Want to know more about time management? Living on your own at college, learning how to balance your academics with your extracurricular activities and finding time to have fun with your friends is a difficult task. As a student-athlete on the varsity women’s lacrosse team at JMU, I have had to develop effective time management and have learned some valuable lessons that I want to share. Mandatory early morning conditioning sessions and afternoon practices have forced me to balance my academic and social life with my demanding schedule. Here are a few tips on how to manage your time as a college student. 1. What is sleep? College students often ask this question after pulling multiple all-nighters while writing a paper or studying for a test. Yes, it is common for college students to wait until the last minute to start an assignment, but it's important to always start early! Starting early to study for a test or on an assignment reduces your stress levels throughout the week and could also help you process the information and earn a better grade. Getting an adequate amount of sleep at night will help you perform your best at any task that may come your way, as well as allow you to stay healthy. I am sure we are all familiar with that rare week in our academic schedules where you have hardly any work. This is a week you should take advantage of and it is a perfect opportunity to get ahead on your work and catch up on your sleep. 2. How do I balance everything? Look at your schedule for the upcoming week and identify the main events and/or assignments. After identifying what you need to accomplish, make a to-do list with deadlines and your main priorities for the week. It is also helpful to identify goals you would like to accomplish in your extracurricular activities, and to identify something to look forward to. This will help increase your motivation. If you choose to plan ahead and make the effort to balance all of your commitments, time will become available for you to make the most of your college experience by attending fraternity or sorority events or participating in organizations and club sports games. Making the effort to improve your time management skills will also decrease your stress levels and make your college experience an enjoyable one. By Margaret Tucker Fogarty
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1. Professional Development Learn how to dress, talk and act in a professional setting. The way you present yourself can influence how you are perceived in a workplace. It can also affect your success in an interview for a job or an internship. Presentation is a key factor to maintaining your professionalism. PRSSA can give you the skills to transform you from a student to a professional. 2. Agency Visits Gain an insider perspective of what a career would be like in some of the top PR agencies in big cities, like New York and D.C. There’s only so much you can learn from work inside the classroom, but PRSSA can give you a look into what work is like in a professional setting. Ask professionals in the industry all of your burning questions, while they describe what a day in the life of a PR career entails. You can also connect with past JMU alum at our cocktail hour events during each trip. 3. Networking Connect with peers, professors, and professionals. From our on-campus meetings to agency visits, you have the opportunity to meet people that can enhance your career. Make friends with peers and find mentors from professionals that are in the same industry you aspire to be in. It’s all about ‘who you know’ that’ll get you to where you want to be. 4. Enhance Your Resume Show off your involvement. There are endless leadership opportunities in our chapter of PRSSA. Members can be on committees, lead our Directed Projects (throughout the Harrisonburg community), or apply for a position on the executive board. Involvement in PRSSA and leadership skills will set your resume apart when applying for PR or Communications jobs. Plus, we have events, like Resume Speed Dating workshops, to help you make your resume stand out even more. 5. PRSA Benefits Think long term. A membership in PRSSA will provide benefits to you when you join PRSA as a professional. If you join PRSA as an Associate Member up to five months before or two years after graduation from PRSSA you can get a discounted membership for only $60. As a PRSA member you can connect with 20,000 PR professionals, attend PR conferences, and find job opportunities. Check out more member benefits on the PRSSA National website, here: http://prssa.prsa.org/about/join/benefits/ By Rebecca Malzahn
Recognized for: Emily is being recognized for all of the hard work she put in towards PRSSA over the summer as well as doing an excellent job running our Twitter account (@jmuprssa)! Keep up the good work, Emily! Year: Senior Hometown: Chesapeake, VA Major(s)/Minor(s): Majoring in communications with a concentration in PR and SMAD with a concentration in converged media. Minoring in theatre and British media and communications. How has PRSSA impacted you: It has given me skills in professional development and has confirmed my love for PR. What was your favorite PRSSA event: I'm a fan of our social media committee meetings. What is your dream job: Public relations/ marketing manager for a theatre company What is a fun fact about you: I love manatees! Recognized for: Mary Kate was a huge help to PRSSA this summer, by running our Instagram account (@jmuprssa)! She is still the Head of Instagram right now, and has been a member of the Social Media Committee for two years. Between helping design our billboard in Harrison Hall last year to taking pictures and designing graphics for our Instagram, she has proven to be a reliable, dedicated, and highly valuable resource to PRSSA. Thanks for all of your help, Mary Kate! Year: Senior Hometown: Baltimore, MD Major(s)/Minor(s): Communications, with a concentration in PR Membership: 2 years How has PRSSA impacted you: I have learned a lot of professional skills and have gained a better perspective of PR in general What was your favorite PRSSA event: My favorite PRSSA event was the DC Agency visit What is your dream job: I hope to work in marketing/pr for a big company |
ContributorsAll content on this blog is created by current JMU PRSSA members. Archives
November 2017
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