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Communication

14 Hard-Hitting Reasons Why You Must Start A Blog In College

If you’re not currently hooked up to an iron lung, you’ve probably heard and followed these two classic pieces of advice:

Never get involved in a land war in Asia
Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line

These are fantastic pieces of wisdom to keep in mind if you’re currently interested in not dying. I would also add to the list, “Press X to not die.”

If you’ve already got the whole not dying thing down, and are now looking to do things like impress recruiters, build your resume, and learn new skills, then I have another piece of advice:

You need to start a blog.

Almost six years ago, Kelly Sutton (the guy who started HackCollege), posted an article about his own college blogging experience. The title should be a clear message – Want a Job? Start a Blog. Here’s the main takeaway…

“A well-formed blog is like a resume that’s constantly updating itself” Tweet This

My experience reflects this quote perfectly.

Here are my top 14 reasons why you should start a blog while you’re still in college. Read More →

Why Nobody Wants Your Help (And What To Do About It)

Thomas Frank Communication

Note: I’ve written this article with a college focus, but it’s relevant to anyone who wants to help people but isn’t quite getting the attention of the people they want to help. Read on, do-gooders!

It’s sad, really.

I mean, if I wasn’t the kind of guy that crushes man’s head between thighs like sparrow’s egg, I might even cry a bit.

All throughout the school year, all over campus, I see tables set up. Tables manned by well-meaning, yet bored-looking students representing groups and clubs of all different kinds.

What do these people want? That’s easy. They want to help.

“I just want to help people.”

The first thing I always notice about a student manning a booth in a hallway or sidewalk isn’t the sign. It isn’t the free swag they’re giving away. It isn’t the cheeto stains on their shirt.

It’s the fact that, most of the time, they’re sitting there alone, not helping anyone.

Why Nobody Wants Your Help

So say you’re part of a club. You’re a passionate member, and you just know your club could make the lives of students easier and better. Maybe it’s even the student government, in which case you feel like your niche is every student.

You’ve got a big sign up saying, “Ask me anything.”

Or, “Give us your ideas to improve the school.”

Why are you sitting there alone? Why isn’t anyone coming up to ask a question?

I’m going to get to the answer in just a second. Read More →

Build A Personal Brand You Can Be Proud Of

Thomas Frank Communication

I want to become violently ill every time I hear a student talk about their goals like this:

“Uh, I just want to graduate and get job somewhere.”

That’s the most lazy, thoughtless career goal a student can have. It reeks of carelessness, a lack of ambition, and low self-confidence. It’s the kind of goal that lands people in thankless jobs where they rot for 30 years and end up wondering where their lives went.

Yet, I hear students say it all the time. Just last week, my management professor asked a student in our class what his post-college goals were, and he spouted it verbatim. However… Read More →

Guest Post: How To Speak In Public Without Peeing Your Pants

Barbara Jolie Communication, Guest Post

This guest post is contributed by Barbara Jolie. You can read more about her in the author bio below the post.

It’s been said that as fears go, fear of public speaking is right up there with fear of death and spiders. As a result, many college students find giving speeches in class moderately uncomfortable to downright terrifying. Read More →

Solve Roommate Debt Drama With Google Docs

Ryan Nguyen Communication, Money

After three years of living with a variety of different roommates, I understand how hectic it can get trying to make sure everyone is sharing an equal burden. Over a given school-year, cleaning the kitchen, doing dishes, and other house responsibilities fall by the way side, resulting in an apartment that resembles more of a disaster zone than a living space. What’s even more, with houses that have a different person handling each utility and house supplies, debts can be lost in the shuffle as well. Read More →

Guest Post: 6 Steps To Better Language Learning

Martin Boehme Communication, Guest Post

Foreign language: one of the many potential requirements waiting for you in college. What you may not realize, though, is the amazing potential that learning another language can give you. Learning another language can:

Improve your hireability (making you better able to rock interviews)
Change how you view the world
Strengthen your mind

But learning a language can prove to be difficult, as many of us know from our high school language classes. Read More →

Watching What You Say

Hema Karunakaram Communication

This is the first post from one of our newest writers, Hema Karunakaram. Let her know what you think in the comments!

As much as college may be about learning and discovering new things and finding yourself, it’s just as much about meeting new people, building relationships, and networking. College has the potential to totally alter your life—and not just because of what you learn. Suddenly, you’re meeting tons of new people every day, and you’re in such close proximity to so many of your peers all the time. Now, more than ever before, the words that come out of your mouth could have enormous effects on you and those around you. Read More →