BEER BEFORE LIQUOR

Drink smart guys. Sticking to beer for the night will keep you less sloppy and more functional. With every shot you take you are running the risk of a failed performance. You can generally gauge the situation through your own scope. Obviously you adjust your drinking habits if you are out at the bars with a girl opposed to a night out with the guys. An experienced college guy will always know what types of drinks his blood can or cannot handle.

THE MAGIC NUMBER

Every man has a magic drink number found through trial and error. For the average college male, this number may be somewhere in the 7 to 10 range. This is your benchmark. If you surpass this number, don’t plan on satisfying anybody. On the plus side, a man’s prime performance occurs when hitting the magic number range. Your nerves are calmed, you’re relaxed, and you can go all night. This concept will teach you to monitor your drinking at parties and bars.

There’s no need to be embarrassed. If it does happen, you can just blame it on the booze like everything else.  It’s a perfectly legitimate excuse, and will  give your bros something to laugh about at your expense in the morning. If you find this problem is occurring far too often, then you may want to re-evaluate your drinking habits.

Keep the system in your mind: drinking results in alcohol thinning your blood. Getting your, eh hem, love weapon loaded required blood being rushed to that area. If you thin your blood to much, it won’t be as responsive.

CAMPUS CASANOVA’S TAKE

We asked our resident Campus Casanova about drinking and the repercussions when you take a girl back to her place (he refuses to take girls back to his). In short, he came up with three rules to always abide by.

RULE 1:

If you are wining and dining her, remember to drink water to keep yourself feeling buzzed, but not getting hammered.

RULE 2:

If she is out and already hammered and you can tell that she is ready to go, don’t be a fool by getting yourself hammered to oblivion to show that you can keep up with her.

RULE 3:

When you are on the way back to her place, get a bottle of water. Drink the water at every chance you get, this will bring your blood back to a state of regularity eventually, while keeping the feel-good buzz.

Stay thirsty, my friends

In today’s competitive job market, starting your own company has become an appealing career path for many. Being a young college student, the best way to get started is to form an LLC, short for limited liability company. You may think that words like these only apply to savvy wall street bankers. Fact of the matter is, LLC’s are not as complicated as they sound. Giving your business a legal structure is an important step in getting clients to take you seriously. Here is the blueprints behind what an LLC is and how it will benefit your self-started business.

GETTING STARTED

Begin by checking with your department of state in the location that you desire to do business. All that is required of you is to fill out all the necessary forms and pay a state fee to become registered. When forming an LLC, you have the option to do the paperwork yourself rather than hiring a firm to do it for you. If you are willing to take up more of your own time you may cut some corners with monetary costs. You have the ability to form your company on your own, or with a group of people.

An LLC is officially established as soon as the organization papers have been filed.  You can sell ownership interests in an LLC to third parties without having to discontinue operations. If you plan to pass down the company to your son one day, there are few legal complications with this structure. If you were to suddenly die, your company would not necessarily have to as well. This ease of transfer will be especially convenient when the company grows. Essentially you are the business. As an owner, you individually have the power to transfer company assets and bank accounts.

PROTECTION

Some of the most obvious concerns with being a businessman are your legal and tax protection. This style of business is advantageous because it maintains a simple structure that still gives you the protections you given in a big corporation. For example, if someone were to sue you, it would be the actual company entity at stake. You will not be held responsible from an individual standpoint.

GETTING PAID

LLC’s are very useful when it comes to business taxes.  The profit of the business is not subject to earned income taxes by its members. Essentially you are avoiding the double taxation here. Although your LLC is considered a separate legal entity, you will not have to pay the federal corporate taxes that come with it. Members are paid simply through profit distributions. Essentially you are not paying yourself a flat hourly wage, rather you write yourself checks when you need them.

If you feel that you are ready to take a business plan to the next level, creating an LLC offers you credibility, flexibility, and a simple manner in which to promote a business. The only question you really need to ask yourself is, How big do you want to be?

Why? Lets be honest, with all of this uncertainty in our economy and unemployment soaring, the job hunt is more competitive now than ever. As a result, job interviews are now more detailed and sophisticated.

