Five Ways to Keep Your Mind Active During the Summer

When spring semester is over, it can be tempting to sit around, take naps and watch TV. Most students can lose up to 60 percent of what they learned in the past year over the summer, but you don’t have to be a victim of brain drain. Here are six ways you can keep your mind alert and active over the summer.

  1. Volunteer. Volunteering will help you stay on your feet and active in the community. This is also an opportunity to make friends and learn about people who are different from yourself. Giving your time to others who need it most is emotionally uplifting!
  2. Land an internship. Work experience outside of college can be invaluable and beneficial for any student. You’ll get to take a real-world look at your preferred industry, and you can begin to determine if it offers the career path you want to pursue.
  3. Summer courses. There are plenty of websites that offer free courses, such as Coursera and edX. Did you know that many of these websites are launched by accredited universities? Why not come back to school with some awesome, brand new knowledge?
  4. Read books. Instead of browsing Facebook, pick up that book you’ve been meaning to read on your shelf. College students have become embroiled in technology and social media, but books will strengthen your vocabulary and think more creatively.
  5. Exercise. Working out doesn’t have to be a drag. Riding a bike or going swimming are fun ways to keep your body moving and those endorphins active.  If going to the gym bores you, or the equipment intimidates you, bring a friend along!
  6. Keep a list of goals. Nothing will challenge your mind more than coming up with a bucket list – what are those key things you want to see and do throughout your lifetime? If it’s a bigger goal, you can start taking steps this summer to achieve it.

The South Florida Education Center is your transportation hub for getting to class on time.

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Ten Easy Money-Saving Tips for College Students

Money management can be a college student’s best friend. Now that the semester is about to begin, learning how to stretch your budget will lead you to better financial success.

Financial success means less debt and worry.

Check out these easy ten money-saving tips:

1. Create a Budget. – Understand what it costs for you to live month to month by creating a budget. Write down your monthly expenses and track how you spend your money. Register yourself with https://arenasbobet.biz/ to get the best sbobet game services. By doing this, you can figure out what to cut back on and ways to save. Stretch your dollars further by putting money aside each month in a savings account, which earns interest.

2. Know Your Transportation Options. – Walk, ride your bike, carpool, take the SFEC shuttle to school. Let SFEC be your college transportation guide by visiting our site for route information and options. Here, you’ll find a handy bike route guide and ways to sign-up for carpooling, which are viable ways to cut back on your transportation costs.

3. Cooking Skills. – Going out to eat nightly is one surefire way to spend your money quickly. Instead, skip costly restaurants and learn to cook meals. Host weekly dinners with friends or your roommates to turn the experience into a fun way to save and eat well. Cooking tutorials and recipes abound online, so your next meal is just a click away.

4. Never Go Hungry. – To expand upon the above tip, never go grocery shopping when you are hungry. Strolling down the aisles with hunger pangs will leave you wanting to buy – everything in sight. Stick to your budget by eating prior to shopping and bring along a list to avoid frivolous spending.

5. Become a Home Barista. – Caffeine aficionados can skip the hefty costs of grabbing coffees on the go by planning ahead. Learn to brew your own teas and coffees at home for big savings. Five dollar lattes are sure to add up, especially when purchased on a daily basis. Invest in a travel mug and bring your java with you.

6. Discover Free Entertainment. – Sometimes you can find amusement in unlikely places. Take, for your example, your campus library. It’s chockfull of books, films and television shows on DVDs – all for free, as long as you remember to return what you borrowed on time.

7. Get Involved. – Join your campus’ organizations for a wealth of benefits. You make new friends, network, and often times, free food is served. In addition, getting involved gives you something to do without the expense of going out.

8. Get a Part-Time Job. – Working while in school is a good idea for numerous reasons: You can bring in income while building your resume. Consider an on-campus job in your major to gain relevant experience.  Or, find work where free food is part of the package. Get creative with what you do and start earning today.

9. Apply for Scholarships. – Visit your school’s financial advisor office to find scholarship opportunities. The key to winning money is to apply, apply, apply.

10. Research Your Books. – Find out which books are required for your classes and then see if you can borrow them from the library or purchase them used. Both options will save you tons of money every semester.

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Five Benefits of Public Transportation

It’s common knowledge that most people in South Florida rely on a car to get around. However, taking public transportation can greatly reduce your costs and save our planet. Here are five reasons why you should consider taking public transportation, such as Broward County Transit and the FREE Davie Campus Shuttle.

  1. Save money: Between car insurance and gas prices, owning a car can become costly, and that doesn’t even include repairs if you’re in a car accident. Switching to public transportation immediately erases all those costs. According to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), a two-person household can save more than $10,174 a year on average by downsizing to one car.
  2. Higher levels of activity and productivity: Walking might take longer, but if you have time to make the trek, you’ll be much healthier. Using public transportation also allows personal freedom and mobility. When you are on a train or a bus, you can catch up on schoolwork, study for test or even read a book if you want.
  3. Helps the environment: Our use of public transportation reduces our nation’s carbon emissions by 37 million metric tons annually. If you have one 20-mile round trip commute, you can reduce your daily carbon emissions by 20 pounds.
  4. Drive community growth: Every $1 billion invested in public transportation creates and supports more than 50,000 jobs. When you ride a bus or a train (or even take an Uber), you’re also helping your community!
  5. Save gas and time: Waiting for a train that is slightly delayed takes much less time than sitting in traffic for an often-unpredictable amount of time. U.S. public transportation saved 450 million gallons of fuel in 498 urban areas in 2011, according to the APTA. In addition, U.S. public transportation use in 2011 saved 865 million hours in travel time in 498 urban areas.

You don’t have to spend tons of money to get around, especially to commute to school. With transportation options provided by the South Florida Education Center (SFEC), you can get to, from and around campus on-time and with ease.

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Five Reasons to Bike to Campus

It’s spring, the weather is beautiful and the school year is nearing its end. Why spend this season cooped up in your car? Bicycles are becoming an increasingly popular mode of transportation due to its many health benefits. In honor of National Bike Day on April 19, here are five reasons you should trade four wheels for two.

  1. Reducing your carbon footprint. It’s common sense that bike-riding contributes to lower pollution levels, but exactly how much? A midsize car uses 68 gallons of gasoline during a 10-mile round-trip commute five days a week, which equals 0.7 tons of carbon dioxide. This would be reduced to zero if you rode your bike to campus five days a week.
  2. Exercise. When you’re sitting in class all day or doing homework, you’re probably not getting your recommended daily dose of aerobics. Riding a bicycle can give you plenty of cardio and a great muscle workout, in addition to more strength and stamina. While sitting in cars is a sedentary activity, biking is a healthy activity that you can incorporate into your commuting time.
  3. Save money. Between car insurance and gasoline, drivers can spend a pretty penny on their vehicles. With bicycles, aside from the occasional repair and tire change, you don’t have to buy insurance or gas to maintain it.
  4. Decreased stress levels. Do you feel like pulling your hair out whenever you sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic? This certainly causes your stress levels to increase. When you ride a bike, your anxiety and stress decreases, which leads to a calmer state of mind in general.
  5. Improved posture. Being on our phones and sitting most of the day causes us to crane our necks, which can lead to poor posture. When riding a bike, you must stay upright to get around safely, and this behavior in turn makes for better posture.

Biking to school is a healthier alternative to driving, and arguably a more fun one, too. If you are unsure of which routes to take to campus, Broward County Transit has a Bicycle Sustainability Map. The South Florida Education Center also has plenty of bike racks on campus. This month, dust off your old two-wheeler and get riding!

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