I went to university to become a lawyer. Then I switched to pre-med to become a dentist. I finally decided to get a degree that I enjoyed and just get out of school. So, I graduated with a degree in History and Human Geography.

History gave me insight as to who we are as a society. Geography incorporated so many disciplines that I got to experience a little of everything. Oh ya, geography also had a lot of field trips!

To be a history / geography major, you have to have a good mix of an analytical mind and a philosophical mind.

To excel in history, you need to look at it as a story which will give purpose to whatever you are reading.

For human geography, treat it as a vehicle to making the world a better place.

My advice for students in these majors? Volunteer or work in your field as much as you can. This will help you comprehend the material in class and help you find work once you graduate.

At university, I liked the freedom to do whatever I wanted – when I wanted. I liked the the thought that I was accomplishing something great. I liked the all-you-can-eat dorm food.

I didn’t like the prof’s expectations.

>I didn’t like students who weren’t being real – they did whatever the crowd was doing instead of what they believed in.

I learned to be patient. To start early. To test ideas before I accept them.

University taught me that I had a long way to go if I ever wanted to be someone who had strong convictions. It was easier to be quiet than to say what I believed. I didn’t like the risk of being ridiculed.

I realized how much I needed acceptance. It was a pretty important thing for me.

I took a philosophy class at university that started me thinking about values. I used to choose my values by saying, “I don’t like that, so I’ll be like this”.

Back to top

I was attending a private school and my mother could not afford the tuition. Someone sponsored me anonymously.

I really liked the principal and admired him for his convictions and personal strength.

I opened up my mail and immediately realized that we had received his mail by accident. It was my tuition form saying that he had paid my tuition.

I never told him that I knew he was the anonymous donor. My admiration just got deeper for him. He taught me a lot about being there for someone in need.

Back to top

Integrity is a huge thing for me. I try to be the same person when no one is around as when there are people around.

I want to be myself – not a person who tries to please other people by acting in a way that is not me.

I have a dream to see that hundreds of thousands of people’s lives are better today because of how God used me in this world.

I’m a hockey fan if the Canucks are playing and a football fan if the BCLions are playing.

I might consider dying for a loaded pizza, a banana split, or a steak and potoatoes.

I’d hate to be without my wife and children.

Back to top

The rules have changed for the document that sells you on the Internet!

The standard resume style that worked so well in the paper and pen world just isn’t good enough for today’s web-based job market. Employers seeking applicants are relying more on computers to sort, categorize, and narrow their search. In order to capitalize on these changes, rework your old resume to reflect the expectations of this technology.

First, let’s consider just how an employer will find you among the field of qualified applicants.
Use keywords to get noticed

If an employer is searching a database, they’ll most likely use keywords to narrow down the field. Keywords are primarily nouns, not verbs. Computers that scan resumes into a database use these keywords for sorting and categorizing.

For instance, let’s say that one of your accomplishments is “implemented inventory tracking and improved loss control procedures.” By thinking in terms of keywords, nouns and noun phrases can extend your resume’s life in a database and bring more hits from a search. Examples of keywords might be Inventory Management, Systems Analyst, or Total Quality Management.

Designing your resume

Your electronic resume should have the following characteristics:

1. Use standard fonts such as Helvetica, Times, or Courier. Keep font size between 10 to 14 point (avoid 10 point times). Keep 1/4″ between lines and do not condense letter spacing.

2. Do not use underlines, italics, colors, or other text enhancing styles (exception is bolding/capitalization as noted in #3).

3. Bold or capitalize section headings.

4. Use a single column format. Do not use borders, lines, indents, or centering.

5. Place your name at the top of the page on its own line.

6. Place your address below your name in standard 3 line format. List phone numbers individually on their own lines.

7. Save and Submit your online resume using ASCII text.

Sample outline of an electronic resume

NAME
Address Line 1
Address Line 2
Address Line 3
Phone #
Fax #
OBJECTIVE:
Text here.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:
Most recent employment here.

Next line here.

EDUCATION:
Text here.

SKILLS:
Keywords here.
Make your resume stand out!

During my days as a hiring and firing guy, there was nothing I hated more than wading through a resume searching for the person’s familiarity with specific programs or applications.

If I couldn’t get through to the meat of the resume in under 10 seconds, my eyes would glaze over and my tacky finger would uncontrollably reach for the next resume. Make it easy for an employer to see that you’ve got experience with Excel, LAN, C++, or whatever your skills may be.

An innovative way to do this is by placing your keywords in a skills or areas of expertise section closer to the top of the page. Who says your resume has follow the same cloned format everyone else uses?