Here are the main components of a job interview that will help you sell your attributes in a professional manner, and increase your chances of getting hired.

Have a Professional Appearance

Take pride and confidence in your business attire. Be prompt to your interview in a crisp, clean suit. Arrive with a well-prepared portfolio. The portfolio should include an updated copy of your resume and writing or project samples.  Don’t be afraid to write down important notes throughout the interview as well.

Keep Your Cool

Interviews will always be nerve racking, but the trick is to minimize the anxiety. Pausing during answers, or avoiding eye contact are the most obvious signs of weakness.  Answer every question thoroughly even if you do not always know the answer. Try to relate things about the company in your answers as well to show the interviewer you are well informed. It is crucial that you avoid being short with your answers.

Be Prepared for a Broad Range of Questions

Interviewers have the ability to throw several types of questions at you including; personal, previous work history, and questions about the position itself.

1) Personal questions will generally cover your individual strengths and weaknesses.  You will likely be asked about your work habits and your preferred work style (individual or team based). The interviewer may also ask about the number of hours you are interested in working per week/end.

2) Previous employment questions are generally asked to seek out responsibilities and experience you have had in a particular field. Make sure you describe the day-to-day tasks of your previous jobs in detail.

3) Concerning the new position you are applying for, make sure you are well informed about the responsibilities that are expected from you. Do not hesitate to express your expectations of the job.

Interviews will always be comparable to pulling teeth. It is something we must all deal with sooner or later depending on how long your college tour lasts. Being well informed about interviews and prepared for the types of questions will ease the stress and help you start rolling in the money. Also, take it to account that during job interviews both sides are learning if they are right for the position.

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF

This is a simple start off question to break the ice. Employers ask this question to get you talking and learn about your personality. Answer the question honestly by incorporating both professional and personal qualities about yourself. You will come off as more prepared if you can reference characteristics of the position you are applying for. By this I mean explain some experiences from previous jobs or activities on your resume that would help you succeed in the position you are seeking. Come right out and tell the interviewer what accomplishments you are most proud of. If you feel yourself running out of steam, explain the type of work environments you thrive in. For example, you could tell the interviewer that you are a self-starter, but perform well in team projects. This is one of those questions that require a meaty response. If you can only explain who you are in a few sentences, then it may show a lack of enthusiasm.

WHY DO YOU WANT THIS JOB?

Interviewers will ask this question to learn about your motivations and see how much you understand about what is going to be expected from you. Don’t try and be the smart ass that says, “I am interested in this job for the paychecks.” Explain in detail why this job would be a fun and interesting challenge for you. Let them know how you tackle a responsibility. Feel free to branch off with this question. Describe the kind of work environment you prefer, high or low stress level? If you think the job will require multi-task skills, let them know that you have that covered. Don’t be afraid to say the type of hours you like to work. It will be beneficial for you to expand on this topic because your response will more than likely answer some future questions the HR rep had lined up.

WHAT ARE YOUR CAREER GOALS?

This is a building block from the previous question. Employers want to know how the position will help you develop your career plans. On their end, will your plans help the needs of the company? Give an idea of what you want to be doing 5 or 10 years from now. A company might be reluctant to hire you if it sounds like you are a person that switches jobs often or is only motivated by money. Your answer will let all parties know if this company is the right match for your plans. Explain how the position you are interviewing for will help build the foundation to your career goals.

WHAT ARE YOUR STRENGTHS?

This is the chance for you to get away from your resume and give a personalized, thoughtful answer. For me this is a tough question because I am one of those people who aren’t always good at talking about personal characteristics. If you are very comfortable with coming right out and saying you are a hardworking, dedicated person with a high level of integrity then you will score some major points on this question. If you are more like me, the best way to prepare a response is to go to your close family, friends and co-workers for advice. Who else has been around you for years and knows what kind of person you are? They will give you that extra confident boost to let the interviewer know that you’re the man.

WHAT ARE YOUR QUESTIONS FOR ME?

