Helpful Study Tips

Alternative Study Locations - Although some people swear by the library, cognitive scientists suggest that alternating study spaces is a more effective way to retain information, according to the New York Times. Memory is colored by location, and changing your study locales increases the likelihood of remembering what you’ve learned. 

Study and Homework Groups - Never underestimate the power of your peers, especially when working through a difficult problem set or reading assignment. Dividing and conquering is an effective way to reduce your workload -- and to make sure you understand the material. You might even make a friend in the process.

Flash Cards - Sometimes the best habits are the ones we’ve used forever. Flash cards are oldies but goodies –- writing notes and definitions more than once will help imprint information in your memory, and the cards are a great way to develop and use mnemonic devices and associative phrases. 

Take Tests - As much as we may hate tests, the New York Times reports that formal evaluations not only affirm knowledge but enhance it. Consistent testing can help us relearn and recall information, and it pays off when preparing for final exams.

Sleep - A tired mind is a slow mind. Get enough sleep and watch your GPA rise.

Don't Categorize Yourself - Students often categorize themselves as visual or auditory learners, or as being left-brained or right-brained thinkers. According to the New York Times, research has shown that these distinctions are largely erroneous. It is more important to figure out which study strategies work for you than to worry about where you lie on the learning spectrum. 

Go To Class - This one might seem obvious, but large lectures and early start-times often make class feel, shall we say, optional. The best way to prepare for tests is to attend classes and participate. You’ll have already begun the process of reviewing and will know what to expect on the exam (especially if you haven’t done the reading.)

Don't Immerse Yourself in Subject Material - In keeping with the age-old proverb that values quality over quantity, scientists have found that immersion is not an effective method of study, the New York Times reports. Rather than sticking to one subject and spending hours attempting to master it, you should switch between a few (related) topics. It’s less boring -- and you’ll learn more. 

Manage Your Time - The only thing worse than having a deadline is missing a deadline. Stay organized, cut down on procrastination and your work load will feel much more manageable.

10 Great Songs You've Proabably Never Heard

Dramarama - I Haven't Got A Clue

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An8NNoL2iNE&feature=youtu.be

Morcheeba - The Sea

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOzIdqBKy6k&feature=youtu.be

The Zombies - This Will Be Our Year

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmuswTEGF-U&feature=youtu.be

Squeeze - Wrong Side Of The Moon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMiS_E0hq1I&feature=youtu.be

Alice Cooper - Halo of Flies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rE7LWDmnRY&feature=youtu.be

The Beach Boys - Feel Flows

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPPq_Cdarig&feature=youtu.be

Michael Petak - Wrecking Ball

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF3zjbdggL8&feature=youtu.be

Aimee Mann - That's Just What You Are

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArXL7uEQsEg&feature=youtu.be

Katatonia - The Racing Heart

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rswNcz_U8Lg&feature=youtu.be

Steven Wilson - Drive Home

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycYewhiaVBk&feature=youtu.be

10 Quotes to Live By

• "Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you'd have preferred to talk." --Doug Larson

• "There's always room for a story that can transport people to another place." --J.K. Rowling 

•  "Always be a first-rate version of yourself and not a second-rate version of someone else." --Judy Garland

•  "None of us is as smart as all of us." --Ken Blanchard

•  "The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails." -William Arthur Ward

•  "Fall seven times and stand up eight." -Japanese Proverb

•  "There is no passion to be found playing small--in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living." -Nelson Mandela

•  "Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity." -George S. Patton

•  "You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can be grateful that thorn bushes have roses." -Tom Wilson

•  "This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness." -Dalai Lama

Just Some Helpful Tips to Save Money

Doctor Barter

According to Consumer Watchdog, everything in health care is negotiable. Ask for a discount! You can get a medical costs report from HealthGrades.com. Click on “Health Manager” to find the going rate in your area for more than 50 different procedures. Armed with the facts, you’ll be in a better position to negotiate. Or call your insurer’s customer service number and ask about the rates it pays physicians in your area. These rates are typically lower than the sticker price set by providers. Ask your doctor if she’ll accept a similar amount.

Go to a walk-in clinic
For routine issues like an earache or sore throat, visit a clinic (even retail stores like Walmart have them). Some take insurance, but if they don’t or you don’t have coverage, the cost will typically be affordable. Plus, no appointment is necessary.

Dental school is cool
Try going to a clinic at a major dental school; it will be staffed by closely supervised students in their final years of training. The cost is about 50% less than for dentists in private practice. To find a school, go to ada.org and search under the “Dental Professionals” section.

