How to actually be productive in the library. For college students, the library is the hub for printing and copying papers, looking for scholarly sources, and, of course, doing homework. Being productive in the library, however, can be challenging: distraction, procrastination, and exhaustion are usually associated with the library. Even the most dedicated lib-goers (library-goers) sometimes struggle with finishing all of the work that they had set out to do when they arrived at the library in the first place. Being a frequent lib-goer over the course of my undergraduate career, I have compiled a shortlist of what to do -- and what not to do -- in order to make the most of your time in the library. Do... Be organized. Before starting your journey to the library, decide what you want to work on and what you want to accomplish. What homework is due the soonest? When is that test I have to study for or the due date for that paper I have to write? Asking yourself these sort of questions will help you prioritize your work. Prioritizing, along with figuring out how much time you have to spend in the library, will help you determine what to work on as well as what books and notes you’ll need to bring. Take care of yourself. The library is normally associated with stressful cramming and long nights of studying or writing. There are many ways to ease your stress and boost your morale. Listening to music, taking periodic breaks, and eating snacks are quick fixes to stay focused and get as much work done as you can. Utilize the café. If your library has a café, be sure to take advantage of it. The lib-caf at my school is my favorite place on campus because of the social yet productive atmosphere. The café is a great place to work on group projects because, unlike the rest of the library, talking at normal volume is encouraged. If you work best with background noise, no other on-campus space beats the lib-caf! Work with friends. Going to the library with friends is a great way to keep yourself motivated. Your friends make sure you’re staying on task and won’t be afraid to call you out if you keep procrastinating or talking too much. It’s also comforting to have friends with you while you work to remind yourself that you’re not alone. Doing homework is stressful, but knowing that your friends are in the same boat as you may ease your stress and provide an outlet for talking about the workload. Don't... Overwhelm yourself. Thinking about all the homework you have to do is stressful. Instead of thinking big picture, try breaking down your homework by class, time commitment, or due date. Which class do I have the most homework for? How long do I think it will it take? When is it due? These questions are essential for prioritizing your work and avoiding getting overwhelmed. While it is good to try to get as much done in one sitting as possible, you also have to think realistically about how much can actually be done. Over-caffeinate or under-sleep. While it might sound tempting, drinking too much coffee or losing sleep in order to finish all of your work won’t pay off in the long run. Neither practice is healthy for you, and oftentimes, you end up producing poorer quality work when you overdose on coffee or underdose on sleep. Aim for 1-3 cups of coffee and 8 hours of sleep per day in order to maximize productivity. Talk too loud. Despite serving a wide variety of purposes, the library is still a library. Whether you choose to sit in the café or elsewhere, you must respect others around you. Being surrounded by other stressed-out college students makes it difficult at times to remember the library’s rules, but always keep this one in mind to avoid being asked to quiet down by a librarian or fellow student. Get too distracted. Between music, breaks, snacks, and friends, staying on task at the library is difficult. If you find yourself procrastinating too much, try recalling what needs to be done in order to refocus your attention on your homework. Setting specific time limits on your breaks -- as well as how often you get to take them -- can help you focus as well. As for music, jazz and classical are common genres that students listen to when they need to remain motivated in order to meet the homework goals they set for themselves. The library is a popular study area for much of a college’s student body. By staying on task, keeping organized, and using your support system of friends, success at the library is entirely possible! WRITTEN BY Kelly Vena The College of New Jersey Kelly Vena is a senior at The College of New Jersey, where she is finishing up her English major and Communication Studies and French minors. She has worked as a marketing intern at Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers, the high school textbook branch of Macmillan Learning, since the start of the 2018-2019 school year. Kelly has been a writer since her senior year of high school, and her poetry has appeared in two publications as well as multiple editions of TCNJ's literary magazine. ... View more

Foolproof steps to accomplishment. Coming from a student that worked two part-time jobs while taking a full course load of 18 credits: college is tough. You're busy worrying about your future post-graduation while juggling all of your classes, internships, jobs, family, friends, and everything else that life piles on top of you. The good news is that with focus, success is possible! Make your boss happy, spend time with the people that matter, and watch those As roll in. Balance with Baby Steps: To truly succeed at managing your busy schedule, start with building on what you can handle. Having trouble memorizing terms for that big test? Go slowly and take them two or three at a time. Overwhelmed at your job or internship? Prioritize your work -- get the most important assignments out of the way first before beginning the next. Do your friends suggest going out on your study day? Reschedule that movie night for the weekend after your midterm. Make time. Stick to Simple Studying: Why study harder than you have to? Use tricks like mnemonic devices, word association, or drawings as study aids. When preparing for your next big exam, whether it be for English or Engineering, work through the material in chunks. Before you move on to the next piece of material, make sure you understand the fundamentals (at the very least) of the previous information. Work Within Your Limits: One of the worst things you can do for yourself when you already have a full schedule is to make your life even busier. A good rule of thumb is to make sure you do what's expected of you and only take on additional work that can be completed within reason. If you know you have assignments to finish, don't volunteer for that extra shift. Go above and beyond when you're able, but don't stretch yourself so thin that there aren't enough hours in the day to accomplish everything. Can't wait for more tips on navigating your budding adult life? Check back here at College Quest for more! WRITTEN BY Samantha Storms Hofstra University Despite her last name, this senior journalism and publishing student doesn't have dreams of becoming a weather forecaster upon graduation from Hofstra University. She is currently exploring her love of language as a Media Editorial Intern for the psychology team at Macmillan Learning. A true Pittsburgher through and through, Samantha enjoys knitting, listening to eighties pop, and searching for the best pho spots. ... View more

