By: Marie-Elise Milius

Procrastination is a major factor of stress and anxiety in students and adults. Why do we wait so long to complete assignments given to us with plenty of notice? Typically, it is due to our lack of self discipline. This is a common issue I face when working on school work. With self discipline, we are able to stay on task prior to due dates and reduce the stress that ultimately comes with procrastination.

Here’s a few tips to strengthen our self discipline:

Reduce Distractions While Working

Recognize what are your biggest distractions. Whether it be your phone, computer or a book you’ve been wanting to read. To avoid these distractions, you can say to yourself, “I will not turn my phone back on until I am finished this paragraph” or “I won’t take a nap until i’m finished reading this chapter.” Setting a boundary and limits on those discrations, will help you complete assignments and help you from leaving them till the last minute. Additionally, when you take those needed breaks, you will feel that you have earned them and it will be far more enjoyable.

Work in Sections

Working in sections will help you feel less stressed about an assignment. If you have an essay due in a week, force yourself to start it the day you get it and work on it little each day; maybe work on two paragraphs a day. By doing this you are able to get a head start and make progress each day. You may even complete the assignment early! Then you have extra time to revise and edit, or utilize the Macaulay Writing Services to enhance your essay. You can contact Cameron Stewart at Cameron.Stewart@mhc.cuny.edu for any additional help on writing projects. You can implement this tactic in all types of assignments.

Reminders

Have you read my blog post on the benefits of using a planner? If not, here’s a quick recap. Planners are helpful because they serve as a visual aid to keep you on task, and organize your day hour by hour. It is key to always carry your planner so you can stay up to task and add new entries at any moment. We are on our phones for almost 3 hours a day. Use that time to make reminders in what work and/or studying you have to complete for that day. You can use your pre-installed phone reminders or personalized apps such as Rembo, and Notify Me.

Reward yourself

Don’t forget to reward yourself at the end of each task. Doing work back to back for hours will feel like torture. It is recommended to take a 15 to 30 minute break. This will bring clarity and de-stress as your mind needs to recharge.

I hope these tips have helped. If you need more ways to decrease procrastination, check here.

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Interested in writing a blog for the Career Development blog? It’s open to Macaulay students and alums. If you would like to contribute or have any questions, feel free to email Jamie.Ruden@mhc.cuny.edu.

By: Sebastian Leung

Some people are born knowing what they want to do. They want to become a doctor because they like working in science, or maybe they enjoy numbers and want to become accountants. Some people have a life-changing moment where they suddenly realize what they want to pursue as a career, and set themselves on that path. But maybe you’re none of these people, and you simply can’t decide on what you want to do for your career. There are so many choices! Here are a few things to avoid when trying to decide on a career. Even if you know what you want to do, this list can help you avoid making the wrong choice.

Picking something randomly

This may seem obvious, but sometimes people really don’t know what they want to do so they take whatever path is easiest and whatever will pay the bills. Even if you really don’t know what you want to do, try to set a deadline for yourself and focus on figuring out what interests you by the deadline. This way, you’ll eventually find a job that you enjoy doing instead of working at a job that you hate for the rest of your life.

Going after money

Many people pursue after a job or industry because of the prospects of the earning potential. While money is important, it shouldn’t be the #1 criteria when choosing a career. Doing this will most likely lead to an unhappy career and life; even if you’re making lots of money. Try to find a balance between good pay and a fulfilling job. Ultimately, this will lead to the most happiness.

Doing what others have picked for you

Not to negate all the wonderful advice people around you provide, but they aren’t always right. Try to really think about what matters to you as an individual and what you hope to achieve in your professional goals. Understanding their perspective is important as they are trying to help you succeed. In the end, it is your career and the choice to decide what you want to do. Try to pick something that will make you happy and something you won’t regret doing later on. Follow your dreams.

Waiting for the “perfect” opportunity

While you don’t want to just take any job or career path that is in front of you, don’t reject a job offer just because it’s not exactly what you want to do. There’s almost never going to be the perfect opportunity. Waiting for the perfect job will lead to frustration and lead to unemployment in most cases. So when a good opportunity presents itself, take advantage of it!

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Still not sure what to do? Feel free to email or make an appointment with our fantastic team at Career Development at Macaulay Honors College. You can email Gianina Chrisman at Gianina.Chrisman@mhc.cuny.edu or Jamie Ruden at Jamie.Ruden@mhc.cuny.edu.

Interested in writing a blog for the Career Development blog? It’s open to Macaulay students and alums. If you would like to contribute or have any questions, feel free to email Jamie.Ruden@mhc.cuny.edu.

