as examples, here are some things to take into consideration when choosing a country and school:

-availability of transportation:

Hong Kong has a great system that runs almost 24 hours (buses, taxis, trains). California is huge, we all know that cars are necessary unless you live in San Francisco or some maybe downtown LA. Waiting for the bus? It might be awhile.

-location of the school:

Hong Kong is a major busy city with a vibrant night life. Everything is accessible.
Vallendar is a small town and at least 20 minutes to a big city (it’s small enough you see everyone everyday).
California? Depends on where you are. Most places close around between 9-11 PM. Can be quite drab in certain areas.

-whether other exchange students there tend to do semester or year programs:

Many schools (especially European) tend to allow their students studying abroad only one semester in any particular country. It would definitely suck if you decided to stay the year and everyone you met leaves half way. On the other hand, most students who only stay a semester wish they have the opportunity to extend their stay to a year.

4. Do’s and Don’ts and how to make the best of your college experience abroad:

• DO go out of your way to meet people, try new things, be open!
• Don’t forget about your studies if you’re not pass/fail.
• DO travel and remember to follow the laws.
• Don’t (well, try not to) be ethnocentric.

and….TRAVEL! Traveling is easy and relatively cheap to surrounding areas whether it’s Asia (to South East Asia) or Europe or South America. I got roundtrip tickets from Hong Kong to Vietnam for ~$150 USD. Although, I do recommend you travel more in the beginning of your term, as classes and midterms/finals can pile up one over another.

Did I miss anything? Check out my website for more info about my travels! http://www.tibbyme.blogspot.com/

Hong Kong

Related posts:

1. Honors Societies: Possible Waste of Time?