My Higher Ed Tech Road Journal

Over the past few months, I’ve worked with, spoke with, and visited with several different higher ed tech companies. Obviously I’ve worked in this space myself for the past nearly three years, but through this experience, I’ve garnered a unique perspective on our greater ecosystem in higher ed.

Coming up through traditional campus based student affairs, I had no idea what was out there. Learning more about all the different organizations that help support the mission of institutions was helpful to appreciate how important these partnerships are. Done right, they augment our work with students. They don’t replace it.

With that being said, there are other valuable lessons I took to heart as I met with various folks in higher ed tech that I hope can resonate with other campus based professionals.

Equipped with the Best Tools

I’ve found it to be far more ubiquitous in the ed tech world to have the best tools to support our work. It helps with everything from collaboration, communication, expenses, HR, analytics, and student support. It seems like it is just a different mindset for the most part. Nothing is preventing campuses from using most of these tools (I know privacy can be a big concern). A lot of them have catered to colleges, there just needs to be the willingness to invest the time and energy in implementing it. We can often experience a lot of inertia with our processes, especially in higher ed. Now more than ever with the disruptive demographic challenges and competitive marketplace for students, we need to make sure we’re doing the best work we can to recruit and retain students. We also need to be doing this in the most efficient way possible with modern tools on our side. Take a look at tools like Workday, Slack, Salesforce, Presence, Roompact, Zoom, and AdmitHub.

Remote, Flexible Work

Something else that is fairly fundamental to ed tech teams is a remote first policy. I currently work fully remote for a company that is mostly remote. It’s been a great perk to have this flexibility to work wherever and however will allow me to be the most productive. This is a topic I’ve written about before and it is even getting notice from places like Inside Higher Ed. I won’t belabor the point again here, but we really need to consider this more so that we can attract and keep high quality talent.

Job Landscape is Wide Open

The last point I’d like the emphasize is that for anyone looking to work in higher ed but having trouble finding a good fit, there is a wide array of different jobs out there now. So many organizations want people with formal campus based experience to bring that perspective to their team. Whether it is working directly with campuses for support, doing trainings, marketing, or back end admin support, there is a place for everyone in higher ed tech. I’ve greatly appreciated still being able to support student success while being able to work in a far more healthy environment for me.

I think about this topic a lot and have for a while. I wrote as a contributor to the Defectors series a few years ago which has been a great insight into the experiences of other folks in this space. Something else to note here is that just because you leave a campus based role doesn’t mean you can’t or won’t ever go back. I know of some people who have gone back and forth. You can certainly contribute valuable knowledge coming back that you perhaps may never been able to garner otherwise.

I hope that we can get to a place where the ed tech space is discussed in graduate programs. I hope we get rid of “vendor” as a dirty word at conferences. I hope we can aspire to be a more adaptable field that can measure up to the expectations our students have of us to be digital, nimble, accessible, and responsive. I hope everyone who wants to stay and work in higher ed can find environments that appreciate them and jobs that fulfill them.

I’m always happy to discuss this further with anyone interested. Please connect with me if you have questions!

Thanks for stopping by!

Organizing A College Graduation Party You'll Never Forget

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So, 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!

Make The World A Smarter Place, Help A Student Today

The future of humanity lies in education. There’s no denying it. The more knowledge people have, the better they get at making the right decisions. The more you know, the least you err, to put things in simple words. However, the acquisition of knowledge can often feel like an impossible quest for nowadays students. There isn’t a week that goes by without mentioning high stress issues and tuition fees that students have to cope with. Additionally, the cost of education is increasing all over the world, making it impossible for some ever to get a chance at turning their life for the better. So what can you do to help students make the world a better place?

Students need support to shine

Learning is a chance you can share

You may not have traveled far away, but you probably have heard of the countries where studying can make the difference between making a living or struggling in your home village. For many children and young adults in poor populations, the opportunities to get a scholarship are extremely limited. As a result, kids are forced to work from an early age to help their family. But if you take part to the child sponsorship programs you can help give teens a chance to study and establish themselves as professionals. When a degree can make all the difference between a healthy lifestyle and a famished existence, there’s no room left for hesitation.

Fight off the anxiety

One in 5 college students struggle with anxiety or depression disorder. The increase of tech gadgets has isolated the youth from their real life, while they try to maintain the virtual appearances on social media platforms. Additionally, the desire to succeed has driven many to seek out stimulant drugs, creating devastating addictions. It’s key for the education sector to acknowledge these mental health issues and provide personal support for those who need it most. It’s also recommended for student affairs professional to take a mental health first aid course.