By: Marie-Elise Milius

As we have finished midterms and are counting the days till Spring Break, you realize you haven’t made plans for the glorious week! But now Spring Break is around the corner, what are you going to do?

Well here are some suggestions to have a stress-less, YET productive break.

Catch Up on Some Sleep

After a long and demanding start of the Spring semester, with barely any breaks, you should reward yourself. Self care is the best care, especially when you’ve earned it. Take some time during Spring Break to catch up on some sleep lost from the long nights of studying and completing assignments.

Volunteer

Spring Break is also a great time to complete a portion of 10 hours of volunteer work for Macaulay. There are many options out there all around in New York City from soup kitchens to park cleanups. Go with some friends or your fellow Macaulay classmates and make it a volunteer hangout. Volunteering is always better with a buddy!

Apply to Summer Internships and Jobs

Spring Break is also a great opportunity to apply to internships, jobs, and fellowships for the summer. Crafting and updating your resume and cover letter is tedious but will benefit you in the long run. So apply, apply, apply! If you need help with your resume, feel free to email Gianina Chrisman or Jamie Ruden with your questions and with your resume in .doc or .docx format. Gianina and Jamie are masters at perfecting resumes and can also guide you to writing the perfect cover letter.

You can email them at:

• Gianina.Chrisman@mhc.cuny.edu
• Jamie.Ruden@mhc.cuny.edu

Travel

This break from classes is a great opportunity to get out there; take a road trip or travel nearby. Road trips are the ultimate bonding experience. Traveling nearby may get you acquainted with what is available around you. Use your Macaulay Passport to visit the cultural institutions available. Check this list of institutions.

Spring Clean

After focusing on studies, your room may be a mess, filled with papers and books that it may be difficult to distinguish where the floor ends and begins. Spring Break is also a great time to clean your room and get organized. It is a great feeling to finish the remainder of the semester with an organized room. Also, less clutter is visually pleasing and stress relieving. Get cleaning!

Workout and Eat Right

Lets not forget to take care of yourself. Our diets are pretty bad in college. Little to no breakfast, snacking all day and night. During Spring Break, take some time to make sure your body is right. Check out sophomore, Sebastian Leung’s Healthy and Easy Snacks Blog to get familiar with the recipes you like and use them for the remainder of the semester. Remember to also stay active. Hit the gym, or just a 20-minute walk. Don’t forget to drink water!

For more ideas on a productive spring break click here and here.

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Interested in writing a blog for the Career Development blog? It’s open to Macaulay students and alums. If you would like to contribute or have any questions, feel free to email Jamie.Ruden@mhc.cuny.edu.

By: Marie-Elise Milius

Mornings are rough, especially when our beds are so warm and comfortable. However the sun rises whether you care for the morning hours or not. To discover tips that will increase productivity in your morning routine for your college and professional careers, keep reading:

Get Enough Sleep

Look, we want to stay in bed longer because we have terrible sleeping schedules. How many of us had a terrible adjustment to waking up for class after Winter Break? I know I did! The most healthy adults get about 6 to 8 hours of sleep every night. With this amount of rest you are not as irritable, you are more alert, and you have the energy to get through the day. So put the phones down, they will be there when you wake up!

Purchase a REAL Alarm Clock

Half of us use our phones as alarm clocks and put at least 4 different alarms with 5 minute intervals, which is a bad habit. Regular Alarm Clocks are much louder. A trick to forcing yourself to wake up is placing your alarm clock across the room, so you HAVE to get up to turn it off the sound. 

Create a Morning Routine

Because of a lack a sleep, our cognitive abilities do not work to its fullest potential;  it is difficult to remember every little task needed to be prepared for the day. We tend to forget to take daily pills, pack a book, or even worse, our headphones. A short list of what you do on a regular basis, will ensure you complete it every morning. Here’s a sample list:

ELISE’S MORNING ROUTINE

1. Drink 16oz of water before leaving my home
2. Ask myself, did I take my multivitamin?
3. Pack a snack for class
4. KEYS!

Eat Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Eating breakfast will definitely change your mood in the morning, helps with productivity and concentration. Check out this cool article on why you should eat breakfast.

These are just a few of the several different tips out there to help productivity. Here’s a brief video that reveals more ways to increase productivity.

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Interested in writing a blog for the Career Development blog? It’s open to Macaulay students and alums. If you would like to contribute or have any questions, feel free to email Jamie.Ruden@mhc.cuny.edu.

By: Alzina Fok

Stress is an inevitable part of our everyday lives. But it doesn’t have to always interfere with your life and productivity. Here are some strategies to help you manage stress and live a productive and meaningful life.

