Why More Students Are Taking Microsoft Training Courses

Over the past few years, there has been a noticeable increase in demand for Microsoft training. This is relevant for all programs; encompassing everything from Publish and OneNote to Outlook and Visio. It is also relevant for all types of training; from online to in-house. Let’s discover why this is the case…

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All businesses are IT orientated nowadays

One of the main reasons why there has been a huge increase in training is because all businesses are very Information Technology orientated at present and students need to be prepared. You will struggle to find a company who does not use IT for a good proportion of their business on-goings. It doesn’t matter what industry you operate in. After all, every business needs to keep a track on accounts, profit, expenditure and alike. Every company needs to send emails. Every business needs to give a presentation at some point. The world has become dominated by technology recently and thus it is of little surprise that Microsoft training is soaring. People needed to adapt to this new way of carrying out their company’s duties.

Microsoft programs enhance productivity

Another reason why Microsoft training is on the rise is because knowing how to use the programs properly can lead to productivity improving dramatically. Competition is fierce in the modern day and you need to use all tools at your disposal to ensure you stay ahead of the pack. Productivity is imperative because the more productive your staff are, the quicker tasks can be done, the more efficiently customers can be handled, and the more profit that can be made. There are lots of great tricks, tips and shortcuts that can be found within all of the Microsoft programs. A company who has had their staff take Microsoft training can complete tasks at a much more rapid pace. Students know this, and so they are preparing for the job market by taking Microsoft training alongside their degrees. With online courses, like an online MBA from JCU, this is easy. Plus, it is likely that such degrees will require you to use Microsoft programs in any case.

Securing a job is almost impossible without Microsoft training

Nowadays you need to be competent in most Microsoft programs if you want to secure a job. The competition is fierce because of the recent recession and the lack of employment opportunities available as a result. You would have once been competing against ten people for a position, now you will be competing against 100. If you don’t know how to use Microsoft properly then you will be at a massive disadvantage. If your CV says that you have embarked on Microsoft training then your potential employer will be extremely impressed – especially as it means he or she won’t have to sort out training for you to get you up to speed with all of the current employees.

When you consider the three points that have been mentioned in this article it is quite easy to see why Microsoft Training is in much higher demand nowadays.

Shut The Book Up And Start Living

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Although you might enjoy a good geek-out hitting the books, feeling accomplished to learn something new and retell it to anyone else who’ll listen, there are other things to do once in a while that are just as important, living! To satisfy the appetite of those still not convinced to draw themselves away from their books, dabbling in other areas of life could have a positive effect on your studying and assignments. It’s called stimuli my friend, we all need it to feel alive, which is why once in a while you should shut the books and seek other pleasantries and rewards beyond burying your head in a textbook.

Be A Yes (Wo) Man

Simple yet effective, rather than plan bit by bit go with the flow and say yes to EVERYTHING. Seriously, you’re a student most likely with little to no attachments or commitments to anything, you have more time than you will have in later years so sap it up and say yes to stuff. Say yes to things that make you feel uncomfortable, say yes to going on a date, say yes to playing a game and winning money on www.critiquesdecasino.com, say yes to a request to join a sports team and say yes to going on a ski trip to France. You get the picture, saying yes to opportunities will set you up to do things you would never have dreamed of doing. If there's one way to live it’s to start saying yes to things you never would have dreamed of doing, stretch your mundane routine, shock your nervous system, switch it up and start living.

Sow Seeds

What we mean by this is to complete a task, an application, or begin building something that will eventually, potentially reap the rewards and add a little excitement to one's life in the short/long term future, increasing opportunities for you to give you the ability to live a better, fulfilling, rewarding life. In doing so, you will encourage yourself regularly to aim for things you would never have usually attempted. Also by planting multiple seeds and eventually seeing the steady rewards come in, you’ll make it a habit, one that which adds a little success and happiness to your life. Combine it with the stage above as these two go hand in hand so whether it’s a study abroad program for the summer you’ve been thinking about but haven't taken the plunge, or a college funded business startup bursary you could apply for, or perhaps you want to put an advert out to start a band and see what comes back, there's plenty you can do to start sowing seeds.