What do you really know? We've all seen the countless TV shows and movies that depict college as either magical or as a life-sentence in prison. Although sometimes the latter is true, most of the time real-life college is completely different from what is shown on TV. Keep reading to find out what are myths and what is real: You are stuck with whatever major you chose in your college applications: MYTH Colleges don't expect all freshmen to know exactly what they want their future careers to be so changing your major is more common than sticking with your original major which is why all colleges require you to take general education courses to help you discover a new interest or major. Everyone gains the "freshman 15": MYTH I get it, free food everywhere and no elder to tell you to put down the 18th cupcake, but most campuses offer healthy alternatives which are sometimes better than eating the same ramen for the fifth day in a row. Professors don't care about their students: MYTH College professors in movies are depicted as cruel, bitter monsters that enjoy failing students. You'll most likely find more professors that want to make a difference in their student's lives through education and want to network with for future career opportunities. Textbooks will break your bank: MYTH If you buy textbooks from the bookstore, then you probably will break your bank account. Renting books is a cost-saving solution and easier than selling back your books at the end of the semester. Check out Macmillan's Student Store to find out about how you can save a fortune on textbooks! Dorm Life is awful: MYTH/TRUTH Certain aspects of dorm life can be challenging like 3 a.m. fire alarms, noisy neighbors, and communal bathrooms. Most dorms have "quiet hours" during the week to study or sleep so don't worry about noisy dorm parties 24/7. College is where you'll meet your forever friends: TRUTH Meeting your lifelong friends is one of the only things that the media gets right about college life. Whether it be your freshman year or your senior year, you'll make some of the best memories and friendships that will last a lifetime. There are certain things that the media does get right: college is where you find your true identity and make lasting memories. WRITTEN BY Rebecca Connolly Hofstra University Rebecca is a senior marketing major at Hofstra University. Originally from Colchester, Connecticut, she loves exploring New York City and finding all the best food. You can usually find her anywhere that serves pizza, buffalo wings, or chocolate milkshakes while panicking over her post-graduation future. ... View more

Beware and be prepared! Whether you’re just starting college as a freshman, or are a rising senior like me, the summer is when we start thinking about what we will need on a daily basis once we return to campus. It’s like packing for a trip—you’re bound to forget something really important that you never realized you needed until you didn’t have it. Not to mention, forgetting things or bringing the wrong kind of item can lead to a lot of re-purchasing, which is hard on a college student budget. At least, that’s always how I feel. In order to prevent this, I created this survival kit of five things that I truly cannot live without in college. Gift cards Whenever I go back to school, I realize how expensive it can be to commute on and off-campus. Plus, not everyone is able to have a car at school, so in my experience, the college student Uber bill can become costly. This is why one thing that I cannot live without is Uber gift cards. You’ll never realize how much they come in handy until it’s 2 a.m. and you’re stuck on campus with your friend offering you a blanket to sleep on because you don’t want to spend the money to get back home. So, if you need any birthday, graduation, and celebration gift ideas, think about asking for Uber gift cards next time. You can use them in desperate moments without having to stress about transportation finances. Pro-tip: Always ride smart and safe with Uber, though! Starbucks. Gift. Cards. (Or, Dunkin’ Donuts, or really any coffee shop on campus or near your school). Pretty much every college student I know drinks coffee at some point during their college career. And, there isn’t always a cheap option on campus. At Wake Forest, I can visit Starbucks shops on campus and even in the campus library. As a result, a free mid-study pick-me-up is a necessary treat every now and then. Travel mug A medium-size travel mug can be your best friend in college. It’s such a simple idea and if you bring it around campus with you every day in a bag or backpack, you can fill it with coffee, water, tea, etc. This way, in a pinch, you can fill up and hydrate or caffeinate. Best of all, this is really great for the environment and your budget. By using, washing, and re-using, you can eliminate a lot of plastic waste and save money purchasing a one-time use cup or water bottle. The ultimate shoe Now, this may seem oddly specific, but it is something that every college student needs and rarely ever has. Rain boots and sneakers are great, but in my opinion, the ultimate shoe is a shoe that is: Comfortable: No exceptions! You should have a pair of shoes that look great but can also take you on a 25-mile journey in one day without hurting you. I know it sounds impossible, but you can find one that meets this requirement. It may take some digging in shoe stores, but you will thank yourself later.   Fashionable: This same comfortable shoe should also be cute in your opinion, so you’re more likely to wear them for both comfort and style. This pair of shoes should also go with a variety of colors, styles, and outfits. For example, for men’s clothing, they should match with shorts, pants, khakis, jeans, and sport shorts. For women’s clothing, they should work with a dress, pants, shorts, patterns, and plain fabrics. You will thank yourself during those early morning class wake up calls because you’ll have one pair of shoes to slip on without a second thought.   Relatively new: This is a really important aspect of shoes that people, especially college students, forget. Shoes are meant to support your feet! If the shoes are too old, they will no longer have the traction and support on the bottom of the shoe that keeps you pain-free. Even if your feet do not hurt, old shoes do not support overall foot health. As a result, you should replace shoes that you wear a lot, especially walk far in, after a couple of hundred miles or so because this will keep you moving strong.   Somewhat waterproof: While this “ultimate” pair of shoes doesn’t have to be waterproof, it is helpful to buy a pair that lends itself to bad weather. For example, if you find a cute, comfortable, new walking shoe that is made of suede then you probably can’t rely on them during a day with rainy weather and, therefore, you’ll either ruin them or wear them less frequently. All of these tips that create the “ultimate shoe” will keep you looking fresh, feeling comfortable, and moving fast on the day-to-day busy college schedule. These ideas will also help you save money because you have tons of variety in one shoe. Therefore, you won’t have to buy as many pairs to create outfits and won’t have to replace them as often. Best of all, though, the ultimate shoe makes you unstoppable and confident. An outdoor/indoor blanket I love this idea because it combines two uses into one, saving you space in the car or on the plane or train while en route to school. An outdoor blanket comes in handy if your friends want to hang out in the park, go to a concert, or do homework outside. It can also double as a yoga mat, sleeping bag, and regular blanket. Whether inside, outside, or both, you will always have a place to sit, which isn’t always a given in college. A top-notch umbrella & raincoat These two items are a little more practical for college, but they don’t come cheap. It’s worth it, though, seriously. I highly recommend buying a good quality umbrella and raincoat for college because there will always be those moments when you have to walk 10 minutes in the pouring rain to get to your next class on time. When that happens, you’ll realize that the extra expense was worth it because a cheap, “water-resistant” raincoat will not help you—at all. The same idea goes for a nice umbrella because the cheap ones that you can buy off of a street corner will break almost every time. As a result, one expensive umbrella purchase that lasts throughout your college career will actually save you money over the many cheap umbrellas you buy and then have to replace over time. If you bring these five must-have items to college in addition to your bedspread, books, and clothes, you will be moving quickly and easily while also saving money and keeping your body comfortable. These simple ideas are meant to keep you calm in moments when you could otherwise feel unprepared or exhausted because let’s face it, both are very common in college! WRITTEN BY Allison Curley Wake Forest University Allison is the Summer 2019 Editorial Intern for Worth Publishers (Psychology) at Macmillan Learning and a rising senior at Wake Forest University. When she’s not reading for fun or for her Bachelor’s degree in English, she’s probably spinning to the song “Move Your Feet,” a timeless classic. She also loves writing, especially about food and fitness, which you can find here or on Spoon University and Familyproof.com. ... View more

