Education
Dorming or Commuting – What’s the difference?
As we tour different colleges throughout the summer, students are getting a taste for what it could be like to spend their day on a college campus. However, depending on where your student is applying, they may have to decide between commuting or living on campus. There are pros and cons to both decisions, and […]
The Importance of the College List
With so many great college options, it can be hard for future college students and their parents to understand what schools to apply to or what would be the best fit. That’s where the college list comes in! A strong college list is more than simply a list of any school that a teen is […]
Organization Quiz!
Not sure how organized you are? Looking for ideas to get organized? Take our quiz to find out if you’re organized and learn about some ideas for bringing more organization into your life. If you feel like you need additional help with getting organized, reach out to your BridgeUP fellow or BeWell Health Coach
Prioritizing Tasks to Pinpoint Your Priorities
This video allows individuals to identify the priorities that will allow productivity to flourish. Very similar to Eisenhower’s box, the video introduces a “Priority Matrix” that has four different colors — critical tasks, high importance tasks, medium importance tasks, and low importance tasks. The value of the task as well as the time sensitivity of […]
How to be More Productive By Using the Eisenhower Box
President Eisenhower developed a decision box system that helps to encourage productivity. To use an Eisenhower Box, you’ll need to divide it into four sections by drawing a horizontal and vertical line through the center of the box. On the top, you’ll mark one column as “urgent” and one column “not urgent.” On the side, […]
Warren Buffett’s “2 List” Strategy: How to Maximize Your Focus and Master Your Priorities
Warren Buffett, an extremely successful investor, has a 3-step plan for prioritizing your tasks. First, write down the top 25 things you hope to accomplish in your life and career. Next, circle your top 5 goals. This allows you to take some time to decide on what is most important to you. Then, review the […]
The Ivy Lee Method
The Ivy Lee method is a tried and true productivity tool, in use since the early 1900s. To stay organized and productive, Lee suggests following five simple steps. First, at the end of the day, write 6 tasks that you need to the next day — but only 6 tasks, nothing more. Then, prioritize that […]
Prioritizing: A Critical Executive Function
Neurologist and teacher Judy Willis explains the importance of prioritizing in her article “Prioritizing: A Critical Executive Function.” She recommends that children aged 10-12 years old focus on learning how to prioritize and delegate tasks. During this time period, the brain has more neuroplasticity, which means the brain’s circuits are developing and changing rapidly, as […]
College tips, tricks and hacks
Matt Might, Professor of Internal Medicine and Computer Science; Hugh Kaul Endowed Chair in Personalized Medicine; Director, Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute In his article, Professor Matt Might shares important tips as you head off to college on procrastination, eating right, sleeping enough, how to communicate with professors, exercise, money management, registering for classes, finding […]
Advice for Incoming Students: Take Care of You
Dr. Jonathan Gibralter, President, Wells College As President of Wells College, Dr. Jonathan Gibralter has seen the way things like academics, social media, times management, and work-life balance affect students. In this article, Dr. Gibralter offers essential tips on how to stay healthy and happy while in college. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-jonathan-gibralter/advice-for-incoming-stude_b_11761782.html
1 New York College Named Among Most LGBTQ-Friendly
A new report has named the 25 most LGBTQ-friendly colleges in the country, and one of them is right here in New York. The college ratings site College Consensus released its rankings Monday. In New York, Ithaca College was named among the nation’s best. The site selected the best LGBTQ schools based on several factors: […]
Feet on campus, heart at home: first-generation college students struggle with divided identities
First-generation (FG) college students, or students whose parents have not earned a four-year degree, face unique psychological challenges. Although perhaps supportive of higher education, their parents and family members may view their entry into college as a break in the family system rather than a continuation of their schooling. In families, role assignments about work, […]
Guilt is one of the biggest struggles first-generation college students face
First-generation college students, or students whose parents have not earned a four-year degree, face unique psychological challenges. Although perhaps supportive of higher education, their parents and family members may view their entry into college as a break in the family system rather than a continuation of their schooling. In families, role assignments about work, family, […]
The unique challenges of a first-generation college student
First-generation college students, or students whose parents have not earned a four-year degree, face unique psychological challenges. Although perhaps supportive of higher education, their parents and family members may view their entry into college as a break in the family system rather than a continuation of their schooling. In families, role assignments about work, family, […]
It Takes One To Know One : 6 Invaluable Tips To A Black First Generation College Student
This week I was catching a red eye from LAX to DC with an old classmate, and we spied a very anxious, fussy mom traveling with her daughter. The daughter was wearing a Howard sweatshirt (even though it was still too warm on either coast) and had the look of a freshmen. My traveling partner […]
I’m a First-Generation Latina at UC Berkeley and I Thought I Wouldn’t Make It
Since my first visit in the third grade, I dreamed of attending University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley). During my senior year of high school, I was accepted to UC Berkeley, and my dream became my reality. I felt as if I had reached the finish line and could finally breathe. I quickly realized that […]
17 Pieces of Advice for First-Generation College Students
Going off to college can be intimidating for anyone, but when you’re the first person in your family to do so, that pressure is often multiplied. My mom, who worked two jobs to provide for my sister and I, did everything she could to prepare me for the big leap. She bought every item on […]
Managing Schoolwork as an Athlete
Student athletes who want to excel on the field and in the classroom can feel like they are facing an uphill battle, with coaches, parents, teachers, and friends putting demands on their time. It can seem like there is not enough time in the day to do everything you need to do. And when pressured […]
Twelve Places on Campus Your First Year College Student Should Locate Early
Starting college can be daunting – campus is big (and sometimes spread across different parts of a city!), the buildings often don’t have straightforward names, and it can be hard to get adjusted to a new college schedule. To help overwhelmed new college students, College Parent Central recommends locating these 12 locations on campus before […]
Budgeting Tips for College Students
Learning how to budget and spend your money is something that is not always taught in college. As a college student it is important to understand how to manage your money and prioritize your “needs” before your “wants”. This article will help you budget your money and make smarter decisions with your money.