Take a short break and try these relaxing activities

1. Yoga and Exercise
2. Nature Walk
3. Music
4. Journaling
5. Painting or Coloring: coloring books or print out Mandala designs
6. Reading
7. Gardening
8. De-cluttering or organize your space: follow the KonMari method for home organization!
9. Cooking
10. Meditate: Keep an eye out for guided meditations led by renowned meditation instructors on Macaulay Monday student newsletter and social media. In addition, Headspace is a popular app for guided meditation.

To help students cope with stress during finals week, Macaulay student clubs collaboratively host a wellness event with guided meditation, restorative yoga, puppies, massages, and more – free for all Macaulay students. You can find out more about these events on Macaulay’s calendar of events, newsletter, and social media.

Manage your tasks and assignments

 Often times, we feel stressed because we are not able to complete what is expected of us, or what we expect ourselves to do. To reduce stress from this source, we can utilize these strategies to effectively manage our tasks and assignments.

Use a planner

You can find planners at your local Arts & Crafts store, online, or on app store. Planners allow you to visualize what tasks needs to be done and when they are due. This can help you allot enough time for each assignment. You can also break down large projects into smaller components and assign time to work on them over a period of time so that you are not overwhelmed. Make sure your goals are realistic so you can follow through. To learn more about planners and the benefits, click here.

Create a schedule

You may either use a digital version or a paper version, whichever works best for you. Creating a schedule for work time, adding in break time, and including your other responsibilities (i.e. job, volunteering, etc.) gives you a realistic estimate of how much time you can spend on school work and other commitments.

Prioritizing helps you put your plans into focus and drive it into action. You should prioritize your tasks based on urgency, importance, and time needed for the tasks. Understand that sometimes you need to be flexible with your plans. Gary Keller and Jay Papasan, authors of The One Thing, suggest that “prioritizing and achieving just one goal for each day can help you achieve extraordinary results.”

Stick to your plan

Now that you have a plan drawn up, make sure you are able to follow through. Here are some tools to help you eliminate distractors and increase your productivity. Working on one task at a time will help you focus better and reduce stress as well.

Treat yourself to some healthy snacks and set a healthy sleep schedule

Eating healthy makes you feel better and work better. Pick Up Limes and Clean & Delicious are both great sources of tasty and healthy recipes for you to experiment with. They also have meal prep plans for you to stay healthy and be time efficient.

Getting 8-10 hours of sleep every night is important to keep your stress at bay. Remove electronics, or use a blue light filter on your electronics, before bed to help you sleep. To change your sleep schedule, you may try to change it by 15-minute increments from your original sleep time. For example, if you sleep at 12am, you can start sleeping at 11:45pm and so on.

Speak to a counselor

When stress or other personal issues get out of hand, and yes, it happens and that’s okay! Macaulay Honors College counselors are here to listen if you ever need someone to talk to when you are struggling with these problems. It is a completely free and confidential mental health support service.

Confidential and free counseling services are also available at your campus:

1. Baruch College
2. Brooklyn College
3. City College
4. College of Staten Island
5. Hunter College
6. John Jay College
7. Lehman College
8. Queens College

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Interested in writing a blog for the Career Development blog? It’s open to Macaulay students and alums. If you would like to contribute or have any questions, feel free to email Jamie.Ruden@mhc.cuny.edu.

By: Marie-Elise Milius

Managing your money is not fun but is a beneficial element to saving money. As college students, we tend to make purchases very often. Eating out often, text-books, shopping for superfluous items and extra-curricular activities all add up. Sometimes we spend more than we notice.

Check out these tips to spend more wisely:

• Prioritize your spending: It’s important to prioritize what are the must-haves for spending. Some examples are rent, car payments, and utilities should be paid first. Write each payment day down in a planner to ensure you pay them on time, to reduce late fees.

• Budget, Budget, Budget: To stay on track of your spending habits, keeping a budget can help you allocate a good amount of money to each of your expenses. Budget sheets often help with this method. This is a useful strategy to implement now and throughout you life.

• Rent or Buy Used: Let’s face it, textbooks are expensive! Instead of buying new, you can purchase a used textbook or even rent your textbook. Sites like Chegg, compare the original price to their reduced prices, which can be up to 70% off.

• Sales and discount codes are your best friend!: Whether it is apparel, grocery shopping, or electronics, it’s best to buy it during a sale or with the use of a discount code. Towards the end of the year, you can see the most prominent sales and free items.

• Take Advantage of your School I.D and Macaulay Passport: Many restaurants offer discounts to college students with College I.D.’s. Your Macaulay Passport offers students discounts and free access to various cultural institutions focused on art, culture, and history.

