Advice To College Students From College Grads

Last week we noted some words of wisdom from famous and influential leaders to graduating students. Here are some words to those just entering, or still pulling through those precious college years. When asked, recent grads offered their own advice for maximizing the college experience. Here's what they had to say:

"Travel, travel, travel. Study abroad if you can. Your friends will still be there when you get home." - Erika M.

"Join a club, live in the dorms, get out, forget yourself and meet new people. The best part of college is the easy access to the community.

I also strongly suggest taking on an internship. 99% of jobs require experience. The few that don't require it pay poorly." - Tim S.

"Take vitamins and don't let yourself stay in your room." - Aimy S.

"1. Study abroad.
2. Get an internship!
3. Live in the dorms. It's a great place to meet long-lasting friends.
4. Fear no new experience. You learn a lot by throwing yourself into new environments.
5. Save your best school work so you can create a portfolio before graduation.
6. Don't forget exercise.. we all have gained so many pounds since freshman year!" - Mariam J.

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Check out CampusTech right now for 75% off and more on select academic software titles for graphic design, animation, engineering, programming, and math. Top educational software discounted manufacturers include Quark, Microsoft, and Autodesk. Check out our current featured list of discounted student software and get hundreds to thousands of dollars off current MSRP.

Words of Wisdom To College Grads

Looking forward to life after college? Here are some words of advice taken from notable recent graduation commencement speeches:

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
- Steve Jobs at Stanford University, 2005

"Remember your responsibilities to find your passion, to use your reason, to cultivate humility, to remain optimistic and always to serve others. Remember this moment right now and remember all of those who contributed so that it could come - your parents and your families and your friends who supported you through all of these times. But remember this, too. You've had a wonderful opportunity to become educated people, but what really matters is not what you have learned and not what is said to you on this day, but what you do with all the days ahead of you."
- Secretary Condoleezza Rice at Boston College, 2006

"I ask every member of the Class of 2007 to learn from Sergeant Zapata's example -- step forward to serve a cause larger than yourself. Volunteer in a local soup kitchen or shelter. Take time to check in on an elderly neighbor. Be a mentor to a child in need. Use the skills you have learned here to help build a better nation. Our armies of compassion need men and women like you. The great test of this generation will be how you answer the call to extend the promise of America, and make our nation a more hopeful place for all. The character of the Class of 2007 gives me great faith in your success, and confidence in the future of a nation that makes one people from out of many."
- President Bush at Miami Dade College, 2007

"In line with the promise of this age, I want to exhort each of the graduates here to take on an issue - a complex problem, a deep inequity, and become a specialist on it. If you make it the focus of your career, that would be phenomenal. But you don't have to do that to make an impact. For a few hours every week, you can use the growing power of the Internet to get informed, find others with the same interests, see the barriers, and find ways to cut through them. Don't let complexity stop you. Be activists. Take on the big inequities. It will be one of the great experiences of your lives."
- Bill Gates at Harvard University, 2007

Get $10 Off Student Software Through 6/25/07

Shop for student discount software and hardware at CampusTech.com today and instantly save $10 off orders of $149 or more. Simply use the coupon code "SAVINGS" at checkout. But hurry, this special ends on June 25th!

Additionally you can save over 75% off MSRP on educational software from Quark, Corel, Microsoft, Autodesk and more.

Now is a great time to cash in on summer specials for the semesters ahead!

Extra Credit: The Smart Way Students Save

We've all seen student discounts offered at movie theaters scored by flashing student IDs at the ticket booth, but did you know that your student ID also counts as a VIP pass to discounted deals on popular hardware and software? That includes mp3 players, computers, and software for design, word processing, and more. Cashing in on academic discounts can save you hundreds to thousands of dollars a year on personal expenses - money you can save simply by being a student.

What is an Academic Discount?

For the purpose of providing affordable learning tools to students, teachers, and institutions, many manufacturers offer "academic version" software. This academic or educational version software can be discounted in price while offering the same features and functionality of the regular version of the same product. In most cases, academic software is exactly the same as the full retail version, though some programs may have a unique splash screen identifying the software as an educational version, or differ slightly in commercial features. Basically, it's the same bang for fewer bucks. The major distinction between academic and regular retail versions of software is in their license requirements.

To summarize these requirements: academic software versions are only for sale to authorized students and teachers of an educational facility and not to the general public. They are strictly for educational and study use by current students or teachers and are not for resale. This is where your student ID comes in. Purchasers of academic software are often required to supply proof of their current status as student or faculty – usually in the form of a student ID card.

Academic Retailers

Where can you go to get the student discount advantage on software, technology, and more? CampusTech.com offers discounted hardware and academic version software from well known manufacturers including Microsoft, Adobe, and Quark for students and faculty at huge discounts. Want that new release of Adobe Photoshop for design class? CampusTech.com offers the Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended Academic version of Photoshop for 71% cheaper than the regular retail price, saving you a whopping 709 dollars. Even if you aren't an A+ student, you can't deny smart savings like that. The only catch: You have to be a student. So remember to cash in while you're still enrolled.

