All about online dating: The pros, cons, and things you need to know

Reading Time: 13 minutes Thinking of trying online dating but don’t know where to begin? We cover the good, the bad, and the ugly so you know what to expect before diving in.

Trending diets: What they are, why they don’t always work, and what to try instead

Reading Time: 11 minutes Discover what the evidence says about trending diets, and get some real-life tips for making healthy eating less confusing and more convenient.

Need a caffeine break? Here’s how to stay alert all day without it

Reading Time: 9 minutes Coffee consumption among young adults is at an all-time high. Find out how to cut back on caffeine and explore other ways to stay alert.

Your guide to birth control: How to find the best option that works for you

Reading Time: 9 minutes Learn about the usage, cost, and effectiveness of different types of birth control.

Suffering from a setback? How to take advantage of failure

Reading Time: 6 minutes We all need failure to grow. The key is learning how to respond to failure to make it work for you. Here are 4 ways you can turn your setbacks into success.

Turn stress into strategies: How to kill it at your interview

Reading Time: 11 minutes So you have an interview for a dream job or internship—score! Now what?

6 strategies to make healthy eating easier

Reading Time: 6 minutes Not only are diets unsustainable–they just don’t work. Instead, try these 6 expert-backed strategies to making eating healthy a cinch.

Take the fear out of networking and make it work for you

Reading Time: 10 minutes Learn how to get over your fear of networking and make authentic connections to boost your career success, including a 60-second “elevator pitch”.

Workout reboot: Use active rest to revamp your routine

Reading Time: 9 minutes Giving your body time to recover between workouts can actually be more beneficial than going hard seven days a week. Learn how to incorporate so-called “active rest” into your training routine to maximize your gains.

How to encourage students not to cheat

Reading Time: 3 minutes

It’s important for issues of academic integrity to be properly dealt with on every college campus. But how and why students cheat is rarely a black and white matter. As increasing academic pressures and technology in the classroom change the landscape of academic integrity, students and faculty must learn to address these issues and uphold academic standards.

“I believe, for the most part, students don’t come to college intending to cheat,” says James Black, director of the Center for Academic Achievement at Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania. “More often than not, they get overwhelmed and panic.”

There are many behaviors that constitute cheating and reasons why students cheat—paying someone to write a paper for them or sharing tests with one another, for example. But you can help prevent academic integrity violations through helping students with tangible tactics, such as better time management and encouraging the use of school resources (e.g., the writing lab or tutoring center) to help them prepare.

How to help students not feel pressured to cheat

Most students who cheat don’t set out with the intent to be dishonest—instead, they find themselves in a situation where cheating seems like the best or only option. “Often, students who cheat haven’t set aside enough time to complete a paper, start researching online at 2 a.m., and find themselves copying and pasting material to cobble together a paper,” says Jessica Waters, dean of undergraduate education at American University in Washington, DC. “This is a recipe for disaster.”

One of the best ways students can keep themselves out of a situation where they’re tempted to cheat is by practicing better time management. Here’s how to help make sure they don’t get to a point of despair.

Encourage them to compare syllabi.

For all their classes, at the beginning of each semester. This way, they can flag any due dates that fall close together, which can help them prepare as early as possible for test day.

Give them a time frame for how long an assignment could take.

When it comes to papers (even the short ones), it’s important that students “set aside enough time to thoroughly research, write it carefully, and then have time to check that [they] have properly attributed and cited any outside resources,” says Waters.

Hold extra help sessions.

If students do find themselves in trouble, encourage them to ask for help by coming to your office hours or contacting you to come up with a plan.

[school_resource sh101resources=’no’ category=’studentservices,studentsucess,studentsucess’]GET HELP OR FIND OUT MORE Article sources

James Black, director, the Center of Academic Achievement, Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.

David Rettinger, executive director, the Center for Honor, Leadership, and Service, and associate professor of psychology, University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Jessica Waters, dean of undergraduate students, American University, Washington DC.

Best College Reviews. (2012). Cheating in college: The numbers and research. Retrieved from https://www.bestcollegereviews.org/cheating/

Dillion. W. (26 June, 2006). Study examines why students cheat. Ames Tribune, as printed in USA Today. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2006-06-26-cheating-study_x.htm

Grasgreen, Ali. (16 March, 2012). Who cheats, and how. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/03/16/arizona-survey-examines-student-cheating-faculty-responses

Iowa State University News Service. (15 June, 2006). Why do some students cheat? They rationalize it, ISU research finds. Retrieved from http://www.public.iastate.edu/~nscentral/news/06/jun/rationalizing.shtml

Talk of the Nation. (19 July, 2010). Cheating in college is widespread—but why? National Public Radio. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128624207

Young, J. R. (18 March, 2010). Cheaters never win, at least in physics, a professor finds. Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/cheaters-never-win-at-least-in-physics-a-professor-finds/21895

How to help students manage their friendships

Reading Time: 2 minutes

College friendships aren’t confined to students’ lives on the weekends—they’re a key part of ensuring student health and success on campus. “Healthy friendships are important at every age,” says Dr. Marjorie Hogan, a board-certified pediatrician in adolescent medicine in Minnesota. “Strong friendships lead to positive mental and emotional health, providing acceptance, mutual affection, trust, respect, and fun.”

