CL’s Guide to College Graduation

Graduation has come for so many of us! Having just gone through, I can tell you it is an experience you will never forget. If you’re considering not walking, I highly encourage you to do so. You’ve worked so hard and come so far, so celebrate it! Here are some tips on how to prepare for the big day, and what comes next!

Make sure everything is in order. Moving out? Double check that you have EVERYTHING. Still have some library books? Make sure to return them. Parking ticket? Pay it off!

Send out invitations. Invite family and friends! This is a time to celebrate! Send out invites to commencement, diploma ceremonies, graduation parties, etc. with the dates, times and locations clearly written.

Spend time with college friends. You may not see them for a while (but not ever again!). Have fun, relax, and figure out how you would like to stay in touch, whether it is through letters, email, texting, annual reunions, LinkedIn or Facebook.

Plan your outfit. You want to look your best for the occasion, so dress in style – it’s your day! With warmer months coming (and the amount of people likely to be filling the room at your graduation) wear something light and summery, but formal. Also, plan to wear comfy shoes, as you could be standing for quite a while.

CL Quick Tip: Consider decorating your mortar board so your folks can find you in the crowd.

Plan your make-up and hair. Again, with the summer months upon us, too much make-up will look fussy and could melt down your face. Try a lighter look. For hair, wear it down under you cap, but put it up when you can to keep cool. If your hair tends to frizz, be prepared with product.

Charge your camera. And make sure you have extra batteries! Take as many pictures as you, and have you family take pictures, too, can so you can add them to a scrapbook later.

Mingle and network. Colleges sometimes have receptions after graduation, so use it as an opportunity to speak with professors and advisors, thanking them for their guidance and support and asking them to remember you when career opportunities in your field pop up.

Send thank you emails or cards. We all have favorite professors, mentors, advisors and supervisors. Let them know how much they mean to you and the impact they have had on your college life.

Look for a job. If you haven’t started looking, or haven’t found one yet, search, search, search! Make sure your resume is up to date and apply like crazy, and keep track of when and where you apply. Some good places to start are the College Lifestyles job bank, careerbuilder.com and LinkedIn.

Be proud! You’ve earned this. Congratulations! This is a big step, but you can do it!

Debra Schreiber is a Senior Writing Intern with College Lifestyles and a recent graduate from Duquesne University with a B.A. in Journalism and a B.A. in Spanish. She loved participating in graduation, and while she will miss her Duquesne family terribly, she is excited for what comes next!

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Vlogging 101: 5 Simple Rules to Become A Successful Video Blogger

Platforms like YouTube and the ever growing and never-ending transformation of the World Wide Web have created so many different opportunities for both the young and old to share their thoughts, memories, talents, and a recently erupting phenomenon tutorials with the globe at the click of a couple buttons. Since sharing talents is so simple, what makes a vlogger successful? Although, I wouldn’t call myself a vlogger (though I have dabbled a bit) here are some quick rules or tips on making sure your vlogging path goes unmatched.

1. Pretend Like You’re Talking to a Friend: It’s easy to get intimidated by the camera, even when it’s the PhotoBooth on your Mac that you love, oh so much. As soon as you hear the sound of the camera starting, your body tenses up and you see everyone in the world with their eyes on you (even if you’re recording alone). To get over this mini-fear, first mute the sound on your computer or hand-held camera, and more importantly, just pretend like you are having a conversation with a friend and showing them how to do something. Trust me, it helps!

 

2. Practice Makes Perfect: As cliché as this saying might sound, it is 110% true. Before every segment of my video blogs, I did at least 10 tries before I got it right. Practice is the key to perfection. An amazing way to practice is to type out a script pre-shooting. Just as you woud write out and spend time on an article on your blog, you should also write out your script for the vlog.  The same amount of work and thought should go into it, so when you practice it’ll be perfect.

3. Be Yourself: There are so many video bloggers out there now, and many have bigger fan bases than one can fathom, but that doesn’t mean you should try to be them. Look at them for inspiration, but avoid imitation. Don’t try to be funny if you’re not, don’t try to act ditzy if it isn’t you… just be you and the rest will fall into place.

