School can be stressful! Classes, homework, reading assignments…how’s a student supposed to balance it all? We know you have a lot on your plate and that got us wondering—how do you stay stress-free? We received some pretty inspirational responses, but ultimately Rebecca’s submission won over the judges for finding unique ways to balance her artistic and outdoor interests.

Here’s her winning essay:

I have two main de-stressing activities in my life: photography and horticulture. I’m from the city and I go to college in the middle of nowhere, so I like to explore and photograph old abandoned buildings with my friends. It makes me feel giddy and it offers an artistic release. Horticulture calms me. I grow my own cooking herbs in my dorm room! Meticulously caring for my little table of sweet basil, lemon balm, oregano, winter savory, and spearmint helps me to organize my oft-scattered brain.

We wanted to get to know Rebecca a little bit better, so we asked her a few questions about herself and her interests. Here’s what she had to share!

You have a lot of experience in team building experiences. What skills do you think make a good leader?

I think the most important quality a leader can have is the willingness to serve. The leader of the team is the one who makes sure that the job gets done, no matter what. This means you must be willing to do those things that no one else on the team will do. Other members of the team will respect you more for it!

Communication skills are also key. Leaders are very diverse and dynamic – they can be outspoken or quiet, rushed or relaxed, serious or playful, visionary or concrete – and there is a time and place for each of these types of leaders. However every strong leader I’ve seen in history has mastered the skill of communication. It’s a lot easier to direct a ship when you communicate your thoughts clearly with the crew – and hear their thoughts in return.

What’s an interest of yours that most people would not expect at first glance?

I really enjoy weaving – textiles, as well as basket weaving. I’m also becoming a fairly decent henna artist. I have a Somali friend who taught me the basics, and I researched and practiced – and am continuing to do so. Most of the time I have to practice on my own hands and feet. Since henna lasts at least two weeks, it always prompts interesting conversations – and people are usually quite surprised to discover I was the artist! Really, though, I love to engage all sorts of art ventures – I’ve done a lot of work with pottery, bead-work, sewing, graphic design, filmography, and photography, aside from weaving and henna.

What would you like to do after you finish school?

I’m majoring in Cross-Cultural Adult Education and minoring in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and French. After I finish school my tentative plan is to go to either North Africa or the southeastern coast of France and work with adults there to help them learn English and French. However I would just as soon go just about anywhere in Africa, and there’s a chance that I’ll end up in Haiti. I guess the only sure thing is that I’ll be somewhere overseas, teaching adults and having excellent adventures.

How are you more than a test score?

My parents always stressed to me the importance of having good test scores to get good grades to get scholarships, so I could get through college without debt. And while test grades are important, I’m so much more than the sum of the questions I can answer correctly.

My passions, my curiosities, and my developmental experiences have taken me much farther than any good test grade ever could. In the end, people respect you for who you are, not what you know. That’s why I’m more – ever so much more – than a test grade.

To stay up to date on the latest deals, contests, and exclusive content, head to Livescribe’s Noteworthy blog. And if you’re looking to earn some sweet tuition funds like Rebecca, check out our scholarship search, where we have nearly $2 billion in financial aid listed. We even match you with the scholarships you’re a fit for—how cool is that?!

Located on 105 beautifully landscaped acres, the University of Tampa is home to students from both across the nation and over 120 countries, with a student body that is eager to expand (in the Fall 2011 semester alone, the university enrolled over 6,700 students). To keep their students active and engaged, the University of Tampa offers 160 different clubs, student organizations, and teams, along with 19 different sororities and fraternities.

While extracurriculars and Greek life are a valued aspect of the student services available, the school also prides itself on enabling students to afford their educational costs. Over 92% of attending students receive financial aid, with $40 million in aid coming directly from university itself. When combining grants, loans, and campus employment services into the mix, students at the University of Tampa are awarded over $100 million in total financial aid. For more information on the financial aid options available at UT, visit them online.

In addition to the various options available for tuition funds, UT offers numerous scholarships to its students—full-time students with a 3.2 or higher cumulative GPA are automatically considered for academic scholarships. While many of the scholarships are awarded on academic achievement, talent and need-based awards are also available to new undergraduates. You can learn more about available scholarships by visiting the financial aid section of UT’s website.

In maintaining their commitment to student empowerment, UT also provides internship opportunities and employment services. Over 425 internships in the Tampa Bay area are available annually, many of which are paid positions that will also counts towards academic credits. Students can find new internship opportunities through the Student Internship Guide and HIRE-UT portal, both found on the university’s site.

For those looking to jumpstart their career, the Office of Career Services is second to none. Students can meet with a career counselor, attend a major-specific workshop, or take a self-assessment test to help point them in the right direction. UT also keeps an active feed of upcoming career service events and job openings, accessible to all students.

If you’re interested in attending or learning more information about University of Tampa, visit their college profile on Zinch. Be sure to click the green “LIKE” button to be put in direct contact with their admissions office, and you could end up part of the UT tradition.

Photo courtesy BernieCB under the Creative Commons Act.

How do you plan to use this laptop to further your educational journey?