‘Mighty oaks from little acorns grow’

Help People

Studying independently can be quite a self-absorbed task, especially when working your way up to completing a piece of coursework or approaching an exam, a lot of attention is on ‘I’ rather than others. To a degree this is understandable. However, it could benefit you if you shift your focus to helping others with as much intent as you do yourself. Not that all helping others should come with your own agenda for a feel-good factor, but it also gives you the opportunity to take a step out of your own little box once in a while and step over into someone else's (the box being a metaphor for the world). Shifting your focus to another can help you gain perspective on life, and help you to destress and revisit your studies with purpose. For example, if someone's struggling financially, you may remember your initial mission to decrease poverty by working for the local council thus studying hard for your politics degree.

Living On The Edge

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Once in a while, you’ve got to take a risk or expect to live a life of calculated averageness now and forever. There are SO many risky opportunities waiting in line, big and small, ready for you to choose. Which one will you go for to get the adrenalin pumping, make a memory, tell your kids “I did this!”. It can be anything, here are few for your perusal;

• You take a risk to ask someone out you’ve been crushing over for a while

• Take a risk being your true self in front of other people

• You might dare to start a YouTube channel

• Invest your savings into starting a business

• Risk speaking up in class to voice an idea or challenge a concept

Risks are present everywhere, some have just been consistently dulled down by the echo of your mind regurgitating your learned responses of, “it’s not safe, it won’t work, do it another day.” Be exciting, take risks, and you will be living on purpose not just merely existing.

“The trouble is you think you have time” - Jack Kornfield.

This statement whichever way you wish to interpret it explains the importance of how our time on earth is limited. However, many of us live as though we’re immortal and we shall infinitely exist, thus putting off the things we actually want to do and wasting the time we have right now.

Travel

If your study materials online, you can study anywhere, Japan, Fiji, Italy so why not do it. Why restrict yourself to your same old town with the same old people when there’s over 7 billion people in the world and 195 countries, yet you’re confined to one. No wonder you’re probably feeling a little bored, unchallenged and underwhelmed by your studies, and your studies are all you have to look forward to. Be spontaneous book a flight and travel somewhere, anywhere.

This is a non-exhaustive nudge, no, push in the direction of living. It’s scary, risky and everything your nightmares are made of, but do it and it’ll make your studies more worthy of your time, give your life more meaning and purpose and direction and excitement, help you find yourself and make you feel alive, not just a hermit reading and typing away for the duration of your college and university years. And don’t wait to start living; otherwise, it might never happen.

Coping With College

College, the time in your life when you have a little more independence, a little more money but a whole lot more work.

While for the most part you’ll sail through your college years, studying the subjects you love and creating new, long lasting friendships, there will be pressure points and times when the sheer volume of work and study pressure will feel overwhelming. It’s at those times when you need something more than your books to help you through.

We explore some antidotes to the stresses and strains of college life and how you can come out the other side calmer and ready to face anything life throws at you.

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Learn some top techniques

Mindfulness might be just a buzzword but this technique is a tried and tested way to help you cope with stress points in your life. If you’re someone who feels anxious or finds it hard to cope with pressure, then learning a few mindfulness techniques can really help.

Just hop online to find about guided breathing exercises, mindful meditation and how to stay in the present, keeping your mind focussed on calming thoughts and feelings.

These techniques can come in especially handy when you’re facing a tough paper in an exam hall and begin to feel anxiety building up inside your body. It does take practice though, so try out several techniques before settling on one or two that really work for you.

It’s also really helpful at getting you to sleep when you’re worried about what the coming day will bring. When you need to sleep and you’re stressed out, try a few breathing and thought exercises and you’ll be drifting off before you know it.