Why not? It’s a new era!

Article by Brett Krkosska. Brett’s site has helped 1000’s find home-based work options. For FREE home business startup assistance visit www.homebiztools.com Too busy to visit? Subscribe to Work At Home E-News! It’s Fresh, Original, and Free.

University was a great time for me to come into my own. I had lots of fun! I remember thinking there are 16,000 students on campus and at least 8,000 are women, so I should never have a Friday night without a date…

The most difficult thing I’ve even done was that I Ran a 40 KM Marathon. Also dealing with the death of both of my parents.
I have always been interested in political leaders, and I would love the chance to meet one, like Churchill, Hitler, or Lincoln.

My room is not a nice picture, I’m sure it’s my creative side coming out…

My favourite kind of music is classic rock

I would consider dying for a Mushroom burger

When no one is watching, I’m lost in thought…Or planning someone else’s life.

To just be myself is to be Friendly, Happy, Easy Going, doing something positive.

My dream is to write a book, to climb to the top of a mountain, maybe Mount Baker, to have a log cabin on a river, and to influence the lives of people in every country of the world…

Back to top

I have always wanted to make a difference in the world. I thought Biology was the way to do that. Then in a 3rd year ecology class I remember a professor talking about the problems of the world and I realized that the real problem was nothing that science and technology could solve, that it was a ‘heart problem.’ That day I realized if I wanted to make a difference it would have to be by finding a way to change the hearts of people. Jesus Christ had changed my heart so I became committed to wanting to introduce as many people as possible to the one who could deal with heart problems.

Back to top

• your choice of laundry container (suggestions: hamper, basket, or bag)
• detergent
• bleach (optional)
• stain remover
• coin holder

DIRECTIONS:

Gather the detergent, bleach and stain remover.

Place all items into the laundry hamper/basket/bag. Whatever laundry container you choose will serve you as an appropriate and quick place to throw your dirty clothes as they become dirty. The idea here is to contain the pile. If your room’s floor is clear of piles of laundry, you shall have a better chance of impressing any important visitors to your room.

Check your housing’s laundry facilities for the type of change you will need (How much will you need for one load? Are quarters sufficient or will you need higher increments of coins?). Go to a bank or change machine to get the right kind of change. Fill your coin holder with enough of the right coins for at least two loads. Place the filled coin holder with the above laundry cointainer.

Note: The above step will save you in your laundry crisis times when you must do laundry but may not always have the proper financial tools necessary. Eg. when you are wearing your dress clothes, your roommate asks you about your choice of attire and you reply “It’s time to do laundry, I have nothing else to wear! I hope I have the right coins!”

Copyright © 2003 iamnext.com. May not be used without permission.

Check out the new CWT site and let us know what you think!

“…for His name’s sake your sins were forgiven” (1 John 2:12).

We were flying to a conference. I was in the middle seat – certainly not my choice – but my husband and I have an agreement that if a woman is sitting by the window, I sit in the middle, if a man is in the seat by the window, Marvin sits in the middle.

Barely was I settled, when I discerned that the young woman sitting next to me was very sad and deep in thought. Making conversation, I asked her where she was from, where she was going and what she did.

She was a student and had been attending university in Poland – the homeland of her father. Then she told me sadly that her father had died. She had chosen to attend college in Poland against her father’s wishes and they hadn’t forgiven each other before he died.

She seemed so sad and I recognized a deeper issue. I asked her if she had forgiven herself for not complying with her father’s wishes. She answered that she couldn’t forgive herself and felt so guilty. Slowly, I began to tell her about God’s love and forgiveness. Because of Christ’s death on the cross, her sins were forgiven and guilt was removed. I encouraged her to believe that because God had forgiven her, she could forgive herself no matter how awful she thought she had been. As I spoke, I prayed and my husband prayed.

I told her about something I had done as a teenager for which I had felt guilty about for many years. How I had come to the place where I was faced with the choice of forgiving myself because Christ had already forgiven me or I could continue feeling guilty the rest of my life. I had chosen to forgive myself.

The light in her eyes went on. She began to understand she was totally forgiven and could forgive herself. She could be free and happy. “God meant for you to sit with me today, she told me at the end of the flight.

How about you? Is there something in your life for which you feel guilty? You don’t need to. Simply accept God’s love and forgiveness.

Father, thank You that Jesus Christ took our sin and guilt upon Himself at the cross. Thank You for setting us free. Thank You for Your love. Amen.

Questions: Can you think of a situation in your life that you need to forgive yourself for? How can one deal with one’s guilt feelings from the past?

About the author Katherine Kehler

The Starving Student Discount should be part of every university student’s entertainment plan.

