Disclaimer: Anything written in this blog represents the opinions of the author, and no one else. Each blog is written lightly, and is not intended to offend any of the mentioned businesses, locations, students, or staff.

I love the morning. Everything about it. I love waking up to sun shining through my window. I love knowing that I’m waking up with the birds outside and that I am one step ahead of my peers because I do. I love the extra hour or so that I have to myself. I love the time I have to put the finishing touches on my homework assignments, to perfect my outfit and to make my coffee just the way I like it. I love the serenity of the silence and the peace that comes with moving slowly.

Unfortunately, no matter how much joy the morning brings, the truth of the matter is that the morning only lasts so long. I try my best to transfer the positive energy that comes with the morning to all of those around me. I sometimes even try to save some of that tranquility for the afternoon, when stress levels seem to be at their highest in school and work environments. Sharing, though, is a two way process that is only successful if the receiver is as willing as the giver.

Although, I like to imagine myself as a cheerful person, my fuse lasts only so long. Following my schedule, mornings last from 6:00 am to 12:00 pm. This means that around 12:00 in the afternoon, my patience runs low when others decide not receive my friendliness as willingly as all humans should receive kindness.

When I say hello to a stranger, I expect a response. A simple smile will even do the trick. Better yet, if I greet a peer, classmate, or coworker, I expect a verbal response back because of our school or work connection. To my dismay, responses are rare in our community and culture. There is a cold atmosphere that surrounds New England. This is a reflection of the United States as a whole and the technological advancements that encourage conversations with computers and not with our neighbors. It is an over discussed topic in articles, blogs, and the conversation that we actually do have, but the point remains; you get what you give.

Treating those around you kindly will bring you potentially more joy than your kindness will bring to them. Saying hello to those around me when I am abnormally joyful in the mornings brings me great joy and is intended to bring to the recipients the same. So please, spread the happiness, joy of life and the vulnerability of the mornings that we so often take for granted. Say hello!

Disclaimer: Anything written
in this blog represents the opinions of the author, and no one else. Each blog
is written lightly, and is not intended to offend any of the mentioned
businesses, locations, students, or staff.

We all have those days when nothing is going right. You just cant catch a break. Life is full of ups and down, but what if you could somehow avoid some of these downs we all experience and make the highs higher than you could ever imagine. The key to this is to be inspired.

A step in the right direction would be to find what you are passionate about and excel in that area. Don’t settle for what society is telling you to do. If you can’t find something that you can enjoy getting up for every morning then your life will be filled with many more “downs” then “ups”. The minute you settle for less then you deserve, you get less than you settled for. The more you love what you do the more likely it is that you will be inspired to reach new heights.

Just because you have found something that you love to do does not mean that you will not experience some of the lows that we all know too well; we all need a kick in the butt sometimes. If you can’t find inspiration from your own work look elsewhere. People find inspiration from all kinds of things. For example, for many people taking a walk and simply soaking in nature can be an inspiration. For others it could be doing something challenging such as a puzzle or a brainteaser. Another great tip is to find someone who you can look up to and when things get tough you can turn to this person for a kick-in-the-butt, aka motivation. For me, this person isn’t someone I can actually talk to but I when things start looking down I like to have someone who can inject some inspiration into my life.

To close, I would like to share a quote from the man I look up to, Eric Greitens, “There were a number of definitions of courage, but now I was seeing it in its simplest form: you do what has to be done day after day, and you never quit.” This quote stays stuck in my head and helps me through when I just want to slack and blow off my homework. Sometimes we can all use a little kick in the butt, so don’t let your pride get in the way of seeking out some inspiration.

Disclaimer: Anything written in this blog represents the opinions of the author, and no one else. Each blog is written lightly, and is not intended to offend any of the mentioned businesses, locations, students, or staff.

There’s nothing worse than going in to shake someone’s hands to find gnawed-down, dirty fingernails in your grasp. Failure to pay attention to the hygiene of your fingernails is a failure to pay attention to not only your image as a cleanly human being, but also your representation as a professional worker. Particularly in the business world, appearance, even the smallest details, is important. It tells your boss, coworkers and clients that you care about yourself and what you are doing. you wish for others to perceive you as a worker who cares enough to spend the extra time.

If cleanliness and professionalism are not reasons enough for you to change your nail maintenance, then the health benefits may push you to take some of these tips. Research shows that nail-biters’ hands and fingers easily become infected. From infection, they are far more prone to contract colds and other illnesses. The constant action of nails to lips and mouth promotes the spread of germs into nail-biters’ bodies.

Many people, even doctors, are beginning to describe nail-biting as more than a habit. It is more often being referenced as an addiction. As such, it should be tackled just as intensely as any other addiction. Tactics in curing the “addiction” include putting lemon juice of hot sauce on fingers. Another drastic measure includes wrapping nails in tape or Band-Aids. If this seems too extreme, there is also a new clear-color nail polish, specifically for nail-biters, that tastes particularly gross when bitten/eaten. This nail polish is specifically successful for nail-biters because when they go to bite their nails, their body remembers the gross taste of the nail polish and their habit slowly diminishes.