Be prepared

Like a good scout, get organised. Education bloggers will tell you the worst thing you can do is to add to your stress load so even if your files are all over the place or your notes make no sense, now is the time to carefully and meticulously go through everything. You are guaranteed to feel a whole lot better knowing where everything is and being up to date with your schedule.

If having too much paper is a real problem, spend an hour converting everything to digital and have it all stored electronically instead. Books can be transferred to an e-reader on Setapp, for example or any app that allows you to make notes in the margin, just like the paper version. Only this time, you’re less likely to lose it.

College life can be among the best years of your life but they can also be the toughest. Learning to balance study with all the activities that take place outside of class is hard but with a little organization, it doesn’t have to be impossible.

Fight stress and anxiety with breathing, mindfulness and meditation and start getting organised for a college experience that will rank as one of the best.  The techniques you put into practice now will stand you in good stead for the rest of your life.

Here's How to Create the Ideal Home Study Space

Your home can sometimes be the best place to study, but it might also be the only place you have. Whether you choose to study at home or you just have to make the best of it because you have nowhere else to go, there are a few things that you can do to set up the perfect study environment. Everyone has different preferences for their ideal place to study, but there are some things that most people will want to have to make their study experience better. You don't have to have a whole office or study of your own, but being able to carve out a small space for yourself is helpful.

Get Comfortable - But Not Too Comfortable

When you're studying, you don't want to be so uncomfortable that you can't stay sitting down. However, you also don't want to be so comfortable that it's easy for you to get distracted. When you're setting up your study space, make sure you have a supportive chair to sit in. Rather than lounging on the sofa, at least consider sitting up in an armchair so that you're not at risk of accidentally taking a nap. If you're going to be typing a lot during your studies, you should have a desk or other surface and consider having a support for your wrists.

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Remove Distractions

There are so many distractions that can stop you studying, especially when you're at home. It's so easy to wander off and grab a snack, start watching TV or even start cleaning the house when you don't feel like studying. If you want to create the perfect study space, you need somewhere that has as few distractions as possible. That's why it's useful to create at least a small area of a room, if not a whole room, where you can remove distractions as much as possible. Try to get rid of anything that you might be tempted to fiddle with or even look at.

Store Some Snacks

Some people like to get snacks while they're on their breaks so that they have something to get up for. But if you study better when you have snacks next to you, you should have somewhere to keep them. Use a cupboard or cabinet to store a few snacks so you can easily reach for something to give you energy when you need it. You could even have a mini fridge for cold drinks if you don't want to go too far to get one.

Ensure a Strong Connection

It would be great if you could turn off your internet connection to study for maximum concentration. Unfortunately, you often need to be connected to the internet to study. At least if you can't prevent the internet distracting you, you can at least avoid being slowed down by an unreliable connection. One of the benefits of getting high speed internet is that you won't have to deal with dropping out and slowness when you're trying to be productive. A fast connection can help you to get your studying done quicker and easier so that you can get on with other things.

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Get the Lighting Right

The lighting in your study space can make a big difference to how well you can work. To begin with, you don't want to have any glare on your computer because it could be very distracting. You don't want it to be too dark or you might just feel like falling asleep, but too much artificial light could cause eyestrain. Try to maximize natural light when you can and use a warm but bright light when there's no sunshine to rely on.

Create a Comfortable Temperature

Temperature can also affect how well you are able to study. If it's too warm, you can feel hot, sticky and frustrated, or perhaps like you want to take a nap. Too cold, and you might be using up all your energy trying to stay warm, so there's none left for your brain. Set the temperature in your study space at a comfortable level so that you don't have to think about it while you're trying to study. If you're trying to save money, put on an extra layer when it's cold instead of turning up the temperature.