The earlier you keep track of your money, budgeting and methods on ways to spend less – the better you will perfect these skills for the future. You’ll be happy when you’re older that you saved towards buying your own home, car, start a family, or even pay off debt. In the future, you will be more inclined to saving first, and spending later. With the correct saving plan you may even be able to retire early!

Go from:

to:

*Websites advertised were of the judgement of the student. We were not paid to publicize any site or product*

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Interested in writing a blog for the Career Development blog? It’s open to Macaulay students and alums. If you would like to contribute or have any questions, feel free to email Jamie.Ruden@mhc.cuny.edu.

by: Marie-Elise Milius

“Can you please walk me through your resume?”, Gianina Chrisman, the Associate Director of Career Development at the Macaulay Honors College asked me during my interview for the Career Development Internship at Macaulay.

But what does it really mean to walk an interviewer through your resume…Let’s Break it Down!

First, why do many employers ask this question?

Employers ask, ‘Can you walk me through your resume”, to give an interviewer a moment to collect their thoughts. Not every interview is the same because candidates tend to have very different backgrounds. Your answer will help the interview to start assessing your personality to see if you will fit into their culture.

Think back to the job description of the job you are interviewing for…

Ask yourself, “How do my experiences show I am qualified for this position?”. Remember, employers hire candidates who will make their jobs easier and someone they can see themselves sitting next to each day. This is your opportunity to emphasize your strengths, accomplishments and leadership qualities in previous jobs/internships, clubs, etc. Tying in a few of the qualifications and job description to your background will help the employer determine whether you will be a useful member to the team.

Don’t feel you have to mention everything on your resume…

Employers and Hiring Managers have read your resume already, or else they wouldn’t have called you in for an interview. It is meaningful for you to pick the top experiences and other relevant information that is consistent with the job you are applying to. Your interviewer is looking to see whether you know what information is important, and what is irrelevant.

Don’t be modest…

This is your time to showcase all your experiences, skills and accomplishments to employers. They want to hear your boast about experiences. If you want the job you have to sell yourself and your work. Take the opportunity!

There are some articles available to help you master this major question.

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Interested in writing a blog for the Career Development blog? It’s open to Macaulay students and alums. If you would like to contribute or have any questions, feel free to email Jamie.Ruden@mhc.cuny.edu.

Need help preparing for interviews? Schedule a mock interview with Gianina Chrisman (Gianina.Chrisman@mhc.cuny.edu) or Jamie Ruden (Jamie.Ruden@mhc.cuny.edu).

By: Alzina Fok

Traveling and exploring other parts of the world are no doubt on many people’s bucket list. As students, however, we can do more than just traveling. Studying abroad is an excellent opportunity for you to learn many new skills and knowledge while embarking on these new adventures. It offers the chance for you to meet new people from various parts of the world, immerse in local culture, and get exposure to new and challenging situations.

Interested? Here’s where to start:

1. Finding a program

You can participate in either CUNY programs or non-CUNY programs (just make sure that your credits will transfer). You may use the  CUNY study abroad website to find the best program for you. You should be looking at the courses offered, length and timing of the program, and the location of the program. Many study abroad programs offer service learning or internship opportunities.

There’s a Macaulay exclusive study abroad trip in Tel Aviv this Summer! Click here to learn more!

2. Before you go

Visit this site to learn about the Gilman Scholarship, Chancellor’s Global Scholarship, FEA Fund Scholarship, and other scholarships to help finance your trip. Don’t forget to exchange your money to the local currency and keep track of your expenses, as they can add up quickly! Trabee Pocket is a great app to use to help you manage expenses and stick to your budget.

Look for phone plans that can allow you to travel with your phone. If you are currently using Verizon, call them ahead of time so they will only charge you an additional $10 more to use your current plan abroad. Here is a list of recommendations and plans to consider. Some study abroad programs will offer a welcome package with a pre-paid SIM card inside that you can use at your destination.

Check to see if you have a valid passport. If you need a passport or a renewal, you may do so by mail or in person. Visit travel.state.gov to find out the application or renewal procedure and the nearest facility.

International plugs are a must. You may find out which plug the destination country uses, or opt for a universal adapter plug that is compatible with different countries. You should also bring more than one charger for your devices. You won’t be able to bring your blow dryer, straightener, alarm clock, etc.

Make sure you research cultural norms to find out what is allowed in their culture (i.e. maybe women dress more conservatively at religious sites. In London, there’s a standard on where you should stand and walk on the escalators.)

Attend pre-departure orientation to get to know the buddies you will be learning and traveling with. Another tip is to join or start a Facebook group that will allow you to connect with others and create plans for your upcoming trip.

