Koofers Blog

How to Keep Your Parents Off Your Back This Summer

Are your parents overprotective or overbearing? Have they forgotten that you just successfully lived through a year on your own? Do they still try to run your social calendar and put you to bed at 9pm?  Or maybe your parents just live by the motto: “my house, my rules.”  If so, you are probably dreading returning home and bunking with your rents for the next 2-3 months.  Well, here are a few steps you can take to show your parents that you are a responsible adult so you can enjoy some of that college freedom while under their roof.

Dinner – Don’t skip family dinners. Your parents haven’t seen you for the last 8 or more months. Let them enjoy having your company and getting to ask you about your day. Showing that you still value being a part of the family will give them reason to let you have time out with your friends.

Communicate – I know you haven’t had to clue your parents in on your outings when at school, but now that you’re back under their roof they are going to worry.  That’s what parents do. Give them peace-of-mind by telling them what you’re up to. The better you are at offering it unprompted the more likely they won’t nag you for details.

Show that you think through your plans, so your parents don’t have too.

• I’m staying at <insert: friend’s name> house tonight.
• We are going to a bar at <insert: location> but <insert: friend’s name> is our designated driver.
• Our movie is a late showing so don’t expect me before <insert: specific time>.

Get a job – If you are working a regular schedule your parents will be less likely to make you do household chores than if you are sitting around all day.

Help them when they need it – By doing some chores when they ask, you will gain leverage with them when they’re trying to prevent you from attending certain events. 

Do your own laundry – If you want the freedom associated with being an adult, don’t come home and let your mom keep treating you like a child.

Proving you can take care of yourself will go a long way with your parents. You will earn their respect and ease their natural tendency to worry.  Follow these few simple steps and you should have no problem cohabitating with your parents over the summer.

Koofers’ TweetChat with SmartCollegeVisit

If you missed yesterday’s TweetChat with SmartCollegeVisit and our CSO and co-founder, Michael Rihani, you can get the major highlights here.  We had a lot of great questions and feedback that sparked strong discussions among students, parents and industry representatives. In today’s post I have captured some of the topics that generated a great deal of interest by the participants and I am sure are shared by many of you.

Questions:

Probably one of the first questions we get when we meet people is “why the name Koofers?” so it’s no surprise that the first question posed was this:

Q: What prompted the name Koofers?
A: The word ‘koofers’ dates back to saved course materials that were stored in coffers for future students to study from. We have taken this term and expanded on the concept.

The discussion then delved into the principles of our business, the ethics and advancing services.

Q: Where and how do you acquire these past exams and study guides?
A: Students provide them (either to us to upload or they upload the documents themselves). They are permanently returned materials – returned by the professor to the student. So it is theirs to share.  We have taken the traditional, off-line practices of passing on knowledge (think: study groups where you get together to share your old quizzes, lab worksheets, notes, etc) and put it online.

Q: Could using Koofers be considered cheating in the eyes of some professors?
A: Many honor codes call for equal access to these materials and even urge professors to “level the playing field.”  Learn more here about our academic integrity.

Q: Textbooks are so expensive. I was intrigued by your textbook pricing center tool. Do you offer eBook options too?
A: We currently do not, but we are expanding the service to include eBooks and local bookstores.

So students, we want to know from you:

Q: Does anyone use an eReader? If so, what are the pros and cons? Especially when studying…
Submit your answers in our comments section.

Feedback:

We appreciate the questions and enthusiastic support participants were sharing with us.  Here is a snippet of some of the conversations that took place:

SkiManilow: “If Koofers is available to some, I agree it should be available to all.”
Chelsmerget: “Exactly! …if you ask me, it’s basically tutoring or having a study group.”  … Chelsmerget: “Sometimes just having alternative study materials provides a world of help to stumped students.”

Collegevisit: “Can college-bound high school students sign up and review professor ratings?”
Koofers: “High school students and parents are interested in our platform. We’re working on opening up the service.”
SuzanneShaffer: “This service would also provide high school students a window into college curriculum I assume.” … SuzanneShaffer: “I could see this being used as another tool to facilitate the college decision process.”

One of our fundamental objectives is to level the playing field among college students by making study materials open and free to all.  However, we are noticing a great deal of interest among high school students (and their parents) and it’s really getting us excited about the prospect of expanding our platform.  But don’t get too excited, no details on how or when just yet.