Choose Between Silence or Music

Some studies might show one way or another whether silence or music is best for being productive. But it often just comes down to personal taste when you're studying. Total silence can be hard to get at home anyway, so you might prefer to create a setup for listening to music instead. For a balance between the two, try ambient sounds or instrumental music. If you do decide that you would prefer quiet, you could create a study space that helps to block out and absorb sound. Soft furnishings help to prevent echoing noises, but closing your window and door will keep sounds out.

Bring in Some Nature

Having plants in your study space can be a great way to make it more calming. House plants can help to improve the quality of the air indoors too, so it could even help to make your study space healthier. A couple of plants can give you something to look at when you want to rest your eyes and remind you to take a breather now and then.

Use a Clock

Studies have shown that working in short bursts can be a good way to be productive. A 20 minutes study period, when you concentrate the whole time, followed by a short break of a few minutes can help you work in short but intense chunks of time. Hanging a clock on the wall or having one on your desk can be a good remind of the time, instead of just having a computer clock which you might block out. It's also a good idea to have an alarm that you can set.

Create the perfect study space by setting up somewhere comfortable and free of too many distractions.

Great Ways To Unwind After Studying

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Even if you enjoy studying, which many of us actually do, you still know that it takes a lot out of you - especially if you’re studying quite an intense subject or have been studying for a longer period of time.

You’ll probably know by now that as ambitious as you may be, there’s no point in forcing yourself to keep studying after a while because your brain can only absorb so much information and you’ll become less focused and productive if you’re pushing yourself too hard.

So, the best thing to do is study for a bit, then take a break so that your brain and body can regain some energy and be able to focus and concentrate properly when you go back to study.

In this post, we’re sharing with you some tips to ensure that you can unwind and refresh effectively after studying so that when you go back to it you’re completely focused and productive to get the task at hand done to the best of your ability.

The good thing about these tips is they’re all either free or low cost things and some don’t even require you to leave your house.

Watch a movie:

Switching your mind from completely focused on something intense like studying to watching a movie is a great way to help you relax and unwind - even if you’re not completely focused on the movie or the storyline, you’ll definitely benefit from the change of environment and that will be enough to help you recharge after your studying. If you’re traveling somewhere, for example at a conference and want to watch a movie on Netflix in your hotel but the movie you want to watch isn’t available because of your location, then you’ll find plenty of solutions online at places like bestvpn.com that will allow you to get around the location restrictions.

Read a book:

If you’ve just been sitting with a book in your hand to study, the last thing you might want to do is pick up another one, but reading is a great way to relax your mind and since there are so many genres, a good fiction book could be the perfect way to unwind for an hour or so.

Meditate:

Meditation is a seriously effective and very healthy practice that is recommended as something that you should be done daily to maintain a good level of physical and mental wellbeing. However, even if you’re not meditating daily, it’s such a wonderful way to quiet the mind and regain focus that it’s the perfect way to unwind after studying for long periods.

Go for a walk:

Just getting out of the house and going for a walk in fresh air to enjoy nature is such a healthy thing to do daily, but even more so if you really need to recharge and relax your mind after studying so that you can be more focused when you return that will allow you to be much more productive. Plus it’s also good to move your body a bit after prolonged periods of sitting.

3 Reasons Play isn't Just for Kids

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Playfulness is a trait that appears across the animal kingdom. All animals to it to some extent and for some, like us humans, play isn’t confined to childhood but continues throughout life. You might say that playfulness is an essential part of the human condition - after all, if we didn’t like to play so much, we wouldn’t pay celebrities to dress up and pretend to be other people in films.

It is important for everyone to enjoy some playtime. It might sound a bit patronizing but play time is the only chance you get to let your hair down and do something fun. Play is usually sociable, gives you a chance to practice the skills and behaviors that make you human (logic, memory, teamwork etc) and learn in a relaxed and fun way.

Play Gives You a Boost

When you play, you release the hormones that make you feel happy and relaxed: dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins. These hormones are important because they are what make you feel good about yourself and the environment you are in. Essentially, when you are having a good belly laugh, these hormones are the reason you feel so good.

