Students blog

College brings a plethora of emotions and foreign experiences. For many people, it is the first time they are away from home, responsible for their own schedule, and even, in some cases, cooking for themselves. Every college student has their own unique opinions and experiences, but we can all agree on one subject that brings dread to us all—finals.

Despite how much stress and anxiety comes around the week or even two weeks of finals, college students often lose sight of their priorities and focus on their studying, final projects, and papers, instead of their health. As their physical, mental, and emotional health rapidly declines, students are bound to experience the “finals flu.”

What is the “finals flu”?

First of all, the “finals flu” isn’t always the actual flu. You will know if you have influenza because its symptoms range from pains and aches to a fever and more. The “finals flu” can just be any number of illnesses that are bound to spread throughout a college campus near the end of the semester. Despite how it can be more prevalent for the incoming class of freshmen and how they underestimate the toll finals week has, every student is susceptible.

Why does it happen?

Just like any other sickness, the flu or a cold can spread around at a faster rate when people live or inhabit an area in close proximity, like a library, classroom, dorm, or dining hall. Even with the current environment of increased hygiene and social distancing requirements, students are open to getting in contact with foreign pathogens that their bodies cannot handle. Students who get sick and don’t take care of themselves well with the proper hygiene and medications can easily spread illnesses to others.

How to avoid it?

Everyone is bound to get in contact with a pathogen at least once in their college career. It would be impossible to avoid them all. However, there are various tips that a student can utilize to decrease their chances. Some of them include getting a flu shot, sleeping the recommended six to eight hours, eating sensibly, exercising regularly, managing stress, and maintaining a practical personal hygiene and social distance from others.

What happens if one gets it?

If you get the “finals flu”, take steps to control its symptoms until it is gone. If you are experiencing COVID-like symptoms it’s important to get tested right away to rule it out. Stay hydrated to avoid dehydration or else your body can’t function properly. Also, use over-the-counter medications with anti-inflammatory properties that will curb the stuffiness, aches, and pains. Lozenges with honey or lemon can soothe your throat and limit the coughing and soreness. Yet, most importantly, sleep and eating plenty of food with some nutritional value will provide the most benefit.

What if the “finals flu” sticks around?

The “finals flu” can be persistent because of the circumstance and timing of it. However, if you find that your illness has not changed drastically or is still tenacious after about a week to ten days, then it is advised that students should check back with their student health services or a local doctor. This simply could be a different strain of illness and needs medical attention.

Students who let themselves get run down as the end of the semester draws near can be more susceptible to illness. Take care of yourselves properly on a day-to-day basis by getting enough sleep, managing stress, and eating a balanced diet. Practice good hand-washing habits, wear a mask when out and about, and maintain social distancing. If you do get sick, take the right measures to recuperate quickly and avoid infecting others. You will know what to do or not do when the next semester finals start rolling around!

I am a junior at the University of Iowa currently majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a focus in Autonomous Systems and Robotics as well as minoring in Mathematics. Click the link below to watch my vlog about why I chose STEM, what I am passionate about, and things I do and am involved with as a STEM major in college!

Expressing feelings of gratitude everyday can transform your life by improving your mental health, physical health, and emotional well-being. Click the link below to watch my vlog where I talk about three things I do everyday to cultivate an attitude of gratitude in my life!

When you Google your name, what comes up? If the answer is 'nothing' you probably haven’t spent much time developing your personal brand. Everyone today is marketing something. It could be a product, a service, an idea, or even a person. In today’s increasingly virtual world, it's important for college students to take the time to establish and pay attention to their online personal brand.

Here are 5 tips for you to keep in mind when creating an online personal brand to promote or market yourself as you embark on your career.

Be genuine and authentic

The easiest way to have an original and unique personal brand is to be genuine and authentic. Not only will this make it much easier to manage your personal brand on a daily basis, but also differentiate you from others in the long run. Millennial influencer and head of marketing at Popular Demand, Monica Lin, says “People can see right through a disingenuous act.”

Tell a story

People are more likely to remember a story than just stating facts. Create a story around your personal brand that the audience can engage with. Your story should show a clear understanding of who you are, what you’re passionate about, and your strengths. This will help you make you more human and authentic which will enhance your chances of establishing an emotional connection with the audience. There is no better spokesperson for your journey and mission than you!

Review and clean up your social media accounts

Your online past can come back to bite you. Take the time to review all of your social media accounts. This will allow you to find things you posted that “seemed like a good idea” and make you say, “I posted/said that?!” now. You can control what your reputation is online, so make changes to ensure all of your visible content is in line with the brand and persona that you want to present. You wouldn’t want anything you posted or said on social media to negatively impact your presence.

