Reading Time: 2 minutes Attending a standard university as a nontraditional student can feel isolating. Our expert offers tips on how to get support if you feel you’re not being seen or heard.

Reading Time: 2 minutes Our academic advisor explains learning style models. Find out which one best fits your learning style.

Reading Time: 6 minutes Avoid the temptation to cheat by improving your time management and citation skills.

Reading Time: 5 minutes Do you already forget what today’s lecture was about? Learn how to improve short-term memory and boost your test scores with five simple lifestyle habits.

Reading Time: 6 minutes Learn how exercise boosts your brain power, lowers stress, and increases energy.

Reading Time: 6 minutes Sleep deprivation can affect more than just your tiredness; it can have a major impact on your immune system, weight, stress level, and focus.

Reading Time: 5 minutes A recent graduate reflects on what transition angst feels like, and our counselor suggests resources and strategies that help.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

—Daniel A., Portland State University, Oregon

Let me start with a confession: I was not the world’s best group project member. In fact, I was pretty bad. Why? Because I was focused on the “project” and not the “group,” which means I bulldozed over the humans I had to work with to get that A. Little did I know that I had missed the opportunity to develop important people skills that I am still working on.

Hopefully, some of your group members will be more experienced with, and enthusiastic about, group work than I was. You might be worried if you’re working with a mix of older, younger, more experienced, and less experienced students, but there’s no reason to be. In fact, there are some real benefits to having a mix of ages and experience levels in a group environment. Here are some:

• Students returning to college after time away typically spent time in the job market, and that means they’ve had more time to refine their collaborative skills. Use this to your advantage by asking for their real-world tips on group work. Their experiences can help shape your approach.
• Older students typically know their strengths and weaknesses because they’ve had more time to figure them out. They will likely know where they’ll be most helpful. Just ask.
• Many nontraditional students are juggling full-time work, careers, families, and care-giving with their student life. While that may make them busier, it also makes them more likely to seriously focus on their tasks and want to get the most from the experience.

You might run into a few problems here and there with scheduling, especially if some of your group mates have more responsibilities than others. Here are a few ideas for working through schedule conflicts:

Use your first meeting to establish how many times you’ll need to meet and how long those meetings will be. Then get them on everyone’s calendar.

Be clear about what work can be done remotely. You don’t need to go over every single detail of people’s tasks in person. In fact, a lot of the work can likely be completed independently so you can use the meeting time to review and get on the same page. Clarify what work each of you can do remotely and how you’ll check in when you’re not face-to-face.

Set communication expectations. Exchange contact info, make a group text or chat, or start an email chain to send updates and check in. This can reduce the time needed to meet in person and can make your meetings more efficient.

Use collaborative technology in place of meeting times if scheduling gets hectic. A shared Google Doc or presentation gives everyone the chance to see progress and provide feedback, no matter where they are or what time of day it is.

Once you’ve figured out how to make it work for everyone, figure out how the project is going to work overall. Here are a few more tips:

• Determine individuals’ preferences. Your first meeting should establish who prefers to do what task. Your group members know their strengths and weaknesses, and they should use that knowledge to choose tasks that play to their strengths. Here’s where that experience comes in handy.
• Assign tasks and deadlines…but be flexible. Life will get in the way and humans will do human things—such as not deliver on their task—so be prepared that even if you have a clear plan in place for completing the project, there will need to be adjustments. It’s part of the process!
• Be honest. Ask for group members’ honesty as they work on their tasks. A member can’t deliver what was promised? That member needs to let the group know immediately. Make an agreement that honesty will be encouraged and supported.
• Get it done without malice. Many times, I have been the one who came in at the end and took care of the incomplete tasks, and many times, I had a bad attitude about it. I encourage you to keep focused on the completion of the project and do what is needed without getting angry at group members who didn’t do what they promised. This is a good lesson in meeting “real world” deadlines and working with people effectively.