Playing releases these hormones, reducing your stress and improving your mood. This is true whether you are playing a team game like basketball or you have just won using a virgin online casino promo code. To maximize the boost you get, you should focus on playing the games that bring you the most joy. This isn’t necessarily something you are good at, just something that gets you thinking and laughing and having fun.

Play Improves Your Problem-Solving Skills

Most games are about solving problems, whether you are solving the problem that your team doesn’t have as many points as the other or you are working your way across a digital plane solving a zombie-apocalypse type of problem. And, let’s face it, solving problems is what life is all about.

For the most part, games are really just good at teaching you how to solve the particular problem in front of you and many brain training games are more about getting good at the game rather than actually boosting IQ. However, there is a pretty good argument for the idea that learning the different methods for solving different types of problem is also a really useful skill to have.

Play Brings Us Together

When you think of all the best memories you have with your friends, you can almost guarantee that the ones that spring to mind are those where you were playing or letting out your inner child. Messing and joking around or actually sitting down to play a game, any form of play gives you a chance to get closer to someone by lowering the boundaries we put around more formal interactions. When you play, you get to test the waters for other types of behaviors, expose your personality and depth without fear and express new ideas.

In short, play brings us together and makes us more human.

Things You Can Do To Help With Boredom When You’re Broke

We’ve all been there, right? We’ve spent a little too much money, and it’s a few weeks away until your next paycheck. So now you’re broke and bored, so what can you do that’ll help with the boredom but not cost you money? Here are a few suggestions!

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Play Video Games

You can spend hours on a video game, living out a fantasy life and there are so many to choose from. Driving games and adventure games will keep boredom at bay and doesn’t cost you any money to enjoy them...unless you buy more of them.

Invite some friends round, cook a big meal that costs very little and have an evening of gaming. It’ll be as much fun as it would going out and spending money.

Start A Blog

If you enjoy writing, then you might want to consider starting a blog. It’s a great platform to get your voice and opinions across to a wider audience and with blogging becoming even more popular, you could even make money from it.

It’s very simple to start a blog, and you can write about any topic you like from beauty to health, cars to gardening. The opportunities are endless!

Do A “Spring Clean”

Unless you’re one that hates tidying up, doing a spring clean can be a great way of decluttering your home and getting rid of stuff you no longer need. You can always sell anything of value too, so it’s a win-win situation.

Put on some music to get you in the mood and take your time with it. You can waste away hours tidying.

Work On A Skill

Perhaps learning a language is something you’ve always wanted to do but never had the time. With so much available online for free from videos to articles, developing a skill has never been so easy to do.

Think about what you’ve always wanted to do, write a list and get started.

Take Advantage Of Free Attractions

You’ll be surprised by just how many free attractions there are in your neighborhood, just waiting to be explored. From parks to museums, there’s plenty to do that won’t cost you anything at all. Check out local venues for free concerts and seek out food markets as they’ll tend to offer free samples that you can take full advantage of.

Have A Movie Night

Explore your DVD collection or see what films are available on any streaming services you may have like Amazon Prime or Netflix. A movie night is the ideal night in whether you’re on your own or with friends and family. Buy some cheap snacks, curl up in a duvet on the sofa and watch a film or two. Have a movie themed night where you watch films in the same genre or trilogies.

The best things in life are free, so when you find yourself struggling for cash, there are plenty of things you can do to help with the boredom and save on spending. It’ll bring around payday a little quicker, that’s for sure.

Excel in Your Exams: Preparation and Reducing Stress are Key

Exams are always going to be stressful. After months and months of study and hard work, it all comes down to how well you do in this set amount of time, which really does put a lot of pressure on you. Some people just naturally aren’t good at exams, and even the most level headed students can have an off day, and so if you have the date looming- chances are you’re going to be worried. Thankfully, there’s plenty you can do to get yourself as prepared as possible, reduce stress and go into the exam on the day knowing you’ve done everything you can. Sometimes, this thought alone is enough to give you the confidence to go in there and do your best. Read on to find out more.

photo sourced from Pexels.

