CampusByte

Must-Have iPhone Apps for College

CampusByte — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:35:55 +0000

It’s a fact. Apps make the world go round. This relatively new technology has us acting like kids in a candy store allowing us to do just about anything easier, more efficiently, plus a lot more fun. Check out some of the hottest iPhone apps for college bound students and see for yourself.

1) LogicalDimension: New to town? This app has more than 200 college campus maps around the country to help find your way around.

2) iMapMyRun: This is great if you’re attending a college or university in a new city and don’t want to get lost as you venture out for a run. It uses iPhone’s built-in GPS technology to track where you’re running and mark your path. It allows you to save your data to upload to MapMyRun.com to view your route, run data and workout history.

3) BudgetBuster: What every college student must have especially if this is the first time they’ve ever been on a budget. This app tracks your daily, weekly and monthly expenses so you always know how much is coming in and going out.

4) GasBag: Another great app for cutting the budget as it lets you find the cheapest gas, includes a gas purchase logbook and mileage tracker.

5) SnapTell: Every college student needs to buy books. All you do is point your iphone at a book jacket, CD or DVD cover and the app instantly provides a price comparison of everywhere that book is available online. Wow!

6) Pizza!: Want to know where you can get some pizza no matter where you are at any given moment? This app gives you a list of the nearest pizza restaurants and allows you to call them with one tap on the screen.

7) Sparky: What better way to browse SparkNotes on your iPhone without going to the bookstore.

8) PosiMotion’s G-Park: Now where did I park? This incredible app lets you park your car, press the Park Me! button then do whatever you want. When you’re ready to get back to your car all you do is press the “Where Did I Park?” button and you’ll get turn-by-turn walking directions back.

9) Grades App: Grades shows students what they need to score on their upcoming assignments, tests, and finals in order to get the grade they want. And it’s easy. And it’s downright fun!

10) Evernote: This app lets you create notes, take photos and record voice memos that you can access from your iPhone, computer or the web. Perfect to use in class or at the library doing research.

Five Bachelor of Science Majors that are Welcome on Wall Street

CampusByte — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 03:50:34 +0000

The old stocks and bonds trading mechanisms that once ruled Wall Street have been left in the dust by a new generation of investment instruments that may consist a variety of components, each with carefully established value. Mutual funds were at one time the technological cutting edge for investors because they were made up of a portfolio of investments. You could buy stock in a collection of investments selected by professionals.

Today the development of investment “instruments” is driven by an assortment of sophisticated data applications utilized by professionals with high-level mathematical skills. The “derivatives” that turned sour and drove Wall Street into a panic in 2008 were investments constructed of other investments, many of them based on what proved to be high risk ventures. Those derivatives were developed, in many instances, by experts with some degree other than an MBA.

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Engineering graduates are considered to have applicable skills on Wall Street because of the technical and analytical skills inculcated in any undergraduate engineering program. Engineers who find themselves in investment houses may be brought in as entry level analysts and may find value in pursuing a master’s degree at some point in the future.

Mathematics graduates have the training to develop mathematical models, which is what developing investment products is all about. With every design for an investment instrument comes a risk assessment, which is where the modeling skills, the ability to manage and interpret statistical data plays a critical role.

Physics Graduates bring many of the same skills to the finance sector that mathematics students do, with the major difference being the analytics built into a physics education. There are both structural and analytical elements to a physics major that can have great bearing on successful employment as a quantitative analyst, or “quant” in a Wall Street brokerage or a major investment house located elsewhere.

Computer Science Graduates bring a different set of skills to the investment world. In the ongoing scramble to develop new investment instruments there is also a scramble to analyze them and to design them. In this area the MBAs doing the trading may come to rely on software engineers or graduates who have those skills. Computer science brings both the theory of functionality and the skills to implement application changes.

Statistics graduates are trained for work where data management skills are an important part of the job, and thus they bring skills that can be applied with a financial services firm. But perhaps the most rewarding goal for a stats major is becoming an actuary, working in risk management. Investment houses are redesigning their entire risk evaluation programs in the wake of the 2008-2009 crash. Becoming an actuary requires a good deal of additional work but it can pay off with a senior position in finance.