Find ways to keep entertained on the subway! A key feature of moving to a city is learning and eventually mastering the subway system. It might take a week or two to figure out what uptown and downtown mean, and several years off your life to figure out the weekend schedule. But once the basics are behind you, you can begin figuring what you can achieve on your 45-minute or more commute -- more often than not, the journey between point A to point B is more meandering than rapid! Here are some ways to fill up the time and disembark at point B with your chin up. Reading One of the things we always hear about and never discuss in polite society (without sadness) is the lack of reading time in adulthood. Textbooks and readings take over every college student’s life as novels and mysteries get ignored for the most part. But no more! The subway is a great place to catch up on reading and actually meet your reading goals. It even encourages me to read more: at one point, I had a “subway book” and a “home book.” Listening to podcasts I love a good educational or history podcast, and it helps block out all the unpleasant aspects of riding the subway (such as the train coming to an abrupt halt or that one person who keeps playing their music loudly) -- and you get to feel productive and worldly, depending on which podcast is your poison. Playing games on your phone You will likely see far more people playing Candy Crush on the subway than you ever will in any other realm of your life. Playing games on your phone (or your Switch or electronic gadget of preference) will ensure that other people on the train leave you to your devices, pun intended. I try to solve Sudokus on the train now. It’s wild how many minutes pass in which I don’t know math or numbers or logic, but it’s a great way to make my commute shorter. Perusing ads or posters This one might sound a little bland at first glance, but there’s some real gold in the advertisements pasted inside subway cars. Depending on the train line, some brands like Casper leave behind riddles and brain teasers on their ads which are always weirdly satisfying to solve. Some subways also have little poems about the seasons posted on the wall. One of my favorite things to do is to brush up on the subway map if I am standing or sitting near one. When I first moved to New York, I was determined to become the reigning queen of navigation within days of arriving, and just poring over the map on the subway helped a lot. People-watching One of the most popular answers I get when I ask people what they do on their commute is people-watching. Whether you have lived in a city your whole life or arrived two minutes ago, you are always guaranteed encounters with some of the most interesting people in the city (and I promise that you will be trapped with some of those people underground in a train more often than not). Make hay while the sun shines! Take note of what books they are reading or if they are wearing a fascinating hat or T-shirt. Think about hats and T-shirts. Before you know it, you will be at your stop. Some other all-time winners include listening to music, of course, and napping. But once you find what works for you, you can begin looking forward to riding the subway and using the time to make the best of your commute. Happy travels! WRITTEN BY Divya Murthy Besides correcting people’s pronunciations and spellings of her name, this Syracuse graduate enjoys a morning cup of hot South Indian filter coffee and can’t wait for the day she finally spills it on some unlucky commuter on the subway. As a journalism graduate, she is a big fan of the Oxford comma and always looks for it in all the P.G. Wodehouse and Roald Dahl novels she reads. In her free time, she loves blogging about her mildest misfortunes under the pseudonym The Fourth PowerPuff Girl. ... View more

Make your college your home away from home. Starting college can be a turbulent, transitional period, and moving to a new campus always feels a little disorienting. You don’t have the streets memorized yet and you’re probably still searching for a good coffee shop. My personal advice for finding your fit in a new setting is to make yourself feel more at home. Get Cozy. It’s important to take control of your own environment. Whether it’s a dorm room, an apartment, or an art school locker, you’ve got to make your space into your space. Find out what you like and try out everything: put posters on the wall, tear them down, move your furniture, rearrange. Of course, if you share a space, you have to respect your roommate’s wishes too, but you can always personalize. When you make your space into something you enjoy, coming home will always be a break—the perfect place to go after a long day. Try, try, try. Feeling more at home on a new campus can be difficult if you’re not familiar with campus etiquette. Find out what’s going on at your university: what kind of events you can attend, how the buses run, and where your classes are. Don’t be afraid to try new things. When I was a freshman, I made the personal goal to walk through every building on campus at least once. You might get lost, but you’ll also get comfortable. A campus flourishes with opportunities only if you look for them. Push campus limits. It’s important to push those campus limits, too. Step outside the world of the university and explore the surrounding city. If you’re in a new state, take a look at the local grocery stores. Have you ever been to Meijer? Wander into new restaurants, coffee shops, and thrift stores. As a student, I always enjoyed exploring the local parks and animal shelters outside of campus. Wherever you go, there’s no shortage of community. Integrate. Exploring a new city or campus and understanding the local life is an important aspect of feeling more at home, but it’s also necessary to integrate things from your high-school life. Ask mom for your favorite recipes and make time with your new friends to cook them. Bring your favorite outfits and invite your old friends to visit you. Feeling more at home in a new space doesn’t mean you have to forget about your old space. Moving to a new campus or city can be a terrifying, yet thrilling experience. I found it hard to feel at home in a place I didn’t know, so my best bet was to get to know that new place. It was necessary to explore the local areas and push myself outside of campus to find out what was happening all around me. Only then did I find the place where I could fit in, like home. WRITTEN BY Sydney Bagnall University of Michigan Sydney graduated in May 2019 with a major in English Literature and a minor in Graphic design. She has a knack for all things creative. Originally from Pennsylvania, she enjoys biking on rolling hills and never misses an opportunity to stop and observe the sky. If you don’t find her vigorously typing, you can find her outside. ... View more