Reading Time: 8 minutes[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Rate this article and enter to win 
Climbing into the lifeguard chair for the summer? Decorating your cubicle at your new internship? In a recent survey by SH101, two out of three students who responded said they expected to have at least one job or internship this summer. Whatever you’re doing, for whatever reason, it’s worth strategizing about ways you can use the experience to develop leadership skills.

Why leadership? Two reasons: First, employers love leadership. Four out of five employers look for leadership skills on new college graduates’ résumés, according to the Job Outlook 2016 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Second, “leadership” is broad enough that you can potentially find ways to demonstrate relevant characteristics and skills in any situation, including working as a lifeguard or camp counselor. For more comprehensive resources, and to make your summer work on your résumé, see Get help or find out more.

What counts as leadership?

Here’s why it’s worth getting comfortable with the idea of yourself as a potential leader. Not all leaders have the title “president” or boss other people around. Leadership is about having influence and inspiring others to take productive action. When you think about leadership, remember these key points:

• Leadership takes many different forms, and not all of them are readily apparent.
• Leadership spans many skill sets and personality types.
• Anyone can learn to lead, even in unconventional situations.

[/vc_column_text][vc_tta_accordion shape=”square” c_icon=”chevron” active_section=”” collapsible_all=”true”][vc_tta_section title=”What skills are relevant to leadership?” tab_id=”1501521859510-e4bfe99a-9711″][vc_column_text]We can hone leadership skills without winning a war or finding a cure for disease. Leadership includes these skills and more:

• Interpersonal communication
• Community-building actions that strengthen a shared sense of purpose
• Conflict resolution and teamwork
• Motivating and supporting others, including acknowledging their efforts
• Managing your time, and helping others manage theirs, including delegating tasks and keeping a group on track
• Including people who are often marginalized and excluded
• Giving and receiving constructive criticism
• Innovative thinking

Does everything have to be about your résumé?

As much as we’re talking here about career potential, other goals are valuable too: earning money, developing yourself personally, keeping busy, and having fun. It’s OK if your summer isn’t directly about building your résumé. It’s worth thinking about it through that lens, however, because you might find that your role has some career relevance that you hadn’t spotted initially. For example, working retail or in the food industry can build customer service and communication skills.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][/vc_tta_accordion][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

3 strategies to build leadership experience you can use later

1  Remember that metrics matter:

Hiring managers want to know the numbers. Use statistics and precise information. How many events did you help staff? Your organization or club’s social media followers grew by what percentage? How much money did you help raise? How many like-minded organizations did you reach out to about a potential collaboration? When you took over tracking inventory, how much of your boss’s time did you free up for them to work on growing the business? Track your activities and tasks on a spreadsheet for easy access in a job search.

How to keep track of your workplace goals and accomplishments

• When you’re getting started in your job or internship, talk to your supervisor about realistic, measurable goals. For example, your goals may include writing a certain number of blog posts, signing up a certain number of customers for a rewards program, or developing enough knowledge that you can take on some managerial duties before the end of the summer. Look for some element of challenge and an opportunity to show your skills and effort, but not setting the goals so high that you can’t meet them. Your supervisor can help you figure out what’s attainable.
• Keep a simple spreadsheet outlining what you did in the job or internship. This can help your current supervisor write future letters of recommendation, help you flesh out your résumé and LinkedIn profile, and help you prepare for interviews. You might be amazed at what you accomplish in one summer.

2  Think about ways to add value:

Future interviewers will want to hear your stories about specific projects, ideas, or accomplishments. Here’s what that could look like.

Find ways to demonstrate your initiative
Managers love when employees or interns propose new projects to expand their programs or increase revenue. These types of projects show innovation, creativity, and commitment, all valuable leadership traits. It’s especially valuable if your initiative will be sustainable when you’re no longer around to do it. Just make sure you have enough time to complete the tasks you were initially assigned and are in a position to take on any extra work.