It isn’t the knowledge gained in these undergraduate majors that are important in today’s investment sector; it is the skills acquired along the way that are valuable. MBA students go through the basics for statistical analysis and learn the math for standard accounting and finance work, but they don’t develop the level of analytical skills or data manipulation ability that students coming out of a math-oriented major already possess. But while you’re breaking into the financial services field with your B.S. you may want to consider a part time master’s degree program that can gain you access to management level positions. Most investment houses today are looking for that additional credential when developing the next generation of management.

Bob Hartzell is a freelance writer for Masters Degree Online.com that covers the shifts in today’s job markets and the corresponding changes in educational options. More recently he’s been covering the graduate & masters degree space as an upside opportunity for students in a down economy.

How To Choose A Major: The Ultimate Guide

CampusByte — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:02:18 +0000

Were you one of those remarkable kids who always knew what they wanted to be when they grew up? I always envied you people. Case in point – one of my best buds growing up was obsessed with airplanes and always talked about becoming a pilot. He now flies for a Fortune 500 company transporting clients all over the world. It’s like your DNA is pre-programmed to your strengths and passions leaving no doubt whatsoever as to what your future career will look like.

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Well, for the rest of us, whether declaring a major has just recently entered your thoughts as you begin your college career or it’s been on your mind since you started college two years ago and you suddenly realize you’re approaching 60+ hours of coursework under your “undecided” major, it’s the one decision that ultimately has to be made. If this seems like a daunting task, you’re not alone. Two-thirds of undergraduate students in the United States change majors before graduating.

Here are 5 tools you can use to help the process:

Assessment Quiz – a college major profile quiz adapted from a career and interest survey developed by John Holland. The results are designed to help you consider how your own personality traits relate to different college degree programs. Give it a shot here.
Examine Your Abilities – Be realistic and honestly look at your skills and abilities. Ask yourself some key questions, such as: What did I enjoy doing during my childhood? Am I a leader or a follower? What are my academic strengths and weaknesses? What high school courses interested me? What were my best subjects? In which extracurricular activity did I excel? What did I enjoy about my part-time job in high school? What do I value?
Visit your College Career Center – here you’ll find career counselors with all kinds of self-assessment and interest inventory tools to help you further clarify your passions and goals. These counselors can get you in touch with professors who can answer your questions regarding particular courses or degree programs. They can also get you connected with your college’s alumni who have gone through the department and may be involved in an alumni-mentoring program.
Try Different College Courses – why not sit in on a few classes or go ahead and enroll in different courses in different departments that look interesting or challenging to you. You may just come across an area of study that truly fascinates you or one you feel particularly passionate about.
Internship – this is one of the best ways to find out what it would be like to work in a “real world” environment, whatever your interests. Once you’ve figured out what areas of study you have strength and interest in, see if you can either find an internship position (paid or unpaid) or possibly even a volunteer position for an entire semester. You will work alongside and be exposed to professionals and work situations that will give you a clear picture of what you could eventually experience in the real workplace.

Whatever you do, take your time, investigate, and don’t rush into making this decision. It takes time and experimentation to reveal the path you will be taking in life. If you will allow yourself to truly experience all you can during this process and enjoy the journey, your lifetime work will gradually and clearly come into view.

Essential Items for your College Dorm Room

CampusByte — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 20:11:34 +0000

Fall is vastly approaching bringing with it an end to the carefree days of summer and your do nothing attitude. Before you know it, ads will be dominating the media with “back to school” lures hoping to get your minds and your pocketbooks into the preparation mode for another school year. If you’re heading off to college for the first time and you’re going to be living in a dorm, you have to start thinking about what necessary items you’re going to need to bring with you and what items you should leave behind.

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I’m going to try to make this as simple and painless as possible. Believe me I talk from experience. The biggest way to avoid World War III with your parents is to be one step ahead of them and I promise, they’ll be impressed. To give you a step-up, I’m going to give you a list of items that you must bring with you as well as a list of items that you will be kissing the ground someday for including them.

First off, let’s get a grasp of the big picture. If you haven’t realized it already, you’re going to be moving into a dorm space about as big as a large walk in closet. That being said, what you end up bringing with you to college must absolutely either fall into the “essential items” column or the “save the day items” column. What you can be proactive about right now is contacting your soon-to-be roommate to break down these lists together. Not only will it save you time but it will also save you money if your roommate has items that you don’t happen to have and vice versa.