Get involved in your school's research opportunities! Research Opportunities Many universities have a multitude of research labs that look for students to act as subjects. Participation in studies is always completely voluntary and can range from simply filling out a questionnaire to spending time in an MRI scanner. Some studies don’t even require participants to visit a lab, instead of offering Amazon gift cards to go towards your mom’s birthday gift for filling out a survey in bed, at the gym, or on the way to class. More intensive studies require a bit of patience, such as the ones where a sticky, gel-filled EEG cap is placed on your head to measure your brain waves during a task. Long-term research often looks for a specific demographic of the population which you may belong to, from age and medical health to a particular hobby or skill set. Yet, no matter the type of study, there are so many benefits to participating in them as often as you can in college. Easy Money No need to delay the obvious: participating in research gets you money very quickly. It is one of the most time-effective, bang for your buck ways to bring in some extra income, especially if you don’t have a job. Many studies pay well over minimum wage while lasting for a fraction of an hour. My personal record is walking out of a study in 7 minutes and 24 dollars richer - that’s a pretty fast conversion rate. I’ve also participated in some longer MRI scans that were mildly uncomfortable, but walking out with 80 to 100 dollars soon after made me quickly forget about the cramped space and loud noises. Plain and simple, volunteering for a study takes very little time and can reap huge rewards. Advancing Scientific Knowledge Now onto the more selfless reason to participate in research: you are doing a good deed by helping a scientist answer his or her burning question about the world. For researchers, data collection can be a tiresome and tedious commitment, so any willing student who volunteers is very much appreciated. If a study you participate in leads to a massive scientific breakthrough that helps countless others, consider it an added bonus. Be careful, though, to only participate in studies that you feel absolutely comfortable with. Many, including myself, are perfectly fine with anonymous surveys but get a little nervous when dealing with more advanced methods that require some sort of pharmaceutical intervention or magnetic brain stimulation. Exploring Campus So much of our time on campus is surprisingly spent in only a few key locations, from our dorm rooms to the dining hall to class and back again. Seeking out research labs may lead you to some unfamiliar ground on campus, from the floors of the psychology building to the wings of the hospital. Seeking out studies can introduce you to all parts of campus that the tour guide doesn’t cover during the orientation week tour. Along with the change of scenery, you never know what people you might meet in this previously uncharted territory. Interacting with medical professionals, graduate students, and other research subjects provides ample networking opportunities to find those with similar interests. Lastly, getting involved on campus in this way can shed light on the larger mission and core values of your university other than simply providing students with excellent courses and a degree upon graduation. From Subject to Experimenter Many college students list their own research experiences as among the most meaningful during their time in college. Participating in a few studies as a subject can introduce you to exciting research opportunities that you can get involved in from the other side of the equation. If you take part in an especially interesting study, be sure to remember the name of the researcher and look him or her up later. The easiest way to find research opportunities is by looking at the subject pools for psychology and behavioral labs (or whatever discipline you’re interested in) and reaching out to the primary investigators stating your interest in their work. Sending the dreaded cold-email to professors is daunting, but fire off enough and you will eventually find a match. Being involved in research builds great collaborative and problem-solving skills, and can help you define what future career path you’d like to pursue. In all, being a research subject leads to many perks both for yourself and others. Try one or two out for size and see if you like it -- I’m confident you will become a research regular soon after. WRITTEN BY Ben Thier Duke University Born and raised a New Yorker, Ben studies neuroscience and education at Duke University in North Carolina. He is currently the Learning Solutions Intern for Macmillan and also serves on the Student Co-Design Group for the Learning Science department. His hobbies include listening to podcasts 24/7, scuba diving, collecting Snapple caps, and trying to get his friends to watch Survivor with him on Wednesday nights. ... View more

So you've graduated! Now what? So, you’re in the homestretch. You’ve dotted your “i’s” and crossed your “t’s.” After years of studying and stressing, you can finally see the finish line: GRADUATION. And if you feel anything like how I felt: you are terrified. You were a student your entire life and now all of a sudden you’re a “Real Adult” (whatever that means). Life post-graduation always seemed like an abstract dream, the same way you would tell people, “Yeah, I’ll definitely go skydiving one day.” Well, that day is now and there is no parachute. But not to fear! The road you are traveling has been traveled before. In my previous installment of "How to be an Alum,” we went over tips about managing your living arrangements post-college. In this article, we’re going to answer the age-old question: how do I get my first job without sacrificing my well-being! Being a recent college-grad is hard, but we’ll all figure this out together! Don’t compare yourself to your peers. I wish I could wave a magic wand and give everyone an easy path to fulfilling employment, but that’s not how this works (believe me, I’ve tried). Everyone is going to have a different journey towards employment and It’s important not to compare your journey to anyone else’s. If your senior year roommate leaves college and immediately starts their dream job, don’t feel discouraged that you haven’t received your first interview yet. Keep applying, don’t put yourself down, and remain positive. Maintain a Healthy Attitude Toward Rejection. Not receiving a job offer is an unfortunate part of life, but it does not define you as a person or as a worker. Learn how to handle any potential rejection by framing it as a learning opportunity. Did you call your potential employer by the wrong name? Did you have a stain on your dress-shirt that you didn’t notice until after the interview? Did you forget to bring your resume? I promise the world will not end. Instead of being embarrassed, just be mindful going forward to review who is going to be interviewing you, bring stain remover, and always have a hard copy of your resume on hand. (Pro tip: Keep a copy of your resume in your briefcase, car, purse, or backpack so you never forget it!) Use all of your online resources. There are thousands of articles, YouTube videos, and testimonials on how to get a job! Make sure you check out the ones that best prepare you like interviewing preparation and tips and tricks to gain confidence. Focus on something that you feel that you can improve upon. If you find yourself becoming nervous before an interview, research deep breathing exercises and calming techniques. If you find yourself having trouble with public speaking, find a masterclass that will give you tips on how to articulate with confidence and authority. If you aren’t sure what to wear to an interview, figure out how, typically, workers dress in your desired field. (Pro tip: It’s always preferred to be more formal than casual.) Gain experience. Learning doesn’t stop the moment you graduate! If it’s within your means, try and