Consider what you could accomplish this summer:

• If you’re interning at a small nonprofit, you might volunteer to create a spreadsheet and tracking system for prospective donors.
• If you’re working retail at a local business, you might volunteer to redesign the store’s website or brochures to attract new customers from the local college.
• If you’re a sleepaway camp counselor, you might design and lead a new activity to keep campers engaged.
• If you’re at the mom-and-pop ice cream stand, you may want to highlight your readiness to work a double shift to cover for coworkers who bailed, or your willingness to design T-shirts or signs.

3  Think about how these experiences could transfer to your career:

Future employers want to know that you can apply those same skills to their own organizations and challenges. When preparing for job interviews, plan how you’ll tell your stories of overcoming challenges, developing your own projects, and helping your employer accomplish their goals. The creativity, persistence, and dedication that you put into that new sign, updated database, or increased Facebook “likes” could translate into real, usable assets at your future company (depending on their strategic goals).[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

How to approach barriers affecting marginalized communities

If you have a condition that may be relevant to your presentation or performance, it can be useful to address it (without necessarily disclosing a diagnosis). For example:

• “Verbal instructions can be harder for me to remember. It would be helpful if you could give me written notes or emails about my assignments to make sure I have what I need to do my best.”
• “This is my first time working in an office—I hope to learn a lot this summer. It would be great if you could point out to me how things work, even if you think it might seem obvious, so I can learn even more.”

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Put this into practice: How to make it work in person and on paper

Almost any work placement can provide opportunities to develop leadership skills. Here, students identify what they learned from short-term roles in four different fields. Jeff Onore, a career coach based in Massachusetts, discusses how they can present that experience to employers—in person or on paper. These strategies are relevant to a wide range of career interests, skills, and experiences.[/vc_column_text][vc_tta_tabs style=”modern” color=”white” alignment=”center” active_section=”1″][vc_tta_section title=”In the interview” tab_id=”1493228642125-0c9722da-f085″][vc_column_text]

Student perspective	How to talk about it
Government agency
“I worked with [a county probation department], and I was taught to be more responsible and take deadlines seriously. I also learned that you yourself are solely responsible for your work and to always double-check [everything].” —Third-year undergraduate, California State University, Channel Islands	“Working with a probation department tells me the student is mature and professional. Employers like to see people do challenging things in challenging environments. Stress the fast pace as well as the empathy you need to work in that field.”
Childcare
“I gained a lot of leadership skills in a job in a daycare. Working with children aged six weeks to five years presents a new challenge every day, sometimes basic and other times very complicated. It requires making a lot of judgment calls on your feet and then communicating about your decisions to parents and supervisors later.” —First-year graduate student, University of Delaware	“Own this; confidently say [you] gained leadership skills working in a daycare, a role that some people would play down. You can say, for example, ‘One thing I’ve learned about leadership: You need to stay calm.’”

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”On your résumé” tab_id=”1493228642186-b43ebd6b-78d5″][vc_column_text]

Student perspective	How to talk about it
Amateur theater
“As stage manager for a college play, I knew that some cast members got along better than others, but all had to interact. After and before rehearsals, I’d ensure everyone was in a decent mood, and work out any misgivings.” —Fourth-year undergraduate, Wayland Baptist University, Texas	“Stage Manager, 2014–2017: Four major productions: South Pacific, The King & I, Romeo and Juliet, The Bachelor Goes Live. Casts of 20–40; crews included lighting, sound, props, and costumes; coordinated these often conflicting departments and teams.”
Summer camp
“I was a camp counselor, which makes it easy to gain authority over the group, but more difficult to have a common communication basis where they feel comfortable talking to you about what they need [while also respecting] rules you set into place.” —Third-year undergraduate, University of Central Arkansas	Include the metrics, and put some meat on the role: “22 campers, 24/7 responsibility Organized camp-wide Olympics, securing buy-in from the head counselors and students. Facilitated the closing ceremonies for audience of families, recognizing each student.”

