Running a Business while studying

It’s hard to find work. Student fees are the highest they’ve ever been. Accommodation is expensive. How can you make university pay?

For many students, starting a business is the answer. University provides a time during which you can hone your entrepreneurial instincts, while still retaining the security of your student loan.

So, if you are considering running a business while a student, how can you make it work for you?

Discipline yourself

Running a business in your spare time requires a huge amount of discipline from the outset. You need to identify the periods during which you can concentrate on your business, and the periods during which you need to focus on your studies, and stick to that plan. Try to plan around exam times and assignment hand-ins. Remember that you will be taken away from your business at these junctures, and that you will need to work this into your medium-term planning and goal-setting. If you are to succeed in both business and study, you need to maintain the discipline necessary to separate those two lives while devoting enough time to each.

Don’t pretend you can do it all

Running a business, keeping up with your studies, and, perhaps, working a part-time job - this combination will be exhausting. It is important to understand your limits, and to recognise when you cannot do it all.

For many entrepreneurs, study will remain the key priority. Most wish to secure the best grades they can, while still giving their business the push it deserves. You should understand, though, that this may require you to make sacrifices elsewhere in life. You are unlikely, for example, to be able to live the ‘classic’ student lifestyle. While this may not sound like too big a deal, it is important that you recognise the impact that running a business will have on the rest of your life.

Use the facilities

It is likely that your university offers a range of services and facilities for startup businesses. Many campuses now include business ‘incubators’, which offer space and support to new firms. These can be a key means by which startups get the help they need in their formative periods.

Even if there is no incubator at your university, there will almost certainly be other facilities to help you get your venture off the ground. You may be able to seek advice from business mentors, or even just use the library to conduct research for your business plan. You might also consider joining a business society, in which you may be able to find other, likeminded entrepreneurs with whom you can swap ideas.

Think carefully about debt

With the launch of the Start-Up Loans Company, non-bank business finance is easier than ever for young people to come by. Start-Up Loans are generally extended on the basis of the strength of the application, rather than on the applicant’s credit history, and they are actively aimed at young entrepreneurs.

These may therefore seem like an appealing proposition for students starting a business. However, some Start-Up Loans ‘delivery partners’ have been criticised for targeting university students too aggressively. You should remember that taking on debt of this sort is a major commitment. Although Start-Up Loans are backed by the government, they are not grants; you will need to pay them back. While you are also accruing student debt, you should make sure that you give proper consideration to the long-term implications before you borrow more.

Don’t be afraid to fail

One of the great advantages of running a business while a student is that it gives you the opportunity to try, but fail. This might not sound like a good thing, but in reality failure can be a hugely valuable experience. Although you should, of course, treat your business with exactly the same care and respect as you would if it were a full-time pursuit, running a firm as a student provides you with the fall-back of your student loan and, potentially, a part-time job. This means that you can take risks and learn in a potentially safer environment.

Good luck!

Reference: http://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/knowledge/articles/2013/08/running-student-business/

Group work or Individual work?

Group work can be a good idea when you want to get your students to think harder and dig deeper, and when some variety in skill levels and ways of thinking about things can be a benefit to all. Say a big math problem with lots of different steps.

 

Group work can help hone your students' skills in

·  listening to and respecting others' ideas;

·  thinking about one problem in a variety of ways;

· getting to a deeper level understanding through having to explain a perspective and discuss it with 4,folks with different perspectives;

· dividing up tasks and delegating responsibilities;

·sharing knowledge and abilities to get a better hold on a problem than they could individually;

· holding group members accountable and being held accountable back.

 

Individual work isn't just for those introverts out there. Sure, it is great for them to get a chance to think things through on their own, which is a comfier way to process new info for many introverts (which you can read a lot more about in this entire article about the needs of introverts and extroverts).

 

Still, it can be just as helpful for those who prefer group work to learn how to cope with the prospect of sitting still, keeping that noisy mouth shut, and puzzling out some answers without giving in to any and every distraction that comes along.

