Ever since we were little we’ve known that plagiarizing is a bad thing.  We’ve learned that is a bad thing to take someone elses work and claim it as our own.  Although it is a bad thing no matter what school you go to, in college it is a serious issue.  You never want to plagiarize in college or get caught doing it.  If you do, you will have some serious consequences to face.  What may those consequences be?

Automatic F – If you get caught plagiarizing in a class, you may automatically get an F.  There are usually no ifs ands or buts about this one.  So lets say you’re almost done with the semester, all your hard work won’t even matter because you may fail regardless.

The name – A lot of times professors will even label your name as a plagiarizer.  This means, they will inform your other and future professors about what you’ve done so they can pay extra close to what you’re doing.  This definitely isn’t something you want to be known as!

Suspended – If you plagiarize, you may even get suspended from your class.  This means you can’t come to class until you’re allowed to.  During this time you may even miss out on taking exams or important lectures.

Kicked out of college- Usually if you get caught plagiarizing more than once, you will get completely kicked out of the college.  This is no fun, so you want to make sure you think twice about what you’re doing.

As you can see, plagiarizing in college is a serious issue.  All professors are told to really be hard on the students that plagiarize.  We all know it’s not right, so make sure you’re careful about ever paper you hand in.  Professors even have software to make sure what you hand in was never written by somebody else!

When in college we usually have a lot of presentations to give.  A lot of us dread this because we hate trying to memorize stuff, and we hate getting up in larger crowds.  Although, one way to make a presentation more professional, and less stressful is by considering a power point presentation.  These are more fun to give, and a lot easier.  If you’re allowed to do this for your presentation, consider some of these tips to make it even better.

Slides – First, you’re going to want to pick out the slides you want to show throughout your entire slide show.  Pick out these, make sure they look okay, and go with what you’re presenting.

Font – There are some pretty cool fonts out there, but don’t choose anything that will be hard too read, especially ones like cursive.  Stick to the popular ones like Arial, or Times New Roman to make sure everyone can read your slides.

Color -  A lot of students like to choose all of these bright colors or dark colors, but really you just want to pick a nice color that is easy to read.  Also, don’t let your font color blend in with your slides color this will make things really hard to read. 

Spell check – Make sure you always spell check what you’ve written.  You don’t want to get up in front of anyone, read what’s on the slide, and then get confused by a word you’ve spell wrong.  That will distract you, embarrass you, and get you off to a bad start.

Add – If you make a power point and all it is is slides with writing on them, you may loose your audience.  Try to mix it up a little bit add some pictures, add a graph or chart, and break up the writing every once and a while.

Power points can be pretty fun to make if you’re creative and have fun with it.  If you’re looking to get a really good grade, consider some of these tips listed above.  They will help you, allow your crowd to focus more, and it will be easier to present.

Every year, thousands of students consider taking a break from college.  What many don’t realize is that once they take that break, there’s no motivation in going back to class.  Yes, some do go back, but the majority don’t.  So, how do you take a break, and go back in the future?

Set up a set schedule – If you want to take a break for a semester, that’s okay, because yes, college can be frustrating, I find it easier to get it all done at once, rather than over eight years.  Your goal today is to set up a date, and stick to it.  If you’re going to take a break in the winter, do you want to go back in the spring?  in the summer?  Know when you’ll go back.

Don’t be a bum – Yes, it’s easy to take a 15 week break, and do absolutely nothing.  Guess what?  If you’re going to do this, you’re not going to want to do anything, and that’s no way to live a life.  When you’re taking your break, go out and get a job, volunteer, and keep yourself busy from day to day.

Prepare your future - When you went into college, you probably had a plan.  Once you take that break, your future is going to change.  It’s your duty now to know what you’re going to do now.  Are you going to get a new job?  Are you going to go to another school?  It’s always best that you have your future lined up.

Yes, it’s hard to go back to school, and while I recommend that many try to duke it out for the four years or so, you may need that break, and it’s understandable.  As long as you have motivation, and you’re willing to go back, give it a shot, and enjoy your break!

Ah, we’re finally out of college for the summer, and the 4th of July is just right around the corner.  We love the sunny days, sleeping in again, and enjoying the fun times with our family and friends.  What are your plans for the 4th of July?  If you’re not sure what you’re doing this year, there are several fun ways to spend the holiday.  Consider these ideas to make this holiday is a blast and something to look forward!

BBQ – Mmm we all love a good BBQ!  Get some good hotdogs and hamburgers, the grill going, and have a good feast!  Also, be sure to invite your friends and family over to join of course!

Fireworks – It seems like we always know someone that does the fireworks, but if not, no big deal.  Most parks will do a ton of fireworks for the town.  So, look on the Internet, or keep your eyes peeled for something in the paper.

Friends and family – Friends and family are always a good time!  See what their plans are, and see if you can tag along with them.  They will make the holiday even more enjoyable.  Don’t forget your camera!

Swimming – We all love to swim on a nice hot summer day.  Get your bathing suit, and head to either the nearest lake or go to someones house that has a pool.

Party – Don’t know of anyone throwing a party?  Throw your own party!  Get your friends and family over, have a BBQ, and enjoy some nice fireworks towards the evening.

Significant other – The 4th of July is a great day and night to spend with your significant other.  If you can, make the day and night romantic, enjoy the fireworks, and enjoy each other’s company.

The Fourth of July is such a fun time of year.  Everyone is finally out of school for the summer, and the summer months are full of beautiful weather and fun times.  So, if you didn’t have plans this 4th of July, be sure to consider some of these ideas!

We often tend to wait until the last minute to get gifts, but this Mother’s Day make sure you’re prepared.  As we all know, Mother’s Day only comes once a year, and you want to make sure her day is extremely special!  Since most college students are on a pretty tight budget, we can’t spend a whole lot, but the thought really does count.  Instead of spending more than we can afford, lets take a look at what gifts we can give on a college student budget!

Art – Moms love things made by their kids.  No matter what age they are, it always make them smile.  Be creative, and make mom something special.  Whether you make jewelry, you can crochet, sew, draw, paint, etc make mom something neat that will make her smile.

Pictures – Moms also love pictures of their children.  Get a nice picture of you, your siblings and your dad so she can see the most important people in her life all the time.  Whether you take it a a park, in the backyard on a nice day, whatever, just put it in a nice frame once you’re done.

Gift cards – We also know that moms love to shop.  If you can, get a gift card to her favorite restaurant, store, get a gas card, etc.  There are several gift cards out there, and if you’re having trouble finding one, go to your local CVS, they usually have an awesome selection!

Jewelry – Most moms love to wear jewelry. If you can, get a good deal on a nice bracelet, necklace, or pair of earrings.  Most jewelry stores are pretty reasonable, and you can get something nice for a great price!

Chores – If you’re on a really tight budget, your mom will understand.  Just let her know, yet offer to do some work around the house.  Ask her what you can help her with.  Whether it’s cutting the grass, cleaning the house, or running errands with her.  She will appreciate anything you do for her.

There are several gift ideas out there for mom.  Do what you can, let her know how special she is to you, and treat her good on her day.  Mother’s Day only comes once a year, so make sure you make the most out of it!