Below you’ll find a comprehensive checklist to ensure you don’t forget anything.

Checklist:

3. While you’re studying abroad

Challenge yourself and don’t be shy to speak to new people, engage in new experiences – such as trying local cuisine, museum trips, and visiting neighborhoods in the area. In addition, you should find the most suitable and engaging way for you to record these memories. Journaling, vlogging or blogging, or simply taking photos are all great methods for you to do so.

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Interested in writing a blog for the Career Development blog? It’s open to Macaulay students and alums. If you would like to contribute or have any questions, feel free to email Jamie.Ruden@mhc.cuny.edu.

By: Sebastian Leung

Perhaps you’ve read the blog post about becoming a LinkedIn expert and you’ve followed all the steps. Your LinkedIn profile is looking nice and professional, and you’re making new connections every day. But one of the things that is often overlooked, regardless of how awesome your profile may look, is the headshot. Maybe your headshot right now is a selfie taken on your smartphone, or a picture from a family vacation that you look great in. Most of the time, people just use whatever picture they have on hand to avoid the trouble of getting a professional photo taken. But did you know that your LinkedIn headshot is one of the most important parts of making a good impression on employers? This is because it’s one of the first things an employer will notice on your profile, and their first impressions of you will come from the photo.

So what can you do to make the best first impression?

• Dress for the job you want. Your attire is an extremely important part of having a professional photo. Surprisingly enough, this doesn’t mean that you have to wear a formal suit and tie that you may see on most people’s profiles. Instead, you should research what people in the industry typically wear. Another great blog by Megan Manulas will help you navigate the dress code for each industry. People in the creative field tend to dress more casually, so if you’re looking to do that you should dress casually as well. However, if you want to be a corporate lawyer, a business suit would be more appropriate.
• No group photos. Your LinkedIn photo is about you presenting yourself as a professional, not anyone or anything else. Don’t use a group photo and crop others out. Find a photo with you and you alone in it.
• Proper background and lighting. You don’t want to have a photo of you taken at the club, a dark alley or anything that would emulate a negative connotation in a professional context. Make sure you have a neutral background, or use a professional backdrop. Also, it is important to have a good amount of lighting so your whole face is shown.
• Hire a professional. The best way to get a professional headshot taken is, surprise, to hire a professional! But often times, photographers will charge up to $300 dollars for a headshot – and money is something that college students usually don’t have a lot of. Did you know, though, that at Macaulay’s career fairs, you can get your headshot taken for free? As a Macaulay student, take advantage of one of the many resources Macaulay has to offer! You should definitely come to the next Career Fair on Friday, March 1st from 9am – 2pm

Here’s an example of a bad headshot vs. a good one*.

*The good photo was taken at the last career fair

The best piece of advice to keep in mind is to simply keep your photo professional, presenting yourself as you would if you were working at your dream job.

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Interested in writing a blog for the Career Development blog? It’s open to Macaulay students and alums. If you would like to contribute or have any questions, feel free to email Jamie.Ruden@mhc.cuny.edu.

By: Marie-Elise Milius

Trying to stay organized this semester?  Working on your time-management skills?

Kick off the year with a handy planner to stay on top of all your responsibilities!

Let’s face it we all have participated in an leisurely activity when we had homework due at 11:59. We often tell ourselves, “Oh, i’ll start it later”, but “later” never comes. Avoid procrastination and start using a planner!

Planners are visual guides to help you plan out your day, week, or even months ahead. The great part of having a planner is, you are in control of when you want to complete homework, participate in extracurriculars and community service and keep up with your social life. Managing all of these events without a planner may be overwhelming, especially in college. With the use of a planner, you are able to have an overview and plan out the future, and refer back to see how much you have accomplished.

Getting used to your planner

The hard part of a planner is sticking to it. Like a New Year Resolution, people tend to stray away from using their planners a few weeks into purchasing one.

To ease yourself into the process, consider these tips:

1. Start by writing down due dates, and the days, times and places you have committed to attending for clubs, organizations, etc.
2. Carry around your planner with you. You are more encouraged to write events as they come when your planner is always with you.

The price of a planner/agenda is priced as low as $1.00. They come in a vast amount of colors and styles. Some have extra pages where you can jot down notes, grocery lists, and even how you have been feeling. You can purchase a planner customized to you and what you want on it to stay organized. needs. Use of colorful pens and markers bring a bland planner to life.

Still considering whether to use a planner? Check here for more information on how one will keep you organized

Happy Planning!

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Interested in writing a blog for the Career Development blog?

It’s open to Macaulay students and alums. If you would like to contribute or have any questions, feel free to email Jamie.Ruden@mhc.cuny.edu.