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It may be known by different names – handheld organizer, Palm Pilot, iPac, PDA, and handheld, to name but a few – but no matter what you call it, a personal digital assistant (PDA) is an invaluable tool to help manage student life.

PDA’s can help you with everything from writing a novel to storing a client database, capturing and showing photos or video, performing extremely complex calculations, maintaining an address book, storing recipes, prioritizing daily tasks, sending and receiving emails, surfing the Internet, playing games, reading a book, relaxing to some music, or tracking your extremely busy schedule, and so much more.

These super-powerful mini-computers that fit into a purse or a shirt pocket, and that transfer all their files to a home computer and vice-versa, are becoming more and more popular as people become more computer-connected and mobile.

Even cellular phones are being manufactured with PDA’s built right into them.

Once you’ve decided that you’ve just got to have a PDA, answering the following questions will help you purchase the model that’s just right for you.

What will be the PDA’s primary function? Do you need to keep track of your schedule better, or be able to categorize and prioritize your daily tasks? Do you need to show clients some photographs or video? Do you listen to downloadable audio books or mp3 music, or do a lot of self-development reading?

What will be the secondary use for the PDA? Re-answering some of the above questions, and some of your own, will help you decide where else your interests are.

Does it need to have a built-in microphone and sound?

What physical size should it be? Does it need to be small enough to fit into a shirt pocket or small purse, or do you plan to use a book-style cover that can also hold other items?

What kind of specialized software do you plan to run on it? This will determine a number of factors, including the processing power and memory you will need, and the type of operating system – Windows CE, Palm OS etc.

What kind of expansion card do you like to use or maybe already have in your digital camera etc.? If you have a digital camera that uses a certain type of memory card, you may consider buying a PDA with a similar expansion card. This way, you can take pictures with your camera, then plug the camera’s card into your PDA and download the photos directly onto the unit. Some PDA’s, however, come with a built-in camera.

Does the PDA need a wireless connection to the Internet or to other equipment, even your computer?

Let’s face it, if we all had terrific memories we wouldn’t need day planners, notepads, to-do lists, and daily reminder alarms. But since we don’t and the technology is there, let’s use it to full advantage.

Happy PDA purchasing!

College students are notorious for living outside of their means. I know you are broke, but go cry to that shiny new Nintendo instead of me. If you want to quit kicking your wallet’s ass, read on.

1. You already have debt from loans.
2. You have little to no income.
3. Mommy and Daddy aren’t going to bail you out anymore.

It’s time to get this under control. Load up any kind of program that lets you keep track of money. Even if it is a simple spreadsheet, it’ll work. If you don’t want to use the computer, use a spiral notebook.

For the rest of this month, keep track of all of your purchases as well as income. Save receipts, bank statements, and anything else that has something to do with your finances. Try to keep things in categories such as food, entertainment, or alcohol. Hell, I’m even going to make it easy for you to start. Don’t worry about changing any habits whatsoever. Spend as you normally would for the rest of the month. Eat, drink, and drink some more.

By the end of this month you should have a list filled with some nice big red numbers. There are three categories of expenses: Absolute expenses, Nearly-Absolute expenses, and NON-absolute expenses.

Absolute Expenses

Absolute expenses include things like tuition and rent. These are bills that cannot be changed no matter how much more careful or frugal you are without making major changes such as a new lease or a new college.

Nearly-Absolute Expenses

Nearly-absolute expenses are books, electricity bills, water bills, internet bills, food, and gasoline. This stuff is required, but the amount spent or the amount consumed can be limited to maximize your budget’s breathing room.

NON-ABSOLUTE Expenses

Non-Absolute expenses are everything else. This is your tobacco, alcohol, eating-out, movie fund. None of this is required.

This is a detailed example for my stick-man college student, Bill Box. I’ll be writing down all of his income and expenses for him.

Bill Box is a 20 year old accounting major. He makes about 200 Dollars a month, assuming he gets good tips, delivering pizzas part-time. His Grandma puts 100 Dollars in his bank account if he has a 2.0 grade point average at the end of each semester. He currently has 300 dollars in the bank with his pizza check going in tomorrow. This puts Bill at a healthy 500 dollars for the coming month.

That’s 125 dollars a week to blow! AWESOME…Not exactly.

Let’s look at Bill’s debt:

Bill signed up for two credit cards his first week of college. He makes minimum payments on both of them which adds up to about 80 dollars a month altogether; not too bad, Bill! Unfortunately, the combined balance of the two is 1200 dollars. The cards currently have 0% interest, but the 18.9% student interest rate will be activated in two months.

