Fall is in the air, leaves are falling to the ground, and we’re all dusting off our old hoodies from (insert favorite college here) and getting ready for the back to school season!

Many schools are already back in session, but some students still have a little bit of time to prepare for the oncoming slaught of pop quizzes, essays, and “hey, do you have a no.2 pencil?” But even if you’re already in the thick of it, there’s still time to prepare for what will turn out to be a great year.

Whether you are sporting the crimson tide or are a Buff through and through (go CU!), there are several back to school essentials you can’t miss. And no, I’m not talking about your trustworthy student planner and graphing calculators – you’ve already got those essentials stuffed into your backpack. Instead, this article is going to help you with those dorm room necessities that are so often overlooked on the syllabi.

And if you think for one second that you’ll get some reassurances that your poster of John Belushi sporting the infamous COLLEGE sweater in Animal House is both unique and an artistic expression of your true self…then maybe this article is for you because, son, that poster is a frat faux pas.

First and foremost, before you buy anything else, the single most important thing you will ever need in your dorm room is…drumroll, please…a bed! Yes, of course. It seems obvious that we all need a bed. After all, it’s our greatest comfort and we use it (or at least, should be) for 8 hours a night. But beware! Overlooking this pertinent piece of furniture can not only cause your dorm room to be drab and uninspired, but we’re looking at sleepless nights and serious back pain without the right bed and pillows. Do a little shopping around and find what fits your style. Whether you are a tummy sleeper or side sleeper, there’s a pillow for you.

If you run a little cold in the dead of night, then maybe check out some warm and fuzzy flannel sheets. Or maybe your bed is going to be the centerpiece that pulls the whole thing together; if that’s the case, be sure to pick up some extra sham pillows to make it a comfortable seat for all your guests…or look into the wild and crazy world of futons! And don’t forget linens, even if you’re not the cold hands/cold feet kind of person. Linens can be both easy on the eyes and the skin. If you’re looking for an outlet for all that artistic expression, than maybe a nice set of stylized sheets will better suit your needs than a John Belushi poster (no offense to the late great comedian!).

However you style and customize your bed, your back and eyes will thank you. And your friends might think of you in a different way after you’ve thrown out the dinosaur sheets.

So you’ve got your beach-inspired sheets picked out, you’ve invited a few friends over to hang and they’re all comfortable and relaxed on your stylin’ new bed – now what? Well, the two obvious answers are 1) some snacks beverages and 2) some music.

I’m sure you are perfectly capable of picking out the snacks and beverages on your own (although, everybody and I mean everybody loves them some Pepperidge Farm Goldfish) but what you might forget to pick up is somewhere to store those snacks and icy beverages. Fret not! A mini-fridge will do you wonders!

Not only will it store all the diet sodas you can fit in there, but also it just screams, “Hey! This guy knows how to entertain!” So Goldfish in the right hand and a Capri-Sun in the left…now just play some music! Oh wait, you’ve only got your iPhone to play music from? This is where our next dorm room essential comes in – speakers.

No dorm room is complete without a standalone speaker for handheld music-capable devices or a pair of rockin’ computer speakers for all those funny YouTube videos you want to show your friends. Just like the linens, this is an important one to shop around for and will largely depend on your personal style.

Maybe there’s a lot of dubstep happening in Chez Dorm, and therefore, a speaker set with a bass would suit you perfectly. Or if there’s just the occasional Skype session with mom and dad, an economic pair of desk speakers will get the job done and then some. But be mindful of what you buy. Remember, you still need some money left over for laundry!

So pick yourself up off of that boring lumpy bed and start shopping around for those perfect dorm room accessories that will take your social life up a notch. But it’s okay if you don’t get around to it for a few days since you’re going to spending most of your time in the library anyway, right? Sure. 

About the author:
Gina Vinnitsky is working with Action Agendas. If you are in the market for great student monthly planners, contact Action Agendas for a quote. Be sure to check out their great selection online!

