Episode #30: B.J. Mendelson
Our guest this episode is B.J. Mendelson; an author, and digital privacy advocate.
Read MoreOur guest this episode is B.J. Mendelson; an author, and digital privacy advocate.
Read MoreSo, you’ve completed your courses at college, learned lots of new skills, and now someone has put you in charge of organizing the graduation party. While that might sound like a lot of fun, it’s also going to involve a lot of hard work. That is why you should appoint a team of other ex-students to assist you with the process. There is some advice in this article that should point you in the right direction and ensure you don’t overlook anything critical. With a bit of luck, you will manage to plan the perfect graduation party after reading this post.
Booking some entertainment
You managed to pay your way through college, so you should have reasonable budgeting skills. They are going to come in handy during this process. You need to make sure you book some suitable entertainment for the graduation party, and that usually means contacting bands or DJs. You could even book both if you think it will add to the event and ensure everyone has a fantastic time. There are agencies you can find online for hiring entertainers, and so you should take a look at some of their websites before identifying the ideal bands or DJs. Hopefully, your college has a budget for the party, and you can use that money to help cover some of the costs. Otherwise, you might have to sell tickets for the graduation ball in advance.
Arranging the catering
The people who graduate with you will want to fill their stomachs at the party you arrange, and so it is vital that you spend some time researching local catering companies according to sites like https://www.thebalancesmb.com. In most instances, a buffet or hog roast is suitable because most people won’t want to sit down for a full meal. The attendees will want to spend most of their evening dancing, and so they won’t want to weigh themselves down too much. Get some quotes from different firms, and then discuss the situation with your appointed team become making contact and arranging your booking.
Hiring some luxurious transport
Most people will want to arrive at the party in style, and so you should consider the idea of arranging some upmarket transport. According to specialists from http://fllimoride.com/, the prices you pay for hiring a limo could vary significantly. For that reason, it is wise to shop around and obtain quotes from multiple firms. That way, you should have some ammunition for negotiating a better deal when the time comes. The best thing about limousines is that you can travel to and from the party venue with lots of other people, and you’re sure to turn heads when you pull up outside.
If you manage to cover all the aspects mentioned in this article today; you should arrange a college graduation party that you’ll never forget. Remember to hire a professional photographer too, so that you can document the evening and provide guests with some images in the weeks following the event. The graduation party could be the last time you see some of your college friends, and so you should make sure it’s as thrilling and memorable as possible. Good luck with everything!
If you’re looking for ways in which you could earn some extra cash or even launch a small business on the internet this year; you’ve come to the right place. While there are hundreds of different options on the table, the ideas on this page should help to point you in the right direction and give you some much-needed inspiration. Best of all? You don’t need previous experience to get started with any of these concepts. You just need a willingness to learn and the confidence to make yourself appear like you know what you’re doing during the early stages. Of course, you could end up becoming an expert in the industry in a few years.
Writing or Graphic Design
There are lots of opportunities for anyone with skills in writing or graphic design to make money online today according to experts like Anna Johansson. In most instances, you just have to register an account on some of the most popular freelancing websites. You can then begin to bid for jobs and make lots of useful contacts. As you become successful; it’s possible that some of your new clients will attempt to employ your services outside of those freelancing websites. When that happens, you are in the perfect position to launch a small business or something similar. You will earn extra income at the very least.
SEO or Marketing
If you want to follow in the footsteps of such industry celebrities like Danny DeMichele and other entrepreneurs of that caliber; you might consider launching a new SEO or online marketing firm. Again, you can do that from the comfort of your laptop during the early stages, and it’s possible to find clients using those same freelance websites. However, you will need to launch a dedicated domain for your brand as soon as possible. You can then use Google Adwords and other tools to drive traffic to your website. Offer services like SEO and social media management for the best results.
Affiliates or Drop-shipping
People with skills in web design who need extra income to pay their way through college or something similar can make a small fortune every year if they launch affiliate sites that promote products the general public wants to buy. There is also a lot of potential in the concept of drop-shipping, and so you might like to research some of the manufacturers and suppliers that provide that service. The idea is that you will advertise the products on your website, and then the manufacturer or another firm will handle all aspects of delivery while you make a small commission on each sale.