By definition, anything that is fun to do and is free is part of the Starving Student Discount.

Along with time-honoured recreation and sports like basketball, football, ultimate frisbee, walks in the park, inline skating and beach volleyball, the Starving Student Discount encompasses unique ideas in the art of having wallet-independent fun.

One appreciates festivals when they follow the Starving Student. Someone else plans the occasion, states the location, and invites the entire city. All you have to do is attend and have fun.

City marketplaces are another source of interaction, where sidewalk shows by musicians, magicians, clowns and comedians can fill an entire afternoon.

To find information on public events, visit municipal and leisure/entertainment webpages.

Museums are notorious for charging no admission at times when people are likely asleep. Phone the museums or visit their webpages to find out the best times to attend.

Some municipal libraries offer free memberships to people renting an apartment in the city. You now have an opportunity to read books that people have told you about, watch movies from years ago, and listen to compact discs that you would not otherwise buy with your own money.

On some days you may not be motivated to leave home, but there are still many productive things that can be accomplished.

For example, formulate a workout schedule and perform it on a weekly basis – you will be surprised at the results after a four-month term.

Or you can pick up a hobby that you have been wanting to learn: guitar playing, baking, knitting and origami are all low-cost options. Write that poem or short story. If you have access to a computer, teach yourself web design and post your creation. Or surf for free stuff on the Internet.

The possibilities are endless, even when your entertainment budget is overdrawn.

I myself am off to bake a cake.

Leo Chiu is a student who has relocated to several cities for internship opportunities and enjoys finding ways to have fun within any budget level. Originally published in Communique, Simon Fraser University’s Communication Co-op newsletter. Used with permission of author.

Related reading:

• Six more pages of cheap fun ideas
• 5 simple ways to stretch your dollar
• Living with an open hand: looking at the spiritual side of money

Whether you were an efficient worker or practicing procrastinator in high school, good time management is a key element to a successful college career.

Even if you were efficient in high school, college can be overwhelming – there seems to be so much extra time!

Since most classes don’t meet on a daily basis, it’s easy to think your economics reading assignment can wait until later while you play a game of ultimate Frisbee instead. But beware: if this keeps up, by the time your midterm rolls along, you’ll have hundreds of pages of reading to catch up on.

The following tips will help you minimize your stress level and maximize your time for college fun.

• Determine what’s most important to you. What’s your first priority? What can be dropped? Write an ordered list of what you need to get done. Prioritize the items on your list.
• Control your distractions. Get rid of unnecessary jobs. Handle visitors well. For example, if you’re studying in your dorm room and don’t want to be bothered, lock your door. Avoid phone distraction by turning off your ringer and letting the answering machine catch your calls.
• Eat a good breakfast. Not only is this good in resisting the pressure of the “freshman ten” (you burn your breakfast calories during the day), but a good breakfast gives your body carbohydrates and sugars to keep you energized.
• When working in groups, delegate jobs efficiently. Often, people will hesitate to delegate jobs when working in groups, but take charge if there is not a designated leader.
• Get the most out of class. Go to class and be on time. Be well-prepared and ready for discussion. If you class is 400 people in a lecture hall, read the material to be covered (check your syllabus or ask your professor for one). I promise this helps (plus, you’ll feel super smart when you recognize the terms your professor talks about).
• One of the best things you can do to manage your time (then be managed by it) is to learn to say “no.” Say “no” to people asking you to play pool when you should study or when someone wants help with something at an inconvenient time for you. Suggest a different time to help when it’s more convenient for you.
• Remember that there’s a time for everything. Sure, studying for a long time is good, but take breaks. Take power naps when your brain starts frying. If the weather’s nice, a good game of ultimate Frisbee also refreshes the tired mind.

Everyone’s different; some people like rigid day planners, others can deal with a simple note pad. Adjust these suggestions to best suit your needs.

With good time management skills, you’ll find yourself a happier and healthier person.

Related reading:

• Time management tips to improve your grades
• How can knowing your priorities help you save time?
• Getting your life in balance

Are you a “starving student living in rez? Check out Life in Residence on Facebook and see other students have to say about campus living.

Even on your student budget, you know a chunk of your budget will be spent on groceries. No secret in that! Here’s what you can do about it to make it cheaper:

1. Sound meal planning. Make your menu with grocery shopping in mind. Try to select recipes that use items that are already in your pantry. Remember what foods are in season. They’ll be cheaper. Always be on the lookout for recipes that ‘dress-up’ inexpensive cuts of meat (or don’t even require meat).

