Combating Computer Vision Syndrome

Have you found yourself getting headaches? Do your eyes feel strained? Do you have difficulty refocusing your eyes? Does your neck hurt? Do you have irritated or dry eyes?

You may have computer vision syndrome. Did you know that almost 90% of those that spend more than 3 hours on the computer have this syndrome? As a student, you are most likely looking at the computer screen for well more than 3 hours. Students use their laptops for everything.They use it to watch movies, play games, social sites, and of course, homework.

What is Computer Vision Syndrome?

Computer Vision Syndrome, or CVS, is an eye related problem that results when people view a computer screen for long amounts of time. It can get worse the longer someone is looking at a computer screen. There are many symptoms of this syndrome. They include: blurred vision, eyestrain, headaches, and dry eyes.

Looking at a computer screen is very different than actually reading a printed page. The presence of reflections or glares makes reading more difficult. Letters on a computer are also a lot less focused, and causes eyes more strain.

If you are student that is constantly using the computer to do your homework, you may want to do something about this. You don't want to be a squinter for the rest of your life, do you?

Here are 4 ways to combat computer vision syndrome:

1) 20-20-20 rule

This is used by optometrists, and will help you get rid of CVS. This is where you look away from your computer screen every 20 minutes, at something that is 20 feet away, for 20 seconds. A simple trick that will help your eyes tremendously.

2) Blinking

This one may seem silly, but so many people get involved in their work that they forget to blink. They constantly stare at the screen. While this means that you are concentrating, you might want to give your eyes a little break and blink every once in a while. It will help your eyes stay hydrated and you won't feel your eyes drying out.

3) Glasses

If you find that you are having a hard time focusing your eyes, you may want to consider small plus-powered glasses. These glasses are over the counter and can help people focus on small objects in front of them.

4) Location, Location, Location

This has to do where your computer screen is. A computer screen should be from 4 to 5 inches below eye level, and should be 20-25 inches from the eyes (about 2 feet).

In the age where we use technology everyday, from work to online college classes to entertainment, it is important that we take care of the things that we may take for granted everyday―our eyes. If you do not take care of them, you will suffer from CVS. These simple tips will help your eyes out. You'll be glad that you used these tips when you get older. Your eyes will thank you.

Neltje Maynez is a freelance writer for MyCollegesandCareers.com. My Colleges and Careers helps people determine if an online education is right for them, helps them understand how they can find the best online colleges, and which ones they can choose from to reach their goals.

If you haven’t yet heard, Student of Fortune has recently joined forces with the textbook rental masters over at Chegg.com!

Fantastic! But what’s in it for you?

Well, by combining our efforts, we are able to create an even larger database of loyal community members. So as a student, you can expect even more reliable sources for homework help from education specialists all over the country. As a tutor, get ready for a bigger following of students looking for your expert assistance. It’s a win-win for everyone!

So stay tuned - there will be many more positive changes to come!

-The Student of Fortune Team

The following is a guest post from MD of Studenomics, a personal finance blog where the goal is to master your money now so you can enjoy life. Topics from finding the perfect credit card to paying off student loans are often covered.

We all know the drill by now. Study hard, get good grades, go to a good college, graduate and make lots of money. Right? Is this how education leads to more money? Perhaps. Today we're going to take a different approach.

Sure you can take the traditional route and wait until you have your college degree to start making money. You can also rack up the student debt so that you can afford to earn your degree at a young age instead of waiting to go back to college.

On the flip side, you can use education to actually make some money yourself. I wanted to look at how the education process leads to more money. How can you make more money from being a tutor/education?

You can teach a rare skill to others.

Passing on a rare skill can be very rewarding and lucrative for both parties. I'll share two quick examples:

1. My friend Justin teaches young kids how to play the guitar.

2. The instructor at my kick boxing gym teaches individuals of all ages how to defend themselves.

In both cases above the education process revolves on teaching a rare skill to those that are interested. By being a helpful coach you can make yourself some decent money.

You can teach a common skill to others.

Okay I'll be the first to admit that not all of us can teach some amazing skill that's so rare. The beauty is that we can all teach something. I personally have no artistic abilities or hidden talents. I can however teach English to foreign students or help grade 2's with math (maybe grade 3's). It's very common for college graduates to spend some time abroad teaching English. This proves that you don't have to be a master at anything revolutionary to make some money from teaching.

You can tutor students in something that you've excelled at.

In college there are many core courses that students will struggle with. In my business program, many students struggled with a Corporate Finance course because all business majors were required to take it. This meant that if you took Human Resources or Marketing for four years, you still had to take this very challenging finance course. Yikes!

Many students either failed this course or barely squeaked buy. I remember getting an email from a student that had completed the course with an A. This student offered group tutoring lessons where he charged $30 a piece for an hour. Not a bad way to earn some extra cash in your spare time.

You can teach a process.

Have you ever heard of the book, The Game? It's all about Pick Up Artists. Long story short, there's a community of entrepreneurs out there that make an absolute killing by teaching other guys how to pick up girls. Yes. They charge a couple of thousand dollars for a weekend seminar. They also sell many other products where they teach others the process/art of seduction.

