This semester, give a little back

This one comes straight from my own “to do” list: I’ve been wanting to start volunteering on a regular basis. So why don’t you try it too? True, classes are just kicking off again and you may think you’re busier than ever, but volunteering has been shown to improve your health. It will also improve your resume and, by the way, helps people or organizations in need.

There are a number of ways you can volunteer, including locally, nationally and even globally:

The City of Columbia has a Volunteer Services page that lists current city volunteer opportunities and the Central Missouri Food Bank also offers a variety of opportunities, as does Meals on Wheels.

For a more all-encompassing search, try VolunteerMatch, a site that matches individuals interested in volunteering with opportunities based on search criteria. There are also numerous ways you can volunteer while traveling: Idealist is a project of Action Without Borders, a nonprofit organization founded in 1995 that organizes “volunteer vacations” for individuals. GoAbroad.com is also a useful sight for finding volunteer opportunities abroad.

So there’s the short list of volunteering resources you can check out to get started. Even if it’s only a few hours a month, volunteering is a valuable activity that benefits everyone involved. So go ahead—add volunteering to your “to do” list today and reap the benefits of helping others!

Tips for Living Within Your Means

As the title of this post suggests, these are some tips for living within your financial means. However, this list of 147 tips for living a more frugal life also puts forth several tips for living within your time and emotional constraints, both of which also have a dramatic impact on your quality of life. Take a look at these interesting tidbits and feel free to try some of them out in your own life. You may just find yourself with more time and money—and less stress!

via Frugalist.

4 Tips for Turning Yourself into a Brand

OK, so you may be gearing up for another school year and have nothing but classes on your mind, but it’s never too early to begin thinking about your career. Whether that career involves academia or the corporate world, you’ll be more successful in the job search if you know how to “brand” yourself. This article from the DesignersMind Blog outlines the process for turning yourself into a brand, which involves creating a professional profile (one little-known section of a resume that really gets potential employers' attention) and marketing yourself.

Of course, the idea of branding oneself does not just apply to the job hunt; you can also use the principle to land a graduate assistantship, internship or clients in a freelancing business. Best of luck as you gear up for the new school year and turn yourself into a successful brand!