Evaluate Insurance plans annually
Last year’s plan may not suit you this year. If you have health insurance through an employer, review your options each year. Did you get married? Divorced? Does your spouse have a better plan that would be cheaper? Here’s your chance to switch without losing benefits. Shop around for auto coverage as well, a lot times your current provider will match or beat competitor's prices.

Grocery Tips
Milk - Instead of buying milk at grocery stores, go to mini-marts and gas stations, which sometimes offer a better price than grocery stores. Powdered milk also is an option, replacing liquid milk in recipes that need it.

Beef, pork and poultry - Buy in bulk. To avoid spoilage, put the meat in the freezer. Consumers also can save money on ground beef by mixing it in with ground turkey or another type of cheap, ground meat. Consumers also should try to find cheaper cuts because there are ways to make them just as appetizing as their pricier counterparts. With chicken, find cuts with the bone, because boneless and skinless cuts can be more expensive.

Buy fruits and veggies "in-season." When you buy produce in season, you're getting a huge price break, Cellfire says. Here's a good list of in-season fruits and veggies from Wisebread.com.

Stack manufacturer and store coupons and stock up (within reason) when things are on sale.

6 Legitimate Ways Anyone Can Make Money Online

Even you can make money online! Yes, it is true.
There are many legitimate ways to earn extra cash and supplemental income online. Nowadays, anyone can do it.
If you want to bring in some additional income to help with the household bills, save for a vacation or get yourself out of debt, there are many websites online to get you started. You don’t have to be highly experienced or have a long resume to work with any of these four websites to begin making money online.

1. SliceThePie

SliceThePie has to be one of the coolest websites for making money online! Get paid to listen to a song and then write a brief review to give the artist your feedback.

Although this gig doesn’t pay enough to count as a job, it is something you can do any time, day or night. Additionally, SliceThePie pays to your PayPal account a few days after you withdraw your funds (provided you have reached the minimum $10 cash-out threshold).

There is no application process, just sign up and begin earning money. SliceThePie is a fun way to make some extra cash when you have a few spare moments through the day.

2.Textbroker

Textbroker works with people from all over the United States to write very basic articles on a wide variety of topics. For instance, my first Textbroker article was on the topic of how to properly hang curtains. I spent a few minutes finding a few articles online as my resource and quickly typed up the short article.

Although Textbroker does have an application process, it is very light and almost everyone who can use proper grammar, lives in the US, and speaks English is quickly accepted.

The greatest benefit of writing for Textbroker is their quick weekly pay to your PayPal account.

3. Fiverr

Fiverr is making a huge wave with freelancers online. Anyone can make money using Fiverr. Just create an account and begin thinking up things you can do virtually for five bucks!

Whatever your specialty may be, from proofreading articles to giving tips about how to feed an iguana, there is no limit! You can also make things (like a pair of earrings) and sell for five bucks, just add an additional shipping cost that the buyer will be responsible for.

Fiverr is a fun way to make money, however, they do keep a portion of your earnings (everyone’s gotta make money). After Fiverr keps their portion and you pay your PayPal fees, you usually see around $3.77 per gig. So, keep that in mind when brainstorming the services you will offer at Fiverr.

4. Amazon Mechanical Turk

Mturk is an internet marketplace that enables individuals or businesses to co-ordinate the use of human intelligence to perform tasks that computers are currently unable to do. Requesters post tasks known as HITs (Human Intelligence Tasks). Workers can browse tasks such as choosing the best among several photographs of a store-front, writing product descriptions, censoring videos or identifying performers on music CDs. 

Payments for HITs range from cents to $40+, although many are around $1. The minimum cash out threshold is $10, which is not bad, because you can get to that level relatively quickly. Payments for completing tasks can be redeemed on Amazon.com via gift certificate or be later transferred to a Worker's U.S. bank account. With the great variety of tasks available it is definitely worth a look.

5. QuickTate

QuickTate is a general transcription company that mostly deals with transcribing voice mail into text. It is a fun job, listening to other people’s phone’s voice messaging system and typing out what is said.

Unfortunately, QuickTate doesn’t pay much for this work, but their application process is very simple and easy to pass.

Many people use QuickTate as a way to gain some general transcription experience and ease their way into becoming a genuine freelance transcriptionist. Working online at QuickTate is a great way to hone your typing and listening skills.

6. HulkCoin

HulkCoin is a website where you earn HulkCoins. You can earn these by doing surveys, playing games, completing offers or you can watch HulkTV! I spent a good amount of time watching Food Network Videos and got a nice amount of HCs while learning new recipes.

You can then spend these on a vast selection of gift cards or prizes. They also have raffles for paypal gift cards that you can enter for a small amount of HulkCoins. This site is more geared toward having a good time rather than making lots of cash.