gain useful skills out of the classroom by applying for internships within your field and within the locations you can see yourself putting down roots. You can also find valuable sources online to expand your knowledge in any areas you didn’t cover in your major. Always curious about learning how to code? Try CodeAcademy and learn for free! Want to improve your Excel skills? Watch any of the numerous tutorials on YouTube! Find a mentor. When in doubt: ASK. Navigating the road to finding your first job can be overwhelming. Find a co-worker, boss, parent, teacher, professor, or really any employed person you trust and ask them about their experience getting a start in their professional career. Ask someone to coffee and organize a list of questions you might have about getting your foot in the door and what skills are valued by employers. Network. Networking might sound a little scary, but there’s no reason to cue the horror movie music! If you’ve never tried networking before, make sure you start small. Get in touch with professors, former bosses, alumni groups, and employed classmates through LinkedIn or any other professional channel. There is never any shame in sending a cover letter or resume to someone you respect. You never know what might become of it! There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to gain employment. Just remember to listen to advice from those you trust, work hard, and never put unattainable expectations on yourself. Good luck! WRITTEN BY Kasey Greenbaum Macmillan Learning Kasey graduated from UMass Amherst in 2017 with a degree in Communication and English. She now works for Macmillan Learning as a Digital Marketing Assistant. As a self-described 'Real Adult in Training,' you can most likely find her somewhere in downtown Manhattan showing strangers pictures of her dog or hunting for the undisputed best place to get waffles! ... View more

So you've graduated! Now what? So, you're in the homestretch. You've dotted your "i's" and crossed your "t's." After years of studying and stressing, you can finally see the finish line: GRADUATION. And if you feel anything like how I felt: you are terrified. You were a student your entire life and now all of a sudden you're a "Real Adult" (whatever that means). Life post-graduation always seemed like an abstract dream, the same way you would tell people, "Yeah, I'll definitely go skydiving one day." Well, that day is now and there is no parachute. But not to fear! The road you are traveling has been traveled before. "How to be an Alum" will give you tips from a fellow 20-something about how to survive your first year as an alum. We'll all figure this out together! Great, I graduated. Now, where do I live? Wherever makes the most financial, physical, and emotional sense for you in the present and near future! Some folks move to a different town, city, or even country after school. Some stay in the same town as their alma maters, and there are some who move back home to live with their parents (like me)! Whether you live alone, with roommates, with a significant other, or with family, it's all valid. There are no 'right' or 'wrong' ways to set up your living situation. In fact, take a look at these statistics*: About 32% of recent, American college grads live with their parents About 32% of recent, American college grads live with a spouse or significant other About 14% of recent, American college grads live alone or with a roommate(s) About 22% of recent, American college grads have found some other sort of living arrangement (for example: traveling full-time or finding a temporary residence) It can be difficult to conceive a new living situation after potentially being in the same living situation for several years. Here are a couple of tips that helped me through the transition: Decorate your space. Even if your living arrangement is impermanent or you aren't allowed to paint the walls, find a way to make it yours. String up some fairy lights or buy a plant! Little splashes of your personality will make your space feel like yours. DO NOT get a pet (UNLESS you actually are financially, emotionally, and physically able to take care of another living creature)! I get it. I want a cat too. But if you're a 20-something fresh out of college and still trying to piece your life together, there's a good chance you won't be able to give a pet the time and care it deserves. Put yourself first, find your own footing, and then get a cat somewhere down the line. (Plus, some places simply don't accept pets, or require you to pay more if you have pets...and you might not be ready for those restrictions.) Explore your neighborhood. Even if you've lived in the same place your entire life, there's always going to be new stores popping up and new restaurants to try. Have you passed by the same bakery a million times and never actually walked inside? Walk inside. Get a cookie. Or if you're in a new city, try finding your new favorite places. Try out that cafe you pass on the way home from work and see if it's any good. Go find a park and go for a long walk. Remember, you can make any place feel as big or as small as you want it to. It's all a matter of perspective. Try and cook for yourself. It's super easy to fall into the trap of eating ramen or microwave pizzas every night for dinner, but it can be just as easy (and even more affordable) to actually make something with your own hands. Never go above your means if you don't have the time, money, or energy to create a three-course meal for yourself every night. But try to find a way to learn a few new recipes and perfect them. I promise, even if you aren't a "good cook" or "too lazy," it'll feel rewarding (and super "adult"). Pro tip: Homemade soups/stews/chilis can be really cheap, healthy, and easy to make and absolutely delicious. Change is hard. But instead of thinking of it as a hardship, I challenge you to think of it as an adventure (yes-even moving back in with your parents can be an adventure)! Tune in next time to find out what adventures we'll be taking next on: "How to be an Alum." *Dickler, Judith, "More college grads move back home with mom and dad." CNBC, www.cnbc.com/2016/06/10/more-college-grads-move-back-home-with-mom-and-dad.html. Accessed 11 January 2019.   WRITTEN BY Kasey Greenbaum Macmillan Learning Kasey graduated from UMass Amherst in 2017 with a degree in Communication and English. She now works for Macmillan Learning as a Digital Marketing Assistant. As a self-described 'Real Adult in Training,' you can most likely find her somewhere in downtown Manhattan showing strangers pictures of her dog or hunting for the undisputed best place to get waffles! ... View more

Make new friends, but keep the old! One of the biggest adjustments that incoming college freshmen face is not being able to see their hometown friends on a daily basis like in high school. A “long-distance” friendship might seem difficult or scary at first but practicing simple, thoughtful strategies will help you and your friends better survive the time apart. Talk to each other as often as you can. Smartphones make long-distance friendships much easier than they were in the past. Between texting, video-chatting, and conversing over various social media platforms, it is easy to keep in touch with friends who no longer go to the same school as you. In fact, if you communicate often enough, the distance between you and your friends may not seem as great as you originally thought. Be mindful of each other’s schedules. While keeping in contact is pertinent to maintaining friendships, constant communication between you are your friends is not required. As you become more immersed in your college community and your studies, you will find that free time is harder to come by. Being understanding of hectic schedules is an underrated yet crucial component to maintaining healthy friendships. Sending someone a “thinking of you” text message during periods where you may not be speaking