Now you know about some straightforward ideas for making extra income and perhaps even starting a small business online this year; nothing should stand in the way of your success. As with anything else in this world; you have the find the right levels of creativity and motivation to make a killing in any of those marketplaces. Still, compared to the effort you’d have to exert to start most other types of new business, the ideas mentioned here today are pretty easy. So, what’s holding you back?
From mountain tops to deep caverns and caves, there are very few place around the world where people haven’t played video games. In world record attempts, charity fundraisers, and simply for the fun of it, this sort of event has been gaining popularity for a long time, but there has been a big drawback; hardware. Being big and bulky, even gaming laptops were too heavy for a lot of people take on a journey like this. This isn’t the case anymore, though, and this post is going to be exploring some of the best ways to take advantage of this.
First, though, you’re going to have to think about the hardware you’ll be taking with you. For this sort of job, a laptop is ideal, as it will have a built in battery, along with components which will be able to charge from battery banks. If you want to have a desktop, it will probably cost quite a bit more when it comes to portable power and peripherals to help you play. There are loads of thin and light examples on the market, nowadays, and this makes it nice and easy to find a laptop which will suit your gaming needs.
For those with deep pockets, the Razer Blade series has long been one of the most popular out there for high-quality gaming. Their 2018 editions of these machines haven’t changed much compared to the older models, but this hasn’t stopped the brand from filling the small computer with respectable hardware. Pairing an 8th Generation Intel Core i7 CPU with either a GTX 1060 or a GTX 1070, you can get some serious gaming on with a laptop like this one.
This next option is for those on a slightly smaller budget. The HP Omen hasn’t been chosen because it is the best value machine in the world. Instead, to make this more useful, it is one of the most affordable light gaming laptops on the market, and this is what makes it shine. Sporting a 7th Generation Core i7 CPU and a GTX 1050 ti, you won’t get quite as much power out of this machine. Coming in at less than half the price of the Blade, though, this will appeal to a lot of people.
Planning Your LAN
Once you have a machine which is capable of this sort of travel, it will be time to start thinking about the location you’re going to choose. There are loads of options of this, and some of them will give you the chance to see the world like never before. To help you to find the perfect place for you, you can find some examples below, and there are loads more around the web if you’re willing to search for it.
On A Boat:
While water may not seem like a good idea around computers, having your LAN part on the ocean could be a great idea. Boats are often equipped with power, along with facilities like toilets and kitchens, giving you the chance to spend a few days out playing games. This sort of option will give you the power to travel the world, too. Of course, you will have to plan a boat trip of this nature with a lot of care.
One of the biggest challenges you’ll be facing will be power. A lot of your guests won’t have their own batteries with them, and this means that the boat will have to do. If you run the batteries down, you could be completely stranded, and this makes it worth doing some research. The top most reliable boat batteries can be found in reviews across the web. Using this sort of information, you should be able to plan for a long trip out on the water.
Going out to see for a few days is going to call for some provisions, like food and water. You should get all of this on board before you set out, bring extra in case you have any emergencies or people eat too much. Along with this, you’ll also need to think about the Internet. Even out at sea, you can usually find a mobile internet signal. Using a mobile WiFi router, you can provide everyone with a LAN connection to play on, alongside a link to the outside world to keep DRM running.
In The Sky:
Water isn’t the only place a game can find themselves, with the sky presenting an excellent option for anyone who isn’t scared of heights. Hot air balloon rides aren't too expensive, and can be booked throughout the year. This gives you a couple of hours of air time to get your gaming done, while also enabling you to have large groups spread between multiple balloons. Not many people have had this experience.
With an trip like this, it is unlikely that you will be left to pilot the hot air balloon, and someone will be joining you to keep everything safe. This means that you can focus on the things you want to bring with you, rather than tools to keep things going smoothly. You won’t have power on a craft like this, and this makes it important that everyone brings a spare battery or two if you want to stay in the air for a while.
Each company will have different rules which you have to follow when you want to use their flying machines. To make sure that you will be allowed to use your laptops, it will be worth asking ahead of time, as this will give you the chance to choose a company with the best terms. Along with this, it will be with reading some reviews, as this can be very helpful.
Hopefully, this post will inspire you to get out and start planning your next LAN party. For any gamer, this sort of event is a right of passage, and everyone has to experience it at some point. Of course, along with these options, you could also take yourself to one or two larger LANs which are arranged by other people.