In her recent role as Margaret Thatcher in the film Iron Lady, Meryl Streep says that one Britain’s greatest strengths is that they are a ‘nation of shopkeepers’. She is not off the mark. Economies rely heavily on small and medium businesses to employ people, take risks and grow their market share and, with it, grow the economy. In Australia, over seven million people make their living working for or owning small businesses.

Make sure you are prepared

Starting a small business is a scary endeavour, especially for college students or recent graduates, as small businesses are much more susceptible to fluctuations of the market than large enterprises, and tend to be the first fatalities when markets take a turn for the worse. This is why new business owners should ensure they are adequately prepared for what is in store for them in the business world. Fortunately, there are a number of online learning courses for small business owners that can be completed at their convenience and which will provide the necessary skills to prepare them for owning and running a business.

Course Options:

Starting and Managing Your Own Business: University of Sydney

This is a short course that teaches the basic skills of building and managing a small business. This course includes components like:

• How to make sure you small business succeeds.
• Understanding the personal commitments involved.
• Developing a small business plan.
• Understanding finances and cash flow.

Starting Your Own Business: Online Courses Australia

This online short course can be done at your own pace, provided you complete it within the required three months. It provides the basic skills and understanding required to take the leap, and includes subjects like:

• Setting up.
• Balancing the books.
• Outsourcing.
• Tax.
• Understanding overheads.

Subjects also offer slightly more abstract, but equally important, components such as, learning who to trust and contingency planning, which could certainly help the new business owner avoid getting into trouble.

Small Business Management Essentials: Open Colleges

This online course is only four months long and provides certain basic business knowledge, such as:

• Business planning.
• Financial planning for small business.
• Marketing for small business.

Dual Qualification: Certificate IV Marketing & Certificate IV Small Business Management: Open Colleges

This course is for the more cautious entrepreneur. It is available online and in classrooms and is completed over a 24 month period, as opposed to the previous, shorter options. It is specifically designed for small business and offers the dual skills of business management and marketing, which are both crucial business success.

This course offers subjects like:

• Analysing consumer behaviour for markets.
• Planning finances for small businesses.
• Legal and risk management requirements for small business.
• Marketing a small business.

This guest post was written by Natalie Simon on behalf of Now Learning, an online education portal that promotes a variety of higher learning opportunities, including online courses in business management, marketing and finance.

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Marketing Department
Custom-Writing.org

College students are undoubtedly the most creative folks ever. Day after day, they tirelessly create thousands of unbelievable excuses and myths to whiten themselves in the eyes of teachers and parents.
Here are some realistic statistics on the true facts of learning in college. Nobody says this aloud, but everyone knows the top reasons for…

1. …going to college
   
2. …studying abroad
   
3. …being late to class
   
4. …pulling an all-nighter
   
5. …not doing homework
   
6. …actively participating in class discussion
   
7. …visiting a college library
   
8. …deciding to combine work and study
   
9. …cooking healthy dishes in the dorm
   
10. …staying at home on Friday evening
    

So, do you agree with these statistics on learning in college? (Note that they are based on subjective data and humorous observations only, and therefore they may be totally true, but have their limitations as well.) Do you have any objections to them? Or, would you like to see statistics for some other questions? Please, leave your comments in the section below.

The first year of college is exciting but challenging. It’s a time of learning to be independent. It’s also a time of recognizing how dependent you’ve been on Mom and Dad for basic support. There are important steps in being successful if you are to survive the first year and continue on toward earning your degree. At the top of the list is making sure that you go to class. College costs are expensive, and not attending class is a huge waste of money.

It’s especially important to develop a relationship with your professors. It’s easy to avoid going to a teacher’s office for help, but the impression made by seeking help may be a determining factor in final grades. Pay attention to deadlines. Whether it’s a term paper or spring registration, missing a deadline can seriously impact your continued success and attendance. Make sure that you budget your time as carefully as your finances. Get enough sleep to stay healthy, but be prepared for late night study sessions.