Draw up a revision timetable

To properly revise a subject, you need time. Leaving it until the last minute and cramming is only going to add to stress levels, so get prepared and go about your revision in the right way. Once you’ve got an exam date, you can work out how much time you have to revise each topic, and set out a timetable giving you time each day to put in the work you need.

Find a method of revising that works for you

We’re all individual, and each of us will have our own methods of revising which work best for us. Some people are very visual, and find drawing up spider diagrams, posters and post it- notes to stick around the house can be effective. Others do better listening, you could read out all of your notes and record them on an app on your phone, and then listen back to them. Some people find that physically writing out all of their notes again with a pen and paper helps to secure it in their mind. And others might do better with things like flash cards and getting quizzed by others. Find a way to revise that works for you, and the information will sink in and stay in your mind much more easily.

Keep stress levels down

Stress makes everything worse. An anxious mind is far less likely to retain information from revising, and it can stop you from sleeping well. And we all know that when you’re tired, learning can feel impossible. While there’s always going to be an element of stress when it comes to exams, it’s important to find ways to cope. Have a relaxing bath, do some exercise or meditate as a way of managing the symptoms of stress and clearing your mind. You’ll do far better and will be able to focus more. Herbal remedies and over the counter medicines such as Rescue Remedy and Kalms can be effective if you’re really struggling. If your stress levels are impacting your life, you might even need to speak to your GP.

Take mock tests

A great way to test yourself, practice for the real thing and have a ‘test run’ of the exam is to take a mock test. These are often papers from previous years, and will give you a feel for the wording and what exactly it is the exams are looking for. Some companies offer specialist mock exams for specific subjects, you can find out more about this here. See if there are any online mocks as part of your revision materials from the school you’re studying at. If not, ask your tutor for some past exam questions and have them go through your answers with you to see how well you did. While the same questions won’t crop up again, if you’re able to answer these it shows you know the material well, and should be able to do just as well in your own exam. If you’re doing well in mock exams, it can really give you the confidence on the day to do your best on your own. If you’re struggling, you know that you need to put more work in. Better than turning up on the day and realising you weren't as prepared as you thought!

Speak to your tutor

If you’re able to get in any one-on-one time with your tutor, definitely use the opportunity to do so. Go armed with questions, and have them explain in more detail anything you’re not sure about. Classes in schools, colleges and universities tend to be fairly large and so it’s not going to be often that you get this kind of time with your tutor, so if you do, make the most of it. They should also be available via email to get back to you with any questions you have too. Don’t be afraid to ask, it’s their job to make sure you know the information. So if you’re stuck or unsure, let it be known.

Think about the day of the exam

On the day of the exam, you want to walk in feeling refreshed, well rested and confident. Do your very best to get a good night’s sleep, which will improve your mental clarity. Eat a light breakfast and make sure you’re well hydrated, since dehydration can lead to reduced mental performance. Have everything you need to take with you packed the day before, and even lay your clothes out. That way you can get up, get ready with no stress or messing around. Plan your route so there’s no risk of running late or getting stuck in traffic. This can help you to get off to the best start, so you can breeze in, do what you need to do and then breeze back out. You could have a notebook with a few points written down to revise on the day, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself. With the right preparation you’ll have already covered everything you need to do and the knowledge will be in your head and ready to be used.

Do you suffer with bad exam stress? What do you do to ensure that you keep stress levels down enough to perform well?

Does Cosplay Have Any Practical Benefits?

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“Cosplay” is something that any nerd or geek has likely engaged with or at least heard about at some point or another. However, with its increasing popularity come more and more questions about why people cosplay and what they gain from the process and experience. Let’s take a moment to look further into this!

What Is Cosplay?