Our guest this episode is Tyler Miller; a tenured residence life professional, proud father, and hardcore geek!
Read MoreEveryone knows that college is an expensive time. It costs you money to get there, and you can find yourself still paying for it long after you’ve left. In addition to the tuition and textbook costs, you also need to live.
Image: Kaboom Pics
Going to college is a key life event that impacts your future. First you’ll need to choose which type of college you’d like to attend, there are so many different types of colleges from a sports university to a Christian university. Naturally, the major you’d like to study will largely influence your decision. Making big decisions like these can feel stressful, and you might be worried about how you’re going to financially support yourself. Luckily there are so many easy ways that you can make money.
Many students tend bar or waiter their way through college, but have you thought about the different ways you can make money online instead?
Whether you need beer money or a bit of help to pay your rent, check out the different ways you can pay your way through college from your computer.
Online surveys are one of the simplest ways to make easy money online. You may be wondering whether or not you can make money from online surveys, but the truth is you can. Depending on how much time you’re willing to put into it, you could make money hundreds of dollars each month, while still binge-watching your favorite shows on Netflix. Completing some online surveys can be a great way to make some additional cash that could substitute a part-time job.
Selling things online can be easy if you’ve got a knack for it. If you have a fashion habit, for example, you can always sell-on the clothing you no longer want to help you afford new items. While you have your classic selling sites like eBay to get rid of your unwanted goods, new tools like Depop are a great way to make money from selling online. If you can source a good bargain and resell to make money from your investment, you could have the makings of a great online business!
Copywriters are in high demand online, so you could make some good money doing anything from writing product descriptions to writing social media copy online. It’s easier than you might think to get started with copywriting, with websites such as eLance, Copify and PeoplePerHour offering some excellent ways for you to build up experience and hone your skills. If you’ve got a passion for words or you want to write something other than essays for the next couple of years - copywriting could be a good little earner for your college years and beyond.
If writing isn’t your thing, there might be other talents that you have that you could sell online. People offer all sorts of services from proofreading to voiceover work and even tutoring - whatever your talent might be; you could make some extra cash online. There are some inspiring stories of people who make thousands from websites like Fiverr, so it’s worth exploring to see what sorts of services you could offer others from your computer.
While it might not be the most recommended way to make money online, online games like online casinos can be a way for you to make some money online. If you stick to free trials and stakes, you won’t risk your own money and could help you earn some extra income if you know what you’re doing.
Blogs can be a fun way to make some money online while also indulging your passion. If you have something that you’re interested in, such as beauty, sports or food, you could easily make money from blogging. Blogging requires commitment, but if you’ve got the time to write and promote a couple of posts a week, it could be a good venture for you. Having a blog is a great way to boost your career prospects post-college, demonstrating that you have other interests, as well as expert knowledge on a particular topic.
Having a YouTube channel is another popular way to make money online. A vlog is a good companion or alternative to a blog, allowing you to share ideas, how-tos and more. The more subscribers you have to your channel, the more money you can stand to make from it - with YouTube offering monetization options after you reach a certain amount of views and subscribers. If you have something good to say, say it - it could be a great money-making opportunity for you.
Affiliate marketing can be a good way to make money online without much effort required. In short, affiliate marketing involves making recommendations to people through links or referral codes that lead them to products and services. You can make money through affiliate marketing using your social media pages, Pinterest, your blog and other methods. Shopstyle Collective, RewardStyle, Amazon and Target have some good affiliate marketing programs that are worth investigating.
Do you enjoy gaming? Why not make some money from it? There are different ways to make money from gaming, including having subscribers follow you on Twitch, writing how-to guides and walkthroughs for different games or publishing podcasts with advertisements and sponsorships. You’ll need the right streaming setup to make it work, but it could be a good investment if you’re serious about earning while gaming. If you already spend hours of your day gaming, this could be a good way to keep up your hobby while also making some money from it.
If you’ve got some free time and want to get paid for menial tasks that others can’t be bothered to do, you’ll be surprised at how much money you can make from doing this online. Websites such as Taskrabbit, Swagbucks and others can pay anything for completing small tasks which could range from posting a review to using a search engine. Ideal for when you need some extra dollars here and there, this could help you make some easy money and fast.