This is that wrap up question that I never really considered to be of great importance. Those of my friends who have interviewed all have told me that this question is huge. Before the interview, put together a few questions pertaining to the company? After all, you don’t want to get a job for the sole sake of having a job. You need to get an idea if this place will be right for you. Ask about the working environment if you didn’t hit that earlier. Don’t hesitate to ask about the compensation or benefits package. Show that you are interested in the culture and mission of the company. Ask what the interviewer enjoys about the company.

Being prepared for these 5 questions in detail. Having good responses for these will certainly help your chances. If all else fails, consider it this way: the more time you take in answering these, the less time there will be for other questions.

The purpose of the resume is to show employers your education, work experience, accomplishments, activities, and skills in a very simple layout. There are more than enough resume layouts, formats, and templates out there to give you a migraine. In reality, resume writing does not have to be all that difficult. It is a tool to highlight your attributes in an organized manner. Here are some step-by-step instructions on how to effectively portray your qualifications for a given job.

TEMPLATES

The first step is to choose a template for your resume. This is more of an open decision on your part. Start by searching the web and your computer. Websites such as Monster, all the way to Microsoft word programs offer eye-catching examples. The template you choose should layout your repertoire in a clean manner. Century cursive text is not what you are looking for here. Once your template is set you can begin putting your creative wheels in motion.

The very top of the document should include basic pedigree information; name, location, phone number, and email address. Divide the resume into 4 or 5 major sections. It is always best to start with education because it is your foundation. List the university you attended/ are attending along with graduation date and grade point average.

EDUCATION

Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Minor in Economics (in progress)

Ohio University, Athens, OH, June 2010

3.548 Cumulative GPA

For the second section, I recommend work experience, since the most important information concerning your qualifications should be near the top. Generally, work experience is ordered chronologically. The length of the list may dictate your order. More experienced workers with a long list of jobs will want the list to run from oldest to most current. Provide a brief, concise description below each job title. The key here is sound professional with the descriptions. Even if all you did for the boss at your old job was serve tables, say “Interacted with club members to meet all of their needs.” There is a big difference between sounding like a professional and a kiss ass. And you sure as hell do not want to come off as a bad janitor. Here is a great example:

WORK EXPERIENCE

Infinite Capital, LLC., Rocky River, OH

Finance & Real Estate Intern (November 2008-January 2009)

• Assisted in organizing company database and email
• Learned how a commercial broker operates business
• Became acquainted with company underwriting

An accomplishments/honors section is used to showcase lifelong achievements. These can range from scholarships to college sports. Employers are very interested in applicants who have stood above others in their respective activities. A detailed list of accomplishments will further reinforce your high quality education and work experience. A simple example would be:

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• National Honors and Scholars Society (Nov 2007 – present)
• President of University’s student equity management group (Nov 2008-present)

Next, dedicate a section to your collegiate activities. List them by level of importance. Each activity should highlight your roles and responsibilities. For example, if you played a vital role such as president of your fraternity, you will want to highlight the leadership and volunteer efforts that came with the title. A solid list of activities is a great way reinforce your resume if you are not as satisfied with your grades. Involvement is a key ingredient in displaying ambition. Remember, activities need effective, not lengthy descriptions.

ACTIVITIES

Financial Management Association

• Member of an organization that meets to discuss market trends
• Contacted key speakers from financial service companies

A bulleted list of skills is generally a good way to close out a resume. This is to show what programs and information systems you became familiar with through previous jobs. For example, any type of business job would expect to see that you are proficient with Microsoft Office programs like Excel. This section may also be useful to list any certifications or licenses you have received if you chose not to list them under education.

SKILLS

• Licensed Series 7 & 63 broker
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and experience with ACT Databases

Near the bottom it may be wise to write a list of references or say available upon request. A well-rounded set of references will consist of your old bosses and professors whom you have held a strong relationship with. The examples explained in this article provide the meat of what an excellent resume should consist of. Resumes determine whether or not an employer would be interested in interviewing you.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ENERGY DRINKS

What’s the story with the energy drinks that over flow the shelves at your local gas stations? Do they help give you another extra edge to study, or do they just burn you out? The purpose of these questions is not to provide some scientific breakdown of the ingredients in energy drinks, or their effect on your health. Rather, it is a recommendation of how to properly use energy drinks to give you the studying advantage, not burn you out.