You can also turn your teaching of the process into an eBook. This is what I did with my thought process on deciding if you should buy or rent a home in your 20s. I turned this complex topic into an guide for all of the other young professionals that are struggling with making this decision.

At the end of the day all four of these options are a viable way that the education process can make you some money. Are you ready to start teaching?

(photo credit: Herkie)

This post is written by Jenn Pedde, the community manager for the Master of Social Work program at the University of Southern California, which has one of the nation's leading military social work concentrations. She's an avid traveler and loves photography.

Choose your roommate wisely – they'll either turn out to be one of the greatest people in your life for the next few decades, or they'll be one of your most miserable memories when reminiscing about those college years. So how do you go about making such an important decision? Where do you find the people that will make your experience sharing a small confined space a happy one? Before you opt into paying a lot of money for a single dorm room or a studio apartment, take a look at these resources for finding a college roommate.

Traditional Roommate Matching and Meetings
Maybe you were one of the lucky ones that were randomly matched up with someone that you actually liked and got along well with your freshman year. Sometimes university computers hit a home run and do pretty well with this. Other times maybe it was someone on your floor that you met through activities or even a classmate. These are favored meetings because you've already developed the relationship and know a bit about that person. Maybe you've already even seen their current living situation and know that it would work out. Go with it!

Perform a Roommate Search in your Network
Scour the interwebs for the person you'll get to know just as well as yourself for a year. Email your friends and post on your social networks. Odds are someone is in the same boat as you are – but be careful about this. When you open it up to your group of friends be prepared to say no to people you wouldn't want to live with without ruining the friendship.

Open up the Roommate Search online
There are a number of trustworthy sites out there these days where you can do everything from playing video games, to buying goods, to participating in online dating and more. So why wouldn't there be a great resource for roommate finding? One of the best sites around for college students is Uloop, which is a college classifieds online marketplace. The cool thing is that it's a one-stop shop for college roommates and housing. If you're looking for a roommate, you may be looking for an apartment first, which is there too. There's also a lot of other school information such as Scholarships, Jobs, and Textbooks, and maybe you'll attend some of the events listed and meet your current roommate there. Uloop is easy to navigate, and it's safe and trusted because Uloop requires a .edu email address to post a roommate listing. Pick your state, your school, housing, and then roommates. Whether you need someone to fill a room, or whether you need a room, you can search the listings or post a roommate listing there. Remember to interview your potential new roommate to make sure that you'd complement each other and have similar living styles.

This is a guest post from Jeff Cohen, blogger at TheTextbookGuru.com and CEO of CampusBooks, the go-to resource for finding the best prices for textbooks. Search for the best prices across multiple sites, not just to buy your books, but rent and sell.

Buying textbooks from your university's local bookstore is probably the craziest thing you can do if you plan on saving money. Luckily, there are many alternatives out there for the savvy student looking to avoid sticker shock. Here are our five favorites:

1. Go Online

   Steer clear of the crowded, under-stocked campus bookstore, and go online instead. Retailers like CampusBooks.com operate year-round and offer savings of up to 95% off. Some online services will offer free shipping—try to take advantage of this, as heavy textbooks can add up to significant shipping fees that could chip away at your savings.

2. Buy old editions

   Every year publishers attempt to rip more money off impoverished college students by making a new edition when the content of the book remains essentially the same. Compare the new and old editions at your local bookstore to see if there have been significant changes, and ask your professor if it would be OK to use an older edition- you could wind up saving a lot of money.

3. Buy used

   Buying used books is a great way to save cash. If you buy from a trusted online retailer, where you know it will still be in good shape, you can save a lot of stress (and cash) later on. And hey, you might find that the book's previous owner has helpfully provided in-book notes and annotations—a built in, freebie study guide!

4. Take advantage of discounts

   CampusBooks.com offers exclusive coupons and discounts at certain times during the year—keep an eye out to maximize your savings. You also might want to consider eBooks and international edition formats which can be far cheaper than the traditional version.

5. Recoup your losses

   As tempting as it may be to use your old textbooks as doorstops/kindling, selling them back can help ease the pain of some of the prices. But don't just go the easy route and drop off at your campus bookstore sell online. Campusbooks will search the web for textbook buyback prices and marketplace prices, so you can see all your online selling options. As long as your books are in reasonably good condition, you'll be able to get more back through online sellers than you will at the local bookstore.

When it comes to College Planning, Start with the Basics

While we're often inundated with the illusion that college is nothing but weekends and slacking off, many high school students forget that unlike some college parties out there, you can't just walk in the front door and expect acceptance. In fact, the process of college planning can be quite demanding and it is a process that, to most of us, is not so cut-and-dry. Luckily, that's why websites like CollegeBasics.com exist.

With an easy-to-navigate layout and information right at your fingertips, College Basics does not beat around the bush. They are a hub for useful college planning strategies and advice that will make applying for college a lot less daunting.