Bill is a sophomore. Combined with his freshman year, Bill now owes 12,000 dollars. He doesn’t have to pay it off until he graduates, though, so it’s no big deal, right? His student loans cover his dorm room and his meal plan, so he thinks he saves a ton of money by not having to pay rent, bills, or buy groceries. He also proudly bought all of his books at the campus bookstore.

The majority of his credit card debt comes from buying smokes and alcohol. Bill loves cigarettes – he smokes about a carton a week. He also likes 2 or 3 beers with his dinner. He refuses to smoke anything other than Camels and only Heineken will do. These two habits combined cost Bill about an extra 160 dollars a month.

Right off the bat, Bill’s net worth is an abysmal negative 12,700 dollars. Student loans aside, he is still looking at 700 in the red.

Bill still has these other bills to worry about, too:

• Cell Phone – 50 Dollars a Month
• Fast Food for lunch every single day – 150 dollars
• Gas – He gets reimbursed for each pizza delivered, but he still plunks down about 50 dollars a month on gas.

The sad thing is that Bill will continue paying for all of this without even realizing that he is doing anything wrong. He’ll take his 1000 dollars of income per semester and barely stay afloat.

Bill needs to do the following:

Moderate his non-absolute expenses

By cutting his smoking and drinking habit in half, he can begin paying double on his credit cards. This is important because if he does not get them paid off soon, the interest will start canceling out every minimum payment he makes. This could continue in a vicious cycle for years.

He can eliminate his fast food lunches entirely. A couple sandwiches made in the dorm cost about 90% less than eating fast food.

He needs to quit buying his books from the University bookstore. It is a complete ripoff.

Though he may incur a cancellation fee, it may be in his best interest to cancel his cell phone. A 150 dollar cancellation fee is cheaper than paying 600 dollars a year. It would be even more intelligent if he used a service such as CellTradeUSA to give somebody else the chance to take over his contract.

By doing these things, Bill will have no credit card debt in 6 months. (Assuming he passes this semester and Granny coughs up the cash.)

Reconsider “absolute expenses”

It turns out that some absolute expenses aren’t quite so absolute after all. Once Bill has paid off his credit cards, he can begin saving for an apartment. This will enable him to nix the meal plan, get out of the prison cells, and save a ton of cash. In smart ways to save money in college I have already explained how moving out of the dorms and dropping the meal plan will save you money. Open it in a new tab/window and read it when you finish this article.

In this example I didn’t factor in movies, dates, etc. because quite frankly there just wasn’t room in Bill’s budget for much of this. What I hope to teach you is that, for the most part, there isn’t room in your budget for everything you would like to do, either, until you have clawed your way out of debt.

Ask yourself these questions:

How much debt do I have? Before you begin saving money you need to be out of debt. Add up all of your loans, credit cards, etc. so you have a nice juicy miserable value and make it really visible and really red. All of your other decisions will revolve around wiping this out completely.

Do I have any large absolute expenses that I can change? If it is possible, and nothing is impossible, get out of your dorm and don’t buy the meal plan. Find a way out of your car’s lease. Do whatever you can to get rid of as many big expenses before worrying about the little things.

What is my smokes and beer habit? You may not smoke and drink, but consider your expensive vice(s) as such. A former roommate of mine couldn’t stop himself from buying new books all of the time. He would spend around 30 or 40 dollars a week at Books-A-Million. Try to be honest with yourself. We all have something like this. (Mine is Ebay.)

To create your budget, think about how your life relates to the example.

List your current savings and the previous month’s income. Then, using the three categories, list every expense. Does anything surprise you? I understand that you may be shocked how quickly certain things added up just over the course of one month. In any case, try to feel good because you are on the road to recovery. You should already have in mind which absolute expenses you can eliminate. For anything that you are removing completely, put a line through it. For those which you cannot or do not wish to eliminate, lower the dollar amount appropriately.

Though most budgets promote depriving yourself, I lean more toward rewarding yourself when it comes to non-absolute expenses. Instead of saying ‘I will spend no more than 40 dollars’, adopt the mindset of ‘I refuse to spend any less than 15 dollars’. By constantly reinforcing positive thoughts, you will eventually feel like you are not missing out on anything. TIP: If you have so little self-control that you cant do this, go ahead and be deprived…just keep in mind that this article isn’t targeted toward weak-minded individuals.

All bills aside, how much money do you have left? If the number seems small, don’t panic. This number will be much larger once you get rid of some of your larger expenses I mentioned earlier. Regardless of the amount, any money you have left over each month needs to go toward paying off your debt until you have none.