WHAT’S THE POINT?

The bottom line is that energy drinks, when consumed in moderation can be helpful for short term, major events, such as final exams. Why? Because energy drinks help stimulate and increase brain activity.  Guarana and caffeine are the important stimulant ingredients. Temporary energy jolts can be quite useful for getting several solid hours of studying in. However, the “crash,” you incur when the drink wears off is simply unavoidable.

HOW WILL I KNOW WHEN IT’S THE RIGHT MOMENT?

Timing is everything. Your best bet is to drink a few energy drinks when you begin to crack open your books about three hours before the exam. This will allow you to accomplish several hours of productive studying and take the exam before your energy buzz wears out. After you rocked the exam you will finally be able to recharge the batteries and bring yourself back to neutral. As easy as it sounds you must be careful not to get the energy jolt too early, leaving you groggy come exam time. It is also a good idea to learn your energy drink tolerance before exams week. Too much may leave you with a headache and jitters.

HEALTH EFFECTS

The bad rap energy drinks often get is the result of habitual consumption for the purpose of mental and physical stimulation. A perpetuating cycle of energy drink dependence will interfere with your sleep schedule, create severe exhaustion, or lead to health problems.  There are cases out there of energy drinks leading to heart palpitations and increased chance of heart disease. Like smoking, energy drinks are not the best long-term investment out there.

Energy drinks as a whole are not good for you, but there is a time and a place for everything…. it’s called college. Next time you realize at two in the morning you have an exam in six hours, crack open an energy drink to help get you through the night. Keep in mind you are not in the minority here. Gotta love college.

Odds are you can probably think of at least one person you have come across in your life that looks at pornography excessively. Pornography is an interesting topic that is overlooked in the broad realm of addiction. Many of us can find humor in someone who sits in his room all day cleaning the pipes to Internet porn, and not think another thing of it. A little information on this issue will inform you of what a porn addiction means or at least understand what the kid down the hall may be going through.

There is much debate as to whether a pornography addiction actually exists. Presently there is no medical diagnosis for a porn addiction. People who argue it as an addiction claim it has the same controlling abilities that alcohol or gambling does. The condition is best described as using pornography in excess to an extent that disrupts daily life.

Some harmful effects could include relationship or commitment issues with people, and isolation. Believe it or not there are people out there who stigmatize themselves through porn viewing, as opposed to sexually acting out. The presence of porn via the Internet can easily facilitate obsession with a few clicks.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:

1. Excessive viewing of pornography and the inability to stop
2. Loss of time and other activities due to ongoing porn viewing
3. Denial of the problem/refusal to accept any help
4. Petulance when discussing sex/pornography issues

Some doctors have gone as far to say that a porn addiction is in fact a chemical imbalance. The body produces an over abundance of adrenaline and epinephrine- a hormone that stores memories of arousal in the brain.

Whether or not you choose to identify excessive porn viewing as a problem, there certainly are enough people out there that are reaching out to help. Counseling, recovery institutes, and help lines are as abundant for porn obsession as drugs and alcohol.

There is no shame in admitting to porn usage…we all do it. However it might not be too crazy to admit that some struggle with the problem, and in that sense should be resolved carefully as with any other vice. Don’t forget that many things are good in moderation.

BANKING

Something often overlooked is your banking ability. Learn to keep track of all your transactions, withdraws, and bills. Checking regularly online will help you avoid the costly fees of overdrawing your account on a Friday night.

CREDIT CARDS

Most are right when they say avoid having multiple credit cards in college. Credit is a dangerous thing. Your best bet is to open up one card with the lowest monthly fee available. A new card with a small credit line will help keep the charging to emergencies only, as well as establish a credit score. Developing a credit score is important to college students now considering the financial strain our economy will suffer for the next several years.

GROCERY SHOPPING

Food spending is something most students could improve on. Choose groceries over the fast food meals. Use common sense at the grocery store. Grab the items that will make the most meals. Use tap water over bottled water or Gatorade. Make your own coffee in the morning instead of buying from a shop. Buy groceries at a cheap store like Wal-Mart or one that offers gas points like Kroger.