Social bonds can have a profound effect on students’ health and longevity. A 2010 review of studies found that those who have few friends or low-quality friendships are more likely to die early or develop serious health issues such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and even cancer. On the other hand, healthy social ties appear to boost the immune system, improve mental health, and lower stress.

Aside from the health benefits, fostering healthy social relationships helps promote student success beyond college. “People are going to be more successful in life if they’re developed emotionally and not just academically and professionally,” says Dr. Ellen Jacobs, an adolescent and adult psychologist in New York. “Universities should think of themselves as trying to develop a whole person—it’s not just about developing academics but also emotional intelligence.”

College can be a particularly challenging time period for developing healthy friendships. “There’s a lot of stress in college, and it can come out in relationships,” Dr. Jacobs says. Meanwhile, college students are still developing their definitions of healthy social bonds—and skills at building them. “It’s a developmental milestone in college to really fine-tune the kind of relationships you want to have in your life,” she says.

To help support healthy relationships among students:

  • Make relationships a topic included in campus health and wellness programming.
  • Have campus experts write blogs or share thought leadership about the importance of having personal relationships.
  • Focus on creating a positive community on campus.
  • Create explicit conflict-resolution guidelines and procedures for disputes on campus using peer mediators.
  • Make sure student counseling sessions are available to address a variety of interpersonal issues—not just anxiety and depression.
[school_resource sh101resources=’no’ category=’counselingservices,residentlife,studentlife,studentlife’]GET HELP OR FIND OUT MORE Article sources

Ian Connole, sport psychology consultant, Waynesburg University, Pennsylvania.

Marjorie Hogan, MD, pediatrician, University of Minnesota.

Ellen Jacobs, PhD, adolescent and adult psychologist, New York, New York.

Teresa Wallace, director of counseling and psychoeducational services, Casper College, Wyoming.

Hefner, J., & Eisenberg, D. (2009). Social support and mental health among college students. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 79(4), 491–499.

Umberson, D., & Karas Montez, J. (2010). Social relationships and health: A flashpoint for health policy. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 51, S54–S66. doi: 10.1177/0022146510383501

How to set your students up for studying success

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The majority of students retain information most effectively when blending a few different study methods. But setting students up for studying success begins before they get to the library.

Be up front

“Complete transparency about what it takes to study and retain the material is key,” says Amy Baldwin, director of the Department of Student Transitions at the University of Central Arkansas. “Letting students know that up front can be really impactful.”

  • When you announce tests or exams, consider including an estimate of how far in advance students should start studying to do well.
  • Have a successful former student talk to the class about how much time they dedicated to studying and what study tools they used.

Emphasize the “why”

Many students get a boost from knowing the “why,” or purpose, of material they’re being taught. “It’s very easy to dismiss something that doesn’t feel interesting or relevant,” Baldwin says. When material might not be directly relevant for their major, emphasize how the problem-solving or creative thinking skills they’re developing will help them later in life. “Learning to learn is a useful skill everyone can walk away with,” says Baldwin.

Champion study resources

Finally, do your part to normalize the use of outside help such as tutors and campus study centers. “Smart students go to tutoring—it’s not just for students who are struggling,” says Baldwin.

Here are some helpful tips

  • Provide practice tests: These are a tangible way to help students stay on track.
  • Encourage students to color-code materials to aid memorization.
  • Come up with acronyms for lists students need to memorize.
  • Create a concept sheet with key words, diagrams, and charts to summarize the material for each unit.
  • Assign/encourage study groups.
  • Record lectures and post them online for students to review.
  • Break any study materials down into small sections to help students space out their studying.
  • Encourage students to review lecture notes and add their own reflections or questions after class.

With some creativity, your students’ studying can be more effective and even enjoyable.

[school_resource sh101resources=’no’ category=’studentservices,academicsupport’]Get help or find out more [survey_plugin] Article sources

Amy Baldwin, director of the Department of Student Transitions, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, Arkansas.

Dr. Damien Clement, assistant professor of sport and exercise psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Carlson, S. (2005). The net generation goes to college. Chronicle of Higher Education, 52(1), 1–7. Retrieved from https://chronicle.com/article/The-Net-Generation-Goes-to/12307

Gurung, R. A. (2005). How do students really study (and does it matter)? Education, 39, 323–340. Retrieved from https://02c44f4.netsolhost.com/ebooks/tips2011/I-05-04Gurung2005.pdf

Komarraju, M., Karau, S. J., Schmeck, R. R., & Avdic, A. (2011). The big five personality traits, learning styles, and academic achievement. Personality and Individual Differences, 51(4), 472–477. Retrieved from https://ac.els-cdn.com/S0191886911002194/1-s2.0-S0191886911002194-main.pdf?_tid=1cc52fea-0920-11e3-8138-00000aab0f01&acdnat=1376952107_d8d9f6534a777cd4b523196c3175c933

Karpicke, J. D. (2012). Retrieval-based learning: Active retrieval promotes meaningful learning. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 21(3), 157–163. Retrieved from https://learninglab.psych.purdue.edu/downloads/2012_Karpicke_CDPS.pdf

Kornell, N. (2009). Optimising learning using flashcards: Spacing is more effective than cramming. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 23, 1297–1317. Retrieved from https://web.williams.edu/Psychology/Faculty/Kornell/Publications/Kornell.2009b.pdf

Heath, C., & Heath, D. (2007). Made to stick: Why some ideas survive and others die. Random House: New York.