A lot of these are also great for college students. PS- I love her hair!
Social Habits For Young Adults
If you’ve just graduate high school and are moving on to college or the working world, you have to learn how to grow up pretty quickly. You’ll have to learn how to keep a job, pay your bills, balance your checkbook, apply for a lease, cook for yourself, do your taxes, keep your place clean– it can seem like a lot. However, there is also a lot of personal growth that happens during this time. You mature into a real adult, and learn how to handle adult situations and keep moving forward.
While basic life skills are essential, learning how to interact with other adults (like your bosses or professors) is just as crucial. In order to be taken seriously and be respected, there is a set of social skills that you need to master. Some may seem like common sense, but each of these is something I’ve had to make myself work on over the years. By adopting these habits, you will project the confidence, etiquette, and respect that you need to succeed in life:
-Say “you’re welcome,” instead of “uh huh” or “no problem”.
-Send out thank-you notes (or emails) when someone does something nice for you. This includes interviewing you for a job.
-Call elders and superiors “ma’am” and “sir”.
-Say “yes,” and “no,” instead of “yeah/yep/uh-huh/nope/uh-uh”.
-Do not say “I’m sorry,” unless you have truly made a mistake. Don’t apologize for simply existing, taking up space, or needing help. If you need to get around someone in a crowded area, say “excuse me.” If you need help with something, don’t apologize for not understanding. However, DO thank the person that helped you! Saying “I’m sorry” when you are not at fault makes you look weak.
-Cut down on using slang words like, “totally, basically, imma, gonna, kinda, like,” etc. in your speech. Absolutely do not use them in your writing- whether it’s a college paper or an email to your boss.
-Make eye contact with people you are speaking to, greet everyone with a warm smile.
Photo Credit: Reynermedia
Skills Every Teen Should Have Before Moving Out
I am a strong believer in the value of education, and I think it’s extremely important to making you a well rounded person. I want my kids to learn everything they possibly can: how to read classic literature, how to logically work through a complicated math problem, how to come up with a scientific experiment to test an idea- I love everything that schools do for kids. However, there are some things that schools simply don’t teach: life skills like cooking, car and home maintenance, child care, budgeting, cleaning, and job skills that most people do on a daily basis. It’s not a school’s responsibility to teach kids how to survive as adults- it’s ours. So, if you have a teenager who is almost done with school and ready to move out on their own, make sure they know how to do all the things on this list by Susan Merill at Imom:
-Basic cooking skills
-Budgeting and money management skills
-Personal healthcare knowledge
-Auto and domestic maintenance skills
-Work skills, basic responsibility, and manners
How Not To Study
It’s November, which means that college finals are just around the corner. If you have kids in school, or are going to college yourself, now is the time to be getting into some great study habits if you haven’t already. It’s extremely easy to fall into a studying rut, or even to develop some bad routines if you’re not careful- like pulling all nighters. For things to avoid when studying, check out this article by Rachel Cerbone at SR Strends:
-Don’t save it til the last minute- start at LEAST a week before the test, and study every night.
-Don’t surround yourself with distractions. Put away the phone, and the laptop if you don’t need it.
-Don’t pull an all nighter, sleep deprivation fries your brain.
-Don’t be scared to go to a professor’s office hours- they’re there for a reason.
How NOT To Study For Finals
Two weeks ago, I wrote a post on helpful study tips for students. You can read it here. While there are plenty of tips for how to study correctly for exams, there are also tons of things that you SHOULDN’T do. The best thing is, you don’t have to be in college to take advantage of these tips- anyone at any schooling level can benefit from them. When studying, here’s what NOT to do, by Rachelcerbone at SRTrends:
-Do not save it for the last minute.
-Do NOT get distracted- put your phone in another room, disable Facebook on your computer.
-Don’t underestimate how much time you need to study
-Don’t move on from a topic if you don’t understand it. Contact your professor and ask questions
-Don’t be afraid to use your professor’s office hours! That’s what they’re there for.