Source: TopCollegesOnline.org

Click the image to enlarge

So, are you on an US campus now? If you are a Chinese student, your culture shock is guaranteed. To understand others, you will need to master not only the English language, but also the art of crossing cultures.
From the bottom of my heart, I wish you to adapt to your new reality as soon as possible. That’s why I prepared the following orientation tips which are meant to help you.

Culture Shock – Welcome to the USA!

As soon as you make your first steps on campus, some things you see and hear can leave your mouth wide open. These are only a few elements of culture, which seem absolutely natural to Americans, but astonish Chinese students and other foreigners:

1. Freedom and independence. Everyone in America is free to do whatever they want (unless it does harm to other people.) From their early childhood, American kids are free to choose their food and activities. However, responsibility goes hand in hand with freedom. Thus, high school graduates are called ‘young adults’ and can be asked to pay the rent or even move from their parents’ house and live on their own.
2. Individuality. Americans are individualists, and they feel absolutely comfortable alone. You will see an American student alone on campus every now and then. By contrast, a Chinese student needs company and usually shows up with a group of Chinese friends.
3. Privacy. Americans’ homes are their castles of privacy. This is why it would be absolutely inappropriate to visit somebody without calling ahead and letting them know you come. Even if someone tells you “to feel like home”, you’d better be careful how you interpret this invitation. This principle, however, is not applicable to living in the dorm.
4. First names. Chinese students can be surprised with the fact that everyone (even professors) may ask them to use their first names. Only imagine calling your 40-year-old professor “Jane”… However, you should not do so unless the professor asks you to do it.
5. Politeness. Americans are rather straightforward and do not care too much about finding softer wording (unless it is a matter of politically correct terms, such as “visually impaired” for “blind” or “African-American” for “the black”.)
   When an American says “yes”, it usually means “yes”, and “no” usually means “no”. Yet, the English American language is full of polite words, such as “please”, “thank you”, “you are welcome” and others. Always say “thank you” even if the action is not optional. For example, when a McDonald’s cashier gives you your change, you should say “thank you.”

Go Outside Your Comfort Zone

Crossing cultures and making friends from another culture can be scary, but it is rewarding! All you need to do is:

• to bear in mind the above-discussed differences,
• to go outside your comfort zone (the familiar company of other Chinese students);
• to find something in common with other students (sports, studies, or music);
• and to kick up a conversation.

Even if your attempts fail once or twice, you should keep trying. If you feel that your accent is bad, you may use these accent reduction tips. Studying abroad is your chance to make friends with people from all over the world. Do not miss it!
Have you ever had a culture shock? If yes, what situation made your lower jaw drop in surprise? I am looking forward to reading your funny stories in the section below.

Hey everyone!
Glad to meet you! Not sure why I haven’t done it before but just figured out that I should drop a message and say Thanks for trusting in us.

As I like to repeat during our Friday team meeting “We exist for our customers, not vice versa” (our IT engineers think I don’t notice them mimicking me, soooo naïve).

So in this blog we are trying to post only helpful information for you to consider but what do you think? Are we moving in the right direction?

I was recently told that we have a customer who had placed her 99th order and all in 18 months. Unbelievable.

Had no other choice but to give her a call and present her 100th order for free. The lady (she actually allowed to tell her name), so, Amanda, is so sweet and nice I literally wanted to write the work myself!

Well, I’ll be here for a while, so feel free to stop by!

P.S. I do hope at least 1 person will read my post, otherwise I owe to sing and dance to Soulja Boy (Crank That). For some reason it never gets old in our office. For the world’s sake, please do not let me sing! Seriously. Just don’t.

Jessica Kremer
CEO
Custom-Writing.org

But nobody is talking about it

Hey, Hey, Hey or how my fav Joey would say “How you doin”?

New Year is almost here and it’s time to sum up all of the great things that we had in 2012!

