By Cailee Burke

Below are five empowering tips designated for women who seek to become female entrepreneurs, since female entrepreneurship is quickly growing, and many women seek guidance.

Tip 1: Do not be afraid to fail. In order to grow, you must move outside of your comfort zone. Do not let failure impact your self worth or confidence, everyone fails, it is apart of life. Failure will set you on the right path to succeed, since you will learn from your mistakes.

Tip 2: Ask for feedback. Feedback is a necessary component of validating a business. In depth research can help you understand what customers want and do not want from a product. Remember to read reviews, find articles, and interview customers. Doing so will help you determine your competition’s strengths and weaknesses, which you will inevitably use to your advantage.

Tip 3: Define your goals and go for it. This is pretty simple. Identify what you wish to accomplish and include the necessary steps to get there. Goals should be things that you’re passionate about, and reflect basic morals that you stand for. Your goals should reflect what you want to get out of your life and how you want to impact the world around you. Remember to reflect on previous goals and past successes.

Tip 4: Get support. As time goes on, you must seek out support from other individuals, since entrepreneurship can get a little lonely. This support will make the process less overwhelming and you will also learn new things from others that you previously never knew before. Try to build a support system. This support system can include friends, family, other entrepreneurs or individuals who work for various businesses. Make sure these relationships are authentic as well.

Tip 5: Avoid the “haters.” Every business gains a great deal of attention from potential consumers, however, some people will only have negative feedback. Although this feedback can be disheartening, it is important to recognize that not everyone is going to like your business, and that is okay. Try to tune out the “haters” and instead focus on making your brand the best that it can be for you. Some of the negative feedback that individuals will give you will be helpful, but some of it will not.

Recognize what aspects of your business you should change, and what aspects you should keep, regardless of what others say.

“She believed she could, so she did” - R.S. Grey.

By: Riley Carter

College academics are like a rollercoaster. One week you may find that you have nothing to do and no tests to study for, and the next week you have 5 tests, a paper and a project all due within 2 consecutive days of each other. Here are some studying tips to help you become your most productive self:

Be Organized

Tests and papers can seem like they come out of nowhere. Keep up with your homework every week, make sure to check Moodle or your planner for what’s coming soon to prepare yourself.

Keep Your Room Clean

Different from mind organization, how organized your room is can dictate how well you study. Studies show that working in your room is most effective in a clean environment, free of distractions.

Go to Office Hours

Whether the hours are for your Professor or your TA, go. Even if you don’t think you need to go, go. They will help with any questions you may have about the test material, the test format, or on what the most effective way to study is for that class specifically.

Listen to a Specific Playlist

Studies show that listening to a certain playlist when you sit down to study trains your brain to associate that music with working. It can help put your brain in the working mindset to achieve effective studying.

Study in Spurts

Don’t cram in three nonstop hours of studying till you take a break. Studies show that the best way to study is to use twenty-minute intervals for work then take a 5-10-minute break. Doing this allows your brain’s attention span to utilize it’s time wisely to study effectively.

Feed. Your. Brain.

Many students, when cramming, forget to take care of themselves because they are so busy studying. Make sure that you consistently eat meals and drink water to provide the nutrients your body needs as well as your brain needs for optimal focus.

Sleep, Sleep, Sleep!

Another habit many college students have is skimping on their sleep. Make sure to set boundaries as to when you go to bed and wake up. Try to stick to at least 8 hours a night. It may be hard to put your books down, but sleep is more important! Sleep helps your brain to process what you learnt that day so the next day, you’re more likely to remember it!

Set Small Goals.

If you have 6 different things due in one week, it is very likely that you will be stressed. Look at the small picture, instead of the big one. Pick your hardest task and tackle that first. Then check it off your to-do list. Complete the second hardest task next, and so on and so forth.

Focus on Your Notes

Your notes can make or break a good grade in a class. Dedicate time to organizing your notes in a manner that helps you to understand the material while making it easy for you to review them later. Every day, look over your notes just to reiterate to your brain what you learned that day.

Keep Going

Sometimes, you’re going to make mistakes and fail. But that’s okay. You have to pick yourself up and keep working. Grit and determination are qualities that employers look for in candidates for internships. Start creating habits that help cultivate those skills and watch as the positive results roll in.