Once you become debt free, you can slowly begin integrating more non-absolute expenses into your life, no matter how much you make. Your income doesn’t equal your outcome. Get out of debt, spend sparingly, and save and invest frequently. Your future-self will thank you.

As students, it is a guarantee that you have heard – or will hear – the word internship floating around. While they are talked about widely, many students don’t fully understand what they are and their importance to their college career until much too late in their college career. The following is a brief overview of internships: what they are, the different types, why they’re important, and how to get one.

An internship is basically an opportunity for college students to work within their field prior to graduation. Colleges match students with employers with the idea that employers will benefit from the help of a student and that the student will learn what is required to succeed within their field of choice. There are two types of internships, paid and unpaid. Unpaid is by far the most common. This sometimes turns students off to the idea of an internship, as they don’t see the point in working without being paid. This view, however, is incredibly short-sited. Although it is true that you are not receiving monetary compensation, you are receiving priceless experience and a nice line item on your resume for when you graduate. Paid internships generally exist for students that have already graduated or for students in science and technology-related fields.

An internship is important for many reasons. First, it is important for you to work within your field prior to graduation so that you are assured that what you have picked is what you really want to do. Often the practical application of a major is not what was expected while studying, and students are left feeling disillusioned. An internship allows you to go into your field knowing what you are getting into. Second, an internship begins the process of networking that is so important in today’s job market. The people you meet in an internship know other people in your field and can help you make the requisite contacts upon graduation to secure a job. Last, an internship bolsters your resume post-graduation. Potential employers want to see that you took a pro-active role in your education, and an internship shows this in a way many things cannot.

So, you’re ready to find an internship. How do you go about doing this? There are two main ways of securing an internship. The first is through your college. Talk to your academic adviser and explain what field you would like to do your internship in. They will then be able to connect you with the right people or company. As an added bonus, many universities give college credit for internships. The second way to find an internship is on your own. Do this is there is a specific company you would like to work for that is not affiliated with your college. Simply call them up or email the head of human resources and ask. It’s amazing what can happen if you just put yourself out there.

Internships are beneficial to your overall student profile upon graduation, now more than ever before. Don’t cheat yourself out of this valuable experience!

The term ‘stress’ is actually neutral and it denotes a response to any demand. If that response is unhelpful in meeting the demand or challenge then aspects of your life need to be addressed to solve the problem. On the other hand, if you are being chased by a tiger, that extra adrenalin rush that enables you to run faster than ever before is an appropriate stress response.

While the latter response is essential to survival and could save your life, the former is an overreaction that can affect your studies and even lead to illness. To begin tackling the way you cope with stress look first at situations you perceive as stressful.

Stressful events

There is a long list of events that cause stress and that can be ordered into four main categories: loss, major life changes, failure, and additional responsibilities. Moving to your university town and beginning degree studies is a major change. Not achieving as well as you expected, is perceived failure. I say ‘perceived’ because this is how a person may respond to a grade that is lower than their average and yet it may still be an excellent grade for a first essay in a new and challenging learning environment. We each respond differently to stressful situations but there are a few things we can do to cope.

Know yourself

Whether you are a pessimist or an optimist, easily flustered or always cool, being realistic and honest with yourself is the first step to stress management. Know where your weaknesses lie in coping strategies.

Tips for lessening stress

Accept help when it is offered. This could be anything from moving furniture to academic advice. Maintain discipline in your study schedule so you do not fall behind on work. With the pressure of deadlines a pile of back work can be a major source of stress. Money issues on a slim budget are to be avoided. Budget carefully and do not overspend. Of course you also want to enjoy your time at college or university and occasionally you will want to splash out but do not make it a regular occurrence.

Stress has a physical effect on our bodies including shallow breathing, tension in the muscles, possible headaches, and sleeplessness. Always leave time on your schedule for a daily practice of exercise, including breathing techniques, relaxation, and a walk or some sport. Your schedule is important, do not leave it to chance and do not burden yourself with more commitments than you can reasonably meet. Good time management is essential to stress management and the clue here is to remember that you are a whole person with intellect, body, emotions, and soul. Neglecting any of these areas of your life can weaken your reserves for coping with stress. Seek a balanced schedule.

Emotional crisis

There are times in life for which we feel unprepared. The loss of a family member or the end of a relationship are examples. Emotions can be overpowering and all your stress management techniques may be of little use. However, if they have become good practice and habitual then they will serve as a support. If you have taken note of all the above tips then you will not be burdened by avoidable stress should the unavoidable come your way? A few good friends who are willing to listen and help are invaluable and do not be afraid to seek out a sympathetic tutor or, if you are religious, a person of faith for advice.