Finish the School Year Strong!
Now that it’s May, we’re so close to the end of the school year! You may feel like your motivation is decreasing as classes wind down, but keep working hard! Here is a summary of some of the academic stress management strategies we covered this year. You’ve learned a lot of these this year–keep them […]
Setting Priorities with the Eisenhower Box
Do you ever feel overwhelmed thinking about the different things you have to do? It’s normal to feel overwhelmed sometimes, but writing down your responsibilities can help you figure out how to tackle them. One method for writing down your responsibilities and organizing them is called an Eisenhower Matrix. Click here to watch a video […]
Scholar Spotlight: Oliver Uses the Pomodoro Technique
Our Academic Stress management series has been going strong since September, and we have really enjoyed teaching BridgeUP scholars about how to handle academic stress! One scholar, Oliver, says that he found the Pomodoro Technique particularly helpful. He used to get distracted or put off his work, but sectioning off his work into little bite […]
Can Your Brain Really Multitask?
Adam Gazzaley is a doctor who has done great research in how the brain responds to multitasking and distractions. In this Q&A session, he mentions the limitations our brain has be able to focus on multiple tasks when they are carried out at the same time. He shows that his research was able to prove […]
Multitasking Teens May Be Muddling Their Brains
This NPR article speaks on the effects of multitasking and the possible reasons why many teenage students feel the need to do so. When we multitask, concentration and focus dwindle down on many tasks. Once we have been distracted, it is difficult for our minds to get back on track with the first task, without […]
Multitasking Problems: Can Teens Really Learn While Multitasking?
The article written by Your Teen magazine touches on the impact of multitasking on teenage students. It touches upon the reasons why many teens want to multitask in the first place — it seems efficient. You are able to get down double the work in half the time. However, pediatricians have cited that the impact […]
An Intro Guide to Community College
Many students are uncertain about what exactly they want to do after high school. It is easy to become overwhelmed with committing to a 4-year college and choosing a degree path. A great option that students take is attending a local community college and completing a 2-year program, then transferring to a 4-year university and […]
How to perform WOOP? Take a look…
Another great goal-setting tool to keep yourself on track is laying out your goal using the WOOP method. What is WOOP? W – Wish What is a reasonable, attainable wish you want to achieve? O – Outcome What will your life look like if you achieve this wish? O – Obstacle What are potential roadblocks […]
Use SMART goals and HARD goals and achieve high performance
You may already be familiar with S.M.A.R.T. goals (Make this text a link to smart goal article) (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound), there is another goal setting formula to help you tackle those challenging goals: H.A.R.D. goals. What are HARD goals? H – Heartfelt Are you emotionally drawn towards your goal? A – Animated Can […]
The Essential Guide to Writing S.M.A.R.T. Goals
S.M.A.R.T. goals are a great tool to keep yourself on track of what you want to accomplish. This method is not only useful for individuals, but helpful with group projects in a work or school setting to make sure everybody has a role and stays on task. SMART goals are: S – Specific What exactly […]
Basic Study Guides
Many students find that they spend a lot of time during finals and midterm season studying information that is not present on their test. While they are studying a lot, they are not studying quite smart. In order to get the highest grade on your midterm and exam in the time span that is given […]
Creating Study Guides
Finals season is just around the corner, and in order to prepare best for these, it is extremely helpful to create study guides. It is important to create the most appropriate study guide for your class, since each class may require a different approach for studying effectively. Helpful examples of making study guides can be […]
Learning How to Learn
Brought to you by Instructables, this article details three techniques to improve your ability to learn. The author describes the difference between ‘focused’ and ‘diffuse’ modes of learning, modes that serve different purposes when strategizing over a problem. Next, he describes how human memory works and why procrastination is the biggest threat to effectively using […]
The 10 Best Apps to Help You Focus and Block Distractions
The author of this article suggests ways to combat daily distractions through using phone apps. It is easy to get sucked into notifications as you work on your phone or computer, but these apps help you avoid that temptation. They present an opportunity to no longer have to sit for hours trying to get your […]
Pomodoro Technique For Productivity | How To Procrastinate Less (And Focus More)
If you find yourself easily distracted as you sit down to do schoolwork or study, watch this clever YouTube video on using the Pomodoro Technique at home. The short video outlines how all it takes to be more productive is a timer and a little bit of focus. Through a series of “in the zone” […]