as often will go a long way! Send each other birthday and/or holiday gifts. Social media is a quick way to stay in touch with friends, but sending a gift through the mail is usually a more memorable gesture. Be sure to swap on-campus addresses at the beginning of the school year so that you can buy something thoughtful to mail them when a special day comes up. It could take a week or longer for your present to ship to and be sorted by your friend’s school, so give yourself ample time to mail the gift out so it arrives on time. Receiving a present or even a greeting card is a great way to let your friends know that you have been thinking about them. Plan to meet up on breaks. Smartphones provide a simple way to consistently keep in touch with friends, but nothing beats being together. Usually, colleges have similar or overlapping break periods, whether it be for holidays or a mid-semester break. This is the perfect time for you to catch up in person! Grabbing a meal, roaming the mall, or even hanging out at home are all easy, low-cost ways to meet with your friends and talk about everything that’s happened since you last saw each other. Going to separate colleges and having different schedules is hard, but finally see each other in person makes the wait worth it. Starting college is an exciting new chapter in one’s life, but it comes with knowing that you will not be able to see hometown friends as frequently as you did in high school. Although it may not seem like it, having a “long-distance” friendship may actually strengthen the bonds you have with friends who go to different colleges. College helps to show you how much your hometown friends mean to you, even as you pursue different paths at different schools. WRITTEN BY Kelly Vena The College of New Jersey Kelly Vena is a senior at The College of New Jersey, where she is finishing up her English major and Communication Studies and French minors. She has worked as a marketing intern at Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers, the high school textbook branch of Macmillan Learning, since the start of the 2018-2019 school year. Kelly has been a writer since her senior year of high school, and her poetry has appeared in two publications as well as multiple editions of TCNJ's literary magazine. ... View more

Break the ice, make a friend! You're looking forward to a gen-ed course you signed up for the fall semester. Sure, it's outside your major, but you figure you'll spy at least one familiar face in the class. This one individual will be your go-to person to check about project deadlines, have study sessions with, and chat with before class. You strut into the classroom and scan the sea of faces for the one you can put a name to. Your stomach drops as it dawns on you that the familiar classmate you were hoping for doesn't exist here. We've all been there. So what now? Instead of making a dash for the back corner where nobody will notice you and your lack of acquaintances, try one of these 3 tactics to break the ice and meet new people. Give a compliment. Think about the last time someone you didn't know gave you a compliment. You probably came away from the interaction feeling pretty good, and likely with a positive connotation associated with the person who noticed something unique about you. Find someone who you'd like to start a conversation with and pick something you want to compliment them on. Something as simple as, "Hey, I really like those shoes- Where'd you get them?" can make someone's day. The important next step is to not stop there but to keep the conversation going. Ask about his or her major. Whether you're in a class as a part of your major, or you've enrolled to get outside your comfort zone, talking about academic interests is a great way to get the conversation ball rolling. If you and your new acquaintance share the same major, you can delve into topics, books, or research that fascinate you. Chat about your experiences with certain professors, projects, or classes. If you don't have the same major, this is the perfect opportunity to ask questions about a field you might not know a lot about. Talk about hometowns. The cool thing about college is that people from all over the country, and oftentimes the world, are sitting at the desks right next to you. With varying locations come different high school experiences, local activities, food preferences, and family members. The phrase "Where are you from?" may sound simple and perhaps overused at the start of anything new. But again, the point is to keep the conversation going from there. Maybe the classmate you're chatting with is from the next town over from your hometown, and you can talk about that burger place you've both been to, or old high school sports rivalries (just don't get too fired up about it). WRITTEN BY Haley Biermann Emmanuel College Haley is a rising senior at Emmanuel College where she studies English. She is an intern for the Macmillan Production Department at the Boston office. She loves people and dog watching at the Boston common, jamming out to folk-rock, and coming up with creative ways to sneak in reading time during the day. ... View more

Tips to start your career as a personal chef. Nowadays, many college upperclassmen seek off-campus housing to escape the horrors of dining hall food. While it is liberating to choose and make your own meals, this freedom also comes with the fear of finding the time and skills to do so. Between classes, friends, clubs, and more, it's difficult for college students to find the time to cook -- something I had to learn the hard way this school year. When life gets overwhelming, Wendy's drive-thru becomes more and more appealing. Here are a few tips and tricks that I've discovered for fitting cooking into an already busy schedule, all while staying healthy and saving money. Be financially aware If cooking taught me anything, it's how to manage money well for grocery trips. Before you begin to budget, think about how often you might be grocery shopping -- will it be weekly, biweekly, or something in-between? After you've determined this, give yourself a set price-point for your groceries. Make sure that the price-point is realistic: don't try to set it too low or too high. If you see yourself consistently going over or under your original price-point, don't be afraid to adjust it! Regardless of your price-point, I would recommend downloading an application called Flipp. The app allows you to see weekly store circulars, compose shopping lists, and much more, making it a great resource for keeping track of sales. Look for quick, simple meals -- without sacrificing good taste! It is a common misconception that easy-to-make meals lack taste, but that's not true at all! A simple Google search of "easy chicken recipes," for example, will yield thousands of different recipes for you to browse. This method can be used when trying your hand at any sort of meal, or expanding your recipe arsenal! I've found some of my favorite recipes through Google searches -- and most of them can be made in less than an hour! Once you've found a few recipes that you like, try printing them out and storing them in a folder. That way, you can always refer back to them when you want to make a meal you know you'll enjoy! Ask parents and relatives for recipes Not all Google searches will result in finding recipes that appeal to you. If this occurs, give a parent or other relatives a call! They know your taste preferences and can provide you with recipes that you might not have thought to try. Better yet, ask to borrow a cookbook from a family member! It will provide you with delicious recipes and, depending on the book, meals with short prep- and cook-times that are easy to squeeze into a hectic day. Eat with friends Hanging out with friends and eating are two amazing pastimes -- so why not combine them? Having potlucks makes it easy to catch up with friends you may not get the chance to see often