Individual work can help students:

v  gain independence to think things through on their own;

v  improve confidence in working through a problem, even when they don't feel certain about every step;

v  work at their own level, rather than having to adapt to suit their group members;

v  practice self-control—both in staying focused on the task at hand, and in having the willpower to avoid turning to a neighbor or asking the teacher for the answer;

v  get more comfortable taking actions on their own;

v  gain creativity and effective thinking processes that can apply to problem solving across a range of subjects and types of issues;

Reference: http://www.shmoop.com/teachers/curriculum/lesson-planning/group-vs-individual-work.html

Ways to survive from Homesickness

You may have planned out everything for your time in college. You contacted your roommate early. You have all your financial aid paperwork in order. You memorized a map of campus so you wouldn't get lost like a dork during the first week. But for all your planning, you may have not expected one major thing: homesickness.

Some students spend so long being eager to go off to school that they sometimes forget about all the things they love back home: home cooking, a quiet place to sleep, privacy, fewer responsibilities… No wonder so many students get homesick!

While homesickness can be a challenge, getting through it can be easier than you think if you follow a few tips:

1. Get out of your room:

 Chances are, you're most homesick when you're back in your room, Skyping with your friends, family, and boyfriend/girlfriend, or talking on the phone with the ones you miss the most. While it's OK to talk to the folks back home, it can sometimes turn into an unhealthy habit—and one that makes your homesickness worse. If you find yourself lonely and homesick in your room, make yourself go to a campus coffee shop and do your reading there. Head to a computer lab to write your paper, even if you have your own laptop. Study outside in the quad. Challenge yourself to get out of your room and be around other people.

2. Give yourself a day here and there to be sad—and then move on: 

If you're really struggling one day, just let yourself be sad and miss home. After all, there are probably legitimate things about being home that anyone in your situation would miss. The key with this plan, however, is to let yourself be sad for just one day. And after that one day passes, you have to move on. Get out of your room, go to a campus event, plan a study session with some friends, join a club, and make sure to focus on all the great things your school has to offer.

3. Turn your college into your home away from home: 

Your college will never replace the home you left. But it can happily turn into a beloved home away from home. Think about the things that you loved most about your pre-college life, and work to re-create those at your school. Did you have great friends? Make a point of meeting 10 new people each week. Did you love your community involvement? Volunteer with a campus volunteer center, run for student government, or work for the student newspaper. Did you enjoy the social scene? Find several clubs that focus on your interests and sign up to be involved with their events.

4. Know you're not alone: 

You may feel like you're the only person struggling with homesickness, but it simply isn't true. Take the initiative to reach out to other people. Plan a "home away from home" night in your room where everyone brings a blanket and some snacks over and watches a DVD. Better yet, consider grabbing some friends and volunteering at a local homeless or women's shelter. You'll be reminded of just how precious family is and how fortunate you are to be at school, too.


Reference: http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/the-college-experience/2011/09/28/5-ways-for-college-students-to-survive-being-homesick

Ways to handle your desire

Hello!

It is normal as a student they have so much desire. desire on what?

you know what i'm talking about, its FOOD!!

 










*drooling*

Most of them are demanding for junk foods such as KFC,McDonald, Dunkin Donuts and so much more, you name it!

but most of the food is so expensive that will make students pocket money empty real quick.

Its okay to have that kind of desire, but you should know the ways to handle it before it got worse!

1) calculate your monthly budget

If you could not stop your desire on junk food, make sure you count your budget to be spend on your favorite food. this way could prevent you from spending too much money just for junk food. 

*calculates* *headache*

2) TWICE a month.

To save up your money,it is okay to only spend twice a month for junk food. but you must comitted to it! or else you wont be able to save your money.

3) Money don't grow on trees.

As a student, you must bare in mind that money doesn't grow on tree! mostly student received their pocket money from their parents and college allowance. but that won't be enough for a month if you keep spending it without thinking the drawbacks. everytime you want to spend your money on junk food,always think of 'MONEY DON'T GROW ON TREES'. it is kind of motivation. try it!