Teach them to study

As scary as it might sounds, modern kids don’t know how to learn anymore. According to Daniel Willingham, professor of psychology, most students drop out of college because they don’t devise the right strategy to work. The common use of the highlighting approach to remember passages of a text doesn’t work, as it doesn’t bring students to think about the meaning of what they’re learning. Ultimately you can’t remember what you don’t understand. It’s therefore key to teach students how to best remember and understand their classes.
 

Talk about money

Last, but not least, a lot of people choose not to pursue their studies because they’re struggling with the burden of student loans. Therefore, students need the advice of experts who can help them to better understand the financial strategies to reduce and manage student loan payments. From refinancing options to enrolling in an IBR program, there as many options that young adults could use. Every student should be able to get access to a finance expert to discuss their long-term payments, budget and income potential.  

Student loan application

Education pays for itself in the long term. But without your help, is there any chance for today’s students to get the chances their parents or grandparents had?

Keeping Your Finances Strong As A Student

Being a student has its ups and downs. On the whole, most people will find it to be a particularly enjoyable and enlightening experience. But that is not to say that there are never any difficulties; of course there are, and it is up to the student to learn to deal with them as well as possible. One of the major stresses of student life for most people is the financial side of things. It is notoriously hard keeping your finances in check when you are studying, so it’s worth taking a look at what you can do to improve it before you start. In this post, we are going to go through some of the most essential financial tips which a student can benefit from. Bear the following in mind, and you should be in a much better position with regard to your finances.

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Making The Most Of Benefits

There are many ways in which students do actually benefit from their particular lifestyle, and many examples of the society providing certain boons in a financial sense. It’s a good idea to get to know what benefits there are out there for you to take hold of, as doing so will ensure that you really are making the most of the situation you find yourself in. A good example is that when buying many goods on the high street, you can usually find student cards or discounts for students. You might as well make as much use of these as you can, as it all helps in keeping your finances in check. Similarly, you will be able to save money by not paying as much council tax - something that can usually be notoriously expensive. All of these things add up to make for a cheaper way of living - and you might find that it is absolutely essential to take advantage of them if you are to enjoy student life as much as possible.

Free Cash

It might seem like it’s too good to be true, but you can actually get hold of free cash in order to help your studies along. Whether or not you have already looked into this, it’s something you will want to consider if you are going to make the most of being a student. This money can come in many forms. Most commonly, it is in the form of a governmental or local grant - which usually means you won’t even need to pay it back. There are also examples of other, more specific grants for those studying certain courses or at particular institutions. As with everything, it is worth taking the time to check it out yourself so you can make sure you are getting all the money that is truly bowed to you. The money is there to be had, so you really may as well make the most of it. If you do, your life as a student will be considerably easier, and you will be able to focus more on the studies themselves, rather than spending your time worrying about money.

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Applying For A Scholarship

There is another kind of free money which you should look into, primarily because there is a good chance you can get it. If you apply for a scholarship, you can often have your way completely funded throughout your education - something which is bound to make a significant difference to your studies as well. Scholarships are not easy to come by, but when you get them they are notable for being a mark of distinction as well as making your life a lot easier. It’s worth at least trying to get one if you are serious about both your studies and your financial situation being as strong as possible. The right scholarship can really make all the difference.

The Right Bank Account

As a student, you are often entitled to a range of specifically student-focused bank accounts. These tend to offer a variety of benefits and characteristics which you might find useful. You might need an overdraft with a small interest rate, or maybe you just need to make sure that you will never have to pay to hold the account in question. Either way, student accounts are the way to go. Sometimes, you even get further gifts for signing up, which can be geared towards helping your studies in some way or another. Bear in mind, however, that you should spend your time and make sure you end up with the account that really is right for you. Otherwise you might find yourself stuck with an account which you should not really have, or which does not actually serve you all that well. This is a difficult situation which is hard to escape from. It’s best to really take your time when it comes to opening up your student bank account and do your research well; this is a skill you’re going to need once you’re at college proper, so why not start now? Make sure that every aspect of your life, work, and studying is going to be covered by the bank account you have picked; there are banks for students in California, for example, which clearly are going to suit some more than others. Other banks will offer online-only banking with fewer fees, or they will have branches you can assess and talk to a real person at. What do you need from a bank? Know that and you’re halfway there.

