Choosing a Degree - Take a BIG Bite

• Author: Michael |University Scholar
• Filed under: College Advice
• Date: Jun 26,2008

You have finally decided on a major! Congratulations! And now I am going to downgrade your decision by telling you not to get too comfortable with your decision. Ask a few of your friends who have gone to college, chances are they have changed their major just a few times, and there is a good chance you will too.

The reason why many students change their major is because they believe choosing a major is the last step. It is not.

The Next Step – Take a BIG Bite

Imagine you are at a restaurant. You are given a menu, and just like looking at possible majors, you read short descriptions of the choices, maybe see a few pictures, ask the waiter what he would suggest, and then you make a decision.

When your food comes to you, it looks delicious and it confirms that you had made a good decision. But after you take that first big bite, you hold your breath as you swallow the horribly seasoned food. Obviously your decision was not the right one, even though it was a well thought out decision.

Many students will “Order” their degree, but they never seem to take a real bite out of it. Yes they go to class, read half of the text material, and do well on the tests. But those achievements are more like looking at your food, not eating it.

To really test your degree decision you really need to take a bite.

Ways to Eat your Degree

Research – Research is a great way to get involved in your major. Help your favorite professor do research. Doing research with a professor allows you to learn from the best, and you can possibly begin your own research on a topic that branches from the professor’s topic.

Follow the Top Gurus – Figure out who is top in your field. Follow them. Read their blogs, read their books, watch YouTube videos of their presentations. Pay attention to the conferences they attend. Get their background info. Find out what they studied in college. Did they go to college? Don’t become obsessive, but following the paths of successful people is an excellent way to start out.

Subscribe – Get used to using Google Reader, and subscribe to news pertaining to your topic of interest. Know the news of your topic allows you to better build a relationship with your professors.

You are What You Eat – Try acting like what you want to become. If you are studying English writing, become a writer. Just going to class won’t do it. Act like an expert, be confident. Instead of having a professor to student conversation, make it a peer to peer conversation.

Now don’t go acting like an arrogant fool, by pretending to know things that you do not. But build your confidence. You may know more than what you think.

Did you like your meal?

Do you ever go to a restaurant and know exactly what you want, and you always get that meal? But after having the same meal for the fiftieth time, you decide to finally try a different entrée. What happens? You realize that this new entrée is just as good as the other one, and you can’t believe you have gone so long without ordering it.

The same scenario can happen with a degree choice. Just because you like one degree, doesn’t mean you won’t like another. This is why elective courses are very important. Experiment with different courses and read books on various topics.

It Can be Frustrating

Deciding on a major can become very frustrating, especially after you have changed your major two or three times. But you should not be intimidated. Think positively! Every time you realize you are heading down the wrong path, you discover something about yourself, and knowing yourself is the most important key to happiness and success.

Choosing a Degree - Issue of Income

• Author: Michael |University Scholar
• Filed under: College Advice
• Date: Jun 25,2008

Everyone wants to be happy! But what makes us happy? When you discuss your future with people many people will tell you to forget the money and choose a career that will make you happy!

No matter what people say, money does matter. Many people desire to settle down and have a family. Being able to support that family is a critical part to your happiness. When deciding on a career choice you will need to look at the income potential.

Luckily, the key term is potential. By doing some research on different careers you will discover that there usually is a large range of income potential. With most careers you could be making $15/hour or up to $40/hour.

Yes there are careers that are going to start out with higher pay than others, but if you want to make more money than everyone else, then there is only on fact to consider. You have to be better than everyone else.

No matter the career choice, higher income is relative to how hard you work. You must continue to educate yourself, become a LifeHacker, and be innovative within your field.

Yes, being a doctor will get you a lot of money. However, becoming a doctor is a very challenging task. If anyone applied as much effort as it takes to become to doctor to their own career field, they should be able to obtain a high level of income comparable to that of a doctor.

Do not make money a priority, but you do need to think about it.

Resources

Here are some resource for looking at incomes and industry growth.

Occupational Outlook Handbook
Career Voyages
Career Videos
The Career Key
What Can I Do with a Major in…

Choosing a Method, Not a Career

• Author: Michael |University Scholar
• Filed under: College Advice
• Date: Jun 24,2008

You sit down with your advisor and you tell them the degree you have decided to pursue. The next thing they will ask you is “What are you going to do with that?” When I ask that question to my peers I get the same answer from them, “I don’t know.”

Should you be able to answer the question of what you are going to do with your career? I believe we are able to answer that question; however, the reason you and I can never seem to find the answer is because we are asked the questions in the wrong order.

The first question we should tackle is “What do I want to do?” Then we should answer “What Degree Should I get?”

A Degree is a method, Not a Career Choice

I am an economics and history major. That means I am going to be a historical economist, right? While I may end up being a historical economist, it is not the only option available to me. To assume that your degree will inevitably be your career is a trap.