while easing meal prep for everyone invited. You could even find a new favorite food to try making yourself! Get a partial meal plan Lastly, if you're really in a bind -- stuck at the library for a long night, have an impossibly difficult lab assignment to do, or whatever else may come up -- there's no shame in having a partial meal plan as a backup. They're cheaper than full meal plans, and allow you to eat on campus whenever you feel like it. Let's face it, trekking back home to cook lunch or dinner is inconvenient. Having the option to eat on-campus makes one aspect of life easy, even if the rest isn't. College upperclassman life is the precursor to real adulthood and, whether we like it or not, cooking for ourselves is usually a factor in both these chapters of life. Learning the ins and outs of even the most basic kind of cooking gives us invaluable skills -- and tasty meals. WRITTEN BY Kelly Vena The College of New Jersey Kelly Vena is a senior at The College of New Jersey, where she is finishing up her English major and Communication Studies and French minors. She has worked as a marketing intern at Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers, the high school textbook branch of Macmillan Learning, since the start of the 2018-2019 school year. Kelly has been a writer since her senior year of high school, and her poetry has appeared in two publications as well as multiple editions of The College of New Jersey’s literary magazine. ... View more

Calm the whirlwind of constant cooking with this simple recipe. Constantly cooking can get tiring and it may mean spending your money on new ingredients each night. An innovative way to save money and time is to begin meal prepping by cooking enough food one night to last you for the rest of the week. Meal preparation is a way to plan ahead to prepare breakfast, lunch, or dinner to eat whenever you are ready. Through this, you have the opportunity to know what you are specifically eating and how it was made -- and to save money every night! Here are my tips to get started with meal prepping: Choosing a specific day to plan and cook your meals is the most useful way to begin your week. I'd recommend preparing two different meals on a Sunday in case you don't want to eat the same food throughout the week. If you begin to prep your meals on Sunday, it's likely you will have enough food to last you for half of the week. When choosing the meals you want to cook, you shouldn't immediately begin with new recipes that you haven't tried before. Start with recipes you know and love as a way to ease yourself into meal prepping. Also, think about the type of foods you typically eat. Are they healthy or could they use some improvement? Meal prepping is a great way to adjust to eating healthier meals over time. When preparing and storing your meals, it isn't best to combine all your food in one container. You'll want to make sure you have storage containers that separate your carbs from your proteins and vegetables. You can also prepare fruit snacks to bring along with you to class or to work. Carrying along fruit snacks to eat between meals will allow you to gain more energy throughout the day and will help you fight your cravings. Are you ready to get started with meal prepping? Try two of my favorite recipes below! Baked Lime Chicken Bowls* Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 20 mins Chicken breasts are cubed and marinated in a chili-lime marinade and then baked and paired with quinoa and green beans for make-ahead healthy meals! Ingredients: 2-3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes 6 Tbsp. olive oil 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar Juice from 2 limes 2 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. paprika 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. kosher salt Fresh cracked pepper, to taste Instructions: In a large resealable bag, combine olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cut chicken into cubes and add to marinade. Toss to coat. Marinate for 2 hours or up to overnight. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Pour marinated chicken onto baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through Serve with cooked quinoa and Lemon Green Beans Amandine or Roasted Brussels Sprouts (or other green vegetable). Enjoy! *Nikolaus, Jen, "MEAL PREP BAKED LIME CHICKEN BOWLS." Yummy Healthy Easy, https://www.yummyhealthyeasy.com/meal-prep-baked-lime-chicken-bowls/. Accessed 11 January 2019. Homemade Turkey Chili* Prep Time:5 minutes Cook Time:15 minutes Total Time:20 minutes Servings:4 Ingredients: 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 onion 2 garlic cloves 1 lb ground turkey 1 14-oz. can corn kernels 1 14-oz. can black beans 1 14-oz.can kidney beans 1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes 2 tablespoon tomato paste 1/2 tablespoon hot chili powder 1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese Instructions: On a large cutting board, chop onion into small pieces. Mince garlic cloves. In a large pot, over a medium heat, add olive oil. Add onion and garlic to the pot. Cook for 3 minutes. Add ground turkey and break it up with a spoon. Brown the turkey for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add diced tomatoes and tomato paste and stir. Then add corn kernels, black beans, and kidney beans, stirring as you go. Add chili powder, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. Stir until all ingredients are mixed evenly. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. Add shredded cheese and mix everything well. Remove from heat and serve. *Cozza, Steph, "Homemade Turkey Chili in Under 20 Minutes." Spoon University, https://spoonuniversity.com/recipe/20-minute-homemade-turkey-chili. Accessed 11 January 2019. WRITTEN BY Kristen Rossette Cristo Rey New York Kristen Rossette is a high school student at Cristo Rey New York graduating in 2020. She is currently an intern at Macmillan Learning in the Marketing department. Born and raised in Bronx, New York, you can usually find her in the city seeking opportunities in the fashion industry or for new places to eat! ... View more

Make the most of your summer! The prevalence of “one last hurrah” high school films--of varying quality--can, I think, be attributed to the fact that the summer between the senior year of high school and freshman year of college feels so powerfully and bizarrely ineffable. I have yet to encounter that feeling again: the first real notion of a chapter of your life-- a huge one--decisively ending, coupled with the realization that you’re starting something huge and new. It’s months of building up question after question about will come next; some of these questions have easy answers. A capful of detergent should do the trick; all of your Monday classes are going to be in the Scott building; there are three pizza places open until 3 am. However, questions like “am I prepared enough to be here,” “is everyone here smarter than me?” and “am I going to make friends?” don’t quite have such simple answers. I truly think it’s a one-of-a-kind moment we encounter too young to recognize just how special it is. So while the market oversaturation of alleged “last day of high school” gutbusters will always invoke some eye twitching, I can appreciate the sentiment. Begrudgingly. So what’s to be done during this time? How do you spend this strange moment in time? It’s not a one size fits all type situation, but the crux of all these tips is to try to reflect on your priorities and prepare yourself for college having done the things you’ve always wanted to do. Spend time with your friends and family. One of the best things about college is the new friends you’ll meet, people from all different walks of life. It’s an infinitely exciting prospect, but it’s made bittersweet by the acknowledgment that you’re leaving behind the people in your life who have shaped you into who you are now. Meeting new people is invigorating, but sometimes you’ll want nothing in the world more than to laugh at your three-year-old inside joke with your best friend. So, in preparation for the first-time you’ll be apart, cash in on those good times. Have plenty of quality time together, let them know you’ll miss them like crazy, and make plenty more inside jokes that will make you bust up laughing in the middle of your first lecture hall. (It’s not as bad as it sounds!) Do that ridiculous, crazy thing you’ve always wanted that seemed too frivolous or silly to indulge. Want to enroll in circus classes? What’s stopping you now? Maybe you’ll even really enjoy it and sign up for more classes and especially love trapeze even though it does leave some fairly substantial bruises on your ankles. Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything... School. You sure nailed that whole circus thing! Really hit it out of the park. I can see a promising clown future for you, but nevertheless, it may be wise to really focus on getting yourself academically organized. This is an incredibly fun time, but it’s also stressful. You can alleviate the stress a bit by taking initiative; look at the syllabi for your classes, stock up on the required supplies, do any preparatory readings you may have, find all of your classes on maps or GPS apps, etc. Your first day will be crazy no matter what, but you can manage a lot of the chaos by doing a little bit of preemptive work! Read list after list just like this. If I had to wager a guess I’d say that this is probably not the first list of this type you’ve read. That’s normal; it’s hard not to hope on some level that one of these kinds of lists will have that magical piece of advice that will make everything seem less huge, daunting, and scary. While I can’t promise that, it isn’t a bad idea to do some research and comb these kinds of listicles for some good tips and tricks from people who have been in your shoes and come out better for it. With that in mind... Realize that at the end of the day, the only thing you can truly do is accept that you won’t know everything. College is the beginning of something--many things--and that’s nerve-wracking in the best way possible! You’re going to learn a subject you may never have even heard of and realize you’re passionate about it. You’re going to meet people who will be in your life forever. You’re going to come back home with more stories than you can imagine. Do everything you can in the last few months before college, but the best advice I can offer is to come to terms with the fact that there are tons of things you have to learn and that’s not only alright but amazing and exciting. Good Luck! WRITTEN BY Nicollette Brady Rutgers University With a hot off the presses Bachelor’s in English from Rutgers University (no frame though so please don’t breathe on it!) and unlimited access to a coffee machine, Nicollette has officially run out of excuses not to write. She loves cats, bats, books, rats, needlessly elaborate long-form japes, plays, words, and wordplay. She’s incredibly proud to work as the High School STEM Marketing Intern at BFW High School Publishing, but slightly less proud of the fact that the third cup of coffee of the day is sounding awfully enticing right about now. ... View more

Remember to take the time to take care of yourself. As a student, school tends to become very stressful and we need our own time to relax and reflect. Students usually find their own ways to unwind from all their studies whether it’s by listening to music, reading a book, doing facemasks, or taking naps. Having a routine for yourself as a student allows you to relieve stress, tension, and anxiety -- and feel refreshed. Skin-Care Routines Having a skin-care routine to follow each day allows you to take your mind off of school and focus on yourself. Having a different morning and evening skin-care routine is very important because in the morning you want to feel awake and fresh and in the evening you want to feel prepared to sleep. Try incorporating cleansers, moisturizers, serums, toners, and face masks into your daily routine (note that some products might be best to use every other day). You can search for information about specific products based on your skin type (oily, dry, sensitive) or visit a dermatologist for professional advice and to find the products that are best for you. As a high school student, having a skin-care routine is very important to me because taking care of your skin at an early age will benefit you as you get older. Usually, during testing week, I pay especially close attention to my skin because stress and anxiety are two factors that cause a student to break out. Liz Fourez, a home and lifestyle blogger, provides some natural skin-care hacks that work together to clean, heal, smooth, and moisturize the skin. Here is Liz Fourez daily routine: Morning Cleanse with raw manuka honey   Tone with lavender witch hazel   Moisturize with jojoba oil + lavender Evening Remove makeup with coconut oil   Cleanse with hemp seed oil + lavender   Clay mask (only once a week)   Tone with apple cider vinegar   Moisturize with jojoba oil + lavender Source: Natural Skin Care Routine, Liz Fourez Can Distractions be a Part of Self-Care? Distractions can, in fact, change a person's mood depending on what they are doing and how they are feeling. Some people may read a book, listen to music, or take a nap after a long day of classes. If you find your mood is negative, you should do something you enjoy as this allows your mind to shift gears and to focus on positive things. Reading can be useful to help you escape reality and become a part of the story. It’s similar when watching a television show: you allow yourself to become engrossed in the show and end up feeling like you can relate to the show and the characters. Taking naps can also be a form of positive distraction, as they provide a break from school work and responsibilities; they let you simply focus on feeling rested. Usually, after a long day of classes, when I have the chance, I try to take a 20-30 minute nap. This gives me the energy to continue my studies, extracurricular activities, or homework. Besides, students love taking naps! Another form of distraction is listening to music; whether it’s classical, rap, pop, or country, it can be a way to unwind. Personally, after a long day of classes, I tend to listen to energetic loud music. It helps me feel energized and focused as I concentrate on the lyrics or bass of a song. Music can benefit you mentally and spiritually, as well as help reduce stress. An article written by Susan at Knops provides 5 reasons why loud music provides relief for our body and mind: “A song sounds better when it’s played loud: being able to hear more details and picking up different sounds means the music sounds better."   “Loud music relieves stress: the sacculus in our inner ear has a direct connection with the pleasure centers in the brain."   “Loud music is a stimulant: loud music works like a stimulant- just like caffeine, alcohol, and exercise."   “Music evokes emotions: people who react to music have strong connections between the part of the brain that interprets sound and the part that creates emotion."   “Loud music blocks out the world: sometimes blocking out the world and just enjoying the emotions of music is a much-needed experience." Source: 5 Reasons why music is self-medicating, Susan (Knops) Self-care routines are universal -- all students across the world have their own routines and their own way to focus on making themselves feel less stressed and more self-aware. WRITTEN BY Kristen Rossette Kristen Rossette is a high school student at Cristo Rey New York graduating in 2020. She is currently an intern at Macmillan Learning in the Marketing department. Born and raised in Bronx, New York, you can usually find her in the city seeking opportunities in the fashion industry or for new places to eat! ... View more