1. Doubled the number of our admired new customers comparing to last year

2. An awesome tools kit has been introduced (it is kind of awesome, actually)

3. Customer’s satisfaction raised by 18% to 8,8 out of 10 (cheers!)

4. Bonus Points have been offered. Together with friends you can save more with every order placed (kind of collaborative but cool, make sure you try it).

5. 4 cutest babies have been welcomed (Ella, Noah, Eli and Lucas)! I personally find Eli the coolest one. He is adorable with his tiniest fingernails, and he likes to smile, and yeah, he is mine:)

Our New Year’s resolution:

1) Make sure #3 reaches 10 out of 10 (when I said that, I’m pretty sure I’ve heard someone choking)

2) My personal resolution: 1. Learn how to drive a motorcycle. 2. Finally make the toughest choice on who is better: Ellen, Ferguson, Fallon, Kimmel or Alan Carr (yeah, “no pressure” on that).

So, our Custom-Writing Team wishes everyone to have a blessed and happy year of 2013! Keep in touch with the loved ones, enjoy the good food and listen only to good music! Rock it!

P.S. Thank you, people, who read my previous post, didn’t have to dance (at least this time). However, tomorrow we’re having a New Year party and I have a feeling that it’s going to be L-E-G-E-N-D-A-R-Y.

Few things in life can rival the sense of accomplishment that you feel when you have completed an academic dissertation or longer thesis and you finally hand it in.

You may have spent anything between three to six months working on a dissertation or three to four years working on a thesis before you actually near the point of completion. At which point you’ll no doubt be reading and re-reading what you have written to make sure that it flows well and is free from spelling mistakes.

Then comes the point when you feel comfortable enough with what you have written that you print your work out and patiently wait for it to build up at the bottom of the printing tray before collecting it all up at heading off to a dissertation binding service.

Handing Over the Goods

Once you’ve handed your papers over for binding you then experience a moderate sense of relief and yet you still have to wait a little while longer for that full sense of closure. Dissertation binding can take anything from between 1 hour (for some of the more express services) to 48 hours (for a cheaper service or during busier times of the academic year). Next comes that final, triumphant walk; first to collect your bound dissertation and then onward, with your chin held high and a stride in your step, to your academic office so as to hand your work over in person.

Elation and Dejection at the Same Time

Following on from dissertation binding to the physical act of finally handing over your dissertation it is common for people to experience a conflict of emotions. A sense of utter relief is perhaps the primary emotion that fills a student’s elated state; however, handing a dissertation over also fills people with a strange sense of loss and confusion.

A dissertation takes up three months of your life, at the very least, and towards the deadline for your work it no doubt consumes you completely to the point where normal eating and sleeping schedules are often disrupted. What follows this intense period of study and writing up is the final act of handing your dissertation over and suddenly having absolutely nothing to do.

It is a strange situation, largely comparable with no other circumstance in life, in which a complete sense of dedication to one piece of work is followed by a sense of complete freedom. The transition from having your thoughts completely dedicated to one subject to a situation in which you no longer have to think about what you have been working on for all of that time is almost like having something yanked away from you without any warning.

Other Emotions

Other students may take a completely different view following dissertation binding and the final act of handing their work in and may instead be filled with a sense of sheer relief. In all likelihood, however, a sense of sheer relief generally only follows on from an experience that hasn’t been at all enjoyable or rewarding and students who feel nothing but relief generally will not have committed themselves as much to their work as students who feel a sense of final achievement coupled with loss.

There’s nothing not to enjoy about writing a dissertation because, providing that you manage your time correctly and coherently structure your arguments, then writing a dissertation can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life.

Indeed, many people recall events such as their wedding day, a notable birthday or the day that they passed their driving test with a great sense of satisfaction and, similarly, the completion of a dissertation and that final, glorious act of handing it in, bound and shiny, is often remembered with an equal sense of fondness.

About the author

Ian Appleton is a freelance writer who understands the importance of making an important piece of work look even better. If you are looking for a dissertation binding advice / service then follow the link or Ian on Twitter.

Distance learning requires a unique set of skills.

