2 Fantastic Resources For Current Students And Post-Grads!

Fantastic Questions … but no Fantastic Resources?

Why is the sky blue? (Via Pixabay)

What should I major in? What should I be doing in order to get myself a job after I graduate? Can I play video games and still get A’s? How should I study?

There is no doubt that college students are hard pressed to find fantastic resources to these questions. We wonder about scholarships, internships, relationships, and just about every other word that ends with ship. Given this, we yearn for answers.

The problem is, the answers that we receive are usually … sub-par. Enter parents.

“Honey, a lot of the advice we give is probably outdated and ineffective, so take what we say with a grain of salt,” said no parent ever. Instead, it is more like “You better not major in (insert supposedly useless major) … or else.”

That’s why YOU, the responsible and curious student must take on the burden of educating yourself (at least when it comes to these matters). Make it your job to FIND these fantastic resources (they do exist). Don’t just take their word for it; qualify or challenge the advice by researching on your own.

Ah, but then the question arises: where does one start, especially when there is so much information that purport to be “Fantastic Resources?”

I asked myself this exact question a year ago. I wanted to prepare myself as much as possible before my first semester began. Thankfully, after months of delightful research, I luckily stumbled upon two … YouTube channels.

What, YouTube?!? That’s where I watch Beyonce music videos, Skins, and the occasional Minecraft video … How dare you suggest YouTube as a “Fantastic Resource.”

Hold your horses. First of all, apart from music videos and Minecraft videos, YouTube is home to many educational channels. Chances are you’ve heard of Khan Academy, Vsauce, I Like to Make Stuff, or TED Talks before. They are all Fantastic Resources when it comes to their field of expertise (Khan Academy: Education; Vsauce: Science and etc).

But did you know that there are Fantastic Resources on YouTube about college? Not just random videos, but carefully planned, researched, and thoughtful content about the intricacies of being a student in a university (or community college)!

The Fantastic Resources:

 Thomas Frank

Via CollegeInfoGeek

Fantastic Resource Specialty: Undergrad/College Life

There’s a reason I mention Thomas Frank first … He was the first of the two channels I found, and in my opinion, the most important. Graduating from Iowa State University with no debt thanks to his blog (collegeinfogeek), he is extremely qualified to speak about all things college.

Why? Because he’s lived the successful life of a student, and devotes his time to make sure others can do what he did as well. His videos range from habit formation to staying organized, and even some about learning Japanese!

Website: http://collegeinfogeek.com/about

Recommended Video: https://youtu.be/Ey-cAHDme2s

Engineered Truth

Via EngineeredTruth

Fantastic Resource Specialty: Post Grad/Career advice

Matt Tran. He is a funny guy. But humor isn’t his only specialty, his forte is providing real, honest, no BS career advice. His wisdom is gleaned not only from his personal experience (he worked as a mechanical engineer), but from interviewing current professionals in their respective fields.

Unlike Thomas, Matt focuses more on “post-grad” life, but I believe the information he provides is just as important. After all, most people go to college in hopes of getting a job afterwards!

Website: http://www.engineeredtruth.com

Recommended Video: https://youtu.be/1yQ9U2EgWiM

PRO TIP: Watch videos on 2x speed. This will allow you to go through YouTube videos faster, meaning you glean much more information, and save time. But what about comprehension? I can’t speak for everyone, but just like any skill, listening is something you can improve. If you can’t follow 2x speed, then try 1.5x speed first.

In brief, we all have questions about college. The difference then, is how we answer the questions, and apply the answers to our lives. Thomas and Matt are experts in the sense that they’ve been through what college students go through.

Trust them. They are truly fantastic resources; just check their comment sections for reassurance. Your future successful self will thank you!