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Selling Back Your Belongings

You will often find that you no longer need some of your textbooks as you continue your study. For example, in your second year it is unlikely that you will need many of the texts from the first year. You can use this situation to put yourself in a better financial position just by selling those books on to someone else. There are many ways to do that - you can sell them locally or to a friend you have in the lower year. Or you could use a service like buybackexpress.com for more money to come rolling in. However you decide to do it, it is worth looking into. Books are likely to be your main expense, or one of them, and selling them on when you are done with them ensures that you are going to keep in the best financial position you possibly can. Of course, it can extend beyond just books - you can sell any old clothes or anything that you no longer want or need. You might be amazed at how much money you can bring in this way, so it is definitely worth doing.

Save On Travel

Wherever you study, chances are you are going to have to use public transport a lot to get around. Fortunately, this in itself is a great opportunity to save some money, as you can easily help yourself to one of the many travel cards that abound. If you live in a big city, it’s likely that such a scheme does exist, and it’s definitely worth making use of it. Be sure to look out for specifically student-related cards, as these might save you even more money in the long run, and you might as well. But even just using an ordinary travel card will help you to save money overall, so it’s always worth looking into.

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Budget Your Loans

If you are going to be receiving loans for studying, then you will need to make sure that you are sensible with them. It can be tempting as a student to spend it all at once, but you want to avoid this trap if you are going to live as well as possible. You need to learn the basic act of budgeting, something which is relatively easy as long as you have patience and some basic skills in arithmetic. As long as you work out exactly how much money you will need and how to spend what where, you can be sure of being much more sensible with your money. That will mean that your loans last you as long as they are meant to, which will make the student life much less stressful on the whole. Learning to budget can make a huge difference to how well you live, and how successfully you live life as a student in particular.

Save On Energy

Wherever you live, you are going to want to make sure that you are not overpaying for the energy supply. One of the first things to do, therefore, is to make sure that you are with the cheapest supplier you can find. This is a simple matter of using a comparison service to ensure that you have chosen the right one. It might not seem like much of a difference at first, but over the space of a year it really can make a huge difference to your finances, so it’s definitely worth looking into if you are serious about looking after your money as well as you can. Saving on energy is one of the most central things here, and you should make sure that you are doing it right if you want to save money.

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Cooking From Scratch

It is often during higher education that many people learn to properly cook for the first time. You will soon enough learn that cooking from scratch is definitely better. Not only does it taste better, is more enjoyable and skilful, but it also means that you will spend less money on food. This is a fact, and it’s one that you should make the most of if you are keen to be in the best possible financial situation. Cooking form scratch, buy your food in bulk, and you will be well on your way to financial success as a student.

Awesome Buddy Nights In for the Financially Impaired Student

The friends you make at college are such an important part of the experience. But for a lot of people, the high-life of hitting the town and spending cash at all sorts of fancy establishments just isn’t a reality. It costs too much! But that doesn’t mean you can’t find the time and opportunity to just chillax and enjoy some company. Instead, let’s look at some of the three relatively inexpensive options to kick it with your buds.

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An old school multiplayer session

More and more people are getting into video games. There’s a good chance that some of your housemates and your inner circle are going to share that passion if you have it. We tend to gravitate towards people who have similar quirks to us, after all. One way to make those competitive and cooperative gaming sessions a lot more fun is to use it as an opportunity to take a good old fashioned nostalgia trip. Old school games tend to get people bonding over memories that they might already hold dear. To be completely honest, there’s a bit of ironic enjoyment to be found in the blocky characters of Tekken 2 and other little flaws of those much-treasured games, too.

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Netflix party

The chances are that you’re already going to be sharing some kind of TV streaming service with whoever you share a room or an apartment with. If you have a friend or two who spend a lot more time at yours than at their own place, it might be worth getting them to pitch in, too. With Secure Thoughts, you can get access to an even wider library of shows, as well. That way, you got plenty of fuel to keep these sessions going long into the future. Netflix parties (or Amazon TV parties or Popcorn Time parties) are a lot of fun, whether it’s binge-watching a series together or intentionally picking out a movie that looks awful to replicate the Mystery Science Theater 3000 experience.  