Students juggling work and family commitments can occasionally be hampered by the realities of modern life – but they are guaranteed to come out the other side with a fresh perspective.

Consequently, the study skills required for distance learning may vary slightly from those needed if attending a bricks and mortar institution.

That’s why, if you find yourself slightly besieged by work and in need of a gentle push in the right direction, our top five study tips for distance learners will combine to motivate, inspire and help you squeeze the most out of your online degree.

1. Manage your time efficiently

Managing your time effectively is one of the key components in becoming a successful distance learning student. For most learners opting for an online degree, study will need to be scheduled around work and family commitments – which is why it’s essential you leave enough hours in the week dedicated to hitting the books.

2. Stay organised

Following on from the first tip, it pays to keep on top of things if you envisage yourself having a hectic schedule. Searching for course materials underneath a pile of dirty cutlery is not the way you want to kick off your distance learning course. Rather, keep all your materials well organised and in a place where you don’t need to search high and low to find them. Trust me, it works!

3. Create a quiet study area

A study zone where you’re free from the stress and strain of everyday life – and able to get your head in the books – can be a real godsend. When you have so much on your plate it’s important to stay relaxed and positive. If you can’t find the peace and quiet you need at home, it’s always advisable to seek the sanctuary of your local library.

4. Keep your eye on the endgame

While it’s important not to get carried away, it’s sensible to focus on explicit goals and exactly what you want to achieve. For example, if you have a large assignment due, it’s prudent to set yourself a series of small targets along the way until you reach the glorious day you finally hand it in. Cutting your workload into bite sized chunks avoids a whirlwind of hate and self-loathing as you struggle to meet deadlines.

5. Don’t procrastinate

Procrastination is rife in all walks of life – but a tendency to leave things to the last minute increases the chances of something blowing up in your face. Imagine your internet connection died – perish the thought – say your laptop gave up the ghost, or you have a family crisis. All of these potential issues should mean you stop stalling, get on with it, and, more importantly, make sure your work is backed up!

About the Author

Paul Watson is a writer with a passion for education, motoring, music and travel. Paul is a graduate from the University of Dundee. He has submitted this article on behalf of Anglia Ruskin University.

Summer is already here. If you are reading this, you’re most likely to be on a short break from barbecues and trips to the beach, aren’t you? Well, while you have a minute, let’s check if you’re truly on a safe summer vacation or if you should already prepare for some undesired consequences. Aren’t you telling any of the following lies to yourself?

Stop Lying to Yourself about Your Summer Vacation!

Do you think it’s impossible to lie to yourself? Well, we wouldn’t be so sure about it. Here are top 5 lies most students use during their summer vacations, only to deceive themselves and to lull their own vigilance somehow:

1. I will start doing something useful… next week. In June, at the very beginning of the summer vacation, it usually seems that you have enough time for everything and next Monday is a much better day for new beginnings than today. Sorry for this spoiler, but the perfect Monday never comes. So don’t leave it for “next Monday” – apply for a summer scholarship, learn a new language, get a new hobby, start jogging now, or at least today!
2. I don’t need sunscreen. Experiments with your skin are a bad idea. Simply take it on trust – you do need sunscreen. Everyone does.
3. Only 5 minutes more… No matter what ending you add to this small lie, it may have most unpredictable consequences. For instance, “5 minutes more browsing Facebook” may occasionally be the last thing you remember having said before you end up watching the sunrise with your eyes red, like in the zombie apocalypse worst pics. Never give you 5 minutes more, unless it’s about exercising your abs.
4. My credit debt isn’t that bad. The worst thing about summer activities is that some of them are very costly. Unless you’ve found a good summer job and really can afford it, stop accumulating debt. Don’t hope to take care of your credit card in autumn, The new school year will bring new expenses – textbooks, dorm room etc.
5. I will start a new life in September. Another popular self-delusion is to promise oneself to become a new You on September 1. This one is often exploited as a perfect excuse for a several months long farewell party to an old lifestyle, like eating pounds of sweets and fast food/ not reading a single line/ party rocking most of the time. Well, here’s a student stat for you: ‘the new life’ usually doesn’t last longer than a couple of weeks. Sure, you might be an exception. That was only for your information.