It can be tough to get a job after college without experience, so looking for ways to make money that also boost your skills can help. Becoming a virtual assistant is a good way to develop some skills that will be useful for your career such as administrative tasks, developing your communication skills and working to deadlines. You could be a virtual assistant for a day or for a certain number of hours a week depending on how much time you have and what the requirements of your client are.
Investing is something you can start during your college years to help you grow your savings. The College Investor is a great website to teach you all about the ins and outs of investing to help you get started. Investments can come with risks, but if you set out a plan for yourself and start off slowly, you can make some wise choices that will boost your existing and future financial situation. If you’re unsure of how to get started with investing, you might want to consider a micro-investing app to get you started using the spare change from your card purchases.
Do you have useful information that you can pass onto others? Why not teach an e-course? People make money teaching courses on everything from improving your blog to social media basics. Provided you can create a suitable marketing strategy to promote your e-course or book, you could make some decent money by sharing your knowledge with others.
Making money online is much easier than you think. Unlike generations before you, you can find more flexible ways to earn money for college that will help you get by and without impacting your studies. How will you make money online from your computer? Find out now by exploring the different options to help you pay your way through college.
There is nothing worse than being sat on a long commute on the train with nothing to do. Many people opt to read the free newspaper that they’ve picked up on their journey but as you know, these don’t last long. Long commute times can be tricky, especially if you’re someone who experiences travel anxiety or claustrophobia when on public transport. We are lucky however, to live in an age where you don’t just have to rely on a newspaper to help you get through your traveling woes. We now have a plethora of technology that is perfect for those long journeys, so check out how to beat your commuting blues with these techy boredom busting ideas.
Photo by Stephy Miehle on Unsplash
When you’re feeling cooped up inside of a train and you’re struggling with an anxiety attack, one of the best things to do is to accept what’s happening and tackle the problem head on. Luckily, technology can now help with such a thing, and you can now download anxiety hypnosis apps for you to listen to on your journey to help keep you relaxed. There are also apps that can help monitor when you’re anxious and try to help you pinpoint and resolve your issues. Try some anxiety apps to help pass the time and ease your travel anxiety.
One of the best methods of distracting yourself from your anxiety, or even just to quickly pass the time is by playing a game. Going back a few years we wouldn’t have been able to enjoy such a luxury on our commute to work. But now, thanks to smartphones, tablets and laptops, we are able to enjoy games that thrill us, like biking games from smartbikegames.com/. Or, if you prefer a more gentle game, you could put your mind at work with amazing puzzle apps and games. Before you know it you’ll be at your stop!
Again, thanks to the progression in technology not only can we obtain the devices to watch our favorite TV shows, but we even have programs that give it to us in HD quality so that we can easily catch up on all of the missed TV shows. Work out how long your journey is and see if you can fit a certain amount of episodes into the journey. It’s a great distraction and allows you to keep up with trending conversations in the office!
One really clever idea that people are doing loads these days is looking up recipes on their commute to work. Why’s this? Well, many people are already thinking about getting home and eating delicious food before it all happens again the next day. Why not save yourself some time when you get home and look up some recipes to cook for dinner. It will save you worrying about it, and also give you the chance to get any ingredients that you may need on your journey home from work.
Most of us engage with some sort of sport. Whether that’s a team sport such as soccer, basketball, or volleyball, or an individual sport such as archery, climbing, or kayaking. However, sometimes the intense physical aspects required to engage with them might put us off. Whether we’re feeling a little under the weather or simply want to kick our feet up and relax, there are bound to be a whole host of times when heading outdoors in a huge exertion of energy just isn’t something we’re interested in. However, you don’t have to cut sport out of your life entirely in times like this. In fact, you can engage with a sport in a completely different way - as a spectator. Here are a few different sports that you might want to try watching instead of physically engaging with at some point!
Baseball
Baseball is one of the most popular spectator sports in the world. While the premise of the bat and ball game is relatively simple, the feeling of being a part of a particular team’s fanbase is all-encompassing. You really get drawn into the game as you cheer along and chant. One of the great things about baseball is that it’s relatively unpredictable. In most sports, you can take a look at individual sports people's track records and gauge the outcome of each match or game. However, with baseball, you can really be taken by surprise, with league champions falling and the underdogs having the day regularly. To experience baseball at its best, try to secure dodger tickets that will provide you with seats to some of the best games.