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Ye olde adventure

It might take a bit of cajoling to get those who aren’t quite as nerdy into this. However, if you overpower them, then they’ll buckle eventually. Dungeons and Dragons is becoming much more popular than ever before, thanks to Youtube series like Critical Role bring them somewhat into the spotlight. The simple fact is that the same is a lot of fun when you get a party on the same page. You can enjoy serious, epic adventure together or you can all play a much more comedic scenario where you loot, burn, kill, and wise-crack at everything in sight. One of the largest demographics for D&D players is college-goers as well. Meaning you won’t have much trouble finding winning players. It takes a little investment to get the books and the figures, but those are one-off costs that pay for hours and hours of entertainment after.

These kinds of nights in are going to become the bread and butter of your college friendship experiences. The best thing about most of them is that they prioritize actually spending time with people and developing or sharing interests. Otherwise, most options tend to become about drinking or social posturing, which gets in the way more than anything.

Solving Your Study Stresses

Student life is often harder than we expect. Nothing can prepare you for the amount of work you’ll have to get through, especially in the lead up to exams. Of course, just how much work you face depends on how much you do throughout the year. The unfortunate majority of us think we have plenty of time, only to find exams coming up. So, for the most part, things get busy. It may seem counterintuitive, but during that last minute rush, it’s important to give yourself time off. Small breaks will actually help improve your attention. Burning yourself out will stop you absorbing information, and won’t help anyone. Here are a few ways you can take a break when you feel the need.

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GET YOUR GAME ON

Chances are, you’re already a gamer, else you wouldn’t be here. But, have you considered using games to help you escape the study strain? Many of us pack our consoles away during exam season. But, if you have enough restraint not to spend hours on them, they can be a huge help. Nothing is quite so good for taking your mind off work than getting into a good game. Plus, you can use your sessions as a reward system. Allow yourself an hour of gaming if you manage to study for two hours straight. It works wonders! Of course, an hour can quickly turn into more. Make sure to set the alarm and stop playing the moment it goes off. You don’t want to lose all your study hours! You could even get to grips with gaming on the go and take it with you if you study elsewhere. This is a fantastic way to achieve short-term escapism.

A GOOD BOOK

Chances are you’ll be sick of the sight of books right now. So, why are we telling you to read more? Because it’s fantastic for escapism. And because you can still enjoy personal reading, even after all those hours of staring at a page. It’s a good way to keep your brain engaged, while still kicking back a little. Break your academic reading up with five-minute personal sessions, and see how much of a different it makes. Your eyes will still be focused on the page, so returning to your studies won’t be a huge leap. But, you’ll still get some much-needed rest.

FRIENDS FOR ESCAPISM

Chances are, your friends also lock themselves away when exams are coming. But, it’s important you still take the time to see each other. None of the above will help you as much as time with friends can. If you don’t get out to see anyone, you’ll start going crazy. Plus, when you’re home, studying will always be in the back of your mind. You don’t have to go out for hours, here. Who has time for that? Instead, arrange to go out for a drink, or a meal with friends. They’ll understand if you have to leave early. They’ll probably need to do the same.

3 Hacks for Students to Enjoy Entertainment on a Budget

There are many times during our university years where we have a lot of free time. Typically, we like to fill this time by entertaining ourselves. We watch TV, listen to music, and have long gaming sessions.

But, being a student, we also often don’t have enough cash for everything we want and need. Luckily, I have some hacks that ensure you can entertain yourself without breaking the bank!

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Make Use Of Free Music Trials

As a student, music is essential to campus life. Have you ever tried studying without listening to your favorite tunes? It’s near enough impossible, especially when you have noisy people in the dorm next to you! However, music costs money, and money is something students don’t have a lot of. Sure, there are sites like SoundCloud that provide free streaming for you to enjoy. But, you don’t get access to the latest hits and can’t download them. One trick I’ve learned is that paid subscription services all offer free trials. Google Play Music, Apple Music. Spotify and Deezer all offer decent trial periods. Plus, depending on your phone manufacturer/network, you often get extended deals. My advice is to use as many free trials as you can and experience all the benefits of a premium music service.