 4. Get Creative: With the power of technology, and wonderful gadgets like iPhones, you can make a video within seconds and upload it to your blog or YouTube. However, what makes a vlogger succesful is the creative guts behind the scenes. Make the video fancy, and that does not mean being an expert videographer. All you need are some simple and easy-to-use applications like iMovie, and you are well on your way to getting creative!

5. Be Confident: You create your own destiny. If you’re not confident in yourself, how can anyone else be confident in you? Own it, work it, make it happen.

Style by the City: Miami

You may be slaving away through finals, but your wardrobe doesn’t have to look like it. Take some inspiration from a tropical city like Miami, Florida, to add a little summer fun to your wardrobe.

 

Casual Outfit: Freedom Tower

With its fresh architecture, Miami’s Freedom Tower is a great inspirational outfit for a stylish summer casual outfit. Start with a pair of white pants (5), $24.95, and a cropped yellow shirt (1), $44.90, which is in keeping with the tower’s color scheme. Beige wedge sandals (4), $39.99, and a straw clutch (2), $16.80, neutralize the outfit and keep the outfit dressy but casual. But since it’s summer, don’t be afraid to go a little overboard on the brights – we chose  feather turquoise earrings (3), $14, and red lipstick (6), $14.50 in honor of the Cuban flag – the Freedom Tower is currently being used as a Cuban refugee center.

Sasha Graffagna is a New York University junior studying Journalism and Comparative Literature. She is currently on exchange at La Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Follow her on Polyvore at sasha74.

A Classy Sunglass Warehouse Intern: Krista Weber dishes the secrets to finding the perfect pair of sunglasses

After what may have seemed like a long winter for some classy co-eds, spring has finally arrived and bringing tons of new spring trends! With the sun glaring down and temperatures rising, every classy co-ed should own a pair of trendy sunglasses. Don’t waste your time looking through magazines or spending hours at a department store looking for the right pair, but instead take advice from Krista Weber, an intern at Sunglass Warehouse. Krista is a fashionista who attends Butler University where she is a member of Delta Gamma Sorority.

CL: What is your definition of a classy co-ed?

KW:  I would define classy co-eds as college students who stay true to who they are and enjoy keeping up with the latest fashion trends

CL: How do you stay classy?

KW: I stay classy by wearing cat eye sunglasses because they have a classic look but also help me keep up with my retro style.

CL: How does Sunglass Warehouse fit or cater to the needs of classy co-eds?

KW: Sunglass Warehouse caters to the needs of classy co-eds by staying on top of the latest trends and providing multiple sunglass styles to fit anyone’s personality and taste.

CL: What are the top trends for sunglasses this spring?

KW: Top sunglass trends this spring would definitely be cat eyes, brights, and round oversized sunglasses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CL: What are some tips to finding the perfect pair of sunglasses?

KW: To find the perfect pair of sunglasses, it is important to keep your face shape in mind as well as the color of your hair and skin. Sunglass Warehouse, has a free widget called The Sun Authority. The widget provides ways of identifying your face shape using images for comparison and then provides sunglasses suggestions accordingly. For example, I have a heart-shaped face, just like Reece Witherspoon, and cat-eye styles, which feature wide angles at the top of the frames, help to balance the jaw line. Generally, shapes that are wider on the top than the bottom work well as they minimize the forehead’s width and help balance the face. Frames with rimless bottoms or a straight top line will have this effect, such as aviators.

CL: How do you wear your sunglasses?

KW: I wear my cat eye sunglasses with a classy animal print spring scarf, jean button down, red jeans, a colorful cross body and a Fedora Hat. This is a very trendy look for spring!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My personal favorite are the aviators! What’s yours? Be sure to leave a comment and let us know!

 

 

 

 

 

Sherelle Black is a junior at Louisiana Tech University majoring in journalism with a minor in marketing. She is president of her chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and likes to dance and hang with her sorority sisters in her spare time.