Maybe summer vacation was invented for being totally wasted. Just don’t say we didn’t warn you on the top 5 self-delusions and their consequences.

While you are out of college for summer, it may seem that the time stands still. But it’s not. While you’re busy doing something to write about in your “How I Spent This Summer” essay, all kinds of things are taking place in the education world. Here we’ve collected top 4 hottest summer news for students, which you shouldn’t miss.

Top 4 Summer News for Students

Stay tuned – be in the know of the latest education news for students!

1. Unpaid internships might become a thing of the past . You may start dancing with joy right now if you always thought that working for free was pointless. The days of unpaid internships may be numbered. The federal judge in New York finally concluded that Fox Searchlight Pictures have violated the right to a minimum wage in the case of the interns who had worked on the production of the 2010 movie “Black Swan” for free. It’s great news for students, because it can also mean trouble for other companies that exploit interns like slaves.
2. GPA isn’t everything anymore. And neither is a college degree. When Google examined their recent hiring trends, they noticed that at least 14% of their employees have no college degree at all. Laszlo Bock, the Google’s Senior Vice-President for People Operations criticized higher education. He said that colleges teach students to complete tasks only in a specific environment, and professors expect from students only specific answers. If the world’s leading tech giant doesn’t care about GPA anymore, other companies might follow their example, too.
3. Google Glass could reshape education. Developers say that Google Glass can be useful for much more than taking photos of pretty girls in the street. If programmers make enough educational apps, it can mean a revolution in education. Only imagine a lecture hall full of students wearing Google Glasses. It’s possible that, in some 5 years time, lecture notes as we know them will become a relic of the past.
4. Don’t post nonsense online. NSA is reading it. Not everything is clear enough with the NSA surveillance scandal. Different sources say that NSA really could (or absolutely could not) get access to all the emails and personal communication taking place online. However, at least 1 thing is sure – online safety matters.

What would you add to this list of the latest news for students?

If students were academic papers, you would still recognize most of your friends (and even yourself) among them. Here’s why.

5 Types of Academic Papers: 5 College Stereotypes

Essay: Hipster Creative.

Just like essays, the Essay type students are all about creativity. These creativity-maniacs search for the wildest ways for self-expression. Sunglasses indoors. Huge glasses without any medical reasons for them. Ignoring the deadlines and never graduating on-time. At the same time, most hipsters are similar at least in their attempts to be unique. Just like a thesis statement in an essay, a central message always pops out of any hipster look: “Look at me! I’m unique. Hipsters play an important role in college diversity and should be sponsored by colleges”.

Research Paper: Endless Why Person.

A kind of person who takes to pieces everything coming his/her way only to see why and how it works. Occasional inability to put something back together is possible. (Keep your smartphone away from their sight.) They are questioning everything and making some hypotheses all the time. Sometimes they prove them, sometimes they don’t. Anyway, the endless quest for discoveries is in their lifestyle.

Case Study: Perfectionist Obsessive.

Compared to other academic paper types, this one is the hardest to deal with. You couldn’t care less about the color of your handkerchief? And the Case Study type can spend a couple of hours making this choice. Every single detail is important to them because everything is interconnected in the Universe. The choice of yoghurt usually takes them 20 minutes minimum. Never ever agree to help the Case Study type choose a new pair of shoes.

Proposal: Ultimate Enthusiast.

The Proposal type not only can see lots of problems all around, but also offers solutions to most of them. Food labeling can solve the problem of obesity! 1 car per family policy can reduce air pollution. Listening to their endless proposals can be tiresome. At the same time, their endless enthusiasm can be useful for moving to a new place or doing dishes. As these folks know the solutions, they could also show you how exactly you should use them.

Annotated Bibliography: Quotation Gunner.