If you are still enrolled, verifying your student status for academic discounts at CampusTech.com is easy. You can be verified instantly using eVerification online, or you can submit a picture of your ID card as a JPG or GIF image file during or after checkout.

You don't have to major in math to know that saving up to 80% on student software is a good thing. You just have to be in the know to save money in a major way. So pass on the lesson to your friends.

High-Tech Gifts for Father's Day!

Father's Day is June 17th- are you prepared? You don't have to break the bank or spend hours at the mall to get dad hip, cutting-edge gifts this year. Find cool, high-tech gifts for dads at any budget with CampusTech's Father's Day Gift Ideas.

From wireless media players, digital cameras, and iPod docks, to LCD computer monitors, speaker systems, and laptop attaches - CampusTech has what techie dads dream of! Get your dad something he'll really appreciate, at prices as low as $25, $50, or $100. Go beyond the tie.

Finding a Summer Internship

A break from classes this summer leaves ample time to dedicate yourself to an internship. Internships give you real world experience in the career field of your choice, allowing you a better idea of what to expect when you graduate and join the ranks of the employed. Internships are also a great way to network with people in the career field you are interested in. Additionally, having previous work experience in the field you are interested in looks impressive on resumes, and will give you a leg-up in getting hired in the future.

So how do you go about finding an internship? Most colleges offer career exploration counseling for help locating and interviewing for jobs - so ask around your campus. Ask your professors for leads, or visit Yahoo's Yellow Pages and directly call companies you are interested in working for.

Online job finding resources for college students like MonsterTrak.com and Internweb.com allow you to submit resumes online and provide databases of available internships across the United States. It is also a good idea to get your friends, parents, and parents co-workers involved in your internship hunt to generate more job leads.

Finally, to ensure your internship experience is a positive one, make sure you know what you are getting into when you commit yourself to the job. Figure out beforehand if you will receive compensation, academic credit, or neither. If you want to receive academic credit, you may need to apply through your college to do so.

Pick Up a New Skill with Educational Software

If you find yourself swamped with free time this summer, why not put it to productive use by honing your skills? Pick up a new language, brush up on your graphic design skills, or learn how to design your own website. If you're graduating soon, you might even want to start your career exploration early by taking aptitude tests. Whatever your goals, academic discounted software can help you achieve them this summer at a much lower price than you'd spend taking summer courses. Check out the CampusTech Learning Center for fun training software on a bevy of subjects, or check out some examples below:

Must-Have Summer Vacation Gear

Summer is fast approaching and vacation and road trip plans abound. Wherever you're headed this sunny season, treat yourself with some high-tech, must-have vacationer gear. Check out some of our top picks this season:


Skullcandy MacGyver 1GB MP3 Watch

Going hiking or sight-seeing? Rock it anytime, anywhere with this combination MP3 player and watch. Put dozens of songs riding on your wrist in a package so tight you won't even know it's there. If that isn't space age enough, the MacGyver sports a selectable 5-mode audio equalizer, 3-D stereo sound, music shuffle play feature, built in voice recorder, and integrated USB cable. You can listen to your music in MP3 and WMA formats, plus use the watch as a thumb drive to store and transfer data from your home computer!


Casio Exilim EX-Z1050 10.1 MegaPixel Digital Camera

Capture vacation memories on the go with this 10.1 megapixel Exilim Z1050 high performance camera. This camera comes in a compact, easily transportable size, and features an Anti-Shake DSP that minimizes blurriness. It is also equipped with a super-life battery, allowing it to take up to 370 photos in a row without petering out. The Casio Elixim captures both photos and movies, and reproduces crystal-clear images, even when printing very large sizes. Optional handy leather Exilim camera pouches are available to protect your camera on the move.


STM Wave Bag for 15.5" Notebooks

Want a bag that's good for the beach, school, and for toting your laptop around? The STM Wave Bag has a laptop sleeve that can be completely removed - transforming it from an ideal laptop bag to the perfect beach bag. For added versatility, underneath the front flap is an organiser pocket with space for cables, keys, pens, and other items you'll want nearby. Internally there's a zippered pocket for all your valuables. The structure of the bag is encased in high density sleeping bag padding for laptop (or beach ball) protection and features a comfortable, adjustable shoulder strap.


Zune 30GB Music Player by Microsoft

For music and entertainment on the road or in a plane, check out this 30GB digital media player with a twist. Wirelessly share selected full-length sample tracks, road trip playlists, vacation pictures, or your own home-grown audio tracks directly from Zune to Zune. The Zune also features photo and video capabilities, has a built-in FM radio tuner, and can act as a hard drive for file storage.


Microsoft P790 Portable Cell Phone Charger

This cell phone charger by Motorola adds an energy boost to your cell phone or Bluetooth without using an electrical outlet! A must-have for globetrotters and roadtrippers, it lets you enjoy more time on your phone to talk, text, and use multimedia capabilities before you have to slow down and plug it into a wall. A fully charged P790 Portable Charger provides 1 to 2 full charges for a mobile phone (300 to 400 more minutes of phone talk time), or up to 10 full charges for a Bluetooth headset that uses a mini-USB recharging connection.