Where were you on April First?

Where were you on April First? Back on Planet Earth, USA the US Census is in full operation.
In order for states and any number of federal programs to receive their fair share of funds every one needs to be counted. Especially students. You may be living in the residence halls, staying at a friends, sleeping in your car or still at home. No matter. You need to be counted because you count. April first was the official Census Day for USA Census 2010. Were you counted? It is still not too late. The US Department of Commerce through the Office of the Census will be continuing their operation through the end of May. If you believe you were overlooked contact your local census office. You matter and you count. Just you alone are worth about $3000.00 to your state of residence and at this point they really need it.

You're Not Going Out Looking Like That or .....

. from Dressy Messy Slobdom to Business Casual.

It is now time to think carefully about your appearance. The term is ending and if your career on Planet College is winding down then it is time to get a real job. Covered elsewhere is the fact that graduation announcements make useful self-promotional mailers for your real job back on Planet Earth.

Well. You send them out and what happens. You may get called for an interview. The do's and don'ts, ins and outs, ups and downs and whys and wherefores of The Real Full Time Job Interview are covered in many other elsewheres. If you need some further pointers your schools career center may have counselors who can bring you up to date.

This post is dedicated to what may be called Mom 101, remember? You were going somewhere. Somewhere a little more important than the mall or soccer practice. As you hit it to the front door that all too familiar and irritating voice split the air,"You're not going out looking like that are you?" Mom, of course, and, of course, you weren't. (Going out looking like that.)

Now the demand for air guitarists and frisebee coaches is diminishing and the job hunt is getting serious.

So. When you prepare for that first interview or that next interview or any interview. Stop. Take a look in the mirror. Seriously. Are you going to the interview looking like that? Would you hire you? Think about it. Then do something. Upgrade your look to look like someone you wouldn't mind working with. It could definitely help your chances.

Dude, you suck.

Worse than when you don't rock ( see earlier post, Dude You Don't Rock) is when you suck. And, more hardcore reality again, there are times when you basically suck and things at which you really suck. Like spelling for example. If paper after paper has shown that at spelling you suck. Well, then dude, you suck. At spelling.

There may be things at which you don't suck. Maybe nine-ball or rock gym or waiting tables or calculus. Fine. Then there that is.

And, as repeated endlessly here on Planet College, becoming aware of when you rock and when you suck and what you care about and what you don't care about is, in fact, progress. All this stuff about which you are becoming aware is you. Whether you rock or suck or neither the more you learn about you the better equipped you are to negotiate Planet College and return to Earth with something even more useful than your degree. Return to Earth with a useful measure of self-awareness.

Spring Broke

If your entire building went skiing on Party Mountain and you stayed back because you said you had to study you are to be commended. If you studied. If, what is more likely, it costs a dime to go around the world you still couldn't go around the block then you are spring broke. Penniless. Flat don't have it, financially speaking.

This condition is serious but not fatal. In fact if you actually resisted something as tempting as round the clock partying because you just couldn't afford it you may be growing up. If partying at all costs is becoming a part of your past you may be subtly subjecting your self to emerging maturity. Eventually it catches up with almost everybody on Planet College much as many resist it. It isn't exciting, it isn't sexy, it isn't even particularly appealing. But growing up happens and you may now be noticing some signs of it in yourself.

Admitting anything is the first step in incorporating it into your awareness. And an expansion of your awareness, organized and otherwise, has been the overall purpose of your Higher Education.
Becoming aware of your skills, talents, likes, dislikes and even your limitations is the basic necessity of your continuing growth during and after college.

So, if your spring broke and you know it give yourself a quiet hooray. Adulthood happens, happy Spring

Cs Overseas

Studying abroad is not just for superior students. There are a great number of programs for averages students, C students, just like you.

Your campus may have a study abroad office. If not check a campus near you. Often a walk-in, even without an appointment can give you the general parameters of studying in another country. Programs vary from a few weeks to a full year.

Check it out.

Dude, you don't rock.

You hear it a lot on Planet College, Planet Earth and several other places.

"Dude, you rock!" Maybe it may have applied to you. Maybe at that time for a few minutes you did rock. And you may again sometime. Who knows?

But for the most part, day-to-day, in what ever endeavors you are endeavoring in you don't rock.

You simply just get by. Like all of the other desperately average students on Planet College you rarely rock.

And this is the essential situation you find yourself in, getting by, rarely rockin'.

The basic premise of Planet College is it is ok to get by. What ever you have to do as a student to get your degree is ok. If you never rock it is still ok.

The only established, tested, traditional and finally effective way to your degree is to keep steadily plugging along until you graduate.

When you do, and Planet College believes you will, you can buy one of those bricks in the quad that people purchase to commemorate themselves. You've seen them. You probably step on several on a daily basis. They are usually red and have a graduate's name, year and major handsomely etched on them. Some schools allow slogans to be included. After your name yours can say, " He hardly ever rocked but he did graduate."

Try EDFund

Constant anxiety sometimes amounting to dizziness around money is chronic on Planet College. Students have different responses to the stress of finances but ultimately the wisest course is to face your finance situation.

While it often seems true that there is no dilemma on Planet College that more money could not solve or at least reduce, more money is rarely an option.

With no more money on the horizon useful tools relating to finance are a welcome alternative. EdFund has such tools.

EdFund is essentially a student loan management organization. This particular organization through their website offers more than most. EdFund offers comprehensive news and information about student loans and finances. They also offer finance planning tools.

Finance, your own personal finance, is something you will be dealing with for the rest of your life. A good time to start is now. EdFund has useful tools, go there and check it out.