Be consistent

It will be easier for you to get recognized if you consistently create content and brand voice around that content. Something consistent visually or personality wise helps people associate with your brand and know it’s you. Secure your name, social media handles, emails, and website addresses. Having a consistent name/brand across all media can help the audience find you.

Write your bio & take a professional headshot

Your bio should answer the question “Who am I?”. It tells your audience who you are and will help them to get to know you, what you stand for, and why they should contact you. Your bio should tell your story quickly. Think of it as a 15-second commercial.

Having a professional headshot shows you at your best, conveys your professionalism, gives people an idea of your personality, and the way you want your audience to see you.

I hope these tips help you to create a personal brand. Creating a personal brand has a ton of benefits, both personally and professionally, and it can help open many doors for you in the future.

Check out my vlog for a quick and easy recipe for banana bread. It’s perfect for fall weather and a great treat to bring to Friendsgiving or to enjoy all by yourself! Happy Thanksgiving!

For the first two years of high school, I was homeschooled. However, I quickly learned that was not the right choice for me. So, in October 2018, I enrolled in public high school as a junior determined to still graduate on time. The staff was skeptical. They wanted me to understand that it would most likely take me at least three years to complete the curriculum. I did not let that deter me. By the end of my second year, I had all of my credits and I graduated with the class of 2020. Through this untraditional schooling, I learned useful lessons that I plan to carry into both college and life itself.

Forging Relationships

When working to achieving your goals, it’s very helpful to forge meaningful relationships along the way. Effective communication is the key to maintaining strong relationships. In order to meet my goal, I had to effectively communicate with school staff. I created a relationship with my teachers. I couldn’t just ask them simple questions, wait for an answer, and leave. I conveyed my needs and thoughts in detail, and at the same time, I listened for theirs.

For the more socially awkward, this may sound difficult. I understand. It is important to acknowledge, though, that your mentors in your life are there to help you. They are a resource and they will gladly listen when you open up.

Productivity Methods

During this time, I had to be incredibly productive. In order to finish everything in time, I had to develop the best ways to stay on task.

If you happen to be a procrastinator, I’ve learned that the common advice of “spreading out” your work is not always the best idea. I was more efficient when I got a large portion of my work done in one sitting. If you don’t stay on task well, long breaks can invite distractions. “I’ll do the rest tonight” can easily become “I’ll do the rest tomorrow.” It was better for me to do all of my daily work in one sitting. After that, I had hours to do whatever I pleased.

When overwhelmed, it’s also important to plan with foresight. You can’t outrun future responsibilities, so be prepared instead. If you’re dreading a project, save the date and plan in advance. Make sure that all other big projects are done by then. Keep a planner. Remove the element of surprise by becoming a master of the near future.

Perfectionism and Effort

When tackling a massive challenge, it’s important to accept your hard limits. Despite my already difficult task, I was a perfectionist. I pushed further. I wanted to be the best at all of my classes and extracurricular activities.

It’s not bad to have a wide variety of goals. However, it’s important to have reasonable expectations when you spread yourself thin. You will be making hard choices. You won’t always succeed. Not every goal I made for myself received equal attention, and there were some that I had to let go of. At first, I worried that these compromises made me less successful. The truth of that matter, though, is that I graduated in two years. That’s an achievement regardless of anything else. When I received my final report card, I also learned that I finished eighth in my class. I was so scared of being unsuccessful that I wasn’t in touch with the reality of my effort. I didn’t have to do every little thing to be successful. I was already doing the impossible.

Distance Learning Week is an annual week set aside to focus on online learning. This year, more students than ever before are learning virtually. As this year’s Distance Learning Week wraps up, click the link below to watch my vlog with tips and advice to help college students across the country excel in online classes!

We all know how difficult it is to get an internship. Most times, you need job experience before even getting your first job and this standard has only increased. To add on, COVID-19 has made internship hunting harder: no coffee chats, in-person recruiting events, and many companies can’t even afford to hire. However, COVID has also allowed us to work from anywhere. After going through the recruiting process myself, I’ve gained some experience that I feel can help you maximize your time and get an internship when you feel like it’s impossible. Keep reading to find out!

My Background

For reference (and ethos), I had a consulting and small banking internship two years ago and had the opportunity to attend some small conferences. Currently, I’m interning at an investment banking firm. I received neither of these opportunities through traditional resume dropping or online applications. With all this being said, I hope the advice I give in the rest of this blog holds some merit.

Build a Network

The single most important thing you can do to help you stand out from other candidates in lieu of in-person career fairs is building your network. Since you won’t be able to talk to recruiters in person and Zoom fatigue gets even the best of us, you have to take things into your own hands to, basically, create a career fair of your own.