Pomodoro Technique – Improve Studying and Productivity
This YouTube video, created by a former medical student, explains in detail how to use the Pomodoro Technique. The technique was created by a student who sought self-improvement and enhanced productivity through actively shielding out distractions and using timed increments. Watch this video to learn more about the steps you can take and the free […]
Managing Academic Stress with BeWell
Now that 2018 is over, we can look back on all of the amazing tools we learned last year to manage academic stress. Congratulations to our first academic quarter winners, who by demonstrating the use of these academic tools, won a $25 gift card! Our winners are: Nahjee C. (Countee Cullen), Alexa E. (BLC Alpha), […]
Managing Schoolwork as an Athlete
Student athletes who want to do well on the field, on the court, as well as in the classroom and in the lab, can sometimes feel like they are constantly facing an uphill battle. Coaches, teachers, parents, and friends all put demands on their time. It can seem like there is not enough hours in […]
10 Tips for Organizing Google Drive
Follow the author as she discusses why Google Drive is one of her favorite tools for organization and productivity. It can be easy to get overwhelmed by all of the documents and sheets you accumulate over the years, but she gives you tips to keep things manageable. She suggests using folders, proper file naming techniques, […]
Become a Google Drive Power User With These 20 Tips and Tricks
In this article, David Nield shares insight on how to navigate Google Drive, an online tool used by millions for academic endeavors, personal and business organization, presentations, and team projects. He emphasizes that many of these users, however, are unaware of many of the most important and powerful features Google implemented on the Drive. David […]
Drive Tips
Read this article in Google’s ‘G Suite Learning Center’ for information, tips, and tricks on Google’s popular application, Google Drive. Learn step-by-step instructions on how to record video meetings, turn on Drive notifications, attach and share files, manage any changes by collaborators, change themes, search for text and images embedded in files, add comments to […]
7 Google Drive Tips
Author Alice Keeler writes about her favorite part of G Suite, Google Drive. As an avid user of ‘The Drive,’ Alice offers seven tips for how to take full advantage of the free application. The article includes information on important url shortcuts, sharing a folder, what “breadcrumbs” are, viewing ‘recent’ files, using the Drive offline, […]
Managing Academic Stress Series Kickoff
BeWell and BridgeUP staff are so excited to be kicking off our academic stress management series! School work and college applications seem to be a big source of stress for teens everywhere and scholars at BridgeUP. We have created a series of tools to teach BridgeUP scholars about things that can be done to manage […]
How to Deal with Midterm Season
Dealing with midterms whether you are in high school or college is not easy. High levels of stress and constant anxiety may plague you. Here are some tips to help you de-stress while still being productive! Planning A week or two before your midterm is when you should start to create a timeline […]
4 Google Keep Tips And Tricks For Better Notes, Lists And To-Dos
If you are interested in Google Keep, Google’s platform for note-taking and checklist writing, this article is for you. Author Mihir Patkar discusses the interface, functionality, and special features offered on Google Keep. Google Keep includes special features for staying organized, like a reminder system triggered by geographical location. For example, you can set the […]
How to Use Google Keep
Check out this site to learn about Google Keep, Google’s online tool for organization, note-taking, and checklist building. Learn how to use dictation to create notes with your voice, add pictures to notes, share notes across Google platforms, add drawings to notes, and more! This article will get you started with this free service and […]
Why Use a To-Do List
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by how many tasks you have that you need to complete? You are not alone! Sometimes, the best way to tackle that stress is to get organized, starting with a to-do list! Crossing items off a list will give you a sense of achievement that further motivates you to complete […]
Keeping Your Parents in the Loop
By Horacio Romero Castillo Hi BeWell Readers, After graduating high school, summer passed by in a blink of an eye. Next thing I knew, I was moving into my room on campus, four hours away from home. Once my parents left, orientation week began. I started making new friends, learning about clubs and extracurriculars on […]
Finding Your Community in College
By Horacio Romero Castillo Hello BeWell Readers, Whether you end up going to college 4 hours away or 40 minutes away, finding a supportive community at school is important. College brings along many responsibilities, experiences and challenges that will push your limits to the max. In my case, I did not have an older sibling […]
Why Go to College?