2. Have a definite list. Don’t impulse buy. If you find an item on sale that you know you’ll use later feel free to add it to your cart. But beware of pretty displays that can cause you to overspend your plan. Check the ads before you go to the store. Modify your meal plan and list to take advantage of sale items.

3. Larger supermarkets are generally cheaper. That’s due to volume discounts, but check the ads. You might find that it’s worthwhile doing part of your shopping at one store and finishing up at another. Nothing says that you have to use the same store week after week. It’s a good idea to scout out other stores periodically.

4. Look up and down. Stores will often put the most popular and expensive items from waist to shoulder level. The less expensive brands will often be on the upper or lower shelves. It’s worth the stretch.

5. Take along a calculator. You’ll want to be able to compare unit prices. A less expensive price on a larger size is only a savings if you’re going to use those extra ounces. If you’ll end up throwing them away, it’s not a bargain.

6. Avoid prepackaged and convenience foods. It’s tempting to convince yourself you’ll be alright living on a steady stream of frozen TV dinners. There are exceptions, but convenience foods are also often less nutritious, too.

7. Eat healthy. A healthy diet is less expensive than an unhealthy one. Rice, potatoes, fruit and vegetables are all less expensive than meat. Nothing says that you have to be a vegetarian, but it’s not healthy or frugal to fill up on meat. You might also save a bit on doctor bills later.

8. Comparison shop at the meat counter. Look for the less expensive cuts. Oftentimes your cooking skills can make a cheaper cut seem better than it is. Use chicken, turkey and fish. They’re less expensive and a great change from beef.

9. Use coupons only for items that you would buy anyway. If you’re used to buying the store brand for 79 cents, don’t buy the nationally advertised brand for $1.19 because you have a 20 cent off coupon. Rebates and coupons can be a big help. But think through the math before you ’save’ all that money.

10. Stick to buying food. Don’t buy non-food items at the grocery store. Housewares, pharmacy items, greeting cards and holiday items can all be purchased for less elsewhere. Cleaning supplies can be a big part of the total at the checkout line. Wherever possible buy generic cleaners. Better still, learn how to make your own cleaners. You’ll be surprised at the savings.

11. Bring your lunch to work or school. You can make a great sandwich for the cost of a ‘Big Burger’ and fries. If you have a microwave available consider bringing some leftovers. You’ll find your lunch mates glancing longingly at last night’s meatloaf when they get a whiff of your lunch.

12 .Limit meals out. Most people enjoy an occasional meal out, especially when you do all your own cooking. But restaurants can be a real budget buster. Dinner is the most expensive meal to eat out. Why not go for breakfast or lunch? If you must go for dinner, be careful about appetizers, alcoholic beverages and desserts. They can bloat a bill in a heartbeat.

Gary Foreman is the founder of The Dollar Stretcher website and newsletters. Click here for more information on how a grocery price book could save you 15% on your grocery bill.

Have you ever thought of yourself as a poor or starving student?

In our student days it is perhaps easier to remember our lack of money or things. It is easy to take a look around and be disappointed.

As a student, the “lack of” in our lives can make it easier to want things even more, especially when we live in a media landscape saturated with invitations to desire items we can only wish for as a student. There is an entire industry designed to show us what we don’t have and make us want it enough to go out and buy it.

But the truth is that there is always going to be somebody who has something newer, bigger or shinier. Growing up a friend of mine had a great shirt. It said “He who dies with the most toys, still dies.”

We forget sometimes that even if we did earn a huge house or a six carat pink diamond ring, it wouldn’t last. You can’t take it with you.

You Might be Richer Than You Think

If you ate breakfast this morning you are better off than the 800 million people worldwide who will go hungry today. And don’t think that it’s just happening in Africa. In the United States 9 million people “frequently skip meals or eat too little, sometimes going without food for a whole day.” (Source: bread.org) If you eat three meals today, smile, you’re rich!

Choose to look a little closer at the world around you and you’ll find that you have a lot to be grateful for. I recently came across a website called The Global Rich List. It lets you type in your salary and then shows you where your wealth ranks on a global scale. The results are pretty eye opening. In the United States, a family of four was considered “poor” if their income was $16 813/ year. If you put that figure into the Global Rich List, you’ll find that that puts poor Americans among the wealthiest 9% of the entire world. You may think of yourself as poor, but smile, you’re rich!

Changing Our Perspective

The Oxford Dictionary defines gratitude as “readiness to show appreciation for kindness and to return it.” Gratitude doesn’t mean that we see the world through rose coloured glasses, but rather that we choose to see the good things we have been blessed with.