Among all the academic paper types, the Annotated Bibliography is probably the most innocent one. It seems that they simply make it a rule to stuff what they say with as many citations as possible. They never start their phrase with something other than “As my uncle said…” or “As I’ve read on Facebook…” The Annotated Bibliography type doesn’t really care about the credibility of those sources. Facebook friends, just like a fresh meme, are just perfect for their reference.

Did you recognize anybody? If you were an academic paper, which one would you be?

In this cruel world, where you can believe nobody, you can however be certain of at least 1 thing: your smartphone will be by your side this entire summer. .And the following 3 best apps for students could help you make the most of this summer.

Top 3 Apps for Students You Shouldn’t Miss This Summer

1. GoSkyWatch Planetarium for iPad helps you enjoy the starry skies to the fullest. With this app, you can point out at any star or constellation and you’ll find out its name and a couple of interesting facts about it. Just perfect for romantic dates. Now you can literally reach the skies. And you can be sure that everyone will be impressed, even if the app occasionally gives you wrong information.
2. Pocket Ranger was made for those who love new places. This app will show you that even those places you thought you knew best can still have some secrets for you to find. Importantly, a detailed GPS of all the most interesting sites and picturesque views are available. You can even use this app to check if fishing or golf are available nearby.
3. Bitehunter offers you up-to-the-minute promotions in local restaurants and cafes. Even if you already use Groupon, you absolutely need this app, because it collects info from various sites and gives you real time offerings. The only spoiler is that summer is also a beach season, and eating too much is a bad idea. Just take care, make healthy diet choices and save some dimes.

Check these apps for students if your phone is still missing them. Some of them could really add colors to your summer routine.

Now just look at these crumbs on the table… who on Earth eats like this? And don’t even try looking at what’s going on in the bathroom – you are better off not knowing where all this mess came from. Well, you’ve had it – it looks like you need a couple of tips on how to deal with your college roommates.

A College Roommate Experience: Evaluate and Avoid Future Damage

When you enter college, you’ll have to learn a lot of stuff about student accommodation. However, it’ll be easier if you remember one thing clearly: it’s no longer your own home-sweet-home. Here are the main things that you’ll have to learn about:

• Sharing various services;
• Putting up with noises;
• Adjusting to your RM’s temper.

What’s more, you never know who you’ll be sharing a room with. Check below for the most typical roommates (RM).

A College Roommate Classification: Check Who You’re Dealing With

These can be the type of folks you’ll live with, for the next couple of years:

Music Lover

Get ready to listening to music 24/7, and remember it can be anything, from Lil Wayne to Guns n’ Roses – and you’re lucky if it’s not Slipknot.

Company Lover

You’ll always have your room packed with his/her guests.

Enthusiast

Do you want to get to know everything that goes on behind the college stage? The enthusiast will keep you updated on it, no matter whether you want it or not.

Jar Jar Binks

When you are ready to go ballistic after hours of annoying chatter, remember that Jar Jar Binks is pretty uncertain of him/herself and needs a friend badly.

Early Riser

Just ask him/her to keep the morning noises to the minimum.

Bully

Don’t push the conflict. And if you start one, make sure you’ve got some support.

Teacher’s Kid

S/he might seem a bit of a hot-shot. But when you really get along, you’ll learn s/he’s quite fun. Just don’t think of her/him as your free pass to A+ credits.

When Your College Roommate Is Unbearable: Check a Good Strategy!

However, even in the most desperate case, there’s always a way out. Check these strategies for solving roommate problems:

• Whenever a problem appears, talk it over – don’t hush it down;
• Make a schedule for what each of you should do (who’s going to do the dishes, etc.);
• Warn your roommate about some specific requirements you have (e.g., allergies, etc.).

Follow these tips – and you’ll be able to put up with your college roommate till the very graduation. Remember that it’s all in your hands!

Don’t you think college shouldn’t be only about cramming, unhealthy eating and partying? Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, and Sergey Brin were of the same opinion. They never lost time and proved that dorm rooms can be perfect for successful startups.