Cosplay is a portmanteau for “costume” and “play”. It is quite simply a process in which people dress up as their favourite characters - generally from a host of video games, comic books, anime, manga, films, and television programmes. People engaging with cosplay tend to purchase their outfits from cosplay stores or may go DIY and create the entire ensemble themselves.

Where Do People Cosplay?

If you’re standing in queue at a fast food outlet and a bunch of people dressed as Link from Zelda, Sailor Moon, and other popular characters suddenly pile in to make an order, or if you’re on public transport surrounded by a host of Batmen, Spidermen, and Wonderwomen, chances are that there is some sort of cosplay event on nearby. Perhaps the biggest events that people choose to cosplay at are Comic Con.

The Benefits of Cosplay

Getting a cosplay outfit together generally takes commitment, time, and money. So, why do people go through all of this? Here are just a few of the benefits that come hand in hand with a little cosplay!

Escapism

Some people revel in the opportunity to put themselves in someone else’s shoes for the day. While many people will simply dress up as a character, some will take on the character, spending their day portraying another person. It’s like an extended acting session or a mode of performance art!

Expressing What You Love

When you choose a character, you are showing everyone your appreciation of that character. Your costume can give others at an event an insight into your interests and preferences.

Social Aspects

Cosplay events bring people with a comparatively niche set of interests together in one close setting. This gives people the opportunity to socialise with others on a similar wavelength to them, making friends along the way. The cosplay community is constantly expanding.

Attention

If you have a great outfit, you’re bound to get a whole lot of attention. There’s something extremely satisfying about someone asking to have their picture taken with you. At cosplay events, you can be showered with attention and praise all day long.

When you look at the different benefits that come hand in hand with engaging with cosplay, it’s not all too surprising that increasing numbers of people are getting involved! Who knows, maybe this could prove to be your latest interest or hobby!

Managing Your Money as a Student

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If you’re in high education then your focus is most likely going to be on studying, yet at the back of your mind will be the ever present stress of money management.  Of course, some people are in the privileged position of having their parents take care of the finances of education, yet for many others, money can be tight and a genuine concern.

When it comes to managing your money as a student, there are two factors to think about, first is to reduce the amount you spend and budget wisely - for instance, you could use a best budget app to keep on track when it comes to managing your spending.  Then, on the other side of the coin is that of making money, which is what this article is going to focus on.

The challenge when it comes to making money as a student is that in most jobs you are having to trade your time for money - and with a limited supply of time, due to the fact you will be in lectures and seminars, then studying independently, time can be in very short supply.

This is where you need to start thinking of ways to make money that either don’t rely so heavily on the exchange of time for money, or pay better rates, meaning you can work less hours but still make enough money to survive.

Here are three aspects to consider:

1. MAKE MORE MONEY

If you can make more money per hour, then you can work less hours.  Consider setting something up yourself such as a micro business offering a service such as mowing lawns or cleaning windows.  It might sound basic, but let’s say you charge $20 for a lawn. In a day, you could easily service six clients which would be $120… meaning, you only need to do a day or two in order to make the same amount you would working many more hours in a conventional part time job.

2. USE THE TIME WISELY

There are certain jobs where you can use the time you have at work to simultaneously study, for instance, if you were to be babysitting when the children go to bed, rather than watch a film you could use the time to focus on coursework.

Similarly, some jobs such as night security or receptionist jobs in hotels, allow for plenty of time that you can use to focus on work.  Indeed, because you don’t have much better to do, you might be more motivated - plus you will be paid whilst studying, making it a win-win.

3. CREATE PASSIVE INCOME

Today, there are all sorts of ways to create passive income.  For instance, you could create a blog and start to monetize the blog with advertising, affiliate marketing, or by creating your own online courses.  You could similarly leverage a platform such as Udemy to promote your course and let them take care of all the advertising and marketing.  

Let’s say you have a course sold via Udemy that you receive $25 for, each time it is sold.  It’s very possible to sell a course 100 times each month, meaning you would be bringing in $2,500 per month without having to trade your time for money - as you are leveraging the asset you created.