 

How To Get A Career Wardrobe On A College Budget

Whether you’re graduating this year or just on your way to a summer internship, developing a career wardrobe can be an expensive challenge. College Lifestyles helps you out with our collection of basic businesswoman staples at college student prices.

 

Shoes:

A pair of basic black ballet flats (1), $18, will get you through almost any work event. Want a little color? Red flats (2), $12.95, are cute and work-appropriate. Feed your heel obsession with a pair of nude pumps (3), $24.97, that go with almost everything and elongate your legs. And if all else fails, you can never go wrong with a pair of black pumps (4), $19.90.

Tops:

A black blazer (1), $29.80,  is the LBD of jackets – goes everywhere and with everything. Switch it out for a white blazer (2), $29.95, for a more summery look. A white button-down (3), $22, is another basic staple, but pay extra attention to the fit when you buy it, and keep it ironed! A wrinkled shirt that gapes at the chest just screams unprofessional. For a break from all the neutrals, grab a V-neck sweater in a muted bright or pastel, like this ice blue one (4), $16.90.

Accessories:

If you spend money on one thing in your wardrobe, invest in a large, structured bag (1), $35, that will last you for years. A french manicure (2), $2.14, might not seem important, but it’s an essential detail that will pull your look together. Don’t spend too much money on your pantyhose (3), $9, since they’re guaranteed to rip anyway. And find a simple watch (4), $9.99, that looks expensive but isn’t, because constantly checking your phone for the time will surely irritate your boss.

Bottoms:

A pair of black pants (1), $24.90,  is versatile and makes up a suit when paired with a button-down shirt and a blazer. If you’re more of a skirt girl, go for a pencil skirt (2), $20,  that hits just above the knee. A pleated A-line (3), $29.98,  is great for more casual days and keeps you cool in the summer. If you’re lucky enough to get to wear jeans, go for a dark-rinse pair (4), $19.90. Just make sure to keep the rest of your look immaculate.

Did we miss any of your career wardrobe staples? Have you ever gotten a great deal on an expensive purchase? Let us know in the comments!

Sasha Graffagna is a junior at New York University studying Journalism and Comparative Literature. Follow her on Polyvore at sasha74.

3 Post-Interview Need-To-Dos

Cheers! You successfully pushed past adrenaline, anxiety, and bullets of sweat, finishing the interview off strong. You’re feeling great, smiling at employees, and walking out the front door as if you just clocked out for the day. However, getting home and kicking your feet up on the coffee table isn’t the last phase of this process. The interview may be over, but give your future boss even more incentive to hire you by taking action with these three effective tips.

The Thank-you Letter

A thank-you note, either handwritten or sent by e-mail, clarifies you can finish what you’ve started. It’s a formal address to the interviewer, so be punctual by sending the note within 72 hours after the interview. If it’s handwritten, make sure it’s in the office by the third day.

Thank the interviewer (duh) for choosing you as a candidate, and then discuss your enthusiasm about the prospective job—just don’t over-do it… it’ll sound forceful. If you made use of your leather notepad, you won’t have to remember details from the interview (names, opportunities, etc) to mention in the thank-you because they’ll be right there! Also use this letter to ask a question or two and express an idea, further showing your interest and dedication. A quick Google search will provide you with a few sample letters if you aren’t sure where to start.

Wait Patiently

Don’t be bothersome by calling and e-mailing incessantly. Has anyone been hired yet? Can I interview for another position? How many candidates are being considered? Slow down and resist the pesky questions! If the interviewer gave you a two-week time frame in which you will hear back from them, give ‘em time. If no time was allotted, follow-up calmly about a week after the interviewer will have received your thank-you note.

Classy Rejection

Let’s face it, you won’t obtain every job you interview for, and that’s ok! Breathe and accept that some opportunities aren’t meant to be. A suggestion from cnn.com states to send another thank-you note post-rejection to stand out in a positive manner. Who knows, maybe the second letter will make them reconsider or keep you in mind for the future.

Tiana Blue is a Senior Writer for College Lifestyles™. This fourth semester sophomore at Penn State is a print journalism major with a penchant for food, stilettos, and the city that never sleeps.