We have a very skewed idea of what constitutes gratitude. Gratitude is not the same as being happy. Gratitude is taking an honest look at a situation and choosing to say “even in this there is a reason to hope”. Gratitude is the willingness to look for a reason to hope. There are going to be days when you can’t see anything to be grateful for. Life is not a musical or a Disney movie. But if you practice gratitude, you may find that even on the really, really hard days you can find something to hope for.

There is a lot to be grateful for. But even armed with this knowledge some days being grateful is hard work. There are days when you can look out of your window and practically trip over all of the things there are to be grateful for. And there are other days when you have to look really, really hard to find it.

Cultivating a grateful spirit is a lot like trying to build muscle, it take time, it takes work and for many of us, it doesn’t come naturally.

Practicing Gratitude

Gratitude is a lot like exercising — we know we should do it, we know we need to do it and that our lives will be better if we do, but we have a hard time fitting it into our day. How can you find time to be grateful? What would that look like?

Gandhi once said “we must be the change we want to see in the world.” Can we make it so that there is more to be thankful for? Yes, but it has to start with you. If you are looking for a way to put gratitude into practice, consider trying something from this list complied by Women Today writer Sadaf LaalDin:

• Love your family. (Does anyone need your forgiveness?)
• Invest time and energy in the people you love.
• Expand your borders — invite a neighbour for tea or coffee.
• Visit an elderly person and listen to their stories of the past.
• Write an encouraging note to someone feeling disheartened.
• Go grocery shopping for a family in need.
• Donate to your local homeless shelter.
• This month, write one letter as part of Amnesty International’s efforts to speak out against injustice (Visit Amnesty International for more information.)
• Decide how you can join the fight against AIDS.
• Know you have a unique purpose in the world. Believe you can and will make a difference.

Practicing gratitude can change the way you see everything. It can help you to be satisfied with what you have. It lets you enjoy the people and things in your life. Gratitude can show you that you do have enough to be able to help someone else. You can afford to be generous — you’re rich!

Around the holiday season, look for a place to donate — whether it’s a can of soup, or an hour of your time find a place to give back this year. The creators of the Global Rich List challenge their readers to donate one hour’s wages to a charitable cause. What could your one hour do?

Many soup kitchens put on Thanksgiving dinners that cost a few dollars a person, maybe your hour could buy lunch for a couple of people?

Groups like Heifer International provide animals and training to developing nations. If you make $20/hr you could use one hour’s pay to buy chickens through Heifer International that will lay eggs to feed a family all year.

Do you have 5 friends with $10? You could pool your resources and send trees that can make ravaged land fertile again. The possibilities are endless. Who’s world will your hour change?

If you are looking around your world and don’t see a lot to be grateful for, there is hope. You can have the peace that you are looking for; there is a way to balance your life. No one can be perfect, or have a perfect life.

Where can we find hope for peace? I’ve found that the hope for peace comes from an individual who lived a perfect life on earth. That person was Jesus Christ.

Hope for peace in the world, and hope for peace in your life (including making peace with yourself) is possible by finding peace with God.

Discover more about finding peace with God

Often sex brings emptiness rather than the wholeness people seek through it. As one tv producer told me, “Frankly, I think the sexual revolution has backfired in our faces. It’s degrading to be treated like a piece of meat.”

The previous night her lover had justified his decision to sleep around by telling her, “There’s plenty of me for everyone.” What I suspect he meant was, “There’s plenty of everyone for me.” She felt betrayed and alone.

I explained to her and to her television audience that sexuality also involves the spiritual. One wise spiritual teacher understood our loneliness and longings for love. He recognized human emotional needs for esteem, acceptance and wholeness and offered a plan to meet them. He promises unconditional love to all who ask (John 3:16, 13:34-35, 17:20, 23, 26; 1 John 4:7-21, 5:14 -15).

Once we know we’re loved and accepted, we can have greater security to be vulnerable in relationships and new inner strength to make wise choices for safe living (Acts 1:8; Ephesians 5:18; Galatians 5:16-24; 1 Corinthians 6:18-20).

This teacher said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:32 NASB). Millions attest to the safety and security he can provide in relationships. His name, of course, is Jesus of Nazareth. I placed my faith in him personally my freshman year in college. Though I had been a skeptic, he forgave all my flaws. He said his own death and resurrection — once I accepted his pardon — erased my guilt (Luke 24:44-47; Colossians 2:12-14). That was great news!

A marriage with Jesus as the foundation is like a triangle with God on the top and the two spouses at the bottom corners. As each partner grows closer to God, they also grow closer to each other. Life doesn’t become perfect, but God’s friendship can bring a vital dimension to any relationship.

Back to page 1 >>