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Alternatives to Help You Overcome Exam Anxieties

It seems that finals hit us out of nowhere every semester. One minute we are focused on getting assignments done and keeping up with day-to-day expectations for each of our classes, and the next we realize that deadlines for exams and projects have crept up on us. It’s easy to fall prey to the anxiety that comes with this workload that we thought we had more time to plan for, but luckily we came up with some solutions to combat the stresses of wrapping up your semester.

Avoid all-nighters like the plague

While it may seem tempting to drink a pot of coffee and study all night, research actually shows that our minds retain information more efficiently on a full nights’ sleep. What we suggest instead is to delegate blocks of time for studying and prioritize taking care of yourself by allowing yourself to rest. Taking breaks is key, and if you can ensure that your mind is in the best possible condition to survive an exam, you are far more likely to succeed.

Explore natural approaches to self-care

No matter how prepared you are for finals week, we understand that pre-exam jitters still exist. To keep you feeling at your very best, we highly recommend exploring the possibility of implementing CBD into your daily regime—Populum is a favorite of ours. Orange-flavored, full-spectrum, and offering a 30-day risk-free trial, Populum offers an introductory CBD experience that feels safe, approachable, and exciting to take every day.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Whether it be from a professor or a classmate, there is no shame in admitting that you don’t understand something. If a topic isn’t super clear to you in your notes, remember that it is an admirable thing to ask for clarity on something—it shows that you care and are willing to learn and master the content you’re studying. Perfection doesn’t exist, and your future exam-taking self will thank you for asking questions.

Wishing everyone the best of luck on finals week!

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Writing the Perfect Cover Letter

Writing the Perfect Cover Letter

As if searching for a job isn’t difficult enough, the most dreaded part of an application after writing a resume is writing the perfect cover letter. While it can be tedious, writing the perfect cover letter is also a very overlooked opportunity to show your prospective employer why you are perfect for a position.

No Experience?

If you’re a recent graduate, you may not have much real life work experience for the position you are applying for. The perfect cover letter gives you the opportunity to explain your passion for the industry in question and to further detail some of the experience that you may not have included in your resume. For instance, I volunteered at SAG Bookpals where I read to underprivileged children in South Central Los Angeles and recently applied for a position with a church where I would be overseeing the youth program. It would behoove me to mention this experience in my cover letter. Volunteer work shows employers that you have passion and compassion. Steer clear of including experience that is not relevant to the position you are applying for. If you are applying for an internship at the William Morris Agency where you will be working in the mail room, for example, I wouldn’t mention my aspirations of being a filmmaker and my dreams of taking over Hollywood. I would instead stick to soft skills like strong attention to detail and my organizational ability evidenced in my stamp collection which consists of over 2,000 rare stamps that are all in mint condition—if you’re that way inclined!

While some HR managers may not be impressed with volunteer work or your hobbies they may be looking for evidence that you can do the job at hand. If the job requires writing, then mention your writing ability. Maybe this is the time to mention that you wrote for the school paper or that you published an award-winning article that was later picked up by a national publication. If the job requires handling social media, mention that you are familiar with Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and Facebook.

Honesty

Be honest when writing the perfect cover letter. You have to know yourself and what attributes that you have that would be good for the position to benefit both you and your future employer. Spending time on a job application is a time to really take into account if you’re the right fit for a position. Some places are not the right fit for you and that is an inevitability. I recently applied for a position and interviewed but the employees seemed depressed and stressed out. While another position I applied for in the same field the employees were happy and upbeat and seemed to enjoy working for the company. These are all important factors to think about. Research the company and use the cover letter to discuss of what kind of environment you would like to work in.

The most important thing that I think that makes a successful cover letter is that it shows your personality and what you can bring to the position you are applying for. So often when applying for a job, we recount our qualifications and experiences but leave the most important part out of the letter: This is who you are and what separates you from the other candidates for the position.

Don’t get weighed down by the formality of the job process that you leave any hint of you out of your cover letter. If you want to find the perfect job, you’re not going to get it pretending to be someone else. This is why so many adults are miserable at the jobs they have. Find your passion.

Ask for help

If you need assistance writing a cover letter, visit your career center at school for some guidance. Your local public library may have some resources that can demonstrate how to write the perfect cover letter. Remember that practice makes perfect. I look at it as something that could possibly sway you being hired for a position but not the end all and be all. Finding a job is about numbers. The more positions you apply for, the more likely you’re going to get an interview—so get writing that perfect cover letter!

Further reading: Nail a Successful Job Interview