We live in the twenty-first century and technology is now inescapable, especially in the classroom. Even in High School I already use computers for the majority of my work, from video editing, to researching for essays. Now that I’m getting a new laptop from HP I’ll be able to take my work with me wherever I go. I’ll be able to study outside more which is one of my favorite things. I’ll be able to take it with me when I study abroad so I can keep in touch with my University in America. I’m also super excited about the idea of being able to type all my notes in class because I have atrocious handwriting. In short I plan on using my computer at every opportunity I can.

What is one adjective you would use to describe yourself?

I guess I would describe myself as adventurous. I’ll try anything once. I’ve been street racing in Asia, did yoga on top of a mountain in China, camped in the rainforest for a week, worked on a TV show and eaten almost every gross thing that you can ever think about ever. I try to not let fear get in the way of me living my life you never know if something could happen to you one day and then you don’t ever have any more chances to live your life. It happened to a very good friend of mine a couple years ago and since then I am determined to live my life to it’s fullest. As much as I hate the phrase, #YOLO.

If you could win a lifetime supply of any drink what would it be?

That’s easy chocolate milk! Chocolate milk is my favorite drink in the entire world. I hate regular milk so chocolate milk is a really good way for me to get calcium, and it just tastes so good. I’m actually slightly lactose-intolerant but I still drink it all the time just because it is that good. My brothers and I always used to sneak whipped cream from the spray can to put on top of our chocolate milk. That’s probably my favorite dessert.

How are you more than a test score?

I am more than a test score because I don’t score people or myself. Everyone does everything in their own way, not everyone is good at everything and not everyone has to be. Most people find their own niches when they grow up where whatever test score they may have received doesn’t matter because they have found what they are good at. I know what I’m good at and I know what I’m bad at I don’t trust a test to tell me that, I trust myself to. The tests we have to take aren’t a measure of how you interact with other people or your personality and I think those factors are just as important as the scores people get, in telling how successful they will be. That’s why I don’t use test scores to gauge myself or other people.

Want to earn a sweet tech hook up like Josh? Then register with the folks at HP Academy for the latest updates on new products, deals, and contests from HP.

Without a doubt, we know students are at the forefront of new technologies. Whether it’s the latest hi-tech gadget or bustling social network, you’ll most likely find students as some of the earliest adopters. So that got us thinking—if you were put in charge of a social media campaign for a non-profit group, how would you use social media to further the group’s mission? Melani’s essay stood out for finding clever ways to keep her non-profit’s community engaged and up-to-date.

Here’s her winning essay:
I already work with the adopt a beach organization based here in Hawaii; so I would continue with them. Iʻd use routes like Facebook and our website to put photos out there of each cleanup and make graphs of the items we record. Also I would have contests for biggest cleanups.

Here’s a bit more about our winner:
I am a simple, hard working woman looking forward to creating something amazing and worthwhile in this world to make a healthier way for the people in Hawaii to live. I am studying traditional medicine with a focus on hawaiian medicine at the university of Hawaii under the interdisciplinary studies program. I don’t stop or give up. I am 100% faithful and idealistic enough to believe in true love and happiness.

Here’s a few of our favorite runners up:

I would support the Lydia House in Omaha, NE. They are an organization that help battered women and children get back on their feet. I would put information on my Facebook page, create events for people to learn about it and raise money, make it my profile picture, and make the Lydia House its own Facebook page. Then, I would get all my friends to like it and help share it.” -Danyelle G.

For the World Wildlife Federation, I would make comedic video clip of two people in panda suits wrestling with the tagline “Help support the WWF, so pandas around the world can stay entertained.” I would post this to Youtube, Reddit and Facebook. Today humor garners more support. -Jacob F.

I would support All Girls Allowed, an organization aimed at empowering women and rescuing trafficked children around the world. If I headed their social media campaign, I would create a tumblr for them with pictures, videos, inspiration music, slogans, and updates about progress. -Cathy C.

How can YOU use social media to support your education? Start by finding us on Facebook and following us @Zinch! We’re hooking up students with new scholarship opportunities everyday, so login and get started!

What is your strategy behind applying for scholarships?

The career center at my school posts a large amount of recent scholarships that are offered at a local and national level every month. I use this list and Zinch to find appropriate scholarships that I can apply for. I apply for two scholarships per month depending on the availability. My counselor and teachers have advised me to apply to as many scholarships as possible, I won’t know if I’d get these scholarships unless I apply for them. Thousands or millions of dollars are lost in scholarship money because no one claims them.

What career path do you see yourself taking after school?

I plan to become a Kindergarten teacher in my local community. I want to use my art skills to help children develop their cognitive thought processes. I wanted to earn a few scholarships that would help fund my future endeavors and my potential career.

If you could travel to anywhere in the world where would you go and what would you do once you got there?

I would plan to travel to Rome and explore the Vatican City. I would visit every museum, photograph the architecture, and the art that is showcased throughout these cities. The history and culture that surrounds these places is what interests me the most.

How are you more than a test score?

My test score does not define who I am as a person. It does not show my personal experiences and the adversity I have faced to reach my goals. I know I was awarded scholarships because of what I have accomplished in life. My test scores only comprise a small factor of those achievements.

Those were some great tips and thoughts. Thanks Brenda!

Don’t forget about our scholarship search where you’ll find nearly $2 billion worth of financial aid posted online. Remember to invite your friends to Zinch too, cause with our Win Your Friend’s Scholarship program, any scholarship they win will earn you a check for the same amount!