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][/vc_tta_tabs][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Presenting the tough stuff: How 5 students can address workplace obstacles

The workplace brings frustrations and constraints, as well as opportunities. Here, students describe five barriers that may make it harder for them to transfer certain skills and experiences into jobs after graduation. Jeff Onore, a career coach based in Massachusetts, looks at ways to approach it. These strategies are relevant to a wide range of career interests, skills, and experiences.

Student perspective	Expert perspective
1.  Gender/sexuality bias
“I am unsure if I can give my most valuable leadership positions—as president and vice president of finance of the Queer Student Alliance—on my résumé, for fear of discrimination or implicit bias against me.” —Second-year undergraduate, Tulane University, Louisiana	“There may be room to say you effected social change as president of a student alliance. Be prepared at your interview to be asked the name of the organization. If you’re applying to pretty liberal employers—universities, arts, etc.—this may not be an issue. In more conservative fields, the reality is that this can be trickier to navigate.”
2.  Sexual harassment
“Sexual harassment has caused me to leave an internship at a law firm.” —Second year graduate student, Johns Hopkins University, Maryland	“No one will ask why you left an internship the way they might ask why you left a job. In this case, focus on what you learned in the internship.”
3.  Economic hardship
“It’s very difficult to participate in unpaid internships, offered by many nonprofits, when the cost of higher education is so debilitating.” —Fourth-year graduate student, Emory University, Georgia	“Employers understand that financing college imposes more constraints on some students than others. If you don’t have much internship experience in your field, go right to this framing: It was important for you to work, and this is what you accomplished in the jobs you held (your good work ethic, your time management, and so on).”
4.  Deafness and disability discrimination
“[It was problematic that I had] no access to communication: American Sign Language, transcripts, closed captioning, etc.” —First-year graduate student, California State University, Northridge	“If your college has connections with companies that do a good job accommodating deaf and disabled employees, start there. Some employers can be identified through the Lime Connect Network for the STEM fields or through chapters of the US Business Leadership Network in all fields. Disclosing deafness or a disability is unpredictable—some employers will be much more receptive than others. In the US, your right to reasonable accommodations on the job is protected by federal law. You can encourage an employer to contact the Job Accommodation Network for free expert help in figuring out accommodations. Or you might decide an employer isn’t worth the struggle.” —Lucy Berrington, editor of Student Health 101
5. Age and gender discrimination
“Discrimination based on age and gender is something that I have been faced with, as I am a young female in the engineering field, which is predominately male. I know I am sometimes underestimated and pushed aside by peers because of this, but it only fuels my fire to be stronger and show them my leadership skills.” —First-year graduate student, Villanova University, Pennsylvania	“The STEM fields are looking to recruit more women. Recognize your value to them. There may be a certain amount of age and gender discrimination, so it’s important to determine what the company culture is like. The first thing to do is to network through the engineering department at your school. People are often kind to those who have had a similar experience. Look at Glassdoor.com for information about the culture at corporate engineering departments, and use internships to take the temperature of different work environments. A large company may prioritize discrimination training; a small company may give you a chance to get certain kinds of experience more quickly.”

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

[survey_plugin] Article sources[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Reading Time: 2 minutes

—Jordan V.*, University of North Dakota

(*Name changed)

As I write this response, I’m listening to a radio station, checking Facebook (for the news, really), and monitoring my email for…well, in case I can find something urgent that needs a response. (By the way, there were no urgent emails when I just checked. I guess I need to finish this response.)

This is all to tell you that I, probably like you, am a distracted person. It has gotten worse as I have found more entertaining things to do to keep my mind off my work. I mean, cute cat videos are fun, and they make me feel better when I’m procrastinating. However, we all have deadlines and work to do, which is why I have created a list of tips to help you stay focused.

1. Acknowledge you have a problem

This is the first step to making a change. If you know you get easily distracted, you will more likely change your behaviors. How do you know you have a problem? One sign: Completing tasks takes you much longer than you think it should. Another: You find yourself completing assignments with barely any time to spare (or late), when you’ve actually had plenty of notice.