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Free Movie Streaming

Everyone likes to Netflix and chill once in awhile. The problem is, a lot of students can’t afford to pay the streaming prices. Sure, Netflix is fairly cheap, but, it’s still too much for some of us. So, how on Earth are we going to watch films and TV shows without a streaming service? Well, there are two options available for you. Firstly, you can download one of the many Free Movie Apps out there. These are apps on your phone that allow you to watch a load of great movies without paying a penny. Secondly, you can try your luck on YouTube. Again, this is a free service, and some people may upload TV episodes for you to enjoy. Plus, there’s a load of original content to watch on YouTube that may whet your appetite. Personally, I’ve wasted away hours in between lectures just binge watching some of my favorite YouTubers.

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Buy Pre-Owned/Free Games

Now, I know some of you might spot a slight problem here. If you can’t afford a Netflix or music subscription, how can you afford games? More to the point, how on earth will you afford a games console?! Well, my argument is that a lot of students have games consoles before they go to college. Plus, buying a pre-owned game is different to buying a subscription that you pay every month. You can save a lot of cash getting your games pre-owned instead of fresh. Plus, check the store on your games console now and then. Both Playstation and Xbox users can get free games every month or so. This means you can still game, without having to spend a fortune.

Following these tips, you’ll have all the entertainment you need, without needing to spend a lot of money. That way, you can spend more on all the other things you need to succeed and enjoy your time on campus.

What other tips do you have for saving money as a student? Let me know in the comments!

3 Ways to Learn From Geek Culture to Build Campus Community

With New York Comic Con drawing near and several other local conventions happening all the time across the country, it got me thinking about how there is such a vibrant community of geeks/nerds out there that come together wherever they are to celebrate what they love, whether that's anime, video games, comic books, television, or movies. Any organization or institution would love to see such a passionate and engaged audience come out for their efforts or programs. An audience that buzzes about things coming up, is willing to wait in line, and has no problem paying for content that is valuable to them.

Transitioning the best of the geek realm to the worlds of higher education & student affairs may be a jump and easier said than done, but I think there are some valuable takeaways to be considered about how to get a community excited and engaged.

Traditions

All good geeks & nerds know the foundational times of their favorite cons and in an age of instant streaming on demand, still make an appointment of viewing their favorite shows like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead or make sure to go to midnight releases of the stuff they can't wait for. Making annual traditions on your campus allow for students and the community to have something to look forward to each year. A yearly week long series of events or an annual concert allows for people to know generally when something is coming and they can build buzz for the thing they're anticipating. There is also power in sharing in an experience like Comic Con. People can share the past years they went and what was special about it for them and there is a connection if you've ever been to San Diego Comic Con, it doesn't matter which year. A common example of this on college campuses is homecoming weekends, where current and former students always have it to look forward to and there is a connection to the tradition itself and what it symbolizes. Everyone there has a bond to the campus and feels like they're coming home. Striving for more events like this for students and our communities allows for a common identity and an engaged audience for our efforts.

Symbols

Shared symbols are another important way to get a community together. Be it the Green Lantern symbol, the Starfleet insignia, Spider-Man's emblem, or the mushroom from Super Mario, all good geeks and nerds know these symbols or any others as a sort of badge of honor and instant geeky credentials. Colleges benefit from this as well but shouldn't rest on their laurels. Maximize these symbols with traditions to connect students and the community with the institution so people will display the school's logo proudly. I've seen a lot of schools go all in on this to build pride in their students and an instant identity in their communities. Just think about the Nittany Lion from Penn State, the block R from Rutgers, or the other simple, commonly known emblems from the big state schools across the country. All they need is their symbol for instant recognition. No words needed.

Connections

Of course, all of this means nothing if you don't get people connected to each other. People are excited to talk about what they're passionate about, so if you provide and venue and context to do this, connections will ensue. I love to talk about geeky stuff I'm into with friends and I love finding new people to geek out with. Something similar to this in the college sphere is alumni of an institution finding each miles away from their collegiate home. They can reminisce about their time on campus and make a bond from their shared experience. Many institutions do this of course but it can be taking this a step further to actively make introductions, provide more contextual opportunities for alumni to connect with each other and alumni to connect with current students like workshops on particular topics or networking events centered on a certain major or affinity. There are numerous opportunities to capitalize on the passion folks associated with your institution have and all of us in student affairs can be the conduit or provide the conduits for this energy to be maximized.

Working through these simple avenues will help create a passionate community surrounding your institution. Your students will have an identity, school pride, and be excited to be on campus. Hopefully these simple concepts are helpful to folks, and that they at least start the gears turning of how to get your students to geek out with you!

Thanks for stopping by!