As your internship winds down, here are a few things you should do to make sure you stand out and end the summer on a high note.

Network. You’ve probably been doing this all summer, but now might be the time to kick it into high gear. Connect with people on LinkedIn and go out of your way to engage them in person (without being obnoxious, of course). When your desk is cleared off and you aren’t a daily presence anymore, you want to ensure they’ll still remember you as a standout worker.

On that same note, become the “perfect intern.” Sure, you’ve never been late, and you always do what you’re told. Now is the time to create that lasting impression by going above and beyond. So show up 10 minutes early and start contributing more ideas where appropriate. People will take notice, which will be helpful when it comes to this next step.

Ask for a reference. Give your employer a chance to write your reference when your hard work is still fresh in their minds. They’ll be more likely to remember important details and specific projects that you worked on, which in turn will earn you a stronger reference.

What tips have you found helpful for getting the most out of your internship? 

CHECK OUT: You can now post your photos on Yik Yak

ALSO READ: Nailing a job interview easier than you think

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If you want to get a feel for a college campus, you should consider touring it on a day that isn’t an official tour day. Here’s why:

You’ll get a better sense of what the college is really like. On official “Meet Our Campus” days, the college or university will typically go all-out in making sure the campus is pristine, the food is top-notch, and the lectures you visit are exciting. And that’s a great thing, but it might give you an inflated idea about the college. If you can, I suggest going on a different day, so that you can really understand what a typical day at the university is, without someone trying to hype it up.

You might get more personal attention. You can often book a guide to show you around campus on a less-busy day. What’s more, you can sometimes even talk to advisors in your preferred department to ask about what they like to see from incoming students. If you’re a junior in high school, you can see what senior-year classes they like to see. If it’s summer, you can ask what they think the best use of time is – an internship? Job? Volunteer work in your major?

You can (maybe) sit in on a class that interests you. Depending on the time of year and the professor, this may or may not be possible. Call the admissions office and ask, and they might be able to coordinate something. However, if you’re touring with a large group, then you’ll probably only poke your head into one GE lecture, designed for a group of potential students to see.

One last tip: tour on a rainy day if you can. It sounds weird, but if you can enjoy a campus in the rain or snow, then you know you’ll be able to LOVE it when the weather is beautiful. Happy touring! 

READ: 4 Ways To Help Your Community During Back to School Season

ALSO READ: Transferring schools can be easier than you think

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The Forbes Under 30 $1M Change the World Competition is calling for young social entrepreneurs to submit their ideas and win up to $1 million in funding for their business.

“The competition calls on social entrepreneurs with disruptive and scalable ideas with the potential to change the world. It is open to both nonprofit and for-profit enterprises,” reads the guidelines. “This is not a business plan competition – organizations or companies must already be in operation and the prize money should be utilized to accelerate the most promising ideas.”

Submissions must be through HeroX.com before the August 26 deadline.

The criteria is as follows: “this challenge seeks innovative models that attack big problems with solutions that are scalable. The competition is looking for exceptional teams executing bold ideas with the potential to make a huge impact. Judges are looking for solutions in the areas of education, extreme poverty, sustainability, global health and any other number of other social problems.”

Five or six finalists will receive a cash award of $100,000, and have the chance to compete at the Forbes Under 30 Summit in Philadelphia on October 6. The winner receives (at least!) $400,000 in additional cash and in-kind support bringing their award total to at least $500,000 USD, and the overall award total to $1,000,000 USD

For more information and rules on entering, click here.

Do you have an idea you’d like to submit? Tell us about it on Twitter, at @BallardJamie23, or at @CNCollegeNews. 

ALSO READ: Music Festival with an entrepeneurial twist: RECESS Music and Ideas Festival

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Here are some cool Kickstarter projects that you should definitely be supporting.