Firstly, NETWORK. NETWORK. NETWORK. And did I mention network? Utilize your connections and if you don’t have connections… find some! Simply searching “[school name] [company] LinkedIn” into google will give you at least 10 connections to reach out to. However, don’t just rely on LinkedIn (most professionals won’t check it often). Instead, try to find the email format of companies. The most common ones are firstname.lastname@company.com and firstinitiallastname@company.com which can usually be found in SEC filings. Next, draft up an interesting, but short, introduction email asking for a short phone or Zoom call. This builds a more personal connection and they now know what you sound like!

Make an Impression

Now, what do you say on the actual phone call? After briefly introducing yourself, give a quick elevator pitch (no more than 1-2 mins) as to why you’re interested in the field and why you want to talk to this person specifically. After that, try to let the conversation flow naturally and ask good questions. Besides the obvious, sometimes even “what’s your day-to-day like” or “why do you want to work at [company]” are a little generic. Instead, ask about specific projects that are happening within the company. Did your contact just publish something? Ask questions that prove you’re genuinely interested.

Ask for Referrals

Lastly (and this is the most important part), ask “is there anyone else at your company that you think I could benefit from talking to?” This way, your network doesn’t stop here, and you can use this person as a referral for the next. It’s like making your way up to the boss level in a video game. If they say yes, great, reach out to the person they recommend or wait to be referred. If they say no, then no worries, on to the next; there are 10,001 more people to reach out to.

Now, you have a whole long list of people to refer to in your interview; people to vouch for you and flag your resume for interviews and mentors to help guide you through the rest of the recruiting process. COVID-19 era job hunting is going to be difficult but keep pushing and something will come from your efforts!

Pearson Students: How did you land your first internship? Share in the comments below!

I always thought meal prepping was strange. The thought of eating the same things every day for a week was somehow daunting. But after living in an apartment with my own kitchen, I quickly realized how convenient, easy, and simple meal prepping is! I love going grocery shopping now, scrolling through Pinterest to find new recipes, and cooking my own meals. It definitely saves me a lot of money. Before I was eating at Qdoba and Chick-fil-a every day. Now, I am able to eat healthier and cheaper. Here are some quick and simple recipes you can mimic (and adjust to your preferences) to start meal prepping. Maybe you will find a new love for meal prepping like I did!

Breakfast

Egg Cups

These are so yummy and easy to make! I make a ton of them at the beginning of the week so I can just grab a few and go on my way out in the morning.

Ingredients:

• 12 eggs
• Mushrooms
• Tomatoes
• Ham
• Spinach
• Salt/Pepper

Wisk up your eggs and pour them into a muffin tin. Chop up all your veggies and add your desired amount in each muffin cup. Add salt and pepper to taste and bake for about 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. They should be firm to the touch. Enjoy!

Lunch/Dinner:

I make a 2-3 different recipes at the beginning of the week so I can switch up what I eat. Here are some of my favorite recipes to make!

Healthy Turkey Chili

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pound extra lean ground turkey
• 4 tablespoons chili powder* (I used McCormick chili powder)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 2 (15 oz) cans dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 oz) can sweet corn, rinsed and drained

Sauté your onions on medium-high heat in some olive oil in a large pot of about 5 minutes. Add your ground turkey and cook until no longer pink. Then add all the spices and cook for about 30 sec. Add your beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, and corn then simmer at a medium-low heat for about 45 minutes. Serve with chips, avocado and sour cream and enjoy!

Teriyaki Chicken

• 2 T. olive oil
• 1.5lb boneless skinless chicken breast
• ½ c. teriyaki sauce
• steamed broccoli
• cooked brown rice
• salt/pepper

Cut chicken breast into small chunks. (Make sure to clean everything the chicken touches really well afterwards!) Season your chicken with salt and pepper. On medium-high heat, cook your chicken in olive oil for about 5-7 minutes until it is white all the way through. You can cut open the biggest piece and if it is not clear or pink anymore, its done! Add your teriyaki sauce, salt/pepper, and simmer on low heat for about 2-5 minutes. Serve with rice and steamed broccoli!

Vegetarian Fried Rice

• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 pkg. frozen peas and carrots
• ½ diced onion
• 2-3 eggs
• 4 cups of cooked brown/white rice
• 3-4 T. soy sauce
• Salt/pepper/sugar

Sauté diced onions with olive oil on medium-high heat for about 5-7 minutes until soft brown. Add frozen peas and carrots for 2-4 minutes until soft. Push everything to the side of your pan, and crack 2-3 eggs on the clean side and scramble until cooked. After the eggs are cooked, mix everything in the pan together. Add cooked rice and mix well. Season with soy sauce, salt, pepper and sugar to your desired taste and enjoy!

These are some of my favorite recipes to make at home. If meal-prepping still seems daunting, have a friend come and do it with you! I hope you try these recipes, and hopefully start meal prepping at home too. Happy Cooking!