Holiday Gift Ideas for the Student in Your Life

Holiday Gift Ideas for the Student in Your Life With the holiday season fast approaching, you may find that the student on your list is the hardest to shop for. With the high costs of tuition, textbooks, and life on a college campus, there may be countless things your student needs. How do you find a present that is both practical and still a gift? These holiday gift ideas for the student in your life will not only show him or her that you care, but can help your student power through his or her remaining semesters. An Amazon Kindle or tablet Save your students back (literally) by taking his or her textbooks digital. An Amazon Kindle or other tablet can allow students not only to access all of their textbooks in one location, but can also be a great note-taking tool. There are hundreds of great apps to help students in every aspect of school, from connecting with peers, to flash card assistance, to study help for their next big test. Does your student already have a tablet? Tech accessories are a great way to increase functionality and add a bit of flair to any tablet. Consider getting your student a wireless keyboard, a stand up case, or a lightning charger. [RELATED: 3 Ways to Better Utilize Your Electronic Textbooks] A pair of noise canceling headphones Finding a quiet place to study can be difficult, and during hectic times like finals, finding a seat in the library can be impossible. A pair of noise canceling headphones allows your student to study anywhere, from the campus union, to his fraternity house, to a shady spot on campus grounds. Your student can study to his or her favorite tunes (or white noise if thats his or her style) without worrying about unnecessary distractions. A decorative planner or calendar Make sure your student stays organized in style. With classes, homework, student organizations, and part-time jobs, keeping track of everything is no easy feat. You might recoil at the idea of gifting an organizational tool, but daily planners are the lifeblood of college students and come in extravagant, and even designer, patterns (like these Lily Pulitzer planners or Gallery Leather planners). You can also personalize planners through monogramming, adding whimsical charms, or including colorful dividers. Complement the gift with stamps, stickers, pens, and highlighters to ensure that no task is forgotten. Want to make the gift extra personal? Add some of your own motivational notes throughout the planner, providing an extra surprise as he or she uses it throughout the year. A fitness tracker With all of the responsibilities associated with school, it can be tough to keep track of personal fitness. A wearable fitness tracker can help your student stay healthy while in college. Devices like a Fitbit can track calories, steps taken, and distance walked per day. Some of these devices can also monitor sleep patterns, helping to ensure your student is getting the correct amount of sleep per night. A tracker is an easy way to help your student remain conscious about his or her health while juggling all of the other responsibilities that come with college life. [RELATED: The Importance of Sleep] A coffee maker Late nights and early mornings are common occurrences in a college students life. Help make 8 a.m. classes a little easier with a nice coffee maker for your student. Whether its a single pot maker, a coffee press, or a Keurig, early-rising students will appreciate the boost of caffeine. Add a variety of creamers, a personalized to-go thermos, and a fancy mug for your student on the go. A private, one-on-one tutor Of course, we couldnt leave this out of our holiday list: The gift of understanding is perhaps the most valuable present you can provide this holiday season. Quality private tutors can be difficult to come by, but Varsity Tutors can simplify the process of selecting and connecting with a talented and experienced instructor. Provide your student with the foundation for success this holiday seasonand watch as improved understanding leads to academic success.

How to Prepare for Your First Internship

How to Prepare for Your First Internship Your first internship is a crucial stepping-stone in your professional life. For many students, it is the very introduction into their professional life. Internships are truly invaluable experiences that directly show you the difference between a teenage part-time job and a real job, so to speak. Many of the elements that make these types of jobs distinct from each other are obvious, but there are also many elements that you can only understand by literally going through it. Landing an internship in the first place is no easy feat, so be sure to pat yourself on the back for accomplishing that step. Also, take comfort in the fact that the people at this company/organization have already selected you, meaning they clearly feel youre qualified and are already impressed with you on some level. You have already proved you deserve to be there now its just up to you to prove you want to be there for the right reasons and are eager to follow through on those reasons for the entire duration of your session there. Now, what are the right reasons? Well, first and foremost, you are there to learn. Make it clear that you are genuinely excited to go there every day and want to do as much as possible. Different supervisors have different plans for their interns, so the types of tasks you will be assigned will vary depending on the particular internship you take. Some may only involve mundane, assistant-like duties while others may welcome you to tackle bigger projects head-on. The important thing to remember is that regardless of what these people have you do, make sure they know youre open to doing more and that you want to do more. Sometimes a company may feel interns cant handle anything more important than what theyve been assigned, but dont take it personally; they just need to look out for whats best for the company. But the point is that they will be impressed with your initiative and excited demeanor about the respective profession. And regardless of the specific tasks you perform, you will be learning something no matter what. Just make sure you pay attention. You are also there for the experience itself. Again, you may not be allowed to literally execute as many big work-related processes as you would like, but you will gain so much from just being in the offices environment. It is vital that you soak up the atmosphere and really gain an understanding of what its like to be a working professional in this particular field. You are there to observe how this company works and how the employees interact with each other in order to achieve their various goals. Communicating with professionals via email and studying up on the internet will not give you as clear an idea of the working world as physically being in it will. Finally, you are there to help. Always say yes, never say no. Whether youre being asked to get coffee or call a client, you are helping in some way and therefore making some processes easier for employees, no matter how slightly. Also, dont always wait to be asked; sometimes you can do the asking and find out if anyone needs help. Supervisors are more likely to remember interns who were positive and proactive before they remember ones who were constantly bored and waiting for instruction. This may feel a little frustrating since its easy to fall into the trap of being too nervous to do anything you werent told to do, especially if the supervisors barely give you anything to do. But this is the adult world, so you should be representing yourself as an adult and not a kid. This is not to say you should ever make assumptions or go against a supervisors wishes being respectful is vital, and in all seriousness, you are still an intern. But it is better to try/ask and get turned down than to say nothing and wonder if you could have contributed more. And of course, make sure you are professionally dressed throughout all of this. Making it obvious that you own nothing past a teenage wardrobe can really hurt your image as an intern. In the end, remember that taking full advantage of an internship will put you light-years ahead in terms of being ready for a full-time job after graduation. Digest the world around you every minute you are there.