The Out of Eden Walk. The Out of Eden Walk is the foundation of Paul Salopek’s seven-year, 21,000-mile foot journey, as he retraces the pathways of humanity’s migration around the globe. Salopek is a two-time Pulitzer winner and foreign correspondent. Your support goes to help the Out of Eden Walk become more accessible, by creating educational workshops at colleges across the country.

Green Alert. You might never doze off in class again, thanks to this unique and potent mixture of coffee and green tea. It sounds dubious, but with nearly 100 backers and a review that mentions “laser focus with no crash,” it’s almost impossible not to try either of the unique blends, Refresh or Primal.

Blinky Shoes. Do you feel nostalgic about the cool light-up shoes you had as a kid? We might have a solution. These light-up LED strips attach to any pair of shoes you already have. If you’re tech-savvy, you can program them to your preferred color pattern. Absolutely perfect for raves, dances, or any nighttime activity.

Inkbox. Do you want a tattoo, but you aren’t quite ready to make the plunge? Inkbox has you covered, with over 300 designs that will last 2 weeks on your skin. Though they’re temporary, they’re not the dollar-store temporary tattoos you’re thinking of from childhood. The organic formula is fruit-based, so go get inked (temporarily).

The Range of Light: Night and Day on the John Muir Trail. These two photographers (focusing on astrophotography) have photographed small sections from the trail before, but now they’re setting out to document the whole thing, from Yosemite to Mount Whitney. Ultimately, they’ll be producing a book filled with photographs of the 211 mile trek. 

Make sure you head over to Kickstarter and check out these projects.

READ: The app that could save your life

ALSO READ: Meet your new travel companion

The post 5 cool Kickstarter projects appeared first on College News.

Anyone who has hopped on an airplane to catch a bus to a train to a busy hostel knows that traveling, though rewarding, isn’t always easy. You have to keep track of at least 3 important documents at any given time, while making sure you didn’t leave your phone on the counter at Starbucks, while fumbling around for your inevitably tangled earbuds, so you can unearth your bulky iPad from the case inside the pocket of your carryon. Enough.

This jacket by Baubax is called “The World’s Best Travel Jacket.” And it is. It contains an impressive amount of features – a neck pillow, eye mask, gloves, earphone holders, blanket pocket (blanket sold separately), koozie drink pocket, iPad pocket, a telescoping pen zipper, a stylus that’s also part of the zipper, a smartphone pocket, a sunglass pocket, a microfiber cloth, a passport pocket, and (my favorite) handwarming pockets.

At the time of writing, the jacket had raised $898,754 on Kickstarter, far exceeding the $20,000 goal. You can still go pledge support for the jacket, or wait until it hits retail shelves later this year. 

The post Meet your new travel companion appeared first on College News.

Many college students and new grads think of LinkedIn as a tool that’s valuable to more established workers, and not so valuable to them. That’s not true! LinkedIn can be a fantastic resources for finding internships, getting career advice, and exploring opportunities. Being as it’s different than many other social networks, it’s easy to make a misstep that could hurt your career. Here are some tips we’ve gathered to help you use LinkedIn as a college student.

Use an appropriate profile picture. If you’ve gotten headshots taken, this is the place you should display them. Failing that, you should select a photo that represents how you want employers to see you: clean, responsible, happy. Save the funny or zany ones for Instagram, and go with a flattering picture of just your face for LinkedIn.

Be careful in your invitation-sending. Generally, you should stick to sending invitations only to people you know in real life. Occasionally, you can request someone you haven’t met personally, but whose work you admire and are familiar with. For example, if one of your classes has a guest speaker in your field, it’s likely okay to request him or her on LinkedIn. Just make sure to personalize your message a little bit. Something like, “Hello Mr. Smith. I am in Professor Jones’s psychology class, and I really enjoyed learning about your research methodology last Tuesday.  I’m interested in the work that your company is doing, and any summer internship possibilities you might have available.”