Essential Items

Sheets – before buying sheets, many dorm rooms come with extra long twin mattresses. Be sure and check to see if yours is one of them.
Towels – bath towels, hand towels and washcloths
Laundry Detergent/Dryer Sheets – you can now find all-in-one detergent/dryer sheets. You just move the sheet from the washing machine into the dryer with the clothes. They come in a box just like regular dryer sheets and weigh so much less than a jug of liquid detergent.
Quarters – take a couple of rolls with you and don’t be tempted to spend them on the soda machine.
Laundry Basket – much easier to carry your clean, folded clothes back to your dorm room than a laundry bag.
Shower Caddy – if your bathroom is a few doors down the hall, you’ll be glad you’ve got something to carry your soap, shampoo, conditioner and other toiletries in.
Shower Shoes – these can even be flip-flops. Just something to keep you from getting athletes foot or something worse.
Robe – if you don’t want to walk from the shower back to your room in only a towel.
Power strip with surge protector – you can never find enough electrical outlets in a dorm room.
Mini Fridge/Microwave– there are usually restrictions regarding the size. You may have use of a microwave in the student kitchen. Ask your dorm for specifics.
Flash/Jump Drive – Use to save your work and/or print it out; take to class for presentations.
Laptop – I know, it’s a no-brainer.
Printer – Again, dorm rooms are small and you may have access to a printer in your residence hall computer lab.

“Save The Day” Items

Mattress Pad/Topper – a lifesaver for dorm mattresses, which, in all likelihood, tend to lean towards being fairly uncomfortable.
Extension Cords – so you can space your electrical items in the room exactly where you want them.
Umbrella – you’ll be happy you remembered an umbrella when you’ve got class and it’s pouring outside.
Small Fan – if your dorm room doesn’t have air conditioning, and some actually don’t, you’ll be so glad you brought a fan.
Cleaning Supplies – you won’t think about it until a mess happens to have paper towels and Clorox wipes handy. Added bonus: if your roommate is sick you can use the Clorox wipes to disinfect anything they touch or handle.
Small cup, plate, fork, knife and spoon – these come in handy when someone walks in with a pizza and liter of soda.

What are you bringing to college? Let me know in the comments below!

College According to Google

CampusByte — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:00:30 +0000

If you use Google Search routinely then you are familiar with their clever feature that predicts your question as you type. This feature was created to save time while searching by pulling the most frequent and relevant questions and displaying them for you. What you may not have noticed is that often the suggested questions Google comes up with can be truly hilarious and who knows where they come from or how they ever got searched for in the first place.

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Below are some interesting and funny Google predictive search results about college:

Apparently, a lot of people think college is a waste of time and money. I have a feeling the people who search this are the ones who are bitter about not attending college.

This is actually a good question. Remember, always use protection.

This is very true. If I had a dollar for every time I saw someone sleeping in class, I’d be a rich man.

So college boys are rappers?

And college girls streak and sell their virginity? Good to know.

YES. Ever heard the term – “broke college student”.

No, actually it’s called being in college. However, after college, yes it’s called alcoholism. Enjoy it while you can.

I’d like to end on a positive note. This is how I feel about college, and I can’t wait to enter the real world.

5 Ways to Not Waste Your Summer

CampusByte — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 02:45:11 +0000

What’s a college student to do with 3 months of free time during the summer? The possibilities are numerous. You can either justify your decision to do absolutely nothing by claiming how hard you worked during the fall and spring semesters or you can choose to do something that will continue to foster growth and have a really good time as well.

Here’s 5 possible ways to spend your summer and come out way ahead of the game rather than not having a plan and doing nothing at all. Between taking summer classes, getting a job, getting an internship in your area of study, taking a semester abroad, going on a mission trip or traveling the world are options to not only be productive but will reap many unexpected rewards.

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Summer School

Why not graduate early, or if you’re like me and are on the 6-year plan, taking summer classes is the easiest way to knock down some class hours to speed things along. One advantage of taking summer classes is keeping your mind engaged in learning, boosting your performance and readying yourself for the fall semester. Another advantage is the fact that since summer sessions are shorter than regular semesters, it is actually easier to stay focused because 1) you’re not taking a full load and 2) since classes meet every day, there’s less down time making it easier to comprehend and retain the material. Before you know it, the session is over.

Make Some Money!

If you’re not already working during the regular school year, now’s the perfect time to challenge your mind and body by doing something totally different from studying, writing papers and taking tests. You can either further your career by getting a job in your particular area of study or perhaps you’d rather find a job within a different area of interest just to “test the waters” to see if it might possibly be a good fit. Not only will you learn new skills and meet new people you’ll also learn how to interact within a corporate system, make contacts for possible future use and, something your parents will be thrilled with, earn some of your own money.