Friendship and activity

Even if you are not an extrovert cultivate some good friendships and participate in extra-curricular activity. There is nothing like a good chat, or shared fun and laughter to alleviate stress. Take care of yourself and each other, create a pleasant home away from home and stress is less likely to overwhelm you. If it does then do not hesitate to seek help.

You may not often find time to pursue sporting activities or maybe you are not a sporty type but fortunately there are some very simple ways of remaining fit which will keep you in top form providing you make them part of your daily schedule.

The very best of these simple exercises is walking. The benefits are huge and it is better than jogging as there is less strain on the joints. This is not about speed walking as you see in the Olympic Games but walking at a speed that suits you, not a stroll either, at a consistent pace for a stretch of time decided on by you. I would say walk for at least half an hour, longer if you can, but even if you have very little time then a fifteen minute, brisk walk each day will still have some effect. Let’s look more closely at the benefits of walking.

Health benefits

Research has given us hard evidence of the advantages to health that walking brings. It is a great preventative medicine for high blood pressure and diabetes. It reduces your risk of heart attack, stroke, and breast cancer. In addition it is also believed to be helpful for depression, constipation, insomnia, lowering stress levels, and general wellbeing. You may be thinking that you are too young to be worrying about any of these health conditions but the point is that it is better to start early. As a student the benefits of keeping fit, sleeping well, and a general sense of wellbeing are obvious. Apart from the activity of walking you will also be out in the fresh air and hopefully the greener parts of town or campus.

Method

Fairly even terrain is the best for walking. You do not want to be climbing. Set your pace and keep to it for at least fifteen minutes when your body will become accustomed to the demands you are making of it. When you feel comfortable try speeding up a little, or if you feel tired then slow down a little but keep a good, constant rhythm. As soon as you feel more energy then walk faster. Please do not feel you are in a race. This is not about fastest times and you can alternate fast and slow pacing according to how you are feeling. The benefits are the same. If you feel out of breath then slow down. The most important factors to remember are regularity, do this every day; a good walking surface that is not too uneven so that you can maintain your pace without difficulty; an unbroken rhythm, do not stop to look at something. If you are walking for longer than half an hour then you can break your walk into two parts and take a short break halfway before returning. Five to ten minutes is plenty.

Enjoying the walk

Walking together with friends is fun. Your joints will be taking less of a pounding than if you were running. Not only do you increase your metabolic rate but that higher rate is maintained for a while after you have finished walking. You will gradually increase your muscle strength and walking will become easier. Keep it up for good sleep, less stress, and greater alertness.

Do you stick with what you are told to read? If you go about it in the right way then you can read a lot more and relate your knowledge to the required syllabus.

Yesterday in the learning category we spoke about ways of increasing your interest in a class you find dry. By relating your motivational passions to the subject in a creative and supportive manner, and approaching the subject through a perspective that you find inspiring, an otherwise tedious topic can become easier to study. Similar considerations apply also to your required reading list.

You may find the list more than long enough and later this week we will be looking at some good advice on reading skills but here we are considering the advantages of expanding your reading to cover authors and titles not listed as required. On the reading list handed out for any given lecture series you will see two categories. One is obligatory reading that forms the basis of the course the other is additional suggested reading. It is in the area of suggested reading that you may choose to add something that you have discovered and find inspiring. This is not to say that you ignore the literature suggested by your lecturer but as it is not required reading you might read one, familiarize yourself with another and then read something you have chosen yourself.

To give a concrete example: When I was taking a seminar course on Islamic Art and we were looking at Safavid miniatures I quickly noticed how often the theme of love had been used by these excellent artists and discovered that their miniatures were based on many of the traditional folk stories of Muslim lands. In turn some of these stories were used by the great Sufi writers and poets to illustrate points of spiritual learning such as the longing of the mystic for union with God. A love story serves as an appropriate metaphor for this endeavor.

University libraries are full of wonderful treasures waiting to be discovered by students and I discovered several books that told those stories and explored them for perennial themes such as the hero. This was a rich addition to my studies and guided me in my decision of a topic for the art project we were required to complete as part of our assessment.

When creating a reading list a lecturer has to make choices and inevitably some worthwhile reading matter has to be left out. This does not mean that it is not valuable. As noted in the article on using extracurricular interests to support and underline your work in class, the same applies here. This is not about going off on a tangent so that your lecturer cannot recognize the material she taught as being present in your essays. It is about enriching the subject with your own discoveries and developing yourself as an independent scholar.