Make your summary and experience detailed. This is your chance to show employers who you are and why they should hire you. Do you really want to come across as boring or forgettable? Of course not. Spend time on these areas of your profile, and have a peer or instructor look over your profile for anything you may have missed.

Show, don’t tell. This tip was given to me by a resume editor, but I think it applies here as well. Instead of just listing your job titles and descriptions, talk specifically about your accomplishments. Instead of listing “wrote for the campus newspaper, focusing on features,” write “Wrote a series on faculty salaries and ensuing protests, two weeks after publication the university amended the budget” and “Wrote several articles about affirmative action at the university, went on campus radio to discuss the ramifications of new measures.” Something detailed and impressive is always the way to go.

List everything. Don’t forget to mention your volunteer experience, career-related clubs and activities, and any paid or unpaid internships. They count, even if you don’t feel like they were real “work experience.” Employers do look at these sections on your profile, in hopes of hiring a well-rounded person.

Do you use LinkedIn? What have you found helpful in creating and using your profile? Let us know at @CNCollegeNews.  

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Caitlyn Jenner, who received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, made an emotional speech at the ESPYs, calling for acceptance of transgender people in America.

“Trans people deserve something vital: They deserve your respect,” Jenner said, as NBC reported. “If you want to call me names, make jokes, doubt my intentions, go ahead, because the reality is, I can take it,” she said. “But for the thousands of kids out there, coming to terms with being true to who they are, they shouldn’t have to take it.”

Below are a few excerpts from her speech. The full text is available from the Washington Post.

“It’s been eye-opening, inspiring, but also frightening. All across this country, right now, all across the world, at this very moment, there are young people coming to terms with being transgender. They’re learning that they’re different, and they are trying to figure out how to handle that, on top of every other problem that a teenager has,” she said.

“They’re getting bullied, they’re getting beaten up, they’re getting murdered and they’re committing suicide. The numbers that you just heard before are staggering, but they are the reality of what it is like to be trans today.”

She continued, “If there’s one thing I do know about my life, it is the power of the spotlight. Sometimes it gets overwhelming, but with attention comes responsibility. As a group, as athletes, how you conduct your lives, what you say, what you do is absorbed and observed by millions of people, especially young people. I know I’m clear with my responsibility going forward, to tell my story the right way, for me, to keep learning, to reshape the landscape of how trans issues are viewed, how trans people are treated. And then more broadly to promote a very simple idea: accepting people for who they are. Accepting people’s differences.”

“My plea to you tonight is to join me in making this one of your issues as well. How do we start? We start with education. I was fortunate to meet Arthur Ashe a few times, and I know how important education was to him. Learn as much as you can about another person to understand them better,” she said.

“I know the people in this room have respect for hard work, for training, for going through something difficult to achieve the outcome that you desire. I trained hard, I competed hard, and for that, people respected me.”

“But this transition has been harder on me than anything I could imagine. And that’s the case for so many others besides me. For that reason alone, trans people deserve something vital. They deserve your respect.”

MUST READ: A Former NBA star’s story to persevere

ALSO READ: Is Michael Conforto the savior that the Mets need?

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If you have trouble getting out of bed in the morning, then this list might be for you. Here are some simple tips to help you jump-start your day for more productivity.

Wake up with light. If possible, sleep with your blinds open or partially open so that the light can come into your room in the morning. It’s a more natural and less jarring way to wake up than an alarm clock.

Get up right away. It’s hard, but if you force yourself to sit up and then hop out of bed, you’ve already overcome the biggest hurdle.

Drink a big glass of cold water. Hydrating first thing in the morning is a great way to start your day, and an ice-cold glass should get you wide awake and ready-to-go before you’ve even sat down for breakfast. Speaking of which…

Eat breakfast! A lot of people say that they’re not hungry in the morning, and while that may be true, getting into the habit of eating a healthy breakfast will leave you feeling better for the rest of the day.