To learn more about our service check us out online: http://www.koofers.com/, if you’re a student or professor login – it’s free. 

Got a question for us? Post it in our comments and we’ll reply, so everyone can see it too.

The Art of the Flash Rave

rave [ŕāv],  n. An extravagantly enthusiastic appraisal or review of something.

A flash rave/mob is a spontaneous combustion of music, chanting, dancing, and overall exuberance in a public location. Webster defines a rave as an “appraisal or review,” but at the college level, there’s much more to it than that.  There is a clear sense of joyous cohesion and an unspoken bond for those few minutes of positive chaos.  Those involved are most likely experiencing a rush of endorphins creating an overall euphoric feeling shared amongst the group.  Clearly there are some psychological and physiological explanations of why they are so fun, but that’s not what we are going to touch on today.  We want to give you the recipe, the meat and potatoes of a good flash rave, if you will.

1. Planning: There’s nothing worse than a great idea with no execution.  Usually a few people get together, decide the venue (most likely the library), the day (most likely during finals), and the time (most likely at night).  It is the orchestrators’ job to make sure that things go smoothly, and don’t get out of hand.  Easier said than done!

a. Venue:  Most always the library is the place do to it. If your library isn’t big enough, go to the student union. If the student union is locked, hit up the quad.  The best part about the venue, it can be literally anywhere with open space!

b. Music:  Being cliché is quite alright.  (i.e.:  “Sandstorm” by Darude, “Zombie Nation” by Kernkraft 400, and “Dont stop believing” by Journey)

c. Accessories: Beach balls, costumes, school mascots, glow sticks, & Koofers Tee Shirts.

2. Communication:  So your plan is set, now it is the communication channel that must be decided upon.  Some schools are OK with flash raves, so Facebook or email is perfectly fine. However, if you are trying to make your rave completely spontaneous, word of mouth/text is where it’s at.

3. Executing:  When a mass of over a thousand students is standing outside the library, they need some direction.  Someone (possibly with a megaphone in hand) needs to address the crowd.  The leader needs to let them know the duration of the rave, the rules of the rave, and the purpose of the rave.  (i.e.: Duration: 10 minutes, Rules: no violence or destruction, Reason: send off the seniors and the end of finals)

4. The Clean-up: Someone’s gotta’ do it.  Be responsible and have a few people stay behind to pick up the glow sticks, confetti, and lost freshman.  The goal isn’t to wreck the scene, the goal is to go nuts and prove to your school that you can have fun and be responsible at the same time.  Make the flash rave an annual thing!

 Now, here are some examples of flash raves that we think are the best of the best. 

The take aways: (1) Use of Aubie the tiger (2) Koofers Tee @ 2:03 in the video (3) Lots of school chants 

The take aways: (1) Real DJ playing techno (2) Monkey costume (3) Completely packed venue

The take aways: (1) Multi-level library use (2) Intense crowd surfing (3) Real DJ playing techno

The take aways: (1) Lead by a large Penguin (2) Well organized crowd (3) Lots of accessories  

The take aways: (1) Professionally filmed (2) Involved school president  E. Gordan Gee (3) Orchestrated much like the infamous Liverpool station T Mobile flash mob

The take aways: (1) Well attended for a smaller school (2) Some guy only wearing black underwear? (3) Use of Darude – “Sandstorm”

The take aways: (1) No DJ, but students singing their own songs (2) Mike the Tiger Costume (3) A lot of beach balls

Koofers Goes Hollywood

Koofers, Inc. has a strong presence and following at colleges on the East Coast. But in some parts of the country it is less known, and this is true in California. So, in April we decided to take our road-show to the Los Angeles area and visit several large schools within close proximately to each other. Armed with t-shirts, chalk, flyers, and other goodies, I took off for a 4 day tour of sunny, Southern, California.

The goals were simple:

-          Visit 5 schools

• University of California- Los Angeles
• University of California – Riverside
• University of California – Irvine
• California State University – Fullerton
• California State University –Long Beach

-          Build awareness among students at these schools

-          Increase users at each school

Discover possible campus reps

I left Washington D.C. early in the morning and made it to Hollywood with enough time to snap a cliché picture in front of the Hollywood sign!  Interesting facts about the Hollywood sign!