In today’s world, there is no excuse not to pay attention to your nails.(If your job includes manual labor then you are an exception.) Lowell, specifically has a superfluous amount of nail salons in its downtown. Upon entering “nail salon Lowell, MA” into Google, 35,500 results appear. Not only are there a ridiculous amount of nail salons in our local area, but it is very inexpensive to get nails manicured, cleaned or buffed. The average cost of a manicure is only twenty dollars, and it is only necessary to get a full manicure once ever two weeks. Even after getting a manicure, a polish change can often do the trick and in Lowell a polish change comes to an average of ten dollars.

For guys, manicures, I realize are a little excessive. I also realize that not everyone has the money to spend to maintain a full manicure all the time. In these cases, personal maintenance comes into the picture. Every household does – or should – contain nail clippers and filers, and there is no reason, besides laziness, to not utilize those tools.

It may seem dramatic to find fault in such a minuscule detail, but it is the small things that matter in our big world.

The Manning School of Business at UMass Lowell is a growing program that is made to prepare its students for the competitive global business environment. It includes exceptional teaching, learning and research opportunities for its Bachelor’s, Master’s and Ph.D. programs. The Manning School of Business is composed of three departments, Accounting, Management and Operations and Information Systems. The program makes it possible for about 1,700 undergraduate students to dual concentrate with two of the eight concentrations that are offered in the Manning School of Business. Within the Management departments, there are eight concentrations that are offered, Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Finance, International Business, Management, Management Information Systems, Marketing and Supply Chain and Operations Management.

The Accounting Concentration is a good option for students who are seeking a career as a CPA, a position in industry, government or a non-profit organization with a career path to controller, CFO, CEO, revenue agent, special agent or a career as a financial analyst, forensic accountant, tax expert or entrepreneur. The courses required to earn a degree in Accounting include Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting I and II, Auditing, Cost Accounting, Accounting Information Systems, Taxation, and Advanced Accounting. These classes can teach you how to translate the happenings of a business into financial language, which can help to conduct decision making within the business.

For outside thinkers and innovators, the Entrepreneur Concentration is a fantastic option. The classes required to complete the Entrepreneurship Concentration include Starting a New Venture, Corporate Entrepreneurship, Managing Innovation, and Finance for Emerging Business Enterprises. These classes are meant to teach students how to develop management skills to launch a new business, develop an understanding of innovation and the financial aspects of starting a business and to assist students in identifying themselves as an entrepreneur.

If you are interested in working in an area that is at the center of operations for all companies and want to move quickly into a position with decision-making responsibilities then a the Finance Concentration is a good option for you. The classes required include Management Calculus, Financial and Managerial Accounting, Macroeconomics, Statistics and Marketing Principles, Business Finance, Operations Management, Management Information Systems, Organizational behavior, and Capital Planning. These classes will help you gain the skills to analyze capital budgeting problems, assess investment opportunities for institutes and individuals, develop and understanding of techniques needed to finance corporate operations and expansions and to gain the ability to communicate financial concepts to other people.

For students who prefer to travel often and to work with other countries and cultures in business, the International Business Concentration offers a broad range of skills to use those interests professionally. Its coursework helps students become aware of management concepts, systems and practices in different countries. It also helps students understand cultural dynamics, economics and political constraints that affect the marketing and sales aspect of international business. The Concentration’s coursework teaches students how to assess and evaluate the financial risks associated with multi-national firms, addresses global sourcing strategies and helps students learn more about the role that information technology and Enterprise Resource Planning plays in managing global supply chains.

I will write about the other four business concentrations, Management, Management Information Systems, Marketing and Supply Chain and Operations Management, in my next blog! If you have any other questions, specifically regarding coursework or dual concentration, you can find information on the UML website (http://www.uml.edu/MSB/Program-of-study/default.aspx), at the Centers for Learning (http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/UML-Centers-for-Learning/10875253430), and keep up with campus events and outreach programs that can teach you even more about the Manning School of Business (http://www.uml.edu/MSB/Events-Awards/Events.aspx).

What is YOUR business? Do you tutor your friends in math when you have the time? Are you really good at making earrings? Do you enjoy fixing bikes? The Manning School of Business wants to know what it is that constitutes your business.

Your business does not need to be one of which you make any profit, but one from which you share knowledge that you have with others around you. That is the beginning of all businesses. All you need to start is a skill that you have honed and that you are capable of and willing to sharing with others. The next step is technically receiving something in return for your services. Regularly, this is compensation such as money. In your business that you share with us, though, you do not need to receive money for your work; gratitude is good enough!

The classes provided by the Manning School of Business are meant to prepare its students to participate in the business world. Every student is in a different part of the process of earning their degree in business and it is important that we share our current work with one another while we do so. Sharing your current adventures and work is the first step of recognizing your current abilities. In doing so, you can share with others your present ways of making a business. Sharing helps everyone learn how to use their own abilities as well as the skills they are learning in classes to create their future business or to be a part of one in the future.