Get an Internship: Highly Recommended

Now here’s the perfect opportunity to really apply what you’re learning in college and put it to the test. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. By getting an internship with a company within your major, whether it’s a paid internship or not and whether it’s for credit or not, will undoubtedly be one of the best decisions you could ever make. You’ll not only gain real work experience but it may lead to either a full-time career in your field or may possibly set yourself up for real future employment with the company after graduation.

Study Abroad

Why not set yourself apart from the majority of college students who will never study abroad and unfortunately only see the rest of the world through the Internet or television. An international educational experience can be priceless in today’s changing global economic and business communities. While study abroad programs allow you to earn academic credit in core and major courses, there are some programs you can satisfy your language requirement by earning up to a year of your language credit in only a semester or quarter. The skills, confidence and independence acquired from an experiential learning environment and cultural immersion in a foreign country better equips today’s college students for the changing employment sector.

Travel the World

What more can be said about choosing a destination you’ve always wanted to explore and experience. Now here’s your chance. What better way to enrich your college experience and your perspective on the world than to personally experience another country’s language, culture, history and people? Whether you travel alone, with a small group of friends or join up with a diverse group of fellow college students through companies that specialize in college student travel, you can’t go wrong.

What are you doing this summer? Let me know in the comments below.

Quick Delivering Happiness Review

CampusByte — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 01:53:25 +0000

A few years back I heard about a website where you could buy shoes online. I’ll admit that I thought the idea of buying shoes online was stupid – how would you know if they fit or not? After giving it much thought I decided to browse the site one day and found a pair of shoes that I liked, but couldn’t find in any of the stores in my hometown.

I decided to order them. To make a long story short, Zappos.com has the best customer service I’ve ever experienced. After this positive experience, I decided to research Zappos and who was running this company.

Tony Hsieh is the CEO of Zappos.com, which was recently acquired by Amazon.com for 1.2 billion dollars. Hearing this, I immediately wanted to know everything about this company.

The Book

To my surprise, Tony had written a book that was to be released June 7th. Being a blogger, I found out I could get an advanced copy of the book, and I’m glad I did.

If you are interested in business, Startups, Entrepreneurship, or how to run a company with an amazing company culture, then you need to read Tony Hsieh’s new book, Delivering Happiness.

I don’t what to ruin the book for you, but to give you a little taste, Tony starts the book with a detailed look at his childhood and the trials and tribulations he went through to get where he is today. The book walks you all the way through every aspect of both Link Exchange (Tony’s first company) and Zappos.

Your Turn

If you’ve read the book, or plan to read it, let me know in the comments below. I look forward to seeing who else is now a huge fan of Tony Hsieh. Go get this book, it’s available now though amazon.com.

Top 10 Cities to Get Your First Job

CampusByte — Wed, 26 May 2010 01:39:51 +0000

Congratulations class of 2010! You’re probebly thinking about getting a job soon, right? Well I recommend looking now if you haven’t started.

To aid in your search, check out this cool infographic provided by Fixr.com. Click through to see the whole image.

Click the image to enlarge

Source: Fixr

Study for Finals with The Pomodoro Technique [Video]

CampusByte — Mon, 03 May 2010 17:23:41 +0000

Finals are just around the corner. It’s time to start studying and what better way to study than on a time schedule.

If you have trouble studying or battle with procrastination, check out this quick video.

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The Pomodoro Technique:
http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/

The Pomodoro iPhone App:
http://www.freshapps.com/pomodoro-technique/

Music: Kevin Macleod
http://www.incompetech.com

CampusByte Head-to-Head Challenge: Round 1

CampusByte — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:25:00 +0000

I’m very excited to announce the first CampusByte Head-to-Head Challenge. This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a while now, but I needed to meet a large group of people first. This is the first of several rounds which I hope will inspire and motivate you to achieve your dreams.

The idea behind this challenge is to pick the brains of some of the most influential bloggers on the web. After reading their responses, vote for the blogger you think did the best job. The first match up is between the creative minds behind HackCollege and LifeNotion.

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Questions & Answers

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Kelly Sutton – I’m a super-senior at Loyola Marymount University studying computer science and film production. I grew up in Everett, WA. I started the website HackCollege during my sophomore year of school. I’ll be working for blip.tv after I graduate!