Explore their array of articles covering everything from admissions essays to college interviews. Within each category, expect to find another collection of articles surrounding each subject. They even have some sample high school resumes for your reference.

But CollegeBasics doesn't just stop at the application process. Look to the website for information about paying for college and the types of questions you should ask before applying to college. Will your prospective college help you get the financial aid you need? How do you find it? What about scholarships? These are just a few questions that plague the average college hopeful, and these are the questions that CollegeBasics wants to help you answer.

The thing that impresses us the most is not just the range of topics College Basics covers, but the depth at which they cover each subject. Don't come here expecting a short bulleted list of vague steps to follow before applying to college, instead immerse yourself in the wealth of advice presented to you by actual experts in the field.

When tutoring only goes so far, check out College Basics for the real scoop on college planning, and maybe you'll come out an expert yourself.

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Looking for more information on writing the college application essay? The co-founder of College Basics, Jan Rideout, has a book out with everything you need to know about the process. Check out The Basics for Writing: College Application Essays today.

Are you prepared for college? Find out at www.collegebasics.com.

Introducing the Wii-A-Day Giveaway! Student of Fortune's Biggest Promotion Yet!

You heard right! During the month of April, Student of Fortune will be giving away a Nintendo Wii every single day to our faithful members! To enter, simply ask a homework question on any day of the month. Each day you ask a question, you will get one entry into the contest. That's 30 chances to win!

Not only that, if you tweet about us along with your question, that will count as a second entry into the contest. Simply tweet "Win a Wii every day of the month with @studentfortune! www.studentoffortune.com" to double your chances!           

With 30 Wii's to give away, anyone has a chance to win! So get your questions ready, because you may be our next pick!

 

Tutors were asked about effective learning habits, here is their memorization advice.

Use keywords when having to digest lots of information, it helps teach the mind to remember concepts with a single word.

Use "image relation". Whatever concept you're studying; try to imaging it in your head. For example, if studying for a history exam on war tactics, if you're into video games, imagine you're playing the game within the context of the history lesson.

Take regular breaks. When you are working on a big assignment or reading your course material take regular breaks. Stand up, walk around, stretch, for a few minutes… this will help you avoid burnout, keep you focused and give you time to digest the information you've just studied.

Manage your time. Failing to understand how to manage time is one of the traps that many distance learners fall into. It is easy so say you can go to that movie with your friends, and still finish that assignment that's due tonight, while still getting enough sleep to function the next day; however, the reality is that if you do not develop good time management skills, your stress levels will rise and you will not likely remember as much of the material if you don't give yourself the time necessary to learn.

Start early. A good way to prepare for the school week is to review the course material scheduled. This gives you time to understand what the chapter is about and what the big picture is so you know what to expect.

Use time efficiently. Plan your week ahead. Keep notes and handouts organized. Make time in your schedule for the unexpected.

Visualize the information you've studied. It will help you learn and memorize the material.

Plan smarter. As long as the environment you're studying in is quiet, you can concentrate. Designate study space and stick to your guns when you plan a study session.

Set your intentions to study successfully by making your environment work for you. Turn off the television and rid yourself of distractions.

Teach-Yourself-A-Little-Self-Control |

According to a study published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, if self-control is taught properly in pre-school, it can determine the type of person you will become in the future.

The theory comes from a study involving 1000 newborns from New Zealand that were selected to take part in a 32 year experiment that would track the success of the individual from pre-school to adulthood. Perhaps the most notable finding from the study was the strong correlation between the lack of self-control demonstrated in pre-school and the problems the subjects subsequently faced when fully grown.

The evidence was so strong, in fact, that the children who had self-control problems when they were younger were three times as likely to have “troubles” as an adult as compared to their well-behaved counterparts. These troubles can include everything from financial struggles to criminal records.

While methods to correct this trend are highly debated, many believe that self-control begins with the parents. Specifically, that parents not “give in” to a child’s demands so readily. A child needs to have boundaries set at an early age or they will continue to live without limitations, say the conductors of the study.

Another classic nature/nurture argument it seems. But what side do you fall on? Is it possible that we were born with the natural inclination to have self-control deficiency (or SCD, as I’m calling it)? While that may be the case for many of our personality traits, Terrie Moffitt, a professor of psychology at Duke University and King’s College London, points out that "Identical twins are not identical on self-control." In other words, children are taught self-control and not born with it.

Very well, but will teaching self-control at an early age help to ameliorate financial and marital troubles down the road? That’s still up for debate. The problem I see within the education system is a lack of self-control teaching at any level, let alone pre-school. Perhaps the solution to solving potential financial troubles in the future is to teach more personal finance classes. Maybe we need more classes on how to properly raise a family.

Ultimately, learning self-control at an early age is undoubtedly crucial, but it’s hard to teach that in a classroom when the child comes home to a single parent who isn’t financially stable to begin with. No matter what the classroom teaches you, I believe it will always butt heads with what the family teaches you. And let’s not forget the effect your peers have on you!

I’m sure I could go on and on about this and everything else that is wrong with us today, but lucky for you, my pre-school taught me well, so I’ll just stop here.