Cal State, Fullerton

California State University of Fullerton was the first stop on the Koofers trip! I headed straight to the Titan Student Union, where I met the Greek Life Coordinator, who spoke to me about the Fullerton student community, which provided me very helpful insight. In turn, I provided an overview of Koofers.com’s services and really piqued her interest.

I then walked around campus meeting as many people as possible and introducing them to Koofers!  

Can you spot the flyers?

While on campus, I found a series of tables and chalked out, “Koofers.com.”  At the table, I passed out more handouts, K-Lollies and FREE t-shirts.

UC, Irvine

I arrived at Irvine’s beautiful campus around 2:30 p.m., that same day and met a student that recognized my shirt and asked how he could

That first day I received a lot of support and interest from students.  In one case a student exclaimed, “$%#@ yes, my friends and I have been looking for a website like this!”  And I met several student groups interested in supporting Koofers. Yeah, UC Irvine!

UC, Riverside
Using old study guides and course materials online, is a new phenomenon to students at UC-Riverside. Most of them get help in-person from their friends! To remedy this situation I met with the men from the Interfraternity Council and spoke about Koofers’ products and services. I also started advertising for campus reps to help spread the word to the Riverside study body that Koofers has made studying easier – and FREE.  

Cal State, Long Beach
I continued my journey of networking and marketing the following day at Cal State, Long Beach. Like my previous day, I started off the visit by swinging by the Greek Life and student activities office to drop off some flyers and speak with students about Koofers’ product and services. Later, I walked around campus passing out our ‘swag’ and learning about the student community.

UCLA

Unlike the previous campuses I had visited, a large number of UCLA students were already familiar with Koofers.com.  Those that had not known of us were interested in trying it out. Working with our stellar campus rep, I walked around campus, traveling to common areas, dorms, and the busy and very central hang out, the “Bruin Walk.”

I met so many great people and learned a lot about these schools. I’d like to send a huge THANK YOU to all the students that taught me about their school and helped spread the word about Koofers.  

More pictures

Attention 2010 Graduates: Applying for a job? Tips to get employers interested in you.

Are you graduating this spring? Have you lined up a job?  Have you been applying diligently or not at all?  Or maybe you’re applying and interviewing, but aren’t having luck scoring that first post-college job.  If that sounds like you don’t get discouraged.  The solution may be as simple as rethinking how you are presenting yourself.  Here are a few tips to put yourself above the competition, help you land your dream interview and nail it!

• Create a network tree. Connections are the best way to get your foot in the door, and this visual diagram will help you identify who you know. Start with your family and then their close friends. Next add your friends and their families. Each time you meet with someone remember to ask them if they know of anyone that may also be helpful for you to meet with and then add them to the tree.
• Read the news. Companies want a person that is aware of current events so find a favorite, reputable, news site and read it daily. You may also want to set-up a Google Reader account, which emails you the day’s top stories from your favorite sites and articles that bring up your preset key words.
• Blog. Writing is like exercising. To be strong at it you must practice regularly. So utilize your large amount of free time and start blogging. This will add materials to your portfolio to show on job interviews and employers will see that you are a person with passions and a voice.
• Make a digital resume.  Employers want to see today’s college grads creatively using technology. Since the first thing employers will see about you is your resume, why not make it digital? This will demonstrate your creativity and technical skills.  And, since traditional resumes should only be one page in length, this is a great way to expand on your story.
• Apply for internships. Yes I know you’ve already graduated, but internships are a great way to gain experience, network, strengthen your resume, increase your marketability, and get paid while you continue your search for that long-term job.
• Work overseas. Take a summer job working in a different country. Learn about the global economy by experiencing how business is conducted in other parts of the world. This is a fun way to meet interesting people who can provide you with a different perspective on life.  It will help your resume stand out in the crowd and employers will see you as a worldly (read: “interesting, smart and adventurous”) addition to their team.  
• Volunteer.  Don’t want to spend your summer working full-time while career hunting? Volunteering is a great way to spend a few days a week getting experience in the corporate world. It will help you learn what jobs you enjoy and don’t enjoy doing. 
• Join professional clubs.  Many organizations support, even require, their employees to join professional organizations. Get a leg up on this by showing employers you are already a member of a club or two within the industry. They will provide you with opportunities to continue learning and networking. Check to see if they offer student discounts.
• Join your alumni association. Often when we graduate we think we are done with our school forever, but in truth we don’t have to be, and we shouldn’t. Alumni groups are designed to support graduates.
• Put yourself out there.  Just like dating we have to be willing to go to where the people we are most interested in meeting are hanging out. Think about where you can mingle: industry events, job fairs and alumni association parties.  Even bars during happy hours are a good time to network when you choose ones in areas where there is a large population of corporate workers mingling after work.   
• Make your own business cards.  This is a fun, non-invasive way to share your name and contact information with people you meet. If they’re interested they have all the information they need to get back in touch with you. And you can carry them anywhere.
• Go on informational interviews. Don’t be scared to ask for informational interviews with companies that are not hiring or have turned you down for a specific job.  These are a great way to build your network of contacts, candidly learn what companies are looking for in candidates, and gain personal advice on how you can better promote yourself.  Informational interviews are important. You never know what doors they may open: the interviewer may know of similar companies that are hiring or may keep you in mind for when they are in a position to hire. 
• Take practice interviews.  Go on interviews for jobs even if you think you don’t want it. Practicing your interviewing skills will help you be prepared, calm and able to most accurately represent yourself for the job interview of your dreams.
• Professors have connections.  Speak to your professors (even alumni coordinators) and see what connections they have within the industry.  If they can’t help you land an interview, they should be able to at least list company names and job types that you have not heard of. This will help you expand your search.  Remember, universities want their graduates to succeed in the “real-world” so don’t miss the opportunity to have them help you.
• Line up strong references.  Always contact the people you want to use as your references before you share their information with a prospective employer.  By giving your references a heads-up it shows that you are taking the potential job very seriously and that you highly regard your relationship with, and opinions of, those persons.  Your references will appreciate your notice and will be ready and able to properly represent you.
• Stay in touch.  It is important to follow-up with employers after you’ve submitted your resume, but don’t nag them.  A few days after the first point of contact it’s nice to check in with a friendly email. If they don’t reply right away, wait a week or two before contacting them again. Employers are very busy and interviewing candidates is a slow process.
• Be patient.  Job searches (read: “matching the perfect candidate to a job”) is a slow process.  Typically it takes about five months before you will find that match.  