Boxing
Boxing matches are thrilling - you get to see two athletes in their prime go head to head in a battle of both the body and the will. It’s not surprising that this is a sport that organisers really make a show out of. For weeks ahead of any big fight, you can tune into interviews, weigh-ins, and pre-match standoffs between the individuals lined up. On the night, you can either head along to a live venue or tune in on your television, with matches often being streamed worldwide for those at home. The music and entrances really get your adrenaline pumping! You then get to watch a highly technical sport, learning a whole lot about technique and statistics from the commentators along the way.
Archery
Archery is a more obscure sport that not all too many people pay attention to. But this is simply because it isn’t as hyped up as many other major sports. Archery really can be brilliant to watch, especially if you’re looking for something that is more focussed on calculated finesse than pure adrenaline. It is perhaps most widely televised during major events such as the Olympics, but there are Youtube channels dedicated to providing access to all sorts of archery championships.
These are just three sports that are widely televised, or that you can attend in-person if you’re lucky enough to get tickets. So, choose one and get involved!
Our guest this episode is Missy Vetrano; a geek for life, role player, and higher ed admissions professional.
Read MoreThe gaming industry is an industry that is growing at an exponential rate. Last year, according to some UK stats, the gaming industry was worth over a record-breaking $5 billion, not to mention the impact that the gaming industry had on other industries like merchandising, entertainment, and film. So at the rate things are going, it is likely that the industry will be adding at least another billion dollars to that in the next few years. In fact, when you look at those kinds of stats, it is making the gaming industry the fifth largest in the world, and the biggest in places like Europe as a whole. Pretty astounding just how much of an influence it can have.
The rise of gaming has a lot to do with the advancements in technology, and the fact that you can press download, and in an instant you will have it on your phone or tablet. Not to mention the fact that you can easily watch gamers play online, as well as YouTube videos. So if you want to know how to do something for your game, you are likely to reach out to one of these sources.
Because so many people are gaming, at least at some point in their week, it has meant that some previous and quite dull tasks, including things like fact-sharing, have been given a whole new lease of life. And this is a trend that quite rightly, companies are taking note of and using it to their advantage. Increased awareness around gaming and more of a positive look at gaming has impacted the whole industry of gaming in a positive way. For companies and gamers, it leads to more funding opportunities, and a chance to make a business out of gaming if they haven’t already. Take a game like RunScape, for example. There are several sites online that sell RS Gold for gamers to buy, so that they can carry on in their game and get bigger and better at it. This wouldn’t have even been considered an idea for a business even ten years ago.
When more people are wanting to work in the sector, then t shows the demand for it, and that in turn, will have influence over the gaming companies and how they decide to do things. And this rolls out to gaming in a professional sense too. You don’t just have to see gaming in the traditional or recreational sense, as educational establishments can use the industry to their advantage too. It is what the students will understand, so certain parts of it can be carried over.
The industry is on the rise and here to stay, because of the top talent that the industry recruits. It needs to attract the right skilled workers to the job roles, otherwise they will go elsewhere for work. So it is a competitive job industry. And when a company hires the brightest and the best, the jobs will be more competitive, and more people will want to work there, as their business growth will get better and better. In that vein, it can be easy to see why there are several Universities around the world now that are doing gaming-related degrees. It shows that it is an industry that is here to stay.
Funding for the industry has to play a big part in the rise of the industry. For example, if there wasn’t the same funding, then would the same companies be able to do what they do and make the games and apps that they make? The support and funding needs to be staying at the same level, if not more, to help grow the industry. It would be interesting to see how the industry would do as a whole, if some of the funding were to be cut.
Not for profit groups like British-based Creative England, is an example of the kind of funding that has helped the industry to grow. Using things like ‘games labs’ they are able to train people up, and help people to learn the skills that they need to develop games or simply to get into it at a deeper level. And with the rise of VR gaming, it will be good to see how things like these ‘games labs’ can help people learn about a whole brand new element to gaming.
What are your thoughts on this? How far has the gaming industry got to go? It would be great to hear what you think.