Here are 5 more examples of businesses you probably didn’t know were started by college students:

10 More Businesses Started by Your Peers in College Dorm Rooms

A college diploma doesn’t guarantee you employment and a decent salary after graduation, but your own business does. Here are only a few ideas that were made true by college students:

1. TIME Magazine was founded by Yale students, Henry Luce and Briton Hadden, when they were only 23.
2. FedEx was an idea of a Yale student, Frederick Smith. He described his dream of an overnight delivery service in a term paper and received a ‘C’ for it. The tutor couldn’t see much sense in the startup, which later grew into a business with $37 billion in revenue.
3. Dell Inc. was founded by Michael Dell out of his dorm room. He started by selling IBM computers, but later on this company created its own computer called ‘Turbo PC’.
4. WordPress, one of the most popular blogging platforms, was started by Matt Mullenweg, who then studied at the University of Houston.
5. Alcohoot, the world’s first smartphone breath analyzer, was invented by Israeli student Ben Biron and Jonathan Ofir. This app is an attempt to tackle the problem of drunk driving. Using Alcohoot, anyone can test their blood alcohol level, make wise decisions, and call a taxi if necessary.

So, college students are filled with ideas and enthusiasm for their implementation.

Bet, you have some ideas for a good business, too. If it’s not a new Facebook or a new Google (which are the most predictable students’ ideas of startups, with only miserable chances for success), just go for it.

Good luck! We’ll be happy to add your name to this list some day.

Writing is just like anything else, the more you practice the better you get. This means that any aspiring writer needs to do as much writing as possible. This does not mean that one should write in a careless or unthinking manner but rather that you should set yourself specific and regular writing tasks to complete.

You don’t have to be brilliant at them, it is not a test; it is practice and an attempt to stimulate creativity. Trying to come up with things like this on your own can be an exhaustive creative process unto itself, which is why below you can find some ideas which will stimulate your creativity and get you writing.

Writing Practice

One of the best and simplest ways of getting creative when writing is taking all the pressure off and doing what is called writing practice. In this exercise you sit yourself in front of a blank page of paper and just begin to write; the important part of this exercise is not having any particular end result in mind, so that your mind can just flow.

It will not be automatic, you need to get yourself into the correct mind set perhaps with some mediation or a walk, but then you come to the page with a calm, open mind.

Over a series of days or weeks you will become more comfortable with this exercise and the writing will happen more freely. Be patient with yourself and keep at it, you need to keep writing. Do not edit what you write, and keep it all in one book and write until you fill the book.

You can always edit later, what counts is getting words on the page. This same principal applies to most writing exercises that are designed to get the creative juices flowing. The writing practice is a solitary exercise which is certainly a good thing, but once in a while it is extremely valuable for a writer to write in groups. It is good to do this at regular but long intervals.

Once a month or so, but it will depend on the group that you join. Joining a group means that you know that there is a certain time that you will definitely be writing, and it is also a chance to explore new creative ideas in a safe and engaging environment.

Random Stimulation

Into the solo and group writing practices you can use a number of practical exercises. One is called random stimulation – your brain is capable of making interesting and unusual connections between words and ideas, so you want to be as free as possible. Choose two or three random words, like ‘windsock’, ‘grass cuttings’ and ‘thunder’. You have to include these words somewhere in the piece you are writing.

It doesn’t have to be long; you can do this a couple of times as a group exercise or once or twice on your own. The trick can be coming up with the words, so keep a jar and every time you think of a random word add it to the jar.

When you want to start writing just pick two or three words from the jar. This immediately takes some of the pressure off a writing session. The enemy of creativity is pressure, so exercises like this which take the pressure off, are a great place to start.

About the Author

Richard McMunn is the founder of How2become.com and the author of this post. Richard spent 17 years in the Fire Service and now provides specialist recruitment training for those looking embark on a public sector career. You can also connect with How2become on Twitter.