DRINKING

There are several ways to cut back on drinking spending without actually having to cut back on drinking. Learn where all the beer and happy hour specials are at the bars on your campus, they all have them. Pre-game hard before you go out whether you’re a lightweight or a tank it will help. You can always switch to cheaper beer if you absolutely have to (Natural, PBR, High Life). If you really want to be creative, give making your own alcoholic beverage a shot. A strong wine is fairly cheap and simple to make.

TEXTBOOKS

Never buy textbooks from a bookstore. Buy the cheapest used ones you can find online and sell them back on the same website when you are finished with them. Do not buy books for a class you will not need them for.

Most students already know they will be spending heavily on food, beer, and books throughout the school year. These suggestions will help cut corners on costs in all three categories. You can then afford to drink with your friends and eat another day.

You may notice that summer bankroll you built up will begin to dwindle during the last few weeks of the semester. For those of you on campus who are too busy to work a job on top of class, or are just too lazy, we have some solutions for you. Campus Throne has compiled a list of several different routes you can take that will not interfere with chasing the muff around.

DONATE PLASMA

Pay attention freshmen. This is one of the most common ways to make an extra  $40-50 per week. If you can stand needles, all you have to do is donate some blood twice a week. It takes little of your time, is a good cause, and you receive the cash up front. Research your area; Plasma Centers tend to pop up often near college campuses.

SELL ON E-BAY/AMAZON

Take the extra time to sell old textbooks online rather than get robbed by college bookstores. You can almost always sell books at a breakeven price of what you paid for it. Also consider selling things you no longer use such as old iPods or spare cell phones on sites like Craigslist.

ONLINE SURVEYS

Personally, I never bought into the whole scam of filling out online surveys for cash. Believe it or not there are a few sites out there that will legitimately send you checks for your time. Take sites like Opinion Outpost into consideration. It is a legitimate site I use to earn money for filling out surveys on various subjects. Additionally, many schools over compensated research studies. An hour or two out of your day can net you another hour or two of bar money.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

Consider utilizing classes you are strong in. Consult professors in your major department for paid jobs such as a teaching assistant for a particular class. If you have any interest in becoming an RA for your dorm, there are several perks to the job such as free-living expenses. These activities are extra helpful to those of you interested in resume building.

INVESTING

If you are a business kid like me, you may want to consider experimenting with online stock trading. This is part of the reason we take investment classes right? Small day trading with cheap online brokers such as Trade King or Scottrade is a good way to get started if you are up to a little research and effort. If not, interest from savings accounts and mutual funds never hurts.

For those of you who are too conservative to stray from the norm, on campus jobs are out there. But remember guys; college life is not meant to be a grind.

Many students will skip buying a book, whether they need it or not, if it is too expensive.  Just a little more effort will make this approach more logical. For starters, attend class for the first few weeks and see if you will need the book. Often professors provide adequate notes in class or online that effectively prepares you for solid exam grades. I will never live down buying a $150 textbook for my first finance class and never needing to open it. If you are lucky this method will work for about 50% of your courses.

For the classes where there is no way around it (typically your major courses), online shopping is where you will be buying your books. Campus Throne has ranked the Top 5 websites for textbook purchasing based on low prices and high availability.

#1 Amazon.com (Hands down has best selection of new and used textbooks out there.)

#2 All Book Stores.com (A very handy site that compares prices of hundreds of bookstores in its database.)

#3 E-Bay (What it lacks in selection is made up for by its offering of international versions of textbooks that contain identical contact for a third of the price.)

#4 Chegg (Allows you to rent textbooks online rather than purchase them at a small, flat rate.)

If for one reason or another the book cannot be found online, it would never hurt to be creative. For example, many college websites have some type of student book exchange for students to advertise to each other. Check the campus library for copies. Never hesitate to sell old books you still have to underclassmen seen in line at bookstores. In this scenario both parties benefit, because if there is one thing worse than the selling price, it is the buyback price.