Appearance

Appearance

The way you dress and how you present yourself says a lot about you.  If you are well-groomed, then that means that you care a lot about your appearance and how others view you.  Coming to work with wrinkled clothing, no belt, hair uncombed, can lead people to think that you do not care much about yourself.   You can be a smart, hardworking person, but your appearance can ruin your chance of getting the position you may be trying to pursue.  It can also cause you to get fired or better yet, you will not get hired.  Also, in college your appearance speak to your teachers as well as your peers.  If you do not want anyone to judge you by the way you dress, then you must be well-groomed and dress appropriately.  This link, Importance of Appearance, will give more insight on why appearance is significant.

Leadership/Cooperation

Leadership is when someone is willing to take charge and lead others in the right direction.  A leader has good qualities such as honesty, is hands-on (not just telling others what to do), and willing to motivate as well as be motivated himself.  The leader also knows that he or she is responsible for the group, whether at work or in school.

Cooperation is a process in which individuals come together to achieve a goal.  To establish cooperation, you must learn to be a team player by accepting corrective criticism and also being willing to accept others ideas as well.  Cooperation is very important in groups, on the job or at school.  When someone does not cooperate, it causes trouble within the group and makes others not want to work with that person.  It is a must to cooperate to make things run smoothly.



Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is really important.  It is the confidence that a person possess inside, but there are factors that can ruin a person's self-esteem.  Sometimes when a person hears that they are stupid, ugly, not smart, all the time, that person may begin to believe it.  Low self-esteem can make a person question their worth and not believe in themselves.  








Some of the ways a person can build confidence is to start saying that 'I can', 'I am beautiful', 'I am smart' and most importantly loving oneself.  It is very critical in a person's life to have high self-esteem because it helps one to become successful and experience love.  

Character

 

CHARACTER

Your character says a lot about you.  It lets your employers or teachers know if you are a dependable person, trustworthy, reliable.  It lets them know if whether or not you are an honest person.  You take responsibility for you actions and do not blame everyone else for your problems.  You take the initiative to do things others will not or even doing the work before being told to.  There are so many ways to build character and this video will give an idea on how to start.

 

Respect

Respect is one of the important ethics that we have been taught about since childhood.  We have always been taught to respect yourself as well as others.  Respect is very important to have because it pertains to your job, in school, and in everyday life.  Some forms of disrespect would be discrimination against someone because they are different, sexual harassment, and the use of getting a person to do something in order for that person to gain something else in return.  Another reason it is important to have respect is you will meet people who will have a different personality than yours. You have to respect your teachers and bosses. It has always been said that you have to give respect in order to earn it. When no respect established problems can arise, and that is why it is important to have.


 

Teamwork

        

Teamwork is very essential, whether you are playing sports, in school, and in the workplace.  If one cannot cooperate, then there will be an issue.  We have all heard that "there is no I in team", and this is true, literally.  Teamwork is a group effort, in which, people come together to achieve a goal.  It requires cooperation, trust, and communication. Sometimes tempers will flare and ideas will be pitched that not everyone in the group will like, but as a team, you have to come to a compromise. And when a group of people come together to make the effort to achieve a goal, then success is achieved and the reward will be a great one!

Communication

There are many ways to communicate.  We communicate non-verbally, orally,  by listening, and through writing.  Below is a list of ways describing how we communicate.


Nonverbal Communication:  Nonverbal communication is the way we communicate without saying a word.  Our body language signifies how we feel, such as when a person does not want to be bothered, her or she can make a face that would make someone else feel that he or she is mad.  A way to improve giving off the wrong impression would be to smile, even when you do not want to.

Oral Communication: Oral communication is another form of communication.  Talking is the way a lot of people communicate.  Effective communication is a making sure you speak clearly and say what you want so that the other person will know what you want.  I do not always say what  I want or how I feel in a clear manner, but I am working on communicating in a better way.


Listening:  We must all listen effectively.  When you do not listen, you miss out on what is going on around you.  Whether you are at work, at school, or even at home, you have to learn to listen.  Too often times, we make mistakes because we do not listen.  Listening is a very important form of communicating.


Writing:  The last way we communicate is through writing.  When you write in a clear, concise manner, the person reading will be able to understand what you have written.  It is also a good thing to have good grammar skills as well. I will always try to write legibly and make sure that I check my writing for spelling and grammar errors.

Productivity

     We all know that productivity is important in the workplace, but it is also important in school.  It includes following directions, keeping your area clean, following safety procedures such as not having drinks near a computer, and conserving materials.  Productivity is important in school because it helps your classes run smoothly.  If you are not being productive in your classes, then your grades will suffer.  Actions that can be taken to improve productivity in the classroom would be to avoid distractions as much as possible, make sure to take breaks when permitted, do the small projects first and then set aside a time in which to do the bigger projects, get to school on time, and set deadlines to get the work done and make sure to keep the deadline.Some ways I can be productive in college is get some rest, make a list of the tasks that need to be done, and stay disciplined.

O  R  G  A  N  I  Z  A  T  I  O  N

Organization is a way in which an individual uses a system in order to achieve a goal or manage something and is a must in our everyday lives.  We should be organized not only at home or at work, but in school as well.  Organization helps to lighten the load.  It helps to relieve the stress of everyday life.  When you are organized, you do not have to worry so much about finding what you need or figuring out what you need to do.  We all know that finding time to make it to class, making time for homework, and making time to study can be stressful, that is why it helps to be organized.

Prioritize

Set timetables

Spend time wisely

Enjoy your free time

Use calendars

Here is a website pertaining to organizing our lives as college students: Help Students Get Organized

Attendance

A      T      T      E      N      D      A     N     C     E



Attendance is being present, and not only being present but being on time as well.  It is very important to be in class and on time as to ensure that one does not miss anything.  When you do not attend class or are constantly late, you will continue to fall behind.  This type of behavior will cause you to fail the class or classes that you are taking.  If you receive financial aid, you could very well lose it as well.  Some teachers will not help you if they feel that you are not dedicated to learning. Attendance is very important and if you know that you are having conflict with making it to class, then it would be wise to withdraw until you can make it to all the class meetings.  This decision will ensure that you do not fail and lose your financial aid.  If you do not attend, then how can you expect to learn?


Although, I attend class as much as I possibly can, there is always room for improvement.  I have found some tips on a website that can help to improve school attendance.  I plan to use these steps as well.

Microsoft Office 2007 for Students-Cheap

Microsoft is running an offer especially for college students called The Ultimate Steal.  For a limited time, students can obtain a copy of Microsoft 2007 Ultimate Edition for only $59.95.  To qualify for this offer, you must be enrolled at a US educational institution and have a valid e-mail address that ends in the edu domain.  Considering this package is available at retail for around $500, this is a fantastic deal for students.  So check it out and save some $$$ today!

Even though you can download the software from the Web site, you should also consider purchasing(for an additional fee) the software on DVD.  This will make re-installing the software much easier in the future in case you have a problem (such as your hard drive fails).