Exercise for a few minutes. Whether you do jumping jacks, yoga, or a quick walk around the block, exercising is a way to get your blood pumping and get you into productivity mode.

Get your mind in the right place. Have something to look forward to in every day. Sure, it sounds kinda hippy-dippy, but having something to motivate you, whether it’s a job you enjoy or spending time with friends can make it a lot easier to take on the day. 

READ: Five Ways To Overcome Morning Blues

ALSO READ: Sew Your Own Way

The post These tips on jumpstarting your day will be just what you need appeared first on College News.

Yik Yak, the social media app with a…controversial history is now allowing users to post photos through the app.

In the past, users have abused the app by posting racist and sexist remarks, bomb threats, and generally rude or derogatory comments. It became a new outlet for cyberbullying on middle and high school campuses (now, the app won’t let you post if you’re on or near a middle or high school campus). With a history like this, some people are worried that encouraging users to post photos will only exacerbate the issue.

“We’re moderating photos before they appear in your feed, and there are a few guidelines to keep in mind — no inappropriate photos (anything you wouldn’t send to your mother), illegal content, or faces will be allowed in local feeds,” the company wrote in a blog post announcing the change. “However, we’ll still let you show off a pic of you and your bestie in photo collections within the Explore section of Peek.”

The creators hope that the app can be used as a news source and place for discussion. “Imagine people in Ferguson, Missouri Yik-Yaking about what’s going on,” Buffington told Forbes (during the peak of the Michael Brown controversy). “Anytime anything newsworthy happens, people are going to be going to Yik Yak to see what people there are saying.”

For now, they’re keeping their focus on the photo-sharing idea, not available to all users just yet. “From showcasing the prime loot to be found at your local yard sale, to sharing the view of campus from your dorm window, to the yakker who used a pic to help locate the owner of a lost dog, it’s clear that photos can be a wonderful part of yakking about the world around you. And we want all of you to have the chance to visually share what’s going on nearby,” they wrote on the blog. 

READ: Swiper Left; Swipe Right: Hilary Duff Is On Tinder

ALSO READ: 4 Must Have Apps That Make Life Easier

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It seems I can’t surf Instagram, Twitter or Facebook these days without someone trying to hawk some kind of detox tea or juice cleanse that “really works!!!” and will help me “lose 10 pounds in one week, guaranteed!”

Come on, guys. Weren’t we paying attention in health class, or to those cheesy 90’s movies about girls abusing diet pills? Don’t we know better than to deprive ourselves of key nutrients for days on end? The thing about these band-aid solutions is that they might work in the short-term (yes, when you don’t nourish your body, you probably drop a few pounds), but they usually aren’t healthy or sustainable. 

That said, here are some things you should know if you decide to do a juice cleanse.

Juicing removes the fiber from your fruits and veggies. Some people claim that juicing is a better way to ingest fruits and vegetables because it provides more nutrients. There’s no credible evidence to back this up, but studies have found that juicing removes fiber, which is pretty essential to your diet. So if you’re going to juice, try and take a fiber supplement.

It involves a lot of sugar. Diabetics or people with kidney issues probably shouldn’t juice, as the high sugar content involved in juicing can seriously affect your blood sugar levels.

You won’t get necessary fats and proteins. Some juicing plans account for small supplementary meals to make up for this, but many plans don’t. Without protein, your body cannot build up muscle. Without fat, your hair and nails can’t grow properly and your body will struggle to absorb vitamins.

Putting the weight back on is common. Sure, you’ll get skinny for the week or month that you’re cleansing. But once you return to normal eating habits (like…eating) your slightly malnourished body is going to hang on to everything it can get, meaning you’ll probably end up right back where you started.

If you’re serious about getting into a healthy lifestyle, there are other, better ways to do so. Your campus probably offers nutrition and fitness classes designed with a college lifestyle in mind. There are also a number of online resources to help you find meals that work for you, and exercise plans you can easily fit into your schedule. 

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