The Gen Z Student

The world we grew up in and are continuing to develop in is crazy. We know that. However, I want to pose an idea. Everything that we, as a generation, have experienced has been a challenge, mentally, physically, and financially. Yet, somehow, the statistics show that we have an incredible gift that has arisen from our struggle. Gen Z is among the most optimistic and hard-working generations ever. We work hard, because we have seen the issues that arise from complacency. We care about the ethics of where we buy our products, because we watched as large corporations have taken advantage of the weak and wreaked havoc on our planet and our ecosystems. At the end of the day, though, we’re optimistic, because the power is in our hands. We have seen what happens if we do nothing and don’t challenge ourselves. First, let’s look at what we’ve experienced and see how it helped to shape who we are. Financial uncertainty is one of the first things that we saw as children. We saw how student...

You and I both know that, as students, entrepreneurs, and people that just like to challenge ourselves, we don’t have tons of time on our hands to kill at the gym. Now, please don't think I'm throwing shade at the gym. This is coming from someone that goes to the gym regularly, and enjoys it. Here’s the thing though. Because of the recent closures of pretty much all of our gyms, a lot of us had to make a choice. Either we forget the fitness side of our health, or we suck it up and figure out how to hit that workout with what we have at our disposal. What’s great, is that, as the weather warms up, we can start going outside and utilizing nature in our fitness endeavors. Even as gyms start to reopen, sometimes it's simply more convenient to just hit a quick workout at home, or in the dorms. Let’s take a look at some of the best strength training exercises that don’t require a gym or any special equipment.      First off, let’s start with the most basic exercise. ...

As students, it's easy to push our health to the side. Really, most of the time, it just feels inconvenient to focus on our physical wellness, at a time in our lives when eating unhealthy and doing nothing is promoted as the norm, rather than the exception. If we do hit the gym, the goal is likely to work on our physical appearance, before our overall health. However, I truly believe that running, if properly incorporated into your life, can have incredible benefits. Let’s explore this idea. One of the very first concepts that we don’t really think about in regard to running, is the impact that it has on the brain. Running, due to the increased blood flow and elevated heart rate that it causes, results in elevated blood flow to the brain. Research has indicated that this intense increase in blood flow has the power to generate new neural pathways. This is an extremely important takeaway! Not only are you literally causing “brain growth”, but research has also indicated that running...

The concept of a morning routine is undoubtedly a popular one. If you do a quick search on YouTube, you will find hundreds of videos that either present the “perfect” morning routine, or discuss what successful people do in the morning. However, I want to present a slightly different approach. Yes, having a set list of things that you do in the morning is really helpful. Unfortunately, the issue that many of us run into, is that we’re not all content creators or entrepreneurs who have the flexibility to set aside three hours in the morning. Most of us are students who have a busy schedule. That being said, I want to introduce you to my idea of what a successful morning should really encompass - from a student’s perspective. First off, I don’t think that we should throw the concept of a list of consistent steps entirely out the window. I simply believe that it is absolutely essential that we strive to scale this idea to be tailored precisely to our lifestyle. Any type of routine is ben...

Let's be honest for a minute. It’s not always easy to stay motivated and productive. Especially since most of us are still in quarantine, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here's the thing though, hard times in life test us. Yet, they’re also the times that make us grow. Throughout history, so many positive inventions, discoveries, businesses, and even lifestyle changes have come as a result of individuals who had to experience hard times. That made me start to think... How can I leverage this time, when productivity is honestly the last thing on our minds, and use it to grow? What if I look at it as a gift, instead of a hindrance? Over the last month, I’ve come up with a plan for how to effectively use these difficult times to grow, and I’m going to outline my strategy for staying productive - at a time when being unproductive is the easy way out. #1 Sleep Let's get the hardest thing out of the way first. You have to keep a consistent sleep schedule and get up early. This...

Does this sound familiar?  You decide that this test is going to be different, and you’re going to get a good grade this time. You went to class, printed the slides out, did some reading, and you even bought a couple of energy drinks! Then, when you actually sit down to take the test, it still doesn’t go so well. Over my time as a student, I’ve taken a lot of tests and quizzes… ones I didn’t study for, and ones I did. Fortunately for you, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s not the amount of time you put into studying that really matters , it’s the way you study. Here are five key things that I personally put into practice when I’m studying for an exam. I can guarantee you that they will boost your grade if you implement them for yourself! Tip #1: Plan it Out The first tip is to plan it out. As soon as I find out that I have an exam coming up, I take a piece of notebook paper (or the notes app) and write out my attack plan. First, I figure out what I actually need...