By Horacio Romero Castillo If you are heading into your junior or senior year of high school, you may be asking yourself, what’s next? Is college something I should think about? It may be hard to see yourself in college, especially if no one in your family has ever gone. But, consider some of the […]
Meet Horacio!
My name is Horacio and I am a current Post-Bac Pre-Med student at Columbia University. All that means is that I am taking MORE classes even though I already earned a college degree. Yes, I know, it sounds crazy! But I am doing so because I want to apply to medical school. A little more […]
Organization Skills for Students: 7 Practical Tips
Finding a balance between working hard, participating in recreational activities, and organization can be hard! The success of students has been proven to be correlated with their organizational skills. This article outlines 7 methods to staying organized inside and outside of school. Organizing documents and handouts in designated subject, topic, or task folders will help […]
8 Steps for Using a Paper Planner Effectively
If you have ever used a paper planner, you have probably found the following: they require maintenance, but they help you succeed! Writing down assignments on paper is a visual method of organization that is far more effective than creating a mess of calendar events on your phone! Once you become accustomed to using your […]
7 Tips for the Most Successful Planner
Have you ever used a planner? If you have, you know that it requires maintenance, but that it is the ultimate tool in helping you keep on top of assignments and stay organized. Being able to “check off” completed items and always knowing when things are due can be the best way to avoid the […]
10 Study and Organization Tips
Welcome back to school and BridgeUP! Getting back into the swing of things can be challenging after a long summer. Here are 10 study and organization tips to help you succeed in school! Put your phone away and turn it off while you’re studying or doing work. Watch this video about the Pomodoro Technique which […]
Passion Project Expo
We had a wonderful time attending the Passion Project Expo this summer! Scholars from Countee Cullen Omega created the C.R.O.W.N.S. (Communities Redeeming Our Worth, Narrative, & Shine) Initiative. They learned about homelessness in the Harlem community and created hygiene packs that they distributed to the local homeless population. They also made a five-part visual mixtape […]
How to Manage Stress in College
College is the time in your life where you begin to figure out who you are and where your place is in the world. During these next few years you will learn to navigate new relationships and ultimately decide which career path you will choose. It is inevitable that you will feel “stressed out” during […]
What Do College Career Services Offices Do?
Colleges offer plenty of resources that are included in your tuition and fees. Take advantage of them ! Every college has a Career Service Office that gives you the tools needed to be successful after graduation. Here’s What to Expect From the Career Office at Your College: Career Decision Making Career Exploration Resume […]
College Students: You Simply Must Do an Internship (Better Yet: Multiple Internships)
Your college years are some of the most important years of your life. Not only is it a time where you’re learning about yourself and the world around you, but this time period will help prepare you for the real world. The best way to be successful in life after college is to get experience […]
Strategies to Incorporate Physical Activity as a College Student
By Elizabeth Oliver, UCDavis Student Health Center Did you know that the Centers for Disease Control recommends that individuals engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous- intensity aerobic exercise in addition to two days of muscle- strengthening exercises every week? That comes out to about 30 minutes a day, […]
15 ways to boost your confidence in college
Feeling overwhelmed or discouraged in college is normal. There are several ways you can combat these feelings and prepare yourself for a successful semester. 15 ways to boost your confidence in college: Turn off the little voice Realize you’re not alone. Take something you’re good at. Start small. Reward achievements. Make all your classes Take […]
Test Anxiety Relaxation Techniques
We know how stressful school and especially test taking can be. Click on this link to check out these test anxiety relaxation techniques the Love To Know project describes in this article! There are lots to choose from and they walk you through each step by step.
Top 12 Tips to Master the College Search
Searching for college can be a daunting task. It can be scary to think about where you are going to spend the next 2 to 4 years of your life! Take a look at these top 12 tips for choosing a college to help ease your worries and narrow down your search: 1) Identify the […]
Networking 101 for Teens!
Networking 101 for Teens! High school is a good time to start meeting with teachers, counselors, and professionals. You may meet with a teacher to talk about getting a recommendation letter for college or with a professional to get more information about a potential career you are interested in pursuing. Here are a few tips […]
Making the Most out of High School
High school is supposed to be a fun and carefree time. But it’s also a time where teens have a lot more responsibility and are thinking about their future, which may include college, vocational training, or entering the working world. Here are a few tips to help you make the most out of high school […]