Derek Jensen – I always say to people in one sentence what I am about. I tell them “I’m a college student that’s defining my true self through connections, conversations, and media.” I say this because the web has really changed me and has so much potential to help out so many people in all areas. Thus, I have created LifeNotion.com for college students and plans for further growth into different groups of people.

Kelly Sutton	Derek Jensen
What’s the most important thing you learned in college?
The most important thing I learned in school was to use your free time wisely. You could spend every minute of every day reading every assignment, but you will quickly pass the point of diminishing return. Always ask yourself, “Is this exactly what I want to be doing right now?” Make sure the homework gets done though!	Networking. Without networking and establishing many relationships with people I would not be where I am today. Additionally, academics is not everything. Surely we come to college to get good grades, but there is so much more that college has to offer you for things like your personal development.
College relationships – Good or Bad? Why?
I’m not an authority on the subject, but I’d say it depends on the person. My philosophy: Don’t get too tied down. Call me a guy, but I wouldn’t sacrifice flexibility in lifestyle to be in a relationship. I’ve been told I’ve been tough to date.	As I previously touched on, relationships are so very crucial and college is the perfect time to be on the same playing field with everyone else if not exceed and be better than a majority of the students. I have had many good relationships and don’t regret any of them, because they have all been apart of my desired transformation.
What’s your favorite tech tool?
iPhone. The iPad definitely gives it a run for its money though. Touching the Internet is definitely as cool as people say it is.	My favorite tech tool would have to be my Blackberry Smartphone. It takes pictures that can be uploaded directly to Facebook, write notes on WordPress, tweet on Twitter, see what my friends are doing on Facebook, and stay updated 24/7 at a fast pace on the latest emails and news. This has been very helpful when I am on the road or away from my computer in general.
What’s the best way to choose a major?
I chose my majors on (1) what I was interested in at the time and (2) financially viability. Film production fails the second test. Some of the geekier degrees will give you the flexibility to apply them to the arts. (Computer generated or assisted art comes to mind. Or just something to blow off steam.) I find that the arts are better kept as hobbies rather than majors.	Choosing a major is always a battle you have to play with yourself. I do not find the career tests you can take to be that useful. I do find that simply writing about everything you like, everything that you think needs to be changed in our world, and gathering insights from your friends and family that you might be missing about your own personal self. So, the best way is to analyze yourself by looking at what you would like to do the rest of your life and knowing the qualities that you could bring to the field. Finding someone to look up to is key for inspiration. As a junior I have just switched to advertising, because throughout the transformation that I talked about earlier I was not happy with what I currently was studying and it would not satisfy me in the long-term.
What advice would you give someone who is struggling in school?
Figure out how you learn. It’s probably not something you needed to consider in high school. I don’t take notes, but I do ask questions in class. I remember things by thinking of their visual position on the page and through homework exercises. Simple pictures and diagrams also help me.	College really is not for everyone, but you do need to know that you have to at least try. The specific advice I would give them is to always stay positive and look back at your mistakes as ways for improvement.
Who or what is your biggest influence? Why?
No one in particular, but I have a host of sincere people that I look up to and keep tabs on.	My biggest influence would have to be Gary Vaynerchuk and Tim Ferriss. Gary is a man that is dedicated to loving his family and friends and always doing the best that he can everyday, being transparent, and always striving to be happy. Tim never seems to give up and is always exploring and trying new things. Together they have been my biggest influence because I admire what they stand for. So really picking up the hobby of blogging (this is how I met them) has had an influence on me.
How do you balance school, work and social obligations?
School always comes first and then social obligations. Work fits in their somewhere, but is usually dependent upon how well I’ve been saving.	Plan out each individual week by using multiple ways of remembering what you need to get done. I personally utilize iCal and Tasks on Gmail. The sooner you get work / school done the more socializing you can do which usually takes place later, but this all is weak when you procrastinate and are just lazy. DO WORK!
What are your plans after college?
I will be moving to New York City to work for blip.tv, a web video hosting company, as a software engineer.	My plans are to get a paying internship in an adversiting firm and further grow the LifeNotion site with the help of my other venture that helps build and improve people’s online presence (NotionUp.com). I have always wanted to own my own business so I will do that and hope to inspire many.
Define the reason for your success in one word.
Persistence	Passion