First, we should ask ourselves what we would like to do. When we ask what degree we would like to get, it should because the degree is the method to get into the career we desire.

Let’s assume that you want to be a historian. Do you need to get a degree in history? Not necessarily. Getting a degree in literature is just as a logical method as a history degree. Literature only exists in the past, and usually represents the society of the time period in which it was written. Studying literature can greatly improve your writing skills, which enable you to write better history books. In literature you obtain analytical skills, comparable to those obtained by studying history.

If you desire to be a history professor, instead of studying history from your Bachelor degree to your Doctorate, a Bachelor degree in Literature could be followed by graduate studies in History.

A quick reminder that Heinrich Schliemann discovered Troy and many other Mycenaean sites by following the clues left behind in Homer’s epics.

Ask Yourself

If you are having difficulties deciding on a degree, stop thinking about the degree and begin thinking about your desired career and lifestyle. Then decide on which would be the greatest method, degree, to obtain your goals. Not only will this help you decide on a degree, but it will also help on deciding a second major, minor, and your elective classes.

NEW iPhone - Beneficial for College Students?

• Author: Michael |University Scholar
• Filed under: Uncategorized
• Date: Jun 11,2008

The new 3G iPhone has been announced to launch July 11. It is a very tempting product with great improvements over the first generation iPhone. Is now the time to invest in an iPhone? Perhaps it is the right time, but I would like to examine whether or not the iPhone can increase productivity for a college student. Because increasing productivity is the purpose of smart phones. Correct?

Who Cares about the iPhone – Mobile ME is more Important

At the WWDC Keynote address Apple announced not only a new iPhone, but they also announced a new program, which I am very excited about, called Mobile ME.

Mobile ME is an email service that will be competing with programs such as Microsoft Outlook. You will have access to email, contacts, calendar, a photo gallery, and online storage with iDisk. There are two aspects of Mobile ME that appear very appealing.

• 1. It is not a program installed on your computer, but a great internet browser program. Therefore, you can access your email on any computer, and use a format similar to Microsoft Outlook or the Mac Mail program.
• 2. Push Technology! I won’t explain what “push” means, but I will tell you what it allows. “Push” allows you to sync many computers and phones together, over the “air” without needing to dock the phone. If you have ever heard of Microsoft Exchange for businesses Mobile ME is the equivalent for the individual.

Note – Watch the video at Apple to better understand Mobile ME

I will be testing the free trail first. If Mobile ME wins me over, I will pay the $100 and year, get rid of Gmail, and either get rid of Microsoft Outlook or sync it with Mobile ME.

Increase Productivity?

I believe that Mobile ME will increase productivity because it allows for easy access to your email on any computer, and is worth the yearly payment of $100. But what about the iPhone? One negative of Mobile ME is that it will only sync with Apple products and Microsoft Outlook. If you have a different model of Smartphone, you’re out of luck using Mobile ME.

The new 3G iPhone is priced at $199, which is a swell deal. But there is a catch. A purchase of an iPhone requires signing a 2 year contract with AT&T, unlike the first generation iPhone which could be purchased, unlocked, and used with other providers. The phone service + data plan will be $70 a month. With a two year contract that puts the total price of an iPhone at $1,879 for two years of use.

Will the increased productivity from using the iPhone be worth $1,879? For a business person the benefits may be worth the price, but for a college student you would have to work more to afford it. Working more would take time away from your studies and exhaust you, decreasing productivity.

Luckily for us, the iTouch has the same software as the iPhone. The only features it lacks are a camera, GPS, G3 internet, Bluetooth, a phone, and speakers (headphones are required for sound). What it does have is Wi-Fi, and on a college campus Wi-Fi is available about everywhere. Therefore, when you are in a hotspot you will be able to access:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Email
• Stocks
• Sports
• Weather
• Facebook
• eBay
• Notes
• Calendar
• Facebook… again
• Instant Messaging
• Wikipedia
• Maps
• And any website you can think of and any of the applications available in the App Store.

I figure the combination of Mobile ME($100), iTouch(currently $299), cell phone ($50), 2 years of cell phone service ($20 a month while on a family plan) will be a total of $930, half the cost of the iPhone scenario, which did not include Mobile ME.

Pre Game Opinion

I believe that the combination of Mobile ME and the iTouch will increase my productivity; however this is my expectations. Once Mobile ME is available for the free one month trail I will be borrowing an iTouch to test everything, before spending the money on technology that is not beneficial.

If you currently use an iTouch or iPhone for productivity purposes, not just music and videos, leave a comment with your opinion.

I will give an update as soon as I begin my experiment.

In the meantime, check out Lifehacker.com’s thorough review of the new iPhone.

Benefits of a Small Local College

• Author: Michael |University Scholar
• Filed under: College Advice
• Date: Jun 3,2008

It is the time of year when many students are making their final decision on what college they will be attending this fall. Many students feel that they must go away for college, but I would like to share some benefits of going to a smaller local college.