Holy Grail of Studying or Placebo?

Let’s admit it, we’ve either tried it, known of someone who has or contemplated trying it. That is, taking Adderall during finals to help cram a semester’s worth of information into one sleepless week.  But recently the use of Adderall by college students has been a topic of interest, and even concern, among many.

60 Minutes investigated this growing trend and found that 50 – 60% of college students have used Adderall, including those not diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD).  The reason for this high rate of use may be because researchers are finding that the drug may work on just about everyone. If a pill can help you concentrate and fight exhaustion then it can come as no surprise why such a large number of people want to take it. So then, why can’t those who do not have ADD?  Well, there are a number of side-effects and some are very serious.  But still students wonder, ‘what’s the harm of using a couple of pills for a few days out of the year?’

In an effort to stop students from using unnecessary medications some researchers are testing whether Adderall actually helps them pay attention or simply makes them believe it makes a difference. 

It will be interesting to see the results of these experiments. Until then, we must ask ourselves before popping a pill: “Is Adderall the miracle drug I believe it to be or is it all in my head?” 

The best advice I can provide – study consistently throughout the semester (and of course with Koofers.com) and you likely won’t need stimulants to carry you through sleepless nights of cramming.

Would You Pledge An Online Fraternity?

Theta Omega Gamma

Recently, The Huffington Post broke news that a sophomore at the Florida Institute of Technology founded a fraternity housed and operated completely online. This fraternity, Theta Omega Gamma (TOG), is co-ed with currently 24 members. Like most fraternities TOG is for socializing and service projects. But, unlike the common Greek life experience, this fraternity does not go out drinking together.  So why was it created?  Well, founder Darrek Battle says he created the frat because there is nothing else out there like it.  Designed to be a service fraternity, not a Greek fraternity, Battle is hoping this form of camaraderie will excite and grow among students at online institutions across the country. 

In the digital world we live in today, could this become the next big social networking platform?  So far, comments on the Huffington Post article seem not to be in favor of this idea.  But we want to hear what you think…

Hello From Stamp Union, UMD!

Hey Koofers’ fans, we had another great day networking with you and making new friends.  This time we were at the University of Maryland, hanging outside the Stamp Student Union.   Below are some photos of our afternoon. Thanks to everyone that came out and supported Koofers!

Welcome to the University of Maryland

Our table

Check out that line!