Month: October 2013

How do you pick a good roommate?

Choosing a good rommate can mak or break your year.

The following is an excerpt from a longer work on college life, and I would love to get your comments or feedback

The quality of your roommates is the most important consideration by far for choosing a place to live. This may seem obvious, but it is surprising how I didn’t think to consider that in looking for a place to live. When I was looking for a place in the dormitories for my second year of college, I made sure I was next door to some friends and that we had a good view. Later, we found out that the other people on that floor were filthy, loud, lazy and belligerent. But the view was nice.

Continue reading “How do you pick a good roommate?”

Study Tip – Pink Noise Fuzzes Out Sound

Pink Noise is like a “warmer” form of static

Our brains quickly learn to ignore it, but it saturates the auditory system and makes it easy to tune out other noises. I find that when I am stressed, I need a quiet environment without distraction to study effectively. This is a tip that works about as effectively as any earplugs or noise-canceling headphones.

Continue reading “Study Tip – Pink Noise Fuzzes Out Sound”

Study Tip – Mind Mapping Videos

A list of Mind Mapping Instructional Videos

I find that the most effective studying uses 3 phases: 1. exposure, 2. incubation, and 3. reiteration. Your brain wasn’t designed for cramming. Like it or not, repeated exposure make things feel important and memorable. It seems boring, but I do not think that there is a good way around it. You can take notes as an outline or mind map. Once you have your notes on paper, let them sit for at least a few hours. Then copy them along with diagrams and reference from the textbook into your own bound notebook. There are a lot of interesting videos about Mind Mapping on Youtube. I have posted a few here.

Continue reading “Study Tip – Mind Mapping Videos”

Links – Saving Money and Financial Independence

Best Sites and books on Saving Money

Some of my favorite blogs, books and sites for saving money. Most of these are not about frugal tricks (like ‘avoid paying $5 for that latte’). These are more serious lifestyle blogs and books. These talk about how to come to terms with money and its role in our lives. These are books about focusing on what is important, cutting out the distractions and creating abundance for ourselves.

Continue reading “Links – Saving Money and Financial Independence”

Simple Student Recipe – Taco Soup

Taco soup, one of the recipes in Top Ten Student Recipes at Gumroad.

This is an easy soup that tastes great. Sauté ground beef with taco seasoning in a pot. If the beef is frozen, a little water in the bottom will ensure it thaws before the bottom burns. Once the beef is well on the way to done, add a diced (chopped into small bits) onion. The timing is not critical. Once the beef is completely done, add one large can of diced tomatoes, one medium can of corn (not creamed corn), and one medium can of red kidney beans. When it’s warm, it’s ready. If you want to get fancy, serve with a dollop of sour cream and shredded cheddar.

Continue reading “Simple Student Recipe – Taco Soup”