2. Set a time and place for distractions

Yes, you need to treat distractions as you would your work, instead of letting them “show up” whenever they want. Just as you schedule time for studying or writing a paper, you should also schedule time for checking your Twitter feed or Snapchat. For example, set a timer for 45–50 minutes to work on a task or study for a test. Then take a timed break for 5–10 minutes.

3. Fake it till you make it

Sometimes distractions lure us away from our work because we aren’t that enthusiastic about what we must do. A 20-page paper on the economy of an ancient civilization? Hmm…that may not shout “exciting activity,” which is why, by contrast, our diversions are welcome. If you find yourself faced with a task that is important—such as studying for a final exam—tell yourself, whether you believe it or not, “This task will be interesting,” or “I can improve my skills by completing this assignment and that will help me in the future.” Repeating these claims can motivate you to keep going when you want to find something else to do.

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Rate this article and enter to win
Based on This is how to be productive; 5 new secrets proven by research by Eric Barker at Barking Up The Wrong Tree

[survey_plugin] Article sources

Reading Time: 3 minutes

—Jayden*, Portland State University, Oregon

Yes, in ways both large and small. Are there students who drink from time to time and still manage to get good value out of their investment in higher education? Of course. In fact, most students would fit this description. But alcohol can still impair your learning experience. Here are several ways that this can happen:

Time lost to intoxication, hangovers, and/or injuries

If you’re drinking, you aren’t in a state to concentrate or remember, meaning you aren’t learning. For many college students, drinking is part of blowing off steam and relaxing after a hard few hours of academic work. In moderation, this may not present any problems. You just have to weigh the risks and be conscientious in your decision-making. It’s certainly the case that drinking to the point of being sick or having to go to the hospital, or getting in fights or injured, will likely soak up much more time than you’ve budgeted. If you have a big paper due Monday, perhaps it would make sense to take a weekend off from drinking so you have plenty of time to complete your work at a high-quality level. I often challenge students to take two to three weeks off from drinking just to prove to themselves that they can, and to see what it’s like.

Reduced sleep quality and impaired memory formation

Learning has several components. You have to be concentrating when exposed to ideas, in order to form short-term memories. While you sleep, those short-term memories are consolidated into long-term memories. Research has shown a linear relationship between hours of sleep and GPA—in other words, the more you sleep, the better you do academically.

Not sleeping enough, or getting poor-quality sleep, impedes long-term memory formation and thus the learning process. Drinking often affects decision-making, leading you to stay up later than you’d planned, and the sleep that you get when intoxicated is relatively poor quality (though it’s healthier than engaging in other activities while intoxicated; e.g., driving).

Reduced control of emotions (e.g., higher risk of depression)

There are many reasons not to drink on a particular night. Maybe you’re sick or taking medication. Maybe you have a big test the next day, or want to do well at tryout. Maybe you just don’t feel like it. At the top of the list is depression and anxiety. If you are unhappy, don’t drink. Very few things in this world are 100 percent true, but this is one of them: Drinking will worsen your experience of depression. There are much better medicines than alcohol. Ask for help at your student health center or counseling center.

Relationship complications causing upset and distraction from learning

Drinking amplifies most emotions. This can lead to euphoria, arousal, the belief that you’re an amazing dancer, and so on. Drinking can also lead to drama, and sometimes physical violence.  It’s your life, of course. Personally, I find my life complicated enough without alcohol ramping things up.

Getting in trouble

Getting in trouble for underage possession, intoxication, vandalism, or anything else does not provide any short-term benefit to your educational experience.

Addiction

For some students, the stakes are much higher than getting a B instead of the A- you were capable of. About 10–15 percent of people are at particularly high risk for addiction. Their brains are wired in such a way that they struggle to control their relationship with alcohol and/or other substances.  Unless they get help, and that help is effective, they are at high risk for suffering serious consequences, such as damaged relationships, financial difficulties, and the inability to complete their schooling on schedule. Sometimes it takes a serious consequence, like failing out of school, to help them come to terms with their condition. But ideally the problem would be identified and rectified before the consequences became profound.

(*Name changed)