Final Exam Study Tips
I know that the Fall semester has only just started for college students, but before you know it, it’ll be December and time for finals. Now, finals can either be relatively stress-free, or the hardest, most stressful tests you’ve ever taken. It depends on three things: 1. How well you’ve paid attention in class, (taken good notes, done all assignments, and gone to every lecture.) 2. How you prep for the exam and 3. How hard the class is. Now, I can’t help you with #3- it solely depends on the professor and the subject, and #1 completely depends on your commitment level. However, when it comes to prepping for exams, there are plenty of tricks you can use. Check out this post by Barbara Nixon at Public Relations Matter for the ultimate list of exam study tips that you can use year round:
-Take advantage of all the help the professor gives: go to all exam study sessions, make good use of the study guide if there is one.
-Look through previous exams for questions that may be on the final- pay special attention to the ones you got wrong. Highlight, use post-its- whatever works for you.
-DON’T pull an all nighter. Begin studying at LEAST a week in advance, then get plenty of sleep and eat a healthy breakfast.
-Calculate your grade for the class, figure out what score you need on the final to get an A.
-Come prepared! Bring extra pencils/ pens, a scantron- don’t be that guy.
Wordless Wednesday: Cute College Dorm Idea
College ID Discounts
College costs an arm and a leg. Between tuition, fees, rent, meal plans, and student loans- the amount of money is staggering. However, there is one financial benefit that comes with college (besides having access to future careers): your student ID. It’s a complete goldmine! I know I’ve saved hundreds over the years with it. If you live in a college town, many local businesses offer discounts, as well as national retailers. Read this post by Alanna Okun at Buzzfeed for deals you can get from that little piece of plastic:
-10% off at Goodwill (I have personally used this every time I go!)
– Get six free months of two-day shipping (on eligible items) from Amazon.
-You can get a discounted membership and $15 gift card at Sam’s Club.
My policy: wherever you go, always ask politely if they have a college discount (just don’t act like an entitled brat). And be sure to look at attractions in your city! My local museum lets college students in for free on Thursdays- that’s the kind of thing that you can find out if you do some digging!
Dorm Room Must Haves
Lots of high school gads are probably prepping to move out now: buying furniture for apartments and accessories for dorm rooms. There is a basic list of classic staples that everyone knows about: the mini fridge, a desk lamp, lots of storage space, laundry bag/basket, etc. Maybe even a lava lamp and bean bag chair if you’re going old school. But, there are plenty of fresh, new ideas out there: both for storage and décor. Check out Pinterest for some inspiring ideas! Plus, there are essentials that people tend not to think about until it’s too late. Check out this post at A Mitten Full of Savings for ideas:
-Bedding: Get twin sized bed sheets, comforter, and pillow
-Shower Caddy and flip flops, towels.
-Dry erase boards to keep track of schedules and assignments
-Coffee maker if that’s your thing
-Printer! It makes life so much easier
-Basic first aid kit
Graduation Present Ideas
It’s that time of year again! After years and years of hard work, kids all over the country are graduating high school (or maybe even college). They’re leaving the nest and starting their new lives as college students, or joining the full-time working world. Either way, they deserve a reward for completing something that took them almost their entire life so far to accomplish. Also, the grown up world is hard, and grad gifts give them a little boost while they’re still learning to fend for themselves: usually, money is given. But, if you’re a little hard up for cash at the moment, or want to do something a little outside the box, check out this post by Michonda at the Dollar Stretcher blog for creative grad gifts:
-Laundry gift basket: with bag, instructions, soap, dryer sheets, and a roll of quarters
-A rose made out of dollars (5s, 10s, 20s, etc) keeping up the tradition with a creative twist
-School supply gift basket- for college or grad school bound graduates
-A flowering plant- with a note that says “may all your hopes and dreams grow, blossom, and bloom.”