To share with fellow Manning School of Business students, staff, alumni and friends, take pictures of you doing what it is that YOU enjoy doing with your spare time and that you would consider to be YOUR business! Like the Manning School of Business Facebook page and inbox the page your pictures and a description of your business. There, your picture will appear and be shared with Manning School of Business students, faculty, alumni and friends.

Sharing your work can help Manning School of Business staff and members adjust its classes and assistance to help you in your business creation and work. It can also help you advertise your business to other students and provide a place for you to find fellow classmates who share your interests. Sharing with us can only help you and your business!

University of Massachusetts Lowell is the largest university in the Merrimac Valley. It is the third largest state institution following University of Massachusetts Amherst and University of Massachusetts Boston. With more than 1,100 faculty members, 16,000 students and 120 degree choices, one can imagine how overwhelming entering a semester may feel to any student attending UMass Lowell. Fortunately, there are multiple ways to prepare for the incoming semester and several resources and locations at the University meant to support students and assist them in their preparation for the new semester.

Some great ways to prepare for the second semester of the 2012 to 2013 academic year can begin right now during vacation. In order to feel and be more equipped for your new classes, try to get your textbooks as soon as possible. You can order them online from the UMass Lowell bookstores from North or South campus and call their staff Monday through Friday between 9:00am and 4:00 pm with any questions, or you can order them from an online site such as Amazon or Chegg.

Another helpful task you can complete during this vacation to prepare for next semester is taking a good look at your class schedule. Print out a copy and take a long look at it. Highlight and organize the times in which you have few classes and the days where you will be the busiest. In doing so, you can plan out the time you will have free to work, to study and to do other recreational activities. This may sound like a silly task, but an organized schedule will serve as a solid base for your success this semester!

In returning to school, enter the semester with a strong start. Definitely take your time to settle back into the busyness of the school year, but don’t forget your mission in attending school: to learn! In order to do so, get plenty of sleep and meet your new classmates and teachers with a positive outlook. Also, if you have the time, try to learn a little bit about the course you are about to attend and the professor who will teach the class. The UMass Lowell website provides information on all of this and can assist you in becoming knowledgeable about all of your classes.

Upon looking at your schedule, if you see that you have free time, keep in mind that this time can be used to attend tutoring sessions or meetings with advisors. You can find both tutors and advisors at Southwick on North Campus. In room 308 is the Centers for Learning where there are many knowledgeable staff members who can assist you with your iSiS account, your class schedule, transfer details and much more. In room 321, there are numerous tutors who have taken the classes with which you may need help and can offer you suggestions and directions in best completing the work that brings you difficulty.

With all of this in mind, make sure to live happily and healthily second semester! All of the staff at the University is there to help you and there are many services put in place to guarantee your success. Rest up this winter break and plan well for the beginning of second semester and the ending of the school year!

Are you excited to be on vacation, but not sure how to spend your time back at home? With your free time, try to make some extra money and to find future jobs for the summer. To use your vacation productively, spend this vacation looking for odd jobs and searching for internships for the summer. Almost all college students will be looking for jobs for the summer, so it is necessary to begin your searching as soon as possible. It is never too early to start preparing for the long summer break.

For students, it is sometimes difficult to maintain a job during the school year, which is why it is so crucial to set up a steady job for the summertime. More importantly, it is best to find a job for the summer that has to do with the knowledge you have gained throughout the school year involving your major. During vacation, though, you will more easily be able to find jobs such as babysitting, shoveling, temporary restaurant positions, etc. Try to think of other random jobs as well such as cleaning or helping a friend at an office. In your applications and interviews, don’t be nervous to mention your strengths. If you are particularly good with your hands, or if you enjoy doing math problems, tell your potential future employer and give them ample examples of your previous experiences.

Professional networking is a very convenient way to find both internships and jobs. Don’t be nervous to speak with family members and friends or neighbors and peers about their jobs and how you can find one that fits you. If you’re having difficulty finding a job on your own, your parents may have some suggestions, as well. It isn’t always the most fun working for your parents or for people they know, but very often doing so can give you experience and a strong start in the professional world. Additionally, once you have been hired at a professional job, learn how to use networking sites such as LinkedIn. When you do so, try to make your personal online sites clear of anything illegal or inappropriate!

When applying for jobs, make sure to do more than simply fill out an application. Make yourself unique, in whatever way you know how! When picking up an application, try your best to speak with a manager or owner. Smile and do your best to maintain eye contact and speak fluidly but appropriately. Even if you do not have the opportunity to have an interview, it is always useful to make yourself known when you have the chance, so always try to smile and be friendly with whomever you speak.

Also, make sure to stop by at the places where you applied on weekends when you visit home. It is also effective to call the store, restaurant or business to which you applied and to ask the status of your application. The more they see your face, the more likely they will realize your availability and dedication to work, therefore, the more likely you will be hired! Very often, the business managers and owners of the jobs available to college students do not intentionally avoid applications, but instead are too busy to look at every application they receive.

Enjoy your vacation and don’t overwork yourself, but always keep in mind ways to make money with your free time and prepare a job for the summertime!