The most apparent benefit of attending a small local college is the price. A large university can cost $20,000 a year or more. A local college may only be $8,000. There is a big difference. But an important question arises. “When you pay less, do you get less?”

I believe the answer is yes; however, would you spend $200,000 on your first house? I know I wouldn’t. I would purchase a starter home.

Possible Potential vs Potential Used

I know many students who are going to large universities and are spending a fortune. When the semesters are over and I reunite with my friends and discuss school, many of them have achieved just as much or less than I have.

Just because a university has a higher level of potential for a student, does not mean reaching that potential is reasonable for the average student.

Unfortunately, I do not have any statistical evidence to support this claim. But I will say that I view myself as an average student, if not slightly higher, and I do not believe I took maximum advantage of my local college.

Professors are Just as Good or Better

Universities are businesses, and research is very important to the business; therefore, many professors are hired for their research, not because they are good teachers.
At a local universities research is important, but not to the point where it will drastically affect the professors.

At a local university you will actually have classes with professors, and not their pawn graduate students. Even though graduate students are capable of teaching the course, they too are distracted by research and their expected dissertation.

Small fish in an ocean or a big fish in a pond!

With Social Darwinism in mind which sounds better, 1 out of 40,000 students or 1 out of 6,000. Which is better? I’ll let you decide.

Growth

I am going to a small local college, and one thing I have noticed is that the college is growing. When I started college last fall, the honors program just started its first year. As an active member of the program I have the ability to help the program grow. At a small university there is a smaller amount of student organizations, allowing you to start one of your own.

Living with Your Parents isn’t too bad

Yes, I live with my parents. But because I live with them I have help with chores and finances. I can work less, eat healthily, and avoid large debts.

There are Downsides

Obviously living with your parents can be a blessing and a curse.

Large universities offer an environment that you cannot discover at a small local university. Local universities are lacking a diverse amount of students from different ethnic backgrounds.

Local colleges also lack a sense of camaraderie that usually can be found at large universities, especially those that have a lot of focus on their sports teams.

Can you think of more Pros and Cons of a small local university? I’d love to hear everyone’s opinions.

Dealing with a Change in Your Schedule

• Author: Michael |University Scholar
• Filed under: Personal Development
• Date: Jun 2,2008

Getting on a schedule is one thing, but what happens when there is a dramatic change in your life? I have recently gone through a change in my life and it drastically diminished my productivity and my ability to keep a schedule. However, I found a solution, an amazingly simple solution.

The Story

At the beginning of spring semester, I had recently quit my job; the blogging world was calling me. I decided to go a semester without having an actual job. It was great. I had time to work on my blogs, research, and classes. I was able to work at a schedule that allowed me to go to bed and wake up at the same time, eat at the same time, write blog posts at the same time, and study at the same time. I was reading a lot of life hack blogs and I was mastering the advice.

Unfortunately, it was too good to be true. It was the end of the semester and I had found myself with an empty bank account. It was time to get a job!

Selling computers was taking most of my time. Some days I worked a night shift, others a day shift. My perfect schedule was destroyed.

Luckily, my life hack training has given me the ability to recognize when I am off track. My life hack GPS unit was indicating a cliff straight ahead.

The Solution

Instead of running around like my head was chopped off, I sat down and asked myself why I was having difficulties, because it was easily recognizable that, even though I was working, I had plenty of time available to write blog posts and study for my summer class.

My schedule was flawless before hand, which means my solution lied within the things that had changed.

I discovered that my mistake was misinterpreting what had changed. Work was not the change, because work just took the place of school. What had changed was the method I was using to deal with my schedule.

I took a look at my surroundings and quickly recognized what had changed. My room and desk were a mess. Even my car was a mess. I had allowed my irregular work schedule to deform my daily schedule. I wasn’t waking up and going to bed at the same time. My mind and body were confused.

Recognizing my mistake, I quickly began cleaning my room every day and going to bed at the same time; back to the basics. Something as simple as cleaning your room and making your bed when you wake up puts structure in your schedule making it easier for you to visualize your schedule as a whole.
Now I am back on schedule, and I feel that I have all the free time in the world.

Let’s Review – Rules for Handling a Change in Your Life

• Keep with Basics
• Continue to block out your day, even when the day is open for relaxation.
• Do the simple things: make your bed, clean your room and car, and eat all of your meals.
• Identify the Real Change: Many things are not a change in your life, but rather an alternative to something you had previously been doing. If that is the case, keep doing what you had been doing.
• Don’t Procrastinate – if you notice that you have been less productive, ask “Why?” The longer you wait, the deeper the hole.

My Rule of Scheduling – Most things in life will occur at random (which is a good thing). However, random occurrences are difficult to put in the schedule. Therefore, the things that are guarantee should be put in your schedule. That way randomness can be appreciated, because you are not concerned with the small guaranteed tasks.