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Job Challenge Day 11: What is/are Question(s) You Were Asked in a Job Interview?

By now, many of us have been on job interviews via in person, phone, and/or SKYPE.  What are questions you were asked in your job interview?  Let’s build our list to help each other out!

Day 11:  What is/are question(s) you were asked in a job interview?

Job Challenge Day 10: What is Your Dream Job?

We all have those days in class where we ‘dream’ of our, well, dream job.  Tell us, what do you want to be when you ‘grow up!’  Remember TONIGHT is our Job Search Chat where we will discuss ways on finding your dream job!  Join us on twitter at 9pm EST/8pm CST using the hashtag #clchat!

Day 10:  What is your dream job?

Job Challenge Day 9: What Was Your Favorite Internship and Why?

With so many individuals looking for internships, give us a little taste of your favorite internship!  This will help others in searching for the good (and bad) on internship opportunities!

Day 9:  What was your favorite internship and why?

 

 

Remember to RSVP for our Job Search Twitter Party on 4/18 9pm EST/8pm CST using the hashtag #CLchat.  On 4/19, you will be able to upload your resume to our site to aid us in your job search!

Six Tips For a Balanced Lifestyle

Balancing work, school, internships and just life in general can become a struggle especially when it’s all winding down to finals week.  With only three or four weeks left in the school semester, it is what some people call “crunch time.” Right now is the time to end on a good note with all things you are involved in.

As a student who took on a campus job, a reporting position, an internship and four classes all at the same time, I can speak from experience that it is chaotic. Long days turned into long nights and there was nothing I could do about it but keep working. Not only did it take a toll on my sleeping habits, I officially became burned out.

But throughout the past two semesters of juggling all of those responsibilities, I learned a few tricks of the trade to keep going when all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and hide from everything.

1.) Make your agenda your best friend

Buying a planner sounds like a standard plan of action for organizing your life, but you have to actually use it. Keep your organizer organized by ranking most important events or tasks by importance with different highlighter colors.

2.) Block out hours for working

Balancing more than one responsibility can get confusing. Writing for two different publications and writing for classes made deadlines for me extremely important. The best way I balanced this was to put everything in order of what had to be done and basically “schedule” times I would sit down and do it.

3.) Buy a smart phone

It may be out of your budget, but it is the best investment for a busy college student. Being able to merge my school and work emails into the same group and accessing the internet at any moment has definitely increased my productivity. It may not necessarily help you “balance” life but it does make it easier.

4.) Ask for help

When life gets chaotic, don’t be shy to let your friends step in. It’s okay to say you need help or can’t do something.  Especially when you need advice, friends or parents can give you an outside view on your chaotic life. Remember: “It’s okay to not be okay.”

5.) Don’t sweat the small stuff

Taking on more duties means there’s that much more to possibly mess up. Don’t worry about every little mistake or problem that doesn’t REALLY matter.  Mistakes will happen and usually they will help you improve in all areas of life.

6.) Schedule time for fun

Remember that life shouldn’t always be about working. Take time to enjoy your college days and go to fun events with friends. One of my favorite quotes to live by: “Taking time to live your life will only inspire your work.”

Some more of my inspirational “keep on moving” quotes:

“Worrying will never change the outcome.”

“Eventually everything falls into place. Until then, laugh at the confusion, live for the moment and know that everything happens for a reason.”

“Don’t make a bad day make you feel like you have a bad life.”

“Everything in life is temporary. So if things are going good, enjoy them while they last. If things are going bad, don’t worry. It can’t last forever either.”

College Lifestyles has created a board full of inspirational quotes on Pinterest for when you’re feeling stressed or sad. I even printed out some
of my favorite quotes and photos and have them on my bedroom wall for whenever I need to turn to something for reassurance.

 

Jessica Fecteau is a senior fashion, etiquette and apartment/dorm life writer and is a sophomore at Central Michigan University. Jessica loves fashion magazines, listening to indie/folk music and traveling to big cities.

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